Tuesday’s rugby news has Japanese rugby touted the lesser of the overseas exodus evils, Big Benn dismissing rest weeks, a foreign scrum warning and an All Black heading to Ireland.
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Japanese exodus the least harmful
Matt Carraro has emphasised that the spate of signings with Japanese rugby offers the best scenario for Australian rugby in the face of the upcoming post-World Cup mass exodus. While saying that any movement overseas is not ideal, Carraro highlighted that the Japanese Top League is less physically demanding than other competitions and is played outside of Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship schedules.
“It would be a bit of a shame to lose a few players but that would be the most feasible option,” he said. With the ARU now negotiating ‘flexible contracts’ with players seeking foreign stints, the number of players heading overseas is set to increase in the near-future.
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Tahs dismissing tough schedule
The Waratahs are facing a stretch of 10 consecutive regular season games, and possibly three finals matches, after having their two byes very early in the season. But loosehead prop Benn Robinson does not believe there should be any resting or rotation policy during the tough schedule.
“I think for Michael [Cheika] he’s putting his best side on week in, week out,” Robinson said. “Having two byes this early is a little bit different for us, but it’s rugby, it’s what you train to do” The Tahs run starts with the Stormers this week, who have rested their star captain Duane Vermeulen for the match as part of a strategy to preserve Springboks for the World Cup later this year.
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Woodward gives scrum warning
Clive Woodward has warned the Wallabies that they would not make it past their pool stage clashes with England and Wales if they do not improve their scum in the time before the World Cup. “Out of the three southern hemisphere countries the Achilles heel for Australia is the scrum, that’s what we all think,” he said. “Nothing’s changed moving into this World Cup. Australia has to arrive at Twickenham with a scrum or we’ll munch them again.”
The Wallabies still do not have a scrum-coach, with Michael Cheika failing to recruit his first choice forwards coaches Laurie Fisher and Michael Foley. Woodward said that the perception of weakness does play into the mind of referees at set-piece time, but if the Wallaby scrum can be competitive the team can definitely win the World Cup.
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Saili signs with Munster
Munster confirmed today the signing of Blues centre Francis Saili on a two-year contract. The 24 year-old has made 33 Super Rugby appearances for the Blues, scoring five tries, and made his debut for the All Blacks against Argentina in September 2013.
Head Coach Anthony Foley described Saili as a “talented centre with an impressive skill-set and he possesses the physical attributes to excel in the Northern Hemisphere.” The Blues centre will join fellow All Black Charles Piutau in departing for a European club after Piutau signed a post World Cup two year contract with Ulster.
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