Friday’s top rugby news has the ARU reacting to the Horwill investigation, changes at the Rebels, Robinson re-signs and Eddie Jones’ thoughts on the Wallabies side.
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ARU reacts to new Horwill investigation
The big news of the last 24 hours has been that the IRB will be re-opening the James Horwill stamping charge after Saturday’s second Test. The game’s governing body has pointed to their “duty to preserve player welfare” to appeal Horwill’s original not-guilty verdict.
In response, the ARU is, perhaps predictably, none too pleased. Speaking yesterday, Bill Pulver stated “we are surprised and disappointed that the finding of Mr Hampton is now not only under question but deemed to be ‘erroneous’.” Whilst there is no doubting the IRB has the power to intervene in this manner, the move is unprecedented. According to ESPN, this is the first time the governing body has attempted to overturn a not-guilty verdict. The only other time they intervened was to up a suspension for the already guilty All Black Adam Thomson from one to two weeks.
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Rebels ownership change
There are some major changes afoot in the ownership and running of the Melbourne Rebels. News emerged yesterday that the club’s biggest shareholder Harold Mitchell and other board members will be transferring their shares in the organisation to the Victorian Rugby Union. As a result, Mitchell will no longer be the chairman of the Rebels, to be replaced by Jonathan Ling. ARU chief Bill Pulver praised the club’s founding shareholders yesterday saying that the code was “very lucky” to have them, even suggesting that the money invested by them should arguably have been coughed up by the ARU in the first place.
The changes at the top come on the back of a number of issues for Australia’s youngest Super Rugby franchise. The team continues to struggle to attract strong crowds and results remain disappointing, with the team destined to once again finish near the bottom of the ladder.
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Benn Robinson re-signs
In signing news, prop Benn Robinson has re-committed to both the ARU and the NSW Waratahs for another three years. On the decision, Robinson said that “there’s still a lot more I’d like to achieve in Australia … The options were there to look at going overseas but I love living in Sydney, and enjoy what I am doing at the moment. I’m just not ready to leave.”
No doubt a major factor in Robinson’s decision was a desire to finally feature in a World Cup. Robinson was not chosen in 2007 and then was cruelly ruled out of the 2011 tournament after injuring his knee in training. The prop needs to play just 13 more Tests to overtake Al Baxter as Australia’s most capped prop.
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Jones weighs in on Wallaby selections
Always good for a quote, former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has opened up on the team Robbie Deans has named for Saturday’s second test. Like a lot of people, Jones cannot quite fathom why veteran George Smith was called back into the squad, but could not even manage a place on the bench, labelling the decision “laughable”. Whilst Jones was quick to praise the ability of both Michael Hooper and Liam Gill, he believes that Smith’s skills at the breakdown are still the best in the country and would “definitely start him.”
It is a little strange that earlier this week Smith declared himself completely ready to go, but according the Wallabies yesterday he needs another week of training to be right. Some mixed messages coming out of camp.
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