Friday Rugby News has Tolu being sent to the Shute Shield, World Rugby talking up the Pacific Islands, The Kiwi and Lion squads for this weekend, and Hansen defending Gatland (yep, you read that correctly!)
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Latu sent back to the Students
Fitness has long been an ongoing concern for Wallabies coach Michael Cheika this year. So, when Tolu Latu showed up to Wallabies training unfit, Cheika decided to send him back to club rugby.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Cheik made it no secret that he wants his players to be fitter for the Rugby Championship, and that the standard of fitness in the June Series was not good enough. So for him, Latu is very much a case of whipping them into shape.
“For a young guy coming up, he’s a player who we have a lot of regard for … but he got caught out by the fact that as a young player he needs to be working harder than anybody,” Cheika said.
“When he steps up to that plate, I’ve got no doubt that he’ll be able to compete for the No.1 hooker spot.”
The message seems to be recieved loud and clear: Tolu needs to lift his game if he wants to add to the four caps he earnt during last years Spring Tour. He will be starting for Sydney University in their match against Northern Suburbs, a repeat of last year’s Shute Shield Grand Final.
For Latu, it seems clear: give an eighty minute performance on Saturday, and that will be a step towards a Bledisloe Cup recall.
In addition to Latu, Waratahs David Horwitz, Andrew Kellaway, Andrew Deegan, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Jed Holloway, Sam Needs, Damien Fitzpatrick and Hugh Roach will also be playing Shute Shield this weekend.
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World Rugby keen for Pacific Super Rugby Team
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont believes that a Super Rugby team representing the Pacific Island Regions would stop the player drain of pacific players going to play in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
In a fascinating piece in the Sunshine Coast Daily, Beaumont believed that World Rugby would “look favourably” on such a decision being made, saying the professional rugby needs to “find a home” in the Pacific, to stop the drain of players to other countries and national teams.
“They are being taken away from home, not necessarily all to Europe, but they go away from home,” Beaumont said, while at a stopover in Sydney.
“If you look at the contribution in rugby terms that those islands have made, it’s absolutely enormous isn’t it? Their contribution to world rugby.”
Many may argue such a strategy couldn’t work, but this article raised a legitimately good recent example: Argentina. Prior to Argentina joining SANZAAR, all Argentinean players plied their trade in France, so much so that it stifled the growth of the game back home. When World Rugby managed to lobby to get Argentina in the Tri-Nations, SANZAR backed it up with a Super Rugby team in the Jaguares, and now the clear majority of Argentina’s rugby players are based at home.
And let’s be honest, they have been becoming a better team because of it.
But Beaumont, when asked whether World Rugby would help fund such an expansion into the Pacific Islands, was a lot more tentative in his response.
“World Rugby already invest a significant amount of money in the Pacific Islands, and we want to help that investment. It could well be a Pacific Islands team playing Super Rugby. That might be a solution.
“We need to find a home for them, certainly,” Beaumont said.
“They are exportative rugby players. We have to be aware of the economics of rugby as well, that lure for players to go north and play in European clubs which is very tempting for the Island players. If there is any way they can stay on their island and still play top-class rugby, I suppose it is a win-win situation for everybody.
“Specifically, we will work with the individual unions and the shareholders in Super Rugby to find solutions. That’s what we do.”
It should be recognised that World Rugby, along with the ARU, will successfully add a Fijian side to the NRC this year. Already, this is touted as having the potential to be a major leap forward, both for Fijian rugby and also the NRC competition itself. Quite frankly, I’m really looking forward to what they can bring to the competition. The NRC was really fun to watch last year, and experienced a twenty percent increase in viewership. With the Fijians in, it should be a hoot.
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Squads Up for Test Two
Who’d thought that there’s only two games left in the Lions tour? And they’re both against the All Blacks. Both sides have named some notable restructuring to their squads for the test tomorrow in Windy Wellington, and it has the looks to be another great match.
Starting with the hosts, New Zealand will be calling up Waisake Naholo to the right wing to replace Israel Dagg, who will be moving to Fullback to replace Ben Smith (concussion). Anton Lienert-Brown is also being called into the starting lineup at centre, replacing Ryan Crotty (hamstring). The last big change is the inclusion of young gun Ngani Laumape in the reserves. Laumape is the leading try scorer in Super Rugby this year, so he looks to be brought on to provide some good finishing as the All Blacks look to wrap up the series with a game to spare.
“Whilst it’s disappointing to lose both Ben Smith and Ryan Crotty, it creates an opportunity for others,” All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen said.
“The job is far from done. It’s going to require us to take our game to a higher level. It’s going to be very demanding, physically and mentally, on both sides,” he said.
“We’re aware the British and Irish Lions have their backs to the wall and will chuck everything at us to keep themselves alive in the Series. They are a quality side who we respect immensely.
“In reality, last week’s Test could’ve gone either way had they taken more of their chances. Our job will be to make sure that we shut down their counter-attack better than we did last weekend and at the same time, win the critical moments across the 80 minutes.”
Now, over at Lions HQ, Warren Gatland has brought out some big guns into the side that lost the first test against the All Blacks. Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell will line up alongside each other at the expense of Ben Te’o, with Sam Warburton returning as the captain. Maro Itoje will partner Alun Wyn Jones in the second row.
Gatland’s move looks to inject some positive change into the squad. Sexton and Farrell have already proven themselves this tour, giving the Lions their crucial 12-3 win over the Crusaders in Christchurch. Sexton also combines well with Conor Murray at scrumhalf.
“In terms of the backs we have gone with the Sexton-Farrell combination; both have played well and it gives us that attacking option in the 10-12 channel,” said Gatland.
“We created opportunities in the first Test and there were a few that we didn’t finish.
“There were lots of positives from the first Test but we were disappointed that we put ourselves in a position to put the All Blacks under pressure and to get back into the game and we let it slip.”
History is not on the Lions side. Only two Lions sides have come back from 1-0 down to win a series, in Australia in 1899 and 1989. Last time they were in Wellington, they got smashed by Dan Carter. With only two wins in their last fifteen encounters with the All Blacks, history does not bode well for the Lions. But, if this injection proves as effective as it does against the Crusaders, then we could be in for the match of the year.
All Blacks squad:
Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Sam Cane, Kieran Read (c), Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Sonny Bill Williams, Anton Lienert-Brown, Waisake Naholo, Israel Dagg.
Reserves: Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Aaron Cruden, Ngani Laumape.
British & Irish Lions squad:
Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones, Sam Warburton (c), Sean O’Brien, Taulupe Faletau, Conor Murray, Johnny Sexton, Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell, Jonathan Davies, Anthony Watson, Liam Williams.
Reserves: Ken Owens, Jack McGrath, Kyle Sinckler, Courtney Lawes, CJ Stander, Rhys Webb, Ben Te’o, Jack Nowell.
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Hans-Off my Gatland!
Lets be honest, watching the Kiwi media’s treatment of the Lions this tour has almost been as fascinating as the rugby itself. But All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has, in a surprising twist, come out in defence of Warren Gatland and telling the media to stop making mountains out of molehills.
It should be pointed out that in the days following the first test, Hansen has labelled the Lions and Gatland as “desperate” and “predictable”, while Gatland has returned fire with claims of deliberate foul play against Lions scrumhalf Conor Murray. AKA, it’s pretty much the mindgames we all know and love (!).
But in an interesting press conference yesterday, Hansen accused the media of ramping up the rivalry between the two coaches, especially on rumours that they mutually dislike the other.
“To ridicule someone is not right and a bit disappointing really,” Hansen said candidly.
It’s one thing to have a bit of banter, and then you guys beef it up to make it bigger than it really is … so to come out and do that (cartoon) I think you’re ridiculing somebody that doesn’t deserve it.
Interesting that he didn’t say that when it was happening to Michael Cheika last year, when he accused him of “hijacking” the press conference and putting a damper on All Black’s record streak celebrations.
“I read somewhere that I ‘lashed out at Warren Gatland’. I haven’t lashed out at Warren Gatland, at all. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and I’m looking forward to having a beer with him and a chuckle about life.
“It’s the media that ramp it up because it sells you guys newspapers. Who am I to say stop it? But I do look at it and say ‘well, that’s actually not how it went’.”
As for the accusations of bad sportsmanship eminating towards both sides, Hansen has this to say to the media:
“Move on from it. I don’t know any rugby players that we’ve played against or I’ve coached, who intentionally go out to hurt anyone.
“Rugby’s a big boy’s game played by big boys and people with character.”
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Gatland expressed his admiration for the All Blacks when told about Hansen’s comments, but said that people outside of the All Blacks (i.e. the media) seemed to have a “personal campaign” against him.
“I don’t know if there’s any hostility from this side but hopefully we can have a good game of rugby and maybe enjoy a beer together afterwards.”
See, a cold one always sorts things out.
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