What a difference a week makes after one of the great games of 2024. Word from League Central that the NRL hierarchy are enquiring of Channel Nine why they’re giving rugby so much coverage. Newsflash: rugby is an international game. This week it’s Wales, hopefully more progress is made.
My other laugh for the week is that now the narrative from my gaol rugby friends is that all NRL players would be world class rugby players. My response is to name Suli Vunivalu, Will Chambers and quite a few others.
International games of interest this week.
Italy v Georgia is always feisty. USA v Tonga should be close.
Welsh rugby player quits sport for good after revealing suicide attempt
Embed from Getty ImagesNever suffer in silence and always ask a friend or acquaintance RUOK as the black dog follows all of us at some stage. Former Ospreys scrum-half Harri Morgan has confirmed he won’t return to rugby after taking a step back from the game to protect his mental health last year.
The 24-year-old, who represented Wales in U20s, announced in April 2023 that he would be standing down from professional rugby “for now”, having attempted to take his own life two months earlier. In a brave social media post, he detailed his struggles with mental health, which were worsened by the loss of his grandparents and “consecutive rugby injuries” and culminated in him taking an overdose.
“For a number of years, I have suffered in silence,” he wrote at the time. “Grieving the loss of my grandparents and consecutive rugby injuries are the main contributors to my mental health, causing stress and anxiety. On 5th February, I reached the lowest point of my life and regrettably, I took the decision to try to end it with an overdose.”
“I have made the difficult decision to take some time out of professional rugby,” Morgan added. “Rugby will always be my passion but, for now, I need to prioritise my mental and physical well-being. This isn’t a goodbye to rugby forever, it’s a goodbye for now.”
However, over 18 months on, the Bridgend-born talent says he will not return to professional rugby at all, explaining that he’d “rather be happy,” having already had his short career hampered by a series of serious injuries.
“A lot of the negatives were leading back to rugby and the impact that was having,” he told BBC Wales Live. “Especially the injuries and the pressures of being in a professional environment. I definitely didn’t feel as if there was a lot of support around this sort of injured group within rugby. I didn’t feel as if I could say anything because I was letting down teammates, coaches and end of the day, I still needed to get a contract.”
After both of his grandparents died within a short space of time, Morgan’s mental health worsened, leading him to feel “empty” and consider taking his own life. “It started off like sort of anxiety,” he said. “My heart would start racing, and I’d get shortness of breath. I didn’t really feel anything, I just felt empty.”
Scott Cummings, suspended after red card against South Africa
Embed from Getty ImagesWas this the worst issued red card and the most egregious suspension in history? The chocolate wheel of injustice strikes again.
Scotland second-row Scott Cummings has been suspended from rugby for one week following his 20-minute red carding during the first half of last weekend’s defeat to South Africa at Murrayfield. The sanction means he will not be available for this coming Saturday’s visit of Portugal, although he would almost certainly have been rested for that match anyway, and he will come back into contention for the national team’s final autumn encounter against Australia the following Sunday.
Cummings was initially shown a yellow card, which was subsequently upgraded to a red by the Television Match Official, for what was deemed to be a dangerous clear out of a ruck. That punishment prompted incredulity at the time from Scotland rugby fans who felt that Cummings had been knocked onto Springbok lock Franco Mostert‘s leg by Springbok scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse, but an Independent Disciplinary Committee chaired by Rhian Williams (Wales), alongside former international referee Donal Courtney (Ireland) and former international player Olly Kohn (Wales), agreed that an act of foul play had occurred.
“The Disciplinary Committee determined that whilst reckless, the low-range entry point of two weeks was appropriate with the full 50% mitigation applied, based on an exemplary disciplinary record, good conduct and having shown remorse, reducing the sanction to one week,” said a statement from Six Nations Rugby.
Balanced Scottish fan, Tee, said
This was a great opportunity for the much-maligned kangaroo court to show themselves to be competent and credible by admitting the wrong decision was made due to the very obvious extenuating involvement of SA’s scrum-half.
Instead, they have dogmatically applied the lowest possible punishment rather than concede the officials were incorrect. Pathetic. As others have commented, the process leaves Cummings no option but to plead remorse because not doing so would just lengthen his ban.
Gatland reflects on ‘media narrative’ over future
From the BBC
Head coach Warren Gatland says he’s happy to field the pressure of questions on his future after guiding Wales to a 10th successive international defeat. Fiji’s first win in Cardiff means Wales have now not won a Test in 400 days, with Gatland’s side equalling the international losing streak of Steve Hansen’s side in 2002 and 2003.
Following the 24-19 loss at the Principality Stadium, Gatland was asked whether he thought his position was under threat. “You can write about that,” said Gatland. “The pressure comes externally, basically from the media, as it’s a narrative that you create. That’s ok from where I sit.”
Gatland added: “We’ve said for the last 12 months since the World Cup, with the number of players and experience that we’ve lost, we were going to invest in a group of youngsters that we felt we could build with and take us on. We’ve seen development from those youngsters. We’ve said we need some patience and time. But I understand Test match rugby is about performing and winning. You [the media] control the narrative and write what you want. I’ll see what happens there.”
Wales will look to avoid a record 11th Test loss when a rejuvenated Australia arrive at the Principality Stadium next Sunday after a thrilling 42-37 win against England. The narrative will mean the Welsh will look to take this game to the gutter and make it a dogfight. It will be interesting to see how the Wallabies cope with favouritism for probably only the second time this year.
Hoss back tomorrow, Australia by 7.
