Monday’s rugby news has Moore looking at another World Cup, Giteau to lead Toulon, Burgess back at league and new statistical analysis of the RWC just passed.
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Moore sets sights on World Cup
Stephen Moore has said that he is aiming for another World Cup appearance after signing a three-year deal with the ARU, commencing in 2017. The 32-year-old said that his age may be a factor in future Test inclusion but he emphasised his desire to be part of a revival of Australian rugby under coach Michael Chieka that saw the team narrowly miss out on a World Cup win.
“I really feel we are building something special at the Wallabies under ‘Cheik’ and his coaching staff but there’s a lot more we want to achieve and I really wanted to be a part of that,” Moore said. “If I am playing well and healthy and I’m the right fit for the team when the time comes, I’d love the opportunity to play at another World Cup.”
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Giteau made Toulon captain
Matt Giteau will step up as Toulon captain when the side takes on Leinster in the Champions Cup on Saturday. Meanwhile, Quade Cooper and James O’Connor have missed out on selection all together. It is interesting to consider whether the Wallabies leadership would have been altered by Giteau staying in Australia.
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Burgess experiment concludes
The NRL has registered Sam Burgess’s contract with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, clearing the way for the dual international to return to the 13-man code after his short stint in union. Burgess, who played a key role in the Rabbitohs’ drought-breaking 2014 championship, signed a three-year deal last month but the NRL were declining to register the contract over salary cap issues.
South Sydney put an end to the speculation on Sunday. “The Rabbitohs are pleased to inform members that Sam Burgess’ contract has been registered by the NRL this week, meaning Sam will play in the red and green of the Rabbitohs until at least the end of the 2018 season,” the club said
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RWC stats unveiled
Rugby World Cup 2015 was the most competitive to date, according to a comprehensive game analysis report published by World Rugby. Some of the most celebrated highlights of the tournament were the performances of the likes of Japan, Namibia, Georgia and Romania, and 30 per cent more tries were scored by tier two teams against tier one teams in 2015 than in 2011.
“World Rugby continues to be committed to closing the performance gap as we enter a new Rugby World Cup cycle and look forward to the first tournament to be hosted in Asia,” World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset said. The detailed report also demonstrated a shift towards attacking rugby, with a tournament-record average of five per game registered in the knockout stages.
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