Monday’s top rugby news has Beale on the chopping block, Cheika slamming the refs, McCaw’s return and some Bath pub crawl shenanigans.
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Beale latest Rebels casualty
The Melbourne Rebels have continued their spectacular overhaul by cutting ties with Wallabies playmaker Kurtley Beale. This news follows the removal of coach Damien Hill, marquee five-eighth James O’Connor, foundation captain Gareth Delve among other veterans and the club’s private owners handing control back to the Victorian Rugby Union. ‘The decision that we’ve made is looking to the future and as I’ve made clear the team dynamics, the organisational culture, is something that has to be reinforced positively at every point.’ new chief executive Rob Clarke said.
But Waratahs coach Micheal Cheika has blasted the Rebels’ inconsistency, after earlier statements from captain Scott Higginbotham lauded Beale’s character and the club’s chances of signing him. It now appears that Beale will return to Sydney, with the Waratahs interested in signing the former Joeys star.
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Fired-up Cheika blasts refs
Micheal Cheika has also slammed match officials for contributing to the softening of the game after Saturday’s 14-12 loss to the Reds. Despite watching a completely innocuous replay, referee Steve Walsh issued Waratahs hooker John Ulugia a yellow card for a hit on Reds winger Rod Davies.
‘Everyone saw he put his arms around him. I don’t know whether they should have had a kiss or not while they were in there,’ Cheika said. The Waratahs coach said panicky officials were slowly turning the game into touch football, adding, ‘It’s a shame because hardness is going out of the game.’
Is he right? Are the refs making the game too soft? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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The Dark Knight rises
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw made his long-awaited rugby return on Saturday, playing an amateur match for Christchurch. The legendary flanker took a sabbatical following his side’s 38-21 loss to England at Twickenham in December last year. While McCaw admitted he had ‘heavy legs’ after playing a full 80 minutes, he was keen to return to professional rugby, with the Crusaders beginning their play-off campaign next week. Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder, who was among the crowd, said a decision on whether McCaw plays next week will be made early this week.
In other injury news, scans have cleared Western Force forward High McMeniman of any major structural damage after suffering a neck injury during the team’s 21-15 victory over the Brumbies. McMeniman will now be available for Wallabies selection in the upcoming Rugby Championship.
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Lord of the dance knocked out
Putting Beale and JOC to shame, Welsh five-eighth Gavin Henson was knocked out by a Bath team-mate during a pub crawl over the weekend. Witnesses filmed Henson squaring up to another player, reportedly 6ft 3, 115kg flanker Carl Fearns, because he was fed up with being ribbed about his 2010 appearance on Strictly Come Dancing. The Welsh rugby star snapped when his drinking pals continued to hum the theme tune to the BBC show.
Henson has won two Grand Slams but has not represented his country since winning the last of his 33 caps in 2011. Bath are the 31-year-old’s fifth club in the space of two years after numerous alcohol-fuelled controversies. Henson also took a lengthy 2009 and 2010 sabbatical to appear on numerous reality television shows.
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