Week Five of my GAGR adventure
My discussion points in no particular order.
Want to contribute reach out to Sully I am sure we would love one of our Western Australian friends. Email: shane@greenandgoldrugby.com.au
Townsville 7’s Pre Olympic Tournament
The three-day tournament is scheduled to occur at Townsville Stadium between June 25-27th, replicating the Tokyo Games format.
A unique new tournament under the Oceania Rugby Sevens brand, the 2021 tournament provides much needed high-performance preparation for pre-qualified Rugby teams ahead of the Tokyo Olympics Games.
In an added boost following Australia’s recent matches against New Zealand, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade support has also allowed for Fiji to partake in the championship, following the completion of their mandatory hotel quarantine period.
Australia, Fiji and New Zealand will also be bolstered by the inclusion of a fourth team, in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. An Oceania Barbarians side will play in the tournament, allowing the three core teams to replicate the Olympic format.
The Tournament will be held on the 25th to the 27th of June in the new Stadium in Townsville.
The Waratahs are facing a dire predicament ahead of the Chiefs clash
News out of the NSW camp that they may struggle to field competitive team for this week’s final game against the Chiefs. As opposed to the rest of the season s far. The Waratahs will end up with a completely defeated season if they cannot defy the odds against the Chiefs this week.
To be fair the Tahs have 19 or 20 players on the injured list but one of the things I wonder is when teams are as thin on talent as the Tahs have been this year it means that others end up playing who should would normally sit out causing them to end up with more severe injuries.
I must say even as a Queenslander I almost feel sorry for the Horrortahs as this bus crash inevitably heads towards the cliff. I have seen the movie with maroon characters playing the lead .
‘I haven’t seen my son yet’: Why Jake Ball is quitting Wales rugby to return to Australia
Australian Born Wales Lock Jake Ball– who is yet to see his new-born son – is to give up his test jersey to return to Australia to rejoin his wife and four children.
The 29-year-old will leave Scarlets – the Welsh club he has represented for nine years – at the end of the season.
His wife, Christie, returned home to Australia to have their fourth child, Max and has remained there due to the travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ball said in a statement on the Scarlets website that it was time for him to rejoin his family.
Waratahs you should find his number and not let him sign elsewhere You need a quality lock and although not Australian qualified he is a seasoned professional and and exactly the sort of player that Australian Rugby should have kept. If you want a bit of a laugh YouTube his fight with Alwyn Jones’ at training before a test against England it just goes to how hyper competitive it is at the top level.
South African’s who cannot Braai the national shame
Munster quartet CJ Stander, Damian de Allende, RG Snyman and Mike Haley have been injured after one of the players “threw petrol on a fire”.
A Munster statement said De Allende and Snyman had suffered “substantial” burns to their legs, hands and face in a “fire pit accident” at the weekend.
In an interview with SuperSport, De Allende explained that the petrol can caught alight and exploded.
Springboks De Allende and Snyman have seen a specialist about their injuries.
Centre De Allende and lock Snyman, both World Cup winners, have been named in the South Africa squad to face the British and Irish Lions.
Stander, who is retiring from rugby at the end of the season, and Haley suffered burns to their hands.
The duo may return to training this week and will have their availability for Friday’s Rainbow Cup game with Zebre reviewed as the week progresses. This must seriously cast doubt on the ability of De Allende and Snyman to play for the Springboks without undergoing re-education on what it is to be South African and how to BBQ.
Over to you guys
