Thursdays Rugby News sees Bernard Foley recommits, NRC Rising Star Awards, Doing a Freddie, and Fiji and Wales name their squads.
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FOLEY RE-SIGNS
Bernard Foley has put pen to paper and committed to Australian Rugby and NSW Waratahs for another year signing on until the end of 2019.
Foley has played 64 tests for the Wallabies (making him eligible for the Giteau law) and is the fourth highest point scorer (593) in Wallabies history behind Matt Giteau(698), Matt Burke(878) and Michael Lynagh(911).
Although only signing on for one-year, Foley hasn’t ruled out the chance of staying in Australia longer.
“The longer-term deal’s not out of the picture,” he said.
“I’m only here now for 12 months and looking forward to that first 12 months and putting everything into it and then what happens after that is going to happen.
“We’ll have those discussions, they will have started but the priority was this 12 months, next World Cup and locking in to be a part of the Wallabies.”
It is interesting to hear comments from Foley’s coaches, Michael Cheika and NSW coach Daryl Gibson on the one-year signing.
“I’m very happy that Bernard has signed on but I don’t believe this will be his final year in Australian rugby,” Cheika said.
“Bernard is one of our leaders and it’s an opportunity for him to finish his NSW career on a high while guiding our next generation of flyhalves,” Gibson said.
Foley was recently dropped to the bench, after being the Wallabies only option at fly half, in favour of the Beale experiment. It appears that after his performance in Salta, Foley will maintain his spot in the starting line up over the spring tour.
Now with Foley and Michael Hooper committed Australian Rugby and the Waratahs, all eyes will be on Israel Folau who is off contract and yet to sign with RA.
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NRC RISING STARS
The NRC wrapped up the home and away season this past weekend, meaning that the final nominee for the RUGBY.com.au NRC Rising Star award was named.
With only seven rounds to choose from it is hard to obtain an accurate cross section of standout Rising Star performances, with two Vikings, two Western Force, one Queensland Country, one Fijian Drua and a Melbourne Rising player nominated.
Darcy Swain of the Canberra Vikings is the only forward to be nominated for the award, with three fly halves named, a winger, a fullback and a centre.
Interestingly enough, only two of the players are not professionally contracted, but that may change as Super sides start to lock down their squads for the 2019 season.
For a player to be eligible they can’t have played more than three Super Rugby matches, or in the case of the Drua, they cannot have played more than three tests for the Flying Fijians.
RUGBY.com.au included a honourable mentions list of players who had outstanding season, not nominated for the honours. Harry Wilson, Lachie Swinton, Tom Kibble, Levani Kurumundu, Fergus Lee-Warner, Matt Giquel, Efi Ma’aafu, Shambeckler Vui, Tevin Ferris, Jone Navori, Ryan McCauley, Sam Figg and Mahe Vailanu.
NRC Nominees
Round One: Andrew Deegan(Western Force)
Round Two: Alivereti Veitokani(Fijian Drua)
Round Three: Jock Campbell(Queensland Country)
Round Four: Archie King(Melbourne Rising)
Round Five: Darcy Swain(Canberra Vikings)
Round Six: Jack McGregor(Western Force)
Round Seven: Len Ikitau(Canberra Vikings)
Who do you guys think will take the award?
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“DOING A FREDDIE”
Throughout their careers players will always have that moment they regret, but for Bath player Freddie Burns he had two in the dying minutes of the same game.
With Bath trailing Toulouse in the Heineken Champions Cup, Burns took a shot on goal to take the lead, and hit the cross bar. It happens in rugby all the time but what happened next turned Burns’ bad dream into a nightmare.
A line break from teammate Semesa Rokoduguni saw Burns slip through the Toulouse defences and cross the try line, making his way under the posts. Burns was smiling, celebrating and even blowing a kiss, all before he put the ball down, just as Maxime Médard came from behind to knock the ball out of his hands, costing Bath a certain five points.
Check out the video here
Adding insult to injury, Burns was substituted almost straight away.
Bath’s captain Rhys Preistland believes it’s a team problem not a Freddie problem, “We’ve got far bigger issues than Freddie dropping the ball or missing that kick,
“It’s something for us to talk about, celebrating before scoring tries. Freddie hasn’t cost us the game. We weren’t good enough. But, as a squad, I can’t believe we do celebrate before we put the ball down. It’s not the first time. I honestly don’t know what boys think they’re going to achieve by doing it. For me, that’s nonnegotiable. We can’t do it again.”
Burns even tweeted: “Love this sport for the highs and the lows. Today was an ultimate low and a mistake I’ll learn from.”
The Guardian’s Robert Kitson wrote a piece stating that “doing a Freddie” is a sure fire way to make yourself a pantomime villain and he is right.
This video should be shown to every young player of the game, highlighting the importance of playing the game not the spectacle. To quote the coach from American Pie “You don’t score until you score.”
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WELSH AND FIJIAN SQUADS NAMED
NRC success will hopefully have a flow on effect for the Flying Fijians after eight players from the Druawere named in the 35-man squad a head of Fiji’s European tour next month.
Rising Star Nominee Alivereti Veitokani was named and is even tipped to be putting pressure on current fly half Ben Volavola for the start 10 spot. Scrum half Frank Lomani, who has been training with Will Genia at the Rebels, was the other backline player to be named.
Up front in the forwards, Joeli Veitayaki, Eroni Mawi, Ratu Vere Vugakoto, Mesulame Dolokoto, Albert Tuisue and Mosese Voka were all named.
“That program is going to be massive for us,” Coach John McKee said to RUGBY.com.au.
“There has been quite a lag for our locally based players between playing domestic rugby and playing at international level, who probably don’t get enough competition playing at the higher levels of the game.
“But having that Drua campaign over eight to ten weeks, and having the players in a more high performance environment, we will really develop our best young players on island.”
Forwards: Campese Ma’afu, Joeli Veitayaki, Eroni Mawi, Ratu Vere Vugakoto, Mesulame Dolokoto, Sam Matavesi, Kalivati Tawake, Manasa Saulo, Ropate Rinakama, Leone Nakarawa, Tevita Cavubati, Albert Tuisue, Dominiko Waqaniburotu, Peceli Yato, Mosese Voka, Viliame Mata, Nemani Nagusa
Backs:Frank Lomani, Henry Seniloli, Ben Volavola, Alivereti Veitokani, Eroni Vasiteri Narumasa, Jale Vatubua, Semi Radradra, Eroni Sau, Vereniki Goneva, Josua Tuisova, Setareki Tuicuvu, Kini Murimurivalu, Metui Talebula
Welsh Coach Warren Gatland has named two uncapped outside backs in his squad for the November series against Australia, Scotland, Tonga and South Africa.
Osprey’s Luke Morgan has been in good form on the wing, whilst Jonah Holmes has scored 10 tries in 11 games for Leicester Tigers.
In the start of his final year as coach of the Welsh team, Warren Gatland is hoping to finish his tenure on a positive note in Japan next year.
“This autumn is the start of a 12-month countdown to the Rugby World Cup and it is a huge opportunity for the players,” Gatland said.
“The players who performed and represented Wales so well in the summer deserve the opportunity again and we are really pleased with the depth we have built across the squad.
Forwards: Rob Evans, Wyn Jones, Nicky Smith, Elliot Dee, Ryan Elias, Ken Owens, Leon Brown, Tomas Francis, Samson Lee, Dillon Lewis, Jake Ball, Adam Beard, Bradley Davies, Cory Hill, Alun Wyn Jones, Ellis Jenkins, Dan Lydiate, Ross Moriarty, Justin Tipuric, Aaron Wainwright.
Backs: Aled Davies, Gareth Davies, Tomos Williams, Gareth Anscombe, Dan Biggar, Rhys Patchell, Jonathan Davies, Tyler Morgan, Hadleigh Parkes, Owen Watkin, Josh Adams, Steffan Evans, Leigh Halfpenny, Jonah Holmes, Luke Morgan, George North, Liam Williams.
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