Thursday’s Rugby News has chat from Lachlan McCaffrey and James Slipper, a great read about Maddog McCalman, and two stories about Reds transfers.
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Macca & Slippa
More Brumbies press chat today, with Lachlan McCaffrey and James Slipper being trotted out to dribble on about the Jags and wanting to win and the boyz and how Evita Peron is an inspiration to them all.
First, McCaffrey:
“[Si claro] I think all finals games require a lift in intensity and that was a good example last weekend but we’re going to lift this weekend against the Jaguares,” the former Democratic Labour Party candidate said (via rugby.com.au)
“[Pero] I don’t think we’ll change much; focusing on ourselves last few months working well for us don’t think we’ll change much.
“The Jaguares present different threats. They have a great set piece and a really attacking backline with a strong back three that can really strike in counter attack, which is something we’ve previewed.
“Not many teams come to Buenos Aires and beat the Jaguares (only the Chiefs and Lions) so it’ll be a tough night but one we’re really excited for.”
You haven’t really talked about the Jaguares until you mention that Latin American passion, have you.
“I think they’ll definitely step up, they’ve got Test players with that Test experience that they’ll bring again for a big match and a big semi final at home,” McCaffrey continued.
“They’ve got passionate fans and passionate players who love representing their country.
“We’re just focusing on ourselves be a high intensity come Friday night (Saturday morning AEST) and hopefully start well and take out some of that crowd.”
Meanwhile, James Slipper has gone from being punitively punished for sniffing a couple of lines – he got sacked while others have done drunk driving and haven’t – but now finds himself in a good team.
“Sucked in Brad Thorn,” he definitely didn’t say. That was a joke, GAGR lawyer!
“[Playing finals] is probably something I didn’t foresee. I wanted to come to the Brumbies and contribute to the team. I feel like I’ve done that playing every game this year,” Slipper definitely did say, according to the SMH.
“That was one of my big goals. Everything now is a bit of a bonus. [Pero] in saying that, I couldn’t be more hungry to win a competition again. I’ll just play my part and do what I can to make sure we can give it a crack.”
“[Si] it’s about enjoying the moment as it comes,” Slipper said. “It’s a big task to travel halfway around the world for a game, [pero] it’s another moment we can prove to ourselves that we can do it.
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Where’s Maddog?
Rugby.com.au’s photographer has published the most interesting article ever to appear on RA’s news site.
Stu Walmsley travelled out to Warren, an outback town west of Dubbo in NSW. Or, as the sign outside Warren describes it, “the last town with a bloke’s name for 2ookm”.
After retiring without a trace in 2018, McCalman moved back home and restarted life as a farmer.
The piece paints a portrait of a man who, having played something like 6 games in 2 years after doing his shoulder against England in 2016, “just disappeared”, according to pal David Pocock.
“Mate, he just disappeared,” Pocock told Walmsley.
“He was planning with his brothers and working towards it (going back to the farm), but I would have loved to have seen him keep playing.
“You think back to something like the game against Wales at the last World Cup and he was inspirational, that performance, and that’s the kind of player he is.
“To be his age and see him have to retire like that – I would have loved to have seen him get a few more years and retire on his own terms – but he seems to have gone back to what he wanted to do in the first place.”
The piece is very long, so I won’t repeat all of it here. But it is well worth a read. Some pearlers:
“He’d play a game on the Friday night for the Force, then catch the red eye home so he could help Andy and Bill on the farm, then come back to Perth on the Tuesday,” says schoolmate Ryan ‘Ratty’ Burge, now a coach of Sydney Uni 3rds.
“Andy [McCalman, Ben’s brother] came home from uni in Wagga to the farm when Dunc[an McCalman, father] died, and Bill was [only 18], so Dog (Ben) wanted to get home and help out, see his mum.
“But in the long run him playing footy helped everyone out, they were able to buy Widgeree, and he was always going to go back there when he was done.”
“We were a pretty tight group, we still are, but Dog was always the bigger one so that name just sort of stuck,” Burge continues, explaining the origin of McCalman’s nickname.
“But it fits, and that’s probably why it’s still around – he’s probably one of the most humble quiet achievers you’ll ever meet.
“When he was in Australian Schoolboys he would never wear the kit around, some people would really prance, but he never made a note of it. Even in Perth at the Force he’d never do that.
“He was one of those blokes at school that everyone looked up to, everyone wanted to be like Big Dog.”
The article can be found here.
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Reds’o?
The Daily/Courier Paywall is running this story but ha! I’ve found it somewhere else.
The Esteemed and Well Respected Rugby Pass, esquire reports that the Queensland Reds are chasing Ben Te’o as a replacement for Samu Kerevi.
Te’o’s contract with Worcester Warriors will expire this European summer. The 32-year-old is still regarded well enough to have been called into England’s rugby camp.
“He has been linked with multiple clubs in France and Japan. However, according to a report in Australian newspaper The Courier Mail,” reports Rugby Pass, linking to some pretentious site from Queensland.
“Te’o could be heading to the Reds. Brad Thorn is continuing to build his squad in the hope of making the Queensland-based side more competitive with the tournament’s top franchises.
“The Reds are set to lose Samu Kerevi to Japan at the end of the season and it seems Thorn views Te’o as the perfect replacement for the departing centre.”
Given that the Reds’ team is super young, the Auckland-born, ex-Maroon Te’o would bring much needed experience to an inexperienced team.
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Tim Tam Timu
Quick news. Planet Rugby is reporting than Caleb Timu is leaving the Reds.
The 25-year-old has signed a two year contract with French team Montpellier.
“I am very proud to have the opportunity to join Montpellier,” Timu said, according to Planet Rugby. “It’s a challenge for me and I cannot wait to wear the colours of the club.
“Montpellier is a young club, which has had good results in recent years and aims to win titles in the future. I cannot wait to meet the fans, show what I can do and be part of the MHR family!”
He defintely didn’t say that. That’s really lame.
Timu will be joining Bismarck, Jannie and Jacques du Plessis, Jaco van Rensburg, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Louis Picamoles, Ruan Pienaar, Aaron Cruden, Francois Steyn, Jan Serfontein and Nemani Nadolo at the Vern Cotter-coached team.
The Reds lock is also joining a host of Australian rugby talent leaving these shores this season, including Nick Phipps, Wharenui Hawera, Curtis Rona and Le Roux Roets.
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