Thursday’s rugby news has Cheika saying England are favourites, Ben Alexander staying in Australia until the end of 2016, Jonathan Davies ruled out of the World Cup and the Waratahs sign a host of young players.
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England are Favourites: Cheika
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has put the pressure on England saying that they will be favourites when they play Australia on October 3 at Twickenham.
“I don’t think they’re going to be lacking anything when they play at Twickenham against Australia,” Cheika told BBC Radio 5Live.
“They beat us up there last time and they will go into that game raging favourites. It’s up to us to do our best to stop the chariot when it’s on fire.”
Pool A will be a very difficult pool for Australia who are also contesting with Wales for top spot.
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Alexander Re-signs
72 test wallaby prop Ben Alexander has signed a one year contract extension with the ARU, keeping him in Australia until the end of 2016.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunities Rugby has given me in this country and when I weighed everything up in deciding my future, it became quite clear that this is where I want to be,” Alexander said.
“Representing the Wallabies and the Brumbies is something I’m very passionate about, and I feel both teams are trending in the right direction to have plenty of success over the next few years.
“This is the fourth time I’ve re-signed with the Brumbies and it’s exciting for me and my family to have things sorted for another 12 months.”
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Davies Out for World Cup
In a huge blow for Wales, Jonathan Davies has been ruled out of the World Cup after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament playing for Clermont Auvergne this weekend.
Davies combination with inside centre Jamie Roberts has been pivotal to Wales’ success over the years.
In a statement released by the WRU, Gatland said: “It’s a disappointment for Jonathan and for us, but the advice is for him to have the surgery straight away.
“Obviously, the injury rules him out of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, but our focus is his long-term career, and we will be working closely with him during his recovery looking towards the 2016 RBS 6 Nations.”
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Tahs Sign Host of Players
The Waratahs have announced that they have secured the signatures of Jack Dempsey, Hugh Roach, Jed Holloway and Jim Stewart in recent weeks. Jack Dempsey, Jed Holloway and Jim Stewart have signed two year deals whilst Roach has signed a one year deal for the 2016 season.
Incoming Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson was pleased with the signings.
“Talent and competition within a squad breeds excellence, and we’re really pleased that these high-quality players have signed with us,” Gibson said.
“Players who work hard to earn their place in the team will always be considered, and one of the characteristics of the Waratahs teams of the past few years is the internal competition that really drives us towards excellence.
“I’m looking forward to seeing these guys establish themselves on the rugby scene, and I think they will be great assets to our squad.”
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