Tuesday’s rugby news has the Aussie Sevens knocked out, Moore close to re-signing with the ARU, Armitage putting his hand up for Test duties and a former Test prop calling for regulated contact training.
[one_half last=”no”]
Sevens knocked out in quarters
Defending champions South Africa have defeated Argentina 29-14 to win the Cape Town Sevens for a third successive time at their home event. Meanwhile, Australia lost to South Africa (25-5) in the quarter-final and then fell well short against Fiji (38-19) in the Plate semi-final to finish a disappointing seventh.
“The errors we made against South Africa were repeated against Fiji,” said interim Men’s Sevens coach Scott Bowen. “When we have momentum in the game, we need to take advantage of it and conversely when we don’t have it, we need to do more to change it.” The third round of the world series takes place in Wellington from January 30.
[/one_half] [one_half last=”yes”]
Moore looking to re-sign
Stephen Moore is reportedly set to re-sign with the ARU and Brumbies until the end of 2019. Having lost the likes of the Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Sekope Kepu, Matt Toomua and Adam Ashley-Cooper, Moore’s signing would be a significant boost for Australian rugby.
In his first full season as Wallabies captain, Moore, 32, capped 102 times, guided Australia to their first Rugby Championship Trophy since 2011 and helped pilot the side to the World Cup final. Moore has said that he wanted to repay the faith the Brumbies and Wallabies put in him when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament last year and was still re-signed on a one-year extension for 2016.
[/one_half] [one_half last=”no”]
Armitage encouraging Eddie Jones
Steffon Armitage continues to hold out hope of an England recall under new England boss Eddie Jones, despite the Australian vowing to stick with the same rules that kept the flanker out of Stuart Lancaster’s failed World Cup squad. The Toulon star scored both of his side’s tries in their 24-9 win over Leinster on Sunday and after the match admitted he still hoped to play Test rugby.
Armitage has been frozen out of the England set-up despite being regarded among the world’s best openside flankers. “I wouldn’t say no, but my first thing is to keep playing well for Toulon and keep my place here,” said Armitage. “That’s the only way I am going to get anywhere at international level — keep my head down and keep pushing.”
[/one_half] [one_half last=”yes”]
Corbisiero calls for tighter regulations
The England and Northampton prop Alex Corbisiero will take a year’s sabbatical from rugby union at the end of the season, saying that he is mentally drained. The 27-year-old has endured a string of injury problems since impressing for the British and Irish Lions in 2013 and this month underwent knee surgery.
Corbisiero advocated for stricter regulations on training regimes for player welfare. “In the NFL, they’re allowed to do a little contact in pre-season but once the season starts they are massively limited in terms of contact,” he said. “As rugby keeps evolving, steps will be taken to get closer to that. There will have to be an enforceable break between seasons.”
[/one_half] [one_half last=”no”]
