Tuesday’s Rugby News has Saffer Super Sides going North, Gatland a bit scared of the ABs, signings for everybody and all the results from day one of the Schoolboy champs.
[one_half last=”no”]
SA Super
Over the weekend, news came out to the effect that the Cheetahs and the Kings – slated to be cut from Super Rugby – will join the Pro 12. The Pro 12 is the club competition, featuring 4 Welsh and Irish sides, and 2 teams each from Scotland and Italy.
The Welsh RU chairman Gareth Davies has admitted there’s been talks, while Cheetahs captain Francois Venter recently said this:
“We are stepping into a new stage of Free State Rugby.
“I can’t tell you probably any more than has already been stated. There are discussions going on, which people are aware of, between the Pro12 and the SARU and the franchises down there.
“At the moment it looks like the two teams from Super Rugby that will not be in the competition next year will join. I suspect there will be further interest from South African teams as well.”
Wayne Smith, over at the Australian (paywall), has added this to the debate.
“It is Davies’ last statement that will most excite the ARU, which would clearly prefer South Africa to bail out entirely on Super Rugby and move to Europe — possibly at the end of the broadcast deal in 2020.
“That would leave Australia to pursue what it sees as its best competition model, a cost-effective and compact trans-Pacific competition with the five NZ sides, the Sunwolves and arguably the three islander nations, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
“Ironically, if such a competition were to come about, a fifth Australian team could well be required, but with South Africa moving ahead to reduce its Super Rugby presence, the pressure is on the ARU to do the same.
“There were even suggestions yesterday that this Friday was looming as a deadline but certainly it seems impossible for the ARU to act that quickly, at least if they intend to get rid of the Western Force.”
[/one_half][one_half last=”yes”]
Poked The Bear
Warren Gatland must be listening to the Rugby Report Card, because he’s also used ‘poked the bear’ to describe what the Lions might have done to the All Blacks.
“Yes, we have poked the bear but hopefully the wounded Lion from last week is still recovering as well,” the Guardian says Gatland said.
“This is the best team in the world and, for two Test matches, they really haven’t stressed us. They have squeezed us and made us give away penalties but we haven’t seen the expansive rugby that the ABs are known for. We’ve coped with that and, if we can continue to improve in other areas, then we are going to see, hopefully, a great Test match.
“Saturday was pretty massive for all of us: for the future of the Lions, for the team, for everyone involved; to go 1-1 with no one expecting that,” Gatland continued, talking like a press release reads. “Now [we can] go to Eden Park thinking: ‘Actually, if we put our best foot forward and play to our ability, we are capable of winning that Test match and the series.’”
As positive as Gatland is, he’s not all rosey.
“There were a lot of things I wasn’t happy about,” Gatland said. “I wasn’t happy about some of the penalties and the discipline. I am happy we got ourselves out of a hole and showed some real character [beating 14 men by just 3 points] and courage and I am happy with our physicality but we’ve got to make sure we don’t give away stupid and soft penalties. Key players were guilty of that.”
[/one_half][one_half last=”no”]
Loads of Signings
It’s like that time Oprah gave everyone a free car, but instead of cars, its burdensome contracts that the ARU have said they would pay out, and instead of Oprah, it’s Bill Pulver.
- The Rebels have re-signed James Hanson, Nick Stirzaker, Fereti Sa’aga and Steve Cummins (rugby.com.au)
- The Force have re-signed Jonno Lance (rugby.com.au)
- The Waratahs have re-signed Jake Gordon (Fox Sports)
Hanson revealed to rugby.com.au that he and his wife went through all the options before re-signing, including the worst-case scenario that he might have to give up rugby, finish his business management degree and move into the real world.
“I thought of that option [not playing]. Tthere is uncertainty around the clubs but if I was to get injured you would face the same scenario,” he said.
“As a player you always have to think of that next phase of life but I still have a goal of working towards the Rugby World Cup.
“I’ve been involved in the last few campaigns but haven’t played so for me that is a real big goal of mine long-term.
“I still have those ambitions and feel I have a few things to finish off there so that’s one of the driving ambitions for me re-signing at Melbourne.”
Lance also told rugby.com.au that “I’m really pumped to be staying in Perth. The last two years have been really exciting for me, I feel I’ve made Perth my home now and really enjoying the group of guys here, it’s our own little family.”
And Jake Gordon said to Fox Sports: “It’s been a dream of mine to play for NSW since I can remember…when I look at our playing roster with Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau and Michael Hooper to name just a few, they’re the players who drove my ambition to play at this level. Now I’ll have the chance to play alongside them for the next few years.”
[/one_half][one_half last=”yes”]
QLD R Losers
Schoolboys rugby has been going on since yesterday, and the big takeway, rugby.com.au says, is that Queensland teams are losers. Total losers. Sad!
The ACT side beat QLD 1 20-18, with a William Goddard penalty at the end sealing the win for the Canberrans, while QLD 2 went down to Combined States 28-22. Which is a pity really, because Combined States just got together on Thursday for the first time.
In the other games, NSW 1 smashed WA 40-0, which is just the development both sides need, and NSW 2 also smashed Victoria 38-8.
On the brightside to all this, there’s a bloke called Albert Hopoate playing for NSW 1. He’s gotta be the first person called Albert in at least 40 years I reckon.
The action continues on Wednesday, Thursday and then Saturday. Four matches will be played on each day, with Saturday acting as the finals day.
Yesterday was the first round of pool matches, with QLD 1, NSW 2, ACT and WA being in Pool A, and NSW 1, QLD 2, Victoria and Combined States being in Pool B.
On Saturday, the teams will play the team from the other pool, with the same placing. So 1st will play 1st, 2nd will play 2nd, and so on.
For a more indepth rundown, visit rugby.com.au.
[/one_half]
