Tuesdays Rugby News sees Nic White almost home, Simon Cron exits the Tahs, Holloway suspended and a miraculous rugby return for an ex All Black.
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NIC WHITE ALL BUT HOME
It was reported last month that former Brumbies and current Exeter scrum half Nic White was in talks to return to Australia in a bid to make the World Cup squad. Well it appears that the news was all but confirmed over the weekend.
Exeter coach Rob Baxter claimed he expects to be without his halfback during the World Cup period, anticipating White will be playing for the Wallabies.
For this to be the case, White would have to be signing with a Super club for the 2020/21 season.
Local Exeter sports reporter Howard Lloyd tweeted “Rob Baxter confirms @ExeterChiefs to be without Nic White during RWC as he will likely be playing for @qantaswallabies. White then to sign for a Super Rugby team at the end of 19/20 campaign”
It is believed that White is close to signing a deal with Rugby Australia to make himself eligible for the Wallabies World Cup chances.
No Super Rugby side has confirmed that White would be joining them in the 2020 season, with the Brumbies being the obvious choice, though the Waratah’s could also be looking for a replacement for Nick Phipps.
White, who is contracted with Exeter for the 2019/20 season would have a similar deal to that of Matt Toomua, who despite being signed to the Rebels this season, he is still a few weeks away from joining the club.
Exeter had a good win over Harlequins on the weekend, and White’s good form played a big role in that.
Though it appears Harlequins prop Joe Marler wasn’t impressed with White’s style of box kicking, with a video going viral of the prop having a go at the half back.
Language Warning!
More proof @JoeMarler is a very funny bloke pic.twitter.com/T4zZObwzCN
— Rob Cotton (@robcotton84) April 27, 2019
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CRON TO LEAVE THE WARATAHS
When it rains in NSW it must pour.
The man tipped to be the next coach of the Waratahs and even the Wallabies appears to be set to leave NSW at the end of the season to work under Steve Hansen.
Waratah’s forwards coach, Simon Cron has chosen to join Japanese Top League club Toyota Verblitz as head coach next season.
The SMH are reporting that neither Cron nor Hansen have confirmed the news, but that NSW Rugby CEO Andrew Hore informed board members over the weekend.
It is understood that Cron was disappointed with the Waratah’s decisions to offer Daryl Gibson a one year contract extension, with the tah’s unable to guarantee Cron a head coaching position in the future.
Hore told the media that NSW Rugby wanted to keep Gibson and Cron together next season but there would be no promises after that.
“We would like him to stay with Daryl next year, he’s got areas we would like to see improvements and hopefully put himself in a strong position to lead the Waratahs and then Australia,” he said.
“There’s no promises in and around being head coach, there are other names there as well.
“Simon has got to show us he is prepared to grow in some areas. Daryl has continued to grow — he got off to a rough start and he’s had to look at how he tailors his environment and we’ve started to see the improvements.”
Cron cut his teeth coaching at Norths in the Shute Shield, taking them to their first premiership in 41 years. He was then given the job of coaching the Junior Wallabies and before he joined the Waratah’s in 2018.
He is credited with turning around the Waratah’s forwards, and getting the best out of talented yet underperforming players.
Hore was hopeful last week that the Waratah’s could retain Cron but acknowledged he had to do what was right for his future.
“We’ve had dialogue with him and an exchange of views, we would like to think we’ve put our best foot forward to what’s best for him, his family, and his development as a coach,” he said.
“The best position for the team and the organisation is to hopefully have continuity. He needs to think this through carefully, it’s his future, and he needs to figure out what development he wants to get out of his coaching career.”
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EX ALL BLACK TO RETURN TO RUGBY
Ex All Black Adam Thomson will make his return to rugby after he was hospitalised with a spinal infection at the start of last year. He spent two months in a hospital in Tokyo from December 2017 to February 2018, suffering from lumbar discitis.
Thomson and Fijian Sevens player Vatemo Ravouvou, have joined Major League Rugby side, the Utah Warriors with Thomson coming in as injury cover, that will see them in the states for the remainder of 2019 and all of 2020.
This return is nothing short of impressive for Thompson who played his last Rugby match for the Canon Eagles in the Japanese Top League more than a year and a half ago.
37 year old Thomson played 50 times for his province Otago, 68 caps for the Highlanders, and 29 test caps for the All Blacks including being apart of the 2011 World Cup winning side.
He was also a member of the Red on 2015 and the Rebels in 2016.
This is a massive signing for MLR, with Thomson bringing extensive knowledge and experience from a career that has spanned 15 years.
Vatemo Ravouvou was a member of the gold medal winning Fijian Sevens team, appearing in 38 times World Series since his debut in 2013. He has limited experience at XVs though, when he came to Australia and played for the Western Sydney Rams in 2016’s NRC. His trade is at full back or fly half.
The Utah Warriors are currently experiencing a sophomore slump, after making the semi finals in the first year that are currently seventh on the ladder, 22 points shy of a finals campaign with only five matches left in the season.
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HOLLOWAY SIDELINED
Waratah’s forward Jed Holloway will miss the South Africa trip after being handed down a three match suspension for foul play.
Holloway was red carded during the Waratah’s loss to the Sharks on Saturday night after he throwing an elbow that made contact to Sharks prop Thomas du Toit’s head.
Being a red card offence, it was referred straight to the SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee, where Holloway plead guilty on Monday.
The offence traditionally carries a six-week ban but reduced by half because of mitigating factors and his clean record.
“Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence, including all camera angles and additional evidence, including from the player and submissions from his legal representative, Aaron Lloyd, the Foul Play Review Committee upheld the Red Card under Law 9.12,” Committee chairman Adam Casselden said.
“With respect to sanction the Foul Play Review Committee deemed the act of foul play merited a mid-range entry point of 6 weeks due to the World Rugby instructions that dictate any incident of foul play involving contact with the head must start at a mid-range level.
“However, taking into account mitigating factors including the Player’s clean judicial record, the Player’s expressed remorse and the fact the Player has pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity, the Foul Play Review Committee reduced the suspension to 3 weeks.”
Mitigating circumstances is an interesting explanation but not the strangest thing to be said out of the committee hearings. Angus Scott-Young escaped a ban for the excuse of making a fist to protect his wrist when hitting rucks or opposition players in the back of the head.
Waratah’s coach Daryl Gibson didn’t have much too say on the matter.
“A red card. It’s very clear in the law – a strike to the head with a forearm or elbow,” he said.
“The sanction’s a red card or a yellow, so no grumbling about that.
“It is disappointing. Obviously those moments proved costly in the end.”
Holloway will be in line for a return when the Waratah’s take on the Jaguares on May 25th at Bank West Stadium.
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