Tuesday’s Rugby News has Shute Shield players quitting because of Folau, Nic White’s return, the Tahs in for Rennie and a slowly recovering Pocock.
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Quitting For Folau
Green & Gold Rugby has actual news today.
Sources have told this plucky little independent rugby news site that a three Shute Shield players have quit rugby over the Israel Folau situation.
GAGR’s source said that “all of these players” have quit “directly in response to the Israel Folau situation”.
Western Sydney Two Blues players John Folau, brother of Israel, JP Sauni, and Paul Simona are all said to have left the Shute Shield club. None of these players were present in the Two Blues’ team that lost 31-18 to Norths on the weekend.
Furthermore, John Folau and Sauni were members of the Waratahs Extended Training Squad. 21-year-old Sauni was a highly rated member of the squad, having played for the New Zealand u20s.
On joining the Waratahs, Sauni told Fox Sports that “the main reason is I want to be at a club that really wants me.
“The Waratahs have offered me something really positive and will help me develop my rugby to get to where I want to be.
“My goal is to take it step by step. The first step was to join the Waratahs and just kick off the pre-season.
“I’m not really thinking further ahead.”
The news of these players quitting comes after the revelations in Jamie Pandaram’s four-parter about the Folau situation. Pandaram reported that some Wallabies had considered boycotting international games in support of Folau.
The Shute Shield was contacted for comment, but haven’t responded at the time of writing.
*Update – Shute Shield President David Begg had this to say –
“[I] am not able to verify what is asserted in your email. If it is in fact the case, don’t forget that over 1,000 men/colts and 150 women played Shute shield grade and colts and Jack Scott cup last weekend.
“So there’s plenty of people who don’t seem affected by the saga.”
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All White
Nic White is back in Australia, trying to cement his place as the best scrumhalf called Nick in this country, and then hopefully supplant Will Genia as #1 scrumhalf.
White is at the Wallabies training camp, having decided to take up a contract with RA after 4 years away, playing in Montpellier and Exeter.
“That’s the biggest opportunity,” White told rugby.com.au, talking about coming back into the Wallabies not the nonsense I was going on with above.
“I really feel like I left and hadn’t showed the best of myself at all. And that was probably the hardest thing to live with after I went…Through no fault but my own.
“But in going to Exeter I found a way I wanted to play and ways to show what I can do on the field, and they’ve really helped me.”
The 29-year-old will return to Super Rugby next year, at a yet-to-be-Waratahs-undecided club.
White also has some insights into how his game has changed overseas.
“My passes per game would be far higher [during my time in England] than back here,” White said.
“People back here may not know a lot about how Exeter play, it’s very much ball in hand. We have the highest possession and ball-in-play time than anyone in Europe.
“[At] Exeter I have found a way to play the game I think should be played, and I am really, really enjoying my rugby. I am passing the ball more than anywhere I’ve ever played.
“I have gone from passing the ball 50-60 times a game to more around the 100 mark.
“It’s funny I have gone from being told I was boring for kicking too much here, to being told in England I am boring for holding onto the ball too much. I guess you have to laugh.”
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A Penny 4 Rennie
The SMH reports that Dave Rennie might have the terribly hard choice of choosing between the Wallabies and the Waratahs which – tee hee! he he! ha ha! – many people would claim are the same thing.
It has been whispered loudly that RA had been eyeing off Rennie for some time as Cheika’s replacement.
Rennie has a lot of stock – he coached the Chiefs for 6 years, winning titles for the team no one cares about in 2002 and 2003. He also got Glasgow to last year’s Pro 14 final in his second season.
The Kiwi is also considered a strong contender as he has a strong relationship with RA’s Director of Rugger, Scott Johnson.
However the SMH is reporting that NSWRU figures have reached out to Rennie to see if he’s interested in taking over the Tahs.
Rennie has recently signed a one-year extension to his Glasgow deal, that will see him at the club until July next year.
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Tick Tock Pocock
Michelangelo’s David Pocock’s Wallabies career may not be looking very rosy at the moment, as the GOAT of GOATs attended, but didn’t train at, the Wallabies training camp in Brisbane. So reports Fox Sports.
Pocock only played 138 minutes in three games for the Brumbies this year, after he tore his calf…at a Wallabies camp earlier in the year.
The Wallabies first game in the Rugby Championship is on 21 July against the Boks in Johannesburg; the extended squad for that game will be announced on Wednesday or Thursday this week. (3 weeks out).
It is expected that Pocock will be held back, so that he may grace another, more important game with his pilfering abilities.
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