Tuesday’s Rugby News has hands off Eddie, player awards, the Brumbies 2020 squad and a crazy crazy idea.
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Hands Off
The RFU have told Rugby Australia to keep their hands off Our Eddie, despite the fact that he’s ours.
The Scowling One is contracted to the RFU until 2021, but as the RFU chief Bill Sweeney says below, they might want to keep him on for France 2023.
“Eddie’s one of the world’s best coaches – if not the best – despite the result against South Africa,” Sweeney said, according to rugby.com.au
“One of the first priorities when we get back will be to sit down and have a chat. We will do it as a matter of urgency.
“Eddie is committed to his contract through to the end of August 2021 and he is fulfilling that.
“There are a lot of emotions flying around after a game so let the dust settle a little bit and then see where his head’s at, see how he feels about it.
“But the first step is to honour that contract through to 2021 and then we’ll discuss what goes on beyond that.”
Fiji is also reportedly sniffing around Our Eddie – hands off! – but even the RFU chief says that the ‘story’ the ARU can spin for Eddie could be pretty tempting.
“When you’re in Eddie’s position, you’re going to have people sniffing around and you can imagine the story Australia would put together,” Sweeney said.
“We can only control our relationship with him and we can only control what we will wrap around him to enable us to perform at our best.”
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POTY
Pieter-Steph Du Toit has stolen the Player of the Year award away from that token American guy, whatever his name is, at the World Rugby Big Ceremony last night.
Du Toit, a 6ft odd uglier Afrikaner version of Brad Pitt, said that winning the award was probably the best moment of his life.
“This is probably one of the best moments of my life,” said Du Toit (via rugby.com.au)
“I think it is the two biggest experiences in the rugby world that you can get. It is as unbelievable experience for me and I couldn’t be happier at the moment.”
The unfortunately initialed PSDT took out the prize over Alun “Undeserved” Wyn Jones, England’s second best flanker Tom Curry, the Little Man That Could Cheslin Kolbe, Ardie Savea and some token American guy.
Meanwhile, Rassie Erasmus took out the coach of the year award, and the Springboks took out team of the year award, which is bloody redundant in the world cup year.
“This has been a long journey to keep believing and trusting and not getting frustrated with each other, keeping the belief going,” Erasmus said.
“For me, it is significant that, no matter what, the boys always kept South Africa above their own interests, above their own egos and always kept the Springboks and South Africa’s interests up there.”
Other awards:
Women’s 15s Player of the Year – Emily Scarratt (England)
Breakthrough Player of the Year – Romain Ntamack (France)
Men’s 7s Player of the Year – Jerry Tuwai (Fiji)
World Rugby Referee Award – Wayne Barnes (England)
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service – Bernard Lapasset (France)
Award for Character – The city of Kamaishi **the city that had a stadium built a school destroyed by the tsunami a few years ago
IRP Special Merit Award – Jamie Heaslip (Ireland)
IRP Try of the Year – TJ Perenara (New Zealand, v Namibia)
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Ponies
Brumbies coach Dan McKellar is desperately hoping the youngsters coming through, like Pete Samu, will save his bacon next year as all the veterans will leave more better-paying pastures.
McKellar said this as the Brumbies announced their squad for 2020. The squad is without yesteryear’s Christian Lealiifano, Rory Arnold, David Pocock, Matt Lucas, Josh Mann-Rea and Sam Carter.
“I think we’ve lost some experienced players but we’re really comfortable in the boys that we’ve brought in because they’ve been in our program for a couple of years now,” he said (via rugby.com.au)
“Obviously Christian’s the one that most people will talk about ,captain and 10, but the options we’ve got there in Kuenzle, Lolesio and Pasitoa, those guys, the first two in particular have been around our program for a number of years.
“They know how we play, they know what’s expected of them and we’ve worked hard with them to make sure that they’re ready to thrive at this level.”
McKellar hopes to plug that gap with the signings of Noah Lolesio and Bayley Kuenzle and Queensland schoolboy star Reesjan Pasitoa, who will be competing for the #10 jersey.
“I think we’ve lost some experienced players but we’re really comfortable in the boys that we’ve brought in because they’ve been in our program for a couple of years now,” he said.
“Obviously Christian’s the one that most people will talk about ,captain and 10, but the options we’ve got there in Kuenzle, Lolesio and Pasitoa, those guys, the first two in particular have been around our program for a number of years.
“They know how we play, they know what’s expected of them and we’ve worked hard with them to make sure that they’re ready to thrive at this level.”
Nic White will also join the Brumbies next year.
Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin, Harry Lloyd, Tom Ross, Scott Sio, James Slipper, Shambeckler Vui, Folau Fainga’a, Lachlan Lonergan, Connal Mcinerney, Murray Douglas, Blake Enever, Nick Frost, Caderyn Neville, Darcy Swain, Jahrome Brown, Tom Cusack, Lachlan McCaffrey, Will Miller, Pete Samu, Rob Valetini
Backs: Issak Fines, Ryan Lonergan, Joe Powell, Nic White, Bayley Kuenzle, Noah Lolesio, Reesjan Pasitoa, Len Ikitau, Tevita Kuridrani, Guy Porter, Irae Simone, Tom Wright, Tom Banks, Mack Hansen, Solomone Kata, Andrew Muirhead,Toni Pulu
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The Kooks
Fox Sports journo Christy Doran has put forward a perplexing argument, that the NRC should instead be a National Club Championship or something like that.
“Rugby Australia, lend me your ears,” Doran begins.
“Something that can help bring the fractured rugby community together, its players, its respective boards together and help the Wallabies once again become a powerhouse rugby nation in the world.
“What is this idea you ask?
“A National Club Championship, which embraces the excellent support and quality that exists throughout the grassroots level of the game.”
Yeah. This thing again.
“To begin with, all of Sydney’s Shute Shield clubs and Brisbane’s Premier clubs,” Doran continues.
“That alone will see 20 clubs qualify.
“Plus, two representative sides from Canberra, Perth and a single side from Melbourne.
“Five pools of five followed by knockout stages.
“Imagine Brisbane’s Brothers club up against Warringah at Rat Park in Sydney, or Randwick travelling to Queensland University, Canberra’s Owls hosting Sydney University down the Hume Highway or Nedlands against the Marlins at Manly Oval?”
And then the best bit:
“Supporters could make a weekend of it – and they would too.”
Ok call me cynical, but I think Fox Sports are testing the waters via Doran. NRC’s not doing so well but club is. Hence this crazy idea.
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