Tuesday’s rugby news has Gill looking at his options, the Tahs told to toughen up, SAZAR axing referees and a French coaching vacancy.
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Rebels looking to sign Gill
Richard Graham believes that openside flanker Liam Gill will remain at the club next year. Gill said after this weekend’s win that the possibility of a switch to the Rebels was a “real thing”, with his dissatisfaction reported to stem from his lack of confidence in Graham as the head coach. The Reds are believed set to re-sign Graham as head coach, who said, “I am confident he [Gill] will be here next year.”
Meanwhile, the Reds could yet welcome back injured star Quade Cooper for Friday night’s clash with the Sharks after completing a contact session this week. The Wallabies five-eighth, who is mulling over a big-money offer to move to France next year, has barely played this season due to two separate shoulder fractures but will take on the visiting South Africans if he can prove his fitness at training this week.
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Tahs in finals mentality
Waratahs half-back Nick Phipps has emphasised the importance of this weekend’s match against the Crusaders, saying that his team-mates will go into the weekend with a “grand final mentality”. After the Waratahs beat the Sharks on Saturday, Phipps says it was made “pretty clear” by the NSW coaches that their “performance wasn’t good enough to go toe-to-toe with the champions”.
A win for the Waratahs would lift them from second to first place in the Australian conference over the Brumbies who are on a bye round. For the Crusaders, a win would bring them back into finals contention from fourth on the New Zealand conference and might signal their traditional late charge.
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SANZAR sacks refs
SANZAR Game Manager Lyndon Bray has acknowledged that refereeing in Super Rugby hase not been up to standard. This past weekend saw Australian referee Rohan Hoffmann and New Zealand television match official Vinny Munro singled out for their questionable performances during the Waratahs’ 33-18 win over the Sharks in Sydney.
“While we acknowledge that the match officials cannot get it right all of the time, there are some basic standards that have simply not been upheld over this past weekend, resulting in some disappointing decisions and selection consequences,” said SANZAR game manager Lyndon Bray. Hoffmann has been relegated to an assistant referee role for the Force v Highlanders game, while Munro has not been assigned a match for this week.
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Woodward to possibly coach France
Sir Clive Woodward, who guided England to Rugby World Cup glory in 2003, is on an eight man shortlist to replace Philippe Saint-Andre as head coach of France. French media’s reporting that Woodward met with French rugby officials last month, although it is believed that Toulouse’s Guy Noves remains the favourite to take over.
Saint-Andre, who’ll quit his post after this year’s World Cup has failed to impress since taking charge of Les Blues three years ago, winning only 15 of his 37 Tests in charge. Woodward’s other coaching experience includes stints at London Irish and Bath, as well as roles with Southampton FC and the British Olympic Association.
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