Wednesday’s rugby news has Pulver wary of the Argentinians, a Reds signing, Eddie Jones considering an unconventional choice for captain and Halfpenny given a contract ultimatum.
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Pulver worried about Jaguars
ARU boss Bill Pulver has admitted that he is nervous of Argentina’s Jaguares, who will join the expanded Super Rugby competition next year. Argentina performed well in this year’s Rugby World Cup in England where they claimed fourth spot and many of the squad will feature for the Jaguares.
“We’re nervous that Argentina could win the damn thing,” Pulver said. “They have a lot of their Test players in this Super Rugby team and they will be seriously competitive.” The Argentinian team will also benefit from a softer draw, being placed in the relatively weak Africa 2 Conference alongside fellow debutants the Kings as well as the Lions and Sharks, who finished eighth and 11th last year.
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Reds re-sign Tongan Thor
Taniela “Tongan Thor” has re-signed with Reds through to the end of 2018 and senior assistant coach Nick Stiles has emphasised that he is ready to step up to Super Rugby level. The former schoolboy star joined the Reds straight out of school at the end of 2014 but failed to make his debut as Richard Graham and the coaching staff went about preparing him for senior rugby.
Stiles has now declared that Tupou is ready to pack down with the best in Super Rugby after the club honed in on developing his scrummaging prowess at tighthead prop. “The body shape he has at 135kg and the power he possesses at tighthead is an exciting prospect for us,’’ Stiles said.
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Jones considering Hartley
Dylan Hartley, who missed the World Cup because of disciplinary reasons, could make a surprise return to the England side as captain for the Six Nations campaign. Hartley, who has won 66 caps for England, has received five suspensions in three years, which has seen him sidelined for a total of 54 weeks.
Jones however has made it clear that he wants his English side to have a a bit more aggression and mongrel from the top down. He has said that every player in England will begin with a clean slate, and it appears certain that disciplinary or off-field issues are unlikely to be held against any player if the new head coach believes he can transform England into a trophy-winning force.
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Halfpenny given Toulon ultimatum
Toulon’s owner Mourad Boudjellal has given Wales star Leigh Halfpenny an ultimatum over his future with the European giants. Boudjellal says unless a new contract with the Lions’ points machine can be agreed in the next week, he expects Halfpenny to leave the current European champions – with Dai Young’s English side Wasps his destination.
The fullback is said to be keen to make sure he has full release for all Wales training camps and matches and the 2017 Lions tour of New Zealand. Believed to be on a wage of £600,000 a year with Toulon, Halfpenny would most likely have to take a pay cut if he headed to either Wales or England, as the WRU’s limit on any dual contract is £350,000.
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