Wednesday’s Rugby News has Matt Hodgson saying farewell, Nic Berry giving us an update, Horwitz to the Rebels and the ABs getting their man in the middle.
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Hodgson’s Ready
The real life inspiration for the modern battle tank, Matt Hodgson, is ready to retire after his final game for the Force takes place on Saturday.
The Western Force will be hoping to beat the Waratahs in Perth, to both send off the club’s icon and to also send a message to The Man over at ARU HQ.
“If you could have wrote a script – how I would want to say farewell – one would be at home and the second would be against the Waratahs,” Hodgson, originally from the Central Coast, told rugby.com.au.
“Just add a win to that and it would be a perfect for me. Running out there, knowing a lot of family and friends are going to be watching, it’s going to be pretty exciting.
“It probably won’t all hit me until the final whistle and the final hooter goes – that’s when I will stop and enjoy the moment. I’ll go around and thank everyone that came to the game and that were part of my career as well.”
Hodgson has had a good crack at a rugby career. He was first brought in to the Tahs in 2003, but didn’t get any game time. So, he went to play in clubland and also played for the 7s team. In 2006, he was signed up by the Force as a foundation player and has never looked back since, especially as some say the WA mining boom meant there was plenty of raw materials available for the man who is rumoured to survive purely on meals of molten steel.
“There are a lot of people doing a lot of great things in WA,” he said.
“I’m lucky that my voice is being heard a little bit and hopefully I’m doing the right things to make rugby strong in WA.
“All I ever do is try to get involved to make young kids want to play rugby in the future. If I can make one person achieve that dream, I think it’s all worthwhile.”
Asked the inevitable question, Hodgson said this:
“If common sense prevails, the Western Force is an easy option to stay,” he said.
“When you look at what we are doing at grassroots – the third highest population, the highest increase in numbers over the coming years – and I always give the example of Richard Hardwick.
“Someone that went from club rugby, to NRC, to Western Force and then playing for Australia – would he have got the same opportunity if the Western Force weren’t around?”
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NicBerry Crunch
Former Reds scrumhalf-turned-ref Nic Berry has had a yarn to the Courier Mail about being a ref and that.
Berry was recently given charge of the u20 World Cup final, won by New Zealand. So far, he’s been enjoying his time as a ref since his playing career was curtailed in 2012.
“To make progress as a ref you have to go all-in and I’m thoroughly enjoying it now I’m well past that initial hesitancy,” Berry, 33, said.
“Having been a player, I realised I really missed the high-performance environment and the accountability that comes with it.
“A ref’s had a good game if he’s a ghost out on the field and helps create a platform where both teams can play.”
Berry was forced out of the game with concussion, which is bit of information that is probably going to haunt him in comments sections as his ref career progresses. He’s quite chuffed with the progress World Rugby is making with regards to treating concussion.
“It was taking less intense knocks to be concussed and longer to recover,” Berry said of his time, when he suffered around 8 concussion over 2 years. “It was ‘one more knock’ and your done for a while and the specialist in England finally said ‘that’s it’.
“Headaches, the ability to manage emotions, vision, taking longer to bounce back … I’ve experienced the issues so absolutely refs have a duty to protect players.”
Berry reckons ex-players (like Glen Jackson) make fine referees.
“I suppose former professional players are used to crowds, pressure and the game but you still have to polish your knowledge and signals,” Berry said.
“As an old halfback, I’m used to making decisions around the breakdown and I did cut off a player or two early on by running a few support lines when forgetting I had a halfback beside me.
“Issues arise when players feel they aren’t being heard so I don’t want to be the ref who’s dismissive.”
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Horwitz Goneskies
Waratahs back David Horwitz will be a Rebel next year*, with the Melbourne team announcing his signature yesterday.
Horwitz has seemingly gone south, looking for a consistent starting spot, with Kurtley Beale to return to the Tahs next season. Horwitz presumably also wants to carry less novelty-sized ropes in training next year.
“David’s signature is a coup for the Melbourne Rebels and clear indication that this club is building a competitive squad to challenge for the Australian Conference and Super Rugby finals,” Rebels CEO Baden Stephenson said in a statement (via rugby.com.au).
“We’ve been impressed by David’s development over the last two years as a strong ball carrier, effective communicator and ball player at first or second receiver through the NRC with NSW Country Eagles and at Super Rugby level with the Waratahs.
“David will complement our backline nicely which will boast 3 current Wallaby squad members and 5 current Australian U20’s representatives in 2018.
“David will add versatility, strong competition and experience so we’re pleased that he will continue his promising career with the Rebels and contribute to the club.”
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Referee Blues
There were LOLs and LMAOs yesterday, when World Rugby decided to release the referee list for the Rugby Championship game at 1:12am Kiwi time.
Why were there LOLs? Because Jerome Garces – the ref of the 2nd Lions test – has been appointed as the man in the middle for the first Bledisloe in Sydney.
Honorary Australian Wayne Barnes will then be the referee for the other two Bleddys, which will be held in Dunedin and Brisbane (the last’s one in October or somesuch).
Kiwi refs Glen Jackson (Perth) and Ben O’Keeffe (Bloemfontein) will be in charge of the Wallabies vs Boks games, while John Lacey of Ireland (Canberra) and Mathiew Reynal of France (Mendoza) will peep the Wallabies vs Pumas matches.
Meanwhile, the best thing Australian rugby has going for it – Angus Gardner – will take charge of the ABs and Argentina in NZ, while George Ayoub will continue to eat Cheezels of his fingers while mashing the ‘No Try’ button for two games as well.
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