Wednesday’s Rugby News has Adam Coleman injured, Rory Arnold tackling low and not high, the Reds giving Slipper a contract even though he had failed a drugs test, and Zimbabwean rugby players homeless.
[one_half last=”no”]
Coleman Out
Adam ‘Seam Gas’ Coleman won’t play on against the Reds on Saturday, due to a love muscle strain.
Coleman didn’t play against the Waratahs last Friday, and will now miss two games thanks to straining his adductor in the third test against Ireland.
However Marika ‘Krusha’ Koroibete and Tetera ‘Tetera’ Faulkner will be back on the weekend.
If the Rebels win, it’ll be 8 Ws and Dave ‘Wwwwwwwwessels’ Wessels has told rugby.com.au that’s he’s proud but wants the boys to focus on getting into the finals.
“I’m proud of the boys for the style of rugby that we are going to play because that’s the style we said we were going to do,” he said.
“We said we were going to be brave and play in a way which makes the people of Melbourne proud but a big part of what we are trying to do here is win.
“We want to make sure in the days leading up to Friday we know that we can go one better.
“We play well but we do that for the full 80 minutes to make sure we get the outcome.”
The boys, Wessels continues, must focus.
“I think in reality the Reds are a very good side and things, at times, haven’t gone their way but they certainly have some very good players – some world class players,” he said.
“Our approach to dealing with a few dangerous runners is to throw a few punches of our own.
“If you allow them to have the ball in the way that they want to have the ball they can really hurt you.
“We focus very hard on playing the game on our terms and doing the things we want to do.”
[/one_half][one_half last=”yes”]
Tackle Low, Not High
Rory Arnold, the bloke who got sent off for attempting to decapitate his South African opponent a couple of weeks ago, has learnt his lesson: tackle low, not high.
“I got a tackle a bit high and I will put my hand up and own that,” Arnold told Rugby Pravda. Arnold served a 3-game suspension, which ended after the 1st Ireland test.
“I have to be better there. What’s the old saying “Do the crime, do the time”. I just had to wait for the opportunity to play some rugby again and I am glad to be back.
“You just have to be aware when you are tackling small outside backs, you really have to focus on dropping that body height.
“Especially if they’re falling into the tackle as well. It makes it look even worse. If they slow-mo it and go to the TMO, you’re probably going to get the rough call there.
“It’s something they’re very serious about in the game, player safety and high tackles, so the big men in the game will have to get their tackle technique down pat.”
Arnold, fresh from sounding like David Brent, will be travelling with the Brumbies as they travel to Hamilton to hopefully not lose to the Chiefs.
[/one_half][one_half last=”no”]
Not So Posi
Rugby.com.au‘s at it again, this time with a story about the Reds giving James Slipper a contract after he had failed his first drug test.
But that’s not all. The Reds didn’t know this at the time – Rugby Australia did, but as per the drugs policy, didn’t tell anyone.
Slipper was fined $27,500 and suspended for two months, six weeks ago, for failing two drug tests.
But that money and time came out of a $500,000, 2-year contract which was signed by the Reds and Slipper between February and May this year.
On top of that, coach Brad Thorn isn’t keen on picking Slipper or fellow drug taker Karmicheal Hunt for the Reds ever again.
“It’s a tough one because obviously Slips has been struggling with some stuff and there is obviously some compassion around that and caring for him around that and getting that addressed, supporting him and stuff,” Thorn said, back in May.
“The other side of that is cocaine – you can’t have that. As the head coach of the club, I have my young guys in here.
“I’m watching my sons play rugby at school and there are all those kids – it’s a real issue, to me.
“There are two sides of it and you can’t have that – you can’t have cocaine, drug use.”
Fortunately, there’s to be a review into the RA’s drug policy.
The article also adds that the other 3 Super sides have made contact with Slipper regarding his signing. With Frisby back from Bordeaux, and Quade and Hunt also on the books, a new home for Slipper would give the Reds’ salary cap a much needed break.
[/one_half][one_half last=”yes”]
Homeless Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s rugby players have had to sleep in the street in Tunisia, as their rugby federation is clearly too shithouse to find money and accomodation for them. The Zimbabweans are in the North African nation as they prepare for a World Cup qualifier against the hosts this weekend.
Flanker Takudzwa Mandiwanza said (via SowetanLive) that the tour had been a “shambles”. “We have not been paid our daily allowances for our duration in Kenya, including our match fees that we did not receive. Now we’re in Tunisia, we were detained at the airport for close to six hours, with no allowances given to us.”
“If it wasn’t for the coach (former Boks coach Peter de Villiers) buying us sandwiches and a few drinks from his own money‚ we’d be hungry right now. The situation is very frustrating and disheartening.”
Zimbabwe national rugby team forced to sleep on the streets of Tunisia… @WorldRugby 👀 pic.twitter.com/MGcug87P0l
— Brian Mujati (@MujatiBrewing) July 3, 2018
The situation has been brought to World Rugby’s attention, whose Twitter redirected users to a statement from Rugby Africa.
Khaled Babbou, an executive member of Rugby Africa, is quoted as saying, “I apologise on behalf of Tunisia Rugby Union, we pride ourselves in hosting Rugby Africa tournaments every year and make every effort to meet the best international standards in terms of accommodation and other infrastructure.
“Something went wrong for which I am sorry, but this was corrected this morning in consultation with the Sables management team. I can assure you that there was absolutely no intention to destabilise our opponents and we will make every possible effort to ensure they have a good preparation ahead of Saturday’s match.”
The Tunisian Rugby Union, the presser says, sorted out a hotel for the Zimbabweans in the morning.
[/one_half]
