Wednesday’s rugby news has the upcoming back-row battle, the Boks milking penalties, more Cruden fallout and the Pumas trimming their squad.
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Wallabies prepare for physical backrow
The Wallabies have had an intense week of contact sessions in preparation for the notorious strength of the Springbok team. Wallabies forwards coach Andrew Blades has predicting the “biggest physical challenge of the year,” placing particular importance on neutralising the powerful Springbok back-row at the breakdown.
The Boks managed 11 ruck turnovers in their 14-10 loss to the All Blacks, and despite the loss of open-side flanker Francois Louw to a neck injury, the team retains the pilfering of Marcell Coetzee and No.8 Duane Vermuelen.
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Blades prepares for penalty tactics
Blades has also dismissed the accusations of questionable scrum tactics levelled by the Springbok coaching staff, saying that other teams were trying to explain Australia’s improving scrum by appealing to any possible illegality.
Instead, the Wallaby scrum coach declared that the Boks were themselves at risk of getting on the wrong side of the refs with their frenzied attempts at breakdown turnovers. “When you do that, you’re living on the edge often, you’re often giving away a lot of penalties for not releasing the tackled player,” he said. [/one_half]
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Pumas drop two from squad
Injured flanker Juan Manuel Leguizamon and hooker Santiago Iglesias Valdez have been dropped from the Pumas squad ahead of the team’s Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks. These were the only two omissions from the 28-man tour group that played Tests in Australia and New Zealand earlier this month.
Flyhalf Federico Nicolás Sánchez said there is renewed energy in the Pumas camp after last week’s bye, adding that the team have “high expectations” to finish the competition well and complete their original aim of achieving two wins in this Rugby Championship.
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Cruden could face prolonged absence
All-Black fly-half Aaron Cruden has given his competition Beauden Barrett the opportunity to start in the final two matches of the Rugby Championships, something that former Test 10 Andrew Mehrtens has said could come back to haunt Cruden.
“They do say sometimes it’s harder to get out of the All Blacks than it is to get in, and giving Barrett two starts means if he does deliver it’s going to be pretty hard not to pick him afterwards,” Mehrtens said. Coach Steve Hansen said Cruden would rejoin the team in Brisbane for the final Bledisloe Cup match against Australia next month.
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