Month: October 2021

“We’ve seen attack grow a little bit,” Jones says of action he has watched this season, including the Rugby Championship in the southern hemisphere. “The balance between the way you go forward, between kicking and between running, has balanced out a little bit. England vs Wallabies Rugby

“So teams don’t necessarily have to kick more than the opposition to win. You can run more than the opposition to win. That balancing act, of where the game is, has become a little less clear.”

Asked to what extent this affected the shape of his latest squad, Jones says: “We look at the trends of the game … We’re not different from any other team in modern sport. We’ve all got a data analytics team. They can tell you 99.9% of the teams that are going to win based on the metrics. We’ve got the latest metrics, so we use that to help with our selection.”

The presence of back-rows such as Sam Simmonds and Alex Dombrant at the expense of Vunipola may indicate a willingness to aim for more phases carrying possession rather than relying heavily on tactical kicking, the norm under Jones.

Simmonds and Dombrandt are highly mobile No 8s while Vunipola’s game is more about power, although Jones says the door is not closed to the 28-year-old.

Jones also thinks stricter refereeing of the tackle area is helping teams to gain metres by carrying instead of kicking. “The big determinants of the game are the speed of the ruck and the scrum,” Jones says. “That’s 80% of the penalties. And the ruck speed, because the referees have been refereeing the tackler rolling away very hard, and policing to a large extent the second man releasing, we’ve seen a lot more quick ball, and with quick ball we’ve seen defences under pressure … I think it’s generally created a better game of rugby, which is good.”

Jones stressed the need for referees to maintain a fair contest between attack and defence at the breakdown. “What we’ve got to ensure is that referees keep diligent on that ruck, keep diligent on the defensive side, and also diligent on the attacking side, keeping a contest,” Jones says.

“If you’re good in attack, you get quick ball, and if you’re good in defence, you get a turnover. That’s the fascinating part of the game. But every time we have it good, we get slack, and the game morphs into a slower version of itself. So we might be at the peak of the game at the moment.”

Looking ahead to perhaps the most eagerly awaited autumn Test, against the world champions on 20 November, Jones says: “South Africa have gone through a little bit of a down period after the Lions, which is quite normal for most teams. We always found in the Tri-Nations, when a team played after the Lions, they found it quite a long campaign and I think particularly with the bubble, it’s probably made it even more difficult for South Africa.

“But the way they responded, as all South African teams do, against the All Blacks [with a 31-29 win in Queensland] was absolutely outstanding. They’ve had a long season, but … we know how much they like to play against England, so that’ll be a great game for us.”

where to watch AUS ENG Rugby will be operating with reduced coronavirus measures after the RFU confirmed that players and staff are above the required vaccination target of 85% that allows for the relaxation of social distancing.

It is hard to know where to start with the Wallabies’ spring tour debacle but let’s try a lament. It did not have to be this way.

Poor communication from all parties – from players to coaches to executives – has turned what was a disappointing development into a full-blown embarrassment for AUS ENG Rugby tv, a firestorm for the players and a selection crisis for Dave Rennie.

As forecast, Quade Cooper officially confirmed to the Wallabies on Thursday morning he would not be joining the tour, and like Sean McMahon and Samu Kerevi, will remain in Japan.

It was the players’ decision to withdraw from the tour. Let’s get that straight.

Two sources told the Herald that Japanese club Suntory gave McMahon and Kerevi their blessings. In the Japanese way, it likely involved some ambiguity, which could have sounded something like “We’d like to have you involved in our pre-season, but we understand representing your country is a great honour and we are happy for you to go”.

Eddie Jones, England coach and Suntory consultant, makes a delightful villain but it is stretching credibility to brand him the puppet master on this occasion, despite having much to gain if Australia lost another two from their starting line up a fortnight out from a visit to Twickenham.

Star centre Kerevi was tired after a long Japanese season, an Olympics campaign and a Rugby Championship. He picked up an ankle injury in the Test against Argentina and is three weeks off being back on duty in Japan.

McMahon wanted to stay in Japan with his family. A scroll of his Instagram account reveals his pain over being separated from his wife due to COVID-19 restrictions when she gave birth to their second child 10 months ago. Another month on the road might have been a bridge too far from him personally, despite the lengths he went to for a bench cameo against Argentina earlier this month.

It is hard to know Cooper’s mind but, at the age of 33, and with the 2023 World Cup still two years away, he might have self-preservation high on his priority list. Wallabies management has opened talks with Kurtley Beale about flying over from France as a replacement playmaker.

Kerevi, McMahon and Cooper have a League One (formerly Top League) pre-season to start in coming weeks.

These Japanese spells are not “sabbaticals”, it should be remembered. Suntory (Kerevi, McMahon) and Kintetsu (Cooper) are the players’ employers. World Rugby’s Regulation 9 allows Australia access to them for a three-week window every July and November, but the players would be reckless to ignore the wishes, stated and implied, of their paymasters. Many have clauses in their contracts stating if an injury is incurred playing for another team, then the Japanese deal can be terminated. It follows that the Wallabies must walk a careful line in those cases. Which they have endeavoured to do.

For example, RA will not be pursuing their rights under Regulation 9 with the Japan Rugby Football Union or World Rugby.

At some point, Kerevi, McMahon and Cooper indicated their availability for this tour. One source said it was not mentioned to them until the final week of The Rugby Championship, which is short notice. But why allow the Wallabies to name you in the spring tour squad if you are in such doubt about whether you should go, or whether you want to go?

The players could be accused of people-pleasing behaviour at the very least. Wanting to play for Australia, wanting to please their clubs, their families, themselves and the Wallabies coaching staff. Unable to call it when they should have. To give everyone a chance to make other arrangements.

But RA chief executive Andy Marinos went a step further on Tuesday when he raised the issue of honesty, calling for the players to be more upfront in their dealings. The comments won’t be forgotten. where to watch AUS ENG Rugby

“We just expected a more honest approach, right from the beginning, if it was not their intention to travel,” Marinos told the Herald. “If there was an inclination they were not going to tour, we would have appreciated it a lot earlier. At the time, when they were told they were going to be selected on that tour. It’s disappointing that it’s taken this long.”

The Welsh Rugby Union has confirmed the All Blacks will play Wales in Cardiff for the first time since 2017. All Blacks vs Wales live

The test between the Six Nations champions, who are expected to be without their English-based players because the fixture is scheduled to be played outside the World Rugby international fixture window, and the All Blacks will be staged on October 31 (NZT).

NZ Rugby had already confirmed the All Blacks would play Ireland, France and Italy on their northern hemisphere tour.

Playing Wales outside the World Rugby window will provide NZ Rugby, who remain locked in mediation with the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association about the proposed Silver Lake deal that could be worth up to $465 million, the chance to earn several million dollars.

Such deals have become more commonplace for NZ Rugby in recent years as they seek opportunities to pour money back into their coffers, with the income to be derived from broadcast, gate takings and sponsorship revenue.

Wales, who are coached by New Zealander Wayne Pivac, were supposed to tour New Zealand last year but didn’t travel because of Covid-19.

Pivac, who replaced Warren Gatland after the 2019 World Cup, struggled to get to grips with the new job as Wales battled in the Six Nations in 2020 and finished last with just one win to their credit.

However, Wales hit their straps this year and won the tournament as well as collecting the Triple Crown.

Last year the All Blacks won the Tri Nations, despite losing to Argentina for the first time. The world champion Springboks didn’t participate in the tournament, citing a lack of preparation due to the pandemic as a major factor in their withdrawal.

The All Blacks and Wales last met in the World Cup bronze medal game in Tokyo in 2019. The All Blacks won 40-17. When the two teams met on Welsh soil in 2017 the All Blacks triumphed 33-18.

Wales will also play South Africa, Fiji and Australia in Cardiff after the test against the All Blacks.

Wales v All Blacks labelled ‘sham fixture’

The All Blacks are in Cardiff this week, after thrashing the USA 104-14, as they prepare to take on a depleted Wales side at a sold out Principality Stadium on Saturday.

It’s the first time New Zealand have been to Cardiff in four years and it was a fixture that the WRU did not struggle to generate interest for.

However, Wales will be shorn of a number of stars for the clash due. Because the game is being played outside the international window, England-based players like Dan Biggar and Louis Rees-Zammit will not be available.

There are also a number of injuries to contend with, meaning Wales face a significant challenge. The fixture has attracted much criticism and rugby writer Chris Foy is the latest to take aim in the Daily Mail.

“Wales won’t fold as easily as the Americans when they face the All Blacks on Saturday, but the sad fact is that Wayne Pivac’s side — missing a raft of regulars — have no chance of winning the out-of-window Test,” Foy wrote.

“It will be another sham fixture; an exercise in making money from a mis-match. As for the USA, their on-field ordeal won’t have done much for their hopes of staging the 2031 World Cup. All Blacks Wales Rugby game

“The suspicion remains that they are only a potential rugby market in the sense of commercial gain, rather than mass public interest.”