Month: March 2019

Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika is not bothered by recent criticism and believes his side can bounce back against the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday.

Cheika has been criticised after things went pear-shaped in the second-half of the Rugby Championship match with New Zealand in Sydney last weekend.

But he said he felt the pain of that Bledisloe Cup loss as deeply as anyone after seeing his two kids in tears in the tunnel post-match.

Through the emotional impact of the first Test defeat and subsequent calls for his sacking, Cheika remains unwavering in his belief that the Wallabies can not only win the second Test, but claim World Cup glory as well.

The heart on his sleeve coach has been the focal point of public backlash to the Wallabies’ latest loss to the All Blacks and while he said he didn’t feel any added pressure to perform, Cheika’s critics will only grow in size and volume if Australia surrender the Bledisloe Cup again this Saturday at Eden Park.

Wallabies players came out in defence of Cheika on Tuesday after veteran Australian rugby scribe Greg Growden wrote a column calling for the coach and his staff to be sacked ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup to salvage any hope of winning the tournament.

But Cheika said he was not concerned about the criticism, mainly because he is already his own hardest marker.

“I’ll tell you now, there’s no one hurting more than me than when I walk down the tunnel and I see my two kids there crying,” Cheika told Rugby Australia’s official website.

“So it is built on emotion, there’s emotions for us as well. But we’ve got to try to keep it clear with what we’re doing.

“For me, I feel no matter who is throwing rocks, I’m in a good place because I’m always the hardest critic on myself.

“Whatever (Growden) could have said to me, I’ve said it to myself already, and recovered from it and feel stronger for it to go back and turn the negative into a positive – call me crazy.”

Turning that negative into a positive is the only way to remain in the hunt for the Bledisloe come Saturday, at a venue where the Wallabies haven’t won a Bledisloe Cup Test match since 1986.

The Wallabies turned around a heavy defeat last year to almost upset the All Blacks in Dunedin, when most tipped another big loss.

Asked if he’d seen the sort of response he desired at training in the past 48 hours, Cheika said: “Yes, but I saw the (intensity) last week as well.

“There’s been a lot more edge around the training from everyone, players, coaches, that’s good.

“This is part of it, this is what happens in footy. You get hurt sometimes, and you get back up and keep going.

“There’s those who can hold their nerve and those who can’t, and I’d like to think I’m someone who can hold my nerve in these situations, keep the team confident, and believe we can go out there this weekend and win.

“I know that you guys don’t think that, but I think we can.

“So it is built on emotion, there’s emotions for us as well. But we’ve got to try to keep it clear with what we’re doing.”

Disillusioned fans have expressed their frustrations about the Wallabies’ apparent lack of progress in the years after the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup is just over a year away and Cheika said he remains convinced the Wallabies are still on the path to success, even if it has contained potholes and rough patches.

“I’ve always had a plan about what I want to do,” he added.

“Sometimes you get bumps that take you a different course, you lose players, different things happen along the way and you’ve got to be able to adjust to that.

“But when you know exactly where you’re headed, it makes it a little easier to deal with those things because you can stay on track.

“We’ve had to take a lot of bullets across this time of building a bit more depth.

“I think we are getting that now.

“More focus, more concentration, deliver on the nights, and go from there.”

Cheika raised the fact the Wallabies had beaten New Zealand last year in Brisbane when pressed as to whether his side was good enough to win Bledisloe and World Cup crowns.

“You weren’t saying this in October of last year,” he said.

“And I’m not saying we don’t merit that type of response, I’m certainly not thinking we don’t merit a negative response – of course we do.

“But you’ve always got to understand that consistency of performance is built over a period of time with experience, and that’s what we’re building to.

“If you are looking for an answer – it’s about playing at our best for more consistent periods.”

On a personnel front Cheika rated Taniela Tupou a 50-50 chance of lining up on Saturday, having taken part in scrummaging and lineout drills on Tuesday.

Scott Sio has done full sessions on both Monday and Tuesday and is a more likely inclusion.

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New Zealand second-row Brodie Retallick is preparing himself for a massive response from Australia when the sides meet in Auckland on Saturday.

Improving their set-piece results and applying more heat at the ball carry in order to have a crack at the ruck is where Retallick expects the Wallabies to be channelling their efforts in the second Bledisloe Cup Test.

But at the same time there is the challenge for the All Blacks to be better so they could win the races on the inside and get their carry and cleans going to produce rugby like that seen in the second-half in Sydney.

Retallick, who produced a man-of-the-match return to Test rugby said that while the Australian line-out had been going all right, the All Blacks had managed to get into it and put some pressure on them, forcing some turnovers.

“From what we saw against Ireland they were doing really well so we were extremely pleased at how many we managed to grab,” he told the All Blacks’ official website.

Looking at what the Wallabies might do to rectify that area, Retallick said if the All Blacks were in the same position they would probably look to vary their options. But they had a week to turn things around and they would be looking at where to improve just like the All Blacks were.

“We can only plan for what we’ve seen and adjust accordingly,” he said.

Retallick said he enjoyed being back among the Test action for the first time in nearly a year and when playing alongside quality players it meant he could go out and concentrate on his own role.

“As a whole the team went pretty well,” he added.

“We had to fight it out for the first 20-30 minutes, we were under a lot of pressure and then things started to click, people sensed space and called it. It makes rugby easy and fun.”

It helped that he does not like losing little battles in games but he said he does not try to over-complicate the game, for him rugby is about going out and having fun while throwing the ball around with his mates.

And that sensational dummy in the lead-up to his try was just the product of skills work and sensing his marker had moved off line.

“I enjoy it, I enjoy playing rugby, that’s what it’s all about,” said Retallick.

Confirming comments made earlier by scrum-half Aaron Smith about the lack of success from set-piece play, Retallick said the All Blacks are looking forward to improving that for the second Test.

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South Africa are wary of Argentina and expect a tough challenge from their hosts in their Rugby Championship rematch in Mendoza on Saturday.

That was the word from Springbok number eight Warren Whiteley, who said they are bracing themselves for a massive physical battle against los Pumas.

“They have a very physical back and explosive backs and I would describe them as a very balanced side,” he said.

“Although we won the contest in Durban, we all know we have to improve and play much better against a quality side on Saturday.”

Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick echoed Whiteley’s sentiments and both men cautioned that Argentina will be a very determined side at home and that the South Africans will have to improve on last week’s performance in Durban, which they won 34-21.

“We know the Pumas are a passionate side who love playing in front of their own supporters, so we can expect a huge battle from them here on their home turf,” said Stick.

The Springboks completed their post-match recovery in Durban on Sunday after the physical battle with the South Americans, before flying out to Argentina early on Monday.

The Boks will continue with their training in the Argentinean capital until Thursday, with the squad set to fly out to Mendoza on Friday where they will wrap up preparations for the Test.

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Ulster and Ireland captain Rory Best has revealed that he will make a decision on his career after Ireland’s end-of-year internationals.

The hooker, who turned 36 earlier this month and has a contract which runs until Ireland’s Rugby World Cup campaign, said he will decide on his future after his country’s upcoming Tests against Italy, Argentina, New Zealand and United States in November.

“I think I’ll make a decision on that in due course,” he told the Belfast Telegraph at the PRO14‘s season launch in Glasgow on Tuesday.

“It’ll not be something that I’ll leave until the last minute because if it is my last season, the club means too much to me to do something in the 11th hour and say ‘that’s it for me’ and leave them no time to replace me.

“We’re at the stage now where I’m contracted to the end of the World Cup and a big focus of mine is going to be getting back, getting fit, getting rid of the injuries and the niggles, and focusing on this (first) part of the season with Ulster, and then the autumn internationals, and then we’ll maybe sit down and have a look at it.

“I’ll have played PRO14, I’ll have played Europe and I’ll have played international so we’ll see how the body is holding up.

“If it’s to be another 12 months, 16 or 18 months we’ll make a decision then, and that’s obviously even if there is anything offered post World Cup if we do want it. Where I’ll end up afterwards, we’ll wait and see.”

There have been major changes in the coaching set-up at Ulster with new head coach Dan McFarland replacing Jono Gibbes and Best is excited by the prospect of working with the former Scotland assistant coach.

“It’s really important that Dan arrived,” he said.

“To have no contact with him, not even up until the middle of the season but even September or October, it would have been really difficult to change things when you’re going week to week and game to game.

“But now he has a week leading into a pre-season game where we want to play well and want a result, but if we don’t get it this week and get it the following week, then that’s the important thing.

“Dan has two weeks now (before the first league game against Scarlets) to get his head round everything and us to get our heads around everything that he expects from us. That’s really good for us and it allows us to get used to him and used to his voice.

“I think clean slate is an interesting term. There were moments from last season that were really unpleasant but you have to remember them as those sort of things that drive you on.

“We made a decision after Cardiff last season, when it wasn’t about results, but about performances. We were so afraid to lose a game that we didn’t go out and win it. We didn’t want to make mistakes so badly that we made loads.

“For us, we had to change that attitude. You should enjoy playing in an Ulster shirt and for the two or three months, from the end of Europe to the end of the Six Nations, boys didn’t look like they enjoyed playing rugby and playing rugby for Ulster. That had to stop.

“But at the end of the season we showed a real attitude during games.

“In terms of a clean slate, yes, we are in terms of league position and league points, but there’s things we have to remember too.”

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The Bulls have announced that Springboks Embrose Papier and Warrick Gelant have pledged their commitment to the union by signing contract extensions.

The Pretoria-based outfit announced that Papier, a debutant for the Springboks in 2018, has signed on until 2021, while Gelant, widely regarded as one of the most exciting full-backs in world rugby, will continue representing the Bulls until at least 2020.

Both players declined offers from the Stormers and will continue their futures in the province where they made their Currie Cup, Super Rugby and Springboks debuts.

The two extended contracts are but a number of leading players who on Monday signed new deals. Conraad van Vuuren (2020) and Johnny Kotze (2020) starred for the Bulls in Super Rugby this year and will continue to do so, while Junior Springboks, Ruan Nortje and Mornay Smith did the same.

Nortje (2020), who played for the Junior Boks this year, made his Super Rugby and Currie Cup debuts as well this year, with Smith (2020) representing the Bulls for the first time as well.

The signing of current Junior Springboks prop, Alulutho Tshakweni, will further boost the ranks. The Eastern Province player has signed until the end of the season.

“We are very happy about the extended contracts signed by Embrose and Warrick,” said Bulls high performance manager, Xander Janse van Rensburg.

“It is fitting that they became Springboks with us and that they will remain Vodacom Bulls players as their international careers takes off. It is great to have a number of experienced international players in your squad and this will help in our goal to build a squad that can win the Vodacom Super Rugby title again.

“It is always a good feeling and a true reflection of what is brewing within the walls of Loftus, when your star players see their future with this union.

“Johnny and Conraad were great for us this year showing their true worth at Super Rugby level, and they will continue to develop and grow here, while Ruan and Mornay are amongst the most talented youngsters I have seen in recent seasons, so it is great to have them around for the foreseeable future.”

Gelant said on staying at Loftus: “It’s an exciting time to be part of this team. There’s something special happening at Loftus, and I’m looking forward to remaining a part of it.

“I am privileged to play the game I love, with the people I consider close to my heart, and more importantly for the fans that give us this opportunity to live our dreams.”

The BBC also confirmed that utility player, Ulrich Beyers, was released to the Isuzu Southern Kings with immediate effect, while Abongile Nonkontwana is on trial with the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.

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England captain Dylan Hartley says his injury troubles are at long last behind him and he is finally ready to return after an extended break.

After suffering a third concussion in the space of 12 months in England’s Six Nations defeat to Ireland in March, Hartley sought medical advice and took five months off from the game.

This Friday the 32-year-old will make his return from that lengthy lay-off, having been named in Northampton Saints’ side to tackle Glasgow Warriors in a pre-season friendly.

And after a solid pre-season, Hartley says he is in a ‘good place’ and ready to fight for a spot.

“I sought good advice and I trusted what they said would happen and it happened,” Hartley told reporters.

“I am confident I will play rugby until I am 50. I had no concerns, I surrounded myself with the right advice and here I am – ready to play.

“At the time it was disappointing because you want to be involved in everything, you don’t want to miss games.

“But once the decision had been made for me and we agreed on it…I had made peace with that.

“It was a really good time for me. There was no rush, there was no target game for me to get back for or a game I needed to be back for.

“As soon as I took my foot off the gas and stopped trying to make it back every week, which I was trying to do, I felt myself instantly get better.

“Removing those kind of pressures has worked. I have had a good pre-season with the team and I am in a good place to compete for a spot in the next fortnight.”

Northampton open their Premiership campaign against Gloucester on September 1.

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The match officials for this weekend’s action have been confirmed, with Angus Gardner refereeing the Rugby Championship clash between Argentina and South Africa in Mendoza.

Wayne Barnes will take charge of the other Rugby Championship Test between New Zealand and Australia in Auckland.

Elsewhere, in the Northern Hemisphere, the Top 14 gets underway and the Mitre 10 Cup and Currie Cup action continues down south.

Rugby Championship

New Zealand v Australia
@ Eden Park, Auckland
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Luke Pearce (England)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

Argentina v South Africa
@ Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Andrew Brace (Ireland)
TMO: Simon McDowell (Ireland)

Top 14, Round 1

Bordeaux-Bègles v Pau
@ Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Referee: Pierre Brousset
Assistant referees: Ludovic Cayre, Arnaud Blondel
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure

Perpignan v Stade Français
@ Stade Aimé Giral
Referee: Laurent Cardona
Assistant referees: Thomas Charabas, Richard Duhau
TMO: Denis Grenouillet

Clermont v Agen
@ Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin
Referee: Maxime Chalon
Assistant referees: Vincent Blasco Baque, Laurent Breil
TMO: Éric Gauzins

Montpellier v Castres
@ Altrad Stadium
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
Assistant referees: Adrien Descottes, Jean-Claude Labarbe
TMO: Mourad Zitouni

La Rochelle v Grenoble
@ Stade Marcel Deflandre
Referee: Jonathan Dufort
Assistant referees: Julien Castaignède, Jean-Luc Rebollal
TMO: Bruno Bessot

Toulon v Racing 92
@ Stade Mayol
Referee: Romain Poite
Assistant referees: Cyrille Lafon, Bruno Gabaldon
TMO: Laurent Sclafer

Lyon v Toulouse
@ Matmut Stadium Gerland
Referee: tbc

Mitre 10 Cup, Round 2

Counties Manukau v Bay of Plenty
@ Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe
Referee: Angus Mabey
Assistant referees: Brandon Roberts, Antony Petrie
TMO: Glen Blackwell

Otago v Hawke’s Bay
@ Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Referee: Shuhei Kubo (Japan)
Assistant referees: Jono Bredin, Stuart Curran
TMO: Chris Hart

Canterbury v Wellington
@ Christchurch Stadium, Christchurch
Referee: James Doleman
Assistant referees: James Munro, Carl Johnson
TMO: Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri

Taranaki v Manawatu
@ Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
Referee: Mike Fraser
Assistant referees: Paul Williams, Richard Kelly
TMO: Max O’Leary

Northland v Auckland
@ Toll Stadium, Whangarei
Referee: Richard Kelly
Assistant referees: Boris Jurlina, Stephen Ball
TMO: Llew Smart

Waikato v North Harbour
@ FMG Stadium, Hamilton
Referee: Cam Stone
Assistant referees: Jamie Bell, Ryan Waite
TMO: Pat Rae

Tasman v Southland
@ Lansdowne Park, Blenheim
Referee: Jamie Nutbrown
Assistant referees: Mike Lash, Steffan James
TMO: Chris Wratt

Currie Cup Premier Division, Round 2

Golden Lions v Griquas
@ Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Referee: Egon Seconds
Assistant referees: Ben Crouse, Christopher Allison
TMO: Lesego Legoete

Sharks v Blue Bulls
@ Kings Park, Durban
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant referees: Archie Sehlako, Vusi Msibi
TMO: Christie du Preez

Western Province v Free State Cheetahs
@ Newlands, Cape Town
Referee: AJ Jacobs
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni, Nathan Swartz
TMO: Shaun Veldsman

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Griquas have made two changes to their starting XV for the Currie Cup round two clash with the Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Friday.

AJ Coertzen shifts from full-back to wing with Godfrey Ramaboea dropping out of the matchday 23 altogether, while Eric Zana will wear the number 15 jersey.

There is one change in the forward pack, with Pieter van Vuren taking over from FP Pelser in the second-row.

Griquas are looking for their first win of the season after their 42-19 defeat to the Pumas last weekend, while the Golden Lions will be making their 2018 tournament debut.

Griquas: 15 Eric Zana, 14 Ederies Arendse, 13 Kyle Steyn (c), 12 Christopher Bosch, 11 AJ Coertzen, 10 George Whitehead, 9 Christiaan Meyer, 8 Conway Pretorius, 7 Sias Koen, 6 Wendell Wehr, 5 Pieter van Vuren, 4 Sintu Manjezi, 3 Nicolaas Oosthuizen, 2 Khwezi Mkhafu, 1 Devon Martinus.
Replacements: 16 Wilmar Arnoldi, 17 Ruan Kramer, 18 Wandile Putuma, 19 Eital Bredenkamp, 20 Izak Burger, 21 Jonathan Janse van Rensburg, 22 Andre Swarts

Date: Friday, August 24
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 19:00 local (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Egon Seconds
Assistant referees: Ben Crouse, Christopher Allison
TMO: Lesego Legoete

 

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Ulster have announced that Stuart McCloskey has committed his future to the province, putting pen to paper on a three-year contract extension that will keep him at Kingspan Stadium until 2022.

McCloskey, who developed his game at Bangor GS and Dungannon RFC, made his Ulster debut in February 2014 and has represented his home province on 82 occasions. He has also been capped by Ireland three times.

Ulster’s Operations Director Bryn Cunningham said: “This is very positive news for us going into the new season. We have quite a young squad so having experienced players like Stuart on board is hugely important.

“Stu has really grown in stature over the past couple of seasons and is a key figure for us in both attack and defence. His ability to cross the gain line is well-known, but his playmaking abilities have developed under the coaching of Dwayne Peel and he is a massive threat with ball in hand. I’m sure we’ll see him improve even more in the seasons ahead.”

McCloskey, meanwhile, was delighted to agree new terms: “I’m really excited to have signed a new contract. I grew up dreaming of playing for Ulster and I feel privileged to now be in a position to pull the jersey on every week.

“We’ve recruited strongly and have a core group of experienced players who still have their best years ahead of them. We also have a large number of promising young players coming through the system, and I’ve no doubt that they will make a big impact in the coming years.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how things come together for us as we aim to bounce back to where we belong. Hopefully the supporters can buy into that as well and we can reward their loyalty.”

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Harlequins have announced the signing of Fijian Sevens star Semi Kunatani, who joins the club one week out from their Premiership opener.

Kunatani was a member of the Fijian Sevens team that won the gold medal in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He played in all six matches in the tournament and scored four tries in the final where Fiji defeated Great Britain by 43-7. He has also been capped by the Fijian national team.

The 27-year-old, who is comfortable playing across the back-row, joins the west London club from Toulouse where he has been based since the start of the 2015/16 season.

Commenting on the signing, Harlequins Head of Rugby Paul Gustard said: “I am delighted to welcome Semi to the club. He is a precocious talent and someone I have been watching for a considerable time. I am confident that our exceptional supporters will relish watching him play and give him their support as he embarks on the next stage of his young career.

“Semi offers us something completely different to our other back row brothers and given the attritional nature of the playing position and impending international call-ups, his signing gives us much needed depth and adds further quality to the squad.”

Speaking on his arrival from France, Kunatani said: “I’m excited about joining Harlequins at the start of this new era for the club and looking forward to playing at The Stoop. The club has many top players and this is a great opportunity for me to play with them and contribute to a successful team.”

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