Tag: Rugby

South Africa U20 fly-half Damian Willemse is one of three uncapped players included in the Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship.

Lions quartet Malcolm Marx, Warren Whiteley, Ross Cronje and Lionel Mapoe are also back in the Bok fold for the first time this season.

Rassie Erasmus, SA Rugby’s Director of Rugby, announced a squad of 35 players on Monday, with two loose forwards, the Bulls’ Marco van Staden and Cyle Brink of the Lions, joining Willemse, the 20-year-old Stormers and Junior Springbok fly-half, as the uncapped players in the group.

Whiteley and the experienced Eben Etzebeth both return having recovered from long-term injuries, while Marx has shrugged off his hamstring troubles, which forced him to miss the June internationals.

Also returning to the Springbok squad are Francois Louw, the experienced flanker who plays for Bath, Lwazi Mvovo, as well Mapoe and Cronje, both of whom missed the mid-year Tests because of injury.

Louw has represented the Boks in 57 Tests and Erasmus said he will add a lot of experience to the group.

“Eben and Warren have been out of the Bok mix for a while because of injury so it’s very pleasing to have them back in the squad, while Malcolm has regained his good form with the Emirates Lions since recovering from his injury,” said Erasmus, who added that the participation of Brink and Jean-Luc Preez is dependent on medical examinations.

“We saw the benefit and impact of Willie le Roux and Faf de Klerk in the squad during the June internationals and I want ‘Flo’ to perform a similar role for us.

“It is also pleasing to again add some young players who been showing good form and consistency for their franchise teams during Vodacom Super Rugby,” Erasmus added, in reference to the uncapped trio of Willemse, Van Staden and Brink.

Siya Kolisi retains the captaincy, while Le Roux and De Klerk, both of whom were outstanding during the 2-1 series win over England in June, are amongst the 15 backs in the squad.

The bulk of the players have been training in Stellenbosch for a few weeks, with the Lions contingent set to join them on Wednesday. The men from Johannesburg returned to South Africa on Monday after their Super Rugby final appearance on Saturday against the Crusaders in Christchurch.

The squad will continue with preparations in Cape Town until Friday and following a two-day break will then reassemble in Durban next Sunday to continue with their build-up towards the Rugby Championship opener on 18 August against Argentina at Kings Park. The two sides meet again a week later in Mendoza.

Players who were not considered because of injury include Damian de Allende, Warrick Gelant, Lood de Jager, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen and Sbu Nkosi.

The Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship

Forwards (20): Cyle Brink, Jean-Luc du Preez, Thomas du Toit, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Steven Kitshoff, Siya Kolisi (c), Francois Louw, Wilco Louw, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Tendai Mtawarira, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Marvin Orie, RG Snyman, Akker van der Merwe, Marco van Staden, Warren Whiteley

Backs (15): Lukhanyo Am, Ross Cronjé, Faf de Klerk, Aphiwe Dyantyi, André Esterhuizen, Elton Janjies, Jesse Kriel, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Lionel Mapoe, Lwazi Mvovo, Embrose Papier, Handré Pollard, Ivan van Zyl, Damian Willemse

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Bath have announced the signing of loosehead prop Jacques van Rooyen from Super Rugby outfit the Lions, who will join them ahead of 2018/19.

The South African has played over 60 times for the Lions since making his debut in 2014.

“I’m really looking forward to testing myself in the Northern Hemisphere and playing for a club with a great deal of ambition going into the new season,” Van Rooyan told Bath’s website.

Director of Rugby, Todd Blackadder, added: “We are really pleased to bring someone in of Jacques’ calibre in time for the new season. He’s proven himself in Super Rugby and will bring a great deal to the squad both at the set-piece and with ball in hand.

“We have great strength in depth at loosehead with Jacques, Lucas (Noguera) and Nathan (Catt) all competing for the number one shirt after losing Beno (Obano) to injury in May. Jacques can also play at tighthead, which adds another option over the course of a busy season of domestic and European rugby.”

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Sale Sharks wing Chris Ashton admitted that he did not expect to be recalled to the international setup so soon after his return to England.

Ashton was named in England head coach Eddie Jones’ 44-man pre-season training camp squad on Thursday.

He last played for England in 2014 and this is his first international call-up since 2016.

It comes after he left Top 14 outfit Toulon on an early release to join Sale Sharks.

“It’s a strange feeling,” Ashton told the BBC.

“I feel like a new player and I’m happy to be back in the group.

“I wasn’t supposed to be back in England. When I went to France I thought that was it for me and I could spend the next few years in France enjoying rugby.

“The season went really well and I enjoyed it, but the more the year went on the more I wanted to be back here and back in this environment.”

The 31-year-old only played for Toulon for one season – after signing a three-year contract – but made a big impact at the French club as he broke the Top 14 try-scoring record, with 24 tries in 23 matches during their 2017/18 campaign.

“It bothers me to think I only did a year at it,” he said.

“I thought I was open-minded, but not enough. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be, and maybe the whole purpose of it was for me to do a year. I hope that anyway.

“Pretty quickly my wife and I realised it was going to be tougher than we thought. We went over with a nine-month-old baby. We both have big families and we’re both very family orientated.

“I did very much enjoy the rugby, but family comes first and if we’re not happy at home it’s not much use.”

Ashton was called up to Jones’ first England squad in 2016, while still playing for Saracens, but missed out on Test selection after he was banned for biting and eye-gouging.

He impressed by scoring a hat-trick for the Barbarians against England at Twickenham in May and said he found it difficult not to play for his country.

“I missed playing for England,” he said.

“It was tough to watch being in England, and I hoped when I moved to France that would go away but it didn’t. I always wanted to be part of it.

“I’m the kind of person that has to learn for myself. I do things and then learn later. I made the decision I wanted to go and try and I did that.

“It’s always bothered me not being involved, but I hope I’ve got a couple of good years left yet at it.”

Ashton is now focused on representing England at next year’s World Cup in Japan and admitted that he was always thinking of the global showpiece while he was in France.

“The day the World Cup isn’t on my mind is probably the day I stop playing,” he said.

“It’s what everyone wants to win and being in France and seeing that opportunity go by would’ve been tough for me to take. I couldn’t accept that.

“Even if I don’t get in and I don’t play for England, at least I’m giving myself the best opportunity.”

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All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen and fellow selectors Ian Foster and Grant Fox have named a 33-man squad for this year’s Rugby Championship.

A feature of the squad is the return of number eight and captain Kieran Read, who missed the June series against France through injury, while lock Brodie Retallick also returns to the side after 11 months away from Test rugby.

As well as the 33-man squad, two other players will assemble with the squad as injury cover. Hooker Liam Coltman comes in as cover for Dane Coles, who is expected to return to Test match rugby some time during the Rugby Championship, while midfielder Ngani Laumape comes in for Sonny Bill Williams, who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

The squad also features two uncapped players. Crusaders and Tasman prop Tim Perry, who played two non-Tests on last year’s end-of-year European tour, was named in the squad but for the matches against France but missed the series with injury, while young Chiefs and Taranaki scrum-half Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi has also been selected.

Kane Hames, Nepo Laulala, Atu Moli and Jordan Taufua were not considered for selection due to injury.

Hansen said: “The selectors found this an incredibly difficult squad to select, and whilst we congratulate those who’ve been named in the Rugby Championship team, we also commiserate with those who’ve missed out.

“It has to be noted that there are some very good players who have not made the squad. However, as we’ve seen in previous campaigns, a number of these players will get an opportunity through injury, just like Liam and Ngani already.”

Hansen added: “One of the positives of having such a talented pool to select from is that it creates natural competition, not only for spots in the Rugby Championship squad, but also the matchday 23. That competition should remove any feelings of complacency within our playing group.”

Hansen said the squad was keen to build on the hard work put in during the successful three-Test series against the French in June.

“Whilst last year was about growing depth – and we’ll need to continue to do that in some positions – this year is more about growing our game and our player combinations within that,” he added.

“By the end of the year, we should have a clearer picture of who and what will be needed for next year’s Rugby World Cup campaign.”

While there was always a need to have an eye on the future, Hansen said the team also had to deal with the here and now.

“We’ll face quality opposition throughout the Championship,” he said.

“Both Australia and South Africa appear to have grown their games and will come at us with real energy and conviction, while the Argentinians have a new coaching group, which will present new challenges.

“All of this means that this year’s Rugby Championship will be a well-contested competition and we’ll need to once again raise the bar across the board when it comes to our preparation, our skill levels and how we handle pressure. Being comfortable is not an option.”

Hansen said the immediate goal was to “recapture the Bledisloe Cup”.

“After the Rugby World Cup, this is the most important trophy we play for,” he revealed.

“We lost to Australia the last time we played them, so no doubt they’ll have a lot of self-confidence and are worthy of starting as favourites.”

Hansen said the squad was looking forward to the support from fans around the world, but particularly the fans at home for the domestic Tests in Auckland, Wellington and a first-ever Test in Nelson.

The All Blacks squad is made up of 18 forwards (three hookers, five props, three locks and seven loose forwards) and 15 backs (three scrum-halves, three fly-halves, four midfielders and five outside backs) and has a total of 1078 Test caps experience.

The squad includes three Blues players, seven Chiefs, six Hurricanes, 10 Crusaders and seven Highlanders while 13 of New Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup provinces are represented, with seven Canterbury players, five from Taranaki, three each from Wellington, Manawatu and Tasman, Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waikato and Bay of Plenty have two players each while there is one player from Northland, North Harbour, Hawke’s Bay and Otago.

The All Blacks squad will assemble in Christchurch on Thursday this week with the team taking on the Canterbury and Otago provincial sides in the Game of Three Halves match at AMI Stadium on Friday. A squad of 32 will head to Sydney on Sunday to prepare for the first Bledisloe Cup Test.

New Zealand squad:

Forwards: Dane Coles, Nathan Harris, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Joe Moody, Tim Perry, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock, Sam Cane, Shannon Frizell, Jackson Hemopo, Kieran Read (c), Ardie Savea, Liam Squire, Luke Whitelock

Backs: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Richie Mo’unga, Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Waisake Naholo, Ben Smith

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Argentina head coach Mario Ledesma has named an extended squad that includes six uncapped players ahead of their Rugby Championship campaign.

The new boss, who takes over from Daniel Hourcade, has selected new faces Marco Ciccioli, Diego Fortuny, Lucas Favre, Mayco Vivas, Franco Molina and Santiago Grondon, as the Pumas prepare for their opening game against South Africa at Kings Park in Durban next weekend.

Ledesma has opted for a 36-man squad which includes household names such as Agustin Creevy, Pablo Matera, Nicolas Sanchez and Emiliano Boffelli.

They will be looking to improve on last season’s Rugby Championship campaign when they lost all six of their games.

Extended Argentina squad for Rugby Championship

Forwards: Matias Alemanno, Rodrigo Bruni, Marco Ciccioli, Agustin Creevy, Lucas Favre, Diego Fortuny, Santiago Garcia Botta, Santiago Grondona, Marcos Kremer, Ignacio Larrague, Tomas Lavanini, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Pablo Matera, Vivas Mayco, Santiago Medrano, Franco Molina, Julian Montoya, Javier Ortega Desio, Guido Petti, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Juan Zeiss

Backs: Gonzalo Bertranou, Emiliano Boffelli, Sebastian Cancelliere, Tomas Cubelli, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Bautista Delguy, Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, Bautista Ezcurra, Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias, Martin Landajo, Juan Cruz Mallia, Matias Moroni, Ramiro Moyano, Matias Orlando, Nicolas Sanchez

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Australia captain Michael Hooper has given his team a boost ahead of their Rugby Championship opener by revealing he should be fit to play.

The flank has been on the sidelines in recent weeks with a hamstring injury, which he suffered in the Wallabies’ fixture against Ireland in June.

But after coming through training in Cessnock, New South Wales, he’s admitted to feeling good ahead of the clash with New Zealand in Sydney.

“Hiccups aside, with a week of training, I should be in a good position next week,” he told rugby.com.au in a significant fillip for Michael Cheika.

Openside Hooper added that he feels his time away from playing could benefit him long-term as he feels recharged both mentally and physically.

“I want to get back on the field but it’s given me a different perspective at some of the great things that go on around rugby. It’s been enjoyable to give my body a rest but I want to get back on the field,” he said.

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The Brumbies have announced that Toni Pulu has signed a two-year contract with the club following an exceptional season with the Chiefs.

Pulu, born in Los Angeles, USA, moved to New Zealand at the age of three and was educated at Dilworth School in Auckland and sprung to prominence when selected for Counties Manukau in the NPC.

After three years of consistent performances for Counties, Pulu was drafted into the Chiefs wider training squad before making his Super Rugby debut in 2016 against the Force in Waikato. He has since been capped 32 times and has scored 14 tries.

Regarded as one of the quickest players to ever take part in Super Rugby, a genuine match-winner and a regular try-scorer, Pulu is an exciting addition to a star-studded Brumbies back-line.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Brumbies and am looking forward to beginning a new stage of my rugby career in Australia,” Pulu said of his signing for the Canberra-based club when speaking to the Brumbies website.

“The Brumbies are a well-known and well-respected organisation and I have been impressed by what I have seen and heard when playing against them. They are known for their free-flowing rugby and for their unique family culture.

“I have enjoyed my time with the Chiefs immensely but am very much looking forward to moving to Canberra and settling in with my new club.”

It’s not just in XV’s that Pulu has shown his scintillating speed as the winger has been selected for three Sevens competitions for Niue, his ancestral home, playing his part in the 2011 Gold Coast Sevens amongst other tournaments.

“With the changes we’re making in our game, and the style we’re looking to play, we’ve got to recruit guys that match that,” Brumbies head coach Dan McKellar commented.

“Toni has genuine speed, but not only that, he’s a natural footballer too, he sees space well, communicates and has an excellent offload game. He’s come from a team which has had a lot of success and play a similar style to the one we want to play so he’s a good fit for us.

“Character is very important when we are deciding who to sign. We’ve got to bring talented players here, but the right people as well and Pulu fits that.”

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Forwards Aaron Jarvis and Harrison Keddie have both been ruled out for the start of the new season for the Dragons after suffering bicep injuries in training.

Both players have undergone operations and have begun their rehabilitation with an expected return to training in October.

For Jarvis this is a cruel setback after he only joined the PRO14 outfit ahead of this season from Top 14 giants Clermont.

Keddie meanwhile continues to suffer from poor luck with injuries as he missed a spell of 2017/18 with a shoulder issue.

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Bernard Foley would like to think he hasn’t been cruising as the Wallabies’ only specialist fly-half but he has welcomed the return of Matt Toomua as a positive for his form and the team.

Toomua signed a new deal with Rugby Australia and the Melbourne Rebels last week before making a surprise start at fly-half for the “Cheika’s Choice” team in the Wallabies trial at Leichhardt Oval.

The 28-year-old is set to return to the Wallabies squad for the opening Bledisloe Cup game next week – his first Test appearance since 2016.

Toomua has spent the last two years playing for Leicester in the English Premiership – and will return to play one more season – but made the decision to re-sign in Australia to play for the Wallabies again, and push for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

The return of Toomua provides much-needed depth in the Aussie playmaking ranks, with centre Kurtley Beale having been Foley’s back-up in the past year and Reece Hodge having even played a Test at number 10. Quade Cooper’s decision to stay in Queensland to play club rugby has him out of the picture, too.

The presence of 33-Test playmaker Toomua will bring intra-squad heat on Foley to hold his spot but the incumbent number 10 says he isn’t looking at it that way.

“I don’t feel added pressure, I just think it is great that we have that extra depth and competition throughout our squad,” Foley told Rugby Australia’s official website.

“It is what we need, if we want to be serious and take Australian rugby to the highest heights. We have to have that competition and have everyone pushing for that selection. That depth, especially in that playmaking role, is definitely what we need.”

Foley said he didn’t think an absence of genuine competition for his position in the team had impacted his desire, motivation or form.

“Hopefully not – I always think I am internally motivated.

“But maybe it has, maybe it hasn’t.

“Having Pup (Toomua) back, he is such a wealth of knowledge. He has played at such a high level for such a long period of time. He played when he was 18 or something.

“His experience overseas has definitely helped him see the game differently, and his game is really well rounded now. Being able to tap into that and have him push me, and push himself and drive the team, is something that can only be good for us.”

Toomua has played both fly-half and inside centre for the Brumbies and the Wallabies.

Former Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie gave Toomua a Test debut in the number 10 hot seat against the All Blacks in 2013, and Cheika used him as a back-up to Foley at the 2015 World Cup.

Most of Toomua’s Test caps have been at number 12, however.

Foley said there were lots of benefits for a team in having a couple of experienced playmakers in the squad, particularly if they have different styles.

“Sometimes you can use those different combinations,” he explained.

“I don’t think we are the same player, so having a guy who take the line on or having a guy who is more the distributor who can control a game, just having different flavours in a team definitely helps and allows us to prepare differently and allows us to see different things.

“If we are only seeing through one pair of glasses, you don’t get the whole picture. For us to have different players and different input, and different experience, can only be a good thing.

“If we sit in a meeting and see a scenario or we talk strategy, you can have more people bring their input and their own experiences over time, that can only be a good thing.

“Then we start evolving our game to be more well-rounded. If are doing something one or two ways, that’s short-sighted.”

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Munster captain Peter O’Mahony has praised the signings made by head coach Johann van Graan, in particular the acquisition of Tadhg Beirne.

Along with Beirne, Van Graan has signed Leinster back Joey Carbery, loose forward Arno Botha from the Bulls and Sale Sharks full-back Mike Haley as he looks to bolster the squad in a bid to end a trophy drought that stretches back to 2011 for the Limerick outfit.

“You look at the guys that we have signed – the positions, the characters – we’ve done very well,” he told the Irish Mirror. “We’re not that far off but the problem is you’re not automatically back in the semi-final this year – we’ve a huge amount of big games to go before you start talking about that.”

And in Beirne, O’Mahony believes they have the world’s best ‘on the poach’. The 26-year-old Irishman returns home from a stint with the Scarlets last season, where he broke the record for the most turnovers in a PRO14 campaign with 39 – 17 more than anyone else.

“He’s been one of the in-form players in European rugby over the last couple of seasons, he’s come from Leinster, got his opportunity with Scarlets and been one of the best,” said O’Mahony.

“He’s an incredible signing for us, his workrate and ability to get over the ball is second to none in the world. He’s probably the best in the world on the poach.

“His lineout ability, ball-carrying ability, he’s a quality footballer – to get somebody of that calibre is a super signing for us.”

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