Innholdsfortegnelse for Sep-2018 i Rugby World

IT WAS a case of sweet 16 for Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Hove, East Sussex. Their rugby teams across the age groups finished the school year with a phenomenal 16 trophies. They won the Brighton Cup in all age groups from Year 7 to 11 and the Sussex State School Cup in Years 8 and 9. The Year 8 team completed a hat-trick with the County Cup too. On top of that, Years 8, 9 and 11 were crowned Brighton ten-a-side champions and Years 8 and 9 also won the Sussex Rugby Sevens. Then the Newman Rugby Academy, which is made up of sixth-formers, were Sussex Rugby Sevens and Tens champions, as well as Surrey Colleges Sevens champions after receiving a special invitation to participate. Director of rugby Wes…

PAUL WILLIAMS RUGBY WORLD ONLINE COLUMNIST The game can’t cope with another rule change. Other than Donald Trump’s weave, there are few things more complex. Yet an orange card is required to maintain rugby’s appeal. Historically, yellow cards were dished out for misdemeanours and red cards reserved for incidents that fell outside the laws. Stamping, eye-gouging and neck-high tackles have never been part of rugby and justified a red card. However, rugby is now delivering red cards where the outcome is entwined with an opponent’s body angle or positioning. Professional rugby is a game of small margins and a red card makes victory impossible for the affected team. The inevitable mismatch caused also creates commercial pressures. If a red card occurs in the opening minutes, consumers literally switch off –…

ACT OF FAITH “This was 2009 – I remember. In Fiji we believe, our faith is that we are here because of God. If God didn’t exist, we wouldn’t be here. “I don’t write on my boots any more. I now get words stitched on. I have a special hashtag #GodThere. That’s for my dad, who always says, ‘God there, everything there’.” OUT IN FORCE “At that time military personnel weren’t allowed to go to New Zealand because of the coup in 2006. So I had to resign from the military in order to get a visa to go to the World Cup. “It was a nice welcome from the New Zealand community and it was enjoyable to play in the World Cup, but it was disappointing to win only…

At the heart of all that Tudor Watch do is the philosophy: “We are devoted to the classic. But reject the status quo.” Created by the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, the mission was simple: to respect tradition but to embrace the future. Makes you think of sevens, doesn’t it? These men and women represent rugby’s brave new frontier. Tudor are all about sprinting towards new boundaries. But it also helps to offer customers luxury at accessible prices. Design is nothing without performance. Tudor, official time keepers of Rugby World Cup Sevens, know this. Rugby is about precision in the heat of the battle. And if it’s you versus the clock – perhaps you are hunting down that last-second winner – dependability is a must. There is boldness about those…

2 RASSIE ERASMUS  SA Rugby DoR New Entry After the June Test between South Africa and England at Ellis Park – the first home match in the tenure of Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus –a very telling post appeared on social media. It was by a friend and respected colleague Simnikiwe Xabanisa, one of the finest rugby writers. Sim, who is from Xhosa background, had been frustrated for years – along with so many others – by the Springboks’ ponderously slow progress towards an ideal that their team should be representative of the racial mix in South Africa. He also suffered in recent seasons as the Boks became shocking, sometimes hardly playing like a Tier One team, far less like the monster Boks brotherhood that had been every bit as dominant…

RARELY DO we see a scrum-half with the X-factor to make him stand out from the crowd. Yet one such player is Kahn Fotuali’i of Bath and Samoa. I was fortunate enough to work with Kahn at the Ospreys after his move from Super Rugby, and he’s very much half back and half forward. Physically, he has speed and athleticism, a great engine and the strength to get out of difficult situations. But he also provides the perfect conduit between forwards and backs through his leadership and communication, and a skill-set that has seen him play as a ten at elite level. Three things stand out. First, he challenges defences close to the ruck, holding inside defenders and bringing his forward runners into the game and often creating holes and…

“As a winger my job is to beat the man and you have to back yourself. Confidence is key but if someone is in a better position, you pass as it’s best for the team. It helps to visualise what you want to do. I stay in the moment in a game situation but I’ll visualise in practice.” “I use three steps. For the one step I run straight at the defender, then at the last second, when as close as possible, I’ll look to go left, then make a quick, sharp right. With a two step, I step out to make it look like I’m going to take him on the outside, then step in. The three step I’d use if the full-back was coming across; I step in…

It’s hard to keep up with all the club competitions. The Anglo-Welsh Cup and British & Irish Cup have gone, to be replaced by new competitions that fail to set the pulse racing. The Gallagher Premiership clubs will now play each other again in the Premiership Rugby Cup, while the Greene King IPA clubs will play each other again in the Championship Cup. Why not mix it up? Saints v Bedford or Exeter v Pirates, say, would have more value yet still retain the ‘local derby’ element the RFU seem so keen on. I understand the need for change; the British & Irish Cup was a costly flop and the RFU’s hand was forced with the Anglo-Welsh Cup as the WRU wanted a new regional U23 competition. But it’s still…

LIKE SO many people in rugby, I’ve long admired the sumptuous skills of Pacific Islanders – deft footwork, seemingly impossible offloads, raw power. In Europe we’re lucky to see many of these players in action week in, week out for their clubs. This summer I was fortunate to spend three weeks in Fiji and Samoa, and what struck me was not only the prevalence of rugby across the islands but the friendliness and passion of the people. Rugby World was given unbelievable access by the Fiji, Samoa and Tonga teams; we were welcomed in and got to see the squad dynamics. These players may be some of the best in the world but their humility and sincerity is telling. Teams around the world may glance enviously at the skills islanders…

“You need big rivalries, not the cakewalks we’ve had recently” NEW ZEALAND are in good shape going into the Rugby Championship. It looked like they were trying a few things for the World Cup in the series against France, with a different attacking shape here and there. France put them under pressure and the number of penalties conceded was uncharacteristic from a Kiwi point of view. They were half-a-second too slow reacting at the breakdown and dealing with France’s fast defensive line. My big worry, though, is if Beauden Barrett goes down, who is the back-up ten? I love watching Damian McKenzie play – you probably couldn’t get a more attacking player than him – but I think he’s better suited to full-back. I like the way Richie Mo’unga plays…

MY CONTRACT came to an end on 1 September 2016, writes former Fiji Sevens coach Ben Ryan. Before then there was one more piece of madness to enjoy. Uprising (the team’s training base) is in Serua province. At a meeting of the chiefs, they decided to make me an honorary chief too. My name would be Ratu Peni Raiyani Latianara, my reward three acres of land. For the ceremony, all the women of the village stood in front of me. I’d been told to expect this, and the etiquette to follow. One of them would be carrying a tabua, a whale’s tooth. I’d have to find it. They all ran off. Live on television. I had to chase after them. It was somewhere between It’s A Knockout, Benny Hill and…

WAYNE’S WORLD Wayne Pivac will take over from Warren Gatland as Wales coach following RWC 2019. The Kiwi has been at the Scarlets since 2014, guiding them to the Pro12 title in 2017, and will leave the region next July. BODY BLOW Leicester and England prop Ellis Genge has been sidelined until the new year after having knee surgery. TWICK FIX The Barbarians will play Argentina at Twickenham on 1 Dec. See ticketmaster.co.uk/barbarians for tickets. PLAY FRISBY Wallaby scrum-half Nick Frisby has signed for Glasgow while Scotland No 9 Henry Pyrgos has left the Warriors for Edinburgh. GET BURNS Billy Burns (left) has joined Ulster on a two-year contract after being released from his Gloucester deal. The fly-half, 24, qualifies for Ireland through a grandparent. BUSY SCHEDULE New Zealand’s Black…

1 AGUSTÍN PICHOT World Rugby vice-chairman = Non-mover Last October, the cover of Enganche, the sports supplement of the Pagina 12newspaper in Buenos Aires, featured a close-up photo of AgustÍn Pichot alongside the words El Lider. The leader. In the strictest terms, Pichot isn’t the leader. Bill Beaumont is the chairman of World Rugby, with the former Argentina scrum-half and captain his No 2. Yet so much of what Pichot says and does marks him out as the leading figure in rugby right now – and the fact he isn’t the official ‘commander in chief’ gives him the freedom to be more outspoken and stir the proverbial pot. He isn’t constrained by the constant need for diplomacy and doesn’t feel tied to playing the political game in traditional fashion. It’s…

1 Position of strength Scrum-halves can practise defensive positioning in team training, when sides usually have two half-backs at their disposal. Even in an unopposed session, get the second No 9 to simulate his positioning and role, using his vision to recognise opportunities to cover for kicks or offer himself as a jackal threat. Involve the scrum-half in your usual back-row jackal drills to get used to getting into a low position, entering through the gate of the tackle and into a position to turn over the ball. 2 Arc of Triumph The arc run is the key to success here. Train your scrum-halves on a quick pick-up from the base in motion and not to set their feet. Try using a pole or a flag as a marker for…

13th Looking for some summer reading? The Jersey: The Secrets Behind the World’s Most Successful Team is released later this month and you can pre-order via amazon.co.uk. The hardback is priced £25 and author Peter Bills has spoken to more than 85 All Blacks players and coaches to get a unique insight into their achievements. 25th The Laurie O’Reilly Memorial Trophy is up for grabs at Eden Park in Auckland when the Black Ferns take on the Wallaroos. It’s the second of their two double headers with the men’s Rugby Championship matches. 2nd Laura Wright, the RFU’s official anthem singer (left), and her fiancé Harry Rowland, who has played for Rosslyn Park and Ealing Trailfinders, should reach the end of their 400km Wild Ride cycle across Zambia at Victoria Falls…

1 DEWI LAKE Age 19 (16 May 1999) Born Bridgend Region Ospreys Country Wales Position Hooker When did you first play? I was five. My father took me down to my first training session and I started at U7s with Valley Ravens. He played in the back row for Treorchy and Pontyclun. Did you play any other sports growing up? A lot – gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, football, a bit of golf. In the end it was a toss-up between gymnastics and rugby. I was doing well in gymnastics and I represented Wales in a home nations competition when I was nine or ten. Then, as I was going into comprehensive school, rugby started picking up. What positions have you played? Eight months ago I started the transition to hooker.…

“I’d never played league in Fiji so I did find it hard when I went to Australia to play, especially as I was away from my family. After the first month I wanted to come back home, but I was there to do a job and provide for my family. Rugby can do that. That kept me going when I first went – I worked hard for my family.” “ Ma’a Nonu was my childhood hero. He’s a really good bloke and he has helped me a lot with my rugby and off the field.” “I’ve got four brothers and two sisters. All my younger brothers play rugby. It’s up to them if they want to play (professionally), but they’ll have to work really hard and make sacrifices.” “I’m a…

Age 44 Position Prop Teams Stormers, Saracens & South Africa “I RETIRED in May 2009 after 14 years of professional rugby. I was prepared for the transition from an academic and professional perspective, but mentally it was hard not to have the physical outlet and camaraderie I’d been so used to. “My first job was as commercial director for Premier Team Holdings, the holding company of Saracens and other sporting and hospitality assets. “In 2012 I co-founded Africa Merchant Capital with a South African colleague. AMC is a boutique merchant bank based in London. I find the challenge to build my own business extremely stimulating. “I qualified as a European private pilot in 2008 but rarely fly with all the family obligations – three active kids and a very busy…

45 CHARLES PIUTAU  Bristol Bears full-back New Entry Mid-answer, Charles Piutau’s head is wobbling as he jerks in his chair, trying to explain how he developed his fast feet. “I have always seen footwork as a strength of mine, trying to beat defenders and get away from them,” says the Bristol Bears’ headliner new signing, the versatile back with 17 All Black caps to his name. “Hopefully I’ll create something out of nothing. I work on it. Growing up it was a thing where you just try to step someone…” And here the wobbling goes into overdrive. Hold up, hold up, we need you to explain what you mean here. “Well… you play touch rugby a lot and you’ll try the jump-step, you’ll pop up and the body loosens up…

“If we do everything for money then you can play a World Cup every year with just ten countries” “The clubs are jeopardising the international calendar” “If you have to think twice about your jersey or your national anthem, something is wrong” “The head needs to be protected. I prefer to go harsh with punishments and save the player in the long run” “We should attack the amount of training in the professional game” “Why are some Wales players watching Wales play from a sunny holiday resort? If every International is meaningful, why are these guys not playing?” “The Lions is a great brand for rugby and it needs to be protected”…

Q You’ve mentioned hypertrophy, which is really just the act of adding muscle mass. So what is the best way to fuel that process? A According to Morehen, you should take on 20-30g of protein every three or four hours. However, like many of us, if you have a big feed in the evening (we’re talking 70g-plus of protein) then that’s no issue at all. Your total intake over a day should be 2-2.5g of protein per kg of body mass – that equates to 200-250g of daily protein for a 100kg player. But please also give some focus to the benefits of veg. The micronutrients you get from, say, salad leaves, will be brilliant for you. “There’s a need for high protein in the diet to support hypertrophy” 1…

Taking up the whistle I don’t understand why there aren’t more former good players refereeing. They are in the best position to follow the spirit of the laws and to understand players’ intentions. It’s also enjoyable. As a player, you notice the difference when the referee is somebody that played at a high level. Martin Ipuche, via Facebook Clerc’s ‘hollow’ record I completely agree with Alan Pearey in his comments regarding the growing trend of gifted tries (The Rugby Rant, August 2018). He does, however, seem to defeat his own argument when he excuses Vincent Clerc’s gifted try on the grounds that it was his final game and the try took him to a Top 14 record. I wonder if Clerc feels any reflected sense of achievement in holding the…