Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2016 i Rugby World

IN THIS month’s lovingly-assembled special edition, ‘The 50 Most Influential People in Rugby’, we had the unenviable yet fascinating task of ranking the men and women who shape our game. We formulated a list that is sure to inform, educate and spark debate among our readers – see who made the cut on pages 47-83. One realisation that sprouted from our research is that no single person serves as a focal point in the fight for player welfare. Sure, in each union and domestic league there are individuals who spend their time supporting the players, but those strands aren’t pulled together by an all-powerful figure who has the political clout to protect the very people who drive our game. Recently I spoke to a professional player who commenced a gruelling…

Three years is a joke I totally agree with Stephen Jones’s views on the need to change the farcical three-year residency rule. Players like CJ Stander, Virimi Vakatawa and WP Nel may add quality to their squads, but home-grown talent is missing out. International teams play a vital role in inspiring the next generation to play for their country. So watching a project player don the shirt of his new ‘home team’ seems to devalue the act of representing your country. The residency rule should rise to eight to ten years. Dyfrig Dafis Ammanford, West Wales Lack of consistency Am I missing something or is it one rule for our hemisphere and another for the South? Wales v Scotland 2014: Stuart Hogg, red card tackling Dan Biggar. SA v Ireland…

FAVOURITE STADIUM The Principality. I’m obviously biased but it is one of the best stadiums in the world, especially with the roof closed. BEST RUGBY MEMORY There are two to date – my first cap (Argentina, 2006) and winning the last Lions series in Australia. They just pip the Grand Slams. FUNNIEST TEAM-MATE Funny-looking? Nah, I’ll say James King – he tends to be at the centre of most of the jokes. FAVOURITE MUSICIAN Lionel Richie – I was gutted to miss him when he performed at the Liberty Stadium in June. CHILDHOOD HERO It has to be Muhammad Ali. If we’re talking rugby, it was Martin Johnson.…

Yes. As long as all domestic and European competitions were wrapped up by April. Then you could have two months of 6 Nations without robbing clubs of their best players at business end of the season. William Wicks I just wonder where future Lions tours would fit into this idea? Would we expect players to finish a gruelling 6 Nations and then pretty much get straight on a plane for a tour? Steve Birch How does moving it to April help at all? Club season only has 5 games after 6N as it is. @LTUSM It would certainly eliminate the mid-season drop-off in form for the leading professional sides. Norman McLeod How good would this be if it was moved? We wouldn’t be made to play on the same days.…

“I’LL EVEN TRY A PINT AND A PIE AT WELFORD ROAD. I’M PRETTY OPEN-MINDED!” FACT FILE Age 30 (12 July 1986) Born Stellenbosch Club Leicester Position Wing Height 6ft 3in Weight 16st S Africa caps 69 (24T) Twitter @jppietersen14 MY TOP 3 THINGS I WILL MISS Family “I’m very close to my folks but fortunately Skype is pretty good.” Braai “Chucking meat on with the boys and having a Castle Lite is part of SA culture” Durban “It’s a beautiful city, so laid-back. I’ll miss the Rainbow Nation.” WHILE HIS wing partner Bryan Habana has always boasted a higher profile, Jon-Paul Roger Pietersen – the JPR initials are a homage to the celebrated Welsh full-back – has carved a reputation as a player of the highest calibre. A World Cup…

THE KEY CATEGORIES 50 LOUIS PICAMOLES SAINTS & FRANCE No 8 NEW ENTRY In Europe in recent years, the ‘player drain’ has meant English players going to France, Irish players going to France, Welsh players going to France… So it was impossible to miss the significance when Louis Picamoles announced last autumn that he was leaving his native land to join Northampton Saints on a three-year deal. The No 8 superstar is not the first French international to opt for a spell in the Premiership but, at 30, he should have more miles left on the clock than almost all of his predecessors (Thomas Castaignède joined Saracens at 25). His move represents a crack in the Top 14 mould and should he thrive at Franklin’s Gardens, it could be symbolically…

This year we decided not to include media on the list, but that is not to deny their influence in the game. Whether it be hard-hitting views that generate debate or high-value broadcast deals that provide a cash injection for tournaments, the media play a huge role in the game. Here are seven key figures in rugby’s media world… STEPHEN JONES THE SUNDAY TIMES Chief rugby correspondent for more than 30 years at The Sunday Times and a regular RW contributor, Jones’s strident views don’t always meet with universal approval – in New Zealand there is a urinal with his face on it – yet he is respected and feared in equal measure. His is the opinion that matters most to current players and administrators alike. BARBARA SLATER BBC HEAD…

AUG 1974 Born in Buenos Aires, the son of an accountant APR 1995 Makes Argentina debut v Australia in Brisbane, scoring in a 53-7 defeat. Named in World Cup squad but doesn’t play 1997 Turns professional at 23 when joining Richmond. The English club soon goes into administration 1999 Signs for Bristol and becomes key player along with fellow Puma Felipe Contepomi. Becomes the first Argentine to captain a European club OCT 1999 World Cup debut – the first of 14 games across four tournaments. Pumas reach quarter-finals and Pichot is named Argentina’s Sportsman of the Year JUNE 2000 Leads Argentina in 34-23 win v Ireland – the first of his 30 appearances as Test captain 2003 Joins Stade Français, his last club bar a year at Racing (2007-08), and…

THE VAINEST The Scottish boys aren’t too bad in front of the mirror. At Wasps it would be a battle between Josh Bassett and Christian Wade. He’s got a lot of swagger. ROOM-MATES I room with Henry Pyrgos a lot, he’s good except for the snoring. Moray Low, my ex-flatmate, was bad. I roomed with him at the 2011 World Cup and struggled with his heavy breathing. SINGERS Hands down, I’ll put myself as the worst. The best? Duncan Taylor is pretty good and Peter Horne belts out a good tune. BEST DANCER Tommy Seymour and Finn Russell have good moves. Worst? Jonny Gray doesn’t have too much rhythm. THE TIGHTEST John Barclay forgets his wallet a lot, even though he’s earning loads. Geoff Cross is the tightest ever. THE…

THE OFF-SEASON is the time to get out the whisk and chopping board and learn a few recipes. As you’re no longer in a hurry, on days when training doesn’t eat into your schedule you don’t have to chuck everything in a blender and whizz up a five-minute miracle before rushing off for a full day. “This time of year is all about recovery and rest,” says James Morehen, a rugby nutritionist from Liverpool John Moores University. “This is the time when we tell athletes about the three Ts of nutrition – timing, type and total. “You don’t need to be carb loading as you’re not training as much, so what type of macronutrients are you consuming? If you’ve not done any heavy sessions that day and have nothing the…

What’s needed A rugby ball, two teams and cones to mark four bases. Adjust pitch size according to the age/ability of players. How to play Decide who will ‘bat’ first. Fielders spread out. Batters form a line and have three innings; each batter gets three kicks before the fielding side bats. There is no bowler. The batter kicks the ball and tries to run round all the cones to score a rounder – it’s five points if you do this in one go. If the ball is caught on the full, the batter is out. Fielders can run the ball to any of the four cones, or pass it to a team-mate on the cone, before the batter gets there to run them out. If batters can’t get round, they…

FITNESS TRACKERS A. Under Armour UA Band It tracks steps, distance, resting heart rate and sleep. £149, underarmour.co.uk B. Adidas MiCoach Fit Smart Like a personal coach. £109.95, adidas.co.uk C. Polar A360 Waterproof tracker with a heart-rate monitor and touchscreen. £149.50, polar.com D. Fitbit alta Has sleep and all-day activity tracking. £99.99, fitbit.com 1. Harlequins home shirt Show your support for the Londoners – it has the ‘150th anniversary’ crest. £59.99, rugbystore.co.uk 2. Asics performance cap Protect your head from the sun during training with this lightweight headgear. £15, asics.com 3. XV Kings check shirt Dapper number for the clubhouse designed by Irish wing Tommy Bowe. €59.99 (£50), xvkings.com 4. Adizero Malice SG boots Lightweight construction permits explosive acceleration by the flyers. £150, lovell-rugby.co.uk 5. Smartfish Recharge Sports nutrition drinks…

WINNER WOMEN’S 15s CONTRACTS Female props rejoice! The RFU are awarding professional 15s contracts in the women’s game for the first time – 48 of them. So it won’t just be sevens stars able to devote themselves to high performance. LOSER GB SEVENS SELECTION AGONY Whatever the outcome for GB’s men in Rio, surely there’s a better way to handle the selection process next time? Players gutted not to be picked were forced to play in Gdynia just days later – salt in the wound. WINNER WELSH SPORT UNIFIED How satisfying to see the WRU welcome 27,500 football fans for a special Euro 2016 screening at the Principality Stadium, which the union owns and operates. There’s none of the petty jealousy of the past.…

15,00000 The maximum capacity of the Deodoro Stadium, where the Olympic Sevens will be held this month 3 YEARS New Zealand skipper Scott Curry has extended his contract by three years beyond Rio, to play up to the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018 6.19% The lowest body fat percentage in the Fiji men’s squad during their pre-Olympic training, as revealed by head coach Ben Ryan on Twitter 1195 The number of tackles made by South Africa’s men on the 2015-16 HSBC Sevens World Series – the most of any team 500 The exact number of points scored by France on the latest Women’s Sevens World Series 69 The number of offloads thrown by Fiji Men’s Jasa Veremalua, the Sevens World Series’ Impact Player award winner 2008 USA…

REF AT THE TOP Stephen Hilditch, the former referee who took charge of the England-NZ semi-final at RWC 1995, has been elected president of the IRFU. BACK FROM THE STATES Dom Waldouck is on trial at Newcastle this month. The ex-Wasps, Saints and London Irish centre (right) played for Ohio in America’s PRO Rugby competition this summer. GLOUCESTER AWARD Nicole Talbot has been named Premiership Rugby’s Volunteer of the Year for her work with Gloucester’s wheelchair rugby team. WHAT A MENTOR Munster legend Paul O’Connell has joined the club’s academy for one year in a part-time capacity. JOINING THE UNION Rowland Phillips has left London Welsh to become the head coach of Wales Women. TOUCH TAKING OFF England’s O2 Touch scheme has reached 17,500 players Most Premiership tries by a…

“You realise your career may be hazardous” ALL THIS stuff about player welfare wasn’t even an issue when I started out professionally. Maybe it’s my Protestant work ethic, or my Catholic guilt (I’m never quite sure which I am), but I never once thought about needing a rest, break or sabbatical during the first half of my career. I had somehow ended up being paid to mess about on a rugby pitch, working a few hours daily for a pretty decent wedge, and I wasn’t about to start whining about being a bit sore. It was probably down to my upbringing – growing up in a hole by t’ side of motorway, handful of freezing cold poison for breakfast, etc – but I never felt anything other than lucky. My…

“Body rolls are dangerous and don’t make the game better. So why are they allowed?” CROCODILE ROLL. Judo roll. Body roll. Whatever you want to call it, it’s a blight on the game. The law book states clearly under law 16.3 (a): “Players in a ruck must endeavour to stay on their feet.” This is clearly not the case when a player is body-rolled as you use your weight and levers to roll the opposing player, resulting in both players ending up on the floor deliberately. It is almost impossible to body-roll someone whilst staying on your feet. Try it. You won’t be successful. If you don’t think that law is 100% relevant, then add in law 16.3 (b) – “A player must not intentionally fall or kneel in a…

“I’VE GOT A QUOTE FROM THE POEM THE INDISPENSABLE MAN ON MY BICEP” FACT FILE Age 22 (18 April 1994) Born St Helens, Lancs Club Gloucester Position Back-row Height 6ft 2in Weight 16st 3lb Wales caps Nine (2T) Twitter @RossMoriarty6 MY TOP 3 Films Saving Private Ryan Forrest Gump Shawshank Redemption Sporting heroes Muhammad Ali Richie McCaw Jessica Ennis-Hill Holidays Skiing Florida Spain HE COMES from a family of Wales internationals, but when Ross Moriarty first played representative rugby it was with the rose rather than the feathers on his chest. The back-row turned out for England at U18 and U20 level, winning the Junior World Cup in 2013, but it is to Wales that he’s pledged his allegiance at Test level. He made his debut against Ireland last year,…

THE BREAKDOWN BY NATIONALITY HOW DO you go about compiling the ultimate list of rugby’s movers and shakers? First, you have to ask the right people. So here at Rugby World, we canvassed the opinions of our correspondents from around the world – who do they think had influence? Who holds positions of power? Then we assembled an expert panel, including RPA chairman and Northampton lock Christian Day, former England fly-half and RFU powerbroker Rob Andrew, players’ agent Rhys Parsons and Chris Hewett, who was The Independent’s rugby correspondent for 20 years, to discuss all the contenders. Naturally, we thought it best to hold such a debate over lunch in a pub – Simon Shaw’s Stokes & Moncreiff establishment the chosen venue – and the merits of many an interesting…

EDDIE JONES has been dealing in minor miracles, not to mention one or two of the major variety, since succeeding Stuart Lancaster in the boss man’s chair at Twickenham shortly before Christmas. When the England team flew home a few weeks ago, having won as many Tests against the Wallabies in Australia in the space of three weeks as they had managed in the previous 50 years, the coach could have walked back across the vast waters of the Earth and arrived in London before his players touched down. Suddenly, everything seems possible. Even a solution to red-rose rugby’s most bamboozling problem – a conundrum that has driven devout optimists to the point of despair and left sane men teetering on the edge of madness. England have not had an…

SCRUM-HALF AARON SMITH MIGHT JUST BE THE WORLD’S BEST PLAYER HERE WAS the theory: the magnificent Rugby World Cup-winning New Zealand team of 2015 represented the defining moment in recent All Black history. The 2011 triumph on home soil, with Richie McCaw on one leg and Dan Carter on the sidelines, was a mere warm-up for the stupendous stuff they have since served up, with Twickenham 2015 the culmination. It was a good theory. The day they beat Australia in the final was the day unarguably one of the world’s greatest captains and opensides hung up his boots. It was also the day the greatest outside-half of the professional era retired from the Test stage, his mission on a personal and collective level complete. Outside him, the world’s most balanced…

1 ANALYSE THIS Morgan will study video clips before games to see how the opposition back three defend and where they can be exploited. “You want to know what they do,” he says. “Are they slow coming up on the outside? Could two passes open them up on the blind side?” 2 IT’S GOOD TO TALK The back three work as a unit, in attack and defence, so communication is crucial. “Your wingers play a key part in a counter-attack. As you go to catch the ball, they will be talking to you, making sure you know where the opposition are and where the space is.” 3 LOOK LIVELY “When I’ve caught the ball, I go forward and try to scan up at the same time,” explains Morgan. “It’s about…

ZERCHER SQUAT 3 x 6 REPS With the barbell in the crook of your elbows, sit into a squat. Push hard through the heels while keeping the chest up and return to standing. ATLAS STONE LIFT 3 x 4 REPS Smother the Atlas Stone, wrapping arms around it. Pull it close before using the legs to drive upwards and stand. Then lower and drop. TYRE FLIP 3 x 4 REPS Grip under tyre. With chest up and back flat, extend your legs to lift. As balance shifts, drive forward to flip.…

Age 30 (1 March 1986) Born Fukuoka, Japan Club Toulon Position Full-back DID YOU KNOW? Goromaru is a keen fisherman who in his 56 Tests has netted 708 points – a Japan record. The figure is significantly higher than second-placed Keiji Hirose’s 422. HIS PERFORMANCES for Japan at last year’s World Cup earned him a high-profile move to Super Rugby with the Reds, having previously played in the Top League with Yamaha. Now he’s off to the South of France for a stint in the Top 14 with big-spending Toulon. So what else should we know about Ayumu Goromaru? Here the unerring goalkicker provides an insight into his life in rugby… I first played rugby at three years old. I started playing because my two older brothers were playing rugby…

JUST WHEN you thought Aviva Premiership Rugby couldn’t get any more addictive, the ultimate fantasy strategy game is here. Fantasy Rugby Draft, the next evolution of fantasy rugby, is the new free Premiership game that gets you closer to a coach’s hot seat than any other fantasy league. Based on the extremely popular format used in the NFL, Fantasy Rugby Draft is the only fantasy experience where managers get to draft their own unique team. That’s right – no salary cap and no duplication of players in your league, meaning the players you select are unique to you and you only. Fantasy Rugby Draft founder Bruce Wilkinson says: “The draft adds a different dynamic. It tests to see if you can handle the pressure to make the right decision with…

“Time on the sevens circuit has energised me” I LOVED REFEREEING on the sevens circuit in 2003-04. I went to every tournament in those years, culminating in the 2005 Sevens World Cup in Hong Kong. When I heard that sevens would be an Olympic sport I immediately started to dream about how special it would be to return to the circuit. I have continued to referee Test rugby and Super Rugby, in addition to six tournaments on the sevens series, this year. Much like any 15s player who desired to go to the Olympics, I needed to make myself available for the majority of this year’s series. So it’s been a demanding year from a travel perspective. Having had the experience 12 years ago, I knew there were some nuances…

TRAINING EQUIPMENT is the first place you would cast your eyes for technological advances in rugby, writes RW’s Alan Dymock. We’ve already seen camera drones fly over team sessions while video analysis of training is a must for elite sides now. One company, MyplayXplay, offer instant video feedback from sessions and have branched into helping out officials off the field – at the London Sevens, independent doctors could review real-time footage, to assess potential concussive incidents. It is this trend of seeing a match by novel means that is on the rise. World Rugby have streamed games online, while last season’s Enisei-Connacht clash in Siberia was aired on YouTube. As Facebook Live’s instant stream service gathers momentum, there is a sense of opportunity. In May, action camera manufacturer GoPro joined…

“WE WANT THE INDIAN OCEAN TO HAVE A VERY GOOD CHAMPIONSHIP. IT’S MY WISH” RANKED AT 86th in the world – nestling between Niue Islands and the Bahamas – it’s understandable if rugby isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Mauritius. The small island in the Indian Ocean did, however, host the World Club 10s this summer and put on a fabulous show for locals, tourists and players alike. It was the second edition of the tournament following its inaugural event in Singapore in 2014, after which it took a sabbatical due to the all-encompassing 2015 World Cup. The mantra of ‘rugby in paradise’ was not just some throwaway promotional slogan from the organisers of the competition, it permeated every level of the event. From…

“A BIG PART OF LEADING IS GIVING TEAM-MATES THE TOOLS TO IMPROVE” FACT FILE Age 33 (20 Jan 1983) Born Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia Franchise Brumbies Position Hooker Height 6ft 1in Weight 17st 6lb Australia caps 105 (6T) Twitter @stevemoore83 MY TOP 3s Holidays Northern Australia Ireland USA Sportspeople Steve Waugh Jason Day Tom Brady Box sets House of Cards Ballers Narcos AFTER A tough series loss against England this summer, the Wallabies hope to bounce back by defending their Rugby Championship title. Ahead of the competition, skipper and Test centurion Stephen Moore talks to RW about his Irish roots, World Cups and the Invictus Games… I was born in Saudi Arabia. I can’t remember anything about it because I’d left by the age of two, but vaguely remember living…

“YOU’RE ALWAYS TEN YEARS YOUNGER IN YOUR HEAD THANYOU ARE PHYSICALLY” FACT FILE Age 35 (5 Jan 1981) Born Invercargill, NZ Club Glasgow Position Hooker Height 6ft 1in Weight 17st NZ caps 15 (3T) MY TOP 3 HOBBIES My ’64 Chevy Impala “It was a present I gave to myself after the 2011 World Cup.” Business “I part-own a couple of pubs back in New Zealand.” Family “We’ll explore Victoria Park and Glasgow’s West End.” AT THE age of 35 and having spent 13 years at Canterbury, sustaining five broken arms along the way, being named in two All Black World Cup squads eight years apart, and then taking two years in Toulouse, it would be understandable if former New Zealand hooker Corey Flynn hung up the spurs. He hasn’t…

01 AGUSTÍN PICHOT WORLD RUGBY VICE-CHAIRMAN UP 5 In size and demeanour, Agustín Pichot reminds me of Jacques Fouroux, the captain of France some decades ago. Both men were tiny, trotting round behind the packs of hulking giants they played with as scrum-halves. Neither looked immaculately dressed, usually their socks were rolled down to their ankles. But on the field and especially away from the field, they both had the unmistakable air of authority; it is possible to tower over Gus Pichot and still feel in awe of him. Perhaps that will increase now that our distinguished panel have, from all the scores of candidates, made him the most important figure of the moment in rugby. We all had different thoughts as we sat down to make our choices, and…

THE FACTS RUARIDH JACKSON Age 28 (12 Feb 1988) Club Harlequins Height 6ft Weight 14st Scotland caps 30 Points 20 (4C, 2P, 2DG) Twitter @ruaridh_jackson RUARIDH JACKSON says his impressive beard is “borne out of laziness” rather than any desire to keep pace with the latest hipster trends. Elsewhere in his life, though, there is little chance of him taking it easy right now. First, he’s adjusting to life at a new club having swapped Wasps for Harlequins in the summer, then there’s his bid to retain the Scotland No 10 jersey he wore in the two summer Tests in Japan and finally, he’s planning for life post-rugby. Let’s start with the move to Quins. Jackson had been planning for another year at Wasps and was looking at houses in…

1 The Montpellier owner was born in the Syrian desert as a Bedouin and doesn’t know his date of birth so picked one himself – 9 March. 2 Altrad was brought up by his grandma as his mother died when he was four and his dad, a tribe leader, disowned him. 3 He owns the Altrad Group, a scaffolding firm with 7,000 staff and yearly revenues of over $1bn. 4 Altrad is an acclaimed novelist. The first of his three books, Badawi (Bedouin), received a literary prize and is recommended for study in schools. 5 In 2011 the town mayor begged him to save the struggling Montpellier rugby side and, despite having never attended a game, he bought the club. EXTRA, EXTRA For details of all the ins and outs…

• One-on-ones and two-on-twos are great for working on your footwork. Practice is the only way you can get better. • Pre-season is a great time to get ladders out and do those type of footwork drills. • Work with your wingers. You need to help each other as much as you can in games, so get to know each other’s traits and come up with calls. • Try to increase the length of your pass. If you make a break, you may need to pass long to find your support. • Cover one eye with a patch and practise catching the ball. Using tennis balls works well too. We did drills like this in the build-up to the World Cup and it helps with visual awareness.…

What’s the objective? For your centre or wing to score out wide, either by running or via a kick-pass, depending on whether their defence aligns narrow or wide. How it works If the defence mirrors your wide attacking formation, your centre runs an outside arc to commit their 12 and wing, creating the space for your wing to score. If they stay tight, your 10 kicks across for the wing to score. Key points Your decision-makers must quickly read the defence in order to take the correct attacking options and back themselves to execute their skills.…

“YOU COULD HAVE ANYTHING ON THE MENU AS LONG AS IT WAS LAMB STEW” THE FLIGHT to New Zealand for the 1987 World Cup told you everything about the state of the (Irish) game, writes former Ireland lock Neil Francis. We spent 32 hours in steerage and by the time we reached Auckland I’d had two hours’ kip and felt as wooden as Hugh Grant. We were billeted in a two-star motel in Dunedin. The food was so bad that my ribs began to show – not good at a time when bulk or ballast of any kind was considered advantageous. The restaurant was a time capsule: I’ve not been to a 1960s civil service canteen but this is what it smelled like. Henry Ford came to mind – you…