Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i Rugby World

8 Russia Russia Women’s (above) involvement in the 2020 Olympic sevens repêchage tournament is in doubt after the World Anti-Doping Agency banned the country from all major sporting events for four years. 9 Australia Dave Rennie’s first matches in charge of the Wallabies are a two-Test series against Ireland in July. He has also added Scott Wisemantel, the former England assistant coach, to his back-room team to look after the attack. 10 Mauritius Rugby X, launched at the O2 in October (above), is now part of the Mauritius development programme and is being launched in schools this year. It forms part of the island’s 2024 Olympic programme.…

“With teams I coach, we look to score points from every phase” THE GAME is more defence-focused and kick-focused at the moment. As far as all the innovations coming around, it’s on the defensive side of the game and shutting down attacks. With that it can become a predictable game, which is probably what we saw a lot of in the Rugby World Cup. Things come into fashion in cycles. From my point of view, enjoying the attack side, I need to find ways to counter those defensive systems. Catching people off guard is the aim and that’s the exciting part for a coach – to stay ahead of the game and try to create something not seen before. It’s happened with defence, whether it be the Lions against the…

Nick Must admit, didn’t see the Premiership moving their final forward a week so the Lions get more prep time Winchester Huzzah, start loading the paddle steamer! Kane So how long is the tour now? Winchester Just a month and a half at sea, then another eight to tour the foreign lands. What-ho! Cara It’s, like, mad. A crazy number of games again Winchester Only every district and President’s XV of fine repute. 30 games in all, each a spiffing benjo of an affair! Nick Riiiiight. So they will be back in time for the next Prem final? Winchester Indeed. It will be a ripping trip! Kane Ripping may be right. Hard to know how many pairs of pants survive the voyage...…

“He has a real ability to see space open up before it does” NOT EVEN a year has passed since Jack Carty won his first cap and some would argue that Ireland debut came rather belatedly, with the Connacht fly-half 26 at the time. Yet more than a decade previously Carty earned plenty of honours – just not in rugby. A talented sportsman, Carty represented Ireland at U15 level in football and caught the eye of Premier League scouts, as well as impressing in Gaelic Football for Roscommon. Rugby may be the sport in which he made his name but skills learnt in those other two codes have no doubt enhanced the ability of Connacht’s record point-scorer. “It’s definitely a massive benefit,” says Connacht attack coach Nigel Carolan of Carty’s…

WITH A new year upon us, it’s the perfect time to shine a light on up-and-coming players from around the world. You’ll likely recognise some of these names because they’ve taken their first steps into Test rugby, while others we are tipping to make their breakthrough in the next couple of years. Here are a score of youngsters you need to know about… Owen LANE JOHNNY McNICHOLL’S qualification presents a new barrier to Wales honours for the twice-capped Lane, who had to settle for a replacement role in Wayne Pivac’s first match, against the Barbarians. However, the wing has made short work of obstacles so far, his 18 tries in 42 games for Cardiff Blues as December dawned reflecting his penchant for scoring. One airborne finish, against Connacht, led Martyn…

Calling time John Barclay will not be part of Scotland’s Six Nations squad after announcing his international retirement. The 33-year-old won 76 caps in the back row and said: “All good things must come to an end. This isn’t an easy decision but for me and my family it feels like the right time.” Staying put Ireland centre Bundee Aki (above) has signed an IRFU contract extension that will keep him at Connacht until at least the end of the 2022-23 season. Howley suspended Rob Howley, the former Wales assistant coach, has been banned from rugby until June after breaching betting rules. He made 363 bets on rugby over four years (2015-19), with the death of his sister in 2011 a trigger. End of the road Dragons prop Jack Cosgrove…

Clean sweep The Black Ferns Development XV won the Oceania Championship following victories over Fiji (53-0), Australia A (50-0) and Papua New Guinea (131-0). Fiji flying Fiji (below) booked a place at New Zealand 2021 – their first-ever women’s 15s World Cup – by beating Samoa 41-13 at the Oceania Championship. Rusila Nagasau described it as “the biggest achievement of our lives”. Process change As Tonga had to withdraw from the Oceania event due to a measles outbreak, they’ll travel to Papua New Guinea in early 2020 for a play-off as part of the NZ 2021 qualifying process. The winner of that will play Samoa for a chance to compete in the repêchage tournament. Euro first Hong Kong secured their first 15s wins over a European side with a 2-0…

SHOCK EXIT The stunning withdrawal of US Portsmouth from London Three South-West was, in the words of president Jed Stone, “the result of a decline that had developed over the previous eight months”. Ultimately, a famous club that was founded in 1882, and boasted fixtures against Bath, Saracens, Wasps and Harlequins in the 1980s, simply could not raise a team. Stone added: “Leaving the league may seem negative but it’s only fair to the other clubs and was the way we decided to regroup and go forward.” GO FIGURE What Ely Tigers believe was a scoreline disparity in their London Three Eastern Counties match against Thurston prompted their appeal to the league authorities. Chairman Christopher Day said: “It was down to a three-point discrepancy in the half-time score. We had…

“Regaining restarts is more prolific in sevens, but it’s becoming a bigger thing in 15s. It’s another way of getting the ball back in a good position on the pitch. A short kick to compete from the restart gives you a 50-50 chance of getting the ball back; with a good kicker and a decent catcher, the odds are more in your favour.” “Some people can jump off both legs but I favour my left leg as my take-off leg. So I find it easier if we’re kicking off on the right-hand side of the pitch, as I can bring my body round to the ball. I’ll drive off my left foot and there’s a right-foot knee drive to get the height, then as that happens I throw my arms…

Political posturing The Rainbow inclusivity campaign is going too far in rugby. Why do referees have to wear rainbow jerseys, and linesmen have to wave rainbow flags at our games? What will happen to a player or official, through their religious beliefs or freedom of thought, not wanting to politicise the sport they love? If they disagree with wearing Rainbow laces, will they be ostracised by the RFU and put out to ridicule? And will our young rugby players be told to wear Rainbow laces on Sunday mornings? Respect of others’ beliefs works both ways, it’s called tolerance. This looks more like an exercise in propagation instead of education. Pòl Deburca, Warley Woods, West Midlands Give Japan a platform One of the most astonishing parts of RWC 2019 was the…

Three years, three different winners. The Six Nations has been more competitive than ever of late, with England triumphing in 2017, Ireland in 2018 and Wales in 2019. So who will have their name engraved on the trophy in 2020? This year’s championship is only a few weeks away, with Wales v Italy kicking off the tournament on Saturday 1 February, so we’ve shone a spotlight on six people who are set to play influential roles – one from each of the competing countries. There are a couple of dangerous wide men, a playmaker, a physical forward, a dazzling full-back and a new head coach, of which there are several for the upcoming Six Nations. We hope this magazine whets the appetite for what we expect to be another hugely…

FRANCE DON’T have Marmite but if they did they could call it Galthié. The new coach of France has that effect on people: you either love him or hate him. Those in the former camp tend to be equals, erstwhile team-mates of talent, who describe a driven but likeable man. Galthié made his International debut in 1991 and Denis Charvet, a France centre from 1986-91, says: “He lives, eats and sleeps thinking about rugby. He has an attention to detail, and an unusual demand of himself and of others.” Another ex-international colleague, Jean-Luc Sadourny, who was a team-mate of Galthié’s at Colomiers, recalls a young man “open and cheerful” who when he returns to his roots to see old friends “still has the rugby spirit and knows how to party”.…

THE GAME of rugby is all about pace for Italy’s Matteo Minozzi, with his speed of thought and execution a joy to watch and a nightmare to defend against. Success came to him quickly, too, with the Wasps full-back going from scrabbling around the foothills of the Eccellenza domestic league to the shortlist for Six Nations Player of the Championship in less than a year. Minozzi had an extraordinary time of it in 2018, becoming the first Italian to score in four consecutive tournament matches as he brought a splash of vibrant colour to Conor O’Shea’s then charges. Sadly for Minozzi, there was to be an abrupt halt as well. The sickening knee injury he suffered whilst playing for Zebre against Southern Kings that August saw him miss the whole…

A COMPETITOR. THAT’S how Chris Boyd describes Dan Biggar. Driven is the word we put to the Northampton and Wales fly-half. “A bit too much at times,” he laughs in response. “I’m very determined to succeed and want to do well. I wanted to win as much as possible growing up and I’ve always been quite vocal. That comes from wanting the team to perform.” Yet while that steely focus remains and there are still moments when he is forthright – to put it politely! – in making his point on the pitch, the 30-year-old believes he has learnt to use it in a better way. There’s no shouting for the sake of shouting. His move to Northampton in 2018 has undoubtedly helped in this regard, with director of rugby…

IN 30 YEARS as a referee, one question repeated more than any other: “How on earth do you referee the scrum?” You have to remember that every scrum is a special occasion, not just for the pack – for the ref too. They play a vital role in its success and don’t forget, the first priority is always safety. A good scrum starts with the set-up. Both front rows bind correctly with hips and shoulders in the correct position to push straight, standing on the mark. The engagement is very different these days and is much easier to manage. No charging. Now referees can focus on the ‘post engage’ and once the pushing begins, they must decide who is on top, who might collapse the scrum and who runs the…

1 DETYSHA HARPER Age 21 (23 Oct 1998) Born Salford Club Loughborough Country England Position Loosehead What sports did you play growing up? In school I played rounders, netball and football. There was no rugby team at school. So when did you start rugby? I was 15, nearly 16. My older brother played and my younger brother played, so I said, “Why don’t you ever take me?” My mum took me along to Eccles RFC – they had an U15 and U18 girls’ team – and I haven’t looked back since. What do you enjoy about rugby? I just like being involved in a team sport, with everyone wanting the same goal and working together to achieve it. Who was your childhood hero? When I was quite new into rugby,…

MY FIRST tour as an international coach was to South Africa with Ireland in 1998, Warren Gatland writes. My first attempt at psychological one-upmanship was a disaster, for which I’m not sure Paddy Johns, the toughest of Ulstermen, has yet forgiven me. I got it into my mind that we looked soft and unhealthy, particularly when compared to the heavily muscled, ultra-athletic Boks, and this had something to do with the fact so many of the squad were pale of complexion. “How about getting yourselves a fake tan?” I said to the players, thinking it would send out the right message to our opponents. Some followed my advice, some didn’t. Paddy went for it. On match day, his face was bright orange. When he ran out in Bloemfontein, it was…

BEARS BOLSTERED Fiji wing/centre Semi Radradra will join Bristol Bears on a three-year deal from the 2020-21 season and Charles Piutau has extended his stay at the club by two years. ALL CHANGE Conor O’Shea (right) is the RFU’s new director of performance rugby and will be responsible for the direction of the professional game in England. Nigel Melville has left the union. DUE SOUTH Scotland’s summer tour fixtures are South Africa (4 and 11 July) and New Zealand (18 July). The All Blacks play Wales on 4 and 11 July before that Scotland Test. FRENCH ROLE Michel Poussau has joined World Rugby as the general manager for RWC 2023. TAKING CHARGE Luke Pearce will referee the Six Nations opener on 1 Feb: Wales v Italy. Mathieu Raynal (Ireland v…

A NOD TO BUTCH “Before this game we watched a video of a previous time (2008) that Bath played Leicester, when we hung in there, never giving up. Butch James had played No 10 for Bath and we kept pushing and pushing and eventually Butch got through to score the winning try and did a really outrageous dive. “The same scenario panned out in this game; we were trailing, kept pushing and pushing and then in the last few minutes I got a line break on the edge and ran through to score the winning try. That image of Butch went through my mind, so I tried to simulate that ludicrous dive, although I think he pulled it off with a bit more finesse. Thank goodness I didn’t injure myself.”…

HOLDING UP his phone, match-day doctor Will Allingham is showing us a picture of himself in Ampthill kit from when he was nine. Now working in Coventry and as team medic for the Blaze professional ice hockey team as well, the young doc – “Yeah, I do hear quite a bit that doctors are getting younger these days!” – was invited back to the club by chairman and family friend Alex Radley when the side stepped up into the Greene King IPA Championship and had to meet certain medical standards to compete. We are in Ampthill for a Championship Cup fixture against Ealing. This is a club where you hear the word ‘community’ uttered over and over. So many fans sport badges with it embroidered on. Locals proudly talk of…

FUTURE FOCUS Trinity Guild are forging on despite withdrawing from Five West (South) for the second time in a year because of problems in raising a team. Founded in 1899 and the oldest junior club in Coventry, they will continue to play socially at Finham Park School. Guild had already vacated their long-term headquarters at Baginton that will be swallowed up by the Coventry & Warwickshire Gateway development. New facilities, being provided nearby, will include two senior pitches, one for youngsters, a training area and clubhouse. The ground is due to open in 2021. TALKING SHROP Bridgnorth can claim to be the unofficial Shropshire champions after beating Newport 24-13 in the Midlands Premier match between the county’s two top clubs. Ricky Bailey, an ex-Newport centre, scored one of Bridgnorth’s four…

ROMAN EMPIRE Newly-formed Ambleside Centurions have restored rugby to the Cumbrian lakeside town after a three-year gap. Named in honour of historical local ties with the Romans, who built a settlement and a fort nearby, the Centurions trained for a month with a 25-strong squad and in their debut match restricted Whitehaven’s second team to a 17-5 victory at Galava Park. The on-field work was complemented by club officials decorating the clubhouse and upgrading the pitch and floodlights. It turned back the clock to the formation in 1874 of the original Ambleside club that went on to play in the North-West and Cumbria Leagues. TREE OF LIFE Scarborough did far more than their bit for the environment by planting 400 trees at Silver Royd in support of National Tree Week.…

RWC 2019 catapulted the sport to a truly global mark. Now that the world wants more rugby, it’s time to increase the teams competing from 20 to 24. The gap between the tiers has narrowed in recent years, with the number of large winning scorelines half what it was in 2007. At present 60% of the qualifiers are automatic and given to the top 12 finishers in one RWC for the next. This only leaves eight spots for qualifying across six regions of the world. This system deprives emerging nations from competing against the higher-ranked sides. At RWC 2019, Italy had an automatic qualification spot yet were ranked behind three teams that had to go through qualifiers. Expanding the qualification spots from eight to 12 will allow for more continent-specific…

1st  New Year’s Day marks the start of Olympic year, with Tokyo 2020 running from 24 July to 9 August. Sevens is once again part of the Games, with Fiji (left) out to defend the title they won in Rio, and there is a new exhibition at the World Rugby Museum celebrating Rugby and the Olympics. So if you’re in the Twickenham area this year, pop in to take a look – tickets are £12.50 and you can find more details at worldrugbymuseum.com 13th The annual Rugby Writers’ Club Dinner takes place this Monday, with the Pat Marshall Trophy given to their Personality of the Year. Johnny Sexton (below) won the award last year and the 2019 contenders are Faf de Klerk, Rassie Erasmus, Alun Wyn Jones, Siya Kolisi and…

IT’S BEEN revealed in South Africa that Garsfontein, Grey College, Monument, Paarl Boys’ High, Paarl Gimnasium and Paul Roos have agreed to negotiations that will lead to the establishment of a formal “SA Schools Rugby Challenge”. Plans were put to other ‘Tier One’ schools in order to expand to eight participating schools. Our Lady and St Patrick’s College took part in the Ulster Schools’ Cup in November. While other Catholic schools have competed in Ulster schools’ competitions, it’s believed that the east Belfast grammar school is the first ever to take part in the elite event. Stewart’s Melville College won the Scottish Schools U18 Cup at Murrayfield after a 24-14 win against George Watson’s. “We knew from minute one that it would be a forwards battle,” said head coach Stuart…

“I’m learning to play the guitar. I played when I was very young but put it on hold to focus on my education and rugby. I’ve got more than enough time now.” “I love my mum’s food. I live in Guildford but if I’ve had a bad day I might bolt down to Brighton, eat and go back home. Filipino food is not that healthy. I’ve been told to lay off the rice by S&C, but I love her chicken adobo.” “Prison Break is my favourite series. And my favourite film is The Great Escape. I like those sort of films. I’m also reading a good book at the moment – The Pressure Principle by Dave Alred.” “I was told I wouldn’t make it because I was too small. I…

Age 40 Position Back-row Teams Newport, Leeds, Scarlets, Brive & Wales “MY RUGBY days were cut short due to a shoulder injury in 2011. It was devastating at the time but when the pain faded I realised how much rugby had shaped who I am today. “I became Business Development Director at Amplified Business Content, and co-founded the Entrepreneur Wales Awards. In 2016 I was speaking at London Welsh RFC with Tim Boag. Tim was seeking ways to raise money for the club after it had gone through liquidation. “We had the idea to upgrade the club’s facilities to start a co-working and business hub. I realised it could be applied to clubs across the country, using hospitality suites that are often empty through the working week. This was the…

WHERE WILL we be on 1 January 2030? Hopefully, still on this planet and all fit and well. Where will rugby be? That is incredibly hard to predict. The popular view is that rugby changes at such an incredible rate that it is difficult to keep up. It does not. On the field it changes shape but often for the worse as coaches and players find new ways of circumnavigating any new law. Off the field, what’s happened? In the past 20 to 30 years, absolutely nothing. Across the world, the same teams are in the same events, the same people are in charge (or succeeded by people with the same narrow outlook). It has become more bloated, the World Cup has become a monster that seems to gobble up…

Name Brad Mooar Age 45 (28 Aug 1974) Your personality? Optimistic, energised Last book you read The Spark by Kristine Barnett Favourite film The Silence of the Lambs Dish you like to cook Mince surprise – it varies every time! How you switch off Exercise, family time, watch horse racing Childhood rugby hero Dave Loveridge Rugby funny When Crusaders played in Durban in 2016, the players ran out at 5.05pm and the Sharks were still warming up. Kick-off was actually 5.15pm! Best holiday Three months travelling in Europe 20 years ago in a campervan…

Name Emma Wassell Age 25 (28 Dec 1994) Club Corstorphine Cougars Nickname Waz Personality Outgoing Last book read Doddie Weir’s My Name’5 Doddie. It’s really good Favourite TV show I watch a lot of box-sets on Netflix. I loved Suits Film Bridesmaids – a go-to funny watch Best holiday Bali. I went for three weeks after uni and before I’d started work, before entering the real world! Dish you like to cook Something Mexican – fajitas or enchiladas I’d like to meet… Michelle Obama. I want to read her book Hidden talent It’s not hidden but I do a handstand in every warm-up…

AWAY-DAY BLUES Birmingham Moseley must find a remedy for their ‘travel sickness’ if they are to mount a promotion challenge in National One. They won five consecutive matches on home turf at Billesley Common before losing to Cambridge and Blackheath, but it was a different story on the road with five defeats in six away games. Prop Nathanael Titchard-Jones said: “It’s not good enough. We need to find a way to flick the switch so we’re fully on the pitch rather than partly on the coach.” Titchard-Jones combines his Moseley commitments with serving and playing for the Army along with Peter Austin, John Davetanivalu and Ravai Fatiaki. RUNDLE’S RUN Stourbridge wing Dan Rundle broke the National League record for scoring tries in consecutive matches when he ran in the first…

SHIPWORTHY Warwickshire club Shipston-on-Stour have swept aside the disappointment of losing their appeal against being level-transferred this season to the South-West Leagues from the Midlands. They were placed in Southern Counties North, which means regular, costly and time-consuming trips to Reading, Chesham and High Wycombe, among other places. After starting with a 25-15 defeat at Aylesbury, Shipston won seven of the next nine matches to sharpen their prospects of winning promotion and returning next term to their time-honoured region. BOUNCING BACK Home-grown Sidmouth, last season’s Western Counties West champions, have turned things around after a tough run in One West. Four consecutive wins contrasted with five straight losses early on. DoR Peter O’Brien said: “We’ve adjusted more quickly than anyone could have imagined.” Exeter’s Phil Dollman and Jack Yeandle have…

Okay, be wary of CBD oil – we’ve got it. But what other nutrition rules should we abide by in 2020? Here are eight rules for the new year, James Morehen writes. 1 . Don’t try to lose weight by fasting. You need a plan to achieve your goals. 2 . Your breakfast should contain 20-40g of protein depending on bodyweight. 3 . Consume a daily amount of protein equal to 2g per kg of bodyweight. 4 . Spread food intake over the day. 5 . Start the day with water before any coffee. 6 . Avoid caffeinated products in the late afternoon or evening. 7 . Don’t dodge carbs – they’re important to grow, adapt and repair muscles. 8 . Try to consume fresh fruit and vegetables every day.…

BAD NEWS for English rugby fans? Anthony Watson was overhyped through the course of the World Cup. The good news is that he retains the ability to be a significant player at France 2023, not to mention the more impending 2020 Six Nations. To many, his return to the World Cup squad was a triumph in itself. If the ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in the 2018 defeat at the hands of the Grand Slam-winning Ireland team wasn’t bad enough, the ‘re-rupture’ after the failed first surgery threatened to destroy his hopes of making a second World Cup. There was a quad injury, just to threaten the rush for tournament fitness, but Watson made the final training camp and he made the flight to Japan. Thereafter he did not make that…

JAMES RYAN has had a charmed existence as a professional rugby player, a trophy-laden two years that have seen him become a European champion with Leinster, a Grand Slam winner with Ireland and the recipient of so many other awards that you fear for the stability of the shelving system in his place in Dublin. He’d done all of that by the age of 22. He’s now 23 and has seen a little more of life in the game of late, some new exposure to its crueller realities. Though he was exceptional in Ireland’s 2019 Six Nations campaign – he was second only to Billy Vunipola in terms of carries, despite playing just four games, and swept the boards at the Irish Rugby Players Awards – the team slumped into…

DARCY GRAHAM ran onto the pitch at the Principality Stadium almost undetected that day, all 5ft 8in of him and weighing in at less than 12st. Only a handful of minutes remained in the autumn International between Wales and Scotland in Cardiff and the home team were about to do what they always do when the Scots are in town – they were about to win again. That was Graham’s debut – November 2018. Sure, most rugby players will tell you that playing for their country was something they had imagined in their dreams since they were in small trousers and they’d all be right. Quite how many of them would have had Graham’s almost overbearing desire would be questionable, though. This was a 21-year-old who had been reared in…