Wallabies prop Angus Bell has defended the decision to select league convert Joseph Sua’ali’i for the upcoming tour of England after critics labelled the ex-Roosters inclusion a “disgrace.”
Borthwick’s England face All Blacks test in fixture that still stirs the soul | Robert Kitson
The visit of New Zealand to Twickenham is always special regardless of changes to stadium names or rules
For those who, for some strange reason, only watch international rugby much has changed since England last took the field in mid-July. Technically speaking, for starters, the home team no longer play at a ground called Twickenham and will instead run out at somewhere called Allianz Stadium. The era of the “Ally Pally” has arrived, which may or may not impress the old-school clientele in the posher parts of the West Car Park.
If there is a sense of the Rugby Football Union selling off the family silver and jettisoning a significant slice of the English game’s global identity it is reinforced by the fact the All Blacks are due to visit a second Allianz Stadium in three weeks’ time when they play Italy in Turin. The only consolation for staunch traditionalists is that fresh monikers can take decades to catch on; some people still refer to the “Manchester Guardian” a mere 65 years on.
Continue reading...Joe Marler issues apology for haka criticism before England host All Blacks
- Prop says ‘sorry to any New Zealand fans I upset’
- Marler says he wants England to respond on pitch
Joe Marler has issued an apology for his “shithouse” criticism of the haka that has whipped up a storm before England face New Zealand on Saturday. After the England captain, Jamie George, admitted that Marler had poked the bear with his criticism of the All Blacks’ traditional war dance, the loosehead prop took to social media again to row back on his earlier comments.
In the latest instalment of a saga that has dominated the buildup to the first autumn international, Marler’s apology comes after George had said that he disagreed with his teammate that the haka should be scrapped. George did, however, say that England were considering a response to the haka at Twickenham while the All Blacks head coach, Scott Robertson, said that Marler “could have articulated himself a little bit better”.
Continue reading...Joe Marler’s haka remark acts as added incentive for All Blacks
New Zealand are unlikely to lack motivation with squad feeling disrespected and England can expect a backlash
There are all sorts of ways a team might get ready for a big match against the All Blacks. Fair to say that the tactic of actively going out of your way to pissing them off, which is the one England seem to have gone for this week, comes in a way down the list. Joe Marler’s original tweet that the haka is “ridiculous” and “needs binning” has gone down like cold sick with New Zealanders.
“I’m wondering if he wishes he could have articulated himself a little bit better,” said their head coach, Scott Robertson, on Thursday. “The haka is not just about the All Blacks, it is about New Zealand as a country, it means a lot to us.”
Continue reading...Tupou Vaa’i: ‘Playing for All Blacks is a good way to show my love for my brother’
New Zealand forward on handling the emotion of losing a sibling at a young age and Jonah Lomu’s career impact
For years the names barely changed. Between them Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick played 262 Tests for New Zealand, breaking the record for the most capped second-row pairing in international rugby. By the end they made Stonehenge feel like a temporary art installation and their departures removed the twin pillars upon which the best modern All Black sides were built.
So no pressure on those following in their giant footsteps. Scott Barrett at least hails from one of rugby’s most famous family dynasties but perhaps the most intriguing member of New Zealand’s recent starting packs is the less celebrated Tupou Vaa’i. Tucked away behind the vowels is a man with a deeply moving backstory and an inner drive to match anyone on the field at Twickenham this weekend.
Continue reading...The Breakdown | Sizing up four southern hemisphere giants before rugby’s autumn series
The Springboks want a clean sweep but Australia, Argentina and New Zealand may have more modest November targets
Four southern hemisphere giants are preparing for combat over the horizon. With 90% of all men’s World Cups, and having contributed more than 62% of the tournament’s semi-finalists since 1995, they arrive with reputations to uphold. Are they the forces they once were, or are they there for the taking?
Continue reading...High-stakes season switch goes from Premiership grit to Twickenham glitz | Michael Aylwin
International stage gears up to keep sport financially afloat but future plans will come at the cost of players and fans
Fans of English rugby – the real ones who follow the Premiership – could be forgiven for outrage at the suspension of the domestic game for the next few weeks. Such have been the remarkable matches coming at us from all angles in the first six rounds of the season, any resentment at November’s narrowing of focus on Twickenham, where tickets tend to be reserved for certain types, would be only natural.
As exhilarating as it may be, domestic rugby pretty much everywhere, but certainly in England, does not wash its face financially. So, over to the international game to try to keep everything afloat.
Continue reading...Wallabies name $5m man Suaalii in 34-man squad for Grand Slam tour
Code-hopper Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is being thrust straight into the big-time after being named in the 34-man Wallabies squad for spring tour of the UK fresh out the NRL having not played a game of rugby since he was a schoolboy star.
The Lion king in waiting? Why Ireland’s new talisman Caelan Doris fits the bill
The country boy from Lacken who is now a world-class No 8 on enjoying captaincy, a fascination with psychology and his penchant for hot yoga
It will be another six months before Andy Farrell finally has to choose his British & Irish Lions captain for the 2025 expedition to Australia. Plenty of time for the landscape to change and, theoretically, for one or two surprise contenders to emerge from the shrubbery. Until, that is, you sit down with the staggeringly impressive Caelan Doris and realise there is little need for Farrell to look anywhere else.
A bold prediction? Hardly. It is not rocket science that a world-class player with the universal respect of his peers, a university degree in psychology and a warm smile might just fit the bill. Ireland have produced some illustrious Lions captains in the pro era, from Brian O’Driscoll to Paul O’Connell and Peter O’Mahony, and another top-drawer candidate lurks quietly in the wings.
Continue reading...Rocky Elsom speaks over international arrest warrant, five-year prison sentence
Former Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom has claimed the French court hearing that resulted in his five-year jail sentence was a “clear perversion of justice.”
Rugby convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii wearing sky blue again as he begins career with Waratahs
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s only conversation when he met Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt on the weekend was about family, but the rugby convert has declared he’s “ready” to suit up in a gold jersey as soon as he’s called on.
‘It’s been an incredible ride’: Wales and Lions centre Jonathan Davies retires
- Davies won 96 caps and two grand slams for Wales
- Centre played six Tests for British and Irish Lions
The former Wales, British and Irish Lions and Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies has announced his retirement from professional rugby.
The 36-year-old, who won 96 caps for Wales, left Scarlets at the end of the 2023-24 season having scored 55 tries in 209 appearances across two spells for the Welsh region.
Continue reading...The Ineos Effect: hit and miss as Jim Ratcliffe’s tentacles have gone global
Ratcliffe has built an empire of assets across different sports but his teams have enjoyed varying degrees of success
Should Sir Ben Ainslie’s crew achieve the seemingly impossible and bring home the America’s Cup it will be the biggest sporting triumph yet for Ineos, whose tentacles now lie across the elite landscape in six disciplines. Despite heavy investment and the oversight of Sir Dave Brailsford it has been a mixed bag so far for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s petrochemicals company; they have struggled to make their mark in Formula One and cycling, while it may take a superhuman effort to restore Manchester United to greatness.
They have encountered accusations of using sport to airbrush environmental concerns around their business. Ending Britain’s 136-year wait for sailing’s most vaunted prize would, in the short term at least, guarantee favourable headlines.
Continue reading...International arrest warrant issued for former Wallabies captain
An international arrest warrant was issued on Friday against former Australia rugby captain Rocky Elsom, who was sentenced in his absence to five years in prison by a French court for misuse of corporate assets, a lawyer in the case told AFP.
Sanderson v Diamond friendship on sidelines in battle of the north | Robert Kitson
Newcastle head to Sale on the back of a 24-game losing streak with a pressing need to attract a fresh audience
It is supposed to be a snarling northern “derby” but, in reality, Sale’s Friday night date with Newcastle is a case of friends reunited. The Sharks’ Alex Sanderson and the Falcons’ Steve Diamond take their respective eight-year-olds to the same swimming class every week and have been mates for so long they know pretty much exactly what the other is plotting.
Sanderson, in particular, has been warning his squad they will need to be up for the fight against their bottom placed, winless opponents: “They’re already talking survival, food on plates and roofs over heads; we’ve got to match their emotional levels.” Diamond, for his part, has been busy stripping down his side’s tactics to the barest essentials to counter Sale’s big pack and territory based game. “We’re not even competitive at the moment,” he says. “There’s still players here who don’t understand what we’re trying to do on game day.”
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