Monday’s Rugby Information – 24/7/23
Greetings, GAGRs, and welcome to Monday’s Rugby Information!
Not a complete lot of motion this weekend, although the matches that had been on definitely had important penalties with the outcomes. We’ll evaluate the weekend that was within the lead-up to the Invoice in Paris, the weekend that was for WXV, and the signing of gamers in Tremendous Rugby.
THE LEAD-UP TO THE PARISIAN BILL
We’ll begin off on our personal shores, with stories Michael Hooper is an unlikely starter for this weekend’s sport in opposition to the Darkness on the 2025 Lions Second Take a look at and 2027 RWC grand closing location, the MCG. Like all issues associated to the infant cows, Hooper’s veal is taking a bit extra time to kind itself out. Understanding from private expertise (one first rate tear in every calf, and going beneath the knife in November to hopefully kind the foot out) that these items take irritating quantities of time to recover from.
It seems that Izaia Perese has firmed as favorite for a dream shot on the All Blacks in his specialist place of out of doors centre on Saturday evening. While definitely a greater choice than, say, Reece Hodge (pretty bloke however a shite centre), I’m solely glad that, if chosen, we’re taking blokes who occur to play the place effectively, quite than play rugby effectively. All too typically, the Wallabies do what the Australian Cricket Workforce (and, arguably, the ABs) does and places a participant in as a result of they’re seemingly undroppable quite than the perfect particular person for the place.
PACIFIC NATIONS CUP
Samoa 24 def Japan 22 – match report right here
In a gripping Pacific Nations Cup encounter on the Sapporo Dome, Samoa claimed a slim 24-22 victory over hosts Japan.
Michael Leitch was pink carded through the sport which can effectively have important penalties for the Japanese facet. Try the second within the highlights at approx 3:20.
Fiji def Tonga – match report right here
Fiji scored 5 tries to 3 to beat Tonga 36-20 on Saturday within the first Take a look at match of the yr for 2 international locations that can compete within the Rugby World Cup.
it’s a disgrace that that is Fiji’s solely residence sport earlier than the Invoice kicks off later within the yr. Highlights are beneath to your leisure.
SUPER SIGNINGS, NEW RA PARTNERSHIP AND CLUB v COUNTRY
Rugby Australia have introduced a partnership, full with a signed MoU (clearly the regulation interns have modified over…). The MOU shall be in place till 2029, designed to construct sturdy relationships between the 2 unions together with growing the respective nationwide groups, competitions and the game. This can embody deliberate Wallabies and Australia A matches with Japan in 2024 and 2025, together with the purpose to schedule Wallaroos-Japan fixtures between 2024-26.
If this isn’t a sneaky strategy to dodge the necessity for a NRC (i.e., kind competitions with a rugby mad nation that has gazillions of yen and hope they pay for it) then I don’t know what’s. Nonetheless, it’s a shrewd piece of enterprise.
Additional stories of serious signings over the weekend embody BPA heading over to Perth, becoming a member of what’s already a jacked facet, on the conclusion of the 2023/24 Euro season. The Rebels have introduced their newest signing, with capped England scrum-half Jack Maunder the most recent participant to decide to the Melbourne-based Tremendous Rugby Pacific outfit. I don’t fairly know the place groups are discovering the money to splurge (effectively, odds on Twiggy has his pockets open…) however I ponder if this can be a signal that some form of monetary windfall is coming Australia’s method……
Rugby bosses in Fiji have misplaced their second participant within the final week in a membership v nation choice. Fiji shall be with out Clermont star back-rower Peceli Yato for Rugby World Cup 2023, head coach Simon Raiwalui has confirmed. Lock Api Ratuniyarawa additionally made himself unavailable for choice after signing a High 14 Joker contract with Bayonne which guidelines him out, too.
WXV TOURNAMENT NEWS
Italy 23 def Spain 0 – match report right here
Italy secured their place in WXV 2 this October with a snug 23-0 victory in opposition to Spain in Piacenza on Saturday.
The Azzurre had by no means beforehand performed at Stadio Walter Beltrametti and marked their debut on the floor with 4 tries to substantiate their place within the second stage of World Rugby’s new annual world 15s competitors.
Because of this, Italy will journey to Cape City in October to compete alongside hosts South Africa, Scotland, Japan, Samoa and the USA. Spain, in the meantime, full the line-up for WXV 3, which shall be performed in Dubai and likewise options Kenya, Eire, Kazakhstan, Fiji and Colombia. Each tournaments will kick-off on the weekend of 14 October and run for 3 consecutive weekends.
It signifies that we now know the complete line-up for the inaugural version of WXV, the highest stage of which can start every week later in a New Zealand rugby roadshow . A nationwide celebration of girls’s worldwide rugby, WXV 1 will kick-off at Sky Stadium in New Zealand’s Capital metropolis Wellington (Friday 20-21 October) earlier than transferring south to Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium (27-28 October), then on to Auckland the place the match winner will doubtless be determined at Go Media Stadium Mt Sensible (3-4 November).
As a reminder of the way it all works, see the gorgeous footage and/or learn this text and this text.
Joyful Monday, of us. I’ll be within the stands this weekend on the ‘G. It’s can’t be as unhealthy as final yr’s sport in Melbourne…. can it?
CM
