So it’s only 14 days away and we are starting to feel the mounting excitement. Sure it’s a lopsided draw, but the flip side to it is that it could end up providing one of the most interesting World Cups in history. But that’s a discussion for much later. In the meantime there continues to be plenty of drama as the World Cup warm-ups continue to take their inevitable injury toll. We’re not going to talk about England’s ongoing red card crisis and the Farrell debate, it’s done and dusted now as far as we’re concerned and MORE than enough has been said about it if you ask us.
What really got us talking this week, was a first look at Ireland against big opposition (even though in their present state it may be a bit of a stretch to call England that). Ireland didn’t exactly blow us or anyone off the park, but then they didn’t really need to. Instead a very well deserved 100th cap was handed out to one of the most humble and popular individuals from the Emerald Isle and the global game for that matter, legendary Irish winger Keith Earls. However, Irish supporters will be sweating over the injury to Hooker Dan Sheehan who, if you ask us and many others, is considered to be one of the best if not the best Hooker in International Rugby right now.
We had a good look at Fiji and their tussle with France, which although les Bleus won comfortably there is no denying that Fiji’s game has developed far beyond their reputation as the Harlem Globetrotters of International Rugby. They are still immensely enjoyable to watch, but there’s much more to the Flying Fijians than just the razzle dazzle of their broken play.
Ahead of what could be called the World Cup’s first “unofficial” game, we take a look at le Crunch match between New Zealand and South Africa at what looks set to be a sold out Twickenham, and yes you will be able to watch it in Canada, details over on the TV page. We also start to to hope, along with every Springbok supporter on the planet, that midfielder Lukhanyo Am and fly half Handre Pollard will actually now appear for South Africa in their critical Pool games against Ireland and Scotland.
Lastly we look at the last of the World Cup warm ups as Rugby’s most colorful Coach, Australia’s Eddie Jones, arrives at the Stade de France to take on a French team that is unquestionably starting to rise to the occasion ahead of them, under the tutelage of their cool as a cucumber Coach Fabien Galthie.
So without any further ado here’s what kept our pints frothy in a busy week of International Rugby as the clock continued to countdown to the big show in Paris on September 8th.
A rusty Ireland do enough to canter past a miserable England without ever really having to reveal their hand in a game that had its highs and lows in equal measure
Let’s start with the good stuff first. The Irish supporters amongst us found it hard to keep a dry eye as one of Ireland’s most humble and dearly loved servants led his three daughters out of the tunnel at the Aviva. Winger Keith Earls hasn’t really enjoyed the limelight of his 100th cap – he’s a modest man and is clearly uncomfortable with all the attention. However, in our opinion and the 51,000 spectators packed into the Aviva last Saturday, there have been few individuals as deserving as the Munsterman. Earls was clearly relieved to join the rest of his teammates as they lined up for the anthems and get on with the business at hand. Keith has been a fan favourite here at the Lineout since his debut in a green jersey way back in 2008.
Ireland cruised to a comfortable albeit slightly ordinary win against England. They didn’t exactly put their opponents to the sword, but then they didn’t really need to as England were more than capable of providing themselves with their own swords to fall on for the full eighty minutes. Instead Ireland cantered across the English whitewash with relative ease five times, without really revealing their hand. Consequently they looked slightly rusty at times though as the game wore on the cobwebs were clearly getting blown off. The Aviva erupted on the 73rd minute as the day’s favorite son Keith Earls, produced one of his legendary acrobatic finishes in the corner off a fantastic break from Josh van der Flier. England shuffled around the park aimlessly for the remaining five minutes, clearly longing for the final whistle, having been reduced to 14 men after 52 minutes after yet another clumsy tackle – this time by Billy Vunipola which saw red. Once again there were few if any positives for England as they continue to look like a team who simply don’t have a plan, shape or an identity – not a good look plain and simple two weeks out from a World Cup.
As for Ireland, they continue to build quietly towards the business end of the tournament which fortunately doesn’t really start for them until September 23rd in Paris when they meet South Africa. However, the injury to their truly phenomenal Hooker Dan Sheehan has set alarm bells ringing. If you ask us, Sheehan is actually more important to Ireland mounting a genuine challenge for the Webb Ellis than their much talked about Captain Johnny Sexton.
You may disagree but let’s unpack this a bit. Hooker is the one genuinely problematic area for Ireland if the stretcher bearers get busy. Sheehan is an explosive wing forward in addition to his abilities at the nuts and bolts of his position, plus he simply creates so much opportunity for Ireland off the set pieces. Ronan Kelleher has many of the same qualities but an injury cloud continues to hang over him even though he is likely to be named in Ireland’s World Cup squad next Monday. Outside these two Ireland’s stocks in the position start to diminish and become distinctly unproven at Test level. So much of what Ireland has become good at is built on the power and explosive pace of both Sheehan and Kelleher. Without them the team remains capable but its X factor suddenly drops considerably.
As we go to press the injury concerns surrounding Sheehan appear to be diminishing but there are still a few sleepless nights ahead for Ireland’s Coaching staff and their supporters. All of us here at the Lineout are quietly crossing our fingers and rubbing every rabbit’s foot that we can find to ensure that this star Irish player will be able to make a significant contribution to the World Cup.
Fiji show they are now just as comfortable wrestling it out in the trenches as they are showing us how rugby players can grow wings
Ok let’s put aside the fact that ultimately France got past the flying Fijians and, by the final quarter, looked in charge of proceedings. We don’t think anyone was surprised by the result. However, look at how Fiji faced up to the physical challenge of playing France. In the past, the physical side of the game has never been Fiji’s strong suit from a technical point of view. Make no mistake Fiji produces no shortage of big, physical men who also possess the remarkable ability to go from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye, while at the same time juggling a rugby ball like a fairground jester. Perhaps more than any country on the planet, Fijians are born with rugby in their genes.
However, in the past they clearly struggled to maintain a physical presence for a full eighty minutes, and invariably became the target of the referee’s whistle more often than not. The technicalities and skills needed in the set pieces were seemingly far too mundane for Fijian rugby. Well, after what we have witnessed so far this year, that is clearly no longer the case. The statistics for the French game make fascinating reading from a Fijian point of view. First up in their last four games, they boasted a 96% success rate in the rucks. Admittedly, their lineout work needs to improve, but they managed a 100% success rate at scrum time against the French. Furthermore, look at both of their tries in the French game which were scored from within the French 22 and at close quarters by some genuine grunt from the forward pack. That first try from Hooker Tevita Ikanivere showed some brute physical power that the French simply couldn’t cope with. Also watch one of La Rochelle’s favourite sons, Levani Bottia who is a centre by trade, and the role he played in the French match in the back row for Fiji – the words power and versatility immediately come to mind.
In short, if Fiji can cause some physical headaches for the fourth ranked team in the World and tournament hosts, just imagine what they can do to their Pool opponents, Wales and Australia. The physical and set piece skills of said opponents are not exactly striking fear into anyone at the moment. Fiji are still giving away too many penalties, and that is one area they will need to tighten up if they are to upset Australia or Wales’ apple carts next month. But in all seriousness, don’t count them out. If Australia or Wales decide the only way to suffocate Fiji’s remarkable attacking game is to get into an arm wrestling contest in the mud of the trenches, don’t be surprised to see this Fijian side be more than comfortable with the challenge. We sincerely hope it doesn’t degenerate to that as the privilege of watching Fiji operate at full throttle is one of the things we look forward to the most at World Cups!
Will they won’t they? South Africa tease the rest of the world about the possibility of two of their most important players managing to overcome injuries and now appear in the World Cup
Put your hand up if you didn’t notice these two sitting in the stands at Cardiff, and Pollard in particular clearly itching to get onto the pitch. The Springbok Coaching staff is now making more noises about Pollard likely to become available for the Pool stages and even Lukhanyo Am making the knockout stages.
For now it’s all smoke and mirrors but it would appear that by the time the tournament gets underway these two will be somehow slipped into the squad as injuries take their toll. There are various regulations and protocols to be followed, but both are clearly hanging about in Europe ready for the call when it comes, either just prior to the tournament start or at some stage in its progression.
Let’s be brutally honest, mercurial form or not the Springboks need Pollard as their stocks in the 10 jersey remain paper thin. Manie Libbok is rising well to the challenge, but so far offers no security whatsoever from the kicking tee, and everyone knows that some of the big games will be won by the ability to keep the scoreboard ticking over in your favor.
Furthermore, as impressive as South Africa’s centre pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende looked last weekend against Wales, pretty well anyone would have looked good in the midfield in that game. That was a second, if not third string Welsh side up against a loaded Springboks outfit. In short, it was chalk and cheese. The need for Kriel and De Allende to be imaginative was simply not necessary, and as a result the pair shone. Against Scotland and Ireland who have some of the best and most dynamic centre pairings in International Rugby at the moment, South Africa will need to be a lot more inventive and imaginative. That is why Lukhanyo Am is so critical to them if they want to go deep into the tournament.
The World Cup warm-ups, as they always do, have kept us glued to the progress charts in the injury wards, but the vital statistics on these two key Springboks have taken on an added urgency.
This Ain’t No Party… This Ain’t No Disco… This Ain’t No Foolin’ Around!
To quote the famous Talking Heads song, Friday’s fixture, in front of what is likely to be a sellout crowd, at Twickenham between New Zealand and South Africa is a very serious business indeed! This is no friendly make no mistake and it never is between two of the sport’s greatest rivals. The World Cup may be only two weeks to the day away, and despite the fear of injuries, both sides have clearly stated that they have every intention of throwing everything including the kitchen sink at each other for the full eighty minutes in West London on Friday. A casual match between these two is simply not in All Black and Springbok rugby players’ DNAs. These players live for the chance to play each other.
As much as there is talk of South Africa possibly joining the Six Nations now that their club rugby focus has shifted to playing in Europe, we have trouble seeing it happen in reality. We just can’t see these two sides giving up the opportunity to have a go at each other twice a year in the Rugby Championship – the landscape may be changing but it is still every Springbok and All Black player’s life blood. Quite simply, it’s how they and their supporters continue to measure the worth and status of their respective teams.
Friday’s fixture sees the teams pitch up as fully loaded as the injury lists will permit. As a result there are some fascinating matchups and combinations to watch. New Zealand’s Luke Jacobsen who has been one of Super Rugby’s standout players of the season for the Chiefs gets to measure himself against South Africa’s Pieter-Steph du Toit, who is quite simply back to the form that blew all of us away at the last World Cup and earned him World Player of the Year. Last weekend South Africa’s talisman and Captain Siya Kolisi showed no sign of wear after returning from injury, in his forty minutes on the pitch but how well will he stand up to containing the likes of that fearsome All Black row and the whirling dervish/battering ram known as Ardie Savea? New Zealand bring in their likely starting combo for the whole tournament of Aaron Smith and Richie Mo’unga and we fear South Africa may struggle to keep up here, especially if the kicking tee becomes a regular accessory.
However, the big talking point for us is that Springbok centre pairing of Canan Moodie and Andre Esterhuizen. It’s unproven and up against one of the best in the world in the shape of New Zealand’s Rieko Ioane and Jordi Barrett, but we have to be honest and say we can’t wait to see the Springbok duo in action. If both handle the pressure and excel, then the combination of either of them with a fit Lukhanyo Am could be one of the revelations of the tournament. It’s a huge gamble by the Springbok Coaching staff and could go spectacularly wrong, but if it actually works, the possibilities could be endless, especially if Am is unable to return from injury. Esterhuizen has a genuinely handy turn of pace to go with his physicality and size, and Moodie has vision and speed plain and simple and is looking increasingly sharp defensively.
This is one you won’t want to miss. Many of you have asked us how to watch it here in Canada as it has fallen outside of the regular broadcasters we use here, but fear not you can catch it via Stan Sport from Australia. Head over to the TV page for details on how to do so.
Krusty the Clown meets Rugby’s James Bond
Yes we are looking forward to this one, as we sign off on the Rugby World Cup warm ups. A bit like the dance taking place at Twickenham between South Africa and New Zealand, both France and Australia are leaving nothing to chance on this one. After one of the most bizarre press conferences we’ve ever seen from Wallaby Coach Eddie Jones, who had clearly taken some notes from Donald Trump in his antics at Sydney Airport, Australia arrive in France as perhaps one of the most intriguing prospects of the World Cup.
At the time of writing this we only know the French squad for this fixture which, much like the New Zealand squad to face off against the Springboks, is stacked and probably not far off the one which will meet the All Blacks in the tournament opener in two weeks time. Eddie Jones has yet to name his squad, but we have a hunch that it will be of similar stature in its proximity to Australia’s lineups for their key pool games against Wales and Fiji.
As much we found Jones’ airport conference slightly eccentric to say the least, and despite our general dislike of Jones and his approach to Coaching, we have to grudgingly admire his conviction if indeed that is what it is. Despite his bluster and claims that Australia are not in France for the croissants, and are genuine contenders for the Webb Ellis trophy on October 28th, it’s fairly obvious where his priorities lie. You guessed it Australia’s opportunity to host their own World Cup in four years’ time. This young but clearly talented side are likely to be at the peak of their powers come 2027. They may end up being lambs to the slaughter come the knockout stages of this World Cup, assuming they even make it out of the Pools which they should, but the lessons learnt along the way will be invaluable to these young players and will boost their growth enormously, as they are about to embark on the most intense crash course in Test Rugby imaginable.
To be honest, we felt that Jones’ predecessor Dave Rennie was doing exactly that and rather well despite the Wallabies loss rate last year, and would have been better at nurturing these players through their development. However, it’s the Jones show now, and one thing he is good at is deflecting all the pressure away from the players and on to his shoulders. In short, he keeps them out of the clutches of the media. By the same token, so does Galthie but in a much less dramatic and attention seeking manner. We have to admit we prefer the Galthie approach, but given Australia’s obsession with their sporting personalities and an almost ruthless need for success, perhaps a Jones type character is what is necessary.
Time will tell if the great Jones experiment works, but in reality the encounter at the Stade de France is the first chapter in the story of the Wallabies road to 2027, as the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup this summer were simply the prologue. Now the work really begins and we can’t wait to see how the plot twists and turns over the coming months.
Well that’s it for this week folks. Work permitting and with the World Cup upon us we’ll do our best to bang something out every week. For now, count the days, enjoy the last days of summer and most importantly stock the fridge!! Take care and may we all, players and supporters alike, stay safe and injury free!
The Lineout 