Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Rugby World

So here we are again. With the World Cup fresh in the memory, northern hemisphere fans are about to indulge in their favourite seven-week winter warmer – yes, the Six Nations is back. By the time Super Saturday lands – can it ever top the 221-point fest from last year? – the first buds of spring will be evident. As ever, the tournament boasts more subplots than an Agatha Christie novel. What can Eddie Jones achieve in just seven training sessions with England? Shorn of titan Paul O’Connell, can Joe Schmidt retain his hitherto unblemished Six Nations record? Wales have mooted playing with more derring-do – will a change in tack, run smoothly for Lions front-runner Warren Gatland? Then there’s new France coach Guy Novès. A fitting denouement to a…

The price is right No, I don’t view £30 as excessive for a ticket to the Premiership final (Letters, January 2016). Contrary to Mr Scourfield, this is not “just a club game”. It’s the final for the championship of the top domestic competition in Britain. Professional sport IS elite. Perhaps he yearns for the days when he could wander into Richmond v Harlequins with one man and his dog for free. It sounded similar to a recent letter in which somebody thought the England team should have more players from state schools “or rugby will never lose the elite tag”. I don’t think rugby needs to lose any ‘tags’. When state schools play more and better rugby then their pupils will emerge. Norman Young Lambsheim, Germany Time please! It’s about…

“It is up to Novès to make France believe” GUY NOVÈS is one of the most charismatic guys I’ve ever met. At Toulouse he was the first coach to give me a chance as a young player. One of his gifts is he knows how to communicate with players, which means he is well respected in the changing room. We worked together 20 years ago when he was more of a tracksuit coach, but as rugby evolved he has gained more experience and evolved with the game. His talent has always been to control the personalities in the team but also to motivate and inspire them in order to make better players. He’s the type of guy who doesn’t need to say much because you know what he’s thinking by…

WE HAVE to make hard decisions,” Scottish refereeing boss Tappe Henning tells RW’s Alan Dymock, when it is put to him that Scotland’s whistlers appear to be falling well behind other nations in terms of representation. “We are 18 months into our three- to five-year strategy,” he says. “Lloyd Linton was selected for the first three rounds of the Pro12 – a time we felt was ideal to expose an inexperienced official during the World Cup. After reviewing his performances we have identified areas to work on and develop to make him the full package.” Linton hasn’t called a Pro12 match since round three – though he did officiate Agen-London Irish in the last pool stage of the Challenge Cup and will oversee Romania-Russia on 27 February. A Scotsman hasn’t…

NO SOONER has one World Cup ended than another one begins! The All Blacks are still basking in the fact that they became the first side to successfully defend their world crown at Twickenham last autumn, but the qualification process for RWC 2019 kicks off next month – and in a rather glamorous location. The Caribbean country of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has the honour of hosting the first of 200 qualifying matches involving more than 80 nations across six continents on the road to Japan 2019. They take on Jamaica in Kingstown on Saturday 5 March and Nigel Owens, who took charge of last year’s New Zealand-Australia final, will officiate, just as RWC 2011 final referee Craig Joubert did four years ago. To add further prestige to…

“I’M SURE GATS WILL HAVE A FEW TWEAKS UP HIS SLEEVE” FACT FILE Age 32 (14 Oct 1983) Birthplace Camborne Club Racing 92 Position Lock Height 6ft 9in Weight 19st 9lb Wales caps 62 MY TOP 3 BOX SETS Sons of Anarchy “It’s about gangs and I’d love to ride a Harley Davidson!” Game of Thrones “It’s brilliant.” Suits “I enjoy the legal arguments.” SELF-DEPRECATING to a fault, Luke Charteris is one of the more underrated locks in Test rugby, but his value as a lineout technician, arch maul spoiler and tackling machine wasn’t lost on Racing 92. The French super club were so keen to keep the 6ft 9in second-row that they offered him a “generous” extended long-term deal but Charteris, who’s been in France for four years after…

“YOU HAVE TO KEEP STANDARDS HIGH EVERY WEEK AND THE CONSISTENCY WASN’T THERE” FACT FILE Age 22 (24 July 1993) Birthplace Livingston, West Lothian Position Back-row Club Glasgow Warriors Height 6ft 4in Weight 17st 6lb Scotland caps Six Debut v SA, 2014 Twitter @adamashe93 MY TOP 3s Bands Nirvana Oasis Muse Sports idols Lionel Messi Rory Mcllroy Andy Murray Animals Dog Monkey Grizzly Bear JOLTED BY setbacks last year, Glasgow’s Adam Ashe has learnt the lessons and been in storming form this season – earning a national recall… It’s amazing to be part of a Scotland squad preparing to play England. There’s no bigger fixture and in my teens, whenever the Calcutta Cup match was at Murrayfield, a big group of us from Alva Academy would go to watch. Facing…

THE FACTS GUILHEM GUIRADO Age 29 (17 June 1986) Born Arles-sur-Tech Club Toulon Position Hooker France caps 38 (2T) Twitter @guilhem_guirado AS BOOTS go, they’re big ones to fill. Thierry Dusautoir’s that is. The great French flanker led his country a record 56 times in his 80 Tests, captaining them to a Grand Slam in 2010 and a World Cup final the following year. Okay, so his Test career ended with the humiliation of a 62-13 thrashing by the All Blacks in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, but Dusautoir has been just about the one constant in a decade of steady French decline. Now he has gone, so too coach Philippe Saint-André, along with a clutch of experienced players such as Nicolas Mas, Pascal Papé and Freddie Michalak. So bienvenueto…

MEN • COACH Small in size but giant in character, 55-year-old Aussie Eddie Jones is shrewd, witty and insatiable – this is his fourth international team after Australia, South Africa and Japan. He’s already a legend for orchestrating Japan’s shock defeat of the Springboks last autumn. • STATE OF PLAY Despite having the youngest squad at RWC 2015, England are starting afresh after bringing in new coaches and a host of uncapped and previously discarded players. There are shades of 2011, when Stuart Lancaster had to rebuild the Red Rose’s tarnished reputation, but Jones’s vast experience in the game means expectations will be high – probably unreasonably so. Winning quick ball and stabilising the set-piece will be core goals, so too upskilling the midfield. Brad Barritt’s omission signals the intent…

MEN • COACH He knows he’s stepping away in May and his union are looking for a replacement, but for one last Six Nations – his fifth to be exact – Jacques Brunel will take charge of the Italians. Will he be gunning for it or taking it easy in a championship when Italy are overwhelming favourites to finish bottom of the table? • STATE OF PLAY Two scrappy wins from four in the World Cup pointed to a position Italy have held for a number of years – on the coat-tails of Tier One, but no better. With their head coach shipping out soon, the squad is at a crossroads. Plenty of new caps have trained in the build-up to this tournament and, in fact, a third of their…

Robbie Henshaw “I’ve played against Robbie quite a few times when we’ve played Connacht and he’s a great player who’s very strong in the tackle and hard to put down.” Wesley Fofana “When you’re playing France, Fofana is really tricky to play against because he’s got such speed and incredible footwork. He’s extremely difficult to play against.” Jamie Roberts “Presents a totally unique challenge. He’s a massive guy and you’ve got to be really physical with him because he’s not going to dance around you – he’ll just come straight at you.”…

THE GROUPS • Super Rugby has expanded from 15 to 18 sides this year, the additions being the Kings from South Africa, who last played in the tournament in 2013, and two newbies: Japan’s Sunwolves and the Jaguares of Argentina. • The 18 teams are split into two groups. The Australasian Group features two conferences – Australia and New Zealand – of five teams. The South African Group features two conferences of four teams. The make-up of the conferences is shown opposite. THE FIXTURES • Each team plays 15 regular-season games – eight home and seven away or vice versa (switched each year). • Each team plays six games within their own conference, five against an Australasian conference and four against a South African conference. • There are no games…

PARK STROLL Manor Park impressed former players on the club’s Legends Day when beating Atherstone 52-0 in Four West (South). They scored eight tries to secure their eighth consecutive win. BOSTON EXIT South African coach Willem Jonker has left Three East (North) club Boston. The team stood third from bottom in the New Year following six successive league defeats. COR BENEFITS The Nottingham Corsairs U17 team, winners of the RFU National Cup last season, became the U19/School Team of the Year at the Nottingham Sports Awards. RAMPANT LIONS Coach Darren Fox inspired Peterborough Lions to a stunning 43-0, seven-try win over Lichfield in National Three Midlands. They picked up a try bonus point in only half an hour. GOLDEN CELEBRATION The Herefordshire Schools Union marked their 50th anniversary when a…

CHIPS OUT With matches off at Widnes, their colts played the vets at indoor games. Having struggled with the subtleties of pool, darts and matchbox rugby, the U19 team pulled off a 6-4 dominoes win. LAST LAP Hosts Morpeth, of One East, reached the Northumberland Senior Cup final by beating Team Northumbria 13-3. SPICED UP Old Brodleians held their second charity cook off, with Steve and Molly McAvan successfully defending their crown with a yummy lamb keema. WILD WEST Hartlepool Rovers crashed 66-0 to West Hartlepool a points record for matches between the clubs. Rampant West ran in ten tries with Gavin Painter converting six and Stu Waites two. FUN TIME Middlesbrough-based Acklam, who play in Durham-Northumberland One, staged a quirky event – a woman-less pageant with male players as…

ONE OF many issues for elite rugby players is taking on enough water during a tough training or playing period. According to nutritionist James Morehen, from Liverpool John Moores University, when teams enter a phase of tough conditioning work or games pile up, players can have heavy food loads and still lose weight as they aren’t drinking enough water. As a minimum, players should take on two litres a day – though this may increase substantially depending on weather or training intensity. And from the get-go. If you like a coffee in the morning, drink water before, to counteract its dehydrating nature. Dehydration is easy to prevent but harder to recover from. Some players find sipping water all day ‘boring’, but there are a few cheats to get around that.…

Jo Yapp shows how to create up to three try-scoring opportunities off first-phase ball… What’s the object? To force the opposition defence into drifting, then put a runner through against the grain. How it works From an attacking scrum, 10 and 12 run straight to engage the defence, then drift outwards, as 13 and 15 run hard on the opposite angle. Key points 10, 12, 13 and 15 must all read the opposition defence, and take the correct attacking options, depending on how they react. Ex-England captain Jo Yapp played in three World Cups and now coaches England’s U20 Women’s team and at Exeter University PLAY A If the opposition 10 has been dragged across, and the 7 hasnÕt got off quickly, 10 hits 13 on the switch PLAY B…

WINNER MOURAD ONE-LINERS Good old Mourad Boudjellal, always on hand to come up with an outrageous claim. He surpassed himself by asking to join the Aviva Premiership after crossing swords with the Top 14’s administrators. You couldn’t make it up. LOSER ROGUES GALLERY Testicle-grabbing, punching, gouging, biting, pushing a ref… All charges levelled at players after Round Five of Europe. Chris Ashton (above) got ten weeks while others were cleared, but the headlines did rugby’s image no favours. WINNER FRIENDLY GESTURE George Smith, the 111-cap Wallaby icon, has been leading some back-row coaching sessions with England. Doing it for gratis, Eddie Jones quipped he’d buy Smith “a few beers” for the gesture.…

CHILDHOOD HERO I remember the 1991 and 1995 World Cups. Zinzan Brooke changed the way back-rows played with his skills – his drop-goal in the 1995 semi-final was incredible. FAVOURITE HOLIDAY Anywhere near the sea. I grew up on the coast and I like to swim. I like to visit Sardinia and relax on the beach with my family. Perfect. TOUGHEST OPPONENT Xavier Rush. When we played Cardiff, it would take several defenders to bring him down. Ma’a Nonu is another player who is physically devastating. DREAM OCCUPATION When I was a child, I always wanted to be an astronaut. I had a poster of all the planets on my wall. I’m still fascinated by space. FUNNIEST TEAM-MATE Martin Castrogiovanni (far left) is very funny, but I’ll say Wasps prop…

STEVE BAINBRIDGE AGE 59 POSITION LOCK CLUB GOSFORTH ENGLAND CAPS 18 (1982-87) My first England cap was a riot. It was in Paris in 1982 (won 27-15) and is recalled for Colin Smart drinking two bottles of aftershave when he thought it was pastis and having his stomach pumped. Such a night can’t happen now as you’re a second away from being snapped on someone’s phone. Replacements should only be allowed as injury cover. Modern players are twice the size and twice as strong, but generally don’t play for 80 minutes. In my era we’d get tired and the game would open up – how it should be. I was banned by England for two years. The RFU banned players for a year if they got sent off and that…

Clermont’s Viktor Kolelishvili was banned for 14 weeks last month for pushing Wayne Barnes in their match against the Ospreys, an act which referee Barnes had deemed worthy only of a penalty. Here’s what you thought about the ban… He pushed a ref needlessly… if anything it’s lenient. @GTRees1992 If the referee was happy, that should have been the end of it. I don’t condone touching the ref but Wayne was happy with it. David Shaw Simply put, players are taking liberties & it has to halt before it sets into the game. @RugbyCAN_ 12 months. Set the standard. Show youth that our sport is like no other. @iTaff83 Feel the citing officials are now undermining the refs. Steve Jones You can’t touch a referee no matter what has happened.…

“IT’S NOT LIKE IN FOOTBALL WHEN A 16-YEAR-OLD CAN BE CHUCKED IN AND CARVE UP” FACT FILE Age 22 (12 Feb 1993) Birthplace Brisbane, Queensland Position Back-row Club Harlequins Height 6ft 4in Weight 17st 6lb Twitter @jackclifford93 MY TOP 3s Sporting heroes David Beckham Muhammad Ali Chris Hoy Box sets The Wire Sons of Anarchy The Walking Dead Musical acts Justin Bieber (right) John Mayer Fetty Wap NOW A member of England’s Six Nations squad, Jack Clifford is being rewarded for superb form. Like a certain other Quins back-rower, there are questions about his suitability as an openside but he’s not fussed – he will continue on his odyssey and soak up what he can. Here he recalls those who have helped him on his journey… I’ve progressed. I had…

SÉBASTIEN BÉZY The 24-year-old Toulouse scrum-half played representative rugby with fly-half Jules Plisson. He has a slick pass, an eye for a gap and a reliable goalkicking boot YACOUBA CAMARA This talented Toulouse flanker, 21, was called into the squad under Philippe Saint-André but not capped. A strong lineout jumper, he has the pace and hands of a threequarter CAMILLE CHAT He’s the youngest member of the France squad having only turned 20 in December, but the Racing 92 hooker is already fearsomely strong and freakishly agile JONATHAN DANTY There was widespread disbelief when the Stade Français centre didn’t make France’s RWC squad. He should get a belated chance to show his pace and vision in the Six Nations KEVIN GOURDON The 26-year-old back-rower spent his formative years at Clermont…

MEN • COACH Toulouse won ten French titles and four Heineken Cups under Guy Novès, who coached the club for more than 20 years and celebrates his 62nd birthday on the eve of the championship. He certainly has the experience but, given Toulouse’s form in his last few seasons, many have questioned whether the ex-France wing has the tactical acumen to succeed in the modern game. • STATE OF PLAY Out with the old, in with the new! As well as the coach, France have a new captain in Toulon hooker Guilhem Guirado and a batch of fresh faces in their squad. They’ve lost experience, the likes of Thierry Dusautoir, Nicolas Mas and Pascal Papé retiring, and some serious bulk in the shape of Mathieu Bastareaud. Novès’s selections hint at…

MEN • COACH Sometimes he comes across as a closed book – a quiet man, happy in his own head – but Vern Cotter is no prude. He had Scotland playing some bolshie, attacking stuff during last year’s World Cup and will go into his second Six Nations without any fear. • STATE OF PLAY Confidence will be high among fans in Scotland after their team’s near-miss in the World Cup quarter-finals, when Greig Laidlaw and Co came so close to edging out Australia. But last year we saw the Scots finish dead-last in the Six Nations and in 2016 Glasgow Warriors – who still make up the bulk of the Scotland team – are languishing. With only two home games in this competition, Scotland need to build momentum from…

AUSTRALASIAN GROUP AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE BRUMBIES Titles Two Last year Losing semi-finalists Coach Stephen Larkham Odds 10-1 Key man David Pocock was back to his best last year, not only snaffling ball but proving a master at scoring from driven lineouts. Fans will want more of the same. Prospects A strong all-round game, while the fact Stephen Moore and Matt Toomua are leaving at the end of the season could provide extra inspiration in the knockouts. FORCE Titles None Last year 15th Coach Michael Foley Odds 100-1 Key man Wallaby Ben McCalman gave the Force a boost at the end of a disappointing season in 2015 by re-signing for a further three years. A consistently high performer and important leader from the back row. Prospects They lack the star quality of…

GB PREP Great Britain will replace Wales and England at this summer’s European Sevens Grand Prix, a move that will help the squad prepare for the Olympics. HISTORY MAKERS Hong Kong have played a two-Test series in Spain – their first Internationals outside Asia. They lost heavily, but the tour will serve them well ahead of the Asia Rugby Championship. DRY RUN Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and Peru will compete in a test event at the Deodoro Olympic Park in Rio on 5-6 March. CLARK GONG England centurion Rochelle Clark (left with Eddie Jones) was honoured with a tankard at the Rugby Union Writers’ Club Awards for her services to rugby.…

SLINGBACKS LOSS Louise Stewart, an industrious back-row forward, has bidden farewell to Rosslyn Park Slingbacks and is returning home to Australia. She said: “I’ll still be a Slingback forever.” CREAMING IT Redruth retained the Rodda’s Milk Cup with a 22-15 away win over their near neighbours Camborne. PARK STROLL A 52-19 victory over Blaydon enabled Darlington Mowden Park to win the Candy League for the first time, having led 24-7 at half-time. PRODIGAL RETURNS No 8 Robbie Stapley is back with Redingensians after three years with Henley Hawks and was a try-scorer when they won 41-39 at Chinnor in a bottom-of-the-table Two South match. STALWART SARACEN After years of loyal service, Steve Goodwill has resigned as coach of Otley Saracens, the club’s second team. The Two North club’s committee paid…

FEELING CHIPPER Chippenham broke an 11-match losing run in National Three South-West when defeating Ivybridge 22-19. DOUBLE JOY Flanker Andy Francombe played his 900th game for Bristol Telephones in the same match in which his son Adam made his debut on the wing. PRIZE GUY Brixham captain Adam Thomas became the Torbay Sports Personality of the Year and his Devon Cup-winning side were named as Team of the Year. TON UP Avon fly-half Rob Fitch reached 100 points this season with a touchline conversion in the 12-5 Western Counties North win over Whitehall. BARUM BLITZ Table-topping Barnstaple notched their first win at Old Patesians in 15 years with a 61-9 success in National Three South-West. COACH CHANGE Barts Rugby, of Western Counties North, have parted company with Chris Leech, paving…

1 LOOSENING UP Full-back Nick Abendanon: “We use the Wattbike and do stretches before we get going. It’s more just to loosen yourself up, to get your muscles ready for what’s to come, and also for recovery, just to make sure you can put everything into your next session.” 2 TRAINING YOUR EYES Abendanon: “The Crazy Catch rebound net is one of the bits of equipment I use the most here – I have worked on my eyes with Dr Sherylle Calder for a number of years. Catching an unpredictable ball works on your tracking and peripheral vision.” 3 PUSHING THE COFFIN Lock Jamie Cudmore: “Pushing a Prowler like this helps with your body position. Your main job as a second-row is pushing in the scrum, so it helps you…

What’s needed One ball per two players, tags and belts, cones to mark out a playing area. How to play Divide the players into equal teams of hares (ball-carriers) and hounds (chasers). Give a ball to each hare and pair each one with a hound. On the coach’s order, the hares try to escape the hounds. Tagged players should leave the pitch, while the successful tacklers join the other hounds to hunt down the remaining hares. When the last hare is caught, and declared the winner, the hares and hounds swap roles. Tactics Hares can practise footwork and evasive running, while the hounds should work on tag-tackling and watch the ball-carrier’s feet to anticipate their next move.…

1. Crosta & Mollica Street Pizza Grab fuel on the fly with these folded pizzas. £1.99 from crostamollica.com 2. Blackroll Groove Get one of these self-massage rollers for £29.99 at rugbystore.co.uk 3. Skins tights Compression leggings worn by the likes of David Pocock and Michael Hooper – buy a pair for £70 at skins.net 4. Canterbury Eclipse holdall Big enough for your match-day rugby stash. £32 at canterbury.com 5. adidas Crazyquick Malice SG boots Worn by the likes of Anthony Watson, these are designed for outside backs. They’re £159.99 from lovell-rugby.co.uk 6. UA Storm Armour Fleece This will keep you toasty in the cold snap. £50 at underarmour.co.uk…

THE GOLF CARTS OUTSIDE THE HOTEL PROVED TOO TEMPTING IN 1995, I went on tour to Texas with a group of players from Edinburgh, writes RW reader Martin Macari. Despite plenty of shenanigans, we appeared to create a great impression and the Texans were welcoming to this mass of kilt-wearers. On the penultimate morning, when we were staying in a plush hotel in Dallas, the manager joined us at breakfast and said how great it was to have us and how well behaved we’d been. With one night to go, I had a terrible sense of foreboding that she had tempted fate. And she had. Most of the tourists went out that night and drank prodigious quantities of Texan beer. It was thus not surprising that the row of golf…

JAPANESE TURN Highlanders boss Jamie Joseph will become the head coach of Japan at the end of the Super Rugby season. STAYING STRONG There will be a week of fund-raising activities in Singapore from 23-27 February to raise funds for #StayStrongForOws – the campaign to aid the rehab of former Cardiff Blues centre Owen Williams (below), in his recovery from a serious injury suffered at the World Club 10s in Singapore in 2014. To find out more visit www.staystrongforows.com EAGLE HAS LANDED USA captain Chris Wyles has retired from Test duty for the Eagles 15s, but hopes to feature for USA Sevens at this year’s Olympics. COACHING SWITCHES Harlequins director of rugby Conor O’Shea is to leave the club at the end of the season. Former Canada head coach Kieran…

“The captain can spout off any old rubbish” IT’S GOING to be an odd experience watching the Six Nations on ITV. Thankfully, they showed during the World Cup that they have finally learned how to ‘do’ rugby. They aren’t short of a bob or two and brought in the best commentators, presenters and pundits money can buy, which was the main factor in their coverage being pretty watchable. And no miserable old pros in sight to drag down the mood. Things actually got off to a ropey start, when it became apparent that they would be shoehorning in an ad break between the anthems and the kick-off. Sacrilege! But you soon get used to these things, and there was a hidden benefit from this; it allowed a moment’s respite from…

“The younger guys concern me. You hope they still have an avenue back into Super Rugby” THE WORLD CUP has seen an exodus of highly-experienced internationals leaving Super Rugby for the northern hemisphere – household names like Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Dan Carter. They have moved on for life experiences because rugby has given them a chance to live in countries like England and France. I’m not too concerned about that small band of elite players, it’s the younger guys that concern me. You can’t begrudge a player disappearing up North for two years – that’s always happened – but you hope they still have an avenue back into Super Rugby, in the way Jerome Kaino or Leon MacDonald did. The message shouldn’t be, ‘If you’re over 26, we…

“TO GET THAT SECOND SHOT MEANS YOU REALLY RESPECT IT” FACT FILE Age 34 (4 Sep 1981) Birthplace Hawera, New Zealand Position Tighthead Province Connacht Height 6ft 2in Weight 19st 2lb Ireland caps Eight MY TOP 3 OPPONENTS Cian Healy “He’s so strong and powerful – and pretty clever too.” Gurthrö Steenkamp “An old foe from my Super Rugby days.” Wyatt Crockett (right) “He’s just a big, strong man.” BACK IN 2011, mere days after captaining Waikato in an unsuccessful ITM Cup final, Nathan White announced he would be leaving New Zealand. He had just turned 30 and, with some mates having left their lives as contracted Waikato Chiefs, he decided to leave the franchise and take the plunge by signing for Leinster. He wasn’t sure what would come from…

THE FACTS RORY BEST Age 33 (15 Aug 1982) Born Craigavon Province Ulster Position Hooker Height 5ft 11in Weight 16st 8lb Ireland caps 89 Points 40 (8T) Twitter name @RoryBest2 RORY BEST remembers a time when he was young and innocent and sitting in the back seat of his father’s car heading for Dublin to watch Ireland play in the Five Nations. There’d be a routine to those trips. There’d be quizzes on the slow road south. In those days there was a series of towns and villages they had to go through to get to Dublin and like Mastermindon wheels, young Best’s knowledge would be tested. ‘Which one’s next? What’s after that?’ The motorway has taken those places out of his route now, but he still recalls them. He…

MEN • COACH Meticulous, thorough, innovative – all adjectives that have been used to describe Joe Schmidt. He won two European Cups at Leinster and has guided Ireland to two successive Six Nations titles, but after an unceremonious exit from the World Cup he now faces his biggest challenge. Can he rebuild the team’s confidence and game plan after Ireland were so ruthlessly exposed by Argentina in the World Cup? • STATE OF PLAY Here’s the bad news: the iconic Paul O’Connell has retired; his ready-made replacement – judging by World Cup performances – Iain Henderson is injured, as is rock-solid back-row Peter O’Mahony; Argentina ran them ragged in their last outing; and the provinces have been somewhat below par in the Champions Cup. So what about the good news?…

MEN • COACH Bristling, bold and brilliant, Warren Gatland is the longest-serving coach in the tournament. Peerless in terms of achievements – he’s won European Cups, Premierships, Grand Slams and a Lions series – he has kept faith with a long-standing management team that includes defensive supremo Shaun Edwards (Wales conceded only three tries at the World Cup). • STATE OF PLAY Gatland has said he’d like to reward a World Cup squad that went through so much, so there is little change. Mike Phillips has retired and, at loosehead, veterans Gethin Jenkins and Paul James will surely give way to Rob Evans in time. Sam Warburton is feeling his way back to fitness but there is no dearth of leaders, with Jenkins and Alun Wyn Jones both Test centurions.…

THE EXCITEMENT in the hearts and minds of those women’s players now preparing to take part in the Olympics in August in Rio de Janeiro must be impossible to contain. The idea that rugby is back in the Games after nearly 100 years of absence is one thing, but the fact that the boom in the women’s game has given rise to their own competition must be applauded to the rafters. There are no qualifications to these emotions. Personally, I find it bitterly disappointing that the International Olympic Committee have allowed only 12 teams to enter the men’s and women’s competitions, allowing just 288 players from rugby’s elite to take part. As so many have discovered, it is relatively easy to run a tournament for twice as many teams in…

HE MAY not have been mobbed by fans in quite the same way as, say, a member of One Direction, but what Pumas wing Santiago Cordero had to go through still made him feel uncomfortable. “After returning from the World Cup, I went to my girlfriend’s sister’s kindergarten end-of-year show and the little children were all over me, jumping on me, asking for photos. Rather than focusing on their show they wanted to be close to me and it created a small chaos,” he says, talking to Rugby World in the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) headquarters in the leafy outskirts of Buenos Aires. He is essentially shy and feels most comfortable amongst family and friends, whom he constantly refers to. “I believe I’m still the same person and I…

EXILE HONOUR London Welsh kit man Terwyn Williams received one of the Rugby Union Writers’ Club’s coveted tankards to recognise his 45 years of service. MORGAN MOVE Bristol are losing Wales international Matthew Morgan (right), last season’s Championship Player of the Season, to Cardiff Blues. Matt Sherratt is also making the switch in the summer to become Blues’ attack and backs coach. JOB FOR DEACON Former Leicester and England lock Louis Deacon has joined the Moseley coaching team until the end of the season, focusing particularly on lineouts. CHARITY DAY Bedford Blues presented £5,000 to Cancer Research after fans raised the money at the club’s Ladies Day.…

CLEAN SWEEP Langley School, of Loddon in Norfolk, won all five county school age-group titles in a series of floodlit finals at Eastern Counties One club Thetford. SIBLING SUCCESS Wymondham fielded three pairs of brothers in the 47-7 Eastern Counties One win at Thurston – Billy and Charlie Duffin, Conor and Auden Airdrie, and Josh and Joe Cousens. QUICK THINKER Referee Ben Graveston, who’s a former Army medic, won praise for helping a stricken spectator to regain consciousness and make a full recovery at the Maldon-Ilford Wanderers match. PUMA PATHWAY Keir Wenham-Flatt, Argentina’s S&C coach at RWC 2015, addressed students at Easton & Otley College, near Norwich. His theme was his journey to the top of his profession. WATCHING BRIEF Ex-Bedford pupils and England players Andy Gomarsall and Martin Bayfield…

We have an amazing centre here with everything at our disposal, but it doesn’t take away from hard work, teamwork and weights or recovery. You can do what we do on a budget: Try filling a garbage can full of ice water for recovery at the end of training. You can work out in any gym or push cars with the handbrake off down the drive (safely!) if you’ve no sled. It’s up to ingenuity and how much you want it. If you want to train like that you can, without a centre. Be creative, use what you’ve got. At the end of the day it’s a game, so put in the effort in training so you can have more fun in the game.…

1 BARBELL ALTERNATING LUNGE 4 x 6 REPS EACH LEG With bar across chest, step forward, moving into a deep lunge position. Return to start and alternate. 2 DROP JUMP 4 x 6 REPS With box knee-high, step off with one foot and land on both. Bend knees to rebound as high as possible. 3 BACKWARDS SLED DRAG 4 REPS FOR 20m Use a heavy sled, lean back and keep straight. Drive through each step and move steadily back at fast walking pace.…