Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Rugby World

Last person you phoned A travel agency to see if they could get me tickets to Dubai for a holiday Most important person on phone I don’t know. I haven’t got any celebrities or prime ministers! Last song played It was a bit of a slow jam from Daniel Bedingfield Favourite social network I’m a Facebook guy because I like watching the funny videos Last app downloaded Netflix Last person texted One of the boys from La Rochelle to see if he wanted to come for a coffee News app Stuff.co.nz, the New Zealand site Music app I’m always on Deezer…

THE DELIBERATE knock-on became a penalty over 20 years ago and it’s created interesting scenarios since. But what is ‘deliberate’? Referees are normally instructed to judge an incident purely on outcome, not intent. Every ref has heard, “I didn’t mean it!” Or in this case, “I was trying to catch the ball.” Yet this is one of the few occasions when you must judge intent. There are a few signs to look for. Is it realistic for the player to have caught the ball? Hand positions are key – is the ball slapped down or is the palm up, with the player legitimately trying to get a hand under the ball? The ref should also consider if two hands are being used. Field position also comes into it. A ref…

1 MATTEO MOSCARDI Age 19 (24 January 2000) Born Rovigo Club Rovigo Country Italy Position Centre When did you first play rugby? Rugby has always been at the very core of my life as both my dad and uncle played for many years for Rovigo and Treviso in the Italian league. My uncle, Alessandro, also skippered Italy in the Six Nations. What other sports did you play growing up? I played soccer and baseball but I felt it wasn’t right for me. Aged seven I moved to rugby and I’ve never left. The values and friendship are the things I like the most. Discipline, respect and commitment are unique in rugby. To play for your team and score tries to help the team reach their goals is amazing, a huge…

THE VARIOUS stories of the ensuing piss-ups will live on for many a year in rugby folklore, writes Josh Lewsey of England’s 2003 World Cup celebrations. On a personal note, I got in after the first night at about 11am, but bearing in mind we didn’t get out till gone two in the morning it wasn’t anything unusual. After a quick photo on the beach and a word from Clive Woodward, we left for the IRB awards dinner. We went straight through the following night again, planning to get on the plane on the Monday morning. Bearing in mind that we hadn’t really been to bed since Friday night, I couldn’t wait for the BA Club World flat beds on the way home. So as soon as we got on…

SPECIAL DEAL Sam Whitelock has agreed a new four-year deal with New Zealand Rugby. It allows him to take up a short-term contract in Japan next year yet remain eligible for the All Blacks. ON THE BOX Wales’ World Cup warm-ups in Cardiff against England (17 Aug) and Ireland (31 Aug) will be broadcast live on Channel 4. CALLING TIME England Sevens star James Rodwell – the most-capped sevens player – will retire at the end of the season. NEW COACH Ex-Ireland Women’s coach Philip Doyle has taken over the reins of Scotland Women. Shade Munro stepped down from the role after the Six Nations. JOB SWAPS Robin McBryde (left) will leave the Wales set-up after RWC 2019 to become Leinster assistant coach. John Fogarty is departing the province to…

“I RETIRED in 2014, after winning the Italian final for Calvisano. I was 39 and wanted to keep active with my kids, so the decision was easy. Plus in Italy, by law, you can’t play any more once you turn 42… But I amcurrently registered in Wales with the Mountain Ash club! “My first year out I took on a scrum-half coach role with Italy for 16 to 19-year-olds. For the last four years I’ve been coach of an U18 academy in Milan, assistant for Italy U17, nines coach for Italy’s U20 academy and I work as a commentator on TV for the Six Nations and Pro14. “I’ve started a sports travel company in Italy with an English mate, too. I’m also bringing an Irish sportswear company into the Italian…

Age 32 (5 April 1987) Born Bristol Club Bath Position Lock Height 6ft 7in Weight 18st 10lb England caps 24 Twitter @Dmjattwood  SEVEN YEARS ago, when Rugby World interviewed Dave Attwood in his early days as a Bath player, we discovered a typical free day of his revolved around chopping firewood, building a doorframe and doing some masonry for his basement. His handyman skills were probably even more advanced than the rugby prowess that had seen him capped by England by the age of 22. He’ll be a property developer when the rugby comes to a stop, we wagered, and in that we were half-right, because in fact he has been busy doing up houses and selling them for profit for many years now. But then he hit a snag.…

RADICAL. Game-changing. Rugby league. All terms used to describe the law change proposals that emerged from World Rugby’s three-day player welfare symposium in Paris. The meeting, which was attended by many of rugby’s great and good, was symbolically held at the French rugby federation’s training facility following the tragic deaths of four players in France in the space of eight months. It aimed to generate debate around safety while proposing law changes designed to reduce risk in a sport that has seen the average player weight at the highest level increase by more than two stone since the dawn of professionalism. The main thrust of the discussions centred around data, held predominantly by the RFU, showing that the ball is now in play for longer than at any point in…

It’s 35 minutes a half, so matches last only 70 minutes. There are also time limits on scrums and lineouts. There are rolling substitutions, with teams able to make up to ten switches during a match. If a team wins by three or more tries, they get a bonus point. Scoring four or more tries also gets a bonus point and if a team loses by five points or fewer, they get a bonus point. Nine points are awarded for a ‘power try’ – this is when the scoring play is initiated within the attacking team’s 22m and there isn’t a break in continuity of possession on the way to the try-line. A power try does not need to be converted. If the opposition concede a deliberate penalty during any…

Home Colwyn Bay, a place of fascinating juxtapositions. We arrived during a 1940s festival, but yards away they had WiFi connectivity on the public beach! Team colours Black, maroon and gold. Stadium Parc Eirias – also known as Stadiwm Zip World for sponsorship reasons. Greatest player RGC isn’t that old – the team was only founded in 2008 – so the fans are proud of any products from the side who have gone on to play in the pro game. Harlequins and Scotland fly-half James Lang was a Gog, as were Dragons duo Tiaan Loots and Jacob Botica.…

1 Exploiting the laws Feigning a maul from the lineout doesn’t just condense the Lions forwards in readiness to defend it. Read is brought to ground on the line of touch before he transfers the ball. The lineout isn’t over until the ball leaves the line of touch or is passed by Read, so the Lions backs must remain 10m back. This allows Crusaders’ backs to advance quickly in space as the defending forwards at the tail can’t leave the 15m lineout zone either until the lineout is deemed over. Having the nine in the back-line creates an extra man and the angle of Reece’s run forces Lions’ outside backs to turn in, giving Ennor space. 2 Confused defence Having run the previous lineout earlier, the Lions defence…

A force for good The Royal Navy Rugby Union looks to support many endeavours and provided balls, cones, drill tops and playing kit to St Julian’s Rugby Club in Portugal. A not-for-profit organisation based at St Julian’s School in Carcavelos, the club is open to any young players from the local community. At U18 and senior level, they join with sister club Escolinha de Rugby Galiza to form combined teams known as the Jaguars (Julian’s And Galiza United At Rugby). Both St Julian’s and Galiza clubs were established on exactly the same day 14 years ago (2005). There is a long history of students from St Julian’s working with young people from the Galiza charity group. The clubs share facilities, training knowledge, coaching and much more – and this year…

SCHOOLS RUGBY in Nova Scotia, Canada, has become the subject of intense debate. On 2 May, the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation made public their decision to cancel public school games across the province with immediate effect, due to concerns over the number of injuries sustained. That prompted a huge backlash and, 24 hours later, Nova Scotia Education Minister Zach Churchill ordered that high-school rugby be reinstated. After a meeting, it was decided Rugby Nova Scotia will take over running high-school rugby for the rest of the season. Paul Roos Gymnasium of South Africa beat New Zealand’s St Peter’s 52-5 in the final of the Sanix World Schools tournament in Japan on 5 May. The Stellenbosch school, who beat Exeter College in the quarter-finals, went unbeaten throughout the tournament.…

CHARLIE MORGAN TELEGRAPH RUGBY REPORTER As a romantic rugby concept born in the amateur era and striving to survive the uncompromising – often blundering – adolescence of professionalism, the British & Irish Lions requires give and take. With that in mind, Warren Gatland’s experience makes him the perfect man to lead the 2021 tour to South Africa and complete a full circuit as head coach. In New Zealand in 2017, the odds were heavily against him. But the wily ex-hooker problem-solved exceptionally well. He swallowed his pride at times, too. Listening to player feedback between the first and second Tests, Gatland amended conditioning schedules to give players a better chance of bouncing back from 1-0 down. It worked, and the Lions tied a compelling series. Even since that last trip,…

“ George Smith is the best player I’ve played with. He’s a genuine freak. He could play in pretty much every position on the pitch.” “I like Ben Mezrich’s books. I read a lot of them when I was a younger – Rigged, Once Upon a Time In Russia, Ugly Americans… He also did the book The Social Network is based on. I find non-fiction interesting.” “Australia are going to win the World Cup. I can’t say any other team but I also believe it. No one expects Australia to and Australia go well when they’re underdogs.” “ Michael Jordan would be an interesting dinner guest. I used to love watching him play basketball when I was growing up and he’s one of the greatest athletes of all time. He’s…

“The lessons are clear. Bring your best product to new markets” WHEN SPORTS think about how to grow their game, it’s never long before they consider taking an event to a new continent, country, city or stadium. You see pre-season football tours by the European giants in the States, Far East and Australasia. The MLB teams journey to Tokyo, Sydney and Mexico City; their NBA rivals go to London or Mexico City for regular-season games. Next season Tottenham’s new stadium will join Wembley in hosting NFL matches. The reasons are straightforward – either there is money to be made or it is part of a coordinated multi-year plan to increase the reach and appeal of a particular team or a particular league. Rugby union has come to the party with…

Charity The Jonny Wilkinson Foundation was set up in 2016 with the aim of reducing the stigma around mental health and having a positive impact on people’s mental health jonnywilkinsonfoundation.com Coaching He’s a regular at England training, helping players like Owen Farrell and George Ford with their kicking Drinks Launched last year, No.1 Living is his range of five organic kombuchas (kombucha is fermented green tea – the live cultures are great for gut health) no1living.com Clothing He launched his clothing company, Fineside, in 2010, ‘designing quintessential British streetwear fashion’ fineside.com Punditry The former fly-half was part of the ITV studio team during their Six Nations coverage and he has also worked for Sky Sports…

THE SCARS of a decade and a half of facial combat are hidden pretty well under low light. But under harsh camera lights, a map of scar-tissue emerges on the face of Saracens’ defensive lynchpin Brad Barritt. It begs the question: how many stitches has a man who puts his mush on the line week in, week out accrued over the years? Looking up as he does a mental tally, he proffers: “Probably over 1,000.” Once the gasps have quietened, he adds: “There was a period at high school where I had the same area stitched seven weekends in a row. Around my left eye, I’ve had a fourth plate inserted in my cheek,” he says, matter-of-factly. He lifts his chin to show another mass of scars. “The designer stubble…

Age 29 (26 Feb 1990) Born Dublin Club Sale Sharks Position Fly-half Height 6ft Weight 14st 2lb USA caps 21 Test points 250 (4T, 49C, 43P, 1DG) Twitter @Aj_MacGinty  SALE FLY-HALF AJ MacGinty was born and reared in a rugby family in Dublin, but life took him across the pond and 21 caps later he is preparing for his second World Cup with the US Eagles. With 250 Test points, he is already America’s third-highest scorer. He talks us through his unusual rugby journey… My dad is Alan and I was always little Alan. My brothers called me Adge and it stuck. Then I moved to America and one of my coaches used to greet me with, “Yo, AJ!” So people call me both. The lads at Sale can take…

TWICKENHAM. It is a town in South-West London’s suburbia. If you were starting to plan an 82,000-capacity rugby stadium, it is one of the last places in England you would choose to site it. It is a bit late now as there is one already there, hopelessly hemmed in. One of the funniest things I have ever heard was an RFU grandee proposing that Twickenham joined the lemming-like trend for Friday night kick-offs for Six Nations games. In other words, he wanted an area already choked to traffic death at rush hour on Fridays to add the traffic of 82,000 other people. Great planning. He was taken away by two men in white coats and umpires they were not. Twickenham is the headquarters of the RFU, of course. They are…

1 MOVE FOR SOME lucky devils, it’s holiday time! No more holding bags, shuttles or bending barbells – get the shades on and hope factor 30 is enough. Of course, it would be a shame to let all conditioning melt away in the sun. Thankfully there are smart ways to stay fine-tuned while you’re by the pool. “After a long season of matches, training and sessions in the gym, it’s key to let your body recover,” says former Harlequins centre George Lowe, who is now a partner in Milo and the Bull, a fitness centre in London. “But you can maintain a good level of fitness and put minimal load on your joints.” Lowe says start with a bit of stretching, as you will tighten up over a season. “You…

Go to bar during breaks in play I found Drinking Games (April issue) very interesting. I live in Finland but love rugby. I started a club here, go to schools to do rugby intros and, when travelling, I enjoy going to matches. And I enjoy a drink while watching. I’ve seen and felt the problem of having to stand up many times when others go to buy drinks or when nature calls. Ice hockey is big here and you can only return to your seat when the play stops. I think it might be worth seeing if that would work in rugby too. You could leave your seat when the need comes, but you could only return when the referee says: “Time off”. Until that happens, stewards keep people waiting…

6th Want a brilliant insight into Welsh rugby? In the book Behind The Dragon – published this Thursday – it’s the players who tell the story of the team, so you learn about Wales’ history and get an understanding of what it’s like to wear the red jersey. Published by Polaris, the RRP is £20. 17th  France (right) lifted the U20 World Championship trophy in 2018, but who will get their hands on it this year? The tournament, hosted by Argentina, kicks off on 4 June and the semi-finals take place at Rosario’s Racecourse Stadium on Monday 17 June, ahead of the 22 June final. 2nd  Twickenham has a packed schedule this Sunday, with the historic England v Barbarians double header. The women’s match kicks off at 12.45pm and the…

Ireland captain Rory Best (above) will retire from rugby after this year’s World Cup. The Ulster hooker, 36, is his country’s third most-capped player, after Brian O’Driscoll and Ronan O’Gara, having appeared in 117 Tests. The first of the regional qualifiers for the 2020 Olympic Games takes place in Lima from 1-2 June. It will determine the South America women’s qualifier, with Brazil (above) among the favourites. Wales fly-half Elinor Snowsill (above) and wing Jasmine Joyce (four tries) played key roles in the Barbarians’ 34-33 win over the USA in Denver. It was the first match against an international side for the invitational women’s team.…

THE ACL injury that has ruled Damian McKenzie out of the World Cup is a massive blow for the All Blacks. His creativity off the ball and with the ball will be missed. That said, there are so many young kids coming through that you expect someone to fit straight in and do just as good a job. “Age is just a number. I’d start Ma’a Nonu at the World Cup” McKenzie played 15 last autumn with Ben Smith on the wing, but for me Smith has to play 15. He’s wasted at wing. He’s one of the best full-backs in the world and his touches from 15 are instrumental to how New Zealand play. McKenzie fills that perfect versatility role, a third ten who can play anywhere, and to…

Vic Looking forward to the new Super Rugby season? Rami Yep! The same format two years in a row – bliss! Vic It was all a bit loopy for a while. Kurt Remember that Nicaraguan franchise we had for four months? Rami Or the rotating eight conferences… Vic TBF I do miss the Sunwolves. Dave Yeah, and while SR makes sense now we also have five South African teams in the Celtic League, three in Rapid Rugby and one in the MLR… Kurt And the Kiwis STILL win every year!…

AS KIDS play touch on the pitch just metres away, lock Fin Field is maintaining his flow of chatter in Mandarin. Several times he stops to throw an aside in English our way, before switching back again. It’s good practice for him because with a contact-heavy session ahead for the South China Tigers here at Kowloon’s King’s Park, he may have to run a few translations for his Chinese team-mate Ma Chong. Welcome to a night’s training with one of Asia’s freshest rugby franchises for the aptly named Global Rapid Rugby. You may have heard of the new… well, let’s call it a rugby concept rather than a league. The brainchild of Australian mining billionaire Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest, the competition has its roots in the movement to save the Western…

SITTING OVER a large Americano in Blod’s Coffee Corner, listening to some of photographer Don’s stories of rock heroes he has snapped, I find myself willing the mug to refill itself. It’s grim out there. It’s cold, it’s windy and the heavens are forecast to open up and soak us right down to our souls. Maybe we can stay indoors, I muse. Which, in hindsight, is not only a totally soft sentiment but one that would have robbed us of meeting some North Walian rugby fans with – and I say this with real affection – unexpected optimism ahead of a rearranged clash with Pontypridd. Coffee cups must always be half-full for so many of the RGC 1404 faithful, here in rain-marinated Colwyn Bay. That is probably the ultimate finding…