Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2022 i Rugby World

“Who is the best player in the world right now?” AS THE year draws to a close, there is plenty of talk of standout players and teams in 2021. Here at Rugby World we’ve compiled our biennial list of the planet’s best 100 players right now, with France’s talismanic scrum-half Antoine Dupont in top spot. For me, Wallabies captain Michael Hooper also deserves a mention for his unwavering standards. A word, too, for the Red Roses. England’s women have undoubtedly been the most successful team of 2021, following up another Six Nations title with back-to-back record-breaking wins over the world champions New Zealand. Not only are they building strong momentum for next year’s World Cup – 18 straight victories and counting – but they, and France, have dismantled the Black…

WEEKEND 3-4 DECEMBER World Sevens Series (Dubai) FRIDAY 3 DECEMBER Gallagher Premiership Gloucester v Bristol (7.45pm) TV Live on BT Sport United Rugby Championship Bulls v Scarlets (5.35pm) TV Live on BBC Wales & Premier Edinburgh v Benetton (7.35pm) TV Live on Premier Sports Leinster v Connacht (7.45pm) TV Live on TG4 & Premier Sports RFU Championship Nottingham v Jersey (7.45pm) SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER Gallagher Premiership Exeter v Saracens (3pm) TV Live on BT Sport London Irish v Newcastle (3pm) Northampton v Bath (3pm) Worcester v Wasps (3pm) United Rugby Championship Sharks v Zebre Parma (1pm) Ospreys v Ulster (3pm) TV Both live on Premier Sports Lions v Munster (3.30pm) TV Live on RTÉ & Premier Sports Stormers v Cardiff (5.45pm)  TV Live on S4C & Premier Sports Glasgow v…

8 Canada Canada forward Sophie de Goede (above) scored 16 points as Queen’s Gaels beat Ottawa Gee-Gees 26-18 to win the U SPORTS Women’s Championship. As well as the university title, she was named MVP. 9 Brazil Brazil beat Colombia 36-5 in the final of the Women’s Sudamérica Sevens – their 19th title! – to qualify for next year’s Sevens World Cup in South Africa. Colombia also qualified by dint of being runners-up. 10 France French referee Romain Poite (above) took charge of his final International last month – Scotland’s win over Australia at BT Murrayfield. It was his 72nd Test match, which puts him third on the all-time list behind Nigel Owens and Wayne Barnes.…

TWO 15S World Cups, two Sevens World Cups, Commonwealth Games gold and Olympic gold (and silver). It’s a mightily impressive medal haul for Kelly Brazier, and that’s before you throw in the six World Sevens Series titles. There are men’s players who have two World Cups – South Africa’s Frans Steyn was the latest player to achieve the feat in 2019 – while Anna Richards triumphed an incredible four times in the women’s 15s showpiece. Others have won a combination of medals, like Lawrence Dallaglio and Matt Dawson, who were part of England’s triumphs at the Sevens World Cup in 1993 and the 15s event in 2003. Yet no one can match Brazier’s overall tally across the two codes. So how does it feel to be described as rugby’s most…

WITH 110 Australia caps and a senior career spanning a decade and a half, Will Genia has seen his fair share of decent players. Yet every so often there is somebody who stands apart, who offers something unique, special even. “Just look at the guy,” says the former Wallabies scrum-half of Taniela Tupou. “He’s a genetic freak. He’s stronger than almost anyone, is as quick as most backs over ten metres, has skills a back would be proud of and, most of all, he plays rugby with so much joy in wanting to express himself. I love him as a player.” We’ll come to his skill-set shortly but first let’s discuss his character. Rugby may not be as full of ‘personalities’ as it was in eras past, but the ‘Tongan…

Pro deals The WRU will offer professional contracts to ten female players from January 2022, with a further 15 given retainer contracts. WRU performance director Nigel Walker said: “We are committed to making the women’s programme one of the best in the world and this is a first but major step in the right direction.” End of an era Ireland captain Ciara Griffin (below) has retired from Test rugby aged just 27. The back-rower said: “It has been a childhood dream come true to play for my country. It’s a decision I have not come to lightly and it’s now time for me to turn my focus to my life outside of rugby.” New role Vickii Cornborough has been elected as the RPA’s vice-chair. The Red Roses prop has been…

Returning to Two South after two seasons’ absence, three including the campaign lost to Covid-19, is a challenge that Barnstaple have met head on. They’ve re-adapted well after restoring their highest league status. With a small squad and a limited player catchment area because of the club’s location in north Cornwall, availability is a perennial problem. Flanker Winston James, their longest-serving captain, played his 250th game in October while the head coach is Bryn Jenkins. They run three senior sides and their products include scrum-half Ben Vellacott, now with Edinburgh. Their top youngsters are picked up by Exeter Chiefs Academy and their generous hospitality was recently given the accolade of “second to none” by Worthing president Bob Reynolds. Trevor Edwards, locally born and bred, is Mr Barnstaple with 50 years…

You can’t keep a good club down! Having lost all 25 matches in National Two North two years ago, Scunthorpe won eight of their first nine games this term in Midlands Premier. Vice-chairman Steve Williams said: “The Covid-19 lay-off had some surprising benefits. It allowed the guys to recover from injuries. Our current squad has more young players and we have developed new attacking patterns. We learnt some hard lessons in National Two against stronger and fitter teams.” Fly-half Tom Foster, now in his 40s, has captained the first team for 14 seasons and DoR Tim Robinson played for England U21. They run four regular senior teams, three men’s and a women’s, and have 285 youngsters. They sadly miss Louie Clayton, the club’s driving force who died in 2020. During…

JASMINE JOYCE exploded onto the rugby scene with her blistering pace, tenacity and try-scoring. She has flown through the ranks playing for Worcester and now Bristol. The sparks of brilliance she has shown for Wales transcended into the Barbarians team and have been amplified in sevens, becoming Team GB’s star asset – her try-saving tackle in the Vancouver Sevens final went viral. The positive and smiling approach she offers is a breath of fresh air. But that doesn’t hide the determination and guile she exhibits on the pitch. She has 20 Welsh caps and for girls who want to take up the game there is no better role model on how to conduct yourself. Joyce, 26, is renowned for scoring scintillating tries. But to think this is her only weapon…

ACROSS 1 Under the - - -, official United Rugby Championship podcast (6)5 John - - -, New Zealand’s full-back in the 1993 Lions series (4)8 A match between two countries (13)9 Dragons fly-half who thinks a drinking incident on the 2017 Wales tour cost him in selection (3,6)10 Do - - - Office, a sponsor of Sale Sharks, favour meditation? (3)11 Pablo - - -, Pumas back-row who was ordered to undergo anti-discrimination training (6)13 Ex-Wallaby coach Michael - - - is now director of rugby at Japanese club NEC Green Rockets (6)16 “One below - - - game isn’t a reason to drop Owen Farrell,” said Eddie Jones last February (3)17 - - - Barbarians, England’s first mixed ability rugby team, is buzzing (6,3)19 Where to find the Waratahs…

2022 JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MA Y JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER…

“What does the eligibility rule change mean for the game?” It’s a change that Samoa and Tonga, in particular, have been pushing for, so that players who have previously represented Tier One nations, like England and New Zealand, could now play for the islands. Charles Piutau, who last played for the All Blacks in 2015, will be able to represent Tonga next year. Semesa Rokoduguni hasn’t pulled on an England shirt in a Test since 2017 so could opt to switch to Fiji. Stade Français centre Ngani Laumape, who has Tongan heritage, was a big advocate for the change, although he isn’t eligible to switch until November 2023 because he played for NZ last year. World Rugby has said this amendment will “benefit players and the global competitiveness of rugby”,…

“The puns that annoy people the most are my favourites” TELL US about your love of puns… It’s 100% my dad. He always used to do awful puns, then one day I punned back to him and he was shocked. Then whenever there was a topic we’d pun back and forth until someone couldn’t think of another one. In England camp I probably get more groans than likes for my puns. The ones that annoy people the most are my favourites – a groan is a good pun. You finished your mechanical engineering degree in 2020. Did any experiments ever go wrong? The best thing about Imperial is that they try to get you to fail so that you can learn. One thing we did was make a catapult as…

ONE OF the many cherished aspects of rugby is the relationship between the referee and captain. This respectful partnership has been a cornerstone of the game that separates us from many other sports. The best referees tread a line, too. Not too pally, not too serious. It’s also not an open door, as there is a time and a place and the relationship should not be abused, to waste time, distract or slow up the game. The best in the world at it are naturals at referee management. Guys like Alun Wyn Jones and Michael Hooper are the best in class. More often than not, they ask the right question at the right time. They are clearly very smart guys. It could be an off-the-cuff remark or comment made. It’s…

TONY RIDNELL I’M SURE in the aftermath of that day at Kingsholm in 1991, where the Eagles fought proudly against the world champion All Blacks, there was talk of how the USA would beat them in 20 years’ time. Down only 3-0 after 25 minutes and with a final score of 46-6, the locker rooms could have been mistaken for which team had won. Fast-forward 30 years and USA Rugby has not only not come closer to competing at the top, it has retracted significantly. But for 15 turnovers, the 104-14 hiding by New Zealand could have gone way over 100. It was a complete disaster in terms of gaining credibility on the world stage. Off-field, it was a wasted financial opportunity. Years of financial mismanagement made us a shell…

PREMIERSHIP RUGBY has plenty of opportunities to grow the game. Although, they may be found wanting in this critical department. Let’s focus on the website. When I compare it with the Premier League’s website, I immediately notice a key ingredient is missing. Why isn’t there an official rugby fantasy league comparable to the likes of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) in football? Premiership Rugby is missing an opportunity. An official fantasy league adds another dimension to the fans’ experience. Even the most diehard fans will be thinking more about rugby during the week than they previously were. A fantasy league can attract new fans. For instance, I was roped into playing FPL this year by a friend. I went from ‘not really being into football’ to ‘being a football fan’ in…

HERE IS barely time to draw breath in pro rugby, writes Alan Pearey. Hot T on the heels of a fantastic international campaign for the North against the South comes the Heineken Champions Cup, involving many of the stars who cocked a snook at New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and Argentina last month. And front of the queue for generating a fan-packed frisson of excitement are Toulouse, with France half-backs Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack at the core of their beautifully-knit offloading game. The reigning French and European champions are chasing a sixth Heineken crown after their defeat of La Rochelle in last season’s final at Twickenham. The Top 14 pacesetters host Wasps on 19 December but launch their title defence at Cardiff on 11 December – a rerun of…

Festive fun Cornish Pirates are running coaching clinics for kids on Wednesday 22 December at St Austell RFC. It’s £10 per child, with sessions for U8-U10 and U11-U13 players. To book, email community@cornish-pirates.com Party poopers Lock James Tyas made his 50th appearance for London Scottish but Hartpury spoilt the celebration by inflicting a 62-19 defeat on the club. Thornton returns Loosehead prop George Thornton (above) has rejoined Ampthill for the remainder of the 2021-22 season after a Super Six-winning stint with Ayrshire Bulls in Scotland. Bank on us Bedford Blues are appealing for donations for their pre-Christmas foodbank collection. Goldington Road will be open from 9am to 2pm on Sunday 12 December to accept items like tinned food, nappies and toiletries.…

“The idea for Mexico is to consolidate the pathway” SINCE LAST December, the Mexican Rugby Federation (FMRU) have had a new board. According to Camilo Falcon, the vice-president serving as sporting director, “It’s an interesting time right now for us. “In Mexico the federal objectives of sports development have two competitions that we consider the pathway for developing a successful rugby sevens programme. We have a national competition called the National Games that involves sports played in the Olympics. So sevens recently started as a sport played in that. “And it’s age grade. So we have 32 states in the country – we’re 130m people in Mexico – and the idea is that the teams representing the state go through a series of qualification stages and then they reach the…

A top-three finish is the target of Imperial in Somerset Premier. Former first-team captain Craig Pullinger, 36 years with the club including 19 as secretary, said: “We’d really like some long-awaited silverware as it’s five seasons since we were promoted as runners-up in Somerset One.” They were formed in 1905 and have claims to fame down the years. Chairman Gary Kitchen, a lock-turned-loosehead, played 800 games for the club, including 476 in the firsts, and Bristol-born centre Kevin Maggs, who won 70 caps for Ireland, was with them as a youngster. Hooker Ryan Randall is in his first season as captain, with prop David Wheeler as player-coach for a club that tours regularly and has a thriving social scene. With two senior teams, boys’ and girls’ sides and minis in…

A whole new world has opened up for York following their promotion to North Premier, their highest level yet, and they’re equal to the challenge. Head of communications Rob Long said: “Our first two away games against Otley and Preston Grasshoppers were a bit of a culture shock. Both had been relegated from Two North. We have to travel more in our new league. Our ‘local’ derbies against Sandal and Billingham are an hour’s drive and other games are anything up to 120 miles distant. All away matches involve coach travel.” Hooker Ross White, a York player for 25 years, leads the side with Lee Denham as head coach. Declan Cusack has a dual role as player-backs coach. Carter Croft, who is responsible for player development, has been involved in…

1 Saudi Arabia Touch rugby is on the rise in the city of Ras Tanura, where Matthew Williams has introduced the sport to children. The coach says: “This sport has the ingredients to not only get kids active but develop the values of the individual. The sport is fantastic and touch rugby allows equal opportunities for girls and boys and is fully inclusive to all children. “We have huge support from the community and amazing volunteers helping to forge and grow this sport.” The group were tasked with coming up with a logo and team name ahead of their first rugby festival in late November. 2 New Zealand Rieko Ioane (above) scored the All Blacks’ 100th try of 2021 against France. Ardie Savea got their last try of the year, their 101st,…

“We’ve witnessed a changing of the guard in the women’s game” THE DATE 16 September 2017 has proven to be significant in the story behind the autumn Internationals, where we have witnessed a changing of the guard at the top of the women’s game. The Red Roses systematically demolished New Zealand in every facet of the game in both their Tests – smashing previous records – before soundly beating Canada and the USA. Clearly the Red Roses set-up, the introduction of contracts and their international coaching and training regimes have all made a huge impact on the way they performed against the Black Ferns. But for me there is another piece of the puzzle that is a huge differentiating factor between the two nations and it goes back to that…

100 BEST PLAYERS CHARLES PIUTAU P43 “I have a motorbike sitting in the garage that I haven’t been able to use as I need to get my licence! I had a learner’s licence in New Zealand but I realised it doesn’t transfer to the UK. I bought the bike off Dan Thomas, and Semi Radradra has a bike too.” “Whenever Antoine Dupont touches the ball, you know something is going to happen. I also love seeing Cheslin Kolbe with the ball in his hands and Will Jordan has been a great finisher for the All Blacks.” “A lot of the art of finishing comes naturally to some players. Being able to read the game is probably a big thing and that helps you get into a lot of positions to…

“Ten is the crucial cog and in Test matches you need continuity” NOT OFTEN in my past have I had to dovetail with another fly-half. At Leinster I worked with Ian Madigan, while in New Zealand I was playing with guys like Ma’a Nonu – a hybrid player with a power game but not a fly-half. But the use of distinct dual playmakers only really came in more recently. Sure in New Zealand, when Dan Carter arrived for the All Blacks he began playing at 12 with Andrew Mehrtens and Carlos Spencer still available. People have been toying with the idea for a while now. But it feels here to stay. These days defences are so well organised. So having the ability to assess the situation very quickly and have…

Team of the Month Kingswood Walking Rugby Club AN INITIATIVE run by Bristol Rugby Community Foundation, who were promoting activity among the older generation, was the catalyst behind something special at Kingswood RFC. Roger Clease and John Thomson picked up the baton and in May 2017, Kingswood Walking Rugby Club was born. From a small initial nucleus – Malcolm Revett, Kay Arkinsall and Bernie Price were other regulars – the club today has nearly 40 members spread across two weekly groups. Games are seven a side, with rolling subs, and feature three short breaks amid the 20 minutes of playing time. Kingswood won everything they entered to start with but Chris Darch, another participant, says the sport isn’t about trophies. “People come at it with different expectations,” he says. “It’s…

As the first old boys’ team to reach the last 16 in the history of the John Player Cup, the most eminent club competition in England back in 1986-87, Reigatian had much to emulate and they’re still doing it in style. That season David Forsyth, now club chairman, played scrum-half in the 12-10 win over Saracens. They’d already beaten Exeter 12-3 before losing 18-6 at Gloucester. Ancient history, maybe, but it’s good to knock the cobwebs off that major achievement. Alex Forsyth, David’s son, is the club captain and still features in senior rugby, having first played for the minis 28 years ago. Now in Two South-West, Forsyth Jnr said: “Our priority this year is enjoyment and getting people back into rugby.” They’ve 30 acres of land and recently achieved…

“You hope to only kick off once or twice in a game. When you have an important kick I think, ‘I’ve done this hundreds of times in training’. There are breathing techniques that can help you to stay calm, but practise your kicks a lot and do the same thing you do in training on the pitch.” “For a drop-goal you want to hit the ball as soon as it touches the ground. A kick-off is different because you want to let the ball bounce slightly. That will make the ball go higher with a longer hang time. The more you let the ball bounce, the higher it will go. I’m quite a front-on kicker and my shoulders will point towards my target line. For a short chip kick that…

“There are soldiers with unglamorous skill-sets and those with razzle-dazzle” THERE’S NO getting away from the fact that special players will always receive special treatment. How that manifests depends on the environment, coach, individual culture of each club and the value set each individual holds. But in every single club I’ve been at, there were certain players who were given more leeway than others for various reasons. Just how protected a talented asset is can be diminished by the senior player group you have. There are some instances when players can be more easygoing with a younger player because they’re given a really hard time by the coach. Sometimes experienced players can rally the troops around someone. But that might not be necessary with big superstars – ultimately they already…