Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2016 i Rugby World

We set up Pescia Rugby Club a year ago and we provide free rugby to young people in the Pescia area (near Tuscany in central Italy). Recently we received a message via Facebook from Phil McGaffin, the chairman of Leamington RFC, kindly offering to donate a full set of rugby shirts to us. When we received our shirts, Leamington had also included in the kitbag five Rugby World Cup balls as an incredible surprise. Phil McGaffin has never met us and Leamington RFC have no connection with us, but they found out about what we are doing and decided to help us in a way that has made an incredible difference to our new club – we’re showing off our new shirts below. We think the world of rugby should…

THE FACTS MIKE PHILLIPS Age 33 (29 Aug 1982) Born Carmarthen Club Racing 92 Position Scrum-half Wales caps 94 (9T) Lions caps Five (1T) Twitter name @mikephillips009 What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen or heard on the pitch? I wasn’t there but this is one that I’ve heard. During a Boxing Day game, there was a scrum and Lou Reed said, “Hands up who had turkey yesterday!” Who are the jokers at Racing? Juan Imhoff is number one. He does impersonations of the coaches and players, and he’s very funny. Can you tell us about any practical jokes? Last year someone wrecked Dimitri’s (Szarzewski) bedroom. He spent ages trying to get to the bottom of that one and eventually got someone to own up – I think it was Antonie…

WE CAN RIVAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IN TERMS OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT IN THE build-up and wake of the Rugby World Cup, the media was full of articles about rugby players and their educational backgrounds. It portrayed the sport as elitist, giving the general public the impression that the only way to access the sport is through an independent school pathway, which I imagine will have a negative effect on community rugby and grass-roots schemes. Here at Steyning Grammar School (a state comprehensive in Sussex), we have developed a thriving rugby programme over the past three years where our focus has been promoting participation and inclusion in the hope of discovering talent. We now run competitive teams from U12 to U16 and have first and second U18 XVs. Although we still honour…

THE FACTS LUKE FITZGERALD Age 28 (13 Sept 1987) Born Wicklow Province Leinster Position Centre/wing Ireland caps 34 (4T) Lions caps One Twitter @lukefitz11 LUKE FITZGERALD allows himself to ponder the question, if only for a little while. He’s thinking about the upcoming Six Nations and the prize that is on offer to Ireland. If Joe Schmidt’s team were to win the title it would be their third in a row. “I’m not sure any team in history has done three in a row, have they?” asks the Leinsterman. Well, that’s a curious one. By the criteria of yesteryear, no team has ever been declared outright champion in three successive years since four nations became five over a century ago. Back then, teams finishing level on points just shared the…

THE FACTS DAVID POCOCK Age 27 (23 April 1988) Born Gweru, Zimbabwe Franchise Brumbies Position Back-row Australia caps 55 (7T) Twitter @pocockdavid TURNOVER BALL is the most valuable commodity in rugby – and David Pocock is the best in the world at sourcing it. An arch poacher, the Wallaby back-rower hones in on ball at the breakdown with the speed of a cheetah chasing his prey, and is probably more successful in winning the hunt than the big cat. The comparison is fitting given that Pocock has recently spent time in Africa with a charity which is trying to stop poachers of an entirely different kind. Ivory is a valuable commodity in some parts of the world, with rhinos and elephants sadly hunted and killed for their horns and tusks…

QUICK-FIRE PROFILE Name Chris Cracknell Age 31 (6 Aug 1984) Born Windsor, Berks Team England Sevens Debut London 2008 Titles London 2009, Wellington ‘09, 2011, Dubai 2010, 2011 NEW CHALLENGES. Some people thrive when they come up. Some people even go looking for them. If they’re lucky, they will excel like former England star Chris Cracknell. A year ago he was forced to retire due to a knee injury. Six months after that, he decided to leave his comfort zone and move to Fiji, joining up with former coach Ben Ryan. The Fiji boss says he felt he “owed him” and he believes that the move to get Cracknell involved in talent identification and coaching has given the former star a new lease of life. Cracknell is now assistant coach…

CLUB FOCUS SEAFORD As the only club in England to play below sea level, at the Salts Recreation Ground, and the smallest one to receive full accreditation from the RFU, Seaford have two distinctive claims to fame. Chairman Ian Newby, a past player and coach, said: “I’ve been part of this great club for 48 years and we welcome people of all ages through our doors who either want to play or become social members. “My last game for Seaford was two years ago when three generations of the Newby family, Danny, Luke and myself, all played in a match. Last season, we finished fifth in Sussex One and we’re aiming higher this time under John Crowley. We lost Simon Hordell, our captain and centre, for the entire season after…

WHEN OFFLOADERS are around or you want to send a message about your team’s physical intent, a monstrous, chest-level, thunder-smash can be impressive. However, sometimes a chop tackle can be more effective. When you want a turnover, chop masters like Dan Lydiate become so valuable because they floor an opponent for the snafflers to attack. If you’re worried you won’t have the core strength, low centre of gravity or leg drive to do this as often or as well as Lydiate, Rugby World can help. To the left, Mat Grove, from Performance Pro gym in London, outlines three exercises to help you get low and scythe carriers. We also have a tough challenge for you and your team-mates to try, below. THE RUGBY WORLD FITNESS CHALLENGE The bearwalk This is…

1 One hand Practise holding the ball with palm arced, gripping it with all five points of contact 2 Pair up To test your grip, line up against a team-mate, holding a ball each in opposite hands 3 Getting to grips Now grip the ball held by your partner as well as the one that you’re holding 4 Game on! See who has the stronger grip by trying to hand wrestle the balls from each other A GOOD GRIP is an essential skill that league coaches tend to concentrate on more than their union counterparts, writes Nigel Botherway. Yet practising it will improve young players’ passing ability – and reduce their chances of dropping the ball. The key to a good grip is to spread your fingers and thumbs so…

MATT’S ONE-WORD ANSWERS Rowing Pain Tom Coventry Relaxed Room-mate Olly (rowing mate) TV Top Gear Music Country Food Burger New Zealand Open space LIFE HAS been testing for London Irish but in Matt Symons, their 6ft 7in lock, they have one of the best forwards in the Premiership. Signed last summer, he qualified last year on residency for New Zealand, where he excelled for Canterbury and the Chiefs. Yet, as he explains, he was nearly lost to rugby… I first played rugby aged five, at Saracens Amateurs. I played there till I was 16, as a centre. I was average height as a kid but shot up several inches in my late teens. Home was in Herts, a village called Brookmans Park. Saracens didn’t feel I was up to it.…

POOL TWO IS LIKELY TO COME DOWN TO THE ODD BONUS POINT THIS IS one of the most unpredictable European seasons ever and there are 25 Champions Cup matches still to be played this month, with the last two rounds preceded by those fixtures rearranged because of the terrorist attacks in Paris. Here Rugby World turns fortune teller to try to predict the last eight… POOL ONE Saracens celebrated Christmas as Europe’s only unbeaten team in all competitions this season and we expect them to wrap up the pool with wins over Ulster and Toulouse. Ulster were hugely impressive in beating Toulouse home and away last month, and they should do the same against Oyonnax to qualify as a runner-up. Qualifiers: Saracens (28 points), Ulster (19 points) POOL TWO There’s…

Mei Sale Gareth Davies Clive Lloyd Evans I hope Japan can keep getting better and better… Good for world rugby Charlotte Louise Beer Exeter… Because we are awesome!!! Luke Edwards Pumas will build on their RWC success @Vincenzie Wasps. The team is finding its way out from some hard times and playing itself back to the top Matty Finley England under Eddie Jones @LonChildThaDon Pat Lambie as captain in Super Rugby. Eddie with England David Robinson Kieran Brookes. Carry on playing like he is, he’ll be England’s tighthead for years. Wasps get the team award! James Girvan Chiefs to win Super 18 comp because they have some talent in their team and Dave Rennie is a good coach _harry_pratt_ Maro Itoje will be good for England and Sam Cane (pictured)…

JOHNNY WILLIAMS LONDON IRISH AGE 19 COUNTRY ENGLAND POSITION CENTRE When did you take up rugby? When I was about six, at the Redingensians club. I stayed with them until I was 16. I have always played centre. When did you join London Irish? I joined what is called their Silver group when I was 14, then went up to the Gold group at 16 and up to the senior academy at 17. Who has mentored you? At Forest School I had a county coach as my teacher, Richard Pryor. In the London Irish AASE (Achieving Academic and Sporting Excellence) scheme, it was Giselle Mather, and then Paul Hodgson, Declan Danaher and Nick Kennedy in the senior academy. When did you join Irish’s first-team squad? I did a couple of…

THE FACTS JOE LAUNCHBURY Age 24 (12 April 1991) Born Exeter Position Second-row Club Wasps England caps 28 (2T) Twitter @joe_launch IT’S NOT hard to understand why Joe Launchbury brings his young family here. As we crunch our way down the gravel pathway around the grand Chiswick House in South-West London, there is a serenity to the place. It’s calm, quiet, and perfect for a stroll. It is a fitting venue for a morning off, and as Launchbury and fiancée Mallory walk ahead, both holding hands with daughter Blythe, who has only just turned one, there’s a picture postcard feel to it all. That is until Blythe is let go. With the little one sensing freedom, she makes off down the path with all the excitement of someone who is…

THE FACTS WP NEL Age 29 (30 April 1986) Born Loeriesfontein, SA Club Edinburgh Position Tighthead Height 5ft 11in Weight 18st 13lb Test caps Eight (1T) Twitter @WP_Nel WITH WINTER drizzle threatening the Edinburgh air, one of Scotland’s newest champions refused shelter. A saunter up the Royal Mile may not be one of WP Nel’s favoured pastimes he prefers the wide-open spaces of the countryside to any tourist thoroughfare – but this is hardly a hardship for him. Stop for a snap at one of the Mile’s many trinket shops? Sure, no problem. Pose for a photo with a bird of prey? Why not, let’s try it. However, it’s not until we wait for the photographer’s rig to be set up outside the Rabbie Burns restaurant on the high street,…

ÉRIC ESCANDE TOULON Escande is that rarity in Toulon’s squad – an uncapped player! But the 23-year-old No 9 may not remain so for much longer. A pint-sized 5ft 8in, he is one of France’s rising stars and he can kick for goal. More game time ahead of Sébastien Tillous-Borde and Jonathan Pélissié is what he needs. CIARA COONEY IRELAND WOMEN Ireland are aiming to successfully defend their Women’s Six Nations title in the coming months and Cooney is set to play a big role. The Leinster lock made her Test debut in the narrow 8-3 defeat by England in November and impressed with her physical display in a new-look side. NIKOLA MATAWALU BATH & FIJI The Fiji scrum-half is well known to Pro12 watchers, after his three years at…

THE 2016 FIXTURES Weekend 6-7 February Canada v UruguayChile v BrazilUSA v Argentina Weekend 13-14 February Argentina v ChileBrazil v UruguayUSA v Canada Weekend 20-21 February Canada v BrazilUSA v ChileUruguay v Argentina Weekend 27-28 February Argentina v CanadaBrazil v USAChile v Uruguay Weekend 5-6 March Brazil v ArgentinaChile v CanadaUruguay v USA EUSTON STATION is where I first spotted it. The press pack were off for a day trip exploring Rugby, the birthplace of our game, and it – a Brazil rugby tracksuit – leapt out at me. Virgilio Neto, the former general manager for the Brazil rugby union who is now an ESPN commentator, was the man in yellow and he told me all about the game’s growth in that part of the world. His explanation that many…

Team of the Month Tetbury FOOTBALLERS ARE often viewed unfavourably by those in rugby, but a group of them are helping to rebuild senior rugby at Tetbury RFC in Gloucestershire. Hit by retirements and serious injuries, Tetbury had to withdraw from league rugby in 2012-13 and the club were close to folding. Now they’re comfortably mid-table in Gloucester Three having attracted several players from soccer. “Quite a few have come from football as they’re fed up with what football has become,” explains coach Stephen Knight. “Most of the boys are at the start of their rugby journey, but they like the ethos.” Centre Scott Seal, who has played in all bar one game this season, has a football background, as does flanker Billy Udall, while full-back Giles Dixon has played…

EMBARRASSING MOMENT Playing at the Darwin sevens tournament in my early days, my jersey got ripped off and I had to continue playing in just my shoulder pads FAVOURITE MEN’S PLAYER David Pocock – he is a workhorse and one of the best pilferers in the game FAVOURITE WOMEN’S PLAYER Selena Tranter (nee Worsley) took me under her wing and taught me a lot when I joined the sport in 2008. She had the biggest engine and was physically aggressive QUICK-FIRE PROFILE Name Shannon Parry Nickname Shanno Club Redlands, Queensland Age 26 (27 October 1989) Birthplace Brisbane Personality Passionate and easy-going TV programme The Block Last book read Pushing The Limits by Kurt Fearnley Other sport you’d like to do professionally Hockey Rugby highlight Qualifying for the Rio Olympic Games…

CLUB FOCUS CHESTER Steve Bate, Chester’s secretary, knows that Two North is tough, challenging and increasing in quality every year. His club have achieved two fifth-place finishes since winning Three North in 2013 and their aim this time? “The top five again,” said Bate. Led by No 8 Guy Ford, they were ninth heading towards the New Year. The club have an ongoing plan to meet the league’s rising standards with their ‘2020 Academy. Bate added: “It’s geared to developing junior players and helping to feed them into the senior club, with the goal of having 20 National League players by 2020. Our mid-term aspiration is promotion to National One.” England’s Ben Foden and his brother Tom are Chester products, along with George Nott and James Mitchell, both of Sale…

CLUB FOCUS WIMBORNE Two aims are the focus of Wimborne – in the short term, to build on the outstanding promise of players graduating from the colts to the senior game and looking ahead, to win promotion and relocate to larger, more modern facilities nearby. A planning application is being considered by East Dorset District Council. The Southern Counties South club, founded in 1950, have played at Leigh Park for half a century – the ground floor of the clubhouse is a former air-raid shelter. Secretary Rona Kelly said: “Our biggest achievement was winning the Dorset & Wilts Senior Cup and the Southern Counties Cup three seasons ago, but 2015-16 has not been great.” They had only two victories in their first seven games. Jim Kelly, Rona’s husband, stepped down…

RROM PERSONAL tragedies and bitter rows about professionalism, to funny stories about some of the great characters of the game, JJ Williams offers up all kinds of treats in this feisty autobiography, written in conjunction with veteran journalist Peter Jackson. The legendary wing takes the reader inside the great Wales team of the 1970s and on to the triumphant 1974 Lions tour, reminding us of the hardships players endured – for instance, taking six months’ unpaid leave to go on that tour, or being given just two match jerseys to last the entire 1977 Lions tour. He pulls no punches in his criticism of the WRU from that era, revealing he was banned twice for breaching the amateur regulations and was even ticked off by one of the ‘blazers’ on…

MIKE ROSS seems to be giving Ireland centre Darren Cave a few pointers on front-row play, although they’re missing a loosehead prop. But what might one or the other be saying? Write a caption of no more than 20 words, mark it ‘February Caption Comp’ and email it to rugbyworld competitions@timeinc.com. Or write to the editorial address on P10. Please include your name and address. The closing date is Friday 19 February. LAST MONTH’S WINNER Ian Holifield, from Bargoed, Caerphilly, made the RW team chuckle with his caption for this pic of Gavin Henson posing with Pudsey for Children In Need. The winner will receive a giftcard with £100 credit to spend at rfudirect.com “Because of injuries, this is Wales’ new centre partnership for the Six Nations”…

SAT 2 JAN Aviva Premiership Gloucester v London Irish (3) Newcastle v Bath (3pm) Saracens v Leicester (3.15) TV Live on BT Sport Sale v Wasps (5.30pm) TV Live on BT Sport Guinness Pro12 Ulster v Munster (3pm) TV Live on Sky Sports Glasgow v Edinburgh (5.15) TV Live on Sky Sports Top 14 Agen v Clermont Auvergne Brive v Montpellier Grenoble v Oyonnax La Rochelle v Castres Racing v Bordeaux-Bègles GK IPA Championship Ealing v Yorkshire Carnegie Jersey v Doncaster London Welsh v Moseley Nottingham v Bristol Rotherham v Cornish Pirates Principality Premiership Aberavon v Carmarthen Q Cardiff v Llanelli Cross Keys v Bedwas Llandovery v Bridgend Neath v Ebbw Vale Pontypridd v Newport Ulster Bank League 1A Galwegians v Young Munster Garryowen v Clontarf Lansdowne v Ballynahinch Old…

EVERYONE SEEMS to agree that refereeing mistakes are both acceptable and unavoidable. Lots of these observers, though, only remain so measured until one of these errors affects their own team in a big game. I guess this is part of the irrational love we have for sport, but it does make refereeing rugby matches rather treacherous for those in yellow (or pink, or white…). Life is incredibly transparent these days. Whether it’s a company’s accounts, a politician’s decision-making process or a footballer’s choice of nappy brand, everything is visible and everything is discussed. The emergence of social media has led to an enormous increase in real-time feedback and, as I can personally attest, to the public hammering you for errors or views and reviewing your performance. There is just no…

THE FACTS RUAN PIENAAR Age 31 (10 March 1984) Born Bloemfontein Position Scrum-half Height 6ft 1in Weight 14st 9lb South Africa caps 88 Test points 135 (8T, 22C, 17P) THE FACTS ROBBIE DIACK Age 30 (12 Nov 1985) Born Johannesburg Position Back-row Height 6ft 4in Weight 17st 3lb Ireland caps Two Twitter @Robbie_Diack SO IT was a nervous wait?” I probe, swiftly trying to jump on the crux of the whole conversation. “Oh, it can be,” Robbie Diack cheerily explains. “It was our third shipment of wine this time – 45,000 bottles – that came into Belfast. You do get nervous about it because a lot of time and effort has gone into this, and also because my brother-in-law makes the wine back in Stellenbosch. We know exactly about the…

QUICK-FIRE PROFILE Name Glen Kenworthy Nickname Kendo Age 41 (15 March 1974) Birthplace Dunedin, NZ Personality Laid-back Superstitions Apply Deep Heat, and plenty of it! Childhood hero Colin Meads– a tough bugger Toughest opponent Rob Baxter. Martin Johnson pounded me too Favourite holiday Majorca TV show Game of Thrones Rugby funny Two of my team-mates in NZ stripped and chased horses down the home straight at a race meeting. It was on TV and the rugby chairman saw – they didn’t make the squad! Last book read Dust, by Hugh Howey Dish to cook Anything Thai Person you’d like to have met Nelson Mandela THERE’S A new force to be reckoned with in the Greene King IPA Championship. In the second season of their second stint in England’s second tier,…

CLUB FOCUS MEDEN VALE Running only one side is not holding back Meden Vale, last season’s Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire Vase finalists. Based in a former coal-mining village seven miles from Mansfield, they settled into third place and have ambitions to climb from Five East (North) under the captaincy of No 8 Brad Rhodes and with former forwards Nigel Baxter and Mark Drury as coaches. Manager and fixture secretary Andrew Cullington said: “We’ve a young team and would love to get two strong sides out every week. We want to win promotion this season to attract extra players and sponsorship. Our side includes plumbers, bricklayers and electricians, and we’ve a great changing facility shared with the local football team that has a café and snack bar. We drink at the…

CLUB FOCUS SELBY What Richard Nicholson, Selby’s full-time development officer, describes as “an extraordinary injury list” has plummeted the side towards the foot of Yorkshire One. Nicholson said: “Five players have sustained broken bones, alongside other long-term injuries. It meant we blooded several youngsters but there are positive signs that they’re adjusting to the pace and physicality of the senior game.” Centre Sam Weller, ten seasons with the club, is in his first as captain, while Sean Houltham, master in charge of rugby at Pocklington School, is the backs coach. Founded in 1933, Selby have enjoyed memorable days, notably when beating Drybrook 29-25 in the 2013 Senior Vase final at Twickenham. President Ray Adamson, their most eminent past player, graduated to Wakefield and toured Fiji and Australia with England. They…

EMBARRASSING MOMENT I tried to chip the ball in my second-to-last Super Rugby game and it went nowhere. I got told off for it at the video session TEAM-MATE YOU’D LIKE TO BE Tyler Morgan or Hallam Amos, to be so young and in the international squad RUGBY HIGHLIGHT The 2013 Super Rugby quarter-final v the Brumbies, when we lost because a conversion came back off the post. Or playing for the Royal XV v the British & Irish Lions in 2009 QUICK-FIRE PROFILE Full name Rynard Jaco Landman Nickname Ray Age 29 (24 July 1986) Born East London, SA Twitter @toringlandman Personality Some days an introvert, others extrovert Superstitions I eat pizza the night before a game Last book Seven Days, by Deon Meyer. It’s part of the Benny…

CHILDHOOD RUGBY HERO Jonny Wilkinson. I went to his school and played at Farnham. He used to come to the club and our shirts are both up in the clubhouse now EMBARRASSING MOMENT I kicked the ball when playing at the Dragons, when Sean Lineen was coach. The ball went into the stand, a long way back. Sean gave me an absolute earful TEAM-MATE YOU’D LIKE TO BE Leone Nakarawa – he seems to have such an easy life. He sleeps all day, plays on the computer and eats biscuits, then goes on the pitch and plays unbelievably QUICK-FIRE PROFILE Name Ryan Wilson Nickname Geezer. People here think I’m from London Age 26 (13 May 1989) Birthplace Aldershot Twitter @ryanwilson89 Marital status Married to Bex, daughter Ava (three) and son…

RUGBY HIGHLIGHT Winning the Ranfurly Shield with Counties Manukau in 2013 CHILDHOOD RUGBY HERO Joeli Vidiri. I loved his ability to score tries so easily. Fritz Lee is my toughest opponent – he’s just a beast SURPRISING FACT My uncle, Rod Ketels, was an All Blacks prop. He’s my mum’s brother and played before my time, but I’ve seen the jerseys at his home QUICK-FIRE PROFILE Name Sean Martin Reidy Nickname Reidy Age 26 (10 May 1989) Birthplace Auckland Marital status Partner Shiree Williams Twitter @sean_reidy7. I just started on there a few months ago Personality Laid-back and easy-going TV show Peaky Blinders Last book read Legacy, by James Kerr. It’s about the All Blacks and is really good Holiday destination Coromandel, in NZ Dish you most like to cook…