W Evans's Roar Profile

And I’ve got to ask, why is Michael Hooper at 31 accepting a place in the Olympic Sevens programme that could go to a 21yo who has been aiming up and training hard to get the opportunity?

Fairly sure that serious calf injuries aren’t exactly conducive to Sevens Rugby either.

Hooper set for Paris sign-off: Wallabies great poised for new RA deal ahead of Olympic farewell

View Comment

Today

The South Africans with Rassie at the helm exploit the rules to suit their strengths – and so they should, it’s like the difference between tax minimisation and tax evasion.
That said, I really would like to see substitutions limited as they are in football so that we don’t head too much further down an NFL route.
More tired players leads to more space, which ultimately leads to lighter bodies, more free flowing games and arguably more emphasis on player welfare.
It’s not about changing the game to disadvantage say South Africa or England either. Players like Danie Gerber did very well when it wasn’t a 23 man game and the Boks won 2 world cups (1995/2007) as well as a Lions series (2009) when benches were less utilised.
Benches should be ‘reserved’ not ‘finishers’

'Next step is eight-zero': Eddie applauds Springboks' 'bold and courageous' innovation to bench

Cheers for such a thoughtful comment Rob9

I’m not sure you could say Murray was a huge risk. He dominated schoolboy rugby in a fashion not seen before (as Angus Bell alluded to). He was a better player than Jorgensen and he’s done very well.

As I say in the article, Murray was a fit for 12, a solution for captain and would have been a huge recruitment asset. If you’re a 16yo playing school boy rugby you’re watching him re-sign with League and you’re thinking “Cam Murray has read the tea-leaves”

Hi High Horse
You know, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there is so much cross over, many of us played league on weekends and union during the week at school (or vice versa).
Matt Rogers, Angus Crichton, Michael O’Connor, even Wally Lewis were in that boat. Many many players have that background.
The point I was making is that he was in year 12, playing union exclusively in high school and there was an opportunity that Rugby very predictably lost…

Brett, yes, that little revelation was reported after I submitted the article.

Inexplicable in my opinion and reflects badly on Rugby, especially when they name checked Murray.

Enjoying being a new writer at the Roar – thanks for your comment!

SSTID

Sigh. I used to argue, especially when we had so many brilliant, flowing games in union during the 90s and 2000s.

It is hard to argue now.

The one thing I would say is that League is a way behind on concussion and player welfare. I don’t see how they can avoid addressing that for much longer, and doing so will ultimately impact stoppages, flow and speed.

Hi Luke- thanks for reading!
Cameron Murray is 184cm and 96kg playing league where frames are lighter. He’d have put on 5/6 kgs in union.
By comparison:
– Lalakai Foketi 185cm and 100kg
– Owen Farrell 188cm and 96kg
– Lukhanyo Am 186cm and 95kg
– Quinn Tuopea 187cm and 101kg.

Sure, Murray would have been no Kerevi or Tuilagi but as Aaron Smith said, a hard running, superb offloading 12.

This is nonsense from Matt Williams, if the Boks want to take the risk then that is up to them, perhaps they have a back row or two that can play wing?

The bigger issue is the bench full stop and the fact that super fit, extra large, very fresh players are coming onto the field.

If Rugby really wants to look at head injuries and physical impact as well as open up the game (encourage running rugby) they’d limit the number of replacements a team could use.

'Seriously': Ex-Scotland coach calls on World Rugby to 'act' on Springboks after 'abusing bench' against All Blacks

That’s a bit of a stretch Jez – only 8 in the 33 as you said.
From the moment Eddie picked the 33 I’ve been of the view that he said to himself:
“Hooper, Cooper, Samu etc might get us past a QF but it’s a stretch to see them winning a SF let alone a Final. They won’t be around next year. So why not take a bunch of young blokes who should make a QF or SF this year and give them the best experience possible ahead of 2025 and 2027.”
Hard to disagree when it’s put like that… for all this stuff about Rennie, I don’t think he’d have won a SF either with a bunch of blokes on their last legs.

Studs and duds: Eddie's 'wrongheaded' selections, Carter '100 percent a concern', 'weapon' fires at last

Watch the replay of the Nawaqanitawase try – McDermott’s pass was way too low.

I like Tate, I think he’s a good sniping 9 but he did no sniping.

Gordon is an excellent 10 but he’s no Lynagh, Flatly, Foley from the tee. They are going to have to think about starting White or Lonergan for their place kicking ability.

Wallabies player ratings: Taniela explosive, Marky Mark dynamite - but lineout and midfield fail to ignite

Watched the whole game live and Im a QLDer but McDermott’s passing was noticeable poor – high, low, to the side, slow. An 8/10…. No way.

Carter Gordon was terrible from the tee and missed 10 points (7 of those 10 were relatively difficult). But he was very good I thought in distribution and defence. A 4/10 very harsh.

Foketi and Petaia were carved up at will in the 2nd half. Worst players on the field. Ikitau a huge miss.

Bell and Tupou absolutely savaged a vaunted French scrum. Won 2 penalties from it, could have been more. Bell best forward on the ground.

The astonishing thing for me is that after 2007, England have been underwhelming across the board and at their most successful when Eddie was at the helm.

No matter how you spin it, he obtained far better results than Johnson and Borthwick, favourite sons of course.

To say that Eddie was successful because of Lancaster but Borthwick is unsuccessful because of Eddie just illustrates why English Rugby is where it is.

Every chance that Georgia and Fiji will push both Wales and Australia all the way.
Also every chance that Argentina and Japan will beat England.
Oh … and could Scotland beat Ireland… yes!

Wide open QF and great for Rugby.

'Not good enough': England in disarray as Fiji pull off historic win to emerge as World Cup's darkest horse

I guess England losing to Fiji is on Eddie too?
Borthwick has had 10 test to shape the side and lost 5 of the last 6 tests…
Again, huge problems with English Rugby ( Beaumont, Top 14, Jobs for the boys) and it’s roosting.

All entitled to opinions and respect your view. But…
Eddie did lead England to a Grand Slam, their first in 13 years. On top of that, he won two away series in Australia (5/1 win loss), another 6 Nations and a RWC Final.
Interestingly, during that time Borthwick was an assistant (from Bristol I think) and Gustard from Saracens to try and bring coaches through.
Look, Jones isn’t perfect, fully agree he has a history of being very affective for 3 seasons and then losing hearts and minds in the 4th (a key Mourinho comparator). But to say his success was off the back of Lancaster… don’t buy it. 5 months after the RWC debacle, Jones won 18 straight.
To me the problems with English rugby prob deserve their own article but certainly the Top 14, Bill Beaumont and squabbling between the clubs would all feature ahead of Eddie.

It’s an interesting point Mungo.
This is where I think there are parallels with Mourinho (a) any publicity is good publicity especially when rugby in australia is largely ignored by the media and (b) I think Eddie is pretty deliberate in the things he says and does.

Thanks Neil Back

If it was a record across 5-10 games I could see your point but across 81… it’s a better record than Sir Clive’s.

Important also to say that Lancaster did well with youth and continued on at Leinster. He also had immense resources to prepare for a home World Cup, was in the seat 4 years, picked Sam Burgess and was bundled out at the Pool Stage…

Lots written about Eddie being the problem in England last year but Borthwick going 3 from 8 and suffering the largest ever loss at Twickenham (in 100 years). Three Red Cards from his last 3 tests I think too…? English Rugby has some issues that don’t appear to have been Eddie’s.

Cheers Rocky.
Fully agreed, Eddie will be judged over the next 3-4 years, not the past 3-4 games.
I do see a lot of Mourinho in Eddie- the way he whips up the crowd, uses the media, gets reaction from players he hand picks in the short term

Hi Jacko
I’m not sure I compared ‘one off successes’.
I noted his Super Rugby title, Bledisloe (which was also a Tri-Nations) and England record. I suppose his 2 x runner up medals at the RWC are ‘failures’ but along with what he did with Japan, impressive in any case.

Two best centres I never saw play live, Danie Gerber and Eric Grothe Snr.

Loved Joost as a 9. What a scrum half he was but the old timers do talk about Gareth Edwards.

Chris Latham was my favourite 15 growing up but Cullen… close second.

And what I wouldn’t have given to see Willy John McBride play.

The 'Favourites Overseas XV' is complete. Will today's players be remembered as fondly as these rugby icons?

I think your comment illustrates the mess to be honest.

The ref and the ‘bunker’ saw the incident which included Jamie George’s ‘involvement’ which the bunker judged to be minimal or non existent (obviously).

The citing meeting has judged the bunker to be wrong. Plain and simple. It’s laughable.

And if say a South African or Irish or Welsh player etc. gets done for exactly the same thing in a QF there’s now a risk of the citing meeting applying a totally different interpretation which will bring the whole tournament to its knees – ie why did the English captain get away with it but our star player not? Has a rule been applied wrongly costing a team a World Cup?

The rules are so badly conceived and poorly written that they are applied inconsistently and unpredictably automatically – the opposite of what a law should be according to natural justice etc.

'Mockery', 'broken game', 'laughing stock': Rugby rages as red card reversal clears Owen Farrell for World Cup

Forget the spate of injuries, it’s these kinds of shenanigans that are going to be a blight on this tournament, mark my words.

I don’t like the fact cards are being handed out like confetti and the rules are an absolute mess that disregard the risk of concussions from hips, knees and feet.

It’s opened the door to a mess on field, a mess on review, a mess before tribunals. And the question must be asked, if it wasn’t the English captain in this situation what would the outcome have been?

Very very poor and a real problem for the tournament…

I think it’s a very fair observation.

The question is, do we look for all the problems with this selection (there are a few) or do we look for the upsides (there are many).

Should also say that many of us who err towards glass half full, Christie included, have copped a fair bit for taking that position… more than being accused of being glass half empty!

But thx so much for your comment.

Worth noting as well that Bell, Frost, McReight, Donaldson and Nawaqanitawase were all in the 23 that lost to Dupont’s France 24 v 23 (lead changed 7 times) in 2019. Can’t be that far off…

Glass half empty much?

To be blunt Jacko, Eddie has given the old brigade a chance and they have lost. Rennie gave them a chance. They lost.

Eddie has gone for youth, arguably he’s left Slipper and White who have underperformed which I’m not sure I would have.

Older Comments