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Australia star Fardy slams SANZAAR as 'faceless men in suits'

Brumbies and Australia lock Scott Fardy

Australia international Scott Fardy has labelled Super Rugby’s governing body SANZAAR as “faceless men in suits” following the decision to cull three teams from the competition.

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The 18-team format in Super Rugby will be trimmed back to 15 from next season with one Australian and two South African sides to be cut.

One of Melbourne Rebels or Western Force will be chopped in Australia, although the process may become a drawn out affair if the teams follow up on suggestions they could take legal action against the Australian Rugby Union (ARU).

Fardy, who plays for Brumbies, is to leave the competition at the end of the season to join Leinster, but the Wallabies lock took a parting shot at SANZAAR over the uncertainty players are facing.

“It’s disappointing it’s taken this long but is anyone surprised? This is the game we’re in, it’s been like this for a long time,” he told reporters.

“The officialdom in this game has always been like that.

“Obviously everyone looks at the ARU at the moment but you wouldn’t know who the head of SANZAAR is at any point – I wouldn’t know what he looks like.

“In other sports, especially in Australia, you have a head we can look at. In SANZAAR rugby we don’t know who is running it.

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“It’s faceless men in suits in board rooms.”

On the future of players at the Force and the Rebels, Fardy added: “It’s guys’ livelihoods. It’s incredibly tough for players to have go through that.

“I’m hoping that with all that stuff we get change so we’re not having these conversations in five or 10 years.”

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Nickers 27 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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