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Courtney Lawes enjoys debut Brive win over a Farrell-less Racing

New Brive signing Courtney Lawes (Photo by Julian Finney/World Rugby via Getty Images)

Courtney Lawes enjoyed a winning pre-season debut for Brive on Thursday night, but the victory didn’t come against his former England colleague Owen Farrell as the out-half skipped the Racing defeat due to illness.

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Eleven weeks after skippering Northampton to glory in the Gallagher Premiership final over Bath, Lawes began his new adventure in France with a 35-19 win in Sarlat over the Parisians ahead of a Pro D2 campaign that starts next Thursday, August 29, with a visit from likely promotion rivals Oyonnax.

Lawes signed off with a lineout catch to ignite the driving maul that helped Brive into a 21-14 half-time lead with a converted try.

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‘This Energy Never Stops’ – One year to go until the Women’s Rugby World Cup

With exactly one year to go until Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 kicks off
in Sunderland, excitement is sweeping across the host nation in anticipation of what
will be the biggest and most accessible celebration of women’s rugby ever.

Register now for the ticket presale

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‘This Energy Never Stops’ – One year to go until the Women’s Rugby World Cup

With exactly one year to go until Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 kicks off
in Sunderland, excitement is sweeping across the host nation in anticipation of what
will be the biggest and most accessible celebration of women’s rugby ever.

Register now for the ticket presale

It had been speculated that the friendly, which took place in front of a 3,500 attendance, would see former Saracens skipper Farrell debut for Racing but he reported ill on Wednesday and the No10 jersey was instead worn by Dan Lancaster, another off-season recruit from Ealing Trailfinders.

Lancaster, the son of director of rugby Stuart, was joined in the 92 backline by fellow summer signing Sam James, who headed across the Channel on a one-year deal after finishing up at Sale. Junior Kpoku, a World Rugby U20 Championship winner with England five weeks ago in Cape Town, was listed among the replacements.

While tier two league action now awaits Brive next week, Racing still have a fortnight to get ready for their September 7 Top 14 opener away to Castres.

Lawes and Farrell aren’t the only recent England Test-level picks new to the club scene in France as Manu Tuilagi debuted last week for Bayonne in their 24-7 win over Provence.

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Mako Vunipola is also set to start for Vannes this Friday night versus Lyon, Lewis Ludlam and Kyle Sinckler are listed as Toulon replacements for their Friday home friendly with Perpignan, but there is no word yet on a first run for Billy Vunipola at Montpellier as their selection to face Aurillac has not been confirmed.

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Easy_Duzz-it 27 minutes ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The world never caught up the All Blacks just went backwards . After 2015 they had a plan to build the team around 2 players . Sam Cane and Beauden Barrett , Cane was hailed as the next Mccaw and Barrett the next carter . Unfortunately Cane sustained too many injures and Barrett despite being a great ball runner didn't have a high enough conversion rate or the game management skills to control the team and the game . Then to make matters worst , the selections were so bad year after year the forward pack became shockingly weak .

New Zealand had so much talent wasted betwen 2016 - 2023 . Laumape , elliot dixon , ben tamefuna , pita gus , ben lam , vaea fifita and so many other in form players that never got a look or the time to develop into great All Blacks .


Then you have the dual playmaker system that never worked , but they kept using it . why ? cause some men cant admit when they're wrong . thats the All Blacks between 2016-2023 . wrong coaches with the wrong vision , going in the wrong direction . now it appears the world caught up . but like I said the world never caught up . then you add the obvious flawed referee calls that happen to go against us more often then for us now . the worst of which that never gets called is when the opposition use rush defence but have players offside . this has been going for years , but who cares ? .


anyway its almost 10 and i need to get some shut eye .

Go the might All Blacks !!!!

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