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Despite loss one Wallaby has been singled out for lavish praise

(Photo by Getty Images)

Matt Toomua has received universal praise from fans and pundits in Australia after his heroic performance in the loss against Wales on Sunday.

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The Melbourne Rebels back entered the fray on 44 minutes, replacing Bernard Foley, with the Wallabies trailing 26-8. Within seconds of being on, he made a break down the left side of the field, which ultimately led to Dane Haylett-Petty’s try and Australia’s comeback.

The difference Toomua made once he came on was ostensibly clear, as the Wallabies played with significantly more tempo and pinned Wales in their own half for much of the second half.

In the space of 25 minutes, the former Leicester Tigers utility back took the Wallabies within one point of Wales, although Warren Gatland’s side showed just enough to pull through 29-25 in the end.

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However, the contrast in performance between Foley and Toomua has been noted by many Australians, who have questioned why Michael Cheika ever opted to play with the New South Wales Waratahs flyhalf. Foley has always been a conservative but popular option for Cheika, but he struggled to get Australia going in the first half. However, credit must be given to him, as he orchestrated Adam Ashley-Cooper’s first half try with a cross-field kick in what was Australia’s only chance of the half.

But the stark contrast in performance in the second half once Foley went off does not bode well for the 70-cap standoff for the rest of the Rugby World Cup, or indeed his international career.

Christian Lealiifano had been the prefered choice at ten for the Rugby Championship, but Cheika went for the player he has relied upon for the majority of his tenure, but it backfired majorly.

The surprising thing is that Toomua did not even need to do a lot to change the game. He was just more direct when he carried the ball and added a bit more urgency into the play. The 29-year-old is probably more comfortable as a centre, but he undoubtedly improved Australia’s lacklustre display. He was also helped by the addition of Nic White at scrumhalf, but he had already started to make inroads with Will Genia on the field too.

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It was an impressive performance, which came close to saving the game for the Wallabies, and this was the reaction on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/LvonFeuerbach/status/1178251591758958592?s=20
https://twitter.com/Jack_Quigley/status/1178233831742156802?s=20
https://twitter.com/Budulnya/status/1178233344401629184?s=20
https://twitter.com/waratahjesus/status/1178280973156282368?s=20
https://twitter.com/BKolia/status/1178246164321198080?s=20
https://twitter.com/RobSutton22/status/1178235929481355264?s=20
https://twitter.com/lucasholmes12/status/1178240398902226944?s=20
https://twitter.com/nightterror92/status/1178245235781955584?s=20
https://twitter.com/thornado_/status/1178233489335959552?s=20
https://twitter.com/WayneLongbottom/status/1178354225010446336?s=20

This leaves the Wallabies with a tough route for the rest of the RWC, as they look set to finish second in Pool D. That means they are likely to face Pool C favourites England in the quarter-final with the likelihood of facing the All Blacks in the semi-final should they pass that test.

The only positive for Australia is the flyhalf debate has been put to bed, as both Lealiifano and Toomua now seem ahead of Foley for the rest of the competition. If they are not, Cheika will be on the receiving end of a lot of criticism.

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N
NB 35 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Nice bit if revisioniusm but that's all it is JW.


For your further education, I found the following breakdown of one prominent club's finances in the Top 14 [Clermont].


For Clermont (budget of €29.5 million for 2021-2022) :

- 20% from ticket sales

- 17% from the LNR (includes TV Rights, compensation from producing french internationals and other minor stuff)

- 5% from public collectivities (so you're looking at funds from the city of Clermont, the department of Puy-De-Dôme and the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

- 4% from merchandising and events

- 3% from miscellaneous

- 51 % from sponsorships and partnerships. They've got 550 different partners. The main ones are CGI, Groupama, Limagrain/Jacquet, Omerin, Paprec, Renault and of course Michelin (not surprising since they're actually the founders of the club).


As you can see nothing comes from the FFR at all. The LNR is a separate entitiy to FFR and their aims frequently do not accord.


It is also why the European breakaway plotted by LNR and PR back in 2013 had nothing to do with the governing bodies of either England or France - and it most certainly did not have their blessing https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/15331030/jean-pierre-lux-anglo-french-cup-detrimental-european-rugby


And from the horse's mouth [ex AB skipper Sean Fitapatrick] about the comp between Top 14 and Super Rugby:


"The Top 14 in France is probably the best rugby competition in the world at the moment, purely for the week-in, week-out.”


“I think the quality of players. They are bigger, they are faster, they are stronger. Which then carries on into the international game.”

Take it from someone who knows JW😅

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