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Forgotten Scotland back returns to training two years since his last cap

Duncan Taylor

Scotland and Saracens centre Duncan Taylor is back in training with Scotland ahead of the World Cup in September.

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A video was shared on Twitter by Mark Palmer of the 29-year-old running, although his knee is heavily strapped.

The powerful centre was a surprise call-up to Gregor Townsend’s World Cup training squad in May, after he missed all of last season after rupturing his ACL and PCL in September 2018. That came after another torrid year with injuries, where he barely played for Saracens either.

Taylor now has not represented Scotland in over two years, earning his last cap against Fiji in September 2017. However, he was looked upon favourably by Vern Cotter and now Townsend, which is why he made the squad despite so little game time. Also, his versatility could prove useful, as he can also play on the wing.

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The strapping on his knee may just be precautionary as he works his way back to full fitness, or it may be an indication that he may still have a weakness there, but Scottish fans will be glad to see him back in training nonetheless.

The 21-cap international will want to impress the selectors during this training camp in the hope of making the final squad in a few months. However, having played so little rugby, he has a lot of work ahead of him.

Speaking in May, Townsend said: “Our goal is to deliver our best rugby on September 22nd [when Scotland face Ireland in the opening Pool round] and throughout the following few weeks, so there will be a big conditioning element driving us towards that.

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“We’ve got to be ready to play with energy, huge effort and be fitter than every team we come up against. That will enable us to attack and defend at a high level and put pressure on the opposition.”

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N
NB 38 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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