Édition du Nord

Select Edition

Nord Nord
Sud Sud
Mondial Mondial
Nouvelle Zélande Nouvelle Zélande
France France

Le duel Courtney Lawes - Owen Farrell n'a pas eu lieu

CA Brive - Photo du club

Courtney Lawes a signé sa première victoire de pré-saison avec Brive ce jeudi 22 août. Cependant, cette victoire s’est déroulée sans la confrontation attendue avec son ancien coéquipier anglais Owen Farrell, le demi d’ouverture du Racing 92, qui n’a pas pu participer au match car il était malade.

ADVERTISEMENT

Onze semaines après avoir conduit Northampton à la victoire en finale de la Gallagher Premiership contre Bath, Courtney Lawes a entamé sa nouvelle aventure en France par une victoire convaincante 35-19 à Sarlat face aux Parisiens. Ce match marque le début prometteur de sa saison avec Brive, avant le coup d’envoi de la campagne de Pro D2, qui commencera le jeudi 29 août avec un affrontement crucial contre Oyonnax, l’un des favoris pour la promotion.

Lawes a saisi un ballon en touche, déclenchant un groupé pénétrant qui a permis à Brive de prendre l’avantage à la mi-temps sur le score de 21-14, grâce à un essai transformé.
Owen Farrell, ancien capitaine des Saracens, devait faire ses débuts avec le Racing 92 lors de ce match amical disputé devant 3 500 spectateurs. Cependant, après s’être fait porter pâle la veille, il a été remplacé par Dan Lancaster, une autre recrue venue des Ealing Trailfinders, qui a pris la place de demi d’ouverture.

Dan Lancaster, fils de Stuart, le directeur du rugby du club, a été aligné dans la ligne arrière du Racing 92 aux côtés d’une autre recrue estivale, Sam James. Ce dernier a traversé la Manche pour rejoindre le club avec un contrat d’un an après avoir terminé son parcours à Sale.

Junior Kpoku, qui a remporté le Championnat du monde U20 avec l’Angleterre il y a seulement cinq semaines au Cap, figurait également parmi les remplaçants au côté du Français Lino Julien qu’il avait affronté lors de la finale.

Alors que Brive se prépare à débuter sa campagne de Pro D2 la semaine prochaine, le Racing 92 dispose encore d’une quinzaine de jours pour affiner sa préparation avant son match d’ouverture du Top 14, prévu le 7 septembre contre Castres.

Lawes et Farrell ne sont pas les seuls joueurs anglais de niveau international à rejoindre les clubs français récemment. Manu Tuilagi a également fait sa rentrée en France la semaine dernière avec Bayonne, contribuant à la victoire 24-7 contre Provence.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mako Vunipola devrait pour sa part faire ses débuts avec Vannes ce vendredi soir lors du match contre Lyon. De leur côté, Lewis Ludlam et Kyle Sinckler figurent sur la liste des remplaçants pour Toulon dans leur rencontre amicale à domicile contre Perpignan vendredi.

En revanche, il n’y a pas encore d’information confirmée concernant une première apparition de Billy Vunipola avec Montpellier, leur sélection pour affronter Aurillac n’ayant pas été dévoilée.

Cet article a été à l’origine publié en anglais sur RugbyPass.com et adapté en français par Willy Billiard.

Related

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Commentaires

0 Comments
Soyez le premier à commenter...

Inscrivez-vous gratuitement et dites-nous ce que vous en pensez vraiment !

Inscription gratuite
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

B
Bull Shark 28 minutes ago
David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner

Why is Joe Schmidt the best option for Australia? (LONG READ)


An essay for @OJohn with love from South Africa.


OJohn keeps banging on about kiwis and Saffers and everyone else seeking to undermine and bring down Australian rugby… Blah, Blah, Blah. It’s boring and not worth responding too 99 days out of 100.


He misses the point completely that Australians either are or are not the masters of their own destiny. So to blame anyone else but themselves for what the state of Australian rugby is in - is hypocritical.


But recently, Australia has shown signs of life. Personally, I always believed they would be back at some point. At the beginning of this year I predicted that the wallabies would bounce back this year. I predicted that they would overtake England in the world rankings. I am predicting that they could finish second in the RC, could win the Lions series and could make it to a RWC final at home.


I tend to get ahead of myself when I’m excited... Ask my wife. But forgive me for getting excited about the Wallabies looking good! Is it so bad?


Like OJohn, I believe that Australia’s lands abound with natures gifts, including athletic specimens across any sporting code the Aussies compete in. It’s one of the reasons most of us don’t like Aussies. They win sh1t. Regularly. And look smug when they do...


But back to OJohn. And his banging on about the need for Australia to have an Australian coach. Here are a few highlights of his argument:


Several times I've given a list of half a dozen Australian coaches who would be more Australian than Schmidt and just as successful.

Tell me which Australian coaches would be acceptable to coach the All Blacks ......?

Because South Africans and Kiwis and Welshmen and Scotsman are all s.... scared that if an immensely talented and athletic team like Australia is ever able to harness nationalistic Australian passion with an Australian coach, you'll all be s.c.r.e.w.e.d.


And then finally – the list of 6:


Ewen McKenzie, Less Kiss, Stephen Larkham, Jim McKay, David Nucifora, Scott Wisenthal, Ben Mowen, Rod Kafer, Mick Byrne, John Manetti, Jason Gilmore, Dan McKellar.

Plus, a special request:


Keep in mind Rod MacQueen never won a Super Rugby title before he was appointed Wallaby coach but he ended up the greatest rugby coach the world has ever seen. Better than Erasmus even. Who is probably the next best.

Right. I don’t care about the tinfoil hat theories. I want to assess OJohn’s list and determine whether any of them fit the mold of a Rod Macqueen.

 

Like Rod Macqueen the following world cup winning coaches never won a Super Rugby Title:


·       David Kirk, 1987 (17 appearances for New Zealand)

·       Kitch Kristie, 1995

·       Rod Macqueen, 1999

·       Clive Woodward, 2003 (21 Appearance for England)

·       Jake White, 2007 (School Teacher)

·       Graham Henry, 2011 (School Teacher)

·       Steve Hansen, 2015 (Policeman)

·       Rassie Erasmus, 2019 (36 Appearances for South Africa)

·       Jacques Nienaber, 2023 (Physiotherapist).


I couldn't find out what Rod or Kitch did other than coach.


The only coach who has won a Super title and a World Cup?

·       Bob Dwyer, 1991 (A Tahs man wouldn’t you know!)


In fact coaches that have won super rugby titles have not won world cups. Robbie Deans. Heyneke Meyer to name just two.


I know I’m being childish, but I needed to bring this list in somehow because it’s quite obvious that whatever these coaches did before they became international level coaches is largely immaterial. Or is it?


Interestingly Ewan McKenzie (A Tah Man!) has won a Super title. And despite being a Tah Man made it into OJohn’s list. That’s two strikes for Ewan Mckenzie based on OJohn’s criteria so far. Not to mention his 50% win rate as head coach of the Wallabies between 2013 and 2014 (and the laundry list of off the field fcuk ups that swirled around the team at the time).


So Ewan is out.


I find it interesting that, as we speak, eight out of the ten top ranked men’s teams are coached by former international players:

1.      South Africa, Rassie Erasmus (36 appearances for South Africa)

2.      Ireland, Andy Farrell (8 appearances for England)

3.      New Zealand, Scott Robertson (23 appearances for New Zealan)

4.      France, Fabien Galthie (64 appearances for France)

5.      Argentina, Felipe Contemponi (87 appearances for Argentina)

6.      Scotland, Gregor Townsend (82 appearances for Scotland)

7.      England, Steve Borthwick (57 appearances for England)

8.      Australia, Joe Schmidt (School Teacher)

9.      Fiji, Michael Byrne (Aussie Rules Player)

10.  Italy, Gonzalo Quesada (38 appearances for Argentina).


It would appear as though we have entered an era where successful international coaches, largely, have played rugby at international level in the professional era. Or are ex school teachers. Much like Jake White and Graham Henry! Or a policeman.

 

Back to OJohn’s List. That leaves us with:


·       Less Kiss, (I like the look of)

·       Stephen Larkham, (I like the look of)

·       Jim McKay, (Very little to write home about)

·       David Nucifora, (Too old)

·       Scott Wisenthal, (I literally can’t find anything on him on the Google).

·       Ben Mowen, (Too young, no coaching experience)

·       Rod Kafer, (No coaching experience)

·       Mick Byrne, (He’s coaching the Fijians, Aussie rules!)

·       John Manetti, (Can’t find him on the google)

·       Jason Gilmore, (Seems to be working through the ranks, coaching Wallabies A)

·       Dan McKellar, (Not much to write home about, but could be an option).


Applying some logic, I would say the following are viable options based on age, experience in coaching AND the fact that they have played rugby for Australia in the professional era:

·       Less Kiss, (I like the look of)

·       Stephen Larkham, (I like the look of)

·       Jason Gilmore, (Seems to be working through the ranks, coaching Wallabies A)


After having done all this research, I think it’s fair to say that none of these three have the same pedigree as Joe Schmidt, the teacher. Who took a sh1tty Ireland team to no.1. Won a few 6 Nations and helped get the All Blacks to a world cup final in 2023.


Joe’s the best option for now. But if Kiss, Larkham and Gilmore are the business for the future for Australia get them in now as assistants to Joe and stop moaning!!


Errors and Ommissions accepted. Mispelling of names is OJohn's fault.

12 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales all have the same problem Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales have the same problem
Search