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Six débutants avec l'Angleterre pour la tournée au Japon et en Nouvelle-Zélande

LONDRES, ANGLETERRE - 08 JUIN : Ollie Sleightholme des Northampton Saints au centre alors qu'il est sous la pression de Matt Gallagher de Bath Rugby lors de la finale du Gallagher Premiership Rugby entre les Northampton Saints et Bath Rugby au stade de Twickenham le 08 juin 2024 à Londres, en Angleterre. (Photo par David Rogers/Getty Images)

Le sélectionneur de l’Angleterre, Steve Borthwick, a appelé six débutants dans son groupe de 36 joueurs pour la tournée au Japon et en Nouvelle-Zélande parmi lesquels le meilleur marqueur d’essais du Gallagher Premiership, l’ailier des Northampton Saints Ollie Sleightholme.

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Les cinq autres débutants dans le groupe sont les trois-quarts des Sale Sharks Joe Carpenter et Tom Roebuck, le pilier gauche des Harlequins Fin Baxter et son partenaire le trois-quarts centre Luke Northmore, sans oublier le talonneur des Bristol Bears Gabriel Oghre.

L’Angleterre affrontera le Japon à Tokyo le 22 juin – match qui sera retransmis en direct et gratuitement sur RugbyPass TV avant de se rendre en Nouvelle-Zélande pour une série de deux matchs contre les All Blacks en juillet.

L’équipe a été renforcée par l’arrivée de joueurs en provenance de Northampton et de Bath à la suite de la finale de Premiership de samedi, où les Saints ont triomphé. Parmi les 20 avants sélectionnés par Borthwick, seul le deuxième-ligne Alex Coles provient des Saints. Northampton contribue en revanche avec six joueurs dans le groupe des 16 arrières : Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Alex Mitchell, Ollie Sleightholme et Fin Smith.

Trois avants de Bath se sont joints au groupe de préparation suite à leur impressionnante performance défensive à Twickenham : le deuxième-ligne Charlie Ewels, le pilier Will Stuart et le troisième-ligne Sam Underhill. Le demi de mêlée Ben Spencer et le centre Ollie Lawrence sont les deux nouvelles recrues à l’arrière.

Cette annonce survient après la confirmation que le demi d’ouverture George Ford sera absent de la tournée en raison d’une blessure persistante au talon d’Achille.

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« Les Summer Series représentent une opportunité précieuse pour le développement progressif de cette équipe et constituent un défi exigeant pour conclure la saison », a déclaré le sélectionneur Steve Borthwick.

« Pour certains des plus jeunes joueurs, ce sera leur première expérience de tournée à l’étranger avec l’Angleterre. Voyager ensemble est un excellent moyen de renforcer la cohésion et offre aux nouveaux joueurs une opportunité cruciale de s’intégrer dans notre équipe.

« Avec les changements de climat, les conditions de jeu et les styles de rugby contrastés des deux adversaires que nous affronterons, nous serons mis au défi sur et en dehors du terrain.

« Le Stade national de Tokyo est un endroit formidable pour le rugby international, et nous devrons être au sommet de notre forme contre une équipe japonaise qui privilégiera un jeu rapide.

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« Les résultats de la Nouvelle-Zélande à domicile sont bien connus, et nous affrontons une équipe qui est passée à un point de remporter la Coupe du monde.

« Historiquement, ce n’est pas un terrain où l’Angleterre a souvent remporté la victoire, mais nous sommes résolus à changer cette tendance. Les joueurs sont conscients qu’ils devront faire preuve de force mentale et de tactique intelligente pour atteindre le résultat que nous visons. »

Le groupe de l’Angleterre pour la tournée au Japon et en Nouvelle-Zélande

Avants

  • Fin Baxter (Harlequins, non capé)
  • Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers, 112 capes)
  • Alex Coles (Northampton Saints, 5 capes)
  • Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins, 4 capes)
  • Ben Curry (Sale Sharks, 5 capes)
  • Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, 50 capes)
  • Theo Dan (Saracens, 12 capes)
  • Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins, 17 capes)
  • Ben Earl (Saracens, 30 capes)
  • Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby, 30 capes)
  • Jamie George (Saracens, 90 capes) – capitaine
  • Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers, 7 capes)
  • Maro Itoje (Saracens, 81 capes)
  • Joe Marler (Harlequins, 93 capes)
  • George Martin (Leicester Tigers, 12 capes)
  • Gabriel Oghre (Bristol Bears, non capé)
  • Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks, 5 capes)
  • Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs, 4 capes)
  • Will Stuart (Bath Rugby, 38 capes)
  • Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby, 35 capes)

Arrières

  • Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks, non capé)
  • Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints, 2 capes)
  • Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs, 3 capes)
  • Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints, 8 capes)
  • George Furbank (Northampton Saints, 9 capes)
  • Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby, 24 capes)
  • Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints, 15 capes)
  • Luke Northmore (Harlequins, non capé)
  • Harry Randall (Bristol Bears, 6 capes)
  • Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks, non capé)
  • Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs, 62 capes)
  • Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints, non capé)
  • Fin Smith (Northampton Saints, 2 capes)
  • Marcus Smith (Harlequins, 32 capes)
  • Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby, 5 capes)
  • Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers, 33 capes)

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

Dans le dernier épisode de "Walk the Talk", Jim Hamilton s'entretient avec Damian de Allende, double champion du monde de rugby, au sujet des Springboks, en particulier de la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023 et de la série à venir contre l'Irlande. Regardez l'épisode gratuitement dès maintenant sur RugbyPass TV.

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Bull Shark 42 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.

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