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'There was some good banter between Sheedy and the England boys'

(Photo by INPHO via EPCR)

Bristol boss Pat Lam has revealed that Callum Sheedy has given the Bears’ England contingent a ribbing now that the Gallagher Premiership leaders are all back in under the one roof following their respective Guinness Six Nations campaign with Wales and Eddie Jones’ English squad.

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Sheedy’s Welsh were dramatically denied the Grand Slam with a clock-in-the-red try last Saturday from Brice Dulin in Paris, but that extreme disappointment hasn’t been enough to prevent the Bristol out-half from having a thing or two to amusingly say to the Bears’ England players.

Sheedy stepped off the bench in Cardiff on February 27 to kick 13 points and propel Wales to their Triple Crown victory over an England team that featured Kyle Sinckler as a starter along with Ben Earl and Max Malins off the bench.

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All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick talks about Eddie Jones’ struggling England team

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All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick talks about Eddie Jones’ struggling England team

That rivalry has now resurfaced on the Bears training ground and Bristol boss Lam has described it as great in helping everyone settle in again for club duty. “The international boys are all keen to get back ASAP which is great,” he reported at his club’s weekly media conference on Wednesday.

“They came in. We all acknowledged them and they have come back with a bit of energy and there was some good banter between Sheedy and the England boys. That was great and a bit of a laugh.

“We had a good day yesterday [Tuesday], a lot of clarity work and bedding them back into the Bears way. These boys haven’t been around for a long time. Max was last involved on Boxing Day, Ben had only had 90 minutes (with England) since Exeter on January 9 and Kyle has had a lot of game time, but they have been away a long time.

“The important thing Tuesday in the high performance centre was just going through the plays to get them back into it. Looking at the video last night they picked it up quite well again so we will have a big session tomorrow [Thursday] and get ready for the weekend (versus Harlequins).”

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A replacement versus Wales, Malins made a first Six Nations start in the round four win over France and was due to start again for England last Saturday in Dublin until he suffered a training ground injury the day before.

“He [Malins] came back and our medical team took him for a scan. It’s not too bad, possibly a couple of weeks, so our medical team will rebuild him and get him back to shape and our S&C team will put some work into him to get him back up to speed.

“He strained his quad when he was kicking. Our job is to repair it now and get him back the ability to play and perform. There is a lot of competition there now. Callum Sheedy, massive, his 100th game this week for Bristol.

When you consider his journey and what he has been able to do, coming right through the academy and now an international player and a very good one, he is a big leader in our team and it’s potentially a big occasion for him this weekend.

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“Cal came back in the breaks from Wales and played so it doesn’t seem like he was away and if there is anyone who can slip straight back in it’s Callum Sheedy because of his character, personality and understanding of the Bears way and he is a big part of it.

“He just flicks the switch. He was extremely disappointed (with the loss to France), like all Welsh people, and there is still a bit of hope for them Friday night for that game (against Scotland), but they were seconds away from having it. Knowing Cal, it will motivate him to be even better.”

Uncapped Harry Randall was injured at England training on the weekend of February 20 and when Lam addressed the setback on March 3, he reported that the scrum-half was “another seven, eight weeks, which is frustrating. He had a syndesmosis injury.”

Three weeks later, however, Lam is hopeful Randall will be back in harness a few weeks earlier than planned, saying, “He is a little ahead of schedule.”

Adding to the upbeat mood at Bristol will be the likely return this weekend of Semi Radradra following a knee injury. Bristol haven’t suffered from his absence, winning five and drawing one of their seven matches without him, but Lam is glad to have him back in the mix.

“Semi has been training. He is looking good for selection this week. He’s buzzing, he has been pushing hard. He had a good session (Tuesday) and another one tomorrow. A real credit to our medical and physical performance team, they have been class… Semi had a lot of pride. He wants to get back and perform, he is ready to go.

“It more about him playing well again. He just wants to play rugby. That is the Island way, he wants to get back and play. He is a great trainer, but it’s only a means to an end, he wants to play. We’re seeing that, he’s just buzzing.”

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J
JPM 48 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 51 minutes ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

11 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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