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21kg shed in 18 months: Will Skelton sacrifices World Cup for Saracens
Former Wallabies second rower Will Skelton has finalised what he’s described as the toughest decision of his playing career.
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The 27-year-old is expected to sign a two-year contract extension with Premiership club Saracens on the eve of their monumental Champions Cup final against Leinster this weekend in a deal that will rule him out of contention for this year’s World Cup in Japan.
Despite some late persuasion from Wallabies coach Michael Cheika, who is looking to bolster his stocks in the underperforming lock department, Skelton is set to extend his stay in London with the club that has helped him shed 21 of his 140kg in 18 months, propelling him into career-best form.
Starring in an all-star squad that features internationals such as Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell, the Vunipola brothers, Schalk Burger and Liam Williams, Skelton falls well short of the required 60 test caps to be eligible for Wallabies selection while playing overseas, with just 18 tests to his name.
“I had some chats with Cheik at the start of the year and my manager has spoken to him a lot,” he told AAP.
He was trying to get me back home and there were some [Super Rugby] offers but it is difficult because I’ve agreed to stay here.
“There’s still a few bits and pieces to nut down but I am close to signing a new deal here.
“It was a massively difficult decision given the World Cup is this year but if the rules change in the future I’ll always put my hand up to play for Australia.”
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Skelton’s rise to prominence at Saracens hasn’t come easily, however.
Head coach Mark McCall warned his star man upon his arrival at the club in 2017 that he’d never fulfil the potential that he showed when he debuted with the Waratahs at the age of 19 unless he lost some weight.
“Will’s been a revelation since he came over here,” McCall told AAP.
“But he’ll be the first to admit he’s been a bit a slow burner.
“He’s always been a huge talent and able to bring something to a team that other players can’t, not only because of his size but his skill set as well. But what we needed from Will was for him to have a bigger impact in games and the only way to do that was for him to lose some weight.
“He’s done that through his own single-mindedness.
“The club love him, the coaches love him and the players love him, and we want to keep him.”
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After helping steer Saracens to their fourth-ever Premiership crown last season, Skelton’s side look on track to at least seriously challenge for back-to-back titles, but before then, a European showdown with Leinster awaits in Newcastle on Saturday.
Saracens won the last of their two Champions Cups in 2017, and standing in their way of claiming their third European title in four seasons is Leinster forward and Skelton’s former Australian teammate Scott Fardy.
“Fards’ always tough, he is a great player and great bloke, as well,” he said. “He’s gone over there and added value to Leinster and help make them successful.
“It will be a great challenge and I am looking forward to it – these are the games every rugby player wants to play in.”
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
NZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
22 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
22 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
22 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
22 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
22 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
22 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to comments