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Dad's Army: Gatland insists old age is no barrier to Sexton, Jones in Lions tour selection
Lions boss Warren Gatland has insisted that old age will be no impediment to veteran players such as Johnny Sexton and Alun Wyn Jones when it comes to selection to go on next year’s three-Test tour to South Africa.
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England World Cup winner Neil Back holds the record as the oldest ever player to start a Lions Test match, the back row checking in at 36 years and 160 days old when he packed down against the All Blacks at Christchurch in June 2005.
Next oldest is fellow England international Simon Shaw – the lock was 35 years and 306 days old when appearing against the Springboks in July 2009.
By the time of next year’s first Test in Johannesburg on July 24, Ireland skipper Sexton will be 36 years and 13 days old while Wales captain Jones, who this weekend becomes the most capped Test player of all time with 149 caps, will be 35 years and 308 days old when the first whistle sounds in the Test series versus the world champions.
Both players were integral parts of the 2013 and 2017 tours in Australia and New Zealand and Gatland, speaking ahead of this weekend’s finale in the delayed 2020 Six Nations, said: “Age is no limit because when you’re looking at a Lions squad you’re not looking at the future, you’re not thinking of four years’ time. You’re just thinking of the here and now, not developing a team or players or thinking a couple of years ahead for a World Cup.
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“It’s about picking the best players if his form is good enough. One of the things about Alun is he is incredibly honest about his own performance, how he manages himself as he has got a bit older. He wasn’t the best when he was younger.
“It [the caps record] is a tremendous accolade for him. It’s taken a reasonable amount of time for recognition of what he has achieved as a player. It’s probably been the last three, four years in terms of his achievement as a player for Wales and for the Lions.
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“I’m absolutely delighted for him. He has done a great job. He leads from the front, he’s incredibly honest and hopefully that (Wales) team can go out there and deliver a performance for him against Scotland to give him a game to remember in breaking the record of Richie McCaw. It’s fantastic for Alun Wyn and I hopes he does well on the weekend.”
Switching to Sexton, Lions boss Gatland added: “Like I said, it’s not about the future, it’s about the here and now. For Johnny, he has managed himself really well and this autumn is going to be what Ireland do in terms of that and then the Six Nations.
“Probably in the last year or so his biggest challenge has been to string a number of games together. He has picked up niggles and knocks, a few head knocks as well. That’s from where we will be looking at him. There’s no doubt about his experience and leadership and qualities as a player. He’s someone I look back on in 2017, he didn’t have a great start to the tour and then came back – and that’s what world-class players do.
“Sometimes their form can go but they are able to, what is it they say, form is temporary ad class is permanent sort of thing. Again it’s just having a look and seeing how Johnny goes over the next six months. That’s the important factor for him, holding his body together and how he manages it. If he is selected how he is managed on tour as well.”
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– Warren Gatland was speaking on behalf of Canterbury at the launch of the British and Irish Lions Pro jersey, available at Canterbury.com
EPISODE 4 of RUGBYPASS OFFLOAD #RPOffload
Citing commissioners⚖️
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Comments on RugbyPass
It 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.
25 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 🤐
13 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….
25 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….
13 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….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments