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Great Britain qualify for SVNS Grand Final but not without drama
Great Britain are the eighth and final men’s team to secure their spot in the SVNS Series’ upcoming Grand Final in Madrid after beating Australia 26-7 in Singapore on Sunday evening.
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After missing out on the Cup final in quite heartbreaking circumstances, Great Britain still had one more chance to qualify for the top eight and retain core Series status for next season.
The British approached their final match-up at Singapore’s National Stadium as if it were a “must-win” clash, and that’s because it was. After seven events, it all came down to this.
If GB wanted to remain in the race for the overall Series title at the home of Spanish football giants Atletico Madrid later this month they would have to beat a depleted Aussie outfit.
“Just because we don’t get together maybe as much as other teams, we’re not a team that makes excuses for performances if we don’t hit the mark,” Charlton Kerr told RugbyPass after Great Britain’s loss to Ireland on Sunday afternoon.
“I think every game is the same focus for us now – every game is a must-win for us. I think we’ve had that opportunity from the start of the season to when I joined as well midway through the season.
“We haven’t been getting it right all the time at set-piece, bits of detail, but you’re not going to get it right all the time. The attitude and effort is always there for us and that’s what we say when we get back into the change room.
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“The attitude and effort is a non-negotiable for us and as long as we keep sticking to that the set-piece and the technical bits will come.”
Max McFarland got the party started for GB with a try in the fourth minute, and other five-pointers to Robbie Fergusson and Will Homer set the Brits on the path towards a decisive result.
Playmaker Kaleem Barreto added another try to Great Britain’s score late in the contest as they ran away for a ruthless 26-nil win. Their season had come down to that moment but they shone.
But, it must be said, it could’ve been very different for Great Britain in Singapore. Playing against Ireland in a blockbuster semi-final, GB had a chance to snatch victory with a try at the death.
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The British spread the ball wide for Charlton Kerr, but a difficult pass saw the Englishman juggle the ball in the in-goal area before eventually dropping the chance to beat the fighting Irish.
Ireland ended up getting the job done in golden point with replacement Billy Dardis nailing a routine penalty attempt in the 16th minute to send the men in green to the Singapore Cup final.
“Games like that semi-finals, they don’t come around a lot for many teams so obviously your emotions are gonna be in it right there and then,” Kerr explained.
“But even if the emotions boiled over there at the end, I think in the match we had good composure. I think we stuck to the game plan… (against) an Ireland that’s been playing some of the best rugby in the world throughout the season.
“It’s a credit to us. I think for a moment there in the corner where the ball hangs in the balance like that and is bobbling and you think you’re going to bring it in and put it down. Those are the moments that everyone pays (for) the tickets to come to the tournament.
“Obviously we want to be on the right side of that but it’s those moments (which are) why we play the game. Good or bad we’re in it for the long haul.
“Fix up, big third-place coming up so just refocus really – park it and refocus.”
But that’s all in the past now after beating Australia. Great Britain will compete with another seven top men’s teams while the USA have been knocked back into the play-off tournament.
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Comments on RugbyPass
‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
7 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Could the victim do a course to reverse the long term CTE damage from the cheapshot?
2 Go to comments