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'He looks very beatable on the inside' - Lions rookie could be exploited

By Ian Cameron
Duhan van der Merwe /PA

Former British and Irish Lions back row Stephen Ferris believes that Scotland winger Duhan van der Merwe has plenty to prove after an iffy defensive display against Japan last weekend.

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While he scored a try and was strong on the ball, the South African-born Scot struggled at times to contain Japan’s Kotaro Matsushima.

Ferris was speaking at the announcement of the British and Irish Lions team to play the Gauteng Lions on Saturday. The team features Welsh duo of Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams, with Van Der Merwe not featured in the 22.

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Maro Itoje | All Access | Episode 2 – What is it like playing for Saracens rugby club?

Jim Hamilton sits down with Vitality ambassador and former teammate Maro Itoje before he jets off to South Africa for the British & Irish Lions Series.
The Saracens lock told us all about Saracens rugby club and the defining effect it has had on his rugby career.

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Maro Itoje | All Access | Episode 2 – What is it like playing for Saracens rugby club?

Jim Hamilton sits down with Vitality ambassador and former teammate Maro Itoje before he jets off to South Africa for the British & Irish Lions Series.
The Saracens lock told us all about Saracens rugby club and the defining effect it has had on his rugby career.

“You might disagree with me here, but looking at the team sheet for the weekend, when it comes to the backs more specifically, I see a lot of those guys not starting the first Test.

“Chris Harris, Rees-Zammit, Josh Adams, Finn Russell, Ali Price, I’m just not sure they’re going to be starting the first Test, so this is a huge opportunity.

“I know it’s only the first game in South Africa but if these guys play really well, they give Warren Gatland a few headaches, throw a few questions over team selection going forward.”

Although not involved in the 22, Ferris suggested that Duhan Van Der Merwe defensively might not be well suited if tasked with defending against Springbok attacking sensation Cheslin Kolbe.

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“I think Duhan Van Der Merwe against Japan looked very beatable on the inside. He looked very, very slow to turn and go on the inside. He got caught a couple of times,” said Ferris. “If you’ve got Cheslin Kolbe coming down your channel, we all know what he could do. Again, not to reference Ulster too much, he made a fool out of Jacob Stockdale a couple of times in the quarter-final away to Toulouse in the European Cup. He is an absolute superstar and has the pace to burn as well.

“Maybe not the high end pace that Louis Rees-Zammit has but his stepping ability is second to none.”

“I know it’s the first game, but this game means an awful lot to some of these players for the team selection going forward.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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