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'I have no doubt there is going to be some altercations'
Wales assistant Neik Jenkins has bitten back following England accusations that veteran skipper Alun Wyn Jones has in the past targeted their players and would need to be dealt with when the teams meet on Saturday in the third round of the Guinness Six Nations.
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Jones is set to play against England for the 23rd occasion in his long career and he has been singled out by Eddie Jones as someone whose wind-up tactics must be curtailed at the Principality Stadium.
“He has at times targeted various players in our team,” claimed England boss Jones. “We have spoken about him, we understand what he will be trying to do and it’s just making sure we maintain our composure and our control.”
Wales have now exercised their right of reply, assistant coach Jenkins answering back at the criticism of his team’s captain. “Look, the game is the game and things are going to happen, people will get on edge,” he said.
“There is going to be confrontations, there is going to be a little bit off the ball stuff. That is the reality but you can’t do anything nowadays, there are so many cameras and you have got so many people looking at you, you have just got to be as disciplined as you can possibly be.
England looking to give AWJ a taste of his own medicine#SixNations #WALvENGhttps://t.co/DwCMcnjtBP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 25, 2021
“You don’t want to give teams easy ins and certainly we don’t want to give England easy ins. They have got big ball carriers, people who can make dents in your defensive line and we want to minimise that as best as we can. But as for the edge and as for the occasion, you have to play it by ear and see how it goes. I have no doubt there is going to be some altercations but let’s hope it’s disciplined ones.”
There is an appetite among rugby fans for a rousingly entertaining spectacle to unfold in Cardiff as Wales seek to take the third step towards a possible Grand Slam and England look to rectify the damage to the title retention bid caused by their defeat to Scotland.
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However, Jenkins is predicting a low frills, kick dominated affair along the lines of what unfolded when England last visited Wales in November for a 24-13 Autumn Nations Cup win at Llanelli. “I don’t see it being too dissimilar if I’m brutally honest,” he said. “There is not an awful lot of space out there.
“England will graft at the scrum and lineout as they normally do, it will be very tough and heavily contested but there is not an awful lot of space and you have got to earn that and try and earn that right to play by using the kicking game. England do it very effectively. They kick an awful lot of ball in your half… kicking is going to be a big facet in the game.
“You have got be disciplined, you have got to be smart, you have got to be willing to get in the arm wrestle, you have got to be willing to play in the right areas. All this stuff comes to the fore. You can’t afford to be making silly decisions and they get an easy in.
“It’s quite tough to stop a team like England when they get close to your try line. They have big ball carriers and they will come pretty direct and it’s not easy to do, so minimising their chances in our half is what we are going to do and they are probably going to try and do the same to us.”
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Super Rugby Aotearoa is NOW LIVE ? https://t.co/8NQAnOvAD2 pic.twitter.com/Gq4EXaJCAS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 25, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments