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Pivac: 'Massive' Warburton role in Wales set up revealed
Wayne Pivac, the new Welsh coach, and captain Alun Wyn Jones today revealed details of the key role Sam Warburton has been given in this season’s Six Nations championship defence which starts against Italy on February 1.
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Pivac, who has replaced Warren Gatland as head coach, has assembled a new management team and opted to include recently retired Warburton, who was the captain under the former regime.
Pivac, the ex-Scarlets coach, said: “I sat down with a lot of people in the 12 month leading into the role and Sam was one of them. We spoke about some of the things he really relished and it became apparent to me very quickly in the conversation that he felt he still had a lot to offer.
“He wanted to know what point I felt he could come into the game at club level or U20 and we had a meeting two days later and I felt he could add something right now with his experience. The expertise at the breakdown and the experience around that area will be very beneficial.”
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Jones expanded on Warburton’s role saying: “We all know Sam’s qualities as a captain and now as a coach he will be two-pronged helping on the defence and tackle area but also with his mentoring of the young back row players in the squad and the regions. You need someone to guide those guys and that point of difference. That will be invaluable in helping those individuals put their hands up. It will be massive.”
Pivac revealed that young Gloucester wing Louis Rees-Zammit could face Italy while Saracens Liam Williams won’t be fit until the second game against Ireland. He is also checking the fitness level of Toulon scrumhalf Rhys Webb who is back in the selection mix.
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The French captain doesn't see a spill-over into England's Six Nations from the Saracens scandal 🇫🇷 https://t.co/aeEw7xZgRm
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He added: “It is now about rolling up our sleeves and getting on with the job. We have got a good group of players together. Louis will be back training today and then goes back to Gloucester and Liam is on for round two of the competition against Ireland but not the Italy game.
“Rhys Webb looked very sharp in training and he brings communication and experience and challenges other players which keeps everyone on their toes.
“Wales won the competition last season and what we have done ( as a coaching group) is had a look and asked how we can add value in areas and we are looking to evolve the attack over time and that won’t happen overnight.
“At the Scarlets it took a few years before we got to where we were comfortable but it is something we are looking to evolve over a period.
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“I have watched the Six Nations from afar and when I have gone and watched games since being in Wales the atmosphere is special at the Principality Stadium and I am looking forward to being involved.”
Captain Jones said: “It is Wayne’s World now and I am looking forward to what is to come.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 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.
30 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.
30 Go to comments