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Saints team-mates prepare to achieve a rare Six Nations feat at Twickenham

By PA
Courtney Lawes and Dan Biggar /Getty

Northampton team-mates Courtney Lawes and Dan Biggar will achieve a rare Six Nations feat when they captain their countries against each other on Saturday.

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It is just a fourth occasion in Six Nations history for players from the same club to be rival skippers in the same game.

Former Stade Francais colleagues Sergio Parisse (Italy) and Pascal Pape (France) did it in 2013 and 2014, while Toulouse saw Gareth Thomas captain Wales against a Fabien Pelous-led France in 2005.

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It only happened twice during Five Nations history, meanwhile – in 1913 and 1914.

“It is a very proud moment for the club in terms of us both captaining in a huge game on Saturday – England versus Wales,” Wales fly-half Biggar said.

“I think ‘Courts’ will probably be the more relaxed of the two of us on Saturday afternoon, I would imagine. His style will be a lot more laid-back than mine.

“It’s a really special moment, actually. I’ve played with him over the last four years, and it will be really exciting on Saturday.”

Lawes has been sidelined for more than a month because of concussion, but he is back at blindside flanker for Wales’ Twickenham visit, while also taking over from back-row colleague Tom Curry as skipper.

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Between them, Biggar and Lawes have 187 caps for their countries and eight British and Irish Lions Test match appearances.

Biggar added: “I think the biggest thing I’ve noticed with ‘Courts’ over the last few years is he has got the ability that when he speaks people tend to listen.

“That is a really positive trait to have in a captain and a senior player.

“I think you can have a lot people who speak a lot of the time, but it can be white noise. Certainly from my experience from playing with Courtney, when he has something to say people tend to tune in a little bit more closely and really focus in.

“Neither of us change the way we play because of becoming captain. It’s very much trying to lead by example and doing our jobs as a player before perhaps thinking of the captaincy roles.”

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Asked if he had been in touch with Lawes this week via text, Biggar said: “Only earlier on in the week. I am actually on the scrounge for a couple of tickets!

“It’s funny when England versus Wales comes around, everyone comes out of the woodwork and wants a few tickets!

“He will be able to get a few more than me, and I am sure I will touch base with him later on.”

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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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FEATURE Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby? Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?
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