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Saracens in the dark about Michael Cheika's latest play for Will Skelton
Saracens insist they have not had any contact from Rugby Australia despite Wallaby coach Michael Cheika revealing he will make a last-ditch attempt to convince Will Skelton to quit Europe’s top club and return to Australia and earn a place in the World Cup squad for Japan.
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Cheika admits there are major obstacles to this happening but, given the way Skelton has transformed his body shape and rugby in recent times, getting the second row into the squad would give the Wallabies some much need ball-carrying power in a World Cup pool that includes current world No1 Wales and Fiji.
Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, made it clear when Skelton signed a new contract with the club at the end of last season that it was on the basis that he would be able to cover the gaps in the club’s squad while Maro Itoje and George Kruis were on finals duty with England.
RugbyPass understands that Saracens have not as yet received any calls from RA about Skelton and expect him to continue at the club as they prepare for the new season.
Cheika, who names his 31-man squad for Japan on Friday, said in the wake of last weekend’s loss to the All Blacks that he planned to call Skelton. He confirmed at Fox Sports’ Rugby World Cup launch: “The team gets picked soon, so if he wants to come home he needs to get on the phone pretty quick.
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Hear what Michael Cheika and Kurtley Beale had to say at today's Fox Sports #RugbyWorldCup launch.
With @nickmcardlefox, @ChristypDoran, @swainy7 + @samworthingtown: https://t.co/yH1NiOJIbD pic.twitter.com/mny3xCGaxJ
— Fox Rugby (@FOXRUGBY) August 20, 2019
“I have coached him here at the Waratahs and he was selected in the last World Cup team, so he knows what it’s about, he knows what it means and he will make the call that will best reflect how he is feeling.
“(We will make some) realistic phone calls over there to get a final opinion and see if he wants to be involved or not. It’s not just a decision based on the World Cup, it’s also the long-term about where he plays his footy. It’s a big decision for him as well.
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“Rugby Australia has got a good set of rules that give an opportunity to players who want to come home to have a bit of the best of both worlds.”
RA’s policy is that only players with 60 Tests to their name and seven years of Super Rugby experience can return for the Wallabies from overseas clubs, but former double World Cup winner Tim Horan is calling for a change to the rule.
“I get the Giteau rule… but I’m a big believer in a World Cup year you should be able to select anyone from around the world (no matter) where they are playing. Get the best team that gives us the best opportunity to win a World Cup.”
WATCH: Wallaby coach Michael Cheika and captain Michael Hooper after Bledisloe Two
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Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 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
1 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 Crusades , you can keep going.
1 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!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 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.
27 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.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments