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The training ground moment that signals Gareth Anscombe is ready
Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones has highlighted the fight and desire of Gareth Anscombe ahead of his expected return to international rugby on Saturday. The Ospreys fly-half suffered a catastrophic knee injury during Wales’ World Cup warm-up game against England at Twickenham in August 2019.
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Major ligament damage and subsequent issues meant that Anscombe underwent three operations and only made his competitive comeback last month. He has started three games in the United Rugby Championship this season and is now vying for the Wales No10 shirt against New Zealand in Cardiff more than 800 days after he last represented his country.
Wales head coach Wayne Pivac faces a straight choice between Anscombe and Rhys Priestland, with bench duty awaiting the one that misses out. It is an occasion against the All Blacks that 30-year-old Anscombe could easily have thought he would never experience, given the severity of an injury that would have broken many players.
“The length of time and the setbacks he has had along the way, it is a credit to him and what he has put in,” Jones said. “Irrelevant of if you are fit and playing every week, people only see the Saturdays.
“Gareth would probably say himself that he has been through some dark periods when he was coming close to a return and having a setback here or there. He has still got the fight and desire, and if anything it is probably more so than before because he has had that time away from the game. To see him back in the squad and what he gives to the environment is huge.
Gareth Anscombe hasn't played a test match since the build-up to the 2019 World Cup – and there's a very good chance he'll line up against the All Blacks this weekend. #AllBlacks #WALvNZLhttps://t.co/Y1uHkgPEcF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 26, 2021
“Those characteristics which you see in a player who has been through so much is good, and it can spawn a lot of determination from those around him. When someone comes back from adversity or a long time out, and you can see their energy growing and the smile back on their face, that is really important to a squad. You can feel like you are on an island when you are injured, without being too cliched about it. But to see the fight and bite that he has got, holding people to account in training, is when you know someone has their foot back in the door and is ready to have a crack.”
Anscombe and Priestland are set for key roles when Wales target a first victory over the All Blacks since 1953. It is a run of 31 successive defeats, including 16 at home, and Wales’ task has not been helped by injuries, unavailability and illness. With the game falling outside World Rugby’s autumn international window, Wales will be without England-based players like Dan Biggar, Taulupe Faletau and Louis Rees-Zammit because they are not released by their clubs.
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A number of key personnel are absent through injuries, with British and Irish Lions stars such as George North, Josh Navidi and Justin Tipuric all currently sidelined, while centre Willis Halaholo has tested positive for Covid-19 and is in ten days’ isolation. Jones, who is poised to win his 149th Wales cap this weekend, helped the 2017 British and Irish Lions beat New Zealand in Wellington, but 13 previous attempts for his country have drawn a blank. “I am aware of the stats and the records,” he added. “It’s one of those things. A lot of guys probably haven’t played against New Zealand.
“We are well aware of the history of the fixture, the succession of quality players they have always had. But our focus is on performance and building on the Six Nations and the opportunity the guys had in the summer. Obviously, the odds are stacked against us – I will leave those to the people who deal with the odds – but our focus is the performance and the rugby first and foremost. If we get that right, I know we will be in a decent position.”
The All Blacks will start as overwhelming favourites, having beaten Wales 31 times in succession since their last defeat in the fixture 68 years ago. #WALvNZL https://t.co/rc9wBuoRvR
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 26, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Big 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
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 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 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 comments