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Samoa put on notice about impending return of Tom Curry
Tom Curry has been tearing into his team-mates on the training field in preparation for his comeback when England complete their World Cup group campaign against Samoa on Saturday.
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Curry has played just 179 seconds of the tournament after being sent off for a dangerous tackle in the opener against Argentina, resulting in a two-match ban that ruled him out against Japan and Chile.
It was a frustrating first appearance under Steve Borthwick having missed the Six Nations and last month’s warm-up fixtures because of hamstring and ankle injuries.
Now the high-energy Sale flanker is poised to start England’s final Pool D assignment in Lille with a quarter-final against likely opponents Fiji looming on the horizon.
Attack coach Richard Wigglesworth revealed that Curry was straining at the leash to get his World Cup underway having made his presence felt in practise.
“Tom’s been a menace in training because he’s so good, which means he’s everywhere!” Wigglesworth said.
“He’s incredibly committed and diligent. As you’d expect from the really, really top player that he is, he shows all those traits.
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“He’s chomping at the bit and we’re delighted for him that he’s back and raring to go. He won’t hold much back – he’s all action.
“He’s fit as a fiddle and that’s the way he plays – multiple actions in games where he affects the game on both sides of the ball.
“I think we will get the best of Tom Curry in terms of him getting straight into it from the start.
“We’re absolutely delighted to get him back. It was tough for him to come back from that (red card) but he has reacted really well and got stuck into his training.”
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Owen Farrell insists the ultra-fit Curry, a world player of the year nominee in 2019, is ready to make his mark on the World Cup.
“Tom’s in a good place. I don’t think there is too much revving up that Tom can do – he is pretty much 100 per cent every time you are out there training,” England’s captain said.
“I’m sure he has got a bit of frustration at not being involved and I’m sure he can’t wait to show what he can do and get out there with the team.”
England secured their quarter-final spot when Japan toppled Argentina on Thursday and progress as pool winners with a match to spare, taking full advantage of being positioned in the easier half of the draw.
When they arrived in France, expectation outside the squad was at an all-time time low amid fears they would fail to emerge from the group, having lost five out of their previous six Tests.
But they have brushed aside Argentina, Japan and Chile and confidence is growing that they can advance deeper into the World Cup.
“So far the team has done well. It is not a massive pat on the back to ourselves because we have still hopefully got a long way to go in this competition. All we are trying to do is focus on what we are doing now,” Farrell said.
“With regards to people writing us off on the outside, that has not been the case in the camp.
“We believe in what we are doing and we have done even when things weren’t going quite as we would have wanted them to.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Saints obviously didn’t get the memo, or needed an ego boost?
1 Go to commentsReturning to the Chiefs would be another good change that could only put him into a better position to succeed in black
6 Go to commentsSimply outrageous and demonstrably false to say Finau’s tackle on Lynagh was “2 seconds late” In reality it was probably 0.5 seconds after he passed the ball. If you carry the ball at speed to within 5m of the defensive line you can expect to get tackled. Finau could have pulled out of it and not absolutely flattened him for sure, but there was going to be contact either way. He seems like a high risk selection at the moment, but there is no one else like him in NZ at the moment. His big tackles make the highlight reels but he is also a great athlete, very fast for such a big man, spent most of his days at lock so also very strong in the line out.
21 Go to commentsYes, Finau looks like the best option. Blackadder is not big enough for an international 6 - he should join the queue at 7. Frizzell had the power and heft and line-out height to play lock, so maybe that is where the ABs should be looking, not at a 7 who’s not big enough for 6, but at a lock who might have the agility to play 6, like Scott Barrett, or… Natai Ah Kuoi, who absolutely fits that bill, but seldom gets to play 6 because the Chiefs have so many loosies.
21 Go to commentsPaul Quinn was a National MP.
6 Go to commentsNo need to worry about losers’ mentality hysteria from Australia. Finau has all the attributes, I don't recall a high or no arms tackle from him, and his timing has been controlled very well since the round 3 Lynagh tackle. It's an easy decision for Razor, the only question is who should back him up from the bench. He can't be overworked like Squire was in his first full season.
21 Go to comments“Reds coach Les Kiss saying later: “I think every player has the right to feel safe.” Maybe Rugby is the wrong sport for people who want to feel safe..?
21 Go to commentsNot sure what the context was, but the highlights showed one scrum against Aussie where the baby Blacks were going backwards at a pace. The pack has been the issue since 2017, so they might be in for another reality check soon. This tournament should really have been two rounds, would have learned a lot more.
1 Go to commentsPeter Lakai has a ‘lot of size’? Since when? To Kirifi maybe. I think Laidlaw clearly saw he’s too small for 6 or 8, so plonked him at 7. Has potential to be Ardies understudy in black for 7.
6 Go to commentsDalton for skipper?
16 Go to commentsOh he's ‘Irish qualified’ isn't that convenient. If Ireland get any more Kiwis (and Aussie) in their backline they might need to run out in green and black kit soon. How is the supposed best rugby system in the world in need of trawling for journeyman Kiwi players?
2 Go to commentsCallum Grace is playing well now that he's finally back in his best position. But given it was Razor who somehow thought Grace was dynamic enough to be a No8 when he's clearly not, Im not sure he’d backtrack on that. Finau is risky with his style, and there's almost no point picking Blackadder when he can’t stay on the field more than five minutes.
21 Go to commentsThe team on paper has more supposed ‘stars’ than a lot of the sides they’re losing to. They’ve got the Razor-blues and aren't playing for Penney. He should jump before he's pushed.
1 Go to commentsProof. That if you lay dramatic instrumental hip hop music over a video of a skinny pale white kid running an unopposed zig zag on a training ground filled with rookies - it’ll look next-level epic!
13 Go to commentsIf they win the challenge Cup then it will have all been worth it. If they don’t, then maybe he should go. Lots of ppl seem to think very highly of him as a coach, but maybe he would be better working under someone. Any top sides looking for forwards coaches rn?
1 Go to commentsJason Ryan knows his craft as forwards coach and I'm sure he’ll hold sway with Scott Robertson of who he feels worthy of selection…his credentials validated when he put a 7xcaps between them front row...Ethan, Samisoni and Lomax on Ellis Park…Go the AB's…
21 Go to commentsFascinating. I’m optimistic about a team coached by Schmiddy, Cron and Parling
14 Go to commentsI think if Blackadder is fit, he has to be in the team. If he isn’t, Finau would be good, and I always thought Akira deserved more of a crack at it. I think he looked better than ppl gave him credit.
21 Go to commentsThanks again Nick and interesting comments from Parling about his lineout preferences. Bearing in mind what Schmidt has said about prioritising Oz based players initially we may not see Skeleton until the EOY trip to Ireland and the UK. To me that suggests that Cale has to be ready by then. In the meantime we get 3 jumpers by having 2 jumping locks and a Wright/Swinton/Holloway/Leota type of guy at 6. I think that he (Parling) would do well to coach Valentini and Wilson to jump more. Surely they could learn more about this?
14 Go to commentsdo what the ABs normally do and cruise around the South Pacific to cherry-pick the contenders
21 Go to comments