Wales' outlook for 2020 has just got a whole lot brighter with Taulupe Faletau's long-awaited club return
Fears that Taulupe Faletau might not make it back it in time for Wales’ 2020 defence of its Six Nations title have been allayed by his Bath inclusion this weekend for the first time in nearly twelve months.
The back row hasn’t featured for club or country since a Champions Cup fixture last January versus Wasps. Having only returned for that game from a right forearm break, Faletau broke it again and was ruled out of the Six Nations and the run-in to Bath’s season.
He was then ruled out of the World Cup with Wales after breaking his collarbone during pre-season training with the Welsh, but he is now finally back in the mix for his Gallagher Premiership club following a considerable lay-off that amounts to one single match played in 14 months.
There were concerns about how his rehabilitation was going as recently as the start of December, as Bath boss Stuart Hooper told local media there was yet no definitive timeframe set for the back row’s return.
“He is there or thereabouts,” he told Somerset Live. “We will start to integrate him and hopefully we will have him back into the rugby programme sooner rather than later but there is still no determined time frame for his return.”
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RugbyPass went behind the scenes with the Barbarians before their recent match with Wales
Faletau is one of two changes for Bath to the side that beat London Irish 38-10 at the Madejski Stadium last Sunday as World Cup winner Francois Louw also returns for the round seven tie on Saturday versus fourth-placed Sale at the Rec.
Beno Obano, Tom Dunn and Will Stuart maintain their spot in the front row, with Josh McNally and Elliott Stooke again starting at lock. Tom Ellis retains his spot in the back row with Louw replacing Sam Underhill and Faletau coming in for Josh Bayliss.
"…I first watched the club when I was ten years old and dreamt one day playing for them and then ended up captaining them for five years…" (Stuart Hooper) via @RugbyPass https://t.co/k5U0cBTif4
— #RugbyBath (@RugbyBath) November 14, 2019
The backline that scored four of the six tries last weekend are unchanged, with Will Chudley and Rhys Priestland commanding the nine and ten channels. Anthony Watson and Semesa Rokoduguni will occupy the wide passages with Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Joseph in midfield, whilst Tom Homer props up the back three.
Sale boss Steve Diamond has made just one change to his starting XV, with Simon Hammersley the only omission from the Sharks side that beat Northampton last weekend. The full-back is replaced by Denny Solomona due to injury. Solomona takes the No14 shirt with Chris Ashton moving to full-back.
BATH: 15. Tom Homer; 14. Semesa Rokoduguni, 13. Jonathan Joseph, 12. Jamie Roberts 11. Anthony Watson, 10. Rhys Priestland, 9. Will Chudley; 1. Beno Obano, 2. Tom Dunn, 3. Will Stuart, 4. Josh McNally, 5. Elliott Stooke, 6. Tom Ellis, 7. Francois Louw (capt), 8. Taulupe Faletau. Reps: 16. Jack Walker, 17. Lewis Boyce, 18. Christian Judge, 19. Matt Garvey, 20. Josh Bayliss, 21. Chris Cook, 22. Freddie Burns, 23. Aled Brew.
SALE: 15. Chris Ashton; 14. Denny Solomona, 13. Sam James, 12. Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11. Byron McGuigan; 10. Robert du Preez, 9. Faf De Klerk; 1. Coenie Oosthuizen, 2. Akker van der Merwe, 3. Will-Griff John, 4. Bryn Evans, 5. James Phillips, 6. Jono Ross (capt), 7. Tom Curry, 8. Daniel du Preez. Reps: 16. Rob Webber, 17. Ross Harrison, 18. Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19. Jean-Luc du Preez, 20. Ben Curry, 21. Will Cliff, 22. AJ MacGinty, 23. Marland Yarde.
WATCH: RugbyPass travelled to Brecon to see how life after rugby is treating Andy Powell, one of Wales’ biggest characters on and off the pitch
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