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Why No9 Francois Hougaard is getting picked as a winger at Wasps
Wasps boss Lee Blackett has been enthused by the re-emergence of ex-Springboks player Francois Hougaard as a winger following his arrival at the club as a seasoned scrum-half who had made 78 Gallagher Premiership starts in his six seasons as the starting No9 at league rivals Worcester.
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The South African had checked in at Wasps as a half-back signing last July but his only league start so far at scrum-half came in October versus Saracens. Rather than grow frustrated at this lack of action as a No9, though, Hougaard sought out Blackett to remind him of his past fortunes in the southern hemisphere as a winger.
At one stage Hougaard, the 33-year-old who won the last of his 46 Springboks caps in 2017, made seven successive Test level starts on the wing for his country in 2012, the same calendar year he made 16 Super Rugby starts as a scrum-half for the Bulls.
It was rumoured at the start of 2021 that Hougaard would return to the Bulls from Worcester but he instead signed for Wasps and ever since reminding Blackett of his historical positional flexibility, Hougaard has gone on to start three Premiership matches on the right and left wings for Wasps and he is poised for a fourth outing in that sector when his club hosts leaders Leicester on Sunday in Coventry.
Blackett has explained that Hougaard has deserved his selection on merit despite their current catalogue of injury, the coach outlining that the South African’s form is currently better than some of the specialist wingers at the club.
The irony of it… a year after getting poleaxed by a red-carded Owen Farrell, Charlie Atkinson embarked on a project researching the England captain along with All Blacks out-half Richie Mo’unga#Wasps #England #AllBlacks https://t.co/9E0WXBw4tS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 7, 2022
“We have got a few injuries but he has been chosen there ahead of other wingers because we feel he has been adding a lot to us,” explained Blackett about the sudden redeployment of scrum-half Hougaard as a winger. “He came to me and it was almost one of those conversions where he made it clear he was really happy to play winger, he loved playing wing – ‘If you ever need me there please select me there’. From what I see and what I know from conversations with him he probably prefers to play out there than as a nine. He is a competitor, he fights for everything. He wants to be out there with the boys and wants to be playing.
“If you ask him himself he loves playing on the wing. He loves playing to start with but he just loves that ability to roam. When you think about Francois Hougaard very few people think about him jumping out with the ball fast.
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“Very few people talk about his defence in terms of his physicality and for me, at the moment he is like a rock for us on the wing. Physically, how many nines want to go around jackaling (for the ball)? He is at every ruck he can possibly be to get his hands in to try and get the ball.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Results probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to comments