Innehållsförteckning för December 2024 från Rugby World

"I SEE it like I’ve had three lives. The first was the lifestyle career choice, “ through rugby, and the highs of trophies with Wasps, which were amazing times, and moving countries to play in France and then captaining Quins. I’d have done that for nothing, although the game went pro in my last year at Brunel University. “Rugby was in my DNA after I started playing at Chinnor RFC. I loved the changing-room environment and the openness of a team, the travel and heading up a group. “Now, I work at Lockton, based in London near the Gherkin, a brokerage that is heavily into transactional risk; I focus on mergers and acquisitions. We do all the insurances around when a business is being sold and it works well in terms…

“I never thought I’d be a coach. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t the easiest guy to coach, but I think I’m good at managing the boys. Everybody’s different and you have to treat people individually. I think that’s the best part of my game, my man-management. I’ve learned a little bit off every coach I’ve had.” “To finish in the top half of the table is my goal this year at Whitchurch RFC; to play well, have fun. Then next year my goal is to win the league.” “I always wanted to play rugby league and I had an opportunity after I left Sale to join Wigan. So I gave it a go. I thought I was really fit in union. But after my first (RL) training session, I…

WHAT IS the first game you ever attended? I was 11 years old and my brother was 18 and had started driving. He took me to my first England International at Twickenham against Ireland during the 1974 Five Nations. It was towards the end of Mike Gibson’s career. I remember my brother shouting, “Gibson, where’s your wheelchair?” because he was so old. He scored two tries that day (in a 26-21 Ireland win), which really hushed him up. This was 50 years ago, standing in a line watching bottles of Irish whiskey being passed along the crowd and taking a cheeky swig thinking, ‘this is the life!’ Do you have a match-day routine? The experience of going to Twickenham is unmatched, it’s the absolute Valhalla of rugby. About 15 minutes…

JOSH HATHAWAY likes the taste of Test rugby. The Aberystwyth-born winger won his first cap for Wales against Australia over the summer having being called up by Warren Gatland following a breakthrough season at Gloucester. Injury meant he only earned the one cap but it was enough to convince Hathaway that it’s something he fancies experiencing again. “I had aspirations of pulling on a Wales shirt since I was three or four years old, so it was a dream coming true. Being able to start a first Test and get that senior cap was surreal,” Hathaway tells Rugby World. “The big aspiration is to get as many caps as I can now and the autumn is the next goal.” In winning that cap, Hathaway realised the dream of a lifetime…

IN 2011, a young Eben Etzebeth wandered into a book launch at Newlands. At the time, he was already turning heads in Western Province’s youth set-up, having won the Varsity Cup with UCT. As it happened, that book launch was for Victor Matfield’s autobiography. Towering above most, even at just 19 years old, Etzebeth was a raw yet special talent. On that day, Matfield, a man who knew a thing or two about world-class locks, pulled him aside and made a bold prediction. “I invited him to have a braai with us and I told him, ‘I think you can play for the Boks next year’,” Matfield recalls. “I didn’t know if he really believed me, but the next year he got picked by Heyneke Meyer to play against England.”…

FIRST MATCH YOU WENT TO? The first rugby match I remember going to live was the BLACK FERNS AGAINST THE NZ BARBARIANS game when I was about 16. I can’t remember the score, but the Black Ferns won. It was down the road from my house at the Pakuranga rugby club. It was really cool. I rocked up after going to church and went along with my sister. We went and saw the game and got a picture with Portia and Renee Woodman-Wickliffe (bottom right) which was so cool. That’s one of my first rugby memories. First rugby hero? It would have to be DORIS TAUFATEAU. She’s a Black Fern (who won the Women’s World Cup in 2010) and she’s from GI (Glen Innes, a suburb in East Auckland) just…

“When receiving high kicks, we want to create a catching cradle around the person taking the high ball. This should give them the space to take the catch without an opposing player putting pressure on him. Other teams call these ‘escort lines’ but at the Ospreys we call it traffic.” “On our own kick, we want our best athlete in the best position to make a play. We’ll often send our winger up by himself to put pressure on the player receiving the kick. We can then hold back the rest of the kick chase, staying connected to one another, to make sure the receiver can’t escape if our lone chaser doesn’t make the tackle.” “Referees are putting more focus on these escort lines, so be careful. You need to…

STAR LETTER A war of attrition In a recent game against Glasgow Warriors, the Cardiff captain Liam Belcher was forced off, as was his fellow hooker, international Evan Lloyd. Scrums had to be uncontested, as their third hooker, Efan Daniel, was nursing a hamstring injury. Also picking up injuries were props Corey Domachowski and Keiron Assiratti. Theo Cabango, Rory Jennings and Gwilym Bradley were already on the injured list, along with Taulupe Faletau, Josh Adams, Thomas Young, James Botham, Alex Mann, Seb Davies and Jacob Beetham. Thus 15 of the Cardiff team were being treated by the physios. In the amateur days, there were no club ‘squads’ – Cardiff’s first team hardly varied much at all. There are far, far too many injuries in today’s super-heavyweight biff-bang-bash version of rugby,…

1 CONNOR TREACEY Age 18 (5 March 2006) Born Lymington, Hants Position Back-row Club Bath Country England When did you first play rugby? I was five or six years old, at New Milton RFC. My dad took me as he played there for ages. I loved my first session and carried on until U16 and it took on from there! What attracted you to the sport? That team ethos. Playing with your mates from a young age on a Sunday morning, then up to the clubhouse at the end. The friendships you make through sport can be friends for life by playing rugby. Did you play other sports? A bit of cricket in the summer. My grandad took me down to the local club and I enjoyed it but didn’t…

SHE addresses the media for the first time since his arrival as England defence coach, Joe El-Abd warns us that – after 15 years spent across the Channel – his English will be punctuated by the very occasional French word. There is one that most likely sums up his new boss Steve Borthwick’s reaction to the shock resignation of Felix Jones, El-Abd’s predecessor, and explains how we got here today: Merde! Hot on the heels of S&C guru Aled Walters’s decision to defect to Andy Farrell’s Ireland staff, Jones also quit despite only starting back in January and with no new job to move into. It was a hammer blow for Borthwick, with reports suggesting Irishman Jones had grown tired of what he is said to have told friends was…

2012 9 JUNE Springbok debut against England at Kings Park, Durban 2015 18 JULY First Test try, against Australia in Brisbane 30 OCT Second Test try as the Springboks claim World Cup bronze against Argentina in London 2016 10 SEPT Becomes the youngest player to rack up 50 Test appearances for the Springboks at 24, against the Wallabies in Brisbane 2017 24 JUNE Captains the Springboks for the first time, scoring a try in a 35-12 victory over France at Ellis Park 2018 18 AUG Returns from eight months out with nerve damage to his neck and shoulder in a 34-21 win against Argentina at Kings Park 15 SEPT Helps the Boks achieve an historic 36-34 win over the All Blacks in Wellington, their first in NZ since 2009 2019…

MY NORTH Star.” That’s how José Ignacio Larenas replied to our challenge of trying to describe Chile and Chilean rugby in a few words. The first player to reach the 50-cap milestone for his country, the utility back was also one of the first athletes to turn professional in Chile, a challenging moment of his career and one that he hopes will inspire future generations. “Everything I’ve done in my sports life was with one goal in sight: to play for Chile. I wanted to be a Condor. It was my motivation, shaping me into who I am right now.” Born and raised in Santiago, the 35-year-old remembers well the amateur-to-professional transition in 2018; how it changed Chile’s future and what sacrifices needed to be made. “It wasn’t easy moving…

A YEAR ago, Australia were dumped out of the World Cup at the group stage – an unprecedented failure. Three wins in July to kick off new coach Joe Schmidt’s reign provided some hope, but then came a Rugby Championship that saw the Wallabies finish bottom and, alarmingly, leak 67 points in one game against Argentina. With the current state of his team, Schmidt must bring through some new talent – and quickly. His contract runs out after the 2025 Lions tour, which suggests the ARU are treading carefully in case of a heavy defeat. But they forget that Schmidt took Ireland to No 1 in the world and is renowned for his tactical acumen and nurturing talent. Since his involvement, there have been positive signs. In his nine Tests…

WHAT’S THE club called? Old Elizabethans. And where is theirhome? Fortress Hallen, on the Severn Road out of Bristol heading towards the river. In between the M5 and M49, if we are being precise. When and how did the club start? In classic ‘old boys’ club fashion, it was founded in 1937 as a club for former pupils of the independent secondary school, Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital. The senior school there has existed since 1590 and for centuries boys were distinguished by their blue coats. Old Elizabethans found their home in Hallen in the early 1980s, building it themselves, and have just this year achieved the goal of raising £50,000 to extend the club. What teams does the club have? It’s a small club that does big things. The first XV…

JAMES HORWILL “AUSTRALIA ARE learning and getting a bit more settled. Joe Schmidt is finding his group of players and they’re building. I don’t think they’re where they need to be but there is enough there. “Joe has a very good coaching group and there is a calmness and consistency to what he’s doing. He’s contracted to the end of the Lions tour and that is very much the focus. He hasn’t had a lot of time in the saddle, but the real aim for him is to build a side that will win against the Lions and what that best 23 looks like for that first Test. “This autumn will be a good test of playing the northern hemisphere sides, where there is much more focus on the set-piece…

THE MOST famous jersey worn by the most famous player in the most famous tournament the sport of rugby has ever witnessed. A 1995 New Zealand All Blacks jersey worn by Jonah Lomu sits in hallowed territory alongside a Pele 1970 Brazil football shirt, a Michael Jordan 1997-98 Chicago Bulls vest and an Eddy Merckx 1972 yellow jersey. While this is not an actual Lomu jersey from 1995 – it’s just a replica – it stands as a symbol for when rugby finally became a global phenomenon thanks to one man. Cast your mind back 30 years to 1994 for a second. A young, shy 19-year-old teenager by the name of Jonah Tali Lomu had caught the attention of All Blacks head coach Laurie Mains thanks to a powerful showing…

EVERY TEAM will be under pressure in the Autumn Nations Series, a month of rugby in which every game is to be shown on TNT Sports. Indeed, perhaps it is the TNT team that is under most pressure – they have until now been a relatively small operation based around their coverage of the Gallagher Premiership, which they do well. But now they will be covering up to five games per day – can they keep their morale and sense of excitement up during all those hours of rugby? Let us hope they catch the sport in a good light, that their commentators and summarisers are outstanding and classy, not there because they are famous or because it is their turn; let’s pray that they don’t bother us with non-amusing…

01 Which Red Rose legend recently played her final full-contact rugby match, aged 60, at Wooden Spoon Vets Fest 24? 02 What links Adam Jones, Eric Gauzins and Brian MacNeice? 03 True or false – no prop has ever been nominated for the World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year award? 04 Which youth movement, founded in 1907, is introducing a rugby programme to its members after partnering with England Rugby? 05 Why was former Australia captain Rocky Elsom in the news? 06 Zebre Parma made history in September by beating which team (42-33) for the first time? 07 England World Cup winner Phil Vickery won another medal at the age of 48 – but in what sport? 08 Julián Montoya recently became the fourth Argentinian to win 100 Test…

• SERVES 4 • READY IN 25-30 MINS 1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the chilli, garlic and mince for about five minutes until the meat is browned. 2 Add the pasta sauce, meat stock and beans. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. 3 Tip into a serving dish, and top with the tortilla chips and cheese. Grill for two or three minutes, then sprinkle with spring onions to serve. PER SERVING Cals 631 | Fat 35g | Sat fat 12.5g | Carbs 41g SHOPPING LIST… For the dressing • 1 tbsp oil• 1 chilli, finely chopped• 2 garlic cloves, crushed• 500g lamb or beef mince• 500g jar tomato-based pasta sauce• 400ml (14fl oz) beef stock• 400g can red kidney beans, drained• 150g…

IRELAND 150th ANNIVERSARY JERSEY £104 elverys.ie To celebrate 150 years of Irish rugby, Canterbury has produced this special-edition jersey in homage to Ireland’s 1875 shirt. In further news, props Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter are now refusing to lift at lineouts in another overdue celebration of 19th-century rugby! O2, RFU & WOMEN’S SPORT TRUST WEARABLE REPORT £40 priority.o2.co.uk We’ve heard about wearable technology but how about wearable reports? This collection has been designed by Red Rose Ellie Kildunne to tackle the gender awareness gap in rugby and includes a scannable QR code to the report. It’s only viewable to O2 priority customers. BUFFALO TRACE BOURBON WHISKEY £25 buffalotracedistillery.com Buffalo Springfield is a Canadian-American folk rock band from the 1960s. Buffalo Trace is a Kentucky bourbon whiskey which is now the official…