1 week Ago By [email protected] (Jon Doel)
Here are the latest rugby news headlines on Wednesday, November 13. Gatland to announce changes Warren Gatland will today announce his team to play Australia this weekend as pressure mounts on the head coach. The Kiwi is desperate for a win after 10 straight Test defeats that have put his future in jeopardy and seen former players such as Jamie Roberts, Dan Biggar and Mike Phillips all raise questions around him.
Gatland will make at least one change from the side that lost to Fiji, with winger Mason Grady ruled out. There have also been concerns around scrum-half Tomos Williams, while the 6:2 bench split of last week appears certain to be ditched. World Cup captain Jac Morgan is likely to come into the side in the back row after being on the bench against the Fijians.
You can follow the team announcement live here. Fiji star banned Fiji winger Semi Radradra has been banned for three matches after his red card in the match against Wales on Sunday. Radradra saw his initial yellow card upgraded to a red during an in-game review following a brutal hit on full-back Cam Winnett.
Radradra admitted the offence was worthy of a sending off and was remorseful at an independent disciplinary hearing on Tuesday night. The independent Disciplinary Committee was chaired by Philippe Cavalieros (France), joined by former international referee Valeriu Toma (Romania) and former international player Stefan Terblanche (South Africa). The panel determined that the mid-range entry point of six weeks was appropriate with the full 50% mitigation applied, based on a clean disciplinary record and having shown remorse, reducing the sanction to three weeks.
The suspension will cover the following matches; Radradra could see the final match of the ban wiped off if he takes part in a World Rugby intervention programme focussed on tackle technique. England coach and players don't know what Jones is doing By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent England’s players and coaching number two Richard Wigglesworth have had no contact with Felix Jones ahead of Saturday’s clash with South Africa despite his inside knowledge of the Springboks. Jones resigned as defence coach in August but Steve Borthwick stated last month that he is being used to provide analysis of the opposition throughout the autumn amid uncertainty over the date he will officially leave the role.
One of the game’s brightest coaches, Jones helped South Africa win back-to-back World Cups before joining Borthwick’s management team 11 months ago. His decision to leave without having an alternative job lined up sent shockwaves through the camp, with Joe El Abd taking charge of the defence at short notice while still employed as boss of French club Oyonnax. England have lost to New Zealand and Australia already this autumn and need to topple the Springboks to save the campaign, with Japan the final visitors to Twickenham a week later.
“We don’t have any contact with Felix. I’m not sure if the coaches do or not,” centre Henry Slade said. “We’ve been working with Joe and our defensive leaders, trying to set the defence and the team up to defend as well as possible.
” Wigglesworth was promoted to the post of senior assistant coach before the Autumn Nations Series but Borthwick’s right-hand man said he did not know if Jones was supplying analysis packages. When asked if Jones is still employed by England, Wigglesworth replied: “I wouldn’t be able to tell you. I’ve not spoken to him.
“I know he’s working for us – behind the scenes that is – but I haven’t spoken to him.” Springboks to use inside knowledge on Marcus Smith By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent South Africa want Jerry Flannery to draw on his inside knowledge of Marcus Smith to shut down England’s playmaker at Allianz Stadium on Saturday. Harlequins ringmaster Smith was England’s most dangerous player in Saturday’s 42-37 defeat by Australia, helping to set up four of their five tries in an attacking masterclass.
“We were keen to suffocate him, but he just kept breathing,” said an impressed Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt after the match. Flannery has a deep understanding of Smith’s game, gathered during his four-year spell as an assistant coach for Harlequins, a post he held until joining Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks this year. “Marcus is a class player,” South Africa attacking coach Tony Brown said.
“Given time and space, there’s not too many better at making the most of little opportunities for all the players around him. He’s outstanding at the kick pass. “Jerry has had a lot of time with Marcus Smith and knows him well.
He’ll be under a little bit of pressure to make sure Marcus doesn’t get those opportunities this week.” Saturday’s rematch of their World Cup semi-final in Paris 12 months ago is laced with bad blood. A stormy 16-15 victory for South Africa soon became the subject of a bitter race row after England’s Tom Curry claimed that Bongi Mbonambi had called him a “white ****”.
World Rugby found “insufficient evidence” to support Curry’s allegation and Mbonambi said it was a “misunderstanding” because he was speaking Afrikaans. Curry has been ruled out of the South Africa showdown because of concussion and scrum-half Cobus Reinach insisted his team could not afford to be drawn into a grudge match. “If we get into that, it is going to take us away from the actual Test,” Reinach said.
“We need to focus on what is coming on Saturday and how to put our plan on the field. If we lose sight of what we want to do we might be embarrassed or not happy with our performance.” South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has been cleared to play at Twickenham despite suffering a minor eye injury against Scotland on Sunday.
.
