01 november 2019 za vol 19, iss... · alun wyn jones for holding on. garcès should have penalised...
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 19 Number 4101 November 2019
ldquoIn a country where rugby union was for many years a bastion of the Afrikaner Erasmus made the bold decision to name Siya Kolisi as captain the first black player to skipper the Boks - in a profile of Rassie Erasmus on Sport24coza
Register to receive your own free weekly newsletter at wwwrugbyrsacoza
RWC Semifinal A Win is a Win Old Pal
Its a very old colloquilism and despite the closeness of the contest the Springboks managed to triumph over Wales in last Sundayrsquos Rugby World Cup semifinal And all the pessimistic rants and complaints about World Rugbyrsquos choice of referee Jeacuterocircme Garcegraves were forgotten in the afterglow of the win
For a moment letrsquos return to the match it was a classical semifinal and because the Springboks scored first Wales were chasing the game from the outset And they managed to stay in touch right up to the final whistle when the Springboks won (19-16)
SA Rugby magazine has an interesting good bad and ugly analysis of the game Briefly the good was the resolve displayed by the Springboks the bad was discipline in the form of conceding nine penalties and the ugly was the stop-start nature of the often tedious contest Wersquoll leave you to read all the detail here
But returning to the referee for a moment Rob Debney a former Test referee from England has penned a column in The Times (UK not SA subscription required) in which he says that a late call went incorrectly against Wales in the match and that it affected the outcome Specifically he writes
ldquo[Garcegraves] penalised Wales with ten minutes to go They were on the ten-metre line and generating some good momentum and he incorrectly penalised Alun Wyn Jones for holding on Garcegraves should have penalised South Africa as Franco Mostert did not move away and prevented Elliot Dee from clearing out Francois Louw Wales should have had a kickable penalty that would have put them 19-16 up
Just a few minutes later he penalised Wales either for coming in from the side at a maul or collapsing it but he had been letting this sort of thing go all game Why give it at that stage of the game
He changed the way he refereed in the final 10 minutes and contributed to South Africa winning it which is not what a referee should do
Wersquore just happy to have another one in the win column when Garcegraves was in charge and wersquore hoping for another win this weekend when he is in charge again And given that this will be the third Springbok match he has handled in this competition perhaps just perhaps he has built a bit of rapport with our captain Siya Kolisi
KEY TOPICS IN THIS NEWSLETTER
RWC2019 And Then There Were TwoIreland Edge Blitzboks in Sevens FinalPRO14 That Sinking Feeling is Back
Japan to join The Rugby ChampionshipThe Curious Case of World Rugby RankingsFrom the Depths of Despair to a RWC Final
Page 1
Page 2
RWC2019 And Then There Were Two
On page one and for obvious reasons we covered Sundayrsquos semifinal between South Africa and Walesbut the shock result of the tournament came on Saturday in the other semifinal England beat pre-tournament favourites New Zealand
It should never have happened but somehow the whingers managed to disrupt the kiwi patterns to the extent that they seemed perpetually off balance and not sure what to do next Interestingly most of the column-centimetres after the fact have been about the England response to the New Zealand haka ndash and the fact that they were fined for crossing the halfway line during the war cry
But back to the game itself Of course there are different interpretations of what happened but for anybody who truly loves rugby the natural climax of any Rugby World Cup is a clash between the All Blacks and the Springboks Not getting that leaves us feeling cheated somehow
What that unexpected result means is that at 11am on Saturday we will see a repeat of the 2007 final with hopefully the same result as twelve years ago Interestingly and as mentioned on page one for the third time this tournament the Springboks will be refereed by Jeacuterocircme Garcegraves
Predictably there was much gnashing of teeth in the South African media and on social media when the announcement was made But there really were only two candidates the two who handled the semifinals World Rugby subsequently chose Garcegraves to handle the final ndash on merit and not because Nigel Owens injured his hamstring in the semifinal he handled Well alright then
Ireland Edge Blitzboks in 7s Final
Springbok Sevens coach Neil Powell will be less than pleased with his charges at the Athletes Factory International Sevens tournament held in Chester England on Saturday
After dominant performances in their opening five matches of the tournament the Blitzbokke stumbled at the final hurdle and were thrashed (21-5) by a rampant Irish team
As the SuperSport report puts it ldquoThe South Africans produced some stunning play on the attack on Friday and Saturday scoring at will but when the Irish kept possession and attacked with intent in the final some cracks appeared in the Blitzbokke defencerdquo
Regular followers of the Blitzbokke will remember that defence is usually a strength But the weekend wasnrsquot a total loss On the way to the final the team scored 30 tries in wins against the Rambling Jesters Hong Kong England Spain and France while only conceding one
Powell was philosophic about the result ldquoThis was exactly what we wanted and needed We often speak about a tournament not being done until after your final game and that was again the case today
We did some good things in five matches and then made some mistakes in the sixth match but it was good for the guys to be reminded about thatrdquo
In other news this week Cape Town has been named host city for the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens The tournament will take place in September to accommodate the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham England in July that year
Page 3
Page 4
PRO14 That Sinking Feeling is Back
When Southern Kings ran onto the field in Treviso on Saturday afternoon we were thrilled to see Josh Allderman as the starting scrumhalf But the absence of Stefan Ungerer appears to be due to injury rather than a smart call by interim coach Robbi Kempson
It was after all an important clash neither team had managed a win from their first three matches Sadly Kings were competitive for the first 35 minutes but when the Italians administered a quick one-two-three body blow before and after half-time to add 19 points it settled the match as a contest
Kings did add respectability to the scoreline and secured another losing bonus point but after 42 PRO14 losses many thrashings three wins and a draw itrsquos time to rename this franchise Kings they are not Final score 36-30
Cheetahs were better but they also conceded two extremely soft tries in the first half going into the break 14-5 down That left them with a very steep hill to climb if they wanted to make it four-in-a-row defeating opponents they have never beaten before
To the delight of the handful of Cheetahs fans in the crowd they did just that to lead 22-14 early in the fourth quarter Then disaster struck A monumentally stupid indiscretion at the ruck by Dries Swanepoel cost Cheetahs a red card and having to play the last nine minutes with only 14 men
Connacht capitalised immediately with an unconverted try by substitute centre Tom Farrell And then in the 87th minute Farrell crossed the whitewash again literally stealing the match long after the hooter had sounded (24-22)
Japan to join The Rugby Championship
Back in March we shared news that the Sunwolves were toast in Super Rugby after the 2020 season The reasoning given was financial primarily the Japan Rugby Football Union made it known that it planned to withdraw financial support because it no longer viewed Super Rugby as vital to the development of Japanese rugby
Now following Japanrsquos performance in the Rugby World Cup a rethink appears to be underway According to a report published ten days ago on Newshub SANZAAR is considering ways to keep the Sunwolves in Super Rugby and possibly including Japan in The Rugby Championship
The instigator of the discussions is apparently none other than Brett Gosper the head of World Rugby who encouraged SANZAAR to move fast to capitalise on the momentum created by the hostsrsquo stunning performance at the World Cup
He also suggested there could be a tug of war between the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship to add Japan to their respective annual tournament The report suggests that Sunwolves being reinstated to Super Rugby could be the key
ldquoitrsquos understood the board that made that decision [to withdraw financial support] has changed and with it attitudes within the union towards Japanrsquos participation in Super Rugbyrdquo
Of course this affects plans to change the competition structure back to a 14-team round-robin format That was supposed to feature five New Zealand teams four South African teams four Australian teams and the Jaguares from South America To add in the Sunwolves would mean dropping another team but which one
Page 5
The Curious Case of World Rugby Rankings
We noticed something odd that perhaps hinted at some skulduggery or at the very least creative accounting ndash during the Rugby World Cup The eight teams in the quarter-finals two weeks ago were also ranked by World Rugby as the top eight teams in the world
And then after the quarter-finals the four teams that made it through jumped almost miraculously into the top four ranking positions Similarly after the semifinals last weekend the top four were reshuffled to put the two finalists in position one and two No doubt if the Springboks win on Saturday theyrsquoll also assume the mantle of the number one side in world rugby
What are the chances Very good as it turned out We looked back at the 2015 World Cup and very similar scenario played out ndash with the exception that Scotland was ninth in the rankings but made it to the quarter-finals while England were eighth but did not
And back in 2011 the eight teams that made it through to the quarter-finals were also the top eight teams in the world rankings But the four semi-finalists were in the top five in the rankings ndash with South Africa who had been knocked out by the convicts in third position The two finalists were again the top two in the world rankings
How can it be so neat and tidy with only a few blemishes Can we really trust the rankings or is there skulduggery afoot
Well itrsquos all to do with how rankings are calculated using a Points Exchange system Under this system whatever points one side gains are at the expense of the other side in the contest
The number of points exchanged are based on the ranking of each team and the margin of victory with an allowance for home advantage Itrsquos that simple So now you know
Page 6
From the Depths of Despair to a RWC Final
The usual fare when a major cup final looms is previews and predictions as well as a lot of general whinging by those affiliated with teams that didnrsquot make it to the final So we decided to feature something different
It is an article that appeared on Sport24coza on Wednesday written by an unnamed correspondent in Tokyo and it looks at how exactly Rassie Erasmus has led South Africa from the depths of despair to the Rugby World Cup final The full article is well worth the click-through but wersquoll extract a few paragraphs to give you a taste
ldquoIn a country where rugby union was for many years a bastion of the Afrikaner Erasmus made the bold decision to name Siya Kolisi as captain the first black player to skipper the Boks
ldquoAnother bold decision was to hand 13 players their Test debuts in his first match in charge ndash a 22-20 defeat in Washington DC by Wales whom the Boks beat in the semi-finals in Japanrdquo
It then tracks some of his success in the Rugby Championship before delving into Erasmus the man
ldquoErasmus is a strong believer in building a game plan around kicking half-backs and a solid set-piece an immovable scrum and an efficient line-out which can set up a potent well-drilled driving maul He regularly opts for a sixtwo forwardsbacks split on the bench favouring what he dubs his lsquobomb squadrsquo of behemoths to come on in the second-half and suffocate teams It might not be pretty but it is vastly effectiverdquo
Quite There is a Rugby World Cup final featuring the Springboks tomorrow to underline that success and win or lose it has been a remarkable transition in what is in rugby terms an astonishingly short period of time As has been said many times - especially in the past few weeks ndash the other contenders had four years to plan for this World Cup Rassie only had two years
But we digress The article goes on to quote a number of players and even Saturdayrsquos opposing coach Eddie Jones who masterminded the unlikely defeat of the All Blacks Is he about to do the same to the Springboks We bloody well hope not
Siya Kolisis quote is quite interesting We had to buy into [Erasmusrsquo] plan and he has made it clear that the Springboks is the most important thing He just brought us back down to earth and told us You have to play well first and everything else will comerdquo
Indeed
Page 7
For your weekend rugby viewing pleasure
Today is exactly six weeks since the start of the Rugby World Cup and all that remains to be learned is who will lift the cup tomorrow The World Cup final kicks off at 11am and will feature South Africa and England
Of lesser importance is the thirdfourth playoff today at 11am between New Zealand and Wales If Wales win it could drop the kiwis to fourth in the world rankings ndash which would be their lowest ranking ever
Other than that we have a full round of PRO14 rugby (schedule alongside) with Kings visiting Glasgow to face the Warriors tonight and Cheetahs in Llanelli to tackle Scarlets tomorrow afternoon
Elsewhere the French Pro D2 competition continues (the Top 14 has a break) and across the channel the Premiership and second division Championship are ongoing Club rugby in the southern hemisphere appears to be over for the year Check the schedules with your television network or streamling provider for broadcast times
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 2
RWC2019 And Then There Were Two
On page one and for obvious reasons we covered Sundayrsquos semifinal between South Africa and Walesbut the shock result of the tournament came on Saturday in the other semifinal England beat pre-tournament favourites New Zealand
It should never have happened but somehow the whingers managed to disrupt the kiwi patterns to the extent that they seemed perpetually off balance and not sure what to do next Interestingly most of the column-centimetres after the fact have been about the England response to the New Zealand haka ndash and the fact that they were fined for crossing the halfway line during the war cry
But back to the game itself Of course there are different interpretations of what happened but for anybody who truly loves rugby the natural climax of any Rugby World Cup is a clash between the All Blacks and the Springboks Not getting that leaves us feeling cheated somehow
What that unexpected result means is that at 11am on Saturday we will see a repeat of the 2007 final with hopefully the same result as twelve years ago Interestingly and as mentioned on page one for the third time this tournament the Springboks will be refereed by Jeacuterocircme Garcegraves
Predictably there was much gnashing of teeth in the South African media and on social media when the announcement was made But there really were only two candidates the two who handled the semifinals World Rugby subsequently chose Garcegraves to handle the final ndash on merit and not because Nigel Owens injured his hamstring in the semifinal he handled Well alright then
Ireland Edge Blitzboks in 7s Final
Springbok Sevens coach Neil Powell will be less than pleased with his charges at the Athletes Factory International Sevens tournament held in Chester England on Saturday
After dominant performances in their opening five matches of the tournament the Blitzbokke stumbled at the final hurdle and were thrashed (21-5) by a rampant Irish team
As the SuperSport report puts it ldquoThe South Africans produced some stunning play on the attack on Friday and Saturday scoring at will but when the Irish kept possession and attacked with intent in the final some cracks appeared in the Blitzbokke defencerdquo
Regular followers of the Blitzbokke will remember that defence is usually a strength But the weekend wasnrsquot a total loss On the way to the final the team scored 30 tries in wins against the Rambling Jesters Hong Kong England Spain and France while only conceding one
Powell was philosophic about the result ldquoThis was exactly what we wanted and needed We often speak about a tournament not being done until after your final game and that was again the case today
We did some good things in five matches and then made some mistakes in the sixth match but it was good for the guys to be reminded about thatrdquo
In other news this week Cape Town has been named host city for the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens The tournament will take place in September to accommodate the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham England in July that year
Page 3
Page 4
PRO14 That Sinking Feeling is Back
When Southern Kings ran onto the field in Treviso on Saturday afternoon we were thrilled to see Josh Allderman as the starting scrumhalf But the absence of Stefan Ungerer appears to be due to injury rather than a smart call by interim coach Robbi Kempson
It was after all an important clash neither team had managed a win from their first three matches Sadly Kings were competitive for the first 35 minutes but when the Italians administered a quick one-two-three body blow before and after half-time to add 19 points it settled the match as a contest
Kings did add respectability to the scoreline and secured another losing bonus point but after 42 PRO14 losses many thrashings three wins and a draw itrsquos time to rename this franchise Kings they are not Final score 36-30
Cheetahs were better but they also conceded two extremely soft tries in the first half going into the break 14-5 down That left them with a very steep hill to climb if they wanted to make it four-in-a-row defeating opponents they have never beaten before
To the delight of the handful of Cheetahs fans in the crowd they did just that to lead 22-14 early in the fourth quarter Then disaster struck A monumentally stupid indiscretion at the ruck by Dries Swanepoel cost Cheetahs a red card and having to play the last nine minutes with only 14 men
Connacht capitalised immediately with an unconverted try by substitute centre Tom Farrell And then in the 87th minute Farrell crossed the whitewash again literally stealing the match long after the hooter had sounded (24-22)
Japan to join The Rugby Championship
Back in March we shared news that the Sunwolves were toast in Super Rugby after the 2020 season The reasoning given was financial primarily the Japan Rugby Football Union made it known that it planned to withdraw financial support because it no longer viewed Super Rugby as vital to the development of Japanese rugby
Now following Japanrsquos performance in the Rugby World Cup a rethink appears to be underway According to a report published ten days ago on Newshub SANZAAR is considering ways to keep the Sunwolves in Super Rugby and possibly including Japan in The Rugby Championship
The instigator of the discussions is apparently none other than Brett Gosper the head of World Rugby who encouraged SANZAAR to move fast to capitalise on the momentum created by the hostsrsquo stunning performance at the World Cup
He also suggested there could be a tug of war between the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship to add Japan to their respective annual tournament The report suggests that Sunwolves being reinstated to Super Rugby could be the key
ldquoitrsquos understood the board that made that decision [to withdraw financial support] has changed and with it attitudes within the union towards Japanrsquos participation in Super Rugbyrdquo
Of course this affects plans to change the competition structure back to a 14-team round-robin format That was supposed to feature five New Zealand teams four South African teams four Australian teams and the Jaguares from South America To add in the Sunwolves would mean dropping another team but which one
Page 5
The Curious Case of World Rugby Rankings
We noticed something odd that perhaps hinted at some skulduggery or at the very least creative accounting ndash during the Rugby World Cup The eight teams in the quarter-finals two weeks ago were also ranked by World Rugby as the top eight teams in the world
And then after the quarter-finals the four teams that made it through jumped almost miraculously into the top four ranking positions Similarly after the semifinals last weekend the top four were reshuffled to put the two finalists in position one and two No doubt if the Springboks win on Saturday theyrsquoll also assume the mantle of the number one side in world rugby
What are the chances Very good as it turned out We looked back at the 2015 World Cup and very similar scenario played out ndash with the exception that Scotland was ninth in the rankings but made it to the quarter-finals while England were eighth but did not
And back in 2011 the eight teams that made it through to the quarter-finals were also the top eight teams in the world rankings But the four semi-finalists were in the top five in the rankings ndash with South Africa who had been knocked out by the convicts in third position The two finalists were again the top two in the world rankings
How can it be so neat and tidy with only a few blemishes Can we really trust the rankings or is there skulduggery afoot
Well itrsquos all to do with how rankings are calculated using a Points Exchange system Under this system whatever points one side gains are at the expense of the other side in the contest
The number of points exchanged are based on the ranking of each team and the margin of victory with an allowance for home advantage Itrsquos that simple So now you know
Page 6
From the Depths of Despair to a RWC Final
The usual fare when a major cup final looms is previews and predictions as well as a lot of general whinging by those affiliated with teams that didnrsquot make it to the final So we decided to feature something different
It is an article that appeared on Sport24coza on Wednesday written by an unnamed correspondent in Tokyo and it looks at how exactly Rassie Erasmus has led South Africa from the depths of despair to the Rugby World Cup final The full article is well worth the click-through but wersquoll extract a few paragraphs to give you a taste
ldquoIn a country where rugby union was for many years a bastion of the Afrikaner Erasmus made the bold decision to name Siya Kolisi as captain the first black player to skipper the Boks
ldquoAnother bold decision was to hand 13 players their Test debuts in his first match in charge ndash a 22-20 defeat in Washington DC by Wales whom the Boks beat in the semi-finals in Japanrdquo
It then tracks some of his success in the Rugby Championship before delving into Erasmus the man
ldquoErasmus is a strong believer in building a game plan around kicking half-backs and a solid set-piece an immovable scrum and an efficient line-out which can set up a potent well-drilled driving maul He regularly opts for a sixtwo forwardsbacks split on the bench favouring what he dubs his lsquobomb squadrsquo of behemoths to come on in the second-half and suffocate teams It might not be pretty but it is vastly effectiverdquo
Quite There is a Rugby World Cup final featuring the Springboks tomorrow to underline that success and win or lose it has been a remarkable transition in what is in rugby terms an astonishingly short period of time As has been said many times - especially in the past few weeks ndash the other contenders had four years to plan for this World Cup Rassie only had two years
But we digress The article goes on to quote a number of players and even Saturdayrsquos opposing coach Eddie Jones who masterminded the unlikely defeat of the All Blacks Is he about to do the same to the Springboks We bloody well hope not
Siya Kolisis quote is quite interesting We had to buy into [Erasmusrsquo] plan and he has made it clear that the Springboks is the most important thing He just brought us back down to earth and told us You have to play well first and everything else will comerdquo
Indeed
Page 7
For your weekend rugby viewing pleasure
Today is exactly six weeks since the start of the Rugby World Cup and all that remains to be learned is who will lift the cup tomorrow The World Cup final kicks off at 11am and will feature South Africa and England
Of lesser importance is the thirdfourth playoff today at 11am between New Zealand and Wales If Wales win it could drop the kiwis to fourth in the world rankings ndash which would be their lowest ranking ever
Other than that we have a full round of PRO14 rugby (schedule alongside) with Kings visiting Glasgow to face the Warriors tonight and Cheetahs in Llanelli to tackle Scarlets tomorrow afternoon
Elsewhere the French Pro D2 competition continues (the Top 14 has a break) and across the channel the Premiership and second division Championship are ongoing Club rugby in the southern hemisphere appears to be over for the year Check the schedules with your television network or streamling provider for broadcast times
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 3
Page 4
PRO14 That Sinking Feeling is Back
When Southern Kings ran onto the field in Treviso on Saturday afternoon we were thrilled to see Josh Allderman as the starting scrumhalf But the absence of Stefan Ungerer appears to be due to injury rather than a smart call by interim coach Robbi Kempson
It was after all an important clash neither team had managed a win from their first three matches Sadly Kings were competitive for the first 35 minutes but when the Italians administered a quick one-two-three body blow before and after half-time to add 19 points it settled the match as a contest
Kings did add respectability to the scoreline and secured another losing bonus point but after 42 PRO14 losses many thrashings three wins and a draw itrsquos time to rename this franchise Kings they are not Final score 36-30
Cheetahs were better but they also conceded two extremely soft tries in the first half going into the break 14-5 down That left them with a very steep hill to climb if they wanted to make it four-in-a-row defeating opponents they have never beaten before
To the delight of the handful of Cheetahs fans in the crowd they did just that to lead 22-14 early in the fourth quarter Then disaster struck A monumentally stupid indiscretion at the ruck by Dries Swanepoel cost Cheetahs a red card and having to play the last nine minutes with only 14 men
Connacht capitalised immediately with an unconverted try by substitute centre Tom Farrell And then in the 87th minute Farrell crossed the whitewash again literally stealing the match long after the hooter had sounded (24-22)
Japan to join The Rugby Championship
Back in March we shared news that the Sunwolves were toast in Super Rugby after the 2020 season The reasoning given was financial primarily the Japan Rugby Football Union made it known that it planned to withdraw financial support because it no longer viewed Super Rugby as vital to the development of Japanese rugby
Now following Japanrsquos performance in the Rugby World Cup a rethink appears to be underway According to a report published ten days ago on Newshub SANZAAR is considering ways to keep the Sunwolves in Super Rugby and possibly including Japan in The Rugby Championship
The instigator of the discussions is apparently none other than Brett Gosper the head of World Rugby who encouraged SANZAAR to move fast to capitalise on the momentum created by the hostsrsquo stunning performance at the World Cup
He also suggested there could be a tug of war between the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship to add Japan to their respective annual tournament The report suggests that Sunwolves being reinstated to Super Rugby could be the key
ldquoitrsquos understood the board that made that decision [to withdraw financial support] has changed and with it attitudes within the union towards Japanrsquos participation in Super Rugbyrdquo
Of course this affects plans to change the competition structure back to a 14-team round-robin format That was supposed to feature five New Zealand teams four South African teams four Australian teams and the Jaguares from South America To add in the Sunwolves would mean dropping another team but which one
Page 5
The Curious Case of World Rugby Rankings
We noticed something odd that perhaps hinted at some skulduggery or at the very least creative accounting ndash during the Rugby World Cup The eight teams in the quarter-finals two weeks ago were also ranked by World Rugby as the top eight teams in the world
And then after the quarter-finals the four teams that made it through jumped almost miraculously into the top four ranking positions Similarly after the semifinals last weekend the top four were reshuffled to put the two finalists in position one and two No doubt if the Springboks win on Saturday theyrsquoll also assume the mantle of the number one side in world rugby
What are the chances Very good as it turned out We looked back at the 2015 World Cup and very similar scenario played out ndash with the exception that Scotland was ninth in the rankings but made it to the quarter-finals while England were eighth but did not
And back in 2011 the eight teams that made it through to the quarter-finals were also the top eight teams in the world rankings But the four semi-finalists were in the top five in the rankings ndash with South Africa who had been knocked out by the convicts in third position The two finalists were again the top two in the world rankings
How can it be so neat and tidy with only a few blemishes Can we really trust the rankings or is there skulduggery afoot
Well itrsquos all to do with how rankings are calculated using a Points Exchange system Under this system whatever points one side gains are at the expense of the other side in the contest
The number of points exchanged are based on the ranking of each team and the margin of victory with an allowance for home advantage Itrsquos that simple So now you know
Page 6
From the Depths of Despair to a RWC Final
The usual fare when a major cup final looms is previews and predictions as well as a lot of general whinging by those affiliated with teams that didnrsquot make it to the final So we decided to feature something different
It is an article that appeared on Sport24coza on Wednesday written by an unnamed correspondent in Tokyo and it looks at how exactly Rassie Erasmus has led South Africa from the depths of despair to the Rugby World Cup final The full article is well worth the click-through but wersquoll extract a few paragraphs to give you a taste
ldquoIn a country where rugby union was for many years a bastion of the Afrikaner Erasmus made the bold decision to name Siya Kolisi as captain the first black player to skipper the Boks
ldquoAnother bold decision was to hand 13 players their Test debuts in his first match in charge ndash a 22-20 defeat in Washington DC by Wales whom the Boks beat in the semi-finals in Japanrdquo
It then tracks some of his success in the Rugby Championship before delving into Erasmus the man
ldquoErasmus is a strong believer in building a game plan around kicking half-backs and a solid set-piece an immovable scrum and an efficient line-out which can set up a potent well-drilled driving maul He regularly opts for a sixtwo forwardsbacks split on the bench favouring what he dubs his lsquobomb squadrsquo of behemoths to come on in the second-half and suffocate teams It might not be pretty but it is vastly effectiverdquo
Quite There is a Rugby World Cup final featuring the Springboks tomorrow to underline that success and win or lose it has been a remarkable transition in what is in rugby terms an astonishingly short period of time As has been said many times - especially in the past few weeks ndash the other contenders had four years to plan for this World Cup Rassie only had two years
But we digress The article goes on to quote a number of players and even Saturdayrsquos opposing coach Eddie Jones who masterminded the unlikely defeat of the All Blacks Is he about to do the same to the Springboks We bloody well hope not
Siya Kolisis quote is quite interesting We had to buy into [Erasmusrsquo] plan and he has made it clear that the Springboks is the most important thing He just brought us back down to earth and told us You have to play well first and everything else will comerdquo
Indeed
Page 7
For your weekend rugby viewing pleasure
Today is exactly six weeks since the start of the Rugby World Cup and all that remains to be learned is who will lift the cup tomorrow The World Cup final kicks off at 11am and will feature South Africa and England
Of lesser importance is the thirdfourth playoff today at 11am between New Zealand and Wales If Wales win it could drop the kiwis to fourth in the world rankings ndash which would be their lowest ranking ever
Other than that we have a full round of PRO14 rugby (schedule alongside) with Kings visiting Glasgow to face the Warriors tonight and Cheetahs in Llanelli to tackle Scarlets tomorrow afternoon
Elsewhere the French Pro D2 competition continues (the Top 14 has a break) and across the channel the Premiership and second division Championship are ongoing Club rugby in the southern hemisphere appears to be over for the year Check the schedules with your television network or streamling provider for broadcast times
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 4
PRO14 That Sinking Feeling is Back
When Southern Kings ran onto the field in Treviso on Saturday afternoon we were thrilled to see Josh Allderman as the starting scrumhalf But the absence of Stefan Ungerer appears to be due to injury rather than a smart call by interim coach Robbi Kempson
It was after all an important clash neither team had managed a win from their first three matches Sadly Kings were competitive for the first 35 minutes but when the Italians administered a quick one-two-three body blow before and after half-time to add 19 points it settled the match as a contest
Kings did add respectability to the scoreline and secured another losing bonus point but after 42 PRO14 losses many thrashings three wins and a draw itrsquos time to rename this franchise Kings they are not Final score 36-30
Cheetahs were better but they also conceded two extremely soft tries in the first half going into the break 14-5 down That left them with a very steep hill to climb if they wanted to make it four-in-a-row defeating opponents they have never beaten before
To the delight of the handful of Cheetahs fans in the crowd they did just that to lead 22-14 early in the fourth quarter Then disaster struck A monumentally stupid indiscretion at the ruck by Dries Swanepoel cost Cheetahs a red card and having to play the last nine minutes with only 14 men
Connacht capitalised immediately with an unconverted try by substitute centre Tom Farrell And then in the 87th minute Farrell crossed the whitewash again literally stealing the match long after the hooter had sounded (24-22)
Japan to join The Rugby Championship
Back in March we shared news that the Sunwolves were toast in Super Rugby after the 2020 season The reasoning given was financial primarily the Japan Rugby Football Union made it known that it planned to withdraw financial support because it no longer viewed Super Rugby as vital to the development of Japanese rugby
Now following Japanrsquos performance in the Rugby World Cup a rethink appears to be underway According to a report published ten days ago on Newshub SANZAAR is considering ways to keep the Sunwolves in Super Rugby and possibly including Japan in The Rugby Championship
The instigator of the discussions is apparently none other than Brett Gosper the head of World Rugby who encouraged SANZAAR to move fast to capitalise on the momentum created by the hostsrsquo stunning performance at the World Cup
He also suggested there could be a tug of war between the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship to add Japan to their respective annual tournament The report suggests that Sunwolves being reinstated to Super Rugby could be the key
ldquoitrsquos understood the board that made that decision [to withdraw financial support] has changed and with it attitudes within the union towards Japanrsquos participation in Super Rugbyrdquo
Of course this affects plans to change the competition structure back to a 14-team round-robin format That was supposed to feature five New Zealand teams four South African teams four Australian teams and the Jaguares from South America To add in the Sunwolves would mean dropping another team but which one
Page 5
The Curious Case of World Rugby Rankings
We noticed something odd that perhaps hinted at some skulduggery or at the very least creative accounting ndash during the Rugby World Cup The eight teams in the quarter-finals two weeks ago were also ranked by World Rugby as the top eight teams in the world
And then after the quarter-finals the four teams that made it through jumped almost miraculously into the top four ranking positions Similarly after the semifinals last weekend the top four were reshuffled to put the two finalists in position one and two No doubt if the Springboks win on Saturday theyrsquoll also assume the mantle of the number one side in world rugby
What are the chances Very good as it turned out We looked back at the 2015 World Cup and very similar scenario played out ndash with the exception that Scotland was ninth in the rankings but made it to the quarter-finals while England were eighth but did not
And back in 2011 the eight teams that made it through to the quarter-finals were also the top eight teams in the world rankings But the four semi-finalists were in the top five in the rankings ndash with South Africa who had been knocked out by the convicts in third position The two finalists were again the top two in the world rankings
How can it be so neat and tidy with only a few blemishes Can we really trust the rankings or is there skulduggery afoot
Well itrsquos all to do with how rankings are calculated using a Points Exchange system Under this system whatever points one side gains are at the expense of the other side in the contest
The number of points exchanged are based on the ranking of each team and the margin of victory with an allowance for home advantage Itrsquos that simple So now you know
Page 6
From the Depths of Despair to a RWC Final
The usual fare when a major cup final looms is previews and predictions as well as a lot of general whinging by those affiliated with teams that didnrsquot make it to the final So we decided to feature something different
It is an article that appeared on Sport24coza on Wednesday written by an unnamed correspondent in Tokyo and it looks at how exactly Rassie Erasmus has led South Africa from the depths of despair to the Rugby World Cup final The full article is well worth the click-through but wersquoll extract a few paragraphs to give you a taste
ldquoIn a country where rugby union was for many years a bastion of the Afrikaner Erasmus made the bold decision to name Siya Kolisi as captain the first black player to skipper the Boks
ldquoAnother bold decision was to hand 13 players their Test debuts in his first match in charge ndash a 22-20 defeat in Washington DC by Wales whom the Boks beat in the semi-finals in Japanrdquo
It then tracks some of his success in the Rugby Championship before delving into Erasmus the man
ldquoErasmus is a strong believer in building a game plan around kicking half-backs and a solid set-piece an immovable scrum and an efficient line-out which can set up a potent well-drilled driving maul He regularly opts for a sixtwo forwardsbacks split on the bench favouring what he dubs his lsquobomb squadrsquo of behemoths to come on in the second-half and suffocate teams It might not be pretty but it is vastly effectiverdquo
Quite There is a Rugby World Cup final featuring the Springboks tomorrow to underline that success and win or lose it has been a remarkable transition in what is in rugby terms an astonishingly short period of time As has been said many times - especially in the past few weeks ndash the other contenders had four years to plan for this World Cup Rassie only had two years
But we digress The article goes on to quote a number of players and even Saturdayrsquos opposing coach Eddie Jones who masterminded the unlikely defeat of the All Blacks Is he about to do the same to the Springboks We bloody well hope not
Siya Kolisis quote is quite interesting We had to buy into [Erasmusrsquo] plan and he has made it clear that the Springboks is the most important thing He just brought us back down to earth and told us You have to play well first and everything else will comerdquo
Indeed
Page 7
For your weekend rugby viewing pleasure
Today is exactly six weeks since the start of the Rugby World Cup and all that remains to be learned is who will lift the cup tomorrow The World Cup final kicks off at 11am and will feature South Africa and England
Of lesser importance is the thirdfourth playoff today at 11am between New Zealand and Wales If Wales win it could drop the kiwis to fourth in the world rankings ndash which would be their lowest ranking ever
Other than that we have a full round of PRO14 rugby (schedule alongside) with Kings visiting Glasgow to face the Warriors tonight and Cheetahs in Llanelli to tackle Scarlets tomorrow afternoon
Elsewhere the French Pro D2 competition continues (the Top 14 has a break) and across the channel the Premiership and second division Championship are ongoing Club rugby in the southern hemisphere appears to be over for the year Check the schedules with your television network or streamling provider for broadcast times
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
Page 5
The Curious Case of World Rugby Rankings
We noticed something odd that perhaps hinted at some skulduggery or at the very least creative accounting ndash during the Rugby World Cup The eight teams in the quarter-finals two weeks ago were also ranked by World Rugby as the top eight teams in the world
And then after the quarter-finals the four teams that made it through jumped almost miraculously into the top four ranking positions Similarly after the semifinals last weekend the top four were reshuffled to put the two finalists in position one and two No doubt if the Springboks win on Saturday theyrsquoll also assume the mantle of the number one side in world rugby
What are the chances Very good as it turned out We looked back at the 2015 World Cup and very similar scenario played out ndash with the exception that Scotland was ninth in the rankings but made it to the quarter-finals while England were eighth but did not
And back in 2011 the eight teams that made it through to the quarter-finals were also the top eight teams in the world rankings But the four semi-finalists were in the top five in the rankings ndash with South Africa who had been knocked out by the convicts in third position The two finalists were again the top two in the world rankings
How can it be so neat and tidy with only a few blemishes Can we really trust the rankings or is there skulduggery afoot
Well itrsquos all to do with how rankings are calculated using a Points Exchange system Under this system whatever points one side gains are at the expense of the other side in the contest
The number of points exchanged are based on the ranking of each team and the margin of victory with an allowance for home advantage Itrsquos that simple So now you know
Page 6
From the Depths of Despair to a RWC Final
The usual fare when a major cup final looms is previews and predictions as well as a lot of general whinging by those affiliated with teams that didnrsquot make it to the final So we decided to feature something different
It is an article that appeared on Sport24coza on Wednesday written by an unnamed correspondent in Tokyo and it looks at how exactly Rassie Erasmus has led South Africa from the depths of despair to the Rugby World Cup final The full article is well worth the click-through but wersquoll extract a few paragraphs to give you a taste
ldquoIn a country where rugby union was for many years a bastion of the Afrikaner Erasmus made the bold decision to name Siya Kolisi as captain the first black player to skipper the Boks
ldquoAnother bold decision was to hand 13 players their Test debuts in his first match in charge ndash a 22-20 defeat in Washington DC by Wales whom the Boks beat in the semi-finals in Japanrdquo
It then tracks some of his success in the Rugby Championship before delving into Erasmus the man
ldquoErasmus is a strong believer in building a game plan around kicking half-backs and a solid set-piece an immovable scrum and an efficient line-out which can set up a potent well-drilled driving maul He regularly opts for a sixtwo forwardsbacks split on the bench favouring what he dubs his lsquobomb squadrsquo of behemoths to come on in the second-half and suffocate teams It might not be pretty but it is vastly effectiverdquo
Quite There is a Rugby World Cup final featuring the Springboks tomorrow to underline that success and win or lose it has been a remarkable transition in what is in rugby terms an astonishingly short period of time As has been said many times - especially in the past few weeks ndash the other contenders had four years to plan for this World Cup Rassie only had two years
But we digress The article goes on to quote a number of players and even Saturdayrsquos opposing coach Eddie Jones who masterminded the unlikely defeat of the All Blacks Is he about to do the same to the Springboks We bloody well hope not
Siya Kolisis quote is quite interesting We had to buy into [Erasmusrsquo] plan and he has made it clear that the Springboks is the most important thing He just brought us back down to earth and told us You have to play well first and everything else will comerdquo
Indeed
Page 7
For your weekend rugby viewing pleasure
Today is exactly six weeks since the start of the Rugby World Cup and all that remains to be learned is who will lift the cup tomorrow The World Cup final kicks off at 11am and will feature South Africa and England
Of lesser importance is the thirdfourth playoff today at 11am between New Zealand and Wales If Wales win it could drop the kiwis to fourth in the world rankings ndash which would be their lowest ranking ever
Other than that we have a full round of PRO14 rugby (schedule alongside) with Kings visiting Glasgow to face the Warriors tonight and Cheetahs in Llanelli to tackle Scarlets tomorrow afternoon
Elsewhere the French Pro D2 competition continues (the Top 14 has a break) and across the channel the Premiership and second division Championship are ongoing Club rugby in the southern hemisphere appears to be over for the year Check the schedules with your television network or streamling provider for broadcast times
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
The Curious Case of World Rugby Rankings
We noticed something odd that perhaps hinted at some skulduggery or at the very least creative accounting ndash during the Rugby World Cup The eight teams in the quarter-finals two weeks ago were also ranked by World Rugby as the top eight teams in the world
And then after the quarter-finals the four teams that made it through jumped almost miraculously into the top four ranking positions Similarly after the semifinals last weekend the top four were reshuffled to put the two finalists in position one and two No doubt if the Springboks win on Saturday theyrsquoll also assume the mantle of the number one side in world rugby
What are the chances Very good as it turned out We looked back at the 2015 World Cup and very similar scenario played out ndash with the exception that Scotland was ninth in the rankings but made it to the quarter-finals while England were eighth but did not
And back in 2011 the eight teams that made it through to the quarter-finals were also the top eight teams in the world rankings But the four semi-finalists were in the top five in the rankings ndash with South Africa who had been knocked out by the convicts in third position The two finalists were again the top two in the world rankings
How can it be so neat and tidy with only a few blemishes Can we really trust the rankings or is there skulduggery afoot
Well itrsquos all to do with how rankings are calculated using a Points Exchange system Under this system whatever points one side gains are at the expense of the other side in the contest
The number of points exchanged are based on the ranking of each team and the margin of victory with an allowance for home advantage Itrsquos that simple So now you know
Page 6
From the Depths of Despair to a RWC Final
The usual fare when a major cup final looms is previews and predictions as well as a lot of general whinging by those affiliated with teams that didnrsquot make it to the final So we decided to feature something different
It is an article that appeared on Sport24coza on Wednesday written by an unnamed correspondent in Tokyo and it looks at how exactly Rassie Erasmus has led South Africa from the depths of despair to the Rugby World Cup final The full article is well worth the click-through but wersquoll extract a few paragraphs to give you a taste
ldquoIn a country where rugby union was for many years a bastion of the Afrikaner Erasmus made the bold decision to name Siya Kolisi as captain the first black player to skipper the Boks
ldquoAnother bold decision was to hand 13 players their Test debuts in his first match in charge ndash a 22-20 defeat in Washington DC by Wales whom the Boks beat in the semi-finals in Japanrdquo
It then tracks some of his success in the Rugby Championship before delving into Erasmus the man
ldquoErasmus is a strong believer in building a game plan around kicking half-backs and a solid set-piece an immovable scrum and an efficient line-out which can set up a potent well-drilled driving maul He regularly opts for a sixtwo forwardsbacks split on the bench favouring what he dubs his lsquobomb squadrsquo of behemoths to come on in the second-half and suffocate teams It might not be pretty but it is vastly effectiverdquo
Quite There is a Rugby World Cup final featuring the Springboks tomorrow to underline that success and win or lose it has been a remarkable transition in what is in rugby terms an astonishingly short period of time As has been said many times - especially in the past few weeks ndash the other contenders had four years to plan for this World Cup Rassie only had two years
But we digress The article goes on to quote a number of players and even Saturdayrsquos opposing coach Eddie Jones who masterminded the unlikely defeat of the All Blacks Is he about to do the same to the Springboks We bloody well hope not
Siya Kolisis quote is quite interesting We had to buy into [Erasmusrsquo] plan and he has made it clear that the Springboks is the most important thing He just brought us back down to earth and told us You have to play well first and everything else will comerdquo
Indeed
Page 7
For your weekend rugby viewing pleasure
Today is exactly six weeks since the start of the Rugby World Cup and all that remains to be learned is who will lift the cup tomorrow The World Cup final kicks off at 11am and will feature South Africa and England
Of lesser importance is the thirdfourth playoff today at 11am between New Zealand and Wales If Wales win it could drop the kiwis to fourth in the world rankings ndash which would be their lowest ranking ever
Other than that we have a full round of PRO14 rugby (schedule alongside) with Kings visiting Glasgow to face the Warriors tonight and Cheetahs in Llanelli to tackle Scarlets tomorrow afternoon
Elsewhere the French Pro D2 competition continues (the Top 14 has a break) and across the channel the Premiership and second division Championship are ongoing Club rugby in the southern hemisphere appears to be over for the year Check the schedules with your television network or streamling provider for broadcast times
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
From the Depths of Despair to a RWC Final
The usual fare when a major cup final looms is previews and predictions as well as a lot of general whinging by those affiliated with teams that didnrsquot make it to the final So we decided to feature something different
It is an article that appeared on Sport24coza on Wednesday written by an unnamed correspondent in Tokyo and it looks at how exactly Rassie Erasmus has led South Africa from the depths of despair to the Rugby World Cup final The full article is well worth the click-through but wersquoll extract a few paragraphs to give you a taste
ldquoIn a country where rugby union was for many years a bastion of the Afrikaner Erasmus made the bold decision to name Siya Kolisi as captain the first black player to skipper the Boks
ldquoAnother bold decision was to hand 13 players their Test debuts in his first match in charge ndash a 22-20 defeat in Washington DC by Wales whom the Boks beat in the semi-finals in Japanrdquo
It then tracks some of his success in the Rugby Championship before delving into Erasmus the man
ldquoErasmus is a strong believer in building a game plan around kicking half-backs and a solid set-piece an immovable scrum and an efficient line-out which can set up a potent well-drilled driving maul He regularly opts for a sixtwo forwardsbacks split on the bench favouring what he dubs his lsquobomb squadrsquo of behemoths to come on in the second-half and suffocate teams It might not be pretty but it is vastly effectiverdquo
Quite There is a Rugby World Cup final featuring the Springboks tomorrow to underline that success and win or lose it has been a remarkable transition in what is in rugby terms an astonishingly short period of time As has been said many times - especially in the past few weeks ndash the other contenders had four years to plan for this World Cup Rassie only had two years
But we digress The article goes on to quote a number of players and even Saturdayrsquos opposing coach Eddie Jones who masterminded the unlikely defeat of the All Blacks Is he about to do the same to the Springboks We bloody well hope not
Siya Kolisis quote is quite interesting We had to buy into [Erasmusrsquo] plan and he has made it clear that the Springboks is the most important thing He just brought us back down to earth and told us You have to play well first and everything else will comerdquo
Indeed
Page 7
For your weekend rugby viewing pleasure
Today is exactly six weeks since the start of the Rugby World Cup and all that remains to be learned is who will lift the cup tomorrow The World Cup final kicks off at 11am and will feature South Africa and England
Of lesser importance is the thirdfourth playoff today at 11am between New Zealand and Wales If Wales win it could drop the kiwis to fourth in the world rankings ndash which would be their lowest ranking ever
Other than that we have a full round of PRO14 rugby (schedule alongside) with Kings visiting Glasgow to face the Warriors tonight and Cheetahs in Llanelli to tackle Scarlets tomorrow afternoon
Elsewhere the French Pro D2 competition continues (the Top 14 has a break) and across the channel the Premiership and second division Championship are ongoing Club rugby in the southern hemisphere appears to be over for the year Check the schedules with your television network or streamling provider for broadcast times
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8
For your weekend rugby viewing pleasure
Today is exactly six weeks since the start of the Rugby World Cup and all that remains to be learned is who will lift the cup tomorrow The World Cup final kicks off at 11am and will feature South Africa and England
Of lesser importance is the thirdfourth playoff today at 11am between New Zealand and Wales If Wales win it could drop the kiwis to fourth in the world rankings ndash which would be their lowest ranking ever
Other than that we have a full round of PRO14 rugby (schedule alongside) with Kings visiting Glasgow to face the Warriors tonight and Cheetahs in Llanelli to tackle Scarlets tomorrow afternoon
Elsewhere the French Pro D2 competition continues (the Top 14 has a break) and across the channel the Premiership and second division Championship are ongoing Club rugby in the southern hemisphere appears to be over for the year Check the schedules with your television network or streamling provider for broadcast times
Thanks for reading our newsletter We need feedback to improve it ndash and only you can give us that feedback Please take the time to send us an email We want to hear from you ndash good bad or ugly a pat on the back or a kick in the butt Remember to look us up on Twitter where youll find many of our contributors on our timeline
The Rugby Team at Leopard Newsletters
Page 8