Blues in focus - James Tamou

After debuting for New South Wales in last year’s State of Origin series, James Tamou is predicting the Blues debutants of 2013 to lead the way in Game One on Wednesday night.

Tamou believed the enthusiasm of James Maloney, Blake Ferguson Josh Reynolds and Andrew Fifita would play a vital role in the Blues performance.

“Enthusiasm is the main thing. They’ve got the title and I think being enthusiastic will play a big part on the night,” Tamou said.

“We’ve had a few training sessions now and our debutants have been leading the way.”

Tamou reserved a special mention for his front row partner Fifita, claiming he had done more than enough to earn his selection.

“I think he’s been the most in-form player picked in our team. He’s really stepped up and his consistency has been tremendous. Hopefully he can take that into the game and show the Queenslanders what he’s got.”

Despite the disruptions and complications surrounding both squads in the lead up to Game One, Tamou said the Blues were only focused on their own performance and were prepared for a full-strength Marrons outfit.

“This whole camp is about us at the moment and we’re not worried one bit about them.

“It’s about us and we’re concentrating on what our strengths are and not what their weaknesses are and that’s how we’re going to take it.

“The next couple days are very important with our preparation. We had our official team dinner the other night and I think it started to sink in there. It was inspiring to hear what the old former Blues players did and we know what we need to do now.

“It’s time to put our training into practice and show what we can do.”

James Tamou and the rest of the NSW VB Blues will take on the Queensland XXXX Maroons in State of Origin Game One at ANZ Stadium, June 5th. Click on this link to secure your tickets

Click here to see the full squad named for Game One

Stay up to date with all of the Origin news during the lead up to the match by following us on twitter @NSWRL and tag your tweets of support with #uptheblues

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Blues in focus - James Tamou

England rugby: Kyle Eastmond one of seven set for first starts

England will hand seven players their first starts when they play a South American representative side on Sunday.

England face the

Consur XV 

in a non-cap game in Uruguay, before

Tests against Argentina

on 8 June and 15 June.

Luther Burrell, Stephen Myler, Kyle Eastmond, Jonny May, Kearnan Myall, Henry Thomas and Billy Vunipola are the new faces, while Tom Wood is captain.

“This tour is about giving players opportunities to show their talent,” said head coach Stuart Lancaster.

“The players understand this responsibility and are looking forward to the challenge.

“Everyone involved will need to hit the ground running in Uruguay because we expect the Sudamerica side to play with a lot of skill and physicality in front of a passionate home crowd. It is England’s first ever match on Uruguayan soil and should be a great occasion for all concerned.”

Centre Burrell and fly-half Myler come into the side eight days after being part of the Northampton team beaten in the

Aviva Premiership final.

Eastmond (Bath Rugby), Myall (unattached), Thomas (Sale Sharks) and Vunipola (London Wasps) all came off the bench in England’s

40-12 win against the Barbarians on Sunday.

Replacement hooker Rob Buchanan (Harlequins) will make his first appearance should he be used from the bench.

England:


Ben Foden (Northampton Saints); Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), David Strettle (Saracens); Stephen Myler (Northampton Saints), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens); Joe Marler (Harlequins), David Paice (London Irish), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Kearnan Myall (Unattached), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints, captain), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Billy Vunipola (London Wasps).

Replacements:


Rob Buchanan (Harlequins), Alex Corbisiero (London Irish), Paul Doran Jones (Northampton Saints), Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby), Matt Kvesic (Worcester Warriors), Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (London Irish).

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England rugby: Kyle Eastmond one of seven set for first starts

These US Eagles have their talons sharpened for Ireland

True story. An Irishman landed in Milwaukee over 30 years ago. A decent club player with Lansdowne, he wasn’t long seeking out what the locals called “a skirmish”.

He also wasn’t long being decapitated. On screwing his head back on he decided the time had come to work on his handicap.

Rugby in the States has evolved since, but the common denominator of contact sports in North America remains intact; the paying customer likes audible pain, they want collisions.

They want blood.

Tune into TG4 at 1.30am next Sunday morning and see the aptly named Todd Clever and Manu Samoa go about delivering this for the 22,000 capacity crowd at the BBVA Compass stadium in Houston, Texas.

“A few years ago I got off the plane from Leicester on a Wednesday and next day at training I got hit harder than I had ever been hit before.”

That’s an astonishing thing for Gavin Hickie to say. The former St Mary’s College and Leinster hooker arrived for a season of amateur rugby at Belmont Shore in California having been eased out of the professional game after mangling his shoulder trying to tackle Jason Robinson in 2007. Of all the places, he arrived from Welford Road where hard hitting and training ground fights are still a way of life.

“The game is extremely physical over here and it will be like that next week in Houston.”

Hickie is currently preparing the USA under-20 forwards for the Junior World Cup and doubles up as interim head coach for the sevens and 15 aside at Dartmouth College. He also runs a website, lineoutcoach.com.

Well placed

All told, it leaves him well placed to call Ireland’s impending tour of North America.

“I would say the USA will win this one.”

Really, Gavin? Maybe the past five years coaching in the land of hope and glory clouded his mind. Maybe he has gone all patriotic on us?

Actually, he views it with logic.

“You take so many leaders out of the Ireland team due to the Lions. I know the young guys have a lot to prove and it is a great chance for them but they are coming up against a very hard hitting team.

“Mike Tolkin (the Eagles head coach) has put in some good structures, rugby is growing over here and for this match it feels like there is a lot at stake for American rugby.

“I know there is a lot at stake for Les Kiss and the new coaching structure but I feel the USA might just get this one right.”

So, this handy two-match tour of North America could get really serious really quickly. At least Les Kiss had his young squad, with 23-year-old captain Peter O’Mahony, boarding the plane to Houston this morning forewarned.

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These US Eagles have their talons sharpened for Ireland

Rugby Union: British and Irish Lions defeat Barbarians ahead of Australia tour

Posted


June 02, 2013 06:48:13

Photo:

Solid start … Mike Phillips holds off Sergio Parisse to en route to the goal line (Getty Images: David Rogers)

The British and Irish Lions hammered the Barbarians 59-8 in Hong Kong in a convincing start to their tour en route to a much-anticipated Test series in Australia.

Stand-in captain Paul O’Connell got the Lions off to the best possible start as he scored the first of eight tries, including two from winger Alex Cuthbert and another brace from half-back Mike Phillips.

Irish lock O’Connell, the 2009 tour skipper, was filling in on armband duties for the injured Sam Warburton, and he touched down in the 28th minute for his first try in 12 appearances in the Lions’ famous red shirt.

The match was played in stifling conditions on the hottest day of the year in the southern Chinese city, where the mercury nudged 35 degrees Celsius in mid-afternoon and had dropped only slightly to 32 degrees by the 7:30 pm (local time) kick-off.

“It’s a tremendous win,” said Phillips, who was named man-of-the-match. “It was tough conditions … obviously there were some mistakes but that’s a great way to start the tour off.”

England fly half Owen Farrell, wearing the Lions number 10 jersey for the first time, was quickly in the thick of the action and got the Lions on the board with a 40-metre penalty after three minutes.

Minutes later Farrell was the focus of the first mini brawl of the tour when he was sucker-punched by his Saracens club team-mate Schalk Brits at the breakdown.

Australian-based referee Steve Walsh initially gave the penalty against the England international but reversed his decision, correctly, after the incident was replayed on the stadium’s big screen, and waved a yellow card at Brits.

The game was scrappy for much of the first half with ball frequently spilled by sweaty hands, but the Barbarians managed to level the scores just before Brits returned from the sin-bin with an Elliot Daly penalty in the 16th minute.

Seconds later Farrell put the Lions ahead with his second successful kick, and after O’Connell’s try they were never headed.

Farrell enjoyed a successful night with the boot, landing six of seven attempts, but was replaced before the hour by Ireland’s Johnny Sexton after a poor handling display.

Solid display

Phillips did his chances of a Test spot at number nine no harm with two individual tries, scampering in first from a maul and then a line-out, either side of half-time.

That put the Lions 30-3 ahead but the Baa-Baas did raise the biggest cheer of the night with a trademark running try, started by a sumptuous Joe Rokocoko sidestep and finished by Kahn Fotuali’i.

The Lions quickly responded with two more of their own, from Jonathan Davies and Alex Cuthbert, and stretched out the lead to 42-8.

Among a flurry of fresh legs appearing from the bench, Conor Murray replaced Phillips and almost with his first touch broke away to send Cuthbert in for his second score.

With five minutes remaining the Lions opted to take a line-out on the Barbarians line rather than kick a penalty and were rewarded when Wales flanker Dan Lydiate rounded off a training ground grab-and-drive.

Another Welshman, Alun Wyn Jones, also crossed in the last minute to complete the Lions rout.

The British and Irish Lions will depart Hong on Sunday and fly to Perth, where they will begin the Australian tour against the Western Force on Wednesday.

The cream of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales have not won a Test series since defeating South Africa in 1997 and on their last visit to Australia, they were edged out 2-1 in the dying seconds of the final Test.

They face the Wallabies in three Tests in Brisbane on June 22, Melbourne on June 29 and Sydney on July 6.

AFP

Topics:

rugby-union,

sport,

super-rugby,

hong-kong

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Rugby Union: British and Irish Lions defeat Barbarians ahead of Australia tour

IRB Rugby 2013 Summer Tests : USA vs Ireland Match Preview, Rosters ...

The USA Rugby Eagles will take on a dangerously understrength Ireland squad in their second International Rugby Board (IRB) test match of the summer at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston on June 8. 

On paper, their encounter will represent one of the larger challenges USA Rugby’s senior men’s team has undertaken in recent times outside of a World Cup. For the 16th-ranked Eagles, the match is also a rare opportunity to put on a world-class rugby event on home soil.

USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville expressed his excitement about the upcoming contest when he spoke to Bleacher Report at the Global Rugby Forum, in Philadelphia.

“We are extremely excited to be welcoming Ireland to Houston for this world-class caliber test match. It will be a great opportunity for us to once again tap the fantastic enthusiasm for rugby that exists in Houston, as well as being a stern test for the Eagles.”

It hasn’t been the smoothest start to the summer for Melville’s Eagles. Like Ireland, whose stars are now traveling the Pacific Rim with the British and Irish Lions Tour, USA Rugby’s overseas players were largely absent from their first test of the summer against Canada on May 25. 

The USA Eagles were handed their first defeat of the summer against Canada on May 25. Can they rebound against Ireland?

That contest ended in a 16-9 defeat at the hands of an equally underpowered Canadian team. Those two traditional rivals will meet twice more in August for a home-and-away series, as part of the World Cup Qualifying process. By the time those matches take place at summer’s end, both North American squads will look significantly stronger.

But first, both must worry about the ninth-ranked Irish. Or, is it the other way around?

Takudzwa Ngwenya is one of the more fearsome backs in the French Top 14. He will be much needed against Ireland.

When the time comes, the Eagles should be bolstered by the return of several of their top-flight overseas players, including Shawn Pittman and the lighting-fast Biarritz winger Takudzwa Ngwenya. These additions—and Ireland’s own depth chart issues—should theoretically give USA Rugby supporters hopes of a historic upset. However, no one should overlook the threat the Irish represent. 

Despite naming six uncapped players to their tour roster, Ireland are stocked top-to-bottom with first-class professional talent, the likes of which North American nations can still only dream of. Indeed, this will be one for the most challenging summer schedules ever for North American rugby nations.

Internationally known names, such as Leinster’s Isaac Boss and Ulster’s Andrew Trimble, continue to highlight an Irish team shorn of its superstars. Yet, this is clearly not the Ireland of the 2013 RBS Six Nations or even the 2011 World Cup. 

The 2013 British and Irish Lions have stripped Ireland of no less than 10 of its first-choice players. In addition, according to the Irish Times, a number of other experienced names were not considered for this tour because of injury, including Craig Gilroy (groin), Luke Marshall (concussion), Donnacha Ryan (shoulder), Stephen Ferris, Eoin Reddan, Luke Fitzgerald, Gordon D’Arcy, David McSharry, Keith Earls and Stephen Archer.

Ireland has lost their Captain Rory Best to the British Lions Tour.

Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

As if all this weren’t enough, the Irish were informed days ago that their newly-named Captain and starting hooker Rory Best has now been called up to the Lions Tour in place of the disgraced Dylan Hartley.

Even the Irish coaching group is in flux, with acting head coach Les Kiss leading Ireland’s summer tour in advance of the arrival of new man Joe Scmidt.

The combination of these factors leaves one to wonder how the IRB feels comfortable sanctioning Ireland’s North American tour with official test matches. 

This news will hearten an American side that could desperately use a win, but they would be foolish to underestimate the challenge they face

Even the least experienced player arriving in Ireland’s touring squad still regularly plays at a standard significantly higher than most of Coach Tolkin’s group. 

Preparing that group for the massive challenge that lies ahead is now the focus for Tolkin and his team captain, Todd Clever. The USA Eagles boss spoke about his team’s preparations recently in a USA Rugby press release.

We’re bringing a lot more experience. We have some of those guys who were resting or still had commitments to their teams. They bring in a lot of experience, a lot of games played and a lot of top-league competition experience to the match.

This week has been beneficial for us. We’ve been doing a lot of individual skills work and fitness work. It’s good having the guys together. Todd Clever’s been a good captain, keeping a fairly young, inexperienced squad together and on track. That’s been a real positive.

Despite the preparations, all will come down to the performance of these two teams on June 8. Nigel Melville continues to feel that his team is up for the challenge.

Ireland are one of the top sides in world rugby.

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

“Regardless of who they bring with them, Ireland are one of the world’s leading rugby nations. We must be prepared to match their intensity and play for a full 80 minutes. I know the Eagles and their coaching staff will welcome the massive challenge that Ireland pose, and will respond accordingly. The fans who will attend this event will be in far a fantastic show.”

 

Bleacher Report Prediction

Our Bleacher Report preview has difficulty agreeing with Melville’s optimism. With all of the money that has been funneled into high-performance training since rugby’s induction into the 2016 Summer Olympic program, North American rugby unions like to believe that their players are the equal of their European counterparts in terms of fitness. However, there is an important difference between athletic fitness and match fitness. 

America’s players will be competing against an Irish squad that enjoys weekly competition in the RaboDirect Pro 12, a league whose schedule is crammed with high-performance games. It has long been the fate of hopeful Tier 2 nations to put a scare into their Tier 1 counterparts, only to see their efforts fall short in a game’s final minutes. 

Despite all of the huge advantages now swinging in favour of a hopeful USA team, it is hard to see the result in this match being an exception to that trend.

Look for an inspired USA effort in the first-half, followed by a slow but professionally managed Irish comeback. In the end, Ireland still has the weapons to put the Eagles under pressure and, as America is fielding a team still partially made up of amateur players, that pressure is likely to lead to predictable results.

Predicted scoreline: Ireland: 33. USA: 20

 

USA Rugby Eagles | Houston Assembly Squad 

Chris Biller 
Todd Clever 
Peter Dahl 
Cameron Dolan 
Brian Doyle 
Zach Fenoglio 
Eric Fry 
Graham Harriman 
Will Holder 
Luke Hume 
Seamus Kelly 
Scott Lavalla 
Toby L’Estrange 
Samu Manoa 
Liam Murphy 
Takudzwa Ngwenya 
James Paterson 
Mike Petri 
Shawn Pittman 
John Quill 
Blaine Scully 
Robbie Shaw 
Adam Siddall 
Louis Stanfill 
Andrew Suniula 
Phil Thiel 
Nick Wallace 
Chris Wyles

 

Ireland Roster

Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Jamie Hagan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster)
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)
Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)
David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Kieran Marmion (Galwegians/Connacht)
Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
Tommy O’Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Stuart Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Peter O’Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Mike Sherry (Garryowen/Munster)
Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Unless otherwise stated, the quoted material for this article was obtained first-hand.

To follow the author on Twitter, click on the link below.

Follow @RugbyScribe

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IRB Rugby 2013 Summer Tests : USA vs Ireland Match Preview, Rosters ...

Six Nations 2014

More news for the 2014 six nations championship will follow shortly….

Six Nations 2014

England turn to youth to take on Barbarians

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A potential glimpse of England’s rugby future will be on display

at Twickenham on Monday (NZT) when a fledgling team, including

three uncapped starters and another six on the bench, take on the

Barbarians.

Players involved in the British and Irish Lions tour and

tomorrow’s Premiership final between Leicester and Northampton were

not available for the non-cap match and coach Stuart Lancaster has

used the situation to have a look at many of the youngsters

knocking on the door of the senior team.

Both wingers are uncapped as Christian Wade, who on Thursday was

voted player of the year and young player of the year by his fellow

Premiership professionals, starts on the right and London Irish’s

Marland Yarde on the left.

Flanker Matt Kvesic is the other uncapped starter in a team

captained by Bath hooker Rob Webber.

Attacking five-eighth Freddie Burns starts and razor-fast

Gloucester back Jonny May is among the replacements, giving a real

fizz to the squad.

Mike Brown, Joe Launchbury and Alex Corbisiero add experience

but the starting XV still boasts nine players aged 24 or under.

“We’ve selected a young and exciting side and this is a great

opportunity for these players who have shone in the Premiership

this season to step up in front of passionate home crowd at

Twickenham,” Lancaster said in a statement.

“Taking on a very experienced Barbarians team is the first

challenge they face this summer with matches in Uruguay and

Argentina to follow and this sequence of games is a key part of our

development as a team.”

England: 15-Mike Brown, 14-Christian Wade, 13-Jonathan

Joseph, 12-Billy Twelvetrees, 11-Marland Yarde, 10-Freddie Burns,

9-Richard Wigglesworth, 8-Ben Morgan, 7-Matt Kvesic, 6-Tom Johnson

5-Dave Attwood, 4-Joe Launchbury, 3-David Wilson, 2-Rob Webber (c),

1-Alex Corbisiero.

Replacements: 16-David Paice, 17-Joe Marler, 18-Henry Thomas,

19-Kearnan Myall, 20-Billy Vunipola, 21-Haydn Thomas, 22-Jonny May,

23 Kyle Eastmond.

England turn to youth to take on Barbarians