A ‘dark arts’ warning was issued by England.
Wales coach Warren Gatland has cautioned England about the “dark arts” of South Africa. Four years after defeating the same opponents in the championship match and winning the Webb Ellis Cup for the third time in their history, the Springboks will play England in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals on Saturday.
“I know what it is like to go head-to-head with South Africa’s director of rugby, and my advice to [England head coach] Steve Borthwick would be to make sure he gets on the front foot – and combat any dark arts.
“Rassie has already made an effort to gain an advantage psychologically and plant doubt by speculating on Tuesday as to who he believes Borthwick’s team would be for the semi-finals. In order to stand a chance against the Springboks, you must make an effort to not only match them physically but also tactically and mentally.
Halaholo is about to confirm their comeback to Cardiff.
Cardiff Rugby head coach Matt Sherratt is “hopeful” that an agreement can be reached before their United Rugby Championship opening against Benetton, which means Willis Halaholo may make an incredible comeback as soon as this weekend. There are still i’s and t’s to cross, though.
Halaholo, whose contract expired last season, was not now available to participate, according to Sherratt. By the end of the week, we are hoping to be able to take some action to make sure he is available for selection this weekend. However, nothing in the contract has changed as of yet.
“He needs a contract to play. We are therefore hopeful that he is training, playing in preseason, playing with the RFC, and otherwise catching up. The message remains the same as it was a few weeks ago: “We’re hoping something can happen between us and the club so that we can get him on the field, even if it’s only temporarily.”
Halaholo damaged his Achilles after recovering from a hamstring ailment and losing his contract at the end of the previous season. Although the time spent on the sidelines has been tough, he is now getting close to being fully fit and is prepared to resume his profession.
The player, who was born in Auckland, has been working with Cardiff on his recovery, and he may even be ready for this weekend’s match against Benetton. Last weekend, he participated for Cardiff RFC against Neath. Halaholo, who had six successful years with the club and amassed 10 caps for Wales, had previously shown interest in a return, and Sherratt had previously indicated that he was open to the idea. It now appears that Halaholo could be in line for an incredible comeback.
Eddie Jones decides on his course for the future.
Eddie Jones has vowed to stay in Australia for the foreseeable future and says he has “no idea” where the rumor about his moving to Japan originated. After the Wallabies’ terrible World Cup campaign, the 63-year-old, who signed a $5 million agreement at the end of last year, talked to Australian media.He declared: “I’m staying, mate,” at a sizable media briefing in Australia. I’ve always been dedicated to Australian rugby, and my goal is to leave it in a better state. It’s not really my choice. The duration of the game that we participate in is not decided by the coach.
We’ve got a review going forward and we’ll see what happens at the end of the review.
“I went to the World Cup, came in (with) a short period of time, had to make a decision on the team, and made a decision we needed to go with youth,” he said. “And while the World Cup results weren’t what we had hoped for, I believe I’ve put the Australian squad in a terrific position to move on to 2027. We had the guts to field a younger team, and I believe that team will serve Australia well. The foundation of a truly strong team is in place.
We simply weren’t good enough, mate, he continued. Simply must tune in to the weekend quarterfinals. Can we reach that level by 2027 even though we are not there yet and cannot pretend to be there? Indeed we can.
Jones, who succeeded Dave Rennie in January, a month after being fired by England, claimed to have “no idea” how the rumor that he had spoken to Japan about a coaching position came to be. He said, “I haven’t spoken to anyone, mate.”
