Erasmus praises predecessor for improved Springbok skills
All Black winger Savea signs for Toulon
CAPE TOWN, June 18, (Agencies): Rassie Erasmus praised his muchmaligned predecessor Allister Coetzee on Monday for the improved skills of the South African side that have seen them clinch a three-match home series against England with a game to spare.
Coetzee was sacked as Springbok coach in February after securing 11 wins out of 25 Tests — and the side have been noticeably more potent on attack and confident with the ball in hand in their three Tests in 2018.
Erasmus told reporters that was because of a process started by Coetzee last year as he brought the coaches of the country’s Super Rugby and PRO14 teams together to discuss how to improve skill levels and training.
French rugby club Toulon confirmed on Monday that they had signed
All-Black winger Julian Savea, the top try scorer in the 2015 World Cup, for two seasons.
Savea, who is 27, scored eight tries as New Zealand won the last World Cup. He has 46 tries in 54 All Black appearances but has not been picked since July 2017 as coach Steve Hansen has prefered Rieko Ioane.
French fullback Benjamin Fall’s red card from the second Test against the All Blacks was cancelled Monday in a rare move hailed by France coach
Jacques Brunel.
“Wisdom has prevailed,” Brunel said after a World Rugby judicial panel ruled Fall’s mid-air collision with All Blacks fly-half Beauden Barrett was accidental and said he was free to play in next weekend’s third Test.
Fall “at all times, had his eyes on the ball”, the panel said after reviewing video of the sickening impact which saw Barrett plunge head-first to the ground.
Australia are considering lodging a complaint with match officials against what they consider Ireland’s illegal blocking tactics on fullback Israel Folau, according to Wallabies attack coach Stephen Larkham.
Ireland edged the second Test 26-21 in Melbourne on Saturday to set up a decider in the three-match series but their treatment of Folau and slowing down of Australia’s ball at the breakdown have infuriated the hosts.
Eddie Jones may be feeling a sense of déjà vu as his tenure as England coach reached a new low on Saturday with a fifth successive Test defeat, a run of form similar to the end of his four years in charge of Australia more than a decade ago.
England lost 23-12 to South Africa to surrender the three-game series in Bloemfontein on Saturday with the final match to come in Cape Town this weekend, where another defeat would signal the side’s worst run of form since 2006.
NSW Waratahs scrum-half Jake Gordon has joined the Wallabies squad for the final Test against Ireland after Will Genia had surgery on a fractured arm, team officials said Monday.
Gordon returned from Japan on Monday after playing for the Waratahs in an exhibition game against NEC Green Rockets in Tokyo at the weekend.
The 24-year-old is yet to earn his first Test cap after an initial squad callup a year ago.
Meanwhile, Genia is expected to miss six weeks after fracturing his arm in a collision during the first half of Saturday’s 26-21 second Test loss to the Irish in Melbourne.
Nick Phipps is expected to start the Sydney Test in Genia’s place after playing for the final 50 minutes in Melbourne and earning the praise of Ireland coach Joe Schmidt for a strong defensive effort.
Saturday’s victory marked the Six Nations champions’ first Test win in Australia since 1979, and sets up a series decider after Australia won the opening Test in Brisbane 18-9.