SCRUM’S THE WORD
WORLD CUP DIARY
AUSTRALIA coach Michael Cheika heaped pressure on England last night, insisting they should be expected to win next Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final in Oita after being given an unexpected week off. The Wallabies concluded their Pool D campaign by labouring to a 27-8 win over Georgia in Shizuoka yesterday. They will be officially confirmed as England’s opponents in the last eight once Wales have completed the formality of beating Uruguay in Kumamoto tomorrow. Eddie Jones’s team will have a long build-up to the match after their clash with France today was cancelled due to the impending arrival of Typhoon Hagibis, and Cheika couldn’t resist taking a shot at his side’s next opponents. Asked about England’s extra rest, Australia’s head coach said: ‘I saw he (Jones) was saying that would be an advantage and the typhoon gods were smiling on him. So I suppose they’d better win.’ Since Jones took charge of England four years ago, they have won six of six against the Wallabies, with the highlight being a 3-0 series whitewash Down Under in 2016. However, when pressed on that record, Cheika said: ‘I don’t know the relevance of it. The only relevance is Saturday. ‘It doesn’t matter who’s had a week off, who’s had a week on. It’s going to come down to who is ready at kick-off.’
THERE will be a Samoan reunion across the field when Ireland face the islanders today. Irish centre Bundee Aki — who is of Samoan descent and took opponents such as Tim Nanai-Williams out for a BBQ dinner this week — will be greeted in the traditional way. Samoa captain Jack Lam said: ‘We have no special presents for him, he’ll get the same treatment as everyone else.’
KEN OWENS might have avoided a suspension thanks to his wife, joked Warren Gatland. The Wales hooker was yellow-carded for a tip-tackle of Fiji No 8 Viliame Mata but was not cited. Owens’ wife follows the Wales team in a professional capacity, filming for the WRU and Welsh-language channel S4C, and was in the room when Gatland was asked if he was worried about a ban for her husband. He pulled Carys Owens’ leg by saying: ‘No. His wife made sure of it!’
EDINBURGH slipped to third in the Guinness Pro14 Conference B standings after a heavy 40-14 loss at Leinster last night. It was the first defeat of the season for the Scots, who had won their first two matches.