Prop Vunipola vows to reclaim England place

Vatubua extends Pau contract

LONDON, Dec 11, (RTRS): Mako Vunipola has vowed to fight his way back into England head coach Eddie Jones’ plans ahead of next year’s Six Nations and World Cup after the prop spent more than two months out of action with a calf injury.

The 27-year-old missed all four of England’s November internationals, with Exeter Chiefs front-row duo Ben Moon and Alec Hepburn starting two tests apiece as the side won three of the matches.

Vunipola was named man-of-thematch after helping Saracens beat Cardiff Blues 51-25 in the Champions Cup on Sunday but said the only way for him to get back into the England team was to keep excelling at club level.

“Whenever someone gets injured it’s an opportunity for someone else,” he told reporters. “That’s how I got a chance.

Pau have dropped to eleventh in the Top 14 after four successive defeats.

Flyhalf Johnny Sexton signed a new deal with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) on Tuesday that committed him to Ireland and Leinster until the end of 2020-21 season.

The 33-year-old Sexton, who was crowned the World Player of the Year last month, played a pivotal role in Ireland’s Six Nations Grand Slam victory, a series win in Australia and their first ever win over New Zealand on home soil.

With Leinster, Sexton claimed an unprecedented European Champions Cup and Pro14 double.

“I am delighted to sign a new IRFU contract to continue to play for Leinster and Ireland,” Sexton said in a statement.

“It is where I have always wanted to play. We get looked after extremely well here and it is an exciting time for Irish rugby.”

Sexton helped the British and Irish Lions to a series victory in Australia in 2013 and a draw with New Zealand last year.

Vunipola

South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus and his assistants are to spread out across the country’s four Super Rugby teams to offer support as they look to harmonise preparations for next year’s World Cup in Japan.

The Springbok coach and his assistants Jacques Nienanber, Matt Proudfoot, Mzwandile Stick and Aled Walters will work with the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers, who have started preparations for the new season starting in February.

Erasmus’s first posting will be to help new Bulls coach Pote Human, who replaces John Mitchell, who left to join the England coaching staff.

“All of the coaches worked with one or other of the franchises in the past year to exchange ideas and expertise and hopefully assist the teams in raising the performance bar,” Erasmus said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Strong performances at franchise level will translate into strong Springbok performances – it’s a win-win.”

Erasmus said the coaches would in no way be dictating style or tactics or trying to impose a national blueprint on teams.

“We will assist in generic areas such as skills and conditioning, mauling, scrumming and lineouts,” Erasmus said.