Savea pips Cane

Ardie Savea has beaten new All Blacks captain Sam Cane to the No 7 jersey in Super Rugby’s ‘‘home team’’ of the decade. Super Rugby organisers have based their selections on match statistics over the last 10 years and New Zealand players again dominate. Not surprisingly the multi-champion Crusaders have the most players of any team with three – Jack Goodhue, George Bridge and Kieran Read. The other New Zealand selections are Damian McKenzie (Chiefs), Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes), Waisake Naholo (Highlanders) and Savea (Hurricanes). Savea’s selection is noteworthy at a time when his merits continue to be matched against Chiefs skipper and openside flanker Cane who has just been handed the All Blacks captaincy. Super Rugby home team of the decade: Damian McKenzie, Waisake Naholo, Jack Goodhue, Samu Kerevi, George Bridge, Beauden Barrett, Will Genia, Kieran Read, Ardie Savea, Jaco Kriel, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Luke Jones, Allan Alaalatoa, Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff.

Plans are being drawn up for rugby union to be played without scrummaging, tackling and mauling next season to increase the likelihood of some form of the game returning. An internal working group at the [English] Rugby Football Union is understood to be working on variations of what is being described as ‘‘rugby activity’’ – focusing on reducing the levels of contact to encourage players to return to clubs next season, even if full contact is not allowed because of social-distancing measures. A range of phased activities is being considered, from social-distanced training to competitive touch rugby and a shortened version of the game similar to X-rugby, played on half a pitch with limited contact. Given the intensity of the contact involved in scrummaging, tackling and mauling, there is a growing acceptance that this will be the last aspect of the sport that is allowed to return in the community game and may not be possible until next year.