The latest rugby news from Wales and beyond.
Louis Rees-Zammit previously played for Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs. (Image: (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images))
Your rugby evening headlines on Saturday, August 9.
Rees-Zammit ‘could have made the Jaguars team’
Louis Rees-Zammit could have made the Jacksonville Jaguars team, according to Sky Sports NFL pundit and former New York Giants cornerback Jason Bell.
The former Gloucester Rugby winger has decided to quit American football and return to rugby after one season on the practice squad with Jaguars, with whom he did not play a regular season game.
Preparing for his role as an analyst on Sky, Bell watched Rees-Zammit in pre-season training and was impressed with him, even suggesting he could have made the team.
“Professional sport gives you a very short window,” Bell said to The Guardian. “You’re always fighting Father Time.
“Louis should be very proud of himself. In the NFL we celebrate players who can play two different positions. The fact he even attempted to play a totally different sport at the very highest level is amazing. This year he could have made the team from what I saw in training, you never really know.
“I’m the wrong person to ask because I wasn’t supposed to make it. I wasn’t picked up in the draft, but ended up playing in the NFL for eight years.”
Rees-Zammit is now searching for his new club upon his return to rugby, with Cardiff and Bristol Bears just two of the clubs reportedly interested in acquiring his services.
The Wales international is also being targeted by the new R360 league, which he will reportedly join next year after one season back in club rugby.
England boss appeals to World Rugby over star’s eligibility
England head coach Steve Borthwick is appealing to World Rugby about the eligibility of English-based South African players, according to The Telegraph.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Hanro Liebenberg and Jacques Vermeulen are players who are blocked from being called up by England because they have represented South Africa under-20s. However, the RFU believes they should be allowed to switch allegiance.
Between 2015 and 2017, South Africa U20s were officially the ‘next national representative team’, meaning that despite the fact they never played for the senior side, these players are blocked from representing other countries.
If World Rugby agrees with England’s challenge, then it could unlock a whole host of Test match talent for Borthwick and Co.
The meeting will take place at the end of September, and follows the news that the RFU wanted clarification over whether these South African players should remain “captured” by their country.
Van Rensburg has openly discussed his desire to one day play Test rugby for England.
Schmidt reveals Wallabies injury fallout from Lions series
Australia head coach Joe Schmidt has offered a mixed update on the fitness of his star players just a week after their British & Irish Lions series triumph – and with the Rugby Championship opener against South Africa looming.
Schmidt confirmed that key forwards Rob Valetini, Will Skelton and Taniela Tupou are all expected to be available for next Saturday’s clash at Ellis Park, despite carrying knocks from the three-Test series win over the Lions.
Tupou has been nursing a toe injury picked up during his influential display in the Sydney decider, while Valetini missed the first and third Tests with a calf problem. Skelton also sat out the opener with a similar issue before returning for the final two games.
“They’re definitely all in contention for Ellis Park,” Schmidt told the Sydney Morning Herald. “Will played 60 minutes [in the third Test], Nela [Tupou] played 60-odd in Sydney… Bobby [Valetini] did a really good run yesterday, so our ambition is that he’ll train fully with us this week.”
The Wallabies will face the Springboks again in Pretoria a week later.
However, fly-half Tom Lynagh and prop Allan Alaalatoa remain longer-term concerns. Lynagh is following return-to-play protocols after concussion, while Alaalatoa is recovering from a shoulder injury.
“We’re going to have to see how the next two weeks go for both of them,” Schmidt said. “Allan is recovering pretty well… We’ll also be really conservative with Tom. He’s a young player and we’ve just got to make sure we look after them as best we can.”
Ireland fall to Canada in final warm-up game before World Cup
By PA Sport Staff
Canada scored seven tries on their way to a 47-26 victory over Ireland in their final Women’s Rugby World Cup warm-up match.
Ireland made 10 changes as they prepare for their first game of the tournament against Japan on August 24 but they were second best in Belfast.
Canada raced into an early 14-0 lead as Florence Symonds and Justine Pelletier touched down under the posts.
Canada’s Daleaka Menin was then sent to the sin bin for high contact on Ivana Kiripati and they were made to pay when the hosts halved the deficit through Beibhinn Parsons’ try in the corner.
Pelletier restored the 14-point lead for Canada before Ireland were reduced to 14 players when captain Neve Jones was shown yellow for conceding too many penalties.
Menin barged over for a fourth try before Paige Farries helped make it 33-7 at the break.
Julia Schell walked under the sticks to push Canada over the 40-mark but Ireland started to score points of their own.
Anna McGann helped herself to a couple of tries and Parson scored a third unanswered try before Canada’s Sophie de Goede capped off the win.