First things first. This is not the 23 we can expect Louis Deacon to send out against France or New Zealand over the following two weekends, (see below). As usual the official announcement avoids any mention of possible niggles or longer term injuries, so we have to assume it is an open selection based on
The biggest drama still awaits. The three best rugby sides in the world will compete over the next three weekends. It’s only a year since they met up at the World Cup. A reminder: after thrashing Wales 55-3 in their quarter-final New Zealand scraped home by a combined four points against France then England. England
How does WXV look after one weekend? Here are a few pointers. Safety ‘Smart mouthguards for all’. All the more necessary as less experienced players infringe. The greater the disparity in team skills, the greater the difference in the speed of play. Consequence: higher likelihood of tackles arriving late or poorly targeted. Fortunately, the number
If ever a game proved the worth of the WXV concept, this was it. Opposites met; the large versus the small (only in the geographical sense); the highest (7th) versus the lowest (15th) in world rankings. A final gap of only ten points showed how the competition is opening new horizons. Though the Eagles haven’t
Ahead of the start of World Rugby’s new annual global women’s 15s competition, players representing the 12 nations competing in WXV 2 and WXV 3 gathered in Cape Town and Dubai. Women’s rugby is ready to take its “biggest step forward” this weekend as the inaugural WXV 2 and WXV 3 tournaments get underway in
Absent with Official Leave You couldn’t imagine a big rugby tournament taking place without leading names missing. WXV is no exception; we have to like it or lump it. But there are different types of absence. First, players with long-term injuries which counted them out from way back. Included there is one of the biggest
WXV1 Australia – Jay Tregonning The only part-timer in the top tier; Rugby Australia has launched a search for a permanent DoR Canada – Kevin Rouet Born in Bordeaux, but emigrated to Canada fourteen years ago England – Louis Deacon Interim only; if John Mitchell makes it to NZ in time, he will be ‘an
As the French squad fly out to New Zealand this Sunday, the management drop a big surprise on rugby fans. Manae Feleu is appointed to lead the team through the three WXV matches. ‘Surprise’ is hardly the word. The new co-coaches had caused an upset by demoting Gaëlle Hermet from the captaincy for the start
More unfortunate withdrawals Two of England’s injured players have now been confirmed as unable to make the trip to New Zealand. They are Lucy Packer and Sadia Kabeya. Their replacements are Daisy Hibbert-Jones who is uncapped, and Emma Sing, who has earned five caps over the past two seasons. While DH-J is a direct replacement
Red Roses flanker Sadia Kabeya and scrum-half Lucy Packer will miss the inaugural WXV tournament due to injury. Kabeya will continue to rehabilitate her hamstring after missing the Summer Series matches against Canada, while Packer sustained an ankle injury in the second Test which will keep her sidelined. Loughborough Lightning’s Daisy Hibbert-Jones and Emma Sing
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