Here are your rugby morning headlines for Monday, 29 July.
Wales wing has ‘greater appetite’ to pull on red jersey after summer off
Cardiff wing Josh Adams says he has an ‘even greater appetite’ to pull on the Wales jersey after missing their summer tour of Australia after an injury-hit campaign.
The 29-year-old decided to not tour with Warren Gatland’s side this summer – a decision that he says he feels “much better for” making.
But, having had time off to rest, he’s now targeting a place in Wales’ autumn squad.
“I have been lucky enough to be selected for multiple campaigns on the bounce,” he told Cardiff’s website. “When you take a step back and look from the outside, I think it gives you an appreciation of being in there. When you are in there all the time, it can be easy to take it for granted.
“When you come out of it and you see boys go out there and play, it gives you an appreciation of what it means to play up there and be involved. That was a big thing for me.
“I didn’t realise I was going to take that from it. I didn’t realise that was going to hit me, but it did.
“It’s giving me an even greater appetite to pull on the jersey. So I am looking forward to being healthy again and playing again.”
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Having featured for Wales at last year’s World Cup in France, his start to the season with Cardiff was delayed after tearing some ligaments off the AC joint in his shoulder. After recovering from that, he suffered with knee problems – having them repeatedly drained of blood throughout the campaign.
After finally getting over that, he then had further issues with an inflammation of his pubic bone, a small tear in his right adductor and a hernia.
“So I have been through the mill a bit this year,” he admitted. “It was pretty frustrating. I have been quite lucky throughout my rugby career where I haven’t had to deal with back-to-back-to-back injuries.
“If I have had an injury, I have always been able to come back fit and get a run of games together. The frustrating part for me this time was coming back, getting one or two games under my belt and then something else creeps up.
“Mentally, that was the hardest thing for me, trying to get to grips with these injuries just keeping on coming and coming and coming.
“You question yourself. Am I doing everything I should be doing, do I need to change anything?
“But you quickly realise with the amount of time I have been playing, with little breaks in between here and there, your body is going to tell you to stop at some point and this was the point where it was telling me you need some time out to sort yourself out.”
Wales star caps historic day at the Olympics
Jaz Joyce-Butchers capped a historic day for herself with a try, but she was helpless to stop Team GB from falling to a heavy defeat to favourites Australia.
The opening day of the women’s rugby sevens at the 2024 Paris Olympics saw the Wales international become the first British player to represent Team GB in three Olympic games.
And, typically, she marked that achievement in style – getting over the whitewash for a try in their opening win over Ireland.
Ireland, making their Olympic debuts in the competition, held the lead at half-time – thanks to Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe’s brace of tries.
But Joyce-Butchers’ second-half score put Team GB ahead, before captain Emma Uren made sure of victory with a try of her own.
In Britain’s second game of the day, they faced one of the favourites for the tournament, Australia. Despite a quick start from Britain, Australia soon asserted their dominance in a one-sided 36-5 defeat.
Joyce-Butchers has come agonisingly close to picking up a medal in her two previous Olympics, losing in the Bronze medal match on both occasions. While Team GB aren’t considered one of the favourites, the 28-year-old will be hoping they can go one step further in Paris.
All Blacks recall former captain ahead of Test retirement
Former All Blacks captain Sam Cane says he’ll need to fight to regain his place in the New Zealand team after being included in their squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship.
The 32-year-old flanker was included in coach Scott Robertson’s 36-man group despite announcing he’ll retire from international rugby at the end of this year when he takes up a long-term contract with Japanese outfit Suntory.
Cane’s last Test was the World Cup final loss to South Africa in Paris last October, when he was sent off in the first-half for a high tackle.
Cane wasn’t named for New Zealand’s first three Tests under Robertson after undergoing back surgery in March. He has played two club matches since recovering from surgery.
“I’m still a little way off Test level, obviously,” Cane told reporters. “I’ll keep trying to work on getting better and hopefully I’ll be up to Test level speed pretty quickly.
“Ultimately it will come down to earning selection through how I prepare and train through the week. That’s my best chance to show that I’m ready.”
Duhan happy to get ‘monkey off his back’ with Scottish record
Scotland’s record try-scorer, Duhan van der Merwe, says he’s happy to have the ‘monkey off his back’ after grabbing his 28th Test score that takes him ahead of Stuart Hogg.
The 29-year-old wing moved level with Hogg after dotting down against the USA a couple of weeks ago, before taking the record outright with a try against Uruguay on the weekend.
“I’m absolutely buzzing,” said van der Merwe afterwards. “Kyle Rowe made it pretty easy for me to be honest. He had a walk-in and he just gave it to me.
“It just shows what a good relationship we have in this group. Going one ahead of Hoggy is pretty special and hopefully there’s a lot more to come.
“I have never really chased it but when it got to the point of 23, 24, I think you go into the game hoping to score.
“Coming on this tour I was hoping to break the record. So at least I have managed to do that now and the monkey is off the back now. So I think I can just go out and enjoy myself and play.”
