These are your rugby headlines on Monday, August 28
Webb to attend meeting
Rhys Webb is set to attend a meeting with the French Anti-Doping Agency today after recording a positive drugs test for a growth hormone.
The news emerged over the weekend, with the club president of Biarritz confirming that the scrum-half had contacted him last week to show him a letter he had received from the agency.
Today’s meeting, Jean-Baptiste Aldigé said, was to explain the results of the test.
“Rhys came to me on Monday and he showed me the letter from the French Anti-Doping Agency,” Biarritz president Aldigé told MailSport. “The letter said Rhys was positive for some products. He has to attend a meeting on Monday with them.
“It’s not a court hearing. At this stage, he is not guilty. The meeting is just to explain the results.
“As club president, I am waiting for the result. The test result was last Monday. The test was on July 14. Rhys was the one to receive the test results.
“As a club, we are not involved. After the meeting on Monday, the decision will be made whether to go to court or not. As soon as you get a strange result, you are provisionally suspended as a player.”
It’s understood Webb has sought legal advice and the player is protesting his innocence.
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Shane: Boks the team to beat
Wales rugby legend Shane Williams says South Africa are now the team to beat after their win over New Zealand.
The Boks stunned the All Blacks at Twickenham on Friday night, leading 35-0 at one stage, eventually running out 35-7 winners.
It was an ominous performance which has laid down a marker ahead of the Rugby World Cup, which kicks off in two weeks’ time.
Williams believes the defending champions are now the side to beat.
“This may still be the phoney war period, but what a statement the world champion Springboks made at Twickenham with their latest demolition job on the All Blacks,” he said in his Rugby Paper column. “Yes, the All Blacks! Their 35-7 win put Wales’ even heavier drubbing at Principality Stadium six days earlier into a better perspective.
“If they can do that to New Zealand – they were 35-0 ahead until a late consolation try for their bashed, bemused and befuddled opponents saved a few blushes – then they can surely do that and more against most sides. Hats off to Jacques Nienaber for getting his preparations right. The Boks will head to France as the team to beat. Look out Scotland, who they meet in the opening game, and World Rugby’s No.1 ranked side, Ireland.”
Healy out of Ireland squad
By Ed Elliot, PA, Dublin
Veteran prop Cian Healy has been left out of Ireland’s 33-man squad for the Rugby World Cup in France due to injury.
The 35-year-old suffered a calf problem in Saturday evening’s 17-13 warm-up win over Samoa.
He was helped from the field by medical staff in the first half at Stade Jean Dauger in Bayonne before being pictured on crutches.
Munster loosehead Jeremy Loughman has taken Healy’s place.
Ulster pair Jacob Stockdale and Tom Stewart and Connacht’s Cian Prendergast have been left out by Andy Farrell.
Leinster fly-half Ciaran Frawley and Munster hooker Diarmuid Barron also failed to make the cut.
Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher, Jack Conan, Dave Kilcoyne and Keith Earls have been picked, despite recent injury issues.
Fly-half Johnny Sexton, who has now completed a three-match ban, will captain his country ahead of retirement.
Ireland begin their campaign on September 9 against Romania in Bordeaux and also face Tonga, world champions South Africa and Scotland in Pool B.
Aside from the sidelined Healy, wing Stockdale is the highest profile player overlooked by head coach Farrell.
The 27-year-old, Ireland’s joint-sixth highest try-scorer with 19, has become a peripheral figure since the last World Cup amid a series of fitness setbacks.
He started against Samoa due to Earls’ late withdrawal with a niggle but was taken off with a hamstring issue.
Veteran Earls and first-choice wide men James Lowe and Mack Hansen have been preferred to Stockdale.
Farrell’s decision to go with an 18/15 split of forwards and backs sees Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey picked and back-rower Prendergast, who started last weekend’s 29-10 win over England, overlooked.
McCloskey has impressed when selected but his opportunities at 12 have been limited by the presence of Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw, in addition to some untimely injuries.
The group includes 16 players who travelled to the 2019 World Cup in Japan under predecessor Joe Schmidt.
Sexton, Conor Murray and Earls are each set for their fourth World Cups.
Regular starters Hugo Keenan, Caelan Doris, Sheehan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Hansen and Lowe are among the 17 players preparing for their first.
Versatile back Jimmy O’Brien, fly-half Jack Crowley and lock Joe McCarthy have each made the grade, having only made international debuts in the autumn.
Ireland squad:
Forwards: Ryan Baird (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ulster), Rob Herring (Ulster), Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Dave Kilcoyne (Munster), Jeremy Loughman (Munster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Munster), Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Andrew Porter, (Leinster), James Ryan (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster).
Backs: Bundee Aki (Connacht), Ross Byrne (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster), Jack Crowley (Munster), Keith Earls (Munster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Mack Hansen (Connacht), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Hugo Keenan (Leinster), James Lowe (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Conor Murray (Munster), Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Johnny Sexton (Leinster, captain).
Boks explains 7-1 bench split
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber has explained why the Springboks named seven forwards on the bench for their thrashing of New Zealand at Twickenham.
The world champions went with a 7-1 split for the 35-7 victory over the All Blacks after Willie le Roux pulled up with an injury. Rather than replace him with another back, Nienaber simply added another forward to the bench.
“It was an unfortunate incident and we didn’t want to risk Willie,” the Springbok boss said. “With the way games have been playing out, there are times when your forwards have to play in the backline, and this offered us the same option.
“It gave us a taste of how to manage things if we perhaps get an injury in a match. Obviously, the least risk would be selecting a five-three split, and a six-two split holds a little more risk, and then a seven-one split is the most-high risk.”
