Here are the latest rugby headlines on Friday, July 21
Jones speaks out on Toulon move
Alun Wyn Jones says the “planets aligned” for him to join Toulon in his first interview since signing for the club.
The 37-year-old joined the European giants as a medical joker earlier this month, weeks after announcing his retirement from international rugby and putting an end to any hopes of going to a fifth World Cup with Wales.
This summer also saw him finish up with the Ospreys after 17 years and while he attracted interest from clubs in England, he opted for a switch to France and has now moved there with his wife and three children.
And he explained in his first interview with the Top 14 outfit that the time felt right for him to make that move, having spent all of his club career in Wales.
“It’s great to be here, to finally get out here,” he began. “I have the opportunity to come to Toulon and pull on this famous jersey and I’m really looking forward to it. I have been very fortunate to play for a long time all over the world with a lot of great players.
“I still want to play rugby and the opportunity particularly to do that in Toulon with a hungry group of players who want to build on the success of last year, with a lot of players away at Rugby World Cup, I felt it was in many ways the right timing. The planets aligned for me to do this now having played for as long as I had.”
The lock has joined on a short-term contract until the end of the autumn showpiece in France, but is hoping to make his mark at the club before first-team members begin to return from international duty.
“Having spoken to them [Toulon] in a couple of meetings, they were aware of the players who would be away,” he said. “Hopefully, I can bring a bit of experience to add to the group and build on the foundation of the success they had last year.
“As it stands, I’m here on a short-term contract until the end of November but hopefully I can make enough of a mark to build on last year’s success and build the foundation for the players to come back after a successful World Cup.
“Hopefully I can respond in my performances and show what the game means to me. Obviously, when walking down here to do this interview, you see the players that have gone before you and what they have achieved (in pictures on the wall), so I have got to earn the respect of players, coaches and particularly supporters.”
Among those who will be away at the World Cup is Jones’ new team-mate Dan Biggar, while former Toulon star Leigh Halfpenny will also be with Warren Gatland’s squad.
Jones knows there is a healthy tradition of Welsh players at the club that he has to follow – but he admitted he had an easier job than Biggar who has spent weeks being put through his paces at the hands of Gatland and Huw Bennett.
“I’m hugely aware of the Welsh players who have been here and had success with Toulon. Gethin Jenkins, Leigh Halfpenny, Rhys Webb was here as well, even Eifion Lewis-Roberts,” he added. “There is a strong theme of Welsh players who have been here.
“I haven’t had an opportunity to speak to Dan yet because I think he is in the Swiss Alps somewhere being beasted by Warren (Gatland), but hopefully he won’t be cursing me too much and we put the team in good stead for when he comes back from the World Cup.”
Wales’ World Cup rivals ‘need to hit rock bottom’
Eddie Jones is confident that Australia will impress at the World Cup despite their recent form, saying they will need to “hit rock bottom and bounce up” in time for the tournament in France.
The Wallabies coach has endured a shaky start to his tenure, having watched his side suffer bruising losses to South Africa and Argentina in the Rugby Championship, with the All Blacks up next.
Australia are expected to rival Wales for top spot in Pool C in France later this year, while they will also face potential banana skins Fiji and Georgia as well as Portugal. While they have a favourable draw, their recent form has seen many pundits write them off – but Jones believes they are still capable of progressing, despite having to rethink his approach.
“I think in reality we need to hit rock bottom and then bounce up,” he told Sky Sports News. “I was hoping that we could do an immediate rescue job. That’s not going to happen. We almost need to scrape at the bottom and start again to a large degree.
“There’s been a fairly big drop off in Australian rugby so we’ve got to try to find a way to lift it up. There’s been a long period now where they’ve been unsuccessful and that almost becomes the norm so we’re having to change the mindset, we’re having to change training habits, we’re having to change the way the players think about the game.”
“We’re just getting ready,” he added. “In a lot of ways the Rugby Championship for us is a glorified pre-season for us. As much as we want to win, we’ve got to use it to experiment a bit because I’m still getting to know the players. I’ve been working with the players, really had them for six training sessions, we’ve just got to keep finding out where we’re at and how we can put together the strongest team.
“Australia’s a good tournament team. Look at their record at the World Cup. We do well in tournaments and that history helps you.”
Sexton ban ‘won’t affect Ireland’
By PA Sport Staff
Ireland full-back Jimmy O’Brien insists that Johnny Sexton’s three-match ban will not affect the team ahead of their preparations for the World Cup.
Sexton was handed the suspension for misconduct after becoming involved in what appeared to be a heated exchange with match officials towards the end of Leinster’s Champions Cup final defeat to La Rochelle.
The ban means that the 38-year-old fly-half will miss Ireland’s three warm-up fixtures, but he will be available for their opening World Cup match against Romania in Bordeaux.
“It is what it is,” O’Brien told BBC Sport: “We’ll just keep going, and other lads will get a chance [to play in the warm-up games]. He’ll be back for the World Cup, and it hasn’t really affected us much.”
Ireland are set to get their World Cup preparations under way with warm-ups against Italy, England and Samoa in August. The tournament then begins in France in September with Ireland drawn in Pool B alongside Romania, Scotland, Tonga and current holders South Africa.
O’Brien has earned five caps for Ireland and is hoping to make the most of the opportunities provided in August’s warm-up matches.
“Hopefully I get a chance to play in a few of them,” the Leinster back added. “There are so many good players I’m sure everyone will be the same and they’ll all get a chance. Whenever I play, hopefully I play well and put my hand up.”
England players impose ‘cake ban’ ahead of World Cup
By Ed Elliot, PA
Flanker Lewis Ludlam says England’s players are self-policing the consumption of sweet treats in a bid to be in peak condition for a shot at World Cup glory.
Steve Borthwick’s preliminary squad are in the midst of preparations for the tournament in France, which kicks off in just seven weeks’ time.
Players were last week put through their paces in the heat of Italy before returning to home soil to continue building towards next month’s four warm-up fixtures. Northampton captain Ludlam revealed diet rules and weight monitoring have been relaxed slightly since head coach Borthwick replaced Eddie Jones.
Yet, after exclaiming he had not “seen cake in weeks” after spotting a buffet at the team’s Surrey training base, the 27-year-old insists players are not allowing each other to give in to temptation.
“The regime has changed in that it’s not as much forced upon you – you’ve got the trust to do everything the right way so we are in the best position to go and put ourselves in the best spot this World Cup,” he said.
“There’s a general feeling amongst the squad that we’ve got to be on the money and making sure we’re making decisions so we are better rugby players the next week and the next month.
“It is a good group of lads and we keep each other in check. There might be a birthday cake here and there but I think the lads are pretty understanding of what’s ahead of us. In the grand scheme of things, it is a short time in our career when we can be really on it to give ourselves the chance of creating some really special memories.”
