Monday's Musings

August 24, 2015

Professional Rugby

FORMER Australian sevens coach Michael O’Connor says coaches will be “knocking the door down” to take the team to the Rio Olympics following Geraint John’s shock resignation on Monday.

It’s a setback for the Australian sevens program with less than three months before the Oceania Sevens Championship in November, a tournament which also doubles as an Olympic qualifier.

Well, with all the platitudes that Geraint John gave the ARU, we note he is terminating his contract at the end of the month for “family reasons”, in the initial release by the Australian Rugby Union. This morning, on Twitter from Wales Online Rugby, we read that he has been appointed as the WRU Elite Coaching Development Manager. Well, good for you, GJ but in this writer’s opinion, this does not say much about loyalty, particularly in a commitment made leading up to Rio. His departure is noted as a “setback” to Aussie preparation however the ARU was warm and professional in its praise for his work to date. Australia will need its best to nut out Samoa in qualifying and the loser will have to overcome Canada in repecharge action. Wouldn’t that be ironical if Oz did not qualify and Canada did? But hey, who’s kidding who? Just get the facts out!

Plaudits to Paris

In our match blog from Saturday, we mentioned the work Taylor did to earn his try. He did much more in this game and CW agrees with the selectors, who named him Man-of-the-Match. ‘onya, Tay – a deserved recognition. We hope his late injury was minor, although Cudmore accepted his award whilst he was no being treated. His play made selection of the backs a most interesting one…… DTH, Trainor, Braid, Paris, McKenzie, Evans, Hassler, Hearn, Underwood. This writer likes to give Nate and Jones the nod to pack their bags and just how the half back slot will be sorted is best not prognosticated on. (We muse on Nick Phipps, solidly ensconced in the Wallaby plans one week, on the outs after a ‘stinker’ the next and finally, being omitted from the Wallaby squad.)