Month: October 2024

Reds utility back James O’Connor believes Eddie Jones’ appointment as Wallabies head coach will rejuvenate Australian players who might have thought their international chances were shrinking or over.

O’Connor said players who were on the outside looking in – regarding Test selection under former Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie – will have renewed hope now that Jones has taken over the coaching reins.

“It’s a clean slate for everyone but still early days,” he told Rugby Australia’s official website.

“I’ll admit myself I didn’t play my best footy last year. Being left out (of the Wallabies) did hurt. You can feel hard done by but it really lit a fire under me.”

The 32-year-old is one of a few players in Australia who has experienced Jones‘ coaching, albeit for a brief period.

He had just finished high school at Nudgee College in Brisbane and had a handful of sessions with Jones in 2007 before the coach left his position at the Reds.

Back in the Reds’ starting line-up

Despite being dropped by the Wallabies in 2022, and struggling with an ankle injury earlier this year, O’Connor is back in the Reds’ starting line-up at fly-half for Sunday’s clash with the Fijian Drua in Brisbane after making two appearances off the bench in their previous Super Rugby Pacific matches.

O’Connor would not get ahead of himself, however, when asked about his Wallabies chances.

“Look I’ve only played 68 minutes this season. I’m just focusing on Sunday,” he said.

“Reaching our potential as Queensland is the goal because there has been ‘very good’ for periods of the past few years but fluctuations too.

“The easy thing is to look ahead, look into the future. I’m enjoying the present moment.”

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Toulouse are in advanced negotiations to sign French central midfielder Giannelli Imbula from Stoke City, according to SFR Sport.

The player will make a definitive decision this morning, but TFC are worried that they get gazumped last minute by Lyon or Monaco.

The Principality side had agreed personal terms with Imbula several weeks ago, but never followed up to close the deal.

Now Toulouse are hoping to take advantage of this dawdling.

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Los Pumas hooker Agustin Creevy got the front-row union off their seats this weekend with two magnificent bits of skill in quick succession.

In the past, 37-year-old hookers would be looking forward to retirement with the lure of putting up their feet and adding that extra 10 kilograms that the conditioning coaches insist they do not need.

But throughout his career, Creevy has always been different. Despite being a professional for over 16 years, he continues to develop his game and surprise us by revealing another weapon in his arsenal.

On Sunday, we found out that Creevy has an educated right foot!

Touch of class

29 minutes into London Irish’s home Premiership clash with Sale Sharks, the visitors had a lineout just inside the host’s 22.

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Hooker Ewan Ashman was able to find his jumper at the lineout, with Jonny Hill only able to palm the ball back onto his side of the pitch.

The ball went to the deck and challenging his inner Javier Mascherano, Creevy was quickest to react and intercept.

His superb first touch from inside his own half beat the rapid Tom O’Flaherty across the touchline, completing a wonderful 50:22.

In doing so, Creevy earned his side an attacking lineout inside the Sharks’ 22 and became the first Premiership forward to complete a 50:22 this season – another win for the front-row union.

Usually, these kind of antics would put Creevy’s membership under threat, but what happened next meant that he wouldn’t even face a review panel.

The hooker’s work had just begun after the kick, as he now had one of the most challenging jobs in the game, finding that jumper at the lineout.

As he has done his entire career, Creevy made it look so effortless with a glorious 15-metre dart to Rob Simmons.

The Exiles formed the maul and powered forward with Creevy in position at the back of it.

Experience has taught the veteran hooker that timing is everything, and after timing his one-touch wonder kick into the 22 perfectly, he was not going to waste this opportunity.

When the moment was right, he broke off with some help from his fellow front-rower Facundo Gigena to secure the five points.

Inspired performance

An inspiring two minutes of front-row filth from the Argentine spurred the Exiles to a 36-18 victory over the second-placed side in the Premiership.

His fellow countryman Lucio Cinti was next over the whitewash as they took a 22-10 lead into the interval.

Further scorers from Cinti and James Stokes sealed the win and boosted the Londoners’ hopes of securing a play-off spot.

It was another victory for the front-row union on the same weekend that long-time member Cian Healy flourished at hooker for Ireland in the Six Nations.

READ MORE: Premiership: Bristol Bears, Leicester Tigers and London Irish continue play-off push

Ligue 1 side OGC Nice attempted to hijack St Étienne’s loan deal with Marseille for French attacking midfielder Rémy Cabella at the last minute, according to L’Équipe.

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OGC Nice manager Lucien Favre even personally called Cabella in an attempt to make him change his mind, but in the end the player, who initially told Nantes he wanted to join them, kept his word with St Étienne and made the move.