Who's hot…and who's not!
It's time for Planet Rugby's weekly wrap up of who's setting the benchmarks at the moment … and who should be dropped to the bench!
It's time for Planet Rugby's weekly wrap up of who is going about setting the benchmarks at the moment… and who should be dropped to the bench!
They're on fire!
Chris Robshaw: Despite playing in only one previous Test for his country, the Harlequins skipper has been rewarded for the fine way he's led his club with the England captaincy for their Six Nations opener against Scotland. While Robshaw's appointment is only for that match few can argue that he deserves the honour of leading out the team.
Joe Pietersen: He's back! After a spell with Bayonne, Stormers full-back Joe Pietersen confirmed his return in style in his side's 28-6 success over the Lions in a pre-season friendly at Newlands.
Salt Lake City/USA Rugby: The US city will host the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2012 from 18-30 June. The tournament will be contested between hosts USA, Zimbabwe, Tonga, Russia, Japan, Chile, Canada and Georgia with the winners winning promotion to the IRB Junior World Championship in France next year. With Las Vegas already hosting a leg of the World Sevens Series, the Junior World Rugby Trophy will add to the growth of the game.
Gary Gold: The former Springbok assistant coach has made all the right noises since taking over the reins at struggling Newcastle. After all the talk, it was time for Gold to produce and he certainly did, guiding the Falcons to their first home victory of the season in the LV= Cup.
Joel Tomkins: The former England rugby league international made a stunning debut for Saracens in their 41-14 LV= Cup victory over Worcester at Vicarage Road. Tomkins, who has been learning the ways of union for the past two months since he converted from league, scored a brace of tries in front of an appreciative home crowd which included his brother Sam in the stands.
Someone turn on the heater…!
Delon Armitage: Things have certainly gone pear-shaped for Armitage over the past few months. From being in the starting line-up for England's opening match at the World Cup, he has hit rock bottom following his arrest, and subsequent release on bail, on suspicion of assaulting someone in a nightclub at the weekend. This after he did duty for the England Saxons against the Irish Wolfhounds. Needless to say, with a criminal case hanging over his head, Armitage has been suspended from the Saxons Elite Player Squad.
The Beast: Fans of the Sharks' big Zimbabwean-born prop Tendai Mtawarira will have to wait a little longer before the cries of “Beeeeeeeeast” will be echoing around stadiums in this year's Super Rugby. The sturdy Bok is set to miss the Sharks' first eight games after cracking a bone in his right ankle during training.
Micky Young: Although rugby might be a tough and physical sport, there are some things which you just don't do on a rugby field. Eye gouging is one of them and the Leicester scrum-half's brain implosion in their recent Heineken Cup win over Aironi has seen him being on the receiving end of an eight-week suspension.
Mourad Boudjellal: Toulon certainly deserve to be among the “hots” this week after their impressive 51-10 win over Bayonne in the Top 14. However, they find themselves on the opposite end of the scale after their club owner was banned until the end of the season for disparaging remarks he made to French referees and adminstrators. Boudjellal's infamous “refereeing sodomy” comments landed him in hot water and subsequent accusations of racism against sections of the French rugby fraternity did not endear him to a disciplinary hearing of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) who handed him a 130-day suspension!
Bayonne:Despite having internationals like Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips, Les Blues speedster Cedric Heymans and former All Blacks trio Joe Rokocoko, Sione Lauaki and Neemia Tialata in their ranks, Bayonne are firmly entrenched as the bottom-placed team in the Top 14 after the weekend's walloping against Toulon.
By David Skippers