Who’s hot and who’s not: Ian Foster backed by NZ Rugby, Anthony Watson returns and English clubs in trouble

Adam Kyriacou
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It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.

THEY’RE ON FIRE!

Ian Foster receives NZR backing: The All Blacks head coach breathed a massive sigh of relief last week when New Zealand Rugby (NZR) confirmed that they are backing him until the Rugby World Cup next year. On the back of an impressive victory over South Africa, Foster has been given the green light to continue in the hot-seat moving forward, with Joe Schmidt moving into a more advanced position, working as the attack coach. We may never know if defeat to the Springboks at Ellis Park would have meant curtains for Foster but it’s clear that NZR have now made their bed and if results slump in the remainder of the Rugby Championship, one wonders if a rethink will then have to take place. Upcoming games against Argentina will be key for Foster as he looks to repay the faith shown in him but for now he must be thrilled.

Bolton Rugby Club reaching out: We tip our hats to the English club who have started an outstanding new partnership with their Italian counterparts, Briganti Librino – a club from the Sicilian city of Catania, who have suffered some big setbacks recently. After being attacked by arsonists and burglars – believed to be associated to the Mafia – Bolton have come to the Italian outfit’s aid by flying over more than 50 of Briganti Librino’s junior players to England. The youngsters met players from Bolton and Sale Sharks whose new recruit England fly-half George Ford praised the initiative from Bolton to start what is hopefully a long-lasting friendship.

Black Ferns retain O’Reilly Cup: The New Zealand side were absolutely ruthless in the first O’Reilly Cup Test, winning 52-5 in a near-perfect performance against the Wallaroos on Saturday. The triumph means the Black Ferns deservedly retain the trophy, with the rugby showcased immaculate as they scored eight tries that included a brace from Ayesha Leti-I’iga and Ruahei Demant. The Australians simply had no answer to the complete performance and know they have their work cut out in the second O’Reilly Cup Test in Adelaide next week.

URC viewing figures last season: With the new season coming into focus, the United Rugby Championship announced on Wednesday that their inaugural campaign saw over 34 million fans tune in on television to watch the competition. That is fantastic news as the cross-hemisphere tournament is the first of its kind and has clearly been a success as South Africa joined the party. A combination of free-to-air and subscription services likely helped the viewing numbers while it’s also worth noting that the regular-season rounds were reduced to just 18 in 2021/21, which is a drum we regularly bang that less is more when it comes to rugby. One expects these numbers to grow this season.

Anthony Watson’s injury return: Following 10 months on the sidelines due to an ACL rupture, the England back three player made his comeback for new club Leicester Tigers at the weekend. Watson, after nine years at Bath, left the West Country outfit following the end of the previous campaign to join the Tigers and made his non-competitive debut against Jersey on Friday. He looked sharp considering his time out of the game in Leicester’s victory over the team from the Channel Islands as the defending Premiership champions began their preparations for the new campaign. It is great to see Watson back and hopefully he’ll play a key part for club and country in 2022/23 as the Rugby World Cup looms.

COLD AS ICE!

James O’Connor dropped: A lot can change in a week in rugby – just ask all four Rugby Championship teams – and for O’Connor the Wallabies’ record defeat to the Pumas has ultimately cost him a spot in the squad for their next game, against South Africa. With Quade Cooper of course ruled out injured, it was a surprise seeing O’Connor’s name left off the group preparing for the Springboks clash, with Bernard Foley returning to the fold after a stint playing in Japan. That means Reds stalwart O’Connor drops down the pecking order behind Brumbies youngster Noah Lolesio at the moment and one wonders whether the veteran back will feature again in this year’s tournament.

Another English club in financial trouble: After Wasps’ well-known issues, which have again come to a head over recent weeks, news broke that Worcester Warriors have been served with a winding-up petition due to unpaid tax and are reportedly set to enter administration. They released a statement, saying that they are in constant communication with HM Revenue and Customs, but the taxman still decided to bring about the order. This comes a few months after it was revealed that Worcester’s players had not been paid their wages. It is concerning for Worcester, the Premiership and the English game as a whole.

Evan Roos axed by Springboks: Following a stunning season for the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship, many, including us, expected him to make a significant impact at international level during the mid-year Tests and then the Rugby Championship. He made his debut in the second encounter against Wales, but struggled to stand out in the 13-12 defeat and he has not been seen since. Despite Duane Vermeulen not looking match fit in the Springboks’ loss to the All Blacks and subsequently being hauled off before half-time, he retains his place in the squad. It is hugely disappointing for Roos but he will surely get his chance at some point leading into the Rugby World Cup.

Much to do for Wallaroos and Japan ahead of RWC: While the Black Ferns were impressive ahead of their home World Cup, the Australians were not and have plenty to work on to be competitive for the global tournament. They were opened up far too easily throughout and struggled to deal with the pace and power of the New Zealanders. That was equally the case for Japan, whose fitness was exposed as Ireland romped to a 57-22 triumph. The Japanese were 15-0 ahead early on but they could not maintain that level as the Irish went away with a comfortable win.

RTS’ NPC debut ends in damp squib: There was huge excitement as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck made his debut for Auckland in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship – delayed for a year due to a Covid lockdown – but it proved to be a rather underwhelming weekend. The team were outplayed by Bay of Plenty, going down 21-17 with a late Salesi Rayasi try proving to be mere consolation, and Tuivasa-Sheck didn’t have the greatest day. The All Blacks centre played reasonably well but ended up dropping the ball over the line, which ultimately proved costly for his side.

READ MORE: 13 new signings to watch in the United Rugby Championship including new Leinster centre Charlie Ngatai and Eben Etzebeth at the Sharks

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