Here are the latest Rugby World Cup headlines on Friday, September 22.
France sweat over Dupont after sickening conflict
France made historical past on Thursday night time, however at what cost?
The World Cup hosts recorded a thumping 96-0 victory over Namibia in Marseille, their greatest ever within the competitors, having beforehand overwhelmed the identical opposition 87-10 in 2007.
But worryingly, French media had been final night time reporting that their greatest participant, and the event’s poster boy, Antoine Dupont, was in hospital with a suspected fractured jaw. France coach Fabien Galthie later confirmed this was the concern of medics.
Namibia captain Johan Deysel is dealing with a ban after his excessive shot on France’s star participant, which was upgraded to a purple card initially of the second half.
Dupont’s jaw took the brunt of a sickening collision Deysel bought utterly mistaken. Neither man returned to the sphere and nationwide channel France 2 had been reporting that Dupont was taken to hospital affected by concussion signs.
They added that the scrum half was being examined for a suspected cheek or jaw fracture.
Speaking on ITV, Sam Warburton stated: “He appears to be like like he is dealing with ache. The means he regarded going off the pitch. I requested my brother who’s a physio and he stated it is three weeks out for a fractured cheekbone.”
Sir Clive Woodward added: “It’s (doubtlessly) an enormous loss for the entire World Cup not simply France.”
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Australia and Wales ‘about the same c*** ability’
Both Wales and Australia have come underneath assault from a former participant who insists Eddie Jones’ males have an opportunity this weekend, as a result of Wales are simply as unhealthy.
Ex-Australian star Greg Martin stated: “We’re both about the same c*** ability, so we can win the game if we’re good enough, but jeez, we need to do some tackling, get better at the breakdown, kick less and give away fewer penalties,” he advised The Platform.
“We’re at a low level in our cycle of gamers in the intervening time; we’re not superb, however it’s nonetheless conceivable that we are able to beat Wales.
“If we don’t beat Wales, we don’t play Portugal for another two weeks, so it would be a long two weeks for the Wallabies.”
You can hearken to the Welsh Rugby podcast Wales v Australia particular right here
Wallabies at the hours of darkness earlier than huge Wales conflict
Australia don’t know who will lead the facet in one of many greatest video games the nation has been concerned in for years.
Coach Eddie Jones waited till recreation day to substantiate that common captain Will Skelton was out of the Fiji recreation with a calf harm. Hooker Dave Porecki captained the Wallabies however common vice-captain Tate McDermott additionally missed the Fiji recreation with a concussion.
“We’ve got a strong leadership group, so anyone in that group is capable of taking that role,” the halfback advised reporters in Saint-Etienne.
Scrum coach Neal Hatley confirmed the captaincy could be finalised on the finish of the week, saying it’s “not a massive thing for us”.
Former Australia winger Drew Mitchell has questioned management throughout the Wallabies set-up. He stated: “You talk about leadership in an organisation, we’ve had six captains in seven games, we’ve had a multitude of changes at CEO level, president level, coaching level, this is beyond just what happened (against Fiji),” stated Mitchell, who performed in three World Cups.
“It’s probably been a long time coming and we got bitten in the arse. It’s time to wake up a little bit.”
Rassie Erasmus hits again at ‘morally incorrect’ ways
Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has hit again at one of many Springboks’ greatest critics of the 7-1 cut up on the bench.
South Africa have made headlines for choosing a substitute mixture of seven forwards and one again of their Rugby World Cup conflict with Ireland.
Former Ireland hooker Keith Wood has since predicted that World Rugby will change the legal guidelines round replacements after the event, however former Scotland coach Matt Williams has been much more essential of the Springboks’ ways.
“Is it legal? Yes. Is it smart rugby? Yes. Is it good tactics? Yes. But it is not morally correct!” Williams advised Virgin Media.
Erasmus has since responded to Williams on X, previously Twitter.
“Hi Matt, I am also over 50 but I don’t understand what your point is and how you got to your ‘conclusion’,” Erasmus wrote.
The Springboks boss additionally included a hyperlink to Ross Tucker’s video explaining the complexities of the talk surrounding the variety of substitutes and whether or not brisker gamers enjoying in opposition to fatigued ones causes extra accidents.
“If there is to be a reduction in subs number, it would be despite evidence, not because of it (or for other reasons). Evidence suggests that as replacements are added to a tackle event, injury risk drops. And that fatigued vs fatigued injury risk is higher than fresh vs fatigued,” Tucker wrote on X.
