RugbyWorldNovember2023

S PEND JUST a minute in the company of Beka Gorgadze and you would never guess the issue that plagued him following the last Rugby World Cup in 2019. The Pau back-rower is an immediately likeable character and quick to crack a joke when we sit down together in Tbilisi ahead of this year’s showpiece. Gorgadze is now a Top 14 captain and bona fide Georgian legend, but it was in Japan four years ago when the then 23-year-old nailed down his spot as the country’s first-choice No 8. And although his performances did not give it away, he admits by the time the tournament started he was already running on empty. “What did I learn from 2019? Eat many more carbs! That’s a joke but it’s the reality too,” he says. “It was physically and mentally tough because the preparation was hell, it was so hard, so maybe we left all our energy in that. “Going into that Wales game, the first one, when you should feel the most confident because of your preparation, personally I was empty. That was quite remarkable for me and made me feel quite anxious. ‘Why have I done all that hard work? What’s going on with me now? “The humidity of Japan didn’t help! Physically and mentally it was my first experience as well. This time I’ve grown and played a lot more at this level as well.” But put simply, he says: “The 2019 World Cup was a game-changer for me because of the anxiety I developed.” Such an unfortunate lasting memory was compounded by the serious knee injury he suffered in defeat to Ireland in November 2020. It meant by the time Gorgadze arrived at Pau from Bordeaux-Bègles ahead of the 2021-22 season, his self-esteem was in need of a boost. He says: “Arriving at Pau after doing my ACL I was still stuck with a bit of a lack of confidence. But I heard what I needed from my team-mates and the coaches from day one. I then built my confidence throughout the season and it was definitely my best year so far in the Top 14.” That is quite a modest way to assess a season in which he led the league for dominant tackles, making 21 in as many games. Not a bad first impression to make at a new club and a surefire way to regain the spring in your step. Second-season syndrome? No chance. Instead, Gorgadze was installed as captain at the Stade du Hameau. That role does not come without its challenges, but the man known as ‘Rock Star’ by his former international forwards coach Graham Rowntree was more than a match for the job. “It has been a massive step up for me since I got there,” says Gorgadze. “Massive responsibility and improving my confidence. “It has been an exciting and interesting two years, even though we have been struggling. We finished tenth two years ago which was fine and this season was 12th. It was a rollercoaster season, ups and downs.” Unsurprisingly for a man who is candid about his confidence struggles, Gorgadze is not a leader who bellows at his troops. In fact, even though he has more words than most at his disposal, as a man fluent in four languages (Georgian, Russian, English and French), he prefers to let his actions do the talking. He says: “I’ve never been that person who talks much. The key moment for me in the season was when I was asking questions of myself. But I just need to keep focused and do my job and the team will follow me. Then I don’t need to talk much.” Gorgadze recovered from an MCL injury in time to start the 35-15 defeat to Australia first up in France, a result that may have dented the Georgian wave of optimism somewhat. But with so many of the Lelos lads plying their trade abroad, they are happy to be competing on familiar territory. “It might be a while until we have the big World Cup in Georgia but it’s like having it on our second home soil. We have our families and friends around us and lots of people travelling to watch us play. That’s why Japan was a different experience but this time it’s one French huddle.” Gorgadze can’t wait to welcome All Black Sam Whitelock to Pau after the tournament, when he will join his brother Luke at the club. And if Whitelock needs selling on his new home, Gorgadze can oblige, regaling the benefits of being an hour’s drive from both the ocean and mountains. The latter helps him unwind and switch off. A trip to Svaneti in Georgia took the edge off a brutal preparation. “It’s such a great place. It’s how I recharge.” For now, a metaphorical mountain needs climbing as Gorgadze and Georgia bid to make the quarters for the first time in their history. n GEORGIAN BEKAS BEKA SAGHINADZE The powerful flanker is at his second World Cup and is with Davit Niniashvili at Lyon BEKA SHVANGIRADZE The young flanker shone in the U20 Summer Series in 2022 and is a standout Pro D2 star for Aurillac BEKA GIGASHVILI The Toulon prop (below) was described by a French rugby journalist as the best tighthead in the Top 14 T O P 3 51

Australia

53 Words Josh Graham // Main Image Etienne Oliveau/Getty Images For so long it has been Michael in the back row, but now powerful namesake Tom Hooper opens up about life as a World Cup Wallaby and his relationship with Eddie Jones

54 NGLAND FOLLOWERS had seen this play before. With his side struggling badly, Eddie Jones hooks a player after 30 minutes to send a message. It’s bold, it’s brave and it’s ruthless. Think Luther Burrell and Danny Care. While Jones may have swapped sides from England to the Wallabies, it looked like he’d struck again when debutant flanker Tom Hooper trudged off after half an hour against the Springboks. He’d missed several tackles in the build-up to Kurt-Lee Arendse’s try and then failed to get hold of Manie Libbok. When he exited Loftus Versfeld, you could have been forgiven for thinking we wouldn’t see young Tom again. Luckily, it transpired the young buck had a shoulder injury. Nonetheless, it was not the debut he’d dreamt of, but it sure wasn’t going to be his last hurrah. “It was a dream come true,” he says. “But definitely not a fairytale start. Two days later, it sunk in that I was a Wallaby. The new goal was making sure that it wasn’t the last game I was going to play! I’m happy I’ve had a few more since.” Undoubtedly Australia’s finest display coming into this World Cup came in Dunedin when they led the All Blacks 17-3 before a last-minute Richie Mo’unga penalty helped seal a 23-20 win for the home side, who rallied well from behind. Hooper had scored his first try after seven minutes and admits he’s warmed to the role of being a Test-level player. “It’s about runs on the board,” he says. “Like anything, time in the saddle is really important, unless you are an absolute superstar. And I needed some time to find my feet but I’m feeling more and more comfortable every game.” While this Hooper is very much a new entity, the surname is synonymous with the Australian back-row thanks to the work of 125-Test hero Michael (above). He became an international centurion at the age of just 28 and is still only 31 but found himself shockingly cast adrift by Jones when the coach announced his World Cup squad to travel to France. Hooper had been struggling with a niggling calf problem but as the existing co-captain he was still expected to go and had fronted the shirt promotion. Of course, there was still a Hooper named. Tom had grown up idolising his namesake and was made up when they started together for his first cap. “I got to play 30 minutes with him, which was really special because he was one of the three blokes I really looked up to growing up,” reveals Tom. Hooper’s old back-row buddy David Pocock – together they formed ‘Pooper’ – and Scott Fardy were the other two. To be clear, Tom and Michael Hooper are not related. But does the new kid on the block get tired of people asking? “I’ll never get sick of that. I have the utmost respect for Michael. When people think I’m related to him, I’m quite chuffed half the time. I don’t think there’s any pressure with the name. “Whenever I think of it, I think about how much he helped me. He actually wrote me a really nice note before my debut and I pinned that on my wall because his belief in me means a lot.” Michael went out of his way to help Tom when he came into camp and the youngster could not be more thankful. “He was a massive help in calming my nerves before my debut and grabbing me for extras. That was really special. “He doesn’t have to help the new kid on the block but he does and goes out of his way to help me and ensure I’m in the best possible position.” Cynics might argue Michael paid the price for his generosity when Tom was selected ahead of him. But despite the fact Tom’s second cap came in the No 7 jersey in place of Michael, the two are not similar players. Tom is not your usual openside, he’s one of the hybrid lock/ flankers that have become very popular. Since Michael went out the team, Tom has dovetailed well, playing at six with Fraser McReight and together they helped Australia beat Georgia 35-15 in their opening World Cup clash in Paris. So how much thought does Hooper give to the shirt number he’s wearing? Not a lot, it turns out. “I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel when I change the digit on my back,” he says with clarity. “All I’m trying to do is bring what I bring. With Fraser McReight and (No 8) Rob Valetini, we’ve said how all three of us bring different things with us to our game. We aren’t going to play differently just because of the digit on our back.” That win at the Stade de France not only got the Wallabies off to a flyer in the wide open Pool C, it also marked the first victory of Jones’s second stint at the helm at the sixth attempt. But how does Hooper get on with the big boss? “My relationship with Eddie is one of tough love. He’s really tough on me and that’s exactly what I want in a coach. “He’s a bloke who calls a spade a spade. He’s very tough on you but when you’re doing something good, he’s got a bit of humour about him. He’s got a smile on his face. He’s very witty and he P puts a smile on your face too. You know ICS Getty Images&Inpho.STATSCorrecton16/9/23 Try time Opening his account v NZ “For the first few weeks of camp, Eddie was calling me ‘Half Body’ because I wasn’t very muscular” Namesake and idol Michael Hooper

exactly what he expects of you and if you deliver, he’s there to make sure you’re having a good time. “We’re playing rugby, the game that we love, and he loves it as well. If we are performing, we’ve both got smiles on our faces. Eddie’s an open book. Whatever he’s saying to the media is pretty much what he says to us, he’s good like that.” Still a young man, Hooper is working hard on his body composition to cut it at the highest level, something that didn’t go unnoticed by his 63-year-old coach. “He’s constantly on me about getting my body shape right. For the first few weeks of camp, he was calling me ‘Half Body’ because I wasn’t very muscular defined (up top). But now he calls me 75%; I’ve got 75% of a body he reckons. “One day he called me Half Body and I said, ‘Eddie, just wait, in six weeks’ time you won’t even be able to recognise me, mate.’ And he turned around and said, ‘I hope so because otherwise in six weeks’ time you won’t recognise me!’ “Basically hinting at the fact that if I didn’t improve, I’d get booted out the door. I know that if I don’t put the work in off the field, he’s probably going to drop me. When he puts the writing on the wall like that, you know exactly what you need to do and what more could you want from a coach.” It sounds like a healthy relationship. But Jones was not the one who had the pleasure of delivering the news that Hooper was going to the World Cup. “We got told if our manager called, it was going to be good news and if the boss called then he’d probably be the one that had the tough job of giving us some not-so-good news,” he explains. “I got the call from my manager and I was with my partner having a nice little brunch, trying to get some brownie points there. So when I got the call I knew it was probably good news. So I actually hung up on him the first time but I made sure to give him a call back as soon as possible. Once he told me it was good news, I was really ecstatic and called Mum and Dad straightaway and that was a really special moment.” Hooper admits it was always the ultimate dream to be here. The bruising Brumby just never expected it to happen so quick having started the year by suffering a serious foot injury. Medics warned him that he could miss the entire Super Rugby Pacific season but as it was he returned for Round 11. And it was only 11 Super starts into his career before Eddie came calling, one that he answered straightaway... With the youngest squad in the entire tournament, there is definitely an energetic vibe around the Wallabies. Hunger is not something in short supply. For Hooper and his peers, it’s about getting better every single game. “If we take no backwards steps we are going to be one of the best teams in no time,” the 22-year-old confidently states. “It’s how big those steps are, whether they’re quantum leaps, and they can be with the work we are doing off the field.” He’s part of the ‘pump squad’ of young guys who need to bulk up and are getting to work at the crack of dawn. “We are training really hard but it’s worth it because you are doing it together and it’s for the greatest cause: the dream of winning the World Cup.” As readers of this magazine will know from our feature on Victoria earlier this year, rugby union is not exactly fizzing at home. It’s a crowded marketplace and the code could do with something to shout about, with the Lions coming in 2025 and a home World Cup in 2027. “A lot of this team are probably too young to remember the golden age of rugby in Australia and that’s a really sad thing,” says Hooper, himself included. “There were a lot of superstars coming through the game when we were younger but it’s not where it was in the Nineties. (Australia won both the 1991 and 1999 World Cups.) “We want to start a new golden age and that starts at this World Cup in France.” It’s been said you never win anything with kids, but keep an eye out because Jones’s new-look Aussie side just might spring a surprise. Australia FACT FILE Age 22 (29 Jan 2021) Born Sydney Height 6ft 6in Weight 19st 2lb Position Flanker or second-row Wallaby caps Five (1T) Debut v SA, July 2023 Instagram handle @hoops2901 Lineout linchpin Hooper secures set-piece ball

56 Ireland

57 Ireland W o r d s T O M E N G L I S H / / M a i n P i c J U L I A N F I N N E Y / G E T T Y I M A G E S He’s a mastermind in the Irish midfield and a figure of calm. We explore how the Leinster centre made it big EADING INTO the World Cup, Garry Ringrose boasted the kind of winning stats that every player on the planet would sign up for in a heartbeat. Of his previous 23 games for club and country, he’d won 22 of them going back to the summer of 2022. Success, right? Well, it’s not that straightforward. The one he lost was the Champions Cup final to La Rochelle, a single-pointer at the Aviva. A game he didn’t get to play in was the Grand Slam win against England at the same venue. Another that he didn’t get to play in was the momentous third Test against the All Blacks in Wellington. Two seismic victories and he was injured for both. This has been the way of it for Ringrose, one of the game’s pre-eminent outside-centres. The highs of winning (and scoring) against England in the 2018 Grand Slam decider followed by victory in his first Champions Cup final and a defeat of the All Blacks soon after. Then the lows of a lost Champions Cup final in 2019 and a dismal World The Making Of Garry Ringrose

Cup in Japan, before missing out on a British & Irish Lions tour and another lost Champions Cup final in 2022. It’s not hard to see what drives him. Another Champions Cup after three losses in finals. A Lions tour having been controversially omitted in 2021. A proper shot at a World Cup after the Japan debacle. Ringrose never sat still from day one, everybody tells you that. He never let disappointment get in his way. Never let injury or other setbacks impact on the steely focus he’s had since he was a lad. The school coach Alan MacGinty, father of Bristol’s AJ and a former principal of Blackrock College, coached Ringrose from the age of 12 “He was small and like most small kids he was playing scrum-half. When you’re 12, 13, 14, size is everything but the small guys learn their skills. Brian O’Driscoll (another ‘Rock boy) was small, and he made a late breakthrough. Hugo Keenan (yet another former pupil) also made a late breakthrough. And so did Garry. He was always serious about his rugby and popular with the lads. In third year, he made the second team. In fourth year, he tried out for the 5th-year seconds and was sent back, which was disappointing for him. He was then coached by my son, Alan. It’s funny how life is. A few years later, they were playing international rugby against each other in New Jersey, Alan for the USA and Garry for Ireland. Garry had a lovely disposition. He was unflappable. All the time going through Blackrock I never saw him lose it. There was a great composure about him from an early age. He had great acceleration and was a tremendous place-kicker. We won the Leinster Senior Cup in 2013, an extremely tight final against a very good St Michael’s (featuring Ross Byrne and James Ryan). We had Jeremy Loughman and Nick Timoney on our team. And Oli Jager, who now plays for the Crusaders. Garry kicked nearly everything. The chant went up: ‘Garry Ringrose – he scores when he wants’. He was a 13 then. He got a great try in that final, just whipped the ball out of an opponent’s hands and ran away to score. This was a lad who didn’t play for Leinster Schools or for Ireland Schools. He was under the radar for a long time, but he was a great communicator and had great intelligence about him – you could see that intelligence in his eyes.” The Welshmen in Dublin Ex-Wales coach Mike Ruddock, the father of Ireland back-row Rhys, coached Ringrose at Irish U20 level. With another son, Ciaran, working in the IRFU’s S&C department, Ruddock laughs at the suggestion that his biggest contribution to Irish rugby was in the bedroom rather than on the training ground “I first saw Garry playing for Leinster against Leicester Tigers’ academy in a warm-up before the U20s interpros. I had a list of the players on a piece of paper in my hand. This boy got the ball in the five-metre channel and four or five guys were about to pounce on him when he sidestepped all of them and accelerated away and Leinster scored. Who’s that? Garry Ringrose. I recall putting a big tick beside that kid’s name. It was an incredible piece of footwork. You could see he had X-factor. At U20 level he was unassuming. He hadn’t yet Ireland Leinster great Crossing Benetton’s try-line for his province in 2016 Roar energy Scoring against France in this year’s Six Nations FACT FILE Age 28 (26 Jan 1995) Born Dublin Height 6ft 2in Weight 15st 1lb Position Centre Ireland caps 53 Test points 72 (14T, 1C) Instagram handle @g_ringrose PICS Getty Images, Inpho&Sportsfile.STATSCorrecton15/9/23

59 found the confidence to assert himself. His acceleration was the thing. I coached Leinster in 1997, so I gave a first contract to Brian O’Driscoll. I wouldn’t compare the young Garry with the young Brian but what stood out with both of them was their ability to move out of the traffic. Their movement was different. Brian had a forward body lean, like a sprinter coming out of the blocks, whereas Garry was more upright and he was more out-and-out footwork. You never really know how young players will turn out but I had a fair idea that Brian was going to be special and I kinda had the same feeling about Garry.” The Puma Felipe Contepomi was a star of Argentinian rugby and played for Leinster for six years. After he retired, from 2018-22 he was the province’s backs coach. He is now back with the Pumas as assistant to his old Leinster boss, Michael Cheika “I was lucky as I got to see a lot of Garry’s development. Don’t get me wrong, when I arrived at Leinster as a coach he was already a top player, and an international, not only in the way he played but the way he was as a leader. Hopefully, I helped him a little bit. He was an unbelievably coachable guy but also a real student of the game. He’s a very smart player. Nowadays you have a lot of skilful and fit players but smartness is a point of difference. He makes good decisions. A good player knows where the ball is and a world-class player knows where it will be and he is one of those. He’s a respected player. He’s not the type to crack jokes all day long. The respect comes from his work ethic, the fact he’s a team player who tries to help others.” The former captain Rory Best led Ireland to many a great victory and was Ringrose’s captain for the first half of his Test career “I’m a big believer in first impressions. You see a lot of young guys come in and get spat out again. But you get a feeling for ones that are going to hang around – and Garry was definitely one of those. When he came into the Ireland camp he did everything you would expect from a five- or ten-year pro in the way he analysed games. You knew straightaway that this kid was going to be brilliant. Conor Murray was the same. Not the finished product but my God there was something there. Time on the ball. Composure. How he understood the game, how he spoke. It was hugely impressive. He was respectful and kept his head down and worked hard, and there’s something endearing about that. His ability to lead and understand what Ireland are trying to do is second only to Johnny (Sexton). You need people who get the game plan. It’s not enough to learn the game plan, you have to understand it so well that you know how to subtly change it when you need to; you need to know how to manipulate parts of it on the hoof. Garry gets it. He’s selfless. He’ll put his body on the line every single time. He’s missed big games through injury because he’s been so brave in defence. He has an attitude of ‘Right, this needs to be done because next week is irrelevant if we don’t fix this’ and sometimes he hasn’t made next week. He’s lost out on big moments in his career through injury. He’s ridiculously brave. He’s a guy you want to follow.” The wise head Stuart Lancaster was revered in his seven successful years as a coach with Leinster from 2016-23, when he left to take charge of Racing “Garry is an amazing rugby player but I have a huge regard for him as a person as well. High level of integrity, great values, team-first attitude, humble and hungry. Humble in that he doesn’t believe he knows it all and has all the answers himself. And hungry in that he wants to get better in every way he can: mentally, technically, in game understanding, in leadership. He leaves no stone unturned to be the best of version of himself. He was a late bloomer at Blackrock and then excelled at U20s. He’d already made his Leinster debut when I arrived in 2016. I just thought he was a classic 13. He had a lovely outside break, speed and power, defended well. He was pretty introverted and it took a while for him to find his voice, but with a bit of pushing and prodding he did that and he became a key leader with Leinster and, I’m sure, with Ireland as well. He’s fearless and loves that confrontation you get in the 13 channel and that decision you have to make whether to hit or hold. He makes those decisions with conviction, which is critical in the defensive system. His knowledge of defence is outstanding and he’s developed his ability to be a first receiver. Before, he’d have waited for the ball to come to him but now he goes searching for it. Is he a world-class centre? Yes. Would he be a world-class full-back? Yes. A world-class winger? Yes. He’s an all-rounder. The one thing I’d really wish for him is that his form and fitness stays so he can play with the Lions in 2025. He missed out last time and should have gone. That definitely motivates him. He wouldn’t say it to anyone but deep down he’ll be hugely motivated to become a Lion on top of everything else he’s going to achieve from hereon in.” Ireland Finding his voice A Lions place could be next for Ringrose Pass master In action v Romania at RWC 2023 “He makes decisions on whether to hit or hold with conviction, which is critical in defence”

60 990 WAS the year I matriculated with a university-entrance matric and was named Despatch High’s Rugby Player of the Year. I decided to go into the army the following year. In those days, all white males over the age of 18 were conscripted to do compulsory service in the South African Defence Force for a year. It had previously been a two-year call-up but had now been reduced. I wanted to follow the family tradition and become a teacher, specialising in physical education. But we didn’t have the money for university and I couldn’t get a sports bursary, even though I had played Craven Week rugby. The only option I I l l u s t r a t i o n J A M I E L A T C H F O R D M Y In this exclusive extract from his new book, Springboks chief RASSIE ERASMUS gives a fascinating insight into his youth

South Africa

had was to do my national service or go to jail, but no one in Despatch ever defied their call-up. I was called up to the 6 South African Infantry battalion in Grahamstown, where I could be selected for the Junior Leader training programme (JLs) at the Infantry School in Oudtshoorn. I was very nervous about going – not because of the unit’s fearsome reputation but because I just didn’t know Oudtshoorn. But then Gysie Pienaar, the legendary full-back for Free State and the Springboks, phoned me out of the blue and said he had organised me a transfer to the Pantserskool (the School of Armour) in Bloemfontein. None of my friends went into the army. Some studied, one joined the police, another became a mechanic. I was the only one conscripted into the military. When I got to the army base, I thought, ‘F***, how am I going to survive this?’ I had been spoilt at home. I had never ironed my clothes, never made food for myself; I couldn’t fry an egg or make a cup of coffee. Either my mom or Dorothy had done that for me. I had done cadets at school, so I understood a little bit about marching, but that was about it. My parents drove me but in separate cars as they were now living apart. I was thrown in among a lot of intimidating people I had never encountered before. Guys with long hair, guys with beards, guys with degrees, guys who smoked weed. And me. The first thing that happened was our heads were shaved. Once we had our hair cut, we all looked the same; no one was intimidating any more and I felt, ‘Okay, I’ll be fine.’ We were handed brown overalls and takkies and then the punishing physical training began. I was fit but only school-rugby fit, not opfok fit, which is in another league altogether. The physical side of things was tough on everybody. The political stuff they tried to feed us meant nothing to me. I didn’t know what they were talking about. I didn’t know the wider world and didn’t care about it. I didn’t know troops were patrolling the townships and that this was a big deal for the residents as it meant they were living in a war zone. Although we trained for urban warfare, I was never sent to the townships, nor did I do any army duty related to the unrest. Many times, all we had to eat was fruit, so I just went hungry because here’s a weird thing about me – I have a phobia about fruit. Ek gril my dood vir vrugte (I shudder with revulsion at just the thought of fruit). I can’t look at fruit, I can’t touch fruit, I can’t be around fruit, and I can’t watch or listen to anyone eating fruit. I can’t even pick up a piece of fruit and throw it in the bin. Going hungry was better than eating fruit. After two weeks, I was placed on the Junior Leadership programme. I was determined to become a commissioned officer. I worked hard to make sure I did well in the course and got my rank, first lieutenant. When I was in Despatch, though I knew how to drive, I didn’t even know how to open a car bonnet. But now I knew everything there was to know about the engines in military vehicles. I could change a Rooikat armoured vehicle’s tyre and got a licence to drive four different types of vehicle, even a bus, which I can still do to this day. As part of our training, we did war games out in the bush at De Brug, 35km from Bloemfontein, using live ammunition. When I was still a troep with no rank, I got myself into serious trouble during one of those exercises. We were on patrol and I started “The vehicles were perfectly sealed, so no water got in and no one realised we had driven straight into the dam” In the limelight Giving advice as a ‘water carrier’ during the 2021 Lions series FACT FILE Age 50 (5 Nov 1972) Born Despatch, Eastern Cape SA caps 36 (1997-2001) Coaching CV Cheetahs, WP, Stormers, Munster, Springboks, Barbarians Current role South Africa’s director of rugby Twitter @RassieRugby PICSAFP& Getty Images Landmark With Siya Kolisi, who Erasmus made SA’s first black captain South Africa

shooting the Browning machine gun mounted on top of our Rooikat. The crew chief in the Rooikat in front of me had his head out of his vehicle with the hatch open behind him. Luckily the bullets hit the hatch, otherwise I would have shot him in the head and killed him. It was an extremely serious mistake, and as punishment I had to do hard physical exercise for the next three weeks, day and night. I was a target for anyone who wanted to punish me. The normal troops left me alone, but the officers made sure that I suffered. I had to stand aside for everyone else in the mess queue, which meant the food was gone by the time I got to the front. I hardly slept or ate. The opfoks were terrible and I battled to get through them. I survived, of course, but I know of some troeps who went through a similar experience and were later discharged from the army on medical grounds. I’d rather go through that punishment than live with myself for having killed a fellow soldier. That wasn’t my only mistake. The following year, when I was a lieutenant, we were doing night-driving from 8pm to 8am. We were simulating a chemical war and I was in charge of 16 Rooikat armoured vehicles, riding in the second vehicle in the convoy. We were behind one another, about five metres apart, with all engines on low revolution in the quietest gear. We were all sealed inside our vehicles, with the hatches closed, looking out through night sights. It was a long night of boredom as we drove, so I made myself comfortable with a bottle of Old Brown Sherry and started to doze. My driver woke me up to tell me he’d come across an obstacle. He couldn’t see what it was but the vehicle had become sluggish. I told him to push through. We had no lights on and each vehicle would follow the small orange convoy lights on the rear of the vehicle in front. I left my sleeping position and got into my seat. The Rooikat was barely moving even though the driver had his foot on the accelerator. I called up my superior officer, a major who was coordinating the operation from a remote venue, who told me to open my hatch and fire off a couple of flares to light up the area. Immediately, I could see the problem. The Rooikat in front had driven into a dam and we had followed it in. The barrel of the lead vehicle was sticking out above the water, with the rest of it underwater. The vehicles were perfectly sealed, so no water got in and no one realised we had driven straight into the dam. Looking out of the hatch on the top of the Rooikat, I could touch the water around me. The water then started to seep through the seals, and the troops scrambled out, otherwise they would have drowned. The vehicle behind me was also submerged. I could see the major approaching and knew I was in for another opfok. A bigger armoured vehicle pulled us out of the dam with a heavy steel towbar, which was humiliating in itself, but the worst wasn’t over. My whole crew was ordered to carry that huge towbar back to camp on foot. It took us seven hours and we were shattered when we got back to base. This time the opfok was longer than three weeks, but I survived as I was very fit. On weekends, I had to stay on my own at De Brug in the veld, while my fellow officers could take time out in Bloemfontein. The punishment felt so much longer because I wasn’t allowed to play sport for three months. Despite having played first-team rugby at school and Craven Week for Eastern Province, initially I hardly played any rugby in the army other than a bit of social rugby between the squadrons. When teams were picked shortly after we arrived, they said, ‘Hands up those who played for Grey College or Paul Roos Gymnasium.’ About 30 guys put up their hands. Then, ‘Who’s played for SA Schools?’ Seven or eight hands went up. ‘Who played Craven Week?’ A further eight hands went up. By the time they came to me, they had enough players. My form in the inter-squadron league soon got me noticed. I started playing rugby properly in my second year in the army. Although legally I only had to do one year of military service, I volunteered for a second year to save money for my university education. I was concerned about what I was going to do with my life. I had this dream to play for Despatch, not Eastern Province and certainly not the Springboks. My ambition stretched only as far as Despatch, and I was worried about having to earn a salary because Despatch rugby was an amateur game. So I decided to give the army a go for another year. After all, accommodation, food and clothing were free, and I could afford to buy a little car. n 63 Rampaging flanker At the 1999 World Cup South Africa Extract from Rassie: Stories of Life and Rugby. Published by Pan Macmillan. RRP £25

Age 24 (24 Mar 1999) Born Mendoza Position Wing/Centre Club Mendoza Height 6ft 1in Weight 14st 11lb Test caps Two (1T) Instagram handle @rodrigoisgro S P O T LIG H T O N 64 RODRIGO ISG RO From sevens sensation to World Cup Puma, the Argentine is living the dream Uncompromising Isgro fends off a Spanish tackler during a RWC warm-up Words Frankie Deges // Main Pic Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images PICS Getty Images&Sportsfile.STATSCorrecton21/9/23

T HE 2024 Olympics in Paris, nine months after the World Cup in France concludes, has become the lure of the best rugby player today. Antoine Dupont will take time out from his 15s career to pursue an Olympic dream in sevens. Will the French scrum-half start a trend? Well, Rodrigo Isgro has been there and done that and if he crosses paths with Dupont at France 2023, he might tell him of his vast experience with Argentina Sevens and his dream of adding a second tattoo to the Olympic rings he already has on his right arm. Argentina has for many years used sevens as a pathway, and ten of the 33 players in the Pumas’ World Cup squad have played international sevens at one stage. But the country’s participation in Super Rugby saw that pathway dwindle. And when a new pro competition was born in South America, young players were tested there, rather than in sevens. Isgro, who played at the 2019 Junior World Cup in Argentina, had been spotted by Pumas Sevens coach Santiago Gómez Cora in a warm-up game against Jaguares. “From a kick-off, he jumped high and stole the ball off Tomás Lavanini in the air,” said the coach. That skill would lead him to a place in the Pumas squad for France, where he is a team-mate of the two-metre tall lock. There is a lot more to Isgro, a wing or centre who only won his first cap against Australia in the win in Sydney earlier this year. Selected in the World Sevens Team of the Series this year, in a season in which Argentina finished second in the series, he was hungry for a move to 15s following the bronze medal won at Tokyo 2020 (played in 2021). His professionalism always stood out. With a great working culture, always giving a bit extra, focused, curious, constantly smiling, he was the player who evolved most over the last four seasons. “He told me after Tokyo that his dream was to play in a Rugby World Cup,” says Gómez Cora. “He already had the medal and he was unsure about moving overseas and playing 15s after he got an offer. We worked with him on a pathway that would lead to Paris 2024; after that, aged 25, he would focus on 15s.” Pumas coach Michael Cheika spent a week with the sevens team in Hong Kong this year and was impressed by Isgro. He needed a player who could chase and win high balls in attack à la Israel Folau, a skill that made Isgro a huge threat on the circuit. Several meetings between both staff followed and when the RWC training squad was named, Isgro and Luciano González were in. Only Isgro made it to France. “I’m very happy, trying to come down from the excitement,” said Isgro after his selection. “It’s the dream I’ve worked so hard for. I trained every day as if it was a match, aiming to offer something extra all the time. It’s joy and pride about being able to represent my country in a World Cup.” Does Isgro feel the transition to 15s will take a lot of adapting to? He nods. “It has been a huge change, like two different sports. There was a lot of work behind this change of code. It’s true that my goal is still Paris 2024 but my dream was playing for the Pumas.” Isgro made a solid Test debut, running strongly, competing for every ball and defending his channel as a left-wing. He wasn’t picked for the defeat by England that opened the Pumas’ campaign in France but the tournament represented a new opportunity. Gómez Cora says Isgro “will bring an X-factor. I believe he will take his opportunity with both hands. His strong head helps him grow with confidence”. Argentina’s RWC announcement, made by Cheika in front of a handful of journalists, offered another side of the coin. After talking to each player who didn’t make the squad, Cheika and his staff came up with a list of former Pumas to make individual calls to inform those selected for France. Gómez Cora continues: “Cheika was kind to ask me to tell Rodri and Lautaro Bazán Vélez (another Olympic medallist) of their selection. ‘You’ve formed them, you should call them,’ he told me. “Rodri was in Chile with the Argentina XV and I asked him to turn the camera on as I wanted to see his reaction. We spoke about when he told me about his dream. He said he hadn’t heard yet if he had made it, so I told him that was why I was calling. We both cried. He worked very hard chasing his dream. He fully deserves it.” After RWC 2023, Isgro will be back with the sevens team ahead of a new Series and aiming for gold at the Olympics. The same gold that Antoine Dupont is also chasing. n BEST RUGBY MOMENTS 2021 After defeating South Africa with five players, an Isgro-led Pumas wins bronze at the Tokyo Olympics 2023 Isgro is named in the Dream Team after helping Argentina finish second in the Sevens World Series 2023 Isgro makes a winning Test debut against Australia in the Rugby Championship and fights his way into the World Cup squad T O P 3 65

66 Wales That’s the message to Aaron Wainwrightfrom Wales’ coaches – and the back-rower is happy to oblige W o r d s A L A N P E A R E Y // M a i n I m a g e D A V I D R O G E R S / G E T T Y I M A G E S

67 OW YOU see him, now you don’t. There was consternation when Aaron Wainwright forgot to show up for his Zoom interview with Rugby World, but it proved a false alarm. “I think the physio was winding me up!” says Verity Williams, the team’s communications manager, as Aaron’s smiling face appears on our screen. In the right place at the right time, as always. There’s a certain déjà vu to the proceedings. Four years ago we spoke just after the World Cup in Japan, when the Dragons back-row was adapting to life under Wayne Pivac after Warren Gatland called time on his 12-year reign as Wales head coach. Now the wheel has come full circle, with Gatland back in situ and restoring Wainwright to Wales

favour after Pivac went cold on him during his final year in charge. What’s changed? Well, Wainwright has 20 more caps, an extra stone in weight and, on occasion, a new playing position after starting at No 8 in the World Cup warm-ups. Taulupe Faletau was absent but returned for the belting RWC opener against Fiji, when Wainwright wore six. “I was playing blindside a lot back in 2019. As a No 8, I hope to get my hands on the ball more, be more confident and challenge myself to get into the game quicker,” says Wainwright, who celebrated his 26th birthday the day after the pool match against Australia. “And just be more of a physical presence. I think that’s a strength of mine and Warren’s messages have been to work on my strengths and get involved in the game as much as I can. In the past when I’ve got my hands on the ball and been a physical presence, I’ve had some of my best games, so that’s his message to me: keep doing those things and be confident. “In the past four years I’ve tried to work on my weaknesses, which was highlighted when Pivac was involved. I worked on the defensive side of the game and that was a massive area of improvement he thought I could make. And that’s definitely still the message. “But the coaches have hammered home that the reason you’re going to be picked is because of what you’re good at. You can never be too good at things. So for me they’ve just said my footwork before contact, running lines and just get my hands on the ball and try to do that as early on in games as possible.” The message sure got through when Wales beat England last month. His good habits were there in abundance: line speed, support lines, shielding catchers, rolling out the way at rucks. He snaffled an overthrown English lineout throw, gummed up their maul, ripped the ball off Ellis Genge to earn a turnover. His part in Gareth Davies’s try – an adroit offload to Jac Morgan in the wide channel whilst dealing with two English defenders – drew praise, but arguably even more eye-catching was the way Wainwright stopped ball-carrier Kyle Sinckler, supported by Bevan Rodd on the latch, dead in his tracks. The Welshman is a good-sized unit but he’s even stronger than he looks. If he was asked to frequent the edges under Pivac, Wainwright is back playing closer to the ball – something that brings out the best in him. “Tactically speaking, if a scrum is on the left-hand side and you hit up and go wide, the blindside flanker when Pivac was involved was holding width. So you’re looking at two or three phases at least until the ball comes back to you,” he says. “And the messages for me have been, in a positive way, be a bit selfish. Get your hands on the ball as much as I can. I’m not as confined to standing out on the width as much as in the past.” Wainwright was there alongside Faletau when the legendary No 8 won his 100th Wales cap against France back in March. He knows he is blessed to have him as a team-mate. “Taulupe is very good at giving me an insight into how he thinks and preps for games and what he does to get the best out of himself. Obviously he’s one of the best No 8s in the world and has been for so long. He’s someone I look up to. Taulupe, Ardie Savea, power athletes who are great with ball in hand, those are the people I’ll watch to hopefully get little tips on things they’ve done well.” We’re used to hearing from players whose dad took them down to their local club as a nipper, got them playing in the minis and then the juniors. Wainwright’s father, Adrian, a former back-row for Caerphilly and Newport, did this when his football-mad son was nine or ten. And the result? “I hated it,” says Aaron. “I did a rugby session at a club called St Joe’s in Newport and that was it, I hated it. So I got signed up by Cardiff City and played football right through until I was 16. And then the story takes care of itself.” Wainwright saw the light, eventually. He started playing youth rugby at Whiteheads RFC in Newport, a club he now coaches; he oversaw girls’ rugby there for two years and now looks after the men’s forwards. His Test bow came Knee to ground Scrapping in that breathless win v Fiji “The South Africa match was a kick up the backside. Expectations within the Wales camp are high” 1PatrickVieira “He played in the same position as I did and he did his coaching badges when I was at Cardiff City, so he coached me there” 2ThierryHenry “Just because of who he is” 3AaronRamsey “He was at Arsenal, a Welshman, gone back to Cardiff City, what a great story that is. Great footballer, great leader for Wales” Favourite Footballers

69 Sleight of foot Stepping past Bok lock RG Snyman in Argentina five years ago, his dad making an arduous three-flight journey to witness his debut – having initially flown to Washington and seen Aaron remain on the bench against the Boks. His RWC baptism against Georgia in Japan was just his 13th cap and four games later he scored a vital try in the quarter-final against France, a moment Gatland described as “an act of pure opportunism that illustrated the depth of his rugby instinct”. The same match saw him viciously elbowed by Sébastien Vahaamahina, who was red-carded. Back then, Wainwright believed Wales might win the 2023 World Cup, so fine were the margins in their semi-final loss to the champion Springboks. Four years on, his optimism remains undimmed, despite a 52-16 shellacking by the Boks that saw Wales start the tournament at a lowly tenth in the world rankings. “Expectations within camp are high,” he says. “Our aim and focus going into the tournament was to win all the group games and then see what challenge presents itself after that. We’ve taken confidence from the two England games (in August) and had a look at ourselves physically after that South Africa game. “That match gave us a kick up the backside. We weren’t physically at the races that day but I definitely think if we play a team like that again in the competition we can compete with them. “We showed in the two weeks before against England, home and away, that we were physically there. We weren’t at the races physically against South Africa but from an internal point of view, we definitely have high expectations about where we want to go in this World Cup.” Welsh fans will welcome such conviction. And Wainwright backs it up, commending the depth of the squad and the training camps in Switzerland and Turkey that have put him in the best shape of his career. Nor does he see negativity in the pre-tournament loss of senior players Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, Ken Owens and Rhys Webb. “There’s still a few senior figures here, the likes of Dan Biggar, George North, Tomos Williams has got a big voice in camp. Then you’ve got the co-captains Dewi Lake and Jac Morgan, two very young but very talented leaders. “So there’s a good balance of senior players and younger boys coming through who have those leadership roles. It’s exciting the way Dewi and Jac have gone about being captain, to see how they operate in that role. They lead and speak very well. They’re young but they have those senior figures in the squad to be a bit more vocal if needed.” Georgia loom, Wales facing them in Nantes almost a year on from their 13-12 humbling at the Principality Stadium. “You can’t go into any game lightly. We have to be fully prepared physically and mentally going into each game. Over the past couple of years, Georgia have massively improved. They are a well put-together team and we’ll have to be at the top of our game to beat them.” Whatever happens, he is determined to enjoy the experience. His parents, policeman Adrian and neurophysio Rachel, are driving round the country in a campervan; his girlfriend, Brodi, is supporting him out in France too. “I enjoyed the last World Cup but looking back I’d have wanted to take in more. Just appreciate where I was, the competition we were in and how big a milestone that was in my career. Japan was amazing; the culture, the welcome ceremonies in each place we stayed. But if I could do it again, I’d get out there on my days off and see things that I’d maybe never get a chance to see again. “This time I’m more appreciative of the privilege and honour of being able to play in amazing places and experience some great sights. And being with a great bunch of boys. In 2019 the focus was getting the training done but not taking in the off-field experiences much. I’ve captured that better this time round. “The more you can relax and enjoy yourself off the pitch, the more that will reflect on it. It’s about building those connections with the people you’re with. And if we’re stronger as a group off the pitch, we’ll want to play for each other more when it comes to the games.” Four years after Vahaamahina tried to take Wainwright’s head off in Japan, it’s well and truly screwed on in France. n Wales PICSAFP,CameraSport, Getty Images&Inpho.STATSCorrecton15/9/23 FACT FILE Age 26 (25 Sept 1997) Born Cardiff Position Back-row Region Dragons Height 6ft 2in Weight 17st 4lb Wales caps 40 Twitter handle @aaronwain97 In the neck The elbow incident, 2019

Historic try Rodrigo Fernández scores Chile’s first RWC points v Japan Three drop-goals George Ford was outstanding against the Pumas Good hands Bok lock RG Snyman makes an offload against Scotland

71 A snapsh t of the World Cup I F “ALL the world’s a stage” then the 2023 World Cup has rave reviews already. And the players – and fans – have really put on a show. Some of the biggest names in our sport have shone in the opening exchanges, but more than that the people of France have embraced this moment. What’s been your highlight? Maybe one of these is it. Check out these sensational snaps from the tournament so far… RWC 2023 W o r d s A L A N D Y M O C K / / P i c s A F P & G E T T Y I M A G E S Rugby World Cup 2023 didn’t so much start with a bang as set off a chain reaction of them. As these images show. . . Take a bow The Brave Blossoms thank their fans in Toulouse

72 RWC 2023 Flamboyant finish Italy wing Ange Capuozzo breaks Namibian hearts Fijian force Waisea Nayacalevu puts a shot on Nick Tompkins of Wales Japan fans do their bit

73 RWC 2023 Can you see me? Romania centre Fonovai Tangimana presents the ball Scrum on down Fans of England and Argentina have a shoving contest No chickens Passionate Bleus fans outside the Stade de France Jersey swap England’s Manu Tuilagi after the win over Argentina

RWC 2023 Icelandic clap Ireland engage with fans at an open session in Tours Up for a scrap Eben Etzebeth and Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie Flying the flag Japan beat Chile 42-12 in their Pool D opener Joyous Namibia fans

75 RWC 2023 Wing surfing Damian Penaud scores against New Zealand Give us a kiss Capuozzo marks Italy’s win with a peck on the cheek Love from France

Words Josh Graham // Main Image Hannah Peters/Getty Images EVER BEFORE has such a remarkable journey come perfectly full circle. When Nika Amashukeli’s father forced his football-loving 12-year-old to watch Georgia v Ireland at the RWC in 2007, he could not have predicted that his son would one day jump through the screen. Georgia’s narrow 14-11 defeat in Bordeaux was the very first rugby game Amashukeli had watched and it inspired him to take up the sport shortly after. A crash-ball centre, his playing career threatened to take off after making it into the Georgia age-grade sides. He was with the U17s during the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand and from afar, he longed to be there one day. Despite coming up against the likes of Maro Itoje and Billy Burns in his junior international career, a succession of injuries and head knocks put paid to that and he picked up the whistle. Eight years after his first senior From age-grade centre to refereeing at the Rugby World Cup, we find out how Georgia’s NIKA AMASHUKELI made it to the top

77 Georgia

78 international game as a referee, when Montenegro took on Estonia, Amashukeli made his World Cup bow. His first appointment? Ireland – the same team he first saw play – against Romania. Where? Bordeaux, of course. And who else but Wayne Barnes, the man who refereed that life-altering clash 16 years ago, to help him by running touch. Some things are just meant to be. But let’s rewind the clock. Rugby World travelled to Tbilisi to find out just how an aspiring player from Georgia becomes one of the game’s pre-eminent referees. First off, was he much cop as a player? “He was good, he was athletic,” says Saba Abulashvili, a rugby opponent turned friend and fellow referee who was best man at Amashukeli’s wedding. “He was playing the first time Georgia beat Italy at U20s, he made the last pass when they scored the try to win. He was physical and liked contact.” Abulashvili, whose own career is progressing well after taking charge of the World Rugby U20 Trophy final between Uruguay and Spain this year, remembers playing against his pal. “Our clubs were enemies and we also played against each other in the university championship, but that final I won. During the match, someone hit me and I didn’t have the ball. I’m down and I couldn’t breathe. I then look up and he’s standing over me, laughing! Then I scored a try and he missed the tackle.” Circumstances contrived that the two would be joined on a path to refereeing excellence after the Georgia recruitment drive kicked in. “There was such a huge problem with getting people to referee,” explains Luka Kilasonia, a referee manager with Georgia’s rugby union. “Nobody wanted to do the job because the environment was quite toxic. At the time we had very old referees, so we told the union that we had to survive and to recruit young guys in order to give them a chance. “We knew it was a risk but it was the only way we saw Georgia succeeding with better rugby being played and everybody agreed about that.” The lure of pocket money and staying in rugby in some capacity proved successful in convincing the likes of Amashukeli and Abulashvili to enlist. “There was no sympathy with the referees but we got free training sessions and some money and that’s how we started,” explains Abulashvili. “After that all the young guys were just enjoying each other’s company as some of us had played together and against each other. We could travel around Europe and then further abroad.” One particular trip to a training camp in Marcoussis, France ten years ago highlights how unglamorous the life of a fledgling international refeere can be. “At that time there was no real money in the Georgia union, with low allowances. So we went there and Nika carried his own sausages but then he forgot them on the way back,” recalls Kilasonia. “He was really sorry about that because he was a young, broke person at the beginning of his career and we were laughing at him bringing his own food from Georgia to France to keep the daily allowance money in his pocket.” His success means that Amashukeli can leave the packed lunches at home when in France at this World Cup. The frugal days are over but it is emblematic of the professionalism that drove his rise through the ranks as he quickly grasped that refereeing was the route for him. “When he first came into refereeing, he didn’t know if it would work or not but he became very much more professional,” adds Kilasonia. As Abulashvili explains: “When you ask a kid what they want to be when they grow up, nobody says a referee but Nika started enjoying it earlier than me. He was very dedicated and motivated.” An exchange programme with the IRFU helped with the pair’s game as they got to benefit from the knowledge and greater experience of Irish coaches. “We stayed in Dublin very near to the Aviva Stadium and we went to Ireland v Australia with tickets from the union,” Abulashvili recalls from their 2016 trip. “Chatting with Nika I remember him saying, ‘I want to be part of this.’ So it was very special when he got his first match in the Six Nations at the Aviva.” The Irish connection doesn’t end there as former Test referee Dave McHugh, who himself took charge at three World Cups, started working in Georgia in 2018, when he first encountered Amashukeli at the Summer Cup in Tbilisi, won by Racing 92. “It sounds simple but if you have good material to work with Georgia FACT FILE Age 29 (18 Sept 1994) Born Tbilisi, Georgia Height 6ft 1.5in Test debut 2015, Montenegro v Estonia Tier One debut 2021, Wales v Canada Six Nations debut 2022, Ireland v Italy RWC debut 2023, Ireland v Romania PICS Getty Images& Dave McHugh Walking wounded Amashukeli receives treatment after an accidental collision in an U20s game It’s official Amashukeli and best man Saba Abulashvili

79 then you can work with that. Nika’s good to work with. If you say something once then it sticks; you don’t necessarily have to then go and repeat yourself.” Amashukeli worked his way through the varying Rugby Europe competitions, the then EPCR Continental Shield and on to Challenge and Champions Cups. The England U20 v Italy game was a breakthrough for him in 2019. That helped propel him to where he is now but there was some blood shed. An accidental collision with a player at a lineout saw the young ref trudge off to get stitched up before returning unfussed. He just gets on with the job. “He’s strong but flexible, willing to listen and understanding that your strength can also be a weakness if you become inflexible,” says McHugh when pressed on Amashukeli’s character. “He’s got a very good game understanding that has really grown in the last few years through all things refereeing. He’s physically very fit and mentally very agile; he doesn’t let things get him down or get ahead of himself.” But what makes the difference? Why is Amashukeli the one to put his head above the parapet? “It’s that final inch, that X-factor,” says McHugh. “If you see Messi, Pele, Maradona, you know straightaway they have something. He’s just one of those guys, that’s what got him ahead.” Big praise indeed. Georgia hadn’t had their own league final refereed by a countryman for years until Amashukeli changed all that. The Didi 10 gave him a solid grounding in refereeing but also nearly forced him out of the game when he was stabbed in the leg amid a melee following a controversial finish to a game. The culprit was never found but thankfully Amashukeli persisted with the whistle. “The fact that he comes from Georgia is just a fact now. It doesn’t hold him back or make people think differently about him, which is great for him and Georgia because I’m tired of telling people the Georgian domestic league is a very, very strong league physically and mentally. It’s very demanding to referee in,” explains McHugh. His linguistic skills are also a plus, being fluent in Georgian, Russian and English. Amashukeli’s French is handy. He’s not afraid to make the big decisions either. As we saw in the World Cup warm-ups when Owen Farrell was shown yellow (left) for a dangerous tackle but referred to the TMO Bunker, who subsequently upgraded his sanction to a red card. The ensuing saga as England successfully appealed, only for World Rugby to trump them with their own appeal, would not have affected the man in the middle at the time. “He understands that criticism is part of the job and a lot of people have their opinions,” says Abulashvili. “He’s good under pressure and from my point of view his best thing is that he can be tough. He knows how to not feel the pressure. That is for players.” But what is this model pro like when he is not working on his refereeing? “When he’s with friends, he’s not serious at all,” adds Abulashvili. “He’s totally not serious. He loves computer games but I’m not into that. Together we like to go hiking in the mountains but nowadays we are getting less and less free time. We used to go out to the bars and get a drink but now it’s mostly just training and then hiking.” That’s the view from a peer and friend but what about someone tasked with monitoring his progress closely? “He’s got a good sense of humour and you have to if you’re going to work with me as it goes with the territory,” says McHugh. “He’s just a normal guy, we do take the piss out of each other.” But then there’s nothing normal about smashing glass ceilings left, right and centre as the Tier Two refereeing poster boy. It means so much to so many to see one of their own strutting his stuff at the pinnacle of the game, with the eyes of the world keenly trained on him. “From where he’s come from in such a short period of time, it’s a phenomenal achievement. But it won’t faze him. It was an extremely proud moment (his RWC debut),” explains McHugh. Perhaps then, it is fitting that it is Amashukeli who represents Georgia’s best hope of going deep into the latter stages of this tournament. n Georgia “When you ask a kid what they want to be, no one says a referee but Nika started enjoying it” Refs’ union With Irishman Dave McHugh (second left) In the bunker Giving Owen Farrell a yellow card against Wales in August. It was later upgraded to a red

Age 28 (4 Jun 1995) Born George, SA Position Wing Club Edinburgh Height 6ft 4in Weight 16st 10lb Scotland caps 32 (22T) Instagram handle @duhanvandermerwe S P O T LIG H T O N 80 DUHAN VAN D ER MERWE Scotland’s blockbusting wing talks us through his positive new mindset Words Mark Palmer // Main Pic Ross Parker/SNS Group/Getty Images PICS Getty Images&Inpho.STATSCorrecton23/9/23

I F YOU were judging solely by the manner in which he carries both himself and the ball, you’d struggle to identify the slightest trace of self-doubt in Duhan van der Merwe. This, after all, is a man whose default style is to go hard, straight and often. There are not many shades of grey, but the Edinburgh, Scotland and British & Irish Lions wing is brilliantly effective at what he does and has established himself as a massive presence in the national team set-up both on and off the pitch. It is, then, most illuminating to hear how he torments himself with “perfectionist” thoughts about the mistakes he makes, and how he is working to overcome this debilitating self-criticism in tandem with Aaron Walsh, the mental skills coach who’s been with Scotland since the 2022 Six Nations. Referencing a recent World Cup warm-up match against France in Saint-Étienne, van der Merwe says: “I live for perfection and want to give my best for Scotland. I don’t like making mistakes but I guess that is part of the game. In the past I probably struggled a wee bit with that. That game was probably a confidence booster for me being able to make that switch in just a couple of minutes. “Aaron is a brilliant guy who understands me. He said after the game, ‘It was brilliant to see you make that switch but next time for you being out for four minutes, let’s get it down to two minutes to get you back into the game again’. I keep on working with him. “There will always be mistakes, which is not great for us perfectionists. Sometimes when I make a mistake I shy away for a wee bit. But Walshy is someone I can work with on things and I have got loads better. “I sometimes don’t have a lot of opportunities when I think, ‘I can actually score here.’ When I miss out on that opportunity to get points for the team I am tough on myself. I feel, ‘Look, I had a real good opportunity and knocked the ball on and take responsibility for that’. As a winger you may get two or three opportunities. I immediately think that is an opportunity missed. If you miss a chance, you don’t get into things straightaway like a back-rower who has to make tackles or get in the ruck. On the wing if you miss an opportunity it gets a bit lonely for two or three minutes. I have to keep working on that.” To his credit, van der Merwe has recognised that – in every sense – he cannot do it all himself. The former Bulls and Montpellier player went back to that same game against France to hail Finn Russell’s intuitive appreciation of when he needs a bit of a jolt. “Getting more ball in the team is always nice. In the game against France, there was a period when I had a bit of head loss for a couple of minutes. He (Russell) said, ‘Do you fancy carrying?’ and he got me on the ball again. With him being at ten and Blair (Kinghorn) at 15, anything can happen. “The competition we have in the back three is good with Ollie Smith and Kyle Steyn, myself and Darcy. There is real competition for the starting jersey and that drives me. “I said to Finn after the France game, ‘Thanks for coming up to me.’ He said, ‘The head loss came on but we need you.’ That was quite special. I made the switch and he saw that and showed the way he has matured. He is a leader in our squad and for him to come up to me knowing that I was down or whatever, and wanting to get me on board and back in the game, was quite special.” Van der Merwe has one final thank you, this time for Richard Cockerill, the former and largely unlamented Edinburgh boss who had the foresight to sanction his signing in the summer of 2017 even after a failed medical. At that stage, van der Merwe – a late call-up to the 2014 South Africa U20 squad for the Junior World Championship – was in danger of seeing his professional aspirations dissipate entirely. Having struggled to establish himself at either the Bulls or Montpellier, there was only so long that he could get by on the rich promise of his size and athletic ability. When even the latter was compromised, Cockerill could easily have taken fright. “I owe him a lot,” acknowledges van der Merwe, who started all three Lions Tests in 2021. “He knew I failed my medical. At the time it would be easy for him to have turned me down. Normally when you fail your medical that is the end of it. He made me do a pre-season of four to six weeks. I look back at it and that was more or less the test for him to decide if he wanted to keep me. He knew my hip needed surgery but that could be done in four weeks. “Coming back in my first year in November, I started every single game until the end of the season, so obviously I appreciate the faith he had in me.” n MOMENTS FOR SCOTLAND TWICKENHAM 2021 The wing’s try on the half-hour helps guide the Scots to their first Calcutta Cup away win since 1983 PARIS 2021 Scotland’s first Parisian success in 22 years as van der Merwe dives over with the clock in the red TWICKENHAM 2023 Van der Merwe scores twice. His first is a worldie as he beats five men in a run-in from halfway T O P 3 81 Defence split Making a bust last month against France

Women’s XV A new initiative to continue the momentum in women’s rugby, we look at

83 VENTS IN France may occupy the eyes of many this October, but away from the men’s World Cup the women’s game is set to break new ground. Say hello to WXV, the bright new competition that World Rugby hopes will continue the transformation of the women’s 15-a-side game. Hot on the heels of last year’s World Cup in New Zealand, WXV launches this autumn to provide an annual tournament for the world’s top 18 teams and a potentially vital springboard as the sport continues to professionalise. “WXV is the flagship of the competitions pillar of our Accelerating the Global Development of Women the global WXV tournament that kicks off this October in New Zealand, South Africa and Dubai Words HARRY LATHAM-COYLE // Main Pic CHRIS LISHMAN/MI NEWS/NURPHOTO/GETTY

84 in Rugby strategy,” said Sally Horrox, director of women’s rugby for the game’s governing body, earlier this year. “It’s more than a world-class competition, it’s a statement of intent, a vehicle to supercharge the reach, competitiveness and value of elite women’s rugby and grow rugby more broadly, projecting the sport to new audiences in new markets. “We are on a sprint to an expanded Rugby World Cup 2025 in England and WXV will ensure that the world’s top teams will have access to an unprecedented level of annual fixtures and a transparent competition pathway for all that will boost performance.” The 18 qualifiers have been split into three tiers in a hierarchal structure designed to best ensure appropriate opposition for each nation. There are six teams in each tier, divided into two pools of three. The sides in each pool play not each other but the nations in the other pool within their tier, with end-of-tournament rankings based on results in the three pool games. WXV1 brings together the top three finishers in the Women’s Six Nations and the Pacific Four Series, and will be played in New Zealand. England, France and Wales will take on New Zealand, Canada and Australia. Fixtures will be held over the final two weekends in October and the first in November. Tiers two and three’s fixtures begin and end a week earlier. WXV2 will be hosted in Stellenbosch and Cape Town, with hosts South Africa, the USA and Japan taking on Scotland, Samoa and Italy. Dubai will host the third tier, with Ireland, Fiji and Kenya’s cross-pool foes being Spain, Kazakhstan and Colombia. There will be no promotion and relegation between the top two tiers in the first two editions, but the top-placed finisher in WXV3 will replace the bottom team in WXV2 next year, and the top-ranked women’s side not involved in 2023 will play off against the team that finishes bottom in WXV to try to earn inclusion in the competition next year. The consistency of fixtures provided to nations is emphasised as key by those involved. World Rugby has announced an investment of £6.4m and the presence of WXV on the calendar enshrines vital games each year for unions, allowing them to better plot and plan between World Cups, rather than having to scratch around for playing opportunities. “Chatting to (Japan coach) Lesley McKenzie and getting to know the programme, we were talking about experience,” Simon Middleton tells Rugby World. “She’s run the programme for nearly five years and has had about 15 international games in that time, which is incredible. To get eight to ten fixtures every year penned in, that’s just huge. It’s about creating opportunities to play and that is what WXV does.” Middleton, who has taken on a new role as a high-performance adviser to Japan, knows how paramount regular fixtures can be to developing a team. In his time as Red Roses head coach, the Yorkshireman benefited from a bountiful fixture list at the RFU that allowed his side to blossom both on and off the field. For other unions, that opportunity hasn’t been there. As much as some of the focus will fall upon those already leading the way, it is emerging nations and players that stand to benefit most. “Covid was a great indication of what happens if you don’t provide fixtures,” Middleton outlines. “You saw England and France’s Internationals against New Zealand when they’d basically frozen their programme for two years. “We really worked hard to keep games on the field; all the home nations did, and the Six Nations did, and we found a way to keep training and playing. You could see how we came out of it and how far New Zealand had fallen away. At that particular moment, you could see the impact of not playing in creating a chasm where two of the best sides in the world were going head-to-head and there is a 40- or 50-point disparity.” The likely competitiveness of many fixtures is also essential. There is broad recognition that genuine result jeopardy will be required to sustain growth – too many one-sided games may curb interest, as well as stunt the maturation of sides with less exposure at Test level. What last year’s World Cup in New Zealand showed was that there is abundant talent across the world. For many, the tournament offered a first full sighting of teams like South Africa and Women’s XV Frugal diet Japan have been starved of Test action Round of applause France will play in WXV1 “To get eight to ten fixtures every year penned in is huge. It’s about creating opportunities” DID YOU KNOW? Scott Bemand, the former England backs coach, has been appointed head coach of Ireland. His first game in charge will be against Kazakhstan on P 13 October in Dubai. ICSAFP& Getty Images

Fiji, who displayed their talents in pool fixtures despite uneven build-ups and limited involvement in high-level rugby. Consider, then, where teams of that ilk could be come the 2029 and 2033 World Cups – this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, in which three of the world’s top ten sides failed to make it out of the group stage, is a good example of how the gap can close. Equally, the spotlight and scrutiny that regular competition provides should compel nations that have been slower to move along the pathway towards professionalism to act. Australia and Canada, for example, may get left behind by the market leaders in WXV1 if further investment doesn’t materialise. “If you think about what we are trying to do with the game, it is to grow it and create more pools of talent,” Middleton adds. “You can only do that by exposing them to strong programmes and competitive international games. It then becomes self-perpetuating – if you create playing opportunities for players, then you get more players into the game, more investment into the game. It becomes more attractive both in terms of attracting more players and staff.” The timing of the inaugural edition isn’t ideal. A clash with the affairs in France is unfortunate but, according to those involved, unavoidable in a crowded calendar, particularly with sevens taking on extra importance in an Olympic year. While kick-off times have been set to avoid direct clashes where possible, WXV2 and WXV3’s three rounds will collide directly with the World Cup’s knockout stages, while WXV1’s final round of fixtures, which will include the eagerly anticipated rematch between the Black Ferns and Red Roses in Auckland, takes place on the weekend after the final at the Stade de France. It may be that being in the World Cup’s slipstream is of help to some degree, with a more engaged rugby public taking a broader interest in the sport. But there is no doubt that this inaugural edition faces an unwinnable fight for prominence. “Could it be better timing? Yeah, it could be – we know where the focus is going to be,” admits Middleton. Another issue has been finding the right hosts. While an ambitious South Africa, who are rapidly making strides with their women’s programme, feel a snug fit as the first WXV2 hosts, and England are expected to follow New Zealand as WXV1 hosts, WXV3 may continue to prove a problem. With few nations having certainty on which tier they were going to end up in – Italy and Spain’s places, for example, were only confirmed in July – and Ireland said to have been unwilling to host, Dubai’s Sevens Stadium is left as something of a makeshift location without a noted rugby audience. World Rugby’s existing relationship and infrastructure in the UAE make it a useful back-up option, but it would surely improve the commercial potential of what is, by definition, a tertiary tournament if it could rely on a home audience of some kind. There is, then, a thought behind the scenes that a slightly more low-key launch edition may be no bad thing, allowing the competition to work out any kinks and assess viability. Founding any competition carries with it a risk, particularly one with a new, unfamiliar brand. In such a dynamic women’s sporting landscape, there is recognition that a revamp may be required, perhaps as soon as after the 2025 World Cup. But this inaugural event remains of real importance. At this juncture in the fast-evolving world of women’s sport, now is the time to ride an ever-swelling wave to support and sustain growth by evolving and daring to try new things. Women’s rugby represents the sport’s obvious route to growth and untapped prosperity, both in terms of player base and spectators, and the launch of WXV represents a significant step forward. n Q For WXV fixtures, see pages 10-11. New incentive Will Canada now increase funding? Oceania duo NZ and Australia England New Zealand France Canada Australia Wales USA Italy Scotland Japan South Africa Samoa Ireland Spain Kazakhstan Fiji Kenya Colombia WXV 1 WXV 2 WXV 3

After missing out on this year’s World Cup, we find out what USA Rugby need to do eight years out from hosting the tournament

87 WORDS JOSH GRAHAM // PICS IRAKLI BIGVAVA, CALDER CAHILL & GETTY IMAGES USA OWN BUT not out after failing to qualify for this World Cup, USA are shooting for the stars. An agonising 52-51 defeat on aggregate to Chile sent the Eagles into the last-chance qualifying saloon of the repêchage where a 16-16 draw with Portugal saw them just miss out on points difference. The barest of margins added France 2023 to South Africa 1995 as the only World Cups the Eagles have missed. While attention shifts to returning to the global stage in 2027 in Australia, the USA can rest easy when it comes to their place in 2031. As hosts, they are guaranteed a spot. What they do with that luxury, well, that’s down to them. “In 1962, JFK at Rice University said that we would put the first man on the moon and seven-and-a-half years later we did exactly that as a nation,” says interim Eagles coach Scott Lawrence. “The (home) World Cup is eight years away, so we can go to a quarter-final in eight years. It took the best of us as a nation to do that (moon landing). The astronauts were the best of us as people and that’s the way we see the players. It’s front of mind for me. Our moonshot is to be in a quarter-final at home. The work is now, it’s urgent and we need to get started.” There is, then, no lack of ambition. But for a developing rugby nation, the scars of missing the game’s big dance often take some healing. While Portugal dashed US hopes this time around, it has taken the Lobos 12 years to return to the biggest stage after a 2007 debut. South African Gary Gold stepped down as head coach after five years having failed to take USA to France.

88 Defence coach Lawrence, a former Eagle, stepped into the breach with a deal until at least the end of September. “There’s not many times in life you get to have a fresh clean slate and do what you want and we are getting to do that.” RW sits down with Lawrence in the team hotel in Tbilisi, Georgia, their final opponent across a summer that yielded a win over World Cup participants Romania, a 46-20 defeat by Portugal and a final 22-7 loss to the Lelos. Spirited showings are one positive, but blooding a host of youngsters is credit to the new man’s big-picture outlook. He is, after all, also the interim general manager of men’s high performance. One of those new faces on tour is centre Dominic Besag, the U20 captain drafted straight from the World Rugby Trophy in Kenya. He’s been fast-tracked into the set-up and became the second youngest US debutant at 19 as a replacement in the final August fixture. Not a bad result for a college freshman. “It means everything to me,” says Besag, who started playing aged five after switching focus from soccer. “There’s new coaching, a new generation of players like me and it’s kind of a restart. We can reshape our game how we want it to be to make us more successful in the future. The fans can be very excited for a fresh start because there is nowhere better to build from. It’s only up from here.” Accelerating the progression of the likes of Besag is just one part of the impressively selfless long-term focus that Lawrence maintains, despite the fact he could be out of a job before the World Cup has even crowned its winner. He explains: “I’m sure World Rugby and USA Rugby are looking at who will be available for coaching after the World Cup and I think there’s a desire to get a big name. It could continue past September, it might not. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it anyway. “I’ll always serve the sport and our country, it doesn’t matter what role that is in. I may even go back and coach my son’s team if I need to! It’s who I am.” Whatever happens, Lawrence will be remembered for picking up the pieces. “The weight of the community really felt the fact that we didn’t make the World Cup,” he adds. “That took a while and I think that’s why it was so important for us to stop looking in the rearview mirror and just look forward. “Accept the fact that it has happened, move on and provide people, including ourselves, with a real clear plan. That’s what you need to do in times of chaos, you need to show a very simple clear plan of where you go from here.” He is certainly a man with a plan. From making sure Americans get more minutes in Major League Rugby and at university level to focusing on scholarships to foster the talent pipeline, his designs are plain to see. On field, the philosophy is also clear. “We call our game Zero G for zero gravity,” Lawrence says. “It’s the ability to break free, play freely and to brave the obvious. Which is to play what’s in front of you, in other people’s language. “As American players we come from structured sporting environments, so the growth of our game is going to be in being able to use our athletes and put them in space and have them spot opportunities to do things.” Culturally, however, there is still work to do. “We need more of the diehard fans that come and watch our games,” says lock and captain Greg Peterson. “But that will come from being more televised and will grow and grow with the brand of rugby we want to play.” Patience and perspective are paramount for rugby in the US to grow, which the sport craves it to do. “We need USA. It’s fantastic to have the World Cup there in 2031 but we need to develop,” former World Rugby vice-chairman Bernard Laporte recently told The Daily Mail. “We need a good USA team. It’s difficult because they have their own sports culture. Pele and Beckenbauer were there but it didn’t work. Perhaps Messi will be different.” The hardest part is getting started and Lawrence points out that the rugby project is already well under way. He says: “MLR has been going six years. The biggest thing is providing an American sporting experience around a non-American sport, which I think the teams are starting to do really well. “People are coming and they are enjoying it because it’s a tenth of the price of an NFL game but they still see a contact sport and they can bring their kids.” Things are heading in the right direction but all stakeholders must also be realistic. Lawrence finishes by saying: “Will rugby ever be 80,000 people in their seats across 12 cities every week? I’m not sure. But if it’s 20,000, then we’ve done well.” n USA “Will rugby ever be 80,000 people in their seats across 12 cities every week? I’m not sure” Power couple Interim Eagles head coach Scott Lawrence and (right) the USA captain, Greg Peterson New kid on the block Debutant Dom Besag DID YOU KNOW? France 2023 is the first Rugby World Cup to have no North American participant. The tenth edition of the men’s World Cup is the first in which both the USA and neighbours Canada failed to qualify.

ACROSS 1 Crusaders and New Zealand wing (6) 4 Tyneside town where Jarrovians, a 2022 Rugby World Team of the Month, play home games at Lukes Lane (6) 9 Paula - - - , Tonga hooker who copped a seven-match ban at Japan 2019 (7) 10 Guido - - - , Bordeaux and Argentina lock playing in his third World Cup (5) 11 And 19 Across. Confoundingly not head hooker at the World Cup (4,3) 12 Edinburgh Rugby sell a traditional 8 Yard tartan one that incorporates their navy and burnt orange colours (4) 13 - - - Nacewa, Leinster great whose one Test cap came for Fiji at RWC 2003 (3) 15 The - - - , famous stand at Gloucester that is sponsored by the world’s leading blister plaster, Compeed (4) 16 Tyrel Lomax needed 30 stitches in a leg gash after being cut by a - - - (4) 19 See 11 Across 21 Tonga prop hidden in vanilla tunic (4) 22 “England is an - - - for us,” France’s Maxime Médard said at RWC 2019 (4) 24 Michael Lynagh’s nickname as a player – straight from Toyland (5) 25 “We got one point, so it’s still a bit of a positive - - - ,” said captain Dominiko Waqaniburotu after Fiji’s defeat by Uruguay at RWC 2019 (7) 26 Rugby World Cup - - - no positive doping samples, Sky Sports headline on a report about RWC 2015 (6) 27 Injured bat hit Scotland player (6) DOWN 1 This centre scored the opening try in France’s 41-17 win v Australia (8,5) 2 We wouldn’t be here without you! (7) 3 - - - Beard, Wales and Lions lock (4) 5 Netherlands boss Lyn Jones says he lost his - - - for coaching for a while (8) 6 James - - - , second-row who rejoined Ospreys after four years at Cardiff (5) 7 I revise a Wales shocker for Fijian legend (7,6) 8 Leinster and Ireland back-row (5) 14 In England, matches abandoned due to bad weather before 60 minutes have elapsed have to be - - - (8) 17 Ethan - - - , All Black prop (2,5) 18 Twickenham - - - , venue for Ospreys v Sharks URC match on 3 November (5) 20 Get a - - - on, gain the upper hand in the scrum (5) 23 - - - Warriors, MLR franchise coached by former All Black Greg Cooper (4) CROSS W ORD The crossword winner will receive £20. Closing date for entries is Monday 30 October and the result will appear in our January 2024 issue. Send your entry, name & address and an email address to: Alan Pearey, China Cottage, Kenwood Mews, Outwood Lane, Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS18 4HR. Alternatively, email your name & address plus a photo of the completed crossword to [email protected]. The competition is open to all ages. Compiled by Alan Pearey. THE WINNER OF THE SEPTEMBER CROSSWORD IS PAULA JONES FROM COWBRIDGE, VALE OF GLAMORGAN ACROSS 1. McCarthy 4. Oaks 8. Ben 9. Wheel 10. ELV 11. Lineout 12. Cadan 13. Montpellier 17. Obano 18. Barassi 20. Rio 21. Penny 22. Oti 23. Skye 24. Charlton. DOWN 1. Mobile 2. Conan 3. Hoeft 5. Arendse 6. Sevens 7. Alec Clarey 9. Woodthorpe 14. O’Mahony 15. Cobras 16. Fijian 18. Bench 19. Scott. D O N ’ T M I S S N E X T M O N T H Every player, every point, every match – don’t miss our definitive look at the 2023 World Cup in the December issue of Rugby World WORLDCUPREVIEW ON SALE THURSDAY 2 NOVEMBER PIC Getty Images PLU S . . . Expert analysis on the champions Exclusive interviews from the World Cup The best of elite club rugby Stephen Jones pulls no punches in his column

12 15 7 12 Radradra 7 Tagitagivalu 15 Williams 11 Adams 7 11 90 WHY WE ALL LOVE WATCHING THE FLYING FIJIANS T H E A N A L Y S T The Islanders are bold, skilful and a threat to anyone, says Sean Holley PEOPLE ARE enthralled by Fiji, who have taken the rugby world by storm this year. That was certainly the case when they played Wales in Bordeaux, where their athleticism and attacking intent brought them within a whisker of a famous victory. The Islanders can no longer be viewed as just sevens specialists. Under their superb head coach Simon Raiwalui, they have developed significantly in the set-piece, defence and fitness. The exposure their players are getting to higher-quality competitions is helping, with the Fijian Drua Super Rugby team this year notching wins over the Crusaders, Hurricanes, Reds and Rebels. Ahead of France 2023, Fiji beat Tonga, Samoa and Japan, ran France close and won at Twickenham. The current players are becoming household names: two good hookers in Tevita Ikanivere and Sam Matavesi, athletic young locks Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta and Isoa Nasilasila, back-row bombs Viliame Mata of Edinburgh and La Rochelle’s Levani Botia. Despite being absent injured, Caleb Muntz at ten has been a driving force and able goal-kicker, backed up by Frank Lomani at nine, and take your pick of explosive backs Semi Radradra, Josua Tuisova and Waisea Nayacalevu. With their Summer Series results, Fiji rose to their best-ever world ranking. I’ve taken a look at their second try in that epic encounter against Wales – it epitomises what this side is all about… THE EXECUTION. Radradra accelerates through the gap. Flanker Jac Morgan is flying across the field to tackle him but has run a bit of a negative line, not closing up space behind Davies, so he is slightly late on the tackle and Radradra bursts through. The centre is now faced by oncoming full-back Liam Williams and covering wing Josh Adams, and must assess his options in a split-second. George North has tracked Lomani’s support run, Louis Rees-Zammit has tracked wing Vinaya Habosi, and Tompkins has tracked Droasese. Radradra knows there will be support arriving on his inside and he needs to commit Williams and Adams to preserve the space. He does this by stepping skilfully off his left foot. Coaching Points This open-field game awareness needs to be practised in realistic situations. Break down the theory for players with ‘walk and talk’ scenarios but then put this into game scenarios. Running at a defender will make them commit. Changing the point of contact late and running to the space between two defenders may well commit both, which is what Radradra has done here.

ILLUSTRATION Artlife A 9 Lomani A HALFWAY 10 Tela N 13 Nayacalevu 13 orth 13 Nayacalevu 10 Biggar 12 Radradra 12 Radradra 7 Morgan 14 Rees-Zammit 15 Droasese 11 Habosi 12 Tompkins 9 Davies THE FINISH. Radradra’s step allows him to do what Nayacalevu did moments earlier: ride the tackle, free his arms and offload the ball. Now No 7 Lekima Tagitagivalu enters the fray. Having tracked the move from the side of the scrum, he runs to the space left by Adams over-committing. The pass from Radradra is sublime and it’s now a foot race. With Adams having to turn, there’s only one winner and Tagitagivalu runs in a fantastic Fijian try. Coaching Points Communication by support runners is vital and they need to run to space. Use reaction drills and small rules-based games. Play around with the rules and dimensions of playing areas. Play touch games and when a touch is made, a defender drops out. Only let certain attackers and defenders be in designated areas, such as wide channels. THE BREAK. Nayacalevu runs at Tompkins’s inside shoulder. Dan Biggar, drifting inside, makes a low tackle that fells the Fijian but allows him to free his hands. Radradra has tracked on the inside but held his depth in case of an offload. He runs to the space left by Davies, who has pushed too hard under the line and caused a dog-leg. Nayacalevu threads a terrific pass behind Davies, who now can’t get to Radradra. Coaching Points Small-sided games in confined areas are a good way to practise chaotic offloading and support, but adjust the rules. For example, low tackles only or grab tackles around the waist. And try channel work: eg, 1 + 1 v 1 in a 15m x 5m area. Again, have tacklers on knees or tackling low only. THE SET-UP. From a solid scrum on their 10m line, scrum-half Frank Lomani feeds Teti Tela. The fly-half stands wide to negate the threat of Gareth Davies and the Fiji backs are deep. Tela makes a long ‘miss pass’ to 13 Waisea Nayacalevu. Wales drift rather than push up hard, the miss pass forcing their backs to turn shoulders and hips towards the touchline. Nayacalevu notices that Nick Tompkins has overrun him and, after shaping to pass to full-back Ilaisa Droasese, the skipper steps off his left foot to cut inside Tompkins. Coaching Points Fiji want to create 1-v-1s with the Welsh backs as they back themselves to expose any chinks in the defence. When coaching plays like this, always pay heed to the basics. In this example, the nine’s fast, flat pass; the ten’s movement onto the ball and quick transfer to the 13; the 12’s run with hands ready and calling for the ball to hold the inside defenders; and the 15’s run to get in the eyeline of drifting defenders. 91 WHO IS SEAN HOLLEY? A former Ospreys and Bristol coach, he’s currently working at the World Cup as a television analyst

Taking contact Tiaan Swanepoel v Italy 92 HOW DO you contend with some of the most powerful sides in the international game? For Namibia and their coaches at the Rugby World Cup, it’s an important question. And according to Sergio de la Harpe, Namibia’s strength & conditioning coach out in France, it’s one they’ve been planning for months to tackle. “From an S&C perspective, gym programmes also have individual prehab programmes for the players,” the former Namibia wing tells Rugby World. “This ensures they do maintenance work prior to the main session for injury prevention. “We have a holistic approach with integrated corrective and strengthening exercises within the gym programmes. Not only does it improve performance on the pitch, it also gives the players confidence in contact situations. For example, doing neck strengthening exercises and loaded carries. “Other than off-feet and running fitness, we implemented a strongman circuit with different stations. For example, we do wrestling, a partner mirror drill (one player imitates the movements of the other) on all fours, suitcase carries, etc. These circuits were ideal to introduce controlled contact scenarios and get them contact-ready.” It has been needed. Ahead of Namibia’s second match against New Zealand in Toulouse, the All Blacks talked of wanting more ball in play time. That means being able to cope with collisions more often. Namibia want to bring as much pressure as possible. And they want to live in that high-contact world. What does a professional rugby player eat the day before a match? PREPARE FOR THE POWER GAME As England’s players gear up for a high-stakes World Cup match, their dietary choices play a pivotal role in ensuring peak performance on the field, writes nutritionist James Morehen. Here’s what England players eat. The day before the match, carbohydrates are a big focus to ensure optimal glycogen (energy) is stored in the muscles. Players focus on around 6g of carbohydrates per kg of body mass. For a 100kg player this is 600g or 12 jacket potatoes’ worth of carbs. Of course, players don’t eat this amount of potato but you now appreciate the total amount consumed! B O O T C A M P “It gives the players confidence in contact situations” WORDSAlan Dymock. PICS Getty Images WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING THIS MONTH…

93 CHICKEN KEBABS WITH LIME & CHILLI MAKES FOUR 1 Mix the marinade ingredients and set aside. Cut the chicken into cubes. Pour marinade over chicken and rest for an hour, putting in the fridge if possible. Allow to sit in the marinade as long as possible, up to a 24-hour maximum. When ready to cook, take out and allow it to come up to room temperature. 2 Remove the chicken from marinade and skewer the meat to make four kebabs, seasoning well with sea salt and black pepper as you like it. 3 With a pre-heated grill in your oven – set around 200º or 180º with the fan – take it out and lightly spray the grill with oil to avoid sticking. 4 When grill is ready, place skewers on. Allow the kebabs to cook for ten to 12 minutes or until juices run clear. Turn to avoid burning. Serve with sides. 3 Bench Supported Glute Bridge // 3 X 6 REPS With shoulders supported on bench and legs at 45º angle on the ground, support a weight plate. Tense. Hold for a few seconds, then lower down. 2 Weighted Hollow Hold // 3 x 20-40 SECS With lower back on floor, light weight at feet and in hands, raise legs a few inches. At same time lift arms, head and shoulders a few inches. STEPS TO SUCCESS Want to build power like those at the top level? Here are a few exercises to help build your foundations… 1 Landmine Zercher Reverse Lunge // 3 x 6 EACH LEG With bar in crook of elbow or held to chest side on, start in reverse lunge. Step up, raising alternative knee. Control back. O 1kg boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs MARINADE O ½ cup extra virgin olive oil O 3 tablespoons lime juice O 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar O 2 teaspoons chilli powder O 1 teaspoon sweet paprika O 2 teaspoons onion powder O 1 teaspoon garlic powder O ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper O Diced red chilli (optional)

“When a mistake happens, the team as a whole have to double their efforts. If you’ve made that mistake, the first thing is to identify what happened. Was it a missed tackle or a breakdown in the defensive structure? Both can be fixed but identifying what went wrong is the first step.” “You can still influence the attack even if you’re not great at tackling. For example, I’ll often defend the 13 channel. I can sometimes stay connected with my inside man but hold back. That means the attack sees space on the outside. But by the time they get there, the winger and I have pushed up and that space has closed down. Now the attack is isolated out wide. Or I might push up hard to force the attack back inside. I haven’t made a tackle but that is still great defence.” P R O I N S I G H T “The best way to stay connected as a back-line is to get set quickly. You might choose to set 1.5m from the defender next to you. If so, get in place early so you can get your spacing and then you can look up at the attack to see the pictures they’re showing you. Keep that consistent width across your back-line.” “No matter what pictures opponents present, you’re in a position to take charge. We do a lot of opposition analysis to break down what we’re likely to see from set-piece attack. For example, which forwards do the opposition drop out of the lineout and where do they put them? We have our own defensive identity and don’t just let ourselves be passive. Force the attack to do what you want rather than just passively defending what they do.” US Eagle Marcel Brache explains the art of defensive manoeuvring HOW TO DEFEND AS A BACK-LINE WORDSSam Larner. PICSAFP& Getty Images 94

Newcomers being put off I get the scrutiny over head contact and the intent behind it. However, the fact it’s such a grey area makes it complex and inconsistent. The World Cup will be the only rugby some younger people watch and what this is likely doing is putting them off going to their local club and giving it a go, because they don’t want to look silly by not understanding the rules. Simon Goode, via Facebook No common sense Here we go again. This whole thing is a farce. In my day a red card was for a deliberate foul. What next? Somebody makes a low tackle and the ball-carrier gets a red because his knee hit the tackler’s head. Safety is one thing, slavishly following an edict without using common sense is another. Touch rugby anyone? Phil Hodges, Hawkhurst, Kent An ode to England As a fan of English and Irish descent in my seventies, I’ve seen English rugby rise and fall more than once. England have work to do and I stand beside Dylan Hartley’s words after the Fiji game when he accentuated the positives. Build on your strengths. I say award a yellow card to English fans who don’t stand by their team when times are hard. To cheer my English self up, I wrote an ode [we’ve reproduced the final verse]: Tackle hard but go low, bound together you’re best. Use the ball, not the sky, for attacks Be proud of the crest adorning your chest. And for God’s sake pass the ball to the backs! Tony O’Connell, West Sussex Pre-match check Re the leg injury suffered by All Black prop Tyrel Lomax v South Africa: I live in Zimbabwe now but when I played rugby league in Australia, we were required to show the ref our studs in the pre-match inspection line-up, so that they complied with the rules of the time. An idea? Simon Spooner, Zimbabwe Email your letters to [email protected] or write to our editorial address THE RW POLL Should future Rugby World Cups expand to 24 teams? Here’s how you voted on Twitter… My new rugby pal My name is Eli and I am ten years old. I subscribe to Rugby World magazine and love reading all about the players and clubs all over the world. I love rugby and wanted to tell you how amazing our game is. At the start of the summer holidays I went to a rugby camp in Cardiff where I live and I met Gabriel. He was on holiday from Spain. The camp was only three days and I was sad I might not see him again, so I asked my mum and dad if he could join in pre-season training at my club, St Peters. Gabriel came to three sessions while he was in Cardiff. I made sure he understood all of our drills and presented him with my old jersey so he could remember his time in Wales. We swapped emails and hopefully I will get to train with him at his club in Madrid one day! Eli Hooper, Cardiff RW says: Fantastic, Eli. What our great game is all about. Yes 61% No 39% Talking point Tom Curry is carded by Mathieu Reynal against Argentina Cross-border friends Eli Hooper with Gabriel PICS Getty Images&Jess Reynolds

MOBILE Get your rugby fix on the go 24/7 ONLINE Log onto rugbyworld.com for exclusive content SOCIAL MEDIA Follow us for the latest news and photos MORE WAYS TO CONNECT WITH RUGBY WORLD Dan is still the man Dan Biggar’s team-mates know all about his passion (berating Welsh team-mates v Fiji). His enthusiasm and his constant vocals have proved invaluable to Wales over ten years. A great player and a man of true passion. Wales will miss him. John Hopwood, via Facebook Loss of respect I get Biggar’s initial frustration but one minute later he was still freaking out. That isn’t passion, it’s a loss of control and respect for your team-mates. Martin Pace, via Facebook Lapping up the cup There’s a lot of moaning at this World Cup, some of it justified. For me, I’m loving seeing the smaller nations share a stage with the best teams in the world. The spirit and joy they bring is inspiring. If you are Uruguayan, for example, how proud you would be to watch your boys sing their anthem at the World Cup and then give everything they’ve got against France. Brilliant stuff. Seb Perez, Southwark, SE London Boks will win this Discipline and defence will win South Africa the World Cup. Our defence is insane, keeping out a team like Scotland with the likes of Finn Russell, Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham – wow. Our pack will get us into the red zone, from where we can score, and we have flyers in the backs who can make magic. Ernst Labuschagne, via Facebook Not so inclusive Ireland v Romania (82-8) was a match between sides who shouldn’t be playing in the same competition. If World Rugby’s attempt at inclusion is to allow a side to play every four years then they haven’t got a snowball’s chance in hell. There will be lots of blab about deserving to be in the next Six Nations over the next few weeks but it will not materialise, like it never has. Jared Hazelby, via Facebook Wrong signal They are professional players, let them make decisions (South Africa coaches use traffic light signal to influence team v Scotland). Also, water boys with earpieces should be banned. If players can’t think for themselves and know when to change tactics, it’s pretty sad. Shane Bayley, via Facebook Nice one, Rassie It (coach signal) is thinking outside the box. This shows how committed Rassie Erasmus is to his team and country. You don’t see other directors of rugby put in the work Rassie does. Now because it works, you want to disallow it? Why? It gives another dimension to the game. Robert Ansell, via Facebook 97 Uruguayan glee Baltazar Amaya after scoring against France CALLING RUGBY FANS! Got an interesting pic? Email rugbyworldletters @futurenet.com and you could see it here! We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. 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BELIEVE IT or not, players love it when their stats are out there, in the open. Whether it’s turnovers or tackles or dominant ruck clearances, they enjoy being recognised publicly for the graft they’ve got through. When it comes to GPS data, though, there are a lot of blockages from performance staff. You sometimes get head coaches putting the kibosh on the release of any type of data because they love being secretive. They hate outsiders getting any access at all. But it’s another area to engage fans and I feel like shouting at these guys that the more we can bring people into the sport, the more we can show them what happens within rugby, and the more we all benefit. The players love it. They are absolutely up for everything getting out and fans being exposed as much as possible. Because why wouldn’t you? All the blocks come from coaching staff. With prognoses for injury, I can understand why clubs don’t like giving info out. But if you want to get into something like fantasy rugby or care passionately about selections or even want to know whose name you will get printed on the back of your kid’s shirt, fans will nag away to know how long someone is likely to be injured for. Most coaches don’t want opposition coaching staff knowing that the star stand-off or star tighthead is going to be on the sidelines for the next three months. But it’s a weird one in that some teams report on themselves really well and others treat us all like mushrooms – they will happily feed us s*** and keep us all in the dark! Some clubs seem terrified of reporting anything but the platitudes and banalities that send fans to sleep, and one thing that really irritates players is when they refuse to report the length of contracts. The player wants fans to know that they’ve re-engaged with the club and given them their future for another two, three or four years. But the club doesn’t want anybody to know – for what reason I’ve got absolutely no idea! All it does is raise suspicions. And it’s not putting circling clubs on the back foot because as soon as you near the end of a contract, your agent is talking to other clubs anyway. It’s a pantomime. Rugby is now awash with statistics. It wasn’t always like this. Even ten years ago, recruitment was done on more of a gut-feel level – does this player suit my style? There wasn’t granular evidence to back up beliefs or dispel something. It can make selection week to week grimly predictable, though. Will I get to play this week? “Well son, that other player cleared more rucks and had more involvements than you.” Back in the day, the reasoning for being kept out wasn’t so evident but today coaches are very happy to give you a breakdown of statistical reasons to justify why you aren’t playing. There are all sort of combined statistics now to let you know how effective somebody is at a contact. These numbers, glued together by performance staff, could tell you, for instance, how efficient a back-row is once they go into contact. How quickly do they get back to their feet? How quickly are they going through a contact? How many times will they get up and compete for the ball after a collision? It has been revolutionised even in the last five years and will continue to evolve. The data and insight coaching teams get now is ridiculous. You’d need to be a mathematical genius to keep track of all the data points tracked now. But as I say, players would be happy for everyone to see everything. The good and the bad. Why are GPS and performance stats given to commentary teams but not the general public in the stands or at home? Put it in the hands of everyone and be damned. We’re looking to build heroes. We’re looking to develop insights and grow understanding of the game. Let’s stop coaches being secret squirrels. The smart coaches are open and collaborative anyway. n In class The All Blacks watch training back THE SECRET PLAYER “Let’s stop coaches being secret squirrels around data” 98 Our former pro provides a unique insight into the game

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