Samoa names eight players from the grand final to its strong World Cup team

The inclusion of eight players from the Penrith and Parramatta grand final sides in a potent squad revealed on Tuesday has highlighted Toa Samoa’s World Cup credentials.

Samoa is the first country from the Pacific to publicly reveal its World Cup roster, and if head coach Matt Parish wants to send a message before the team’s opening match against the hosts England on October 15, he has done so with the calibre of players identified.

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The 24-man team, which also includes Eels forwards Junior Paulo and Oregon Kaufusi, is led by Panthers stars Jarome Luai, Brian To’o, Stephen Crichton, Izack Tago, Spencer Leniu, and Taylan May.

This year’s NSW Origin team included Paulo, Luai, To’o, and Crichton, while Canberra prop Josh Papalii competed for Queensland.

In addition to Joseph Suaalii, a Sydney Roosters teen phenomenon, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, a North Queensland Cowboys speedster, represented the Maroons in the 2021 Origin series.

David Nofoaluma, a winger for Wests Tigers who finished the season on loan with Melbourne Storm, is one of 10 members of the Pacific Test team from June who did not make the World Cup roster.

Samoa defeated the Cook Islands 42-12 at Campbelltown Stadium thanks to four tries from Nofoaluma.

After suffering season-ending shoulder surgery, Warriors forward Jazz Tevaga, who played hooker in the midseason Test, has been ruled out.

Two Super League players, Huddersfield hooker Danny Levi and 2021 Penrith premiership winner Tyrone May, are slated to split the dummy half responsibilities with Wests Tigers utility Fa’amanu Brown.

While the front pack will put opposing nations on guard, Dolphins recruit Anthony Milford, Luai, Catalans Tyrone May, and Warriors playmaker Chanel Harris-Tavita give depth in the halves.

Along with Paulo and Papalii, the front-row stocks also feature Leniu and Kaufusi from Cronulla, Martin Taupa’u and Josh Aloiai of Manly, and Braden Hamlin-Uele and Royce Hunt of Cronulla.

The second-rowers are Wests Tigers rookie Kelma Tuilagi, Luciano Leilua of the Cowboys, Jaydn Su’a of St. George Illawarra, and back-row ballplayer Luciano Leilua of the Cowboys.

Fullback alternatives include Suaalii, Crichton Tabuai-Fidow, and Harris-Tavita. Parish can also go with a To’o, Crichton, Tago, and Taylan May-led Penrith three-quarters lineup.

Samoa will play host to England in the World Cup opener on October 15 at Newcastle’s St. James Park, before playing Greece in Doncaster on October 23 and France in Warrington on October 30.

Samoa will turn the tournament on its head if they defeat England and win Pool A, since the World Cup hosts may be matched up against Tonga in the quarterfinals.

The eight players who will compete in the championship game will leave on October 7 after the remainder of the Samoa team arrives in England on Monday. To know more about England Vs Samoa Tickets click here.

In addition, Parish has put together a strong coaching staff for the World Cup, including Lee Radford from Castleford and Daniel Holdsworth from the Sharks as an assistant.

They will join 2017 Samoa World Cup captain Frank Pritchard, former Leeds coach Richard Agar, and former Sea Eagles coach Geoff Toovey.

Andrew Webster, an assistant coach with the Panthers, was a member of the Samoa coaching staff for the midseason test victory against the Cook Islands, however he has since resigned after being hired as the Warriors’ head coach for the upcoming campaign.

Toa Samoa World Cup Squad

Josh Aloiai (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
Fa’amanu Brown (Wests Tigers)
Stephen Crichton (Penrith Panthers)
Mathew Feagai (St George-Illawarra Dragons)
Braden Hamlin-Uele (Cronulla Sharks)
Chanel Harris-Tavita (Warriors)
Royce Hunt (Cronulla Sharks)
Oregon Kaufusi (Parramatta Eels)
Luciano Leilua (North Queensland Cowboys)
Spencer Leniu (Penrith Panthers)
Danny Levi (Huddersfield Giants)
Jarome Luai (Penrith Panthers)
Taylan May (Penrith Panthers)
Tyrone May (Catalans Dragons)
Anthony Milford (Newcastle Knights)
Josh Papalii (Canberra Raiders)
Junior Paulo (Parramatta Eels)
Jaydn Su’a (St George-Illawarra Dragons)
Joseph Suaalii (Sydney Roosters)
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (North Queensland Cowboys)
Izack Tago (Penrith Panthers)
Martin Taupa’u (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
Brian To’o (Penrith Panthers)
Kelma Tuilagi (Wests Tigers)   
Coach: Matt Parish

Rugby World Cup Sevens: Samoa dumps Uganda to Bowl Quarterfinals

In the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 pre-Round of 16 encounter against Samoa, an upset was not in the cards for Uganda.

Although Samoa’s captain, Michael Wokorach, gave his team the early advantage, the Rugby Cranes were unable to stop Steve Onosai, who scored a hat trick to lead Samoa to a 33-07 triumph.

However, the Rugby Cranes will be able to draw some positives from the loss, especially after matching Samoa in the physical contest. After the game, forward Alex Aturinda told Kawowo Sports that the club had appropriately prepared for that challenge.

“We have been doing some physicality exercises. I must say we are actually more physical than them (but) we were just unlucky in the game and it didn’t go our way,” Alex Aturinda said.

The loss, unfortunately, closes Uganda’s campaign for the Melrose Cup but their action at the Cape Town Stadium will continue on Day Two in the Bowl Quarterfinals.

Aturinda added that the Rugby Cranes still have their spirits high for the remaining games. “We hope in the upcoming games, we are going to put up a good show,” he said.

The Republic of Korea, who fell to Wales 33-10 in their opening game, will play Uganda. At 9:59 a.m. EAT, this will be the third game of the day.

World Rugby has revealed the match schedule for the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 competition in Cape Town, South Africa, which will take place in exactly fifty days.

On the morning of the first day, Friday, September 9, at the Cape Town Stadium, Uganda Men’s Sevens, who qualified from Africa at the Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens in Kampala, will play. Zimbabwe and Kenya, two other African nations that purchased tickets at Kyadondo Rugby Club in April, will also attend.

A rematch of the 2018 match between Uganda and Samoa will take place at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, USA. By defeating Uganda 45–07, the Pacific Islanders knocked the East Africans out of the Bowl quarterfinals.

Uganda will face the United States in the Round of 16 in that same day’s afternoon session if they prevail. The Rugby Cranes Sevens will play again on Saturday morning in the Bowl Quarterfinals if they lose to Samoa.

Tonga and Canada will be the opponents in each of Zimbabwe and Kenya’s Pre-Round of 16 matches.

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said, in a press release from World Rugby, “The release of the match schedule with 50 days to go is a really exciting moment on the road to Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town. Players, teams and fans can now fine-tune their plans and prepare for what promises to be a truly spectacular three-day showcase of world-class rugby sevens.”

The tournament will be contested in a “winner takes all” knockout style, which was first used in the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco, USA, so it certainly promises to be spectacular.

After defeating Uruguay 28-28 in the playoff final, Uganda finished twentieth among the twenty-four teams competing in its first Rugby World Cup Sevens. They had previously defeated Zimbabwe in the quarterfinal and fell to Chile, 20-17, in the Bowl Semifinal.

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Japan looks toward Rugby World Cup 2023

Japan Rugby World Cup: Michael Leitch led Japan to key conquests at the last two World Cups. The next World Cup is in 2023 in France, and Leitch has a communication: Don’t overlook Japan. In 2015, Japan defeated South Africa in the English coastal town of Brighton, which lives on as the Brighton Miracle. In 2019, its group-stage wins over Ireland and Scotland accepted it to the quarterfinals and brought rugby into the day in Japan.

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Japan Rugby World Cup Player Michael Leitch.

Leitch is no longer the skipper but is still a player and a key member of the team. He looks forward to the competition where Japan is haggard in Group D with England, Argentina, Samoa, and one other qualifier. The underdog tag doesn’t rankle Leitch nor does he see it as suitable.

I reason Japan is sole because I think we’re everyone’s second favorite team, Leitch told reporters this week, speaking from Tokyo. We still are regarded as an underdog contempt having had two fruitful Rugby World Cup campaigns. It’s a hard one to brush off.

Michael Leitch

Subconsciously when you think of Japan your involuntary thought process is not a big, physical side that’s going to dominate teams, he added. Leitch said it’s problematic to judge where Japan stands in its Rugby World Cup preparation likened to the build-up to 2019. Then, as Japan prepared to host the world tournament at home for the first time, a sense of earnestness and purpose motorized the campaign.

The years since haven’t worked to Japan’s benefit in the same way. COVID-19 shut international borders and Japan went 18 months without a test match. Its ability to present new players was impaired but Leitch trusts things are now on course. In 2019, having the home benefit and everyone counting on us to grow the Japanese rugby World Cup we had a lot of access to capital and time away from clubs, he said. Clubs weren’t reluctant to release anyone.

This time it’s a bit different with COVID, he added. It’s really hard to the device where we are with our groundwork but with the time, we have been together we’ve made incredible progress, Leitch said Japan can be self-assured in the players it likely will take to the World Cup. Many already have World Cup experience while younger players have had the chance to play beside or against some of the world’s top players in Japan’s rapidly refining professional league.

Japan Rugby World cup

I’d say we’ve got fairly a good core of players that have been complicated in both the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cup, the mainstream in 2019, Leitch said. I think that the knowledge and experience that we have is going to be crucial in 2023. We’ve got about great up-and-coming players who have got real X-factor, he added. Japan’s image is that it relies on speed rather than carnality, but Leitch said that is changing. To Know more about Japan Vs Samoa Tickets click here.

Leitch said. I think that the knowledge and experience that we have is going to be crucial in 2023.

Everyone paints an image of Japan as not having that physical edge, but we’ve proven in the past that we can box above our weight, he said. It’s not about being quicker or more physical than the antagonism. For us, it’s about being keener, picking our moments and discovering the right area. One of the advantages that the Japanese team has is that we’re very tactically flexible. Strategies will no doubt change against each opponent. I wouldn’t be concerned about our fitness or lack of fight in any of those competitions.

Japan Rugby World Cup: Japan has been left behind meanwhile the last World Cup warns Jamie Joseph

The pandemic has stunted Japan’s rugby growth and the 2019 quarterfinalists are now clearly behind in their arrangements for next year’s World Cup, head coach Jamie Joseph warned on Tuesday. Japan played no games in 2020 because of coronavirus limits, denying them the chance to build on their historic run to the last eight in the previous year’s World Cup on home soil. They achieved seven matches in 2021.

But Joseph fears his team has lost crushed against the world’s best, as they look towards next year’s World Cup in France. One of the biggest tests that I’ve faced since the Rugby World Cup in 2019, like a lot of other persons around the world in sporting teams, is the pandemic, said former All Black Joseph, announcing his team for four home Test matches, against Uruguay and France. The first year we had no rugby, last year we played seven games, and so we are behind in terms of our growth.

Japan has been haggard in a World Cup group with England and Argentina, together of whom have seen regular action in the Six Nations and Rugby Championship throughout the pandemic. Joseph said the games against Uruguay and Six Nations champions France would give Japan an accidental to test new players and grow complexity in all positions. The New Zealander on Tuesday picked two squads a full Test-match squad and a growth squad in a bid to run the rule over as many players as likely.

South African-born duo Pieter Labuschagné and Gerhard van den Heever are in the Test-match team

While Wimpie van der Walt and Shane Gates are in the growth squad. Meanwhile, there are a few Australian-born players on the Test team as well. They are Jack Cornelsen, Ben Gunter, and Dylan Riley. The growth squad will face a team of Japan-based Tongan players in an aid match in Tokyo on June 11.

Joseph said the choice to axe the Japan-based Sunwolves from the Super Rugby club competition in 2020 has made it very difficult to find competitions of substance that prepares players for Test matches. You sort of roll with the hits as a coach and what I’ve tried to do to be able to counteract that is to pick two squads and create more competitions as best we can, he said.

Jamie Joseph.

12 days of rugby: Japan shocks the Boks at the World Cup

With the celebratory season in full swing, it’s time to continue our 12 days of rugby. Next up, it’s Japan’s stunning win against South Africa at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.

Japan Rugby World Cup: Lead-up to that special rugby moment

These two teams came into the global centerpiece at opposite ends of the spectrum with Japan amongst the competition’s also-rans while the Springboks were one of the favorites to lift the trophy. With the Brave Blossoms being overwhelming underdogs, the 1995 and 2007 Rugby World Cup Winners South Africa were expected to run brutal over their adversaries.

This fitting in Brighton was the opening match of Pool B and with Scotland, Samoa, and the USA also in their group, the Springboks were hoping to issue a cautionary to their other group competitors by racking up a big score against Japan. However, there was a big cautionary sign for the Boks ahead of their World Cup opener when six weeks before they faced Japan, they suffered a shock 37-25 overthrow against Argentina in their last match of the 2015 Rugby Championship.

The Boks did not heed that cautionary and were made to pay for it. From the outset, the Brave Blossoms showed that they meant business, and the match was evenly poised at half-time with the Boks landing a slender 12-10 lead. While most rugby enthusiasts expected South Africa to pull away after the interval, it wasn’t to be and the sides were stalemated at 22-22 by the hour-mark with Japan still in the contest thanks to precise goal-kicking from Ayumu Goromaru.

Captain Michael Leitch

Who, apart from a first-half try from captain Michael Leitch, had kicked all his team’s points up to that stage. South Africa struck back with a rehabilitated try from Adriaan Strauss but Japan wouldn’t surrender and in the 69th minute Goromaru crossed for another five-pointer which he duly rehabilitated before the Boks responded with a Handre Pollard penalty that gave his team a 32-29 lead in the 73rd minute. The game’s closing stages were tense with the Boks defensive frantically inside their half.

When the match went into additional time and Japan was awarded a penalty, head coach Eddie Jones sent an instruction from the training box for them to take a shot at goal. Captain Leitch defied his orders by kicking for trace inside his opponents’ 22 and after winning ownership at the lineout they set up several phases while consuming away at the Bok try-line.

The ball eventually touched Karne Hesketh, who scored out wide despite a desperate cover tackle from JP Pietersen, and wild celebrations ensued as the Brave Blossoms attained what many viewed as impossible. To Know more about  Japan Vs Argentina Tickets click here.

Japan Rugby World Cup Squad.

Why it will live long in the reminiscence

As far as Rugby World Cup surprises go this one goes down as the main shock in the history of the global competition and it’s arguably the biggest upset ever in rugby union. The Springboks are statistically the second most successful team in Test past behind the All Blacks and that full-blooded and the fact that it was the first time they faced Japan on the international stage led to them underestimating the Brave Flowers.

Apart from appalling the Springboks, the Brave Blossoms also surprised the rest of the world as very few people predicted their victory. In a battle of conflicting styles, this Test’s outcome has a lesson in it and that is that size doesn’t always matter. Springboks head coach Heyneke Meyer persevered with his strategy of choosing a big set of forwards and employing a conservative game plan with plenty of kicking for territory from their fly-half. That method played into Japan’s hands as Jones selected agile players best suited for the team’s extensive style.

Jones

Jones merits all the praise for his side’s triumph and although he wanted them to go for the draw by slotting the penalty in the game’s dying moments, he conceived this win and was spot on with his tactics. Although the Brave Blossoms went on to beat Samoa and the United States, they failed to qualify for the quarter-finals after a big defeat to Scotland in their other pool game.

 But despite that, they made their mark on the Rugby World Cup with that victory over the Boks and raised rugby’s profile in Japan with many more people taking an interest in the game after that clash. That momentous day was immortalized when a film based on the match The Brighton Miracle was released in 2019.

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Former greats have their say on Australia’s best XI at the T20 World Cup

Tim David must play for Australia at the 2017 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, according to Australian cricket legends Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh. They predict that two veterans are most likely to make way for the promising all-rounder.

In the first two games of the three-match T20I series against India, David only managed scores of 18 and 2, but the 26-year-old proved his talent on Sunday in Hyderabad with a scorching half-century.

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Following a successful prolonged run of T20 cricket in domestic leagues around the world, David gets his first taste of international cricket for the defending T20 World Cup champions. Both Gilchrist and Waugh have been suitably impressed.

The two Australian legends agreed that David has already accomplished enough to be included when asked to select their finest Australia XI for the forthcoming T20 event.

“Tim David should have a place in that XI,” Fox Cricket commentator Gilchrist said.

“His power and the way he has taken it on…and seeing what we have seen from him over the last 18 months all around the world, it is really in all different conditions and they (opposition teams) will fear him coming in.

“It is a role that Australia have never really tried to fill, having someone who knows they are only going to get 15 or 20 balls (to make an impact).”

Waugh echoed Gilchrist’s sentiments, although the former champion right-hander said much can change between now and the start of the tournament in mid-October.

“I have got Tim David in the XI at this stage,” Waugh noted.

“That could change with form, but that looks a pretty good side to me.”

The Australian duo, however, couldn’t agree on which player should make way for David; Waugh left veteran batter Steve Smith out of his top team, while Gilchrist thought Marcus Stoinis should keep his spot despite pressure from Gilchrist.

Stoinis skipped the tour and stayed in Australia to recover a side injury he sustained against New Zealand at the beginning of the month. Smith only reached double figures once from three knocks against India.

At the most recent T20 World Cup, the bulky all-rounder did manage 80 runs and was only dismissed once, but more importantly, he and fellow veteran Matthew Wade saved the day for Australia in the nail-biting semifinal against Pakistan by combining for an 81-run partnership that carried their team over the finish line in dramatic circumstances.

Since David recently made a name for himself, Gilchrist is doubtful whether the outstanding 33-year-old will start for Australia.

“Marcus Stoinis seems to be the man under pressure at the moment,” Gilchrist said.

“But I think Tim David should have a place in that XI.

“Unfortunately that best XI is going to have 12 players in it and I don’t know who I am going to leave out.”

Adam Gilchrist’s best Australia XI:

Aaron Finch
David Warner
Mitch Marsh
Steve Smith
Glenn Maxwell
Matthew Wade
Tim David
Pat Cummins
Mitchell Starc
Adam Zampa
Josh Hazlewood

Mark Waugh’s best Australia XI:

Aaron Finch
David Warner
Mitch Marsh
Glenn Maxwell
Marcus Stoinis
Tim David
Matthew Wade
Pat Cummins
Mitchell Starc
Adam Zampa
Josh Hazlewood

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New Zealand T20 World Cup: Squad, Predictions, and Schedule

The underdogs of all the ICC competitions over the years are the men in black. New Zealand T20 World Cup Team has always completed well in all ICC events and a similar performance is predictable at the World Cup. The Kiwis have shaped a few greats of the game. Sir Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe, Stephen Fleming, and Brendon McCullum! All these Blackcaps have left a permanent impression. So, how does the squad form up like before the ICC T20 World Cup 2022? Here is a look:

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Kane Williamson (c).

New Zealand T20 World Cup Squad

Kane Williamson (c), Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Daryl Mitchell, Adam Milne, Martin Guptill, Lockie Ferguson, Devon Conway, Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Trent Boult, Finn Allen.

Expected Playing XI: 

Martin Guptill, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi 

Strengths of New Zealand 

The strength New Zealand T20 World Cup in batting is the top 3. They are a top-heavy batting unit. But they are also a bottomless batting unit. They have lesser-known names in statistics 6 and 7 but both those men can get the job done. Kane Williamson will have to choose whether Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, or Mark Chapman will open the batting with Martin Guptill. In bowling, the duo of Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult will bother the antagonism a lot. To know more about New Zealand Vs Australia Tickets click here.

Weaknesses of New Zealand

There is an obvious faintness in the middle-overs and the role of a finisher. The role of the finisher is very crucial. The other teams have selected players for this role. Australia is coming with Matthew Wade, India is coming in with Dinesh Karthik, and Sri Lanka is getting Dasun Shanaka. But New Zealand has Neesham and Michael Bracewell. Bracewell has borne that he has what it takes but on the global phase, he is yet to be established. And who will bowl in the middle-overs with a belief is the query. 

New Zealand T20 World Cup Squad.

Chances

The chances will be plenty. The first chance is for New Zealand as a team to clutch the T20 World Cup for the very first time. The squad does have what it takes to go all the way. The players just need to achieve their possible. Lockie Ferguson missed the World Cup last time. He will be keen on showing his ability to the world.  

Threats

The New Zealand T20 World Cup squad has a past of injuries. In crucial competitions, we have seen significant players out due to injury. Kane Williamson has also been treating a tennis elbow injury for a very long time. The fans will be hopeful that the forte recedes at the earliest. Lockie Ferguson is also a fragile creation. Another threat is not being able to find the correct mixture.  

Prediction New Zealand Squad

The team will most perhaps make it to the Semi-Finals. They will surface second in Pool A behind Australia.  

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