-Credit: (Image: Gruffydd Thomas/Huw Evans Agency)
These are your evening rugby headlines on Saturday, November 2.
Welsh-qualified star makes Wales stance crystal clear
Welsh-qualified star Cameron Hanekom has made his feelings on representing Warren Gatland’s side crystal clear as he prepares to make his long-awaited debut for South Africa this autumn.
The 22-year-old – who is eligible to play for Wales through his grandmother – has been in fine form for the Bulls this year and was named in last year’s URC team of the season. That saw him brought into Springbok alignment camps earlier this year, only for a hamstring injury picked up in the URC final to rule him out of the summer Tests against Ireland as well as the Rugby Championship.
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However, after being called into South Africa’s autumn squad to replace the injured Damian Willemse, Hanekom is set to finally extinguish any Wales speculation once and for all. Admittedly, anything other other than a Test career for his homeland has looked highly unlikely for some time, but the man himself has now made it clear where his loyalties lie.
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“I must say I’ve always dreamed of becoming a Springbok,” he said. “I will keep on working as hard as possible to make that dream come true. I’ve never thought of going to Wales or playing for them.”
After adding Hanekom to his squad, head coach Rassie Erasmus said: “We are excited to see what Cameron brings to the team. He was in the group of players included in our alignment camps earlier in the year, so he’s familiar with some of our structures and the Springbok ethos, and we have no doubt he will grab this opportunity with both hands.”
“We are comfortable with the depth and versatility we have among the backs in the squad, so we decided to include another forward to add to our loose forward stocks.”
England star drops bombshell Eddie Jones revelations
England star Danny Care has made several bombshell revelations about his former coach Eddie Jones, comparing him to a “despot” and claiming that “everyone was bloody terrified of him” during his time in charge.
Scrum-half Care has made the stunning claims in his new book ‘Everything Happens for a Reason: My Life in Rugby’ and goes into detail about the “toxic environment” that was created under Jones. While he said he was initially “delighted” by the coach’s appointment, he later found himself comparing it to living in a “dictatorship”.
He accused the former coach, who was sacked by England in 2022 after seven years in charge, of “constantly playing mind games” and claims the way he treated his staff left them “shaking” and “as shells of their former selves”. Care also alleges that he was dropped by Jones via a “three-second voicemail” while he compared his treatment of some players to schoolyard bullying.
Reflecting on Jones’ bizarre approach, Care, whose book is being serialised by The Times, wrote: “We used to say to each other, ‘Just remember, boys, everything’s a test’, as if we were characters in a dystopian novel. We’d get given a form to fill out and we’d have to say to any new boys, “Don’t put anything on there that he could use against you.
“If the form asked how you felt, you’d say you felt fine, even if your leg was falling off. Because if you didn’t, you’d be worried about Eddie calling you into his office and asking if you wanted to go home.
“Did Eddie rule by fear?,” he added. “Of course he did, everyone was bloody terrified of him. Jonny May probably summed up the situation best: he’d walk in for breakfast, head down, muttering, “Expect anything today, boys, expect anything …”
Care continued: “Eddie took the same approach to rugby as Russia traditionally takes to war: just keep feeding men into the grinder, as long as we keep winning.
“It was every man for himself in Eddie’s training camps. You got your head down, gritted your teeth, said nothing and hoped you stayed in the room. That isn’t a healthy environment, because it breeds selfishness, not camaraderie, and it rewards yes-men rather than people who are willing to question things.
“We were getting paid over 20 grand a game, which was a lot of money for a rugby player. It meant players were desperate not to get dropped for all the wrong reasons, which made for a toxic environment.
“Some lads had the attitude ‘To hell with everyone else, as long as the coach likes me’, which I couldn’t get my head around,” the Harlequins star added. “Other lads would pretend to be fit to play when they weren’t. Then again, if saying all the right things and feigning fitness meant earning a few hundred grand a year and maybe paying off your mortgage, what do you expect?”
While Care said it was “easier to excuse his bad behaviour” when England were winning, he went on to say that Jones’ “abrasiveness really began to jar” when results started to go against them.
“Analysts would be visibly shaking during presentations because they were so scared of getting something wrong,” he said. “If a clip didn’t appear at the right moment, Eddie would fix them with a menacing stare and say, “What the f*** are you doing, mate? You’re not preparing the f***ing team right’.. and after we’d all filed out of the room, we’d hear Eddie continuing to berate them.
“Those analysts worked bloody hard, but some of them ended up as shells of their former selves. People would be there one day and gone the next, with no explanation. It was like living in a dictatorship, under a despot who disappeared people.”
Farrell linked with shock move
Former England captain Owen Farrell has been linked with a shock return to English rugby, just months into his contract with Racing 92 in France.
The 33-year-old, who stepped away from Test rugby for the foreseeable future following last year’s World Cup, made the switch to France ahead of this season and has signed a two-year mega-money deal with the Top 14 outfit.
However, he has reportedly emerged as a target for two Gallagher Premiership sides, with Midi Olympique reporting that Bristol Bears and Leicester Tigers would be interested in a move for the British & Irish Lions star.
Both sides are looking for a fly-half for next season, with the former previously linked with Marcus Smith and the latter with Wales international Sam Costelow.
However, RugbyPass report that, while Farrell “would be able to become back as a marquee player,” it is “likely that Saracens would have first refusal on his services.”
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