These are your rugby headlines on the morning of Wednesday, August 3.
Edwards a 'rugby nerd'
France coach Shaun Edwards attends Catalan Dragons' training sessions three times a week, says rugby league player Sam Tomkins.
Edwards is based in Paris where he masterminds France's defensive efforts, which saw them crowned Six Nations champions earlier this year.
The Englishman, who was on the Wales coaching ticket for a number of years during the Warren Gatland era, has now decamped to the south of the country and is a regular at the Dragons' training base.
“He comes training quite a lot, he’s a great character and a really interesting guy,” Tomkins revealed on this week’s Love Rugby League Podcast .
“It’s so funny that he’s involved in French rugby union and is a guy from Wigan with the strongest Wigan accent walking around in his vest and seen as an absolute legend over here.
“He’s transformed the defensive systems of the French side. He is highly regarded but is just this normal bloke from Wigan. It’s amazing and I love his company.”
“Wigan is closer to Paris than where we are!” Tomkins added.
“Shaun couldn’t have got any further away. He was 200 miles away and now is 600 miles away. He was looking around France for somewhere to live, came to training and Steve invited him to a barbeque.
“Shaun brought his family and we were chatting and he said ‘I didn’t know there were so many Wiganers around here? I’ll just live here!’ I thought he was joking and then he got in touch a few months later asking for my builders’ details because he’d bought a house down the road. He’s here and he’s loving it.
“I never thought I’d be living in the south of France knocking around with Shaun Edwards.”
Tompkins concluded Edwards is a "rugby nerd" who simply wants to absorb all facets of the game.
“He’s probably at training two or three times a week,” Tomkins added. “He doesn’t speak to anyone, he just sits at the top of the stands, takes notes, observes other coaches, then leaves.
“Shaun wants to be the best coach so wants to see what every other coach does. He is obsessed and an absolute rugby nerd. He’ll watch an amateur coach coaching open age and that is why he has been as successful as he had.”
Australia dealt Kerevi blow
The Wallabies are now scrambling to deal with the long-term loss of Samu Kerevi.
The bulldozing centre, who started all three Tests against England this summer, was given special dispensation to head to the Commonwealth Games and represent Australia in Sevens, instead of heading to Argentina for the start of the Rugby Championship.
But he suffered an injury in a pool match against Kenya and reports suggest he has damaged his ACL. Fox Sports says he will be out for six months but if he has suffered a full rupture then Kerevi is looking at something closer to nine months.
“I’m obviously very disappointed for Samu, I had a chat with him just before and now it’s about him getting his body right,” said centre partner Len Ikitau.
“I know the type of person he is, and he’s going to bounce back and be right for next year.
“It was awesome to play with Samu. He’s direct and for me, it’s playing off the kind of go-forward ball that he produces.
“For us, though, it’s a next man up mentality, coming in and doing the job.”
Hunter Paisami is being tipped to fill the void during this year's Rugby Championship, which gets underway this weekend.
Cane shrugs off criticism
All Blacks skipper Sam Cane has hit back at criticism aimed in his direction.
Springboks icon Victor Matfield stirred the pot ahead of the two sides' clash in Nelspruit this weekend by saying Cane is "not up to it".
Matfield, now a pundit, said: "They're (New Zealand) still struggling to decide on their best loose-forward combination. Sam Cane is the captain, but I'm not sure he's up to it at the moment – in terms of getting over the ball, stealing the ball, slowing it down… all of that contributes to a team's defence.
"They're not really stopping the opposition from getting quick ball. They're allowing the opposition to get a quick recycle at the ruck and to launch a multiphase attack."
Cane has now had his say.
“I’ve been doing all right,” said Cane. “The key is not to engage or read any articles or stuff online, and focus on your close group of friends and team-mates. As long as they have your back and believe in you, and you believe in yourself, then you're in a pretty good spot.
“It’s probably harder sometimes on loved ones. But I’ve been all good. When we come in and get into our work, it’s almost like we’re in our own little bubble, just focusing on getting things right.”
Smith replaces Wilson at Glasgow
Glasgow have appointed former Italy head coach Franco Smith as Danny Wilson's successor.
Smith will join on a two-year contract from the Italian Rugby Federation, where he has most recently been working as head of high performance.
The former South Africa international lost all 13 of his matches in charge of Italy during 2020 and 2021.
Smith was previously head coach of Treviso from 2007 to 2013 and has spent several spells as player, assistant coach and head coach of the Cheetahs in his native country.
Welshman Wilson was sacked two months ago after Glasgow lost 76-14 against Leinster in the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals. Smith, who will arrive in Scotland at the end of August, told the Warriors official website: "I have followed Glasgow for a long time, since coaching at Benetton when they joined the PRO12 in 2010, and the way they play has always appealed to me because their style is embraced by the fans.
"In coaching I always have these objectives: to play a winning brand of rugby; to have a style that is good to watch and that the fans can associate with - it is the Warrior Nation's team, and our responsibility through the coaches and players is to represent them.
"There are also opportunities at Glasgow to contribute to the pathway for up-and-coming players, making sure we are developing creative, fit, and knowledgeable rugby players from a young age that we will bring all the way through to Scotland.
"I am looking forward to joining the club and getting to know the coaching staff and players as we begin working together."
READ NEXT:
