Here are the latest rugby headlines on Friday, September 1.
Faletau returns to full training
Wales have been handed a huge boost ahead of the World Cup after Taulupe Faletau returned to full training.
The No.8 has struggled with a calf injury throughout the summer, missing all three of Warren Gatland’s side’s warmup matches against England and South Africa, while he was also a late arrival at the first training camp in Switzerland.
Despite his absence, however, Gatland remained confident that Faletau would return to fitness in time to win a place in his final 33-man squad and the talismanic forward has proved him right by featuring in full training sessions earlier this week, with Wales flying out to France on Sunday.
If fully fit, the 32-year-old would be widely expected to be named in the starting line-up against Fiji on September 10.
He could be joined in the matchday squad for the opening game by Gareth Anscombe, with the fly-half recovering from a thumb injury, while hooker Ryan Elias has also been training this week as he looks to shake off a hamstring injury in time for the start of the tournament.
More injury woe for Wallabies
Australia look set to begin their 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign without their most experienced player, with veteran prop James Slipper now unlikely to recover from injury in time for their opener against Georgia.
The former skipper, who is the most capped player in the Wallabies squad, has picked up a foot injury and was seen wearing a protective boot earlier this week.
And coach Eddie Jones has admitted the chances of Slipper recovering in time for their opening game on September 9 are slim.
“At this stage, it’s definitely touch and go for Georgia,” he told reporters on Thursday. “He’s got a tendon problem with his foot. We believe we’ve got that under control and he’ll be back on the paddock after Georgia.”
Australia face a growing injury list with another prop, Pone Fa’amausili also a doubt to face Georgia while star centre Samu Kerevi is “still not training” after undergoing hand surgery, Jones said.
However, despite this, Jones remains confident that everything remains on track for the Wallabies’ opening fixture.
“The only thing we have to worry about is Georgia in 10 days time,” he said, having been asked if he believed his side could still reach the World Cup final.
“Are we on track for Georgia? Yes, we are on track for Georgia. Then after we deal with Georgia, we get on track for the next game. That’s all we have to worry about. Those things [about Australia reaching the final] are for you guys to worry about, not for us.
“We’ve got a few out,” he added. “But every team in the world has got that at the moment. It’s just a matter of good rehab, good recovery and get them back on the field as quickly as we can.”
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Dallaglio worried after ‘horrendous’ England form
England legend Lawrence Dallaglio believes the poor form of Steve Borthwick’s outfit means an early Rugby World Cup exit really is on the cards.
Due to the nature of this Rugby World Cup draw, Borthwick’s men would not face any of the top five ranked teams in the world until the semi-finals, should they get that far. England face Japan, Samoa, Argentina and tournament newcomers Chile in Pool D.
England have, of course, exited at the group stage once before and that came in 2015, where they finished third behind Australia and Wales.
“I didn’t think that England were going to win the World Cup before the warm-up games. I’m even more confident about that now,” Dallaglio told The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, via Planet Rugby.
“The key question is, is this the all-time low or have we got a little bit further to go? My concern now is beating Argentina and about beating Japan because those two teams are pretty well organised, Argentina particularly.
“My expectations have gone right the way down. Never mind the knockout stages, let’s just worry about getting out of the group because it’s been horrendous.
“I didn’t watch the Fiji game thankfully, and obviously half the stadium decided not to watch which tells you everything you need to know about the England team.”
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Ireland captain Johnny Sexton ‘itching to go’
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton said he is “itching to go” at the Rugby World Cup after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Sexton has not played since the Six Nations because of injury and then suspension, with the 38-year-old fly-half set to retire after the tournament in France.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve played a game,” said Sexton, who is set to play at his fourth World Cup. “Obviously I’m trying to take it day by day and focus on my training over the next few days and hopefully I’ll be involved in some capacity over the next week. I’m itching to get going, yeah.”
Sexton is available for Ireland’s World Cup opener against Romania on September 9 having last played against England on March 18. He injured his groin in that game, meaning he missed Leinster’s Heineken Champions Cup final defeat by La Rochelle in May. After that game, Sexton’s heated exchange with referee Jaco Peyper resulted in a three-game suspension for the out-half, meaning he has missed Ireland’s World Cup warm-up wins over Italy, England and Samoa.
Asked if Ireland are as well prepared for a World Cup as they have ever been, Sexton said: “Time will tell. The proof will be in how we perform and the results that we get. At the moment, we feel in a good place but we’ve got to go and do it now.
“We are determined to do well. We know we have an incredibly tough group with an incredibly tough draw beyond that, so if we can get past our group we know it’s all to do and we’re looking forward to it.”
After launching their World Cup bid against Romania, Ireland face Tonga, South Africa and Scotland in Pool B.
Chessum knew ankle injury was bad by England teammates’ reaction
By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent
Ollie Chessum knew from the reaction of his England’s team-mates that he had done some serious damage as his World Cup dream flashed before his eyes. Chessum faced a battle to be fit for the tournament hosted by France when a “freak training accident” during the final week of the Six Nations left him needing surgery to repair a dislocated ankle.
It was a savage end to his season but England’s breakout star of the Championship had already done enough to convince boss Steve Borthwick that he should be given every chance to prove his fitness for the World Cup. Now two matches into his comeback, the Leicester Tiger is set to join Maro Itoje in the second row for the crucial Pool D opener against Argentina on September 9.
“I got a tackle from behind and I got my foot caught. It was just a freak training accident,” Chessum said. “Initially I just thought I’d rolled it, but as I rolled over and the lads were around me, I saw them all turn away and that’s when I knew I should probably have a quick look – and my foot wasn’t where it was supposed to be.
“When I first did the injury one of the first things I said to Freddie Steward was ‘that could be my World Cup’, and he said ‘don’t think like that’. I was quite emotional at the time. There have been days in the last five months where I’ve thought it doesn’t feel great, but getting back was always the goal.
“We knew it was going to be close. I spoke to the surgeons and they said it would be four to six months and with no setbacks, that would be a semi-realistic goal. But then I had conversations with some of the physios and they said that they’ve had lads who have had similar injuries that have taken seven to nine months.
“I just cracked on with it. If it happened, it happened. And if it didn’t, it didn’t. It’s still not 100 per cent now. There is enough there that I can do what I need to and I can play rugby, but the likelihood is that for the next year or two I will need to look after it.”
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