`The Rugby Banter Round Up
- 1604
Monday 8th September
There is some kind of hex on Clermont players’, it seems, as Kiwi Zac Guildford became the latest Auvergne player to be assaulted on a night out.
The former All Black, who is in his maiden campaign at the French club, was assaulted by a trio of men as he went to get a kebab with team mate Jonathan Davies, after a night out celebrating the birth of Camille Lopez’ son & Jamie Cudmore’s birthday. The irony of a fight occurring on Jamie Cudmore’s birthday isn’t lost on RBP
Ah, getting a kebab, the genesis of every scuffle on a night out.
Guildford received a kick to the face, which caused trauma to his jaw and the ordeal will see him ruled out of action for up to four weeks.
Amazingly, as mentioned above, this is the second such incident involving Clermont players in just over a month. During pre-season, Clermont trio Benjamin Kayser, Aurelien Rougerie and Julien Pierre were all on the receiving end of a machete attack by a gang in the French town of Millau.
In future, perhaps, Clermont players would be well advised to wear scrum hats on nights out.
Tuesday 9th September
Dan Carter looks set to miss the rest of the Rugby Championship as he recovers from surgery on a broken leg sustained last month.
Initially, the iconic All Black was expected to miss the first two games of the Championship but, according to New Zealand’s assistant coach Ian Foster, the 32 year old will miss the rest of the Rugby Championship series with the Autumn tests being penciled in for his return.
Carter’s rehabilitation will most likely involve a stint playing ITM Cup Rugby.
Wednesday 10th September
It looks like one of the most anticipated debuts in recent Rugby history will have to wait that little bit longer, as Lions and Welsh star Leigh Halfpenny’s Toulon bow has been delayed by a groin issue.
The 25 year old former Cardiff Blue signed for Toulon at the end of last season and completes possibly the best set of full backs to play for any club in Rugby history, alongside Drew Mitchell, Delon Armitage and, from time to time, James O’Connor.
As yet, there has been no indication as to when Halfpenny will be available for selection.
Thursday 11th September
Upon Super Rugby’s expansion to 18 teams in 2016, Japan will be awarded the Asian franchise berth, ahead of Singapore, according to reports in Australia.
Singapore was mooted to be the base for a Pacific Island’s team whilst Japan would enter a team which was largely based around their national team and it is the Japanese who are in pole position, Australia’s Daily Telegraph understands.
One stumbling block to a Japanese bid is travel time; with the Japenese team due to join the South African conference, flights between the two nations take 24 hours.
However, Japanese National Team Coach, Eddie Jones, admits that the Japanese Union are flexible and could potentially allow games to be played in other Asian cities to minimize travel time for both fans and teams.
"What we would like to think is if we do become the team, we become the team that represents Asian rugby, so there are a lot of opportunities to play games within Asia, which obviously cuts down the travel," Jones told the Daily Telegraph.
"There are always other places to play games. There is no reason why we have to play every game in Japan.
"So that's a possible solution, to go a little bit closer and decrease the travel for teams coming to Japan. That's a possibility.
"We could potentially play in Singapore and Hong Kong, they're all opportunities. I am sure from South Africa you can get a direct flight to Hong Kong."
Friday 12th September
Unfortunately for Harlequins’ fans, Friday the 12th of September was a date they would rather forget.
In a London Derby against Saracens, Conor O’Shea’s charges were pasted 39-0 at home.
Three Saracens tries, from Ashton, Fraser & Hodgson, as well as 17 points from the boot of Hodgson saw the Stoop side stumped.
