Australia’s Matt Giteau wants to kick start Toulon’s Top-14 campaign against Clermont this weekend to bury the horror of losing the World Cup final to New Zealand.
The Toulon five-eighth who has more than 100 caps for Australia has been brooding since the 34-17 defeat to the All Blacks in the World Cup final.
“Coming second is like coming last, you play a World Cup to win,” said the 33-year-old from Sydney.
“It was good experience, sad, but beautiful. I needed a few weeks off afterwards however. The problem was in my head,” he explained.
Giteau said that watching Toulon slump to fourth in the Top 14 behind Clermont, Toulouse and Racing 92 had been hard but that the regrouped team were focused on Saturday’s game at Clermont.
“We’re all really up for it. This week we’ve been feeling better, done some good work and we are going to play better. We have improved our attitude and little things, small details,” he told a press conference in Toulon.
His compatriot wing Drew Mitchell is also due to make his return to action this weekend and also keen to put the World Cup behind him.
“We were hurt at the time, it’s never nice to go through a campaign and then lose in the final,” said the 31-year-old.
“We’ve had time to digest that now though and want to focus on our objectives here.”
Mitchell suggested that with the return of all the World Cup players Toulon’s European Cup and Top 14 campaign’s would be regalvanised.
“The guys who came in a did a great job. It looks worse than it is. We had 18 players at the World Cup,” he explained.
Another returning player for Toulon is James O’Connor who left Toulon and went to play for Queensland Reds in a failed bid to make Michael Cheika’s 2015 World Cup squad.
“It’s good to be home,” said O’Connor.
“My last game (of Rugby) was five months ago. I can’t wait to get back on the field, nail down a position and be a starter for Toulon,” he said.
The 25-year-old was asked if he regretted his decision to return to Australia given he missed the cut for Australia and a European Cup with Toulon.
“I can’t see it as a mistake. If I had to do it again I would do. But I’d also have loved to stay here and take part in the European Cup.”
“These are life choices,” he lamented.
Toulon are defending European champions seeking a fourth successive title, have 16 players in their squad from eight different countries who were away at the World Cup.
vic rugby
Guest
Hi peter k that must be you !
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Not really. Cheika's judgement just could have been bad. Foley's form was not poor anyway. It just was not great. It was probably middling/mediocre excluding 2 games. It's just as likely Cheika's judgement call wasn't the best. After all he continually played Folau despite injury preventing his effectiveness. Did he not trust Beale? No. He just wrongly (in my view) felt Folau was capable of playing at a level he did not achieve under injury. I don't think Foley/Cooper was a huge blunder from Cheika. Cooper may have done better given Foley's run. Also may have done worse. I think sticking with Folau under injury over Beale and sticking with Giteau at 12 over Toomua were areas where Cheika did not make the right call.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Kinda confirms Cheika couldnt trust Cooper at all to keep playing Foley in poor form. Doesnt get much worse than that if your coach wont play you over someone that's rubbish. A case of...the best of the worst I suppose. Common sense considering all that's real... really...
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I'm a fan of common sense and considering reality. Funnily enough the players inside of Foley had a better RWC than 2011 too. But also, most of the players outside of him had a worse RWC than 2011. He had it over Cooper because Cooper barely played in 2015 and gave away 3 yellow cards in defence creating doubt over his likelihood to do so again. To criticize Cooper's goal kicking in the Uruguay game you'd have to completely ignore where every shot he missed was taken, and completely ignore where the vast majority of Foley's shots were taken. I believe it was the Wales (May have been Scotland game) game where commentators claimed Foley's accuracy had started to desert him. The fact was he now had multiple attempts outside of the 15m line which made things a lot tougher.
pete and paul
Roar Rookie
I will agree with your comment about - MG who struggled against top teams...but then the WBs did the same....NZ showed that in the final
pete and paul
Roar Rookie
he is old and was found wanting in all of his RWC games bar England...if Australia persists with its policy of picked 60+ players from overseas...they quality of rugby will decline just like the Boks....if you want to look at a supreme model - look east young man...NZ have it in buckets...
pete and paul
Roar Rookie
hear hear....let the truth be spoken...TWAS
Ya What Now?
Guest
Let me guess, A Quade Cooper fan by any chance? Foley had a mixed WC but was excellent against Argentina and England. He had a couple of OK games and a couple of poorish games. Not a bad WC, better than Quades in 2011 imo but I wouldnt say that Foley has the spot secured. He had it over Cooper because Cooper had played fairly ordinary rugby in just about all of his games in 2014-2015, whether it be off the bench or starting. His best game was against Uraguay but what his coach would have been looking for was still poor (composure, goal kicking, consistency, decision making).
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
John in all fairness, Foley was completely non-existent against South Africa. He didn't play that game.
john
Guest
SA ( brisbane) ABS ( SYDNEY) WALES USA and FIJI he was pretty well non existent..
Lindsay Amner
Roar Guru
I 'm sure Kerevi loves a bit of gateau. Let's hope he lays off it though, otherwise he'll be way over his playing weight...
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
He wasn't great vs Fiji He wasn't great vs Wales He wasn't great vs Scotland He wasn't great vs Argentina, but did get the backline going well, so was good He wasn't great vs New Zealand Apart from the England game, he did not have a "great" World Cup.
Markus
Guest
Foley has secured the starting spot for so long as he actually plays well, or until somebody else plays better than him, no longer.
Kane
Roar Guru
That sir is the problem with Australian rugby. Securing a starting spot on the basis of one good game/season.
Squirrel
Guest
Foley apart from Scotland game had a great World Cup and has secured the 10 spot for years to come
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Mitchell filled the criteria but didn't quite deliver.
Bazza
Guest
Checks had no confidence in TOMANE OR SPEIGHT when Horne went down...I can see his point bringing in Mitchell , even though mitchell was ok, he was way past his best which was 2007- 2010... One of the above Brumbies will be on one aussie wing next year you would presume...
Markus
Guest
Did Mitchell really improve the team that much? I found his biggest contribution was just his left foot kicking, which was okay but not great and to be honest probably should have been left to Giteau.
mania
Guest
ken - I saw him run over nonu but that's beside the point. the guys got heaps to offer on attack. but he's got loads to learn when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. if he works on his D and getting involved around the field he'll be an awesome player. has massive potential and just needs to learn the rest of the game.
Playmaker
Guest
To bring back MG and DM was a stopgap measure for the RWC. DM , actually improved the team performance. However, MG was really struggling against the better teams and in the final , he held little fear to the ABs. It was a shame that players like Toomua were not in favour by Cheika and not given an opportunity. Some of Cheika's squad selection for the RWC was a bit surprising and narrowed down his options during the tournament. So back to you question about the correct approach..at the moment " no".