Waratahs young gun Will Harrison will be sidelined for the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in the Super Round loss to the Chiefs.
The 22-year-old was hurt late in the first half when Quinn Tupea ran through him for the second of his tries.
Harrison left the field in obvious pain and clutching his knee and a Waratahs spokesman confirmed the diagnosis everyone had feared to The Roar on Monday.
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has revealed the inspiration his team has taken from NRL giants Melbourne Storm after visiting the club in the lead up to their Super Round victory over Melbourne Rebels.
The long-time cross-code relationship between the two powerhouse clubs continued in Melbourne at AAMI Park over the weekend.
Robertson and his coaching staff spent time with Bellamy’s NRL team, viewing training and also sat in on their team meeting ahead of their Anzac Day clash with the Warriors.
Bellamy returned the favour before the Crusaders trounced the Rebels 42-17 at AAMI Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Crusaders have a theme for each season, in 2017 drawing inspiration from Muhammed Ali’s underdog victory in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’.
Robertson said he had previously used the Storm to inspire his troops.
“They’re just a real great club and one year we use them as our theme – Purple Reign – and a lot of their trademarks and standards or behaviours that they use are really well aligned,” he said.
“We do a lot of work with them and it’s a great relationship.”
Like Bellamy, who toured overseas in the post-season to learn from other great sporting clubs, Robertson said it was important to keep growing.
“You get in your own four walls a lot and do what you’re used to so each year you’ve got to find a way to get better,” he said.
“When you go to other teams you might only get one or two little things that might tweak some of your philosophy stuff or, be a really big idea that you’re going to run with.”
Robertson joked there were other ways the two clubs could benefit and that Bellamy was looking to swap Crusaders playmaker Richie Mo’unga for Cameron Munster.
“Craig is trying to sign Richie Mo’unga and exchange him for Cam Munster but I don’t know if we could handle Cam,” he laughed.
Brumbies pair Nick Frost and Nic White are reportedly set to knock back deals to play in Japan to stay loyal to Australia.
Fox Sports reports that Frost, who had already agreed to join Robbie Deans’ Panasonic Wild Knights, is close to backing out of the deal after receiving encouragement to stay in Super Rugby.
White, meanwhile, told reporters after the Brumbies’ Super Round win that he wanted his future sorted quickly amid speculation he was mulling a seven-figure deal to play in Japan.
Fox reported that White was also set to ignore the big money on offer in Japan to help drive the Wallabies World Cup campaign.
“The news hoses down fears the walls are crumbling down around Fortress Australia, with the governing body only tweaking their eligibility laws earlier this year,” wrote Christy Doran for Fox.
Stan Sport’s Sean Maloney joins The Roar experts Brett McKay and Harry Jones for this week’s edition of The Roar Rugby Podcast. Stream it here or like and subscribe in your podcast app of choice.
“A closer examination will see the Wallabies are quickly developing depth in every position, with multiple strong options right the way through the lineup with the exception of fullback and hooker, even if questions around the sustainability of five Super Rugby franchises remain.
“Securing Taniela Tupou and Suliasi Vunivalu is next on the agenda, with Rugby Australia confident both men will remain in the game.
Vunivalu is said to want to appear at next year’s World Cup, while RA wants to pin down Tupou sooner rather than later.”
The Waratahs women’s team narrowly lost the Super W final to Fijiana on the weekend, without any of the men’s team sticking around to cheer them on.
The Tahs have said they were victim to scheduling issues. Michael Hooper was in Melbourne but had another engagement, according to Georgina Robinson in the Sydney Morning Herald, who took aim at the Tahs hierarchy over the issue.
“No one in Tahland thought it was an important enough occasion to change a few flights,” wrote Robinson on Monday.
“That’s an abysmal failure of leadership. Sure, the players posted a video on the team ‘socials’ wishing the women well.
“Then the NSW captain and the Wallabies captain stayed behind in Melbourne and didn’t go to the game. You know what that looks like?
It looks like the solidarity was for show, but when the rubber hit the road the Waratahs’ priorities were clear. Tah tough? It wasn’t the Waratahs men this weekend.”
New Zealand will struggle to host the Rugby World Cup again if the comments from New Zealand Rugby boss Mark Robinson are anything to go by.
New Zealand won the 1987 and 2011 tournaments as hosts and Robinson told Newstalk ZB radio the size of the competition made it a challenging event to host.
With Europe hosting the men’s and women’s tournaments in 2023/25, and Australia and the USA likely to follow, 2035/37 is the next World Cup hosting bid opportunity for New Zealand.
“I guess it comes up in passing, but not a formal discussion point,” said Robinson.
“It’s really interesting, the stage of the World Cup, the size of the tournament, for a country like New Zealand to be able to host it.
“[If you look at] Government support in Australia, the size of stadia, the expectation World Rugby has to drive revenue to reinvest in the game across the world, it will be really challenging for New Zealand. We’ll have to be very creative as a country if we are ever to broach that subject again.
“Look how big France is going to be in the revenue generation, what’s been talked about in Australia, and we know in America the size of stadium and the massive commercial grunt behind sport.
“The context and expectation is shifting all the time. We’ll keep it on the radar but we’ll have to be very innovative to bring something like that to New Zealand in the future.”
(With AAP)
Hugh_96
Roar Pro
That maybe the case & as I said its no the end of the world but it is another example of Waratahs' management demonstrating it isn't yet up to the mark for a professional franchise, a missed opportunity & poor optics. All things the organisation can't afford.
Dally M
Roar Rookie
Not to mention that the Super W final wasn't originally scheduled to be on in Melbourne that weekend. Therefore the men's players flights would need to have been changed at a cost, availability of flights is still not crash hot, and players like Hooper had other pre-booked arrangements. Media beat up over nothing.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Whatever Hooper’s other engagement was in Melbourne was undoubtedly deemed worthwhile as well. I imagine he would have attended if I he didn't have other work to do, but sometimes it doesn't work out.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Did any fly from another city just for the occasion?
JC
Roar Rookie
Harrison’s is a particularly nasty one. Must be feeling pretty down right now. Looked like the incident was just unfortunate, but in general I kind of feel that we need to reset how we see rugby. It’s become too much a collision game rather than a contact game, which goes against the grain of making rugby safer. One other problem with the media trying to make something of the Tahs men not attending the Super W final is that it makes the players wary of interacting with mainstream and social media if they feel they might unwittingly get themselves or other players into trouble. Right now we need as much exposure as possible for the game and players, not less.
wahwah100
Roar Rookie
Could a contributing factor be that so much time is spent in the gym to strengthen and increase bulk, so naturally big guys just get bigger and naturally smaller guys can only do so much? Therefore more injuries will continue to happen.
Wooliej
Roar Rookie
I agree! So sorry for Will Harrison. So tough for the young ones-getting such serious injuries at a prime time in their life. It is a worry. I feel the Tahs mens team have been used to try and force an agenda. The NSW teams were on the road. The men have been away for a bit and have a pending game this weekend. The game was on a different day. I’m sure if the games were in Sydney it would have been more likely and the journos may have a better point. I was disappointed in the Offsiders program presenting the NSW men’s team as ‘villains’. I don’t think the players should be used to feed an agenda.
Dean
Roar Rookie
Astute observations mate. SMH is not the example of lovely real and professional journalism that it was in years gone by. Bandanna man takes a lot of joy in baiting our game. He/They and the publication represent the extreme example of a Born again, reformed smoker, ex tree chopper but now sings for her/his/their/them supper.
JC
Roar Rookie
Small inside backs often have big boppers coming at them too. I do feel that a lot of our youngsters are very injury-prone and wonder if this is connected to the number and intensity of collisions these days, particularly when bodies are still growing.
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
JC..i am wondering about smallish guys at the back like harrison..they seem to be more prone to injury when big backs run at..
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
Ozinsa..Doran reported Frosty to stay long before it was posted on the roar..there is one report that I am sceptical on from him about tongan thor not happy about how he is being managed in reds camp due to workload and so are looking to move either to the force or overseas..another couple of reds players also not happy but not sure what their reasons are..
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
See above. Or below. Depending on how you sort.
Morsie
Roar Rookie
Hooper is not the captain of the Tahs.
Hugh_96
Roar Pro
Don't really agree. While not the end of the world I think it would have been important for some players to attend and probably for Hooper to attend. This would demonstate that it is important and worth watching/ supporting. Then you may get supporters of the men's team think maybe it's worth watching the men. Also in terms of growth all businesses/ sport start ups need investment, the women's game just needs investment.
Mirt
Roar Rookie
Hear hear, Rhys
DJ
Roar Rookie
Completely disagree with you. Plenty of Brumbies men turned up to support the SuperW Brumbies last home game against the Force. Fijiana we’re playing brilliant all season and any and every club would be wanting their club mates there to give support and show how much it means to the club for a chance to win the GF. Happens in local games from 1sts through to 5ths.
JC
Roar Rookie
What a rotten run of injuries Harrison has had. Really feeling for him and hoping his recovery goes smoothly. Great news that White and Frost may be staying around. Love for Lee-Warner to reconsider too. Bit of a missed opportunity for the Tahs men to show solidarity with the women but understandable when you consider the late scheduling of the Super W final. A few years ago, the men got off a flight from NZ and went straight to Leichhardt Oval to support the women in Super W. It’s not the big deal the SMH is making out. But closer connections between the programs can only be positive.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Some positive reporting on rugby by Fox? Who’d have thought it? I don’t envy Doran his role, so glad to see him writing stuff that isn’t just slagging the game
Kris
Guest
Bellamy school involves grappling and wrestling techniques, Storm used those techniques throughout, winning premierships. whereas with NRL everything goes, it would be unpleasant to say the least, seeing it in Rugby games. Maybe The Roar's boffins could take a look at yesterday's game and check how Crusaders started to applying those techniques entering rucks?
ethan
Guest
Fantastic news if Frost can back out of the Japan deal and stay in Oz. Reds would happily take him if there's too many locks at the Brumbies!