Rugby News: 'Belter': ANZAC XV could play Lions, Retallick learns fate after red card, Kolbe returns for Boks

Australia and New Zealand have started talks about selecting an ANZAC XV to face the British and Irish Lions on their 2025 tour down under.

Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has told the Daily Mail that the combined team is on the cards.

It would be the first time in 36 years that a combined Wallabies and All Blacks selection played the Lions. The Lions won that game in 1989 19-15, although the fixture was tainted by trans-Tasman rivalry and the ANZAC team was weaker than hoped.

Only three All Blacks – Kieran Crowley, Steve McDowell, and Frano Botica – featured in the 1989 Anzac XV along with leading Wallabies like David Campese, Nick Farr-Jones, Michael Lynagh and Simon Poidevin.

Twelve All Blacks withdrew and only Crowley was a current international.

“We’ve talked to the Kiwis about hosting an ANZAC team against the Lions in 2025 and they’re considering the idea,” McLennan said.

“I’m in no doubt it would be a belter and we’d sell the MCG out with 100,000 fans.

“The best of the Wallabies and the All Blacks against the Lions would create enormous global coverage.”

McLennan has been in tense negotiations with the New Zealand Rugby union over the future of Super Rugby beyond next year, but he said a resolution was near.

“All is good with the Kiwis now, we’re friends again and we’d be happy to give them a cut,” said McLennan.

Retallick learns red card fate

All Black Brodie Retallick is out of matches against Wales and Scotland after copping a two-match ban following his dismissal against Japan.

Retallick will be free to return for the All Blacks’ last tour match against England on November 19.

He was sent off for a dangerous clean-out in the 65th minute of the 38-31 win in Tokyo on Saturday, having plunged into a ruck and driven his shoulder into the head of Japan back-rower Kazuki Himeno.

He appeared before a disciplinary committee on Tuesday and accepted he committed an act of foul play, but did not accept the offence was worthy of a red card.

The committee upheld the red card and reduced a six-match ban by 50 per cent because of what it said was Retallick’s “excellent disciplinary record and the mitigating factors.”

To get an extra game off the sanction, and therefore be available to play against England, Retallick must successfully complete the coaching intervention program he requested.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster said: “They have deemed he was guilty of a red card threshold. We accept that. It was a fair hearing.

“He has got a great record. He has played 99 Tests and never been red carded before. It’s a tough experience for him, but it is what it is.

“Our verdict is it was a pretty legitimate clearout, but he went too low and hit the back of the neck, so you have to accept that in the game.

“It was certainly good to hear they saw there was no intention to hurt. It was just really a technique that he didn’t quite get right.

“As a coach, you never see two weeks as good news, but the nice thing for him is he is available (to play against England). He’s telling me he’s already going to pick himself for the English Test, so we will just wait and see.”

All Blacks centre David Havili added: “He is a massive leader in our team and I am gutted that he can’t be on the field for the next couple of weeks.

“But he is going to do his thing to get back and having him around the group is huge for us. There’s a lot of young players in this squad, with a few older boys going home, so it’s a great thing to have him around and he will be working his butt off to get back in the jersey.”

The All Blacks play Wales in Cardiff on Saturday and Scotland at Murrayfield on November 13.

Kolbe returns at No.15

Cheslin Kolbe will play his first test at fullback when he makes a return to the South Africa team against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.

Kolbe, better known for runs down the wing, suffered a broken jaw against Wales in July and returns in a surprise switch by the Springboks, who start the first of four November internationals in Europe.

Kolbe replaces Willie le Roux from the side that beat Argentina 38-21 in the Rugby Championship in September. Coach Jacques Nienaber announced two further backline changes on Tuesday but keeps the same pack.

Damian Willemse will be the five-eighth after missing the last test, replacing veteran Frans Steyn, while Kurt-Lee Arendse is on the wing for the injured Canan Moodie.

Cheslin Kolbe celebrates after scoring. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

“Damian has done well for us at flyhalf, and he is continuing to grow as a player in that role, while we think Cheslin has the potential to add a new dimension to our game at fullback,” Nienaber told a virtual news conference.

“He was sidelined for a while after breaking his jaw against Wales, but he has played four 80-minute matches for Toulon since returning to play, and we are confident that he will step up to the challenge.”

Nienaber said he expected Ireland to be a major challenge, particularly at home.

“Ireland are the top ranked team in the world currently and they’ve shown in the past that they can be a force to be reckoned with in Dublin,” he said.

“Obviously we are a long way out from the World Cup, but we have a limited number of matches left before the competition and the preparation doesn’t get better than playing a side we will face in the World Cup and the number one side in the world.

“This match is important for us for many reasons, one of which is to test our player combinations with the World Cup less than a year away,” he added.

Team: 15-Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Damian Willemse, Jaden Hendrikse, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (c), Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff

Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Deon Fourie, Kwagga Smith, Faf de Klerk, Willie le Roux. 

Meanwhile Ireland star Johnny Sexton is playing down his side’s status as the top ranked team ahead of the match against the world champions.

“Honestly, it’s not something we talk about that much,” said Sexton.

“It’s not a goal to become number one in the world. That might sound stupid, in some sports it is, like golf or tennis but in rugby the rankings matter once and it’s like three years out from the World Cup when they matter, which doesn’t make that much sense either.

“But you don’t speak about being….to be number one in the world, you need to win the World Cup, that’s where the goals are.

“Obviously you want to be the best in Europe, you want to win the Six Nations, so those sort of goals have nothing to do with being world number one.

“I don’t think too many teams read too much into it, I know the other teams will probably refer to us now, trying to put pressure on us, but we don’t speak about it.”

Brumbies appoint new GM

The Brumbies have appointed former Waratahs and Rebels player Chris Thomson as General Manager (GM) of Professional Rugby and Pathways.
 
In a statement, the Brumbies said: “Thomson was High-Performance Project Manager for Pathways and Player Development at World Rugby, where he was instrumental in the establishment and activation of the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika and their entry into Super Rugby Pacific; ensuring their alignment to the Fijian, Samoan and Tongan National Programs and Pathways.  
 
Chris was heavily involved in the creation of cross-border competitions, Super Liga Americana de Rugby (South America) and the Rugby Europe Super Cup (Continental Europe), where he managed World Rugby’s investment into both competitions.  Additionally, Chris was responsible for delivering World Rugby’s High Performance Combines in the Pacific Islands and USA, and established USA Rugby’s National Academy in 2019, which a critical development mechanism in preparation for hosting RWC 2031.
 
“A former professional player with the NSW Waratahs, Melbourne Rebels and French side Racing Club Narbonne, after retiring through injury in 2014, Thomson first transitioned on to the coaching staff of the Melbourne Rebels, before moving into Team Management roles at the club.  Chris was the inaugural General Manager for Fijian Drua, departing after the team was crowned as Champions of the National Rugby Championship in 2018.  
 
“Thomson joins the club to replace outgoing GM of Professional Rugby and Pathways Chris Tindall, who led the program from the end of 2018 to two Super Rugby Semi-Finals and the 2020 Super Rugby AU title.”