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It has been a big weekend for the international coaching merry go round with huge news for two of the biggest names in the game.
Eddie Jones is reportedly on the brink of signing an eight-year deal to coach the United States, while Scott Robertson has been named as the frontrunner to replace Jones at England.
Australian Jones will leave England after next year’s World Cup, a tournament the USA has failed to qualify for after being beaten in a playoff by Portugal.
The US will host the tournament after next. The World Cup domes to Australia in 2027 and then America in 2031.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported Monday that Jones has cooled on the idea of a return to Australia. He had been linked to a director of coaching role after the World Cup in France next year.
“The deal is not set in stone, with Georgia – fresh from beating Wales on the weekend – also courting the former Randwick hooker,” the Herald reported.
Meanwhile Robertson has had talks with the England Rugby Football Union over replacing Jones.
The RFU expects to finalise its appointment in May – and Razor is one of three candidates along with Ronan O’Gara and Steve Borthwick.
Australian sevens ace Charlotte Caslick has been named the World Rugby female sevens player of the year for a third time after her team’s dominant season.
The Australian playmaker has won Olympic gold, Commonwealth Games gold, a Sevens World Cup and three World Series titles across a nine-year career with the Aussie Sevens team and announced she was hoping to play a debut Test next year.
Caslick used her speech to urge Australian rugby to put more resources into the women’s XV a side game.
The Wallabies had one player in the men’s Dream Team for 2022 – winger Marika Koroibete – while no Wallaroos made the female equivalent.
Underlining her status as the world’s best sevens player Caslick took home back-to-back titles while she also won the award in 2016.
Her teammates Maddison Levi and Faith Nathan were also in the final four with the emerging pair central to Australia’s 2022 triple crown.
The team finishes the year with a haul that included Commonwealth Games gold and a World Cup, as well as their World series triumph.
“I think we’ve just had a really fun year,” Caslick said after she was presented with her award by Prince Albert.
“We have a great group of girls with Maddi (Levi) and Faith (Nathan) also nominated but the whole squad has been awesome all year.
“As a group, we’ve really reflected on the past 18 months from the Tokyo Olympics and that disappointment and really turned it around.”
Men’s sevens captain Nick Malouf and livewire teammate Corey Toole were also short-listed but the award went to Ireland’s Terry Kennedy.
Other award winners included Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier and New Zealand five-eighth Ruahei Demant, who won men’s and women’s players of the year.
Van der Flier was part of the world No.1 Irish team that claimed a historic first series win over the All Blacks in New Zealand in July while Demant, also a first-time nominee, captained the Black Ferns to the Women’s World Cup title.
Coach of the year was Wayne Smith, who turned the Black Ferns into world champions seven months after he was appointed.
The breakthrough players were Italy fullback Ange Capuozzo, ahead of Australian-raised Irish winger Mack Hansen, and New Zealand back Ruby Tui.
England’s Abby Dow scored the women’s try of the year in their clash with Canada, denying Australia’s Emily Chancellor.
Chilean Rodrigo Fernandez, won the men’s equivalent with his try against USA in July, ahead of the finalists who included the Wallabies’ Lalakai Foketi.
There was a beautiful moment at the awards ceremony as New Zealand’s Ruby Tui was presented with a World Cup winner’s medal along with her award as the 15s breakthrough player of the year.
The colourful Kiwi had given her medal away to a young fan after the win over England.
All Blacks halfback TJ Perenara is in doubt for the World Cup after rupturing an Achilles in the draw with England at Twickenham.
Perenara came off the bench to replace Aaron Smith in the 64th minute but had to be helped from the field near the end of the 25-25 stalemate.
Perenara had fought his way back into favour from the fringes this year to play the final two tests off the bench.
“TJ has ruptured his Achilles,” said coach Ian Foster.
“We’re gutted for him. It’s the 78th minute, and he’s innocuously gone to chase a kick, and it’s gone bang which hurts.”
France have completed a calendar year of Test rugby with their first perfect winning record, after toppling a competitive Japan 35-17.
France’s 10th win in 10 Tests in 2022, and their third defeat of Japan this year, never looked in doubt after the opening minutes on Sunday.
The Tricolores dominated up front and steadily built a 21-3 lead by halftime.
Then the rain stopped, the play opened up, and Japan were more comfortable with a dry ball.
Both sides added two tries each and took a lap of honour in front of a packed crowd that savoured the occasion at Stadium de Toulouse.
Victory also extended France’s year-long record winning streak to 13 Tests, and they go into the new year – World Cup year in their home country – threatening the men’s world record of 18 straight wins.
The Japanese will return to Toulouse for the Rugby World Cup, with the south-west city being their base. The stadium will host two of their games.
Damian Penaud scored two tries and, even without suspended captain Antoine Dupont, the home side ended up scoring four tries to Japan’s two.
Stand-in skipper Charles Ollivon and Anthony Jelonch crossed for the other two French tries and Thomas Ramos kicked three penalties and three conversions.
Japan’s tries came in the second half from Naoto Saito and Siosaia Fifita with Seungsin Lee slotting over two conversions and a penalty.
Japan looked a lot more competent than they did when losing 52-13 to England at Twickenham last week and kept the French at bay until the hour mark when Penaud finished off an expansive move for his second try and his 21st in 37 internationals.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.