Rugby News: Eddie asks 'how much more can he find?' as Wright deal confirmed, Kolisi boost for Boks

Tom Wright’s two-year deal extension with the Brumbies and Wallabies, first reported in The Roar a fortnight ago, has been confirmed by the teams.

Wright has played 22 times for the Wallabies and is the favourite to wear the No.15 jersey for Australia this season after an impressive Super Rugby campaign.

The 25-year-old has made a permanent shift to fullback for the Brumbies in his fifth season at the club following the departure overseas of Tom Banks.

 
“I’m happy to have my future sorted and to be staying in Canberra with the Brumbies,” Wright said in a statement.
 
“Moving down from Sydney almost five years ago now, I had goals and aspirations that the Brumbies helped me achieve. A move to the Brumbies has been the best decision I’ve made and I’m grateful to the club, coaches and my teammates for their support and I’m excited for the next couple of weeks and the run to finals.
 
“The chance to represent Australia was and is the greatest honour for me as a player and like anyone, I’m doing everything I can to make sure I can continue to wear Wallaby gold and achieve success in that jersey.”
 
Wallabies head coach, Eddie Jones said: “Tom has the ability to be the world’s best fullback.”
 
“That’s the challenge for him, how much more can he find?”
 
ACT Brumbies coach, Stephen Larkham added:: “We’re thrilled to have Wrighty re-sign with the club.”
 
“We all know what Wrighty can do on the field, but what people don’t see is his leadership around the group, his voice in training and in defence. That’s been a part of his game that has really impressed me.
 
“At 25, he’s only coming into his prime now but there’s no doubt he has world class attributes and with more and more consistency, can be a pillar of success for this club moving forward.”

Meanwhile former Brumbies coach Dan McKellar has signed two of his ex players to join him at Leicester Tigers, having released Harry Potter back to Australia.

Exeter’s Solomone Kata and Ulster’s Sam Carter have been brought in by McKellar for his debut season in England.

Siya at the World Cup

South Africa are confident captain Siya Kolisi will be fit for the World Cup after undergoing knee surgery last month and the Springboks will give him as much time as possible to be ready even if he misses the opening games.

Kolisi suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury playing for the Sharks against Munster in the United Rugby Championship last month, but according to South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber is “hitting his markers” in terms of his recovery.

He said Kolisi was on track to be fit for the Word Cup, which kicks off in France in September and where South Africa will be defending the trophy that Kolisi lifted in Japan four years ago.

“You will recall that Siya was injured back then as well and did not play through most of the build-up to the tournament,” Nienaber told a press conference on Thursday.

“He didn’t lead the team when we won the Rugby Championship that year, and, from memory, he only played off the bench in our final warm-up Test in Pretoria before our departure and then he played in the game we played in Japan two weeks before the start of the tournament.

“We’ve been through this before and we know that Siya can play at a World Cup and do a good job of leading the team as that was what happened in 2019.”

South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said he hoped that Kolisi might even be ready for one of the warm-up Tests against Argentina, Wales and New Zealand.

Siya Kolisi. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)

Kolisi will be given right up until the tournament to prove his fitness because of his vital role with the side. 

“He’s our captain,” said Erasmus. “It’s because he is captain that we are doing this. Even if he misses the first game against Scotland.”

South Africa will continue preparations for France with a camp in Pretoria next week and will name a squad of between 32 and 35 players after Saturday’s URC final between Stormers and Munster in Cape Town.

This will be followed a fortnight later by a final squad for this year’s Rugby Championship, where the Boks take on Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.

South Africa open the defence of their World Cup against Scotland on September 10 in Marseille.

‘It’s money time’

Liam Wright is tipping Harry Wilson’s return to the Queensland Reds’ starting line-up will help spoil the Highlanders’ Aaron Smith farewell party in Dunedin.

Wilson, Super Rugby Pacific’s most penetrating ball-runner, was used off the bench in the side’s last two games.

He still had an impact, scrambling in defence as the Reds notched a historic win over the Chiefs in New Zealand, before scoring a try in a deflating loss to the Blues.

He’ll resume his backrow partnership with long-time mate Wright at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday, when the traditionally rowdy crowd will send off Japan-bound All Blacks halfback great Smith after 13 seasons.

The ninth-placed Highlanders (19 points) are four points behind the seventh-placed Reds entering the penultimate round.

They could draw level with them and jump the Western Force (eighth, 22 points) into the finals picture if results go their way this weekend.

A loss would effectively end their season though and keep the Reds kicking ahead of a final-round clash with the Drua (10th, 17th points) in Fiji.

“It’s money time now,” Wright said.

“Plenty of reasons for them to play, a lot of good reasons for us to go out and try and spoil the party.”

Wilson has averaged 11 carries over the gain line per 80 minutes this season, more than any other player in the competition.

“He’s pumped … the finer details of his game, they’ve always been there, but (he’s now) understanding the importance of how big a role he can play when he does his role really well,” Wright said of Wilson.

“He’s such a good person to have next to you and thrives playing in New Zealand.”

The Reds have been heavily reliant on Wallabies’ World Cup hope Wilson this season, but found other avenues in a win over the ladder-leading Chiefs that broke a 10-year drought in New Zealand.

“It gave us the belief that when we play the right way … good things can go our way,” Wright said. 

“It was nice to not let a close game slip; it shows what we can do and that’s what it’s going to take tomorrow.”

The Highlanders have won their last five games against the Reds but have not won back-to-back home games since June 2021.

Smith returns to ABs

Former All Blacks coach Wayne Smith, who won the women’s World Cup with the Black Ferns last year, is returning to both the Black Ferns and All Blacks in a new role as Performance Coach across both teams..

New Zealand Rugby announced Smith’s job will include “mentoring and supporting the respective head coaches and enhancing the quality of coaching delivery across the two teams.”

Smith has already started working with Black Ferns director of rugby Allan Bunting but will join the men’s program when Scott Robertson takes over from Ian Foster after the World Cup.

“I have a deep connection and love for any team that wears the black jersey and particularly the Black Ferns and the All Blacks,’’ Smith said.

“I also have strong relationships with the respective head coaches and many of the players, so it feels like this role across the two teams is a natural fit, and one where I can hopefully add and contribute to both environments.”

(With AAP)