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The Western Force have moved to shore up their tight-five stocks, signing former Maori All Blacks lock Tom Franklin for the 2024 Super Rugby season.
Recognising the need to stiffen up their pack, Simon Cron pounced on the services of Franklin after a strong season for Taranaki in their title-winning run in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship.
Not only will he help ease the load of Izack Rodda, with the Wallabies lock plagued by foot injuries in recent years, but he will help the development of emerging second-rowers Felix Kalapu and Jeremy Williams.
Tom Franklin regularly featured for the Maori All Blacks and will pull on the Western Force jersey in 2024. (Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Cron, who coached against Franklin during his younger years when he was at the Highlanders, said a conversation during their respective stints in Japan was a catalyst behind the experienced forward joining the Force.
“An area that we’re light on has been lock, so we’ve been looking for somebody who can add value to the team straight away,” Cron said.
“Tom has knowledge around lineouts, skills around the park and most recently he was in the winning-Taranaki team at NPC level. Talking to his forwards coach, he was a big part of that.
“I coached against Tom when he was at the Highlanders and he was one of the best defensive lineout readers that we’d coach against. I was lucky to chat to him in Japan when he was playing for Kobe and you could see what he adds.
“With the age of our tight-five forwards, we needed somebody who was a bit more experienced. Tom brings a high-skill, high-paced game with a good rugby brain and good knowledge. He’s also an awesome person who’ll help bring through a lot of our guys and play at the highest level still.”
Franklin returns to Super Rugby after a long stint with the Highlanders, where he was a part of Jamie Joseph’s 2015 championship squad.
“I’m really happy to move to Perth and join the Force,” said Franklin, who won 85 caps for the Highlanders and featured nine times for the Maori All Blacks between 2014 and 2019.
“I had a good chat to Crono and the coaches which excited me about the move, and I heard good things from ex-players like Marcel Brache who spoke about how the club is growing.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to part of something with high aspirations to go to the next level. I’m excited to be part of that and excited to be back in Super Rugby and take on the challenge.”
He is the second big name New Zealand star to join the Force, with former All Blacks prop Atu Moli joining Cron’s side in 2024.
FIJI STAR JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT
Fijian lock Api Ratuniyarawa has been jailed for sexually assaulting three women on three separate occasions in a Cardiff bar in late 2023.
The 37-year-old admitted two counts of assault by penetration and one of sexual assault at Revolution between 31 October and 2 November, 2023. All the victims were 19.
Ratuniyarawa was sentenced to two years and ten months at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday. He will serve up to half his sentence in jail, with the remainder to be served in the community.
The experienced lock, who was a late call-up to Simon Raiwalui’s Flying Fijian squad last year to feature in a third World Cup campaign, was in Cardiff to play for the Barbarians against Wales on November 4.
Api Ratuniyarawa has been sentenced to prison for three counts of sexual assault in Cardiff in late 2023. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images for Barbarians)
But he was a late scratching for the exhibition match against Wales when it emerged he had been charged with sexual assault.
The BBC reported that prosecutor Heath Edwards said Ratuniyarawa – 1.98m tall and 115kg – “cornered’’ his first victim and “put his hands down her trousers’’.
A second victim had her breasts and bottom touched while a third woman suffered a painful assault that left her bleeding and scarred.
“This is the worst possible thing he could have done to me,” one victim said.
“He’s ruined my life by what he’s done.”
Ratuniyarawa had hoped a strong performance for the Barbarians would lead to another contract after London Irish collapsed last year.
LIONS SET FOR COACHING ANNOUNCEMENT
Andy Farrell is expected to be named British and Irish Lions head coach for the 2025 tour to Australia.
A month after agreeing a contract to remain in charge of Ireland until the end of the 2027 World Cup, Farrell is set on Thursday to be also confirmed as Warren Gatland’s successor in the Lions role at a lunchtime press conference in central London.
The 48-year-old Englishman is seen as the outstanding candidate for one of the game’s most prestigious posts, having masterminded last year’s grand slam and an historic 2-1 series victory in New Zealand in 2022.
Ireland also enjoyed a lengthy stay at the summit of the world rankings under his guidance until they were forced into second place by repeat World Cup winners South Africa last autumn.
Farrell would be leading the Lions for the first time, having impressed as an assistant coach under Gatland on the 2013 and 2017 tours, and his appointment would have the blessing of the Irish Rugby Football Union.
“We’d be ecstatic if Andy was named coach of the Lions so hopefully that accolade is the next one for him,” IRFU performance director David Nucifora said in December.
In addition to his management credentials, Farrell has the benefit of coaching the nation that is expected to provide the bulk of the touring party unless England, Scotland or Wales threaten Ireland’s ascendancy over the next 18 months.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Starting off a rugby league star, the dual code international won eight caps as a centre in 2007 following his move from Wigan rugby league club and then moved into coaching, first with Saracens and then with England, serving as an assistant under Stuart Lancaster.
He joined Ireland after the 2015 World Cup and succeeded Joe Schmidt as their head coach four years later.
An inspirational figure, he has yet to experience a series defeat with the Lions, having helped clinch a 2-1 victory over Australia in 2013 and a drawn series with New Zealand in 2017.
He was unavailable for the most recent tour to South Africa due to his commitments with Ireland but there is no objection this time from the IRFU, which is likely to grant him a sabbatical.
It will be the first time the Lions have been led by anyone other than Gatland since 2009, with Wales’ Kiwi boss having already ruled himself out of the running.
Next year’s tour schedule launches against Western Force on June 28, with the first Test taking place in Brisbane on July 19.
© AAP
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