Caslick ruled out of Rugby World Cup
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Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Wallabies 'grub' ready for next battle with Springboks
Giant Will Skelton is relishing his role as "that grub", with the Wallabies ready to follow him into battle against South Africa in their opening Rugby Championship clash. Skelton turned Wallabies enforcer against the British and Irish Lions, unsettling the tourists with some huge hits and niggle - all while wearing a big smile. The Australians will look to Skelton to provide that same punch against the world champions on Sunday (0100 AEDT) at Johannesburg's Ellis Park, which has its own intimidation factor. The Wallabies haven't won at "the cauldron" since 1963, while their last win in South Africa was in 2011 in Durban. Fellow Wallabies forward Tom Hooper said that Skelton, playing in the Rugby Championship for the first time in two years, was up for task of taking on the game's best forward pack. "I think he'd definitely be up for that challenge and anyone who's picked in the jerseys alongside him will follow him into battle, that's for sure," Hooper said from South Africa. "It's great, he's an enforcer and that's what he's been doing for a long time now in the beautiful sport of rugby. "For want of a better word, he loves being that grub. "He loves taking it to teams physically and making the gentlemen's game a little bit more exciting so, yeah, we love playing with him as he's just a physical presence." Veteran halfback Nic White, whose retirement was put on hold due to injury in the position, said after the third Test 22-12 win over the Lions that the Wallabies didn't want to take a backward step. Despite his diminutive size, White was also a major thorn in the side of the Lions. Flanker-cum-lock Hooper said the Wallabies wanted to continue with that mindset at Ellis Park. "You've got the Great Dane in Will Skelton, and then you've got the little Jack Russell (in White) and Jack Russell's sometimes a little bit more fiery and he's nipping at the heels of those boys," Hooper said. "He (White) loves not taking a backwards step and whoever's picked in that gold jersey, that's the kind of spirit that we want to play with going forward because you can see it kind of inspires the 23 on the field. "We can't take a backwards step because we can't afford to." Named man of the match in that Sydney Test, Hooper's days in the Wallabies jersey may be interrupted as the Bathurst product is signed to play with UK club Exeter. The 24-year-old is hoping to return to earn selection for the 2027 Rugby World Cup after being a part of Australia's disappointing campaign under Eddie Jones in 2023. Hooper said he had no regrets about his decision to leave the Brumbies and play overseas. "I think the decision I made at the time was a really good decision and I still stand by that because I'm going to go over there and improve as a player," he said. "Right now my feet are in South Africa and I've got a job to do here. "I don't have a crystal ball, unfortunately, I don't know what's going to happen in my future, but I'll just keep making decisions based on being a good rugby player and hopefully playing in that gold jersey because I absolutely love it."
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Heavyweights begin 2027 World Cup squad build
With two years to go until the Rugby World Cup in Australia, this year's Rugby Championship offers an early glimpse into the plans of the southern hemisphere heavyweights as they start shaping their squads for the 2027 showpiece. South Africa and Australia open this year's championship at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, while Argentina and New Zealand clash in their round-one opener in Cordoba later in the day. South Africa are the current world champions and Rugby Championship holders, and look the team to beat again despite a tough two-Test visit to New Zealand, including their nemesis Eden Park in Auckland, where they have not won since 1937. The All Blacks swept their three-match July series against an under-strength France and will have eyes on regaining a title they have won for a record 20 times, boosted by facing their bitter old rivals at home. Australia finished their British & Irish Lions series on a high with a victory in the rain in Sydney as coach Joe Schmidt continues the Wallabies' rebuild until he hands over the reins to Les Kiss in mid-2026. Argentina, a threat to any side on their day but also prone to inconsistency, start again as underdogs but with plenty of bite. With the new Rugby Nations Championship to start in 2026, this will be the last southern hemisphere tournament until a likely shortened version ahead of the 2027 World Cup. Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has used close to 50 players this year in easy wins over Italy (twice) and Georgia, but it will be a step up in quality against Australia in Tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town in the opening two rounds. Erasmus has continued to innovate tactics and the influence of attack coach Tony Brown on their style of play has become evident. This Springboks side is vastly improved from the one that lifted the World Cup in 2019, and is arguably also superior to the winning side in 2023. But Erasmus admits a concern as to their battle-readiness after their July canter. "You can look at battle-readiness in two ways," he said. "We haven't lost a player to injury, which bodes well for the Rugby Championship, but none of the matches we played were close. "We could pick from a full squad, and we weren't challenged tactically by Italy and Georgia, but those were physical matches." New Zealand may have swept France, but the general consensus is they are still a work in progress for coach Scott Robertson after he took over from Ian Foster following the last World Cup. They have talisman Beauden Barrett back from a hand injury and it will be interesting to see who gets the nod at No.10 with Damian McKenzie also in the mix, and ahead of the return of Richie Mo'unga next year. "You've got an Aussie team that played some great footy at the back of their Test series (against the Lions)," Robertson said. "You've got the South Africans. We know how strong they are and the Argentinians on their day are so creative. It's a hell of a competition, very tight and just what we need." Schmidt is juggling several injury concerns for Australia, whose last Rugby Championship title came in 2015, but expects the key trio of loose-forward Rob Valetini, lock Will Skelton and prop Taniela Tupou to be fit for Saturday. Flyhalf Tom Lynagh and prop Allan Alaalatoa remain longer-term casualties. Argentina have several injury concerns too, but welcome back Juan Cruz Mallía, Santiago Chocobares, Marcos Kremer, Bautista Delguy, Mateo Carreras and Ignacio Ruiz from the squad that lost their July series 2-0 to an under-strength England.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Stewart's return takes on greater importance after star ruled out of World Cup
Maya Stewart's timely return for the Rugby World Cup took on even greater importance on Monday as Wallaroos trump card Charlotte Caslick was ruled out due to an ankle injury. The inclusion of Stewart, who made a rapid recovery from a knee injury to be part of Australia's World Cup squad, will somewhat temper the loss of the rugby sevens star. Caslick paused her sevens career, making a full-time switch to the 15-a-side code this year to add clout to the Wallaroos' Cup charge. The three-time Olympian was just starting to find her feet in the centres before being ruled out. Uncapped Wallaroos centre Manu'a Moleka has been called up for Caslick, who could still feature as an injury replacement later in the tournament. But, having a fighting fit Stewart back in the squad is a huge boost. Three years on from making her Wallaroos debut with a singular appearance at the last World Cup in New Zealand, the Nelson Bay flyer is now an established lethal weapon on the international stage. Stewart has quickly become Australia's all-time leading tryscorer and was named Wallaroos player of the year in 2024. The NSW Waratahs star will be a focal point of the Australian attack as they face Samoa (August 23), United States (August 31) and hosts England (September 7) in the group phase with an eye on reaching the quarter-finals. "I was such a young kid, probably a bit naive at the last World Cup," Stewart said. "Rolling into this World Cup, I feel more evolved as a player and a bit more established and keen to rip into a few games. "I've probably changed a bit, maturing and playing more footy and spending a bit more time in the international set-up. "So it's kind of cool to go from being a naive 22-year-old debuting at a World Cup, which is crazy, but now I'm 25 and I feel at a different place in my career." Stewart's World Cup dreams looked shattered in May when the barnstorming winger sustained a knee injury playing a Test against Fijiana in Fiji. After two previous long-term injuries - the 25-year-old has torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in both knees - she feared the worst. "Once you had a few serious injuries, you know when something's not right," Stewart told the Newcastle Herald before flying to England on Monday afternoon bound for the World Cup. "I didn't sleep that whole night in Fiji. I just wanted to get home. I couldn't get a scan over there and I was fully convinced I'd done my ACL, and I wasn't going to the World Cup." It turned out to be a meniscal injury, which was "more painful" but less serious than a torn ACL. After three months on the sidelines, Stewart marked her return to action in Australia's 36-5 win over Wales at North Sydney Oval on August 1 with a try. "They probably thought my rehab was going to be a bit quicker than what it was, but for me, I would rather go a little bit slower, miss a few more games and have it really right for the big event," Stewart said. "I felt really good in that game." Stewart produced a player-of-the-match performance as the Wallaroos beat Scotland 31-22 in South Africa in October last year to claim the WXV2 trophy and secure World Cup qualification. They have played seven Tests, five on home soil, in the past three months to prepare for the tournament. "[Last year's performance] was reassuring, considering we've only just started to go full-time," Stewart said. "It shows the potential of where our program is at and it gives you more confidence; with a bit more time together and a bit more training, that's the sort of performances that we can produce. "It's really nice leading into this knowing off the back of '24, we've had some time together. It's really simple stuff, just a little bit more training, connections here and there and being able to nut out a bit more classroom work as well. "The program is still not centralised, but, with the amount of time that we're having in camps and dedicated to Test matches, it feels like we almost are." Hunter products Layne Morgan, Kaitlan Leaney and Ashley Marsters are also in the Wallaroos' World Cup squad in England. Australia's best result in seven Cup appearances is third. Maya Stewart's timely return for the Rugby World Cup took on even greater importance on Monday as Wallaroos trump card Charlotte Caslick was ruled out due to an ankle injury. The inclusion of Stewart, who made a rapid recovery from a knee injury to be part of Australia's World Cup squad, will somewhat temper the loss of the rugby sevens star. Caslick paused her sevens career, making a full-time switch to the 15-a-side code this year to add clout to the Wallaroos' Cup charge. The three-time Olympian was just starting to find her feet in the centres before being ruled out. Uncapped Wallaroos centre Manu'a Moleka has been called up for Caslick, who could still feature as an injury replacement later in the tournament. But, having a fighting fit Stewart back in the squad is a huge boost. Three years on from making her Wallaroos debut with a singular appearance at the last World Cup in New Zealand, the Nelson Bay flyer is now an established lethal weapon on the international stage. Stewart has quickly become Australia's all-time leading tryscorer and was named Wallaroos player of the year in 2024. The NSW Waratahs star will be a focal point of the Australian attack as they face Samoa (August 23), United States (August 31) and hosts England (September 7) in the group phase with an eye on reaching the quarter-finals. "I was such a young kid, probably a bit naive at the last World Cup," Stewart said. "Rolling into this World Cup, I feel more evolved as a player and a bit more established and keen to rip into a few games. "I've probably changed a bit, maturing and playing more footy and spending a bit more time in the international set-up. "So it's kind of cool to go from being a naive 22-year-old debuting at a World Cup, which is crazy, but now I'm 25 and I feel at a different place in my career." Stewart's World Cup dreams looked shattered in May when the barnstorming winger sustained a knee injury playing a Test against Fijiana in Fiji. After two previous long-term injuries - the 25-year-old has torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in both knees - she feared the worst. "Once you had a few serious injuries, you know when something's not right," Stewart told the Newcastle Herald before flying to England on Monday afternoon bound for the World Cup. "I didn't sleep that whole night in Fiji. I just wanted to get home. I couldn't get a scan over there and I was fully convinced I'd done my ACL, and I wasn't going to the World Cup." It turned out to be a meniscal injury, which was "more painful" but less serious than a torn ACL. After three months on the sidelines, Stewart marked her return to action in Australia's 36-5 win over Wales at North Sydney Oval on August 1 with a try. "They probably thought my rehab was going to be a bit quicker than what it was, but for me, I would rather go a little bit slower, miss a few more games and have it really right for the big event," Stewart said. "I felt really good in that game." Stewart produced a player-of-the-match performance as the Wallaroos beat Scotland 31-22 in South Africa in October last year to claim the WXV2 trophy and secure World Cup qualification. They have played seven Tests, five on home soil, in the past three months to prepare for the tournament. "[Last year's performance] was reassuring, considering we've only just started to go full-time," Stewart said. "It shows the potential of where our program is at and it gives you more confidence; with a bit more time together and a bit more training, that's the sort of performances that we can produce. "It's really nice leading into this knowing off the back of '24, we've had some time together. It's really simple stuff, just a little bit more training, connections here and there and being able to nut out a bit more classroom work as well. "The program is still not centralised, but, with the amount of time that we're having in camps and dedicated to Test matches, it feels like we almost are." Hunter products Layne Morgan, Kaitlan Leaney and Ashley Marsters are also in the Wallaroos' World Cup squad in England. Australia's best result in seven Cup appearances is third. Maya Stewart's timely return for the Rugby World Cup took on even greater importance on Monday as Wallaroos trump card Charlotte Caslick was ruled out due to an ankle injury. The inclusion of Stewart, who made a rapid recovery from a knee injury to be part of Australia's World Cup squad, will somewhat temper the loss of the rugby sevens star. Caslick paused her sevens career, making a full-time switch to the 15-a-side code this year to add clout to the Wallaroos' Cup charge. The three-time Olympian was just starting to find her feet in the centres before being ruled out. Uncapped Wallaroos centre Manu'a Moleka has been called up for Caslick, who could still feature as an injury replacement later in the tournament. But, having a fighting fit Stewart back in the squad is a huge boost. Three years on from making her Wallaroos debut with a singular appearance at the last World Cup in New Zealand, the Nelson Bay flyer is now an established lethal weapon on the international stage. Stewart has quickly become Australia's all-time leading tryscorer and was named Wallaroos player of the year in 2024. The NSW Waratahs star will be a focal point of the Australian attack as they face Samoa (August 23), United States (August 31) and hosts England (September 7) in the group phase with an eye on reaching the quarter-finals. "I was such a young kid, probably a bit naive at the last World Cup," Stewart said. "Rolling into this World Cup, I feel more evolved as a player and a bit more established and keen to rip into a few games. "I've probably changed a bit, maturing and playing more footy and spending a bit more time in the international set-up. "So it's kind of cool to go from being a naive 22-year-old debuting at a World Cup, which is crazy, but now I'm 25 and I feel at a different place in my career." Stewart's World Cup dreams looked shattered in May when the barnstorming winger sustained a knee injury playing a Test against Fijiana in Fiji. After two previous long-term injuries - the 25-year-old has torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in both knees - she feared the worst. "Once you had a few serious injuries, you know when something's not right," Stewart told the Newcastle Herald before flying to England on Monday afternoon bound for the World Cup. "I didn't sleep that whole night in Fiji. I just wanted to get home. I couldn't get a scan over there and I was fully convinced I'd done my ACL, and I wasn't going to the World Cup." It turned out to be a meniscal injury, which was "more painful" but less serious than a torn ACL. After three months on the sidelines, Stewart marked her return to action in Australia's 36-5 win over Wales at North Sydney Oval on August 1 with a try. "They probably thought my rehab was going to be a bit quicker than what it was, but for me, I would rather go a little bit slower, miss a few more games and have it really right for the big event," Stewart said. "I felt really good in that game." Stewart produced a player-of-the-match performance as the Wallaroos beat Scotland 31-22 in South Africa in October last year to claim the WXV2 trophy and secure World Cup qualification. They have played seven Tests, five on home soil, in the past three months to prepare for the tournament. "[Last year's performance] was reassuring, considering we've only just started to go full-time," Stewart said. "It shows the potential of where our program is at and it gives you more confidence; with a bit more time together and a bit more training, that's the sort of performances that we can produce. "It's really nice leading into this knowing off the back of '24, we've had some time together. It's really simple stuff, just a little bit more training, connections here and there and being able to nut out a bit more classroom work as well. "The program is still not centralised, but, with the amount of time that we're having in camps and dedicated to Test matches, it feels like we almost are." Hunter products Layne Morgan, Kaitlan Leaney and Ashley Marsters are also in the Wallaroos' World Cup squad in England. Australia's best result in seven Cup appearances is third. Maya Stewart's timely return for the Rugby World Cup took on even greater importance on Monday as Wallaroos trump card Charlotte Caslick was ruled out due to an ankle injury. The inclusion of Stewart, who made a rapid recovery from a knee injury to be part of Australia's World Cup squad, will somewhat temper the loss of the rugby sevens star. Caslick paused her sevens career, making a full-time switch to the 15-a-side code this year to add clout to the Wallaroos' Cup charge. The three-time Olympian was just starting to find her feet in the centres before being ruled out. Uncapped Wallaroos centre Manu'a Moleka has been called up for Caslick, who could still feature as an injury replacement later in the tournament. But, having a fighting fit Stewart back in the squad is a huge boost. Three years on from making her Wallaroos debut with a singular appearance at the last World Cup in New Zealand, the Nelson Bay flyer is now an established lethal weapon on the international stage. Stewart has quickly become Australia's all-time leading tryscorer and was named Wallaroos player of the year in 2024. The NSW Waratahs star will be a focal point of the Australian attack as they face Samoa (August 23), United States (August 31) and hosts England (September 7) in the group phase with an eye on reaching the quarter-finals. "I was such a young kid, probably a bit naive at the last World Cup," Stewart said. "Rolling into this World Cup, I feel more evolved as a player and a bit more established and keen to rip into a few games. "I've probably changed a bit, maturing and playing more footy and spending a bit more time in the international set-up. "So it's kind of cool to go from being a naive 22-year-old debuting at a World Cup, which is crazy, but now I'm 25 and I feel at a different place in my career." Stewart's World Cup dreams looked shattered in May when the barnstorming winger sustained a knee injury playing a Test against Fijiana in Fiji. After two previous long-term injuries - the 25-year-old has torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in both knees - she feared the worst. "Once you had a few serious injuries, you know when something's not right," Stewart told the Newcastle Herald before flying to England on Monday afternoon bound for the World Cup. "I didn't sleep that whole night in Fiji. I just wanted to get home. I couldn't get a scan over there and I was fully convinced I'd done my ACL, and I wasn't going to the World Cup." It turned out to be a meniscal injury, which was "more painful" but less serious than a torn ACL. After three months on the sidelines, Stewart marked her return to action in Australia's 36-5 win over Wales at North Sydney Oval on August 1 with a try. "They probably thought my rehab was going to be a bit quicker than what it was, but for me, I would rather go a little bit slower, miss a few more games and have it really right for the big event," Stewart said. "I felt really good in that game." Stewart produced a player-of-the-match performance as the Wallaroos beat Scotland 31-22 in South Africa in October last year to claim the WXV2 trophy and secure World Cup qualification. They have played seven Tests, five on home soil, in the past three months to prepare for the tournament. "[Last year's performance] was reassuring, considering we've only just started to go full-time," Stewart said. "It shows the potential of where our program is at and it gives you more confidence; with a bit more time together and a bit more training, that's the sort of performances that we can produce. "It's really nice leading into this knowing off the back of '24, we've had some time together. It's really simple stuff, just a little bit more training, connections here and there and being able to nut out a bit more classroom work as well. "The program is still not centralised, but, with the amount of time that we're having in camps and dedicated to Test matches, it feels like we almost are." Hunter products Layne Morgan, Kaitlan Leaney and Ashley Marsters are also in the Wallaroos' World Cup squad in England. Australia's best result in seven Cup appearances is third.
