Latest news with #RodrigoIsgro
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Wingers in danger as law change unleashes chaos
The press box at Ashton Gate offers an impeccable view of the pitch, which often brings small instances – such as friendly fire during the warm-ups – to the attention. On Saturday afternoon, as the Harlequins starters were running against replacements and travelling reserves half an hour before kick-off, Rodrigo Isgro and Jake Murray charged in opposing directions to vie for a high ball. They leapt into the air and whacked into one another, with Murray coming off worse. Clearly in some pain, the young scrum-half peeled himself off the floor. Fortunately, he would be fit to come off the bench against Bristol Bears later on. Topsy Ojo, meanwhile, was preparing to commentate for BBC Radio 5 Live high up in the media seats. The former London Irish favourite winced. Fairly or unfairly, wing used to be regarded as the position where one could most easily avoid the physical stuff and keep a clean shirt. These days, chiefly because of a refereeing directive that has made a profound impact, back-three players must be immensely courageous because many believe that the pivotal battleground of aerial competition has become as perilous as anything in rugby. Fans of rugby union have become accustomed to the concept of unintended consequences and an apparent increase in aerial collisions is a result of the crackdown on 'escorting'; the practice of teams protecting their own back-field catchers by shepherding chasers after an opposition kick. Angus Gardner set a decisive tone during England's loss to New Zealand last November, demanding that players be granted 'access' to the ball, and the sport has looked different since. 'Duty of care for catcher appears to have gone' Training practices, tactics and even recruitment have been influenced. Trends are cyclical, and one source stressed the point that it is less than a decade since there was a push to protect catchers with a spate of red cards for reckless chasing. 'You are essentially encouraging contact in the air now, which only seems to get penalised if something bad happens,' a senior Premiership coach said. 'The duty of care for the catcher, which was there a few years ago, appears to have gone. I think that's very, very strange. Only a couple of years ago, we were trying to reduce those situations. Now, we're openly trying to get more of them. 'It's definitely more dangerous now, of course it is. You can go up high, at pace and bump the catcher. That's how we have to coach it. And that's very challenging because you don't want to risk injury in the week, but you have to expose them to what it is going to be like in a game. 'Catchers need to really own the space and almost go through the chaser, where the chaser has free licence to make contact. It seems very like AFL.' AFL laws allow players to call for a mark anywhere on the pitch provided the ball has been kicked 15 metres, which obviously heightens the significance of a clean catch. By last summer, escorting in rugby union had effectively become coordinated obstruction. Possession from kick-returns was so reliable that it was treated like another set-piece and the 'gloves' of backpedalling team-mates that cocooned catchers were ugly on the eye. Authorities were also eager to create more broken-field scenarios. Alex Goode, the Saracens full-back who bowed out last weekend after 402 club appearances, remains highly sceptical. 'I don't think it's better for the game,' he says. 'Escorting had probably gone too far, but it's now chaos. You've got guys running into the air and colliding with each other and the refs are in a difficult position. 'It just encourages more kicking, because there is such a good chance of winning back the ball. There was a theory that there would be more transition situations and more unstructured attack, but I don't think that's coming to fruition.' Saracens train 'live' aerial drills once or twice a week, but Goode fears that the injury situation 'will only get worse' because 'there are collisions left, right and centre'. It is understood that governing bodies are more focused on eradicating 'always illegal' actions such as shoulder charges and reckless actions against vulnerable players at the breakdown. Ben Stevenson, the Newcastle Falcons wing, copped a ban this week after being sent off for a mistimed challenge that flipped Santiago Carreras of Gloucester, showing that sanctions are still doled out. Ojo highlights Freddie Steward as an emblem of how the landscape has changed. Close to indispensable to England at one point, the Leicester Tigers full-back was usurped by George Furbank as head coach Steve Borthwick leant into kick-return as a source of attacking impetus. Steward could find himself coveted again soon because there is agreement that chasers have a big advantage. 'Before, chasers had to work a bit harder to get around the escort while keeping their eye on the ball and then getting up,' Goode adds. 'The kick had to be good and the chase was something you had to really refine to make it a skill. Now, it does seem a bit too easy to get up and spoil with one arm. I'd say that it encourages a more kick-focused game.' Andy Farrell's cohort of back-three players in the British and Irish Lions squad leaves little doubt over the importance of aerial prowess. Tommy Freeman, Mack Hansen, James Lowe, Duhan van der Merwe, Elliot Daly, Hugo Keenan and Blair Kinghorn all stand at least 6ft. Darcy Graham, who is 5ft 9in, was overlooked. 'I think [the directive] will affect recruitment strategies over the coming years,' suggested one source. 'Wingers' values had dropped, if you look at the positional stuff that comes out of the salary-cap report. People weren't spending as much money on them because they were putting it towards other areas. 'The change means a full-back who is very, very good in the air becomes more important and valuable. It will be the same for wingers who can go and get the ball. 'Will Muir is probably the best in the Premiership. He owns the space really well, he's brave in the air and goes for it with one hand a lot of the time. Kyle Steyn had a field day there on Friday night for Glasgow Warriors against Stormers as well.' The days of wings keeping a low profile and returning to the changing rooms in spotless kit are long gone. In the air, fierce commitment is critical and danger now comes with the territory.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Rugby is more dangerous for wingers than any other position
The press box at Ashton Gate offers an impeccable view of the pitch, which often brings small instances – such as friendly fire during the warm-ups – to the attention. On Saturday afternoon, as the Harlequins starters were running against replacements and travelling reserves half an hour before kick-off, Rodrigo Isgro and Jake Murray charged in opposing directions to vie for a high ball. They leapt into the air and whacked into one another, with Murray coming off worse. Clearly in some pain, the young scrum-half peeled himself off the floor. Fortunately, he would be fit to come off the bench against Bristol Bears later on. Topsy Ojo, meanwhile, was preparing to commentate for BBC Radio 5 Live high up in the media seats. The former London Irish favourite winced. Fairly or unfairly, wing used to be regarded as the position where one could most easily avoid the physical stuff and keep a clean shirt. These days, chiefly because of a refereeing directive that has made a profound impact, back-three players must be immensely courageous because many believe that the pivotal battleground of aerial competition has become as perilous as anything in rugby. Fans of rugby union have become accustomed to the concept of unintended consequences and an apparent increase in aerial collisions is a result of the crackdown on 'escorting'; the practice of teams protecting their own back-field catchers by shepherding chasers after an opposition kick. Angus Gardner set a decisive tone during England's loss to New Zealand last November, demanding that players be granted 'access' to the ball, and the sport has looked different since. Training practices, tactics and even recruitment have been influenced. Trends are cyclical, and one source stressed the point that it is less than a decade since there was a push to protect catchers with a spate of red cards for reckless chasing. 'You are essentially encouraging contact in the air now, which only seems to get penalised if something bad happens,' a senior Premiership coach said. 'The duty of care for the catcher, which was there a few years ago, appears to have gone. I think that's very, very strange. Only a couple of years ago, we were trying to reduce those situations. Now, we're openly trying to get more of them. 'It's definitely more dangerous now, of course it is. You can go up high, at pace and bump the catcher. That's how we have to coach it. And that's very challenging because you don't want to risk injury in the week, but you have to expose them to what it is going to be like in a game. 'Catchers need to really own the space and almost go through the chaser, where the chaser has free licence to make contact. It seems very like AFL.' AFL laws allow players to call for a mark anywhere on the pitch provided the ball has been kicked 15 metres, which obviously heightens the significance of a clean catch. By last summer, escorting in rugby union had effectively become coordinated obstruction. Possession from kick-returns was so reliable that it was treated like another set-piece and the 'gloves' of backpedalling team-mates that cocooned catchers were ugly on the eye. Authorities were also eager to create more broken-field scenarios. Alex Goode, the Saracens full-back who bowed out last weekend after 402 club appearances, remains highly sceptical. 'I don't think it's better for the game,' he says. 'Escorting had probably gone too far, but it's now chaos. You've got guys running into the air and colliding with each other and the refs are in a difficult position. 'It just encourages more kicking, because there is such a good chance of winning back the ball. There was a theory that there would be more transition situations and more unstructured attack, but I don't think that's coming to fruition.' Saracens train 'live' aerial drills once or twice a week, but Goode fears that the injury situation 'will only get worse' because 'there are collisions left, right and centre'. It is understood that governing bodies are more focused on eradicating 'always illegal' actions such as shoulder charges and reckless actions against vulnerable players at the breakdown. Ben Stevenson, the Newcastle Falcons wing, copped a ban this week after being sent off for a mistimed challenge that flipped Santiago Carreras of Gloucester, showing that sanctions are still doled out. Ojo highlights Freddie Steward as an emblem of how the landscape has changed. Close to indispensable to England at one point, the Leicester Tigers full-back was usurped by George Furbank as head coach Steve Borthwick leant into kick-return as a source of attacking impetus. Steward could find himself coveted again soon because there is agreement that chasers have a big advantage. 'Before, chasers had to work a bit harder to get around the escort while keeping their eye on the ball and then getting up,' Goode adds. 'The kick had to be good and the chase was something you had to really refine to make it a skill. Now, it does seem a bit too easy to get up and spoil with one arm. I'd say that it encourages a more kick-focused game.' Andy Farrell's cohort of back-three players in the British and Irish Lions squad leaves little doubt over the importance of aerial prowess. Tommy Freeman, Mack Hansen, James Lowe, Duhan van der Merwe, Elliot Daly, Hugo Keenan and Blair Kinghorn all stand at least 6ft. Darcy Graham, who is 5ft 9in, was overlooked. 'I think [the directive] will affect recruitment strategies over the coming years,' suggested one source. 'Wingers' values had dropped, if you look at the positional stuff that comes out of the salary-cap report. People weren't spending as much money on them because they were putting it towards other areas. 'The change means a full-back who is very, very good in the air becomes more important and valuable. It will be the same for wingers who can go and get the ball. 'Will Muir is probably the best in the Premiership. He owns the space really well, he's brave in the air and goes for it with one hand a lot of the time. Kyle Steyn had a field day there on Friday night for Glasgow Warriors against Stormers as well.' The days of wings keeping a low profile and returning to the changing rooms in spotless kit are long gone. In the air, fierce commitment is critical and danger now comes with the territory.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cadan Murley hat-trick helps Harlequins to emphatic win over Gloucester
Cadan Murley claimed a hat-trick of tries as Harlequins dealt a potentially fatal blow to Gloucester's Gallagher Premiership play-off hopes with a 38-19 victory at Allianz Stadium. Quins might be out of the race for a top-four finish but they delivered one of their most ruthless displays of the season in a six-try demolition that saw Rodrigo Isgro cross twice. Making their rout possible was an accommodating Gloucester defence that gave player of the match Murley, Isgro and Tyrone Green the freedom of a sun-drenched Twickenham. Marcus Smith celebrated his British and Irish Lions selection on Thursday with a commanding display that was short on fireworks but notable for the intelligent way he piloted the team around the field. Gloucester lacked hunger for the fight and paid the price with an emphatic defeat that leaves them in sixth place, three points adrift of the play-offs with two matches remaining. In a sign of their dominance, Quins had banked the bonus point by half-time with Murley crossing for two of their four tries, and they would have scored two more but for errors at crucial moments. Good fortune enabled Murley's opener with Smith's pass to Alex Dombrandt looking suspiciously forward, but there was no arguing with the quality of the finish by the England wing. Murley then showed his pace to outrun Christian Wade in a foot race before Green inexcusably dropped the ball over the line and Dombrandt saw an opportunist try disallowed for offside at the line-out. Quins quickly rallied from the setback of having successive tries chalked off, Will Evans finishing a line-out maul, and the hosts then ran amok in the face of Gloucester's defensive collapse, which was not helped by Chris Harris' departure with injury. Player after player slipped off tackles, allowing Isgro and Murley to touch down with Green impressing through his footwork. The ease of Murley's second try will give Gloucester nightmares as he ghosted into the line from a tap penalty before straightening to evade the visitors' last line of defence with ease. Only Wade's screaming finish in the 33rd minute - his 91st Premiership try, leaving him 10 behind the record held by Chris Ashton - spared the visitors from a total shut-out in the first half as their backs clicked into gear. Gloucester needed a big second half to save their Premiership season but just nine minutes in they cracked for a fifth time as Isgro raced across the field, capitalising on hesitation in the midfield to help send Murley over for his hat-trick. Dombrandt and then Ruan Ackermann were sent to the sin bin, robbing the match of both number eights, before the Quins onslaught continued with Isgro grabbing his second. Gloucester hit back through tries by Santiago Carreras and Jack Cotgreave, but it was too little too late.
The Independent
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Cadan Murley hat-trick helps Harlequins to emphatic win over Gloucester
Cadan Murley claimed a hat-trick of tries as Harlequins dealt a potentially fatal blow to Gloucester 's Gallagher Premiership play-off hopes with a 38-19 victory at Allianz Stadium. Quins might be out of the race for a top-four finish but they delivered one of their most ruthless displays of the season in a six-try demolition that saw Rodrigo Isgro cross twice. Making their rout possible was an accommodating Gloucester defence that gave player of the match Murley, Isgro and Tyrone Green the freedom of a sun-drenched Twickenham. Marcus Smith celebrated his British and Irish Lions selection on Thursday with a commanding display that was short on fireworks but notable for the intelligent way he piloted the team around the field. Gloucester lacked hunger for the fight and paid the price with an emphatic defeat that leaves them in sixth place, three points adrift of the play-offs with two matches remaining. In a sign of their dominance, Quins had banked the bonus point by half-time with Murley crossing for two of their four tries, and they would have scored two more but for errors at crucial moments. Good fortune enabled Murley's opener with Smith's pass to Alex Dombrandt looking suspiciously forward, but there was no arguing with the quality of the finish by the England wing. Murley then showed his pace to outrun Christian Wade in a foot race before Green inexcusably dropped the ball over the line and Dombrandt saw an opportunist try disallowed for offside at the line-out. Quins quickly rallied from the setback of having successive tries chalked off, Will Evans finishing a line-out maul, and the hosts then ran amok in the face of Gloucester's defensive collapse, which was not helped by Chris Harris ' departure with injury. Player after player slipped off tackles, allowing Isgro and Murley to touch down with Green impressing through his footwork. The ease of Murley's second try will give Gloucester nightmares as he ghosted into the line from a tap penalty before straightening to evade the visitors' last line of defence with ease. Only Wade's screaming finish in the 33rd minute - his 91st Premiership try, leaving him 10 behind the record held by Chris Ashton - spared the visitors from a total shut-out in the first half as their backs clicked into gear. Gloucester needed a big second half to save their Premiership season but just nine minutes in they cracked for a fifth time as Isgro raced across the field, capitalising on hesitation in the midfield to help send Murley over for his hat-trick. Dombrandt and then Ruan Ackermann were sent to the sin bin, robbing the match of both number eights, before the Quins onslaught continued with Isgro grabbing his second. Gloucester hit back through tries by Santiago Carreras and Jack Cotgreave, but it was too little too late.
BBC News
04-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Harlequins winger Isgro banned for dangerous tackle
Harlequins winger Rodrigo Isgro has been banned for three weeks for a dangerous tackle on Bath winger Joe Argentina back was cited after being yellow-carded for the head-on-head contact in the fourth minute of the game. Isgro failed a head injury assessment while he was in the sin bin and did not return to the field of play. The head injury means Isgro is unavailable for Saturday's European Champions Cup trip to Leinster, so that match will not count towards his independent disciplinary panel judged his tackle met the threshold for a red card and that his ban will begin next week, should Harlequins reach the Champions Cup quarter-final on 11 will then include the London side's Premiership game with Sale a week later. Should Quins be knocked out of Europe in Dublin on Saturday Isgro would also miss the following weekend's game with Leicester. Isgro can have his ban reduced by a week if he completes World Rugby's Coaching Intervention Programme - if he does not complete it and Quins are knocked out of Europe by Leinster he would also miss his side's Premiership game with Gloucester on 10 May.
