Matt Giteau

Matt Giteau

Matt Giteau said he would love to return to Twickenham with the Wallabies at this year’s World Cup after guiding Toulon to a 3rd straight European title.

Giteau was at flyhalf in an all-star international backline featuring Wales’s Leigh Halfpenny and South Africa’s Bryan Habana as Toulon beat French rivals Clermont 24 / 18 in the European Rugby Chamions Cup Final at Twickenham on Saturday.

Having made his Test debut as a 20-year-old at Twickenham back in 2002, Giteau effectively called time on his 92-cap Australia career when he signed for Toulon after failing to be included in the Wallabies’ squad for the 2011 World Cup.

But he was given a route back into the international arena when the Australia Rugby Union announced last month it was relaxing its hardline stance barring overseas-based players from representing the Wallabies.

“I signed over here knowing I wouldn’t play Test rugby again,” said Giteau after Saturday’s match. “Now the rules have changed, it’s a possibility. I had no idea it was coming, but I’m happy it has.

“It’s very exciting for Australian rugby that they’ve changed that (the eligibility rules). For me in particular, it doesn’t change a great deal until I’m contacted.”

Saturday’s match was just about the nearest thing to Test standard without being a full international.

“It’s as similar as you are going to get to Test match rugby,” said the 32-year-old Giteau.

“I’ve always been reasonably confident, without being arrogant. I enjoy playing big games.

“Given the opportunity, it would be great to play Test match rugby again. But I haven’t played it in a long time.”

Someone else who did their prospects of a Test recall no harm on Saturday was Toulon’s Drew Mitchell, with the Wallaby wing scything his way past 6 players for a sensational match-clinching try 10 minutes from time as he reminded Australia coach Michael Cheika of his enduring class.

“I’m a bit biased, because he’s my best mate, but to see him do something so special was amazing,” said Giteau.

“Obviously, he feels pretty good about it and he’s got his new mouthguard, his gold mouthguard, out there as well so he’s quite happy about that.”

But Giteau said there was far more to Mitchell’s game than try-scoring.

“It’s not just that,” Giteau insisted. “There’s a lot of things defensively, he made some really good decisions and under the high ball he was solid.

“For me, he always performs on the big stage. It’s not for me to say if he should be selected or not, but I would think he’s in the top 30 players in Australia.

“That would be my opinion. But we’re not selectors, we just go out there, play the best we can and then see what happens.”

2-Times champions Australia have been drawn in a World Cup pool with tournament hosts England and Wales, meaning 1 of the sport’s heavyweights will bow out from the so-called ‘group of death’ at the 1st Round stage, with only 2 going through to the quarterfinals.

“It’s amazing to be part of a World Cup,” said Giteau. “I was fortunate enough to play in 2, 1 in Australia (when the Wallabies lost to England in the final in 2003) and 1 in France (when England beat them in the quarterfinals).

“They are phenomenal occasions to be a part of and I wouldn’t write out Fiji (also in the same 2015 pool as Australia).

“They are obviously a good team and can cause some upsets.

“The World Cup is a great thing to be involved in, if I’m not playing, I’ll be over here doing some speaking gigs, surely,” joked Giteau.

 

rugby365

4 Responses to Matt Giteau plans return to Wallabies & Twickers

  • 1

    As you obviously did not see the final of European Cup here is a brief report

    2.25 am
    In his London hotel room, Nigel Owens wakes up in tears. Thick drops of sweat on his forehead. He is breathing heavily as a shark player this year after two minutes.The Welsh referee has just realized every decision he will take will favour a French Team.
    He can not find sleep again.
    2.26 am
    Juan Martin Hernandez wakes up affraid. His neighbour Bakkies Botha is whispering loud in his sleep Danie DANIE oh Danie.
    JMH turns and falls asleep again.

    7.15
    Steffon Armitage eats Bacon and eggs
    7.16
    Mathieu Bastaraud eats fish and chips
    7.17
    Nick abendanon eats Bacon and eggs
    7.18
    Mathieu Bastaraud eats another fish and chips
    7.19
    Bakkies Botha makes a giant barbecue in his room
    with boiled chicken
    7.20
    Mathieu Bastaraud eats fish and chips
    7.21
    Chris Adendanon and steffon Armitage share beans
    What a wonderful world is rugby !!!

    7.35
    Carl Hayman kills a frozen lamb with his hands

    8.15
    French wake up
    they ask Bastaraud what he had for breakfast
    They turn back to the buffet
    and wonder why there is only frog on canapé with mint sauce

    11.15
    Press conference of the president of Toulon
    Mourad Boudjelall can not answer to the quizz Why this final was in Twickenham
    Though he had several clues
    No english team won since 2007
    Only 3 finals out of 20 were held in France
    Only a quarter of the final occured with two french teams
    Pitiful

    11.59
    Bernard Laporte crosses Mathieu Bastaraud in front of a fish and chips

    12.13
    Mathieu Bastaraud retreats

    16.43
    Brock James is bit nervous
    16.44
    Delon Armitage drink his 32th beer
    16.45
    Delon Armitage goes out of the toilet
    16.45
    Brock James can not avoid the door
    16.46
    Camille Lopez will begin for Clermont

    17.00
    Nigel Owens allows a French team the kicking start

    17.02
    Huge opportunity for clermont
    Chris Abendanon makes the flip flap
    Nalaga is alone against a somebody
    Some meters to go

    The rhino is back
    and impales himself into the somebody
    knock
    Baaaaad

    Replay
    Habana from the left wing was the nobody

    Baad

    17.05
    Drop for ASM
    Carl hayman jumps
    replay
    he did
    counter the ball
    Trivia: you can not be a high jumper but you can be a captain

    17.08
    Cudmore charges
    3:0 ASM
    Cudmore out

    17:11
    Owens
    blah blah
    yellow
    behave

    17:14
    Halpenny trapped
    Lopez
    6:0

    well
    the big guys advance the other don’t
    Toulon 3
    Toulon 6
    toulon 9

    In between
    Parra (offside) counters the kick
    then Fofana
    11:9

    17.39
    in your 22
    1 minute to go
    YOU kick in touch
    not clermont
    Once
    Twice

    TRY for Toulon
    Basta

    Half time
    Clermont 11 Toulon 16

    For us French it is done
    how can you win
    when you miss the reception of every kick
    are under domination in scrum

    well
    they fight
    at the beginning

    too bad a dum penalty
    11:19
    great defense from toulon

    but they
    want to play
    a dumbed kick from habana
    Halfpenny under
    nobody covering
    abendanon kicks in the middle
    passes classy Hayman who could have torn him away
    A try

    clermont is back
    18:19
    but where
    28 minutes to go

    another miss under a high kick
    williams almost scores a try

    and 4 minutes later
    Drew Mitchell
    passes 6 defenders

    Halfpenny too kind to miss the conversion
    and clermont again on the attack
    no meter won

    a kick
    a bad kick
    and this is done
    Toulon
    won

    too many misses for clermont to hope something
    a deserved win
    for toulon

    and michalak (not playing again) definitely
    the lucky charm
    look where toulouse and the sharks are since he left…

  • 2

    1 @ rebop75:
    The match was on TV here in South Africa, unfortunately it overlapped with the Super Rugby on SA soil this weekend.

    I had the opportunity to watch the game today, as it was also re-broadcast on our TV channels.

  • 3

    1 @ rebop75:
    hahaha

    a very good read

  • 4

    @ rebop75:

    Lol..good one…. quite accurate except they missed the pie and mash that Mathieu Bastaraud managed to gulp down between fish and chips 1 and fish and chips 11.

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