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
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…
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.
1 @ rebop75:
hahaha
a very good read
@ 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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