Israel Folau
David Pocock
Australian Wallaby stars Israel Folau and David Pocock are doubts for the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal with Scotland on Sunday.
However, they are both expected to train on Wednesday, coach Michael Cheika said.
Folau is trying to shake off an ankle problem that forced him off in the 33 / 13 whipping of hosts England and appeared to restrict his freedom of movement in the thrilling 15 / 6 victory over Wales last weekend.
Pocock, a revelation after being switched to No 8 from flank, is still battling a calf muscle injury that saw him leave the Wales game early and at a crucial period when they were down to 13 men.
There was better news regarding centre Matt Giteau, who is set to return to training after missing Tuesday’s session.
Jonny Sexton in tears after injury
Ireland are holding out hope that injury-hit flyhalf Jonny Sexton will be fit for Sunday’s quarterfinal against Argentina, according to assistant coach Les Kiss.
Sexton limped off after 25 minutes of Ireland’s hard-fought 24 / 9 victory over France last Sunday, a win that saw them undefeated in Pool D and avoiding a last-8 clash against defending champions New Zealand.
“Jonny has a slight adductor strain. There’s been some improvement. Hopefully we’ll see a little bit more on Wednesday and that’ll give us a clearer picture,” said Kiss.
“Each day will give us some more information.”
Kiss insisted head coach Joe Schmidt would not be rushed into a decision about picking Sexton, for whom Ian Madigan came on against the French, putting down his own marker with an astute play-making display.
“We have to be pragmatic about what works and it will probably come down to the last minute when we make the decision,” Kiss said.
Here’s a quick summary of the Diciplinary Sanctions imposed on cited players of remaining Quarterfinal Countries – Argentina, Ireland and Scotland – following the weekend’s last Pool Stage games in the Rugby World Cup of 2015.
- Marcelo Bosch of Argentina is suspended for 1 week, for a dangerous tackle
- Sean O’Brien of Ireland is suspended for 1 week, for striking a player
- Ross Ford of Scotland is suspended for 3 weeks, for his participation in a dangerous tip takle against Samoa
- Jonny Gray of Scotland is suspended for 3 weeks, for his participation in a dangerous tip takle against Samoa
Rugby World Cup organisers have announced that Wayne Barnes, Nigel Owens, Jérôme Garcès and Craig Joubert will referee the Rugby World Cup 2015 quarterfinals this weekend.
England’s Wayne Barnes will take charge of the 1st match on Saturday between South Africa and Wales at Twickenham Stadium, London (Kick-Off 17:00 SA Time, 16:00 UK Time, 15:00 GMT) and will be joined by Assistant Referees George Clancy (Ireland) and JP Doyle (England) with the Television Match Official being Graham Hughes, also of England.
Later the same day, New Zealand take on France at the Millennium Stadium (Kick-Off 21:00 SA & French Time, 20:00 UK Time, 19:00 GMT) in a repeat of the Rugby World Cup 2011 final, with Nigel Owens of Wales refereeing the game at his union’s home ground. On the line will be Jaco Peyper of South Africa and John Lacey of Ireland while the Television Match Official will be South Africa’s Shaun Veldsman.
The 3rd quarterfinal between Ireland and Argentina in Cardiff (Kick-Off 14:00 SA Time, 13:00 UK Time, 12:00 GMT) on Sunday will be refereed by Jérôme Garcès of France with his countryman, Romain Poite, and New Zealand’s Chris Pollock as Assistant Referees. George Ayoub (Australia) will be the Television Match Official.
The final match of the stage will take place at Twickenham on Sunday (Kick-Off 17:00 SA Time, 16:00 UK Time, 15:00 GMT) between Australia and Scotland and will be refereed by Craig Joubert (South Africa). He will be assisted by Glen Jackson (New Zealand) and Pascal Gauzere (France) with Ben Skeen (New Zealand) the Television Match Official.
Heyneke Meyer
His body language on match day is so often a dead giveaway, and Heyneke Meyer is the 1st to admit that he “stresses”.
So don’t expect the Springbok coach to be getting the best sleeps of his life in the build-up to Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against Wales at Twickenham (17:00 SA Time).
After all, he is facing arguably the most pivotal, “crossroads” game of his coaching career, when you think about it.
Not even the achievement of making the Bulls the 1st South African franchise to win Super Rugby in its properly pro-era incarnation in 2007 can be considered to rank as high in gravitas as this maiden knockout fixture at a Rugby World Cup for the very recently-turned 48-year-old from the Lowveld.
Unlike predecessor Peter de Villiers in 2009, Meyer has not had the opportunity to steer the Springboks through what might be considered next in line for heavyweight status after Rugby World Cup, a visit to our shores by the British & Irish Lions (next tour only due in 2021).
His tenure since 2012 has not yet brought the fruit of a Rugby Championship success, although he does warrant great credit for overseeing successive sweeps of European end-of-year tours in both 2012 and 2013, at a time of season when South African players are seriously vulnerable to fatigue.
Considering the unexpected degree of turbulence in the Springbok results column during the current season (including that Rugby World Cup-opening Japan shocker), reaching the semifinals of this tournament, all things considered, can probably be deemed as just about a “par” achievement for Meyer in his 1st exposure to a Rugby World Cup.
Japanese players celebrate after beating the Springboks
Japan’s rugby players received a heroes’ welcome on their return home Tuesday after their stunning Rugby World Cup campaign boosted the popularity of a sport in the country.
Although they failed to make it through the qualifiers, Japan came away with 3 victories – including an astonishing win over South Africa in their opening game.
They became the 1st nation to take 3 group games but still fail to reach the quarterfinals.
After the team flew back to cheers from fans gathered at Haneda airport, coach Eddie Jones hailed the Brave Blossoms as “new sporting heroes”.
“What a fantastic achievement for the team,” he said in a nationally televised press conference at a Tokyo hotel ballroom, a rare treatment for the sport in a country where baseball, sumo wrestling and football reign supreme.
“They have changed Japanese rugby. Everyone talks about hard work. I worked hard. But more importantly they played with courage, not only physical courage but also mental courage,” said the former Australia boss.
Pennyhill Park Hotel
The Springboks welcomed the chance to take over England’s posh base at Pennyhill Park this week, saying it would allow them to focus away from all the distractions of the Rugby World Cup.
The base, which is set in the Surrey countryside, feels like a continent away from the hustle and bustle of London, and requires most journalists 2 trains and a 20 minute cab ride to even get to the plush 120 acre estate.
But the base, even though it is in the middle of nowhere, has been set up perfectly for England’s ill-fated campaign, with an indoor pitch, training area and gym as well as a manicured outdoor pitch now at the beck and call of the Springboks for the remainder of the competition.
Ironically while England would have used the base for the entirety of the competition had they stayed in this year’s Rugby World Cup, but the team that was actually allocated the base because of the draw – Michael Cheika’s Australian team – turned it down and opted for the Springbok base last week at the Lensbury in Teddington.
The absolute difference in opulence is apparent when you arrive in Ascot to take the final steps towards the new Springbok base and one is greeted by a McLaren dealership, where prices resemble some of the most expensive houses in South Africa, not to mention the nearby famous Ascot racecourse.
DHL Western Province head coach John Dobson has announced his team for Friday’s 2015 ABSA Currie Cup semifinal clash against the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
Fullback Cheslin Kolbe, winger Seabelo Senatla, centre Johnny Kotze, flanker Rynhardt Elstadt, lock Ruan Botha, prop Steven Kitshoff and hooker Bongi Mbonambi all return to the DHL WP starting 15 this week, hardman Elstadt’s return the big news after missing his team’s last 4 encounters with a thigh problem.
Skipper Juan de Jongh will lead the defending champions into battle in Pretoria, partnering Johnny Kotze in midfield, with Senatla, Dillyn Leyds and Kolbe forming a razor-sharp back 3.
Nic Groom and Robert du Preez will comebine at halfbacks, with experienced scrumhalf Jano Vermaak back on the bench after missing DHL WP’s last 2 matches with a groin strain.
Prop Oli Kebble has shaken off an ankle injury to be named on the bench, where he is joined by lock Chris van Zyl – who, like Kebble, started last Friday’s 45 / 14 win over the EP Kings at DHL Newlands.
James O’Connor
Former Wallaby James O’Connor will return to Europe after the Queensland Rugby Union made the decision to release the Reds’ player from his contract.
O’Connor joined the Reds on a 2-year deal ahead of the 2015 season, but due to a number of personal matters, which the Queensland Rugby Union (QRU), Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and the Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA) have been aware of since May, the QRU has agreed to release him from his 2nd year.
QRU CEO Jim Carmichael said: “James has experienced a difficult time personally since returning to Australia and we’ve been aware of that for some time. It is disappointing that James was not able to reach his full potential while he was with us but after a great deal of thought, we believe it is in his and the Reds’ best interests that we exercise our release clause in his contract.
“Therefore, James will return to Europe where he feels the spotlight on him is less intense. In our discussions, we’ve agreed that should James return to Australia to play rugby in the future, the Reds will have the 1st and last rights to secure his services.”
A Scots rugby fan spoke of his anger after he was refused the sale of a scarf at the official Rugby World Cup store because he had a Scottish £ 20 note.
Peter Mechan had gone to see the Fiji vs Uruguay match on Tuesday and decided to browse the merchandise store for a souvenir.
He picked out a scarf and tried to pay with a Scottish £ 20 note he’d picked up on a recent visit to Edinburgh, but he said he was left “insulted” and upset when staff said they were not allowed to accept his cash.
Peter, 52, a senior IT project manager who lives in Milton Keynes, later returned to the store to try again and filmed his confrontation with the shop staff.
And after posting the video to Facebook, it was shared more than 4 500 times and scored 156 000 views in just 15 hours.
The Rugby News Service stats team have been doing their sums during the Pool phase of Rugby World Cup 2015 and have come up some intriguing and illuminating figures.
8 741 – Days between Japan’s 1st World Cup victory and their 2nd, against South Africa in Pool B on the opening weekend. They waited only 14 days to achieve their 3rd against Samoa.
2 020 – Points scored in the Pool phase at Rugby World Cup 2015, the lowest since the Rugby World Cup’s Pool phase was extended to 40 matches in 2003, an indication of the improving competitiveness of the 20 teams at the Rugby World Cup.
1 013 – Caps in the starting 15 of New Zealand’s team against Argentina, a world record for a test.
231 – Tries scored so far at Rugby World Cup 2015 in England, the fewest since the Rugby World Cup’s Pool phase was extended to 40 matches in 2003.
The agony etched on the face of Ireland’s iconic captain Paul O’Connell said it all. Clutching a hamstring during the 24 / 9 win against France on Sunday, the giant lock’s pain was physical and emotional. The group stages were where his Rugby World Cup 2015 would end.
As bruised and battered players take a deep breath, head for the ice baths and prepare to go again in the quarterfinals, some of their less-fortunate teammates will be forced to watch those matches from the stands, or on television.
The withdrawal of O’Connell on Tuesday, hard on the heels of fellow Ireland players Jared Payne and Peter O’Mahony, means that all 8 teams left in the competition will enter the knockout stages depleted, in some way, by injuries.
Ireland: Paul O’Connell replaced by Mike McCarthy:
Paul O’Connell’s 108-Test career is over after the Ireland captain sustained a severe hamstring injury in the victory over France in Cardiff on Sunday.
The 35-year-old lock will have surgery this week and not play again at Rugby World Cup 2015.
He led Ireland in 28 Tests and was also captain in 3 of his 7 Tests for the British and Irish Lions.
His replacement, Mike McCarthy, will join the squad in Cardiff on Tuesday.
The Springboks are likely to be at full strength when coach Heyneke Meyer picks his team to face Wales in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinal at Twickenham.
The Springboks reunited after going their separate ways for 4 days with their wives and girlfriends, exploring all parts of London – with 1 or 2 even heading across to France for their recess, and it was apparent that the Springboks would be able to select from all 31 in the squad when they make their team announcement on Wednesday.
While there were no new injuries, it seems Bok veterans JP Pietersen and Victor Matfield could also be fit for selection after overcoming their injuries that kept them out of the USA game.
Another player who missed that match, Jannie du Plessis, is also set to be fit for selection when the team is decided upon.
Ireland have moved up 2 places to 3rd in the World Rugby Rankings after beating France in the Rugby World Cup Pool D decider on Sunday.
Joe Schmidt’s side, who topped the pool with their 24 / 9 win against Les Bleus, have leapfrogged Wales (4) and South Africa (5) in the rankings, which are published by World Rugby every Monday.
7 Of the 8 Rugby World Cup 2015 quarter-finalists feature in the Top 8 of the rankings; the exception being Scotland, who remain 1 place below England in 9th position.
Under the points exchange system used to calculate rankings, sides take points off each other based on the match result; whatever 1 side gains, the other loses. Such points exchanges are doubled during the Rugby World Cup to recognise the unique importance of the event.
Ireland flanker Seán O’Brien and Argentina centre Marcelo Bosch have been cited for alleged acts of foul play.
Liam Williams injured against Australia
Liam Williams joined Wales’ World Cup casualty list after he was ruled out of the rest of the tournament on Sunday with a foot injury.
The 24-year-old Scarlets wing limped off with a foot problem during the 2nd half of Wales’ 15 / 6 Pool A defeat by Australia’s Wallabies at Twickenham on Saturday.
“Disappointing news out of camp this morning. Liam Williams ruled out of Rugby World Cup with foot injury,” said a statement on the Welsh Rugby Union’s Twitter feed on Sunday.
He is the 6th member of Wales’ original Rugby World Cup squad to be ruled out because of injury following Leigh Halfpenny, Rhys Webb, Scott Williams, Hallam Amos and Cory Allen.
Williams had to overcome a foot injury just to gain a place in coach Warren Gatland’s original 31-man squad.
Peter O’Mahony
Ireland flank Peter O’Mahony will play no further part in the Rugby World Cup after suffering knee ligament damage in his team’s victory over France.
There were continuing doubts over the future participation of captain and lock Paul O’Connell and flyhalf Jonny Sexton, who both went off injured in a ferocious 1st half of Sunday’s match won 24 / 9 by the Irish at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
“Peter O’Mahony suffered a knee ligament injury and is returning to Dublin. He will play no further part in the World Cup,” said Ireland team manager Michael Kearney.
“Paul O’Connell suffered a significant hamstring injury and was hospitalised overnight.”
Sexton, who limped off in the 25th minute, sustained a “groin injury” and was awaiting scans later Monday, Kearney said.
Jonny Gray
Ross Ford
Ross Ford and Jonny Gray are in danger of missing Scotland’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against the Australian Wallabies, after both were cited on Monday.
1st Choice hooker Ford and lock Gray, who forms an effective partnership with older brother Richie, have been cited for a lifting tackle during Scotland’s thrilling 36 / 33 win over Samoa on Saturday.
Their hearing will take place in London on Tuesday morning and will be heard by English lawyer Christopher Quinlan.
Taqele Naiyaravoro
Glasgow Warriors new signing Taqele Naiyaravoro says he’s looking forward to making his debut for the club.
The Australian international winger, who arrived in Glasgow 9 days ago, trained with his new teammates at Scotstoun last week.
The Warriors return to Guinness PRO12 action on Friday night when they host the Dragons and Naiyaravoro says he would love to be involved in that game.
Taqele Naiyaravoro said: “I’m very excited and glad to finally be here. It’s beena long process, but it’s all good.
“I’d like to be involved in the game on Friday night, after missing the game last week (against Munster), but it’s been good having had a week of preparation. If I’m involved this week it will be an honour to play my 1st game for this club at the home ground and I hope the fans can come out and give me a warm welcome.”
Naiyaravoro, who has signed a 3-year contract with the Warriors, made his Australia debut against the USA last month, scoring a try with his 1st touch of the ball after coming off the Wallabies bench.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) on Monday confirmed the kick-off times and match officials for the semi-finals of the ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division and the various junior competition playoff fixtures.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls host the DHL Western Province this coming Friday at Loftus Versfeld and the starting time for the 1st Premier Division Semi-final in Pretoria is 19:00 SA Time (17:00 GMT).
On Saturday, the Xerox Golden Lions host the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in the 2nd playoff match at the Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg. Kick-off time is 13:45 SA Time (11:45 GMT).
Referee Marius van der Westhuizen will take charge of the Pretoria encounter while Jaco van Heerden will referee the Johannesburg match.
Both ABSA Currie Cup Semi-finals clashes will be televised live on SuperSport 1.
The 2 ABSA Under 19 A-Division playoff matches are scheduled for this coming Friday, while the 2 playoff matches in the ABSA Under 21 A-Division are scheduled for Saturday.
Kieran Read sitting on the ‘Naughty Chair” after being Yellow Carded in the Tonga game
The New Zealand All Blacks’ image as surefire Rugby World Cup winners is starting to fade.
Not only critics, but also the team’s fans, are beginning to question coach Steve Hansen’s master plan.
Even Kieran Read, the stand-in captain for Friday’s 47 / 9 win over Tonga, admitted there were problems to be addressed.
Hansen put on a bold front after the game, declaring himself “very happy” with the way things are going.
“What’s happening now is irrelevant. What happens next week will be and it’s about maintaining performances from here on in and winning,” he said after Tonga finally folded at St James’ Park.
“We had a plan and we stuck to that plan now we have to wait to see if it works.”
John Smit
Cell C Sharks CEO, John Smit, has a message for disappointed Sharks fans after the team’s failure to reach the Currie Cup semifinals.
After playing to a 34 / 34 draw to the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein at the weekend, the Durbanites finished 5th on the overall Currie Cup Log, to miss out on a playoff spot.
The Cell C Sharks appeared to have the game in the bag, leading 34 / 20 with 4 minutes remaining, but 2 late converted tries gave the Toyota Free State Cheetahs a draw – and a place in the semifinals at the expense of the Cell C Sharks.
Smit wrote a message to fans on the Cell C Sharks’ official Facebook page.
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs clinched a dramatic 34 / 34 draw on Saturday against the Cell C Sharks in Bloemfontein to finish 4th on the ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division Log, and in doing so, they booked themselves a Semifinal clash against the Xerox Golden Lions next weekend in Johannesburg.
The Free State Cheetahs scored 2 converted tries in the in last 5 minutes at the Free State Stadium, while replacement fullback Neil Marais slotted the vital conversion after the final hooter to draw the 2 teams level in Bloemfontein and at the same time shatter the Cell C Sharks’ playoff hopes. The Free State Cheetahs finished 2 points above the Cel C Sharks on the final Log with 24 points.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls finished 2nd on the Log after they edged the Steval Pumas 25 / 24 in Nelspruit on Friday and they now meet 3rd-placed DHL Western Province in Pretoria in the playoffs. The Blue Bulls versus WP clash is set for this coming Friday evening at Loftus Versfeld.
In Cape Town, DHL Western Province finished their league commitments with a bonus-point 45 / 14 win over the Eastern Province Kings. Runaway Log leaders, the Xerox Golden Lions, completed the round-robin phase unbeaten with 10 wins after their much changed side defeated the ORC Griquas 29 / 19 in Johannesburg.
USA Eagles (8) 18 / 28 (17) Brave Blossoms (Final Score)
The United States Eagles and Japanese Brave Blossoms did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester at 21:00 SA Time (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT, 15:00 US Eastern Time, Monday 04:00 Japan Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Ireland (9) 24 / 9 (6) France (Final Score)
Ireland and France did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 17:45 SA Time (17:45 French Time, 16:45 BST, 15:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Italy (22) 32 / 22 (3) Romania (Final Score)
The Italian Azzurri and Romania did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Sandy Park, Exeter, England at 15:30 SA Time (15:30 Italy Time, 16:30 EEST, 14:30 BST, 13:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Los Pumas (36) 64 / 19 (7) Namibia (Final Score)
The Argentinian Los Pumas and Namibia did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Leicester City Stadium, Leicester, England at 13:00 SA Time (13:00 Namibia Time, 08:00 ARG Time, 12:00 BST, 11:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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England (21) 60 / 3 (3) Uruguay (Final Score)
England and Uruguay did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Manchester City Stadium, Manchester, England at 21:00 SA Time (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT, 16:00 Uruguay Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Wallabies (9) 15 / 6 (3) Wales (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and Wales did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Twickenham Stadium, London, England at 17:45 SA Time (16:45 BST, 15:45 GMT, Sunday 02:45 AEST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Samoa (26) 33 / 36 (23) Scotland (Final Score)
Samoa and Scotland did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
St James’ Park, Newcastle at 15:30 SA Time (14:30 BST, 13:30 GMT, Sunday 03:30 Samoa Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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FS Cheetahs (17) 34 / 34 (13) Sharks (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and Cell C Sharks did battle in the ABSA Currie Cup at
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 14:00 SA Time (12:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 2 on TV in SA.
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Leone Nakarawa
Leone Nakarawa and Fiji ended their RWC 2015 campaign with a 47 / 15 win over Uruguay, and with 32 pool matches completed across the tournament, the lists that measure individual performance in the tournament are almost all marked with a bit of the Glasgow Warriors’ lock.
As of 8 October, Nakarawa leads the tournament for offloads (10) and turnovers won (9), meaning the lock forward steals ball like David Pocock and offloads like Sonny Bill Williams. Or rather, they do it like he does, as he is ahead of both of them on the list of their respective specialities.
He is also 5th for most runs made (42), 7th for carries over the gainline (19), and in the top 20 of another 2 categories: 16th for most metres made (177m) and 20th for most tackles made (34). His presence in so many of the lists indicates a player who is, at the very least, central to the action in defence, and a huge threat in attack.
And huge is the right word. Nakarawa stands 1.98cm and weighs 117kg (6ft 6in, 18st 6lb), but his body frame is very much in proportion, which keeps him agile and quick. His agility allows him to stoop and steal ruck ball, and adjust his body shape for offloads; his speed allows him to utilise space and break the gainline when opportunities present themselves.
England coaches Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree will have restricted access to the England changing room and tunnel for England’s final Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool A match against Uruguay after being found to have breached the Match Officials Protocol that regulates communication between team members, coaches and match officials on match day. The breaches occurred during England’s match against Australia at Twickenham on 3 October.
Following submission of the usual post-match report, which identified the incident, members of the England coaching staff were investigated by the Rugby World Cup Disciplinary Officer for an alleged breach of the Match Officials Protocol, which prohibits unauthorised contact between coaches and team members with match officials on match day, in order to protect the integrity of the game. This includes the pre-match and halftime periods, which is when contact between Farrell, Rowntree and the assistant referees occurred.
All Blacks (14) 47 / 9 (3) Tonga (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and Tonga did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
St James’ Park, Newcastle, England at 21:00 SA Time (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT, Saturday 08:00 NZ & Tonga Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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