Ireland’s most decorated rugby player is in the twilight of his career after spending 15 years at provincial side Leinster. After over 200 competitive appearances for the club and nearly a century of caps for the Boys in Green he felt it was time to try something new.

Before returning to his boyhood Gaelic football club Cooley Kickhams for a few games, he spent six months down under playing for Western Force.

Speaking at a media event for the new season of rugby on Premier Sport yesterday, Kearney spoke about his short stay in Australia:

“I had a great time away in Australia. It was almost the perfect final six months for me to get away and I’d always planned to play outside Ireland, and I suppose the older I got and the longer my contracts with Leinster and the [Irish Rugby] Union went on, the less likely it became.”

Rob Kearney has just scored his first Super Rugby try for the Western Force.

Great draw and pass from Kyle Godwin, Domingo Miotti and Richard Kahui to move the ball into the space here#BLUvFOR #SuperRugbyTT #IrishAbroad pic.twitter.com/pCSoc3wnQd

— EK Rugby Analysis (@ek_rugby) June 12, 2021

The Louth man only managed eight caps while playing for the Perth club, scoring a single try against the Blues.

The accomplished defender noted the challenges when moving to the new club. He understood that Southern hemisphere rugby was more focused on attack than defense and he knew he could still improve in places.

“[If] you’re a 35-year-old fullback, the changes have already been made for you, I was down there very much with the mindset that aerial game, kicking game, backfield coverages was going to be the areas, to play my strengths,” added Kearney.

Rob Kearney had form in this area of course.

Remember that time he did this from a similar position of the pitch for Ireland ‘A’ against New Zealand Maori in 2006. pic.twitter.com/8Kxyqlv4yf

— Cian Tracey (@CianTracey1) April 14, 2020

While in Australia, he also found some of the cultural differences to be a shock. Although the Wallabies have been a powerhouse in international rugby for many years, it is still not one of the more popular sports in the country.

Union rugby has to compete with the ASL, cricket, and emerging soccer to get more schoolboys and girls playing the game in the fields.

Because of this, Kearney understands the importance of the nation’s double victory of the Springbok, especially the home win on Saturday.

“It is very different, Rugby Union is very much down the pecking order, and you do feel for the Australians a little bit that the game is under real pressure there,” the rugby player added.

“That’s why that win at the weekend was huge for them, not just from that group of players but for the game as a whole in the country,”

The post Kearney opens up on ‘perfect’ stay with Western Force appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

There is just the one change from the starting forward pack from the Bledisloe Cup-winning Test in Auckland last month, with lock Scott Barrett coming in for Samuel Whitelock in the second row.

Patrick Tuipulotu has a tight groin that sees Tupou Vaa’i come onto the bench for his first Test of 2021. Ethan Blackadder also comes onto the bench as a loose forward cover. Ardie Savea will captain the All Blacks for the first time at number eight.

In the backs, Brad Weber gets his second start at halfback in his 11^th Test, with TJ Perenara to provide impact off the bench.

Beauden Barrett is at first five-eighth while Anton Lienert-Brown returns from injury at center, outside David Havili. Rieko Ioane moves to the left-wing, Will Jordan is on the right-wing and Jordie Barrett is at fullback. Damian McKenzie and George Bridge are the other back reserves.

All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster said: “We are ready, and the team is really determined to finish off this block of Tests against Australia with a top performance.

“We’ve had a really unique situation going into this Test, with quarantine back in New Zealand and a ‘soft’ quarantine here in Perth, but the work that has gone in preparing the players has been outstanding, so when the whistle goes on Sunday, we’ll be ready.”

A proud pasifika man captaining the All Blacks! Lesssssgo Would’ve loved to follow you into battle my uso! @tanaumaga , Jerry Collins, Kevin Mealamu some special names to be alongside You make our community proud @ardiesavea pic.twitter.com/Nd5Xb4afa4

— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) September 3, 2021

The All Blacks and Australia will be playing their 173rd Test against each other. New Zealand has won 119 of those matches, Australia 45 with eight draws. The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003.

The All Blacks have scored 46 tries in five matches so far this year and are sharing the spoils: so far 18 players have scored tries this year.

Foster said the team was excited to be playing in front of a sell-out crowd in Perth this weekend.

“Perth has a great rugby culture, and we know that there are a lot of Kiwis living here who will be at the game, so can’t wait to hear their support on Sunday.

“Covid has again forced so many changes this year and we especially think of cities like Dunedin and Wellington that have lost Test matches they had hoped and planned for, so it’s great to be able to celebrate having this Test match here in Perth,” he said.

The matchday 23 is (Test caps in brackets):

1. George Bower (5)
2. Codie Taylor (60)
3. Nepo Laulala (33)
4. Brodie Retallick (85)
5. Scott Barrett (43)
6. Akira Ioane (6)
7. Dalton Papalii (7)
8. Ardie Savea – captain (52)
9. Brad Weber (10)
10. Beauden Barrett (93)
11. Rieko Ioane (39)
12. David Havili (7)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (51)
14. Will Jordan (6)
15. Jordie Barrett (27)
16. Samisoni Taukei’aho (3)
17. Karl Tu’inukuafe (20)
18. Angus Ta’avao (18)
19. Tupou Vaa’i (4)
20. Ethan Blackadder (2)
21. TJ Perenara (70)
22. Damian McKenzie (32)
23. George Bridge (12)

Gone in 8⃣ seconds! @AllBlacks

The Bledisloe Cup | LIVE Sunday 3:30pm on @9Gem and @StanSportAU.#9WWOS #BledisloeCup #TRC2021 pic.twitter.com/aybNzHPPNj

— Rugby on Nine (@RugbyOnNine) August 31, 2021

All Blacks matches – Fortinet Rugby Championship – Round 1-6

All Blacks (57) v Australia (22), Saturday 14th August Eden Park, Auckland

Australia vs All Blacks – Optus Stadium, Perth – Sunday 5th September

All Blacks vs Argentina – CBUS Stadium, Gold Coast – Sunday 12th September

Argentina vs All Blacks – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane – Saturday 18th September

All Blacks vs South Africa – Queensland Stadium,Townsville – Saturday 25th September

South Africa vs All Blacks – CBUS Stadium, Gold Coast – Saturday 2nd October

The post All Blacks name team for Australia test appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The organisation announced that 47 of it’s 142 full time staff will be leaving over the next few months. The news comes after they announced cuts which will include 30 contractors and casual workers who will lose their jobs immediately. Just last month Rugby Australia announced they could be at a loss of $120 million. Furthermore, they let go three players who refused to take pay cuts. BBC Sport that senior staff will take a 5% decrease in salary, while Rugby Australia’s wage bill will by over $5 million dollars. The Australian rugby website has also been cut, rugby.com.au, which is an independent news arm. The Sunday Morning say that Rugby Australia will now push out it’s own content without a dedicated team of reporters.

Interim Chief Executive of Rugby Australia, Rob Clarke said, “We have delivered the news to staff this morning and told them that Rugby Australia values the contribution of each and every one of them, some of whom have given significant service to Rugby Australia and to the game over many years.” Mr Clarke speaking to the Sunday Morning Herald defended the cuts and stated they were “difficult but prudent in the current landscape”.

Clarke said that a key part of financial planning is a successful Wallabies. He said, “A key part of our financial underpinning is a successful Wallabies,” Clarke said. “It’s not everything but it’s certainly a key part of it. We’ll be protecting that as much as possible … to help get the Wallabies where they need to get to as a world ranking”.

Dave Rennie who is the new head coach won’t have to take a pay cut according to the Chief Executive. He said, “Dave hasn’t started yet, so he will be excluded from that,” Clarke said. “All other staff over a certain threshold will be invited to take a five per cent pay cut. It’s a legal requirement and so we’ll be following the law there”. He also stated the National Rugby Championship would not take place this year. However, he said there has been talks regarding the Bledisloe Cup matches. This of course between Australia and New Zealand, with the likely scenario two games in each country. He said the Wallabies will likely host New Zealand, World Champions South Africa and Argentina in a revised Rugby Championship.

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The decision comes after the three players decided to pursue termination of their contracts after being stood down by the QRU last Monday.

Rodda, Hockings, and Lucas were stood down when they refused to accept a reduction in pay and to nominate for the Australian Government’s JobKeeper subsidy, notwithstanding the interim pay agreement between Rugby Australia and RUPA.

Rugby Australia’s interim CEO, Rob Clarke, said of the incident:

“Rugby Australia and the Queensland Rugby Union have made the decision to release the three players from their contracts, effectively immediately.”

In Australia over 70% of the entire rugby workforce has been stood down during the coronavirus crisis, which equates to over 150 workers that are now receiving the Australian Government’s JobKeeper subsidy.

In total, 189 professional rugby players in Australia accepted reduced pay for an interim period to enable the game to navigate this unprecedented situation, but the three Queensland players elected not to do so.

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