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Springboks want to hire Nigel Owens ahead of RWC - report

Referee Nigel Owens speaks to Fourie du Preez, South Africa. 2015 Rugby World Cup, Pool B, South Africa v Scotland, St James' Park, Newcastle, England. Picture credit: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE (Photo by Sportsfile/Corbis/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

The Springboks are reportedly set to make a bid to hire retired referee Nigel Owens to come and consult for the team ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.

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Head coach Jacques Nienaber and director of rugby Rassie Erasmus are apparently looking to use Owens’ refereeing knowledge to give them an edge at the tournament, mirroring France head coach Fabien Galthie’s hiring of Jerome Garces.

According to South African news outlet City Press, the Boks have identified Nigel Owens as their frontrunner for the role of refereeing consultant.

According to the newspaper, if Owens is unwilling or unable to take up the offer the Springboks will “likely to look for assistance from within their own country, with no date yet confirmed for an appointment.”

Owens, who is active on Twitter, hasn’t responded to the story.

Owens – who retired from refereeing in May 2021 – is widely regarded as one of the best referees in rugby history, having officiated over 100 international matches, including three Rugby World Cups.

The apparent Springboks’ plan to employ the Welshman comes in the wake of major controversies around their interactions with match officials. Erasmus received a second ban in the space of a little over a year after he took to Twitter to make sarcastic comments about the performance of Wayne Barnes and other referees during the Autumn Nations Series.

If Nienaber and Erasmus retain the Rugby World Cup, managing their relationships with match officials – both on and off the field – will be vital.

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It remains to be seen whether Owens will accept the Springboks’ offer, but if he does, he could be a valuable asset to the team. With his experience and knowledge of the game, he could help the Springboks navigate the complex world of refereeing decisions and give them an edge in what is shaping up to be a highly competitive Rugby World Cup.

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P
PM 42 minutes ago
Why Henry Pollock's x-factor could earn him a Lions Test start

I have been following Lions tours for the last 30 odd years and I can’t remember one feeling as flat as this one, so your damp squib comment is a fair one.


I think there are a few reasons for this;


1) The opposition isn’t that strong this tour and hasn’t generated the normal excitement and uncertainty for the tests, most people are expecting 0-3 (which has never happened in living memory before).


2) The growing discontent within the fan base at the number of “outside BIL “ born players in the squad is a growing issue. The import issue has reached saturation point with some fans and is a bit negative element to this tour (will improve as nation switching becomes harder).


3) The rugby so far hasn’t been great and the tactics to date are not very exciting. People expected more from Andy Farrell and his Lions team.


4) Lions management have scored some own goals with the selection and subsequent call ups. It should have been the best 44 players from the start of the tour but the recent call ups have been underwhelming and damaged the Lions brand for some fans.


5) This tour would have been better if they merged Australia with Argentina and the Lions played Fiji as a warm up game to give the Pacific Nations a better chance of exposure and glory to grow the game. This is the sort of innovative thinking they need to bring out the magic of the Lions brand and create an exciting experience for all.


What’s become clear is the next tour needs to be an exciting one before people forget how magical a Lions tour can feel and the Lions brand is damaged to the point of questioning why it continues. The writing is on the wall, so lets hope the Lions see it and correct some of the above by the next tour.

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P
PM 1 hour ago
Why Henry Pollock's x-factor could earn him a Lions Test start

Nick,

I am a long suffering England fan, who has had to endure watching 4 years of dull rugby, poor selections and painful defeats. Steve Borthwick talks about GPS and picks squads by numbers and then we put in a poor performance on the pitch - it’s been a consistent trend.


Something changed in the Six Nations and we totally changed our style (literally overnight) and played some really good footie, which finally felt like positive rugby for a change.


Genge has regained his pore-Covid form and is looking back to his best and is head and shoulders above Porter.


Chessum has had a good year and hasn’t played a poor International game this season.


Tom Curry was outstanding in the 6 Nations but they have been playing him at 6, wheras he is better at 7 and is lethal at the breakdown.


Tom Willis was brought into the starting team at 8 and has been one of the best England players over the last year, who should have been on this Lions tour at 8. Earl had his best game since 2020 last week - not sure 1 game warrants Lions selection over a poor combination side and he is certainly second choice for his club 7 country behind Willis.


Pollock will be a good player but like all young emerging players, he is inconsistent and can go quiet in games, which is why Curry should be the starter at 7. He brings energy to games, which is why he is good from the bench but there is an argument to say he is the 5th best England openside (Curry x2, Underhill & Earl are currently better) but will improve over the next 5 years. We just need to stop the media building him up for a fall, let him play and develop and you will see a sensational Henry Pollock for the Lions in 4 years time.


Lions will be too powerful over 80 mins, so doesn’t really matter who they pick. Just please don’t put too much hype on Pollock. His 20 mins of International rugby going into this tour were positive but the media caused a frenzy and no other player would be selected on this basis.


Let’s enjoy the rugby and give Pollock the space and time he requires.

102 Go to comments
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