#360Rugby: Ortega’s story one of caution

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  • Ortega (l) and Faletau.

    Despite valiant efforts from Australian duo Brumbies and Waratahs, the 2015 Super XV final will be played out by two New Zealand outfits as the Hurricanes take on the Highlanders.

    For those concerned that this will take the edge off the encounter, fear not, as North Island vs South Island derbies are about as fierce as they come.

    Despite injury in the semi-final to bulldozing winger Julian Saeva, the men from Wellington will start as favourties. They have beaten the Highlanders in the two meetings between the sides so far this year, the second a 56-20 thumping in early June in Napier which should provide a slight mental advantage.

    Neutrals can sit back and enjoy what will (weather permitting) surely be a display of attacking rugby, especially given that both backlines possess immense firepower.

    Toby Faletau exempt from ‘Gatland’s rule’
    Taulupe ‘Toby’ Faletau is set to disappoint many of his suitors on both sides of the English Channel after announcing his intention to finally leave the Newport-Gwent Dragons.

    The Tonga-born Wales No.8 will most likely join English Premiership’s Bath – with an increased salary and close proximity to home sweetening the deal.

    Wales coach Warren Gatland has made it crystal clear that he will give priority to locally-based players in a bid to keep the domestic game strong.

    In what has become known as ‘Gatland’s rule’ there are few exceptions, but Falateau has been given the New Zealander’s blessing to ply his trade in England without risk of exclusion from the national team.

    Leniency is being shown due to Falateau’s loyal service to the country so far and that, at 24, still has years of international rugby ahead of him.

    The move will also benefit rugby in Wales due to the fee that Bath will pay the Dragons. This money will help ease the financial woes of the cash-strapped region as well as cushion the blow of Falatau’s departure.

    Moving forward it is likely that other clubs pursing Wales’ top talent will implement a similar strategy similar to Bath’s, signifying another step towards a football-style transfer market.

    Treviranus to captain Samoa against All Blacks in historic fixture
    In what is possibly the most overdue fixture in the history of sport, the New Zealand Rugby Union has finally sanctioned a first match in Samoa. On July 8, the honour of leading the hosts out will go to London Irish flanker Ofisa Treviranus.

    In recent the years, the NZRU has faced growing pressure from the rugby world to play a fixture in the Pacific Island as a form of compensation for the talent New Zealand have taken from the country.

    Many of the current All Blacks squad were born in Samoa and cherry-picked for prestigious New Zealand schools as youngsters, including Ma’a Nonu, Julian Savea, Keven Mealamu, Jerome Kaino and Sonny Bill Williams.

    Although the All Blacks have been the main beneficiaries of poached Samoan talent, it is important to remember that other teams have benefited too, with England’s capture of Manu Tuilangi just one example.

    When Treviranus leads the men in blue out in Apia it is important that this small but important gesture becomes a regular fixture and not just a one off. Having the All Blacks in town will provide much-needed funds to the nation and a chance for the local population to see some of their favourite sons in action – for both sides.

    Jordan Turner-Hall charged with GBH
    Is there something in the water at professional rugby clubs in England at the moment?

    In the months running up to the World Cup, instead of doing their utmost to gain inclusion into Stuart Lancaster’s squad, some of England’s players seem to have lost all self-control.

    Between Dylan Hartley, Manu Tuilangi, Danny Cipriani and Turner-Hall there are decades of experience and plenty of international caps, but they have all shown a complete lack of professionalism.

    These players are privileged sportsmen, lucky enough to play in front of thousands every week to earn a living.

    Far from easing his strict behavioural policies, Lancaster is rumoured to be tempted into enforcing an automatic year-long international ban for any player that is caught breaking the law.

    Ortega mysteriously retires from internationals
    This week’s #360Rugby finishes with a warning to the rugby community and the institutions that govern it.

    Uruguay veteran Rodrigo Capo Ortega’s mysterious retirement from international rugby was a less well-publicised story this week, but is one of the most important in forecasting global trends in the game.

    It has been suggested that Ortega has been pressured into missing this year’s World Cup by his French club Castres – who would prefer he didn’t risk injury at the tournament.

    One of rugby’s greatest attributes is that playing for your country remains the pinnacle of the sport, both in terms of quality on the pitch and where a player’s priority lies.

    If Castres have put pressure on Ortega, it is understandable that he bowed to the hand that feeds him very well.

    But can you really let rugby become a sport that is governed by the all-powerful clubs, where clashes between domestic coaches and their national counterparts are a weekly occurrence?

    No is the simple answer. Keep the salary cap, raising it accordingly in order to keep clubs competing on an even keel and ensure that all foreign players have international release clauses built into contracts to avoid another story like Ortega’s.

    Extra time
    In a recent Nations’ Cup match, the Argentina Jaguars were given a taste of their own medicine when the Romanian eight totally demolished their scrum, in the closest thing a prop forward will ever come to poetry. Romania’s World Cup Group D opponents France, Ireland, Italy and Canada, beware.

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