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Six Nations agreement reached in France to ensure no repeat of Autumn Nations Cup friction
Rugby officials in France have reached agreement on player availability for the upcoming Six Nations, an encouraging sign following last autumn’s rancour which caused friction between the FFR and the Top 14 and ultimately led to a limit on a player’s game time. This resulted in a much-changed XV taking the field a Twickenham for the final versus England.
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There will be no limit on a player’s game time for the upcoming tournament which starts away to Italy on February 6, while an agreement has also been reached on how many players Fabien Galthie must release back to clubs following training earlier in the week.
An FFR statement read: “During the first week of training from January 24 to 31 and then during each of the five weeks ending with a Six Nations match for France, 42 players will be made available to the FFR on Sunday evening until Wednesday evening.
“This includes 37 players likely to be selected for the weekend’s France match, including 28 kept until Sunday and nine made available to clubs from Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
“Five players will also be selected as ‘training partners’ after consultation with the management of the club concerned. The training partners are chosen from the clubs with a maximum of one player in the list of 37 selected for the week concerned and may be called upon in four sequences during the tournament. These players will join their club on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
Peace accord at last in France https://t.co/JxYg0IduRQ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 15, 2020
“During the weeks of February 15 to 21 and March 1 to 7 at the end of which there is no France match, the 28 players selected for the previous weekend’s match will remain together until Wednesday evening. On Wednesday evening, the FFR will designate from this group of 28 players the five players who will be made available to their clubs for Top 14. The 23 other players will be left to rest.”
It was also agreed that a top-three finish for France in the Six Nations tournament will result in a portion of the prize money being given to the LNR. FFR boss Bernard Laporte said: “The FFR thanks the professional clubs for their support. Our national team plays for all French people. It is the first showcase of our sport and all French rugby benefits from its performance.
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“In view of the imminent preparation for the 2021 Six Nations tournament, we hope that this performance partnership can meet the requirements of the international level while respecting the sporting balance of professional clubs. French rugby is never as strong as when it is united. It is in this direction that we must continue to move with the common objective of achieving the essential sporting deadlines to prepare for the World Cup in France.”
LNR president Paul Goze added: “This agreement mobilises all the clubs of the Top 14 behind the performance of the France XV. It also takes better account of the sporting balances of the clubs and allows them to gain visibility in the management of the workforce during the tournament period.”
'I have found that people see your gender before they see your opinion… people are waiting for you to trip up so they can jump on your errors'
To be a woman who talks about sport, you have to be on guard all the time – writes @_JessHayden ???https://t.co/eRgxePI8Dr
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 4, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
The Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
1 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to commentsOne tough SOB!
16 Go to commentsI’ve put on 4/5 kilos since the beginning of the season too. Not good kilos. Bad kilos.
7 Go to commentsSurely there’s a ‘no knobheads’ policy ?
3 Go to commentsWallaroos have no chance of beating the Black Ferns unless Canada upsets them in Christchurch tomorrow but I doubt that as well!
1 Go to comments