Schmid salutes Esher’s Stegmann

Posted on Sep 23, 2011 in Championship, English Rugby, Esher

Mike Schmid saluted Seb Stegmann after the powerful winger made his long-awaited Esher comeback following a career-threatening injury.

Former England Under-20s star Stegmann ended a two- year injury nightmare by returning in Esher’s battling 29-20 defeat at Nottingham on Friday.

The 22-year-old has been fighting back to full fitness after suffering a cruciate injury over two years ago.

Now Stegmann, who came through the Esher junior ranks, hopes to force his way back into the first-team reckoning at Harlequins.

Esher Director of Rugby Schmid said: "Seb was superb. It was great to see him playing again and we all hope he’s on the road back.

"He’s been so unlucky with injuries, missing almost two years of rugby, but he’s close to being where he was, which was on the verge of being a regular Quins winger.

"He’s a big physical kid but with a great step and lots of pace and we hope we’ve helped him get back to being a Premiership winger again."

Schmid hopes to have Stegmann available for Saturday’s trip to fellow strugglers Moseley if Quins release him.

Another dual-registered player Ollie Lindsay-Hague also impressed on his Esher debut at Nottingham after coming on as a replacement.

The England Sevens star scored a try while scrum-half Chris Cook capped a fine display with the opener as Esher came close to pulling off a shock win at Meadow Lane.

Esher, missing players 17 to injuries and World Cup calls, hit back from 23-3 down and had the home side hanging on at the end.

Schmid admitted he was delighted with the display even though Esher remain bottom of the Championship after three straight defeats and without a point.

Schmid said: "I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the boys in terms of effort, commitment, physicality and work-rate.

"We made a few mistakes in the first half but there was only one team in it in the second and my biggest disappointment was coming away with nothing.

"If Rob Kirby, who played very well, had had his kicking boots on we might well have come away with a win. Their guy kicked all his goals but we didn’t take our chances."

Schmid will be demanding the same attitude when Esher visit Moseley on Saturday.

He said: "It’s always a tough place to go but winning games against sides like Moseley is vital if we are to get out of the bottom four.

"We have set our benchmark in terms of performance at Nottingham and we must bring the same intensity and energy at Moseley.

"But there were a lot of positives and if we can just eliminate a few crucial things at crucial times then we can win these games.

"But the exciting thing is that a lot of these players are putting their hands up and it’s going to be tough for players to get back in the side when they return from their injuries."

15 Rob Kirby, 14 Charlie Walker, 13 Tom Cassons, 12 Arran Cruickshanks, 11 Tom Loizides, 10 Richard Mill, 9 Chris Cook, 8 Mike McFarlane 7 Sam Stitcher (C), 6 John Downey, 5 Ian Kench, 4 Perry Parker, 3 Ricky Nebbett, 2 Rob Buchanan, 1 Robin Boot

Replacements Ollie Mines, Matt Symons, Chris Goodman, Stuart Mackie, Peter Synnott, Sam Edgerley, Ollie Lindsay-Hague

Sheridan talks about his exit from the RWC

Posted on Sep 14, 2011 in England, English Rugby, Rugby News, Rugby World Cup

Andrew Sheridan this afternoon reflected on his Rugby World Cup exit and wished his England team-mates well for the rest of the tournament.

Sheridan injured his left shoulder in the game against Argentina and, subject to final approval from the RWC Tournament Medical Director, he will return home.

“It’s a big blow to leave the World Cup through injury, but it’s a significant injury to the shoulder, so I have to deal with that and get on with it now,” said Sheridan.

“I didn’t know the exact incident that had caused it during the game; initially it just felt a bit sore, but a couple of days post-match it was still pretty painful and that’s when I had the scan on it.

“I think everyone knows shoulders are quite complicated structures. It takes a lot of work and a lot of work from the physios and the conditioners as well to get players back from shoulder injuries. But we are where we are and you just have to get on with it and see what the results are after I’ve seen the specialist.

“I have to wait till I get back home and see the surgeon – I am quite well acquainted with him now. He will give me some good advice and see if I need an operation and what the next stage is.

“Like everyone in England (I think) it would be great if we could win it, but it’s about looking to the next game – the old cliché. We’ve got a good team, but we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves at this moment in time. I just want to wish the boys all the best.”

ANDREW SHERIDAN injured his left shoulder in Saturday’s game against Argentina.

The England medical team have been liaising with their Sale Sharks counterparts and following a scan and assessment it has been decided that the injury is significant enough for him, subject to the approval of the Rugby World Cup Tournament Medical Director, to return home for further medical investigation. Under the RWC 2011 Terms of Participation he will be unable to rejoin the England squad during the tournament.

England Team Manager Martin Johnson said: “It’s really sad for Sheri. He has been unlucky with injuries and we wish him all the best for his recovery. We brought five props so we have options there and we can bring another player out but we will decide what to do about that in due course.”

Sheridan injured his left shoulder in Saturday’s game against Argentina.
The England medical team have been liaising with their Sale Sharks counterparts and following a scan and assessment it has been decided that the injury is significant enough for him, subject to the approval of the Rugby World Cup Tournament Medical Director, to return home for further medical investigation. Under the RWC 2011 Terms of Participation he will be unable to rejoin the England squad during the tournament.
England Team Manager Martin Johnson said: “It’s really sad for Sheri. He has been unlucky with injuries and we wish him all the best for his recovery. We brought five props so we have options there and we can bring another player out but we will decide what to do about that in due course.”

 

 

100 cap Garnett is a diamond

Posted on Aug 15, 2011 in England, English Rugby, Women's Rugby

England and Saracens player Amy Garnett rewrote the England Rugby record books on Saturday when she became the first ever female player to be capped 100 times for her country.

Garnett reached the century mark at the weekend when she helped England to a 41-19 victory over Canada in the Nations Cup and in doing so England also secured a fourth successive Nations Cup tournament victory.

Garnett, who is 35-years-old and works as a Metropolitan Police Officer in London, became England’s most capped player of all time last year in the Rugby World Cup surpassing her former club and international teammate Helen Clayton’s record of 88 caps.

“It’s been a privilege and honour to play for England 100 times,” said Garnett, who is the only player in the current England squad to have competed in three Rugby World Cups. “I have played with so many spectacular players over the years, far too many to mention, and I have some very special memories. 

“I couldn’t have done this without the continued support that has come from my family and friends. As ‘amateur’ players fitting in my career, training and playing is a lot to juggle and to have done this over ten years would have been very hard if it had not been for those closest to me.”

Garnett first made her international debut back in 2001 and with a busy autumn and winter international schedule ahead she could soon be nearing the all-time cap record, held by Scotland’s Donna Kennedy, of 113 caps. 

“Winning so many England caps has been a dream come true and I hope there are many youngsters out there who can strive to do the same thing as me,” added Garnett. “It’s a privilege to be the first English player to do this but I know I won’t be the last. By the time the 2014 Rugby World Cup comes around there could be several players nearing the 100-cap marker and that means that England will have a squad with a lot of game time and experience.

“This Nations Cup victory has underlined that we have a strong, young squad with great depth which is coming through and it’s great to be running alongside the talent we have. Lifting the trophy was so special and it topped off a great tour for us. We have come away learning a lot about ourselves as players and as a collective. It’s an exciting prospect that there is still a lot more we can look to improve upon which in itself keeps the enthusiasm for the game and training going.”

Aaron Cruden and Michael Fitzgerald Sign with Chiefs

Posted on Jul 15, 2011 in Latest Rugby News

Manawatu Turbos representative Aaron Cruden today confirmed his move to the Chiefs Super Rugby Franchise for the 2012 campaign.

Chiefs Head Coach Dave Rennie said “we are absolutely rapt that Aaron has committed to the Chiefs. He’s a top man, a quality player and a leader”.

Chiefs CEO Gary Dawson commented “we are thrilled to welcome a player of Aaron’s ability and potential. He has got a great future ahead of him and we are pleased that the Chiefs will be a part of that future".

At 22 years old Cruden has already achieved a lot in his career including captaining the New Zealand under20’s side that won the IRB Junior World Championship title in 2009 along with being named IRB Junior Player of the Year. He made his Super Rugby debut in 2010 for the Hurricanes in a pre-season match against the Brumbies and was named in the 2010 All Blacks squad.

Aaron commented “it’s been an extremely difficult decision to make, I never wanted to let anyone down but a decision had to be made. It was my long standing relationship with Ren’s that swayed things the Chiefs way. Its going to be a challenge but one I am looking forward to now. I wish the Hurricanes well for the 2012 campaign and beyond".

Turbo’s lock Michael Fitzgerald has also confirmed his move to the Chiefs and will look to debut for the side in the 2012 competition.

“Fitzy was one of the best performing locks in last year’s ITM Cup. He’s a very good athlete, has an outstanding work ethic and is prepared to do a lot of the grunt work” commented Rennie.

Fitzgerald said “I’m really excited about the opportunity to play for the Chiefs but focused on performing well for the Turbos first”.

Exeter’s Naqelevuki hoping to pick up from where he left off

Posted on Jul 14, 2011 in Exeter Chiefs, Premiership

Sireli Naqelevuki is confident Exeter Chiefs will build on their impressive debut season in the Aviva Premiership Rugby and become an even stronger force within the 2011/12 campaign.

The 30-year-old Fijian was a key figure for the Devon club in the top flight last term, scoring five tries in 18 appearances following his move from South African Super Rugby franchise ‘The Stormers’ back in September.

Initially handed a starting role on the wing for his new club, the Chiefs coaching staff soon realised the attacking potential of the Suva-born back as they switched him into the Exeter midfield where he became a destructive threat both in attack and defence.

Now, Naqelevuki is hoping to pick up from where he left off and help Rob Baxter’s side get off to a flying start in the Aviva Premiership Rugby. He said: "I had a nice break and it was good to go back home. I didn’t do too much, I just chilled out; had some fun, did a bit of training and I got married as well!

"At the same time it’s good to be back in Exeter and seeing the boys working hard. You can see they’ve all been training well during the off season and now we’re all getting ready for the start of the season."

Certainly having Naqelevuki on board for the start of the new season, which kicks-off with a trip to Leicester Tigers on September 2, is something the Chiefs will be delighted with. Last term the Fijian international missed the opening few weeks of the season and it was not until Exeter’s trip to Northampton Saints in early October that the club were at last able to unleash his talents.

"It’s good to be here at this stage," said Naqelevuki. "I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work, but I am sure we will have some fun as well. It’s good to see the boys working hard – to have a good season you know you have to work hard in the off season and that is what we are doing. It’s looking good so far.

"Last season was enjoyable for all of us. I had some good times and it was nice to finish our first season in eighth place. It was a good test for all of us in the first year, but hopefully we can go one step up further this year and maybe try and qualify for the semi-finals. It is always good to push yourself and set targets like that."

Exeter clearly showed during their maiden year in the Premiership that they could tackle the very best the division had to offer. Not only were they the only side to defeat eventual champions Saracens on their own turf, but they also claimed notable home scalps in Northampton Saints, Harlequins and London Wasps.

"There were lots of good memories, but winning against teams like Saracens, Northampton and Harlequins was especially good. I also thought my game came on a lot, I was adding new things all the time.

"English rugby was a lot different to what I was playing with the Stormers, it is a lot more physical at the breakdown, but it is good to have that kind of competition. It makes you go harder at every ruck."

And whilst many familiar faces remain within the Chiefs ranks this season, Naqelevuki is encouraged by what Baxter has added to the playing ranks during the summer.

"It is good to have the new boys in town," he added. "We all know we have to fight for our position, nobody has a guaranteed place, so it should drive us all on to do well in training and when we play."

First up for Naqelevuki and the Chiefs, however, will be the forthcoming trip to face Irish side Connacht in their opening pre-season clash on Saturday, August 13.