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Eddie Jones’ side open their campaign against Argentina (Sunday 6 November, 2.15pm KO) followed by Japan (Saturday 12 November, 3.15pm KO) – England will also face both teams in the Pool stage at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
They will then host New Zealand (Saturday 19 November, 5.30pm KO) and world champions South Africa (Saturday 26 November, 5.30pm KO). All four fixtures are at Twickenham Stadium.
The England squad will first meet in London on Sunday 2 October for a three-day camp and will train at Twickenham Stadium.
They will then travel to Jersey on Monday 24 October for a five-day training camp, before returning to England where they will be based at the Honda England Rugby Performance Centre at Pennyhill Park, Bagshot.
England trained at Jersey Reds’ ground last year ahead of their 2021 autumn fixtures, where they beat Tonga, Australia and South Africa.
Jones said: “We’re looking forward to getting started and these camps will be crucial preparation for big games this autumn.
“We have 13 Tests to the Rugby World Cup so each game is a great learning opportunity and a chance to keep moving forward for this young team. It’s vital that we keep building our cohesion and adapting tactically.
“We enjoyed our time in Jersey last year, it has excellent facilities and the island is a great setting for a productive training camp. It helped us lay the foundations for a successful autumn campaign and we want for more of the same this year.
“Our game is based on the traditional strengths of set piece and physicality so we are aiming to set the tone in November, starting with an impressive Argentina team.
“We can’t wait to be back in front of our supporters at Twickenham and play some good rugby against some really tough opposition.”
Tickets for England v Argentina and England v Japan are on sale now via www.EnglandRugby.com/tickets
England v New Zealand and England v South Africa are on sale now to the rugby family.
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An Emerging Ireland squad will play three fixtures in the Toyota Challenge hosted in Bloemfontein, South Africa this coming autumn.
The Emerging Ireland squad will be led by Simon Easterby with other national team coaches Paul O’Connell, Mike Catt and John Fogarty supporting.
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The 35 player squad will play three Currie Cup sides across a nine day period – the Windhoek Draught Griquas (30th September), the Airlink Pumas (5th October) and the Toyota Cheetahs (9th October). All fixtures will take place at the Toyota Stadium, the home of the Cheetahs.
David Nucifora, IRFU Performance Director, commented, “This opportunity presented itself quite late but the drawn Series against the Māori All Blacks in July highlighted the value of exposing less experienced players to the rigours of an international set-up and the benefit that can be garnered from a challenging touring environment and exposure to the national coaching group.
This tournament will provide a significant development opportunity for a group of talented young players.”
Simon Easterby, Emerging Ireland Head Coach,
“The growth we witnessed in the less experienced players in New Zealand over the four weeks was incredible to see. The two Māori fixtures were invaluable in broadening our talent pool ahead of RWC23 and the coaching group see this as another opportunity to increase the depth of talent available to the national squad ahead of the World Cup in France and beyond.”
The national coaching team will utilise this window to replicate the demands of the senior environment with the aim of accelerating the development of the Emerging Ireland group which will feature a host of players who have stood out at Ireland U20 level over the past few seasons.
Friday 30th September 2022
Windhoek Draught Griquas vs Emerging Ireland
KO: 12:45 (Irish time)
Wednesday 5th October 2022
Airlink Pumas vs Emerging Ireland
KO: 16:00 (Irish time)
Sunday 9th October 2022
Toyota Cheetahs vs Emerging Ireland
KO: 12:00 (Irish time)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
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After 30 years’ service devoted to the success of the Wales senior men’s team, physio Mark Davies is retiring.
Joining as a member of the backroom team in 1992, no one has been part of more Wales men’s Test matches since then than Davies.
He has participated in seven World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours and former players he treated such as Neil Jenkins, Jonathan Humphreys, Martyn Williams, Stephen Jones, Gethin Jenkins and Huw Bennett became colleagues.
Ask any Welsh rugby player of recent history for their views on the man known to everyone as ‘Carcass’ and you will be greeted with a warm response, such is the esteem in which Davies is held.
His rugby longevity has been truly remarkable and Davies will be greatly missed in the national squad set up.
Speaking about his decision to retire Davies said: “I glanced in the mirror once too often and saw my sell-by date.
“The decision to retire is mine. I realise I’ve had a longer run than I could have wished for, but the job is much more active than it used to be and there comes a time when you have to be honest and put your hand up.
“I’ve accumulated a number of ailments over the years which has required a new knee, hip and shoulder. I’ve had a number of fusions in both feet, so long gone are the days when I had four good wheels on my wagon. They are boney problems which is a bit ironic in view of my nickname.
“Somebody called me ‘carcass’ way back in primary school in Maesteg because some bright spark thought it summed up my anatomical state. I was skin and bone at the time and it’s stuck ever since.
“The boney issue now means I can’t get about as quickly as I used to.”
While he may not be in camp with the squad come the autumn, Davies will still be keeping a close eye on how the men’s national squad fair in their four home Test matches, “It’ll be a wrench when the season starts and Wales play their next match,” he said.
“It’s going to be a little bit different and I don’t know how I’ll approach that. It is going to be a bit strange really, so I’ll have to wait and see on that front.”
Retirement brings new opportunities, however, and Davies is ready to embrace those, “I have my wife and a new cockapoo, so that’s my immediate on the horizon shall we say.
“Then I’m looking forward to a bit of golf and just chilling out getting a feel for things. I want to be as active as I can be really. I think that’s important for your own welfare.”
This summer’s historic win against the Springboks on South African soil for the first time is one of many recollections Davies has from his time with Wales, “The boys showed huge courage in these epic battles last month on three successive weeks, no mean feat against the Springboks.
“I have the kind of precious memories which no amount of money can buy, like the 1999 win over England at Wembley and the Grand Slam campaign of 2005.”
Wales Gethin Jenkins has his strapping put on by physio Mark Davies in 2008
And while there are too many memories to single out one at the top, Davies is clear about what made the job so special, “I think the best thing about the job is the people you meet and the friends that you make really at the end of the day.
“The games are great highlights and they’re pinnacles to remember things from, but I think you make lasting friends in the game. For me obviously it’s been a lifelong experience, meeting up with friends and having very good memories to savour so that’s I think the thing that really stands out.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work with some great coaching and management teams and our own staff as well which is almost like a bit of a family. So it’s very poignant and very difficult to leave that environment in many respects.”
Davies’ final campaign for Wales was the recent three-Test series in South Africa and he received a fitting send off from the squad and backroom colleagues, “Yeah the boys and the management to be fair they made it very special for me.
“It was very nice in terms of a send-off and very humbling listening to people saying kind words about you. I’m self-deprecating in that sense, so all those things you know I take a lot of them very personally and really appreciate those comments.”
Wales head coach Wayne Pivac is one of 15 that Davies has worked with in his time in the national squad set up. Pivac believes Davies’ longevity is down to expertise and the person that he is.
Mark Davies during the South Africa v Wales – Castle Lager Series in the summer
“The fact that Carc has been here as long as he has indicates that he has done a really good job. Someone that can go through the different eras and still be at the forefront of his game speaks volumes,” said Pivac.
“In the time I have been here, not only is he very good clinically but he’s also a really good bloke to have in and around the environment.
“He’s got a great sense of humour and no job is too big for him. He’d do anything he can to help the team, he’ll always put the team first.
“The players love him, the management love him and I think they broke the mould once Carc came into the position. In the area of his expertise he is a legend. Certainly a legend in Welsh rugby.
Pivac is one of many that will be very sad to see Davies retire, “I’d like to wish Carc all the best for his retirement and thank him for his time with us. I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it – the working side of it but he’s also a fantastic guy to have a beer with or a wine.
“He will be sorely missed by this group, but hopefully we’ll be catching up away from work on a regular basis and he’s welcome to come back in at any time.”
Images & Content – Wales Rugby
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The Ireland Women’s Sevens squad, sponsored by TritonLake, will step up their preparations for the upcoming Rugby World Cup Sevens during a training camp in Stellenbosch this week.
Aiden McNulty’s 15-player squad departed Dublin on Sunday and will spend the next seven days in the Western Cape, training and playing against USA and France, in preparation for Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town from 9-11 September.
Coming off the back of a superb HSBC World Sevens Series, which included two podium finishes in Seville and Langford, Ireland secured qualification for Rugby World Cup Sevens through the Rugby Europe Qualification tournament in July.
McNulty’s extended squad have been in pre-season mode at the IRFU High Performance Centre in recent weeks, building towards Cape Town and their training camp in South Africa will be an invaluable opportunity to fine-tune and sharpen themselves ahead of the global tournament.
Training and playing against USA and France will also test the squad and offer them the chance to gain important match minutes building into their Rugby World Cup Sevens Round of 16 opener against Brazil on Friday, 9 September at Cape Town Stadium.
Head Coach McNulty said: “Our preparation for the World Cup has been excellent so far. As a squad, we are aware what we need to do to achieve something special. We are going to need to reach a new level of performance, requiring precision, physical intensity, and an ability to handle the pressure on the biggest stage.
“This week’s camp in Stellenbosch is an opportunity for us to challenge ourselves against world class opposition and best prepare for us what we hope to be our best performance.
“We have got through a good body of work through pre-season after returning from Rugby Europe competition earlier in the summer, and the players have pushed themselves in preparation for the World Cup.
“Selection has been the toughest it has ever been, but still the players have supported and challenged each other to improve and be the very best. We can’t wait to put on the green jersey again and this week is all about putting ourselves in a position to do something special in Cape Town.”
Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC)
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)
Katie Heffernan (Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Lucinda Kinghan (Railway Union RFC/DCU RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow RFC) (capt)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)
Beibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC).
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
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