FC Metz have announced the signing of Argentine striker Brian Fernández from Racing Club, on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

The 22-year-old spent last term on loan with CA Sarmiento of the Argentinean second division, and will hope to impress in his first spell away from his homeland, with Metz.

“My main quality remains one against one. I like to provoke and eliminate,” said Fernández, “I think I have qualities that fit well with the French championship. Then, it is up to me to adapt to the requests of the coach.”

S.H.

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Rugby Australia (RA) chairman Hamish McLennan has slammed the NRL over their reaction to Joseph Suaalii’s decision to join rugby union.

The talented back, who played both codes before turning professional with the Sydney Roosters, inked a huge deal with RA last week, reportedly worth $1.6m.

He has signed with the Waratahs and will make the switch from rugby league after his Roosters contract expires at the end of 2024.

There have already been several jibes from the 13-man code, with Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys chief among them.

V’landys stated that teenage sensation Suaalii would “get terribly bored” playing union, adding: “He is going to be paid twice the money for doing half the work.”

Hysterical

“It’s been hysterical, really,” McLennan told ABC Sport Daily.

“They’re cry-babies. So, they’ve lost their rising star, their talent. Joseph has made the choice. I think they should respect his choice and they’re attacking his age and having a swing.

“The reality is, our guys travel the world. The current Wallaby crop will be playing at the third-biggest sporting event [Rugby World Cup] in France … our players get life experience that you wouldn’t get anywhere.”

Suaalii’s signing has also brought about a mixed response in Australian rugby union circles, with Wallabies great Stirling Mortlock unsure about the move.

“Look, there’s no doubt he’s a weapon. Even when he was playing under-16s, you could see he was a freakish talent and a class above the others,” Mortlock told AAP.

“But $1.6 million per annum? That could have kept 19 or 20 other players in the system.”

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McLennan, however, very much disagrees with Mortlock and believes the addition of Suaalii can bolster the sport in other ways, not just on the field.

Grassroots investment

“We’re going to be growing the pie,” RA’s chairman said.

“With the current [RA] board, I would say we have been the most prudent board in the code’s history. Just between 2020 and now through COVID, we’ve cut $40 million worth of costs out of the organisation, so we’re putting it back now.

“We’re happy to pay our players well. That’s a good thing if you want to come and play rugby because you get to travel the world and you will be looked after by us at the elite level.

“But if we sell our media rights for more, we’ll have more money to put back into grassroots, so this is a strategy that will work and the public need to understand that.

“Our elite players, at the end of the day, will earn more than NRL players and we’re happy to pay them well.”

Bordeaux have announced that they have loaned out midfielder Daniel Mancini to Ligue 2 side for a whole season, but without the option to sign him permanently at the end of the deal.

The 20-year-old Argentine striker joined Bordeaux in January on 2017 from Newell’s Old Boys for an undisclosed fee following some impressive displays in the Argentinian Premiera Division, where he scored twice in 16 games.

Both the player and the club hope that this loan move can be for the best, and if Mancini performs well early on in Ligue 2, we could see him make a return to Girondins quicker than we had already anticipated.

T.S.

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Warren Gatland claims that Wales will surprise some teams at the World Cup later this year with how much they will have improved.

Wales finished the Six Nations in fifth after a 41-28 loss to France in Paris on Super Saturday.

Expecting rapid development

Gatland’s return to the helm did not go as smoothly as he would have hoped, with losses to all teams but Italy. However, Wales seem to have started to find their feet, and the veteran coach believes things may be different at the global showpiece.

“We will surprise some teams in the World Cup by how good we will be and how much we will improve having that time together to prepare,” he said.

“We have taken steps in the right direction during this campaign but we have a lot of work to do.

“We have developed some youngsters who will learn from these experiences, and we will review stuff and what are the things we need to keep working on to not allow some of those soft tries we did concede.

“Today against a team like that when they get on top of you (Wales trailed 34-7 early in the second half), they can really punish you. A bit like the All Blacks.

“But the boys didn’t capitulate. They showed some heart and character. That is what we are looking for as a starting point.

“Some of the variation in the second half in terns of our game-management was much better. We put a few little kicks in behind and varied it nicely. I was pleased with the ambition of what the players were trying to achieve.”

Hard work required

Skipper Ken Owens echoed his coach’s sentiments and believes through hard work, the team will come right.

Owens added: “From the outset, we knew we wouldn’t be in a 12-9 arm-wrestle. We knew we had to score tries and we showed that.

“I am confident we will get better the more time we have together with that conditioning work and putting ourselves under pressure in training.

“That will solve those inaccuracies in our game that we’ve seen throughout the tournament.

“Personally, for me and a lot of the boys, it probably will be our last Six Nations game. It’s got to come at some point.

“I have seen enough over the last eight weeks of the work that the players, management and coaches are putting in. One thing with Welsh people, we work very hard.

“The more time as a Welsh team we spend together, the better we get. We will raise some eyebrows at the World Cup.”

Owens had missed some of the training week for the birth of his child, and he looks to get back to his family.

“Obviously, I haven’t trained much this week. That is probably why I was hooked (taken off) on 45 minutes,” he said.

“I was proud of Carys and becoming a father again. Everything went OK and it will be back to the family. Hopefully, Dwayne Peel (Scarlets head coach) will give me a nice little week off to enjoy with the family.”

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Premier League side West Bromwich Albion are very close this morning to sealing the loan signing of PSG’s Polish international and defensive midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak.

The player wants an experience in the Premier League, and only another side from the top division in England could block this deal, if Krychowiak prefers them over West Brom.

SFR Sport report that Leicester City in particular remain interested in the player.

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Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton says that it would be a special achievement should he captain them to their fourth-ever Six Nations Grand Slam.

Andy Farrell’s men are just one victory away from winning the title and etching their names into the history books following Sunday’s 22-7 triumph over Scotland.

They now face an England team who are licking their wounds after a record home defeat to France on Saturday.

The Red Rose went down 53-10 to Les Bleus which was their biggest-ever loss at Twickenham.

Ireland are expected to get the job done relatively comfortably, despite their injury issues, but Sexton knows that they need to focus.

Big week

“It was a very special day (against Scotland) but ultimately it was a semi-final and the big one is next week,” he said.

“It would be the stuff of dreams really. It’s what you grow up wanting to do.

“I don’t know why you grow up wanting to be captain of Ireland, maybe because the players you admire the most were captains, but to do it would be dream-come-true stuff.

“It’s a great group of lads, so to lead them is very special. Who wouldn’t be proud?

“It’s going to be a big week, there will be lots of hype, plenty of distractions, tickets and family and all that and we need to get down to business and get a big performance.”

Sexton is wary of the threat a wounded England could pose, knowing that Steve Borthwick’s men have little to lose, but Ireland are determined to claim the title in front of their fans.

Previous Grand Slam successes in 2009 and 2018 have been done away from the Aviva Stadium, so this would be extra special for the Irish.

“It’s obviously dangerous because they’ve nothing to play for but it will mean a hell of a lot to us to play at home and to try and win something at home,” the fly-half said.

“The times when we have won things, they’ve all been away from home. That’s something we acknowledged from the start that doesn’t come around too often, so it will hopefully be a special day.

“They’re going to be hurting. They’re going to be wanting to show what playing for England means to them and they’re a good team; they’re a better team than they showed (against France).”

Six Nations points record

Sexton kicked seven points on Sunday – two conversions and one penalty – to move level with countryman Ronan O’Gara on the all-time points-scoring list in the Six Nations.

Should the playmaker be fit to play this weekend, the Leinsterman will more than likely move ahead of O’Gara and into first place.

“Rog (O’Gara) will be paying me off to try and retire now,” he joked.

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“It’s obviously a nice thing. Hopefully (I will) get back on the pitch next week and it’s all about winning. These other things they can come along but they’re not at the forefront of my mind.”

Ireland will have to win the Grand Slam without the services of Garry Ringrose and Iain Henderson, who have been ruled out of their match with England.

An IRFU statement read: “Garry Ringrose is doing well today and has returned to Dublin. He will take no further part in this year’s Championship.

“Iain Henderson is due to undergo surgery today on a fractured forearm sustained in the first half of yesterday’s game. The uncapped Ross Molony is added to the squad to provide additional second-row cover.

“Both Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher sustained shoulder injuries against Scotland and both will be managed in camp this week. Ulster’s Tom Stewart has been brought in as cover.

“Caelan Doris’ hip complaint will also be managed in camp this week.”

Yacouba Sylla has left Stade Rennais and will join Greek club Panathinaikos on a loan until the end of the season, with an option to buy at the end of the deal.

The Malian National Team captain joined Rennes from Championship side Aston Villa in 2015 for €1.5m after failing to nail down a place at Villa Park under both Paul Lambert and Tim Sherwood. However, Sylla struggled to get a good run of games under his belt at Rennes either, only playing 23 times for the club.

Last season, Sylla was sent out on loan to fellow Ligue 1 club Montpellier where he scored one goal in 20 appearances, but didn’t do enough to warrant the club making another move for the midfielder.

T.S.

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Despite the speculation about who will take over the All Blacks’ coaching reins within the next few weeks, star utility back Rieko Ioane is not fussed about who replaces Ian Foster in the position.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) confirmed last week that they will unveil the new coach in four to six weeks, breaking the tradition of making the announcement after the World Cup.

Ian Foster not reapplying for his job

Foster ruled himself out of contention before that announcement, claiming he will not reapply for the position.

Former captains Richie McCaw and Kieran Read, as well as incumbent skipper Sam Cane, have all spoken about the decision to name the next All Blacks captain before this year’s global showpiece in France, but Ioane is not bothered about it.

“It is what it is,” he told Newshub. “I’m in no position to speak on how events unfolded.

“As players, we’re looking forward to playing in our clubs and without too many distractions, but life happens. At the end of the day, it’s a business, and we see that every day in this job.

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“I’ve got a clear head for the Blues, my sole focus is the Blues, so I don’t let too much outside noise distract me.”

Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson and Japan boss Jamie Joseph are the frontrunners to replace Foster, while former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, who has also had stints in support roles with the Blues and All Blacks, is also someone who has emerged as a dark horse for the position.

Schmidt coached the All Blacks during last year’s first Test against Ireland in New Zealand, after Foster and some of his coaching staff tested positive for Covid-19, and guided the team to their only win in an historic 2-1 series loss.

“Schmidty’s a top bloke, and I’ve got nothing but praise for the man,” said Ioane. “He’s more than capable, but like I said, top man, but my eyes are in here.”

Meanwhile, Blues head coach Leon MacDonald has been mentioned as a possible member of Robertson’s coaching staff, and he has also been linked to the Scotland head-coaching job.

Good man off the field

“He’s a codehead through and through, but he’s a good man off the field as well,” said Ioane. “I think the way he sees the game is different to how I used to approach games and he’s got a different tactical eye to what I’m used to.

“It’s something very refreshing and I’ve learned a hell of a lot. I’m sure whatever his spin on whatever team he’s in will be positive.”

PSG manager Unai Emery has entered into the final year of his 2-year contract at the head of the club.

There is an option to extend by a third year, but that is only triggered if the Spanish tactician takes PSG to the semi-finals of the Champions’ League, something that he failed to do last season.

So, if Emery fails to achieve this target, it is hard to believe that he will receive a new deal. Sporting Director Antero Henrique has already sounded out Jorge Jesus and André Villas-Boas, but neither were available this summer, according to L’Équipe.

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This weekend’s Six Nations action at the Stadio Olimpico, Twickenham and Murrayfield is once again set to cause some movement on the World Rankings.

Indeed, we have Italy up against Wales before England play host to France in Le Crunch on Saturday, with Sunday seeing Ireland travel to Scotland.

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World Rankings permutations

Saturday’s schedule begins in Rome where Italy know that a win over Wales would see them move into the top 10 spots for the first time in a decade.

If the Azzurri beat Wales in the first game of the round they will become the higher-ranked of the two teams for the first time since February 2013.

Only on three previous instances have Italy been ranked above Wales (also in March and August 2007) but only for a combined total of four weeks.

While a victory would see the Azzurri move up three spots from their current ranking of 13th, Wales would fall out of the top 10 for the first time.

In fact, Warren Gatland’s troops could slip as low as 13th position if Kieran Crowley’s outfit defeat their visitors by a large enough margin in Rome.

On the flipside, a first Welsh victory of this Six Nations campaign would result in them climbing above Japan and into ninth position in the rankings.

That would subsequently see Italy will fall below Fiji and be ranked 14th if they go down on home soil, with this game set to be a fascinating contest.

England can go above Scotland

At Twickenham, a win or draw for England against France would be enough for them to swap places with Scotland if they lose to Ireland on Sunday.

But if both England (sixth) and Scotland (fifth) prevail over the weekend, England will only become the higher ranked of the nations, if their victory at Twickenham is by more than 15 points and Scotland fail to match that win margin against the high-flying Irish at Murrayfield less than 24 hours later.

Even with a maximum of 2.26 points on offer for a victory, Scotland can’t improve on fifth, as South Africa (fourth) are well over five points ahead.

Meanwhile, Steve Borthwick’s England are guaranteed to retain sixth place in the World Rankings even if they suffer a big home loss to the French.

On to Sunday and Ireland will retain top spot if they avoid defeat against Scotland at Murrayfield, even if France have come out on top over England.

Ireland’s lead could be extended to 3.09 points if France lose to England by more than 15 points and they defeat Scotland by at least as many points.

If that happens, southern hemisphere duo New Zealand and South Africa would move up one spot, to second and third, with France falling to fourth.

France will replace Ireland as the world’s best team though if they beat England and Ireland lose. However, Ireland can’t drop any lower than second.

In a best case scenario for France, they can lead the rankings by 1.40 points with it all to play for in the Six Nations and World Rankings this weekend.

Latest World Rugby rankings (as of 10/03/2023)

1. Ireland 91.33
2. France 89.47
3. New Zealand 88.98
4. South Africa 88.97
5. Scotland 83.26
6. England 83.11
7. Australia 81.80
8. Argentina 80.72
9. Japan 77.39
10. Wales 76.88
11. Samoa 76.03
12. Georgia 75.94
13. Italy 75.83
14. Fiji 74.84
15. Tonga 71.21
16. Portugal 67.92
17. Uruguay 66.24
18. USA 65.92
19. Spain 65.45
20. Romania 64.45