the times | Wednesday April 13 2022 65
Sport
My top ten scrum halves
- Gareth Edwards (Wales, 1967-78)
- Fourie du Preez
(South Africa 2004-15) - George Gregan
(Australia, 1994-2007) - Aaron Smith
(New Zealand, 2012-present) - Dave Loveridge
(New Zealand, 1978-85) - Antoine Dupont
(France, 2017-present) - Joost van der Westhuizen
(South Africa, 1993-2003) - Conor Murray
(Ireland, 2011-present) - Rob Howley (Wales 1996-2002)
- Justin Marshall
(New Zealand, 1995-2005)
A
fter France beat Ireland in
the 2020 Six Nations, I
wrote: “Antoine Dupont is
speeding towards greatness.” At
the rate he is going, he may just
have Gareth Edwards in his sights
as the greatest No 9 of all time.
It wasn’t long after that Six
Nations that I was asked to
compile a list of the best scrum
halves in the history of the game.
Dupont had not yet done enough
to make the list but, two years on,
that has changed. He is France’s
captain and catalyst, they play to
the tempo he sets. He controls the
pace and drives an attacking game
that thrives off momentum.
After being named World
Rugby’s player of the year and
leading his country to a grand
slam, where does he rank in the
pantheon? I have him at No 6, just
above Joost van der Westhuizen.
Dupont is only 25, but the
quality of his game is being
matched by club and international
honours. I expect him to oust
Edwards at No 1 after the World
Cup. And who has he knocked out
of my top ten? His head coach
with France, Fabien Galthié.Stuart Barnes
CommentHe can be best
No 9 of all time
Sale seek edge from
hormone homework
Chris Jones, Adam HathawayThe Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex
Sanderson has turned to one of the
world’s leading neuropsychologists in a
bid to overturn a one-point deficit in
their Heineken Champions Cup round-
of-16 second leg against Bristol Bears
on Friday night.
After their disappointing 10-9 home
loss to Bristol on Saturday, Sanderson
and his players went through the rugby
reasons for the defeat, before they were
asked to consider the effects of brain
hormones on their efforts to reach the
Cup quarter-finals.
“We did have one of the world’s
leading neuropsychologists come in an
do a little presentation highlighting our
awareness of the effects of oxytocin and
dopamine on your effort and energy,
which you can create through
meaningful social interactions and
inward reflection, so that is quite deep,”
Sanderson explained.
“The neuropsychologist works with
special forces, the RAF and Space
Defence — whatever that is. He is fasci-
nating and everything you thought you
knew about the power of team and its
togetherness to enhance performance
this guy has irrefutable evidence of why
it improves performance.
“For a group of South Africans who
think all this is fluffy, hopefully, thescience behind it opened their eyes. We
are just opening minds a little about
how we can be better.”
Sale will be without the scrum half
Raffi Quirke, whose leg injury could
keep him out for a number of weeks but
Sanderson confirmed that the centre
Manu Tuilagi would be starting again
after he lasted 50 minutes on Friday.
But while Sanderson finds ways to
win the second leg, his Bristol counter-
part, Pat Lam, has said that he wishes
the match was not happening at all —
the Bristol director of rugby has urged
the tournament organisers to revert to
the traditional knockout-stage format.
Under the format implemented last
season, teams play four games in two
pools of 12 before the top eight from
each qualify for the knockout stages. It
was introduced to negate the effects of
Covid cancellations. A single-legged
round-of-16 stage was also played last
year instead of the third and fourth
pool-stage rounds due to Covid
forcing the tournament’s suspension
in January.
Lam would prefer a return to the old
format of five pools of four teams, with
eight qualifying seeded on results, and
a straight knockout in the last eight.
“If we are out of Covid and everyone
is guaranteed to play these games, cer-
tainly going back to the old format is
the best way,” Lam said.SANDRA RUHAUT/ICON SPORT/GETTY IMAGESRowntree gets Munster reins
Will KelleherThe former England prop Graham
Rowntree will be promoted from
forwards coach to take charge of
Munster next season.
The 50-year-old, who has coached
the Harlequins and Georgia forwards,
becomes the latest former England
assistant to take a senior role in Ireland.
Rowntree was part of Stuart Lancas-
ter’s back-room staff at the 2015 World
Cup alongside Andy Farrell and Mike
Catt. Lancaster is now the senior coach
at Leinster, Farrell is head coach of
Ireland, with Catt his attack coach.
Rowntree will succeed Johan van
Graan, who is leaving the province to
join Gallagher Premiership strugglersBath next season, as the club’s head
coach.
“I just feel I’m ready, and I know the
club feels it’s the right time,” he said.
“You get to a point in your career where
you’re comfortable about making the
step up with the experiences you’ve
been through. That’s why I threw my
hat in the ring, and luckily I got it.
“It’s [Munster] very much like the
environment that I grew up with in
Leicester. Very down to earth, humble
group of people. Very passionate, a big
supporter base who are mad about their
rugby, enjoy the craic, say no more.
“Now we crack on, and crack on with
Saturday’s game [against Exeter in the
Heineken Champions Cup last-16
second leg] in particular.”