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Today's rugby news as Wales legend says 'moment' has arrived and England star denies squad divide

Roberts has named his ultimate Six Nations side
-Credit: (Image: Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Agency)


Here are your rugby morning headlines for Thursday, October 31.

Wales legend sets out stall with autumn prediction

Former Wales centre Jamie Roberts is backing Warren Gatland's side to win at least two matches this autumn.

Wales take on Fiji, Australia and South Africa next month, as they go in search of a first Test victory in 2024.

READ MORE:Wales invite promising duo in to train as Warren Gatland takes closer look

READ MORE:Tonight's rugby news as Wales star on way back after injury hell and Marler leaves England camp

After a tough year, the pressure is on - but Roberts believes Gatland's squad will find that elusive victory and turn a corner this autumn.

"I think we should be targeting two from three," said TNT Sports pundit Roberts. "I'll say that straight off.

"With the quality in the side and the experience coming back in, that they may have missed in the summer. Add that to the learnings of the past six to 12 months in a lot of those young players, I think they should be targeting two of those three games.

"The Springboks are a huge test. There's no doubt about that. But Wales are at home.

"We saw how close those games were against the Wallabies in the summer and Fiji in the World Cup. Wales are at home and the Principality Stadium is a hard place for away side to win.

"There'll be a belief there - albeit off the back of a disappointing year. I look at that squad and I get excited by it. There are some players there who have all the ingredients to be fine Test rugby players. I hope Warren gives them every opportunity."

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When asked if he thought the summer tour of Australia had been a missed opportunity, he added: "Without a doubt.

"The coaches and players will have reviewed the summer and they should have won one of those games. That's the honest answer. That's sport.

"More than anything, this team and those young players are on a steep learning curve. Some of those players who have been involved in the last six months will have lost games, but I've been involved in a Welsh side who won a Grand Slam, lost eight on the bounce, then won a Six Nations championship.

"We love the boom and bust nature in Welsh rugby. They would have learned a huge amount. It now feels the time for me, with that experience sprinkled back in, that they can really take their performances to the next level and win Test rugby games.

"It feels like a moment. Coming off the back of this opening block of regional rugby in Wales, the four sides have shown some really good promise. A lot of young players are putting their hands up."

World Cup-winner rules out coaching another country

Two-time World Cup winning coach Rassie Erasmus has ruled out ever taking charge of another country.

The former South Africa international has been the driving force behind the Springboks' World Cup victories in 2019 and 2023, with the 51-year-old having established himself as one of the finest coaches the sport has ever seen.

However, he's ruled out ever trying to replicate the success he's had with his homeland elsewhere, saying he wouldn't have the same emotional connection.

"If you don’t know a culture of a team and their heartbeat, you don't understand why they are playing and how their fans are," he told BBC Sport.

"I did consider it once and I loved my time at Munster as it was very Bloemfontein-like. But I wouldn't know what makes another country tick."

Itoje denies England squad divide amid enhanced contracts

By Duncan Bech, PA England Rugby Correspondent

Maro Itoje does not believe England’s decision to award a limited number of enhanced contracts will cause division within the squad.

Seventeen players, including Itoje, have been given fixed agreements that will earn them £160,000 per year as part of a new arrangement between the Rugby Football Union and Gallagher Premiership clubs.

It allows head coach Steve Borthwick to have the final say on all sports science and medical matters related to those players.

Those not on enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts will receive a match fee of £23,000 which hinges on their selection, creating a two-tier system within Borthwick’s squad.

Ben Spencer, Will Stuart and Chandler Cunningham-South are three starters in Saturday’s autumn opener against New Zealand at Allianz Stadium not in possession of a contract, and there are seven players in the same position on the bench.

Itoje, however, insists England’s core group know their agreements will not be renewed if they under-perform, while the availability of up to eight more contracts provide an incentive for others to deliver on the pitch.

“Steve has set the tone. He said whether you have one of these or not, his job is to pick the best 23 or 15 to represent England and to do the job on Saturday,” the Saracens captain said.

“The aspiration will be to get a contract, but these things are changing. Just because you have a set of players for one season doesn’t mean that they are going to be there for the next season and the season beyond. These things are fluid.

“Steve has made everyone aware that if you are an enhanced player and not performing then you won’t play and you won’t have one for very long.

“All of us have to make sure there is no divide, but I don’t foresee that being a real bone of contention.”

Itoje in 2023-24 exceeded his 2,400-minute limit for game-time in a season, including a spell playing through a shoulder injury, and he is keen to avoid a similar scenario unfolding again.

“I actually feel that I was in a better position physically come the end of the season than I was earlier on,” he said.

“That being said, I don’t think it’s necessarily wise to be playing that amount of games every year. It is a bit of a difficult one and it does require management.

“No-one wants to miss any England games. You don’t want to miss big games for your club either, so it does require some working through.”

Itoje will on Saturday surpass the total of 84 caps held by World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson, who was also a world-class second row.

“The big thing is not just about racking up caps, racking up appearances for England. What Martin Johnson did was win,” Itoje said.

“He won Six Nations, big games against southern-hemisphere teams. While I’ve also done that in my career, there’s more to come. Him and some of the other guys in yesteryear set the standard in terms of winning.

“I don’t want to just get to a high number of caps and for it to look good on my rugby CV. I want to be part of winning England teams.”

Care: England ‘really close’ to going up another gear ahead of NZ clash

By Andrew Baldock, PA Rugby Union Correspondent

Danny Care feels England are “really close” to going up another gear as they prepare for a blockbuster Autumn Nations Series opener against New Zealand on Saturday.

The All Blacks have beaten England eight times from 10 starts since 2012, most recently a 2-0 series triumph in New Zealand this summer.

But England ran them close on both occasions, losing by a combined margin of just eight points, which followed a 33-31 Six Nations defeat against France when Steve Borthwick’s team produced some thrilling rugby.

“I am fascinated to see how this game goes. When New Zealand come to town, there is just a different feel,” TNT Sports pundit Care told the PA news agency.

“I feel England are really close. That missing ingredient is the toughest one, and it is so hard to put your finger on what it is.

“It’s probably being a bit more ruthless – when you have got momentum, when you have got teams by the scruff of the throat… to really press home that advantage. You have to be clinical against the world’s best teams.

“If you look at the South Africa World Cup semi-final (in 2023), if we had been a little bit more clinical we could have put that game out of sight.

“If you give the best teams in the world a sniff – the best teams in the world are that for a reason – they come back and find a way to win.

“It is about winning those tight games, and there is no better time to do it than this weekend.

“There is something in the air when New Zealand come to town, and you know you have to be on top form.”

Every match of 2024 Autumn Nations Series is exclusively live on TNT Sports and discovery+. Watch The Autumn Nations Rugby Show, free-to-air on Quest every Thursday at 10pm from Oct 31.