SPORTS SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2016 Evergreen Smith returns to Australia with Reds

BRISBANE: Wallabies great George Smith will title for the first time in 2011. the field but off the field with the young play- comment until things have been solidifying continue playing top class rugby until at least Australia captain Stephen Moore has also ers.” Evergreen Smith enjoyed a stellar 2015- but there’s room. “I’m an unashamed fan of the age of 38 after signing a two-year deal to signed up to move to from the ACT 16 season with English Premiership side Quade, have been for a long time...” Cooper return to Australia with the Queensland Reds Brumbies next season and was delighted to Wasps and was named the Players’ Player of is a cult hero in Queensland because of the Super Rugby team yesterday. The 111-cap hear the news. the Year in last month. “The body role he played in that 2011 triumph but he flanker, who turns 36 next month, will join the “Well at least I won’t be the oldest bloke in feels great and the experience in England has clearly has one significant fan in New South Brisbane-based side for the 2017 and 2018 the squad next year,” the 33-year-old joked a been outstanding,” Smith said. “I’m really look- Wales as well. Wallabies coach Michael seasons while also playing for Suntory news conference on the eve of today’s test ing forward to playing Super Rugby again.” Cheika said Cooper was one of a string of Sungoliath in Japan’s Top League. Smith’s cap- against England. “It’s great, he’s a legend of Reds executive Daniel Herbert later sug- players he had been working to try and per- ture will fill the hole left by openside Liam Gill, Australian rugby and you’ve seen even this gested that former Wallabies flyhalf Quade suade to return from Europe. “I’ve been who has decided to leave Australia for French year how well he’s played for Wasps in Cooper would be welcomed back with open doing more than endorsing it, I’ve been out club Toulon at the end of the season. It is a England. “He continues to amaze with how arms if he decided to leave Toulon and there trying to get him back,” he said in a major coup for the Reds, who have endured a well how he can play year after year. He’s a return to Australia. “There’s room if the crowd-pleasing comment at a Reds function miserable few seasons since they won the great addition not only for what he can do on desire’s there,” he said. “We don’t like to in Brisbane yesterday. —Reuters

BRISBANE: England’s players run onto the ground during the captain’s run in Brisbane yesterday ahead of the first rugby Test match against Australia today. —AFP New era dawns Coach O’Shea sets out for Springboks to make Italy powerful SANTA FE: Irish coach Conor O’Shea begins from perennial his mission to create “the best Italy team ever” whipping boys into formidable opponents at : A new era dawns for the that half the 2019 Springboks World Cup with a one-off Test against Argentina in Santa the highest level. “I want this to be the best South African Springboks today when they side must be black. The exit of Meyer leaves Fe today. But the 45-year-old successor to Italian team ever. I played against a fantastic tackle weakened Ireland in Cape Town in former Western Super Rugby Frenchman Jacques Brunel must face the 2015 Italian team in the 1990s and I think we can the first of three Tests. The country that won coach Coetzee with two major tasks-restore semi-finalists without sever- become even better than that team.” the World Cup twice will have a new coach, a winning culture and give black stars a al key players. Captain , Fitness is a key issue for the man capped 35 a new captain, a new scrum-half, a new chance. and , the times at full-back by Ireland, who joined Italy racial outlook and probably a new playing He chose five black starters, including veter- back row when the Azzurri crumbled 67-14 to after coaching roles with Irish and style. , the second black an loosehead prop Tendai ‘The Beast’ Wales last March, are rested. Only four starters Harlequins. “Italy always start fast but as the coach after to coach the Mtawarira to face Johnny Sexton-less Ireland at in -wingers and David match progresses they get slower and slower. green and gold, was chosen two months . Another four black players, Odiete, prop and lock Quintin We have to change that and identify the play- ago to succeed Heyneke Meyer. among them uncapped hooker Bongi Geldenhuys-begin against the Pumas. Star ers who can help us. “I love my teams to play A disastrous final season of his four-year Mbonambi, are among the eight replace- 117-cap tighthead prop with the ball in hand, but you cannot do contract sealed the fate of Meyer with five ments. “We are starting afresh and I have has been omitted for one-off Tests in that,for example, if you cannot make your losses including a sensational 2015 World rewarded Super Rugby form,” stressed Coetzee Argentina, the United States and Canada. tackles,” said O’Shea. Argentina coach Daniel Cup beating by minnows Japan. He stub- after his first team announcement. The compo- He was banned by French club Hourcade starts with only four of the team bornly refused to accept racial transforma- sition was predictable with scrum-half Faf de for partying in Las Vegas instead of attending a beaten by in the 2015 Rugby tion either after decades of white-dominat- Klerk rewarded for a string of outstanding dis- European Champions Cup semi-final in World Cup third-place play-off in London. ed teams, consistently starting with no more plays with the . “I do not want Faf England. Although former Ireland full-back Winger Santiago Cordero, centre Matias than three black players. Ninety percent of to just be seen as a link, I want him to play his O’Shea has named only one new cap, centre Moroni, fly-half and leading 2015 World Cup South Africans are black and the govern- game and ask questions of the Irish defense,” , seven starters have 10 or less points scorer Nicolas Sanchez and lock Matias caps. O’Shea has a bold plan to transform Italy Alemanno survive. —AFP ment and the national rugby body agree said Coetzee. —AFP