The Dutchman helped Liverpool get their Premier League title challenge back on track and is confident of achieving European success as well

Georginio Wijnaldum says Liverpool are good enough to challenge domestically and in Europe after climbing off his sick bed to help the Reds maintain their challenge for the Premier League.

Wijnaldum was unable to join up with the rest of the Liverpool squad at their team hotel in the build-up to Saturday’s game with Bournemouth after suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting.

However, the Netherlands international recovered in time to take his place in the starting line-up and scored a fine second goal as Jurgen Klopp’s side eased to a 3-0 win.

The victory lifted Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League, though Manchester City returned to the summit on goal difference following their 6-0 thrashing of Chelsea on Sunday.

Speaking after the game Wijnaldum, who was named man of the match, revealed just how close he was to missing out on the game at Anfield.

“Thursday night I had a tablet from the doctor for my knee. It was a tablet that could induce stomach pains,” said the 28-year-old.

“I took it and I had a pain and thought it was from the tablet. In the end, I was vomiting and everyone was a little bit scared.

“I didn’t train on Friday and I didn’t sleep at the hotel either because they thought I might infect other players.

“The manager called me and said ‘Do you think you can play?’ I said I was as positive as I can. In the morning I was still weak and had diarrhoea.

“The tablets helped a lot but even at half-time, I had to run off to get to the toilet. I was like ‘Oh no!’. I ran inside and I managed to control it!”

The win over the Cherries eased some of the nerves that had been gathering at Anfield after successive draws had allowed Manchester City to eat away at their five-point lead at the summit.

Wijnaldum acknowledges the frustration felt by those draws with Leicester and West Ham but also urged some perspective, with the club still well in contention for their first title since 1990.

“We had two draws in a row and that didn’t feel that good,” he added.

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“But if we had been told that at the beginning [of the season] you will have this kind of points [65] everyone would have taken it.

“It could be better but we must appreciate where we stand.

“You can see the improvement. You could see at the beginning of the season we improved. We just have to keep it going.”

Liverpool return to European action later this month when they take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16.

It has been suggested that Klopp’s side may struggle to juggle their domestic and European commitments given their desperation to end the club’s 29-year wait for a league title.

However, Wijnaldum believes his side, beaten Champions League finalists in 2018, are good enough to compete on two fronts.

“We have to see how it is going to work. I think we can play both,” he said.

“You never know but a lot of times it goes well. Last season the Champions League went well and we dropped a lot of points in the league.

“But I don’t think it was because of the Champions League.”

Queensland Reds centre Anthony Faingaa has praised Rugby’s attitude to concussion after his enforced layoff from Rugby.

Faingaa was suffering concussion symptoms more than a fortnight after a head knock against the Sharks in May last year, before a foot injury stretched his absence out to nine months.

Almost a year on from that knock, the 29-year-old is confident he has overcome any danger.

“We’ve got match day doctors and if they feel there’s got any kind of symptom or any kind of tackle, you get dragged from the field and all  the rest of it,” he said.

“The ARU and [World Rugby] are doing everything in their power to control this concussion issue whether it be concussion testing or through concussion protocol,” he said.

It’s not the first time Faingaa has had concussion concerns and he admits it’s a risk that comes with his tackling approach.

“For me, as a player, I’ve just got to make sure i don’t get my head in the wrong place,” he said.

“I know I lead with my head in most tackles so probably don’t have the best tackling technique but I do whatever it takes to stop the guys from running

“I think the protocols around concussion testing and what’s being done off the field is really good.”

A number of players, particularly in the AFL, have called time on their careers due to concussion, most recently Brisbane Lions defender Justin Clarke, who retired at just 22 still suffering symptoms from a preseason head knock.

Faingaa used his nine-month layoff with a foot injury to progress in his studies, working towards an MBA, and said he was feeling better than ever on his return.

The Reds are one of just two Aussie teams playing this weekend, coming off a bye, when they take on the Highlanders in Brisbane.

Not every Reds squad member was resting up during the bye, with their next generation on show in the Super U20s final.

The Reds U20s capped an undefeated tournament off with a 35-5 win against the Rebels at Ballymore.

Faingaa said it was reward for the hard work the players put in, regularly facing off with the senior squad in training.

“They go under the radar but they help us and the main squad here quite a lot,” he said.

“They do a lot of work with us and it’s really good to see some of the success they’ve had on the back of working so hard.”

“As an organisation we have great 20s, a very good feeder squad.  The Reds are doing really sensational things off field to make sure we have a really sustainable future for this place.”

While so many Australian players go to Europe to finish their careers, Force fullback Dane Haylett-Petty credits a European stint at the beginning of his for a breakthrough Super Rugby season.

After stints with the Sevens and Australian U20s, Haylett-Petty struggled to get comfortable in Super Rugby, shifting between club rugby, reserves and starting spots for the Force, without creating any kind of niche for himself.

“I thought it was quite tough trying to make that step up,” he says.

“One week you’re playing club rugby and the next week you’re thrown into a Super Rugby game on the bench or starting.”

Haylett-Petty was in a queue behind a handful of Test players and the lure of guaranteed game time proved the clincher for his early move overseas.

“When I was (first) playing at the Force there were a lot of Wallabies such as Drew Mitchell and Cam Sheppard and all those sorts of guys ahead of me.

“Those were the reasons I thought heading over to France and playing 30 games a year and just trying to improve as much as I could while I was young.”

In 2010, then 21-year-old Haylett-Petty joined Top 14 French side Biarittz, playing 52 matches over three years as he continued to develop as a player and soak up the lifestyle of a different country.

Staying that long wasn’t initially in his sights, but one year became three and only the lingering desire to work towards Test duties stopped him from being a lifelong Francophile.

“I went over there to play as much rugby as I could and learn a different culture and travel, I absolutely loved it,” he says.

“I went over there saying ‘I’ll go over there for a year’ and ended up staying for three and probably could have stayed longer because the lifestyle was so good.”

While he found comfort and enjoyment in the French Riviera, Haylett-Petty returned home to pursue his dream of donning Wallabies gold.

“The plan was always to try and come back and try and have a crack at playing Wallabies,” he says.

That dream is now in sight with the standout fullback catapulting into Test calculations, brought into Wallabies meetings this season and invited to a recent camp, though no Force representative was able to attend because of their Super Rugby schedule.

“We (Cheika) met at the first set of meetings after round three,” he said.

“We had a quick chat before I flew back to Perth, but unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to catchup with him since.”

Perth has been home for Haylett-Petty since he was 10, moving over with his family from South Africa and the Force always his preferred rugby destination but he says any Australian opportunity would have been enough for him and was close to a Waratahs deal before opting to stay near his family in WA.

“I have all my friends and family here and I think that really helps when I’m trying play footy, having that support network around,” he says.

“I was chatting with the Waratahs for a little while, I would’ve come back and gone anywhere but my preference was always to come home.”

Three years on, his family has become intertwined with his rugby life.

He plays alongside younger brother Ross at the Force and has embarked on a health food business with his sister, Sarah.

That he has those business interests outside of rugby, along with commerce and finance studies, helps him keep things in perspective, he says.

“I studied Commerce and Finance but I started a business with my sister, a healthy drive-thru,” he says.

“That takes up a fair bit of my time on my days off and evenings. Just sitting down with her and working out the direction we want to go.”

“It’s only been opened for six months so we’re just learning as we go, (we’re) both new to the hospitality side of things, so just making mistakes and learning.”

Whether he makes it to the next level this season or further down the road, it seems like Haylett-Petty’s future will keep him in Australia and eventually donning gold as well as blue.

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Scott Fardy will be sitting on the sideline this weekend in a shock decision Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham called a ‘tactical’ move ahead of their clash with the Force.

Fardy has started at blindside flanker for the Brumbies in their opening two games, but rookie Ben Hyne was preferred over the 32-year-old for Friday’s Force clash, with Fardy left out of the 23 for the first time since 2013.

After two impressive outings for the Brumbies this season, Fardy’s exclusion came as a surprise to many, with injury initially thought to be the reason for the switch.

Larkham cleared that up almost immediately, speaking to reporters on Thursday.

“That’s a tactical decision, there’s no injury there with Fards,” he said.

“It’s just making sure we maintain the motivation in the group and keep the energy out there on the field.”

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Larkham said the move was also rewarding Hyne, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in his Super Rugby debut last season, for some strong showings in the Brumbies ‘Runners’ team in recent weeks.

“Fards has had two tremendous games but Ben Hyne has also had some really good performances in both the preseason trials and the Runners games and he’s been performing exceptionally at training as well,” he said.

“We’re looking at the whole season as well as giving guys opportunities when they deserve it.”

Fardy suffered an elbow hyperextension against the Sharks last Saturday night, but Larkham said he had recovered well from that in the days since.

“Fards went down in the game on the weekend (but) he pulled up really well out of that injury but it just made sense for us on a six-day turnaround to try and freshen up some of the guys,” he said.

Fardy’s omission is one of two changes to the starting XV, with Ben Alexander replacing Nic Mayhew at loosehead and Isaac Thompson making way for lock Blake Enever on a 6-2 bench.

While Larkham dismissed the notion Fardy’s absence was about preparing the team for 2018 and beyond when he’ll be in Ireland, he did say it would prove beneficial.

“It’s not about seeing how they ( the younger guys) perform, we feel that this is the right mix for the group this week but, I guess in terms of the bigger picture, you’ve certainly got to look further afield,” he said.

“For us, that’s not our focus.

“After the game, of we get the result that we want  then we’re on top of the Australian conference, which is where we would have liked to have been after the first round and then the second round.”

The Brumbies host the Force on Friday night, kicking off at 7:45pm AEDT LIVE on FOX SPORTS and via radio on RUGBY.com.au.

TEAM

IN: Ben Hyne, Blake Enever

OUT: Scott Fardy, Isaac Thompson

Brumbies team to face the Force

1. Ben Alexander

2 Josh Mann-Rea

3. Allan Alaalatoa

4. Rory Arnold

5. Sam Carter

6. Ben Hyne

7. Chris Alcock

8. Jordan Smiler

9. Joe Powell

10. Wharenui Hawera

11. James Dargaville

12. Kyle Godwin

13. Tevita Kuridrani

14. Henry Speight

15. Aidan Toua

Reserves 

16. Robbie Abel

17. Nic Mayhew

18. Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin

19. Blake Enever

20. Tom Staniforth

21. Lolo Fakaosilea

22. De Wet Roos

23. Andrew Smith

He played all but half an hour of Super Rugby in 2016 and Waratahs captain Michael Hooper expects much of the same this season.

Hooper will lead the Waratahs for the second year in a row, heading a new-look leadership voted on by the players, and said he was refreshed after a heavy 2016 workload.

“I want to play every minute it’s where you have the most fun,” he said.

“You don’t want to be sitting on the sideline – done that the past two weeks and it sucks.

“Loving it, loving the new challenge and I’m really invigorated by the guys around me.”

The Waratahs will usher in a new generation this season and Hooper is expecting big things from his backrow teammates, with the departure of Dave Dennis last season.

A hamstring injury will keep Jed Holloway out of the side until round two but Hooper said there was plenty of talent underneath him.

“We really need those guys to step up and got a lot of confidence in those guys to do the job and step up, your Jack Dempseys – he’s been very impressive this preseason and on the (Wallabies Spring) tour last year,” he said.

“What he has done around training, Jed (Holloway) put his stamp on the competition a little bit last year, looking for him to do more and then there’s guys under that Michael Wells, Brad Wilkin, all impressive.

“It’s tough going for spots, it’s never easy and I don’t  even know what Daryl’s going to go on Thursday, let alone the season.”

The Waratahs host the Force in their opening Super Rugby clash on February 25, and Hooper hopes former teammate Tatafu Polota-Nau receives a warm reception from Sydney fans.

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“What he’s done in the Waratah jersey’s been nothing short of brilliant, so it must be weird for him suiting up in a different change room and running out round one but I look forward to seeing him there and I’m sure he’ll get a good welcome,” he said.

“Not sure that the west has changed him at all, he’s still as weird as ever. I’m looking forward to seeing him round one.”

The Waratahs play the Highlanders on Thursday night in their last trial, before their February 25 Super Rugby opener.

Kyle Godwin’s move to Canberra is official, with the franchise confirming the inside back’s two-year deal on Wednesday.

Reports first emerged of his switch from the Force in June, amid another season of struggle in Perth.

The 24-year-old said on Monday that his manager was finalising the details of his contract, ahead of Wednesday’s official announcement.

Godwin said he was ready for a change after living almost his entire life in Perth, since moving to Australia from Zimbabwe as an eight-year-old.

“The opportunity to grow as a person and as a rugby player at the Brumbies is something I could not ignore,” he

“The opportunity to be coached by Stephen Larkham, someone who played in a position similar to me was definitely another reason for the decision.

“I’ve loved every minute at the Western Force and the club will always be very special to me, but the move to the Brumbies is the best decision for my career.

“I’ve lived in Perth my whole life, I live 10 minutes away from training so it’s going to be a big change moving to Canberra.

“To be able to link with the current Australian Conference Champion is something I am extremely grateful for and I’m really looking forward to this next chapter of my career at the Brumbies.”

Godwin looks set to make his Wallabies debut this season, called into the Rugby Championship squad for the next two Tests, his first official inclusion since 2014.

His time in the Wallabies fold this season has given him some time with prospective coach, Stephen Larkham, who recently extended his contract for 2017.

Injuries hampered his progress early in his career and he was in and out of the Force team this season, but he has been a much-hyped prospect.

His addition to the Brumbies will partially compensate for the departure of Matt Toomua to UK side, Leicester, leaving the inside centre spot open.

Youngster Jordan Jackson-Hope showed promise in the position while Toomua was injured this season, but Godwin brings more experience to the role.

Larkham said he hoped the Brumbies could help Godwin improve his game.

“He wants to take his game to a new level and believes the move can help him do that,” he said.

“He’s played 52 Super Rugby matches for the Force and has developed into an international-standard player in that time.

“We were looking for someone who has strengths in both attack and defence. Kyle possesses those skills as well as great game vision and a powerful running game. It will be an exciting time for us when he joins our backline next season.”

Waratahs flyhalf Bernard Foley struggled to find a positive from 2017, after their biggest loss to the Force in history put a full stop on an underwhelming season.

Though he found some positives in the progress of debutants they had this year, Foley couldn’t hide his frustration after a 40-11 loss to the Force to end their year.

“Everything about this season’s been disappointing,” he said.

“The only thing we can look it is the guys that have come through, the guys that have excelled in the jersey or debuted.

Foley, who during the week maintained his side had the hunger to win, shut down the notion that the Force’s emotional drive simply got the better of the visitors.

“We were aware of it and we empathise with what they’ve gone through and we knew what was coming tonight,” he said.

“We spoke about it, we addressed it, so it’s not like they blindsided it or we were out-enthused.

“In terms of that (idea), they had more to play for, we spoke about what we had to play for and again we fell short.”

The playmaker looked visibly exhausted after a 40-11 loss to the Force to finish their worst season since his first regular season of Super Rugby and said there was only one solution.

“That has to come down to each individual, they have to want to change, want to be better because  if you keep turning up doing the same things, you get the same results.”

Whether it’s NRC or the Rugby Championship, Foley said every player had a responsibility to take that challenge on.

“This season we weren’t up to the challenge and we leaked too many points, we missed out in our attack,” he said.

“We’ll work hard for whatever’s coming up.

“Each player in the squad has got an immediate challenge and they have to lift for that and that’s our challenge as rugby players.”

One Waratah who will be just an interested observer in 2018 will be Rob Horne, set to join Northampton in the 2017-18 UK Premiership but the memory of this season is still raw in his mind.

Horne was at NSW along with Foley in the last four-win season in 2012, a year that brought major coaching change.

Aside from change at the top, Horne said they needed to rediscover the meaning of hard work.

“(After 2012), there was a fundamental shift in mentality and mentality towards your work and being the best player you can possibly be and push yourself every day.

“I feel like that’s a growth area for this team and I look forward to watching from afar.

“It’s a year that needs to be a catalyst for change.”

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Horne will be waiting to find out whether he will be part of the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship squad before deciding on his next step.

A man once held in the highest regard at Old Trafford has taken in a nomadic career while former youth team colleagues have become superstars

Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard have become talismanic figures at Manchester United, but fellow Old Trafford academy graduate Ravel Morrison has no regrets at having taken a different path.

Once considered by Sir Alex Ferguson to be “the best kid you will ever see”, a rather nomadic career has been experienced by a midfielder who was tipped for the very top.

Morrison was the star turn in the United side which lifted the 2011 FA Youth Cup, with the likes of Pogba and Lingard playing support roles.

But while the latter have gone on become senior internationals, with a World Cup win among their enviable collection of honours, a former team-mate now finds himself at Swedish side Ostersunds.

Morrison, who is still only 26 years of age, told The Times when asked if he ever wonders what could have been: “I’m in touch with Paul and I speak to Jesse all the time.

“They’re doing great. I’m not going to turn around and think: ‘That could have been me. That should have been me’.

“Stuff happens. They’re happy, I’m happy for them. I’m not going to be a spiteful or negative person. Life’s too short for that.”

Since leaving United in 2012, Morrison has taken in spells at West Ham, Birmingham, Queens Park Rangers, Cardiff, Lazio and Mexican side Atlas.

He almost returned to British shores in January having held talks with Rangers boss Steven Gerrard about a possible deal at Ibrox.

“He’s a legend in football and he was willing to sit down and have a really good conversation,” Morrison said of his meeting with the Liverpool icon.

“Certain old-school managers wouldn’t have done that. My agent spoke to another manager, in the Championship, who just said ‘No, he won’t fit in here’.

“It’s just excuses. Too many managers say no because they have a bad image of me from things from 10 years ago.”

Morrison has seen his attitude questioned at times, but he has always just wanted to play football.

He hoped that a high-profile switch to Lazio in 2015 would allow him to do just that, but he endured a testing three years in Italy that delivered just a handful of first-team appearances.

“It just felt like everyone at Lazio was there for themselves,” said Morrison.

“I played a bit the first year. The second year was a joke. We had cup games where players who were 37/38 were getting picked ahead of me. 

“If you’re there and you’re not playing, it’s very lonely place. It was difficult. At one stage my mum was very ill and they wouldn’t let me fly home or, if I did, I had to be back the next day. 

“I could have understood if I was playing, but I was nowhere near the team. It upset me. I felt like giving up.”

Morrison now has the chance to rebuild his career at Ostersunds, with a short-term deal agreed through to the end of June.

Pogba and Lingard, meanwhile, are chasing down a top-four finish and more major honours with United.

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The Reds will be without their talismanic centre-half in a crunch Champions League clash, with their goalkeeper feeling they have adequate cover

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Liverpool are capable of containing and competing with Bayern Munich despite having Virgil van Dijk suspended, claims Alisson.

The Reds are set to face the German giants in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter on Tuesday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side will step out at Anfield without a talismanic presence at the heart of their back four, with Van Dijk set to serve a one-match ban for yellow card accumulation in the group stage.

His absence will be felt as an on-field leader, but Alisson is convinced that Liverpool boast enough experience and depth in their squad to counter the loss of one player.

The Brazilian goalkeeper told Premier League Productions: “All the defenders have played so when one comes in and one leaves, we don’t feel that loss because we’re all used to each other.

“That the backline are all able to communicate with each other, and know each other really well, is vital for any team.

“Once you’ve cracked it, you’ve got it – and we seem confident.”

While the Reds are “confident”, Klopp does face a selection dilemma at the back.

Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren are nursing knocks, meaning that there is no obvious option to fill in alongside Joel Matip.

Fabinho may be the man to get the nod, having already covered at centre-half this season.

Whoever is included, Alisson is aware that Liverpool will need to be at the top of their game in order to collect a positive result.

He is looking forward to that challenge, especially as a meeting with Bayern is set to give him the chance to line up at the opposite end of the field to World Cup winner Manuel Neuer.

The £65 million addition at Anfield said: “We know they’re a really good, strong team,

“Jurgen knows more about that team than anyone. There’s a lot of quality – and a great defence.

“[Neuer] is a big reference for me. When we got them in the draw I was pleased knowing I’d be against him.”

Alisson will be hoping that he is the one left celebrating on Tuesday evening, with Liverpool looking to break down Neuer and Co and claim an advantage heading into a return date at the Allianz Arena on March 13.

The Blues boss has been under increasing pressure following three comprehensive away defeats in recent weeks, culminating in a 6-0 loss to Man City

Chelsea’s players must recognise the importance of a crucial run of fixtures in the next two weeks, insists former Blues winger Joe Cole, who believes Maurizio Sarri is doing a good job.

Pressure has mounted on Sarri after consecutive away losses to Arsenal, Bournemouth and Manchester City in recent weeks, culminating in the 6-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium.

Sarri is now in desperate need of results ahead of his side facing Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday night before playing Malmo in the Europa League and Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.

The Blues also host Tottenham in the Premier League before the end of February, and Cole has called on Sarri’s players to step up in the coming games. 

“When you get that many great players in one dressing room it’s hard to manage. But Sarri is doing a good job,” he told Goal.

“After this run of three away games, which was very difficult for us, there was a settling-in period against Malmo.

“The Man Utd game, the cup final, this next two weeks is going to be defining in Chelsea’s season. That’s clear. It always comes to a head. Every season comes to a head where you get a week or two and it’s a crucial week.

“It’s important that the players recognise it and I think they do. If they get four or five great results over the next month, the season could be a real positive one for the club.”

Sarri was brought in from Napoli last summer following the departure of Antonio Conte from Stamford Bridge.

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Conte had won the Premier League title in his first season at the club but, despite winning the FA Cup, his second was far less impressive and saw them finish fifth in the English top flight.

“Last year was a really bad year in terms of where we finished up, obviously missing out on the Champions League,” Cole said. “I think time will tell on how successful Sarri will be.

“One thing you have to admire is he’s committed to his style and his philosophy and he wants the club to adhere to that. You have to admire that so much. Against Malmo they were excellent in trying to do what the manager wanted.”

Cole won three Premier League titles, three FA Cups and two League Cups during a seven-year career at Chelsea, and started the 2008 Champions League final defeat against Manchester United.

The Blues eventually picked up a first-ever Champions League trophy in 2012 and Cole wants to see them lift it again, insisting Chelsea need to aim to win at least one title every season. 

“If you’re lucky enough to be playing in Europe you have four competitions to try and win every year,” Cole continued. “This is my fan head on. You want to win one of them trophies.

“We’d all love to win the Champions League, it’s probably the most difficult one to win, you need the gods to be on your side, the margins are so small.

“The Premier League is probably the best indicator of how well you did over the course of the season. And then both cups are really prestigious to win. Chelsea want to be getting their hands on one of them trophies. That will always be the standard that this club is set by. 

“That’s a good thing. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. You want to set standards and the club has certainly set high standards for everyone involved.”

Joe Cole is no stranger to switching clubs. However, he was joined by former England team-mate Michael Owen as the pair announced one final transfer in a tongue-in-cheek film for smartphone brand Huawei. Citing intelligent performance and a fantastic kit as reasons for the move, the Premier League greats state they’ve made the easiest move of their careers…