Barnstorming lock Lukhan Tui makes his run-on Reds debut tonight

http://ift.tt/296ltkh Don’t be surprised if the lowly Reds upset the Brumbies in Canberra tonight, with giant lock Lukhan Tui showing the way. The 19-year-old, who has only been playing rugby for two years, has just returned from the Under-20 World Cup, where he was outstanding in a disappointing Australian performance. Sure, Super Rugby is a vastly […]

Waratahs “definitely interested” in Jarryd Hayne

http://ift.tt/294jf3T The list of Jarryd Hayne’s next potential destination now also includes the Waratahs, with coach Darryl Gibson saying the Sydney-based Super Rugby franchise are “definitely interested” in the code-hopping star. “He (Hayne) is one hell of a player and I think we’d be definitely interested,” Gibson said. While Hayne is in Sydney at the moment […]

Radradra watch: Will Semi play against Cronulla this weekend?

http://ift.tt/298LOQk

Where is Semi Radradra? And will he be taking the field against Cronulla this weekend? We’ve been following the progress of the Eels’ winger since he arrived into Sydney Airport late last night, where he was arrested by police and taken to Mascot Police Station. There he was said to answer some questions about accusations […]

Solving rugby’s ugly and dangerous air-collision problem

http://ift.tt/299G9wh

One topic guaranteed to raise the hackles of rugby fans everywhere is mid-air collisions – the inconsistency in how they are treated and perceived injustice suffered by players involved. Watch any match for the first sign of contact in the air, and for howls of protest to emanate from the aggrieved side, baying for a […]

Winning in Wellington on a debut Test

http://ift.tt/299IGGM

Inspired by Harry Jones’ great rugby travelogue based around the 2011 quarter-final in Wellington, I thought I’d tell you all about the first Test I ever attended. Like many New Zealand school boys I began rugby aged five and was hooked for life. In my first two years, I hardly touched the ball, to the […]

No rest for All Blacks Retallick and Cane

http://ift.tt/299IE1p Necessity means Chiefs forwards Brodie Retallick and Sam Cane will get little respite as Super Rugby makes its return, despite a heavy workload for the All Blacks. Both have been included in the Chiefs’ starting line-up against the Crusaders for the clash between the top two teams in the New Zealand conference in Suva on […]

The talking points: Super Rugby Round 15

http://ift.tt/296Qg0K

Yes, we’re back. After a month off, Super Rugby is here, refreshed and ready to reignite on the run home to the playoffs. As it currently stands, ten teams remain in the hunt for a playoffs berth, and from this weekend, teams can start cementing their places, and indeed, losing touch completely. Here’s the talking […]

Is the northern hemisphere reclaiming rugby superiority?

http://ift.tt/29eq5YY

Last weekend, England defeated the Wallabies 44-40, Ireland narrowly lost to South Africa 13-19, and the All Blacks thrashed Wales 46-6. The combined win-loss outcomes in the three series in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand saw the southern hemisphere teams win five Tests to the four won by the northern hemisphere sides. This outcome […]

Super Rugby tipping Round 15: Plus the team of the June internationals

http://ift.tt/296p9WL

Super Rugby’s back and so is the tipping panel. Where necessary, any and all results of the last three weeks of rugby have been wiped from memories, and we return fresh from our break back to do what we do best. Overwhelmingly sucking at tipping. By virtue of taking out the June internationals tipping, Digger […]

Ewen McKenzie, is it time to do an Eddie Jones?

http://ift.tt/295w3rt ‘Time’ as they say is a great healer, and rugby is not immune to that remedy. If you don’t believe me, look at how time has worked for Eddie Jones and his relationship with Australian rugby of recent. Tell me my fellow Australians that your not kind of proud of what he has achieved with […]

England tightens grip on ten nations

http://ift.tt/295vKN8 It was predicted in the previous ten nations update that after the last few weeks matches true challengers to the title would emerge. And it was a prediction realised with England’s victory over Australia in Melbourne seemingly making the 2016 ten nations tournament England’s bikkies to lose. In a nutshell we now have a situation […]

150 combined captains for the Wallabies and Kangaroos

http://ift.tt/29qXvkJ

Purely by accident, I have discovered that right now, there have been a combined 150 players who have captained the rugby union Wallabies and rugby league Kangaroos. There have been 83 Wallaby captains and 68 Kangaroo captains, with Chris McKivat the only man to captain both the Wallabies (in 1908-09) and Kangaroos (in 1911-12). The […]

Douglas and Houston returning to Reds adds more intrigue for Chieka

http://ift.tt/294QczS

It will not be surprising to see Michael Cheika braving the Canberra chill to have a close look at a pair of Queensland Reds reserves this Friday night. Kane Douglas makes a long awaited return from his World Cup Final knee injury, while Leroy Houston will begin to state his case for inclusion in the […]

Rugby needs urgent help to survive in thrive in the west

http://ift.tt/29aQ30y

While sitting in my wheelchair waiting for hip replacement surgery, I was wondering, how do the head honchos of the NSW and Australian rugby unions really feel about rugby promotion within the western suburbs of Sydney? Or do they just put the efforts into promoting rugby from the eastern suburbs, private schools, the Shute Shield […]

150 combined captains for the Wallabies and Kangaroos

http://ift.tt/29qXvkJ

Purely by accident, I have discovered that right now, there have been a combined 150 players who have captained the rugby union Wallabies and rugby league Kangaroos. There have been 83 Wallaby captains and 68 Kangaroo captains, with Chris McKivat the only man to captain both the Wallabies (in 1908-09) and Kangaroos (in 1911-12). The […]

Rugby needs urgent help to survive in thrive in the west

http://ift.tt/29aQ30y

While sitting in my wheelchair waiting for hip replacement surgery, I was wondering, how do the head honchos of the NSW and Australian rugby unions really feel about rugby promotion within the western suburbs of Sydney? Or do they just put the efforts into promoting rugby from the eastern suburbs, private schools, the Shute Shield […]

Super Rugby tipping Round 15: Plus the team of the June internationals

http://ift.tt/296p9WL

Super Rugby’s back and so is the tipping panel. Where necessary, any and all results of the last three weeks of rugby have been wiped from memories, and we return fresh from our break back to do what we do best. Overwhelmingly sucking at tipping. By virtue of taking out the June internationals tipping, Digger […]

Douglas and Houston returning to Reds adds more intrigue for Chieka

http://ift.tt/294QczS

It will not be surprising to see Michael Cheika braving the Canberra chill to have a close look at a pair of Queensland Reds reserves this Friday night. Kane Douglas makes a long awaited return from his World Cup Final knee injury, while Leroy Houston will begin to state his case for inclusion in the […]

Solving rugby’s ugly and dangerous air-collision problem

http://ift.tt/299G9wh

One topic guaranteed to raise the hackles of rugby fans everywhere is mid-air collisions – the inconsistency in how they are treated and perceived injustice suffered by players involved. Watch any match for the first sign of contact in the air, and for howls of protest to emanate from the aggrieved side, baying for a […]

Winning in Wellington on a debut Test

http://ift.tt/299IGGM

Inspired by Harry Jones’ great rugby travelogue based around the 2011 quarter-final in Wellington, I thought I’d tell you all about the first Test I ever attended. Like many New Zealand school boys I began rugby aged five and was hooked for life. In my first two years, I hardly touched the ball, to the […]

No rest for All Blacks Retallick and Cane

http://ift.tt/299IE1p Necessity means Chiefs forwards Brodie Retallick and Sam Cane will get little respite as Super Rugby makes its return, despite a heavy workload for the All Blacks. Both have been included in the Chiefs’ starting line-up against the Crusaders for the clash between the top two teams in the New Zealand conference in Suva on […]

Toomua back as Brumbies reshuffle backline

http://ift.tt/299IWp7 The Brumbies will roll out a revamped backline on Friday night against the Queensland Reds, with Matt Toomua coming back from injury and Ben Hyne to make his Super Rugby debut. It’ll be Toomua’s first match for the ACT franchise in two months, having hurt his knee in late April while playing the Highlanders. He […]

Douglas return for Reds a Wallaby blessing

http://ift.tt/299II1m After their limp series whitewash to England, there is good news at last for the Wallabies as World Cup linchpin Kane Douglas prepares for his long-awaited return this weekend. Coming back from the knee injury he suffered in last year’s World Cup final loss to New Zealand, Douglas has been named on the bench for […]

Crusaders near full-strength for Chiefs

http://ift.tt/299IDuv Skipper Kieran Read is among a group players backing up from All Blacks duty in a near full-strength Crusaders side to face the Chiefs in the first Super Rugby match to be staged in Fiji. The No.8 is coming off his first series as regular Test captain, having led New Zealand to a 3-0 sweep […]

Karmichael Hunt ‘may not play Super Rugby again this year’

http://ift.tt/28ZpPJc Fringe Wallaby Karmichael Hunt may have played his last Super Rugby match for the season. Hunt hasn’t played since Queensland’s loss to the Crusaders on May 6 because of a persistent groin injury and he has been ruled out of Friday night’s clash with the Brumbies. And co-coach Nick Stiles admits it will be tough […]

Douglas set for Reds rugby return

http://ift.tt/292OlfM Wallabies lock Kane Douglas is one of three players set to make their Queensland Reds debut in Friday night’s Super Rugby clash against the Brumbies in Canberra. Douglas hasn’t played since injuring his anterior cruciate ligament in last year’s World Cup final, but is in line to make his long-awaited return after he was named […]

2016 National Rugby Championship Draw announced

http://ift.tt/293AFzY

The teams are locked in, the games are locked in, now we just wait. The 2016 National Rugby Championship will feature expanded broadcast coverage on Fox Sports as we reported last month, as well as one less team, meaning no byes. All television games will now kick off at 3pm on both days of the […]

Is the northern hemisphere reclaiming rugby superiority?

http://ift.tt/299zqD2

Last weekend, England defeated the Wallabies 44-40, Ireland narrowly lost to South Africa 13-19, and the All Blacks thrashed Wales 46-6. The combined win-loss outcomes in the three series in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand saw the southern hemisphere teams win five Tests to the four won by the northern hemisphere sides. This outcome […]

How did the Wallaby changes work out?

http://ift.tt/2940Zfq

It is a given that in any series of matches between the same opponents, the team which has greater consistency of selection wins. England only made three changes in the course of the recent series, and two of those (Luther Burrell and Teimana Harrison) only lasted half an hour before they were hooked. Australia made […]

The Wallabies learnt no lessons during their English whitewash

http://ift.tt/290qQS5

At least we didn’t lose to Iceland. Apart from that extremely greyed silver lining, there aren’t many positives to go on this week. The Wallabies’ 44-40 loss to England on the weekend steered me strongly towards anger a number of times. The five tries to four loss is depressing because you could see it coming […]

Lessons learnt from Ireland pushing South Africa to the brink

http://ift.tt/293FRGp

Apart from learning South Africa have no breakdown coach specialist and how seems to make a big difference, what else did we learn from the Springboks’ recent Tests against Ireland? In no apparent order, allow me to ramble, ruminate, rant, and rave. First, let us all acknowledge the Springboks have lost their mystique as a […]