Daily Archives: 5 September 2014

James O'Connor

James O’Connor: The worst of the three Amigos.

Drew Mitchell doesn’t mind admitting he didn’t jump for joy when told James O’Connor would be joining him in the south of France.

When O’Connor signed on for Toulon in February, the former Wallaby wing thought only of the brash youngster he’d known in Australian rugby, and the poor form and controversy behind his exit.

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Guinness-Pro12The first round of matches in the Guinness PRO12 take place this weekend with two matches scheduled for Friday night, three for Saturday and one for Sunday.

The opening fixture of the tournament kicking off tonight in Limerick will see Munster Rugby hosting Edinburgh Rugby and for the last fixture of the round Cardiff Blues travel to Italy to take on Zebre at the Stadio XXV Aprile.

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Bryan Habana

Out of Africa: Bryan Habana trains with the Springboks in Perth this week.

Bryan Habana likes to talk about what rugby has done for him.

He talks about the 1995 World Cup, when he was an 11-year-old boy in a bubble of privilege with an abstract understanding of the dividing force of apartheid in his country, but no experience of its implications.

He talks about the path he was put on, one afternoon at Newlands Stadium, when his father pulled him out of school and drove him down from Johannesburg to watch the Springboks beat the Wallabies in the opening round of that historic tournament.

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Harden up

“You Pumas need to harden up”

After shaking up Argentina’s style of play for this year’s Rugby Championship, coach Daniel Hourcade is now working to improve his side’s mental toughness, captain Agustin Creevy said on Friday.

The Pumas, who meet New Zealand at McLean Park in Napier on Saturday, looked set to record their first win in the competition two weeks ago but slipped to a 33-31 defeat to South Africa.

Argentina had controlled the game for about 60 minutes before the Springboks stormed back from 28-16 down and won with a late Morne Steyn penalty.

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Jean de Villiers

Jean de Villiers

South Africa captain Jean de Villiers says the Wallabies might be feeling some “psychological pressure” going into Saturday’s clash after dropping their last three Tests by 20 points or more to the Springboks.

After years of Mandela Challenge Plate dominance, the Wallabies have gone missing in the two sides’ last three hit-outs, going down 28-8, 38-12 and 31-8.

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Agustin Creevy

Agustin Creevy

Argentina captain Agustin Creevy revealed on Friday a plan for fielding a full-strength international side when they join the southern hemisphere’s prestigious Super Rugby competition in 2016.

The move would rob European clubs of several leading players but would strengthen Argentina at Test level.

Super rugby organisers have already confirmed an Argentinian side will join the competition when it is expanded to 18 teams as the International Rugby Board pushes to expand the sport in South America.

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Villareal

There weren’t many dry eyes at Villareal’s El Madrigal stadium.

In beautiful scenes in Spain, La Liga club Villareal has helped a 13-year-old cancer patient realise his dream of running out on the field for them.

The young man, Gohan, has an aggressive form of cancer and told his nurses of his desire to play for the club one day.

Watch the awesome video here

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Victor Matfield

Who’s the man!! Victor Matfield celebrating the 2007 World Cup victory.

He is 37, last played a Test match in Australia four years ago — and he’s standing in the way of the Wallabies and redemption.

Victor Matfield, the legendary lock who will suit up for the Springboks on Saturday night, is one of world rugby’s all-time greats.

He’s been off the Wallabies’ radar for a while, understandable given that he retired from all rugby at the end of 2011. But after dusting off his boots at the start of the year he’s back firmly in their sights.

 

HE’S BEEN LABELLED A MAN OF STEEL

There’s adding steel to the Springboks pack, and then there’s literally adding steel to the Springboks pack.

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Wycliff Palu

Copping criticism: Wycliff Palu

Wallabies captain Michael Hooper has rejected a stinging accusation that Wycliff Palu “dogged it” at Eden Park and let Australia down badly in the heavy loss to the All Blacks.

Former Test fullback Greg Martin made the comments on FoxSports Rugby HQ program on Thursday night and they caused a sizeable ripple in Perth ahead of the Wallabies’ next Test with South Africa tomorrow night.

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Dane Coles

EXPECTING FATHER: All Blacks hooker Dane Coles admits he was nervous informing management he needed leave during a crucial stage of The Rugby Championship.

Hooker Dane Coles nervously told All Blacks Management he needed leave at a crucial time in play.

This was one ruckus Dane Coles wanted to avoid.

Although chuffed partner Sarah was pregnant with their first child, Coles couldn’t help worrying about how All Blacks coach Steve Hansen would react to his hooker swapping scrums for a birthing unit at such a crucial point of the Rugby Championship.

From a rugby perspective Coles concedes the timing is hardly ideal; the baby is due in the first week of October, coinciding with the blockbuster test against the Springboks in Johannesburg and at a time when the All Blacks are short of experienced hookers.

Yet there is only one place he wants to be on October 5 and it isn’t on a rugby field surrounded by 62,000 screaming South African rugby fans at Ellis Park.

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Ewen McKenzie

Ewen McKenzie

After a draw and a lopsided loss to New Zealand in the Rugby Championship, Australia goes into its match against South Africa on Saturday with a chance to give coach Ewen McKenzie a first a win against a team ranked ahead of the Wallabies.

In his 18th test as Wallabies coach, McKenzie still hasn’t led the third-ranked team to a win over a side with a better International Rugby Board ranking.

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Richie McCaw

FOCUSED: All Blacks captain Richie McCaw takes a pass during a training session at McLean Park in Napier.

Yellow cards have been an unwanted feature of the All Blacks’ recent tests and Richie McCaw says enough is enough.

The All Blacks captain was one of the chief offenders when the All Blacks belted the Wallabies 51-20 at Eden Park a fortnight ago, having been sent to the sin-bin by French referee Romain Poite for needlessly playing the ball on the ground.

Ben Franks also copped a yellow card in the Auckland match and Wyatt Crockett and Beauden Barrett took an enforced rest against the Aussies in the first Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney.

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Greg Growden

Greg Growden

Michael Cheika’s re-negotiations with New South Wales Waratahs remain murky, with Ruck’n Maul hearing that Argentina have once again upped their bid to lure the Super Rugby-winning coach.

Our Waratahs snouts say that Argentine officials have told Cheika to “name his price” as they are relentlessly pursuing him to be the country’s director of rugby for the next four years.

The deal includes accommodation, incentives, cars, and schooling for his children.

The Waratahs, meanwhile, have tried lately to entice Cheika by inviting him and his wife to a dinner with the board members. “He has declined the feed,” said one well-connected source.

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Michael Hooper

Michael Hooper

Wallabies captain Michael Hooper has put South Africa on notice, saying he wants both their No.2 world ranking and the Mandela Challenge Plate back.

With Australia ranked third behind the All Blacks and Springboks, wins in Perth and then Cape Town could see them rise to No2 for the first time under new coach Ewen McKenzie.

It would also see them regain the Mandela Plate, which they lost last season after holding it for three years.

And it all starts at Perth’s Patersons Stadium this Saturday.

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Horacio Agulla

LOW TACTICS: Pumas wing Horacio Agulla believes Argentina will need to tackle low if they are to beat the All Blacks.

Belief is a valuable commodity. When it comes to the Rugby Championship that mental barrier, more than any physical or skill disparity, is holding the Pumas back.

For the most part, Argentina’s set-piece laid a near exemplary platform in two narrow defeats against the Springboks. Similar dominance saw the All Blacks run up half a century against the Wallabies.

The Pumas should have claimed at least one victory over the Boks, but instead left Auckland for Napier yesterday still feeling the frustration of another missed opportunity.

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Craig Smith

DAY JOB: Stags player Craig Smith spent some time back on the building site yesterday in Invercargill where he works as a builder outside of the rugby season.

Provincial rugby isn’t a fulltime gig for most players in New Zealand these days.

Outside of Super Rugby players, and the All Blacks, those plying their trade in the national provincial rugby competition need something else.

As provincial unions tighten their belts, in regard to their wage bills, the importance for players having something outside rugby, in terms of employment or eduction, has increased.

That importance also heightens for unions to have buy-in from employers and educators to allow some flexibility for players to juggle their rugby commitments with work.

Most provincial players need to convince their bosses to let them go for four months throughout the NPC season and hope they can return after it.

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SuperBruThis weekend sees the resumption of The Rugby Championship with the All Blacks hosting the Pumas in Napier and the Springboks traveling to Perth to face the Wallabies.

Last weekend we had the Round 4 of the ABSA Currie Cup and there has been some movement at the top of the Rugby-Talk SuperBru group.

The 6 Important games we focus on which are played this weekend, consists of the 2 Rugby Championship Test matches as well as 4 ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division matches.

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