Eliota Fuimaono Sapolu
I have a lot I want to say about the upcoming Rugby World Cup (RWC) in New Zealand, and specifically about the Tri-Nation teams, I don’t pretend to be an expert on the Northern Hemisphere teams as I do not know their best players, or those fighting to become the first choice.
The Australian Rugby Union has suspended James O’Connor until Sunday, August 28 after the Wallabies wing failed to appear at two official team functions on Thursday August 18.
Changes made around five key areas of play – the tackle, scrum, offside, ruck, and maul – over the past three seasons have begun to have an impact in shaping the game that SANZAR wants to see played in Super Rugby.
Matt Giteau’s exit from the Wallabies squad has been like a slow, dripping tap that has taken more than two years to be turned off.
Ultimately, it came down to the Wallabies management – and not just coach Robbie Deans – having concerns that apart from opposing teams having ”worked Giteau out”, the Test midfielder had fallen short of the mark on several occasions when on-field pressure was applied.
James Horwill has replaced Rocky Elsom as Australia’s captain in a shock move before next month’s Rugby World Cup.
Queensland Reds skipper Horwill was surprised when coach Robbie Deans today named him to lead the 30-man Wallabies squad to the tournament, kicking off in New Zealand on September 9.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has signed a two year extension with the Australian Rugby Union which will keep him in Australia until 2013 at least.
Wallabies stalwart Matt Giteau has given every indication he has controversially missed Rugby World Cup selection.
The Wallabies achieved one of their most courageous overseas Test victories against the Springboks at the weekend to push their World Cup claims, Australian newspapers said on Monday.
Springboks (6) 9 / Wallabies (0) 14 (Final Score)
The South African Springboks hosted the Australian Wallabies at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Wallabies mounted a massive second half fight back to beat the Springboks by 5 points, all their points coming in the second half.
South Africa’s Springboks take on Australia’s Wallabies in a Tri Nations 4th round match 
Date: Saturday, August 13
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17:05 (15:05 GMT)
Reds back rower Scott Higginbotham and Nathan Sharpe were named in the Wallabies rugby team to face the Springboks in a Tri Nations rugby Test against the Springboks in Durban on Saturday.
I wrote this article on Sunday for another web site, and thought the guys on Rugby-Talk wouldn’t want to hear how good the All Blacks are, but seeing that superBul provided us with such an enlightening article about the infringements at the breakdown, I thought I’ll put my 2 cents in.
There is a bit of a public hysteria at the moment in South Africa after the first two Tri-Nations Tests this year, specifically because of the way the Springboks lost in both these games.
I don’t think any Springbok supporter will ever be happy with ‘throwing’ Test matches for the sake of a ‘larger/bigger’ objective. However, this is exactly what happened in 2007. Continue reading
After their loss to the All Blacks in Wellington, Springbok lock Victor Matfield said that “It seems as if they are untouchable. The refs allow them to get away with murder. … I cannot say much about the ref (Alain Rolland), because I will get into trouble. But there were a few times on attack when we struggled to play because our ball was deliberately slowed down.”
Just whingeing, or did Victor have a point? We decided to take a close look at the All Blacks’ “rules of engagement” at the breakdown.
Coach Robbie Deans has taken two more players into his squad of 26 players to fly across the Indian Ocean to Durban on Sunday – prop Salesi Ma’afu and No 8 Radike Samo.
All Blacks (17) 30 / Wallabies (0) 14 (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks hosted the Australian Wallabies at Eden Park, Auckland at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The All Blacks sailed to a commanding lead early on against a Wallaby side which was unusually error-prone. In the second half the Wallabies tried hard but it was always going to be nigh on impossible to come back from so far behind.
The Wallaby squad is without veteran lock and Force Captain Nathan Sharpe.
Wallabies half back Luke Burgess has been given the all clear to return to rugby to face the All Blacks this weekend in the Tri-Nations.
Peter de Villiers was in a buoyant mood despite back-to-back defeats for the Springboks over the past two weeks on the away leg of the Tri-Nations in Australasia.
The Tri Nations should never have happened in a World Cup year. Tests were compromised by money hungry SANZAR. Rugby World Cup has destroyed Rugby’s old traditions!
Here are some really insightful video clips of the first Tri-Nations Test. Continue reading
Dwyer’s thoughts in blue with some commentary from my side in black.
The Boks were well under strength with about eleven first choice players missing and, as was clear with the second-string Wallabies against the Samoans, this is rarely good enough.
So clearly it is not just the Springboks who struggle with their second stringers. What worries me though is that we probably have more rugby players in the Western Cape than the entire Australia. One would think we have enough depth to be competitive with a second string team.
Wallabies (15) 39 / Springboks (6) 20 (Final Score)
The Wallabies hosted the Springboks at ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia at 12:00 SA Time (20:00 Sydney Time). This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
Sub-standard performance from the Springboks and a consumate Wallaby performance. 5 Tries to 2.
The Wallabies are sweating on the fitness of star fly half Quade Cooper after he sat out of Friday’s captain’s run ahead of the TriNations opening against the Springboks.
I recieved this mail from Old Griqua 14…
“If you get a chance, have a look at these pictures of Sydney last night – almost a cyclone. All this talk about climate change???
Might suit the bokkies on the weekend . . .
Best wishes, Old Griquas 14 in Sydney”
Australia have brought back their heavyweights to play South Africa after the embarrassment of last Sunday’s loss to Samoa.
Australia will field nine of the players who started in last year’s history-making win over South Africa at Bloemfontein after the Wallabies’ combination for Saturday night’s opening Test in the Tri Nations was named today.
Samoa beat Australia for the first time in rugby history when they pulled off a shock 23-32 victory in Sydney on Sunday.
It’s the start of the Currie Cup, the Craven Week u/18 Tournament draws to a close, the ITM Cup in New Zealand is featured and the Big Guns in the Southern Hemisphere start their Internationals for 2011.
New Brumbies Head Coach Jake White arrived in Canberra on Friday and has already started working on the 2012 Super Rugby season.
Waratahs and Wallabies prop Benn Robinson has been ruled out of Rugby for the rest of the season ruling him out of the TriNations and the world cup.
Veteran back-rower Radike Samo has been reactivated by the Wallabies as one of 15 triumphant Queensland Reds named in Australia’s 40-man Test squad on Sunday.
Fijian-born Samo, who celebrated his 35th birthday with a Super Rugby title, is one of the big selection surprises along with Reds reserve hooker James Hanson and Melbourne Rebels utility back Mark Gerrard.
It was exciting and a close contest and I was as happy as most Aussies with the Reds victory mostly because it moved me up to the top 4% overall on Superbru.
Generally speaking though, I thought it was a rather poor exhibition of how to play finals rugby – by both teams. Not poor rugby but poor finals tactics. Let me explain at hand of the following observations I’ve made while watching the game.
Two match reports. First what New Zealand said and then the Australian view.
The Reds, who were playing for those who suffered because of the Queensland Floods early this year, came out on top.
But one thing is for sure – all of those involved with this Crusaders side should hold their heads high about what they’ve achieved this year.
Reds (6) 18 / Crusaders (7) 13 (Final Score)
The Reds hosted the Crusaders in the Final of Super Rugby 2011 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia at 11:40 SA Time (19:40 Brisbane Time). This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
In a truly super Super Rugby Final, the Reds emerge as worthy champions.
What a tournament we’ve had!!
This is not a spitefull article, nor is it one to show any insensitivity from my side.
We experience so many disasters in the world and in my eyes the biggest one so far in 2011 was the Japannese tragedy. Japan will for years live in doubt about radio-active radiation.