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In the words of General Melchett's school song in Blackadder, the Springboks handed out a full on ‘belts off, trousers down’ hiding at Twickenham.…
The lead up to the Freedom Cup Test on Saturday was dominated by the South African mainstream press and much of social media declaring…
In Christchurch, the Crusaders took on the volatile Moana Pasifika with all eyes on Richie Mo’unga as he brought up his 100th for the…
There was a saying that if a rugby Test was 60 minutes long Ireland would have already been world champions (presuming of course they…
Last week I closed with a concern on the refereeing of the breakdown, and thought best to lead with it this time. It is…
The application of the new laws around enforcing the shot clocks and increasing fatigue is placing the onus on loose forwards to stop momentum…
Back in 2020 I wrote this Roar article questioning the value of the advantage law - in short, positing that playing advantage from penalties…
The enforcement of a shot clock on kicks for goal and from hand, together with focusing on restarts, has begun to make inroads into…
There was plenty of interest in the new law variations in the opening week of Super Rugby Pacific as to how sides would tactically handle…
Much of the 2023 Super Rugby season is going to have a dual purpose - deciding the competition itself and settling on players and…
After a week of more excess frothing than a bad trainee day at a pils bar, its worth examining if Eddie Jones' recent record…
Its impossible to assign a single rating to this year's All Blacks as there were so many significant changes across the course of 2022.…
While World Ruby has already given away the official awards for 2022, I think we can do a little better. These are the alternative…
With the 2022 season all but behind us, we are left with the run to the 2023 Rugby World Cup once everyone reports back…
One wonders how many times we will hear the expression 'a game of two halves' this week. New Zealand had total dominance at the…
Just when it looked like the perfect opportunity to put the All Blacks' first XV out on the park, you know like they have…
In the early hours of Sunday watching the France-Wallabies game I was struck by the number of times the French side, seemingly without rhyme…
If the Welsh national anthem doesn’t get you fired up then nothing will, and the reverberations around the stadium with a closed roof certainly…
Was it revenge for a senior home series defeat, a desire to show the selectors that the All Blacks full squad had been poorly…
There was always going to be an element risk going up against a rapidly improving Japan with a less than full-strength side, as France…
Aaron Smith?
Top 10 playmakers at Rugby World Cup - and why the Wallabies' young gun has the game's toughest gig
Tough not to have Dupont and Smith as 1 and 2 here.
For flyhalves in this world cup cycle, Mo’unga, Russell and Ntmack (injured obviously) all tied for first on 17 tries and try assists.
Next 2 some way behind were Marcus Smith and then Jalibert
Top 10 playmakers at Rugby World Cup - and why the Wallabies' young gun has the game's toughest gig
Am hijacking the ROAR news thread to draw attention to an interview with the Head of Engagement at Canterbury Rugby who nails exactly what our game should look like at the third tier – this is as relevant for Aus third tier as it is for NZ. They have taken today’s big game between Canterbury and Taranaki out to a country club venue.
No wonder those blokes are continually ahead in our domestic game. Well worth a listen for those involved with the community game.
On Itunes
NPC 2023 Canterbury | Head of Engagement at Canterbury Rugby George Berry on Mornings with Ian Smith (1/9/23) 17:37 SENZ Podcast 0 1 The Bunnings Trade Rugby Run
RWC News: French rocked by another injury, Eddie whacks Poms and says Wallabies have one big advantage
While improvements have been obvious, was always a concern that they would revert to the previous ingrained style under pressure and so it proved, it takes time to bed it in and get rid of those old habits.
Your NPC bys are doing great
Had another look at this game, team systems actually worked quite well – the individual lapses really hurt the side.
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
Thanks AtW, appreciated
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
Both important to a SA game plan
Both kinda poor – JB in particular
A far from golden generation of forwards has left the All Blacks badly exposed
In between rugby pass, ESPN. And positions I follow during the game
Yesterday tracked Jordie and Ardie , thought they would be significant
A far from golden generation of forwards has left the All Blacks badly exposed
Noted in my piece yesterday the difference between team defence patterns and the needless individual errors.
Starting AB forwards missed 4 tackles between them yesterday
A far from golden generation of forwards has left the All Blacks badly exposed
I think that’s fair – big call to make your last leap tho
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
Good examples of the lack of control and execution referred to.
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
Don’t think they would ever be either of those Colvin perhaps a little under prepared
But the individual discipline stuff killed them
Interestingly, the starting forward pack barely missed a tackle
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
If you going to have one of these – best now eh
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
That’s a good point about cards for some of those past players
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
Boks certainly flew out of the gate
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
No idea what games you have been watching
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
They have 2 days
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
me neither
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
Cane is critical to the way NZ play and a key part of this teams revival, we really missed Frizell tonight. If we are going to make like for like changes I would have Papalii out and Billy Harman in, DP positioning and tackle for the Smith try was woeful again.
Agree on the Clarke selection, they have 2 days to change it.
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
Thanks Geoff, that NZ ended up with the territory and possession numbers that they did was a huge plus given how long they were short numbers for, the starting forwards barely missed a tackle between them, so there was pretty impressive rear guard stuff going on in there.
Playing SA with 7 (and 6) forwards ends well for nobody, but that lack of execution and control across the 80 really concerned, and I think will raise the backs/loose forwards squad numbers question before Monday.
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
A jump too far for mine
The starting XV has had a consistency and focus since the coaching changes which argues against that.
The lack of patience today is what really concerned me
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
Always going to be tough going for that length of time with men down, you forget they were down to 13 at one stage, but the core of the performance was outside that.
Lots to focus on for the next month – given they were so poor at set piece it was amazing they ended up with as much possession and territory as they did in the end, but NZ execution was poor.
The error count from NZ was throwback stuff.
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
Been a long time between drinks, but that was poor today, neither effort was needed
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
both for him I thought OM, both needless
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
Between them they have got most right post the coaching changeover – digging into why this throw back showed up will be the big focus now.
ANALYSIS: 'Time to make the tough call' - South Africa raised the stakes, and the All Blacks folded
1987 quarterfinal
Huw Richard’s of Wales comes to after being decked by Buck Shelford, only to find he has been sent off for throwing the first punch.
Still make me laugh.
The Wrap: Magical World Cup moments and memories that left an indelible mark, and the promise of so much more