Author: Ben Marczyk

The start of the season is the best time of year for a supporter of a team. All teams have an equal record, hopes run high for on-field success and people dream of lofty heights. But are some teams more equal than others? How realistic are the hopes? The Reds and the Rebels will start the march to glory or ignominy on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium, so let’s have a look and see if the balloons will soar or suffer a resounding pop. Angus Scott-Young pre-game during the Super Rugby AU pre-season trial match between the NSW Waratahs and…

After two seasons of absolute chaos, cancellations, schedule changes and disruption some good news emerged at the back end of 2021. After years of lobbying from many different angles it was announced that there would be two new additions to the Super Rugby stable: Moana Pasifika and the Fiji Drua. The intent being that these teams would be part of the development infrastructure in the Pacific, and ultimately to keep as many players home instead of the well-discussed travails of those playing in Europe and NZ/Australia. This piece is looking at the Drua, who have based themselves at Lennox Head…

“Build a wall”, “We should only ever play ourselves”, “Rugby in Australia is doomed”. Anyone who has been on the old socials since the start of Super Rugby Trans Tasman would be familiar with comments like these and other ludicrous hot takes. Yes, Australian teams have not managed to win a single game yet, and quite possibly won’t win more than one or two of the 25 total games, but should we be hitting the panic button? Let’s take a step or two back and look at it rationally and then let’s talk about whether all is lost. After two…

Friday’s Rugby News sees Trying to Win Tri-Nations,  Argie Bargie, Europe Wrap, and World Rugby Departure Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 111 – Weekly Podcast [one_half last=”no”] TRYING TO WIN TRI-NATIONS With the Tri-Nations Trophy still a mathematical possibility (a man can dream, right?). Wallaby coach Dave Rennie has rolled out what looks to be his strongest possible team to face the Pumas at BankWest Stadium on Saturday night. What this means is that there is room once more in the starting side for James O’Connor at flyhalf after missing the last three Tests, which sees Reece Hodge switch to fullback.…

Friday’s Rugby News sees New Zealand Trying To Make Amends,  Argentina Prepares , Europe Wrap, and Caslick is All In Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 111 – Weekly Podcast [one_half last=”no”] NEW ZEALAND TRYING TO MAKE AMENDS Fresh off back to back losses and increasing media scuttlebutt regarding his future, All Blacks coach Ian Foster has rung the changes in the forward pack for their must-win clash against the Pumas on Saturday. With continued pressure in the NZ media even making it to the BBC overseas, Foster has resisted the urge to make massive changes to the team, opting instead to shake…

Friday’s Rugby News sees Wallabies Back In Action,  Argentinian Double? , Europe Wrap, and A Trans-Tasman Draft? Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 111 – Weekly Podcast [one_half last=”no”] WALLABIES BACK IN ACTION Following on from last week’s mega upset of the All Blacks, it is Australia’s turn to face the Pumas in this weeks round of the Tri-Nations. The game is being played in the not so happy hunting ground of Newcastle but with both teams in the unusual position of having the wind in their sails following wins over the All Blacks each side will be looking to stamp their claims…

Friday’s Rugby News sees All Blacks Near Full Strength,  Argentinian Ambush? , Autumn Cup Preview, and Rennie Backs Red Card Discussion Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 111 – Weekly Podcast [one_half last=”no”] ALL BLACKS BACK NEAR FULL STRENGTH After last week resting a number of players right through the team, All Blacks coach Ian Foster has rung the changes once more, reinstating key positional players ahead of this Saturday’s clash against Argentina. Clearly not happy after the performance last week, Foster has named what looks to be close to the strongest possible All Blacks line up, with a couple of players in particular…

With last week’s capitulation still ringing in our ears and sullying our minds, the Wallabies return to Fortress Suncorp for the fourth Bledisloe and second game of the Tri-Nations campaign. With the changes having been made by Dave Rennie and Ian Foster in both teams, will we see a different result to last week? THE MATCH James Slipper led the Wallabies onto the park in his 100th Test to a large roar from his former home town crowd, and after the anthems and the Haka we are away. An early penalty to the Wallabies after showing some real intent with…

Friday’s Rugby News sees Wallaby Mix and Match, All Black Ring the Changes, European Rugby News, and A New Home for Rugby? Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 111 – Weekly Podcast [one_half last=”no”] WALLABY MIX AND MATCH Wallaby coach Dave Rennie has swung the axe in an attempt to find a winning combination for this weeks Tri-Nations/Bledisloe, having lost the opportunity to claim the latter after the capitulation in Sydney last Saturday. There have been multiple changes and a few players picked out of their usual position with a couple of debuts as the icing on the cake.…

Friday’s Rugby News sees a Game of To Knee or Not to Knee,  Someone Doing Exactly What They Said They Wouldn’t,  Club Finals Fever  and European Internationals Commence Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 111 – Weekly Podcast [one_half last=”no”] WALLABIES TO TAKE A KNEE? Advisory Warning: This is likely to cause considerable consternation. It will also contain some personal opinion towards the end. In a move that is certainly going to garner a lot of attention, if not controversy, senior Wallaby Dane Haylettt-Petty has revealed the Wallabies could take a knee during the national anthem prior to the Bledisloe…

Friday’s Rugby News sees the Bledisloe Being Played On a Field, Who Will Play on Said Field?,  Club Finals Fever  and South Africa Out of Rugby Championship Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 326 – That. Bloody. Kick. [one_half last=”no”] IT IS JUST A PITCH In this week’s edition of mind games we see the Wallabies again trying to mix it with the Kiwis on the psychological warfare front. This time it is the appalling record of the Wallabies when playing at Eden Park, where we haven’t won since 1986. In case you forget that stat, fear not as I am…

Friday’s Rugby News sees A Brumby Rebelling, What Will it Be Now,  The Weekend Ahead in Club Land and The Bledisloe Mind Games Begin Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 325 – “Off-The-Ball Work” [one_half last=”no”] THE BRUMBY REBELS In a move that surprised no one except Fox Rugby’s Russell Gould, halfback Joe Powell has announced his shift down to Victoria to join the Rebels. Given it had been widely rumored for months since Nic White was unveiled as returning to the Brums, and the other halfbacks floating around the ACT system in Ryan Lonergan it was clear from the start that…

Friday’s Rugby News sees The Rugby Championship Schedule Released, Sad Kiwis,  The Weekend Ahead in Club Land and English Rugby Putting It’s Hand Out Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 325 – “Off-The-Ball Work” [one_half last=”no”] THE RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE RELEASED After months of “will it be played?”, “where will it be played?”, and “who will play in it?”, the draw for The Rugby Championship has been released, and if you live in NSW then you are in for a real feast of rugby in November/December with all but one of the six rounds to be played there. Despite the seeming certainty…

Friday’s Rugby News sees Super Rugby AU Finals Time, Fraser McReight the New National Pest, The Weekend Ahead in Club Land and Changes to Wallaby Eligibility Rules Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 324 – On The Clock [one_half last=”no”] SUPER RUGBY AU FINALS TIME Just one game of Super RugbyAU this week as we have the qualifying final to decide who will meet the Brumbies next week in Canberra. The Reds take on the Rebels at Suncorp Stadium (Saturday 1915EST, Fox Sports and Kayo) in what is hoped to be a crowd of around 20,000. This would be double the game against the Brumbies…

It is qualifying final time in Brisbane as the in form Queensland Reds line up to face the Melbourne Rebels. With the two teams taking in quite different form lines to the clash, the easy thing to say will be the Reds will romp it in. But will it be the case? Are the Reds the real deal? Was the Rebels great escape against the Force a blip or a reflection of their actual spot in the landscape? Let’s take a look… REDS TEAM With memories of last weeks relatively comfortable win against the Brumbies front of mind, coach Brad…

Friday’s Rugby News sees Super Rugby AU Week 10, Is Rugby a Tier One Sport?, The Weekend Ahead in Club Land and Northern Hemisphere Wrap Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 324 – On The Clock [one_half last=”no”] SUPER RUGBY AU WEEK TEN We are into the final round of Super Rugby AU and there are two games that are both important as to how the finals series plays out. With both games on Saturday we have a double header scenario where the finalists will be known after the first game, while the second game sees a battle on the top of the table which will…

We are onto the final week of Super Rugby AU and the top two teams are clear. It is the ACT Brumbies and the Queensland Reds. The only thing in question is whether this will be a preview of the final in two weeks time, and will there be some foxing going on in the lead up? Read on for the preview. REDS TEAM Fresh of the bye the Reds teams welcomes back some reinforcements, especially to the front row stocks. After making a comeback from a knee injury off the bench against the Force, Harry Hoopert comes into the…

Friday’s Rugby News sees Super Rugby AU Week 9, More Players Going on Sabbatical, The Weekend Ahead in Club Land and Fans on Trial In England Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 324 – On The Clock [one_half last=”no”] SUPER RUGBY AU WEEK NINE With just two rounds left in the regular season, four of the five teams are still in the running for the three final spots on offer. While the Brumbies have one of those spots locked away the other two spots are still anyone’s, particularly the third spot. This battle for third makes the Rebels clash with the Waratahs…

We are on the Gold Coast for the displaced Western Force to host the NSW Waratahs at CBUS Super Stadium. The Force are coming off the bye while the Waratahs will be looking to maintain the momentum created by their whacking of the Queensland Reds last week. The Force have been hamstrung by being away from home for several weeks and will be looking for an eighty minute performance to notch their first win in Super RugbyAU. With a late change for the Force with the removal of Nick Frisby from the bench for Jacob Abel, let’s take a look…

Friday’s Rugby News sees Super Rugby AU Week 7, Disruption in NZ, The Weekend Ahead in Club Land and English Premiership Resumes   Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 324 – On The Clock [one_half last=”no”] SUPER RUGBY AU WEEK SEVEN After last weeks games threw the cat amongst the pigeons in a big way, we return to Week Seven of Super RugbyAU. Will this week still be stuck in the alternate dimension, or will we see results that are closer to general expectations? The Brumbies have the week off to stew over hiding they got from the Rebels and try to work out…