Author: Hugh Adams

Thursday’s rugby news has the French team announced, the French prepared for Skelton, Crawford signs with the Rebels and England defeat the Crusaders.  [one_half last=”no”] French Announce Team France have made 2 changes ahead of their final match with the Wallabies this weekend in Sydney.  Flanker Fulgence Oedraogo and winger Hugo Bonneval come into the side.  The match will be a special occasion for Thierry Dusautoir who will become the most capped French captain. French coach Philippe Saint-Andre emphasised the importance of the final test match against the Wallabies. “We want continuity … We were coherent and regular for 80 mins in Melbourne…

Wednesday’s rugby news has Will Skelton starting for the Wallabies, Roosters and Waratahs show support for a hybrid game, Aaron Cruden re-signs with New Zealand rugby and Rebels sign Jonah Placid.  [one_half last=”no”] Skelton to Start New South Wales Waratah’s lock Will Skelton has been selected to start for the Wallabies for the final test against the French this weekend in Sydney.  Skelton will be the 3rd lock to make his debut in as many weeks. Ewen McKenzie was looking forward to the impact of the 203cm, 135kg second rower.   “He’s obviously got impressive metrics but he also has a big…

The Gold Brigade is a growing movement in Australian rugby. It is an organic fan group developed by the fans, for the fans. The Gold Brigade was born out of a desire to see the Wallabies once again return to their former glories, reignite the crowd & expose the passion that lies deep in the hearts of Rugby supporters across the country. This is a call to arms. They want you! Wallaby France Test match There are 750 tickets available in a dedicated supporters bay for the final test match against the French in Sydney. Bring your mates, wear your brightest…

We have a look at what the stats say after the Wallabies 2nd test against France on the weekend. Hot on Attack Israel Folau was hot on attack once again for the Wallabies, topping the stats two weeks in a row.  Kurtley Beale was also impressive, making his way into the top five from the bench. 1. Israel Folau – 13 runs for 93 metres 2. Nick Cummins – 9 runs for 50 metres 3. Nic White – 8 runs for 32 metres 4. Kurtley Beale – 3 runs for 30 metres 5. Ben McCalman – 13 runs for 18…

Tuesday’s rugby news has Folau staying put, Kepu happy with scrums, Conrad Smith out for the All Blacks and injury concerns for England.  [one_half last=”no”] Folau Staying Put Israel Folau admits he is missing the buzz of origin but also enjoying his time in rugby.  There has been much speculation about Folau’s future recently but he insists that he is focused on the Wallabies and Waratahs until his contract ends after next year’s World Cup. “I miss it a little bit to be honest but in saying that I’m pretty grateful that I’ve been there before and I’m enjoying being where…

Monday’s rugby news has McKenzie praising the Wallabies performance, Genia to have surgery, Kane Douglas aiming to return for the 2019 World Cup and the French happier with their performance.  [one_half last=”no”] McKenzie Praises Wallabies Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has praised his side after their 6-0 win over the French on Saturday.  Despite the fact that there were no tries scored, McKenzie was happy with his side’s performance. “Regardless of what gets written I thought we showed great character and grit and we toughed out a game that was complicated tactically and we won it,” “Maybe in the past they’re games we wouldn’t…

The Australian Rugby Union has announced the appointment of Sport and Exercise Medicine Physician Dr Ryan Kohler as a Concussion Specialist. Dr Kohler will oversee concussion guidance at community rugby level (schools and clubs) and will also support team doctors and medical staff at all levels of the game. ARU CEO Bill Pulver said the appointment reaffirms Australian Rugby’s commitment to safety and player welfare. Ryan brings a huge amount of experience to this role, including developing community-based concussion management programs in Australia and South Africa,” said Mr Pulver. “He has worked as the team physician for the Stormers Super…

We have a look at what the stats say after the Wallabies performance against France on the weekend. Hot on Attack Israel Folau was on fire against the French on the weekend making 10 runs for 165 metres. 1. Israel Folau – 10 runs for 165 metres, 7 tackle busts and 1 try. 2. Nick Cummins – 8 runs for 102 metres, 1 tackle bust and 1 try. 3. Tevita Kuridrani – 9 runs for 97 metres and 2 tackle busts. 4. Michael Hooper – 10 runs for 73 metres, 4 tackle busts and 1 try. 5. Adam Ashley Cooper…

Former ARU CEO and current Chairman of the North Harbour Rays Gary Flowers has had a lot on his mind recently as preparations continue for the upcoming NRC.   The North Harbour Rays have announced this week that Phil Blake has taken up a coaching opportunity with the Leicester Tigers.   Blake will finish the season as the head coach of Manly before going to the UK to become Leicester’s defence coach. The Rays new coaching structure will be announced by the end of this week. Blake said “I can honestly say that I am torn about heading to the UK…

In the lead up to the Wallabies opening test against the French this weekend, here are 10 things you need to know about the Wallabies v. France. 1. The last time these two teams met was on the 2012 Spring tour.  On that occasion the French smashed Australia 33-6.  Only four  players who started that match will also start the match on the weekend (Adam Ashley-Cooper, Michael Hooper, Sekope Kepu and Wycliff Palu) 2. Overall they have played 42 times.  Australia have won 23 matches, France have won 17 matches and there have been 2 draws. 3. Australia have won five out…

We have a look at the numbers from Round 16 of Super Rugby. Hot on Attack Izzy was in fine form in the Waratah’s win against the Chiefs on the weekend. 1. Israel Folau – 15 runs for 96 metres 2. Adam Ashley-Cooper – 16 runs for 86 metres 3. Mike Harris – 13 runs for 72 metres 4. Jason Woodward – 11 runs for 65 metres 5. Bryce Hegarty – 7 runs for 65 metres Brick Walls Despite taking some big hits, Michael Hooper also caused some damage to the Chiefs with 16 tackles. 1. Michael Hooper -…

Ewen McKenzie has announced his team to face France this weekend.   McKenzie has decided to go with the halves pairing of White and Foley rather than Genia and Beale.  McKenzie justified his decision saying, “Nic and Bernard are two players who have had a huge influence in the results of their provincial teams over the past two seasons”.  Foley is also set to be the goal kicker. Sam Carter is also expected to make his debut after earning a starting lock position whilst James Horwill has been named on the bench. Will Genia and Scott Higginbotham are notable omissions…

Geraint John has by appointed as the new Men’s Sevens Head Coach by the ARU. The news comes after Michael O’Connor announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down as Head Coach.   John was Head Coach of the Canadian Men’s Rugby Sevens team since 2010 and he will begin coaching the Australian Men’s Sevens team on the 23rd of June before the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July. John said he was looking forward to start working with the team. “Australian Rugby is steeped in history and, in my opinion, the role of Men’s Sevens Head Coach…

We have a look at the numbers from Round 12 of Super Rugby.   Hot on Attack The Badge was on fire racking up 125 run metres against the Lions on the weekend. 1. Nick Cummins – 10 runs for 125 metres 2. Telusa Veainu – 7 runs for 108 metres 3. Henry Speight – 6 runs for 97 metres 4. Bernard Foley – 12 runs for 89 metres 5. Jason Woodward – 8 runs for 88 metres Brick Walls All the top tacklers came from the Rebels this week. Luke Jones – 17 tackles Colby Faingaa – 17 tackles…

Sharks player Jean Deysel has been suspended for three weeks after he pleaded guilty to stamping Jordan Taufua’s head. Deysel will be banned up to and including Saturday the 7th of June 2014.  However, he will actually only miss two Sharks matches due to the June test series. Deysel’s suspension was reduced due to the fact that he: – Apologised after the match and Taufua accepted his apology – He is a senior player with an exceptionally good record (despite a yellow card for holding Waratahs player Tom Carter around the neck in a ruck in 2011) – He pleaded…

Wednesday’s rugby news has Kane Douglas confirming his move to Leinster, Rebels chasing Welsh playmaker, Jake White in trouble with the Brumbies and Quade Cooper needing an oil change. [one_half last=”no”] Douglas signs with Leinster Wallabies and Waratahs second rower Kane Douglas has confirmed he will join Irish club Leinster at the end of the year.  The 14 test Wallaby is yet another player who has decided to abandon the possibility of playing in the World Cup.  At just 24 years old, Douglas hopes to play for the Wallabies again one day. Douglas said “It’s a big decision but one…

As mentioned in our recent interview with the experimental law panel, the ARU have opened the process to receive law suggestions from fans for the National Rugby Championship.  Yesterday, the ARU received 250 entries and will continue to receive suggestions over the coming days.   The ARU want to know your innovative experimental laws that could be submitted for review and adopted as part of the National Rugby Championship. What are your ideas for law variations? Comment below and we will submit the most popular comments OR you can submit your suggestions directly here: http://meltwater-fb-1036222.meltwaterrise.com/details Once you have submitted your suggestion, the…

We have a look at the numbers from Round 12 of Super Rugby. Hot on Attack Rob Horne scored two tries, made plenty of metres and defended strongly against the Lions.  He was deservingly named players’ player after the match. 1. Rob Horne – 9 runs for 107 metres, 1 offload, 3 line breaks. 2. Israel Folau – 16 runs for 107 metres, 3 offloads and 2 line breaks 3. Mike Harris – 13 runs for 72 metres, 1 offload, 1 line break 4. Jesse Mogg – 10 runs for 84 metres 5. Tom Kingston – 8 runs for…

Tuesday’s rugby news has Cooper out for the season, Wilkinson announces his retirement, Ireland and South Africa announce their test squads and Ed O’Donoghue cleared of eye gouging. [one_half last=”no”] Cooper Out for the Season Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper is set to miss the majority of the Wallabies season.  An MRI scan revealed that he required immediate surgery to his shoulder which requires a 16 week recovery.  Cooper will also use the time to have hip surgery to clean out some loose cartilage.  He is expected to return around mid September in time for the final test against the All…

The Waratahs have comprehensively beaten the Lions with an emphatic 41-13 win at Allianz Stadium. The Match Photos by Keith McInnes The Lions kicked off to the Waratahs which gave the Tahs some early attacking opportunities.  A forward pass by Michael Hooper robbed the Waratahs a chance for an early try but it didn’t matter because a few minutes later Bernard foley crashed over under the posts.  Foley converted his own try to make the score 7-0 after 10 minutes. Minutes later, a 5 metre line out to the Lions allowed Jaco Kriel to score from a strong rolling maul.  Marnitz…