Author: Lee Grant
Lee Grant
Voted most valuable member of the G&GR Forum since records began - Ed.
Oz Schools 70 – Tongan Schools 13 Even taking into account the standard of the opposition players, from just six different schools, it was a good effort from the Aussie lads, especially in the first half. Forwards were able to create good front-foot ball, sometimes for themselves, but most often for the backs who pigged out on the ball. It was hard for the Tongan lads as they got caught in the revolving door of their forwards going back, and the backs having to retreat with them — and just as defenders were on their heels the Aussie backs would…
At last the selection process for two Australian School teams is over and two teams of 23 players have been chosen. Each team will play the visiting Tongan U/18 Schools team this week (see details below). On Day 1 and Day 2 six selectors looked at all the games. Each had a specialist category — the front row, second row, back row, halves, centres, and back three. They had a secondary category to look at in case a boy could play lock or 6, flyhalf or fullback, and in one case hooker or flanker. Afterwards they looked at the players with…
The 38th Novotel Australian Schools Rugby Union Championships are over
The 38th Novotel Australian Schools Rugby Union Championships starts on Monday
+++Joeys scored 4 tries to 2 at Northbridge to win their final GPS trial, but they wouldn’t be completely satisfied with their performance. Shore 15 Joeys 31 [Halftime 15-17] Shore were the better team at the start and had a try on the board early, but at 10 mins. Joeys broke out and scored a brilliant try after the ball went through about 6 pairs of hands for 14. Newsome to score. Then Joeys’ 13 Barclay scored an individual try when nothing was on. With the wind behind them, yet 5-17 down, Shore looked due for an uncomfortable afternoon. Then…
The first clue that the 2012 Australian Under 20 squad would struggle came in August 2011 at the Weigall Ground in Ruschcutters Bay. An England Under 18 side was visiting Australia and had arranged a game against an Australian Under 19 side. One of the teams looked in fine physical shape and all the players in it were connected with the academies of professional rugby clubs and regional national academies. And the way they played the game, you could see that they were footy-smart and were following the precepts of the playbook of their national senior team. The other side…
Lee Grant (who remembers rugby from the Black and White days) has a little grump about what pisses him off these days
Lee Grant looks at where the Wallaby team is at the end of 2011
The Crooked Feed is G&GR’s occasional column of rugby tidbits and trivia, compiled by Lee Grant. It’s based on the “Non-set pieces” thread in the Rugby Discussion Forum — a repository for things seen, heard, overheard and otherwise soon forgotten, gathered at the grounds, online and over the airwaves. Commentators Manly v. Sydney University, Shute Shield Round 10 — Ben Seymour banana-kicks for the line. Brett Papworth: ‘There’s a banana, that’s an excellent one.’ Steve Robilliard: ‘There’s been a bunch of them.’ Same game: Referee James Leckie stops the clock with three minutes to go. There has to be a…
The Crooked Feed is G&GR’s occasional column of rugby tidbits and trivia, compiled by Lee Grant. It’s based on the “Non-set pieces” thread in the Rugby Discussion Forum — a repository for things seen, heard, overheard and otherwise soon forgotten, gathered at the grounds, online and over the airwaves. Sportsmanship Manu Tuilagi, one of many brothers playing in Europe, got the England Young Player of the Year award, and he would have got the Best Punch in the Premiership gong too, if there was one. He whacked the finger-raising dive merchant Chris Ashton in the Leicester v. Northampton semi-final, right…
The Crooked Feed is G&GR’s occasional column of rugby tidbits and trivia, compiled by Lee Grant. It’s based on the “Non-set pieces” thread in the Rugby Discussion Forum — a repository for things seen, heard, overheard and otherwise soon forgotten, gathered at the grounds, online and over the airwaves. Players Isa Nacewa of Leinster has been one of the most valuable recent overseas acquisitions for any European club. It was no surprise that he was named in the Magners League Dream Team for this season, nor that he was the Leinster Players’ Player of the Year, nor Ireland’s RUPA Players’…
The Crooked Feed is G&GR’s occasional column of rugby tidbits and trivia, compiled by Lee Grant. It’s based on the “Non-set pieces” thread in the Rugby Discussion Forum — a repository for things seen, heard, overheard and otherwise soon forgotten, gathered at the grounds, online and over the airwaves. Players Nathan Sharpe (Force v. Bulls) — did anybody else notice that the previously vaunted Bulls lineout, with Bakkies and Victor in it, opted out of the contest a few times on their throw? It owed some to the problematic throwing of Chilliboy, but bogeyman Sharpe must have scared them when…
The Crooked Feed is G&GR’s column of rugby tidbits and trivia, compiled by Lee Grant. It’s based on the “Non-set pieces” thread in the Rugby Discussion Forum — a repository for things seen, heard, overheard and otherwise soon-forgotten, gathered at the grounds, online and over the airwaves. Players (Toulon edition) Fotu Auelua, who is heading for the Brumbies next year by way of Japan, came on for Toulon towards the end of a recent match against Toulouse. They lifted him for a lineout take and then later, as the ball came back from the middle of the field, he made…
Welcome to The Crooked Feed, our new column of rugby tidbits and trivia compiled by Lee Grant. It’s based on the “Non-set pieces” thread in the G&GR Rugby Discussion Forum — a repository for things seen, heard, overheard and otherwise soon-forgotten, gathered at the grounds, online and over the airwaves. Getting straight into it: Commentators Bob Skinstad in reference to Quade Cooper’s tatts: “Looks like he’s been hit on the arm with a wet newspaper.” Good call, Bobby. Players I think I’ve told this story before but the commentators reminded me of it, during the Biarritz v. Toulouse match last…
There is a fair bit of depth in the Super Rugby Ugly pool and I hope that not too many players are offended about missing a spot. There’s a majority of Kiwis in this team but that’s only fair: they have a lot of really ugly fuckers over there. Starting XV in the G&GR Super Rugby Ugly team: 1. Gurthrö Steenkamp (Bulls) Looks like Jabba The Hutt on a bad day and outclasses Wyatt Crockett and even Jamie Mackintosh. 2. Jason Rutledge (Highlanders) This position was the hardest to pick because of the outstanding depth of ugly hookers in Super…
Wallabies 27 – England 17 There’s a famous episode of Fawlty Towers in which Basil Fawlty said “Don’t mention the war.” Let’s not mention the scrums. Let’s ignore the elephant in the room and assume that if two guys get healthy and two others get called in it will be hunky dory. I was enthused about the Oz forwards otherwise. I can’t remember when they have been so aggressive defending their goal line and they did it in a simple way. They rushed up at the right moment and then tackled low, which meant the ball carrier would at least…
First Half: Australian Barbarians 18 – England 13 18-13 to Oz A at oranges. Oz scrum is pants as expected, Oz backs more spontaneous and penetrative, as expected, with Rabbit O’Connor brilliant, as expected. So far he has all the points. Oz A could pull it off if they can hold out the Pom forwards in the 2nd half but there’s a few young guys to come on for a run and they don’t have big CVs. To their credit the Poms are not playing their normal stodgy game; they are dishing the ball out. If they start going narrow…
Waratahs 32 Hurricanes 16 At last for long suffering Tahs fans: forwards dominated in the physical contests, the right backs were in their right positions chancing their arm, many good attacking decisions were made – and all against a form team – plus an unbeaten season at home. It doesn’t get much better than that. There was a buzz around the ground before the game last night and a lot of it was about what Tahs team would show up to play – the wimpy team who played in Invercargill or the happy hour team from Hamilton. There was also…
Waratahs 19 Brumbies 12 I don’t know if it was back to the future last night at Homebush or forward to the past, but the game was like a replay of too many Waratahs’ games of recent years. It was like watching a movie you had seen before but had forgotten the ending. Whilst the Reds are chancing their arm in big games and the Force at least having a crack, the Tahs are playing ”If I don’t lose, I will probably win” rugby.
Waratahs 40 Cheetahs 17 Don’t spoil a good story. Don’t tell Tah Man or the long suffering Tahs fans that their team is at the top of the comp just because they haven’t had their bye yet. Let them enjoy it for a week, at least. The Tahs deserve to be there for their effort tonight. The rain fell and the ground got chopped up but the Tahs had a crack in the wet. They had a good first half in those conditions and though they lost their shape after oranges, especially when the bench was cleared, they kept…