Author: Nick Hartman

Wednesday’s Rugby News has CSI; Nathan Grey, Rod Kafer now a coaching king, the Brumbies believing they will win, and the Aussie mens 7s saying Hi to Mackay. [one_half last=”no”] Grey on Grey The Waratahs are going to conduct an extensive review of their defensive failures this season, with defence coach Nathan Grey set to be under the spotlight. The Tahs conceded 40 points in their last 4 games of the season, with 7 of their 15 regular season games featuring 40-point defensive blowouts. Leading the extensive review will be Nathan Grey. “It was really shattering,” Grey told Fox Sports of the Waratahs defence.…

The Super season as wrapped up and the boys discuss the season that was and the way it should’ve gone. They also go through each Super team and ask 8 questions – including, of course, who the bum of the each team was.

Tuesday’s Rugby News has Christian Leali’ifano coming back (again), a Mick Byrne Q&A, the Wallabies in the ‘Riff and Kurtley in the ‘Fern [one_half last=”no”] Leali’ifano Comeback! Christian Leali’ifano is looking set to make his comeback to proper competitive rugby this weekend! He was only diagnosed with c*ncer a year ago too. Leali’ifano was set to play against the Reds two weeks ago, but a pulled hammy saw to that false dawn. It is unclear whether the flyhalf will start on be on the bench, but the Canberra Times has all the goss. “It would be a gamble if I…

The Front Row [one_third last =”no”] 1. Loosehead Prop Samwell Tarly – Jon Snow’s best buddy is naive as he is round. However, he does have that fat baby face that would make the ref say, “how could I randomly penalise a face like that?” [/one_third] [one_third last=”no”] 2. Hooker Davos Seaworth – His new-found ability to read means Ser Davos has always been trained to be player who needs to read the least. [/one_third] [one_third last=”yes”] 3. Tighthead Prop Varys – He’s niggled his way to the top with diplomacy – can he niggle his fat neck and bald bonce to scrum victory…

Monday’s Rugby News has the Super quarters draw, the Force getting support from a gorillionaire, Daryl Gibson sounding a bit lost, and the Knob King, Alan Jones. [one_half last=”no”] Super Done Well, the Super Rugby regular season is done. What a ripper of a season hey! Remember when the Sharks lost to the Reds, and when the Waratahs lost to the Kings, and when the Waratahs lost to the Jaguares, and when the Force beat the Jaguares, and when the Waratahs lost to the Force? Whoa. The Crusaders were one game away from an undefeated season, but not only did their…

Thursday’s Rugby News has decreased ratings and crowds, decreased Samu Kerevi gametime, decreased Brumbies fullbacks and decreased police drama. [one_half last=”no”] Down Down Crowds and television ratings for Aussie Super Rugby sides are down across the board – except for the Western Force’s gate. Wayne Smith in the Australian writes that average crowd has dropped from around 15,700 in 2015 to 11,400 in 2017, while total TV figures have gone from 2.7m to 1.8m in the same time frame. That’s a bit of a pickle! Smith adds that it seems its just Super that’s not popular, with the Lions matches…

Wednesday’s Rugby News has Matt Hodgson saying farewell, Nic Berry giving us an update, Horwitz to the Rebels and the ABs getting their man in the middle. [one_half last=”no”] Hodgson’s Ready The real life inspiration for the modern battle tank, Matt Hodgson, is ready to retire after his final game for the Force takes place on Saturday. The Western Force will be hoping to beat the Waratahs in Perth, to both send off the club’s icon and to also send a message to The Man over at ARU HQ. “If you could have wrote a script – how I would…

Tuesday’s Rugby News has hopeful words from Dave Wessels, interesting words from Daryl Gibson, injuries at the Brumbies and transfer rumours [one_half last=”no”] Force Can Be Superest Western Force coach Dave Wessels reckons that if his team can stay in Super Rugby, they, uh, can win the thing next year. No, really. “It will be quite an emotional week [with Matt Hodgson leaving] for the club, there’s not many players who got to exit stage left on their own terms and Hodgo deserves it,” Wessels told the Daily Telegraph. “My challenge will be to keep those emotions in check so…

What is going on with Rugby? How have we reached this point? This week, the wingers have been let loose, the front row has been sent off and the ball has been toed ahead as James and Blake – no Richard, he’s still away – discuss some current tribulations. WARNING – may contain a few Fs and Shs

Wednesday’s Rugby News has an angry Nick Mallett, confident All Blacks, Israel Folau PhD and loads of Reds signings. [one_half last=”no”] Mallett Brings Out Mallet Former Boks coach Nick Mallett has come out swinging against Japanese rugby, tell South Africa’s SuperSport (via Sport24) that “Japanese rugby officials are not taking the Super Rugby competition seriously.” Mallett’s comments may or may not be connected to the Lions 94-7 win over the Sunwolves last weekend. “Unless officials in that country change course, there are going to be a lot more heavy defeats in the future, some even heavier than the one this…

Tuesday’s Rugby News has Saffer Super Sides going North, Gatland a bit scared of the ABs, signings for everybody and all the results from day one of the Schoolboy champs. [one_half last=”no”] SA Super Over the weekend, news came out to the effect that the Cheetahs and the Kings – slated to be cut from Super Rugby – will join the Pro 12. The Pro 12 is the club competition, featuring 4 Welsh and Irish sides, and 2 teams each from Scotland and Italy. The Welsh RU chairman Gareth Davies has admitted there’s been talks, while Cheetahs captain Francois Venter…

Monday’s Rugby News has SBW out, Sean O’Brien in, Christian Leali’ifano back, Bill Beaumont positive about Australian rugby and George Smith on the WBs backrow. [one_half last=”no”] Sonny Bill Out Sonny Bill Williams has been found guilty of pulverising Anthony Williams’ melon, and has been sentenced to four weeks on the naughty step. This is four weeks, and not games, which means Bill Williams will miss out the Lions decider, and then the meaningless Blues game the first week back to Super Rugby, and the two non-existing Blues finals game after that. It took the disciplinary panel THREE hours to…

The halves are back at it trying to figure out what this crazy game is all about. The Lions have levelled the series and the world needs to know how. No Richard this week. Just James and Blake. WARNING – may contain a few swears

Wednesday’s Rugby News has a shakeup at the Waratahs, a bit of discipline at the Reds, ex-Lions unhappy with the ABs, and bit of an oopsie. [one_half last=”no”] Waratahs Shakeup Nathan Grey is set to announce this morning that he’s going to move to his Wallabies defence coaching role full-time. That’ll mean that there’s going to a reshuffle at the Waratahs. Fox Sports has all the goss. Assistant (and scrum) coach Cam Blades is moving on, and his place will come Norths and u20s coach Simon Cron. Cron has previously knocked back offers from the Brumbies and, presumably, Real Madrid, such…

Tuesday’s Rugby News has Cheika doing a Neo impression, Karmichael talking belting blokes, Steve Hansen and Warren Gatland having a knob-off, and the end of the Women’s World Sevens Series [one_half last=”no”] I Want To Believe Michael Cheika, fresh from watching the Matrix trilogy, has told that the press that he believes that the Wallabies can beat the evil men in black. “I believe it. I suppose that’s where it’s got to start,” Michael Cheika told rugby.com.au. “I don’t blame people, based on what’s happened this year overall, whether it be in Super Rugby or our games, I don’t blame people if they…

I Love Rugby 24-7 – yep, that’s their username – has very kindly written a match-by-match review of the 2017 NSW Schools Rugby Championship. The tournament was hosted by Knox Grammar at the famed Carugul Oval in North Turramurra. It took place on Friday 23 June. Knox Grammer very kindly hosted the 2017 NSW Secondary Schools State CHampiosnships on 23rd June 2017. It’s a good venue and rugby community atmosphere at Carugul Oval. A light Southerly blew a cool breeze across the oval. However, with the best schoolboy rugby players on show, things out on the field were about to…

Monday’s Rugby News has Dean Mumm slamming the ARU, Michael Cheika slamming the players’ fitness, the Italy coach positively slamming his players, and the women’s 7s slamming the opposition. [one_half last=”no”] Mumm Gets Loud Dean Mumm has taken to his quaint writing desk, from which he probably also writes quiet death threats to all his online haters, to pen a piece about the ARU being bad and stuff. Beginning by talking about how good some stuff is – like having the chance to don the ‘V’ jersey for Sydney Uni this weekend, and the rise in women’s rugby – Mumm then…

The lads are back at it again after falling back in love with rugby, after the NZ and BIL games. Will the Super Rugby teams be better after the international season?

Sandy Higgs is an expat Aussie resident of Tbilisi, Georgia, and reckons you should check the country out. They love their rugby! Coincidentally, Sandy also runs Georgia Rugby Tours. This is my first time writing for GAGR. Until recently I thought that was millenialspeak for ‘Go and Get Rooted’. And with such a weekend for Scottish rugby fans, I feel that Australia may have heeded that directive. Luckily for us here in Tbilisi, the Poms’ match in the final was at a different stadium. The Jocks are much better-behaved as spectators than their southern neighbours. I don’t suppose that’s much…

Thursday’s Rugby News has a pack reshuffle, more Stephen Moore,  unhappy RUPA, Michael Ruru signs on, and Warren Gatland speaks. [one_half last=”no”] Pack Reshuffle Jim Tucker of the Courier Mail reckons Michael Cheika is set to shake up his forwards for the Italy game. Tucker writes that Lopeti Timani is (probably) coming in for Scott Higginbotham, Adam Coleman’s “blunt force example [against Scotland]…will earn him a henchman role” (whatever that is) and Stephen Moore is likely to start by dint of his being the captain and because, and this is weird, “the Wallabies can’t arrive at August 19 against the All Blacks…