Author: Reg Roberts

It’s Bledisloe Week, so it’s only natural that our next great Wallaby try to be analysed is in one of the Wallabies most memorable Bledisloe wins. Shall we do a bit of build up here? · The Wallabies were coming off a history making 2-1 series defeat of the British and Irish Lions. · This was the last game of the Tri-Nations. Australia had to win to take retain the trophy. · This was the last game of the Bledisloe Cup. In reality, Australia didn’t have to win, as the held the trophy and had defeated the All Blacks about…

If there was one positive we Wallaby supporters can take from the weekend’s loss, it was the performance of our much maligned (by referees in particular) scrum.  Whilst the rest of our play was directionless, ill-disciplined and mistake-ridden, our scrum was class. They look so well drilled at the moment. You can see them working as a pack. Remembering that Nathan Sharpe is packing behind Benn Robinson. This the Nathan Sharpe that many argued was more to blame for our previous scrum wows than Al Baxter.

Finally, we get to our next series of Great Wallaby Try Analysis posts. Appropriately, this week we look at a try against the mighty Springboks. We travel back to the year 2000, the age of Rod McQueen, as the Wallabies travelled to Durban to take on the Boks in a match they needed to win to claim the Tri Nations trophy. Remembering just three weeks earlier John Eales had kicked an after siren penalty to secure a Wallaby victory over New Zealand in Wellington. So could the Wallabies claim another away win? Let’s get to it. With just a couple…

The QRU have just released the following statement regarding CEO, Ken Freer’s, resignation: Media Release – Statement from QRU CEO Ken Freer The chief executive of Queensland Rugby Ken Freer today announced that he had tendered his resignation to the QRU Board. Mr Freer said his resignation would take effect on 31 October, 2009 and that he had agreed with the Board that he would continue after that on a consultancy basis if required until a replacement was found, to ensure a smooth transition.

It has all but been confirmed. Queensland Red and Wallaby inside back, Berrick Barnes will join the NSW Waratahs in2010. Reports today are indicating that Barnes has informed the QRU of his decision and his formal signing with the NSWRU is imminent. This is a dire day for Queensland Rugby.  My feelings for them have already been captured in a previous posting, but this development can only hasten the demise of the Reds and/or the QRU. How could he go? Is there a current Reds player (if we take the liberty to include Berrick for the sake of the argument)…

New Zealand 22 (Richie McCaw try; Stephen Donald conv, 5 pg) defeated Australia 16 (Berrick Barnes try; Matt Giteau conv, 3 pg) In his 100th test for the Wallabies George Smith was unable to see his team over the line for victory, but he scored some consolation in being named Wallaby Player of the Match by the knowledgeable Green & Gold Rugby community. According to the site, www.rugbystats.com.au Smith had the second highest tackle count for the game, and was busy in attack as well. His off loading was a feature and his work in the lineout a bonus. Better…

This is is the kind of stuff the ARU sends out to all of their media contacts in the lead up to the test.  Enjoy the read and keep an eye out for how much of it is replicated in the papers over the coming week. Australia v New Zealand: Head to Head At All Venues: Australia 45 wins, New Zealand 106 wins, 5 draws In Australia: Australia 27 wins, New Zealand 54 wins, 4 draws In New Zealand: Australia 17 wins, New Zealand 51 wins, 1 draw At Neutral Venues: Australia 1 win, New Zealand 1 win 

This will be the first in what we hope is a series of posts highlighting some of the best Wallaby tries of recent times.  What makes a great try is often subjective.  The tries we look at will vary in many ways. Some will be brilliant individual efforts, some will be wonderful team movements.  Some will be set piece moves, other will be ad hoc plays.  Match winning tries and otherwise. We’ll try to cover them all. But to kick us off, we go back to 1996. Australians fans had already cheered on Kieren Perkins as he won the Gold…

When reviewing the Wallaby team named today to take on the All Blacks this weekend at Eden Park, an interesting starting point is to look at the names NOT in the squad. The training squad is 30 players, 22 in the test team, so that leaves eight players not named. Four forwards and four backs. The first and most notable, in my eyes, name missing is Rocky Elsom.  After an ‘off season’ playing for Leinster, the hype surrounding Elsom’s return from Australia was Lote-like.  His performances since have been, well…. Lote-like.  He hasn’t been seen on the field since playing…

Wycliffe Palu makes his return to the national team, whilst Reds scrumhalf, Will Genia, is in line to make his test debut as the Wallabies take on the All Blacks this Saturday at Eden Park (5.35pm Australian Eastern Standard Time). Coach Robbie Deans has named his strongest test team of the season, despite not being able to call on the injured Rocky Elsom. Palu, starting at Number 8, is the only change to the starting team that defeated France 22-6 last month.  Palu’s return sees Force backrower, Richard Brown, switched to blindside flanker with Dean Mumm dropping to the bench.

I am what you might call an amateur selector. One of my favourite hobbies is picking Rugby XVs. At any given time I could provide you of my all time Wallaby XV. My favourites Reds XV. Brumbies, Waratahs even the bloody Force. And I’m not parochial either. Want to hear my all time World XV to take on my Wallaby XV? Fine, its all up here (taps head knowingly). A running rugby XV? A bearded XV? A tacklers XV? Check, check, check. But there is on thing all these XVs have in common. One caveat to every selection.

I think a good way of starting a book review is to ask what prompted the reviewer to read the book. For me, it was probably two fold. I am an Andrew Johns fan. I am not necessarily a rugby league fan, anymore, as I have found it to become increasingly monotonous in its game play. Which is why I was probably a Johns fan. The guy was a freak. What he could do with a ball just had to be seen to be believed. He is up there with Wally Lewis for mine as the best players I have…

This weekend the Wallabies play their first test of the 2009 season.Yes, I know they played the Barbarians last weekend, but in the end that’s nothing more than a ‘pre-season’ trial.This weekend is a capped test meaning poor old Matt Hodgson, now injured, despite starting last week remains cap-less. Looking at this weekend’s team, it is a fairly predictable team.Adam Ashley-Cooper is benched and replaced for James O’Connor and Dean Mumm comes into the starting team for Hodgson.On the bench comes Peter Kimlin who, should he get on the field, will become Wallaby number 833. This got me thinking. As…

My esteemed colleague/fellow Blogger/GAGR Rugby Correspondent, Juan Cote, has called for the ARU to lend a bit more a hand to the Reds in getting them back on top of their game in Please ARU – help the Reds help themselves!!. I’m going to be a little more dramatic. It is time for the ARU to take over Queensland Rugby, completely. I’m sorry but it’s beyond a joke now. Queensland Rugby is now driving players, young talented players, not just from our boundaries, but from our shores. In previous years Stephen Moore and Mitchell Chapman couldn’t wait to head south.…

Here’s the ARU’s latest TV commercial which they are spruiking on their website I was reeled in. I was excited. I watched. I was underwhelmed. Let’s do a little shot by shot break down, shall we, and examine it.

The incumbent(s): Stephen Moore (ACT): Gees it hurts to write that “ACT” after Moore’s name, but that’s another story. A few years ago, whilst he was still playing mind you, Jeremy Paul named Stephen Moore the best hooker in Australia. Well Squeaka is now proving JP right. And by some margin. Despite his rosy red cheeked baby face, Moore is now very much a senior player in the Wallaby line-up. His lineout is almost spot on these days, and he is the best scrumming hooker in Oz. Add to that a high work rate and strong running game and its…

The incumbent(s): Benn Robinson (NSW): Fat Cat has established himself well and truly in the Wallaby team. He would be, I would think, one of the first two or three players picked. In fact, there aren’t many better loosehead props world-wide than Benn Robinson. I’ll go a step further and say he is the best Australian prop forward since Link McKenzie bade us farewell in 1997. Not a massively impressive statement when you consider the other options, but still significant.

The incumbent(s): Al Baxter (NSW): Ok, disregard the penalty try that Australia let in, during the last test of last year against Wales, the scrum was a much improved element of Australia’s game in 2008. Thanks largely to Michael Foley, then Wallaby assistant coach and now Waratah assistant coach. Whether it has been Foley’s constant attention, or Deans’s player empowerment, Baxter is now playing the best football of his life. Let’s hope it continues for another two years.

The incumbent(s): Nathan Sharpe (WA): The Force captain surprised many late last year when he put in a series of aggressive and industrious performances on the European tour. Despite a slow start, 2009 has seen him continue this form. His work rate is unquestioned, perhaps it’s just the actual work, and where he does it, which is questioned. He does seem to be running just a little closer to the ruck, and his lineout work is first class. He cops flack for those wide passes of his, but in reality, he has some pretty special skills and perhaps just bears…

The incumbent(s): Hugh McMeniman (QLD): The debate continues to rage. Is MMM better suited to playing lock or blindside? Some say he plays a tighter, more aggressive game when at lock, whilst others will suggest he hasn’t the physicality or strength for lock. I could imagine it would be tough to find your groove being shunted around week to week. Its fair to suggest, however, that his mobility, pace and skills aren’t in question. Just his impact.