Author: Shane Sullivan

1. The Heat.Commentators ditched their jackets. Players ditched scrum caps and base layers. We had 20 minute drinks breaks. Europe has had record-breaking temperatures this summer, and it’s going to effect matches in this World Cup.2. NZ wilted in the second halfWhether it was the heat or the pressure France exerted, New Zealand faded in the second half. Unanimous’s margin chart clearly shows the lead flip-flopping for the first 55 minutes, but from then on it’s all France. New Zealand are coming out of a southern winter and have had only one match in the north. Was it the weather…

2023 Rugby World Cup Squad (age, professional club, junior club, Tests)Props (6)Angus Bell (22, NSW Waratahs, Hunters Hill Rugby Club, 23 Tests)*Pone Fa’amausili (26, Melbourne Rebels, Moorabbin Rams, 5 Tests) *Zane Nonggorr (22, Queensland Reds, Gold Coast Eagles, 2 Tests)*Blake Schoupp (23, ACT Brumbies, Woonona Shamrocks, uncapped)*James Slipper (34, ACT Brumbies, Bond Pirates, 131 Tests)Taniela Tupou (27, Queensland Reds, Brothers Rugby Club, 48 Tests)Hookers (3)Matt Faessler (24, Queensland Reds, USQ Saints, 1 Test)*David Porecki (30, NSW Waratahs, Seaforth Raiders, 14 Tests)*Jordan Uelese (26, Melbourne Rebels, Eltham Rugby Club, 18 Tests)Locks (4)Richie Arnold (33, Stade Toulousain, Gentlemen of Murwillumbah, 4 Tests)*Nick…

After working all weekend and going down with whatever super bug going around this week, I finally had a chance to sit down and watch what I already knew was another Wallabies loss. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with what the Wallabies served up. Here are some points I took out of the game, in no particular order.1. A New Wallaby Captain.Tate McDermott just put his hand up to be the Wallabies long term captain. (hello to all the Brumbies fans out there.) A big part of the Wallabies great start to the game was the speed…

A lot has been said about both teams coach’s this week and their history, but coaches don’t play rugby. That’s the player’s job, to take the coaches vision and turn it into something resembling rugby. It’s fair to say the Wallabies didn’t do that last week. I only caught 15 minutes of the Pumas game, but I think it’s fair to say their coach wasn’t that happy either. It will be interesting to see which Randwick boy is smiling at the end of this game.The first half.After watching New Zealand v South Africa just before the game, the pace seems…

Sounds like the start of a joke, right? But it’s where the Wallaby second rowers are right now. After Hoss wrote his article on Harry Wilson, I started thinking about how things would work for the Wallabies. Naturally, my thoughts went to where I played many years ago, in the forwards. I started out as a shortish second rower, until my love of food and beer turned me into a tallish prop. Once my coach figured out I could play up front, it was the end of my second rower days. Second rowers are the kings of the lineout, underappreciated…

It’s do or die for Ireland after their 34 all draw with England last weekend. They have bought four players into the run on side and moved their tighthead across the front row to loosehead. The Wallabies have made 10 changes to the team that defeated Fiji last Saturday. Paarl is looking wetter than a Dolphin’s toothbrush, so I’m not hoping for running rugby tonight. The First halfThe Wallabies started strongly, bashing away at the Irish line, but an intercept of an ambitious pass from Bowen and the resulting 80 metre dash put Ireland in a position to score themselves.…

Okay, bear with me while I ease myself into the under 20 championship. I am learning who players are as I go.First HalfIt was a strong first half from both sides. Australia’s scrum and lineout were both strengths and weakness’s from set piece to set piece, while their ruck and maul looked strong. Fiji did Fijian rugby things while competing well at set piece, their fly half, Isaiah Ravula, kicked well and steered the team around efficiently. Inside centre, Epeli Waqaicece, will remember Taj Anan’s name after running into the big outside centre a couple of times and coming off…

What can I say about the Crusaders that hasn’t been said ad nauseam? They could possibly be the best Rugby club of all time! Damn, they could be the best sporting club of all time, and here they are again right in the mix at the business end of the season. While the Chiefs don’t live in the same lofty climbs as their opposition, they have had a stellar season, with only one truly great club getting the better of them.I have just taken a look at the team lists, and I’m salivating. Codie Taylor v Samisoni Taukei’aho, Retallick up…

Greetings Punters, I’m back for one Happyman free Thursday. For my limited return I’d like to talk about, the cough decline cough of Michael Hooper, Hamish McLennan stirring up the NRL, again, Taniela Tupou reflecting on his career, and a bit of small talk about studs with Simon Cron.Let’s talk about Michael HooperEx Wallaby and Waratah skipper Michael Hooper is a good openside. But questions have been raised about his form and age this year. Hooper turns 32 during this year’s Rugby World Cup. Nick Bishop’s article on Rugbypass compares Hooper with his two main rivals for the gold seven.…

According to the media, the Wallabies are a chance of a two-peat against France tonight. It’s a low bar getting excited about winning two in a row, but it seems to be where we’re at right now. This French side is near the pointy end of men’s rugby right now, kind of where we were 20 years ago. There’s probably no two-peat happening tonight, but an unreasonable expectation of success is built into the Australian DNA. I mean we’re a chance, right?First halfThe Wallabies kick off to Les Bleus, mess around at their ruck, 1000 Peyper Cuts calls the ball…

It’s finally here! Let’s see if we’ve got what it takes to run with the big boys. Should be a blast!The MatchThe Wallabies lost their main playmaker, Quade Cooper, in the warm-up to a calf injury. Noah Lolesio will start, with JOC moving to the bench. The first 20 minutes showcased some very average minutes, with the Wallabies gifting England a couple of penalties to be behind 6-0. Then Tom Banks went up for a high ball and fell badly and broke his arm. Australia won a penalty, which Lolesio converted to reduce the lead to 6-3.Australia’s night went from…

All the way from sunny Queensland, today we’ll look at Rugby Australia’s new eligibility rules, the Reds forced out of Ballymore ahead of Force showdown, and a few thoughts on the Wallaby fullback spot.Not The Giteau LawIf you’re a top level rugby player and don’t want to live in Straya but still earn a few bucks playing for the Wallabies, here’s what you got to do:You’ve got to be really good and play in a position we’re pretty crap at because there’re only three spots open in the squad at each tournament. You have to have played 30 test matches…

The Reds, if anything, have underachieved in trials and round 1 this season, while the Waratahs have done the opposite. The Reds lost Taniela Tupou just before kickoff in what appears to be a huge loss for the away team on a very wet track.The matchAfter an extraordinary amount of rain in eastern Australia, I wasn’t expecting much from this game, but the Waratahs never got the email and came out firing. They dominated everywhere except the score board, with the Reds taking every chance they had in the first 20 minutes to lead 10-0 after 20 minutes. They scored…

It looks like the Tuesday team is a little behind the rest of the news gurus. Fingers crossed, things are back on track. Well, it would be if there was some sort of track that we were on and we knew how to get back on it.Tuesday’s rugby news has a look at how Harry Wilson felt about staying home, feel goods from the Brumbies and the threat of uncontested scrums.Wilson, refreshed after missing northern tour.Harry Wilson was interview before the Reds first Super Rugby match. Here’s what he had to say:When asked if the Reds could take anything out…

Tuesday’s rugby news looks at, Australia’s sevens squad for Spain, and big changes for Ballymore.Sevens Squads28 lucky Aussies are off to Spain for the Malaga and Seville legs of the World Sevens Tour.The Aussie Women’s Sevens will look to claim their third-consecutive Sevens World Series title for the second time, last achieving this feat during the 2015-16 World Series.Meanwhile, the Australian Men’s program will travel with a new leader, as Henry Hutchison temporarily replaces Nick Malouf as the men’s team captain, with Malouf taking leave from the program to get married.After a nail-biting final in Dubai, the men’s team will…

G’Day G&GRs! A very sleep-deprived BL coming at you. Staying up late/getting up early to watch the Festival of Rugby that has been going on in the Northern Hemisphere is killing me. Loving the games (except the Wallabies), as it is just such a bonus to have this much rugby on offer. Anyway, settle back for the ramblings of a mad man.Fiji fights valiantly in close loss to the TaffsDespite being down to 13 players twice during the game, and playing most of it with only14 players, the Flying Fijians, made the Taffy boys work their arses off for the…

England Love/Hate our EddieOver at the SMH GRob has a good article about our very own Eddie Jones. Eddie has polarised fans where ever he has coached, and his time at the helm of England’s rugby side has been no different.They love his win rate which, as it hovers in the high 70s, is the best an England coach has ever achieved.But they don’t much like his methods and, once or twice a year and usually following a loss, the antipathy boils over into something akin to hate.The Australian is too hard, too mean, too quick to throw players on…

Tuesday’s rugby news sees CFS to the Brumbies, Canada out of the big show, Japan name their squadBrumbies sign former Red Chris Feauai-SautiaEwen McKenzie signed CFS in 2011 and over the next nine or ten years the clearly talented player managed 82 appearances for the Reds. The Reds kept re-signing him despite a string of leg injuries because he was clearly up to Super Rugby standard, but in 2020 they decided to cut their losses and let him go. As a fan of the Reds and Chris, I hope a new program at the Brumbies allows him to reach his…

Six Argentinian players went on the road trip to the Hotel California and won’t feature today. Australia is in the somewhat unusual position of being on the cusp of four wins in a row. The wallabies need to account for a weakened Puma and do it handily to maintain momentum.The MatchIf I could sum up the first quarter of this game in one word, it would be vanilla. Australia led 3-0, but Argentina had missed their own penalty chance and a drop goal. While the Wallabies seemed to have the best of general play and were in complete control defensively,…

The Wallabies are riding high after two straight wins against the world cup holders, while Argentina have lost four straight in the RC. The South Americans will look to restore pride and have the two draws against Australia to draw confidence from. Australia are looking for three wins in a row for the first time in a very long time.The MatchAustralia had a bipolar start. They gave away a kickable penalty and lost a contestable kick receipt, but then they latched onto a loose ball, marched up field through a Kerevi run and Hodge barged through to score a converted…