Author: Shane Sullivan

Rarely have I been this excited about a Super Rugby season. It seems like only days ago I was lamenting the end of Pro rugby in Australia, and now we wait for Super Rugby to start, with a new broadcaster with a free to air presence. Personally I can’t wait for this to get started. Reds v Waratahs 7:45pm AEDT – Queensland Reds vs NSW Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium, LIVE on 9Gem and ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport. According to almost everyone this is a training run for the Reds but, I’m not so sure. The Reds…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at the Players stood down by the Pumas, those Reds (and Wallabies) centres, Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 113 – Toma Los Tres Puntos [one_half last=”no”] Three Argentinian Players Stood Down There’s no getting around this story. I actually thought of not covering it as I’ve done with other stories in the past but here we go anyway. Argentina has stood down three players for the last Tri-Nations match of the tournament including Captain Pablo Matera. Matera, as well as two other senior players Guido Petti and Santiago Socino, look also set to…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at Los Puma’s belief in Cheika, Aussie Rugby’s new outlook, New Zealand’s reaction and, SBW as a commentator. Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 112 – A New Hope [one_half last=”no”] Cheika helps Argentina make history Australia has only played four tests since Michael Cheika declared he could never coach against Australia but that exactly what will happen this weekend. To dismiss his influence in last weeks upset (to put it mildly) victory over the All Blacks would be crazy. we all know he can motivate players and that appears to be precisely what…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at Wallaby eligibility, the Bledisloe 3 fallout, The broadcast deal rumours and, George Ayoub retires. Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 111 – Weekly Podcast [one_half last=”no”] Wallaby Eligibility… Again! Hot on the heels of our second Bledisloe Cup defeat of the year comes the almost compulsory story suggesting, no, demanding that RA open up overseas selection to all eligible players. Now I get the real rugby journalists need to come up with column inches every week and they need controversial topics to getz-ze-clix but this is really bad and sloppy journalism. The article…

Tuesday’s Rugby News Looks at the All Blacks squad, what colour is gold, more recruits for the Force and, a good news story from the Bond Bull Sharks. Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 111 – Weekly Podcast [one_half last=”no”] No Ardie Savea for Bledisloe 3 Perhaps a little respite for the Wallabies with news that All Blacks #8 Ardie Savea has stayed in NZ after the birth of his second child, a boy, a few days ago. I think it’s a special time in a fathers life and he should take all the time he needs, it’s…

Tuesday’s Rugby News has a gander at To’omua’s groin, Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 326 – That. Bloody. Kick. [one_half last=”no”] To’omua’s Injury Brings Selection Headache. When Matt To’omua’s troublesome groin flared up in Saturday’s Bledisloe cup match it played havoc with the Wallabies attack and defence. But now while there has been no update on the injury that To’omua has carried all year it does leave a selection problem for the Wallaby selectors going forward. Hunter Paisami wouldn’t have imagined playing 50 minutes of test rugby before Saturday but given the chance to show off some of…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at South Africa’s TRC involvement, ANZACS, Wykes at the Tahs and, the Ballymore redevelopment. Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 325 – “Off-The-Ball Work” [one_half last=”no”] SA may not come! In news out of South Africa… Well when I say news I mean a tweet from an English Journo about South Africa, It seems that the Springboks are undecided about playing in the TRC. Player welfare is the main reason being thrown around and it’s probably fair a fair enough statement. South Africa have had a much tougher COVID 19 than either Australia or New…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at a big move west, The Cheetahs may get shafted, the Pilecki medalist and, Thorn’s big decision. Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 325 – “Off-The-Ball Work” [one_half last=”no”] Western Force Sign TK!!!! Yes, You read correctly. Tevita Kuridrani is closing up the house and moving across the country to Perth to play for the Force! It’s the second signing news this week with Kyle Godwin recommitting to the west after a serious tilt by the Waratahs to turn him into an east coast elitist. Kuridrani is considered a veteran these days but at 29…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at Melbourne’s Bledisloe, the Rebels making the finals, Positive virus tests in South America and, that tackle. Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 109 – The Superanos [one_half last=”no”] Melbourne’s Bledisloe test Re-scheduled Remember that thing where the All Blacks and Australia play rugby every year and we lose a lot? Well, they were supposed to play in Victoria this year but a pandemic stuffed that upso, instead of just cancelling on them RA have negotiated a do over next July. Here’s the media release. Rugby Australia today confirmed that the Bledisloe Cup Test…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at The lack of a Wallaby captain, the All Black’s coach talking up Super Rugby AU, a history-making former wild child, no crowd for north v south game. Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 324 – On The Clock [one_half last=”no”] No Skipper Yet New Wallabies coach Dave Rennie hasn’t named his Wallaby captain yet! And you know what? I’m okay with that. In fact, I’d be happy with the captain being named after each matchday 23 was named. I don’t believe a representative side should be tied to a player no matter what and…

It’s been a rough season for the Force, in so many matches they’ve been in the hunt only to fall in the final quarter. They’ve been far from disgraced but have not been able to accumulate leaderboard points and now find themselves out of the hunt for a finals birth. Conversely, the Reds season was humming along swimmingly until the disastrous flogging at the hands of their oldest enemy, the Waratahs, two weeks ago. Last weeks legendary defensive effort against the Rebels has gone some way to restoring the fans faith in the side but there is still lingering doubt…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at the injuries from round 6, Petrus du Plessis’s trip down under, Thorn heaping praise on Michael Todd and, Cloe Dalton re-signing with RA Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 324 – On The Clock [one_half last=”no”] To’omua cleared, Hunter not so clear. There are a few concerns for supporters of the Rebels and Reds after their epic match on Saturday. Hunter Paisami bent his knee a way it’s not supposed to go seconds before half time and sat glumly on the bench for the Reds massive second-half effort. Paisami spent the force shutdown recovering…

Tuesday’s Rugby News delves into, RA’s big offer, To’omua happy at 12 and, World Rugby fiddling with eligibility again and guess who benefits. Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 109 – The Superanos Super 8 Is Not Your Uncles Film Camera. Embed from Getty Images After Kiwi Rugby said ‘We’re having this choice footy comp next year cuz. All our humble boys are in and a team from a yet un-named island with no player or coaches or management, maybe one, at a push two, of your teams could come play? And Australia said ‘Yeah Nah, good…

The Waratahs have comprehensively taken apart the Queensland Reds 45-12 in Sydney tonight. The Match The Waratahs have gone on a try-scoring rampage against a hapless Reds outfit bearing little resemblance to the outfit that challenged the Brumbies last week. The contrast between the two sides couldn’t be starker. The Waratahs played to their strengths and stuck to their patterns while the Reds were terrible at every aspect of the game except the scrum. Look, as a Reds supporter, I’ve sat here and watched my team play like rank amateurs tonight and frankly I don’t have the temperament to a…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at a possible bid for a spot in Super Rugby, Dave Rennie’s plans for the future, Eddie Jones talks rugby, and there’s talk of a crossroad, we all know what happens there. Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 323 – Cavill The Crooner [one_half last=”no”] Japan Might want in too? While Australia and New Zealand continue their war of words over the direction rugby will take in the two nations Japan could be ready to take a part of the pie for themselves. Both countries have created makeshift domestic competitions featuring their respective franchises –…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at Super Time, the Top of the table Reds, a little bit of a tiff around the Rebels, and the Wallaby Selection panel is sticking around. Green And Gold Rugby · The Dropped Kick-Off 19 – Hospital Passes (Q&A II with the GAGR News Team) [one_half last=”no”] Is It Really ‘Super’ Time? In the wake of the Reds v Rebels Super Time snooze-athon Rugby Australia says nothing will change. The ten minutes of extra time included some of the dourest rugby ever seen on this and possibly other planets, where the highlight was a missed 50-metre…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at Brad Thorn’s problem with the Tahs, that Brumbies scrum hiccup, the best code hoppers, and a hard road for the Rebels. Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 107 – It’s Kearns, Stupid [one_half last=”no”] Brad’s not happy! So, we all know I’m a mad reds fan but, when Brad Thorn mentioned the Waratahs kickers dramatically falling over to win penalties I didn’t agree. I will agree that they didn’t get hit very hard and the hits were either slightly late or ‘too’ late depending on your point of view but most 85kg backs…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at Jack Maddocks at 15, Matt Giteau doing a Farnham, the Rebels temporary move to Canberra, and Twiggy stumping up for Grassroots Rugby. Green And Gold Rugby · Rugby Report Card 106 – Call Of Rugby [one_half last=”no”] Maddocks doesn’t give a jack about the money Jack Maddocks is ready to play according to GeeRob over at SMH. It’s taken the early departure of Kurtley Beale for Maddocks to get a crack at the fullback spot for the Waratahs but, he’s keen as mustard to have a crack. “From my point of view, personally, I’m finally…

Tuesday’s Rugby News looks at Crowds for Super Rugby Aotearoa and star recruit Suliasi Vunivalu looks for certainty. Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 321 – Open Slather [one_half last=”no”] Crowds Allowed For Super Rugby Aoteoroa Super Rugby Aotearoa will be the first rugby comp in the world to allow crowds at matches in the post-COVID-19 world. New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has confirmed there will be no limit on crowd numbers when the Highlanders play the Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday 13 June and the Blues host the Hurricanes at Eden Park the following day, Sunday 14…

Friday’s Rugby News looks at Dan Carter’s return, golden points, RA’s Wallaby Program Protections and, news from the Reds rugby forum. Green And Gold Rugby · GAGR Podcast 321 – Open Slather [one_half last=”no”] Guess who’s back? Welcome #BluesAllDay #WhateverItTakes #BTVnib pic.twitter.com/azBSQ28TcP — The Blues (@BluesRugbyTeam) June 3, 2020 What do you do when your newly signed flyhalf is incumbent All Black Beauden Barrett? Sign All Black legend Dan Carter of course. The Blues have tried before to lure the great Dan Carter into their clutches. But Leon MacDonald succeeded where those redoubtable knights, Graham Henry and John Kirwan, failed…