Author: Shane Sullivan

Friday’s Rugby News sees Valetini hurt, Wallaby back row under pressure, the SCG turf fiasco, and Crusaders name change talk. [one_half last=”no”]  Valetini Gawn Rob Valetini start-stop career has stopped again. The talented 20-year-old has struggled with knee problems since he debuted and this time is no different. Apparently, this time is not so bad because it’s not the medial ligament he’s hurt twice before. Whatever the injury his predicted recovery time is expected to be six to eight weeks. Blocka Dutton talks of Valetini getting back on the park to stake his claim for a Wallaby World Cup berth in…

Friday’s Rugby News has a voice for the players, a new Reds flyhalf, no Hunt and a honey badger. [one_half last=”no”] Test rugby stars demand a greater say Ahead of the summit to nut out the Global Championship rugby players around the world are demanding a permanent seat at the table. The International Players Council (IRPC) are demanding a permanent voice in any negotiations regarding the future of the game. The real question is why haven’t they had a voice in the past? Australian member, and Wallabies captain, Michael Hooper said following a conference call of the players’ council: “We want to be part…

Fridays Rugby News sees NSW v Qld, Rocket on the big stage, PI’s forgotten, and SA laying down the law [one_half last=”no”]  The State Of The Union Is what they called it back before those pesky Brumbies materialised out of the scraps the Sky Blues and Reds discarded. Somewhere along the line, someone, I’m guessing they were born north of the border, decided to call it the festival of hate. It kind of took off up here and for better or worse we seem to be stuck with it. In the week preceding the game legends of Reds rugby…

Friday’s Rugby News sees players coming up the hard way, The Hurricane feeling the pressure, Get Cooper and Tough decisions for Tuilagi. [one_half last=”no”] McCaffrey’s come the hard way! Locky McCaffrey is making a pretty big impact in the Brumbies backrow. but it hasn’t been easy for the number 8 to get where he is. The photo above is the only one we have of him playing Super Rugby in our substantial library. The next year he was unwanted by the five Australian franchises and was faced with the choice of returning to Sydney club rugby or trying his hand…

Welcome to Un-Australian Activities. There are only four games not involving Aussie teams this week and a couple of unexpected results. Enjoy. Crusadist v Hurricanes Sharks v Blues Stormers v Lions Jaguares v Bulls

Friday’s Rugby News sees wallaby selection news, low acts, Super W and Paddy-come-latelies. [one_half last=”no”]  Shocking Pocock News! Here it is… David Pocock will be considered for the Wallabies Openside flanker role! I know right! Imagine considering a world-class openside flanker for a position like, openside flanker! This is the type of thinking Michael O’Connor is bringing to the table in his new role as Wallaby selector. O’Connor goes on to discuss the problematic areas of Quade Coopers game, and while he doesn’t come out and say it I’m guessing he means the tackling, and whether Australia actually needs…

Despite our best efforts, we’re short of writers on the Waratahs front. Here are the highlights instead. And here are Peter Mitchel’s photos.

Highlight time! Chiefs v Highlanders Blues v Crusaders Sunwolves v Sharks Bulls v Stormers Jaguares v Lions

Fridays Rugby News sees amazing headlines, Wallaby stalwarts on the move, Ma’a speaking and Porn. [one_half last=”no”]  Kiwi drought won’t happen again   ‘Wallabies star vows that Kiwi drought won’t happen again for Aussie Super sides’ screamed the headline and I cringed thinking some mug had shot his mouth off about our chances this season. But, thankfully, Ned Hanigan hadn’t said anything like that in this Stuff.co.nz article and I, had been the victim of a clickbait headline again. This from the article Waratahs back-rower Ned Hanigan, who won 20 test caps for Australia from 2017-18, said the team had…

Fridays Rugby News sees calls for tweaks to the Giteau Law, McKay staying put, The Classic Wallabies and Trial match news. [one_half last=”no”] Yet Another Call For A Tweak To The Giteau Law Yours truly doesn’t like change. What sane person would! That’s why it took me a while to get used to the Giteau Law that allowed overseas Wallabies with sixty tests and seven seasons of Super Rugby to be selected for Australia. It’s taken four years to get used to it and then Drew Mitchel comes out and calls for changes to the rugbyverse as we know it!…

Yes, the Wallabies have beaten Wales the last 13 times they’ve played them. But, through that run of 13 wins the Wallabies have never come off a run of poor games like they’ve racked up this year. And for the first time, the Wallabies are ranked well below the Welsh. And that, frankly, makes this a very intriguing test match. What Winning Streak? Australia has won 13 straight and 26 tests from 28 since 1991! In that time both countries have had a similar status in world rugby so what is the secret sauce that has kept the Aussies just…

With the ink still drying on the newspaper reports of Jack Debreczeni new deal with New Zealand Super Rugby club, the Waikato chiefs came word that Sef Fa’agase had signed with the Hurricanes. Sef and Jack were both on the outer with the Reds and Rebels respectively. And both will immediately be available for All Black selection. So did the Reds and the Rebels get it right and two top Kiwi Super Rugby teams are wasting their hard-earned or have Australia’s rugby brains trust got it wrong again and gifted New Zealand another couple of diamonds in the rough? Maybe it’s…

Once again Australia and New Zealand head north for the dead rubber Bledisloe clash. New Zealand is looking to get a sense of the grounds they’ll play at in next years world cup. The Wallabies are just along for the ride The Match Australia’s lineout woes continued early when they lost the first lineout of the game. They won against the feed shortly after to even the score, but the All Blacks had settled into their patterns and applied enormous pressure to Australia’s shuffling defence. Eventually, the Wallabies cracked when Kurtley Beale missed a one on one tackle on Liam Squire…

Psst… Have you heard? There’s a Bledisloe Cup game on… This weekend… In Yokohama! Yeah, REALLY! They still play the third one even after we lose the first two. The All Blacks are making all the right noises leading into this game, but I can’t help thinking they treat this game as a warm-up for their spring tour. I guess that’s one theory as to why we’ve won the last two of these dead rubbers. One thing is certain and that’s that those wins aren’t the norm and I’m guessing the All Blacks coaching staff aren’t happy about it. I’m expecting the Wallabies…

Here we go again! Another Rugby Championship and the first game in we have to hurdle the biggest obstacle in world rugby. Thankfully SANZAAR is contemplating a change. I say it can’t come soon enough but that doesn’t help us today. So do I dare to dream of a win? No, I’m not that much of an optimist. But I am hoping for a good showing from our side. Let’s see what happens. The Match It took 38 minutes for the AllBlacks to score a try in an intriguing first half. Defence dominated the game but it was David Pocock who…

SIRU2018 Grand Final Wagga Waratahs v Wagga Ag College  3:15pm Conolly Park, Wagga Wagga Saturday 18th August 2018 Here we are again at the pointy end of the season at the big dance, with two Wagga based clubs going head to head this weekend. 2018 has definitely been the year of the Waratah, blitzing all before them this season on the road to the main game against their plucky young rivals, Wagga Ag College. For those punters new to the area, there’s actually a pretty significant history between these two teams in terms of Grand Final appearances, these clubs went…

The Rebels have slammed the door shut on the Brumbies last chance of making the finals this year. While the Waratahs are sitting comfortably on top of the Aussie conference and can’t be shoved off it. So there’s nothing to play for here. Except of course the usual grudge match these two sides save for each other. Situation normal then.  The Match First Half The Brumbies started the game like wild horses destroying Australia’s delicate flora beneath their hard feral hooves. I’ll stop now I promise. But seriously, the Brumbies racked up 21 points in under 20 minutes and the Waratahs had no…

This game means nothing to anyone. It makes no real difference to the ladder and nothing for the wooden spoon. The only thing on the line is Brad Thorn’s coaching record. If the Reds win this could be their best season since 2013. The only problem I can see is that the Sunwolves are just the type of team that could completely stuff up the Reds systems. The good thing is there is nothing on the line so just maybe we’ll get some stress free exciting football. Fingers crossed! The Match One Half All in all that was a…

With the Rebels loss last night the Brumbies suddenly might have something to play for. The Chiefs have stumbled on occasion this year but the Brumbies can’t just hope this is one of those games, they need to take their chances and not wait for a stumble.  The Match First Half The Brumbies started poorly. They spent the first quarter of the match grimly holding on and turning any possession back over to the Chiefs so that they could run it back at them. Still, at 3-0 they were still well in the game on the scoreboard if not on…

23 Irish blokes walk into a stadium. That’s about as far as I got. An Irish side on a twelve game winning streak is no joke and Australia will have to be a whole lot better than they have been to keep up. With only five or six days in camp, the Wallaby coaching staff have had their work cut out putting their plans in place. For Australia, I look forward to seeing how Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Taniela Tupou go, and in the backs, I’m little anxious, but optimistic with the selection od Samu Kerevi at outside centre.   The Match The first half…