Author: TBH
TBH
The Brown Hornet, or TBH for short, is a rugby tragic from way back. It's hard not to be with rugby union being the greatest game on Earth. Growing up in the Southern states of Australia, it has often felt like exile, but the entry of the Force and then the Rebels has made union increasingly feel like a code that includes all of Australia now. I remain an ardent Force fan, but one without too much bias I hope.
One of the defining features of our game is multiplicity of skills and attributes required of the players at the top level. Rugby encompasses power, strength, speed, passing, kicking, tackling and tactical nous, and it is a rare player indeed who has all of these things in one package. Today, we will discuss one of the rarest and most valuable of those attributes: speed. Speed is something that is valued by those who have it and desired by those who don’t. It is priceless on the rugby field. The ability to motor through a half-gap, chase down a kick, line-break or…
OK folks, counting down to the season opener. Always a hard one in the first week, given that pre-season form usually means nothing. So, to the games: Hurricanes v Highlanders The battle of the Canes backs versus the Highlanders pack. My tip is for the Hurricanes to have a little too much class and firepower for the men from the South. Canes: $1.16 Highlanders: $5.25 Rebels v Waratahs A big debut in Super Rugby for the Rebels and like all new teams, a complete unknown quantity. They do have some quality in the likes of Somerville, Mortlock and co., however.…
So the new Super Rugby in season 2011 is upon us and one that is the harbinger of a new era in the code in the Southern Hemisphere, especially here in Australia. We have a new competition structure a new team and an extended season. As an Australian fan, my view is that all these new developments are tremendously exciting. It may be old hat to our brothers in South Africa and New Zealand, who have their own domestic competitions, but the conference and home and away concepts I am predicting will be a boon to our rugby in Australia.…