Author: Nick Wasiliev

Nick W flies solo this week for this weeks episode of The Dropped Kick-Off, and with the NRC finals and the news around Twiggyball, this week’s guest is sure to turn heads. This week, Nick sat down with NSW Country Eagles Coach Darren Coleman to talk about his season in the NRC, what happened to Western Sydney’s World Series Rugby team, and his new challenge of turning around Gordon’s fortunes in the Shute Shield next year. (Image credit: rugby.com.au)

Friday’s Rugby News sees Twiggyball now not happening, NRC Corner, a radical shakeup of World Rugby and news from the east and west. [one_half last=”no”] The Angry Ones Rugby Australia has annoyed a lot of people in the last twenty-four hours. There’s a very angry man sitting in Perth this morning by the name of Andrew Forrest, and he has good reason to be. Only a few weeks ago, he was posing for photographs with Raelene Castle and Steve Tew at the announcement of World Series Rugby, and with World Rugby interested too, the competition look set for a bright future. Well, yesterday…

Eight years. Same dodgy internet connection. In a short and sharp version of the Green and Gold Rugby Show, Rugby Reg, Hugh and Matt battle through the dodgy internet to discuss the equally dodgy and bizarre events that unfolded in the Wallabies win over the Pumas on the weekend, and attempt to answer one key question: where do the Wallabies players and coaches go from here? Producers Note: The first two minutes are the worst of the internet connection. Fight through that bit and you’re all set. Bar one or two moments.

The 3 boys celebrate within reason about the Wallabies comeback and discuss the brilliant game in SA.

As an Eagles fan, this one hurts. But I can’t deny it was a cracker of a match. In a classic armwrestle, Brisbane City kept their finals hopes alive with a last gasp 27-28 win over NSW Country in Camden this afternoon.  On a soggy day in front of a decent crowd in Camden, both sides came into this game having had whirlwind seasons. It’s been a frustrating year if you are an NRC fan in NSW, and in some ways, with the Eagles looking the better of the two sides, even more so. A few times this year, they’ve…

Friday’s Rugby News sees D-Day for Cheika, NRC Corner, TMO laws being changed and a whole lotta rugby pathway events. [one_half last=”no”] D-Day The buck stops here. This weekend is the final round of Rugby Championship festivities for the year, and the Wallabies are desperate for a W. They run the risk of earning their first wooden spoon in the revised championship’s history, should they lose to the Pumas.  Whether he wants to admit it or not, this match is effectively D-Day for Michael Cheika and his merry men. Another loss, and we could be witnessing the departure of another coach. As of…

The boys are back together again to discuss the latest debacle.

The Green and Gold Rugby Show is back for another week to get you over the gain line on the hottest topics on Australian rugby. With World Series Rugby, the Wallabies loss, the NRC, Brett Papworth’s new article and more, Rugby Reg, Hugh and Nick try to sift through what has been one of the more chaotic weeks in Australian rugby, which is really saying something. WARNING – occasional mild coarse language The Five Burning Questions: 1) What went wrong in Port Elizabeth? 2) What do we make of the Papworth plan? 3) The new Global Top 12 test competition: Good or…

Friday’s Rugby News sees the Wallabies squad for South Africa, NRC Corner, a call for changes in tackle laws and a call for Pacific Island Inclusion. [one_half last=”no”] Time to Shine International rugby resumes this weekend with the final two weeks of the Rugby Championship, and strangely, the competition is still up in the air. The wins to South Africa and Argentina a fortnight ago have thrown the ladder open somewhat, and with two weeks left, more upsets could be on the cards. The good news for the Wallabies is that Michael Cheika has finally listened to the legions of screaming…

In what was one of the best matches of the NRC this year, the Fiji Drua finally broke their away losing streak when they defeated a brave Sydney Rays outfit in front of a big crowd at Concord Oval.  The Rays were in control for most of the match, but a incredible fightback spearheaded by Apisalome Waqatabu in the final quarter saw the away team snatch victory in the final five minutes.  Starting with the visitors, the Drua were coming into this game as red hot favourites. With two big wins at home, they crashed out heavily the week before, getting smacked by…

Friday’s Rugby News sees Rugby Australia’s plan to fend off the poaching of talent, round four of the NRC Corner, the Uni 7s squads for round 3, and Kerevi re-signing with the Reds. [one_half last=”no”] RA have a plan Watch out guys! RA have a plan that is going to change the world. As reported in The Australian, the governing body announced yesterday that they will be introducing new tiers to its Super Rugby Academies, bringing in boys as young as 15 in an attempt head off poaching from the likes of AFL, the A-League and the NRL. This technique…

The NSW Country Eagles have notched up their first win of the season, out-muscling the Sydney Rays to win 19-33 in Sydney.  In a revisit to the classic city City-Country rivalry, both teams put on a bruising display of footy at Leichardt Oval on Wednesday night. In the end, it was a hat-trick to Jake Gordon and the Eagles scrum who proved the difference.  Both teams came into this fixture winless, with unimpressive previous performances and a aura of controversy following an explosive article that poked holes in the NSW NRC teams by a former player on the Roar. Everything that the unnamed…

Get ready to batten down the hatches. The lads are back, and they’re pissed. After an abhorrent weekend in Aussie rugby which saw a lacklustre performance by the Wallabies, ugly fan backlash, and yet more floggings dealt upon the NSW NRC teams, Rugby Reg, Hugh and Jamie (with a small warm-up cameo from Mr. Rowley) sat down to try and make sense of it all. Is the game you love hurting you right now? Come join us. Let the hate flow through you. Warning: occasional coarse language  The Five Burning Questions 1. What went wrong on Saturday night? 2. How should…

Friday’s Rugby News sees more Rugby Championship thoughts, Club/NRC Corner, a dire message from World Rugby and the Wallabies keen to take on their mentor. [one_half last=”no”] More Shock Selections The names are back! The Wallabies have made five changes to the side that beat the Springboks last weekend for their game this weekend against the Pumas. David Pocock, Adam Coleman, Sekope Kepu and Nick Phipps are among the big names returning to the squad. However the biggest shock is the return of Israel Folau… on the wing. Folau has started at Fullback for 61 straight tests, but with Dayne…

Nick & Nick are back once again to talk with the best minds in Australian rugby (and this week, worldwide). With all the talk on the state of Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship left right and centre, not much has reached Australian rugby fans as to the state of the game in Argentina (and the Americas in general). This weekend, as the Wallabies gear up to face the Pumas on the Gold Coast, Nick and Nick sat down with Americas Rugby News very own guru Paul Tait to talk the state of the game in the Americas, the development of the Pumas,…

Matt, Hugh and Jamie are back for another edition of the Green and Gold Rugby Show, examining the Wallabies win over the Springboks, the Rugby Championship structure, the NRC and more. This week also includes a full blown explanation of how Bernard Foley is the Dave Grohl of Australian rugby… The Five Burning Questions: 1. Was that an improved performance by the Wallabies? 2. Is the Beale – Toomua combo worth persevering with? 3. What will be the Wallabies have to do to beat the Pumas? 4. What’s wrong with the Rugby Championship? 5. What else happened around the grounds?

Monday’s Rugby News sees us finally back in the winners circle, the latest round of NRC, the results from the Aon Uni Sevens and mindsets turning to Argentina. [one_half last=”no”] Back in the Winners Circle Ahhh, the four match losing streak finally comes to an end. The Wallabies retained the Mandela Challenge Plate after a scrappy 23-18 win over the Springboks.  While the game was far from the flashiest effort, the players overcame a disrupted lead up that saw David Pocock, Israel Folau and Adam Coleman ruled out, and showed plenty of old-fashioned grit and determination in the dying stages to bring it…

Friday’s Rugby News sees the teams for the weekend, club/NRC corner, the teams for the AON Uni Sevens and the QRU unveiling a new competition. Also, apologies for there being no pods this week. On the GAGR front, two of us are overseas at the moment and we were unable to lock in a time to chat with Ben Darwin. We will have one next week for you though. [one_half last=”no”] Back up for the Boks After what was a really fun weekend of NRC action and the Shute Shield grand final, we are now thrust back into the roller coaster…

With the return of the NSW teams to the NRC in round two, it’s time to brush off the old akubra and talk about the last (and certainly best) team in all of the NRC, the mighty NSW Country Eagles! I make it no secret that I’m a big fan of the Country Eagles, but I will put aside my fandom and give an honest preview of what will be a tough season for the men from out bush. Background While many folks have been disappointed by the New South Wales teams lack of success at NRC level, the Country Eagles have…

After a fantastic first round of NRC action that saw bumper crowds in Fiji and Brisbane and quality games played throughout, all teams will finally enter the fray with the introduction of the two NSW teams.  First off, today we start with the team that has, in my opinion, the toughest task of all eight teams in the competition this year, the Sydney Rays. Why, you may ask? BACKGROUND There is a real sense, particularly over the last two or three seasons of this great little competition, that fans are really starting to come round to the teams, rugby and what…