Author: Nick Wasiliev
Nick Wasiliev
Die-hard Brumbies/Country Eagles fan now based in Sydney. Author, anthropologist, musician, second rower. Still trying to make sense of the 21st century. Dropped a debut novel last year...
Reg, Hugh and Matt are back this week to chew the fat on all things rugby. After the awesome win on Saturday by the Wallabies, they had plenty to be cheerful about (until we got to talking about the Baabaas match). Warning – mild coarse language The Five Burning Questions – 1. Where did the Wallabies win the match? 2. Who was our best on-field, and what position do we think needs improvement? 3. What’s the point of the Baabaas game? 4. Should the indigenous jersey be our fulltime jersey? 5. Izzy Folau having the November tour off: a big loss or an opportunity?
Yes, sorry about the delay of this match review. But this game was totally worth it. In what was one of the most outstanding matches in NRC history, Queensland Country went over to Fiji to take on the might of the Drua. Already, the home side had developed a reputation for being almost unbeatable at home, as no Australian side had even come close to knocking them off. But Queensland Country are a different beast this year. In front of a very healthy Lautoka crowd of around 6,000 (my guesstimate), the match got off to an absolute flyer, with both…
Friday’s Rugby News sees the ARU looking to change their name, the latest on the Wallabies squad, Gatland open to being the Kiwi coach and the squads of the NRC being announced. [one_half last=”no”] Goodbye ARU (the name) Guess what guys! The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) will cease to exist in the coming weeks. Well, only it’s name. But it’s a start, I guess. Instead, they’re going to be going under another name, for some reason: Rugby Australia. So I guess we call them RA now? I honestly don’t know what the point of changing the brand name. Because if…
Thursday’s Rugby News sees the ARU chasing money, Ioane calling time, the latest on the IPRC/NRC and a examination of the Wallabies jersey. [one_half last=”no”] FFS So I was really hoping this piece of news isn’t true when I came across it on Wednesday night, as there’s a lot of hearsay that rattles around the internet these days. Because if it is true, it would be a case of really rubbing WA rugby fans faces in it. For all Force fans, this is not for pretty reading. And yes, that includes the context of all the crap you guys have…
Wednesday’s rugby news has the latest news from the Wallabies camp, the Irish coming over next year and some folks demanding people turn up to the Bledisloe test. [one_half last=”no”] Holy Foley Keep the faith. The amount of times we’ve heard that beyond bewilders many of us. However, the term this time comes from Bernard Foley, and for the first time in a long, there actually might be some merit behind it. Ever since they trudged off trailing 40-6 at halftime in the first match in Sydney, the Wallabies have been starting to play more consistently, with two wins against…
It was a try-scoring bonanza at TG Millner Field on a dreary Saturday afternoon in Sydney, but it was Queensland Country who ran away with the chocolates to effectively end the Rams play off hopes for 2017. A crowd of around 500 turned out to TG Millner for an exciting day, and while Country were hot favourites to win, the Rams have proven to be far from easybeats this year, with many players including Wallaby halfback Nick Phipps and Super rugby stars Jed Holloway, Mack Mason, John Grant and Taqele Naiyaravoro returning for the men from the west. Things got off to…
Friday’s rugby news sees the WA inquiry examining that $1, the Brums and Rebels organising trials, Wessels talking up next year, and the goss for the next round of the NRC. [one_half last=”no”] That One Angry Dollar The Senate inquiry in WA has seen everything, from CEOs refusing to answer any questions to verbal boxing matches between different members. However, the inquiry today focused on one particular event: the ARU selling the Melbourne Rebels to Andrew Cox, and Cox selling the Melbourne Rebels back to the VRU for $1. And what a controversial dollar it has turned out to be.…
Today marks the 200th edition of the Thursday Rugby News. Fancy that? Today’s news sees Clarke getting fiery, Ledesma going home, Kafer doing his job and the Wallabies climbing up the ladder. [one_half last=”no”] Clarke vs. Sinderberry Well, what a direction the senate inquiry has taken. So tense were the events in the west, that it closely resembled a boxing match between Mark Sinderberry and Rob Clarke. So, with that in mind, lets do this…. On my left, in the west corner, is the former Force CEO Mark Sinderberry. As first to the stand several weeks ago, Sinderberry had claimed (in a…
We’re back early this week for a special edition of the Green and Gold Rugby Show. Hugh, Matt and our producer Nick are all in the chair to chat the latest in all things Australian rugby. This week they were incredibly lucky to be joined by someone who we are huge fans of here at GAGR HQ: former Western Force coach and new Melbourne Rebels coach Dave Wessels. The Five Burning Questions – 1. What is the Dave Wessels coaching philosophy and why did it work so well at the Force this year? (feat. Dave Wessels) 2. How are the Melbourne Rebels shaping…
There was movement in rugby clubland, For the word had passed around, The Fijian Drua were in town Here to play the Rams – In front of a raucous TG Millner crowd. There was a vibe to this match that was really special. Driving up to TG Millner, the surrounding streets were filled with cars that made it difficult to get a park. Despite my frustrations, I was also elated: the NRC is really coming along this year in terms of crowds! The Rams management had done a wonderful job organising an incredible event with the schools rugby event, with a crowd…
Friday’s Rugby News see the latest from the Wallaby camp in Mendoza, McMahon maybe coming back for the RWC, the Drua proving the value for Super Rugby success… oh, and some bloke replaced Nick Stiles at the Reds. And for those of you who didn’t see it last night, our one and only Hugh Cavill put together an emergency solo podcast, as due to multiple technical issues we were unable to present the podcast we’d made this week. [one_half last=”no”] All about consistency The Wallabies are keen for a big sesh to finish off the Rugby Championship in style, following two…
Before we begin, we’ve had a couple of problems with the recording of the GAGR show podcast this week, which is why it’s a bit late. Rest assured, we’re trying to get it out hopefully in the next day or two. Sorry about that, but we promise it’s a good one. Anyways, onto the news. Thursday’s Rugby News sees’ Hodgo feeling hopeful, Cooper turning to the dark (and white) side, more on the NRC and a quick reflection on the Pro 14, five rounds in. [one_half last=”no”] Hodgo Hopeful You’d never think that the words ARU and Western Force would be…
Friday’s Rugby News has more on the Wallabies squad, Foley hitting 50, the Australian Schools side getting ready to rock and roll and the NRC squad chat. [one_half last=”no”] Rookies Galore No, I tell a lie. It’s only three. But for Izack Rodda, Jack Dempsey and Marika Koroibete it will be a case of being thrown in at the deep end when they play at altitude tomorrow against the Springboks. All three players have certainly shown their potential as future Wallabies, and their inclusion in the squad has come at the expense of Rob Simmons, Ned Hanigan and Henry Speight. The rest of the squad…
Thursday’s Rugby News has some mighty depressing news on the coaching front, more about the Wallabies and fitness at altitude, Roach thriving in the NRC and calls to ban harmful contact from British academics. [one_half last=”no”] ‘Blood’y hell! God this piece of news pisses me off. A lot. As if the loss of the Force wasn’t depressing enough, the exodus of the talent looks to make things even worse. As it turns out, one of the most promising rising talents in Australian rugby coaching, Dave ‘Blood’ Wessels, COULD be set to sign with Munster. According to Irish tabloids, Wessels is expected to be…
No last minute clashes like last week. Reg, Matt and Hugh are all back to chew the fat on a busy couple of weeks in Australian rugby with our latest edition of the Green and Gold Rugby Show. The Five Burning Questions – 1. Does the win over Argentina give us any pointers on how we’ll go with South Africa? 2. Is Lukhan Tui a good option to play 6? 3. Where should 2023 RWC be played – Ireland, South Africa or France? 4. Is Australia’s support of Fiji rugby a good thing in light of the Force decision? 5. Should Stiles…
Apparently, the URL tells me this is is our 200th edition of the Friday Rugby News. Time flies. Today’s news sees the Super Rugby draw named, an elephant (or lack of) in the room, France throwing more money at World Rugby, and squads named for the NRC. [one_half last=”no”] Super Rugby Draw Announced The biggest news story is the announcement of the 2018 Super Rugby draw. Let’s call a spade a spade: the eighteen team format was bollocks, and good riddance to it that it now no longer exists. Super Rugby has gone back to the three conference system, with the Jaguares…
Thursday’s rugby news sees the senate inquiry getting underway in WA, breaking down the IPRC, France insisting they take the World Cup, and more NRC Goss. [one_half last=”no”] A dog’s breakfast Nup, the image has nothing to do with the actual dogs breakfast that were the early findings of the WA senate inquiry into the culling of the Western Force. But the bewildered face really says it all. Force fans, look away. The next few paragraphs are not for pretty reading. It turns out (and this will most likely be of no surprise to many people), the Melbourne Rebels received…
Friday’s Rugby News has the all the RC goss, FTA on the cards for the IPRC, the Vikings calling for a merger of competitions, and more on the Uni 7s. [one_half last=”no”] RC Goss After the Springboks test in Perth, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika promised that he’s pretty close to nailing down his ideal starting XV. It looks to be the case, as there is to be only two changes for the squad from the side that drew the Boks last week to the side facing the Pumas this weekend down in the Nation’s Capital. And that one change is certainly an…
Thursday’s Rugby News has Slipper bulking up, Argentina-Wallabies chat, a date set for the clash between England and the All Blacks, and a whole lot more information on the Indo-Pacific Championship. [one_half last=”no”] Slipper-y customer Reds skipper James Slipper is a man on a mission. After a rough six months rehabilitating following a nasty torn achilles injury, Slipper has circled his goal of playing the October 14 match of the NRC, when he will represent Queensland Country and head to Sydney to take on the Greater Sydney Rams. But he’s coming back with a lot more on his mind. He hopes to come…
Rugby Reg, Hugh and Matt are back in the chair to talk the latest on all things rugby. For this week of the Green and Gold Rugby Show the lads talked about the Wallabies-Springboks test, the upcoming test against the Pumas, the NRC, and of course, Twiggyball. The Five Burning Questions – 1. How do you grade the Wallabies performance against the Boks? 2. Has Kurtley Beale already won the John Eales Medal? 3. What changes should Michael Cheika make for the Pumas? 4. Could Twiggyball save Australian rugby? 5. What was the best performance of the NRC last weekend?