Author: Nick Wasiliev

While this period of time over Christmas is traditionally supposed to be the ‘off-season’, the turn of events over the last few weeks has made this period so interesting that we’ve been semi-considering getting the news boys back out or doing new podcasts.  Rugby is in a very weird place right now, with the beginning of the Rennie era upon us, a board clean out on the cards, a critical new TV deal being negotiated, and players being signed up for long-term contracts left, right and centre. With all of this change comes the latest ringing out of demands from…

The Dropped Kick-Off returns for our final episode of the year, and we’ve got a beauty to bring our rugby coverage to a close for 2019. This week, Nick was joined by Wallaby great Richard Tombs to discuss his rugby career, what rugby means to him, his transition out of the game, how the community got behind him after his spinal injury, and why rugby has a culture like no other sport. Even comes with a couple of cheeky comments about the 2016 Shute Shield Grand Final. In addition, you can check out the amazing work Tombsy is doing with his foundation, Guns Out for…

With the Springboks winning the World Cup and the 2019 season coming to a close, the Green and Gold Rugby Show returns for our final podcast of the year (pending a potential Wallaby coach announcement). Rugby Reg, Matt and Hugh sit down to review the season that was, and look ahead with optimism to what lies ahead in 2020. The Five Burning Questions: 1. What were our thoughts on the Grand Final? 2. What was our highlight of the 2019 season? 3. Who was our player of the year? 4. What was the downer of the 2019 season? 5. What are you excited for about…

The Wallabies may be out, but the World Cup coverage continues on. The Green and Gold Rugby Show is back, and this week Matt, Hugh and Pfitzy sit down to dissect the semi-final games and look ahead to the big dance between the Poms and the Saffas. Warning – occasional coarse language The Four Burning Questions 1. England vs South Africa – what are our predictions? 2. The All Blacks defeat – a blip or a sign of bigger problems? 3. What are the latest developments with the Wallabies? 4. What else has happened around the grounds?

The battle for the Toast Rack is upon us! The Dropped Kick-Off is back for another week, and it’s time to cover the grand final match of 2019 National Rugby Championship! In our final podcast covering the NRC, Nick W sits down with Brett McKay once again to talk semis, give our thoughts on the grand final clash between the Force and Vikings, and talk about what may lie ahead for the future of the competition. The NRC Podcast Agenda: 1. Our favourite moment from the semi-finals? 2. Force vs Vikings: where will the grand final be won and lost for both teams?…

The wild ride is over for the Wallabies, as they crashed out 40-16 against the old enemy in the World Cup. With the Cheika era over and our World Cup dream finished for another four years, this marks what is going to be a significant episode of the Green and Gold Rugby Show.  This week, Rugby Reg makes his return, and sits down with Matt and Hugh to discuss the fallout of the loss, and the start of what could be one of the most significant changes in Australian Rugby history. Warning – occasional coarse language The Five Burning Questions:…

The Dropped Kick-Off is back for it’s third podcast covering the 2019 NRC. With the regular season over and Semi-Finals ahead of us, Nick W and Brett sat down to discuss the burning topics leading into the business end of the season. The NRC Podcast Agenda: 1. Was that the closest regular season of NRC we’ve had? 2. The NSW NRC Teams – pass or fail for 2019? 3. Which team was the big improver of the regular season? 4. Our predictions: who will win the NRC Rising Star Award for 2019? 5. Predictions for the weekend.

It’s quarter-finals time! For our second podcast of the week, Hugh sits down with JB and Tim from The Eggchasers to dissect the upcoming World Cup quarter final match between the Wallabies and England, where the game will be won and lost, and who is set to stand out from both sides.

The Pool stages are over, and quarterfinals are upon us. The first of a few special podcasts this week, Matt and Hugh were joined by Waratah and Wallaby legend Richard Tombs to talk about the best games of the pool stages, where the Wallabies are currently placed, and what bodes ahead for the upcoming quarter final clash with England. The Five Burning Questions 1. The Japan Victory – was that the match of the World Cup? 2. How would you rate the Wallabies pool performances out of 10? 3. How confident are you about the Quarter Final? 4. What do we…

Warning to all the other teams out there: if you are looking to score against Brisbane City, just be aware that they have this level of defensive capability in them. In front of a capacity crowd at Easts Rugby Club in Brisbane, Brisbane City put on an outstanding defensive display to beat a fast-finishing Melbourne Rising side 24-21. The win sees City creep into the top four earn the right to play semi-finals rugby, to extend their season for at least another week. The Match Heading into this game, City were sitting precariously in sixth place, only one point off…

This hurts to write. But a great game is a great game. The Canberra Vikings have secured a home semi-final with a dogged 27-19 over NSW Country Eagles in Canberra. In what was a bruising match that lived up to expectations, the Vikings lent on their youth to bring them home, the resulting loss proving fatal for NSW Country’s finals prospects.  THE MATCH One of the more surprising rivalries in the NRC, the homeside came into the match with four wins, two from their last two games at home. Outside of that, the Vikings currently boast an impressive record in Canberra, having…

Got the blues because two Rugby World Cup matches have been cancelled and there’s a big gaping rugby-shaped hole in your life? Fear not, it’s the final round of regular season NRC and it is currently so close to call that nearly every match this weekend could potentially have an impact on which four teams will be left standing in the dash for the Toast Rack. Currently, with only first place and the wooden spoon effectively the only positions guaranteed not to change (sorry Sydney fans), there is everything to play for. Currently, the table looks like this: The Force arguably…

Oh, by the way, did you know that the NRC is still on?! We’ve got you covered for this comp too. Producer Nick W returns for the latest episode of the Dropped Kick-Off, and chats with the busiest man in Australian sport, Brett McKay, about the last fortnight of National Rugby Championship, and predict who will be left standing in the battle for the Toast Rack come semi-finals time. (Also, mind the first thirty seconds of audio when the recording starts). The NRC Podcast Agenda: 1. The earlier kick off times, has it worked? 2. Are we convinced by the…

It was a heartbreaker as the Wallabies went down to Wales, and Matt, Hugh and Pfitzy had plenty to cover as they sat down to review week two of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, covering the Wallabies loss, selection headaches, and the many upsets that have already occurred. Warning – occasional coarse language Rugby World Cup Week Two Agenda: 1. What single word summarises that match? 2. Best on park 3. Which calls did the refs actually get wrong? 4. What selection lessons did we learn? 5. Who had the better win: Uruguay or Japan?

The preparation is over, the umming and ahhhing, chopping and changing, the hooting and hollaring, whatever you wanna call it, it’s over… it’s Rugby World Cup time. In the first of our special GAGR podcasts covering the World Cup, Matt, Hugh and podcast debutant Nick Pfitzner delve into the Wallabies victory over Fiji, what we need to do for the match up against Wales, and all the other games from around the first week of the World Cup. Comes with plenty of ranting about the refereeing. Rugby World Cup Week One Agenda: 1. Rate that performance out of 10 against…

A very different and slightly drunk take on the World Cup. Actual Warning: the lads had a few beverages before this one so it is a bit out there. Coarse language, themes, everything. Keep this podcast away from the kids.

It’s finally here! The original team is back in Matt, Hugh and Rugby Reg to preview the 2019 Rugby World Cup. It’s the best game in world’s biggest tournament, there ain’t much else to say. Warning – occasional coarse language The Five Burning Questions:  1. How will we go at the World Cup? 2. Who will win it? 3. Which underdog will surprise? 4. Which big gun will falter? 5. Who will be the player of the tournament?

Get ready, there’s a lot of podcasts coming your way! Kicking us off, The Dropped Kick-Off returns and will be covering all things NRC this year. For our first NRC-focused pod, Nick W sat down with rugby encyclopedia Brett McKay to for an in depth discussion on the first three rounds of the National Rugby Championship, including rule change reviews, off-the-field goss, and which teams and players are getting our attention. Go on, you know you want to.

The NSW Country Eagles and Fijian Drua have played out an enthralling match down in the Gong – so enthralling that they literally couldn’t be split.  The men from the bush came into this match sitting second on the ladder, having knocked aside Melbourne and Sydney in their first two games. The defending champions meanwhile, were sitting in sixth, following an nail-biting draw against Brisbane City followed by a disappointing loss at home to the Western Force, their first loss in Fiji since the final round of 2017. The Eagles desperately needed to maintain their winning streak to line up…

Now that’s how to kick off a tournament! On beautiful day at Apex Park in Dubbo, it was the Country Eagles who started their campaign with a win, but they had to work for it against a determined Sydney outfit, the 38-33 win having shades of the great City-Country matches of season’s past.  There was a lot riding on this game, in more ways than one. Last year, both these sides finished bottom of the ladder, with the only win coming from NSW Country beating Sydney in an uninspired match at Leichardt Oval. But more than that, this match would…