Author: Yowie

Wednesday’s Rugby News sees Marky Mark looking to come back for an Eddie-free World Cup campaign, NZ questioning the formula, Australia in line to be Rugby Championship champions until at least 2029, and a welcome to Wallabies assistant coach Tom Donnelly.Marky Mark to ditch Funky Bunch for home RWCRugbyPass reports that former Wallabies winger, Mark Nawaqanitawase, is returning to rugby union ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Straya with the syllables champion informing the Sydney Roosters of his decision to leave the NRL after the 2026 season.The 25 year-old finished the regular NRL season as the code’s top…

Wednesday’s Rugby News sees RA get its guitar back from the pawnbroker, the ABs learning from the best, the World Cup significance of the Argentina games, and universally popular top bloke with good tackling technique, Owen Farrell, has a beret-wearing critic.RA number one with a bullet, it’s a power pack ’cause its back in black. Yes, it’s back in black, aw!The SMH reports that the financial windfall from the British & Irish Lions tour, which saw Rugby Australia pocket as much as $120 million, has allowed RA to clear its debt and turn focus towards the creation of a future…

Wednesday’s Rugby News sees injury lists, rank possibilities and the women’s World Cup starting this Friday.South Africa casualty ward and a ranking sessionPravda reports that South Africa face a heavy injury toll from the 38-22 defeat in Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener, with captain Siya Kolisi sidelined for the second test in Cape Town on Saturday and likely the two-match tour to New Zealand that follows.Loose-forward Pieter-Steph du Toit suffered a concussion in the weekend loss and will also miss the second game as he goes through return-to-play protocols. Both wings from the loss, Kurt-Lee Arendse (knee) and Edwill van der…

Despite 90% of the rugby news being about Jac Morgan’s cleanout of Carlo Tizzano, we’ve found some other rugby stories on the dark web (and also sites that aren’t stuff.co.nz).World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin backs officialsAccording to RugbyPass, World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin has confirmed that the governing body will be supporting its match officials following the controversial cleanout decision at the end of the second Lions Test in Melbourne.“Emotions understandably run very high with a compelling and fiercely contested match, such as the one we saw going right down to the wire,” said Gilpin. “In those tight…

Good news for those who haven’t had a gutful of my edits over the last few weeks. Wednesday’s Rugby News sees Wallaby test selections firm up, lineout training thunderstruck, more from (and on) everyone’s favourite South African coach and some Super teams’ recruitments for 2026.Lynagh to be Wallaby 10 for Lions test openerPlanetRugby reports that Tom “panty” Lynagh will be the run-on flyhalf for Saturday night’s Wallabies v Lions belter at Suncorp Stadium. Ben “mullet no sideburns” Donaldson, who took over the flyhalf duties in the Fiji test when Noah “box kick it to Fiji” Lolesio went down will provide…

Happyman is still keeping a low profile until the Epstein list is 100% confirmed to be not coming out, so my news edit is back on a Thursday. Today, we have a potential fullback shortage for the Lions, Wayne Barnes on the right amount of TMO, AUNZ fashion watch and some violin music from Middle Earth. Also, check out Nutta’s Brumbies v Lions write-up here.Jock scratched? Blair Kinghorn could be on Lions injury list.RugbyPass reports that one week after Elliot Daly suffered a tour-ending broken arm for the British & Irish Lions against the Reds, fellow fullback Blair Kinghorn has…

Deal with it. Happyman spent Wednesday night at Reds v Lions galivanting around with those floozies RaWF and Sully. See Brisney’s review of the Reds v Lions game here.Today’s other rugby news sees Mike Catt tell tour stories, retiring ref controversy, whinging from across the dutch and AI tools to block abuse. Mike Catt tells Lions storiesThe SMH reports some of the Lions touring stories of Waratahs assistant coach and brave attempted tackler Mike Catt, who played on two British & Irish Lions tours, to South Africa in 1997 and Australia in 2001. Regarding the latter tour:”I missed the first…

Wednesday’s Rugby News sees the Lions trophy change, a Melbourne boy move to a place with grim weather, the Jake White Fan Club shrinking and Tackle School explained. Lions trophy changes, Tom Richards Cup becomes a medal.The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Tom Richards Cup, which has been contested between the Wallabies and the British & Irish Lions since 2001, has been retired and will be replaced next month by a perpetual trophy created by the Lions on their 2021 tour of South Africa. The B&I Lions apparently don’t want to play for a particular trophy against the Wallabies…

Thursday afternoon’s Wednesday News.If this Wednesday’s Rugby News ever sees the light of day after server issues, we have Ollie Hoskins called out of retirement to play a Lions game for the Quokka- kickers, Angus Gardner gets the Super final gig, a new Aussie super comp for later in the year, Johnny Sexton walks back some of his comments and Michael Cheika giving some balanced feedback.Colonel Trautman convinces Ollie Hoskins to go on one more missionNathan “I call it Roger Moore Park” Williamson reports that Perth- born (but otherwise alright bloke) prop Ollie Hoskins will finish his career with the…

Wednesday’s Rugby News pumps extreme hype into Donkeys v Canes and the French tour of New Zealand. There’s another breakaway comp circling plus UK-based Lions viewers to get getsylwebaeth cymraeg.Brumbies v Hurricanes may not matter.According to stuff.bro.nz, if this weekend’s first two finals fixtures go according to seeding, ie, the Crusaders v Reds on Friday and Chiefs v Blues on Saturday each win have home wins, the Brumbies and Hurricanes will both be guaranteed to advance to the semi-finals before their game has kicked off at 19:35 AEST. Under the new finals format, the highest ranked loser from the three…

Wednesday’s Rugby News sees Lions tour rules tweaks, Slipper’s career on track to outlast Rupert Murdoch’s, the new dumbest thing people are doing you’ve ever heard of, The Gatland Gun abseils from a helicopter into Val Verde and, stop the press, an All Black gets easy treatment from the officials.Lions Tour: golden point on the cards, 20 min red card to be usedThe SMH reports that Rugby Australia and the British and Irish Lions have agreed to use the 20-minute red card in their upcoming June, July and August Test series and, to prevent a repeat of the anti-climactic drawn…

Wednesday’s Rugby News sees James O’Connor back in the Wallabies frame, Suaalii’s tackle style raising concerns, Ryan Lonergan re-sign with the Donkeys and the Welsh wit back on the whistle.O’Connor in Wallabies frame after showing Crusaders a thing or twoAccording to The Hate Media, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has cleared the path for the international return of #10, James O’Connor, as Schmidt looks for more experience in the upcoming series against the British & Irish Lions.The former Reds flyhalf last played for the Wallabies in 2022 and moved to the Crusaders out of a deep sense of charity ahead of…

Wednesday’s rugby news sees the Wallaroo’s broader squad named, French surrendering, Andrew Slack crack the shits about Wallaby coach announcement delays and the Japanese going native. So much news for a week when everyone with any brains has taken annual leave.Yapp names a 40-player Wallaroo squad.According to RugbyPass and Eddie’s press conference victim, Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp has named a 40-player extended training squad that includes Triple Crown winning Sevens trio Charlotte Caslick, Tia Hinds and Bienne Terita. The squad will assemble in Canberra this week (instead of somewhere nice) ahead of the team’s first Test of 2025 against Fiji…

Wednesday’s Rugby News has more money, more stats boasting, more science and more paratroopers than the rest of the G&GR rugby week combined!65 million more dollaroos from new RA-Nine broadcast deal (but with no FTA)The SMH reports that Rugby Australia will pocket an extra $65 million (or one high-profile Mungo signing) in a new five-year broadcast rights deal with Nine Entertainment with potentially more through bonus payments if the Wallabies and Super Rugby sides hit success targets during their campaigns. However, Super Rugby games will no longer be shown on free-to-air television under the terms of the new agreement. It…

Wednesday’s rugby news sees a proposed Anzac Bledisloe test suffer a setback, we get to know Tah #9 Teddy Wilson a bit better, and Pommy torches and pitchforks come out.NZ may as well hand Gallipoli back to Rommel’s Japanese forces with that attitude A Rugby Australia proposal to stage an annual Bledisloe Cup clash on Anzac Day, starting in 2026, appears sunk after New Zealand Rugby walked back early enthusiasm and dismissed the concept as not ‘viable’, according to Lord Haw-Haw Stuff.co.nz.The plan for the Wallabies and the All Blacks to play a test match next April was first pitched…

RAWF will be back tomorrow with the Super W roundup and Team of the Week. He’s been held up with what I assume is cyclone recovery (“wet work” as RAWF called it, while sipping a martini in a casino). In the meantime, here’re three items that would usually show up on a Wednesday.Nigel Owens brings leaping Taffs down to earthWalesOnline reports that referee Nigel Owens has stepped in to provide clarity on Taulupe Faletau’s disallowed try against Scotland.With five minutes to play in the round 4 clash, Scarlets star Blair Murray completed a remarkable run to scythe through the Scots…

Wednesday’s Rugby News sees the Reds deal with adversity, better people making better All Blacks, Cheika potentially kept away from the Wallabies and the post-protest Wallaroos’ funding improvements.Paisami suspended, Campbell injured, Reds heroically endurePravda reports that Reds and Wallabies centre Hunter Paisami will miss up to three games of Super Rugby Pacific after his Round 2 citation was upheld.Paisami, 26, avoided on-field sanction for a tackle on Moana Pasifika centre Lalomilo Lalomilo in the 30th minute of Queensland’s 56-36 victory last Friday but was referred to the Super Rugby Pacific Foul Play Review Committee (FKUPS).”The FKUPS upheld the citing issued…

It’s good to be back, with the Super Rugby season kick-off about two weeks away the dream of an undefeated run of cricket scores (especially against the Tahs) yet to crash into reality. Today’s rugby news sees Super Rugby use the PotY, the Force victims of a conspiracy (as usual), a stampede of three ABs players to Moana Pacifika, and the Chiefs to play at the Hong Kong Sevens.Super Rugby Pacific introduces Player of the Year awardNathan “got the thousand-yard stare from Eddie’s press conferences” Williamson reports that Super Rugby Pacific will recognise the competition’s most outstanding player this season…

In this last Wednesday’s Rugby News of the year we see Jordan Petaia follow his Seppo dreams, some constructive feedback for Clive Woodward, Joe Marler ease into retirement (again) and Sevu Reece’s latest legal drama.Thanks to everyone who has read and/or commented on Green & Gold Rugby in 2024, especially on the slow sports news day grab-bag that’s the Wednesday news series. See you again in 2025 with fresh wind in the sails of Australian rugby.Jordan Petaia off to NFL international pathway programNathan Williamson reports that Reds and Wallabies back Jordan Petaia has confirmed he’ll pursue his American football dream…

First Half Most of the first half was a stop-start and set-piece heavy affair. Italy succeeded in slowing down NZ ball and keeping both teams in second gear. Attacking opportunities by both sides were thwarted by passes not sticking and knocks-on. New Zealand seemed to overestimate their ability to run or chip-kick their way out of their own 22 and paid the price in terms of lack of territory. At 9:00 (game clock) a NZ lineout on the Italian side of half way lead to a maul, Italian steal and successful 50:22 kick. Italy won their lineout. Ardie Savea ripped…