Author: Yowie

The Springboks have reeled in then overtaken the All Blacks’ lead to win 31-27. Excuses This write-up is a bit rushed/brief/late on account of a swarm of bees needing to be dealt with for most of the morning (really). Thankfully they were just a swarm of worker bees on reconnaissance for a new nest location in one of the walls of the Yowie house. With no queen bee yet, the swarm will be lured into a newly-placed hive box over the next week or so. The nearest beekeeper to our place is a dead-set legend. First Half The white collar…

Wednesday’s Rugby News is brought to you by a short break in test rugby and Coopers 2024 Vintage Ale. Bad luck if you missed out on your carton, I had to drive 45 minutes north for a bottle shop that still had one. Lolesio chats about Schmidt’s short kicks plans Rugby365 reports that Noah Lolesio is fine-tuning his short kicking game as the Wallabies prepare to face Argentina in Buenos Aires on Sunday morning Australian time. In a touring party that includes Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson, the 24-year-old Brumby has emerged as the new coach’s first-choice playmaker after not…

Wednesday’s Rugby News sees Wallaby discipline under the microscope, Jake White bemoans the loss of Australia’s academy systems, Vermeulen tells us what we already knew and a special “Commie Watch” alert. 43 cards in 47 Tests: Wallabies could make it easier for maths fans Iain Payten of the SMH reports that the plainest tale of the Wallabies’ defeat in Brisbane for the Wallabies can be traced to the same place it is now always found: the column labelled “Discipline”. Be it via penalty counts or yellow and red cards, the Wallabies’ discipline has been intractably bad for around three years…

Today’s rugby news has women’s Sevens, Wallaby injuries, player movements to the Tahs (for a change) and a Welsh big unit. Superlatives run out for Aussie women’s Sevens You’ll know the results by Wednesday morning. I’m not maniac enough to stay up until midnight and 3:45am for the Aust v Snow Mexicans semi-final and the gold medal match respectively, so here’s an extract from Brittany Mitchell’s ESPN piece on Charlotte Caslick: Eight years ago, Charlotte Caslick created a moment that changed Australian rugby forever. Flying across the pitch in cover defence and smashing United States flyer Victoria Folayan into touch,…

It’s not Hoss. You’ll cope. Hoss is currently assisting Newcastle police with their enquiries after a spate of incidents where (allegedly) street performer mimes have been pushed to the ground and kicked a few times before the assailant ran off laughing. Hoss used his one phone call to update the writer and whinge about all the “salad-dodging fat b@stards” the cops had rounded up to stand near him in the identity parade. Hoss will be back next week if his GoFundMe page reaches its bail amount goal. Aussie men’s sevens top Pool B and into Olympic quarterfinals (5am Friday) The…

With so many games it’d be easy to forget that other rugby stuff goes on. Today’s news sees Victoria look at building the base, Australian women’s 15s needing an urgent boost, more recruitment traffic heading from the Tahs, a South African drug lab (the ok kind) and some Georgian scrummaging. Having eliminated all other options, Victorian Rugby turns to grassroots. The Guardian reports that the game in the latte-sipping, morally-and-artistically-superior State is shifting its focus. The closure of the Rebels this year alongside a sorry sequence of reported financial irregularities and political infighting has left local rugby in the doghouse.…

Today’s Rugby News has English line-up changes, more law-change chat, a Wallaby coach being useful and a good bloke to non-selected players just to mix things up, Dunedin ticket sales and some constructive feedback for SBW. Karl will be back next week after he generously agreed to swap weeks so I could attend the South-East Queensland Dolphin Waxer’s Association annual convention. Joe Marler and Will Stuart added to Pommy squad v NZ Pravda and AAP report that Props Joe Marler and Will Stuart are the only changes to Saturday’s side which beat genius-coached Japan 52-17 in Tokyo, replacing “Commodore” Bevan…

With the southern hemisphere test season and Olympic sevens about to start, there’s an abundance of rugby news on a Wednesday for a change. Here’s today’s selection. Slipper cleared to return Nathan “I can change my name to Nick if the podcast needs a gimmick” Williamson reports that Wallabies prop James Slipper has shrugged off any concerns around his calf injury as he begins his quest to break the record as the most-capped Wallaby. Slipper missed the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season with the strain picked up during the round 14 clash with the Rebels. “The calf is…

They can’t all be great tag lines. With the Reds out and therefore Super Rugby finished, Wednesday’s Rugby News looks at the Aus U20 and Wales squads named, plus some All Black doom and gloom (oh dear, how sad, never mind). Six debutants selected to Australian Under 20s Pravda reports that Australia Under 20 head coach Nathan Grey has named six fresh faces in his 30-man squad to contest the upcoming World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa. Australia face Georgia, Ireland and Italy in Pool B and Grey has made sweeping changes in a bid to improve last year’s…

Wednesday’s Rugby News sees talk of Sevens superstars moving to fifteens, Tupou cleared, NZ political fractures, a SA coach playing the technicality card and some cheap-shot footage. Caslick & chums consider moving to 15-player game Brittany Mitchell of ESPN reports that Australian women’s Sevens co-captain Charlotte Caslick as well as several of her teammates have expressed interest in moving into the 15-player game to bolster the Wallaroos for Rugby World Cup 2025 in England. Caslick has previously expressed her desire to switch formats when she re-signed with Rugby Australia in 2022, after she witnessed the Wallaroos’ performance at the 2021…

Wednesday’s Rugby News sees law changes, soft treatment for star players, NZ captaincy speculation and South America seen as the solution for both the injury-ravaged Tahs and certain types after VE Day 1945. Makes you think, doesn’t it. World Rugby law changes for faster game stir conspiracy theories The SMH reports that a range of fan friendly law changes, trials and studies were approved by the World Rugby executive this week. Following Super Rugby’s lead to eradicate kick-tennis, the Dupont law offside loophole has been shut, and the dangerous crocodile roll clean out has also been banned. The most significant…

Today’s rugby news has late big hits, Wallaroos named, RA finances, possible career moves and pain in Spain. Samipeni Finau – any later and he’d be pregnant As noted by Brisney Spears on Monday, on the weekend Tahs fly-half Tane Edmed was flattened by Chiefs flanker Samipeni Finau, continuing the latter’s run of borderline tackles on players just after they have passed the ball. Nine reports that Stephen Hoiles has eased back from his initial criticism. “I’m now sitting on the fence of, yeah, he got it right, but certainly he’ll get it wrong at some stage,” said Hoiles. Morgan…

Today’s rugby news sees Ian Foster head off to Toyota Verblitz, experimentation for the women’s game, a Jordie Barrett Irish sabbatical, Jake White shows his class and create some *ahem* contrast, and David Pocock has come here to chew bubblegum and kick arse, and is all out of bubblegum. Former NZ coach Ian Foster to be big in Japan Stuff reports that Ian Foster will take charge at Japanese club side Toyota Verblitz later this year in preparation for the 2024/2025 season. Foster, who will replace former Highlanders and Hurricanes flanker Ben Herring, already has a high profile recruit on…

Hoss had to hand over the Friday’s Rugby News keys due to a medical emergency. Not to worry. At the time of writing, Hoss is lying on his belly in the recovery ward, texting me his game tips after a successful extraction. Let this be a warning for any of us tempted to change a bathroom light bulb by standing on a rickety chair while kitchen condiment bottles are on the floor. I hope the experience hasn’t permanently put you off Worcestershire sauce, mate. Weekend Games See all team news in Happy’s Thursday News. Women – Friday 12 April 5:05…

No one, not even you, will remember if we were good men or bad. Why we fought, or why we died. All that matters is that two stood against many. That’s what’s important. Valour pleases you, Cron… so grant me one request. Grant me revenge. And if you do not listen, then to HELL with you! Wallabies go for Mike Cron level scrum precision The Wallabies coaching team will be increased by one Mike Cron (0.001 millimetres), the former All Blacks assistant coach and renowned “scrum doctor”. The Guardian reports that the New Zealander helped prepare the All Blacks pack…

Wednesday’s rugby news sees Joe Schmidt give away some selection clues (maybe), more Rebels drama, the judiciary resembling Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Total Recall woman disguise (“Two weeks”) for Owen Franks, and Stephen Hoiles getting excited early for the Reds. Schmidt, talking about selections Nine reports that newly-appointed Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt is prioritising Super Rugby Pacific players over Aussies playing overseas, despite Schmidt’s carefully-worded answer not giving much away. Speaking at the announcement of tickets going on sale for the British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia, Schmidt said his priority was on local players. However, that came…

After a cracking Super Round and before we get stuck into round 3 predictions, it’s time to deal with the weeds the easy way and not be a sook about carcinogens. Rebels give RA 5:00pm Wednesday deadline… …and also require wheelbarrows in which to carry their enormous testicles. The SMH reports that the board of the Melbourne Rebels has set a deadline of 5:00pm Wednesday 6 March for Rugby Australia to express its willingness to meet to resolve financial differences and the future of the besieged rugby club. The Rebels board informed RA of the proposed course of action in…

….pation. Super Rugby 2024 kicks off this Friday with relative unknowns, the Chiefs and Crusaders, starting the build-up to Saturday night’s epic collision between the dastardly Waratahs and the heroic Reds. Until then, we’ll just have to put up with Wednesday’s Rugby News. Kiss to unleash Harry Wilson RugbyPass and AAP report that coach Les Kiss has given his Queensland Reds permission to push their limits in a move he thinks will set Harry Wilson free again. No.8 Wilson was a walk-up Wallabies pick in his first season of Super Rugby in 2020, playing 10 of 11 Tests before quickly…

…of a CadillacNumber one with a bullet, I’m a power pack My bail conditions backing-off to allow use of the internet couldn’t have come at a better time for the first Wednesday’s Rugby News of 2024: Jed Holloway opens up about Eddie Jones’ Wallabies RugbyPass reports on Jed Holloway’s thoughts on the Eddie Jones stint. Holloway was a Wallabies regular under former coach Dave Rennie. The New South Welshman (but good bloke, notwithstanding) debuted against the Pumas in 2022 and started at either blindside flanker or lock in all but one of the remaining 10 Tests that year. Holloway, now…

The Australian women have won the Dubai Sevens for the fourth time at that tournament venue, ending New Zealand’s world-record 41-match unbeaten streak. Despite the Aussies chalking-up 21 wins in a row prior to kick-off, New Zealand went into the final as favourites, having won four out of five of the previous encounters between the two teams. New Zealand kicked-off to the Australians, which turned out to be a mistake thanks to Bienne Teria stepping New Zealand’s Tenika Willison and scoring within 20 seconds. Check it out early in the highlights video: (the full game on Stan is well worth a…