Author: Zeb Holmes
Tuesday’s rugby news has Pocock on the mend, the Reds halves back in the Test mix, Link forced to get creative and Jake White leaving the Sharks. [one_half last=”no”] Pocock on track for round 1 Former Wallabies captain David Pocock has said that his comeback from a second knee reconstruction is on track, with the openside flanker looking at playing the Brumbies season opener on February 13. Pocock will undergo some training with the Canberra Vikings but will not play in the NRC, instead focusing on his rehab. “Peter Myers, the surgeon, was really keen for me to have a really…
Monday’s rugby news has the Wallabies disappointment, some injury call-ups, the team trying to look ahead and Retallick injured for the All Blacks. [one_half last=”no”] Link disappointed with bench Ewen McKenzie has criticized his bench for Saturday’s 28-10 loss to South Africa after the Wallabies let in three tries in the last 11 minutes. Australia was up by two points but the Springboks big-name bench, which included Schalk Burger and Bismarck du Plessis, completely outplayed their Wallaby counterparts in the dying stages. McKenzie lamented the fact that his reserves- which included James Horwill, Ben Alexander, Kurtley Beale and Scott Higginbotham – didn’t…
Friday’s rugby news has another change at hooker, Cooper on the way back, Pulver looking to shift the Bledisloe matches and the English on a gag order. [one_half last=”no”] Faingaa in shock call-up Saia Faingaa has become that fifth player to wear the Wallabies number two jersey in eight games after being chosen ahead of Reds team-mate James Hanson. Faingaa is one of three changes to the starting team, with vice-captain Adam Ashley-Cooper returning from injury and Joe Tomane selected ahead of Rob Horne on the other wing. Coach Ewen McKenzie said of the change at hooker, “The set-piece is always an…
Thursday’s rugby news has more penalty quibbles, Izzy calling for instinctive rugby, a young addition to the Boks and Meyer denying any race pressure. [one_half last=”no”] Wallabies put Matfield on notice The Wallabies have once again tried to put the referee on notice, with Andrew Blades characterising lock Victor Matfield as a definite influence on the officials. “Victor is very good at manipulating that situation and trying to create something in the back of people’s heads,” he said. Matfield was critical of the tactics taken in Australia’s 24-23 win over the Boks, alleging that the Wallabies were coming in from…
Wednesday’s rugby news has the upcoming back-row battle, the Boks milking penalties, more Cruden fallout and the Pumas trimming their squad. [one_half last=”no”] Wallabies prepare for physical backrow The Wallabies have had an intense week of contact sessions in preparation for the notorious strength of the Springbok team. Wallabies forwards coach Andrew Blades has predicting the “biggest physical challenge of the year,” placing particular importance on neutralising the powerful Springbok back-row at the breakdown. The Boks managed 11 ruck turnovers in their 14-10 loss to the All Blacks, and despite the loss of open-side flanker Francois Louw to a neck injury, the team…
Tuesday’s rugby news has Slipper talking the talk, the Springboks scrum whining, Schalk recalled and Cruden dropped. [one_half last=”no”] Slipper confident Vice-captain James Slipper has emphasised that the Wallabies have grown in confidence after close wins against Argentina and South Africa, giving them a strong belief that they will be able to get a win at Newlands for the first time in 23 years. “You get confidence from just scraping through a tough win,” Slipper said. “The character of the team shows that we can do it when it gets tough.” Slipper also said that it was important to regain momentum…
Monday’s rugby news has Robinson’s exclusion explained, Izzy giving no guarantees, Cooper excited by new back-line and no NPC for SBW. [one_half last=”no”] Link explains Robinson snub Ewen McKenzie has revealed why Benn Robinson has long been excluded from his Wallabies squads, saying that the former Test loosehead was a slow learner when it came to the new scrum laws. Robinson was omitted from the French series and the opening of the Rugby Championships, before being recently recalled. “In the scrum area with the transition of laws over the last 12 months, some people have reacted in different ways. He has taken…
Friday’s rugby news has Higginbotham mad, Cheika supporting the draft, Speight’s debut delayed and Japan now favourites for Super Rugby inclusion. [one_half last=”no”] Higginbotham tough enough While rejected Rebels backrower Scott Higginbotham has admitted that he has elements of his game he has to work on, he has denied that toughness is one of them. Ewen McKenzie opted for Ben McCalman for this weekend’s Test, emphasising the Force number 8’s strength in close-quarters contact and at the breakdown. “Of course, I feel I’m tough enough…it’s not my first season of football,” the 27-Test Higginbotham said. “Everyone has seen how I play and,…
Thursday’s rugby news has the Wallabies penalty problem, some changes to the Pumas, Giteau getting paid and the Springboks going with their rookie 10. [one_half last=”no”] Link targets stupid penalties Ewen McKenzie has called for the Wallabies to be more “clinical” in their play, with special mention given to the need to eliminate ‘SFPs’ or “Stupid f—ing penalties.” The team gave up 12 penalties against the Springboks. Rob Simmons was particularly guilty on the SFP front, notably obstructing a defender at the breakdown as prop Pek Cowan appeared to have scored in the 66th minute. “That’s something we need to address,” Simmons said.…
Wednesday’s rugby news has Link’s response to departure rumours, McCalman to start, TPN using his head and Carter doubtful for the rest of the Rugby Championships. [one_half last=”no”] Link not worried about rumours Ewen McKenzie is unconcerned that neither Quade Cooper or Kurtley Beale have managed to complete contract talks for next year with the ARU. Beale is currently being pursued by the Bulldogs NRL side, while Cooper has reportedly received an offer from Lyon in France’s Top 14. The Wallabies coach said he had no reason to be “nervous” about either playmaker leaving Australian rugby, emphasising that his recent interactions…
Tuesday’s rugby news has some unfortunate Wallabies injuries, front-row call-ups, the Springboks implementing a quota system and Toulon looking to play the Tahs. [one_half last=”no”] Wallabies suffer injuries The Wallabies have suffered an unfortunate injury set-back as winger Adam Ashley-Cooper and number eight Wycliff Palu will be sidelined for Saturday’s match against Argentina. Ashley-Cooper has been ruled out for one week with an ongoing nerve compression injury to his neck, while Palu has been pulled out with a concussion. “It’s disappointing to lose two experienced members of our squad ahead of what is an extremely important game against Argentina,” Wallabies coach Ewen…
Monday’s rugby news has Link playing down the win, Genia returning to the squad, Speight still injured and an Argentinean suspension. [one_half last=”no”] Link realistic after win Despite notching their first win of the Rugby Championships, Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has remained process-oriented, saying that his side made the victory hard on themselves with a number of errors and missed chances. McKenzie was also dissapointed in his tam’s inability to build defensive pressure, emphasising, “There were a couple of soft moments where we piggy-backed them out of their territory – we had them down there pinned and let them off the hook.” The…
Friday’s rugby news has the Springbok scrum determined, a Brumbies hooker set for a shock call-up, the Australian Sevens program recruiting and a Samoan Super Rugby bid. [one_half last=”no”] SA scrum targets Wallabies After being dominated by the Argentinean pack, the Wallabies’ front-row is expecting the South African scrum to be hellbent on regaining their place as an imposing set-piece force. The Springbok scrum lost four of their six scrum feeds against the Pumas in their narrow win in Salta. “Clearly they’ll take that personally,” reserve prop Pek Cowan said. “They’ll definitely be coming here to hurt us in that area.” It also appears that…
Thursday’s rugby news has the Wallabies re-focusing, Meyer talking up his opposition, a few Springbok changes and Cruden out against the Pumas. [one_half last=”no”] Wallabies move on from NZ loss The Wallabies have emphasised that they have moved past their 51-20 loss to the All Blacks, their focus exclusively on the challenge of the Springboks. “There has been a pretty big focus at the start of this week just to shrug it off, and get that energy back up,” new Test halfback Nick Phipps said. “We are pumped to get back into it and regain a bit of honour, and…
Wednesday’s rugby news has the halves switch confirmed, Toulon still claiming JOC, Genia working his way back and Tameifuna cited. [one_half last=”no”] Beale benched for Springboks clash The expected change in the Wallaby halves has been confirmed today, with Ewen McKenzie opting for the Waratahs pairing of Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps. McKenzie emphasised that he did not blame Kurtley Beale for the catastrophic Bledisloe loss, instead focusing on finding the best combinations. Adam Ashley-Cooper will also shift to the wing, with Tevita Kuridrani at outside centre to cover for the retired Pat McCabe. McKenzie has also opted for a forward-heavy 6-2 split…
Tuesday’s rugby news has new halves reported, Slipper shouldering some blame, the Springboks scrum gearing up and a ref gets cleaned up. [one_half last=”no”] Foley and Phipps set to start It appears that Ewen McKenzie will unveil a new Waratahs halves combination for the third Rugby Championship match against South Africa. After a two-Test experiment with Kurtley Beale and Nic White, McKenzie used the Super Rugby winning pair of Foley and Phipps in the Test side’s team run. Tevita Kuridrani ran at outside centre next to his Brumbies team-mate Matt Toomua, while Adam Ashley-Cooper shifted out to the wing, where he started…
Monday’s rugby news has Link once again hinting at changes, no free ride for Reds signings, the Bingham Cup retained and Nonu available. [one_half last=”no”] McKenzie responds to loss While Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie still believes that last Saturday’s huge loss was just an “aberration”, he has signalled a changed side in response to concerns that the team is not moving in the right direction. While downplaying sweeping changes, McKenzie said that the side selected for the Springbok match in Perth will reflect a response to the All Blacks loss as well as the unique challenge posed by the South African…
Friday’s rugby news has the ARU changing their contract stance, some tough words from Andrew Blades, Hunt heading to the Reds and the IRB changing their name. [one_half last=”no”] ARU allows flexible contracts In preperation for the predicted post-World Cup player exodus, the ARU have relaxed their international exclusion policy. A select group of top athletes will now be able to spend one season playing in lucrative Japanese or European competitions if they sign deals for three or more years. “We’ve recognised that in the context of an increasingly global market for rugby players that we need to take a more…
Thursday’s rugby news has McCabe finally hanging up the boots, the Wallabies facing some harsh truths, some new additions to the squad and England told to get fit. [one_half last=”no”] McCabe retires Wallabies winger Pat McCabe has been forced to retire after persistent injury, fearing that any further damage to his neck would have life-long consequences. McCabe emphasised that he was blessed to be able to “walk away from the game” after his third broken neck in the last two years. Reflecting on his career, McCabe said, “I was never the biggest, strongest or fastest … I just worked hard and…
Wednesday’s rugby news has McCabe’s career threatened, Godwin recovered, Hooper winning a Tahs award and Matfield back in the Springboks squad. [one_half last=”no”] McCabe advised to retire Injured Wallaby Pat McCabe has been advised to retire from rugby once again after suffering his third neck injury in less then two years. McCabe was forced from the field during the second half of Saturday’s second Bledisloe Cup Test. Ewen McKenzie has said that initial scans suggested a recurrence of the two C1 neck fractures that wiped out the bulk of his 2012 and 2013 seasons. The injury will be a massive blow for the…