Author: Zeb Holmes
Tuesday’s rugby news has the starting sides for the Australia-Fiji clash, Hall of Fame inductees and a new job for Eddie Jones. [one_half last=”no”] Wallabies team named Michael Cheika has unveiled his Wallabies side to take-on Fiji in their opening World Cup match, with a few notable combinations included. Cheika said that the impressive performances of the pair forced him into including two openside flankers in the backrow, with Michael Hooper to stay at 7 and David Pocock moving to number 8. At scrum-half Will Genia is selected over Nick Phipps to partner Bernard Foley, while Matt Giteau will start outside Foley…
Monday’s rugby news has concerns about Fiji’s forwards, O’Connor in injury trouble, South Africa in mourning and McCaw disciplined. [one_half last=”no”] Fiji’s scrum improves Wallaby set-piece coach Mario Ledesma says he was one of the few not surprised to see Fiji bossing England’s set-piece around in the Rugby World Cup opener. Ledesma said the addition of former Bulls coach Frans Ludeke to the Fiji coaching staff had made them a scrummaging and line out force. “They (England) might have been a little bit surprised,” Ledesma said. “A lot of people have not been thinking about Fiji but I have been looking at…
Friday’s rugby news has Quade determined, the Wallabies with a backrow dilemma, the squad still in the dark and England ready to go. [one_half last=”no”] Quade’s quest for redemption Four years after being left shattered by a brutal World Cup campaign in New Zealand, Quade Cooper insists he is primed to eradicate those mental demons. The Auckland-born Cooper was at the centre of a media storm at the 2011 World Cup, where he was made public enemy number one. Cooper now admits he became “too relaxed”, a trigger brought about by the hostile environment. Heading into the 2015 World Cup, 27-year-old Cooper feels…
Thursday’s rugby news has Giteau getting some sage advice, AAC looking to go out on top, penalties on divers and England refusing overseas players. [one_half last=”no”] Wallabies look to Wilkinson Australia winger Drew Mitchell and utility back Matt Giteau have tapped into the experience of their former Toulon team mate Jonny Wilkinson in their bid to win the Rugby World Cup. Wilkinson kicked the drop goal that won England the 2003 final against Australia and he passed on his advice, focusing on dealing with the immense pressure of the international spectacle. “We know Jonny reasonably well and he’s been open about it, about how…
Wednesday’s rugby news has Australia working with a new kicking coach, a TV deal on the horizon, re-signings for the Force and more bad news for Halfpenny. [one_half last=”no”] Wallabies work on kicking After arriving in England, the Wallabies have begun to see the benefit of their new kicking coach Chris Malone, who holds a decade of experience in the midst of UK conditions. Malone amassed 775 points in 140 Premiership games as a goalkicking five-eighth, with Michael Cheika commenting, “We wanted someone a bit more game orientated.” Goalkicking will be a decisive factor in the World Cup, but the Wallabies have…
Tuesday’s rugby news has Giteau’s worries, the Wallabies arriving low key, ticket sales records and positive reports from a Welsh law change. [one_half last=”no”] Giteau wary of England Matt Giteau has labelled England as “favourites” to win Pool A in this year’s Rugby World Cup. Billed as the tournament’s “group of death” given that England and Australia are joined by Wales, Giteau spoke in detail about the threats each side will pose the Wallabies. “They’ve got a good record against Wales and Australia at Twickenham,” Giteau said of the English side, before adding, “The styles they showed in the Six Nations, both…
Monday’s rugby news has the Wallabies avoiding the media circus, more scrum talk, the haka questioned and Japan talking up their chances. [one_half last=”no”] Wallabies wary of media Stephen Larkham has commented that players within the 2011 World Cup effort in New Zealand cited media distraction as one of the biggest issues that faced the squad. Wallabies management has vowed that the type of distraction which clearly hampered Quade Cooper’s performance would not be allowed into the squad this time around. “I think we will have learned a lot from that and make sure we get those distractions out of the way,”…
Friday’s rugby news has two Wallaby teams, World Rugby looking to close the talent gap, the life of a gay rugby international and an investigation into Pacific exploitation. [one_half last=”no”] Wallabies organise two 15s Australia are preparing entirely different starting teams for their first two Rugby World Cup fixtures to counter the impact of a short turnaround between matches, according to assistant coach Stephen Larkham. The Wallabies open their Pool A campaign against Fiji at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Sept. 23 and are back in action four days later against pool minnows Uruguay. Larkham said the squad would be split into two…
Thursday’s rugby news has a tick of approval for the Aussie halves, a promising 9 left out, the Brumbies on a membership push and Kaino showing his versatility. [one_half last=”no”] Larkham believes in halves Stephen Larkham has expressed his faith in the Wallaby playmakers available for this year’s World Cup, adding that the obsessive analysis of the team’s flyhalves- especially Quade Cooper- has been damaging for tournament preparations. As Michael Cheika’s backs coach, Larkham has worked closely with both Bernard Foley and Cooper, neither of whom have been able to pin down the number 10 jersey throughout the Rugby Championship. “I’ve…
Wednesday’s rugby news has the Wallabies taking it one game at a time, an enticing offer for Quade, doping allegation in France and Matfield moving to England. [one_half last=”no”] Focus on Fiji Stephen Moore has said that his team has no concern for the incessant ‘Pool of Death’ references, as they remain totally focused on their first-round opponents Fiji. “We have to be on right from the start of the tournament. That’s what our preparation is geared for,” Moore said. The Pacific Islanders have been largely an afterthought in the debate over which two of England, Wales and Australia will progress…
Tuesday’s rugby news has Aussie scrum talk, Eddie Jones giving his two cents on the halves, the Sevens remaining confident and the Welsh coming to terms with major injuries. [one_half last=”no”] Aussie scrum confident Australia coach Michael Cheika believes the Wallabies are ready to put their set-piece woes behind them in the World Cup’s pool of death. Australia have a long history of being outmuscled at the set piece by their most prominent Pool A rivals England and Wales. While the Wallabies were able to dominate the US scrum, their pool matches will obviously be a massive step up “We have been…
Monday’s rugby news has Cheika content with injury-free Wallabies, Genia pushing for a start, Wales suffering and retirement hitting Wilkinson hard. [one_half last=”no”] Cheika satisfied with win Australia have wrapped up their World Cup preparations with a 47-10 victory over the US Eagles in a hard-fought test match at Soldier Field. The Wallabies were only up 14-10 after an error-ridden first half, but coach Michael Cheika said that in his selection “there were a few guys there who hadn’t played football for a long time.” He cited his side’s big forwards like locks Kane Douglas and Rob Simmons and backrowers Ben McCalman at No.…
Friday’s rugby news has a possible RWC points reduction, Slipper promoted to captain, Toby Smith to debut and Warburton back for Wales. [one_half last=”no”] World Rugby warn of points deduction World Rugby have warned Wales and Australia about the consequences of having insufficient cover at the front row position, with both squads featuring only two specialist hookers. World Cup regulations prevent a player being called up as a replacement from outside the squad during the 48 hours preceding the kick-off of a match, with pool stage points being docked for any contravention. An injury to either Stephen Moore or Tatafu Polota-NauShould would see Scott…
Thursday’s rugby news has the Eagles ready to go, Phipps emphasising the Wallabies’ preparations, a new addition to Argentinean Super Rugby and an exciting rule change in Wales. [one_half last=”no”] US ready for challenge US Eagles coach Mike Tolkin has said that his team will not feel intimidated by the Wallabies, with this weekend’s game another opportunity to experience the pace of playing the leading rugby nations. “We have to be up for it and do what we can to come out with some impact and physicality,” he said. “Every time we get on the field we want to play our game,…
Wednesday’s rugby news has Cheika flexible with his halves, the Waratahs coaching staff solidified, some promising re-signings at the Brumbies and Warran Gatland trash-talk [one_half last=”no”] Halves combination left open Bernard Foley has hinted that Wallabies coach Michael Cheika may not settle with one halves combination during the World Cup. “I don’t know if it is ever going to be set,” Foley said on Tuesday after Wallabies training, where combinations were still being switched. “The way Cheik wants to play … I think it’s a bit of a horses for courses mentality.” Foley also said that the squad’s preparations had further intensified as…
Tuesday’s rugby news has a new halves combination floated, more Wallabies brought in, the Springboks facing court action and Japan’s RWC under threat. [one_half last=”no”] Mehrtens backs Foley Former All-Blacks playmaker Andrew Mehrtens has come out in support of Bernard Foley’s claim to the Wallabies number 10 jersey, asserting Foley is the most well-rounded fly-half available and that much of the uncertainty at the position is due to coach Michael Cheika not wanting to appear biased in favour of his Waratahs players. Mehrtens, a former kicking coach at the Waratahs, also said that Foley would be best complimented by a combination with Matt Giteau at inside centre.…
Monday’s rugby news has Giteau glad to be under a new coach, Japan on schedule for 2016, the All Blacks team selected and Wales playing a tough warm-up. [one_half last=”no”] Giteau praises Cheika Matt Giteau has emphasised how glad he is to be playing under Michael Cheika, revealing that he has not spoken with Robbie Deans since the former Wallabies coach left the playmaker out of the 2011 World Cup team. Giteau’s comments come after Quade Cooper said that he also didn’t feel supported by Dean’s during the tournament. “Now I have a coach who believes in me, my teammates, we…
Friday’s rugby news has the John Eales medal awarded, Cheika pulling up training, a number 8 battle and Burgess selected. [one_half last=”no”] Folau awarded top honours Israel Folau has become the first player to win consecutive John Eales medals, earning the Wallabies top honour for the 2015 season. Folau picked up 138 votes in total to edge out resurgent flanker David Pocock (113), Wallabies Vice-Captains Michael Hooper (108), Adam Ashley-Cooper (98), and Ben McCalman (95). The three-code star has played in every Wallabies Test since making his debut in 2013, scoring 18 tries in 33 Tests for the Wallabies. Meanwhile, David Pocock…
Thursday’s rugby news has Wallabies scrum issues, aggression at Test training and Smith back for the NZRU. [one_half last=”no”] Ledesma talks up scrum Wallabies scrum coach Mario Ledesma has said that the team will be out to change perceptions of their vulnerable scrum in the upcoming World Cup. “We have to put the scrum in the place it deserves and that is being a really important part of rugby, if not, we will be playing rugby league,” he said. Ladesma, formerly the scrum coach at the Waratahs, has seen some growth in the Wallabies set-piece already. While the Australian scrum was shaky…
Wednesday’s rugby news has our unproven halves highlighted, a bold RWC prediction, Japan losing a coach and a massive doping ban. [one_half last=”no”] Larkham uneasy over halves Legendary Wallaby playmaker Stephen Larkham has been questioned about the failure of the Test team to secure a starting halves combination for the upcoming Rugby World Cup. During his playing days, Larkham emphasised the need for secure inside back combinations to build continuity. But the Australian assistant coach downplayed the impact on the current squad, who are used to chopping and changing week to week. When pressed on his key selection criteria, Larkham said: “Consistency in that position is the…