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So true. And Groucho this is why I consider the well-worn 'first Test for ages, we (the team) were rusty' as at least partly a misleading cop-out of an explanation for the loss. The flaws on Saturday night were typically individual player's responsibility, it was not a case of consistently poor...

Good post Simon. It's deeply unfashionable at present to be critical of any aspect of Cheikaworld but I said before the RWC and would say again: this HC has some remarkable strengths but a notable weakness - in the context of what's required to succeed at the top levels of international rugby...

One way to look at this Test: BIL 1 Suncorp June 2013 - We have a far better national coach now than then and derivatively a far better team bond and spirit - Then we played against the NH might (yeah, right) of many rugby nations combined, the best of their best - Apparently there were...

Whilst there will be an upside surely the greatest risk with this team is that 20% of its starters have never played a Test, let alone one of this concentrated pressure and expectation. The notion - advanced here by some - that debs 'always rise to the occasion' - is at least partly mythical...

The QRU - a mid-$20ms size business only - had no less than three people in its 'media and communications' team. Overheads had clearly become completely out of control, reckless at the very least when revenue was also falling sharply. Scrubber - your drift is 100% right - this is where the...

Totally unacceptable by Magnay, I agree BH. To finish his last 2015 U20s Championships match v Wales with a RC (and just before FT when the match was clearly in the balance as I see on the World Rugby site) and then the very next U20s Championship match to incur another RC, also at a critical...

How many years has A Thompson been in charge of the U20s and what have been the results over that period?

Hard to win a match with one yellow card time out for 10 minutes and then a red for what another 35 minutes in a tight contest. It's only the ABs that get better playing 14s. Could Magnay's Super status have promoted a confidence that was over-confidence and hence reckless? Ego factors can...

Wow. If Hodge and Moz and DHP as a starting threesome. Talk about high risk in a first Test v England. Moz can have wonderful moments - viz v BIL for Reds in 2013 - but they're well interspersed with defensive shockers and handling flaws.

FWIW this is one of the best recent interviews with EJ (Eddie Jones) I've read. Gets outside the predictable cliches and media lines, and some interesting comments on B Dwyer, his and Chek's ethnic history and the role that's played, and so on...

And I can assure you that his father has lost none of his spark from the sidelines. Remarkably too Angus S-Y was dux of his GPS school (Churchie) in 2014 as well as playing a crucial role in that year's 1st XV's unbeaten Premiership team. Very talented young man.

There have been many insider (players, parents thereof and outside coaches) criticisms of our historical U20s coaching and coaching standards. This year I am convinced that Rapp and Gilmore are making a significant difference to overall Aus U20 coaching calibre and team motivation. More...

Ticket update for Suncorp Test 1: there have been a reasonable number of Platinum and Gold ticket 'returns' to Ticketek in the last few days (these come back unsold from travel agencies, group packages and so on). So there are some decent seating positions still available for groups of 2-4...

I'd guess higher as at today. (Btw: The record crowd for Suncorp was 52,499 for BIL 1 2013, but SOO 2015 beat it out at 52,500 (funny about that perfect number). The Suncorp crowd for the Wallabies v England Test of June 2004 was 52,492.) The complex part is that there are many sections (aside...

To this end I live in hope that B Thorn will soon evolve into the Assistant Coach that handles all forwards work and skill development bar Stiles' conduct of set pieces. There's been high focus on our 'great scrum and line out' but if we benchmark say the Cru's forwards skills in broken play...

The ongoing success of the Australian women's rugby 7s team, a wonderful advertisement for: - innovative thinking re how to build a balanced, skilful team from a near-zero start point - based upon 'open world' recruiting of female talent that invited Anybody and Everybody to have a go at 7s...

For you....and a lovely story: http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/zela/article/2016/05/23/gold-mine-former-miner-amy-turner-looking-different-kind-gold-rio

Greene off to Japan is not a problem if any or all of the following are true: (a) You're (or a new HC is) convinced that Jake Mc will very soon evolve into a 10 of more than adequate quality to, along with others, take the Reds to the S18 Finals and fast (we don't have multiple years of 'young...

S2050 - unquestionably, one of the biggest downsides of entrenched, poor rugby HCs is bad selections and highly inadequate player development (in terms of skills, confidence and game time).. Often, the teacher's pets get over promoted, the more independently minded players under promoted, or...

The EU somewhere; I read he's definitely contracted overseas for 2017. He was no superstar, but he was more of a quantum loss to us than many of our supposed quantum gains in others retained and promoted since he was pushed away under the arrogance of Graham.