G’day G&GRs. Well the Rugby Championships has a rest weekend, but rest assured there was still pnety of Rugby happening. The Super Rugby AU, entered its second round. The Womens Rugby World Cup is also gettring down to the pointy end of things..
So let’s look at the Brumbies V the Western Force and the Waratahs V Queensland Reds. And we will have a bit of a ook at England V France in the Womens Wold Cup. So, prepare yourself for another bumper edition, Brisney style. Pour a large cup of the good stuff☕, and let’s talk rugger, the best game in the world.
England 35 defeated France 17
Red Roses Bloom in Semi, Book Twickenham Date – What a semi-final that was! England have muscled, hustled, and Ellie-Kildunne’d their way into the World Cup final after knocking off the French 35-17. The Red Roses were finally put under a bit of heat – and to be fair, the French brought the baguette and the butter knife, but they couldn’t quite carve up the English pack. After weeks of training runs, this one had a bit of sting to it, and the crowd at the semi got their money’s worth.
The star of the show? None other than world player of the year, Ellie Kildunne. Back from concussion protocols, she wasted no time reminding everyone why she’s the headline act. Inside five minutes she tore down the left wing, tucked back inside, and dotted down under the sticks. Textbook brilliance.
The French, to their credit, weren’t there to make up numbers. They scrapped hard and had England at 21–12 with ten to play. But then Kildunne flicked on the afterburners again, weaving a run that left defenders chasing shadows. Game. Set. Semi.
Final whistle: England 35, France 17. Job done, Twickenham awaits. A third World Cup title is within reach, but there was a little worry with Kildunne looking sore late in the piece. That’ll have hearts in mouths all week.
Three Things Learned
- Ellie Kildunne is Box Office – If there was any doubt about who owns this tournament, it’s gone. Two tries, both highlight-reel stuff. If she’s fit for the final, England’s chances skyrocket.
- France Can Rumble, But Not Finish – The French forward pack brought heat, physicality and a real contest. But they just couldn’t sustain it long enough, and England’s depth and composure showed in the final quarter.
- England’s First Real Test Might Be a Blessing – Up until now, the Roses had barely been stretched. France forced them to dig deep, and that’s the perfect prep for a Canada side who’ll fancy their chances of an upset at Twickers.
Western Force 46 defeated Brumbies 35
Brumbies Outgunned by Force in Perth Shootout – Well, what a wild old Saturday that was over in the Wild West. The Force, riding the wave of perfect Perth conditions, have pulled off a cracking 46–35 win over the Brumbies in a game that had more twists than a Bunnings sausage on a windy day.
The pre-match chat was all about the return of Wallaby Ben Donaldson, but nobody told Max Burey. The young flyhalf lit the joint up like it was his own backyard, carving through the Brumbies with a mix of vision, boot, and old-fashioned cheek. His solo try in the first half had the crowd up and about, and just when the Brumbies thought they’d reeled him in, Burey stepped up again late to bury them with another piece of brilliance.
The Brums started hot, with Ollie Sapsford claiming the kickoff like he had springs in his boots, which let Toby Macpherson break free and set up Lington Ieli for the opener. Not long after, Klayton Thorn darted over, and it looked like the visitors were in cruise control.
But then came the Burey show. A 50–22 here, a pinpoint kick there, and a highlight-reel solo try where he skinned three defenders and embarrassed the fullback. Add in some counter-attack magic from George Poolman and a finish by ex-Brumby Darcy Swain (who must’ve enjoyed that one), and suddenly the Force were flying at 31–14. Just when it looked grim, Stephen Larkham’s men flicked the switch. A slick set play put Kadin Pritchard through a hole, with Shane Wilcox finishing it before oranges. Then, big boppers Macpherson and Rhys van Nek bashed their way over to give the Brums the lead heading into the business end.
But you can’t keep a good Force down – not in Perth. Twice they blew chances on the Brums’ line, but then Burey pulled another rabbit out of the hat: step, chip, regather, forward roll, and try. The bloke was untouchable. A yellow to Tuaina Taii Tualima killed any hopes of a Brumbies fightback, and with space opening up, Donaldson and Burey combined to set up Mac Grealy and Rohan Leahy to put the cherry on top.
Final score: Force 46, Brumbies 35. A proper shootout, and the Force now march into the decider with their tails wagging.
Three Things We Learned
- Max Burey – remember the name – The bloke’s having a breakout tournament for the ages. Two tries, a bag of assists, and a highlights reel to dine out on for years. If he’s not on the Wallabies radar already, then the selectors need their heads read.
- The Brumbies can flick the switch, but not for 80 – That 21-point surge across halftime showed their class. But their inability to close the door – plus a couple of discipline lapses – let the Force back in. Finals footy won’t forgive that.
- The Force are building belief – With Donaldson steady, Burey electric, and a pack that scraps for everything, the Force are no longer anyone’s easybeats. A home decider in Perth suddenly doesn’t look like a fairytale – it looks like destiny.
Waratahs 47 defeated Qld Reds 19
Hendren Runs Riot as Tahs Torch Reds in Narrabri
Strap yourselves in because the Waratahs just lit up the country town of Narrabri, torching the Reds 47–19 and throwing Super Rugby AU wide open in Round Two. The Tahs (unfortunately) turned up to Dangar Park like they’d been training on Bundy and steak sandwiches all week, and the Reds simply couldn’t go with them once the floodgates opened.
And the man of the moment? None other than James bloody Hendren, who bagged four meat pies and had the Narrabri faithful climbing the fences. Sid Harvey kept the scoreboard ticking with six conversions from seven, while the boys in sky blue ran in seven tries to leave the Reds battered and bruised.
First Half – Country Carnival of Tries
It took Hendren all of two minutes to get the party started, finishing off an Isaac Kailea offload with a cheeky chip-and-regather that had the locals roaring. The Reds hit back quickly through Joe Brial, with Uru and Thomas combining nicely. But young Joey Fowler’s monster 50-22 swung the pendulum back the Tahs’ way, and Jamie Adamson duly cashed in on a sloppy Reds error. Jock Campbell then sparked Queensland into life, releasing Lachie Anderson for a nice finish out wide to level things up again. The Tahs, however, had the whip hand. Hendren brushed off two would-be tacklers to grab his second, and with Harvey’s boot on song, NSW went into the sheds 21–12 up. Only a try-saver from Heremaia Murray stopped the Tahs from blowing it open earlier.
Second Half – Hendren the Heartbreaker
The Reds thought they had a sniff when Matt Faessler burrowed over in the 43rd minute – though it looked a bit iffy on the replay. But just as the Reds looked to build momentum, Hendren tore their hearts out. Pouncing on a Will Cartwright mistake, he raced 80 metres untouched for his hat-trick. Country lightning, lads. From there, it was one-way traffic. Teddy Wilson injected pace and smarts off the pine, helping Lawson Creighton put Jackson Ropata over. Then Clem Halaholo rubbed salt into the wound with a charge-down try. And just to put the cherry on top, Hendren helped himself to a fourth – the Tahs’ seventh – after James McGregor lit up the left edge.The Reds limped home battered, with skipper Jock Campbell pinging a hammy and Anderson off for a head knock. Not the night they were after.
Final score: Tahs 47, Reds 19.
Three Things We Learned
- James Hendren is the real deal – Four tries, blistering pace, and a nose for the line. He’s got Wallaby potential written all over him if he keeps this up.
- The Reds lack composure under pressure – They had moments where they were right in the contest, but silly errors and lapses in concentration killed them. You can’t gift seven tries to anyone, let alone the Waratahs.
- Country rugby delivers – Narrabri turned it on with a cracking atmosphere, and the players fed off it. Super Rugby needs more games like this in regional towns where fans live and breathe it.
Anyway, enough of this fat old man gibbering 💩. Over to you GAGRs! Have at it!
