In the final moments of the 2003 Rugby World Cup final, the match, which had see-sawed for almost 100 minutes, was finally decided by an ice-cold Jonny Wilkinson field goal.
The touring England rugby squad will play two mid-week matches against an Australian Barbarians side boasting established internationals and emerging Test contenders during their visit in June.
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie has insisted Queensland’s future remains in safe hands despite being angered by the defection of rising prop Laurie Weeks to the Melbourne Rebels.
NSW coach Chris Hickey may be forced to accelerate plans to rotate his squad, with injury doubts over two members of his pack for Saturday’s Super 14 clash with Western Force in Perth.
More Rugby Union
Reds confident of a safe future
England to play Australian Barbarians
Waratahs improve but don’t mention F word
Western Force coach John Mitchell has named an unchanged starting line-up for Saturday’s Super 14 clash with NSW in Perth, believing his players deserve the chance to atone for last week’s 50-10 pummelling at the hands of Queensland.
Super 14 preview panel for this weekend’s round six match (all times AEDT).
Ben Foden is set to make his first England Test start after fellow fullback Delon Armitage was dropped on Tuesday from the squad to play France in the Six Nations finale in Paris on Saturday.
Skipper Keven Mealamu wants to see the Blues do the business first before he celebrates a personal Super 14 rugby milestone on Friday night.
The Waratahs have unsurprisingly stuck with the combination that thrashed the Lions in their last Super 14 start for Saturday’s clash with the Western Force in Perth.
More Rugby Union
Reds confident of a safe future
England to play Australian Barbarians
Waratahs improve but don’t mention F word
Wallabies 2007 World Cup scrum anchor Guy Shepherdson’s chances of making the 2011 tournament have sunk dramatically after being dropped from the Brumbies squad.
Record-breaking Reds hooker Sean Hardman is battling for minutes on the paddock and he couldn’t be happier.
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And yes, semi is intended both ways. While most will agree the Sharks season is a bust, there is no reason to write them off just yet.
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By now you’ve heard the earth-shaking news – Jonno has bitten the bullet and dropped Jonny Wilkinson for the French game Saturday. (The Times headline included the words ‘England turn to youth’ but probably should have read ‘England turn to stone.’)
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If we were to go way back in time to around the 1920s, before rugby and football sat in somewhat a similar position, football was in front, but not by the margin it is today.
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Headlines have read that Waratahs prop Dan Palmer is heading to the Brumbies next season due to “the teams’ direction” and “regular game time” as he sits behind Baxter, Robinson and Kepu.
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At a time when people are talking about talking and no one is offering a real concept, coaches from 14 of the country’s top colleges are bucking the trend.
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The Waratahs victory over the Lions last Saturday finally proved the perennial underachievers are capable of playing running rugby. But it is no time to mention the F word.
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Five rounds into the final Super14 season and the Reds are in sixth spot, although with a bye coming up, they will probably fall behind the Tahs (assuming the Tahs beat the Force). After that, there is a three week trip to South Africa, but with two winnable games against the Lions and Cheetahs.
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Too often on The Roar we are negative, and that includes me. So following the Waratahs lead from Friday night, here’s something positive. Last weekend I had the pleasure, for the second year running, to attend the Cowra 10s – Australia’s oldest 10s tournament.
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As I write this I feel feel pride at Friday night’s result. The Waratahs absolutely caned the Lions. The fans demanded running rugby and running rugby they received.
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12th March 2010 will go down in history as the day real rugby seriously took on Whistle-Ball. Wait, Whistle-Ball? You know, that mad circus whose main aim is to manufacture situations so that the whistle is blown for penalties within a specific forty percent or so of the grass.
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It seems that whenever anyone criticizes the state of rugby, the rallying cry is always the same: “But the game is thriving in the UK and Europe.”
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Samsung and Panasonic have just announced that they’ll be bringing 3-D TV sets to the US market starting today, and this could – repeat could – be instrumental in making some rugby games less boring for players and spectators wherever rugby is played.
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In 12 months time, the best rugby nations from around the world will venture to New Zealand for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The question is, who’ll be world champions?
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I’m convinced many Australian rugby union fans live in a parallel universe, refusing to acknowledge the dire situation their sport is in compared to the other footy codes.
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One of many arguments for the ARC was/is that it would provide a direct path for aspiring players to the top. Similarly, the argument against the new Melbourne Super 15 team is that Australia apparently does not have player depth.
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Australian rugby has suffered without a notable goal kicker. Matt Burke held down the fort for years before Elton Flatley steered the Wallabies into a World Cup final.
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A focus of rugby is its international appeal and development. It is only justified then that established rugby nations should help out those who are developing.
