The constant shuffling of Australian backlines will result in our best young players never reaching their potential, falling victim to the ‘Peter Principle’.

Wallabies fullback James O’Connor will get the chance to prove himself at five-eighth in a rejuvenated Western Force outfit for Saturday’s Super 14 clash with the unbeaten Chiefs in Perth.

Wallabies fullback James O’Connor has put his hand up to take on the Western Force’s five-eighth role as the Super 14 team’s injury woes continue to mount at an alarming rate.

Brumbies veteran Stirling Mortlock became the first player in Super rugby to breach the 1000-point barrier in his side’s 24-15 opening round win over the Western Force in Perth on Friday night.

Western Force coach John Mitchell has flagged the possibility of playing star back James O’Connor at five-eighth this Super 14 campaign after former Springbok Andre Pretorius suffered a season-ending hamstring injury.

The Western Force’s signing of Andre Pretorius helped keep James O’Connor in Perth, and now the teenage star is looking to learn plenty off him as the 2010 Super 14 season approaches.

61,551 fans saw the All Blacks get beaten by the Barbarians (with 7 South Africans and four Australians giving the side some flair and toughness) by 25 – 18. For all the complaints about ‘what’s wrong with rugby’ this festival match drew a crowd four times bigger than the London rugby league Test between England [...] Read article

Mid-week captain Dean Mumm is urging the Wallabies’ second-stringers to restore some lost pride in the gold jumper in Tuesday night’s tour match against the Cardiff Blues (kick-off 0635 Wednesday AEDT).

In 1991 England’s international rugby forwards and backs weighed, on average, 100 kg and 83 kg respectively. Their counterparts in 2003 weighed 109 kg and 90 kg, according to the England Rugby Injury and Training Audit 2002-04.

Wallabies teenager James O’Connor capped a meteoric rise into Test rugby when he was crowed Rookie of the Year on Thursday night but, he laments, it doesn’t get him out of babysitting Wally.

They both hail from Queensland and each dabbled in rugby league, but new Wallabies leaders Rocky Elsom and Berrick Barnes are cut from very different types of cloth.

Offering no guarantees, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans plans to continue alternating Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes in the chief playmaking role on next month’s grand slam tour of the UK and Ireland.

Inspirational flanker Rocky Elsom is the new Wallabies captain after being named today to lead Australia on their five-Test spring tour of Japan, the UK and Ireland.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will tell his squad to play for their positions on the grand slam tour when all spots go up for grabs during an internal “trial” on Thursday.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says he decided to put Lachie Turner through his own somewhat unconventional fitness test before naming the winger in his squad to face New Zealand.

After attracting so much negative publicity over the past few years, I feel that the Wallabies scrum has finally come of age.

James O’Connor’s dazzling footwork will be on display at the Western Force for at least two more Super 14 seasons after the teen sensation finally came to terms with the Australian Rugby Union.

Star forward Rocky Elsom has implored the Wallabies generation next to stand up and make their mark now to end Australia’s Tri-Nations woes at Suncorp Stadium. South Africa’s world champions stand as a huge mountain to scale, even at the Wallabies’ favourite venue at Suncorp Stadium, but Elsom says it’s achievable if all up-and-comers rise [...] Read article

There’s one man who has had a bigger negative influence on the performance of the Wallabies than anyone else this year. Who is it?

Robbie Deans has shown a surprise ruthless streak in banking on generation next opening the winless Wallabies’ Tri-Nations account.