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Geoff is a Melbourne based sports fanatic and writer, who started contributing to The Roar in 2012, originally under the pen name Allanthus. His first book, A World in Conflict; the Global Battle For Rugby Supremacy was released in Dec 2017 to critical acclaim. For details on the book visit www.geoffparkes.com Meanwhile, his twin goals of achieving a single figure golf handicap and owning a fast racehorse remain tantalisingly out of reach.
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Week 13 proved lucky for the Brumbies and Rebels, who have opened up a gap at the top of the Australian conference with finals action only six weeks away.
Talking to a group of Melbourne Rebels players upon returning to our Wellington hotel on Saturday night, the sense of an opportunity missed was palpable.
There are drums beating louder that the National Rugby Championship is to be no longer, and while Rugby Australia remains steadfastly silent on the matter, the uncertainty gives rise to again consider the optimal domestic structure for the game.
Folau fatigue allowed Australian rugby’s second-most divisive talking point to resume centre-stage on Saturday night, with Waratah’s fly-half Bernard Foley showing that he’s not about to hand over the Wallabies No 10 jersey to Quade Cooper any time soon, helping his side to a 23-20 win against their conference rivals.
In what was a quiet news week, Stormers No.8 Jaco Coetzee injured his leg against the Rebels, Bryce Hegarty kicked three from three for the Reds, and Waihi Athletic scored a good away win, 39-19 against Coromandel, in Thames Valley club rugby.
In the wake of the Hurricanes’ thrilling 31-28 win over the Highlanders on Friday night, Fox Sports rugby panelist Cam Shepherd declared “that was some of the best footy I’ve seen in a long time.”
In 2017 SANZAAR bowed to pressure from its stable of broadcast partners who, fed up with too many uncompetitive matches, forced a reduction from 18 teams to 15.
Struggling to comprehend the decision to cut the Sunwolves from Super Rugby from 2021? Ask any musician to explain how the politics works.
In the wake of the horrific Christchurch shootings, rugby watching was made a distinctly more sombre and subdued affair this weekend.
After the first three rounds of Super Rugby offered a few green shoots of encouragement for Australian rugby, the last few days have seen dark clouds again gather over the game, suggesting an uncertain future.
The five most common surnames in the world are Li, Zhang, Wang, Nguyen and Garcia. None feature on any of the Super Rugby rosters, perhaps a reminder that, despite excitement building around the Rugby World Cup and the potential for exponential commercial growth, actual world domination is still some distance away.
Only two rounds into the 2019 Super Rugby season, decision time has arrived early for the Australian rugby public.
There is a scene in Act 4 of William Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet, where a confused Ophelia, in the midst of a mental breakdown, utters the line, “Lord, we know what we are, but not what we may be.”
Yesterday’s ‘Part One’ article detailed a list of concerns from a number of grassroots rugby people around Australia.
In a World Cup year it is only natural that the focus of most rugby people in Australia will be on the Wallabies in the hope that a wretched 2018 season can somehow be turned into a successful campaign in Japan.
Understandably, most discussion about the Rebels’ Super Rugby prospects in 2019 turns towards the players, and whether the Wallaby-laden group can propel the Melbourne side to their first ever finals appearance since joining the competition in 2011.
In a ruthlessly competitive age where talent identification and recruitment plays an important role for sports looking to secure champions of the future, golf typically is a sport that channels its best youngsters into junior programs.
The first week of January can be a tricky period.
2018 is coming to a close, so it’s a fitting time to relive all the best and worst moments of the year.
Very disappointed there’s only 9 likes for your post, Highlander. 🙂
But thanks for noticing – back next week.
Israel Folau has been unfairly hounded out of Australian rugby
“When these guys are again going on about having to tip tight games before teams have been named, just remind them I made my selections three weeks ago.”
There’s every chance this is just what you need to turn things around, mate!
Super Rugby Round 14: What follows a good round?
Not rested Jez. Jones has an eye socket injury, Naisarani a foot injury, both possibly 2-3 weeks.
Coleman is close, will play next week. Uelese is also close, has played club rugby and will play in the curtain raiser against a Japanese side.
They are also a bit unlucky with both Hosea and Ha’angana training well, but like Lucas for the Reds, unavailable because of the U20’s.
Super Rugby Round 14 teams: Quade Cooper cleared to face Bulls; three changes for Tahs
This game shapes as a real battle of tactics Ken.
The Bulls will have a plan for a Rebels pack that is missing Coleman, Jones and Naisarani.
The Rebels will have a plan to keep moving the Bulls around and avoid a set-piece grind.
Huge ask for Philip, Ross HP and Leota this week.
Super Rugby Round 14 teams: Quade Cooper cleared to face Bulls; three changes for Tahs
Good point about Petaia, Rhys.
All sides suffer injuries, but that one robbed the Reds, and the competition, more than any this year. (probably equalled only by Damian McKenzie)
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Well, as it stands today it’s not impossible, Fox.
But for that situation to change, and to prevent Folau’s termination, he would need to make some kind of acknowledgment mitigating his post, he’d need to take it down, and he’d need to guarantee that he wouldn’t do it again.
Seems unlikely.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Good call on Read, Fox. He had a strong match.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Reece is lucky PB, no argument there.
But how should he have ‘done his time’? He was discharged and not sentenced to any. By a court more abreast of the facts and background than any of us.
You see this type of discussion frequently across on the league threads. Some players like Lodge and Packer are given a second chance at the game and turn out to be positive redemption stories. But understandably, many believe that they shouldn’t receive those opportunities. And there are some players who are offered second opportunities who don’t make the most of them.
Which is why I’m happy to back the Crusaders on Reece. They didn’t need him, and they don’t need their strong culture disrupted by the wrong type of person. But they obviously knew enough about him that they were happy with to bring him in and give him that chance.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Yes, and I’m sure there are even more incredible claims to come yet. Unfortunately…
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Yes TWAS, any direct comparisons are spurious.
League scrums take nowhere near the time as for rugby, but does anyone seriously suggest that rugby copies that farce, because it means that the ball is in play for longer?
I like watching quality rugby league as much as the next person, but I cringe with embarrassment at every scrum feed.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
I think there’s something here for everyone DA, including discussion about different SR teams, SR refs and so on.
Understand your point about Folau, but we’re going to have to get used to it, it’s not going to go away. In fact, brace yourself for the firestorm when his contract does indeed get terminated.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Sounds like just the sort of stats based project Brett would enjoy sinking his teeth into, Short Arm!
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Crotty is either available or he isn’t CUW. He won’t miss selection because of any concern that he ‘might’ get concussed.
As for Laumape, it didn’t exactly look like the Rebels (full of Wallabies players) ‘countered his muscle’ last week. He embarrassed them in the first half.
And I reckon Goodhue is going ok too. Joel Stransky was raving about the way he set up one of the Crusaders’ tries on Friday night. It was simple, but it was full of class.
But I agree that Nonu is definitely in the mix. Great problem to have.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
There are a whole lot of reasons why the AFL and NRL generate far higher broadcast revenues cs. I’d suggest that ‘ball in play’ time is a fair way down the list.
That said, it’s obviously important for rugby to be as visually appealing as possible. That’s not just a simple matter of ‘ball in play’ either, because it’s just as important to maintain the sanctity of the set piece, maintain a healthy balance between strength and speed, and keep the big fellas in the game.
The trick is ensuring that those set pieces don’t end up ‘wasting’ a lot of time. The line-out isn’t really an issue these days, the scrum obviously can be. Then you have to consider that whatever you do doesn’t compromise player safety – no-one wants to go back to the bad old days of the 80’s and early 90’s where spinal injuries were far too common.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
The only judge that counts is the referee mate! And he was good with it.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Calls are as contentious as we want to make them CUW, looking through different eyes.
Masirewa’s tackle came up off the chest and while i don’t think there was evil intent at all, from one view you could clearly see his shoulder make contact with the ball carrier’s jaw. That’s a YC.
If other refs haven’t paid similar cards for similar offences, so what? That’s probably a reflection on them, not Gardner.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Hi Nick
Commiserations on the loss.
As for Folau, of all of the overreach and bombastic nonsense being spouted about religious oppression – and there is plenty of it – that wee passage took the cake!
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
I’d like to see him square his shoulders a bit more at 10, Ralph. The Sharks are among the worst at crabbing across field and it starts at 9/10.
But yes, as a pure footballer, he’s got a lot to offer.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Gardner seems to be getting a hard time CUW, partly because he’s been showing plenty of cards. Yet all 5 last week and the two this week, to me, all looked fully justified.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
I thought both passes were good TSE.
If anything, Tupou’s pass would have been the one likely to go forward, because Lucas was potentially in front of him after his pass, but as TDN says above, Lucas instinctively held back a touch, and Tupou was superb in how he obviously made a backwards movement with his hands.
The initial feeling from those around me in the press box was that one of the passes must have been forward, but on second look, it was just a piece of great skill from both players.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
At this stage it looks as though they’re a game short, Neel.
Especially considering that one of their four remaining matches is against the Crusaders.
And you’re right, they’ve recovered really well from that horror start, and still play some great rugby. But I can’t see them making it from here.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Definitely one that slipped away from the Sharks, Ralph. It was almost one of those situations where it took them so long to get to the lead, once they did they kind of switched off for just a minute – and got blown away for doing so!
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Hi Muzzo
I really have no idea what the AB’s will do with Nonu.
One side of the argument says that he’s yesterday’s man, and that they have enough other strong options.
The other argument says that World Cups are won by having vastly experienced players in key positions. And there’s no question that he’s playing well and is a positive on-field influence.
The Wrap: Super Rugby’s week 13, lucky for some
Pull your head in, mate. Disagree all you like but try doing it constructively and respectfully. The writer is obviously genuine and is contributing far more to the debate than sideline snipers like yourself.
And as Bobby says above, attempts to frame this debate as a left/right political issue are ridiculous. Folau and Rugby Australia have supporters from all sides of the political spectrum.
A letter to Alan Jones on the matter of Israel Folau