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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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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.
Today, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will meet with Rugby Australia executives for what is a well-publicised and highly anticipated review.
Three weeks ago in Yokohama, Canterbury fly-half Brett Cameron became All Black number 1,181.
There was a moment on the back nine of yesterday’s final round where Belgians Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry, five shot leaders at the start of play, might have been about to call in countryman Hercule Poirot to investigate how Australia were about to steal the World Cup of Golf from under their very noses.
On Saturday night I had the privilege to watch a team at the peak of its powers deliver a performance for the ages.
After an opening day where most of the 28 competing teams were dropping birdies for fun, a combination of a format switch to foursomes, and Melbourne’s inhospitable weather, turned the Metropolitan golf course on its head yesterday.
When is a World Cup not a World Cup? When it is the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf, that’s when.
In the 2002 film About Schmidt, Jack Nicholson kept a rein on his overworked, latter-career mannerisms, in what was a controlled, subtle performance that contributed to a greatly satisfying commentary on the simultaneous blandness and complexity of small-town, big-country America.
Eddie Jones is as good as any coach on the world stage at spinning a narrative his way.
During last week, respected Roar contributor, ‘Highlander’, prompted a discussion about seminal late-1970s ‘new wave’ act, Ian Dury and The Blockheads.
If you haven’t seen Saturday’s third Bledisloe Cup match in Yokohama and know only of the 37-20 scoreline, you’d deduce that the match followed a similar pattern to so many of those during the now 16-year reign of the All Blacks.
On July 13th this year Sunwolves player Ed Quirk found himself on top of Reds fly-half Hamish Stuart at the bottom of a ruck, and couldn’t resist the opportunity to punch him in the face.
A week is a long time in rugby. For New Zealand and Australian fans the exhilaration of last week’s stunning comeback Test victories gave way to the more unobtrusive, subtle delights of the Mitre 10 Cup and NRC.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had […]
Unlike Australia’s earnest but bumbling rugby side, golf’s Ryder Cup never fails to deliver.
The Wallabies are now ensconced in Port Elizabeth, pondering how to improve on their 2019, 2-5 win-loss record against a resurgent South Africa and Argentina.
There is a truism in rugby that what happens in the first minute of a match is worth exactly the same as what happens in the final minute.
In the wake of Australia’s meritorious, hard-fought, 23-18 win over South Africa, coach Michael Cheika seemingly only wanted to talk about one thing – resilience.
Good call on the little guys JN. They’re an endangered species but those three all have special qualities.
Enjoy the fishing!
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
It’s always instructive how we get so emotionally tied up in enjoying the pleasures and complaining about the injustices of sport, then real life comes along and teaches us about perspective.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Fantastic story Carlos, and thanks so much for sharing it.
Coming on top of the mass shooting a couple of weeks earlier it’s been a horrible time for your community – let’s hope that everyone comes out of it healthy and strong and enjoys far better fortune in 2019.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
‘Sco Jo’ has potential Rob. ‘Johnno’ is so old school…
Have a great Xmas/New Year mate and be prepared to be surprised on the upside by BT’s Reds.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Nice idea Nick, although I suspect it would end up becoming terribly self indulgent! 🙂
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Thanks Danny, hope you’re having a great trip.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Some very good calls there Harry – the Rassie video in particular, it struck just the right note in how to make a strong and valid point using humour, rather than the common whinge.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Too kind mz. Always great to have you on board – best wishes to you and your family as well.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Thanks TT, appreciate you sharing all of that.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Cheers Jacko, yes we don’t always see things the same way but it would be a boring world if that was the case. Appreciate the comments and best wishes to you and your family too.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
A black dragon with a silver fern will do just nicely!
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Cheers Phil. I once heard George Gregan say that it pained him to give the Kiwis a compliment for anything, but his favourite group was FFD 🙂
And yes, let’s hope for a few more rugby highlights next year!
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Cheers Cliff, I’m sure you’ll add a little conventional Xmas flavour to Kyrgyzstan on the 25th!
I understand that there will still be a lot of skepticism, but for better or for worse, at least RA has decided on their structure moving forward, and hopefully that will help Cheika and flow through into better play and better results next year.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Thanks for the Xmas cheers Muzzo, and for your contributions all through the year.
I really enjoyed the San Francisco World Sevens. It looked spectacular in that stadium and, maybe because of the knock-out format, turned out to be a wonderful event.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Good call Wal. I bet big Brodie didn’t start the year off thinking he’d end up with the World Rugby try of the year!
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Cheers Chook, and no question, Aus rugby fans are due a much better year next year.
Have a great xmas and I trust that Mrs Chook repairs quickly.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Thanks T-man, merry xmas to you too, and let’s hope for a great year of rugby in 2019 and a brilliant World Cup – hopefully with the SH teams holding up!
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Of course. Best wishes to you and your family too and – however it transpires – let’s hope for a better year for Aus rugby in 2019.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Media conference announced for 12.00pm today.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Yes, Merry Xmas to you too baz – the PC police haven’t yet infiltrated this column 🙂
I think everyone’s had a gutful of the speculation – whichever way the coaching decision falls it will be nice to at least have some certainty.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Cheers RT, always appreciate your input.
Mark down 2019 as the year of the resurgent Blues!
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Cheers Robbo. You really have to admire those artists from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s who are still going strong, but having reinvented themselves, not just as jukeboxes for their old hits. And Plant is definitely one of those.
Hopefully we can catch up for a beer before or after a Rebels match in the new year.
The Wrap: All 2018’s rugby highlights and lowlights
Thanks Geoff, excellent piece as always.
It’s been interesting to observe the team, and past players, try to come to terms with what many of them see as the emasculation of Australian cricket, forced upon them (some would say unfairly) in the wake of the sandpaper incident, Hughes’ death and changes in society.
Under Langer and Paine there are already signs that the current side is finding its identity, as it inevitably must, but for Clarke and others, they, 1) seem more interested in protecting/justifying their own legacies, and 2) falsely ascribing a losing period to this forced loss of aggression/hardness.
I really enjoyed the NZ v Pakistan series. A 2-1 result, the first Test won by 4 runs, the final Test won by the away team from a losing first innings position, both sides playing hard to win but without even a hint of a cross word or incident. Total respect for opponent and umpire. Nobody watching could ever believe that Williamson, for example, lacks the required hardness for test cricket, just because he happens to be polite and respectful.
Australian greats can't see the 'good hard cricket' lie
Thanks Nick. With off-field matters dominating down here it’s nice to focus again on the game!
Given his year, it was no surprise that Whitelock was slightly off par on the tour, but it was a surprise to see Retallick beaten so comprehensively on the day. But I’m sure that the old saying about writing champions off at your peril applies here, and with some careful management during the year, plus the sting of this loss, the AB’s first choice engine room should be in good shape for the World Cup.
That said, Ryan’s development has been very impressive and the Irish pack has great cohesiveness and depth.
How Ireland won the battle of the big men in Dublin
Hi Nick
The argument to strengthen the Wallabies by including White, big (well, not so big) Will, McMahon, Morahan and others is a compelling one.
However you concede that there are risks, and I believe that there are two major risks that are far too great to overcome.
No-one knows exactly how many players would leave Australia, and clearly there would be a finite number of spots available overseas, but it would almost certainly be enough to further compromise Australia’s Super rugby performance, which would in turn reduce the amount offered by broadcasters, and gut the revenue stream for Rugby Australia.
Secondly, rugby would quickly mirror the soccer situation, with Wallabies dotted around various world leagues, with the control of the players in the hands of the clubs, as their paymasters, not the national unions. Yes there would be international windows, but outside of the World Cup and Asian Cup, how often is the best Socceroos side selected? Never. Once clubs have control they will (unsurprisingly) look after their interests first – we have seen how this operates already with respect to French clubs and Fiji.
Almost certainly, apart from increased focus on the Rugby World Cup (and many would say that this is too great already), international rugby, outside of the 6N, would wither.
Giteau’s Law is unquestionably arbitrary and problematic. And even with it in place, good players are still lost from domestic and Super Rugby. But any administrator who dumps it will potentially have the gutting of Australian Rugby’s revenue base and the ceding of primacy in rugby from international to club as their legacy. I can’t imagine anyone signing up to that.
Why Rugby Australia should listen to Bob Dwyer and dump the Giteau Law