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Joined September 2008
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Brett McKay is one of The Roar's good news stories and has been a rugby and cricket expert for the site since July 2009. Brett is an international and Super Rugby commentator for ABC Grandstand radio, is the voice of ACT club rugby, has commentated on Under-20s Championships, Women's Uni Sevens and National Rugby Championship coverage, and has written for magazines and websites in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK. He tweets from @BMcSport.
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Well then, the Lions Series is on! Despite plenty of commentary about the first Test lacking in the aesthetics department, this was proper old fashioned Test rugby, and the Lions deserved win has well and truly breathed new life into a series that way too many expected would be a comfortable Springboks clean sweep.
At the time, it seemed like such an innocuous run, but the more the British and Irish Lions came back in the first Test against South Africa, the more I kept thinking about it.
Holy moly, the Wallabies have won a series! But how now can they capitalise on their growing momentum and soaring confidence without a game for the next three weeks?
For anyone a bit anxious about an upcoming COVID shot, having heard all the stories of how it has impacted friends and family, let me offer you a foolproof pick-me-up: the shot of adrenaline that comes with a nail-biting, hard-fought Wallabies win.
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times. And that might not be as big an exaggeration as it looks.
Well, the Wallabies got it done last week against France, even if they did need a bit of overtime to do it.
It probably won’t be remembered quite as well as Justin Harrison’s famous lineout steal on debut against the British and Irish Lions in 2001, but Darcy Swain’s ability to contest a French lineout just seconds away from winning the first Test will certainly go down in second-row folklore.
With the Lions Tour making weekday tour matches a necessity, and the Fédération Française de Rugby serving their master clubs to allow the Top 14 to creep further and further into the international window, midweek Test matches are back.
Injuries are rarely well-timed, and the British and Irish Lions Tour of South Africa got off to the worst possible start on the personnel front, losing captain Alun-Wyn Jones in their warm-up win over Japan at Murrayfield.
As soon as the NSW Government put Greater Sydney and the surrounding areas into a two-week lockdown, there was simply no way the Sydney Cricket Ground, or indeed Sydney itself could host the First Test of the France series.
The tipping panel is done for another Super Rugby season, but the panel is by no means done for the 2021 rugby year. With the July Internationals and a Lions Tour upon us, we’re only just getting started.
A gripping final wrapped up what has been an intriguing Super Rugby season for so many reasons.
The Super Rugby trans-Tasman Final is upon us, and it’s a battle of the extremities, with the blue team from the top of the North Island against the blue team from the bottom of the South Island.
It didn’t get much traction on the east coast, but comments from Western Force coach Tim Sampson in a Nick Taylor article in The West Australian last week added yet more weight to a growing sentiment in Australian rugby.
The equations for the final round of Super Rugby trans-Tasman are pretty clear, and it’s equally clear we have a race in three between the Blues, Highlanders and Crusaders to reach next Saturday’s final.
It was like watching a different beast completely.
I don’t know if you’ve all noticed this out there in tipping land, but we’re currently in the presence of greatness.
It was the moment the Brumbies had to realise they have a problem.
Look, it’s not gone well for the Australian sides, there’s no two ways about it.
There’s no two ways about it, that didn’t go well for the Australian sides on the weekend.
I’m not sure I could put together an hour of video in 5 or 6 days, Jacko, so don’t think the timeframe is a major concern… 😁
The (short version) of the Rassie Erasmus video that everyone is talking about
Why not? Why do you think, Mielie?!?
Coaches and national unions have avenues to air their refereeing grievences.
60-minute very public, partisan rants complete with slow-mo replays are not it.
Erasmus's extraordinary 62 minute video rant at Aussie ref Nic Berry stuns World Rugby
This is next level coaching distraction. No focus on the Boks now..
The (short version) of the Rassie Erasmus video that everyone is talking about
Mielie, he can say say personal capacity unitl he’s blue in the face, but the fact remains he’s wearing Springbok team kit in the video, which he promoted from social accounts where he identifies himself as the Director of South African Rugby in the profile.
The links couldn’t be more obvious.
Erasmus's extraordinary 62 minute video rant at Aussie ref Nic Berry stuns World Rugby
What’s in the video (and I’ve seen snippets, haven’t watched the whole thing) doesn’t change my point.
What’s in the video doesn’t matter.
Referees can’t be so publicly attacked by senior national coaching figures like this. They just can’t.
Erasmus's extraordinary 62 minute video rant at Aussie ref Nic Berry stuns World Rugby
I’ve not watched the video and probably won’t now, but World Rugby’s reaction to this will be very interesting.
You could potentially dismiss this if it was a former captain or coach, or even a former referee.
But when the current Director of Rugby of a national union posts an hour-long video calling into question decisions made by (and by implication, the integrity of) an elite referee on WR’s international panel in a game that union has just played, they just can’t let this go unpunished.
Whether Rassie has some fair points or not is inconsequential; the way he’s gone about this and gone out of his way to criticise a referee is just so far out of line it’s not funny.
They wouldn’t let a current player get away with it, so they can hardly let a senior coaching official get away with it either…
Erasmus's extraordinary 62 minute video rant at Aussie ref Nic Berry stuns World Rugby
I suspect its a time and resources thing, Haydn. But there’s a live blog each day..
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
Possibly Nicko. But I can’t rule out out the players deciding it either..
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
My head hurts now, Hika.. 😔
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
Why can’t it be both, Nick?!? 😂
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
I agree with this. All signs point to it being a ripping contest..
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
No-one tell Jock the women’s result from this morning… 🙄
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
yeah, potentially, but Murphy’s law and all… 😁
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
South Africa and Argentina will quaratining while the Bledisloe Tests are played, RT..
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
60% of time, I’m right every time… 😂
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
It’s a damn catchy song, though… 😁
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
Feel like that’s the key, Harry. Boks need to start fast and keep it up..
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
That’s something a beaten coach using a fake social account would say… 😊
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
That lyric has always amused me, JD. Like they picked up an atlas and went, “oh, look how close they are…” 😛
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
No, they definitely don’t want to Fiwi, Chris Lendrum said as much the other day…
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
It’s not the worst idea, Ricco. Would certainly make ease of movement better for the teams..
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
That’s not a bad shout, FCTTB. Now has the freedom to just plan for the Boks..
The Thursday rugby two-up: I bless the rains down in Africa
You tell us, Bodger. Presumably you’re keeping score of these type of things?
The (short version) of the Rassie Erasmus video that everyone is talking about