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"Never confuse motion with action."
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Stay up late to follow this live blog, as the newly-extended hard man Brad Thorn takes his Reds to the Highveld to try to overcome the angry Bulls, fresh off a hideous home loss, and welcoming back their key starters. Join The Roar from 1:15am AEST.
Let’s download the offload culture of Super Rugby this year, by comparing it to last season.
Match result: The Rebels have copped another loss on the road in South Africa, going down to the Sharks by 14 points.
“So, what do you do, Pete?”
Match result: The Rebels have let a chance to remain undefeated slip, allowing the Lions to snatch a three-point win in a thrilling match in Johannesburg.
England’s Australian mastermind Eddie Jones loves to say things nobody believes.
None of the pools are picnics. To emerge from Pool A, the two Celtic favourites will need to navigate beefy Slavs, riproaring Samoans and avatars of the fired-up home nation, who have already proven they can shock a heavyweight on the global stage. But emerge they will.
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” famously pronounced Iron Mike Tyson in his heyday.
Edinburgh is a fine town to visit for rugby. Arriving at Waverley by train from London, one walks up a gentle stone ramp, directly into the middle of fun, new and old.
The Ancient Greek poet Archilochus once wrote this cryptic line: ‘A fox knows many things, but a hedgehog one important thing.’ Writers ever since have latched on to this organising idea, to categorise thinkers (and doers) as hedgehogs, who see the world through the lens of one clear concept or belief, or foxes, who have […]
Rassie Erasmus told us to judge him on three criteria: improved performance on the field, depth built for the Rugby World Cup, and ‘transformation.’ So far, he gets a B minus, and was quite close to an A minus.
The All Blacks have only lost consecutively to an opponent ten times in history.
Bald fans and balding coaches can be grumpy, but bountifully blonde ball-players like Ned Hanigan and Faf de Klerk seem always in good cheer.
‘How do you know Australia exists? I mean, how do you really know it is real? On what basis do you believe in Australia?’
Tenth-ranked Argentina and the sixth-ranked Springboks take their rivalry across the Atlantic, and all the way to the foothills of the Andes, to play a settling test under the reliably clear blue skies of Mendoza, heaven for foodies. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog from 5:10am AEST.
Google ‘Cheika fired’ and the first result will be a Reuters article from early June of 2018, which discusses how ‘fired up’ Michael Cheika was to tangle with Joe Schmidt’s Irish squad.
Will Rassie Erasmus’ “Pooper” gamble of playing two opensiders with a link man and a classic fetcher on the bench pay off? Will Argentina return to form with the World Cup looming ever closer?
Part and parcel of what RA and Waratahs were paying Izzy millions for was MARKETING, and the DISCRETION and GOOD JUDGEMENT in communications with the market (that means all potential patrons and customers). Izzy could no more undermine RA’s business model and continue to be fed whilst hand-biting than Raelene could. This is not about abridging the EXERCISE of FAITH; it’s about a business model—the basis for the dollars being generated.
Izzy and Rugby AU: A monumental misconception
Brett is best. By a Canberra mile.
Game of Codes, Episode 2: Listen to the second instalment of The Roar's new podcast
Update on missed tackles.
Elton 34
Nobody else is over 20.
Luke Jones is building nicely.
Super Rugby Round 10 teams: Maddocks returns for Rebels
I cannot argue that. Stormers have lost 4 and Brumbies 5, but I just want to note the Stormers have played 6 away already, with their tour over. But who knows!!!!
Super Rugby Round 10: The circle of craziness is complete
Ha! Home record only. Stormers are also probably the second worst away record in the last 8 years.
Super Rugby Round 10: The circle of craziness is complete
For me, rugby has always had the effect of easy connections, surmounting surface differences, geography, and providing a language and a morality if you will that is universal. When I walked into the Wellington airport, there was Diggercane and his daughter, and we could hug, go eat, and get a little sauced (not his daughter–she just destroyed me in chess and the chessboard) and wake up for Test day between All Blacks and Boks. I am sure–100% sure–this resonates around the world. We have a fellowship. A bond. Izzy is totally free to be devout/pious. But he was actually putting player before team, one before many, and creating a portrait of rugby which is false. We have a pluralistic code and sport.
Can rugby really embrace diversity?
I don’t know, but it’s right on the edge of being something Izzy does not think kosher.
Can rugby really embrace diversity?
In many professions, and the higher you go up, it’s not that binary. For example, Raelene can Instagram her thoughts on mating etiquette, but she won’t be in her job for long. But she is free to do it.
Israel Folau to fight Rugby AU sanction
Reading between the lines:
– RA is banking on the final warning-and-repeat argument
– Izzy managed to keep the money flow with a second contract ABSENT a muzzle/moral clause
RA has the whip hand, here, but could’ve had a slam dunk if they’d bought a better contract …
Settlement is most likely: 80%. How much? A little less than a mill. And THAT will be hushed. Because a contract—finely drafted with forfeiture—can buy silence.
Israel Folau to fight Rugby AU sanction
Nice ramble! As you know, I’m a rambler. And love a good riparian chat in a bar. Heartfelt, honest, lovely reverie, my friend.
Can rugby really embrace diversity?
The next 9 weeks could decide the SA conference. The thirteenth tie breaker is average hair length.
The next three weeks could decide the Australian conference
$1.4M per year. No brainer.
The Wrap: Winx shows Israel Folau how to bow out of the big time
Then we have different interpretations of what just happened. Plenty of players share Folau’s views. Nobody cares. They won’t be axed.
Folau speaks for the first time since sacking announcement
GP! Good rap. It was like a serviceable 240 m drive not hitting trees, setting up a nice little iron in: the Comments. Izzygate. Izzy the curator—nay, the prognostic—of the pearly gates. But I want to talk about two rugby sins I keep seeing. 1/ the “let’s run it up from our try line twice or thrice just to buy a better angle for our flyhalf, oh and we got a few extra metres, so we go again … and we turn it over ????” thingy and 2/ the 9 seeing a swimmer coming for the maul ball clutched like a purse on payday on a train in Sao Paolo, and YET not rescuing it, even if the ref is chanting “use it.”
Saw too many of those this Round.
The Wrap: Winx shows Israel Folau how to bow out of the big time
Good list of points.
Mine:
Chiefs ↗️
Lions ↘️
Sharks ????????????????????⤵️
Leyds ????
Matera ????
Reds need to EXIT with BOOT
Pollard and RG ????????????
Seven talking points from Super Rugby Round 9
A smart journalist should get Folau on the record about his views on all non-Christian religions. Given his harsh language even against Catholicism, I would imagine his views on other faiths would cause this current imbroglio to pale into insignificance. Those who feel persecuted, often start to try to persecute. (None of this is “persecution,” to me; the Christchurch massacre would be that). History tells us this sad fact. Let’s try not to play the victim, when we made free choices as a grown man.
Folau speaks for the first time since sacking announcement
I just wonder about scale. And verbiage. I suspect Folau has a very safe and “blessed” life, comfortable and full of praise/acclaim by his chosen faith community, which is quite prosperous and globally-connected. <> is not really on the level of “persecution,” when we look at so much violence directed at powerless groups around the world. I would reserve that word for silencing/violence.
Folau speaks for the first time since sacking announcement
What is striking is the perception of “persecution.” A liberal democracy like Australia (or New Zealand) strives to be pluralistic. This affords even tiny minorities a degree of security. But sometimes the “majority” can feel aggrieved, or even nostalgic for power lost. Australia (and it’s sporting apparatus) offered Folau huge opportunities, which he seized and all credit to him. But it’s odd to feel this “persecution.” Be a happy mission-minded man; it’s all good. Persecution is being burned or fed to the lions. This is just being held to a contract, after warning.
Folau speaks for the first time since sacking announcement
If:
– after the first go-round
– RA failed to obtain
– with millions of dollars
– and the finest counsel
– a clear clause, enforceable
– prohibiting this kind of post
Then:
– RC should also get the chop
– as well as the lawyers
Israel Folau digs in for the fight of his professional life
True. But after agreeing not to this opine, and after all, it is an opinion (no matter how commonly held), it seems a bit strange to go on. We all know how he feels. And I accept him at his word that he is in a struggle; presumably against evil.
The tragic tale of Israel Folau
I think this boils down to whether one owns or has owned or leads or has led a customer/client-facing business or department. I mean FFS! Your people cannot hide behind “freedom” and go on sales calls or appear in court or tweet wildly or pitch new business or interact with new sectors or give press conferences or email or react in ANY OLD WAY they want, even if their faith traditions or systems move them to PRONOUNCE and OPINE on the weather, relationships, God, or obesity, or the mating habits of toads. They’re there to appeal and attract the widest possible audience for what you sell. You pay them in part for that. They are “free” to spout. You are free to sack. They don’t go to jail. You get to hire people who let you tell your story and don’t tromp all over that expensive story (brand). He was warned. Very publicly.
Israel Folau does not deserve the sack
Crowd, you waded into a deep pool here, and I have to say: you managed well. The tone, tenor, and priority of Izzy’s message never resonated with me, even if you assumed he was correct on the substance (you do, I don’t, but the point is I could understand the concept of a well-intended warning of grave peril); because I felt he was projecting almost a sense of glee at impending doom. Ignoring the inner struggles, the family dynamic, the real pain; Izzy’s posts came off as glib mantras.
The tragic tale of Israel Folau
Totally fine with whatever the locals decide. Kiwis seem to be commonsense folk. If I had to guess, they’ll soften the imagery, and that’s probably smart. My guess is it’ll affect nothing on the field!
Stop crusading against the Crusaders
Good topic, Geoff. I know all things in 2019 are REALLY about the looking spectre of the World Cup, and that REALLY breaks down to two matchups in the Pool and then a QF/SF. So, four matches: in which 10 is probably pivotal given which NH flyhalves Australia would be playing. I think it comes down to playmaking versus errors. In basketball, point guards have “assist-to-turnover” ratios. You’ve come up with a useful analog of that. Over the season, I would predict QC is a 2:1 man, and Foley a 1:1 man. I’d go with Cooper as WB 10, because he makes things happen.
The Wrap: Foley TKOs Cooper as Australian conference tightens up