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Forwards in Sevens (you are supposed to have 2 props and a hooker) tend to only be flankers, or possibly big centres, as you don’t want bulk in such a fast-paced game. However, I think South Africa had a Sevens player who was built like a prop who they used as a battering ram to create holes and then offload; maybe they’re starting a trend which will change the game’s tactics and require at least one big player on each side.
What's the point of Sevens? It should be used to develop Test players, and would be better at it than Super Rugby
“Blessed are the cheese-makers”.
“Well, obviously that’s meant to include manufacturers of any dairy products.”
Splitter!!!
Brisbane rugby fan convicted for 'vile and toxic' online abuse of TMO during RWC, as WR goes troll hunting
Injuries meant that the following players on Friday were all on short-term contracts:
– both starting props
– the reserve tight-head
– one of the starting locks
– #8
Plus, the reserve hooker was only signed on the eve of the season.
It’s difficult to have a team with cohesion when 6 of the 23 weren’t in training camp.
Beale's back! Wallabies star joins Western Force after injury opens the door for veteran's return
Rodda played 11 games in 2021 (10 starts) and a couple more the following season before his injury. He hasn’t played since, though, so it’s effectively a couple of seasons he’s missed already.
Beale's back! Wallabies star joins Western Force after injury opens the door for veteran's return
Quade got moved around to hide his lack of tackling ability, and sometimes Folau got moved around as well; Beale was often shifted around in the defensive line to plug those gaps. I’ve got several issues with Beale, but his tackling isn’t particularly high on that list. He’s a back who didn’t mind tackling and getting into rucks. IIRC, he had quite a good record for jackaling.
Beale's back! Wallabies star joins Western Force after injury opens the door for veteran's return
I’d rather Poolman and O’Donnell get game time – they’re the future; Kurtley is only going to be a short-term sugar hit at best.
Beale's back! Wallabies star joins Western Force after injury opens the door for veteran's return
It certainly is Optus, but the planned site has a river (well, creek) running nearby, so it’s a reasonable picture to show how the stadium could be situated in the local environment. Of course, the planned stadium is 15,000, not 60,000. Would be nice if we got funds to complete the modernisation of HBF, but I doubt that’ll happen in the next ~30 years!
PE backed consortium 'in final stages' to save Melbourne Rebels with $30m injection and link with A-League club
Has to clear up the injury and get himself match-fit first. Cron seems not to like throwing players onto the park when not ready, but just because they have a big reputation. Carter’s had a couple of weeks with the team before starting, and he’s just come down from playing in the English Premiership (although that may have been getting to know his teammates rather than not being fit!)
Super Rugby teams round 7: Bell returns but Tahs hooker gone for season, Jack back for Brums, Rebels' Leota blow
The trouble is, if IFL has to cover a wing, White has to play all 80, and at his workrate he slows down after ~65 minutes. That’s something we can’t afford against the Blues.
(We can’t afford it against any team, but certainly not the Blues!)
Super Rugby teams round 7: Bell returns but Tahs hooker gone for season, Jack back for Brums, Rebels' Leota blow
I think the problem is that players who get onto the Gen Blue pathway (or whatever the local equivalent is) get preferentially called up when there is a positional need.
E.g., if you have lost 4 of your 7 props and desperately need another for an upcoming game, the coaches have a choice: a young prop who has trained with the team, or a 29-year old who’s never been in a professional set-up but this year is monstering the local comp’s scrums. The older guy may have a number of question marks (what’s he like away from the scrum, why has he suddenly improved, etc) which the coaches don’t want to worry about just to get a body on the park.
I can certainly see why the Gen Blue players get the call-up, but it’s crying out for more scouting of the local comps for those players who’ve fallen through the cracks for whatever reason as a teenager. And of course, the best scouting method would be a 3rd tier comp. Bring back the NRC!
'What the hell's going on': Ex-Wallabies question 'losing' culture, pathways at Waratahs
Looking forward to seeing what young O’Donnell can show off the bench. With a 6-2 bench split he’s pretty much guaranteed a run-on, although quite who he’s preparing to run-on for may be complicated. White can’t play all 80 at 9, so IFL will replace him, and O’Donnell has to potentially cover 10-15. Although the Force back-line does have quite a bit of flexibility, as Donaldson and Burey can play 10 or 15, Stewart 10 & 12, Spink 12 & 13, Tiatia 11, 14 & 15, and Kuenzle just about anywhere!
Super Rugby teams round 7: Bell returns but Tahs hooker gone for season, Jack back for Brums, Rebels' Leota blow
Trying to manage his workload? You can only beat the other team on the paddock, and if they decide not to show their best XV then don’t complain!
Super Rugby teams round 7: Bell returns but Tahs hooker gone for season, Jack back for Brums, Rebels' Leota blow
In a 15 week season (14 games plus a bye) you want the byes in roughly the middle of the season, so weeks 7, 8 & 9 make sense. If the byes get scattered throughout the season (as happened when it was a 15 team competition) byes get unevenly distributed and one side might end up playing ~12 weeks straight. The bye gives teams a chance to rest up and recuperate niggles and so on.
Super Rugby teams round 7: Bell returns but Tahs hooker gone for season, Jack back for Brums, Rebels' Leota blow
Gives me the chance to tell my Fisher anecdote again!
We went up to Darwin for a pre-season match between the Brumbies and the Force. Fisher was patrolling the Brumbies sidelines in the ferocious heat and humidity when he tripped over and fell into the “ice bath”, a kiddie’s paddling pool filled with melting ice blocks. He seemed to quite enjoy this state of affairs and stayed there for a few minutes. We envied him.
That evening we went out drinking in town and in one pub saw an old bloke in a bucket hat. Recognising Fisher, we asked if he’d accept a drink from opposition fans. He did and we stood him many a round while he regaled us with various stories, from his long and extensive career, none of which can be passed on (due to a combination of alcohol, time and being sworn to secrecy, but mainly the first two!)
Exclusive: Schmidt set to bring 'Lord' back to the Wallabies as first key appointment
So, the mitigation of Barrett changing direction towards Pearce and the prop not having a chance to lower his body height sufficiently wasn’t even considered? I’m fairly sure that was a mitigation used in the World Cup when a more high-profile player committed a similar offense and may have missed a considerable chunk of the RWC.
Force cop fresh blows after Rodda's latest setback and Pearce's ban, Rebels open up on 'deflating' start
Although some of the ideas (eg, Dance Cam) work for American sports which can be stop-start in nature. Rugby has it’s stoppages as well, but the Dance Cam should be immediately turned off when play resumes. Sometimes they keep it going during play, which rankles a bit!
Super Round is a celebration of rugby - that's why it should have never been held in Melbourne
To be fair, ARU (at the time) were bleeding money, so why would Forrest (a man with a decent head for business) give poor money managers more money to splash around?
'He screwed our state': The act that still angers Twiggy Forrest and why he's not ready to jump back in
I’d just like to point out that Perth held the Australian leg of the World Rugby Sevens in the middle of a January heatwave and got ~50,000 over the three days, when it was held in a stadium with a capacity of just ~20,000.
Of course, Sevens is nothing like Super Rugby, and whether the crowds will continue year-on-year is up for debate. That just means that:
– The Super Round should look at how WRS sells the concept.
– Consider moving the Super Round each year so that the concept stays fresh for the punters.
Super Round is a celebration of rugby - that's why it should have never been held in Melbourne
They’re in financial trouble, too (according to the article)
'Destroyed the soul of rugby': Ex-NZR boss delivers damning verdict of Super direction - and his plan to fix it
It might be easier to ask how many successful sporting competitions *do* use promotion and relegation, and its largely European soccer and rugby.
But relegation in European rugby can be catastrophic to a team’s finances, and in soccer there are so many teams that the time taken to promote yourself from semi-pro to top level professional means you have time to build yourself a team and buy the players you need.
That’s another thing that they have, too; transfer fees. The whole system is based around the fact that a lower-level club can develop young players and sell them for a profit, which can help the club: a) stay afloat, and b) potentially move up the divisions. Because rugby doesn’t have that, any decent player developed by a lower-level side can just move to a top side for no compensation.
To get promotion and relegation you’d have to look at a massive upheaval of the current system, voted for by the beneficiaries of the current system, and that just ain’t gonna happen!
Seven point plan to save Super Rugby
However, Moffett’s solution of a Super 10 only had 3 Aust teams (NSW, Qld, ACT). Assuming that NZ keep their current 5 sides, and Fiji remain, who does he think fills the 10th spot?
'Destroyed the soul of rugby': Ex-NZR boss delivers damning verdict of Super direction - and his plan to fix it
So, if we can get 92% of the global population to say it, we should be good?
'Destroyed the soul of rugby': Ex-NZR boss delivers damning verdict of Super direction - and his plan to fix it
What makes you (and Mr Moffett) think that fewer games means more people? You get more people coming along to the match when it becomes a habit to come along to the match. When a match is an occasional thing, people feel less connected to the team. Going along every fortnight gets you into a pattern of going along every fortnight.
The Force have one stretch this year where there is one home game in 6 weeks (due to two lots of two-week trips and a bye week). That’s going to kill any momentum we get in generating a crowd, regardless of how the team are doing on the pitch.
'Destroyed the soul of rugby': Ex-NZR boss delivers damning verdict of Super direction - and his plan to fix it
There have been times when he’s been a walking penalty magnet as his tackling technique was decidedly old-school.
Super Rugby Pacific 2024: The best new signing for each Australian side
If the main reason for having Super Rugby AU is to have a trophy guaranteed for an Australian side, then it smacks a bit of having a participation trophy and thanks for turning up. Winner of the 2nd division, but not good enough to play with the big boys.
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed