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Fiji through to the last 8 v England despite a one-point loss v Portugal that saw them win their first Rugby World Cup match in France

by Sports Benches

We’ve just wrapped up the pool stage portion of the 2023 Rugby World Cup this morning ahead of the upcoming knockout stages this weekend with a wonderful Fiji v Portugal showdown that has determined both of the team’s final placing status in Pool C. Although Australia may had a week-long off after a difficult campaign, but all they can hope for is for Portugal to win by eight points or more in order to score a miracle QF meeting v England.

The first half saw both sides leave without a TRY as they share the lead pie going into the break 3-3. Portugal went on to snatch the lead later on while responding well to Fiji’s fightback with another 1-2 tries. Although Portugal have won the hearts of World Rugby on what has been their first ever win in RWC history 23-24. 

But despite the close loss & the 2nd half effort, Fiji has finished 2nd in this Pool table by a small points difference of five, even though they ended up at a total of 11 points with 3rd-placed Australia. That means, Fiji will take on England next Monday at 2am AEDT while Australia is out of the Pool stages for the first time in RWC history under Coach Eddie Jones.

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Rugby

2023 Rugby World Cup, Wallabies finish their difficult Pool C campaign with the win v Portugal as they sit 2nd behind Wales for now

by Sports Benches

The Wallabies has returned to St Etienne for their 4th & final Pool C group stage match v Portugal earlier today where they opened the scoring account first with a three-point penalty goal before they fought back well from their opponent’s brief 1st half lead with three tries ahead of half-time 24-7. Portugal on the hand has made every serious effort all along which is their 2nd time playing in the Rugby World Cup since 2007 also in France, having made a few big scoring attempts to try & get themselves back on track.  Although they eventually found one at last later in the 2nd half, but the refs’ repeated NO TRY decisions saw the Wallabies hold on & extend their winning share via the bonus point 34-14. So Portugal are out now where they will end up 4th with one match left v Fiji next Monday. Speaking of Fiji, all the Wallabies can hope for is for them to lose during their week-long off if their small Quarter-Final chance can be possible v England on the 15th this month.

Nick Frost has made a huge difference in the Wallabies first half display on the Second Row at No.4 just like he has been all along as seen with the Brumbies in Super Rugby level. He’s two metres tall with excellent physical power to not just hold the opponents up through a brick wall but also muscles his way forward when his side has the ball before Nick earned an early rest not long after half-time at 24-7.

There’s another Brumbies player who never stopped working hard also for the Wallabies is Rob Valetini at No.8, having saw off a threatening Portuguese attack whenever possible. He’s got the pace, physical strength, backing up/communication & vision there to help find the Wallabies get past the opposition line with the ball where tries were made there. They too had another great year in Super Rugby where the Brumbies finished Top 4/semis, but here’s hoping they can get some support & create some robust competition in order to win trophies going forward – which is a clear message Rugby Australia must fix ASAP.

And Samuel Marques has been such a huge threat to the Wallabies own half, who has lots of experience playing in France as well for the Portuguese National side at half-back (No.9 shirt). He has great control with the ball while he communicated with his team-mates well in order to strike the best scoring chances possible; Plus, he can be a handy conversion kicker too. Yes, Portugal should’ve scored more than just the two tries if the ref didn’t deny them, but sure they will continue to improve over time – it’s the things we love to see in World Rugby.

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Thoughts on Steve Hansen’s latest suggestion with merging both the ACT Brumbies & Melbourne Rebels for the betterment of Rugby Union in Australia

by Sports Benches

Just saw an extract from Code Sports and also The Roar earlier today about Steve Hansen wanting to help out a review of the state Rugby Union is in right now across Australia which is clearly worse and worser as it gets. I agreed with Stephen Hoiles the other day and Steve Hansen that we should cut an Australian Super Rugby side, but it’s even better if they cut two sides in order to go back to the things that made them once successful of having just three good quality teams (Brumbies, Reds & Waratahs) at the highest level. There is something he suggested a bit differently though to this is that the ACT Brumbies should merge with the Melbourne Rebels. He understands that Rugby is an International sport while more games would help gather revenue when it comes to showing Super Rugby across TV & attendances in-person at Stadiums, but then Brumbies fans don’t like this idea at all where it has been revisited several times throughout their 27-year existence.

Okay, they’re best Super Rugby side here for a long time where they won two trophies (2001 & 2004) plus the 2020 Super Rugby AU trophy. Plus, they’re the only side who made the semis every year since 2019 and these are all true. It would’ve also been better if the Wallabies squad was full of Brumbies players rather than a mixture of players being selected from other states which is impossible. But at the same time, they’re small commercially where the Brumbies were under threat at one point several years ago while still thriving on the pitch despite its small geographical population & an incompetent board.

Plus, we still don’t know if the ACT Government will commit building a new 30,000 seater Canberra Stadium over in the Civic area that would probably be the end of GIO Stadium currently located in the Bruce region.

It’s hard to say when you look back at the club’s history but even though people here don’t like this, the merged Brumbies side will still play half of the home games in Canberra while the other half will see them play at AAMI Park in Melbourne. That way, the Brumbies will get a metro following while Canberra still retains some existence like the NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds & Western Force as well as the other five NZ Super Rugby teams. Also, the squad would get somewhat better where only a handful of good talented players from Melbourne (Imagine Carter Gordon playing with Ryan Lonergan or Harrison Goddard at No.10) will be rewarded to play alongside most of the Canberra & Southern NSW based team-mates. Not only they can learn from these players through the senior and its academy squad, but it could also help them win more regular-season games as well as make the big Final every 1-2 years which is almost certainly a guarantee in Australian Super Rugby history. 

Aussie sports fans would love seeing this happen in the hope of winning the Super Rugby trophy that would definitely translate into Wallabies success as well as us rugby fans here and of course, Melbournians, who love seeing their favourite team and/or sport thrive at home whether if it’s AFL (Aussie Rules) or the Melbourne Storm in Rugby League (NRL).

All in all, things would be better if the Rebels and Force play either in a revived National Tier 2 comp or the Top League in Japan so that the Brumbies can continue its own identity out of just Canberra and Southern NSW & continue playing Super Rugby alongside just the NSW Waratahs & Queensland Reds. But if both options aren’t possible, then maybe the Brumbies-Rebels merger would be Rugby Australia’s last resort if they really do intend to cut a Super Rugby side. The competition right now in Melbourne is far too inferior for RA when trying to pit Rugby against other winter Football codes where most boys will want to pick up a Sherrin over a Gilbert ball as we can’t keep on being mediocre at best.

And as said, I don’t have anything against the Western Force which doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be playing Rugby out of Perth, Western Australia. If they survive the axe, we’ll have to wait & see if they do help the Wallabies get back to their best again when it comes to on-field results but then we’ve been there twice before with four teams and it doesn’t seem to have helped the cause that much. Instead, their best bet is for them (Western Force) to play elsewhere where they either revive their own comp (Global Rapid Rugby between 2018-early 2020) or join the Japanese Top League. The level of Rugby they play as well as the same day time zone fits the Force perfectly amongst the other Japanese Top League or Asian-based teams there.

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Rugby News Australia, Thoughts on Stephen Hoiles’s suggestion on cutting one Australian Super Rugby side, but it’s best we go back to just only three teams like it once was before

by Sports Benches

Yes, first and foremost I agreed with Stephen Hoiles that our Super Rugby system here in Australia is broken. But I don’t agree that one team should be dropped out like it was 5-6 years ago when we didn’t win a lot with four Australian teams from 2006-2010 as well as 2018-2020 until COVID has changed things unexpectedly from there.

Instead, I think that dropping two teams would be for the best for Rugby Union in Australia where the Western Force & Melbourne Rebels can get International experience elsewhere, while we go back to the system that worked so well for us before with just the ACT Brumbies, NSW Waratahs & Queensland Reds. That way, you only need three top-quality teams in order to do well not just against our New Zealand counterparts, but it would also help our Wallabies get back to their best again where we can win silverwares regularly & be Top 3-4 instead of sitting around 9th-13th right now.

We also know & understand that Rugby Union here is an International sport. How come New Zealand has lots of Rugby teams where they got five in Super Rugby & the rest down to the Tier 2 National Provincial Championship comp? We should do the same with three Super Rugby teams & the rest elsewhere. But otherwise, there’s always the Top League over in Japan, who should bring both the Rebels & Force over from Super Rugby. It’s the kind of standard that suits them (Rebels & Force) perfectly when facing a bunch of other Japanese teams that includes the same day time zone as well. 

So all in all, we’d be all for it if Rugby Australia downsizes from five to three Super Rugby teams going forward. At the same time though, we want the Force & Rebels play in Japan and/or through a new National 2nd Tier comp as we have nothing against them. It’s just the fact that they’re both not Super Rugby standard and it’s been hurting us for a long time.

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Wales big win v Wallabies sums up their early 2023 Rugby World Cup elimination from Pool C at an all-time low in Lyon

by Sports Benches

It was an alarming and unfortunate day for the Wallabies today where their big loss v Wales at the Lyon Stadium confirmed their elimination from the Rugby World Cup pool stages for the first time in history with one more match remaining v Portugal next Monday AM Australian Daylight time. Yes, the Wallabies may have scored back-to-back penalty goals in reply to Wales’s quick start with their opening TRY. However, not only Wales have stayed ahead with another few three-pointers at the same time (16-6) during the first-half, but they also went on to extend their winning share later on (2nd half) where Wales were absolutely too good (2 x tries + 3 x penalty goals & 1 x drop goal) through the finish line (40-6).

Nick Tompkins has lit up the Welsh attack alight in the No.12 shirt at Inside Centre thanks a quick start to the game followed by by a magnificent 2nd half display v the Wallabies. He just never stopped running as being tested to help out in defense, but his attacking play has been top-notch where the communication was there in order to grasp it out with the ball that led to tries here & there. Next up is reserve No.10 Gareth Anscombe, having made an impressive impact right away after he unexpectedly came on for the injured Dan Biggar earlier in the 1st half. His kicking game has been unbelievable that reflected his attacking creativity through the pitch while his conversions conversions look near perfect including that 2nd half drop goal & he never stopped working without a fight.

They have both been brilliant so far for Wales this RWC with more to come in the Quarter-Final v Samoa or Japan from Pool D sometime next month thanks to Head Coach Warren Gatland who is back from NZ for 2nd spell via the Chiefs Super Rugby side since December 2022.

And lastly, just no words to the Wallabies right now after the worst day ever in their entire existence. There is one person though who did the best possible & everyone should follow his lead in none other than Angus Bell who plays on the front row at loosehead (No.1). He showed lots of physicality with a sound defense including some pace when backing them up while having the ball in attack. It allowed him to catch the Welsh accountable earlier on that led to 2 x penalty goals thanks to his work rate via the towering reach that reflected the importance he has put in as seen both with the Waratahs at Super Rugby level as well as Internationally for a few years now.

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Mat Rogers is right, Wallabies on their way towards becoming a Tier 2 Rugby nation and Rugby Australia needs to fix this now

by Sports Benches

It’s time to be very honest and upfront to the board at Rugby Australia that this isn’t working where we keep on losing matches time & time again without any regular silverware for a very long time. 

First of all, please go back to having just three Super Rugby teams – NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds & ACT Brumbies. It’s something that worked before in the past and they should look to either create a national 2nd tier comp involving both Western Force & Melbourne Rebels or send both teams to some Asia-Pacific comp or even the Top League in Japan where they can compliment each other very well at that kind of standard.

Have a look at South Africa when they had to cut back 2 Super Rugby teams & sending them over to Europe at the same time back in late 2017? It actually worked out well for them, having went on to win a World Cup a few years ago while being able to beat the All Blacks occasionally which is what we should exactly be doing. They’re even one of the four favourite teams to take home this year’s World Cup too & despite not having the Cheetahs onboard when playing against International opposition sometimes in an annual European rugby comp right now, things are currently on the up for them.

Now yes, not everything we suggest can be perfect as we all see Rugby as an International sport compared to Rugby League & Aussie Rules Football. But then with League, they don’t have a Perth & Adelaide team & yet it’s going so well for them being as the fastest game in the country & even on earth. You might also argue that the Melbourne Storm is one of the most successful teams out in League but that sport is also observed by all Aussies, not Rugby where Melbourians would rather pick up a Football and play AFL, VFL or League with the Storm than playing Rugby for the Rebels. 

So no room to have another footy code there sadly no matter how much effort they put in to have an annual Super Round as well as the home Bledisloe Cup test match v All Blacks. The same goes to Perth where they’re not a traditional Rugby state despite a whole heap of investments thanks to Andrew Forrest, but the results isn’t there to back it up compared to our traditional state teams as it’s best if the Force & Rebels play elsewhere – nothing against them. All we want is for Rugby Australia to realise their potential in Super Rugby that would in turn help them win games again v the top International teams as not only we’re frustrated but NZ Rugby as well when the ABs are beginning to slip away from the Top 3-4 thanks to us here.

Please do us a favour and go back to the way things were that made Australia once successful in all fronts before both in Super Rugby (you only need three teams to be really successful v NZ teams every weekend in order to win championships) & Wallabies (selection structure would help too) while maintaining the national footprint by having a National Tier 2 comp or send both Western Force & Melbourne Rebels to another comp as well as investing more in grassroots elsewhere.

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Flying Fijians hold up the Wallabies en route towards their huge World Cup victory yesterday in St Etienne, France

by Sports Benches

The Wallabies Week 2 match-up of the 2023 Rugby World Cup continues where they took on Fiji yesterday morning our time at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in St Etienne, France. Wallabies may have took the first three pointer & the TRY scoring points on the board, but it’s Fiji who made the most out of several three-pointer penalties through the posts going into the break 8-12. Later on, Fiji went on to extend their lead off the one and only TRY while continuing to score another few three-point penalty goals. Although Wallabies scored another TRY back, but at the end of the day, the winner goes to the Fiji after they def. them for the first time in 69 years 15-22. Wallabies will need to must win that next game v Wales on Monday in Lyon to try & finish 2nd in Pool C that will see them go into the Quarter-Finals next month, while Fiji will have a week off before taking on Georgia next Sunday in Bordeaux.

The best No.9 half-back on ground goes to Simione Kuruvoli from Fiji, having contributed a lot of the points that saw them stay ahead before his side found the winning touches towards the end. He might not be the tallest, but he’s so excellent at kicking all over the pitch thanks to his impressive physicality including these conversions between the two posts, as well as clear & effective communication that got the best out of his team including an improved 2nd half run.

There’s also a towering second rower who helped Fiji stay ahead in none other than Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta at No.5. Not only he has such a tall frame with NZ provincial rugby & Super Rugby experience, but also so powerful when it comes to his physicality mainly in attack that gifted his side the maximum amount of points opportunities possible. They both are gonna keep it calm over the next two RWC games v Georgia & Portugal, so no pressure whatsoever before QFs time.

And Rob Valetini did the best he can to try & stop Fiji in its tracks in the No.8 Wallabies shirt. He’s got a great all-round game as always as being tested with his visual and physical contribution that led to some opportunities along the way when it comes to accruing these points. But unfortunately, ill-discipline & a lack of fire from the Wallabies back half saw Fiji take the upper hand, which is very worrying indeed if they lose again v Wales or else they’ll have to fly straight back home.

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Top 3 players from the Wallabies Week 1 match-up v Georgia in the 2023 Rugby World Cup from Paris’s Stade De France

by Sports Benches

There’s a dynamic superstar who made a name for himself right away just like his Super Rugby career in Ben Donaldson all the way from the Wallabies backline this time at No.15. He has demonstrated more than just a 10 player where he can run with explosive pace as well as making kicks in order to get out of trouble or help crack that gap past the opposition blocks. Plus, Taniela Tupou has been back in shape just in time to kickstart the World Cup campaign for the Wallabies on the No.3 front row at tighthead. He has loads of physicality to plow his way past the Georgians while running a bit that got the best out of his attacking skillsets.

Both players will want to keep up the good start going into the next Pool C game v Fiji on next Monday AM.

And No.12’s Merab Sharikadze did the best he can that led to two of the tries against the Wallabies on the inside centre role for Georgia. He‘s great with pace as well as backing up that requires clear communication before he gains every bit of the Wallabies own danger zone in order to keep the Georgian attack going where the sweet spot was there when given the chance. But sadly, they just couldn’t stop a flying Wallabies attack that saw them collect the bulk of the points with the loss.

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The Wallabies proved so powerful to kickstart their 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign in Pool C with the win v Georgia

by Sports Benches

Australia faced off against Georgia in a thrilling encounter at the Stade de France. The Wallabies emerged victorious with a final score of 35-15, but it was a hard-fought battle that saw both teams displaying their prowess on the field. They wasted no time in asserting their dominance on the field, with Jordan Petaia crossing the try line just minutes into the game. Petaia showcased his blistering pace and powerful running as he sliced through the Georgia defence to touch down for the first try of the match. Ben Donaldson calmly slotted the conversion to give Australia an early 7-0 lead.

Despite the early setback, Georgia responded with a penalty from Matkava to put themselves on the scoreboard. However, it was clear that the Wallabies were in control. Their forwards dominated the set pieces, providing a solid platform for the backs to work their magic.

Mark Nawaqanitawase extended Australia’s lead with another try, showcasing his ability to finish off flowing attacking moves. Donaldson’s accurate kicking continued as he added a couple of penalties to stretch the lead to 18-3 by halftime.

Georgia entered the second half with renewed determination, determined to mount a comeback. Their efforts were rewarded early in the half when Ivanishvili crossed the try line, narrowing the deficit to 18-8. Abzhandadze added the conversion to give Georgia a glimmer of hope.

However, the Wallabies remained composed and focused on maintaining their lead. They continued to apply pressure on Georgia’s defence, and it was Ben Donaldson who once again stepped up. Donaldson, who was having a remarkable game, scored two tries of his own in quick succession. His ability to read the game, find gaps, and execute under pressure was on full display. With successful conversions, Australia pushed their lead to 32-8.

Georgia didn’t give up and kept pushing forward. They managed to breach the Wallabies’ defence in the dying minutes of the game, with Gigashvili scoring a late try. Abzhandadze added the conversion, bringing Georgia’s score to 15 points.

Australia had one final say in the match, as Donaldson added another penalty to secure the much-desired bonus point for the Wallabies. His impeccable kicking performance throughout the game was a major factor in Australia’s victory.

In the end, it was a hard-fought victory for the Wallabies in their Rugby World Cup opener. They displayed their attacking prowess early in the game, with Petaia and Nawaqanitawase setting the tone with their tries. Ben Donaldson’s exceptional performance, earning him the Man of the Match award, cannot be overstated. His two tries, conversions, and crucial penalties were instrumental in Australia’s win. Georgia showed resilience and determination, especially in the second half when they managed to score two tries. However, they were unable to overcome the Wallabies’ dominant performance.

Top 3 players from the Wallabies Week 1 match-up v Georgia in the 2023 Rugby World Cup from Paris’s Stade De France

Taniela Tupou has been back in shape just in time to kickstart the World Cup campaign for the Wallabies on the No.3 front row at tighthead. He has loads of physicality to plow his way past the Georgians while running a bit that got the best out of his attacking skillsets – such a dynamic player indeed. There’s another player who was also dynamic is none other than Ben Donaldson from the back this time at No.15. He has demonstrated more than just a 10 player where he can run with explosive pace as well as making kicks in order to get out of trouble or help crack that gap past the opposition blocks.

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France finally win v All Blacks to kickstart their home 2023 Rugby World Cup tour on a flyer at Stade de France in Paris

by Sports Benches

The centre stage has arrived at last to bring you the start of the 2023 Rugby World Cup at Stade De France in Paris between the host nation, France v the All Blacks from New Zealand. The ABs opened the scoring first courtesy of a Beauden Barrett cross-kick assist towards Mark Talea on the left short-side as well as dominating the field earlier on that includes the penalty goal before a series of three-pointers from France of their own as saw them hold a one-point ball game at half-time, 9-8. Now Talea has put the ABs back in front once more, but France has turned themselves around thanks to their attacking spark off the back of tries from Damian Penaud & Melvyn Jaminet before they finally saw light at the end of day towards full-time with a big win 29-13.

Hats off to France’s No.10 Matthieu Jalibert who made his country’s attack spark that blew the All Blacks away in the 2nd half. Now he might not have been required to kick these extras, but he’s got youth by his side as well as loads of physicality for the benefit of the squad, such as these quick passes, blistering pace & some cross-kicks to get past the opposition gate. Next up is fellow Frenchman Thibaud Flament down on the second row at No.5 after he kept the ABs quiet while smashing back in return. He’s got such a tall frame where he’s being tested so well in all fronts that saw him capture every bit of the opposition weaknesses & from there, he uses that to help France finish off the work for him either way. The host nation is off to a red-hot start & hope they can stay that way to finally win a World Cup for the first time.

And Mark Talea has been an extraordinary finisher as always where he knows how to get the job done with back-to-back tries for the ABs at No.14. He credits some assistance here & there, especially when he wanted to get the ball so badly from afar before he has the licence to thrill as being tested there. But sadly, it wasn’t his day when a mix of ill-discipline & a poor 2nd half defense restricted the most of his attacking chances where the host nation has finally won against them on home soil.

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