Rugby

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.

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.

Earlier today, the Wallabies had one last hit out on the field v France as part of the World Cup warm-up preparations at Stade De France in Paris, which is going to be the centrepiece over the next month or two. They might have replied not long after France’s opening TRY earlier on, but couldn’t find way to move ahead of the host nation going into the break 16-5. Yes, they managed to score another two tries here & there but it still wasn’t good enough unfortunately while France continued to shine through the end 41-17.

Now the eyes are on the 2023 Rugby World Cup where the Wallabies will begin their campaign v Georgia on Sunday 10th September at 2am AEST followed by Fiji, Wales & Portugal over the next few weeks during the Pool C group stage match-ups.

The standout winger out there on the field goes to Damian Penaud who plays on the right wing for France at No.14. He has exceptional pace to burn all across the pitch as well as being able to catch/jump from up high including that little chipped kick where two tries were made all by himself there – how good! Next up is fellow French star Antoine Dupont down at half-back in the No.9 shirt. He too has helped them get the ball rolling while controlling the ball well thanks to that short ball TRY assist, then Antoine produced another one off the back from the cross kick towards Penaud’s first TRY earlier in the 2nd half before he deserved an early mark to the bench. Both players will be looking to justify their country’s exceptional squad ahead of the home World Cup soon.

And Fraser McReight wasn’t bad on the Wallabies blindside back row at No.7 where he put his body on the line that led to some ball opportunities being handed his way including the early 2nd half TRY from himself. Sadly, ill-discipline has really held them back time & time again before it was too late with still no win this year. Yes, I know they got Georgia to start & Portugal to finish Pool C but then Fiji & maybe Wales won’t be easy ones I’m afraid.

It’s been such a great nail biting storyline earlier this afternoon to wrap up this year’s Shute Shield season for the 100th edition at Leichhardt Oval between Northern Suburbs v Randwick. Randwick got ahead first with three tries on the board while Norths only bagged just the one penalty goal thanks to a brilliant defense on the Wicks danger zone ahead of half-time 3-17. Although the Wicks might not have added anything in the 2nd 40 while Norths made up some lost time, but their robust defense is what made this team so great after the Norths late failed penalty kick. The wicks are now champions for the first time in 20 years since 2004 as the final score was 15-17.

Now that Club Rugby is done, bring on the Wallabies warm-up game v France in Paris at 1.45 AEST on Monday AM. Then bring on the big show starting on the early hours of Sunday September 10 with their Rugby World Cup leg to start v Georgia.

The mastermind behind Randwick’s winning grand final display today is none other than the experienced Andrew Deegan at No.10. He’s more than just a conversion kicker thanks to his quick passing & leadership that made the Wicks counter-attack so effective, having got around the Norths gate with pace to burn before the tries were there while Andrew never puts a foot wrong when adding the extras. Switching from an excellent attack to defense, there is another Wicks player named Simon Poidevin who made a huge difference in rebuffing the Norths attack off the bench. He too has tremendous physicality where Norths struggled to execute with the ball while being isolated & Christian was there to lock them up, which was a huge sigh of relief time & time again through the end that went the Wicks way via the referee’s call. Both players have been a huge part on helping head coach Stephen Hoiles lift his first Premiership in his first season here after spending the last two years over in the US.

And Henry O’Donnell never stopped working on what has been a tough afternoon for Norths in the outside centre position at No.13. He chases the ball really well as being tested that saw the best of his attacking & defensive contribution, but lacks support to get the job done under pressure against a tight Wicks defense sadly through full-time. He’s had a big year where he helped Norths advance into the last two following another minor premiership, while playing for the Australian U20 side with more to come from the 20-year old going into 2024.

It was a big Saturday out at North Sydney Oval with back-to-back Shute Shield semi-finals where Randwick won the earlier game v Eastwood 38-20 as we look back between Norths v Manly for the 3pm game as usual that was aired on 9Gem.

Norths got away first with back-to-back penalty goals before they scored the first TRY while Manly couldn’t get past the opposition team’s scrambled defense going into half-time 13-0. Manly did score a TRY at last thanks to some sensational set up display from Yool Yool on the right wing 16-5, but that didn’t stop Norths when the home team went on to score another TRY before they stopped Manly in its tracks as the clock ticks down 23-5.

That means Eastwood & now Manly are eliminated from the last four as we now anticipate a Randwick v Norths Grand Final showdown at Leichhardt Oval next Saturday afternoon at 3.15pm LIVE both on Stan Sport & 9Gem. It’s gonna be a great end to the club rugby season since both sides haven’t lifted a Premiership in a such a long time before it’s World Cup time over in France going into next month.

First of all, Jude Gibbs has shown his creativity & kicking magic in the No.10 Norths jersey this afternoon that sent his side into next Saturday’s Final. He’s age 22 with a bright future ahead where Jude is more than just a conversion kicker thanks to his quick passes while looking to get out of trouble through his cross kicks past the Manly gate too as well as winning these 50/22 line-out throw-ins into touch.

Next up, it’s Hugh Sinclair who played a huge role defensively where he noticed a number of Manly’s processing issues before he helped his men lock that ball up

on the Norths second row (No.4). He’s got such a tall frame that goes with his excellent physicality including some Super Rugby experience at his prime right now, having talked up well to give back to his club team before the rewards were there.

Both Jude & Hugh will be wanting to push Norths towards a Shute Shield title by blowing Randwick away at Leichhardt Oval when it comes to the scrambled defense as well as showing off their dynamic & creative attack with the ball.

And Yool Yool has been lightning quick as best as he can for his losing Manly team on the right wing at No.14. He never gave up when he was down twice earlier on before Yool Yool got back up with some exceptional work including a 50/22 kick then a TRY of his own not long later in the 2nd half. It’s just a shame that his Manly side weren’t able to dismantle Norths’ tight defensive line while their executions have been messy – he’s now tipping on the Wicks to win the big Final next Saturday.

A huge Saturday of Rugby continues with Game 1 of the two-match Bledisloe Cup series as well as the 3rd & last round of the 2023 Rugby Championship between the Wallabies & All Blacks. We are also back in Melbourne after last year’s home match at Docklands Stadium but this time it’s over at the famed MCG for their first game in 15 years that goes back to 2007.

Gotta say that the first half might have seen the Wallabies get their hopes up with a slight two-point lead courtesy a brilliant Rob Valetini TRY, but an Allan Alaalatoa injury combined with the Marika Koroibete yellow card saw the All Blacks rebound way in front ahead of the break 7-19.

Nothing much has changed unfortunately from the Wallabies end despite some winning penalties/turnovers before the ABs keep on scoring as they were just too good to not only secure the win 7-38, but they also retained both the Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup for another year as well. While the long-running drought for the Wallabies to try & regain the historic Trans-Tasman trophy continues for year 21, there’s one more Bledisloe game left next Saturday arvo at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, NZ.

Let’s start with Will Jordan who was absolutely outstanding on the All Blacks wide right position like he does all the time in a Crusaders shirt at No.14. Gotta love his finishing ability in the way he processes the ball that led to TRY after TRY before he & the ABs were just too good in the end – such as his own 40th minute big score & his TRY assist to Mark Talea later in the 2nd half. He just never stops running & working hard both ways.

Next up is Will’s fellow Crusaders & All Blacks team-mate Scott Barrett down on the second row (No.5) after an all-round effort tonight. He has such a tall frame that allows him to see what the Wallabies were up to at the other end, so he can hold them accountable in his tracks while building some patience with the ball. That way, he helped his attackers express themselves through the gate, which made the ABs scoring life easier v the Wallabies.

They are both championship-winning players through & through, having helped retain Super Rugby, Rugby Championship & the Bledisloe Cup for another year.

And Angus Bell has been the No.1 Wallabies player tonight on the front row at loosehead. Love the way he pushes hard when it comes to his physical application on what has been a huge effort that led to some rewards as being tested both in attack and defense. It’s a shame that the rest weren’t on the same page in the hope of matching the standard set by the ABs, especially when injuries sadly spoiled their good start & he had to come off at one point the 1st time due Taniela Tupou’s rash yellow card tackle.

What an afternoon has been of club rugby when we return to the Battle of the Beaches derby between Warringah v Manly at Pittwater Rugby Park right at the heart of North Narrabeen in Warriewood.

Warringah may have opened the scoreboard first but Manly has struck back with four tries going into half-time 7-26. Nothing much has happened when the game resumed in the 2nd half where Manly continued to extend their lead further in front. Although Warringah may have scored another TRY at last with a few mins left, but their isolated attacking play has held them accountable unfortunately in the end at home 14-38.

First of all, hats off to Zac Barnabas who has been outstanding on the openside Manly back row at 7 with his two TRY haul v Warringah. Love his talent with youth by his side as well as his physical application both in attack and defense that made Manly being too good for the majority.

If one bash brother isn’t enough, how about another one next to Zac on the blindside at No.6 for Manly named Hunter Ward. He too has turned Manly’s first half form around from their lost opening TRY to a big 1st half lead thanks to his attacking prowess through a mix of pace & power.

Surely they can both hopefully hang inside the Top 6 with the help of the returning Reece Hodge going into next Saturday’s regular season finale match v Eastwood.

And Ben Marr rounds it off at full-back for Warringah where he’s got a brilliant tall frame that allows him to do the kicking, passing & running on the pitch. Yes, it may have finally worked with his consolation TRY, but just not enough support sadly where they’ve been caught in between to help Ben & Warringah catch up on Manly.

Week 16 of the Shute Shield continues where their match of the round today on Free-to-air is between the Hunter Wildfires v Gordon Highlanders at the No.2 Sportsground in Newcastle. 

It was Gordon who had an almighty start with a huge lead up front while Hunter added just the one TRY off Ryan Louwrens going into half-time, 7-20. Now there has been some more tries between the two teams later on, but it didn’t change much though when it comes to the result – with Hunter being messy through their attack while Gordon continued to shine including a sensational TRY right at full-time 28-44.

How good was that reserve Gordon back rower in the No.20 shirt when he scored a TRY straight away when he got the ball from up high & then runs with it where no one couldn’t stop him at the last kick restart. Gordon is 4th on the Shute Shield ladder now where they are ahead of Hunter by just a single point (51-50) with two weeks of regular season action to go.

Gotta love Harrison Goddard in the way he operates at No.9 for Gordon. His kicking game was brilliant when looking to get out of trouble or finding his side’s way up high & can also help finish it off on the counter as well – no wonder why the Brumbies wanted him so bad away from the Waratahs to replace Western Force bound Nic White. Speaking of the West, there’s someone who is from Bunbury in WA & is currently playing for Gordon in the centres at 13 named Kainoa Gudgeon. Not only he can back it up with pace while showing some steel in attack, but he was also tested well as part of his side’s scrambled defense where they did well to stop Hunter’s messy attacking line in its tracks. 

And lastly, hats off to Nathan De Thierry with his spotless conversion kicks that earned them the extras & how he launches the Hunter attack with the ball at No.15. His impact has played a huge role in some of the Hunter tries that saw them find their way through the gate, particularly in the 2nd 40. However, that kind of messy finishing v a tight Gordon defense was sadly wasn’t his day today.

Like we saw last week, great seeing the home side open the scoring account first followed by the penalty goal. However, the Pumas have struck back where both teams share the scoreboard at half-time 10-10. Pumas went on to lead for the first time while Wallabies have closed in on them thanks to Nic White off the back of his own scrum before Pumas extended their lead a bit further via the three-point penalty goal with 10 minutes left to go.

Although there was hope for the home crowd thanks to back-to-back tries from Samu Kerevi as well as an intercepted sensation by Mark Nawaqanitawase, but sadly, Wallabies walked away as the losing team to the Pumas who tasted victory yet again 31-34 on the same ground that saw them defeat the All Blacks for the first time back in late 2020.

Yes, Pumas scored the winning TRY towards the end and the ref Jaco Peyper approved it, even though it took him some time to see whether if it was held up. But then it wasn’t when Martin Gonzalez clearly put the ball down after that despite vague grounding beforehand & that left all of the Wallabies players & fans fuming.

It’s hard to look back in disbelief but the form right now under Eddie Jones’s 2nd match back as head coach is still bad at worse, having saw Australia A’s loss to a full Tongan side the other day 27-21 where that squad was full of Super Rugby experience & thought they can do any better than that to win this match.

The Rugby Championship hopes may be impossible now, but there’s always two Bledisloe Cup games ahead v All Blacks beginning at the MCG in Melbourne towards the the 29th of this month.

Jerónimo De La Fuente played a huge influence that helped his Pumas side get the ball rolling at No.12 (Inside Centre). He has been so vocal when it comes to his side’s attacking line while his forwards work their way through every metre of the Wallabies own territory. That way, he knows where to find that sweet spot before the Wallabies couldn’t get on hold of him that includes a TRY by himself to level the scoreboard. Now he might have got an early mark but his vast experience & leadership to this dressing room has been valuable that saw the Pumas knock out Wallabies with the win in Parramatta.

Tomas Lavinini also worked so hard on the Pumas second row at No.5. He’s got tremendous physicality alongside the towering reach where not only Tomas got a good glimpse of the Wallabies body language at the other end, but he also helped maintain his side’s attacking momentum with patience as well. The tries were there to take under his watch that helped his side keep in check even though that game-winning TRY towards full-time has some controversy all over it. Despite this, he credits the communication & support play that got the best out of him.

And Mark Nawaqanitawase has lifted the Wallabies hopes up thanks to his intercept TRY on the right-wing. He backed them up really well back and forth as being tested that saw him rise through the Waratahs ranks over the last 1-2 years. What’s best about him is the way he finishes off with pace & that’s got his supporters pumping every time he scores a TRY. It’s a shame that the match ended with another loss after the last TRY drama to the Pumas, but they still haven’t won so far this year thanks to their lopsided attacking play.

It was great to see Shute Shield or Club Rugby being back on free-to-air TV for another year starting with the last four rounds of the regular season today followed by another four weeks of Playoffs where we look back between Eastern Suburbs v Randwick at Woollahra Oval. 

It was a close first 20-30 minutes contest where both teams were up and running with a few opening tries on the board, but Randwick pulled it off well from a narrow lead comfortably towards the break 10-26. Now Easts have made up lost time whenever possible to close them in off the back of the Wicks’ ill-discipline when Nick Chan had to sit in the naughty chair for 10 mins, but then that short revival was shut down once Chan was allowed to get back on the field. Wicks fired back on the counter with more extended points while stopping the Easts’ attack defensively with their poor conversion play as the clock runs out into full-time with the win 22-36.

First of all, Andrew Deegan was outstanding at No.10 in the way he designs the Wicks counter attack as well as his excellent kicking game. Gotta love his quick offloads as long he can see his own numbers before the job can be done past the gaps, which is a really good response to stay way ahead of Easts.

Then Ben Houston was outstanding in the Wicks No.8 shirt after his two-TRY haul during the first 40 including the second brace that puts his side further in front ahead of HT. Not only he can be such a handy defender every time Easts are in trouble to process past his own lane, but he can smash through the opposition blocks as well as finish it off with pace. 

Both of them will now look to gift his side a minor Premiership trophy ahead of the upcoming Finals as the Wicks are now topping the ladder with three weeks left. 

And Mosese Tuipulotu did well to keep them in check on the Easts outside midfield, who was so aware of a few Wicks errors that gave his side to strike back, and he too take advantage with two tries. Unfortunately, it wasn’t his day even though his side had plenty of ball chances off the back of their poor execution that gave Wicks the upper hand with the loss.

Next one up for Round 16 of 18 on the 22nd next Saturday is NHRU Wildfires v Gordon in Newcastle at 3pm on 9Gem & Stan Sport.