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Rugby News Australia, Top 3 players in the 2021 Rugby Championship: Wallabies v Springboks

by Sports Benches

Taniela Tupou played 78 minutes tonight on the tighthead role for the Wallabies where he was so impressive all-around in front of his Queensland Reds home ground at Suncorp Stadium.

He read well with so much physicality to hold back the Springboks’ attacking opportunities before Taniela lend his hand to his backline especially when he communicates & links up the support play that saw Marika Koroibete safeguard this match.

Next up within the Wallabies camp is Marika Koroibete who was electric on the wide left as he made some great runs into the Boks territory when starting up the attack & managed to execute very well with the help of his decoy runners which is reflected in his 2nd half-performance.

It’s so important to know what his strengths are based on his Rugby League & Super Rugby experience where he’s blessed to wear the green the gold for a few years now, Marika will continue to control the entire pitch going into age 30 next year as long as the players come in to help him like we’ve seen with Taniela Tupou having been born & raised in Fiji.

And Handre Pollard had a great first-half performance with his kicking prowess into the goal for the Springboks at No.10 that kept them in contention thanks to a couple of successful three-point penalties.

However, the Boks weren’t able to kick on despite leading at one point just after half-time when they just can’t find their rhythm such as the executions being disjointed as well as more ill-discipline that saw Pollard being isolated which reflects the away team’s regress in the end.

#AUSvRSA #Rugby #RugbyUnion #RugbyChampionship #MarikaKoroibete #HandrePollard #TanielaTupou #Wallabies #Springboks

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the 2021 Rugby Championship: Springboks v Wallabies

by Sports Benches

What a night it has been for the returning Quade Cooper in the No.10 Wallabies shirt at fly-half!!

His kicking was spotless eight times into the goalposts including the game-winning brace that smiled at the Wallabies fans to cheer after full-time.

It gives much-needed experience especially when Noah Lolesio wasn’t performing well at International level recently & now is the time for Quade to nail down the starting No.10 role going into next year and the crucial World Cup year in 2023.

Next up is another returning Wallaby who made an immediate impact at the same time after the Olympics which is Samu Kerevi in the inside midfield position.

He performed really well last week in a losing side v All Blacks and kept his form tonight for a winning team when Samu bursted through the Springboks brick wall, his physicality in the attack helps find another support player or two which is reflected in the 1st half off Andrew Kellaway’s TRY.

Like Quade, the Wallabies need experienced and senior leaders such as Samu Kerevi who has played in Japan over the past two seasons & to come back here shows he can handle at International level.

And Faf De Klerk rounds off as the best Springbok player of the night at half-back.

He communicated very well behind their robust scrummaging and maul feed that knocked the Wallabies over at times especially when they won a few penalties & gained three tries the maul itself.

Unfortunately, the Boks were held back due to ill-discipline and a lack of finishing in open play which saw them being impatient as seen just before full-time when they lost the ball before Quade Cooper became the hero for the Wallabies.

RSAvAUS #QuadeCooper #SamuKerevi #FafDeKlerk #Springboks #Wallabies #Rugby #RugbyUnion #InternationalRugby

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Rugby News, Quade Cooper’s return to the Wallabies is perfect timing thanks to his last-minute penalty goal heroics v Springboks

by Sports Benches

Wallabies started very well in the first half when Quade Cooper’s return to the No.10 jersey was superb with his kicking through the posts as well as Andrew Kellaway’s first try of the night off the assist from Samu Kerevi, so great to have some added experience in the line-up.

Meanwhile, Springboks were good defensively which led to some penalties that converted into some three-point kicks and a TRY late in the 1st half from Bongi Mbonambi but they need to watch their discipline which caused them to hold back & the same goes for the Wallabies if they don’t want to lose after the break.

HALF-TIME: Springboks 11-19 Wallabies

Although the Wallabies may not have scored a TRY after the break but they continued to rack up successful three-point goals, even though they escaped the Springboks powerful scrum/maul feed towards full-time thanks to Quade Cooper’s penalty heroics into the post.

And the Boks as said a bit earlier have turned a corner with their robust driving feed that puts down two tries from substitute Malcolm Marx which puts them back in the game that threatened the Wallabies, they just still unable to find the finishing in other areas of the attack as well as the continued ill-discipline where it fell short.

FULL-TIME: Springboks 26-28 Wallabies

Wallabies registered their first win of 2021 in the Rugby Championship and third overall if you count the other two games v France back in July as they face the Boks again next Saturday at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Meanwhile, Springboks hopes to make up revenge v the Wallabies at the same time while they look to close in top spot as long as the Argentine Pumas upset All Blacks which falls also on next Saturday.

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Rugby News Australia, 2021 Bledisloe Cup Game 3 Review: Wallabies v All Blacks

by Sports Benches

A fantastic start from New Zealand in the first 40 who scored two tries at 0-18 despite seeing Jordie Barrett receive the red card. 

They were fantastic as always due to the patience and support play unpacked that flows into a sensational finish as seen with the mix of short passes, physicality & pace.

Meanwhile, The home team created some chances especially with the link-up play earlier from Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete but they still haven’t learned a thing or two when it comes to executions which ultimately haunted them in return.

Although the Wallabies finally got going after the break when they scored three tries, it’s just too late to rebound by the time All Blacks   continue dominating the pitch with four more tries including a David Havili 2nd half double before the final siren (80th minute).

FULL-TIME: Wallabies 21-38 All Blacks

All Blacks already confirmed their Bledisloe Cup defense for the 19th straight year with a clean sweep series win 3-0 while they continue to lead The Rugby Championship going into a double meeting v Argentina over the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Wallabies are still looking for their first Rugby Championship win of 2021 when they will face The Springboks from South Africa also at the same time.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from 2021 Bledisloe Cup Game 3: Wallabies v All Blacks in Perth

by Sports Benches

David Havili was fantastic in the All Blacks midfield on the inside throughout this afternoon.

He did well to protect his defense every time the Wallabies struggled to execute that won turnovers/penalties/intercepts, then the real work begins when Havili became so destructive after half-time with two tries that wowed the All Blacks supporters watching him.

Next up is Akira Ioane who also played a huge role on the blindside back row that distance his All Blacks team further away from the Wallabies.

Not only he spotted the Wallabies attacking struggles through the final third defensively but gave a helping hand when contributing the attack that made his backline a lot easier to score which is excellent communication & support play that reflected their big win today.

And Samu Kerevi learned a lot during the Tokyo Olympics while playing rugby sevens for Australia when he ran through the break with transferrable skills prepared at 15s level.

Look at the link-up play when he was side by side with team-mate Marika Koroibete earlier in the 1st half & he may have continued to create these chances throughout today but Kerevi lacks support regarding the executions and that’s lost points stolen which was scored by the All Blacks.

#BledisloeCup #AUSvNZL #RugbyChampionship #Wallabies #AllBlacks #Rugby #InternationalRugby #RugbyUnion #SamuKerevi #AkiraIoane #David Havili

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Australian Rugby News, Game 3 of the 2021 Australia v France Series

by Sports Benches

Great start from France who jumped ahead early, with credit coming from a robust defense that became the build up base in the 1st half.

But it’s the Wallabies who stole the show despite the red card controversy that left Marika Koroibete punished & had to play 14 men.

Nevertheless, they moved on with two wonderful tries (Tate McDermott & Noah Lolesio) off the back of France’s impatient attacking shape.

The home side tied 20-20 apiece at the break before they were able to get away with the win last night that sealed the three-game series 2-1.

France did make up some lost time off the work from Teddy Thomas who kept them in contention, but their impatience going forward especially with the lack of communication saw the Wallabies win that turnover before they kicked out.

And what a series indeed with three close finishes from both teams that reflected the top product of International Rugby.

Next up from the Wallabies is the three-game Bledisloe Cup Series v All Blacks starting on Saturday, August 7 at Eden Park, Auckland.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from Game 3 of the 2021 Wallabies v France Tour

by Sports Benches

Darcy Swain is outstanding on debut at the second row where he kept a robust French attack quiet, especially in the dying seconds that helped the Wallabies kick out for the win.

He already has the Brumbies mentality applied last night that was taught from Super Rugby, which it’s crucial to step up & handle against International opposition.

And Darcy used his tall reach with his vision/physicality that highlighted France’s weaknesses before he took it with both hands with some attacking help along the way. Well done with many more to come if he plays again next month v All Blacks.

Then we move onto fellow Brumbies team-mate Noah Lolesio who is sensational at first five-eighth.

The kicking accuracy is there as usual even from difficult distances that ultimately secured last night’s Game 3 & series tour win (2-1) for the Wallabies.

Noah also shown much physicality thanks to his creative vision that was too hard to chase him down. Not only he was patient when he had the ball in hand, but spotted their lack of communication via the passage of play before he intercepted in return with the 1st half big score.

So really good representation from both Brumbies stars who can become key players at both provincial & International level in the next couple of years.

Cameron Woki is not an easy opponent to run into at the openside back row for France, where he’s solid as a rock in defense that earned them winning penalties.

He handled the maul well going forward during the first half, so great setup towards an early lead via the TRY thanks to half-back Baptiste Couilloud.

But the one thing that stopped the French from winning is the impatient attacking shape, and it’s something they lack on occasions that ultimately saw the Wallabies steal in return.

#AUSvFRA #InternationalRugby #Rugby #RugbyUnion #Wallabies #France

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Australia V France 2nd Test in Melbourne

by Admin

13th of July 2021

By Daniel Cullinane

Twitter: @dcullinane02

After a close win for Australia in the first test, both teams had much to play for in this second encounter in Melbourne. For Australia, a win would wrap up the series. And for France, victory was essential to keep the series alive.

France would again be without Antoine DuPont, the best scrum half in the world. The game started at a fast pace. It was clear that both teams wanted to keep a high tempo and there was lots of running from deep, especially by the Wallabies.

Wing Marika Koroibete put in a scything run which resulted in him crossing the French line for the first try of the match. Unfortunately, earlier in the move the other Australian wing Tom Wright had knocked on meaning the try was chalked off.

However, it wouldn’t be the last time that we would see Koroibete in full flow.

The Wallabies had a tough first half with a few mistakes and turnovers at the breakdown. The French capitalised with points from the boot.

France are a hard team to penetrate. In Sean Edwards they have the best defensive coach in world rugby and the work he is doing with them along with their improved conditioning is paying dividends.

They showed the Wallabies how dangerous they are on a broken field with some nice interplay leading to a try for French flyer Damian Penaud. Australia came back with a try just before half time.

A wonderful long miss pass from prop Taniela Tupou saw scrum half Jake Gordon score in the corner. The half finished 13-16 to France.

In the second half, Wallabies captain Michael Hooper really stood up in attack and defence. The French adopted a pick and drive approach and were making huge gains into the Australian half.

Hooper was on hand to win a timely turnover and stopped the French momentum in it’s tracks. He showed up again later in the half, and with real determination he got over the French line and scored to keep his team in the match.

At crucial times when Australia were piling the pressure on France, they let them off by not being accurate enough. The Wallabies need to sort their lineout before the final test. French flanker Cameron Woki was immense in the second half.

On his own line he stole an Australian throw and then was on hand to help his team burst out of their 22 and up the field. The teams swapped penalties in a tense last few minute’s. The final score was 26-28 to France.

Going into the third and final test, surely it’s too close to call. The Wallabies have plenty to work on in the set piece. They know a lot more about the French now.

They know they are committed in defence and have the fitness to maintain it, and are creative in attack but also possess ball carriers across the field to punch holes.

My man of the match was Australian wing Marika Koroibete. He was outstanding in open play with his speed, but also served as an extra ball carrier for the Wallabies with his explosive physicality.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from Game 2 of the 2021 Wallabies v France Tour

by Sports Benches

Louis Carbonel is exceptional at fly-half for France last night, having became involved in adding the points they need.

He used his best strengths well with so much physicality and creative vision that limited these chances from the Wallabies going forward, before he brought his men in which ultimately controlled the game with patience.

Then we move onto his team-mate Cameron Woki who was dynamic in both ways on the blindside position.

He looked after the defense well that became the starting point of France’s game plan thanks to his reading.

And Cameron was able to work with the backline on the same page, when he lended a helping hand in the attack that made a good difference.

Without his hard work the French forward wouldn’t be the same without him & he did very well to keep the Wallabies quiet.

Tom Banks was the best player out of the Wallabies camp alone at full-back when he showed explicit pace and physicality in the attack.

However, he needed support players around him where we didn’t see this much and it’s the one weakness that left Tom isolated.

They scored just two tries last night, so the backline players around him must step up if the Wallabies wants to win the Game 3 decider this Saturday.

#ausvfra #louiscarbonel #cameronwoki #tombanks #wallabies #france #internationalrugby #rugby #rugbyunion

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Rugby News Australia, 2021 Australia v France Game 1 of 3 Test Series & Top 3 players Review

by Sports Benches

What a close matchup between the Wallabies & France in Game 1 of 3 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.

The French may have clinched the 1st half alone 7-15, with two superb tries coming from Gabin Villière on the left wing.

He demonstrated so much pace off their early patience upfront, especially when he was blessed with the inside ball support from Jonathan Danty in the midfield.

But it doesn’t mean the game is over yet for the Wallabies to catch up, having seen them settle in following the slow starts.

Michael Hooper was exceptional as always on the openside back row, where not only he held the French accountable with the defensively.

But he can be a great plot in the attack as well. Such an all-rounder with so much physicality & leadership if I can say a couple of words to Mick.

And how about Taniela Tupou who came off the bench at tighthead with 30 mins to go?

The best part about him is his attacking setup, as he has the reading, pace & muscle that helped Australia stay in contention.

It’s something the French found it difficult to handle on their danger zone, which hindered chances to stay ahead like it was in the first 40. Even the three-point penalty goals wasn’t enough to provide that boost they hope to close out.

Without Taniela on it wouldn’t be possible where he didn’t start Game 1 behind Allan Alaalatoa. What a way to wow in front of his Queensland Reds home fortress. 2nd Game moves to AAMI Park in Melbourne next Tuesday, as the Wallabies win 23-21 France & lead this series 1-0.

#AUSvFRA #Wallabies #France #MichaelHooper #TanielaTupou #GabinVillière #Rugby #RugbyUnion #InternationalRugby #TestRugby #SuncorpStadium

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