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Michael Hooper

Rugby

Rugby News Australia, Western Force’s rebound in the 2nd half alone wasn’t enough to hold back the Waratahs’ huge scoring spree at HBF Park

by Sports Benches

What a way to finish Round 9 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific as we turn our attention between the Australian and New Zealand teams battling each other with six rounds left to go. NSW Waratahs were off to a stellar start in the 1st half with a decent lead ahead of half-time at 7-24, while Western Force began to make up lost time with three tries on the board in the 2nd half alone. However, the game has already handed over to the Tahs by that stage when they’re too good to pull off a comfortable win at HBF Park in Perth. The final score is 24-41.

NSW Waratahs looked outstanding; left, right, center, tonight; on all fronts. Their first-half spell was unbelievable when the Tahs rack up three tries on the board off the back of the Force’s poor start, such as; Mark Nawaquanitawase, Lalakai Foketi & Michael Hooper. And they continued to extend their winning margin alongside the double try brace from Alex Newsome after the half-time break, even though there were some mistakes with the ill-discipline and that blunder at one point from Dylan Pietsch on the left-wing. It’s nice to see the Tahs high & flying now in 5th on the ladder under new coach Darren Coleman; players such as Michael Hooper & Jed Holloway, who have returned from overseas, will play a key role in their playoff push & the development of the Tahs youngsters.

Western Force just still held on to their place within the Playoffs bubble in 8th; they need to start acting fast now if they want to stay there, especially with the New Zealand teams around the corner for the remaining six rounds this season beginning next weekend. There’s no problem with their defensive shape that helped the Force win a couple of penalties. Although, they can be patient when building some pressure with the ball going forward. However, they only dominated the 2nd half alone with three tries on top of one lone big score in the first 40. They need more support with the executions & cut the ill-discipline from the start if the Force wants to stay in this fight by winning games.

The Tahs will open the Super Round at 6 pm AEST with the Chiefs from Waikato in Hamilton, NZ, where all of the Round 10 games are held at AAMI Park in Melbourne next Friday. Meanwhile, the Force has an opportunity to strike back when they take on Moana Pasifika straight after this Tahs v Chiefs match-up at 8.30 pm AEST.

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Rugby News, Top 3 players from the Western Force v Waratahs Game in RD9 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific

by Sports Benches

You cannot fault Michael Hooper’s all-round contribution 100% down on the openside back row at No.7 with such a great read noticing the Force’s conversion struggles. He was there to cancel the opposition team’s opportunities with a couple of his Tahs support numbers defensively; before the ball came to them & Hooper played a brilliant role when helping out the attack, having scored one of the team’s tries in the 1st half. It’s great to see Michael Hooper back home at the right time under new coach Darren Coleman & new a crop of youngsters that helped the Tahs become a winning Super Rugby team again.

The next Tahs spotlight player after Michael Hooper is Alex Newsome, who started in the No.15 shirt at full-back. How good is that two-minute demonstration with the two tries he scored in the 2nd-half? He’s happy with the way the Tahs fired off when his team spotted a couple of Western Force’s weaknesses in the attack before they cashed in & did some damage in return. Not only he’s a brilliant finisher thanks to the number of turnovers & penalties won that made his life easier, but he’s also a decent contributor defensively when Newsome nailed down the Force’s lack of numbers at their end. It’s also another good reason Newsome helped the Tahs dominate possession with the ball, which means more try-scoring chances & demolishing the Force’s defense that played a huge role in their big-scoring win tonight.

And Reesjan Pasitoa’s move to Perth from Canberra proved to be the right place for him to develop at first five-eighth, despite the one rash decision he made with the yellow card in the 2nd-half. He worked with his No.9 of Ian Prior very well when launching the attack together for the Force; that way, Pasitoa calls his numbers by dictating the game & put the pressure back on the Tahs with the ball on hand. Although, the executions worked with three tries in the 2nd half alone in addition to the lone 1st half TRY from himself. However, a poor first 40 left them way out of reach when their chances of winning from out of nowhere were slim to none.

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Rugby

2022 Super Rugby Pacific Preview

by Admin

2022 is a big shakeup for super rugby. The competition includes three new teams and is now exclusive to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Despite the changes, this season should still be incredibly exciting.

Australian Teams

The closest thing we have had to super rugby over the last three years was the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman series last year. It was a series in which the Australian teams struggled massively, only winning two games against the five New Zealand teams in the competition.

It looks likely to be another year where Aussie teams will struggle. The Brumbies once again look to be the pick of the Australian teams despite the Reds winning their first domestic title in Super Rugby Australia last season. The Queensland Reds will be looking to compete thanks to a variety of international players like Taniela Tupou and Tate McDermott.

The Waratahs, Force and Rebels will all be looking for spots in the knockout stages, but it will not be easy. The Waratahs do see captain Michael Hooper return for 2022, but they still look to be towards the bottom end of the table. Both the Force and Rebels have lost a lot of test experience over the last year and it will sadly hurt them this season.

New Zealand Teams

After dominating the Trans-Tasman series last year, it looks to be another Super Rugby season dominated by Kiwi teams.

Favourites for their fourth title, the Crusaders have a wealth of international talent led by two time reigning player of the year Richie Mo’unga. Their talent also includes Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, George Bridge as well as recent addition Pablo Matera. They may have some competition for their fourth title in a row.

The Blues are welcoming back Beauden Barrett, while still having internationals like Rieko Ioane, Nepo Laulala and Dalton Papalii. They come into 2022 off the back of winning the Trans-Tasman series. The Chiefs could be a surprise this season despite the losses of Damain Mckenzie and Lachlan Boshier. The Chiefs have one of the most talented set of forwards in Super Rugby which could dominate any team on any day.

The Highlanders and Hurricanes both have a huge amount of talent on the squads. But the Highlanders will struggle having lost a third of their starting XV from the Trans-Tasman final. They have a brilliant leader in Aaron Smith, but will struggle to progress in the tournament. Similar situation for the Hurricanes with some major losses coming into the season. But the Hurricanes add Dom Bird and TJ Perenara and could surprise a few people this season.

Two New Pacific Teams

This season features two new teams, both based in the Pacific Islands. After many years of lobbying, the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika will join Super Rugby. Starting with the Fijian Drua. They have had a difficult preparation for Super Rugby due to COVID issues, meaning the squad is based on the NSW North Coast as they could not prepare in Fiji. It looks like the team will need some time to adapt to Super Rugby’s intensity. Their squad contains Olympic champions Napolioni Bolaca, Kalione Nasoko and Meli Derenalagi. Don’t be surprised if Fijian Drua make a push for the knockout stages this season.

The second new team is Moana Pasifika, made up of players from New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Australia, including 18 former or current internationals. Much like Fijian Drua, it will be a season of getting used to Super Rugby for Moana Pasifika. 110 capped Australian Sekope Kepu is captain for the 2022 season, bringing a huge amount of experience to the new team. Moana Pasifika will be very exciting in the upcoming season, but don’t expect them to be near the top of the table come the end of the season.

The Loss of South African Teams

The reshaped 2022 Super Rugby does not include any South African teams, after their Super Rugby licenses expired after the 2020 season. It does seem odd going into a Super Rugby season without the Bulls, Sharks, Lions or Stormers. Their exclusion opens the floor up a lot for either the New Zealand teams to take over or opportunities for the new teams or the Australian teams to step up.

Super Rugby is going to look very different this season. Losing the South African teams is big for the competition. Despite not competing with them domestically, South Africa is still playing against New Zealand, Argentina and Australia in the Rugby Championship. It does show some disjointed thinking when it comes to Super Rugby’s thinking. But the 2022 changes bring plenty of opportunities for Pacific Island teams who have been trying to get into Super Rugby for years.

Predictions

In this new look Super Rugby, it looks as if it will be a few years until the new teams or the Australian teams can compete with the talent of the New Zealand teams. 2022 looks to be a similar story.

Working from the bottom up, I think the four teams that are likely to miss out on the knockout stages are most likely to be the Rebels, Force, Waratahs and Moana Pasifika. These teams just don’t have the talent to move any higher. In terms of the teams to get stuck at the quarterfinals, I could easily see these teams being the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Fijian Drua and the Brumbies. The Brumbies could be the surprise package this year, with the talent their squad possesses.

But this season will be dominated by the New Zealand teams. The Reds will be the exception to this, looking likely to at least reach the semi-finals. In an emotional season, the Chiefs will also be targeting a semi-final push, but it may be slightly too difficult for them to get past either of the two teams left.

These two aren’t exactly surprising to anyone who has followed Super Rugby over the last five years. The Blues welcome back Beauden Barrett after his time in Japan, the team has talent in all areas. But the Blues don’t quite have the two time reigning Super Rugby Player of the year.

I think at the end of the season, the Crusaders will lift their fourth title in a row. A team with Richie Mo’unga, Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Sam Whitelock and Joe Moody is too much talent for any team to compete with when you reach the knockouts. The Crusaders will win their fourth title in a row.

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Rugby News Australia, Top 3 players from England v Australia in the 2021 Autumn Nations Series at Twickenham Stadium

by Sports Benches

Like the way how Tom Curry smashed a couple of dummies into the Wallabies zone for England at Number 8 with has a lot of physicalities to knock them down like a bulldozer when building phases which also allowed him to make his best use defensively, and he never stops thanks to the opportunities being given with the ball from a series of Wallabies’ mistakes that allowed England ample time to crack through the channels whether it’s through a winning penalty kick for goal or a TRY.

Next up is Marcus Smith who is another key contributor for England at first five-eighth with excellent communication/playmaking ability especially when his side were patient that built some pressure back to the opposition, although England scored just two tries today but it allowed him to be flexible on how he wanted to execute thanks to the Wallabies missed chances that gave his side plenty of extended time in the final third which help extend their lead after half-time.

Nice to see him complete the kicking duties where Owen Farrell left off in the last ten minutes.

And Michael Hooper did well to stand in England’s way with some support from his fellow forwards which allowed him to make up extreme physical prowess, his contribution as skipper on the openside handed him a few winning penalties that saw James O’Connor punt four three-point goals but just not the night he wanted thanks to the Wallabies’ disjointed discipline and finishing.

#ENGvAUS #Wallabies #England #RedRoses #Twickenham #MichaelHooper #TomCurry #MarcusSmith #Rugby #RugbyUnion #InternationalRugby #AutumnNationsSeries

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Rugby

Waratahs bound head coach Darren Coleman guides LA Giltinis to a Major League Rugby Championship in its inaugural campaign

by Sports Benches

Congratulations to incoming Waratahs coach Darren Coleman who just guided the LA Giltinis to an Major League Rugby Championship on their first ever season.

This is a massive achievement through a group of star-studded characters that can pass on these hometown players & learn a thing or two from them at this club.

It’s something Darren would do to bring this vibe when he returns home from Los Angeles later this year, as we haven’t seen much of this kind of structure since Michael Chieka left after 2015.

As it stands you got Jake Gordon, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Lalakai Foketi, Ben Donaldson, Alex Newsome & Angus Bell staying on, while a number of key players are coming back too such as Michael Hooper, Jed Holloway & Ned Hedigan.

And some of the new players he’d like to see at Daceyville would be the best produced & proven at club rugby level, having coached in the Shute Shield for many years including Warringah & Gordon with two titles in 2017 & 2020 respectively.

These two important characteristics shows why a three year contract is enough time for Darren to rebuild this franchise.

We’ll also see if Adam Freier and Stephen Hoiles follows Darren as well or stay in LA.

Up to the board now to back Darren with inside knowledge of the NSW rugby system & get the Tahs back to winning ways from next year regardless of the Super Rugby format.

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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 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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