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Rugby

All Blacks two-week tour of England and Ireland 2024 Review: They are still on song over both of the North’s best teams lately

by Sports Benches November 8, 2024

Yes, going to Europe this year for the All Blacks may not be without any challenges, with unfinished business ahead in this Spring Tour. But so far, so good though with not one but two wins off the trot.

One was a close win last weekend v England (22-24) at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium’s when the home reserve 23 couldn’t get it converted via the post that hit the bar, and now the ABs notched a huge win over Ireland (13-23) earlier this morning – both on their respective opposition teams’ home fortresses.

At one point, the lead did belong to the English and later the Irish thanks to their own good headstarts ahead of the ABs, particularly earlier in the 2nd half that sent a strong message to the ABs that their good times may well be over by the North.

But at the end of the day, we all want to see a stunning contest of rugby and yet they’ve delivered both times with a phenomenal fightback, and they’re not done yet with their fight back towards being the world’s best ranked rugby team.

They have France to play for next weekend in Paris – which isn’t going to be an easy run much like their recent games – before the ABs will finish their year in in two weeks from now at a different Allianz Stadium this time v Italy in Torino – who currently hosts the home games for Serie A side Juventus FC in Soccer/Football.

There’s no need for an introduction there in none other than outstanding All Blacks and Crusaders full-back Will Jordan, who never disappoints while he keeps on scoring a TRY or two per game. Every time someone is looking out for numbers, he puts his hand, always knows what to do it & answers this with perfection – simply a world-class player both physically and mentally. He could even dominate in any other contest Will wishes to play as well.

The next best consistent ABs star is Wallace Sititi on the blindside 6 from the Chiefs & gotta say he’s been delivering the goods that coach Scott Robertson is putting faith in him so far. Not only he’s sound in defense, he’s also paramount when it comes to these offloads & through tackle busts – especially via the counter-which suits his game so perfectly. Again, he’s a superstar in the making now in Europe off the back of his break in 2024.

He and Will have been ticking off winning games as of late based on their consistency, the work isn’t done yet for the ABs to be on top of the world once again.

Meanwhile, the best Irish player on show belongs to Bundee Aki on the inside midfield pack at No.12 – he’s also originally from NZ too just like a bunch of other adopted Internationals. He did a brilliant job covering & clearing up in defense in the way he offers through all areas in attack as if he’s thrown into an arm wrestling contest with loads of experience. It’s just a shame that his team fell off the rails later on like being a touch isolated while being scrappy with the ball.

And the one English player the Wallabies need to watch out for is Marcus Smith at 10. He’s the one who usually loves to convert kicks inside the posts in any kind from penalty goals, conversion goals off tries & even drop goals – he should’ve been kept through the end anyway. Is there more he can do? Yes, he’s also quick on the counter like that intercept TRY last weekend and as long he continues to find support, then he will no doubt guide England home like it was before.

November 8, 2024 0 comment

Rugby

All Blacks way too good after overcoming Japan’s brilliant start in Yokohama by 19-64

by Sports Benches October 26, 2024

Good to see International Rugby back for the final leg of 2024 up North of the world that began with the All Blacks taking on the Brave Blossoms (Japan) at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama.

It was a close contest over the first few minutes when Japan unexpectedly had the early lead thanks to a TRY from Jone Naikabula but for the most part though, the ABs showed off what they can do best as they were too good all along from start to finish.

They were leading by 31 points (12-43) at half-time before the ABs stretched their lead way further through half-century towards the end with the win by 45 points (19-64). Now it’s up to the ABs to make the most out of their European tour as their next game will be against England next weekend at London’s iconic Twickenham rugby venue – now known as England’s Allianz Stadium.

The man of the moment belongs to first-time All Blacks skipper Patrick Tuipulotu following his A-game performance tonight on the second row 5. He’s got all sorts of power to outmuscle the Brave Blossoms every time Japan tried to score one over the TRY line defensively while he’s well proven with the ball on hand – he’s been there & done that by scoring one over (by himself) and several more set-up tries for the ABs. He knows what it takes to win a Super Rugby Final & he wants to make sure that not all of the ABs best talent is lost when going up v the North’s best over the next couple weeks from next weekend.

Next up, here comes Ruben Love who was unreal on his All Blacks debut as the reserve back 23 with back-to-back late tries. He proved his worth throughout the first half year with the Hurricanes when they were mostly unbeaten up until the home semis defeat by the Chiefs while he could’ve been fast-tracked to the ABs sooner much like a few other first-time impact stars. But hey, he’s ready to do more damage as that next big challenge will come to him soon enough v the Northern Hemisphere’s best sides starting next weekend – let’s see if can fulfil his SR potential for the ABs there over in Europe.

And Japanese half-back Shinobu Fujiwara has been sensational off the back of the Brave Blossoms’ brilliant early start v the ABs. Every time Japan launches on the counter-attack, he’s been so destructive – despite not being so tall – where he’s got the players around him to help get the job done like that quick ball pass, and the tries were to there to see. Yes, he may have only played for Japan a few times while he was up against a team that is always so dominant. But glad he made a name for himself with he experience he picked up against veteran overseas players in the Top League – more to come.

October 26, 2024 0 comment

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Rugby News Australia, All Blacks finish off the 2024 Bledisloe Cup Series on a real high v Wallabies by 20 at Sky Stadium in Wellington

by Sports Benches September 28, 2024

Well, the All Blacks had something to finish off their home 2024 campaign on a high after they were simply too good v Wallabies. Yes, the first half was tight with the Wallabies up first thanks to Fraser McReight while the ABs managed to fill up the first half at the right time going into the break by five points (19-13). But at the end of the day, the ABs extended their lead with more and more tries where the Wallabies unable to catch them up as the clock ticks down unlike Game 1 last weekend in Homebush (Accor Stadium).

Even though the Rugby Championship trophy may no longer be within reach with the Springboks or Los Pumas likely favourites to take home later tonight over in South Africa, a win will do it for the ABs to settle fair & square by 20 points (33-13) as all eyes on the South now to take on the North’s best when the Autumn Nations Series begins this November in Europe.

This is the man the All Blacks wanted to see someone pounce all day & it’s Will Jordan from the back at 15. It’s been a while when he couldn’t play for the Crusaders earlier this year due to a pre-existing shoulder surgery. But what we know best about Will is that he has the outstanding pace to lead out all in one go as if he got the chance to drive that fast military tank & he too got the best out of his wide players on what has been a masterclass display tonight.

Then we will move onto someone currently earning his stripes in the All Blacks Way & he’s young too thanks to Wallace Sititi on the blindside 6. He’s had a huge 2024 from guiding the Chiefs to a Grand Final on this same Wellington ground to All Blacks selection and yet Wallace didn’t put a foot wrong every time he runs and smashes hard with the ball as well as his solid defense. Don’t forget he has a brilliant rugby IQ as seen particularly in the second half – more to come in 2025.

All in all, congrats to the ABs with a 2-0 series clean sweep thanks to their comfy Game 2 win by 20 points (33-13). Yes, they still need to improve their breakdowns while retaining ball retention. But other than that, they’re still winning as long as they still have the Bledisloe Cup trophy.

And journeyman Taniela Tupou didn’t back down as one of the two Wallabies main front rowers at tighthead 3. Yes, he may felt such pain on his knee not long after the game was underway but he still kept going to do some damage on the ABs alongside his solid defense off the back of the Wallabies’ fast start. Anyone would love to have the Tongan Thor all day as we’ve seen that before earlier this year with the Rebels, a few years ago at the Reds & now he’s Waratahs-bound next year under Dan McKellar. For now, it would’ve been better if the Wallabies had more ball to score more tries rather than letting the ABs have it if that helps with little to no fight towards the end there.

September 28, 2024 0 comment

Rugby

Thoughts on the English Premiership Rugby teams trying to kick Italy and South Africa out of the current United Rugby Championship & how it affects Super Rugby

by Sports Benches September 14, 2024

Now we normally don’t look at the Northern Hemisphere side of Rugby, but there has been come chatter a few days ago about a British and Irish domestic competition featuring 10 teams from the English Premiership, 4 each across Ireland and Wales & 2 from Scotland that would leave two Italian and four South African teams out of the cold.

As much as we’d liked to have South African teams coming back here & NZ in Super Rugby like it used to be, why kick them out from Europe when the current United Rugby Championship comp is working well for them that benefits a whole lot other European sides from a commercial and competition standpoint other than Wales — despite the long travel of course to go back up & down between Europe and South Africa but still their European and African time zones are only 1-2 hours apart.

Speaking of Wales, yes, they barely had one team making the last 8 last season in the Ospreys & none at all the before that (2022-23). Don’t forget they’ve haven’t been good at all as seen a few months ago with still no win so far this year for the national team when they came down here for two Tests apart from the rare World Cups thanks to Head Coach Warren Gatland.

But would it be great if the Welsh teams be willing to try help out an ailing English comp like we see in English soccer when three of the comp’s recent teams unfortunately went bust last year? Maybe the lesser need of travel and the close build-up of rivalries to compete v the English teams may be work best for them while the URC can get a Georgian side & another SA side in the Cheetahs – even though it may end up being 14 teams instead of 16. That’s okay though as don’t see much changes for URC anytime soon when SA is playing at their No.1 best once again that won them 1 x URC title back in 21-22 for the Stormers from Cape Town while seeing at least one of their sides make the big dance every year and the Sharks from Durban recently won the European Challenge Cup title a few months ago v Gloucester; Plus, they won another World Cup triumph last year v All Blacks and now they get to beat the ABs twice on home turf with the cusp of winning the Rugby Championship.

Meanwhile going back home, there’s still some room of improvement when it comes to Super Rugby with the comp being more Trans-Tasman & across the Pacific rather than being the best of the Southern Hemisphere since its reboot three years ago. We’ve just lost a side a few months ago in the Melbourne Rebels (although we could continue to see some Melbourne games next season under the ACT Brumbies while always staying at traditional heartland in Canberra and Southern NSW) after 14 years due to financial problems as the 2025 season will now feature 11 teams (short-term) across 16 weeks, 2 byes and a new look three-week Finals featuring the Top 6.

Since the European sides and countries benefitted SA competitively, why not we bring some Japanese players (I mean some best Top League and also Japanese aka Cherry blossoms Test players) coming over here with the help of Andrew Forrest by forming a partnership with Japan Rugby Football Union to revive the Sunwolves as the new Japanese/Western Australian side but have most of their home games in Perth with a few in Tokyo – doesn’t mean the Western Force should be disbanded since he’s the owner. He can continue to promote the Force differently like playing in a few post-season exhibition games that they’re doing right now over the next few weeks including a trip to South Africa, don’t forget a possible future National Club Comp is in the works & they can also enter in the Japanese Top League and even South Africa’s Currie Cup by having some home-grown talent in as a feeder team where all of this can be doable while retaining its junior presence (via U16/19 comps).

And to make up the 12th team, also like to see the Jaguares coming back and now this will be challenging with no direct flights now to Argentina since COVID at the start of this decade. But being based in Melbourne wouldn’t hurt for the most part with the regular season, although a few traditional long-haul trips would bring back some of the old days should they make the six-team Finals & they can truly play in Buenos Aires to bring the home crowd up and pumping on home turf.

At the end of the day, we all want Super Rugby to be competitive where things will take time without South Africa that will make New Zealand happy so they don’t really have to suffer on its own like we’ve seen in recent years, and also us Aussies happy too after barely winning any trophies other than some occasional winning matches to celebrate for a very long time.

September 14, 2024 0 comment

Rugby

Thoughts on the 11-team 2025 Super Rugby Season structure with 16 rounds, two byes, no Super Round for now & one Quarter-Final lifeline out of six-team Finals

by Sports Benches September 12, 2024

The 11-team 2025 Super Rugby Season structure including its Finals system has just made its first steps today, although the full 16-round fixtures draw will be released later in the next coming days.

Here’s what we know so far

Still an uneven fixture list but the annual rugby calendar during the first-half year is already tight anyway. At it stands, one will play twice v four teams and once v six other teams, with seven home and away games plus two week-long byes.
A bit more Sunday afternoon games where we got three on offer throughout the 2025 season with the option of expanding more Sundays when it comes to future seasons.
Season to start a bit earlier like mid-February with an extra round rather than the 3rd week of February like it was over the last few years.
No Super Round where all teams get to play at the one venue during the three-day weekend – at least for now, especially when Melbourne no longer has a Professional Rugby team in the Rebels. Although they could be back in 2026 as part of the Bledisloe Cup ANZAC Day weekend via A Festival of Rugby that is expected to take place at Optus Stadium in Perth.
Finals to look a bit different for three weeks in June with six rather than eight while the bottom five can no longer take further part once the regular season is over. Three Quarter-Final winners to go to the semi-finals before one each winning semi-finalist will go on to battle in the Grand Final, with the 3rd winning Quarter-Finalist being the lucky loser as the highest ranked losing team – so a bit like what we saw with the NSW Shute Shield (Club Rugby) during the 2023 season. Yes, some fans still don’t like it and I do personally like to see just a simple four-team Finals format (just two semi-finals and Grand Final) but this is where it’s going in the way we see in other Footy codes like AFL and NRL.

All in all, good to see some changes that will spice up the competition from a format perspective. We’ll see what happens, especially going into 2026. As much as I liked Super Rugby being a Trans-Tasman and the Pasifika competition over these last few years when South Africa moved over to Europe, we’d like to see the Jaguares come back from Argentina to make up 12 teams like it was before (2022-2024) but be logistically based in Melbourne for the most part with Finals on home turf.

With the idea of having more Super Rugby on Sundays, why not begin the day on the couch when the Jaguares sometimes play at home (if they do really want to play some of their home games truly in Argentina) before finishing off the afternoon either side of the Tasman? This would also be the perfect springboard when it comes to future expansion like North America & Hawaii at some point where we could have more Sunday games here/Saturday games there, but both USA and Canada are a long way off from where we are at least in the Top 10 competitively right now.

Although I’d also like to see Andrew Forrest’s Western Force side to team up with Japan by making one super revival team of the Sunwolves together featuring max involving the best of our players and also these Japanese Internationals from the Top League, with most games in Perth and some in Japan. That would be a great replacement to cover up the lost South African quality talent & income there.

If the Western Force do wish to continue playing Rugby, it would be through the idea of a new third-tier National Club Competition or a series of exhibition matches like the Cheetahs do from Bloemfontein in South Africa while being a feeder club to the Sunwolves, as well as junior level in the Super Rugby U16 & U19 competitions – also run similarly to the one Rugby Victoria is set to operate now the Rebels are gone with some Melbourne games still a possibility by the ACT Brumbies next season.

But I guess we will wait and see between now and at least the home 2027 Rugby World Cup depending on the Wallabies performance. If not, I could see Twiggy going elsewhere to another comp – doesn’t mean the Force is going to be dead since he’s the owner. In the meantime, all we could hope for the best of Australian Rugby right now is to have at least two decent teams battling up front alongside the dominant NZers next season – even though it’s going to be a bit more difficult from here.

That way, we could finally see our usual Brumbies or any other Australian team like the Reds or Waratahs to finally play in a Grand Final in a long time when simply advancing into a Quarter-Final & then getting eliminated right on the spot isn’t good enough.

Not even getting kicked outside the last 4 isn’t a good excuse either, especially for the Brumbies when we haven’t been winning for 10 years now since the Tahs last won it v Crusaders & over 20 if you count the Bledisloe Cup & even Rugby Championship for the Wallabies.

September 12, 2024 0 comment

Rugby

Rugby News Australia: Los Pumas too good following their sensational 2nd half display while Wallabies walk away with such a big defeat after full-time by 67-27 in Santa Fe

by Sports Benches September 7, 2024

The Wallabies two-week Argentinian tour v Los Pumas ended on a dismal low following their heavy 67-27 defeat in Santa Fe.

Yes, the Wallabies did fire off well at least going into half-time with a few points lead (17-20) thanks to two tries off Carlo Tizzano & Andrew Kellaway including some conversion kicking brilliance by their starting No.10 Ben Donaldson.

However, despite this small lead, the Pumas went on to take over and then extended their lead by a country mile while Wallabies limped off with extreme disappointment following full-time ahead of yet another difficult Bledisloe Cup series v All Blacks starting in a fortnight’s time at Accor Stadium in Homebush. Okay, the Springboks did wrap up their two-match series on home soil with another win v All Blacks, as they are now one stop closer towards securing this year’s Rugby Championship. But still can’t guarantee for sure when it comes to the Bledisloe Cup when the Wallabies are still out of their depth against a few top-notch sides like the Boks and Pumas, and yet they haven’t won a Bledisloe since 2002.

What a performance by reserve lock/loose forward Joaquin Oviedo when he came off the bench for Tomas Lavinini and finished off with stunning back-to-back 2nd tries where no one couldn’t stop him. Wondering where he was last weekend when he wasn’t playing in that first match? Anyways, he played like a true Puma who possesses all the physical characteristics that allows him to get around the Wallabies gate & he turned out to be the major catalyst to his side’s big win in Santa Fe.

Lucio Cinti: the next Pumas player you need to know on the outside centre 13. He constantly keeps on plowing on the Wallabies defense all day including his side’s extraordinary 2nd half that caps off with the Pumas game-ending winning TRY of his own. Cinti does a bit of everything every time he turns up on the counter-attack, who adds an extra metre or two up front, before they finished off the work for him thanks to the Pumas hugely extended 2nd half run.

Both players we saw there were grateful of playing their Rugby across Europe while still getting to don the Pumas with Oviedo playing a key role for Perignan in France while Cinti came off a huge year for Saracens in England as more to come from these two later this year with the Boks later this month + the November European tour v Italy, Ireland & France.

And Max Jorgensen was the best out of this Wallabies bunch on the wide right who can also play on the left as well as from the back at 15. His first-half run helped the Wallabies put themselves on the map with a knack of his defensive tackling, pace and swift passes where he’s been making such an instant impact straight out of high school since his Super Rugby debut early last year for the Waratahs. It’s just a shame that poor 2nd half deprived him with a lack of service while his side were easily run down by the Pumas & that isn’t a good look ahead of another difficult Bledisloe Cup series later this month.

September 7, 2024 0 comment

Rugby

More Thoughts/Suggestions to Rugby Australia on revisiting the idea of a third-tier comp with a mix of the best Club Rugby teams & outside traditional state Franchises

by Sports Benches September 1, 2024

The 2024 Australian Club Rugby season is now over following two close Grand Finals from the weekend in the NSW Shute Shield yesterday & QLD Hospital Cup earlier this afternoon, with Eastern Suburbs finally won a premiership after a long 55 years wait since 1969 over Northern Suburbs by one point (36-35) while Brothers still came out on top v Wests Bulldogs by two points (29-27).

Both Grand Final winners will go on to take on the annual pre-season Australian Club Championship challenge match in early March 2025 between the Easts v Brothers.

For now, it was great seeing some of our Super Rugby contracted players playing for their respective local/grade clubs during the latter stages of the regular club rugby season including Finals including some free-to-air time on 9Gem in addition to full-season coverage on Stan Sport.

I wish we could take a lead off FIFA’s brand new annual Intercontinental Cup tournament/old FIFA Club World Club format in Soccer or maybe the short-lived Super Rugby Unlocked from South Africa back in 2020 before the South African teams packed their bags for Europe nowadays though as our next third-tier competition to replace the previous National Rugby Championship between 2014-2019.

It would involve a mix of the Grand Final winning Club Rugby teams from NSW, ACT & QLD and some fully professional franchises like the Western Force, Fijian Drua & Rugby Victoria (using the former Melbourne Rebels name licence).

Sure, we need to keep a close eye on player welfare when players need to take some time off after a long six month season on the field. Don’t forget that some 1st grade Club Rugby players who isn’t tied up to their respective Super Rugby club have day jobs too, so they won’t mind have to travel that much while getting to spend more time with their families & loved ones.

However, it would be awesome if we run a few weeks festival alongside our Super Rugby U-19s comp either between mid-September to the end of October or the start of February to mid-March and the respective Club Rugby seasons might need to start a bit later in April.

Food for thought as would love to see our best Club Rugby teams across QLD, NSW and ACT getting some extra competition at a national level v the likes of the Force, Victoria and Drua rather than creating another set of generic-based Rugby teams from each state as seen with the NRC in the past. Hope Rugby Australia can see this so more Super Rugby players who isn’t playing for the Wallabies right now can play there a bit longer that will benefit the best Club Rugby players and also the juniors coming through the ranks.

September 1, 2024 0 comment

Rugby

Argentina v Wallabies Game 1 of 2024: Wallabies came out unscathed with the last-minute win over Los Pumas by a single point

by Sports Benches August 31, 2024

Well, that was close when the 1st of the two Pumas v Wallabies games ended up in a huge tug-o-war under difficult conditions over in Mar Del Plata but happy to see the Wallabies take that last-minute win by a single point (19-20) thanks to Ben Donaldson’s successful three-point penalty conversion. Now they will need to make a 2-0 clean sweep next weekend also away from home to try & reclaim the Puma Trophy off Pumas in Santa Fe.

The first half saw the Pumas getting a headstart with a few points lead by 13-7 at half-time, although Wallabies got one back with No.9 Jake Gordon other than a few missed late opportunities. Then 2nd half saw the Wallabies close in again via Rob Valetini while Pumas tried to hold on their lead with a series of three-point penalty goals when the Wallabies went on to lead for the first time before the Pumas snatched one back as the game wasn’t over just yet with a few minutes to go.

But at the end of the day though, it was the Wallabies who came out strong under pressure over the Pumas – still lots more to come under the tutelage of Head Coach Joe Schmidt as congrats with the win.

Sure, he may be injured many times before including the 2nd-half Super Rugby 2024 season where the Tahs really missed his on-field services. However, Angus Bell’s class is permanent every time he puts in a shift including that crucial last few mins to seal the Wallabies last minute win v Pumas after he came back on all at loosehead. He is simply excellent in all forms of both attack and defense where his side wasn’t far behind at half-time before he came back on to finish off the job – no matter how ugly that is – as everyone in Australia needs him and we got the 2nd Game next week to make up that clean sweep v Pumas.

Then we’ve got Rob Valetini being a huge mainstay of the Wallabies three-man loose forward glue at blindside six, who doesn’t disappoint every time he starts & produces in a high-standard game, as seen both at Super Rugby & International level so far in 2024. His all-round tackling, physicality and skillsets allowed the Wallabies to play catch-up including his one & only 2nd half TRY through the toughest of conditions whether under rain or the cold Canberra weather. More to come next weekend & if he can help the Wallabies win again, I’m sure the ABs won’t have an easy time later this month under his watch.

And Tomas Lavanini unexpectedly came on that early in the Pumas locks when their starting No.5 Pedro Rubiolo was down with an immediate impact to get the ball rolling where his side was a few points in front at half-time. Gotta say he’s in the right place at the right time to create the perfect storm based on his towering height, a mix of tough tackling & brute and also his vast experience via the best of both hemispheres including last year’s 4th-placed World Cup. What the Pumas could’ve done when they were so unlucky at full-time was not keeping him on; Without him, the Wallabies had a great sniff to nail them down under pressure & there goes that 1st game in the end with the loss.

August 31, 2024 0 comment

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2024 NSW Shute Shield Grand Final: Eastern Suburbs finally tasted premiership victory in 55 years following a one point win by 36-35 over Northern Suburbs at Leichhardt Oval

by Sports Benches August 31, 2024

After 80 minutes of Shute Shield Grand Final rugby of 2024, we saw another new winner since Randwick lost the Week 2 Finals last weekend. But today’s moment was all about the Eastern Suburbs who just ended their long 55-year drought since 1969 over the Northern Suburbs by one point, 36-35.

To begin with, Norths had some close battles earlier on when they led for a bit at one stage but Easts dominated most of the first half pie by 16 points, 29-13.

Now Norths began to play catch-up while Easts able to extend their lead a bit further on the scoreboard as this 20-30 min grand final came down to a close two-horse race towards the final front stretch where one will win & another will have to watch on with disappointment at the finish line.

In the end, that unfortunate last-minute TRY attempt by Norths was ruled as knocked-on by the ref when they were one point shy off the lead sums up this season-ending match, with Easts finally able to taste grand final winning glory for the first time in a very long time.

Congrats with the win by the way to Easts where they’ve got excellent players with some of their brilliant youngsters on the books at the Tahs while Norths came from a long way who knows what it takes to succeed in Finals footy from 6th spot.

Easts No.10’s Jack Bowen had a whirlwind 2024 from overseeing the Easts’ unbeaten campaign including today’s long-awaited Grand Final triumph to making some Super Rugby appearances for the NSW Waratahs. Gotta say he demonstrated excellent creativity that is paramount to the Easts’ counter-attack where you got some excellent wide players and forwards around him through the gate. We’ve that before when he was earning his stripes and like Teddy Wilson, he came back as a better player – more to come as the Tahs future 1st choice No.10.

Here’s another standout Easts player that you need to know and it’s Jamie Adamson from England who also put in a championship-winning display on the blindside No.6. Yes, he’s plying his trade here normally for work on weekdays but glad he brings top level World 7s experience from both England and Team GB to Easts that benefitted his team-mates & some juniors coming through the ranks. He was simply destructive with his towering height and physical skillsets both in attack and defense where Jamie nailed it right there to help steer his Easts clear off Norths.

And Norths outside midfield 13 Henry O’Donnell did the best he can to try and crack the code once again on what has been his second straight Shute Shield grand final at the same Leichhardt Oval venue. There’s a reason or two why Western Force wanted him under former Norths coach Simon Cron where he was blessed with the service being given on the counter-attack via his excellent running when looking for space & the way he beats defenders which is the same when being tested defensively. Yes, so unlucky when their reserve hooker just couldn’t nail it down at the in-zone but poor ball retention every time Norths lost/gave the ball away is what really consigned them to another Shute Shield runner-up finish of 2024.

August 31, 2024 0 comment

Rugby

Rugby News: Springboks wrap up their Australian tour with an 2-0 clean sweep following a 18-point win over the Wallabies

by Sports Benches August 17, 2024

Round 2 of tonight’s Rugby Championship game between the Wallabies v Springboks at Perth’s Optus Stadium was a huge physical battle under rainy weather. Both sides were neck and neck to begin with where Wallabies got away with a few penalty goals while Boks also scored a few but hold a one-point buffer by 11-12 at half-time. But at the end of the day, the winner belongs to the World Champion Boks team once again who continues to extend their winning share off the back of another few fresh faces off the bench despite fielding a B-team starting line-up by Head Coach Rassie Erasmus.

The final score was 12-30 as the Boks wrap up their two-game Australian tour with a 2-0 clean sweep by 18 points that includes retaining the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate once again. Boks will now head home as all four teams (All Blacks, Los Pumas, Springboks and Wallabies) will each get a week-long rest next week before they will be back on the road towards the end of this month. The Boks’ next two games will be v All Blacks at home while the Wallabies next two games will be in Argentina v the Pumas.

Please note: you will need a Stan Sport subscription to watch the Wallabies away games including the next two games v Pumas as Nine/9Gem only covers the home games including one when they play in NZ v All Blacks.

One of the world’s best locks continued to shine tonight in Perth for the Boks with no introduction to Eben Etzebeth. He ticks off everything that the Boks need to get on the board that ranges from the experience, leadership and skillset as do understand the big changes Rassie Erasmus did for Game 2. But again, any opposition team will have to get through him first who is really, really tall & at the end of the day, that access has been denied while his Boks has been simply unstoppable with the win all night long.

Malcolm Marx also made a big difference when he came on in the 2nd half as the Boks reserve hooker that safeguarded his country’s two-match clean sweep Australian tour. Like Eben, he too brings a wealth of experience; Although he’s based in Japan though nowadays & can still play for them thanks to the Boks free selection policy. He’s simply outstanding with a mix of throwing and physical power after he scored back-to-back 2nd half tries, especially when playing in the rainy cold weather as Marx is well used to tackling the brave as being tested in the Top League & he’s done that again tonight.

For the Boks, it’s great seeing them play on our turf this year since it’s been a while from the last time they’ve played each other here two years ago. We wish them all the best of luck for the rest of this Rugby Championship tournament.

And how about we give the journeyman and WA local for the Western Force Carlo Tizzano who’s grown so much over these last few years & he’s never let anyone down in his 2nd Wallabies Test at the blindside No.6 position. Building a solid defensive structure is a good start where winning penalties and turnovers were there that led to an okay first half performance. It’s a shame the Wallabies were unable to grasp the way they attack v the World Champs – maybe our backs firepower aren’t as good as them to rattle the Boks at their own end unfortunately.

August 17, 2024 0 comment