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Springboks

Rugby

Rugby News, Wallabies complete their 2021 Rugby Championship campaign with four straight wins in their last four games against both Springboks & Pumas

by Sports Benches

Great start from the Wallabies in the first half after seeing a series of kicking contests v Los Pumas during the first 20 minutes, they used the ball well when given the chance, called their players up to support through the channels & successfully executed two tries along the way from Folau Faingaa & Andrew Kellaway.

Pumas meanwhile have done well defensively at times as seen that held the Wallabies back & win penalties, but they need to improve their discipline as seen with Tomas Lavinini’s yellow card just a few minutes before half-time which is going to give them time to get past the Wallabies’ own territory or else it’s too late.

HALF-TIME: Pumas 3-15 Wallabies

And the Wallabies continued to thrive after the break with more tries on the board including Andrew Kellaway’s double brace that summed up his hat-trick TRY tonight on the Gold Coast, although they began to falter towards the final siren but a win is a win after all.

Pumas may have turned around in the last 20 minutes thanks to a number of fresh faces off the bench such as Thomas Gallo who touched down twice on the front row, but it doesn’t detract their overall performance when they weren’t up to speed for the majority thanks to ill-discipline before it’s too late to nail down.

FULL-TIME: Pumas 15-32 Wallabies

Wallabies finish 2nd in this year’s Rugby Championship behind champions All Blacks after six games while Los Pumas came home last without registering a win, they will now spend a month and a half in the northern side of the world with Japan later this October before a British visit in November v Scotland, England & Wales.

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Rugby

Rugby News, Wallabies regain the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate with back to back wins v reigning World Champions the Springboks

by Sports Benches

Brilliant first-half performance from both the Wallabies and Springboks at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane with a three-point difference at the half-time break 15-12.

Wallabies fired off very well courtesy of a double score from Len Ikitau in the midfield but need to improve their discipline especially when Lachie Swinton was slapped with a yellow card in the 33rd min if they want to leave this battle v Boks undefeated 2-0.

Boks, on the other hand, has won a few penalties where Handre Pollard at fly-half successfully converted a couple of penalty goals into the post but South Africa needs to be patient through the executions & cut the ill-discipline/lost penalties that would ultimately dictate this match.

In the end, the Wallabies had a complete performance when they may have lost the lead at one point just after the break but turned around thanks to a few fresh faces off the bench as well as Taniela Tupou’s all-round play & Marika Koroibete’s double TRY.

And the Boks may have stolen the lead at one point just after the break courtesy of Faf De Klerk’s little cross-kick to Lukhanyo Am but unable to kick on when their attack continues to lack the consistent execution as well as more ill-discipline that prevented them from closing in the Wallabies.

Full-Time: Wallabies 30-17 Springboks

Wallabies ended their two-match meeting this year with the Boks as undefeated alongside the series win which saw them regain the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate as they have two more games left v Los Pumas from Argentina over the next two weeks.

The Springboks have two tough weeks to prepare v All Blacks going into the closing stages of this tournament, they are just five points behind them right now pending on the All Blacks’ result v Argentina later on but should the men in black lose then the Boks are not out of the running just yet.

Watch this space going into the last two weeks of the 2021 Rugby Championship.

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Rugby

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 Focus, Looking at the lack of Super Rugby coverage in the USA & Canada so far in 2021

by Sports Benches

It is somewhat surprising for those Super Rugby fans from America. When they are unable to tune in the first three rounds of Super Rugby. Not just Australia. But also the Aotearoa version in New Zealand too.

All due to the new three to five year year contracts kicking in. When Sky NZ already the first one to do so late 2019. The same goes to SuperSport in South Africa. They might not be around Super Rugby anymore. Ever since COVID hit one year ago. And eventually transferred all of their four teams to PRO Rugby in Europe. Such as the Sharks, Stormers, Lions and Bulls.

But it does not mean they are out of the south altogether. With the Springboks still in the Rugby Championship. In which will take place later this year. So the intense rivalry v All Blacks, Pumas & Wallabies are still on. At least for another ten seasons.

And we already talked about the new Australian Rugby tv deal a lot. When the Nine Network won the exclusive rights to cover rugby late last year. Effectively ended Fox Sports’ 25 year run. And Network 10 of eight years. Every rugby game acquired is via the paid Stan streaming service. Alongside one Super Rugby game per week plus finals for free on 9Gem. Every Wallabies games live on 9. And only 4 NSW & QLD club rugby games including all finals live on 9Gem.

Sadly this new TV deal finalized so late here affects both USA & UK. Since SANZAAR is the negotiator for all these packages. Super Rugby fans over in the north were asking their respective partners. Such as Sky in the UK & ESPN in the USA. I am not sure if TSN was part of the ESPN package in Canada. So far ESPN/TSN said that they will not be covering any Super Rugby this season.

But ESPN/TSN did not make any comment about the Rugby Championship. Which does see Argentina. Since they are the current TV holders over in the South American region. It even says on the Super Rugby NZ website that ESPN is still there. But only in South America. Sounds so harsh to the ESPN/TSN North American viewers.

While in the UK RugbyPass sorted out with SANZAAR during Round 2. But only the Super Rugby version in NZ. There is no clarity about the Australian comp. With talks still ongoing. So that would mean Sky UK out of the running. Since Sky UK were airing Southern Hemisphere rugby for over 20 years. When they were operated under Fox. But now owned by NBC/Comcast. Especially with very little rugby content themselves in recent years.

Whoever wins the Super Rugby rights gets the whole package. And shove it immediately for their North American viewers. So which potential TV/Streaming networks out there to pick up the pieces.

I do not think Fox Sports will get back to rugby again. They are better off with AFL and NRL. After they showed some rugby in the past. Before they were outbid by DirectTV in 2011-2015 & later ESPN from 2016-2020. The only other two genuine bidders is either NBC or CBS. Either network have yet to cover Super Rugby/Rugby Championship. But both have plenty of other rugby content on offer.

If I was SANZAAR then CBS would be the preferred bidder. Why? It is because NBC are undergoing the same changes. We already know that NBCSN will shut down by the end of this year. And put most of their sports via Peacock. With the bigger leagues still on the USA Network. In order to satisfy their cable/satellite customers.

CBS just renamed from CBS All Access to Paramount + a few days ago. It would be a perfect time to chuck in more sport for their brand. The European soccer was already there half a year ago with great success. Followed by some North & South American soccer along the way. Why not Super Rugby AU & Aotearoa in there every week on Paramount +. Every Finals game via the CBS Sports Network. And every Test involving the SANZAAR nations on Paramount + & CBSSN. Not a official rumour. But it is only my suggestion with six to seven weeks left in this competition.

While SANZAR is still seeking a North American rights holder. As well as RugbyPass to try & have Super Rugby AU/SANZAAR tests in the UK. Make sure return on Sports Benches every week for your Super Rugby AU content. Such as the preview, review, game talk, Top 3 players & round up. So much to cover that benefits the rugby community in Australia.

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