General
Winning! Tigerblood! You can’t process me with a normal brain!Some of our esteemed readers here might find value in the Rules of Rugby, properly explained.
Here it is, on video… somewhat tongue in cheek of course
As ever, Rugby-Talk is at the forefront of new design.
I have adapted, changed, improved a LIVE CHAT BOX function, which needs to be tested, to be employed later during Live Game Articles.
Samoan centre Eliota Fuimaono 
Sapolu was ordered to appear before an RFU disicplinary panel on Friday after being hit with three charges of “conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game.”
What did it feel like going cold-turkey without Rugby-Talk for 2 days?
We’re finally back on line after a disasterous SQL Database crash. In simple terms, SQL is the Database we use to store information which integrates with the web site’s content and administrative pages at the Web Hosts.
I think you’ll appreciate that after 4217 Articles, the Database and it’s 173 000 comments is quite a fatty.
As a neutral in this game, I have been wondering.
Modern rugby with all its complexities and the number of people involved with the game today can be compared to modern society in many ways.
Each year I dread the Rugby Off-season at the end of the year!
We are almost at the end of an arduous, yet much shorter rugby season here in the Southern Hemisphere for 2011.
We can still look forward to the Currie Cup Final, the finals of the two junior groups (Under 21 and Under 19), the Barbarians game on 26 November (if memory serves me well) and a Wallaby / Wales game around the same time.
In addition we have the scraps of the first IRB Sevens Tournament of the new season, in South Africa, to be held in Port Elizabeth in the beginning of December.
… but that is about it…
France captain Thierry Dusautoir was named the International Rugby Board (IRB) player of the year for 2011 at a ceremony in Aucklad on Monday.
The International Rugby Board have announced the shortlist of nominees for the IRB Player of the Year 2011 Award.
Popular Kiwi coach Warren Gatland has reaffirmed his commitment to coaching Wales until the end of his contract in 2015, despite speculation that he would return to New Zealand.
Australian Rugby Union Chief executive John O’Neill has revealed that he will stand down in 2013 after the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.
Former Rugby Football Union Vice-Chairman Fran Cotton has agreed to chair an independent review of the entire England structure after the national team exited the Rugby World Cup in the quarter finals.
England will decide on the future of England manager Martin Johnson before the end of the year according to England’s director of rugby operations Rob Andrew.
A Wales side playing “without fear” defended their way to a Rugby World Cup semi-final by standing up to a muscular Ireland to win the first quarter-final 22-10 on Saturday.
Imanol Harinordoquy gave a barnstorming display to earn the man-of-the-match award as France reached the Rugby World Cup semi-finals with a 19-12 win against England on Saturday.
When England and France line up against each other in Saturday’s quarter-final Martin Johnson’s men will take confidence from a record of three victories in four Rugby World Cup matches against their cross-Channel rivals.
Rugby’s equivalent of Hollywood’s famous “Brat Pack” went on show before a packed media contingent in downtown Wellington this morning, and while best mates James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale and Tatafu Polota-Nau attracted their share of interest, the spotlight was drawn to Quade Cooper, arguably the biggest gun in the World Cup west and certainly the Most Wanted.
All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen says Richie McCaw will play against Argentina this weekend, despite fears that a troublesome foot injury could keep the New Zealand captain on the sidelines for the quarter-final at Eden Park.
“He’s great,” Hansen told a press conference at the team hotel. “He’s going to play on Sunday.”
Saracens have been given permission to move their Heineken Cup match against Biarritz Olympique in Cape Town South Africa on Saturday January 14th, 2012.
Places in the quarter-finals of Rugby World Cup 2011 are still in the balance in all but one of the four pools going into Sunday’s final day of action.
How old is too old? Despite South Africa’s impressive figures from their three matches so far (153 points scored, 19 against, 20 tries), 18 is the one that seems to be exercising the sceptics.
History suggests Saturday’s clash between England and Scotland should be an epic battle between two old foes.
When Dan Carter reckons something isn’t quite right with a rugby ball, people listen.
So when the All Blacks’ goal kicking wizard admitted yesterday that the official Gilbert “Virtuo” ball used during the World Cup had caused some frustrations, it was time to dig up a few statistics.
Interpreting some games of rugby is akin to interpreting a Rorschach inkblot. The Rorschach Test was developed by Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach in 1921 to give insights into personality characteristics. It asks subjects to describe what they see in 10 symmetrical inkblots and the tester will make various assumptions about their personality according to the interpretation. – by John Eales
Samoan stalwart Seilala Mapusua has vowed his side will throw everything at the Springboks on Friday after winning the battle of the islands yesterday to keep their World Cup quarterfinals hopes alive.
The world’s rugby media have been rich in their praise for the All Blacks’ impressive win over France with former England lock Paul Ackford declaring: “The World Cup is as good as theirs”.
Peter de Villiers surely did put the attention back on the Haka with his remark that over-performing it will impact on its effect.
The other side of the coin is that the more it is performed in the streets the more it connects the people to the tribe/nation.
I often get the impression that New Zealanders –especially the Islanders- have difficulty understanding that the rest of the world just don’t have the same romantic obsession with the Haka than them.
As an outsider one can feel that they just don’t get it namely that outsiders tolerate it and are not in awe of it. That outsiders are being polite and not overwhelmed by it when they make compliments and positive remarks about it.
For outsiders it is hard to understand how the Haka connects the individual to the Soul of the nation. For the kiwis the Haka is a serious war dance.
Fiji flanker Dominiko Waqaniburotu has been cited for making a dangerous tip tackle during the World Cup Pool D match against South Africa on Saturday, organisers said today.
Ireland’s upset over the Wallabies really has put the cat among the pigeons at this World Cup..in more ways than one.
You don’t have to draw too long a bow from the best match of the tournament so far to realise the result, potentially, has serious implications for the All Blacks.
I’m really interested now – and concerned in the same breath – to see how the French react to this result.
What a big difference a week in rugby makes! But like last week when the Boks played badly I find myself in a strange but familiar position this week where I call on fans to calm down a bit following the Boks walloping of the Fijians on Saturday. Continue reading
Call them stubborn, label them stupid, but it certainly seems Graham Henry and his fellow selectors are struggling to learn the harsh lessons of their last World Cup failings.
Samoan custom frowns upon chest-beating, but there is a strong self belief this World Cup squad can claim another historic victory over Wales on Sunday.
Warren Gatland’s Welshmen face an emotionally-charged and buoyant Samoan side in Hamilton, where World Cup aspirations will be defined.
Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina are both out of tomorrow’s test against Japan.
Both players have been ruled out of the All Blacks’ second game of the World Cup because of injury, while Israel Dagg has also picked up an injury, following a training session at St Peter’s College in Cambridge late yesterday afternoon.