General
Argentina face the daunting task of joining the top three rugby union teams in the world, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, in an expanded Tri-Nations from 2012.
All Blacks and Crusaders captain Richie McCaw has been named the International Rugby Board Player of the Year for the third time.
The 29-year-old flanker is the first player to receive the prestigious accolade three times, as well as in consecutive years, cementing his position as one of the greats of the Game.
The accolade completes a hat-trick of IRB Awards for New Zealand announced , with the All Blacks named IRB Team of the Year 2010 and Graham Henry unveiled as IRB Coach of the Year for a record fourth time.
Following the Springboks victory of England this weekend, I read with interest how the English press announced that South Africa showed they will be a force in the World Cup. Continue reading
As the international season winds up, Greg Growden rates the top competitors before next year’s World Cup in New Zealand.
Graham Henry believes that new laws and a faster paced game mean that players would be better served by having two referees in control.
Wallaby playmaker Matt Giteau will get the chance to show his class when he captains a star-studded Barbarians against the Springboks at Twickenham on Saturday.
Giteau will feature at flyhalf in his third appearance for the BaaBaas and will want to make a strong impression having been dropped from the Australian starting line-up on their European tour by coach Robbie Deans.
The Barbarians squad to take on the Springboks at Twickenham on Saturday is the following:
England and Leicester Tiger Tom Croft has been discharged from Charing Cross hospital where scans revealed evidence of a fracture to his right scapula (shoulder blade).
Ireland hosted Argentina at Lansdowne Road , Dublin at 16:30. The Match was won by Ireland. They scored 2 tries to nil. They were in control of this game from the start.
Ireland 29/Argentina 9 (Final Score)
Scorers:
Ireland: Penalties – Jonathan Sexton(5) , Tries – Stephen Ferris, Gordon D’Arcy, Conversions – Jonathan Sexton(1) Ronan O’Gara
Argentina: Penalty – Felipe Contepomi (3)
France (13) 16 / Wallabies (13) 59 (Final Score)
France hosted the Wallabies at Stade de France at 21:45 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
With the halftime score still indicating 13 / 13 and the Wallabies scrum in trouble in the first half, the Wallabies opened the taps and put a sorry French side to the sword in the second half, raining in the tries and giving the French their biggest ever defeat against the Wallabies, with a 43 point winning margin.
Fianl score Wallabies 59 / 16.
The Wallabies scored 7 tries against one penalty try.
Wales (9) 25 / All Blacks (13) 37 (Final Score)
Walas hosted the All Blacks at the Millennium Stadium at 19:15 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
The All Blacks scored 5 tries before conceding a lone Wales try when the clock was already past 80 min.
The All blacks achieve their Grand Slam AGAIN, beating Wales by 37 / 25
We will cover the following games with live threads and live scoring.
Saturday 27 November 2010
England vs South Africa – Twickenham 16:30 SA Time, shown on TV at SS1 & MNET & SHD
Wales vs New Zealand – Millennium Stadium 19:15 SA Time, shown on TV at SS1 & CSN
France vs Australia – Stade de France 21:45 SA Time, shown on TV at SS1 & CSN
Sunday 28 November
Ireland vs Argentina – Aviva Stadium 16:30 SA Time, shown on TV at SS1 & CSN
England manager Martin Johnson has reverted to the starting line-up that trounced Australia for Saturday’s one-off Test match against South Africa at Twickenham.
Springbok captain Victor Matfield has been nominated for the 2010 International Rugby Board’s (IRB) player of the year award, rugby’s governing body announced on Thursday.
The true measure of any coach is what he falls back on when the chips are down.
The International Rugby Board Council today approved amendments to two aspects of Law that will ensure that the welfare of players always comes first.
They didn’t quite collide with his hairline, although Richie McCaw’s scarred eyebrows still twitched when told his old mentor Robbie Deans had accused the All Blacks’ scrum of “trickery” and manipulation of the referees this week.
Three down, one to go, but Wales are looking more like a damp squib than a tour finale as the All Blacks head down the home stretch.
Toby Robson
The Wallabies will not adopt Graham Henry’s New Zealand method of forcing players to rest during next year’s expanded Super rugby season. Instead, they will put the onus on the players to use their common sense and not continue appearing for their Australian provinces when they are injured.
The Grand Slam dream is over. The one thing that could have redeemed the Boks and its management came to an embarrassing end on Saturday as the Springboks went down to the Scots, and as my three-year old would say; ‘Now what now?” Continue reading
SCRUMMING MESS
Whatever is being done to clean up the scrumming mess, it’s not working. The slower engagement sequence is not working. Penalising is not working. Perhaps they are starting from the wrong end of the problem.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has attacked referees for unfairly targeting the Australian scrum because of their ”preconceived ideas”.
France (9) 15 / Argentina (3) 9 (Final Score)
France hosted Argentina at Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier at 21:45 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
On a muddy field, fireworks is not expected, so in a hard and physical battle, the boot decided the outcome, not a single try scored.
France ground out a win, winning by 15 / 9.
Ireland (13) 18 / All Blacks (19) 38 (Final Score)
Ireland hosted the All Blacks at Landsdowne Road, Dublin at 19:30 SA Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
The Irish came with a dogged and determined approach and initially traded penalties with the All Blacks, but the black machine changed a couple of gears late in the first half, scored a try and in the first part of the second half really punished the Irish.
Ireland was not done yet and threw everything at the All Blacks.
Final score was All Blacks 38 / 18, with Dan Carter only missing the last conversion when time was already up.
3 Matches are played simultaneously this afternoon.
Scotland vs Springboks 16:30 SA Time
Italy vs Wallabies 16:00 SA Time
England vs Samoa 16:30 SA Time
Wales (6) 16 / Fiji (13) 16 (Final Score)
Wales hosted Fiji at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 21:30 Sa Time. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
Fiji salvaged a draw with a converted penalty after time was up, final score 16 / 16.
Now the All Blacks wait for the embattled Wales team…. it’s going to be murder on a grand scale.
The importance of the Varsity Cup has been underlined once again by several SA rugby heavyweights joining various coaching staffs.
Heyneke Meyer, the Blue Bulls director of rugby, Herkie Kruger, Lions flyhalf, and David de Villiers, Cheetahs lock, have all joined Varsity Cup coaching staffs.
Wallaby coach Robbie Deans has dropped Matt Giteau from the starting line up to face Italy after he was shown a yellow card in last weekend’s loss to England.
Coach Graham Henry has continued with his policy of rotation by benching Sonny Bill Williams.
Scotland head coach Andy Robinson has made four changes in personnel to the starting line-up for Saturday’s Test against world champions South Africa at Murrayfield.
Nick Easter will lead the England side for the first time in a full international against Samoa at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.
Seven of the Scotland players involved in the 49-3 mauling by New Zealand are in need of medical assessment ahead of Saturday’s Test against South Africa.
Since reading most opinions on news websites and the mainstream media I cannot get that irritating tune of Kenny Rogers called The Gambler out of my head. Continue reading
Munster secured a 15-6 victory against Australia in gale-force conditions at Thomond Park handing Australia their second loss on the end of year tour.
MONDAY MAUL – Greg Growden surprised me with this article. I thought everything he says is pro Australia and he never criticize his own team. Well read this article by him. He makes a few very debatable statements and hits the nail on the head with some others. Enjoy it..