Schalk Burger
If the old cliche about“Defence wins World Cups” applies, then the Wallabies and the All Blacks have cause for concern.
Winger Digby Ioane looks set to make a dramatic comeback for the Wallabies in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final against South Africa after fracturing his thumb last month.
When a player works four years to get in prime condition for the World Cup it is very sad when they get injured. The way a player handles his disappointment shows his metal. There are disappointments in your career and adversity makes you a better person. There might be many more disappointed players at this stage but the three Southern Hemisphere partners each lost one or more of their best players.
Here is the Dan Carter story.
Frans Steyn, Drew Mitchell and Wycliff Palu can be added as big losses.
Wallabies (47) 68 / Russia (5) 22 (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and Russia did battle in Nelson at 04:30 SA Time (15:30 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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After a very good first half it looked like the Wallabies were going to put over 100 points over the Russians, but the wheels came off a bit for the Wallabies in the second half and the brave Russians came back hard, almost outscoring the Wallabies in the second half.
The Wallabies also lost Drew Mitchell, with what looked like a bad hamstring injury, ahead of the looming quarter final.
Australia have been forced to name loose-forward Radike Samo on the wing against Russia and the only back reserves are two scrum-halves after they have been ravaged by injury.
I was watching Namibia play their 4th Test match against yet another very tough opponent in only 14 days (17 days from Rugby World Cup kick-off), in their run on 15 for this match there are only 6 players making a living on rugby, and the only player that can be seen playing for a truly professional high quality outfit is Jacques Burger the Namibian captain.
Wallabies (22) 67 / USA (5) 5 (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies did battle with the USA Eagles in Wellington at 10:30 SA Time (20:30 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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The Wallabies scored 11 tries to a solitary try by the USA.
The injury toll on the Wallaby side will be worrysome for them, though.
Scrum-half Will Genia will captain an Australian side showing six changes from the one that lost to Ireland in Friday’s Pool C World Cup match against the United States.
Wallaby winger James O’Connor has been ruled out of Australia’s Rugby World Cup match against the USA with a strained hamstring.
Wallabies (6) 6 / Ireland (6) 15 (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies did battle against Ireland at Eden Park, Auckland at 10:30 SA Time (20:30 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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In the first real upset in Rugby World Cup 2011, Ireland upset the apple cart and beat the Australian Wallabies.
No tries in the match, just hard, uncompromising rugby!
The Wallabies have suffered their first real Rugby World Cup blow as winger Digby Ioane has fractured his right thumb and will have an operation.
Wallabies (6) 32 / Italy (6) 6 (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies did battle with the Italian Azurri in Albany at 05:30 SA Time (15:30 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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The Wallabies suddenly sprinted into life in the second half with a blitz of 4 tries, to put it well beyond the gutsy Italians.
At first glance this pool looks to be cut and dried, but when one looks deeper into each squad and the potential clashes, it soon becomes apparent that this group has the potential to throw up some HUGE upsets.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has retained the starting team that secured the Tri-Nations title two weeks ago and named James O’Connor on the bench.
It always intrigues me how partial and narrow-minded some of the New Zealand rugby commentators can be. The constant criticism of South Africa’s style of play and the ‘drooling’ over the New Zealand expansive game is something that irritates me immensely so as if there is only one way to play rugby and as if New Zealand has the perfect game.
I have a lot I want to say about the upcoming Rugby World Cup (RWC) in New Zealand, and specifically about the Tri-Nation teams, I don’t pretend to be an expert on the Northern Hemisphere teams as I do not know their best players, or those fighting to become the first choice.
The Australian Rugby Union has suspended James O’Connor until Sunday, August 28 after the Wallabies wing failed to appear at two official team functions on Thursday August 18.
Matt Giteau’s exit from the Wallabies squad has been like a slow, dripping tap that has taken more than two years to be turned off.
Ultimately, it came down to the Wallabies management – and not just coach Robbie Deans – having concerns that apart from opposing teams having ”worked Giteau out”, the Test midfielder had fallen short of the mark on several occasions when on-field pressure was applied.
James Horwill has replaced Rocky Elsom as Australia’s captain in a shock move before next month’s Rugby World Cup.
Queensland Reds skipper Horwill was surprised when coach Robbie Deans today named him to lead the 30-man Wallabies squad to the tournament, kicking off in New Zealand on September 9.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has signed a two year extension with the Australian Rugby Union which will keep him in Australia until 2013 at least.
Wallabies stalwart Matt Giteau has given every indication he has controversially missed Rugby World Cup selection.
The Wallabies achieved one of their most courageous overseas Test victories against the Springboks at the weekend to push their World Cup claims, Australian newspapers said on Monday.
How much stil makes sense in South African Rugby? Is it maybe a way for Peter and his coaching team to confuse all? How serious is our challenge? Who is not laughing? Is it not the perfect chance to let the politicians get their way and pick that 60% black team? Who would care if we send a brand new politically correct team to the World Cup? Most serious rugby supporters gave up anyway on our chances to win this year.
Springboks (6) 9 / Wallabies (0) 14 (Final Score)
The South African Springboks hosted the Australian Wallabies at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Wallabies mounted a massive second half fight back to beat the Springboks by 5 points, all their points coming in the second half.
South Africa’s Springboks take on Australia’s Wallabies in a Tri Nations 4th round match 
Date: Saturday, August 13
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17:05 (15:05 GMT)
Reds back rower Scott Higginbotham and Nathan Sharpe were named in the Wallabies rugby team to face the Springboks in a Tri Nations rugby Test against the Springboks in Durban on Saturday.
I wrote this article on Sunday for another web site, and thought the guys on Rugby-Talk wouldn’t want to hear how good the All Blacks are, but seeing that superBul provided us with such an enlightening article about the infringements at the breakdown, I thought I’ll put my 2 cents in.
There is a bit of a public hysteria at the moment in South Africa after the first two Tri-Nations Tests this year, specifically because of the way the Springboks lost in both these games.
I don’t think any Springbok supporter will ever be happy with ‘throwing’ Test matches for the sake of a ‘larger/bigger’ objective. However, this is exactly what happened in 2007. Continue reading
After their loss to the All Blacks in Wellington, Springbok lock Victor Matfield said that “It seems as if they are untouchable. The refs allow them to get away with murder. … I cannot say much about the ref (Alain Rolland), because I will get into trouble. But there were a few times on attack when we struggled to play because our ball was deliberately slowed down.”
Just whingeing, or did Victor have a point? We decided to take a close look at the All Blacks’ “rules of engagement” at the breakdown.
Coach Robbie Deans has taken two more players into his squad of 26 players to fly across the Indian Ocean to Durban on Sunday – prop Salesi Ma’afu and No 8 Radike Samo.
All Blacks (17) 30 / Wallabies (0) 14 (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks hosted the Australian Wallabies at Eden Park, Auckland at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The All Blacks sailed to a commanding lead early on against a Wallaby side which was unusually error-prone. In the second half the Wallabies tried hard but it was always going to be nigh on impossible to come back from so far behind.
The Wallaby squad is without veteran lock and Force Captain Nathan Sharpe.
Wallabies half back Luke Burgess has been given the all clear to return to rugby to face the All Blacks this weekend in the Tri-Nations.
The Tri Nations should never have happened in a World Cup year. Tests were compromised by money hungry SANZAR. Rugby World Cup has destroyed Rugby’s old traditions!
Here are some really insightful video clips of the first Tri-Nations Test. Continue reading