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Jan 31

SANZAR’s guide to sexy rugby

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Could become a weekly event?

Could become a weekly event?

In an effort to bring sexy back to the Super 14, referees have been given a clear mandate from SANZAR to get tough on the ‘soft’ type indiscretions during this year. The hit list includes the tackled-ball area, formation of a maul, players in front of the kicker advancing, and the old chestnut surrounding the scrum engagement.

These four areas were identified by players and coaches during the 2009 Super 14 review as those which needed attention and remedial action taken to open up the game and break the stodge fest that was last year’s season. Read more »

Jan 30

Tahs rout the Fiji Warriors

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Rare moment: Tahs not scoring a try

Rare moment: Tahs not scoring a try

From the press release: The HSBC Waratahs took another step in their 2010 Super 14 preparations with a comprehensive 83-15 victory over the Fiji Warriors at Wade Park in Orange.

A strong crowd of 6623 turned out to see NSW score 13 tries to two, with coach Chris Hickey able to test a number of combinations with a total of 29 players used across the four quarters. Read more »

Jan 29

Reds vs Crusaders – Live Coverage

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Join us this evening as Juan Cote brings you live commentary from Ballymore. Kickoff is 7:30pm Queensland Time. Read more »

Jan 29

Invictus Winners – Wallaby Movie casting

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GC

George Clooney - will obviously play me.

In the lead up to the premier of the movie Invictus in Australia, our friends from Village Roadshow gave us a whole heap of double passes to give away to our readers.  We opted for the option of getting you to cast your own Wallaby movie.  Some of the entries were, frankly, pretty average with absolutely no effort made other than an e-mail. But some were crackers.  For mine there were two stand outs, but I will get to those later.

Firstly, a few observations from our entries.

  • Approximately 90% of our entries were women.  We here at G&GR don’t know what to make of this.  We didn’t know we had that many females reading the site! We can’t quite work what was the driving force behind the high female count, but have put it down as the “Matt Factor” – a combination of two killer Matts, Damon and Gagger.
  • Chicks dig Campo. David Campese was a popular source of casting and the actors suggested to play him were all, what’s the correct terminology, spunks? So let’s start there. A quick look at who people chose to play one of our greatest Wallabies ever.

Read more »

Jan 29

Video: Budgie Smugglin Tahs

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I, erm, don’t know what to say.

UPDATE: Looks like it was originally all for charity. Phew, I guess.

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Jan 27

The Reds’ Renovation Rescue: season preview

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Link the builder - can he fix it?

Link the builder - can he fix it?

In real estate parlance, the Reds are definitely a unique fixer-upper opportunity. Perhaps the for sale advertisement could read, “with a bit of TLC and vision the astute investor could restore this unloved gem from its current state of disrepair and return it to the halcyon days of a by-gone era.”

This is the challenge facing new coach Ewen McKenzie and his staff.

As with all properties, the foundations are of the utmost importance and it is these foundations that have been so badly eroded over the last five years with a procession (or death march) of coaches and key players departing the scene. Read more »

Jan 27

Is the move north losing its lustre?

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Rocky

Leinster legend and Wallaby captain

Luke McAlister, Aaron Mauger, Chris Latham, Carlos Spencer, Lote Tuqiri, Victor Matfield, Mark Gasnier, Rocky Elsom and Dan Carter.

What do these players all have in common? They are players who chased the more lucrative pastures of the northern hemisphere but have now returned home, are returning home or have shown strong interest in returning home.

Some like Latham and Spencer who are returning south this year are probably Read more »

Jan 26

Film Review: INVICTUS

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My Star Rating

My Rating

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Adjoah Andoh, Andre Jacobs, Julian Lewis Jones, Tony Kgoroge, Scott Eastwood and Zak Feaunati as Jonah Lomu.

invictus21In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud, Under the bludgeonings of chance, My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Let’s cut to the chase, this is not a film about rugby. Sure, rugby’s in it and rugby features all the way through it but it’s not the main game.

No, the main game is about how a ‘kaffir terrorist‘ and wily old politician, recently elected as the President of South Africa, used this medium to unite his fractured country. Read more »

Jan 26

SANZAR sees sense

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I rest my case

I rest my case

Alleluia. Having endured a year when the most successful teams were the ones who kicked the ball away, it would appear that the Southern Hemisphere powers that be have felt the disillusionment of rugby lovers in the place the counts the most; the balance sheet, and decided to do something about it.

“Within Australia, we’re all on the same page,” O’Neill said at the unveiling of the Wallabies’ new strip yesterday. ”Reds, Waratahs, Brumbies, Force … we’ve all sat around the table and looked at the reality of where crowd figures have gone and where the game generally is at. I think we’ve hit the bottom and every one of the four teams is determined to deliver winning and entertaining rugby.

It’s not just the Australian unions that have got the hint. Read more »

Jan 26

Is Ballymore the future of QLD Rugby?

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Ballymores delapitated facilities

Ballymore corporate facilities

Ballymore – history and tradition reverberate around this ground like few others. Walking around the ground it seems like only yesterday that John Eales led the once mighty Reds onto the field, or the Wallabies took on the British Lions in a test so fierce that it earnt the tag the ‘battle of ballymore’.

Great battles of triumph and despair by both QLD and the Wallabies have been fought on the hallowed ground, yet today the cherished ground faces a new battle, to flourish or fade.

Stands which once held thousands rarely see attendance these days, whilst the Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) will argue the fields are utilised with thousands of patrons visiting the ground annually for tournaments and finals, the realisation is that the majority of these visitors are players and not patrons.  Read more »

Jan 25

New Wallabies KooGa jersey unveiled

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Indestructible, except for the knee. (click on to enlarge)

Indestructible, except for the knee. (click to enlarge image)

Now with Fat Cat picture, and video

So here it is the new Wallaby jumper. Waddya reckon?

I’ve also attached a few other shots of the squad wearing it, together with a factoid packed press release, below

The new Qantas Wallabies jersey, designed and manufactured by Australian sports apparel company KooGa, has been unveiled today.

Technologically advanced – with materials including carbon fibre and hydrosteel used in the manufacturing process – the jersey is the first to be produced under a four-year deal that will continue until the end of 2013 between Australian Rugby Union and KooGa.

Retail orders for the new jumper have also been exceptional both in Australia and offshore where interest extends from Japan to the USA, the UK, Continental Europe, Argentina and the Pacific Islands.

Essentially all-gold, the new Qantas Wallabies jersey has been labeled “virtually indestructible” while also possessing qualities that will significantly enhance a player’s comfort levels. Read more »

Jan 24

Waratahs v Reds Trial: Match Report

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trial

This photo was NOT taken by my iphone

Ok, first the standard match report stuff. 

The Reds scored a 26-24 win over the Waratahs in a Super 14 trial match played at beautiful Oakes Oval in Lismore tonight.  The Tahs scored three tries to two, but it was the Reds option of taking a number of penalty shots at goal that got them over the line.  The most significant shot taken was the one by replacement Tim Walsh which he kicked from about 40m out with two minutes left on the clock to take the lead.

So that’s that.  Let me try to give a bit more of an insight of how the night panned out.  Let’s start with the tries.

Read more »

Jan 23

Live coverage: Waratahs vs Reds Trial match from Lismore

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Click here for our coverage of the trial match between the NSW Waratahs and the Queensland Reds. Thanks to our roving reporters Noddy and matty_k for covering the match.

Read more »

Jan 23

G&GR Super14 Fantasy Comp Sign Up

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fantasy

fantasy

PRIZE ANNOUNCED: A double Gold Pass to the Wallabies home test of your choice in 2010. Thanks to the ARU!

We’re running a fantasy league again this year in addition to the tipping comp, so be sure to sign up for both — already quite a few takers in the tipping comp. Throughout the season I’ll be covering our league standings, as well as offeriing a few tips and predictions. So come back often!


Here’s how to join:

Read more »

Jan 21

Trials: Trick or Treat?

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Coming soon, watch this space

Coming soon, watch this space

It only seems like yesterday that we were wiping the sleep from our eyes, cranking up the laptops and watching the G&GR live blog from Kingsholme as the Dirties took on Glos?

And isn’t it still summer? Didn’t Punter and the boys clean up the Pakis earlier this week?

Well bugger me, its footy time again! A special version of footy that is, Trial time.

You know, Trials are a very interesting animal. They’re usually boring as batshit; as organised as an ARU board meeting and are full of people you’ve never heard of and are unlikely to hear of again. Read more »

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