At my signal, unleash hell!

Mar 8

Posted by Noddy
15 Comments

So were the inspirational words spoken by Russel Crowe as Maximus, one of cinema’s greatest ‘Rebels’, in the Oscar winning moving “Gladiator”. Rod McQueen could hardly be confused for Crowe, nor a Gladiator, and it would be unfair to suggest that he had ever planned to ‘unleash hell’ on anything. However, in one week’s time, on Monday 15 March 2010, the Melbourne Rebels are free to do just that. For that is the date the ARU have decreed is ‘Go Time’ for Rebels recruitment. And the Australian Rugby world is holding their collective breath as to what goes down.

As it stands English fly half Danny Cipriani is currently the only player to have actually signed with the franchise. But you get the impression that come next Monday there will be a number of signings announced. Read more »

Feb 16

Video: G&GR Super 14 Round 1 Review

Posted by Noddy
39 Comments

Every week during the Super 14 season G&GR will take a look at the key plays and players of the week just had. We can be a myopic lot here at G&GR sometimes, so no point stopping now.

Let’s make it clear. Our focus is the Wallabies, so these reviews will focus on the Aussie teams and Aussie teams only. Not that we won’t cover the kiwi and saffa teams in our posts, but in this particular weekly wrap up it will be all about the Aussies. So let’s get to it. Read more »

Feb 12

Reds v Tahs: ‘impartial’ head to head analysis

Posted by Noddy
27 Comments

Faster!

Messers Hickey and McKenzie have done their part, the teams are named. Now it is time for the real analysis. So let’s have a look through the teams, on a head-to-head basis and see who will come out on top on Saturday night.

Fullback: Sosene Anesi v Peter Hynes - Let’s face it. Anesi is an All Black cast off. And a one match All Black cast off at that. Injury prone, to put it mildly, the fact he has now played three games in a row means he WILL BE injured this game. It’s just a matter of what stage of the match. Tah fans should be hoping it happens earlier rather than later. Hynes just oozes class and has taken to fullback play like a duck to water, which was never in doubt considering his immense skills. A real danger player for the Tahs.

Wing: Lachie Turner v Digby Ioane - Ioane is now acclaimed as one of the most dangerous back line players in the world and had a remarkable 2009 Super season. Lachie Turner is still getting by because he once scored a decent try against the Crusaders. Hasn’t done a thing since. Read more »

Dec 6

Wallaby Winger of the Decade

Posted by Noddy
23 Comments

Shmoo?

From the period 2000-2009, eighteen different men have worn either the Wallaby Number Eleven or Fourteen jerseys in a test match. Interestingly eight of these were also on the fullback list (Julian Huxley and James O’Connor being the only two fullbacks NOT to start a test on the wing).

So, our noughty wingers were:

Lote Tuqiri (51 starts on the wing); Wendell Sailor (29); Joe Roff (28); Drew Mitchell (20); Mark Gerrard (17); Clyde Rathbone (16); Peter Hynes (15); Stirling Mortlock (14); Lachlan Turner (11); Ben Tune (6); Andrew Walker (5); Chris Latham (5); Digby Ione (4); Adam Ashley-Cooper (4); Matt Burke (3); Matt Rogers (3); Cameron Shepherd (3); Scott Staniforth (2).

Whereas previously we normally pick a top three for each position, we are not differentiating between right or left wing, so we are going to pick the top six wingers of the decade. Again this is based on their performance at test level, this decade, in the wing position.

And our top wingers (in no particular order, well in the particular order of the alphabet in fact):

Dec 3

G&GR Wallaby Player of the Year: Spring Tour

Posted by Noddy
6 Comments

And so the year has drawn to a close. The Spring Tour has been a disapointing expedition for the Wallabies. As for the players? We have seen the emergence of some wonderful young players this tour. Quade Cooper, Digby Ioane, Dean Mumm, Benn Robinson, Will Genia, David Pocock and Ben Alexander all showed tremendous class.

How will they fair in the final component of our Green & Gold Rugby Wallaby Player of the Year? Let’s jump into it and see. Read more »

Nov 30

The G&GR Wallaby Player of the Year – Domestic Rugby Series

Posted by Noddy
3 Comments

The Wallabies started their 2009 test campaign against Italy in Canberra all the way back in June. Fourteen tests and about six months later the Wallabies won less than 50% of their games. As a whole the season was… disappointing. Bordering on disastrous. The continued failing in the Tri-Nations is a significant cause for concern. Our inability to back up good wins, such as against the Springboks in Brisbane, with another good performance is also worrying. The loss to Scotland, when you look at the rankings at least, was just unacceptable.

On the plus side, gees we looked good against the Boks in Brisbane. And the Welsh win was a cracker. And what about our young guns? Will Genia, David Pocock, Quade Cooper, Lachlan Turner, James O’Connor and Ben Alexander all proved their abilities at certain times this year.

Overall though, which player would come out on top? Who would win the coveted Green & Gold Rugby Wallaby Player of the Year award? Well stay tuned over the next few days and all will be revealed.

Nov 22

Wallabies vs Scotland – Bland Sham

Posted by Moses
84 Comments

This way up

I’ve written this post straight after the game while the pain is still raw and untempered, and I’m trying to work out if that’s the worst I’ve seen the Wallabies play. I suspect it is. We’ll post a more balanced review later.

That we still had a chance to win with the last kick is perhaps a measure of how “outclassed” these Scots were, completely lacking the ability to break our line with their only territory coming from the plethora of Wallaby mistakes.

Oct 19

2009 Wallabies Spring Tour – the form guide

Posted by Juan Cote
15 Comments

The Runners and Riders

With the spring racing carnival in full swing in Australia, and the spring Wallaby tour about to commence, I thought I would try and combine the two. It is surprising how transferable some of the descriptions from an equine form guide can be translated to our Wallaby runners.

Below is my appraisal of how where our lads are up to in their preparations. Read more »

Oct 9

Rocky’s sterling effort

Posted by Lance Free
26 Comments

The Rock, The Man

Rocky Elsom has been named Wallaby captain for the upcoming Northern Hemisphere tour beginning later this month.

He has taken over from Stirling Mortlock who was also named in the side. Berrick Barnes is the Vice- Captain. This will no doubt increase speculation that Mortlock’s Wallaby career may be coming to a close on top of his recent visit to Japan to check-out future options.

Seven uncapped players have been included in the Wallabies squad announced today. The tour will incorporate Australia’s first attempt at a Grand Slam of the UK and Ireland in 25 years. The new caps are Kurtley Beale (NSW), Rob Horne (NSW), Dave Dennis Read more »

Sep 28

Rookies aplenty in Wallaby Training Squad

Posted by Noddy
30 Comments

Robbie Deans, and his selectors, have named a number of new faces in the 43 man Wallaby training squad in preparation for the Grand Slam tour later this year. Perhaps the most notable rookie is scrumhalf Richard Kingi of the Queensland Reds who only last week signed an Academy contract with the QRU.

Kingi: LOVES his footy.

Other un-capped players are Kurtley Beale (flyhalf, Waratahs), Nick Cummins (wing, Force); Rob Horne (Centre, Waratahs); Mitchell Chapman (backrow/lock, Brumbies); Ben McCalman (backrow/lock; unsigned); Dave Dennis (lock/backrow, Waratahs); Salesi Ma’afu (prop, Brumbies) and Damien Fitzpatrick (hooker, Waratahs).

The uncapped players are joined by returning Wallabies back in favour Digby Ione (outside back, Reds); Josh Valentine (scrumhalf, Brumbies); Stephen Hoiles (No 8, Brumbies); Matt Dunning (prop, Force); Sekope Kepu (prop, Waratahs).

Sep 19

Wobblies woefull in Wellington

Posted by Gagger
70 Comments

Too easy

So far this season the Wallabies have let themselves down in just one, sometimes two facets of the game. Tonight, they fucked every single one. The scrum, lineout, breakdown, kicking, discipline, running, passing; all sucked. It was only an average defensive performance that kept them anywhere near the match.

The heroics in Brisbane were catalysed by some towering leadership performances, where men went out to make the difference – like Polota-Nau with his tackling. This week they sat back and seemed to hope “the pattern” would do it all for them. It’s a simple lesson, when will they learn it? Read more »

Sep 15

Wallabies unchanged for Wellington

Posted by Gagger
26 Comments

Kurtley "the flyer" Beale

It’s the same Wallaby team that did the Boks in Brisbane (see below) – the question being whether they can play with the same intensity.

TPN and Lakky are reputed to have gotten over their rib injuries, but to cover Turner just in case, Kurtley Beale has also been flown out as extra cover.

In the meantime the All Blacks, being scaredy girls, have delayed naming their team. Read more »

Sep 1

The Wallabies Changes: Robbie Deans explains

Posted by Juan Cote
42 Comments

"er.....the blokes."

Maestro Deans has made sweeping changes to his team to face the Bokke this Saturday with the biggest changes being Will Genia and David Pocock getting their chance to start this week. After sniping at the heals of Burgo for a few weeks Genia takes over from the wayward incumbent while Bam Bam gets his chance to step out of the sizeable shadow cast by George Smith and Phil Waugh.

Deans explained his overall reasoning for the changes in typically cryptic fashion and gave the followers of Dingo Bingo something to get excited about. Read more »

Aug 27

Wallabies make changes for Perth test

Posted by Noddy
35 Comments

Cross Robbie Deans and his selection panel (whomever they are) have made four changes to the Wallaby starting team for their match up against the World Champion Springboks this weekend in Perth.

Injuries to Berrick Barnes and Nathan Sharpe have seen the recall of Ryan Cross and Mark Chisholm to the side. Cross has snagged the 13 jersey with last week’s outside centre, Adam Ashley-Cooper, moving in one spot to inside centre. Chisholm, after injury shortened his Super 14 season, returns to the starting side and will lead the Wallaby line out.

The other changes see Brumbies prop Ben Alexander replace Al Baxter, as he did at the half hour mark in the Bledisloe Cup game last week. Peter Hynes also returns to the starting side for the first time since last year, replacing Drew Mitchell.

Aug 26

Video Analysis: The Kicking in Sydney

Posted by Gagger
19 Comments

Looks familiar

In each Tri-Nations match so far the Wallabies have failed royally in at least in one major facet of the game, which has either released pressure on the opposition, or created it on themselves. In Auckland it was the scrum, in Cape Town it was the line-out. Last Saturday it was their kicking in general play, which was nothing short of abysmal.

As Bob Dwyer says, you have only 3 choices in attack: kick, pass or run. None is intrinsically wrong, but what you must do is use them to test the defence; i.e. put pressure on them. It’s wrong to say that kicking is boring and negative. Bad kicking is boring and negative.

We classified every general play kick the Wallabies made last Saturday (video at bottom) into one of four categories: Read more »

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