Referees are failing to make consistent calls in real time
A huge amount of discussion after the England v New Zealand test has centred around Courtney Lawes' charge down from an offside po…
Tom Vinicombe
15 Nov 2018, 21:52
Contributors
Tom Vinicombe
@TomVinicombe
Tom Vinicombe is Southern Hemisphere features editor for RugbyPass. Tom has travelled the world covering rugby and lived in Europe, Asia and Oceania.
One more match would make all the difference for Hansen
The All Blacks learn from their mistakes – which is why Hansen will be frustrated that they don’t really have any immediate op…
Tom Vinicombe
21 Nov 2018, 1:52
Why Ian Foster should be, and will be, the next All Blacks coach
When next year’s Rugby World Cup comes to a conclusion, so too will Steve Hansen’s current contract as All Blacks head coach.
Tom Vinicombe
12 Dec 2018, 22:02
Super Rugby's winners and losers in the cannibalistic New Zealand conference
While all the buzz in the Northern Hemisphere surrounds England’s triumph over Ireland in Dublin, the folks in the south are lic…
Tom Vinicombe
06 Feb 2019, 19:47
Last hurrah? Sunwolves on the brink of extinction - Super Rugby 2019 Preview
The short of it is that the Sunwolves are an endangered species and unless they manage to turn things around this year, extinction…
Tom Vinicombe
12 Feb 2019, 22:43
No excuses for Brumbies - Super Rugby 2019 Preview
There is plenty for the Brumbies to work on in 2019 if they are to re-visit the lofty heights of which they once reached in the ea…
Tom Vinicombe
14 Feb 2019, 17:10
Chiefs left to rue goalkicker omission in shock opening loss
When Brad Weber lined up to take the Chiefs’ first goal kick attempt of the season on Friday, you knew it was going to be a long…
Tom Vinicombe
20 Feb 2019, 17:30
Shades of the cotton-wool club in 2019's All Blacks management policy?
With the ever-increasing demands of professional rugby pushing players to their limits, it’s become an annual tradition for New …
Tom Vinicombe
21 Feb 2019, 18:29
Super Rugby playing fields evens as teams shake off the rust
After years of New Zealand dominance, the early rounds of Super Rugby in 2019 has shown that the tides could be turning, writes To…
Tom Vinicombe
28 Feb 2019, 20:37
Leaving Fiji out in the cold a sure-fire way to damage rugby's integrity
With the supposed plans dropping for the new ‘World League’ earlier this week, there’s one nation that will be feeling parti…
Tom Vinicombe
01 Mar 2019, 15:52
Succession planning at 10 the downfall for the Blues
That’s not to suggest that the Blues haven’t been producing talent – nor have they necessarily failed to recruit players wit…
Tom Vinicombe
01 Apr 2019, 20:35
A roll of the dice for the All Blacks' most hotly contested World Cup-position
Since 2015 there has been one position where the All Blacks have failed to replace the talent they lost in the post World Cup exod…
Tom Vinicombe
02 Apr 2019, 23:02
Changing identities may change a winning culture - but that's not the point
If any team in Super Rugby can overcome and rebuild after great tragedy then it is the Crusaders, but let’s not pretend that los…
Tom Vinicombe
02 Apr 2019, 22:31
This week's news you may have missed...
World Cup expansion could be on the cards and Waikato avoid history in a round-up of what you may have missed this week.
Tom Vinicombe
13 Sep 2018, 18:57
Nelson could be the Pumas home away from home
Of course, playing at home isn’t always a recipe for victory. Could Argentina's best chance of beating the All Blacks come away …
Tom Vinicombe
04 Sep 2018, 17:26
World Series Rugby not a failure, not yet a success
When Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest announced World Series Rugby in early 2018, it was touted as a potentially revolutionar…
Tom Vinicombe
23 Aug 2018, 18:45
Where do the Wallabies have the edge? Bledisloe battles to savour
Rivals against rivals, neighbours against neighbours – regardless of the dominance New Zealand has held over Australia in recent…
Tom Vinicombe
16 Aug 2018, 2:45
Some improbable predictions for The Rugby Championship
With 2018’s iteration of the southern hemisphere’s highest level of rugby competition set to kick off this weekend, we take a …
Tom Vinicombe
15 Aug 2018, 2:11
Assembling an All Blacks 'B' team
Were the team to be reassembled today, the talent on offer would be incredible – offering New Zealand a chance to give internati…
Tom Vinicombe
08 Aug 2018, 1:07
When a name is not just a name - a unique look at Super Rugby's teams
What appears to have been overlooked when the Crusaders were being christened, was that their namesakes of yore weren’t exactly …
Tom Vinicombe
02 Aug 2018, 23:39
Making room for Mo'unga
Prior to the All Blacks’ June tests against France, there was considerable discussion surrounding who should back up Beauden Bar…
Tom Vinicombe
31 Jul 2018, 19:39
An Ode to Charlie Ngatai
Charlie Ngatai will never be remembered as a great All Black, but his contributions at provincial and Super Rugby level will never…
Tom Vinicombe
26 Jul 2018, 16:10
Super Rugby's uneven structure continues to skew results
Even someone who knows nothing about the competition, nothing about the sport, would realise that when you’re not playing in a s…
Tom Vinicombe
16 Jul 2018, 1:56
Is it time to bring in the Blue Card?
Following this weekend’s match between the Waratahs and the Sunwolves in Sydney, heat has once again come upon the referees and …
Tom Vinicombe
12 Jul 2018, 0:26
Is the 2011 New Zealand under-20 side the greatest age grade team ever?
Read through the squad and it’s not difficult to see why the NZ team came out on top in 2011: Codie Taylor, Brodie Retallick, Sa…
Tom Vinicombe
10 Jul 2018, 21:26
Breakthrough Player of the Year contenders: An early look
Every year, rugby arm chair critics around the world look forward to the shortlist of contenders for player of the year being anno…
Tom Vinicombe
05 Jul 2018, 1:11
Into Super Rugby's final stretch - the Contenders
Realistically, there are only nine teams vying for eight spots in the finals, which means the last three rounds of competition are…
Tom Vinicombe
27 Jun 2018, 19:32
The All Blacks temperature check
Middling, disastrous, superb. The All Blacks were a huge mixed bag over their three games against the touring French – fairly ty…
Tom Vinicombe
24 Jun 2018, 21:07
Japanese rugby ready to rise to new heights
In just over 15 months, Japan will be rolling out the red carpet for the biggest event in international rugby.
Tom Vinicombe
15 Jun 2018, 17:49
Taking a leap of faith with law changes
The major change that is now being trialed in the U20-Championship is lowering the maximum allowed height for a legal tackle (to t…
Tom Vinicombe
31 May 2018, 1:45
New Zealand kings of a crumbling castle
New Zealand may be the kings of the castle at the moment, but this won’t be any consolation if the castle collapses beneath them…
Tom Vinicombe
24 May 2018, 1:41
The curious case of Shane Christie
Another week, another player’s career ends due to concussion. Tasman Mako and Highlander Shane Christie has announced his retire…
Tom Vinicombe
19 May 2018, 19:16
Jaguares on the cusp of something big
On the back of the Jaguares’ successful tour to Australasia, the Argentina-based team is on track to make their first appearance…
Tom Vinicombe
15 May 2018, 19:27
