Captain Ryan Lonergan returns to lead Brumbies in Blues blockbuster

And never forget, Rassie apparently meant that video - which was correctly damning of Nic Berry, who was pretty bad, and seems to have had some positive results, especially in the respectful way refs seem to treat Kolisi these days! - to be for World Rugby's eyes only and not to reach the public domain, but who would know.

SteveD 1 hour ago

Skaapnaaiers karnt spel. Bunch of wit kants!

SteveD 2 hours ago

Well said. And I would add that Rassie - and definitely Kolisi immediately after in the post-match interview - would have taken it on the chin and moved on. Hansen (much like his countryman Gatland after the Lions' SA tour) really let down not just his country but rugby in general by his whinging. If he wants to blame anyone, it has to be the serial offender Cane, who let the ABs down by not knowing how to tackle properly. But then, judging by some of the idiotic comments here we've had to deal with over the last 14 months being a whinging skaapnaaier is a national problem. Foster is maybe the exception to the rule? And if they need a really useless (and/or crooked?) ref to lambast, maybe they should take their minds (what little they might have) on Bryce Lawrence?

JW 2 hours ago

You are repeatedly reminded that South African players had played the least minutes of anyone in the knockouts. They were the fit and firing of anyone, save Marx injury. That you still fail to acknowledge this leaves me flummoxed with how such a nation was able to able to attain rank 1.

It would be more relevenat basing off an actual competition game the previous month, where the 2nd half was dead even.

An England with Ford being used to drop goal them to victory would have been unbeatable in this tournement.

JW 2 hours ago

I'm interested in what decisions you think might have gone against South Africa?

JW 2 hours ago

Probably because he thought it had nothing to do with him so never even entered his mind Turlough.

JW 2 hours ago

How did you think their views differed?

JW 2 hours ago

Both of these views can be held and remain equally valid.

One is talking 'matter of factly' in a constructive argument based way, the other is talking from the perspective of someone who believes they might be in the same situation again and need to focus on the controllables.

The thing with Foster is, unluck Rassie in this game, he still doesn't seem to realise the ref is someone you can exert control of or manipulate. Barnes is a shocker for that (not that most of the effective/decisive decisions were made by him).

Icefarrow 3 hours ago

Except, he didn't. He expressed disappointment in some of the referee and TMO calls made during the match. Never once did he "literally" blame anyone, and it's absurd to even claim he contributed to the death threats. Those are the responsibility of the people who made them, not him.

Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

Icefarrow 3 hours ago

This truly is OJohn's Eminem moment 🤣

Watch: All Black Jordie Barrett scores another for new club Leinster

Icefarrow 3 hours ago

One person. Chiefs really need to give their other 10s more time in the saddle.

20 Go to comments

AlanP 4 hours ago

‘The problem with this year’s Champions Cup? Too many English clubs’

I need to dig through and check your comments 😀.

However, I have a problem with rewarding the 6 Nations winner because of the URC. It works perfectly fine for England and France, but how would it be fair for an extra South African club to be there because Ireland won the 6 nations?

Then I guess you can say that the extra club should come from the country who won the 6 nations but then it's unfair for the South African teams. Plus, if we imagine Scotland won the 6 Nations and both Glasgow & Edinburgh finished in the top 4 of URC, what do we do with extra spot?

But again, you may have already thought of that, and I need to do some comments digging 😉

37 Go to comments

OJohn 5 hours ago

Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

Kiwi Joe refuses to put our best team on the field. Nick Bishop is telling you that not just me.

Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

Jon 5 hours ago

Another good article Nick, and yes the similarities between RA and the WRU are so obvious you would think they have been swapping class notes.

It is clear that the problems in both Australia and Wales are structural and go way beyond who is the Head Coach and his place of birth.

What ever imminent decision is made in Wales about the Head Coach, Gatland has still got enough credit in the bank to be seen as an adopted Welshman.

And a far as leaving the team in a better place than he found it. .....Eddie set the bar so low that Joe cannot fail and whatever happens with the Lions Tour any sane Wallabies fan can see that he is taking the team forward.

Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

dw 5 hours ago

I aspire to coach Australia, but I'm not qualified and I'd be terrible. Dan and Les I assume are aspiring to coach Australia AND probably will one day. But they aren't ready yet. And Joe is the best fit for now. What's so hard to accept about that? Breathe in son. Kiwi Joe does not mean you harm.

Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

dw 5 hours ago

Nah mate. Tell us about the real trauma they did to you. It's not possible for someone to be this angry obsessed with a sports team without a nasty incident. Did they not pick you when you tried out for them? Does Ewens time at randwick and the tahs complicate your theory?

Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

dw 5 hours ago

Deans won a rugby championship and made a rwc semi-final.

Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

OJohn 5 hours ago

They have been screwing over Australian rugby since Deans in 2008. Any fair minded Australian rugby fan would be pissed off too.

Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

OJohn 5 hours ago

Deans didn't resign. He was sacked by the ARU because after 6 long years as Wallabies coach, playing Tah favorites, and Australians having almost completely lost interest in rugby due to Deans' Tah favoritism and bumbling, the Wallabies were a complete and utter shambles of a team. We fell back from being ranked 2 to about 5 I think.

He started well on the back of John Connollys nauseatingly boring coaching but it was downhill soon after. Deans came close to destroying Australian rugby. Kiwis wanted him to keep coaching the Wallabies forever and were outraged at his sacking. Just absurd.