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InternationalHighlanders

Watch: Is Aaron Smith the best player in the world right now?

On this week’s episode of The Short Ball, Scotty Stevenson & Mils Muliaina discuss the form of All Blacks incumbent Aaron Smith following some outstanding early season performances for the Highlanders. The young man seems to be back to his best having well and truly put to bed the spelling & grammar scandal of 2017.

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Listen in to the entire episode below, or subscribe on iTunes here and never miss an episode.

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'I don't think Steve Borthwick would pick Jack Willis even if he's playing in England'

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Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales all have the same problem

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David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner

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Let's be real about these All Blacks

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Why World Cup winner doesn’t blame All Black for leaving New Zealand

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The Wallabies have a serious problem

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Tyrone Green decision has huge bearing on his international future

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Comments on RugbyPass

F
Frans 21 minutes ago
Autumn Nations Series 2024: Everything you need to know about round four

i think Argentina v France could be a good game too, depending on which Argentina turns up. The most difficult to call is Scotland Australia.

2 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 30 minutes ago
Autumn Nations Series 2024: Everything you need to know about round four

Australia definitely the game of the weekend. Wallabies by 3.

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t
tt 41 minutes ago
Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales all have the same problem

Smith is playing a different game with the rest of the backs struggling to understand. That's the problem with so called playmakers, if nobody gets what they're doing then it often just leads to a turnover. It gets worse when Borthwick changes one of them, which is why they don't score points at the end. Sometimes having a brilliant playmaker can be problematic if a team cannot be built around them. Once again Borthwick seems lacking in either coaching or selection. I can't help but think it's the latter coupled with pressure to select the big name players.

Lastly, his forward replacements are poor and exposed either lack of depth or selection pressure. Cole hemorrhages scrum penalties whenever he comes on, opponents take advantage of the England scrum and close out the game. Is that the best England can offer?

10 Go to comments
O
OJohn 1 hour ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

Which Australian coaches would be acceptable to coach the All Blacks ?

25 Go to comments
S
SF 1 hour ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

I'm a SA'can and like Ben I hate the springboks.

32 Go to comments
C
CC 1 hour ago
South Africa vs Wales | Live & Latest Rugby Union Scores & Results | RugbyPass

I reckoned the springbok coach, has now started to underestimate Wales, sending 8players home? Really? It’s not yet over until it’s over Coach

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U
Utiku Old Boy 1 hour ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

I am waiting for your list of candidates. We had several from which to choose so give me some choice (your list) in Aussie candidates for the ABs. You imply that any Australian would be preferrable to Schmidt, yet E Jones and Cheika obviously didn't meet your standards either. Are you angry that Schmidt is far exceeding Jones? All Oz coaches you have quoted are from way back in time. When you had some choice. What you won't admit, is you got nobody better than a kiwi currently. Otherwise you would be putting them up. The fact you don't shows you are a blowhard because you want to groan about Schmidt purely on the basis he is kiwi - not his impressive results.

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L
LV 1 hour ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

Another poorly written article. Well done Ben, keep up the good work!

32 Go to comments
C
CC 1 hour ago
Cheslin Kolbe backed to end 16-year wait

Thanks Steve D

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S
SteveD 1 hour ago
'Lightweight' Premiership not preparing England players for Test rugby

Too many pampered, precious Posh Boys who think the sun shines out of their backsides?

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O
OJohn 1 hour ago
Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales all have the same problem

Nothing would have been better. In the last 6 months of McKenzie's coaching, the Wallabies were really starting to hum. They were playing some brilliant rugby, even with no Pocock and came so close to winning the Bledisloe Cup. Only 3 points short I think.


Schmidt is a competent coach and after Jones destroying the Wallabies moral with picking useless Tah players (Bell is very good) any coach could have improved the Wallabies. We have achieved nothing so far really.

10 Go to comments
S
SteveD 1 hour ago
Sadness pervades as Gatland stands on the brink of Welsh exit

I'm afraid Gatland lost my respect with his uncalled for comments earlier in the year and his whinging about the so-called Boks' bad attitude in the Lions' 2021 tour. I also think he's not done my '6 nations' team much good this time round and they'll be well rid of him with his dated approach.

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S
SteveD 1 hour ago
Cheslin Kolbe backed to end 16-year wait

(Erm, quietly, he's Irish)

12 Go to comments
A
Ardy 1 hour ago
'Steve Borthwick hung his troops out to dry - he should take some blame'

He's coaching like Eddie V2 did in Australia...You need someone with bigger balls and an understanding of what to do to improve what is going on. It is a dynamic environment that is constantly changing as coaches dream up new ways to win. He is like an automaton of Eddie's creation.

12 Go to comments
A
Ardy 1 hour ago
'Steve Borthwick hung his troops out to dry - he should take some blame'

Only if you think like the org writer ie Except for Elon Musk, he is perhaps the least popular South African ~ Which is a shame for a man who is so clearly sensitive and introspective.


Does he know Rassie personally or is this just a woke joke

12 Go to comments
A
Ardy 1 hour ago
Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales all have the same problem

Not my perception John, I think he is trying to develop a settled team but also needs players with some experience to step in if we get some injuries. As an example, someone said today we are only 2 injuries to THP's away from a nightmare situation. We have double the LHP's to THP's.

None of this is going to convince you. I was hoping Ewen would step in before we employed the nasty little toad who stuffed up Aussie scrummaging and lineouts in 2003, the effects of which we have lived with for 20 years.

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J
Johnny 2 hours ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

Great article! So controversial it will no doubt get suckers to comment and raise clicks and views!!! Its by design that Ben writes such biased and skewed opinioned articles to get the anger and shock affect. Great marketing

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H
Head high tackle 2 hours ago
How leviathan Will Skelton and the Wallabies reversed the World Cup fiasco

Are Leinster etc all releasing their players for Ireland?

186 Go to comments
H
Head high tackle 2 hours ago
How leviathan Will Skelton and the Wallabies reversed the World Cup fiasco

Nick its not shallow and unobservant. We have all watched him play and Ive probably seen all 30 tests he has played, but reality is he has only played 30 tests in 11 seasons and thats not the record of a great player. Yes he has been OS a lot but thats possibly part of the criticisim of him. He has been available for Aus based on the Wallabies selection policy for those whole 11 seasons.

Im more than happy to call him a very good club player but I think his test career shows what his level is. Probably would have played 60-70 tests by now had he stayed in SR but tbh NH rugby is far more suitable for him. He is a bit like Tuipolotu is for NZ. Gets better with maturity, but never quite nailed the test spot down in their younger days. Both are better now than earlier in their careers. Perhaps his best for Aus will prove to be from now thru to the 2027 WC in Aus.

186 Go to comments
D
DC000 2 hours ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

SH rugby is dying. To win, the teams have had to rely on the incompetence of the refs.


You had a good run, but hopefully world rugby gets better standards for refs and your slide to irrelevance will be quick and justified.

32 Go to comments
LONG READ
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