Neil Olsen

The June Test window draws to a close with the spoils still to be decided between Australia and Ireland while everyone else seeks to put the finishing touches on a month that has seen much development in terms of depth!

It has been a remarkable month of Test rugby and perhaps most important of all the participants have made huge strides in squad development. New Zealand have won their series against a spirited French team, and in this final Test really look to learn a lot about the depth of their reserves as they fieldContinue reading “The June Test window draws to a close with the spoils still to be decided between Australia and Ireland while everyone else seeks to put the finishing touches on a month that has seen much development in terms of depth!”

Hopefully, by now you’ve regained your breath after last weekend’s thrilling opening encounters in Australia and South Africa. It was vintage Test rugby, and the South Africa/England match, in particular, was an epic that will last in our collective memories for a long time. New Zealand’s opening match gave us plenty of entertainment, but asContinue reading “After a thrilling opening weekend of the June Tours, Round 2 is do or die for the Northern Hemisphere’s big three – England, France and Ireland and Wales look to seal the deal in Argentina!”

So the barbecues are getting hauled out and multiple runs to the beer store are being made between now and early Saturday morning, as the June Test window kicks off in earnest this weekend. There is a ton of action, but perhaps the two most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the weekend are Ireland’s opening TestContinue reading “The June Test window opens this Saturday with some eagerly anticipated contests with perhaps Ireland and England having the most to prove!”

Yes it’s Test time again! This month will provide us with a bumper crop of great contests, but this weekend sees just the one match between Wales and South Africa on neutral ground in Washington DC. Both sides are fielding plenty of new caps, and it will be an excellent opportunity for both teams toContinue reading “The June Test window kicks off this weekend with a fascinating contest between Wales in South Africa in the US as both sides look for depth!”

First of all apologies to all for the long silence, but it’s been a very hectic few months since the wrap up of the Six Nations for all of us up here in the slowly thawing frozen North. Furthermore, with our resident scribe in the midst of a job change there hasn’t been much opportunityContinue reading “With the end of year Tours for the Six Nations Competitors about to get underway, here’s a quick look at what their hopes, prospects and ambitions for the next few weeks might be!”

The final Saturday of the Six Nations, or “Super Saturday” as it is now commonly referred to, has in recent years provided a thrilling climax to a classic tournament. This year looks set to be no different. Scotland start us off in Rome, needing a 65 point winning margin at least, and a favorable turn ofContinue reading “Ireland may have the Championship, but the final weekend of this year’s Six Nations sees a Grand Slam in the offing for the Irish and a frantic race for second from England, Wales, France and Scotland!”

We are in for a rather exciting Saturday this weekend, as Ireland attempt to sew up the Championship by Round 4. However, it won’t be that simple as in order to do so they have to get past a Scottish side buoyed by their recent epic win against England a fortnight ago. Ireland will beContinue reading “Round 4 of the Six Nations sees Ireland attempt to sew up the Championship and set out on a Grand Slam trip to Twickenham next weekend, while for Scotland, England and Wales there is EVERYTHING to play for!”

What a weekend lies ahead! There is so much to play for this weekend for all the teams, and the stakes are higher than they have been in a long time at the midway point of the tournament. There are potential upsets on the cards, there are new combinations to be tried, and there areContinue reading “It’s Round 3, and probably the most fascinating halfway mark of the Six Nations in a long time!”

It’s been an enthralling Six Nations so far, and after the first two rounds the Tournament still looks wide open, even though England and Ireland are the only remaining contenders for a Grand Slam. However, Wales are still definitely in the mix for the Championship. Scotland also look set to make life difficult for EnglandContinue reading “A quick look at the standings after the first two rounds of the Six Nations and the first three of the Americas Rugby Championship for Canada”

This year’s Six Nations got off to a rip-roaring start, with the opening match between Wales and Scotland turning the form book on its head. Most of us simply did not see the turbocharged version of Wales coming, and neither did Scotland. It was a fantastic Welsh performance which completely negated Scotland’s much vaunted attackingContinue reading “Round 2 of the Six Nations has everything to play for after an opening weekend of high drama!”