Lineout Calls of the Week and What to Watch and Why

Well you guessed it, much of this week’s missive will be on the Women’s Rugby World Cup which produced some truly special moments last week, with the intensity and momentum of the Pool stages coming to a head this weekend. There are some huge matches this Saturday and Sunday and even if there hasn’t been any real sense of jeopardy up till now in many of the games, this weekend sees some critical matchups, with even the top 4 sides tipped most likely to go to the Semi-Finals and beyond needing to watch their backs and roll up their sleeves. In short, the pleasantries are over now, and all of a sudden, things have got a lot more interesting and deadly serious.

For many of us, though, our thoughts will also turn to the events set to unfold at Auckland’s Eden Park in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday here in Canada. South Africa will attempt the unthinkable – beating the All Blacks on a ground they just don’t lose on (well, not since 1994, that is). Both sides are going through a transition, and the normal certainties the All Blacks would feel comfortable with heading out on to their favorite turf aren’t quite there. In short, the All Blacks look vulnerable, while South Africa are also not quite the finely tuned precision instrument at the moment that has seen them win back to back World Cups. For all intents and purposes this game is impossible to call and the drama already swirling around it means that it will either be one of the greatest games we’ve ever seen, or potentially the biggest anticlimax in the history of the fabled rivalry between these two legendary sides.

Meanwhile, Australia have made a tour of the casualty wards to see who is available for the Pumas two Test Tour to the Wallabies homeland. Has the injury crisis snuffed out Australia’s remarkable renaissance this past year? Can the Pumas finally string two dominant performances together, or will their now infamous inability to be consistent trip them up once more? In short, there are so many questions to be answered this weekend for both sides.

Finally, Canada’s Men traveled to Japan for the second leg of their Pacific Nations Cup campaign, and suffice to say the story didn’t end well. However, the opening chapters were such good reading despite Canada ulitmately falling dramatically short to a Japanese banzai charge in the final 25 minutes. Consequently, although Canada’s seeming inability to go more than 60 minutes in big pressure matches came back to haunt them with a vengeance in Sendai last Saturday, the opening 55 gave us enough reasons to be cheerful allowing us to hang onto to our fragile beliefs that change in the Canadian Men’s fortunes is slowly starting to take hold.

So plenty of moments that kept our pints more than frothy this week, so let’s get into it, starting with, of course, our fabulous Women over in England!

Canada go through to the Quarter-Finals with an emphatic win over Wales but expose some cracks that need urgent attention!

Don’t get us wrong, Canada produced an outstanding 65 minutes of rugby to claim a 42-0 win over Wales and a spot in the Quarter Finals. However, they won’t be happy with their first 15 minutes and too many turnovers and handling errors as the knockout stages rapidly approach

In many ways, Canada’s ultimately emphatic 42-0 win over Wales was exactly what they needed, as every game from now on gets infinitely more challenging. It was the last real chance for Canada to take a long, hard look at themselves and identify problem areas before the jeaopardy of the Quarter Finals and beyond is upon them. Don’t get us wrong, it was a fine win, and at times, Canada played some sublime rugby. However, if they plan to have a shot at tilting at England’s windmills on September 27th at Twickenham they’ll know that, despite the 42-0 scoreline, there are several areas where they need to make a significant step up in terms of performance.

Canada struggled to assert control in the first 15 minutes, and Wales definitely had the upper hand. However, after that, a collective switch was thrown, and all the lights came on for Canada. They took the game by the scruff of the neck and never looked back. However, what concerned us was in so doing they looked under pressure at times and made a series of handling errors that had been problematic for the team as recently as 18 months ago, but on evidence of their matches this year we thought they had addressed. The 29 handling errors they made against Wales would have been suicidal against a team like England or New Zealand. Furthermore, even once they had got the measure of the game, the statistics at the final whistle showed that Canada had the ball turned over on them 21 times. Head Coach Kevin Rouet was clearly concerned at the end of the match and felt that despite nilling their opponents 42-0 that it wasn’t one of their better performances and improvements were needed.

Heading into the game, Canada had a 100% lineout record but could only manage 88% in this game. Their scrum, however, held up extremely well and managed a 100% success rate. Nevertheless, needless penalties given away by Canada in the opening 15 minutes allowed Wales into the ascendancy. It was soon snuffed out, however, and Canada went about their business even if it lacked some of their customary finesse. They’ll also be concerned that in the final quarter, they appeared to lack a certain degree of killer instinct and could and should have put 60 points plus on the Welsh. After dominating territory and possession in the second half, we were mildly surprised to see Canada score no points in the final twenty-five minutes of the game. Whether that was due to the fact that with a bonus point win already in the bag and a Quarter Final berth secured, they felt it unnecessary to risk potential injuries, we will probably never know.

Canada will feel pleased that Sophie de Goede appears to have made a full recovery from her ACL injury and is now operating at peak efficiency, and she has also clearly brought her best set of kicking boots to England, as her goalkicking was absolutely spot on, kicking all 6 from 6. Winger Asia Hogan-Rochester has also made an excellent recovery from injury, putting in some outstanding line breaks and covering more meters than any other player in the match. Canada’s forward pack ultimately shut the Welsh down from minute 15 onwards and Canada’s rolling maul is becoming increasingly effective, something that might be a useful counter to England if they are to meet them at some point in this tournament.

In short, some definite work ons ahead of their most challenging game to date this weekend as they face off against a rapidly improving Scotland. The Scots like Canada are already through to the Quarters, but the stakes are high as winning the Pool should ensure a more favorable route through the knockout stages. Finishing second in Pool B would mean Canada would likely have to face England in the Quarters, which is something they most likely would rather not do at this stage in the Tournament. Scotland will also be keen to avoid a similar fate, so although both teams are through, Saturday’s encounter in Exeter is a high stakes affair requiring maximum effort from both sides. Canada still head into the game as favourites, but there should be plenty of sparks in what should be an entertaining game and on paper Canada’s sternest test to date.

Canada vs Scotland – Saturday, September 6th – 6:30 AM TSN 1 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

In the “Best of the Rest,” we look ahead to what should be a thrilling, high stakes final weekend of Pool action in the Women’s World Cup

There were some big results last weekend as Australia and the USA produced arguably the game of the weekend with both of them now very much in the hunt for that other Quarter Final berth in Pool A, while South Africa’s women made history and a potential banana skin lies in wait for New Zealand this weekend in the shape of Ireland

There were some great moments this past weekend in the Women’s World Cup. While some of the games may have been wildly lopsided, most notably Brazil’s thumping at the hands of France and England’s utter domination of Samoa, the heart, commitment and passion that this tournament has evoked in players and fans alike has been uplifting. Even in their overwhelming 92-3 loss to England, Samoa remained proud and steadfast to the end. As the Samoan Coach said in an emotional post-match press conference, sometimes winning is not the most important thing, it’s just being in the moment that counts. Harmony Vatau’s successful penalty kick and Samoa’s only points were probably the most applauded three-pointer in the history of rugby.

Meanwhile, in a thriller in York, South Africa’s women made history by beating Italy for the first time and getting their ticket to their first ever World Cup Quarter Final. The scenes of jubiliation and euphoria on the pitch at the final whistle embodied all the reasons why we love this game so much, while at the same time our hearts went out to the entire Italian team who now find themselves out of the World Cup after their final Pool game against Brazil this weekend. South Africa now face France in their final Pool game, and if they play anything like they did last Sunday, this could easily be one of the best games of the weekend. Brazil themselves were admirably brave in their loss to France, and even Japan managed to give New Zealand food for thought at times.

However, perhaps the most riveting contest of the weekend was that 31-31 draw between Pool A contestants Australia and the USA. Expectations were high that Australia would get the job done, but in a match where the lead was changed almost continuously, neither side could gain an advantage. It was nailbiting stuff from start to finish and arguably the most tense match of the competition so far. Australia found themselves caught off guard by some intense physicality from the Americans, and Australia’s discipline cost them dearly at times. Some truly heroic defence from the Wallaroos just managed to keep the Eagles at bay in the final ten minutes, as with the Americans in the ascendancy the Wallaroos were forced to defend as if their lives depended on it and it worked. Australia now have the unenvious task of finishing their Pool campaign against England, while the USA have a relatively easy run against a brave but ultimately outclassed Samoa. If there is a big points haul for the Americans against the Pacific Islanders, and assuming England beat Australia as is the general consensus, then those points difference calculators will suddenly become very busy on Saturday afternoon.

Finally, perhaps the biggest game of this weekend will be Ireland and New Zealand on Sunday in Brighton. Can Ireland pull off a feat akin to Japan’s “Brighton Miracle” when they beat South Africa in the Pools in the Men’s World Cup in 2015? It’s not beyond the realms of possibility, especially as the last time these two met last year in the WXV, it was Ireland who came out on top. Ireland have looked impressive so far this tournament, while New Zealand don’t quite look the juggernaut that everyone had billed them to be. As the number three side in the World, the Black Ferns are definite title contenders but so far haven’t really shown us the killer instinct needed to get there. Even last weekend, in their comprehensive defeat of Japan, they looked vulnerable at times. They won’t be happy that Japan were able to score three tries against them, and at times, New Zealand’s discipline was problematic as they gave away 11 penalties, one yellow and one red card. New Zealand are a very good team, make no mistake, but invincible at this stage they are not. A lot like Canada as one of the favourites for the tournament, they know they still have plenty of work ons ahead of a Finals date with England.

USA vs Samoa – Saturday, September 6th – 8:12 AM (Eastern) – TSN 3 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

England vs Australia – Saturday, September 6th – 11:42 AM (Eastern) – TSN 3 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

New Zealand vs Ireland – Sunday, September 7th – 9:27 AM (Eastern) – TSN 1 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

France vs South Africa – Sunday, September 7th – 11:27 AM (Eastern) – TSN 2 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Although Canada’s second round Pacific Nations Cup loss to Japan left many of us with that familiar sinking feeling and sense of deja vu, it’s tinged with much more optimism than in the past!

Canada ultimately fell to the samurai sword of Japan 52-17 last weekend, but unlike other big losses in years gone by, there were still reasons to feel cautiously optimistic

We were really enjoying ourselves watching Canada and Japan duke it out last weekend until the 55th minute. Then that all too familiar sinking feeling set in, as Canada’s ongoing inability to rarely last more than 60 minutes in big games reared its ugly head once more giving us all frightening flashbacks to the Kingsley Jones era we have had to endure until this year. Perhaps even more alarming was how it showed the huge gulf between professional rugby everywhere else in the world and North America. If Japan, end up putting in a big score against the Americans this weekend then we rest our case that the MLR seven years in simply isn’t delivering what is needed to make the US and Canada competitive on the International stage.

There were some good performances in this game make no mistake. Canada’s starting back row of Sion Parry, Lucas Rumball, and Matt Oworu were outstanding for large chunks of the game, as was fullback Shane O’Leary. There was some solid defense by Canada, which kept them in the game with only a seven point difference right up until the 55th minute. However, once Japan scored their third try, the dam burst and Canada were left chasing their coattails for the final quarter, in what has become a depressingly familiar sight in recent years.

A notable difference and one which highlights our concern about the vast majority of our players being drawn from the MLR, was the absence last weekend of forwards Evan Olmstead and Tyler Ardron, with Ardron being Man of the Match against the USA in Canada’s Pacific Nations opener. Both Ardron and Olmstead play in France, Olmstead in the highly competitive Tier Two PROD2 for Agen, and Ardron in arguably the best club competition in the world, the TOP14 for Castres. Look at the enormous impact the pair had on Canada’s game against the USA in Round 1, resulting in an excellent win and Ardron scoring 4 of Canada’s 5 tries.

A week later, without Ardron and Olmstead against Japan, Canada could only manage to cross the whitewash twice, while the Japanese scored an impressive eight tries, with five of those coming in the final 25 minutes. Japan Rugby League One by comparison is hugely competitive with a host of top flight International stars plying their trade in the 12 teams making up the competition. Japanese players are getting game time alongside and up against greats like Pieter Steph du Toit, Richie Mounga, Beauden Barrett, Cheslin Kolbe, Kwagga Smith and Malcolm Marx to name but a few.

In short, while the MLR has its uses, an emphasis should also be placed on getting a core of top Canadian players contracts in Europe and exposure to top flight club rugby week in week out. More than 50% of our hugely successful Women’s team are playing professionally in England and France and look at what it’s done for the team’s development.

Like we say, there were some positives last weekend in Sendai despite the ultimately one-sided scoreline, but Canada needs to learn from their mistakes and build on the success they showed against the USA, while at the same time Rugby Canada needs to take a long hard look at how it is helping players get the exposure they need at an international level, over and above the MLR. Once that’s done, then perhaps Canada can start to go the full eighty minutes against sides it ultimately needs to be able to compete with if regular attendance at future World Cups is to become a reality.

Billed by many as the biggest game of the year, the Springboks’ Rugby Championship showdown with the All Blacks at the New Zealanders’ hallowed fortress has a Hollywood Blockbuster feel to it

The rivalry between South Africa and New Zealand is the stuff of legends and arguably the biggest in the modern game. This one is special, though, as South Africa seek to shatter the All Blacks’ remarkable record of 59 unbeaten games at Auckland’s Eden Park since 1994.

This should and could be a game for the ages, but we’d be lying if we didn’t say that we are concerned that this could end up being one of the most overhyped games of the decade. Hang on, we hear you say it’s the Springboks vs. the All Blacks at the Men in Black’s sacred ground and impregnable fortress of Eden Park – this is blockbuster material! The All Blacks record of not being beaten at their National Stadium since 1994 is on the line, and it’s a record that Springbok Coach Rassie Erasmus would love to smash and add to his long list of rugby accomplishments. So what’s the problem?

Our concern is that both sides still look decidedly undercooked at this stage of their transition phase in this current World Cup cycle. South Africa still seem unsure of who they are and what kind of game they want to play, and exactly the same could be said of New Zealand. Add into the mix a crop of worrying injuries for both sides, and given that the stakes are so high, risk taking on Saturday may be nonexistent to the point where it could degenerate into a conservative, yawn inducing low scoring slugfest between two sides paranoid of tripping up in front of their fans who are currently in a fever state of anticipation and expectation.

All that aside, though, let’s assume that we do get the humdinger everyone is eagerly anticipating and which on paper should happen. We read recently a journalist describing the All Blacks, in this their second year under new Coach Scott Robertson, as being “jittery,” and to be honest, we couldn’t think of a more apt description. This is still a world class team, blessed with extraordinary talent make no mistake who can beat anyone on their day. The problem is they just look decidedly unsure of themselves, and the cohesion in the team isn’t evident enough for you to immediately recognize it as an All Black team. Robertson wants them to play differently and almost seems to want them to play like South African sides of old, while Erasmus and his Kiwi attack Coach Tony Brown almost want the Springboks to play like the free running All Black sides of old. This DNA switch is clearly not working for both sides, forcing South Africa to revert back to old school Springbok rugby in the second game of the Rugby Championship after that historic defeat to the Wallabies at Ellis Park in the tournament opener.

For the Springboks “reversion to type” as it were paid off handsomely in the second Test against Australia for the most part, though it never completely negated an inventive and gutsy Wallaby side. Furthermore, as the game wore on Australia rose to the challenge, and had they not missed a few crucial kicks at goal, we might be writing a very different piece right now.

For the All Blacks, we’re really not sure they know what to go back to and even if there is any sense of what that should look like. The talent in this New Zealand side is world class, and of that there is no doubt, the problem is it remains a team of exceptionally gifted players all playing for the most part as individuals. Cohesion and an understanding of systems is clearly lacking at times in their execution. A fortnight ago in Buenos Aires, they almost seemed surprised at the ferocity and organisation that the Pumas came at them with and appeared to have very little in the way of answers to cope with it. At the moment, they appear reactionary, which if the team they are up against is not clicking or having a bad day at the office, works just fine. However, meet a team comfortable in how they are playing and what they want to achieve, and the All Blacks have a tendency to look disorganised and unstructured.

Consequently, despite the hype around Saturday’s fixture, we are struggling to tap into it. We know it’s a big deal, but perhaps we’re more focused on and interested in the exploits of Canada’s fantastic women in the World Cup. We won’t miss this game of that you can be certain, but we just can’t shake this nagging feeling that this game could go one of two ways. First and foremost, hopefully, it lives up to its billing and has us on the edge of our seats and glued to the screen, hardly daring to look away. However, there is also that niggling doubt that maybe with so much to lose in terms of face for both sides, it will end up being one of the most conservative games of rugby every played. It should be a game we are talking about for years to come and telling our grandchidren about. Equally, it could be a game that once the final whistle blows, we switch with relief to Canada vs Scotland in the World Cup. We are hoping it will be a case of the first scenario. Either way, we doubt we’ll be able to say it wasn’t interesting! So let the talking end, and one of this decade’s most anticipated games show us why this is still perhaps International Rugby’s greatest rivalry in terms of spectacle!

New Zealand vs South Africa – Saturday, September 6th – 3:05 AM (Eastern) – TSN+, FLO Rugby, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Two Coaches with everything to prove and Captains who know that the expectations of their respective nations lie on their shoulders

Australia’s Joe Schmidt and Argentina’s Felipe Contempomi know that expectations of what their charges need to achieve these next two weeks are off the charts, but in Harry Wilson and Julian Montoya they couldn’t have picked two finer leaders

Despite some concerning injuries for Australia, looking at the team sheet Coach Joe Schmidt has put together to face Argentina in the first of two Tests this Rugby Championship, we have to admit he has the right to feel pretty good. Admittedly there is no Will Skelton or even more crucially fullback Tom Wright, but it’s still a good team, the core of which for the most part got the job done in that historic win over the Springboks at Ellis Park.

The good news is that despite some necessary shuffles in the front row, key performers like Taniela Tupou are available. The second row looks strong with Nick Frost and Tom Hooper. However, it’s the back row that should put smiles on every Wallaby supporter’s face. Harry Wilson is back in the Captain’s jersey and number eight. His leadership and ability to rally and organise his troops in the Ellis Park Test was exemplary, and he is an essential cog in this team. Alongside him are two of Australia’s most valuable players, Fraser McReight and Big Rob Valentini. This is a mobile and powerful pack, which should be able to match a powerful Argentinian offering equally capable and dynamic in every aspect.

Nic White continues to be Australia’s most valuable rugby pensioner in the nine jersey, but Saturday’s dustup in Townsville sees the return of fly half Tom Lynagh. We still hold that the young number 10 has a big future ahead of him. He will be a target of Argentina’s monster back row all afternoon, but the bravery Lynagh has already shown under fire is impressive. Having the giant and menacing figures of Pablo Matera, Marcos Kremer and Juan Martin Gonzalez, who collectively would probably be able to tackle a freight train off the rails at speed, running at you all afternoon is the stuff of nightmares for most people, yet Lynagh seems up to the challenge despite the fact he’s not exactly the biggest lad on the park by quite some margin. Apart from the omission of the exceptional Tom Wright at fullback, Australia field a back line and centre pairing that proved highly effective in South Africa.

As for Argentina, there is little change from the side that clicked so well against the All Blacks in Buenos Aires. Due to injury Tomos Albornoz remains out of consideration at fly half, but considering he only played 4 minutes in Buenos Aires before being replaced by Santiago Carreras it’s no huge loss, especially when in our opinion Carreras played arguably the best game we ever seen from him in the 10 jersey. Argentina’s kicking game a fortnight ago was flawless, and they were absolute masters of the high ball. Australia without Tom Wright will be challenged here, but winger Max Jorgensen is proving rather adept at the aerial battles. However, it’s a settled and confident Argentinian team that run out onto the pitch in Townsville with a big win fresh in their collective memory and how they got it done. The connections and linkages are for Argentina already established, while for Australia as a result of the stretcher bearers, there is once more some fine tuning to be done and relationships to be worked out.

Given our concerns about caution potentially being the better part of valor at Eden Park on Saturday, our gut feeling is that in terms of spectacle and excitement this could actually end up being the game that gives us the most entertainment on Saturday. It may not be the game we’re talking about come Monday, but we’re still thoroughly looking forward to devoting two hours of our time and a few refreshments to it on Saturday. In short the best analogy we’ve heard for this weekend’s Rugby Championship is there will be an F1 race in Townsville with lots of overtaking opportunities and a chess match in Auckland played in the manner of a sumo wrestling contest crossed with a 100 metre sprint race! In short a good time should be had by all!

Australia vs Argentina – Saturday, September 6th – 12:30 AM (Eastern) – TSN+, FLO Rugby, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Well, that’s it for this week, folks. Enjoy the rugby!

Lineout Calls of Week and What to Watch and Why

The Women’s Rugby World Cup is finally underway and although there were a lot of one sided games and results this past weekend, it demonstrated that come the knockouts there are going to be some genuinely exciting and high skilled affairs on offer. The front runners this year, England, Canada, New Zealand and France all scored comfortable victories with healthy points hauls although France didn’t quite get the margin they would have perhaps have liked against Italy who we had expected to be a bit more competitive. What we did see however, and what should cause some tasty matchups even in the Pool stages were spirited performances from Australia, South Africa, Ireland and Scotland. Despite getting thumped by England, even the USA showed hints of promise and their matchup with Australia this weekend should be well worth watching.

As Canada’s Women had a veritable try fest in their 65-7 rout of a brave Fijian side, with fullback Julia Schell scoring a remarkable six tries in one match, Canada’s Men also got their Pacific Nations Cup campaign off to a brilliant start with a resounding win over the USA. It was a performance of exceptional quality and one that looked completely unrecognizable from the shambles usually on show for the last five years under now departed Coach Kingsley Jones. New Coach Steve Meehan has completely transformed this side in a mere three Tests. Friday’s performance in Calgary was the best we’ve seen from Canada’s Men by a country mile in over 5 years.

The Rugby Championship also provided plenty of spills and thrills with a complete reversal in fortunes for all four teams from the opening Round. Australia were unable to repeat their Ellis Park heroics against the Springboks, as South Africa reverted back to their core rugby DNA and used some tried and trusted proponents of it. They got an edgy win over Australia but it still lacked a certain degree of conviction to it. Meanwhile the Wallabies picked up some potentially alarming injuries which look set to have a significant impact on the remainder of their Rugby Championship campaign. Over in Argentina, the Pumas just as we expected them to do in front of the Buenos Aires faithful, came roaring back with a vengeance with a strong win over the All Blacks. The All Blacks a bit like the Springboks do not look their usual selves so far this season and transition is clearly an ongoing process for both teams and not without its teething problems.

So that’s what got us talking this weekend, and with the Women’s World Cup now in full swing there is plenty to look forward to in the weeks ahead, as Canada’s Men travel to Japan and the Rugby Championship now takes up residence in Australia and New Zealand.

Canada get their World Cup campaign off to a perfect start and turned plenty of heads in the process!

Fullback Julia Schell scored an incredible six tries in the space of 22 minutes, a record for any World Cup, as Canada put in a clinical and nearly perfect performance in their 65-7 win over Fiji

Obviously as a Canadian site, despite the fact that there was some splendid rugby played by some of the other participating teams, we’ll be looking at the demolition of Fiji by our own fantastic Women first and foremost. Don’t get us wrong, Fiji played with passion and committment and scored a superb try of their own, however the gulf between the top dogs in Women’s Rugby and the rest became blatantly apparent as the weekend wore on. It didn’t devalue the event in any shape or form as all 16 teams put in a maximum effort, it’s just that the standards of those efforts differ greatly from say the top eight in the World Rankings and the rest.

Consequently, as 14th ranked Fiji met Canada currently ranked number two in the World, there was always going to be a slightly lopsided nature to the contest. Canada came storming out of the blocks and got three tries within the first twenty minutes. Canada’s physicality, organisation, and dominance of the setpieces ensured that Fiji were unable to really make any kind headway against the Red machine. As we’ve seen all through the buildup, Canada’s kicking and passing game was crisp, precise, and accurate. The one area that perhaps surpised many of us was the fact that despite their dominance in the rucks and in the setpieces, Fiji were able to get slightly more turnovers than Canada.

It was the second half and Canada’s fullback Julia Schell running amok amongst the Fijian defenders, which was one of the highlights of the weekend. The six try wonder really had to be seen to be believed. As impressive as Schell was, her efforts were enabled by some fantastic play by Canada as a whole. Some of their passing was some of the best we’ve seen by this already rather gifted Canadian team. Canada were dominating the collisions and ensuring they kept possession in the rucks, allowing them to set up multiple phases and work their way down the field in a controlled and structured manner for the full eighty minutes. Once again, despite the attention naturally being all on Schell’s remarkable performance, it was another 80-minute display of 23 women all working together with real synergy.

Much talk has been made of England’s rolling maul and how difficult it is to defend against but Canada’s is also becoming increasingly effective, and given their success in defence we feel they may well be able to at least counter England’s super weapon and also employ it against the opposition. The game against Fiji was intensely physical at times, and some of the hits being put in would have made many in the Men’s game take a deep breath. It’s Canada’s ability to both withstand physical punishment as well as being able to dish out their own, which looks set to stand them in such good stead this tournament. Even fleet footed center Florence Symonds carries with her a physical prowess that makes her a dominant force in the middle of the park in both attack and defense.

In many ways, Fiji was the perfect team to play for Canada as an opening game to build up their intensity as the tournament progresses. Each of their games will now get progressively harder, but a start against a side like Fiji who, as evidenced by winger Kolora Lomani’s spectacular try, love to run the ball while at the same time bringing a real physical edge to certain aspects of the game was a great way to settle into a tournament that will hopefully see Canada in it to win it. With 100% success at lineout time and solid 90+ percentages in all their set piece work, Canada will feel well pleased with their first shift of World Cup duty.

As for their workons, there isn’t too much based on the evidence of this first game that we could find. Defensively, they still could be a tad sharper, though there are certainly no alarm bells ringing at this stage, and they will want to keep the penalties to a minimum, which, for the most part they did. Goal kicking could also improve, especially as some of their main competitors had much better days with the boot. Sophie de Goede did get some very challenging kicks but it’s an area Canada know they will need to keep working on as, at the business end of the tournament, they can’t afford to let easy points go begging.

The only real downside to the match was winger Fancy Bermudez’s departure from the field early in the second half, with what looked like a potentially troubling ankle injury, which hopefully can be rectified in time for what should arguably be Canada’s biggest game of the Pool stages in ten days time against Scotland. The Scots put in a dominant performance over Canada’s opponents this coming weekend, Wales, though expect this game to be a step up in terms of challenge and intensity compared to what Canada faced against Fiji.

Other than that, though, it’s full steam ahead Ladies as they are already being talked about as the dark horse that has the potential to spoil England’s party. However, there is a lot of rugby to play before that theory can be put to the Test. So, as we’re sure they’re doing, let’s all not get to carried away, and take one game at a time. Suffice to say from all of us here, a huge congratulations to all of our extraordinary Women who continue to make us proud every time they take to the field!

Canada vs Wales – Saturday, August 30th – 6:30 AM (Eastern) – TSN 4 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

England, as expected, look utterly dominant, but the other contenders for the silverware this year, France and New Zealand, also look like they mean business!

There is no question that it’s a four horse race this year with England looking the shiniest, but New Zealand and France look like they have the potential to grow and improve as the tournament develops giving England and Canada plenty to think about!

It’s hard not to see these three, along with Canada make the Final Four. However, as we mentioned above, there has been some great spirit and very positive rugby played by all the teams so far. Some of the scorelines may have been rather lopsided by the time of the final whistle, but there is no denying the “feel good” factor that was evident at every contest this weekend, both on and off the pitch. It’s a global festival of our beloved sport in the best of traditions and deserves to be celebrated as such, even if some of the competitors are clearly struggling to keep up. England, Canada, New Zealand, and France displayed why they are the front runners, but South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, and Australia also showed that they aren’t just there to make up the numbers. Even the USA and Italy who were most definitely on the wrong side of their respective scorelines were by no means complete pushovers for the full eighty minutes, and we’d argue that at times in the France/Italy game the scoreline was rather flattering to a French side who will need to up their game come the knockout stages.

England’s 69-7 romp over the Americans was not quite as emphatic as it seemed. The USA were giving as good as they got at times in the first half, and the floodgates really only started to open in the second half for England. The territory and possession stakes were relatively even, and in the physical collisions, the USA were not exactly being blown off the park and at times gave as good as they got. It was the Americans’ setpiece work and discipline that ultimately let them down, while defensively, they simply weren’t where they needed to be against a side like England. England’s rolling maul, as always, was a weapon of mass destruction but at times showed some cracks that Canada, New Zealand, and France will have observed with interest. Much like Canada, some of England’s defensive work could use a few tweaks, and their goalkicking could use a bit of tidying up. However, overall, their reputation as the juggernaut of the tournament remains largely intact after the first weekend of competition.

France got the job done against Italy, which was arguably the playoff spot for second place though with the way South Africa is playing (admittedly against a brave but utterly outclassed Brazil), one could argue that the encounter between Italy and the Springbok women could well be the decider of that debate this weekend. However, like much of what we saw in France’s only game between the Six Nations and this tournament, they are still warming up for the bigger challenges to come, though the Italy game was a useful wake up call. At times, France showed their potential, especially in the back line and the forwards. Marine Menager in the centers was a genuine threat. Their discipline wasn’t the best at times, but overall France will feel relieved that a potential banana skin in the shape of Italy was avoided, especially as France arrived in England rather luke warm.

New Zealand also looked like they are still looking to click into high gear despite a solid and rather emphatic win over Spain. The Spanish though fought to the bitter end, despite being outclassed in every aspect of the game by quite some margin, and their well earned try at the death was just reward and got everyone in York out of their seats and celebrating Spain’s never say die attitude. However, New Zealand will feel disappointed that they leaked a try at the end and the fact that they, unlike their main rivals, Canada and England, were unable to put a 60+ points margin on their opponent. Furthermore, their discipline was far from ideal at times, and overall, they simply didn’t look quite as flash as you would expect from a defending World Champion.

On the bright side flanker Jorja Miller’s opening two tries and her overall performance was utterly outstanding while her back row partner and number eight Liana Mikaele-Tu’u was voted Player of the Match, and expect these two to make plenty of headlines over the coming weeks. Meanwhile one of the most successful players in terms of try scoring success in the tournament’s history, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe was at it again scoring her 21st try at a Rugby World Cup, showing there is plenty of life left yet in the 34 year old 26 Test veteran.

England vs Samoa – Saturday, August 30th – 6:30 AM (Eastern) – TSN 4 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

New Zealand vs Japan – Sunday, August 31st – 8:42 AM (Eastern) – TSN 4 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

France vs Brazil – Sunday, August 31st – 11:27 AM (Eastern) – TSN 4 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Night and Day! Canada’s emphatic win over the USA in their Pacific Nations Cup opener was an extraordinary departure from the abject shambles of the last five years and a truly exciting glimpse into a future we had sadly begun to think was beyond their reach!

Like we said above, Canada were unrecognizable in their 34-20 thumping of the USA from anything we’ve seen in the last five years. They were absolutely outstanding and clinical once they found their feet in the second half with veteran Tyler Ardron scoring four out of Canada’s five tries and a performance for the ages. Canadian rugby fans have reason to be strongly optimistic about the future after Canada’s best game in ages.

What a game!!! When was the last time we said that about a Canadian Men’s Rugby performance? Certainly not in recent memory. The quality on display in Calgary on Friday night was such a quantum departure from the absolute rubbish that in general has been served up over the last five years by the Men’s programme, that it had us celebrating well into the wee hours. Finally, there is some belief and hope for Men’s rugby in this country. Much like their Women cohorts currently on World Cup duty in England, there was a sense of cohesion, unity, and sense of purpose in Friday’s efforts that has been sorely lacking up till now. It was heady stuff indeed and reaffirmed our belief that somewhere in amongst all the rubble of the past was a team desperately wanting to start a new life.

New Coach Steve Meehan in only three Tests in charge since the departure of the utterly woeful Kingsley Jones has transformed this team. They were accurate, disciplined, and made sound decisions for the full eighty minutes. Furthermore, they looked like they were loving every minute of it. It was a joy to watch and gave us a tantalising promise of what could come in the future. There was patience and structure to how they played, and the nuts and bolts of the game were executed well throughout the match. As we mentioned earlier, we had to constantly pinch ourselves to believe that we were watching a Canadian Men’s Rugby team, so good was the transformation.

There were plenty of players who stamped their authority on the match, but none more so than Tyler Ardron, who made a barnstorming return to the red jersey, scoring four of Canada’s five tries. He was an absolute talisman to the team, and his 80-minute powerhouse shift was a turbocharged rendition of what Canadian Men’s rugby can be when it gets it right. Ardron’s fellow veteran Evan Olmstead also had a massive game, and between them and Lucas Rumball, Canada benefitted from a core of experienced leadership and fed off it.

The Americans looked to have the ascendancy early on, and we’ll be honest that familiar sinking feeling started to set in, causing us to double our drinks orders. Then, at the end of the first quarter, Ardron and his cohorts literally seized the game by the scruff of the neck and, for the next hour, never looked back. In perhaps the best impression of Robert de Niro in Raging Bull meets Sylvester Stallone in Rambo that this country has ever seen, Ardron simply bulldozed his way through the American defences, egged on by a delerious Calgary crowd who were clearly having as much trouble as we were in believing what they were seeing but loving every minute of it.

There probably aren’t enough column inches to devote to how different Canada was in this match. Their discipline was so much better, and their set piece work was accurate and clinical. Their kicking and passing game was precise and had purpose. Their decision-making was sound, and their game management showed that they had a plan and knew how to execute it. It was a complete performance, and everyone seemed to know the script and what their roles in it were. In short, it was just so refreshing. Whether it’s solely down to new Coach Steve Meehan or the team themselves, we will never know, but whatever you are doing, gentleman, it’s working!

Canada now find themselves in Japan for their second and final Pool game against the Brave Blossoms before heading back across the Pacific to the US, where the tournament’s knockout stages will be conducted. Japan will be a tough ask, especially at home and a real test of whether or not the performance against the USA was simply smoke and mirrors and a flash in the pan, or that Canada have at long last genuinely turned a corner. If they have then their participation in the next World Cup is assured, and if they keep putting in performances like last Friday, they will be doing more than simply making up the numbers of an expanded tournament.

So from all of us here at the Lineout – well done, gentlemen, and you can not imagine how good it feels to finally be writing postively about Canadian Men’s Rugby and your efforts at long last! Keep up the excellent work!!!!

Japan vs Canada – Saturday, August 30th – 3:51 AM and again at 5:00 PM (Eastern) – TSN 4, TSN+, (TSN 5 for the 5PM showing) and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

The Wallabies come just short of the mark in their Rugby Championship rematch with the Springboks and pick up some concerning injuries in the process, while South Africa go back to the basics to get the job done!

It was a genuinely close run affair at times, so Australia shouldn’t feel too concerned although a worrying injury to fullback Tom Wright was a bitter blow. The Springboks got the win even if they still look a few yards short of convincing at the moment, as the ultimate Test of where they are really at lies in wait at Auckland’s Eden Park in a fortnight.

The old adage of sometimes it pays to stick to what you know, brought a much needed dividend for a Springbok side still sitting uneasily with that slap in the face defeat by the Wallabies at their Ellis Park cathedral. In the rematch in the Mother City, South Africa played basic Springbok rugby without trying to be too clever and got the desired result. Was it a Springbok performance for the ages? Far from it, but it got the job done. Will it be good enough to break the All Blacks’ Eden Park mantra in Auckland in a fortnight? We’d have to say the answer to that will be highly debatable until referee Karl Dickson blows the final whistle.

Like we said in the opener to this piece, we simply don’t find South Africa and New Zealand all that convincing at the moment. Much like in the Northern Hemisphere, Ireland is in transition, we’d argue that the All Blacks and Springboks are going through the same process and having similar teething problems with it. As much as they want change and need to develop new talent for the next World Cup, they appear to be struggling to weld together a cohesive side that can deliver consistent results. As a result and as evidenced by Saturday’s proceedings in Cape Town, the Springboks’ old guard put in the type of performance that was dramatically less innovative than what they’ve been trying up to now, but infinitely more effective all steered by some wise old and pragmatic heads.

Of these veterans, as he often always is, none was more important than the “Iceman” in the ten jersey Handre Pollard. There is no denying that he adds an element of calm and control, which ensures the Springboks are able to focus on the basics and utilize all the core skills that make up the South African rugby DNA. We read in many articles leading up to this game and with which we agreed, that South Africa was trying to play like New Zealand and the All Blacks were trying to play like the Springboks and it was tripping them both up.

South African Coach and World Cup maestro Rassie Erasmus is probably the game’s greatest innovator, but it was clear that since the World Cup South Africa have been finding it increasingly difficult to depart from their old ways and embrace a new style of play. However, after that Ellis Park defeat, they clearly needed a reset to get their confidence back, and that involved going back to their bread and butter rugby. Smash it up the middle, dominate the collisions and the aerial battles, and make the opposition do all the running and tire them out in the process, along with ensuring your setpiece work allows them no traction. In general, South Africa excelled at ticking all those boxes last weekend.

The problem was it simply didn’t look as all conquering as it has in the past. Other teams have figured South Africa out, and in the case of Australia last weekend in Johannesburg, they were able to work around it, as well as besting South Africa at their own game at times. Furthermore, the Wallabies clearly understood that South Africa was struggling with welding their traditional style and strengths to a new platform, and Australia found ways to exploit the loopholes it exposed.

It’s a rock and a hard place now for South Africa. They need to change, as what won them the last two World Cups simply won’t cut it this time around in Australia. Change is needed and with it plenty of new blood, while also integrating the veterans and their experience into this new way of doing things. In matches with so much riding on them in how the Springboks are perceived both at home and by their Test arena rivals, such as the upcoming two Test series with the All Blacks in New Zealand, South Africa will need to size up how much they balance Springbok version 2019/23.0 with that needed for version 2027.0 At the moment that experimentation is proving both inconsistent and at times problematic as at Ellis Park proved a fortnight ago.

As for Australia, we’d argue they are still on an upward trajectory despite last weekend’s loss. It was really only a very wobbly final ten minutes with some rather uncharacteristic errors and mistakes that denied them yet another spectacular comeback. Unfortunately in the process they have been dealt a bitter blow in the shape of injuries, most notably to fullback and without a doubt their best player in the backs, fullback Tom Wright who suffered and ACL injury in the second Test in Cape Town within the first five minutes, and which looks set to end his participation in the Wallaby jersey for the remainder of this season. Consequently, they await the arrival of a bruising Pumas squad with Australia’s casualty ward overflowing. However, from what we’ve seen of the replacements along with those in the original Rugby Championship squad that survived the South African Tour, there are plenty of reasons for continued optimism that the Wallabies’ resurgence is a permanent condition.

Plenty of food for thought for both sides, and none of it overly problematic as long as both sides can recognize what is and isn’t working for them in this very transitional period. The changes and adaptations are still a priority, but all within a balanced framework that clearly defines where each team needs to go and how to get there. The next two rounds of this Championship will tell us a great deal about both Australia and South Africa and what they are or aren’t building for the next World Cup, as the clock winds down and the time pressures mount.

The Pumas show that passion can also equal precision in a controlled but dominant performance over the All Blacks, which finally sees them get a home win against the New Zealanders in front of their adoring fans!

As we thought they would, the Pumas came roaring back in the cauldron of noise on show from their faithful fans in Buenos Aires to finally claim that elusive home win against the All Blacks. New Zealand, meanwhile, are left to ponder why they still seem to be a case of “the glass being only half full” under new Coach Scott Robertson.

We have to confess to being faintly amused by the rugby media’s general consensus that New Zealand, especially after their first Rugby Championship win this season over the Pumas, would leave Argentina with a clean sweep. Sure, it was a leap of faith us sticking with the Pumas, but one thing is for certain with them – they will never be consistently bad. They may struggle with being consistently good, but especially under new Coach Felipe Contempomi, it’s rare to see them string two poor performances together. Admittedly, they couldn’t quite get the measure of a developmental England side this summer, but like most of the Southern Hemisphere teams were still finding their feet at the start of their season with many of their players also getting over the rigorous demands of a long European season.

With New Zealand not exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment, it was obvious that the Pumas sniffed an opportunity to get a cherished home win against their famous rivals. As mentioned in last week’s piece, Argentina increasingly have no problem beating the All Blacks on the road, but at home the emotion such encounters bring along with the expectations of their supporters all seemed to be a bit too much to handle. Well, not last weekend, as the Pumas emerged from the tunnel onto a pitch deafened by the Buenos Aires faithful, full of passion but governed by a clear focus and sense of purpose.

New Zealand stuck to what had worked so well for them in Cordoba, and within the first twenty minutes were two tries up to Argentina’s one penalty. A creeping sense of deja vu started to set in as we reached for a stiff drink. Then much like Canada against the USA the day before, on the half hour mark Argentina’s steadily growing dominance of the physical battles paid off and the oustanding back rower Juan Martin Gonzalez crossed the whitewash for the Pumas. From then on, it was all Argentina with their talismanic back rower Pablo Matera putting in one of the most spectacular performances in a Pumas jersey we’ve ever seen. That’s saying something as Matera has had some big games for his country, but his intensity and physical prowess had to be seen to be believed on Saturday. What struck us the most was his ability to blast through defenders with ball in only one hand and still manage a perfectly timed and executed one-handed offload. At times, he looked almost possessed and having the strength of ten men – he’ll look back on the highlight reels of this one with genuine pride for many years to come.

After the mastermind of the Pumas win over the Lions earlier this year, fly half Tomas Albornoz had to leave the field with a hand injury after only 13 minutes and we began to feel decidedly uneasy about Argentina’s fortunes. His replacement, Santiago Carreras, is a very fine player make no mistake, but consistency, decision making, and execution are, in big pressure occassions like last Saturday, often not his strong suit. We stand corrected as Carreras was outstanding. He mastered the aerial contest and moved Argentina around the park and into the spaces they needed to be. The Pumas mastery of the aerial contests was exceptional, and New Zealand were left seriously exposed under the high ball. Argentina made an absolute mess of New Zealand’s lineouts at times and finally got the better of them at scrum time. Perhaps what struck us the most of the staggering 121 rucks Argentina found themselves in is that they won 116 of them, led by the rampaging Matera.

Many have said that rugby deep down is a simple game. Master the set pieces, win the aerial battles, and dominate the collisions, and the game is yours. Argentina took these three rules and made them their own last Saturday in Buenos Aires. Their back line in particular of wingers Matteo Carreras, Bautista Delguy, and fullback Juan Cruz Mallia were veritably majestic under the high ball and completely outclassed their All Black opposite numbers. When the opposition makes the outstanding New Zealand back rower Ardie Savea almost nonexistent, something we can honestly say we’ve hardly ever seen, then you know who is mastering the physical contests. Argentina made Savea have an exceptionally quiet game by his very high and traditionally consistent standards, and that perhaps more than anything else demonstrated how Argentina in the space of a week had turned the tables on their opponents.

So what’s next for these two sides? Argentina face a challenging two Test tour to Australia, while the All Blacks host the Springboks. Injuries aside, the Wallabies have found their groove and we’d argue that if that the Pumas can cure their Achilles Heel of a lack of consistency from one game to another, then we are in for a fascinating two weeks in Australia and New Zealand. We have a hunch that we can expect a thrilling display of fast-paced physical but open running rugby, between two sides who are leading proponents of it at the moment in the shape of Argentina in Australia. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, our gut feel is that the Two Tests are likely to be hard fought conservative affairs with plenty of hard-hitting rugby. They may be more of a collective war of tactics and attrition than what we’ll see in Australia. Fascinating to watch but with a very different set of thrills and spills compared to what is likely to be on offer in Australia.

Either way, we can’t wait to find out. This Rugby Championship has now been blown wide open and is so far living up to our premonition of it potentially being the most competitive edition in the tournament’s history – strap yourselves in folks!

Well, that’s it for this week, but yes, we’ll shamelessly admit we couldn’t help but include one last look at Canada’s rather special Julia Shell’s spectacular try fest against Fiji. Once again, well done to our all fabulous Women and onwards and upwards Ladies!

Lineout Calls of the Week and What to Watch and Why

AND SO IT BEGINS!!! Probably the most anticipated event in Canadian Rugby for a very long time kicks off this Friday with the start of the Women’s World Cup in England. Canada as the number two ranked side in the World head into the competition brimming with confidence but tournament hosts England are red hot favourites while France and defending Champions New Zealand will also have plenty to say about who ends up lifting the trophy on September 27th at Twickenham. Ticket sales have been outstanding and are looking to break all records for the Women’s game and this 10th edition of the global showdown looks set to give the Women’s game the exposure, support and coverage it has increasingly earned the rights to. In short, it’s very exciting times! Canada’s opener on Saturday in York sees them face a spirited Fijian side, but it should be a relatively comfortable introduction to the Tournament for the Ladies in Red.

Meanwhile, down in Cape Town on Saturday, Australia’s remarkable Wallabies will seek a repeat of that truly stunning win at Ellis Park last weekend over South Africa. A wounded Springbok is always an exceptionally dangerous animal especially in front of a home crowd, so the Wallabies are in for a very tough challenge, but this is a side that keeps on ripping up the form book so who knows what could happen? In Buenos Aires the pressure has just gone up even more for Argentina as they prepare for battle once more with the All Blacks after struggling to contain a dominant New Zealand side last weekend in Cordoba, and reinforcing the point that ironically home ground is almost a disadvantage for the Pumas. Can they prove us all wrong this weekend in front of a passionate and very vocal home crowd, or will the pressure be simply too much for them?

Last but not least even though most Canadian rugby fans will be focusing on our fantastic Women’s efforts in England over the coming weeks, Canada’s Men start their Pacific Nations Cup campaign this weekend, with a game against the USA in Calgary which also doubles as a World Cup 2027 qualifier. The US Eagles will be a tough opponent, though it is hoped that some of the progress shown in Canada’s recent one point loss to Spain will be on show to help the beleagured Men’s side get a much needed win in what is likely to be a very challenging PNC campaign.

So, without any further ado, let’s get stuck into the events that lie ahead this weekend!

The waiting is over, and what looks set to be the biggest and best Women’s World Cup ever gets underway this weekend

Make no mistake there will be spirited performances from all the teams involved and no doubt the odd upset, but it’s hard to deny that ultimately it’s a four horse race between England, Canada, New Zealand and France

The most talked about Women’s World Cup in history is finally here, and looks set to provide us with 6 weeks of glorious competition which will really showcase how far the Women’s game has come in the last three years and how much potential it has for the future. Ticket sales have been strong for the Pool games with the knockout stages looking to see record crowds. The excitement is there, and it looks set to be a genuine spectacle of International Rugby.

There should be some thrilling Pool games, but there is no denying that the Big Four of the Women’s game at the moment are England, Canada, New Zealand, and France. Italy, Ireland, Australia, Scotland, and possibly even South Africa or Wales also look to stir the pot, but the most likely scenario is seeing the Big Four still standing come the Semi-Finals. From there, though, it’s anybody’s guess  even if England still look the most accomplished team and on home ground, they will be extremely difficult to beat.

The action all kicks off this Friday, as England open proceedings against the USA in Sunderland. England should see the US off comfortably, but given the intensely physical approach favored by this USA side, England will need to minimise the potential for injuries.

Next up, our fabulous Canadian Women open their World Cup account against Fiji in York. Once again Canada shouldn’t be overly troubled by the spirited and at times inventive Fijians, but much like England will want to manage the risk of injuries and this will still be a challenging match as, although the Fijians are only ranked 14th, they have given the bigger teams some genuine scares over the years. In short, much like their male colleagues, Fiji has the potential to punch way above their weight.

Probaly the most intriguing game, however, of the opening weekend is France’s first game against Italy in Exeter. Italy have improved dramatically since the last World Cup and will definitely provide France with a stern challenge. Les Bleus did not look all that flash against England in their only World Cup warm up match earlier this month, and will need to up their game if they want to avoid an early banana skin against an Italian outfit who will definitely not be in awe of their Six Nations rivals.

Lastly, New Zealand face off against Spain in their opening game on Sunday, and we fear that this may end up being a completely one-sided contest. Spain lost 97-7 in their warmup game against England, and we are slightly concerned that this could end up being nothing more than a simple training run for the Black Ferns.

In short, of the big Four this weekend, we’ll probably learn the most about France and the least about New Zealand. In the meantime, though it’s time to don the red jerseys and let the cheering begin as our incredible Canadian Women get stuck in to a Tournament which sees them as probably the most prepared and capable side ever to attend a World Cup in either the Men or Women’s game in this country. Let the games begin!!!

All the action is being shown on TSN and Stan Sport Australia.

England vs USA – Friday, August 22nd – 1:53 PM (Eastern) – TSN 3 and 4 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Canada vs Fiji – Saturday, August 23rd – 12:00 PM (Eastern) – TSN 1 and 5, Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

France vs Italy – Saturday, August 23rd – 2:57 PM (Eastern) TSN 5 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

New Zealand vs Spain – Sunday, August 24th – 12:12 PM (Eastern) TSN 3 and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Meanwhile, Canada’s Men start their uphill struggle to qualify for the next World Cup in Australia in 2027 with a Pacific Nations Cup opener against the USA

Both Canada and the USA will have to work hard to qualify for the next World Cup, with the Eagles looking in much better shape as the 16th ranked side in the World against Canada’s uncomfortable 25th ranking

Like we say although much of our attention on all things Canadian when it comes to rugby over the coming weeks will be focused on our extraordinary Women and their World Cup exploits, this weekend sees the start of the annual Pacific Nations Cup between Canada, USA, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. As always, Fiji are favorites to win it, and the format means that Canada won’t get to see any of the Pacific Island sides until the knockout stages. The competition is essentially divided up into two Pools, which sees one Pool comprising the Pacific Island sides and the other Japan, Canada, and the USA.

Canada will at least have the advantage of facing the USA at home in Calgary before traveling across the Pacific to play their second Pool game against Japan. The rest of the tournament, including the knockouts, will take place in the USA.

Consequently, Canada has some rather exhausting travel to deal with after Friday’s game in Calgary and given they are the lowest ranked team of all the six competitors it’s not exactly ideal for a team that has struggled for the last six years to arrest a dizzying freefall in the World Rankings. Tonga will be the side that Canada arguably has the best chance against, but Friday’s game against the USA has the added pressure of being a World Cup qualifier. The USA have also been experiencing a steady decline in their fortunes and will be desperate to reverse that slide in Calgary. As a result Canada’s new Coach Stephen Meehan will want to see his charges build on a lot of the positives they displayed in their agonising one point loss to Spain earlier this summer, in what will be a very challenging encounter, with plenty at stake for both sides.

The one player we are really excited to see back in action for Canada, and arguably our brightest star in the making, is utility forward Matthew Oworu. He was outstanding against Spain and, along with Lucas Rumball, ensured that Canada were competitive for the full eighty minutes. If Canada are to qualify for the World Cup, then Oworu will definitely be one of the players who gets them there.

Canada vs USA – Friday, August 22nd – 9:00 PM (Eastern) TSN 3 and TSN+ (live and on demand)

Australia’s spectacular Wallabies look to go 2 for 2 in Cape Town after turning the form book upside down and inside and out last weekend with that epic win at Ellis Park

Australia’s stunning upset 38-22 win over the Springboks at Ellis Park last weekend was the stuff of legends, but can the Wallabies back it up this Saturday against a wounded and angry South African side in Cape Town?

We actually ran out of superlatives within the first few sips of our post-match pint last Saturday, after Australia’s spectacular 38-22 win against all odds over the Springboks at Fortress Ellis Park in Johannesburg. To score 38 unanswered points over the reigning World Champions on one of their holy home grounds is nothing short of a miracle. Australia went into the game as massive underdogs but emerged as superheroes. One thing was unanimous after the final whistle and that was that we had all watched a remarkable game of rugby and one which all 23 players of Australia’s matchday squad should be justifiably proud of for years to come.

There was that ominous feeling after the first quarter, with South Africa up 22-0, that this was going to be a whitewash for the home side. The hard earned confidence and self-belief gained by the Wallabies during the course of the Lions series looked set to be extinguished, and Australian rugby about to take another two steps backward. South Africa’s infamous brute physicality appeared to be taking its toll, and the Wallabies were taking the pounding that most had predicted.

Then, on minute 28, everything changed. Winger Dylan Pietsch suddenly found himself in acres of space, and all of a sudden, the Wallabies were up by five. From that point on, they simply never looked back. As Australia got sharper, the Springboks, by comparison, looked uncharacteristically out of sorts. South Africa’s setpiece work disintegrated, their defense became laughable, and their discipline went out the window. Especially out wide South Africa’s defense was beyond porous, and Australia’s footloose and fancy free backline proceeded to revel in the space they were able to find.

Huge credit must be given to Australia’s halfback pairing of Nic White and James O’Connor, who combined fantastically to create acres of space and opportunity for their teammates. The Wallabies forward pack gave as good as they got in the contact areas and back rower, and Man of the Match Fraser McReight produced some fantastic turnover ball for Australia and was an absolute menace in the loose. Meanwhile, fullback Tom Wright cemented his claim to being one of the very best in the World right now in the position, and some of his passing and line breaks had to be seen to be believed.

As good as Australia’s game management, passing and kicking game was, South Africa’s, by comparison, deteriorated dramatically as the game wore on with some truly awful decision-making thrown in to make matters worse. If you read last week’s post, you may recall us saying that Springbok fly half Manie Libbok can have some real shockers at Test Level, and Saturday’s performance at Ellis Park definitely falls into that category. The more things started to unravel, the worse he got. Consequently, it’s no surprise to see veteran Handre Pollard assume the game management reins for this weekend’s fixture in Cape Town.

Don’t get us wrong, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Springboks as there were some sound performances from some players. Eben Etzebeth as always was a powerhouse in attack and defence, while Pieter-Steph du Toit continuously showed off the skill sets that earned him World Player of the Year in 2019 and 2024 but he sadly picked up an injury which rules him out for the second Test. Despite the wheels falling of Manie Libbok’s train, his halfback partner Grant Williams in the nine jersey had a relatively positive game, and he keeps his spot as a result for the second Test. Veteran fullback Willie le Roux gets drafted in at the tender age of 36, as although Aphelele Fassi had some good moments, he was ultimately outclassed by Australia’s maestro in the 15 jersey Tom Wright. Despite techically being the wrong side of 35, le Roux had a good season with the Bulls, and there is no denying his experience.

Out wide South Africa will be pleased to see the return of all-star winger Cheslin Kolbe. Despite his dimunitive size, he is able to tackle like a demon, a quality which was sorely lacking last weekend for South Africa on the touchlines. He is accompanied by Canan Moodie who comes off the bench, as both last weekend’s starters Edwill van der Merwe and Kurt-Lee Arendse are out with injury, though given the amount of tackles they missed that may be a blessing in disguise. South Africa strengthen their center pairings, which were also not up to standard last weekend both on attack and in defense, by retaining Jesse Kriel but bringing in veteran Damian de Allende. If they can tighten up their passing/kicking game and solidify their setpiece work, then service as normal should resume for the Springboks and their outraged fans this weekend.

For Australia, we are still without the teamsheet for Saturday’s fixture. However, there are a few givens we are aware of. In short, it’s a mixture of good and bad news. It’s been confirmed that Captain Harry Wilson who was such an inspiration last weekend will miss the second Test as a result of tweaking his knee in his outstanding 63rd minute try last Saturday, while winger Dylan Pietsch who scored Australia’s opening try, and which really got the ball rolling for the Wallabies, is out with a broken jaw.

Despite such significant losses, Australia will be heartened by the return of arguably one of their three best players, big Rob Valentini. The dynamic back rower is arguably Australia’s most valuable asset in the physical battles, which will likely play such a huge part in Saturday’s contest in a damp Cape Town arena. Also drafted into the squad as Dylan Pietsch’s replacement is Brumbies winger Corey Toole who is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, men in Australian rugby right now and who scored 13 tries for the Canberra outfit this season in Super Rugby.

South Africa are highly unlikely to be as poor again as they were last Saturday and should be much more effective in shutting down the spaces that Australia were able to exploit with almost joyful abandon last weekend. Their setpiece work is also likely to afford Australia a lot less possession than they got in Johannesburg. South Africa, with Handre Pollard running the show in the ten jersey, play a much less expansive game than they attempted at Ellis Park, and as result there will be a lot less spilt crumbs for the Wallabies to seize on. South Africa’s kicking game will be a lot more controlled and precise and expect them to pass the ball a good deal less than they did last weekend. In short, we are probably going to see South Africa adopting the tried and trusted formula of getting their forwards to tuck the ball up the jersey and bash the opposition into submission and exhaustion through the center of the park.

However, a bit like the French, the Wallabies seem to be reveling in both throwing the form book out the window and doing what you least expect them to do. They clearly are thriving with the underdog label, and the one thing we noticed with surprise last weekend was how Australia looked considerably fitter than their opponents even at altitude. At times, the Springboks looked dead on their feet while the Wallabies still could pass as extras in a Duracell bunny advert. Did last weekend’s superhuman effort take too much out of the Wallaby tank, leaving them potentially exhausted for Saturday’s dustup against a very fired up Springbok side with a point to prove and revenge on their lips? We can’t wait to find out!!!!

South Africa vs Australia – Saturday, August 23rd – 2:57 PM (Eastern) TSN+, Premier Sports Asia, FLO Rugby and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Home advantage, anyone? In Argentina’s case, it would almost seem to be a case of “no thank you”

After losing their Rugby Championship opener to the All Blacks last weekend in Cordoba, in the cauldron of Buenos Aires Estadio Jose Amalfitani Stadium can Argentina finally make home advantage count for something this Saturday?

Like we said last week, we find Argentina’s difficulty in regularly securing wins on home soil a conundrum. This is a team that can regularly bring home big scalps while on the road, but it would seem that the pressure and emotion of playing in front of their ardent supporters trips them up more often than it aids their cause. In short, they are a team who are infinitely more successful on the road than they are at home. We wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest to see Argentina lose both Tests at home to the All Blacks this Rugby Championship and then go on to beat the Wallabies twice in Australia.

That being said, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Pumas in their 41-24 loss to New Zealand last weekend in Cordoba. There was some genuine fightback at times, and at one point, it looked like they had clawed their way right back into contention by the end of the third quarter. Fly half Tomas Albornoz made a welcome return to the side, and immediately proved his value. Their setpiece work, however, will need some serious first aid against New Zealand with some uncharacteristic wobbles at lineout time seen in Cordoba. However, their scrum held up well for the most part against the All Blacks. Their loose forward trio, as always, was a complete menace, and defensively, they made a decent fist of containing New Zealand despite the scoreline. In short, there was nothing that screamed imminent defeat in Argentina’s performance last Saturday. New Zealand were simply more efficient with the opportunities they had and were the more composed under pressure of the two sides when it mattered most.

As a result, we’d argue that this weekend’s dustup in Buenos Aires should, in theory, be a much closer affair. Argentina will want to tighten up their defensive structures against New Zealand’s rolling maul, which saw replacement Hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho score two tries in quick succession, which essentially sealed Argentina’s fate. Consequently, we are fascinated to see who keeps their spot this weekend in the starting fifteen and who gets rotated on to or off the bench.

As for New Zealand, it will likely be much of the same in what we see in terms of their approach to this game. With South Africa’s loss to Australia, they will know that another big win will allow them to place one hand provisionally on the silverware. Standout performances have to be attributed to All Black back rower Ardie Savea, who once again proved why he is one of the most difficult players to contain in International Rugby. The sight of several Argentinian players clinging vainly to Savea as he writhed and thrashed his way down the pitch was as always fairly common on Saturday.

New Zealand will be especially pleased with the performance of scrum half Cortez Ratima, who, after a few false starts, really seemed to show his Test credentials last weekend in Cordoba. Will Jordan showed yet again why the All Blacks simply can’t afford not to have him somewhere in their backline. What remains to be seen is if Jordan will be kept at fullback for Saturday’s encounter in Buenos Aires or moved to the wing, and Damian McKenzie brought in to either the ten or fifteen jersey. In our humble opinion, we doubt we’ll see such a change, especially as Sevu Reece, who many felt was lucky to get a starting berth on the wing, put in such a solid performance last weekend.

We still hold that McKenzie may simply be too much of a target for Argentina’s big bruising pack, especially in an encounter likely to be high on physicality and emotion. Beauden Barrett coped well with the noise and emotion in Cordoba as well as managing to keep himself out of the line of fire of Argentina’s big men while still pulling the strings on the All Blacks attack. Perhaps even more interesting is whether or not, after his rapid fire, try scoring antics last weekend, Hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho is left on the bench or given a starting berth.

Argentina will be better in this second Test and look more like the side that showed up in the second half in Cordoba. New Zealand will know they also need to notch it up a gear or two, but the performance last weekend showed that for the most part the basic nuts and bolts are there to get the job done if they are to get a repeat of last weekend’s success.

The big question is, can Argentina use the pressure they are under to their advantage, and finally make playing at home a strong suit in their considerable arsenal of skills and capabilities. They have a world class team, who is now no stranger to what it feels like to beat the All Blacks. To beat them at home in front of the faithful will mean almost as much to this Pumas team as winning the World Cup. The stakes are high. Can Argentina handle the pressure? We can’t wait to find out as we’re sure you can’t either.

Well, that’s it for this week, folks. Almost didn’t get anything out due to work pressures, but glad we were able to get some of our thoughts down on paper. Especially in such a momentous week and so much going on in International Rugby with the Crown Jewel being the start of the Women’s World Cup. So, like we say, get your Canada jerseys out and let the cheering begin, and may it last the full six weeks!

Lineout Calls of the Week and What to Watch and Why

There is so much to look forward to in the coming weeks, so where do we begin? The Rugby Championship gets underway this weekend with Australia on tour in South Africa and New Zealand doing the same in Argentina, so that’s what will keep us glued to our screens this Saturday. Can Australia build on their strong finish to the Lions Series when they square up against World Champions South Africa on the Springboks home turf? It’s definitely a tall order and a genuine test of whether or not the Wallabies really have turned a corner this year. Meanwhile, can Argentina finally develop some consistency? They are a fabulous team but unless they can fix their Achilles Heel of being World Beaters one weekend and then a disorganised shambles a week later, then the incredible potential of the Pumas will continue to go unrealized.

As for the favorites this weekend, South Africa and New Zealand, it’s hard in the Springboks’ case to not see a potential whitewash in the making. The physicality of South Africa is a well-known commodity, there is some fantastic new talent coming through the ranks, and their attack is just as ingenious as their defense is resolute. All of it is coached by that wily master of subterfuge and intrigue on the pitch Rassie Erasmus, and probably the most inventive brain in the modern game. New Zealand, though, still remain an unknown quantity in new Coach Scott Robertson’s second year in charge. The skill sets are there by the bucketload, but the organisation at times looks slightly suspect. The All Blacks got the job done against an understrength but very talented French team this summer, but the Pumas will be operating at full strength and in front of their very loud and passionate fans. In short, it will be a hostile environment for New Zealand to operate in, to say the least. It will be excellent preparation for when the Springboks travel to New Zealand next month, but at least one of these Tests in Argentina is likely to be a genuine humdinger.

However, as an annoying distraction to our potential enjoyment of this year’s Rugby Championship, there is the depressing thought that this could well be the last year we ever see this tournament as we know it. The irritating spectacle of Mike Tindall’s proposed breakaway R360 league sadly appears to be gaining some momentum, while South Africa and New Zealand have decided to institute proper old school tours next year which leaves Australia and Argentina out in the cold for 2026. On top of all that, the new World Rugby Nations Championship, which kicks off next year, also adds to the fact that the International Rugby Landscape, as we know it, could change forever in the next 18 months. We are not averse to change and recognize that our beloved sport could do with a bit of it in order to grow and in some cases even survive, but a lot of this seems very poorly thought out.

Meanwhile, the excitement continues to mount here at the Lineout as we are a mere 8 days out and counting till the start of the Women’s World Cup in England. Canada completed their round of warmup games last weekend in Belfast with a convincing win over a spirited and feisty Irish side. Best of all, the team emerged injury free and ready for battle as they prepare to face Fiji in their opening game next Saturday in York. England remain the favourites but after watching England deal with France last weekend in the last of their warmup games, we couldn’t help but feel that the Red Roses are not invincible despite putting les Bleus to the sword in Southwest France last Saturday.

So let’s dive a little deeper into what got our pints frothy this week!

Is this the end of the Rugby Championship as we know it as competing pressures on its place in the calendar mount?

OK we get it, in the 12 iterations of this tournament since it changed from the Tri Nations in 2012, New Zealand have won it 10 times and South Africa twice, with neither Argentina or Australia really getting a look in apart from one off upsets in individual matches. The tournament, at least in its full format as we’ll see this year, looks set to take a break until 2029. As a result, is the whole thing in danger of disappearing, especially as other new tournaments continue to threaten its existence and relevance?

As we look forward to what could be one of the most competitive Rugby Championships in years, it would appear that the knives are out for what we think is an important tournament. Yes, the current malestrom of what the International Rugby landscape will look like after 2025 continues to take up irritating and distracting page space in a lot of the sources we go to in order to form our potentially miguided opinions over our pints. Unfortunately the debate seemingly just won’t go away, especially now that Mike Tindall and his Saudi financier friends are apparently gaining traction with the idea of their breakaway R360 league, even getting NFL reject and Wales superstar Louis Rees-Zammit to put pen to paper for the new league on his return to rugby.

It’s hard to argue against the fact that our beloved game has some issues right now. Club rugby around the globe continues to struggle to make money, even France’s hugely successful TOP14, arguably the creme de la creme of club competitions, struggles to break even despite packed stadiums and the fact that for much of the French public it almost takes precedence over France’s exploits in the International arena. Club rugby in England is permanently on the verge of bankruptcy with even established teams seemingly in danger of extinction – remember Wasps anyone? The club scene in Wales is a train wreck and is reflected in the fortunes of the National side. In North America, the MLR seems to change teams as many times as the emperor changed his clothes, while at the same time Canada and the USA hurtle backwards in the World Rugby rankings at a rate of knots. The URC featuring South African, Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian clubs is proving a mixed bag, but despite its growing popularity and quality of competition the logistics of it all are a huge burden on some cash strapped clubs, especially those in Wales. Super Rugby is fatally skewed when it comes to putting your name on any silverware as Australian teams and the Fijian Drua fail to make any kind of meaningful dent on Kiwi supremacy, making it for all intents and purposes a glorified domestic competition for New Zealand. The European Champions League, while on paper a good idea, is so broken in its current format that interest in it is hard to maintain.

In short, there are only two competitions that are in rude health, the Six Nations and the World Cup. International Rugby brings in the money and the punters, and of that, there is no question and it has never been more popular. The Rugby Championship, as the Southern Hemisphere’s equivalent of the Six Nations however, hasn’t really caught the imagination the way the annual dustup between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales does. It doesn’t have the history of its famous Northern Hemisphere counterpart, and the age-old rivalries really only matter as almost life and death struggles between South Africa and New Zealand. Hence, the decision by said two teams to forego the Rugby Championship next year and embark on an old school Tour as in days gone by, leaving Argentina and Australia to look for something else to do. On top of all that next year, the Nations Championship, World Rugby’s controversial new showpiece event, kicks off after six contentious years in the making.

Meanwhile lurking around the fringes is Mike Tindall and his merry band of Saudi financiers and hedge fund manager mates from his time hanging around Ascot as a fringe Royal, looking to shake things up even further with their proposed breakaway R360 league. This proposes a series held from April to June and August to September in exotic locations around the world in an F1 Grand Prix style rugby circus format. It would feature made-up teams recruiting some of rugby’s biggest stars. Reportedly eye watering sums are being offered to players, and some big names have apparently taken the bait, most notably recently returned to rugby NFL castaway Louis Rees-Zammit, though apparently the Welsh speedster will still play with an existing club somewhere in Europe, with English Premiership side Bristol Bears managing to have the fattest cheque to wave in his face.

As we’ve already mentioned in previous posts we still remain highly sceptical of this competition actually getting airborne, despite the sums of money involved, especially as it will clash directly with competitions such as the English Premiership, TOP14 and URC’s knockout stages as well as whatever format emerges from a Rugby Championship currently undergoing intensive surgery. It may generate some useful debate about some much needed change in our beloved game, but as far as we’re concerned that is its only value added and we sincerely hope it never sees the light of day.

Rugby needs some fundamental changes plain and simple. This is something that none of us can argue with, and as rugby fans, we all take a united stand on. Players need better compensation for the sacrifices they and their bodies make on a weekly basis to entertain us. Player welfare and safety needs to be enhanced. We need a calendar that makes sense while still preserving the traditions and values of our beloved sport. Cherished tournaments like the Six Nations need to be kept safe while the World Cup’s value every four years must not be diminished. While doing all of this, the financial viability of the game needs to be ensured, and the game grown globally, and that applies equally to the Men’s and Women’s Game.

On this last point, we’d argue that some traction is being made as, at least when it comes to International Rugby, the global audience would appear to be growing every year. However, in the current climate of disjointed and competing attempts to achieve all of this, with vastly different motivations and objectives rugby’s current landscape and efforts to change it sound like a really bad mashup of three big 80s music hits. Go listen to Talking Heads’ “Life During Wartime”, REM’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know it” and Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and maybe you’ll understand how confused and a tad frustrated we’re all feeling about all of this right now!

Canada’s Women claim an Irish scalp in their final warmup game in Belfast ahead of the World Cup

Canada got a handsome 47-26 win over a gritty and determined Irish side in Belfast last Saturday as their final warmup game ahead of the World Cup, which starts for them on August 23rd. Best of all, the team emerged from this preparation cycle with no lingering injuries, and as always, Centre Florence Symonds impressed with two fine tries and looks set to be one of the players of the tournament.

Canada’s fabulous Women were at it again last Saturday in Belfast with a solid win over Ireland in their last warmup game ahead of probably the most eagerly anticipated event in Canadian Rugby history. Canada’s Women have retained their ranking as the number two side in the World and head into the 10th edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup next week in England injury free and in fine form.

All credit must go to Ireland, though, for giving Canada a genuine challenge and an excellent opportunity to make some last-minute adjustments ahead of the big show. Canada appeared to have the game sewn up by half-time with the scoreline at 33-7 in their favor. However, a concerted uptick in Ireland’s performance in the second half made sure that Canada could not rest on their laurels and forced them to keep up the pressure for the full 80. In short, excellent preparation for what lies ahead.

As usual, it was a superb team effort from Canada that saw them get the job done. However, there is no denying that in scoring two fine tries center Florence Symonds once again made us sit up and take notice. She really is an exceptional player in attack and defence, and in any kind of space is absolutely lethal. Her passing game is outstanding, and she is exceptionally strong in the tackle, being very difficult to bring down. She has already been cited by several rugby pundits as a potential player of the tournament, and while we tend to shy away from singling out individual players as we feel it detracts from their teammates, especially given that rugby is a sport that relies so heavily on the efforts of a team as a whole as opposed to single players, there is no doubt that Symonds has something special. We very much doubt that her teammates would begrudge whatever moments she may have in the limelight over the next few weeks, and given her humility, we very much doubt it will go to her head.

In terms of what lies ahead, we watched with interest England’s final warmup game against France last weekend, and while England dispatched France with relative ease 40-6, there was no denying that it looked slightly labored at times. Take away England’s rolling maul, and all of a sudden, they don’t look as daunting. Although they have some truly amazing backs in the shape of Ellie Kildunne and Abby Dow, their passing was not nearly as precise as Canada has shown over the past month. Admittedly it was bakingly hot in the Southwest of France last Saturday, but it was the same in Ottawa a fortnight ago for Canada against the USA with some killer humidity thrown in to make the ball even more slippery.

As for Canada’s other two main rivals, France and New Zealand, they also haven’t exactly had us quaking in fear in their warmups. New Zealand lost the second of their two recent warmup games in South Africa to the Springboks and only narrowly won the first. Admittedly, it was an understrength Black Ferns side that traveled to South Africa, but it is worth noting that Canada comprehensively beat the Springboks in both of their games on tour to the Rainbow Nation in July. Meanwhile France looked nowhere near being ready against England, however it’s also worth pointing that out that since that one point loss to England in the final game of this year’s Six Nations, this was their only warm up game, so it’s rather difficult to judge where they are at in terms of their preparation.

We fully expect to see France, England and New Zealand in dramatically different form once the World Cup kicks off on Friday, August 22nd, but there is no denying that Canada should feel genuinely pleased at their state of readiness for the big event and proud of all the hard work put in so far!

Australia arrive in South Africa for the first leg of their Rugby Championship campaign, which is likely to be twice the challenge that the Lions Tour was!

Australia ended up acquitting themselves well in the recently concluded Lions Tour to the Land Down Under despite narrowly losing the Series. World Champions South Africa, however, on their own turf, is a different proposition altogether, and there is clearly no love lost between these sides. Meanwhile, scrum half Nic White posptones his retirement and fly half James O’Connor makes a return from the wilderness.

Whichever way you cut it, you could almost argue that the Lions series could be classed as child’s play when you look at what the Wallabies are now faced with. Australia’s fragile but hard earned sense of confidence and optimism after the Lions Tour could all be undone on the highveld on Saturday afternoon at one of International Rugby’s most daunting citadels – Johannesburg’s Ellis Park (sorry we’ll never get our head around Emirates Airline Park).

South Africa who are the tournament’s defending champions this year, will want to get their campaign off to a rollicking start ahead of a challenging two Test tour of New Zealand featuring a fixture at a ground the All Blacks simply don’t lose at – Auckland’s Eden Park. It’s a remarkable fact that the last time the Springboks beat New Zealand at the fabled ground, it was 1937. Coach Rassie Erasmus, who is well on his way to ticking every conceivable International Rugby landmark event there is, will no doubt be coming up with a cunning plan to pull off the unthinkable However, if history is to keep the All Blacks legendary status intact at EdenPark, then Erasmus will know that two big points haul wins over Australia are critical if they are to defend their title this year. As a result our collective hearts go out to the Wallabies this Saturday as very few if any prisoners are likely to be taken in an intensely physical and bruising encounter, all played at altitude which South Africa will be fully acclimatized to.

Furthermore, to make matters worse for Australia, they continue to be without their most valuable player in terms of the physical battles, flanker Rob Valentini. Big “Bobby V” has traveled with the Wallaby squad to South Africa, though is still deemed not fit for the opener, but hopefully, he will be available for the critical second Test in Cape Town. However, his physicality and all-around ball carrying ability around the contact areas will be sorely missed on Saturday. South Africa’s second and back row stocks for Saturday’s encounter are alarming, to say the least. Even though second rower Lood de Jager hasn’t got a ton of time under his belt this season due to injury, he is such a powerful commodity that even on a bad day he will pose serious problems for the Wallabies and alongside Eben Etzebeth the lineouts could be a torrid place for Australia.

Australia have some definite spoilers, though, make no mistake. Will Skelton, who made such an impact in the second and third Tests, is available and is likely to have his opposite number Etzebeth’s infamous temper boiling over continuously by minute 10 onwards. Despite the Wallabies relative success in the scrum department especially when Taniela Tupou was introduced into the mix against the Lions, South Africa’s combination of Ox Nche, Wilco Louw and Malcolm Marx is likely to negate many of those gains.

However, even without Valentini, there is no reason why Australia can’t cause some mayhem in the back row of their own. Number 8 and Captain Harry Wilson really came of age on the Lions Tour while Fraser McReight is a master opportunist in the loose. Tom Hooper also made important contributions to the Wallabies’ physical efforts in the third Lions Test. If they can hold their own against the all star Springbok trio of Marco van Staden, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Siya Kolisi then the argument that the Wallabies have finally managed to negotiate a very difficult set of curves in their recent history will have some genuine validity.

In the half backs it’s no secret that Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt’s selections have turned some heads. With a combined age of 70, the Australian halfback pairing for Saturday’s game makes the term veteran seem almost geriatric. Nic White was set to retire after the Lions Series, but ongoing injury concerns for regular Jake Gordon have seen the celebrated scrum half answer the call to postpone his rugby after-life until the end of the Rugby Championship.

Meanwhile Australia’s brilliant but at times errant schoolboy, James O’Connor answers the Wallabies mayday call in the ten jersey, as Tom Lynagh is still unavailable after the shocking clearout in the final Test saw him be subjected to the head injury protocol. We can remember watching James O’Connor when he was tipped to be Australia’s next big thing way back in 2008. Since then, lapses in discretion both on and off Tour have seen him fall out of favor for the most part with Australian selectors. The rebel teenager is gone, and what has replaced it is a mature and capable playmaker even if he is at the endgame of what could have been a very promising career.

For South African supporters, they will be crossing every finger and toe that their own fly half Manie Libbok will be having one of his “on” days as opposed to some genuine Test shockers we’ve seen in recent years, especially in the goal kicking department. Libbok is an excellent player make no mistake, and when on song, he can produce a master class in inventive game management. However, consistency is just not his strong suit, with there being very few grey areas between his good and bad days. Scrum half Grant Williams suffers from much the same problem, and in big pressure occasions for the Sharks this season, he often fell short. However, like his teammate in the 10 jersey, he can be utterly electric on a good day and also rather handy with the boot should Libbok have brought the wrong pair to Ellis Park on Saturday.

With South Africa’s centre pairing of Jesse Kriel and Andre “the Giant” Esterhuizen set to bulldoze the Wallabies into submission in the centre of the park, it remains to be seen if Australia’s often porous defence can contain the likes of the scrum cap wearing Springbok danger men out wide in the shape of Kurt Lee Arendse and new find Edwill van der Merwe. If they can, then expect Dylan Pietsch and the exceptional Max Jorgensen to create some genuine fireworks on Ellis Park’s hard and fast track for the Wallabies. In the back, though, Australia will be secure in the shape of Tom Wright, who also excels at counterattacking from deep, as does his Springbok counterpart Aphelele Fassi. We’d argue Fassi has more of the X factor, but Wright has a more complete game. In short, a fascinating contest awaits at the back end of the field on Saturday.

Springbok Coach Rassie Erasmus is famous for his 7-1 bench spilts (ie seven forwards and one back) on the assumption that his charges will collectively bludgeon their opponents into submission for the full eighty minutes leaving the backs free to run about unhindered and injury free. However, this Saturday, he has gone with a 5-3 split. What that says to us is that he is wary of the realistic threat that Australia’s runners pose. However, it could also be saying that the attrition caused by South Africa’s physical assault on Australia’s defences will be so high that by the final quarter they will have already emptied their benches in a desperate attempt to contain the likely South African dominance up front. Coach Joe Schmidt’s selection of a 6-2 bench split would appear to favor that hypothesis.

Australia’s bench contains some genuine threats who proved their worth and then some in the Lions series with second rower Jeremy Williams, and back rowers Nick Champion de Crespigny and Langi Gleeson doing some solid work during the Lions series. The front row is always a necessary complete shift change, leaving only Tate McDermott to come on and bring his customary final quarter breakneck impact in the scrum half berth and Andrew Kellaway to provide some much needed fresh legs to a back line probably dead on their feet at that stage.

South Africa’s bench although not quite their typical “bomb squad” approach is potent enough to seal the door on Australia’s fate if the scoreline has gotten out of control in the Springboks favor by the final quarter. Bongi Mbonambi is back to replace Marx at Hooker, though once again on the big stage for the Sharks this season, he had a rather patchy record. However, two of our favorite and in our opinion most underrated Springbok Test animals Franco Mostert and Kwagga Smith lie in wait to cause havoc in the loose and at set piece time. Finally, an all-star set of replacements for the backs in Cobus Reinach, Damian Willemse, and Canan Moodie should ensure that the Springboks start their Rugby Championship campaign the way they want to finish it. Willemse may appear sooner rather than later if Libbok is having an off day with the boot. Try scoring machine Moodie needs no introduction and Reinach’s speed off the base of the scrums and rucks, combined with some serious big match experience give the Boks a real edge here.

On paper, this is South Africa’s game to lose, which most of us find it hard to imagine. However, if Australia come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders, are able to give as good as they get in the physical department, which let’s face it is exactly what they did in the Third Lions Test in appalling conditions, then the script could be dramatically rewritten setting up a fascinating second Round in Cape Town with everything to play for for both sides. We certainly hope so!

South Africa vs Australia – Saturday, August 16th – 11:10 AM (Eastern) – TSN+, FLO Rugby, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Argentina will relish the opportunity of hosting the All Blacks in their first two legs of this year’s Rugby Championship and will seek to create a least one memorable repeat of that fine win in Wellington last year!

Once upon a time, Pumas/All Blacks games tended to be rather one-sided affairs in favor of the Men in Black – not so these days! Argentina, with the benefit of playing their famous opponents on home soil in both rounds of this year’s Rugby Championship, will be keen to try and make history by pulling off back to back wins. The big question is, can they be consistent and avoid the depressingly familiar Puma trend of being amazing one week and utterly awful the next?

As Argentina prepare to face New Zealand twice on home soil this month in probably the last iteration of the Rugby Championship as we know it, here’s an interesting fact, the Pumas have never beaten the All Blacks at home. The closest they came to it was a draw way back in 1985, but it would appear that home advantage simply does not favor Argentina. By contrast, since 2020, the Pumas have beaten the All Blacks away from home three times, once in Australia and twice in New Zealand. It seems they are much more comfortable facing a team they love to play, away from the high-pressure stares of their devoted and passionate fans. Will this year be different? More importantly, if it is, can they do it in back to back games? Consistency from one match to the next is simply not part of Argentina’s rugby DNA, it would seem. We really hope this year is different as they are fan favourites here at the Lineout in terms of how they play the game and their passion for it.

As for New Zealand, despite being seriously tested at times by a developmental French squad last month, they regard the start of the Rugby Championship as the real deal in terms of the beginning of their season. Although, they arrive in Argentina comfortable in the knowledge that they have never been beaten in the Pumas’ backyard, Argentina have increasingly become the South American equivalent of the All Blacks’ Irish banana skin these days when they least expect it. They will know that Argentinian fans will both expect and demand that the Pumas finally get that elusive home win against their fabled opponents and that these two games will be fought to the death.

At the time of going to press, we have yet to see either team sheet, so it’s a bit hard to comment on how this game may play out. One thing we do know is that the majority of Argentina’s big hitters who missed the Series against England are available, most notably one of the biggest men in International Rugby utility forward Marcos Kremer and utility back and Toulouse star Juan Cruz Mallia. Perhaps the most significant return to the Pumas fold, though, will be Toulon bound and former Benetton fly half Tomas Albornoz. Albornoz had a huge influence on the Pumas historic win over the Lions earlier this summer in Dublin and is the fly half that Argentina have been looking for with limited success since the retirement of Nicolas Sanchez. Throw in others like Santiago Chocobares, Matteo Carreras, Gonzalo Garcia, Lucio Cinti and Bautista Delguy, and this could be an exceptionally potent Pumas side more than capable of creating their own version of history over the next two weeks.

However, like we say the nagging doubt surrounding these two games is that while the likelihood of at least one win over the All Blacks is a distinct probability, the Pumas seeming inability to string together two quality back to back performances is almost certain to trip them up once again. Whether it’s over confidence or simply a lack of focus and fitness, it’s impossible to guage with Argentina. Just suppose, though, that they pull off the unthinkable and score two back to back victories against the All Blacks. All of a sudden, they head to Australia to face a Wallaby side that sadly has probably taken a bit of a beating at the hands of the Springboks. They would then find themselves once again in the hunt for the tournament’s silverware, which they were all last year, having beaten all three opponents once, but singularly unable to repeat it a week later. If they do, the seeming demise of the Rugby Championship which has been key to making the Pumas so competitive and made them the fifth ranked team in the world prior to England’s summer Tour, will seem even more short sighted and unjust than it already is. However, once again this summer on home soil, they just couldn’t maintain their status, losing both Tests to a developmental England side. Hopefully, home advantage stops being a curse rather than a blessing for the Pumas over the next two weeks.

As for New Zealand, confidence should be high as the dust starts to settle on their transition to new Coach Scott Robertson now 18 months into his tenure. He knows what he has in his player stocks and hopefully how best to use them. However, a lot of New Zealand’s combinations still look slightly clunky and unsure of themselves. There is an amazing team in the making here make no mistake, and New Zealand should easily go deep into the next World Cup and possibly even lift the silverware itself for a fourth time. Nevertheless, the All Blacks still look quite a way off from being the finished product, and if anything, their Argentinian opponents look the more settled side if that even sounds plausible.

Like we say without the teamsheets in front of us as we put pen to paper it’s hard to get a feeling of what sort of All Black squad will run out for the opening Test against the Pumas in Cordoba this Saturday. One question, no doubt, at the forefront of Robertson’s mind is who will wear the Captain’s armband. Will it be the most difficult back rower in the world to contain Ardie Savea or steady and reliable Scott Barrett in the second row? Does Savea perform at his whirwind best without the responsibility of the Captain’s armband, or are his performances with it on so inspirational to his teammates that it takes them to another level? In a match likely to be full of heated emotions, perhaps the more calm and war in the trenches type of attitude as displayed by Barrett may be more appropriate.

Who gets the fly half berth? That’s probably the next biggest question. Is Beauden Barrett’s big game experience the preferred option, or is Damian McKenzie’s unpredictability and genius akin to Scotland’s Finn Russell the preferred route? McKenzie is not the biggest lad on the park and you can be sure that in a high pressure and visible role of running the game in the ten jersey, the Pumas big boys will be targeting him all day and likely make his life a misery. Perhaps it is best to slot him in at fullback and weave his magic there from space, which he simply won’t be allowed to have in the 10 jersey.

It’s New Zealand’s back line and center pairings we can’t really get our heads around. The only self-evident picks are likely to be Will Jordan on the wing and Jordie Barrett in the centers. We feel that this area of Robertson’s squad is still hugely experimental and a long way from being the finished product that we’re likely to see being finessed for the World Cup in two years’ time. We think he knows what his forward pack is starting to look like, but from the nine jersey on, it’s all still a bit of a grey area. By the end of this Rugby Championship and even this tour to Argentina, especially ahead of a hugely anticipated clash with the Springboks at the All Blacks’ fortress of Eden Park, we think we’ll be able to answer those questions. However, until then, half the fun of these next two games will be some animated debates over our post-match pints as to who should get which jersey for the All Blacks going forward.

So on that note of wait and see as it were for both sides, we’ll sign this one off for the week and let the games begin!

Argentina vs New Zealand – Saturday, August 16th – 5:10 PM (Eastern) – TSN+, FLO Rugby, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

So, like we say, that’s it for this week, but as the excitement continues to mount for the start of the Women’s World Cup next week, make sure you support our fabulous Women. Help out with that final funding push through the link on the TV page and get your Canada jerseys. Also, there is a really neat initiative from legendary Canadian band, the Tragically Hip, who have lent their support to the cause. They have designed a very classy T-shirt with the Hip and Rugby Canada logo specifically to help fund the Ladies, see link below along with an image of the shirt, so make sure you get yours:

https://rugby.ca/en/news/2025/08/the-tragically-hip-and-rugby-canada-launch-limited-edition-t-shirt-to-support-mission-win-rugby-world-cup

Lineout Calls of the Week and What to Watch and Why

As we put pen to paper on this one, our fabulous Women are now across the Pond, currently residing in Belfast ahead of their fixture against Ireland this Saturday as their last warm up match before their World Cup opener with Fiji on August 23rd in York. Last Friday was a momentous occasion as the largest ever attendance for a Women’s Rugby game in North America was registered in Ottawa. After a shaky start, Canada put the USA to the sword 42-10 in the second half, scoring 35 unanswered points. Heading into the World Cup, they maintain their World number 2 ranking, and the excitement is building by the hour. The challenge ahead is enormous, but if there was ever a group of athletes who could make some history, then it’s definitely this incredible group!

The Lions Tour drew to a close in temptous conditions in Sydney, which saw a Wallabies performance for the ages, despite the torrential rain. Australia were able to deny the Lions a clean sweep and have surely put to bed any pre Tour nonsense being spouted in media circles that the Land Down Under is not a suitable destination for the famous Touring Team. Australia got better with each successive Test and Saturday’s performance in a rain sodden Olympic Stadium showed enormous character, with the Wallabies comfortably being the better team. It may not have been a Lions Tour that we’ll all still be talking about in five years time, but it entertained nonetheless and for those lucky enough to attend the games, the festival character and good humor of such Tours from both sets of supporters was in plentiful supply.

Perhaps the only blemish of the week was once again how a blatant act of foul play seemingly got brushed under the carpet. So much so that it didn’t even get a mention during the Final Test by the Officials. No, this is not an excuse to revisit the hotly contested call of Jac Morgan’s clearout on Carlo Tizzano in the Second Test and which we still feel was officiated correctly. However, the blatant shoulder to the head contact by Ireland/Lions Hooker Dan Sheehan in clearing Wallaby Tom Lynagh from a ruck was cynical and downright dangerous. It has since been sanctioned as such, but the fact that no reference to it during the match was made by any of the officials beggars belief!

So only two games to talk about from last weekend and one ahead of us, so a relatively short one this week – so let’s get into it!

Canada’s Women get the PERFECT send off in Ottawa for their upcoming World Cup adventure and make some history in the process!

Canada’s imperious second half performance against the USA which saw them score 35 unanswered points and get a handsome 42-10 win was cheered on by a record attendance for a Women’s game in North America at TD Place in Ottawa. It was a fitting send-off as the Team prepare for battle in the Rugby World Cup in just under three weeks’ time.

We’ll be the first to admit that we were fidgeting nervously after that first half performance by Canada against the USA last Friday in Ottawa. Canada had only a slender 14-10 lead going into the sheds at the half-time whistle. Our biggest concern was that in an effort to reward the record crowd that had turned out for the game at Ottawa’s TD Place, Canada would throw caution to the wind to secure the win but in the process rack up the injuries against a very determined and physical USA side. In short, the last thing you want as you pack your bags to head for a World Cup the next day.

Canada’s customary organisation, composure, and execution that we’ve come to expect from them just wasn’t really there in the first half. However, with five minutes to go in the first forty, suddenly all the lights came on for Canada, and they simply didn’t look back and continued that momentum into and throughout the second half. It left the USA scrambling for answers and unable to get any points on the board, as Canada cruised to a comfortable 42-10 victory. Even better from our standpoint was the fact that the medical team was not required, and Canada boarded the plane for Belfast on Saturday night with a clean bill of health.

There were some oustanding performances across the park from Canada on Friday night in Ottawa, but there is no denying that once again we were quite taken aback by how good a player centre Florence Symonds is both in attack and defence. We fully expect her to end up as part of the Team of the Tournament once the final whistle on the Rugby World Cup is blown at the end of September. Front rower Daleaka Menin had another massive game, while back rower Karen Paquin showed the world that at the tender age of 38 you can still be a world class International, as she ran like a proverbial cheetah while at the same time putting in the kind of physicality that could have stopped an elephant dead in its tracks time after time. It was fantastic to see former Captain Sophie de Goede back to her best after recovering from injury and showing no signs of rustiness whatsoever, including her legendary goalkicking being on song as well.

As always, Captain Alex Tessier led from the front, and the Center’s cool head and eye for opportunity gave Canada the control that the USA lacked. There was also a huge performance off the bench from Prop Olivia DeMerchant. Like we say we feel we do the team an injustice by singling out any player in particular, as once again this was another superb team performance from Canada’s Women with the full matchday 23 deserving the credit for an outstanding second half performance.

Ireland, currently the fifth ranked team in the World will be a challenge next Saturday, though it remains to be seen if they will field their first choice lineup, and the same could also be said of the selection decisions that Canadian Coach Kevin Rouet and his staff will make for this last warmup game before the big show gets underway on August 23rd. Whichever way you cut it though Canada should feel well pleased with their preparations ahead of the most exciting chapter in the history of the Women’s game in this country.

Spare a thought, though, for the Americans who gave Canada a strong challenge, especially in the first half hour of the game. The USA were exceptionally strong physically, and although their organisation started to crack and along with it their discipline, as Canada tightened the screws as the match wore on, they were worthy opponents and should feel optimistic about their chances at the World Cup, even though they currently rank at number 10 in the World. They also have the unenvious task of having to play the World Cup opener against hosts England as well as sharing their Pool with Australia. In short, if ever there was a Pool of Death, the Americans seem to have found themselves in it.

On a side note, though, we couldn’t help noticing that despite the hype surrounding her, the USA’s Center Ilona Maher had a pretty quiet game, and many of her teammates outshone her on the pitch. To be honest we couldn’t really figure out what all the fuss is about, and think that her being touted as the greatest female player of all time is a bit of a stretch to say the least – maybe we’re just not as in tune with social media as we need to be, though we’d argue your actions speak louder on the pitch than they do on Instagram. In the center channels on Friday, her opposite numbers, Canada’s Alex Tessier and Florence Symonds completely overshadowed her.

Although it so far hasn’t appeared in the TSN+ broadcast schedule, apparently, they are showing the game on Saturday at 7 AM (Eastern). Hopefully, the medics stay off the pitch once more, and Canada simply tighten up their skill sets one more time, try a few new plays, and then focus on that all-important opener against Fiji on August 23rd. Stay safe, Ladies, and from everyone here at the Lineout, we can’t wait to see you make Canada even more proud of you than we already are!

Ireland vs Canada – Saturday, August 9th – 7:00 AM (Eastern) – TSN+ (live and on demand)

Note: Also, remember to head on over to the TV page and pledge your support to help them reach their fundraising target of $1,000,000 for the World Cup, which they have almost achieved at 88% so far. Your support of such a noble cause will be hugely appreciated by the team.

While we sided with the Officials in the Second Test, the appalling lack of any kind of citing during the Third and Final Test for Lions Hooker Dan Sheehan for a reckless clearout brought back all of our concerns about a lack of consistency in officiating.

We’d really love it if we could get through a week without having to wring our hands in despair about another officiating decision that seemed to simply throw player welfare out the window. Lions Hooker Dan Sheehan received no penalty for a dangerous and reckless clearout on Australia’s Tom Lynagh, which saw the Wallaby fly half leave the field and play no further part in the match due to a failed head injury assessment only thirty minutes into the game.

Just when we thought we could put the unpleasant side of officiating inconsistencies to bed after the second Test and watch the Third Test without controversy, we were dismayed to see one final twist in the tail on this one. We sided, albeit after a huge amount of debate and video replay, with the officials’ verdict on Jac Morgan’s clearout of Carlo Tizzano in the dying minutes of the Second Test and which saw the Lions snatching a last gasp Series winning Try.

However, Lions Hooker Dan Sheehan’s blatant shot to the head of exposed Wallaby Tom Lynagh was absolutely clear-cut in our opinion. The Irishman is a fine player and one of the best performers for the Lions this Series. He is also not by nature a dirty player prone to cheap shots. However, his enthusiasm got the better of him last Saturday, and his actions were downright dangerous. We appreciate that in the heat of the moment in the kind of full throttle and emotive fixture that Saturday’s Third Test was, rugby incidents will happen. However, when knowingly going in to clear out a ruck, seeing a player’s head right at your shoulder, you simply have to be careful how you aim your entry. We don’t think it was malicious, but it was extremely dangerous and reckless. The fact that even though we saw it plain as day on our screens and drew a collective intake of breath and winced at how much that would have hurt – we were left speechless that none of the three match officials on the pitch picked it up or that it was caught by the TMO. That was a serious collective failure in officiating whichever way you cut it.

Furthermore, given that Sheehan is a firm fan favourite here at the Lineout and we’d argue one of the finest players of Ireland’s new generation, we were very disappointed in both Sheehan’s actions and the fact that in the subsequent post match hearing in which his citing was determined, he refused to show remorse for his actions or accept that anything he did was wrong. A little bit of humility here Dan would have gone a long way, as well as showing due care and attention for the unfortunate Tom Lynagh even though it was after the fact.

All credit must be given to Tom Lynagh, who even though he was well within his rights, simply picked himself up off the floor and did not protest and got stuck straight back into trying to ensure his team kept up the pressure they were exerting on the Lions, even though the poor lad must surely have been seeing stars at the time. Fortunately, courtesy of the mouthguards that register such head impacts on the medics monitors, he was taken off moments later for a Head Injury Assessment which he consequently failed causing him to miss the rest of the game.

Sheehan now has a four match suspension, which may be reduced to three. It means he will miss Leinster’s opening URC games but will be available for Ireland duty and that all important encounter with the All Blacks in Chicago at the beginning of November. In reality, after doing service with the Lions all summer, he probably would have missed most of those games anyway, so the punishment is hardly all that draconian.

Like we say though the positive out of all of this, if one is to be found, has been Tom Lynagh who was having an excellent game in appalling conditions up to that point, and who showed genuine character by not seeking to make a big deal out of it, but rather attempt to play on and help his team maintain momentum. The young fly half has really come of age this Series, and we expect to see him play a massive part in Australia’s upcoming Rugby Championship campaign and beyond.

As for the Officials though can you please learn some valuable lessons from this whole experience and apply them as you start the two year countdown to the World Cup. In short, overall, we thought the officiating this Series for the most part was solid and allowed the games to flow, but there were some glaring inconsistencies and oversights that simply have to be addressed moving forward.

The Wallabies showed enormous character and some genuine promise in avoiding a Lions Series whitewash in appalling conditions in Sydney and got a much needed win in the process!

It definitely wasn’t a pretty game courtesy of some typhoon like conditions at times, but the Wallabies weathered the storm in a character defining performance, which denied the Lions a clean sweep of the Series

If the Wallabies needed a test of character, then they got one and then some in the monsoon conditions at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium for the Third and Final Test. The silverware was gone and packed away in the Lions Hotel Room, but pride and the viability of the Wallabies’ future was on the line. They stood and up and were counted to a man, in what for us was one of the best Australian performances we’ve seen in a decade, and one which the whole team and Wallaby supporters should be justifiably proud of. With it, there should also come a healthy sense of optimism for the future.

Sure you could argue that once the Lions saw the conditions and with the Series already wrapped up and the end of a very long season starting to take its toll, they were not as perhaps switched on as they could have been. However, history was on the line, and a first ever clean sweep was up for grabs. This team has bonded incredibly well over the six weeks they’ve been together, and prior to the match, they certainly appeared up for the opportunity to create some genuine history for the famous Touring side.

We’ll never really know what was going on in the Lions collective mindset, but there is no denying that the Wallabies were outstanding, and by contrast, the Lions were poor. Furthermore, full credit must be given to Australia for handling conditions that, for the most part, would have been more suited to Northern Hemisphere rugby. Instead, the Wallabies were the masters of proceedings from the get-go and never let up once. What amazed us the most was the precision the Wallabies were able to produce in conditions that usually produce a game littered with handling errors and breakdowns in setpiece accuracy and cohesion. The Wallabies made remarkably few handling errors compared to a seemingly endless number from the Lions, despite the Australians still feeling confident enough to chuck the ball around on a regular basis, even though it must have felt like trying to catch a bar of soap with 200 volts of electricity coursing through it at times.

Even with an energy and momentum sapping delay of 40 minutes due to lightning just as the second half got underway, the Wallabies still managed to remain focused and on point while the Lions simply began to fade away and in the final ten minutes were utterly outplayed. It was an outstanding Wallaby team performance with the full 23-man matchday squad playing a part. Their scrum and lineout work was solid and made a mess of the Lions’ efforts in said areas. The impact of Taniela Tupou in the front row made you wonder how different the Series could have been if he’d played all three Tests. Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams had huge shifts in the second row, while enforcer and agitator par excellence Will Skelton was brutally effective at creating the niggle needed to put the Lions off their game. Their back row of Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson stole all the limelight with their Lions counterparts struggling to keep up.

In his last game for the Wallabies, one of the world’s most annoying but effective scrum halves Nic White had a genuinely stirring sendoff for the ages to a glorious career, as reflected in the standing ovation he got from the Wallaby and Lions supporters when he left the pitch. Like we say, we were devastated to see Tom Lynagh have to leave the game after the ugly incident with Dan Sheehan. Lynagh grew with every game, and Australia should feel very excited about the part the young fly half has to play in the Wallabies development and rebuild leading up to the next World Cup.

While much of the talk this Series has been about Max Jorgensen on the wing, on seeing him in action, we were amazed that Dylan Pietsch only featured in the Final Test. We’d argue that his spectacular try in the 7th minute was what really set the tone for the Wallabies’ self belief in this game. Len Ikitau and the much hyped Joseph Sua’ali”i really showed what a powerful pairing they can be. If they were that good in the wet, imagine what a threat they could be on a dry track. Last but not least, Tom Wright was superb at the back, and some of his breaks from deep were spectacular despite the conditions.

As always, Tate McDermott was fantastic at scrum half when he came off the bench, and his sniping ability is exceptional. There was so much to like about this Wallaby performance. Furthermore, to do it in conditions that would traditionally favor a dull war in the trenches type of match makes it even more impressive. The fact that the Wallabies were able to play some glorious running rugby in weather tusually makes such an approach a potential suicide trip, was nothing short of a miracle. However, they were able to do so because their set piece work was also so strong and precise and simply denied the Lions any kind of platform to work with.

As a result of Saturday’s performance, the Wallabies can look forward to a very demanding two Test Tour of South Africa, with some degree of optimism. It won’t be easy, and the Springboks will be much more of a challenge than what has been a strong but at times disjointed Lions side. There will be altitude to deal with in Johannesburg and probably a decent amount of rain in Cape Town, though the Wallabies have shown they can cope with the latter. Add into the mix the Springboks passionate and at times hostile fan base and the Wallabies Test of character, so admirably passed last Saturday in the Rain, is about to go up another few levels.

In addition, the announcement this week that the deeply unpopular “Giteau Law”, which limited to a handful the amount of overseas based players that could be selected for Wallabies duty, has been scrapped will be of huge benefit to Australian rugby going forward. Given our concerns with the depth of the player base available to the Wallabies if they are only allowed to select domestic based players, this will make them infinitely more competitive at the International level with a raft of additional high quality players currently playing in Europe and Japan now available for selection. This will have a hugely positive impact on the Wallabies’ fortunes in the upcoming Rugby Championship and the November Internationals, along with their buildup to the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027.

There is still a long way to go before Australia can really say they are genuinely out of the woods, but keep playing like they did last Saturday and we think it’s safe to say that the Wallabies have turned a corner just in time!

So it’s over for another four years, and although it’s probably not a Lions Tour we’ll remember much past the next World Cup, we still think it ticked the boxes and was a worthy endeavour for players and fans alike

A Series was won, some players stepped up to the plate and were counted, memories were made, and the fans in both camps essentially got what they wanted out of what is always a special international rugby occasion

Sure it wasn’t the most memorable of Tours, and yes a lot of the matches leading up to the three Tests were relatively dire affairs with the exception of the First Nations/Pasifika game but were we entertained in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney? We think the answer to that is a resounding yes! Were bonds made amongst the team that will last a lifetime? Once again, we think there’s a solid checkmark for that traditional Lions Tour spinoff. Were fans from both camps brought together in one of International Rugby’s most festive occasions? That also gets a resounding thumbs up. Last but not least, have the critics who said before the Tour that Australia no longer held merit as a Lions Touring destination been silenced? We’d say yes to that in no uncertain terms.

We agree that the format of such Tours moving forward may need to be looked at as many of the filler matches between Tests were instantly forgettable affairs. However, the Tests themselves, although perhaps not classics, were still enthralling contests with both sides giving it their all. The Lions will reflect on a hard fought series against a courageous and increasingly resilient opponent in the shape of the Wallabies. The Australians simply got better with every outing and by the time the Third Test rolled around, even though the Lions had lifted the silverware in the second Test, the contest in Sydney’s mini typhoon was an incredible display of the Wallabies pride in their fabled jersey.

On that note the Lions won’t be happy at how a) they were dominated in conditions that traditionally favor Northern Hemisphere sides and b) how they were utterly outclassed by a side determined to deny them a historic Series whitewash in the Third Test. Despite the disappointment self evident in that third Test, where for much of the game the Lions were a shadow of what we had seen in the first two games, all the players will savor the fact that in a hard fought Series they emerged the winners in a jersey that only a select group of players get the priveledge of wearing. Certainly the camaraderie that such Tours foster between players who would otherwise be sworn mortal enemies, especially come the Six Nations, was there for all to see and is always, at least for us, one of the most uplifting aspects of a Lions Tour.

There were some absolute standout performances. Ireland utility forward Tadgh Beirne was voted the player of the Series, and the 33 year old, who is unlikely now to don the famous jersey again as his career comes to a close, was for the most part an absolute juggernaut for the Lions. Even in the Final Test, where many of the Lions players had a genuinely poor game, Beirne still managed to stand out. Maro Itoje led by example throughout the Tour, and it will be interesting to see how this will strengthen his abilities as England Captain, which were so impressive this past Six Nations. England’s Tom Curry was immense across all three Tests alongside Tadgh Beirne, and although he often failed to impress outside of the actual Tests, on the big stages he was an enormous asset to the Lions when it mattered, even in the lost cause of the Sydney malestrom.

Scotland’s Finn Russell pulled the strings masterfully for the Lions in the First Two Tests from the fly half berth but did appear to have checked out come the Final Round, which will concern Scotland Coach Gregor Townsend on his return to International duty for the Scots this November. Finally, a special mention has to go to Irish fullback Hugo Keenan, who struggled for much of the Tour but was outstanding in the Second Test and even in the Third Test despite some early wobbles. Keenan was definitely one of the Lions’ better players in truly appalling conditions in Sydney, as was England Prop Ellis Genge when he came off the bench.

For the rest of the team, it was a tour of mixed fortunes. There were some exceptional performances across the board at times, but in general, very few of the players other than those mentioned above really developed any degree of consistency when it came to their performances. On the wings, England’s Tommy Freeman and Ireland’s James Lowe had a surprisingly ineffectual Series for the most part, especially Lowe. Irish Center Bundee Aki, despite some moments of traditional brilliance from the barnstorming Galway battering ram, definitely appears to be entering the twilight stage of an impressive career. Even Irish scrum half Jamison Gibson-Park was starting to look off the mark at times. It remains to be seen how much longer Irish Prop Andrew Porter can hang onto to his Irish jersey as his scrummaging technique is increasingly being drawn into question, and invariably finds him on the wrong side of the referee’s whistle.

However, the purpose of this piece is not to criticise, merely to point out some things that the Lions players’ respective Coaches may need to ponder when their charges arrive home this week. Instead, although it was perhaps not the best Lions team ever assembled, it still managed to put in some genuinely impressive performances and we still hold that despite some of the controversy surrounding the three Tests, were worthy Series winners.

The next time a Lions squad is assembled, it heads to New Zealand, arguably along with South Africa, the most daunting of the Lions’ traditional hunting grounds. The All Blacks are currently in transition, though we’d argue by 2029, and with possibly a fourth World Cup title in their kit bag, they are likely to be a fearsome challenge. To win, the Lions will need to up their game considerably from what we saw in this Series. Many of the veterans who showed up over the last six weeks will have hung up their boots for good by that stage, and as a result it could be a fascinating showcase of the talent the Northern Hemisphere has to create a generation of Lions players that hark back to the famous Tourists’ golden years.

Irrespective of how you perceive this Tour, while perhaps not a classic, it was still a success and while there may now be a slight collective sigh of relief that we can all get back to regular International Rugby for another four years, we think it’s safe to say that despite the downsides a good time was had by all. The Wallabies are better off for the experience. The Lions players have learned a great deal about themselves and each other, and the fans from both sides clearly loved everything about the Tour. Lions fans were afforded an excellent sporting experience by their Australian hosts, and there was a unanimous consensus that Australia is a fabulous and welcoming destination for such occassions, with many counting the days till they can return for the World Cup in two years time.

So well done to the Lions, the Wallabies, and ultimately Australia! The Wallabies and Australian rugby may still be facing some considerable challenges on the road to the World Cup in their country in 2027, but this Lions Series has left them in an infinitely better spot to meet those obstacles with confidence and a sense of optimism!

Well, that’s it for this week, folks. It’s pretty quiet on the Rugby Front until the Rugby Championship kicks off in mid-August and then the Women’s Rugby World Cup on August 21st. So enjoy some time away from your TV screens as come the end of August we have a hunch you’re going to find it hard to drag yourselves away!

Lineout Calls of the Week and What to Watch and Why

Well, that was quite the weekend in terms of controversy, wasn’t it? In a second Lions Test, which saw the Tourists clinch the series, there were plenty of contentious points, and lots of people have asked us what we think. So we’ll throw caution to the wind, and after veritable hours of studying the last five minutes of the second Lions Test, we will, as requested, pass judgement. However, we will only do so under the caveat of a huge credit to both teams irrespective of the final scoreline. The Lions and the Wallabies provided us with a memorable Test match which we throroughly enjoyed every minute of, even if some of the technical minutiae caused perhaps some of the most intense debate over some frothy pints we’ve ever seen. Judgement, however, has been passed, so take what you will from it and respect both teams. Although the Series may be won, there is no denying that Saturday’s final game in Sydney is definitely not being seen as a simple dead rubber match. Australia’s pride and potential for heading into a hotly contested Rugby Championship in just over two weeks time is on the line, and there are plenty of points to prove, the least of them being denying the Lions a first ever 3-0 whitewash.

Meanwhile, excitement here at the Lineout is reaching an almost feverish pitch as we start the countdown to our extraordinary Women’s World Cup campaign. They start spooling up this weekend in Ottawa in a preparatory match against old rivals the USA. Apparently ticket sales for the game are going through the roof, so if you are anywhere near Ottawa this Friday then sign yourselves up and make this the biggest attendance ever for a Women’s rugby game in North America. And if you can’t get there, make sure that this is the biggest televised audience for a Women’s game in North America by making sure you are glued to your TV screens on TSN on Friday night!!!!

So plenty to talk about and lots of controversy, much of which caused some raging debates here at the Lineout and, at times, heated differences of opinion. However, we managed to thrash it out, so here are our thoughts and views on what was at the end of the day an amazing game of rugby from two quality sides. However, first and foremost, we simply have to share our excitement about our Canadian Women’s imminent departure for England and the World Cup!

Canada’s Women get ready to hit top gear ahead of perhaps the biggest rugby event this country has ever seen!

Canada’s exceptional Women get ready to spool up for their World Cup Campaign as they take on the US in Ottawa, and already ticket sales are looking set to spur them on to an epic sendoff to the UK to participate in what is arguably the biggest rugby adventure the country has ever seen!

So it’s T-25 days folks till our fabulous Canadian Women kick off their World Cup campaign against Fiji in York. To get them prepared, they will play two matches this month. One here in Canada at Ottawa’s TD Place against the USA on August 1st, and then a game against Ireland the following Saturday in Belfast. On that note we are delighted to announce that their fund raising target of $1,000,000 for their World Cup Campaign is 88% complete and a huge shout out to anyone who has clicked on the link on the TV page and donated. If you haven’t done so already, please think about lending your generous support, especially as they are now so close to reaching their target. Remember this remarkable group of Canadian Women Athletes are ranked as the second best Women’s rugby team in the World after England, but still ahead of New Zealand and France. If that’s not enough incentive, then we don’t know what is.

On that note, we were delighted to see Center Alex Tessier be appointed as Canada’s World Cup Captain. Although till last year, Sophie de Goede has worn the Captain’s armband, her ACL injury last year, and subsequent rehabilitation has meant she has had little game time over the past twelve months. Tessier, however, has taken over the Captaincy, and in the process, Canada simply hasn’t missed a beat in their preparation for the World Cup. A nominee for World Player of the Year in 2024, Tessier is an exceptional talent and her leadership role in Canada’s campaigns in both the WXV last year, the Pacific Four and the recent successful Tour to South Africa has been exemplary.

Canada’s squad for the World Cup is looking exceptionally strong. Former Captain Sophie de Goede made a brief but positive return to Test Rugby in South Africa. Meanwhile, we were delighted to learn that the injury Laetitia Royer picked up in the final Test in South Africa is not serious and will not compromise her ability to compete in the World Cup. While we are reluctant to single out key individuals in such a talented squad there is no denying that the fitness of players like Royer and De Goede will be critical to Canada’s success in their World Cup campaign.

In front of what could end up being the largest ever attendance for a Women’s Rugby game in North America, Canada looks in excellent form. While the USA will be a significant challenge and excellent preparation, home advantage and a team that appears to be building on each consecutive victory should see Canada able to put in a convincing performance to get a momentum building win ahead of the World Cup.

As much as we have sung the praises of this team, we’re sure that they are not underestimating the scale of the challenge that lies ahead of them in the next two months. However, we’d argue this is perhaps the best prepared team Canada has ever sent to a global competition in any sport. Like we say, without wanting to overhype or jinx it, this is perhaps one of the biggest events in Canada’s recent sporting history on a global stage.

So, in short, if you’re in Ottawa this Friday, then you know where you need to be, and if you’re not, then make sure you have access to a screen somewhere and let the cheering begin!

Canada vs USA – Friday, August 1st – 7:00 PM (Eastern) TSN 5 and TSN+ (live and on demand)

The Lions clinch a historic win in Australia, albeit not without controversy!

Two of the Lions tries in their Series clinching Second Test win have stirred some genuine controversy and detracted from what was an otherwise superb Test match from both sides

So before we reflect on an epic second Test between the Lions and the Wallabies which saw the famous Tourist side clinch the Series, let’s get the elephants out of the room as many of you seem to want to know what we think. We’ll be completely honest, we’ve looked at the footage of this game more than perhaps any other in our history of watching the oval ball. The debates at times were ferocious, pints were spilled, but in the end, after looking at every angle and reading every opinion, our conclusions are unanimous, even if they may not be popular. So here we go.

The Lions won the Series plain and simple despite some VERY spirited Australian opposition! Did the Officials get their decisions right in the Second Test, within the letter of the law and despite its potential grey areas, of which there are many? Yes! Is Australia a worthy touring destination for the Wallabies? The unequivocal answer to that question is a resounding YES!!!!

If you’re like us, the second Lions Test against Australia was one of the most nailbiting we’ve ever witnessed. We were literally on the edge of our seats from the opening whistle to the final. In short, it was a CLASSIC, and both sides should feel enormously proud of their performances even though for the Wallabies, it ended in a truly agonising last gasp defeat. So yes, we hear you say, were two of those Lions tries which clinched the deal actually legitimate? Well, here is our breakdown for what it’s worth!

Exhibit one: the first Lions try courtesy of Ireland’s Dan Sheehan. The debate seems to revolve around whether or not by diving for the line and over a potential tackler he contravened a rule. The way we read the rule is if he had attempted to dive over a rising tackler, then he would have violated the law. However, in this instance, he dives over a tackler already going to ground and is therefore entitled to dive for the line and in the process over the hapless tackler. Try awarded.

Exhibit Two: the second and massively controversial ruling that has dominated the debate since referee Andrea Piardi’s final whistle, is that Lions’ player Jac Morgan’s ruck clearout on Wallaby Carlo Tizzano is illegal, which ultimately led to a Lions penalty and Match/Series winning try. The argument by the Australian media is that in attempting to clear Tizzzano off the ruck, Lions forward Jac Morgan makes contact with Tizzano’s neck. We have watched the replay of this “rugby incident” more times collectively than we’ve had coffee this week.

Our unanimous verdict is that although eventually Morgan does make contact with Tizzano’s neck, it is a sliding contact that started just slightly below the Australian’s shoulders and therefore the initial impact is not on the neck. As the law stands Morgan’s approach to the ruck clearout is legal, and to be honest his technique is textbook as he simply could not have got any lower than he did and is therefore within the scope of the rules. Furthermore, in attempting to clear out the ruck, he makes a clear and evident attempt at a wrap around the jackaler Tizzano with his arms, which is also a legal requirement. Sure it would not have been particularly comfortable, though Tizzzano’s resulting “soccer type” dive was a bit over the top, but some expression of pain by the player being cleared out is not exactly unjustified. Being hit by a Jac Morgan coming at you with force and speed is not a prospect that most of us would relish regardless of the legalities. In short, it would hurt, but it is still as the current laws stand legal.

But doesn’t that make all your recent arguments surrounding player welfare and poor official calls a hypocrisy we hear you say? We can fully understand why some people who have read this blog would think so and you are not without reason. However, in this instance, although we perhaps winced at the actual intensity of the contact it’s the laws that are out of kilter in this instance and not the player Jac Morgan’s actions – plain and simple.

To add weight to our arguments, two leading Australian pundits have actually come out in support of the Officials’ decision that Morgan’s actions did not break the rules and therefore the play which ultimately set up that Series winning try was within the bounds of the law. Former Wallaby Tim Horan and who was part of the commentary team for the Australian media has said that Morgan’s actions were legal and was not the reason that the Wallabies came agonisingly short of taking the Series to a Third Test decider. Furthermore when former Wallaby David Campese, who is potentially one of the most notoriously one eyed Wallaby supporters on the planet  also comes out and says that Morgan’s actions were within the bounds of the game’s current laws then you can’t help feeling that referee Andrea Piardi and his fellow Match Officials must have been on to something.

Ultimately, it’s a tragedy that such a high-quality game from both sides will be remembered less for the intensity of play on show, which was immense from both teams but more for a controversial decision. The behavior of some of the Australian commentary team, such as Morgan Turinui, was simply unacceptable during and after the match. It was ironic that in the post match interview Stan Sport’s Justin Harrison tried to draw one of Australia’s best players of the match Will Skelton out on the decision, but to Skelton’s credit he refused to comment on it and showed his class by, although being clearly gutted by such a narrow loss, recognsing that the Wallabies came just a hair’s breadth short of getting the job done.

Australia suffer an AGONISING Series loss to the Lions, riddled with controversy, but their future ultimately lies in how they deal with both the loss and the third and Final Test!

That Second Test loss to the Lions was hard to swallow for the Wallabies especially given that it was such a turnaround performance from the First Test, but although the Series may be done and dusted, the character of this Wallaby squad heading into an all important Rugby Championship is what is on the line in the Third Test making it far from just a simple contractual obligation dead rubber match!

So we’ve unpacked all those controversies of the Second Test as much as we can, so let’s talk about the rugby and more importantly what we though was a truly stellar peformance from the Wallabies, irrespective of the final scoreline. Much like the First Test, this was a game of two halves, which, unlike the first Test, saw the Wallabies come out second best in the final forty minutes.

However, let’s talk about that first 40 from the Wallabies, which was truly immense and such a dramatic turnaround from the First Test. Australia dominated the Lions in the first Half and simply denied them the opportunity to play their game. Their attack was composed and played at breakneck speed and showed some genuine inventiveness coupled with the required precision needed to execute a game plan designed to keep the Lions on a defensive backfoot. The Lions were having to do all the work in defense while Australia dominated territory and possession.

We’d also like to highlight the performance of Wallaby scrum half Jake Gordon, who we’d been so critical of in the First Test. In Melbourne, he was essentially unrecognisable from a week earlier in Brisbane. His speed of delivery and decision making went from zero to hero in the space of a mere seven days. To be honest, in the Second Test, his performance made us eat humble pie for almost a full eighty minutes. Our only criticsim would be that in such a crucial juncture of the game while Australia were still ahead and with five minutes left on the clock Gordon reverted to type and chose to box kick away possession to a Lions side who had gained the upper hand in game momentum. The rest is sadly history. However, in that first 70 minutes, Gordon was utterly outstanding and made us to a man, woman, and child dramatically revise our opinion of him as a big game player.

At Fly Half, although Tom Lynagh continued to be a target for the Lions, he still showed huge courage and is clearly a player of enormous potential for Australia. He may not have had the best game but there is no denying the effort he put in and a work rate that cannot be faulted – it’s just a case of giving the Test rookie more time at this level.

Perhaps what was most evident throughout the match was the impact of second rower Will Skelton and back rower Rob Valentini, both of whom did not feature in the first Test. The fact that neither had any time in the second half painted a telling picture of Australia’s potency. The minute they left the field, the Lions started to gain instant ascendancy, and sadly, the rest is history. Langi Gleeson made a positive impact and had some brilliant moments as Valentini’s replacement, as did Skelton’s subsitute Jeremy Williams, but none of it was the kind of momentum suffocating impact that Valentini and Skelton had. Valentini disrupted the Lions’ ability to organise while at the same time generating the kind of go forward ball that had been so absent for much of Australia’s performance in the first Test. Skelton as predicted made the Lions setpiece work difficult and was constantly getting under Lions Captain Maro Itoje’s skin, prompting the only blemish in the Lions’ Captain otherwise stellar performance as Itoje made the playground call of “he started it” at one point to referee Andrea Piardi.

Nevertheless, put all the controversy and the loss aside. This was a performance that the Wallabies should be justifiably proud of. They were half a glass short of finishing the job in the final ten minutes, but up to that point it had been a thrilling and impressive performance that the glorious Wallaby sides of the 80s and 90s would have been proud of. Australian rugby, even though it fell agonisingly short of the mark at the final whistle, made a statement last Saturday. It may be struggling for attention, but clearly has potential, and when you can pull in 90,000 spectators, then there surely must be some hope for the game in Australia even if half of those were Lions supporters.

So that brings us to this Third and Final Test. The Series is lost, but we’d argue Wallaby pride is not. Australia showed enough last weekend that they were able to make this Series competitive. Although the silverware is now being wrapped for the trip to cross the Equator, the Wallabies will be desperate to deny the Lions a whitewash and with it develop the confidence to face a challenging two Test Tour to South Africa for the Rugby Championship. Come out of that strongly and then arguably the most cherished prize in Australian rugby, the Bledisloe Cup between Australia and New Zealand, all of sudden could be up for grabs.

In short, we just can’t see the Wallabies lying down and waving the white flag for this final Test. Pride, which is a big deal in Australia, is at stake, and when their backs are against the wall, the Wallabies have a habit of producing some truly memorable games. The Lions want the sweep, the Wallabies want to deny them the privilege and set themselves up for the rest of a challenging year. The silverware may be wrapped up in a packing crate, but this Series is far from over in its final hurrah in Sydney. If you want an insight into the Rugby Championship just around the corner, then this is required viewing.

Australia vs British and Irish Lions – Saturday, August 2nd – 6:00 AM (Eastern) – 6:00 AM (Eastern) – DAZN, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

The Lions win the Series after a truly epic Second Test against the Wallabies

The Lions secured a hard fought and at times highly controversial Series win in Australia, but there is still the matter of that final Test that is not without jeopardy for both sides

Much like the first Test, the second round clash between the Lions and the Wallabies was a game of two halves. In the first the Wallabies were utterly dominant, but in the second as the Lions bench came into play it got the edge over Australia in an almost mirror image of the bench impact in the First Test in Brisbane. In Brisbane, it was the Wallabies bench that made the difference while the Lions were found wanting. In Melbourne, a week later, the fortunes were reversed, and the Lions bench impact left the Wallabies without any real answers despite some heroic resistance at times by Australia.

The Wallabies had the Lions on the ropes by the half hour mark and had blitzed to a seemingly unassailable 23-5 lead, but the Lions found a way to get back into the game and take the momentum away from the Wallabies slowly but surely from then on, aided by a master class performance from their bench in the second half. It was a textbook demonstration of how to turn a game around and regain the ascendancy. The Lions were simply better at the end of the day despite a vastly improved Wallaby effort and spirit. There is no shame in that loss as two sides equal to each other faced off in a thrilling contest with the Lions, ultimately mastering the final quarter and forcing the Wallabies into costly mistakes and errors of judgement. Whereas the Wallabies bench in the First Test had the ascendancy, albeit too late, the Lions bench had the edge last Saturday in Melbourne and while the Lions’ intensity ramped up in the final quarter the Wallabies by contrast started to fade. The rest is history is plain and simple.

Despite one moment caught on the stadium microphones, where Lions Captain Maro Itoje sounded almost like a bewildered schoolboy during a ruckus instigated by Wallabies agitator par excellence Will Skelton, the Lions looked remarkably nonplussed by events in the first thirty minutes and never once looked in shock. Although Itoje will want to wipe his indignant playground retort of ” but he started it sir” to referee Andrea Piardi, during said incident, there is no denying that as a leader Itoje has really come into his own this Tour. Apart from said outburst, we have to confess at being very impressed by Itoje’s leadership this Tour, and he is a player who has really come of age on the International Stage these past few weeks. We remember when we first saw him play for England in 2016, that we had a hunch he was destined for greatness, and there is no denying this Tour has finally given him the maturity and wisdom he needed to take his extraordinary skill sets to another level. In short, as a leader of Men, Itoje has risen to the task at hand this Tour and then some.

As for the rest of the Lions, despite the controversy, we were delighted to see Wales’ only representative Jac Morgan have such a crucial impact on proceedings when he came off the bench. This is an exemplary player who, despite the fact that the country he so proudly represents leaves him on the losing side far more than a man of his talents should be, is one of the potential greats of this generation. His skill level, commitment, energy and willingness to put his body on the line for this teammates allied to an almost superhuman work rate will continue to make him the linchpoint for a much needed revival of Welsh rugby.

As for the rest of his teammates last Saturday, there are honors aplenty. Ireland’s Dan Sheehan seems destined to become the greatest Hooker of this decade, Tadgh Beirne has created a legacy in the Irish second and back rows that rivals that of Paul O’Connell. England’s Tom Curry could easily work himself into the starting XV of any Test side regardless of his form leading up to the match. Scotland’s Finn Russell, much like his Lions Captain Maro Itoje, has matured into the complete player and Test playmaker we always knew he could be and is clearly having the time of his life. England’s Owen Farrell’s experience always adds value while England’s front row bench contribution of Ellis Genge and Will Stuart will have put a huge smile on the face of their boss back home, England Coach Steve Borthwick. Genge, in particular, was an absolute Test animal in his 25 minutes off the bench.

Also, spare a thought for Ireland’s Hugo Keenan. The fullback had to battle through injury, illness and a certain degree of lack of form on this Tour only to come storming into the second Test and silence all his critics by scoring the match and Series winning try at the death. When the dimunitive Irish high ball specialist is on song, there are very few who can match him, and in that final quarter in Melbourne, the man was in full voice.

Like we say, put all the controversy aside, but there is no denying that the Lions, as did the Wallabies, put in a massive shift to a man in the Second Test. This is still a relatively young and inexperienced Wallaby side when juxtaposed against the Lions collective resumes last Saturday. However, there is no denying that a talented Wallabies unit put up one hell of a fight, which will seriously bolster their credentials going forward. The Lions ultimately had the experience to be able to dig deep and turn the tide when needed, but they know they were tested and asked some very serious questions in the process.

Can the Lions pull off a history defining clean sweep this Saturday in Sydney? In theory, yes, and the motivation to do so is likely to be off the charts in a team that has built some serious bonds in the short space of two months. The players and legions of travelling Lions supporters have thoroughly enjoyed their time in Australia and have consistently remarked on the hospitality and warm welcome they’ve received as well as the world class sporting experiences that Australia can offer. However, a 3-0 Lions Series win has never been done before, and this group clearly has the cohesion and drive to make some history.

We’d argue that although the Series is lost, as a result of last weekend, Australian pride is not, and the need to prove something ahead of the upcoming Rugby Championship has been heightened. It’s not a Lions Series game anymore, it’s simply a Test to prove the worth of Australian rugby on the International Stage. Last Saturday, we got more than just a glimpse of that quality, so Lions beware!!!!

Australia vs British and Irish Lions – Saturday, August 2nd – 6:00 AM (Eastern) – DAZN, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Well that’s it for this week but two massive games lie in store this weekend. We will be cheering the Wallabies on to make one final statement that this Tour has been a positive experience for all concerned. Finally we’ll be crossing all our collective fingers and toes that our fantastic Women can remain injury free in what should be a tough encounter against the USA this Friday, as they pack their bags for their big World Cup adventure!

Lineout Calls of the Week and What to Watch and Why

Well, it’s all Lions from now until the middle of August, apart from a brief appearance from our fabulous Women in Ottawa on August 1st in the runup to the Womens’ World Cup. France departed New Zealand, having achieved their objective of learning about what kind of depth they possessed, much to the All Blacks chagrin at times and despite the Men in Black whitewashing the Series 3-0. Scotland, as predicted, made short work of Samoa to atone for their Fijian banana skin, and a very experimental Springbok side did the same to a spirited and brave Georgian outfit.

Meanwhile, Canada, although looking significantly better than in their first Test against Belgium the week before, still somehow let the game against Spain slip away from them by a mere point. In a match severely affected by Washington’s inclement weather a young England side left the USA clutching at straws and raised further questions about where rugby in North America is really headed and the quality of the MLR as a competition.

As for the Lions Tour to Australia, it was an interesting week and one that actually raised more questions than answers. The first Test was a game of two halves, which made it very hard to figure out where the two sides really are in terms of how this series will pan out. The Lions put in an utterly dominant performance in the first half, only to ultimately let a Wallaby side, clearly motivated by their bench replacements, right back into the game. We can only surmise that the Lions felt confident that Australia simply wouldn’t be able to chase the game in the second half, to the point where they could win it, and that certainly seemed to be the case. However we’d argue that this week’s second and potential series deciding match will be a very different animal and the Wallabies themselves will be both fearless and ruthless – in short a much more challenging prospect now those initial cobwebs have been blown off.

We’ll be the first to admit that Tuesday’s midweek game this week leading up to the second Test on Saturday caught us completely by surprise. After watching the utterly one sided and rather pointless 48-0 romp by the Lions over an invitiational Aus/NZ XV we thought much the same fare would be in store with this week’s fixture against a First Nations and Pasifika (FNP) XV. This was not the case at all and, despite being cobbled together at short notice with little or no preparation, FNP Captain Kurtley Beale and his charges gave the Lions a serious fright and provided us with what in our opinion has been the best game outside the of the actual Tests.

As a result, both Andy Farrell and Joe Schmidt head into this do or die second Test for the Wallabies with plenty to ponder in terms of selection decisions. Meanwhile, the ramifications of Saturday’s proceedings on the future of Australian rugby loom large and can not be glossed over.

Although there’s only one game to watch this weekend, the stakes simply couldn’t be higher. So, without any further ado, we look back on a tumultous week and ahead to probably the biggest game in Australia since the sport became professional.

Joe Schmidt and the Wallabies face the biggest game in Australian rugby history since the game went professional

This Saturday’s second Test against the Wallabies is simply a MUST win scenario for Joe Schmidt and his charges. It will see the return of some VERY big men in the shape of Rob Valentini and Will Skelton, while the half back pairing simply has to deliver in it’s likely shape of Tate McDermott and Ben Donaldson at 9 and 10 respectively. Australia’s strong showing, particularly off the bench in the second half, will give Schmidt heart ahead of what could be the most important game the Wallabies will play since that last World Cup win way back in 1999.

The first Test between the Wallabies and the Lions could be described as an entertaining affair. Did we enjoy it? Certainly. Did it teach us much about what the Wallabies need to do for the Second Test? We think so. As for the Lions well, we’ll talk about that in the next section.

The first Test was very much a game of two halves. Let’s be brutally honest. The Wallabies were obliterated in the first half, and the Lions were outstanding. However, the second half was a very different story. It did leave us with two outstanding questions. The first question centered around us trying to determine was the Wallaby bench so good that it essentially turned the game on its head? Secondly, if so, should those who came off the bench be the starters for the second Test? However, what we couldn’t really work out was if the Lions had switched off by the second half and essentially considered the job done, therefore papering over the fact that their own bench added little if anything to proceedings and appeared to let the Wallabies get right back into the game.

This Saturday’s game will require Australia and Joe Schmidt to answer those questions in no uncertain terms, in what is arguably the biggest game in Australian rugby history since they last won the World Cup in 1999. Why is it so significant, you ask? Since that heady day at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff as it was then called, rugby and the Wallabies have been in a slow but steady decline in Australia. Agreed, there have been some memorable moments, and their track record at the World Cup despite a conspicous lack of silverware has still been commendable, having featured in two Finals since 1999 and three Semis. However, since 2015, things have started to slide badly with the icing on the cake being Australia’s Pool stage exit at the last World Cup. The takeup of the sport in schools trails behind other sports, viewership and sponsorship revenues are down, attendance at Super Rugby matches is often poor with banks and banks of empty seats and Australian sides haven’t lifted any Super Rugby silverware now for 11 years and 10 since they last won the Rugby Championship.

As a desperate attempt to showcase the potential of Australian Rugby at Test Level and ahead of hosting the World Cup in just over two years time, this Lions Tour and the Wallabies’ ability to be competitive in it is critical to the sport’s future in the country. If it’s a whitewash by the Lions, not only will the unsavoury argument that Australia no longer be included as a Lions destination raise it’s ugly head once more, there is also the more concerning possibility that interest in rugby union in Australia will continue a seemingly inevitable slide into obscurity. A potential humiliation at their own World Cup and another Pool exit could well end up being the death knell for the sport in Australia. Given the Wallabies’ rich history in the sport, this would be an International sporting tragedy.

Even though the vast majority of us are Lions supporters here at the Lineout, we will be crossing every collective finger and toe for Australia on Saturday to tie the Series and put in a performance for the ages. While it may be a stretch for the Wallabies to win the next two back to back Tests, imagine what it would do for the sport in Australia if they did, and only two years out from the World Cup. If they can measure up in the Second Test and clinch a win against the assembled might of some of the best players in the Northern Hemisphere, it would be a milestone from which a much needed reset could really begin. Remain competitve in a Series deciding Third Test and the Tour will be regarded as successful. More importantly, it will show the Australian sporting public that the Wallabies are a force to be reckoned with and that come the World Cup, their chances are as good as anyone’s. In short, it’s the shot in the arm Australian rugby so desperately needs right now.

On that note, you can not fault any of the players chosen to wear the green and gold last Saturday. Although they were completely monstered by the Lions forward pack and tactical nous last Saturday, in the second half they were not only courageous but they actually started to click as a team and if the game had been based solely on the second half scoreline they would have won, having outscored the Lions 14-10 in the second half.

The impact of the Wallabies bench in the second half was significant and surely gives Coach Joe Schmidt some certainty in who his nailed on starters for the second Test should be. For us, the first place to start is at scrum half. Last week’s starter, the Waratahs Jake Gordon is simply too slow, and the Reds live wire Tate McDermott should get the nod for the starting berth. We’ve never really been big fans of Gordon and when you have a Lions pack who are suffocating you at the breakdown and in the rucks, then McDermott’s much quicker service and eye for an opportunity along with his sniping breaks are so much more valuable than Gordon’s more pedestrian pace. Gordon may have a handy box kick, but given the Lions’ dominance with ball in hand, Australia need to keep possession and momentum going in their favor. McDermott, in our opinion, is the man to ensure that. If Australia have got some dominance on the scoreboard by the final quarter then by all means bring on Gordon to simply slow the game down and make a tired Lions side do all the running – but don’t start the game with that strategy!

The big talking point this week and in terms of selection calls will be the likely appearance of giant second rower Will Skelton and back row menace Rob Valentini. Big “Bobby V” is arguably Australia’s most effective and potent weapon and the Wallabies sorely missed his presence last week, while Skelton’s towering figure will trouble the Lions at lineout time and he will excel at getting under Maro Itoje’s skin. In addition, expect to see Prop Angus Bell get a starting berth as he caused havoc with the Lions scrum when he came off the bench in addition to his combative work at the breakdowns and in the loose. Australia’s lineout accuracy improved dramatically once Billy Pollard came on for Matt Faessler. Meanwhile, strong performances from back rower Carlo Tizzano, which saw him score a solid try, should ensure him at least a place on the bench again for the second Test.

If Australia play like they did in the second half, there is no reason for them to think that they can’t take this all the way to a Third Test decider in Sydney in ten days’ time. They have a solid but mobile and inventive back row, the makings of a good scrum and decent set piece play. Their centres are quick and powerful even if the much hyped Joseph Sua’ali’i had a disappointingly quiet game. Tom Wright is world class at the back, and they have some classically fast and slippery wingers in Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, and the “Hogwarts Special” Harry Potter.

It’s showtime at a critical juncture in Australian rugby history and here at the Lineout we’ll be hoping the Wallabies can pass the Test.

Australia vs British and Irish Lions – Saturday, July 26th – 6:00 AM (Eastern) – DAZN, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

The Lions Monster Mash of Tadgh Beirne and Tom Curry stole the show in the opening Test of the Series, but the ineffectiveness of the Lions Bench in the second half will concern Coach Andy Farrell despite the win

Ireland’s Tadgh Beirne and England’s Tom Curry were the stars of the show in the Lions First Test, which saw them crush the life out of Australia in the first half. Coach Andy Farrell will be pleased with the win and having got a nervy first Test out of the way but won’t be happy how his charges and particularly his bench let Australia back into the game in the second half.

Ireland’s Tadgh Beirne and England’s Tom Curry are big game men, plain and simple! There were question marks surrounding their selection as starters for the first Test, but to be honest here at the Lineout, we never doubted their credentials for a second. Beirne, in particular, can always be relied on to produce big moments when they are needed most, and he certainly did not disappoint in the first Test and was fittingly awarded Man of the Match for his towering performance. Neither he nor Curry looked on song as the midweek and club matches started to take their toll, causing some to doubt their suitability as starters for the first Test. We think it’s safe to say such concerns were thrown in the dustbin where they belong after the first quarter of the First Test. The pair were everywhere on the pitch, both in defence and on attack, with Beirne never letting up in intensity for the full eighty minutes, Curry was replaced by Ben Earl for the final quarter but that still doesn’t detract from the massive 60 minute shift the England back rower put in during his time on the field. They simply didn’t allow Australia to play or develop any kind of rhythm.

As for the rest of the team, it was a strong performance in the first half, but the intensity as a whole started to drop off in the second and there almost seemed to be a sense of complacency setting in amongst some of the team, that the job was done and now it was just a holding pattern till the final whistle. As the Wallabies emptied their bench, they increasingly became the team looking like they had more initiative and energy. Admittedly, the fact they had a 19-point deficit to make up against a team that was denying them any kind of platform to work from was certainly grounds for motivation. Nevertheless, Andy Farrell and his charges will not be happy that in the second half, the Wallabies were clearly the better team.

The Lions’ bench failed to make an impact where needed with the possible exception of England’s Will Stuart, who was exceptionally busy in his twenty minute stint. However, Ireland’s Andrew Porter was a shadow of England’s rampaging “baby rhino” Ellis Genge, who started in the front row. Meanwhile, although troublesome in the loose Dan Sheehan’s replacement at Hooker, Ireland’s Ronan Kelleher failed to make his lineout work stick, and Australia were having a field day with stealing ball off his lineout throws. England’s Ollie Chessum did manage to put in a workmanlike performance which he always does when he came on for Joe McCarthy in the second row, along with moments of brilliance from Ireland’s Bundee Aki in the centers when he repalced the outstanding Sione Tuipolutu. England’s Ben Earl surprisingly failed to impress in his 20-minute interval off the bench, as did England’s Marcus Smith at fly half when he replaced the superb Scottish playmaker Finn Russell.

In short, Andy Farrell will be relieved to get those First Test nerves out of the way and a win secured in the bag. As a result, the pressure is now ALL on Australia this weekend. However, who he chooses to start this weekend is a real conundrum, especially now that the Wallabies have some of their bigger guns like Rob Valentini and Will Skelton looking to settle some scores. In particular, he’ll be scratching his head around how best to shore up scrum stability with arguably the only dead certainty being Ireland’s Dan Sheehan at Hooker. In the second row does he elect to shift Tadgh Beirne who, after his heroics last weekend, is surely a shoe in for a starting position change from the back row to complement Maro Itoje as a second row lineout target jumper. Tom Curry must also be a dead ringer for the back row, but who he lines up alongside is questionable. Did Ireland’s Jack Conan do enough to leave England’s Ben Earl out in the cold for the second Test, and was the bench unimpressive enough to justify the only Welsh representative left in the squad, back rower Jac Morgan, a shot at glory off the bench? We’d argue the Welshman should get a shot as  when he is on song, he can produce the kind of heroics that Tadgh Beirne would be proud of.

Are the Lions comfortable enough to risk a potential loss in the second Test and therefore roll the dice on the fly half berth and give England’s Finn Smith a starting shot so that Scotland’s Finn Russell is rested and fit for a potential decider? Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn looked shaky at times at fullback against the First Nations/Pasifika XV but England’s Marcus Smith has looked decidedly unsure of himself in most of his appearances in the 15 jersey  and did not convince in the 10 jersey either. If anything fullback seems to be the inconsistent link for the Lions at the moment, with the currrent selection of England’s Smith, Ireland’s Keenan and Scotland’s Kinghorn failing to replicate their club form, with Smith arguably out of position to begin with in the first place. Out wide, the Lions have also not quite looked the part and faded dramatically in the second half with neither England’s Tommy Freeman or Ireland’s James Lowe firing a shot.

On paper, this is the Lions game to lose and with it the chance to seal the Series after only two games. The pressure may all be too much for the Wallabies but we have a hunch that their Coach Joe Schmidt will have found a way to settle the nerves of his charges, and get them to focus on the high stakes mission in front of them. The Lions are likely to face a very different Wallaby this weekend, and one whose kick will have much more of the marsupial’s bigger cousin, the Kangaroo’s weight added to it. It will either be one of the biggest disappointments as a Lions Test spectacle ever recorded or a Test match that we’ll all still be talking about in wistful tones twenty years from now. We’re banking on the latter scenario as we’re sure you all are!

Australia vs British and Irish Lions – Saturday, July 26th – 6:00 AM (Eastern) – DAZN, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Despite the criticisms leveled against him, we have a hunch that French Coach Fabien Galthie got EXACTLY what he wanted out of this Tour!

Despite losing the series 3-0 we think French Coach Fabien Galthie leaves New Zealand more than pleased at the depth he now has at his disposal at this stage of the World Cup cycle, while New Zealand gained some valuable insights into some of the players who may well cause them some genuine grief in two years time in blue jerseys.

There was plenty of the now infamous whinging and whining about the selection of an understrength French side to tour New Zealand, by three of the country’s leading pundits, Justin Marshall, Mills Muliaina and Jeff Wilson. However, despite France losing the Series 3-0 it wasn’t exactly a whitewash and in the first and third Tests there is no denying that France acquitted themselves well, in addition to showcasing some of the extraordinary talent they have which is rapidly rising to prominence just in time for the World Cup.

Despite the New Zealand media’s ranting and raving, we also think that the All Black Coaching Staff were thrilled to have the opportunity to have an in depth exposure to France’s rapidly rising body of new talent ahead of the World Cup. It also allowed them to experiment with their own structures and processes, as well as give some of the younger members of their own squad some much needed big match experience. The rugby was highly entertaining, especially in the first and third Tests, and quite frankly, we thoroughly enjoyed it as a Series. In short, job well done by both sides with plenty of lessons learned and a happy public who got treated to some outstanding rugby at times. Mission accomplished for both countries, nothing more needs to be said.

As this is the last time we’ll see France in action before the November Test window, unlike the All Blacks who will be back in action in three weeks time for the Rugby Championship, we’ll focus on France for now. Like we said above we thoroughly enjoyed the three Test matches, and despite their lack of experience France gave New Zealand a genuine workout while unearthing some talent that we have a hunch will be in the starting lineups of some of France’s World Cup fixtures in the next edition in Australia in two years time.

Expect to see the forward quintet of Joshua Brennan, Hugo Aradou, Alexandre Fischer, Mikael Guillard, and Killian Tixeront all feature as starters in at least the Pool stages of France’s World Cup campaign. Guillard, in particular, was magnificent and expect to see him become an increasingly regular fixture in France’s starting XV. The back rower seemed impervious to fatigue, despite France’s long domestic season, and was a constant menace for the All Black defences to deal with, while at the same time being equally effective in disrupting New Zealand’s work at the breakdown and in the loose. France brought some very big men to the Land of the Long White Cloud, and the All Blacks felt the full force of their impact on numerous occassions over the three Tests.

In the backs France were mesmerizing at times. Nolan le Garrec, we felt really came of age this Tour in the Scrum Half berth and France are now blessed with at least three World Class scrum halves as the buildup to the World Cup gathers momentum. We’ve always thought Fly Half Antoine Hastoy is seriously underrated, and this Tour, he reinforced our faith in his potential to carry the ten jersey reliably when needed. How good, though, were Gabin Villiere and Theo Attissogbe? Attissogbe played both wing and fullback while Villiere, despite his dimunitive size, has always impressed us with his turn of pace, creativity, and ability to bring down men three times his size. In the first Test alone, he put in 8 tackles and affected 2 turnovers. In short, the man is a machine. Nicolas Depoortere and the old warhorse Gael Fickou were outstanding in the center channels, and Leo Barre was superb in the final Test and brought some genuine physicality and pace to the fullback position.

Like we say, despite some of the negativity in the press, we think both Coaches will be very happy with the results of this Tour and regard it as an invaluable learning experience irrespective of the results on the scoreboard. However, we have a hunch that on his return to France, Fabien Galthie was rubbing his hands with glee at the potential for his recent investments to turn in a handsome dividend in two years time in Australia at the next World Cup!

Canada’s Report Card:  Much Better!

Despite losing to Spain by a mere point 24-23, the improvement in Canada’s performance last Saturday was significant, giving us a slight glimmer of hope for better things to come. In terms of standout players, Number 8 Matthew Oworu was IMMENSE and reinforced what a genuinely exciting prospect he is for Canada, while Captain Lucas Rumball once again put his body on the line for a jersey he does proud every time he pulls it on. Has new Coach Steve Meehan found the nucleus of a team Canada can start to rebuild with?

While Canada came agonisingly short of getting their first win since 6 consecutive losses, this was a much better performance than we’re used to seeing from a team that looked in danger of reaching a point of no return. Australian Coach Stephen Meehan’s second outing in charge of Canada was a marked improvement over that embarrassing home loss to Belgium a week earlier. There are still plenty of work ons needed and Canada’s upcoming opposition in the Pacific Nations Cup at the end of next month will be a step up in intensity from these two encounters as they face the USA and Japan.

Defensively, Canada still looked alarmingly porous at times, which will be a real problem against a side like Japan. However, for the most part, their set piece work was a genuine step up from the game against Belgium. They looked fitter, better organised, and definitely up for the task at hand. As always, Captain and veteran back rower Lucas Rumball was absolutely heroic at times and a genuine source of inspiration to his colleagues. However, the standout performer by a country mile was the astonishing number 8 Matthew Oworu. Scoring both of Canada’s tries and almost getting a hat trick, he was simply magnificent, thundering into rucks, making line breaks and causing absolute mayhem for Spain to deal with. Although we’ve been quite disparaging at times of the MLR, Oworu’s time this year at the Chicago Hounds alongside Lucas Rumball has clearly paid off. He caught our eye last year as one to watch, and even despite the run of losses by Canada, he has consistently stood out every game we’ve seen him play. In short, he is Canada’s most exciting prospect in years.

Canada will not be happy that they let Spain back in the game when it started to look like they were getting the visitors well and truly on the ropes, with thirty minutes to go and comfortably ahead at 20-11 on the scoreboard. However, the last quarter of any Test has been Canada’s Achilles Heel now for well over ten years, and sadly, Saturday was no different in Edmonton. Some questionable decision-making, especially by not taking points on offer and instead opting to kick to touch, showed a certain naivety by Canada and a lack of big game temperment. In addition, as it invariably does, the discipline started to slide, and ultimately, Spain took advantage even though they were forced to play a man short for the final eight minutes. That Canada could not seal the deal with a one man advantage will have Coach Stephen Meehan likely reaching for a stiff drink , but it seems symptomatic of where Canada find themselves these days.

The opening game of Canada’s Pacific Nations Campaign in Calgary on August 22nd against the USA will be the real litmus Test of what Canada have learned out of these two recently concluded Tests, and where they are headed. After what we saw this Saturday, we are reaching for our “cautiously optimistic” hat. A lot of what we saw we liked this time around. The big question is, can it be turned into consistency that can last a full eighty minutes? Can Canada take a solid 60 minutes and turn it into a composed and structured performance right up to the final whistle? The potential is there, and with players like Oworu only 24, there could be some genuine light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel. It’s early days yet, but clearly, anything is better than Meehan’s predecessor Kingsley Jones, so for us, the jury is still out. We’re quietly hopeful that we can we revisit this discussion on a positive note come the Pacific Nations Cup.

Until then, our congratulations to Canada for giving it a genuine go against Spain. Learn your lessons for the bigger challenges that lie just around the corner, and let’s get ourselves back in the Top 20 again! Good luck, gentlemen – we’ll be raising our expectant glasses in your honor, so do us proud!

Well, that’s it for this week, folks, and bring on that 2nd Test in Melbourne!!!!

Lineout Calls of the Week and What to Watch and Why

Well we have to say it last week wasn’t what we expected. For us, it was slightly disappointing on some fronts as a game we were eagerly anticipating ended up being one of the biggest anticlimaxes of the year as the Lions breezed by an invitational Aus/NZ XV. It highlighted to some extent the weakness of a lot of the games leading up to the first Test between the Wallabies and the Lions this weekend as symptomatic of Australia’s lack of player depth. Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt is faced with ongoing concerns as another of his star players looks set to miss the all-important First Test. Meanwhile, the Lions look to be well settled and ready for battle despite some of their own ongoing injury concerns.

Canada’s Men once again struggled and made us question what is the value of the MLR, as South of the Border the USA also fell to Spain. In New Zealand, as we suspected, they would in the Second Test the All Blacks rubbed France’s face in the dirt over their decision to bring an inexperienced squad to the Land of the Long White Cloud. Argentina simply couldn’t turn their ambition into execution against a very well drilled England team, which highlighted that after France, England are developing a very solid body of player depth at just the right time in this World Cup cycle.

Fiji taught Scotland some very uncomfortable lessons, though why any Fiji win over a top Tier side is still considered an upset remains a mystery to us and rather disrespectful. Fiji are firmly camped in the top ten list in the World Rugby rankings in case that has somehow escaped the rugby media’s attention and also gave Australia the fright of their lives only a week earlier. As expected, Ireland blew past a hapless Portugal in what, in reality, was sadly a rather meaningless encounter and taught neither side anything particularly useful about where they are in terms of development. Lastly, South Africa using some debatable tactics at times, which we’ll unpack down below, blitzed past a confused and disjointed Italy.

On the plus side last weekend, Canada’s Women got a gritty win against a tough South African Springboks Women’s outfit in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Canada fielded a much less experienced side than in the opener in Pretoria and while Canada’s performance lacked a lot of their usual polish at times, it was an excellent opportunity to test some of the younger players in a tough environment. Despite the challenge, they still managed to emerge victorious on the road in a difficult encounter and win the series. The added benefit of the leadership group on the pitch to steer some of the debutants came to the fore when needed most. It may not have been pretty at times but was invaluable experience ahead of the World Cup, which is now only 38 days away.

So let’s get into what caused us to stare glumly at times into our pints to try and work out the portent in the dregs at the bottom.

The Lions look rather sharp to say the least but has the quality of the opposition really tested them as Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt scratches his head on those First Test selection calls as the Medics keep taking away his options?

The run-up to the first Lions Test this weekend hasn’t really provided any memorable matches, though the Lions now seem well prepped and fully loaded for battle. Owen Farrell answered his critics, Henry Pollock continues to amaze, and Duhan van der Merwe and Hugo Keenan got their A game back. Meanwhile, spare a thought for Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt as he struggles to find a side that can match the Tourists, especially now a linchpin of his team, outstanding back rower Rob Valentini, is a doubt.

After watching the Lions put another almost 50 points, this time unanswered, past a rather pointless and ill prepared combined Aus/NZ XV, a game we’d actually been looking forward to given some of the assembled talent in it, we couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief. To be brutally honest, none of these Lions games leading up to the first Test against the Wallabies this weekend have been particularly inspiring affairs. Sure, there have been some mesmerizing displays of skill from some of the Lions players such as England’s Henry Pollock, but overall, they have been totally one-sided and rather meaningless events. While the purpose of them is primarily to warm up a group of players who have never played together on Tour before, there still have been some epic clashes on previous Tours. Remember that thrilling battle between the Brumbies and the Lions on the last Tour to Australia in 2013, which saw the Canberra outift secure a historic win?

Sadly, none of the buildup to the first Test has had any of that sort of character or sense of meaning other than a fairly positive series of one-sided runs for the Men in the Red jerseys. Admittedly, it’s a highly professional Lions squad containing perhaps some of the finest talent ever assembled in the famous jersey. Furthermore, player depth in Australia, as we have sadly been lamenting these past few months, is nowhere near what it was 15 years ago. Games that have been a bit closer, such as the surprising performance from the Waratahs, have been more down to the Lions simply having an off day for the most part than actual Australian razzle dazzle. Shorn of the vast majority of their Wallaby A-Listers as Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt, for good reason, given his limited player base, simply couldn’t afford to risk them, the pre-Test games have lacked any genuine intrigue or buzz to them. Last Saturday’s cobbled together Aus/NZ invitational side was just that – a ramshackle purposeless outing.

The Lions are now well prepared and know their systems, whereas it is really hard to guage where the Wallabies are at with very few of those likely to run out against Andy Farrell’s charges on Saturday in Brisbane having had any exposure to the Tourists over the last three weeks. Consequently, we fear there is a potential hiding in store for Joe Schmidt’s charges wearing the fabled Green and Gold this Saturday. A 50 point walkover by the Lions will simply raise the question marks surrounding whether or not Australia still remains a viable touring destination for the Lions, and furthermore plunge Australian rugby into an even deeper identity crisis than it already faces in terms of its future in the Land Down Under’s sporting landscape.

The injury question marks surrounding Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt’s selection choices for this Saturday are daunting. He lacks a genuine, tried and trusted fly half and playmaker, and his back row, despite the talent of Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight, suddenly becomes a lot less of a threat without the superpower abilities of Rob Valentini. Andy Farrell, by comparison, Schmidt’s opposite number and essentially former pupil when he was Ireland Coach has no such problems, especially in his forward stocks and in the 10 jersey. In contrast, Farrell seemingly has an endless supply of quality replacements all holding Qatar Airways standby tickets while Schmidt’s options appear to be growing thinner by the day.

However, as we used to say when Schmidt was Ireland Coach, “in Joe we trust”. This is one of the smartest rugby brains out there in modern Test rugby and one who excels at such challenges. If anyone can prove all the critics wrong and turn this Tour into a resounding nailbiting success, then Joe is your man. We can’t wait to find out on Saturday despite some of our trepidation. So put away the negatives, focus on the positives, and let the real games begin!

Australia vs British and Irish Lions – Saturday, July 19th – 6:00 AM (Eastern) – DAZN, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

We knew it would happen, but the All Blacks taught France’s youngsters a rather rude and painful lesson in the second Test, and with the Series sewn up is there even a chance for the Third and Final Test to be a meaningful contest?

We had hoped that the Second Test between New Zealand and France’s so-called “disrespectful B/C side” would be a genuine contest. Sadly it was not and it was New Zealand who literally got the last laugh while Ardie Savea continued to show that he is probably one of the greatest All Blacks of all time (well at least in our opinion)

Well you knew it was coming, some sort of humiliation of France by an All Star All Blacks squad was in the pipeline, especially as New Zealand felt genuinely affronted and aggreived by the perceived lack of respect shown by France in the squad they selected. We’ve already beaten that horse to death so won’t continue, but we had to admit that we were surprised and a tad irritated by Fabien Galthie’s selection for the second Test which could have set up a Series decider this weekend. As it is all France will be playing for on Saturday is pride, and with the Series gone and the end of a interminably long season and the exhaustion that goes with it, will whatever French players chosen simply put up the white flag and focus on the long flight home and their short summer break?

To be honest, it would be hard to blame them if they did. We struggled to understand why French Coach Fabien Galthie chose to make such wholesale changes in last weekend’s Second Test to a team that had given an admittedly rusty All Black side a genuine run for their money. France were simply outclassed, outplayed, and overpowered last weekend by an All Black side with a point to prove and a desire to put France firmly in their place after their perceived affront to New Zealand rugby.

It was a positive and assured performance from New Zealand that left very few questions unanswered on where this All Black side is at in their second year under Coach Scott Robertson and where they are headed. For us, the standout performer, though, was back rower and Captain Ardie Savea. Ever since his Test debut for the All Blacks in 2016, we’ve been mesmerised by this ultra dynamic back rower. We’ve also felt that the Captaincy should have been his since the retirement of Richie McCaw after the 2015 World Cup and the experience Savea had gained by the next installment in 2019. His work rate and stamina have to be seen to be believed, and just his sheer presence on the pitch is such a motivating force to the rest of his teammates. An epitome of sound judgment and respect for both the officials and his opposition, he has been a credit to the game ever since he first donned the famous black jersey. In short, one of the true legends of All Black rugby and a player who would feature in our first XV every day of the week every year. Need we say any more?

As for France, we simply don’t know what to expect from them in this third and final Test in Hamilton. At least it’s not Eden Park where the All Blacks seem unbeatable. Although France is the last side to beat New Zealand at the hallowed ground of Eden Park, it was 31 years ago in their final Test of a very successful Tour. Furthermore, the side that ran out against New Zealand that day was literally a who’s who of French rugby at the time. Do any of these legendary names ring a bell? Jean Luc Sadourny, Philippe Sella, Emile Ntamack, Thierry LaCroix, Abdelatif Benazzi, Olivier Roumat, and Christian Califano and that’s just a few as the list goes on. The calibre of the All Blacks team likely to face France this Saturday in Hamilton is equal to this fabled 94 French side, but the runouts for this rematch 31 years later wearing blue (or white as seems to be the case on this Tour) are unlikely to match up to the same standard. There is some huge potential there make no mistake, and the possibility of an all out edge of your seat do or die affair is there, especially if the French play with the commitment and resolve they showed in the first Test.

However, sadly we fear that with the Series sewn up it’s now the end of a long hard season for all the players in blue and whatever happens on Saturday it won’t change the fact that ultimately France came with good intentions but were ultimately shown the door by a much stronger side. We hope it won’t be the case and that Fabien Galthie and his charges have one last big surprise up their sleeves and a desire to repeat the history of that famous day 31 years ago. It’s a massively tall order for an inexperienced but exceptionally talented side, but imagine the headlines the next day if they pull it off. As for us, we’ll probably need the rest of the summer to get over what would be one of THE upsets of the decade. So, as always, we’ll put our doubts aside and hope for one of those incredible games that these two sides have a habit of producing when we’re all least expecting it.

New Zealand vs France – Saturday, July 19th – 3:05 AM (Eastern) – TSN+, Premier Sports Asia, Stan Sport Australia and FLO Rugby (live and on demand)

Canadian Men’s Rugby…..!??? Enough of the excuses, and is the MLR doing more harm than good?

Despite a new Coach Canada, even on home soil, looked way off the mark against Belgium, and we fear that against Spain, things could be even more alarming

Don’t get us wrong. We desperately want to be positive about Men’s Rugby in this country – we really do! Sadly though as enthusiastic and as proud as we are of our truly remarkable Women, we struggle to feel the same way about the Men’s programme, and it’s getting harder every year. We watched Saturday’s game in Edmonton with a serious sense of trepidation and a glass of something stiff close by in case it all got too much for us, which ultimately it did.

Even with a new man in charge in the Coaching Box, Australian Steve Meehan, an alarmingly familiar pattern was on display in Saturday’s match. Poor execution, almost nonexistent defence, and a team looking seriously unfit and out of shape, even allowing for the 25C heat and 63% humidity, were what struck us the most about Canada’s performance against Belgium. Contrast that to the Belgians who despite the Canadian commentary team of Gareth Rees and Nathan Hirayama’s boundless enthusiasm and constant assertions that Belgium were borderline dead on their feet seemed to be coping far better with the pace of the game and the conditions than Canada were.

The point kept being made that this was a young, relatively inexperienced Canadian team. However, Belgium is still not exactly a powerhouse of International Rugby, and they seemed able to cope with anything Canada threw at them. Of the five seasoned Internationals on the pitch for Canada it was only Captain Lucas Rumball, who, as he always does, appeared to be putting in the effort required to motivate the younger members of this squad. We did feel that his disallowed try should have stood, and the neck roll he received from a Belgian player later in the match should have resulted in a yellow card. However, even if those calls had gone Canada’s way, we simply would not have won that match, so sadly, it’s pointless bemoaning them. In short, none of it was convincing, and as for that defense, we are actually unsure if anybody on the Canadian team are aware of what the word actually means.

We appreciate this all seems incredibly harsh and borderline unpatriotic but after years of trying to build this team up we have run out of excuses, and the team should approach their next match against an ominous looking Spain who just beat the USA last weekend, with the same attitude. Coaching aside, this team needs to step up as one and take responsibility for an appalling track record since 2015. The excuses simply have to stop!

In looking at Saturday’s performances by both Canada and the USA, we are really starting to wonder if the advent of North America’s first professional league the MLR is actually taking rugby backwards in terms of results for both Canada and the USA. The USA’s track record since 2015 isn’t much better than Canada’s, and it’s interesting to note that for the most part since the inception of the MLR in 2018 the results for Canada and the USA have been increasingly lacklustre and the wins few and far between.

For Canada, who have played 52 Tests since the start of the MLR, they have lost 36 and only won 12, and the majority of those wins are pre COVID, making the last four years particularly bleak. For the USA, of the 50 matches they have played, the record is a bit better, having drawn one and won 28. However, once again, the win rate has dropped off dramatically post COVID. Of the post Covid era of the 26 games the USA has played since COVID, they’ve managed 13 wins, while of the 24 games Canada has played in that period, they have only managed 7 wins.

Before the MLR, a small but critical number of Canadian players were getting experience overseas in places like England and France but since the advent of the MLR that has dried up to the point where it is literally nonexistent. While the MLR may be enjoyable, there is no denying that its quality is by international standards relatively poor. Contrast that with Super Rugby Americas in South America, where many of the players go on to win lucrative contracts in Europe and even the big leagues like the French TOP14 and the Gallagher Premiership in England. Many of the Belgian players who taught the Canadians some valuable lessons this weekend ply their trade in France’s highly competitive PRO D2 and D3 leagues. Furthermore with no Canadian teams now in the MLR and our players having to play in American teams, we worry that as the commercial interests in the US seek to make the game more attractive and flashy to a sports saturated American public, the preference will be to bring in overseas “project” players from the South Pacific and get them to qualify for the Eagles through the residency clause at the detriment of home grown players in both the US and Canada.

Contrast this to Canada’s Women’s Team, most of whom are playing overseas in England and France and look at how successful Canada’s Women are on the International stage, currently ranked as the second best team in the World heading into next month’s Women’s Rugby World Cup.

In short, we are just not seeing the benefit of the MLR and what it is doing for Canadian Rugby and are slightly concerned about the direction the league is potentially heading in, which likely would have little or no benefit to the development of a healthy and vibrant rugby culture in Canada. It may ultimately take rugby in the USA in a positive direction especially as they look to host the World Cup in 2031 even though we have our doubts, but for us here in Canada we’d argue it’s just not working.

We’d argue that a return of an annual competition like the Americas Rugby Championship which featured teams from North and South America a bit like the Southern Hemisphere’s Rugby Championship or Europe’s Six Nations would be hugely beneficial. The current Pacific Nations Cup featuring Fiji, Japan, Canada and the USA is simply not a level playing field and both Japan and Fiji are miles ahead of us with Fiji’s participation in Super Rugby and Japan’s extremely competitive and popular domestic league that pulls in financial resources that the MLR can only dream about and packed stadiums.

The Men’s game in Canada is currently in freefall and we fear for the result against Spain this weekend and further humiliation at the end of the summer in the Pacific Nations Cup, which could ultimately prove irreperable to the game here. The Women’s game is very much alive and well, but the Men’s game is on life support and looks set to enter a permanent coma if some drastic action is not taken sooner rather than later. Even with an expanded World Cup in 2027 of 24 teams as opposed to the usual 20, the chance that Canada will once again fail to qualify in their present state is a distinct possibility.

So we’ll be waving our little Canadian flags on Friday as we peer nervously over the top of the bar at the TV, hoping we don’t have to look away too often.

Canada vs Spain – Friday, July 18th – 9:00 PM (Eastern) TSN 2 and TSN+ (live and on demand)

By contrast, Canada’s Women get the job done once again in a tough encounter that had plenty of value for their World Cup preparations

Canada used the second Test in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) to give plenty of their less experienced players a genuine workout, but despite the fact that it definitely wasn’t pretty at times the win and the Series was secured and the leadership group of players like Tyson Beukeboom provided valuable steadying hands when needed.

It wasn’t a spectacular win and at times some of Canada’s younger players looked to be struggling with a genuine exposure to the rigors of Test Rugby, but Canada’s outstanding Women completed an important Series Win 2-0 over South Africa in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) last weekend. Canada fielded a team lacking a lot of big Test experience while South Africa upped their game considerably after imploding against Canada the week before in Pretoria. Gradually, though, as the match wore on Canada began to assert control and the seasoned heads in their ranks like Tyson Beukeboom helped settle the nerves and get the team focused on the job at hand.

In short, Canada still walked away with a solid 33-5 win, with their younger charges having been pushed hard at times. Canada led at the half-time break 14-0, but their customary execution and precision was lacking at times. In the opening 25 minutes of the second half, they struggled to assert themselves on a determined albeit error strewn but very enterprising Springbok side. However, the return to the field of the outstanding Sophie de Goede after a year away from the game due to injury for the final quarter and some outstanding leadership and motivation from veteran Tyson Beukebom in the Captain’s role saw Canada run away with the game in the final fifteen minutes. Ultimately, Canada looked fit and able to last the distance, unlike the South Africans who were clearly battling with having to constantly play catch-up rugby.

Karissa Norsten made her 15s debut on the wing and scored a fine try on the 55 minute mark, and her colleague on the opposite wing Krissy Scurfield finished off the day’s scoring with an exquisite break and dot down in the corner. Canada will want to look at the fact that they struggled at times to impose themselves on a team ranked much lower than themselves but in terms of a developmental exercise and preparation for the World Cup it has been an excellent experience for the squad especially those thin on International caps.

For the most part Canada emerge from a tough tour injury free, though we have to confess feeling some genuine alarm and concern for second rower Laetitia Royer who went off towards the end of the first half with a nasty looking shoulder injury. Royer is such a key part of this squad and vital to Canada’s World Cup ambitions, so we hope that it’s not a long-term issue. On the plus side we were delighted to see former Captain Sophie de Goede make her return from a serious injury and get 22 minutes on the pitch with no apparent ill effects from her long layoff, given how important a role she has played and will play in this team’s development and World Cup campaign.

Canada now take a well-earned break before their final two warmup games before their first World Cup match in York against Fiji next month. They will face the USA in Ottawa on August 1st, so if you’re in town ring fence the day and make sure you get out to TD Place Stadium and give our Women a fitting send off to their final warmup game in Belfast a week later against Ireland.

We are under no illusion that despite the promise this team has, the World Cup will be a whole different beast that will test this extraordinary group of Women like never before. France and New Zealand will be exceptionally difficult prospects and if Canada were to get past either of them and find themselves in a Final against the hosts in the shape of a seemingly invincible England, then the challenge will be enormous. Like we’ve said all along though the self-belief, commitment, and unity of purpose in this team is definitely special. It may be a mountain to climb, but this group will hit the slopes as probably the most well prepared side in Canadian rugby history in either the Men’s or Women’s game!

You can’t fault Springbok Coach Rassie Erasmus for thinking “outside the box,” but some of it really does push the boundaries and is in danger of putting his team in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons

We’ve always admired Springbok Coach Rassie Erasmus’ ingenuity at times, but couldn’t help feeling that at times Saturday’s performance against Italy was taking it a bit too far, and feel that Italian Coach Gonzalo Quesada’s frustration is not exactly a case of sour grapes

Love him or hate him, it’s hard not to admire Springbok Coach Rassie Erasmus. He is to Rugby innovation what Thomas Edison was to electricity and mass communication. While he has often sought to enrage and confound rugby’s officiating bodies by his actions, there is no denying that his understanding of the rules and laws has helped him to define the sport’s grey area’s and possible legislative loopholes.

South Africa’s one-sided thrashing of a bewildered Italy on Saturday, 45-0, was a prime example. Italian Coach Gonzalo Quesada was visibly upset by the tactics employed by the Springboks, and his concerns have some justification. On the other hand, Erasmus wasn’t breaking the rules per se he was just bending them to allow his side to exploit an advantage that benefitted the way they choose to play the game. In the one instance we feel you have to admire the thinking behind it and it’s rugby lawmakers who either have to tighten up the rules to put an end to it or accept that it is a legitimate play. In the second tactic employed on Saturday, though, we have to beg to differ and feel that not only was it blatantly illegal, but cleverly employed to confuse referee Andrew Brace. There was an element of skullduggery to it that left a foul taste in our mouths and which smacked of unsportsmanlike behavior.

So what’s all the fuss about, you ask? In exhibit one, we feel that this needs to get stamped out, and it’s simply unsportsmanlike. On the initial kickoff fly half, Manie Libbok blatantly gives the ball a simple kick that dribbles off his foot and is never in a month of Sundays going to go the mandatory ten meters. The lawbook clearly states that, in that case, a scrum is required with the feed going to the opposition.

So what’s the problem with that we hear you ask and why would Italy be so upset? South Africa knew they had complete dominance at scrum time and would be able to win back possession and set up a setpiece play from the halfway line rather than having to contest Italy either running the ball or attempting to kick it into the Springboks’ own half on receiving the ball from the kickoff. Furthermore, to add insult to injury Center, Andre Esterhuizen is clearly in front of Kicker Manie Libbok when the kick is taken, which is also against the rules. The whole thing just smacks of the Springboks simply laughing at the rulebook and comes across as rather poor sportsmanship. So surprised was referee Andrew Brace by the blatant lack of an attempt at a ten meter kick that he didn’t even notice Esterhuizen in an offside position, which should have been a penalty to Italy. Ultimately, Italy won a penalty off the scrum so the Springboks’ skullduggery ultimately didn’t pay off, but it was intentional and a blatant attempt at exploiting and twisting or even ignoring the rulebook to your advantage. For want of a better expression, “it just wasn’t cricket” and should have been sanctioned as such.

In exhibit two, though, you can’t help admiring Erasmus’ clever interpretation of the rules and how his side could use them to their advantage. At present, there is a rule trial likely to become law, which bans prebound wedges in open play. On Saturday, South Africa cleverly exploited the current loophole in the rule and the fact that as a trial law, it got overlooked by the officials. In essence, it’s saying you can’t form a prebound pod and then use it as you would a lineout where a player is lifted into the air to catch a pass. As the player is now bound and being lifted, the opposition can not lift or tackle him as this is deemed as interfering with a player in the air or worse, still collapsing a maul. On this one, we find ourselves on the fence. In short, putting aside the vagaries of the law as they exist now, it’s a brilliant tactic whether you like it or not and clearly gives you an advantage and buys you some time which a standard ruck simply wouldn’t allow you. To be honest, although it’s perhaps pushing the boundaries a bit too far and essentially taking liberties, there is a certain degree of ingenuity to it that has to be admired.

Whether you like Erasmus or not, you have to admire the man’s ability to look at the game and work with or around the existing laws. If he were a lawyer you’d definitely want him on your team, and as a tactical Coach on a rugby pitch his ability to see unorthodox opportunities when they present themselves is rather unique to say the least. You may not like it, but you have to admire it. So, cut out the blatant disregard to the rulebook on the kick-off tactic, but maybe the lawmakers have to look at the rules around prebound pods and lifting a player. It does add an interesting element to the game provided there is an opportunity for the opposing side to legally contest it, which at the moment doesn’t exist giving the team using the tactic a technically unfair advantage.

Oh Rassie, you’ll always find a way to keep things interesting, won’t you! As one of the most successful international Coaches of all time, he’s clearly a loveable rascal who revels in adding some spice to our game and making us ask ourselves how the game should develop. He’ll keep us guessing till the final whistle and his beloved Springboks will never be without a trick or two up their sleeves. It’s not the first controversy he’s sparked, and it won’t be the last, but boy, does it make for some good debate over a post-match pint!

Well, that’s it for this week, folks. Enjoy what should be a top weekend of rugby even if your viewing schedule won’t be as busy as it has in the last fortnight!

Lineout Calls of the Week and What to Watch and Why

What an exciting weekend we have ahead of us. On the Lions front there is plenty to talk about, as the Wallabies suffer a major injury setback with the loss of fly half Noah Lolesio to injury and the Lions gain an extra fly half in the shape of Owen Farrell. In the case of the latter, there have been various negative assertions about the selection of Farrell given his Father sits in the Coaching box, but we feel it’s important to make the distinction that the decision was always on the backburner and the injury to Elliott Daly has in essence made it inevitable. Consequently, the rather tasteless allegations of nepotism need to be thrown in the dustbin where they belong. Meanwhile, the Lions brace themselves for their sternest test yet as they prepare to face a rather ominous looking combined Australia/New Zealand XV in Adelaide this Saturday.

Elsewhere on the July International front, we were delighted to see that France made New Zealand be careful of what they wish for. The so called “disrespectful” side assembled by French Coach Fabien Galthie showed the All Blacks plenty of respect by comparison and made New Zealand realize that French depth is something to give some serious thought to, especially with a World Cup two years away. The more exposure the All Blacks get to it, the better in our opinion, especially as they are only likely to meet once more before a potential World Cup knockout match in Australia in 2027.

Wales lost their 18th consecutive Test match against Japan last weekend, while Scotland were fantastic against the Maori All Blacks. The flying Fijians gave the Wallabies the fright of their lives ahead of the first Lions Test, while Italy were extraordinarily brave and rather effective in a powerful second half against World Champions South Africa despite ending on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Finally, England managed to clinically shut down Argentina, despite the Pumas’ historic win over the Lions only a fortnight earlier.

Last but DEFINITELY not least, Canada’s phenomenal Women put South Africa to the sword in Pretoria and look in exceptionally fine form ahead of the World Cup next month.

So let’s unpack what happened and what we’re looking forward to this weekend.

The Wallabies hit a major setback while the Lions face a stern examination this weekend ahead of that all important first Test and a familiar face returns to the Lions pride

We were gutted to see Wallaby Fly Half Noah Lolesio pick up an inury in the warm-up Test against Fiji this past weekend, ruling him out for the series. Meanwhile, the Lions will get a serious workout against some Kiwi and Ozzie heavyweights this weekend, while an old familar face in the shape of Owen Farrell makes a return to the Lions camp

LOTS to talk about here as we pick our Lions fixture to watch this weekend. England’s Owen Farrell finds himself in Australia for a last-minute Lions call up, and while some have called it nepotism, given his father is the Coach, we beg to differ. Meanwhile, speaking of fly halves, the Wallabies suffered a devastating setback as they lose Noah Lolesio to injury before the three Tests have even got underway. After struggling against the Waratahs last week, we air our concerns as the Lions prepare to face a rather menacing looking combined Australian and New Zealand this Saturday in Adelaide.

After blowing past the Reds last week in a game we had thought was going to be a lot closer, we were surprised to see the Lions struggle so much against one of Australia’s poorer sides on Saturday. In short, they made seriously hard work of getting a win over a Waratahs side who finished deep in the bottom half of this year’s Super Rugby table. It wasn’t a good look with several key players such as one of our fan favourites here at the Lineout, Irish utility forward and Captain for the day Tadgh Beirne and fellow countryman Hugo Keenan at fullback having an exceptionally poor day at the office. Meanwhile, flavor of the month English fly half Fin Smith just wasn’t at the races in the ten jersey. Alarm bells were no doubt ringing, made worse by another injury loss as in the game against the Reds, England utility back Elliot Daly picked up a Tour ending injury.

The Daly injury has led to England’s Owen Farrell being drafted into the squad, and despite the cries of nepotism plaguing social media, due to him being Coach Andy Farrell’s son, a sense of perspective is needed. While we are the first to admit we haven’t always been one of Farrell Junior’s biggest fans over the years, there is no denying both his abilities and experience. He has made 18 appearances for the Lions since his first Tour with the team in 2013, ironically to Australia, and featured in 6 Lions Tests. He also has 112 Test appearances for England and, quite frankly, is one of the most experienced players out there in terms of being a playmaker in big games. Why wouldn’t you want to have him on your side? Oh, and yes, if you need any other credentials, he is still England’s leading points scorer of all time. There’s also that rather handy distinction that he’s actually a useful center, in addition to his skills in the number ten jersey.

In short, enough said, Owen Farrell is an important and flexible option for Lions Coach Andy Farrell’s toolbox. Fair enough, we’re sure that just like any father/son combination the added bonus of coaching your son in the legendary red jersey is both a priveledge and pleasant fringe benefit, but we really don’t believe that was the guiding principle on which this decision was made. A bit like the New Zealand media’s ridiculous assertions of France’s squad to face the All Blacks this month being disrespectful – once again, let the rugby do the talking!

Meanwhile, speaking of fly halves, for Australia, their problems have suddenly got almost seemingly insurmountable with the injury to theirs, Noah Lolesio in the Wallabies’ first outing of 2025 against Fiji last weekend. Australia are, unlike the Lions, not exactly blessed with any great degree of depth in the position. The loss of Lolesio for the whole series is a potential hammer blow. Furthermore, at only 25, the Brumbies man was just coming into the prime of a promising career and was by far Australia’s leading contender for the 10 jersey.

Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt is unfortunately not exactly spoilt for choice, unlike his Lions rival Andy Farrell, in who will wear the ten jersey for the Wallabies as a result. The Western Force’s Ben Donaldson has shown definite promise at times in his 16 appearances for the Wallabies, or the Reds Tom Lynagh with three caps to his name. Donaldson is a capable replacement, though despite his lack of experience, Lynagh is the more dynamic X-factor type of package. However, in Lynagh’s case, a Lions stage may just be a bit too grand at this point in his career, so the starting jersey is likely to go to the more experienced Donaldson. Nevertheless, neither of these two players have the all round game set of Lolesio, though we’d argue that Lynagh’s off script imagination could well rival Lions playmaker Finn Russell’s at times, making him a potential game changer off the bench for the Wallabies. We don’t envy whatever decisions Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt will have to make on this one, but we could end up seeing one of the big surprise revelations of the Tour in the process.

In terms of what to watch this week on the Lions Tour, we originally had the Brumbies midweek game labelled as the biggest club game against the Lions, but with the Canberra outfit shorn of all their Wallaby stars for this fixture, we sadly feel it may end up being rather a damp squib. Instead, a rather fearsome force of Wallabies and All Blacks have been assembled for a one off match against the Lions in Adelaide this Saturday, and even though the fixture itself has no stature it’s as close as the Lions will get to a full blown Test until they meet the Wallabies for the first time on July 19th. There are some big All Black names in the squad, most notably center David Havili and Hoskins Sotutu in the back row. Both players are currently not part of Scott Robertson’s endeavours against the visiting French, but you can be assured that they will be putting in big performances to ensure that the All Black Coach revises his opinion in time for the start of the Rugby Championship next month, along with Chiefs fullback Shaun Stevenson who also missed out on selection.

The Wallabies who find themselves in Saturday’s squad will also be seeking to impress for Test spots and Rugby Championship appearances, especially the Reds winger Lachlan Anderson and back rower Lukhan Salakai-Loto along with Western Force Hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa. Also, in the mix representing Australia are Bordeaux’s back rower Pete Samu, who had an electric season with the European Champions and winger Marika Koroibete currently doing service in Japan. With these last two unlikely to feature for the Wallabies during the Lions Tour due to currently plying their trade overseas, they will still want to make a statement as there is a loophole to let some players be eligible for Wallaby selection under the “Giteau” law.

Either way, it’s set to be a fascinating game as both the Lions and Wallabies get set to lay out their final stall on market day next week for the first Test. You won’t want to miss it!

Invitation ANZAC vs British and Irish Lions – Saturday, July 12th – 6:00 AM (Eastern) – DAZN, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

New Zealand’s media were made to eat their words somewhat last weekend as plenty of respect was shown by France’s “no name” squad, while the All Blacks first Dutchman made a genuine statement on debut

New Zealand got a bit of a rude awakening last weekend as France brought a boatload of young talent to show off the rather ominous depth they are developing at a rate of knots, while the All Blacks first ever Dutch import, Fabian Holland realized his dreams of playing for the famous black jersey and made quite the statement in the process

We couldn’t help smiling smugly to ourselves as we watched the first of three Tests this July between France and New Zealand unfold. As you may recall, we have made the statement all along that the All Blacks should treat the fact that France turned up on their shores with a relatively unknown squad with a degree of caution. In fairness to the All Black Coaching staff, we think they have had no illusions about the depth of talent that France is currently producing and are probably relishing this godsend of an opportunity to get to know it so comprehensively over the next few weeks. Especially given the fact that they may well be facing some of it in two years time at the next World Cup and that, after this tour, New Zealand are likely to only face France in one more Test prior to the next global showdown in Australia in 2027.

Quite frankly, we could see no shred of disrespect in the performance in Dunedin on display by French Coach Fabien Galthie’s young charges last Saturday. It was evident that at times this so called French “C” side was scaring the living daylights out of many of the seasoned All Blacks on the pitch, as well as leaving them scratching their heads as to how to tame this unknown French beast. While this French touring team may be thin on experience, it has ambition and talent by the bucketload. It was a thrilling spectacle of a Test match that kept us on the edge of our seats until the final whistle.

New Zealand got the win, but to be honest, it was France we were talking about over our pints post-match. Back rowers Alexandre Fischer, Killian Tixeront, and Mickael Guillard were utterly outstanding, while Tyler Duguid was impressive in the lineouts and the second row. It’s interesting to note that Duguid actually hails from Edmonton, so he is essentially one of our own and it was great to see a Canadian getting the opportunity to thrive overseas on one of the biggest stages possible. However, that French back row was imperious at times despite having only a combined total of 8 caps between the three of them. Compare that to the 133 held by the All Black trio they were up against. At fullback, Theo Attissogbe really caught the eye as he has all season with Pau and when he got to don the blue jersey in this year’s Six Nations.

Now, before we all get too carried away, New Zealand’s first match of their International season is always a slightly rusty affair. The debutants have to quickly adapt to Test Rugby, while new combinations take some getting used to. France will know that the All Blacks they face this week will be a much sharper and more accurate unit. However, they themselves will surely only grow in confidence after essentially being written off last weekend. Added to that will be the fact that two dynamic centers will be added to the French roster in the shape of Bordeaux’s Nicolas Depoortere and Toulouse’s Pierre-Louis Barassi. It’s clearly gone from a B- to a B+ team.

As for New Zealand,  there are plenty of work ons and a need for a general tightening up of proceedings, though in fairness to them we felt that there is certainly no need to ring any alarm bells as long as they recognise they are in for another “proper” Test match this weekend. Of the debutants this past weekend, we have to take our hats off to second rower Fabian Holland. Orginally hailing from the land that bears his last name, it’s a genuine feel-good story for the 22 year old. Wanting to play a sport that suited his rather intimidating size, Holland fell in love with rugby from an early age after watching the All Blacks Sevens team train on a pitch near his home town when he was eleven. Passionate about his dream, he worked relentlessly to make it happen. He got a six month stint at Christchurch Boys High School when he was sixteen and made such an impression that he was invited to stay. The rest is history, but it was inspirational to watch the young man run out for his first All Black appearance as a stellar example of how following your dreams through hard work and dedication pays off. As Test debuts go, it was a pretty impressive performance last weekend, and expect to see a lot more of this young man in the future.

Like we say, it wasn’t a bad performance from the All Blacks, and expect to see them significantly improved this weekend after blowing off those initial cobwebs. It’s likely to be a slippery and damp track in Wellington this Saturday with the Capital’s infamous winds to deal with to add further complexity to the kicking and aerial battles, and it will be fascinating to see which side it favors as a result. France, by contrast, will go one of two ways. Knowing that a Test decider is on the line, they will pull out all the stops or start their inevitable summer Tour slide into obscurity. However, with a World Cup only two years away and places up for grabs for a young and very motivated side, we somehow doubt the latter will be as much of a concern as in years gone by.

It’s likely to be more a much more strategic game with a predominance of grinding the ball from end to end through the forwards than last Saturday’s open play extravaganza, but entertaining nevertheless. We really hope it will set up the final Test in Auckland as one to decide what has been a controversial Series from the outset. Whichever way you cut it, the coffee will be on as soon as we get up much earlier than most people should on a Saturday morning!

New Zealand vs France – Saturday, July 12th – 3:05 AM (Eastern) – TSN+, Premier Sports Asia, Stan Sport Australia and FLO Rugby (live and on demand)

Canada’s Women continue to gain momentum ahead of the World Cup

Canada’s Women managed to dispatch South Africa’s Springbok women with ease 50-20 in Pretoria last Saturday with center Florence Symonds making a real statement, despite the squad arriving two days later than planned and on four different flights after their travel plans went awry on leaving Montreal.

Despite a travel itinerary from hell and arriving late, Canada’s extraordinary women once again took adversity in their stride and turned in yet another convincing performance to completely outclass South Africa’s Springbok Women in Pretoria by 50 points to 20. Pretoria and Loftus Versfeld are always tough places to play but Canada’s women seemed unphased by the challenge, and played with precision and at times simply made it look easy, despite a brave but ultimately error strewn performance from the South Africans.

Canada’s honor roll is one for the whole team as once again, the sense of unity and ability to play off each other was on display for all to see. What we really like about this team, so superbly Coached by Kevin Rouet, is that they get better with every performance, and their precision goes up yet another notch. Their forwards set up a platform for the backs to work off as their set piece work is sound and continues to improve. They have reduced many of the mistakes that often crept into their game last year, and their execution has been sharpened along with a better understanding of when to take chances and when to play conservatively. The element of risk to the way they play has been reduced along with a much better understanding of the linkages within the team and how to use them. It’s this unity and cohesion that will make them such a difficult team to break down come the World Cup.

In short, watching Canada play is hugely entertaining, but their ambition has finally started to translate into consistency and control. All traits which will serve them well next month in England and their shot at World Cup glory. There is no doubt that New Zealand and France will be serious challengers to those aspirations, and England still would appear to be in a league of their own. However, Canada now have the right to dream big, and if they can put it all together on the day, then there is no reason to doubt that this team could go all the way.

Much has been talked about in terms of the return to action of their usual Captain and one of the best Women players in the World game right now. Sophie de Goede is back in the squad after a year lay off due to injury. Although with the team in South Africa, she played no part in last Saturday’s match, but is expected to participate in the Second Test in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) this Saturday. However, as evidenced from this past year and last weekend’s game, the current squad have hardly missed a beat in her absence. Although it’s hard to single out one player from last Saturday, the increasing influence and ability of Florence Symonds in the centers, especially paired with the oustanding Alex Tessier, deserves special mention. Expect Symonds to feature heavily in media releases from the World Cup as she is one of the most exciting rising stars of the Women’s game.

We’re pleased to announce that their fundraising target for the World Cup has managed to raise well over 75% of the $1,000,000 they are seeking to find, so if you haven’t already head on over to the TV page and please donate generously via the link provided.

In the meantime we hope you’ll be cheering as hard as we will on Saturday morning.

South Africa vs Canada – Saturday, July 12th – 7:30 AM (Eastern) – TSN+ and TSN 2 (live and on demand)

A spot of running rugby, anyone?

It’s pretty obvious that Scotland and Fiji love to run the ball, and we love to watch them do it, so what a  treat we’re in for this Saturday

Anyone who has ever read this blog before knows we simply love watching Fiji play rugby. We know very few teams that so evidently enjoy what they do and love nothing better than to turn a piece of complete and utter chaos into a thing of magic and a demonstration of almost freakish talent. Don’t believe us, then just watch this:

Not only is the run by winger Jiuta Wainiqolo a thing of beauty, but the fact that a 110 kg flanker can keep pace with him for the full length of the pitch at speed to ultimately score the try is nothing short of logic defying. In short, these guys have what can only be described as a unique set of skills. They gave a star studded Australia the fright of their lives last weekend and were unlucky to lose, albeit by the slimmest of margins.

Meanwhile down in Whangarei, a travelling Scottish side shorn of some of their big guns currently on duty across the Tasman Strait with the Lions, provided us with another thriller against the Maori All Blacks and secured a memorable 29-26 win, which was also full of joyous expressive running rugby. However, there was also discipline, focus, and execution when needed against a Maori side who took the game to Scotland in no uncertain terms both physically and with invention of equal measure. In short, it was ideal preparation for the raucous party atmosphere that awaits the Scots in Suva in front of Fiji’s passionate fans.

If the Scots can deal with the suffocating humidity and heat, which is always a factor in the Islands, then this is likely to be without doubt one of the highlights of the weekend. Fiji and Scotland are not too far apart in the World Rankings, which will help determine their seeding for the all-important World Cup draw at the end of the year. Fiji are ranked 9th while Scotland sits 7th, so expect the fireworks to fly.

Never mind where your loyalties lie this weekend. If you simply want to be entertained, then ring this fixture in your calendar – plain and simple.

Fiji vs Scotland – Friday, July 11th – 11:00 PM (Eastern) – Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

England lock down Argentina in a clinical performance

England simply wrapped up Argentina in a vise grip last weekend, which completely suffocated the Pumas creativity, while England provided plenty of their own to claim a thoroughly deserved 35-12 victory

Watching England dismantle Argentina in a very vocal and passionate Stadium Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi in La Plata last Saturday, made us think it was perhaps one of the most clinical and composed performances we’ve seen from an English outfit in a long time. England looked like they had a plan right from referee Angus Gardner’s opening whistle. It was very simple really, just don’t let Argentina play or if they do put so much pressure on them you force them into countless errors and ultimately make them work so hard it’s almost impossible for them to think straight. Defend like your lives depend on it, but don’t give away needless penalties. Also, throw in one of the best performances we’ve ever seen from fly half George Ford in an England jersey, and the rest is history!

If that really was the plan, then England executed it to the letter. Argentina had significantly more possession and territory than England but simply couldn’t do anything with it. Especially once inside England’s 22, the Pumas had to work so hard at trying to crack a seemingly impenetrable English defense, the inevitable exhaustion and errors started to mount. Argentina simply couldn’t get into the game despite what the post game stats may say. Argentina spent the first forty minutes battering against England’s brick wall with not even a single point to show for their efforts as they headed into the sheds at half time. They simply looked out on their feet.

England by comparison, while appearing content to let Argentina flog themselves to death for the first forty minutes on the English ramparts, recognised they were now up against exhausted and disjointed opponents in the second half and turned the tables on the Pumas, playing some exquisite adventurous open rugby. Watching England in the second half was very similar to watching the Pumas dismantle the Lions in Dublin a fortnight ago. Had Steve Borthwick and his Coaching staff been taking notes? It would appear so. The brief was let’s tire them out in the first half, and then we’ll play their game in the second. Pretty simple plan really when you think about it. Just make sure the nuts and bolts of your game are in place, and in that regard, England would have felt well pleased at half time. Their scrum was utterly dominant, and their lineout throws were finding their targets, while their work in the rucks was both ferocious and executed to textbook standards.

However, before we all get carried away, this Series is not over yet. Without fail, the Pumas warm quickly to the task at hand, especially at home. They are always considerably better in the second Test of their July Internationals. We expect no reason for things to be different this year. They are well Coached and although missing Benetton fly half Tomas Albornoz, who had such a huge impact on the game against the Lions, due to Coach Felipe Contempomi choosing to rest him in readiness for the two Test home series against the All Blacks as part of the Rugby Championship next month, this is still an excellent Pumas team full of exciting, powerful and dynamic players.

In short, the Pumas should find their groove this Saturday and will be infinitely wiser and more creative in dealing with England’s relatively simple but flawlessly executed game plan. Another big bruising encounter awaits between two sides who aren’t exactly the best of friends, even though many of them play together in the English Premiership. With those World Rankings set to play such a big part in the draw for the World Cup Pools set to be held at the end of the year, Argentina will not take kindly to swapping places with England on the table from fifth to sixth as a result of last weekend’s proceedings.

Although building this fixture up last weekend and ultimately walking away feeling slightly frustrated in Argentina’s performance we still hold that this Tour is one of the most intriguing of the summer, especially given what is at stake, and think as a result this weekend will be much more of the contest that we were expecting. Here’s hoping so for both sides!

Argentina vs England – Saturday, July 12th – 3:40 PM (Eastern) – TSN+, Premier Sports Asia, FLO Rugby and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Well folks, another great weekend awaits and the final run into the much anticipated Lions Tests against Australia! Stay safe and enjoy the rugby!

Lineout Calls of the Week and What to Watch and Why

Well, what a fun weekend it promises to be as we head into July! The Lions Tour of Australia is now in full swing and what a rollicking start it had in Perth last Saturday, but most of all we delighted in how it showcased what a special occassion a Lions Tour is for the British and Irish players selected for it and what it means to this rather special band of brothers. Like everyone else, we couldn’t help marvelling at young Henry Pollock, but also felt that in the game in Perth he matured from being a youngster into a player finally beginning to grasp some of the more important undertones of International Rugby and which make our sport so special.

This week sees the Lions with the traditional format of midweek and weekend fixtures, and our preferred viewing is that Wednesday clash in Brisbane with the Reds. We support Wallabies Coach Joe Schmidt’s decision to hold back three key Australian players from the fixture and feel it’s in the best interest of the ultimate goal of three competitive Tests.

Canada’s fabulous Women start their preparations for August’s World Cup in England, with a two Test Tour of South Africa this Saturday in Pretoria. New Zealand get to discover just how much depth there really is in France as French Coach Fabien Galthie brings a squad rippling with talent but without many of Les Bleus’ big name stars. Last but not least, England travel to Argentina to take on a Pumas side in what should prove to be two very demanding and potentially thrilling Tests. Even with some of England Coach Steve Borthwick’s big name stars absent on Lions duty, there is still some considerable depth in England that should make for a cracking series.

Saturday’s Lions Opener in Perth was a classic celebration of the value and meaning attached to such Tours, while Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt makes the right call in terms of managing his squad in relation to the demands of such a Tour

It was hard to not revel in the joyful exuberance of youth so specatucarly demonstrated by the Lions’ Henry Pollock, but more so how it was reflected in a band of brothers across four nations sharing in the excitement of a common purpose. Meanwhile, Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt, despite ruffling some feathers, has made the right call in terms of squad management, even if it means the Reds may not be as competitive as they could be on Wednesday without the likes of Fraser McReight and Tate McDermott.

Watching the Lions rather one-sided romp against a brave but ultimately outclassed Western Force in Perth last weekend reminded us just why we love these Tours so much. Take players from four countries who share a common history of passionate and often borderline antagonistic rivalries as played out in the Six Nations every year. Stuff 36 of them together into an airplane for fifteen hours and send them to lands far, far away. Then watch how all those ancient rivalries and antagonisms simply vanish for six weeks as the players recognise the honor it is to be chosen to wear the legendary red touring jersey and play together as a unique band of brothers. You’ve been picked as a player because amongst four highly competitive countries you’ve been recognised as being one of the best at your trade/position.

The genuine camraderie and respect the players show each other on the pitch, and their sense of common purpose is infectious. The scenes of young English abrasive upstart Henry Pollock embracing his equally combative Irish Captain and Hooker Dan Sheehan last Saturday when the latter scored the opening try just gave us all a warm fuzzy feeling. Although the two didn’t face off against each other in this year’s emotionally charged and tense Six Nations encounter, they are still two fiercely competitive rivals. As perhaps best summed up by Squidge Rugby in one of his series of excellent YouTube videos on the Lions, one of the joys of a Lions Tour is watching these players have the chance to play together and for us as fans cheer them on as “our” team.

Given that here at the Lineout there is a good cross section of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and English supporters; getting to cheer on the remarkable talents of say England’s Henry Pollock or Scotland’s Finn Russell  if you’re normally an Irish supporter for the rest of the year, is just so much fun. In short, for six weeks it’s a joyous celebration of a brotherhood of International Rugby, as all national interests and biases get put to one side for the cause of what the jersey represents and showcases the mutual respect that is one of the cornerstone values of our beloved sport. It’s a genuinely pleasant and uplifting distraction to the rather depressing news from around the globe right now that we have to wade through as we open our newspapers every morning over our cups of coffee.

Elsewhere in Lions news, we feel that it’s a bit harsh some of the stick that Wallaby and former Ireland Coach Joe Schmidt has been getting in the press over refusing to budge on releasing some of his key players for the Lions’ matches against Australian club sides leading up to the first Test against the Wallabies on July 19th. In short, the man is being a pragmatic realist who recognises that the ultimate goal of this series is three genuinely competitive Tests between the Wallabies and the Lions. We’ve highlighted for a while now that Australia is not blessed with a huge amount of depth given its rather limited player base. Consequently, Schmidt simply can’t afford to risk injury to his limited squad before the Tests have even begun.

Consequently, given the fact that the Reds along with the Brumbies will provide him with the bulk of the squad he’ll be relying on for the three Tests, caution is the better part of valor and as a result key Wallabies like scrum half Tate McDermott and back rowers Harry Wilson and the exceptional Fraser McReight will not be available for the Reds clash with the Lions this week. Quite frankly, it’s the right call, and Schmidt is left with little if any choice. Even with these omissions, there are still some genuine danger men in the Reds’ Wednesday line up to face the Lions. Wingers Lachie Anderson and Tim “junkyard dog” Ryan could well find themselves sporting the green and gold of the Wallabies come Test time and center Hunter Paisami is world class. Meanwhile Hooker Matt Faessler and second rower Lukhan Salakaia-Lotu are both World Class.

Of all the club encounters the Lions play on this Tour, this game with the Reds and the one against Canberra outfit the Brumbies will be the most fiercely contested, even without some of the big names. However, it’s the Tests where for the benefit of a competitive series, which this time last year many were doubting, we’ll want to see said big names fit and firing. It’s a hard and inevitably unpopular call to make, but as a pragmatic Coach Schmidt’s hand has been forced on this one, so fair play to him for having the confidence and conviction to stand his ground and see the bigger picture.

The Reds may be without some key names on Wednesday while the Lions get some of theirs back, but there is enough spark in their respecitve offerings to make for what should be the best Lions game of the Week

The Reds will be without some of their big guns, but there is no denying that in Center Hunter Paisami and wingers Lachie Anderson and Tim “junkyard dog” Ryan there is some genuine attacking firepower. Meanwhile the Lions will be keen to see Ireland’s Hugo Keenan get his first run in the Lions 15 jersey while Wales’ Jac Morgan will want to atone for not being his usually assertive self against the Pumas and England’s Tommy Freeman out wide is just as exciting as the Reds offerings in the backline.

As mentioned above, there has been some stick given to Wallaby Coach Joe Schmidt for not making some of his Wallaby stars available for the Lions midweek clash with Brisbane side the Reds. The Reds, along with the Brumbies, are the two best club sides in Australia, and between them will be providing the bulk of Schmidt’s Test day squads. Consequently, of all the club fixtures the Lions play before the first Test against the Wallabies on July the 19th, they are the most eagerly anticipated. Many feel that as contests, they will be diminished without the participation of Wallaby front runners like Fraser McReight and Tate McDermott for the Reds and Rob Valentini and Tom Wright for the Brumbies.

However, as we’ve said all along, Australia’s player base is limited and simply doesn’t have the depth that the Lions can draw on. For any injuries that the Lions may have to contend with there is a raft of quality players with standby tickets at Heathrow waiting to head to Australia. Schmidt simply doesn’t have that luxury and therefore has to act accordingly. That said, there is still enough quality in the lineup that the Reds are putting out on Wednesday to give the Lions a genuine challenge. Hooker Matt Faessler has been a revelation this season and could give his Lions opposite number Ronan Kelleher a genuinely torrid time in the set pieces. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto will make life difficult for Maro Itoje and Ollie Chessum in the lineouts and in the loose. In the backs center Hunter Paisami and wingers Lachie Anderson and Tim Ryan could be a defensive nightmare for the Lions.

For the Lions, there is plenty to look at as Coach Andy Farrell and his team continue to experiment with the mixtures they’ll ultimately want to settle with come that first Test on July 19th. Ireland’s Andrew Porter gets his first start in the front row, along with England’s Ollie Chessum in the second row as a potential lineout target for Irish Hooker Ronan Kelleher. Meanwhile, Wales’ Jac Morgan in the back row will want to stamp the kind of authority on proceedings which he struggled to do against Argentina in the Lions first outing.

Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan get their first Lions starts after injury scares at scrum half and fullback, while in the centers their fellow countryman Bundee Aki will want to make much more of a statement against the Reds than he did in Dublin against Argentina. His partnership with Scotland’s Huw Jones should prove to be a highly entertaining experiment. England’s Tommy Freeman and Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe return on the wings but, like the rest of their team present at that opener against Argentina, will need to settle into their traditional stride and pace much quicker in Wednesday’s game.

Like we say, even without some of the big names, this should be one of the best non-Test match fixtures ahead of the all important games against the Wallabies proper. If you only watch one of the Lions games this week, this is the one to catch and should be far more entertaining than what is likely to be a one way road show in favor of the Men in Red on Saturday when the Lions take on the Waratahs.

Reds vs British and Irish Lions – Wednesday, July 2nd – 6:00 AM (Eastern) – DAZN, Premier Sports Asia and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Canada’s mighty Women start their World Cup preparations in earnest in South Africa this weekend, and guess who’s back?

Although Canada have comfortably dispatched South Africa in recent years, playing them on their own home turf and at altitude in Pretoria will be a serious Test. Meanwhile, although Canada’s outstanding squad have hardly missed a beat in her injury absence, they will no doubt be ecstatic to have their talismanic Captain Sophie de Goede back in the fold.

The excitement is starting to build fast and furious for us here at the Lineout as Canada’s Women start their preparations for the World Cup next month in earnest, as they arrive in South Africa this July for two Tests against the Springbok women. In the four times that the two sides have met, Canada have won all four encounters comfortably. However, they have never played the Springboks on their home turf, and this could be a very different proposition but also excellent preparation ahead of that all-important World Cup opener against Fiji.

South Africa will have three distinct advantages ahead of Saturday’s fixture. They are on home soil and won’t be dealing with the fatigue of the long flight from Canada. Perhaps most important of all, they will be acclimatised to the altitude, which is always a factor in the opening fixture at Pretoria’s famous Loftus Versfeld Stadium. If Canada can deal with these challenges and take them in their stride, then they will remain the clear favourites for both Tests, especially the second fixture at sea level in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). South Africa may be back to back World Champions in the Men’s game, but unfortunately, their Women’s program lags far behind, despite some clear and obvious talent in their ranks. Competitive they will be, however, especially in front of a home crowd.

For Canada, though, the big news is the return of Sophie de Goede in her first outing in Canada colors since an ACL injury put her out of action last year. However, despite her absence her colleagues have hardly missed a beat in the last twelve months having lost only one game to England in last year’s WXV and managing to draw the Black Ferns in New Zealand in the recent Pacific Four series. Essentially, what that means is that this is already an outstanding squad more than capable of the task at hand, but with de Goede thrown into the mix, the sky could be the limit.

South Africa will play a hard and physical game and the turf on the highveld in Saturday’s match is always particularly unforgiving, so Coach Kevin Rouet may limit the game time that de Goede sees so soon back from injury, and instead choose to use her from the bench this weekend. The current squad is very settled, and as their first outing back together again since the Pacific Four, there is no real reason to introduce too many changes.

Either way, we can’t wait to see what unfolds, and this should be well worth your time early Saturday morning. A successful Tour of South Africa followed up by a home game in Ottawa against the USA, and a last pre-World Cup warmup against Ireland, will set some solid foundations for a Tournament in which Canada has every reason to believe that they can feature in the Final at Twickenham on Saturday, 27th September.

South Africa vs Canada – Saturday, July 5th – 7:30 AM (Eastern) – TSN+ and TSN 3 (live and on demand)

The time honored question of which French team will show up on the day has never been more appropriate as France’s chef d’affaires brings a squad that raises more questions than answers for the All Blacks’ Scott Robertson

We still hold that New Zealand may end up having to eat humble pie at some point in the next three weeks after expressing their displeasure at the “B” team that French Coach Fabien Galthie is bringing to the “Land of the Long White Cloud”

So let’s get the whinging out the way first. New Zealand are clearly unhappy that France arrive on their shores with the vast majority of Les Bleus A-Listers absent. They argue, with some degree of legitimacy that were they to do the same when they tour Europe in the autumn, there would be a massive public outcry. However, despite all the best intentions in the World, this is a situation of comparing apples and oranges, and it needs to be seen as such and therefore New Zealand should be careful of what they wish for, especially as given France’s current depth they could be in for some unpleasant surprises.

However, why we hear you say is it so different for France? First up, there is general consensus that France’s Premier Club competition, the TOP 14, is the best and most intense on the planet. Just watch last weekend’s Final between Toulouse and Bordeaux if you need further proof. The French domestic season starts at the beginning of September and runs all the way to the end of June. Compare that to Super Rugby for New Zealand teams, which only runs from February to mid-June. 10 months of intense club competition week in week out for French players compared to five and half for New Zealand players. While the intensity of the TOP 14 is going on, there are the Autumn Internationals for French players to participate in, immediately followed by the European Champions Cup fixtures, which run from December to mid-May. Finally, many French players are all expected to do duty in the Six Nations from February to March.

Yes, we hear you say New Zealand players have the Rugby Championship and Autumn Internationals as well. However, look at how it’s structured for players who will represent the All Blacks. During the regular Club season in Super Rugby, there are no competing International demands, it’s just Super Rugby for five months plain and simple. That then immediately transforms into the International Season, starting with the Summer Tours to the Southern Hemisphere from the European teams at the end their domestic seasons. Once those Tours are over, it’s into the Rugby Championship and then the Autumn Tour up North by New Zealand. While Super Rugby is going on All Blacks players, unlike their French counterparts, do not have to juggle the competing demands of the TOP14, European Champions Cup, Six Nations and Autumn Internationals. The toll that takes on players is enormous. Remember the theme we’ve been pedaling of late that, at least from a player welfare point of view, there is a bit too much rugby.

France have the right to look after their high value players and avoid burnout. The TOP14 is a significant financial concern drawing big audiences both domestically and increasingly at an international level. Compare the attendances at TOP14 matches to the often rather paltry attendance numbers at Super Rugby games. The recent Top 14 Final was an 80,000+ sellout at the Stade de France in Paris, whereas the Super Rugby Final in Christchurch only managed a meager 16,200 in a 17,000 capacity stadium. Even if it had been held at Auckland’s Eden Park, New Zealand’s National rugby stadium equivalent to France’s Stade de France, we doubt it would have been a 50,000 seat capacity sellout. In France, when your players can put that many bums on seats in terms of a revenue perspective, no wonder the FFR wants to look after them!

We’re not saying that the French model is perfect or the better option, we’re simply saying that’s how it is, and there’s no point crying about it. It doesn’t show a lack of respect to other countries but is a reflection of a vibrant and demanding domestic club structure. What that does, in turn, is churn out a raft of up and coming players who may not be A-Listers yet, but for many of them, it’s only a matter of time. That’s what is arriving on New Zealand shores this week and the All Blacks should relish the chance to really get to know a group of French players, many of whom they may well end up meeting in their quest for World Cup glory in Australia in two years time. A golden shot at learning about French depth is what this incoming French tour should be regarded as by New Zealand pundits and critics.

To be honest, we actually feel in fairness to the All Black Coaching staff that they genuinely see it as such and are preparing accordingly and looking forward to the challenge. It’s relatively easy to know how to prepare a defence against a backline containing the likes of Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, but much more of a challenge when you have relatively little if any idea of what kind of attacking threat France are likely to present in the group they’ve assembled. We actually really like the look of some of the names in this squad and feel New Zealand may end up having to eat their words in at least one of the three Tests. French Coach Fabien Galthie is a decidedly wily character and will have done his homework to ensure that his charges provide enough surprises to keep New Zealand guessing. Add into the mix that for the final two Tests, some of France’s big names will be available – not many admittedly but enough to provide essential points of difference when needed.

In short, we think that the New Zealand press and pundits simply need to zip it for want of a better expression and let the rugby do the talking. If it’s a whitewash in the All Blacks favor, then this debate can and perhaps should be revisited. However, if you ask us and we feel confident that the All Blacks Coaching Box would say the same, this is HIGHLY unlikely to be the “disrespectful sideshow” that the New Zealand Commentary box is labelling it as.

We can’t wait to find out and argue that alongside the Lions Series, it’s one of the most fascinating contests of the Summer. Strap yourselves in folks and let the sparks fly!

New Zealand vs France – Saturday, July 5th – 3:05 AM – TSN+, Premier Sports Asia, FLO Rugby and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

England Coach Steve Borthwick may be without some of his heavy hitters who are away in a Land Down Under with the Lions, but the prospect of some experienced veterans and exciting young guns going up against a Pumas side bristling with talent is one to genuinely savor

We stand by our conviction that while many eyes are focused on the British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia and France’s “magical mystery tour” to New Zealand this month, England’s Two Test series in Argentina should also be on everyone’s radar!

As we’ve already made plenty of references to it, we are really looking forward to this series of games between England and Argentina. There is a degree of similarity with the French Tour to New Zealand in terms of what’s at stake for England. Bereft of many of their A-Listers who are currently on Lions Duty in Australia, this is an extraordinary opportunity for an exciting England blend of youth and experience to test themselves in a very challenging touring environment, and against a side that is rapidly becoming one of Test Rugby’s most formidable units. In short, a Tour of Argentina is definitely not for the faint-hearted and will be a fantastic character building experience for some of England’s youngsters. In terms of building depth for the future, England could not ask for a better opportunity.

As for Argentina, they will be riding high after that epic win over the Lions to start their International season last month in Dublin. Furthermore, all of that has to be taken in the context that some of their own A-Listers were unavailable due to ongoing club commitments in France’s TOP 14. Add those remaining pieces into the puzzle and Pumas Coach Felipe Contemponi has a truly impressive squad that will definitely “‘separate the men from the boys” as the saying goes for England.

As for England’s young guns and who to watch in terms of players you may not be familiar with, we’ve got 3. In the forwards, we’ve already mentioned Bath’s Guy Pepper and really hope to see him get a Test start in the back row, preferably in the number 7 jersey. He may be extremely raw at this level and it all could backfire on the poor lad, but in our opinion if Borthwick really does have his eyes on 2027, and can get youngsters like Pepper to cope with the kind of Test match pressure that Argentina can produce then England will arrive at the next World Cup in excellent shape. The same can be said of our other two bolters as it were who could feature in the center channels. Gloucester’s Seb Atkinson and Bath’s Max Ojomoh have had stellar seasons this year with their respective clubs and could pose some genuine menace for Argentina in an area which is perhaps not their strongest at times. Meanwhile England have the potential in their front five stocks to cause Argentina all sorts of problems, especially at scrum time which still remains a surprising Achilles Heel for the South Americans given it was one of their bread and butter staples in the past.

For Argentina we can also expect to see some names we are also not overly familiar with, many coming from the Super Rugby Americas competition which has really taken root in South America and is generating some genuine depth in Argentina’s squad. Most notably look for flanker Joaquin Moro and centre Justo Piccardo both of whom caught the eye in the game against the Lions but who for now ply their trade with the Pampas Club out of Buenos Aires in Super Rugby Americas. In both cases, though by the end of the summer, we fully expect to see these two promising players with European club contracts.

Meanwhile, there are all the usual heavyweights for Argentina. Most notably their all star Benetton contingent of outstanding fly half Tomas Albornoz who had such an effect on the Lions match and winger Ignacio Mendy will be there allied to a forward pack that oozes power and quality and contains the likes of Hooker Julian Montoya, second rowers Pedro Rubiolo, Franco Molina, and back rowers Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez and Joaquin Oviedo. It’s going to be noisy, passionate and emotional in both La Plata and San Juan, and if the momentum swings in favor of the Pumas and their devoted fans get behind them then England will find it a veritable cauldron of Test Rugby in which only the strongest can survive both mentally and physically.

This series is literally impossible to call. On paper and at home you’d think it was Argentina’s to lose, but given the strength of this England squad and a solid blend of youthful flair and pragmatic Test experience it really could go either way. Whatever happens, it should be closely fought and a highly illuminating glimpse into the depth both sides are developing at this crucial juncture in the next World Cup cycle.

Bring on Saturday afternoon, as we have a hunch that the banter over our pints will go on long after the final whistle on this one!

Argentina vs England – Saturday, July 5th – 3:40 PM – TSN+, Premier Sports Asia, FLO Rugby and Stan Sport Australia (live and on demand)

Hope everyone had a good Canada Day and bring on what promises to be a very enjoyable and fascinating weekend of Test Rugby. Stay safe, everyone!