Put your hands up if this year’s Rugby Championship has caught you by surprise – we’d imagine that we’d be seeing a pretty consistent show of hands. What a glorious tournament it’s turning out to be for the traditional underdogs Australia and Argentina. If Argentina pull off the unthinkable this Saturday in Hamilton and beatContinue reading “In a Rugby Championship that keeps ripping up the form book, this weekend’s games are do or die affairs for the original favorites – New Zealand and South Africa!”
Tag Archives: All Blacks
In a year that is providing us with some truly vintage Test Rugby, the Rugby Championship looks set to add its name to the honor roll!
This year we’ve been treated to an enthralling Six Nations, a memorable series of Summer Tours and now the Rugby Championship looks set to provide us with another four weekends of thrilling entertainment! The first two rounds of the Southern Hemisphere’s annual dustup, have given us plenty to talk about, turned the form book onContinue reading “In a year that is providing us with some truly vintage Test Rugby, the Rugby Championship looks set to add its name to the honor roll!”
It’s do or die this weekend for the Northern Hemisphere sides as they play the second round of the Summer Tours
New Zealand vs Ireland – Saturday, July 9th – Dunedin New Zealand can feel pretty pleased with their day at the office last weekend at Fortress Eden Park. Ireland meanwhile will have to content themselves with a very spirited performance that sadly lacked the execution of their opponents. Both sides gave it their all, butContinue reading “It’s do or die this weekend for the Northern Hemisphere sides as they play the second round of the Summer Tours”
It’s Summer Blockbuster time as North meets South below the Equator
It can be said that the end of season tours by European teams South of the Equator are a mixed bag in terms of what we can expect from one group of rather weary players meeting another only halfway through their season. However, a year out from what could be one of the most hotlyContinue reading “It’s Summer Blockbuster time as North meets South below the Equator”
November Internationals – North vs South and what we’ve learned – Part 2
After a month of truly vintage North vs South International Test Rugby, we take a look at what the respective Coaches of the big Ten learnt about their charges. We also pick our player of the month from each of the teams as well as a starting XV for each of them and which weContinue reading “November Internationals – North vs South and what we’ve learned – Part 2”
Ireland attempt to prove they’ve turned a corner against New Zealand
As mentioned over on the TV page, I’m slightly slammed with work at the moment, but there are three genuinely tasty fixtures in this weekend’s second Round of the November Internationals that simply have to be acknowledged. So here are the things that struck me from each of the three, with this second instalment lookingContinue reading “Ireland attempt to prove they’ve turned a corner against New Zealand”
South Africa stick to their guns against an All Black side that rarely falters twice!
Despite the gloom and doom surrounding South Africa’s “conservative” or “boring” game plan, call it what you will – as rugby fans we were treated to one hell of a Test match last Saturday to mark the 100th encounter between New Zealand and South Africa. There is no denying that New Zealand had a ratherContinue reading “South Africa stick to their guns against an All Black side that rarely falters twice!”
It may be the 100th Test of one of International Rugby’s greatest rivalries but is it all just myth and legend now?
This weekend sees the 100th Test between South Africa and New Zealand as one of the sports oldest rivalries once more takes centre stage. However, put aside all the history and forgive us if we have concerns that there is the danger that this match may simply not live up to the hype surrounding it.Continue reading “It may be the 100th Test of one of International Rugby’s greatest rivalries but is it all just myth and legend now?”
Don’t cry for me Argentina as the All Blacks look to put a Pumas side that seems to have lost its way to the sword again
We have to confess to finding this a very painful post to write. As regular readers of this site know, we have been and still are huge fans of Argentinian rugby. As a result, imagine how it saddens us especially after last year, to see one of our fan favorites appear to be so adrift.Continue reading “Don’t cry for me Argentina as the All Blacks look to put a Pumas side that seems to have lost its way to the sword again”
Australia seek to get a foothold on the Rugby Championship and more importantly salvage some pride against their old enemy from across the Tasman Strait
It’s Round 2 of the Rugby Championship for Australia and New Zealand this Sunday, after much last minute shuffling on both sides of the Tasman. The match which was supposed to be played last weekend had to be postponed due to the two countries recent difficulties with the Delta variant of the pandemic which continuesContinue reading “Australia seek to get a foothold on the Rugby Championship and more importantly salvage some pride against their old enemy from across the Tasman Strait”
The Lineout 