Greetings, salutations and welcome one, welcome all to a different Friday’s Rugby Information. And never simply any ol’ Friday, however the Friday earlier than a Bledisloe!
First up right this moment let’s all take a knee for: ‘The Forwards Prayer’. Preview the large recreation in: ‘No one Beats My Staff 22 Years in a Row. Do They?’ Then consider options somewhat than issues with ‘Giteau’s Gotta’ Go!’ Pay G&GR homage to an absolute Australian Rugby legend in: ‘Golden Slipper’. Get the within phrase from Kiwi Rugby royalty for ‘Shag on a Ruck’. Drop in on our golden women up north for: ‘Wales Awaits Walloped Wallaroos’. Earlier than pulling up the strides on a mammoth information day in ‘Friday’s Goss’ with Hoss‘, now higher comprehending the third diploma chaffing and everlasting limp obtained from all these Puff Diddy events.
The Forwards Prayer.
It’s a FRN ritual that earlier than the primary take a look at towards the Darkness annually, that all of us take a knee:
‘Our saviour, who aint our seven,
hollowed be our recreation.
The Kiwi’s come, their will will get accomplished,
on turf, as if from Rugby heaven.
Give us this present day, some bloody plans,
to assist roll these Kiwi bastards,
as we forgive these ineffective backs,
who stuff-up their kicks & passes.
And lead us not into frustration,
however ship us from Kiwi’s:
For theirs is the dominion, the facility & rugby glory,
eternally & ever
Amen’
No one Beats My Staff 22 Years In A Row. Do They?
Sat twenty first September. Wallabies v All Blacks. Accor Stadium Sydney. Protection from 3.00pm. Kickoff 3.45pm AEST. Stay on STAN & NINE.
It’s that point of the rugby yr once more the place hope springs everlasting for Ouncesrugby followers: yep, it’s Bledisloe time. The place the previous foe, the Minstrels, tackle their best rival. Properly behind South Africa, Eire, England, France, Georgia, a New Hebrides Invitational facet, U17 Taranaki Second XV’s, Portugal, Spain & the Jindabyne Bush Pigs that’s. Our very personal Wallabies.
And with our facet already named, simply what are our expectations for ending the 21 yr Bledisloe drought? Properly, if I had been a farmer, I wouldn’t be planting a crop and anticipating rain simply but.
The mutton molesters arrive on our shores a contact beneath the radar. And that worries me. There’s been only a few press engagements. Little or no noise or commentary out of their camp. There’s been the predictable ‘we love Joe, he’s man, we respect him’ stuff, however little else. The Minstrel gamers have been fairly. Eerily quiet. Scarily fairly. Confrontationally fairly. And that may solely spell one factor: bother.
Certain they’re 1 from 4 within the RC, identical to us. However in contrast to us, few may argue they may have and maybe ought to have come away from the nation of the understated rugby fan, beating the World Champs 2-blot. Uncommon moments of indecision, poor talent execution and a few poor self-discipline, induced by Bok stress little question, in the end turned the ledger the opposite means. And the historical past books will present it was a failed tour.
However again to the silence of the lamb lovers. I can’t shake the sensation that they’re seething, have had two weeks to appropriate the issues that exists, are settled and are mendacity in wait, able to extract greater than a modicum of revenge towards a lot the identical facet who featured within the Santa Fe Give up that yielded close to 70 factors. 70 goddam factors.
To our lot. Simply what precisely has, or will change from two weeks again? Will ‘Mr 36 minutes Tupou’ abruptly play out of his pores and skin for 75 and nullify the Aussie born Kiwi props? Will The Lip abruptly have quicker clearance, higher field kicks and rediscover his operating recreation from a decade in the past? Will our #10 management the sport higher than any of the earlier 20 assessments he has performed earlier than? Will our loosies get excessive of theirs. Will our backs exploit time and area higher than theirs? Will our bench end excessive of theirs?
In the event you reply ‘no’ to any of the above, than the solely query that continues to be is: Kiwis by what number of?
So on that entrance, what does outcome appear like? The DKO staff dropped a terrific pod midweek and I actually preferred the theme of: simply the place are this Wallabies facet at. And maybe Nick W summed it up finest: ‘the common facet of mediocre’.
To that finish I’m of the idea that if our staff can preserve the Minstrels to beneath 30, than that will likely be an inexpensive outcome. But when the Kiwi’s get a quick begin and doubt creeps into the Wallabies and management, actual on subject, take management management, goes lacking. Than the Santa FE Give up will appear like an in depth run factor.
Fearless Prediction: All Blacks by 19. Come on Wallabies, show me fallacious. I dare you.
Wallabies (15-1): Tom Wright; Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Hunter Paisami, Marika Koroibete; Noah Lolesio, Nic White; Harry Wilson (capt), Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini; Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost; Taniela Tupou, Matt Faessler, Angus Bell
Replacements: Brandon Panega-Amosa, James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Tom Lynagh, Dylan Pietsch
All Blacks (15-1): Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Caleb Clarke; Damian McKenzie, Cortez Ratima; Ardie Savea, Sam Cane, Wallace Sititi; Tupou Vaa’i, Scott Barrett (capt); Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot
Replacements: Asafo Aumua, Tamaiti Williams, Pasilio Tosi, Sam Darry, Luke Jacobson, TJ Perenara, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sevu Reece
Match Officers: Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU) Assistant Referee 1: Nika Amashukeli (GRU) Assistant Referee 2: Damian Schneider (UAR) TMO: Stuart Terheege (RFU) FPRO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
Giteau’s Gotta Go!
No, not in an Israel-pager kind means, however the ‘regulation’ that bares his identify. It’s restrictive, unfit for objective and counter productive. Briefly? It’s full and utter shite.
Some fascinating conversations amongst the G&GR crapparazzi through the week concerning the pitfalls and risks of such a step, however I tells ya gaggers, it’s fundamental market economics.
The Hossecution presents:
- Giteaus Legislation predominantly serves the pursuits of international golf equipment
- Perversely, it encourages up & coming expertise to depart or being poached
- It truly works towards the curiosity of the Wallabies & RA. The very organisation who’re attempting to guard themselves.
Take into consideration this: GL truly encourages international golf equipment to raid the ranks of Gen-Subsequent, or worse, fringe Wallabies. Say you’re a French membership chasing props, why wouldn’t you goal these early of their rugby journey. Both pre SRP, or early into their SRP or Wallaby careers? You get them cheaper. They don’t qualify for Wallaby honours on account of little or no present rep profession and don’t meet the ‘size of service’ KPI both. So that you get them, beneath market costs and so they received’t or can’t be referred to as in for nationwide duties. So the OS golf equipment have free reign!
Subsequently, now we have a regulation that successfully rewards the poacher and on the identical time penalises the sport keeper? Successfully magnifying the influence. How within the hell is that useful in any strategy to Rugby in Australia?
But it surely doesn’t need to be thus. One easy change that RA controls, will change the course of our rugby future. Scrap the Giteau Legislation solely.
If abroad golf equipment wish to poach, pay and develop our gamers, then allow them to.
Be my visitor, poach away! However poach with the data that at anytime, RA can come calling for Wallaby duties. Certain, a Mack Hanson or two will fall by means of the online and swap allegiances. However so what? It’s stress from the ‘backside up’, or as KARL calls it, ‘muster time’. As one participant heads north, a spot opens up domestically for an additional to come back ahead. And on and on and on it goes. Your constructing depth while concurrently assuaging wage / inflationary pressures at dwelling and nonetheless with greater than sufficient ‘content material’ to maintain TV companions .
It additionally turns into a promoting level for these younger rugby athletes maybe uncertain of what code to pursue, on account of restricted numbers in OuncesSRP squads. How’s this for a pitch: ‘go & be taught your craft in France, Japan or England, benefit from the life-style, develop your recreation & life expertise but nonetheless be out there for Wallaby choice!’ Or: ‘Journey to Bankstown, have your gear stolen from the staff bus, if it’s not set on hearth when you play and check out Gaol Ball?’.
It additionally then organically encourages competitors between gamers for spots. Unexpectedly the tight head prop for the Waratahs doesn’t need to solely out play the Reds, Drive or Brumbies prop, but additionally should be enjoying higher than the 23 yo Australian tight head prop who performs at Bathtub, or Tokyo, or Paris or LA. All this discuss constructing depth & pathways, when the reply AND management is at our finger ideas already. Let the market do the heavy lifting. Simply be sensible the way you manipulate and transfer inside that market. As Happyman stated throughout G&GR conversations this week: ‘Australia is a nett exporter of rugby expertise’. He’s 100% proper. So let’s embrace that, management that and profit from that. Versus kicking stones and limiting our personal commerce (WTAF?).
My final level is to ask you to look a bit north. To the lands of the Dutch Filth Farmer descendants. What extra proof do you want. No restrictive choice insurance policies. No self inflicted wounds. Simply the most effective gamers picked from wherever within the globe it’s they play. How’s that labored out for them once more?
I do know Phil Waugh is an avid reader of FRN (Phil – sufficient calls already, I’ll interview you on my pod quickly. Speak about needy), so come on PW, make it so. As for the remainder of you Gaggers, don’t take my phrase for it. Decide your individual reply from the ballot beneath and ship a message to RA. Ought to we abolish Giteau’s Legislation? Each vote counts.
Golden Slipper
At final, a correct really feel good Aussie rugby second. And for one of many nice guys of the sport at that.
Jimmy Slips, or ‘Large Horny’ in line with Spanners Foley on STAN, will this week break George Gregans document for take a look at appearances for our Wallabies. And will Slips take the sphere it is going to be his one hundred and fortieth take a look at cap for our nationwide facet.
I don’t profess to know greater than you about this man. However what I really feel assured to say is that he appears a genuinely respectable man. A rugby gamers – rugby participant. The kind you’d love to take a seat and take heed to for a couple of hours and take up all he has to say about rugby, life and being a staff man.
Whatever the outcome this weekend, I invite all Gaggers to rise to their ft and cheer this man. For all that ails our recreation in Oz, James Slipper epitomises what remains to be intrinsically good and respectable anout life and about rugby union. The sacrifice, toil, endeavour, humility, teamwork and of overcoming adversity. James Slipper is a rugby participant’s – rugby participant and we’re so a lot better as followers for having him in our facet.
Congratulations Large Horny. Benefit from the expertise and go properly.
Shag on a Ruck.
I hate it when Kiwis seem like proper. It’s unnatural, disagreeable, uninvited and surprising.
Many will recall Sir Steve Hansen was a visitor of the poison dwarf, throughout our unwell feted impersonation of a rugby facet in France final yr. Shag was diplomatic and restrained throughout his affiliation with the stunted one, however this week opened up a bit extra on what he noticed.
And his summation was: ‘Aussies are shite at rugby’
Hansen is reported to have stated: “In the event you went by means of and wrote down the whole lot that you’d count on a high-performance Take a look at athlete to have, then I might recommend that perhaps a few of these issues are lacking,”
“There have been issues that I noticed that shocked me, and I’m not going to enter these issues, however when you haven’t bought your excessive efficiency proper, then gamers aren’t going to reach on the Take a look at area with all of the issues they want ticked and understood.”
“That makes it arduous since you’ve bought to be taught it on the very highest degree. And for me, that’s what rugby’s about on the decrease ranges. You’re making ready individuals to be higher at the next degree.”
“I believe good rugby gamers come out of excellent high-performance environments,”
“In the event you permit too many individuals into these environments with out having to work too arduous, then you definately get a comfortable underbelly. I’ll say although, that Friday’s on Inexperienced & Gold Rugby are excellent rugby journalism and is sort of presumably the most effective factor about Australian Rugby at current’.
Wales Awaits Walloped Wallaroos.
Sat twenty first September. Wales v Wallaroos. England someplace. Kickoff 3.45am on STAN.
The heading has extra ‘W’s’ in it than the Wallaroos season so far and from what I noticed final weekend their subsequent ‘W’ appears some means off.
The Wallaroos had been simply terrible, constantly so, they had been terrible in each facet of their play. Fundamental expertise had been horrid, the passing from our #9 was simply third grade Maitland U9’s degree, most likely unfair to the Maitland gamers. The set piece was garbage and the facet performed like a staff who first met within the carpark 25 minutes earlier than kickoff and although they had been there for a Gaelic Dance competition and never rugby.
Right here we had the fifth ranked staff on the earth (us) taking over the #tenth ranked facet in Oirland and the distinction at school was seismic. A gulf. A yawning bloody chasm! The Wallaroos had been disjointed, lacked readability and performed like 15 strangers on the sphere. All uncertain what the opposite is doing and worse, what they had been meant to be doing themselves.
With the world cup within the land that gave us small pox, curried-everything and the uber respectful terra nullius, the Wallaroos pack had higher quickly uncover a spine and a few cohesive ahead based mostly play or it’s a waste of airfare flying again over there subsequent yr. Might as properly keep at dwelling and ship cardboard cut-outs of their place. The cutouts would arguably provide extra resistance.
This week the Wallaroos play a take a look at towards the Welsh, earlier than once more assembly them subsequent week in what’s the official graduation of the WXV2 competitors. And to be frank, the Wallaroos staff has regressed considerably since Jay Tregonning left as coach. There appears to be no clear thought of who our greatest gamers are in any given place. The ways appear to be ‘get it to Maya’ on the wing and if that doesn’t work, it’s goodnight nurse. 2024 has seen a slide in rankings, high quality of play and no surprises, unacceptably poor outcomes.
Lets hope that we see that ‘slide’ arrested considerably this weekend. Even when solely in readability of play and improved execution of fundamental expertise. Glad has all of the staff information right here.
I’ll be pleased about small steps.
Friday’s Goss’ with Hoss.
Harry Potter & The Virgin Drive.
Each a terrific headline and coincidentally, the identify of a really disturbing manifesto Yowie as soon as confirmed me. The exact same manifesto on the coronary heart of my most up-to-date thesis: ‘Decreasing Victims: Figuring out The Criminally Insane Early’.
However the place was I? Oh sure. Lengthy injured Drive wizard Harry Potter is again for his or her subsequent up recreation towards Perth Gold, earlier than the Drive heads to SA for a 3 match tour. Potter is joined for the match by three Gryffindor Drive debutants: Nic Dolly, Josh Thompson and Nick Champion one thing hyphenated one thing. The Drive tour consists of video games towards the Toyota Cheetahs, Rising Eire and DHL WP XV and will likely be out there to look at the Drive play (yawn) on STAN.
Scotland A. Jimmy!
Information this week that Scotland will roll out the ‘Scotland A’ format for a match towards Chile. (pronounced Ch-eye-l, in any other case that watercourse in Egypt could be pronounced ‘Nilly’. Which might simply be silly). This author admits to being confused because the take a look at staff, often known as the ‘Scottish C’ facet the place crap within the 6N. So is the ‘A” facet higher than the take a look at facet or maybe extra doubtless, is the SRU merely dexlysic?
The A facet will host Chilli in November the day earlier than their important take a look at facet, the C’s, hosts the Wallabies at Scottish Gasoline Murrayfield (so referred to as because of the results of Haggis consumption I consider).
Andy Farrell Finishes Up!
Yep. Breaking information yesterday on skysports.com that Andy Farrell will depart his Oirsh teaching job in December and get replaced by Irish U20’s coach, Simon Easterby.
Who says Friday Rugby Information doesn’t have scoops & verified info! Infidels.
Liar, Liar, Rassies on Fireplace.
Fascinating information out of the land of quiet, humble, rugby opinions, that younger #10 sensation, who’s identify I couldn’t be bothered wanting up for spelling every time I wish to write about him, however now realise by wanting it up it will save time writing a sentence like this, ‘hid’ a knee harm from South African chieftain: Induna Rassie.
It appears Sid Francis Moctezuma (shut sufficient) injured himself through the first AB take a look at, but was so determined to play the second match, he stored information of the harm from Erasmus and employees. And SFM’s reward for ‘mendacity’ to Rassie. A rocket from the coach, surgical procedure and now racing towards the clock to make the NH tour. You possibly can learn Rassie’s response and perception at stuff.co.stealingozwelfare.nz.
Till subsequent week.
Congrat’s Jimmy Slips & Go the Wallabies
Hoss – out.
