The Lineout: Recent Episodes
Neil Olsen
Canadian commentary on international rugby, both at club and Test level, as well as Major League Rugby here in North America and our own Toronto Arrows. Content generated from the Lineout blog.
An exciting weekend of Quarter Finals in Super Rugby Pacific and the URC awaits and we ask the question once more - is there too much Rugby?
We reflect on Canada's historic win against New Zealand and with it this year's Pacific Four Series title, and look ahead to an epic Champions Cup final in the making this weekend between Leinster and Toulouse.
It's our fabulous Canadian Women's last appearance in the Pacific Four Series as they travel to Christchurch to take on the mighty Black Ferns, and the Super Rugby and URC races to the playoffs start building some genuine heat!
Looking back at last weekend's Champions and Challenge Cup semi-finals and ahead to playoff races in the URC and Super Rugby and our fabulous Canadian Women in action in Australia.
This week is our usual look ahead to the weekend's action, featuring the European Champions and Challenge Cup Finals, as well as a look back on a fantastic weekend of Women's Rugby which saw our fabulous Canadian women start their 2024 season in emphatic style.
We look ahead to the last Round of the Womens' Six Nations with so much to play for, along with our fabulous Canadian Womens' first game of the year against the USA in the Pacific Four Series. We also do our weekly look ahead to this weekend's Super Rugby and URC action - with playoff spots looming on the horizon.
We do our usual look ahead to this weekend's fixtures featuring the Women's Six Nations, Super Rugby Pacific and the United Rugby Championship
Our belated Review of one of the best Post World Cup Six Nations we can remember in a long time!
We look ahead to this weekend's fixtures in the Women's Six Nations, European Challenge and Champions Cup along with Super Rugby Pacific
We go through the matchups for one of the most exciting Six Nations concluding weekends we can remember in a long time.
In this the first of two episodes this week, we take a look at the start of Super Rugby Pacific and the announcement of a Wales/South Africa Test to be held at Twickenham in June this year.
We take a quick look at the appointment of new Wallaby Coach, New Zealander Joe Schmidt and most important of all a look ahead to this weekend's opening round of Six Nations action.
We finish up this weeks calls by looking at Welsh winger Louis Rees-Zammit's surprise announcement of a move to the NFL and the confirmation of the first ever Women's British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 2027.
We look ahead to this weekend's final Round of Champions Cup Pool Stages and cast our eye over the recently announced Six Nations Squads
We sum up our impressions of Rugby World Cup France 2023, including a sojourn in France ourselves during the tournament.
We look at a mesmerising final Round of Pool games and ahead to some genuinely tasty Quarter Finals, in a Tournament that despite some of its initial difficulties is so far exceeding expectations!
We take a look at some of the action last weekend with a particular focus on the Tier Two Nations along with a look ahead to this weekend's blockbuster round of final Pool games that sees numerous Quarter Final berths up for grabs!
It's Rugby World Cup time in less than 48 hours and we can't wait!!!! In this episode we break down all four Pools and where we think the teams will finish and as a result who will make it through to the knockout stages.
We reflect back on Ireland's win over England and Keith Earls' 100th cap, while fretting over the injury to Dan Sheehan. We look at Fiji's ability to be just as impressive in the physical battles as they are with ball in hand, and the threat they consequently pose to Wales and Australia. We eagerly look forward to what should be a thriller between arch rivals New Zealand and South Africa at Twickenham but just cross our fingers the stretcher bearers get to take the night off. Lastly we look at a rather intriguing fixture as Australia take on France in the last of the World Cup warm ups at the Stade de France.
Where to begin on such a controversial week. Sadly governance and officiating have once more dominated the headlines as a result of the farcical process surrounding the rescinding of England Captain Owen Farrell's red card in last week's match against Wales and which sets a dangerous precedent ahead of Rugby's global showpiece tournament. We look at Wales ongoing ineptitude at key moments, while looking ahead to South Africa's arrival on European shores and their clash with the Men in Red this Saturday in Cardiff. We also take a look at France's bitter injury blows and an Irish side that has so far managed to avoid the stretcher bearers but all that could change as they face off against a demoralized England side this weekend in Dublin.
The latest edition focuses on our Canadian Women's outstanding efforts in last month's Pacific Four Series, a New Zealand side risen from the ashes of 2022, and a Wallabies side whose woes continue under new Coach Eddie Jones. We also look at an impressive looking Scotland and an England World Cup squad that has singularly failed to fire the imagination.
We look ahead to the Pacific Four Series to be played in Ottawa over the next two weekends and in which Canada's Women are poised to finish strongly. We take an initial look at the upcoming Rugby Championship as well as a look back at the recently concluded Super Rugby Final, in which incoming All Black Coach Scott Robertson and his Crusaders cemented their place as the most successful side in the competition's history. Lastly we concern ourselves once more with the unfortunate position officials now find themselves in and ask for a bit of humility from some notable players in the process.
In this episode we focus on the end of the club season in Europe, the controversy surrounding Ireland and Leinster Captain Johnny Sexton's behaviour at the Heineken Cup Final, Munster's success in the URC and what it all means for Ireland's World Cup Chances. We continue our look at Australia's struggles in Super Rugby now the tournament has reached its business end and what it means for Australia with the Rugby Championship and World Cup just around the corner. We ask the question of what are the benefits/risks and rewards of South Africa's first full year of European Competition and what it might mean for South Africa's World Cup chances. Last but not least we reflect on a Toronto Arrows season that has left the players and fans with very little to cheer about.
We look at the recent contract extension for Scotland Coach Gregor Townsend. There's a nervous glimpse at a seemingly inevitable Irish sweep of European rugby and what it means for the World Cup (with Irish supporters fearfully muttering "we've been here before"). We end with a quick run down of the URC playoffs, Super Rugby action and a look ahead to the resumption of the Toronto Arrows beleaguered 2023 campaign.
In this episode we wrap up the Women's Six Nations which culminated in the largest ever audience for a Women's game at Twickenham. We look at the best of the rest most notably Wales, while there's a lament for the unequal playing field Ireland's women find themselves on. We look at the fascinating contrast in Irish styles being cooked up for the Heineken Cup final between Leo Cullen's Leinster and former Munster and Ireland legend Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle. Lastly we try and pick the All Blacks starting scrum half for the World Cup.
A look at the Toronto Arrows record MLR defeat to the New England Free Jacks in only their second home game, and a reflection on how the fan experience left a lot to be desired irrespective of the actual rugby being played. A look at Round 3 of the Women's Six Nations and the ever widening gap between England/France and everyone else. There's also a celebration of Moana Pasifika's first home game in Samoa irrespective of the scoreline and how important and exciting the Pacific Island component is becoming to Super Rugby's new format with the departure of South Africa and Argentina from the competition. We also marvel at Leinster's seemingly endless depth and applaud the idea being trialled this summer by World Rugby in the U20s Championship of a "TMO bunker".
This week we focus on the Heineken Cup and a case of too much rugby and travel in too small a window. We look at the Women's Six Nations which resumes this weekend. We dive a bit more into Australian sides ongoing difficulties in getting any traction against New Zealand sides in Super Rugby and last but not least we celebrate the Toronto Arrows return home!
We give our final verdict on the Six Nations, continue the ongoing debate about officiating and look at the All Blacks Coaching announcement post the World Cup. We take a snapshot of the opening round of the Womens' Six Nations and try and try and resume crying in our beer over the Arrows badly faltering start to their MLR season.
We look back at a thoroughly absorbing Round 4 of the Six Nations and ahead to Super Saturday and the tournament's finale. We also celebrate Fijian Drua's fantastic home win over Super Rugby Defending Champions the Crusaders and our own Toronto Arrows get their first win of the season courtesy of fly half Sam Malcolm.
Probably one of the most intriguing Round 4's of the Six Nations in recent memory gets underway in Rome on Saturday. Both Wales and Italy have EVERYTHING to play for, and for Wales in particular it's do or die stuff, not helped by the crisis in the game back home. England host a French time that looks dangerous but not quite the Grand Slam winning quality of last year. England continue to develop under new Coach Steve Borthwick and "Le Crunch" match will tell us much about what kind of progress they are really making. Lastly, a thriller in Edinburgh awaits despite the promise of foul weather, as Scotland seek to claim their first Triple crown in 33 years and if they upset Ireland then the possibility of Six Nations silverware also suddenly becomes a distinct possibility. For Ireland as the only team left chasing a Grand Slam, there is plenty to play for but also the need to make a statement in this game as a dress rehearsal for their final Pool B encounter in the World Cup against Scotland five months from now. You won't want to miss any of it!!!!!
In this episode we use the Round 3 games to try and gauge where all the teams are heading into the two penultimate rounds of the Six Nations. Apologies as it was supposed to be based on a much more detailed piece over on the blog, but unfortunately a technological glitch got in the way and it never made it onto the blog and got deleted in the process. We are trying to salvage it but in the interim this is what I was able to dredge up from memory.
We look ahead to this weekend's Six Nations action and crucial matches for all the teams involved especially the dustups between Wales and England in Cardiff and France and Scotland in Paris. Wales and England both with massive points to prove especially Wales after all the drama swirling around the state of the game and whether or not this match would even go ahead. France simply have to get their Six Nations campaign back on track, but Scotland need to prove that at this crucial juncture they are still in it to win and not as they traditionally do start to fade out of the competition at the midway point. Meanwhile, Ireland test some depth against an increasingly tricky Italian outfit in Rome.
We look back on last weekend's thrilling Round 2 Six Nations action, with the centerpiece being that extraordinary game between Ireland and France. The action was non stop and kept us on the edge of our seats. In addition, Scotland finally beat their consistency demon and now can consider themselves title contenders should they manage to get past France in Paris in ten days time. Welsh rugby looks like the sporting version of the Titanic, while England and Italy continue to impress. In short what a tournament we have on our hands after only two rounds!
If you've managed to catch your breath after last weekend's phenomenal opening round, we look ahead to what is arguably the biggest game of the year ahead of the World Cup, Ireland vs France and the rest of the Round 2 Six Nations action. We also look back at last weekend's Round 1 bumper crop of thrills and spills.
Yes it's here folks, that wonderful time of the year - the start of the Six Nations. What a tournament it promises to be, especially with the World Cup just around the corner. We preview the start of the Six Nations this weekend, make some predictions and for what it's worth lay out our thoughts on how we think the teams will fare overall in the competition.
We focus on the bombshell of Eddie Jones being appointed Wallaby Coach after being sacked by England, the wrap up of the Pool Stages of the European Champions Cup and the worrying form of French clubs ahead of the Six Nations. We also have a quick cursory look at the initial squad announcements for the Six Nations.
We take a look ahead to Round 3 of the European Champions Cup action this weekend, by having a glance over the holiday action that took place and how the teams from France's Top 14, England's Premiership Rugby and the United Rugby Championship may fare as the tournament progresses in this vital midway marker for the Championship.
We kick 2023 off by looking at the 10 competitors in the Six Nations and Rugby Championship and take a stab at predicting how their World Cup Year will pan out.
We take a look at the first two Rounds of the European or (Heineken) Champions Cup, with the added excitement this year of the inclusion of three South African sides.
This week we look ahead to the start of the European Champions Cup, with South African sides participating for the first time this year. However, we mainly focus on the fallout and ramifications of this week's round of Musical Chairs taking place in the coaching boxes in England and Wales.
We do a quick round the houses of last weekend's Autumn Nations Series action, North America's premature exit from World Cup proceedings and generally kick around some thoughts on matters relating to the International Game.
We continue our whip round of the Autumn Nations series this weekend, and some notable arm wrestles in Marseille and Murrayfield.
We wrap up the Women's Rugby World Cup which is now sadly over - but what a glorious thrill ride it's been topped off by a final for the ages! We also look at Ireland's tussle with Fiji, and Italy's historic win over the Wallabies.
We take a whirlwind tour around the Men's game this past weekend and look at the first round of the Autumn Nations Series.
In the first of this week's episodes we wrap up Canada's valiant effort against England in the Women's Rugby World Cup, that saw them just miss out on a berth in the final, and New Zealand pip France in an absolute thriller.
We continue our look at the Women's World Cup and celebrate Canada's qualification for the semis, as well as some interesting action in the first two Internationals of the Autumn Series, even though they fell outside the official Test window.
We continue to focus on the Women's World Cup in New Zealand and a look ahead to the Quarter Finals. We break down some of the things we've learnt about the 8 teams that have made the knockout stages, with our own Canadian ladies managing to finish 2nd in the overall pool competition's seedings which secured them a quarter final spot against the Americans.
While our primary focus at the moment is on the Womens' World Cup in New Zealand we have a quick whip round of last weekend's club action in Europe.
We continue our look at this outstanding tournament which has had us spellbound since the opening game. Canada, New Zealand and England guaranteed themselves a quarter final spot this past weekend, while Japan and South Africa sadly will be purchasing plane tickets after the final Pool games this weekend. However, for everyone else the helter skelter pace of this thrilling tournament continues with EVERYTHING to play for ahead of the final weekend of the Pool Stages.
This week we highlight the start of the Women's World Cup in New Zealand, and which has totally caught our imagination. Canada got their campaign off to a great start but the tournament as a whole is a fantastic advertisement for the women's game with some outstanding rugby on display!
We look forward with eager anticipation to the Women's Rugby World Cup which kicks off this weekend in New Zealand and with Canada ranked 3rd in the world there's lots to be excited about. We also do a quick wrap round of the URC's first three rounds.
Now that the dust has settled on a highly entertaining and at times controversial Rugby Championship, we look back at who can feel pleased with their tournament, who has work to do and who did well statistically.
As this year's Rugby Championship wraps up, South Africa are very much in the hunt to lift the trophy, but even Argentina still have an outside chance to claim the spoils. Either way there is everything to play for, and Argentina in particular will be keen to achieve their best ever finish in the Championship irrespective of the silverware. South Africa in turn will hope that Australia can do them a favor in Auckland, as they seek a maximum points haul against the Pumas.
After perhaps one of the most controversial finishes to a Test match in recent memory, as New Zealand snatched the Bledisloe Cup from Australia at the death, we look back at a match filled with inconsistencies, but a thrilling contest nevertheless, and look ahead to the final match of this Rugby Championship for both the All Blacks and the Wallabies, still with everything to play for!
New Zealand put in a memorable performance in Hamilton in the rain that got them back on top of the Rugby Championship table, while Argentina seemed to resort to form after their memorable win last weekend, by suffering a blowout loss to the All Blacks a week later. Meanwhile, a Springbok side clearly nursing a grudge against the Wallabies and Nic White in particular put on an edgy and bruising display that allowed Australia very little say in proceedings. With New Zealand and South Africa looking once more the tournament favorites, but with consistency simply not a feature of this year's tournament, anyone could still win it as we look towards Round 5.
It's do or die stuff once more for the Springboks as they seek to break the curse of not having beaten the Wallabies in Australia since 2013. After a badly misfiring performance at times last weekend, South Africa know they simply have to win this Saturday. Meanwhile the Wallabies despite Nic White's extraordinary acting skills when he's not being one of the world's most effective scrum halves, know that they can continue to unpick the weaknesses in the Springbok setup that kept coming to light last weekend and in the loss to the All Blacks at Ellis Park.
New Zealand's backs are once again up against the wall as they attempt to get their focus back after losing to Argentina last weekend for the first time ever on home soil. Meanwhile the Pumas seek to make history by recording a second win and getting one hand firmly on this year's Rugby Championship silverware. A fascinating must win encounter lies ahead for both teams.
We take a look at some of the controversies surrounding the Rugby Championship's Round three action between South Africa and Australia after the Wallabies pull off a gutsy win, and that historic first ever win for the Pumas over the All Blacks on New Zealand soil.
New Zealand may have rediscovered their mojo once more, but Argentina are likely to be feeling more than just a little plucky after their convincing Round 2 win over the Wallabies and the fact that they currently sit atop the Rugby Championship table. However, beating the All Blacks in their own backyard, especially when the merciless New Zealand public will be demanding nothing less than two emphatic victories from Ian Foster and his charges, is a daunting task that may be a bridge to far for this exciting new look Pumas outfit under new Coach Michael Cheika.
We are not quite sure the fact that South Africa haven't beaten the Wallabies in Australia since 2013 is enough to make them the underdogs for this weekend's Round 3 action, especially as they are keen to make amends for their Round 2 wobble against the All Blacks. Australia meanwhile will take confidence from their stocks being strengthened as some key players return from injury, but for both sides there is plenty of pressure and lots to prove as the two go head to head in Adelaide.
We look at Argentina's spectacular dismantling of the Wallabies in Round 2 of the Rugby Championship and which sees them top the standings for the first time since joining the competition in 2012.
We unpack the All Blacks dramatic turnaround against the Springboks last weekend at Ellis Park and what we've learnt from it going forward.
Argentina were exciting but sloppy and poorly disciplined last weekend in their loss to the Wallabies. The skills and talent is there for the Pumas who played a solid first half which saw them enter the sheds at half time with a convincing lead. Australia meanwhile regrouped in the second half, and put in one of the best performances we've seen from them under Dave Rennie's tenure to clinch the win and start their Rugby Championship campaign on a very positive note.
It's crunch time for New Zealand as they seek to avoid their fourth consecutive loss against a locked and loaded Springbok side full of confidence at Ellis Park after their demolition of the All Blacks last weekend in Nelspruit.
Australia take a deep breath as their Captain Michael Hooper withdraws from the Rugby Championship at the 11th hour to take some much needed time out to take care of his own mental health, but the Wallabies play for their influential leader and make him proud. Meanwhile Argentina have some work to do after a spirited but occasionally flawed performance in Mendoza last Saturday.
New Zealand will spend a week of soul searching in South Africa after perhaps one of their most inept performances in recent memory against a ruthlessly efficient Springbok side in Nelspruit last Saturday. South Africa got their Rugby Championship off to the best of all possible starts against their greatest rivals to the delight of their fans. South African rugby is in rude health while the All Black machine remains on life support.
While much of the rugby world's attention will be focused on events in Nelspruit, South Africa tomorrow morning, the clash between the Pumas and Wallabies in Mendoza holds plenty of interest in it's own right. Two evenly matched sides who will most likely be meeting each other in the knockout stages of next year's World Cup go head to head, with improvements aplenty needed from two teams definitely not short on talent.
New Zealand suffering from one of their worst dips in form in recent memory travel to South Africa for a two Test series that could well see another massive shakeup in All Black management. South Africa await them with a sense of eager anticipation and are keen to exploit the New Zealanders' clearly documented weaknesses as well as build on a their at times shaky recent success against Wales by taking their game to another level.
With the absence of action on the pitch, this week we continue our debate over the All Blacks Coaching job, the red card ruling system for the Rugby Championship, the World Cup draw and the Springbok squad to face New Zealand on Saturday.
With no actual rugby on the pitch, we look at the squad announcements for the Rugby Championship, some officiating decisions for the tournament and All Blacks Coach Ian Foster's ongoing struggles.
We conclude our series looking at the final weekend of summer tour blockbuster action with Argentina and Scotland and Chile's historic road to the World Cup
Continuing our series of looking at the Summer Tours we unpack the South Africa/Wales Series and Final Test
We continue our look at the Summer tours by reviewing the series decider last weekend between Australia and England.
In this first of three episodes we look at Ireland's historic series win in New Zealand
We wrap up last weekend's historic summer tour action by looking at Argentina vs Scotland and a brief mention of Canada vs Spain and Chile vs the USA, with the Americans and Chileans battling it out for the second Americas berth in the World Cup next year in France.
In the second of this week's wrap ups we look at last weekend's action between Australia and England and Wales and South Africa and a look ahead to the series deciders between the four countries this weekend.
In the first of three episodes this week, we look at France's series win in Japan and the epic first ever win by Ireland on New Zealand against the All Blacks setting up an epic series decider this weekend.
We finish our wrap up of the week with a look at the First Tests between South Africa and Wales and Argentina and Scotland.
We look at the first two big Tests this weekend between Ireland and New Zealand and Australia and England, as well as Canada's outing with Belgium and France's initial visit to Japan.
We wrap up the week past looking at the Japan/Uruguay second Test, and the first between the New Zealand Maori All Blacks and Ireland. We also look forward to this weekend's bumper crop of internationals as the first round of the summer tours gets underway.
We take a whip round the globe to sum up the rugby action featuring the URC and Super Rugby Pacific finals, the Canadian womens' final superb effort against Australia in the Pacific Four and Japan's clash with Uruguay and England's rather disappointing performance against a truly exuberant Barbarians side with plenty of French flair.
We take a look at some epic semi final action in Super Rugby Pacific and the URC, and a shout out to the Canadian Women who put up a very brave fight against one of the best teams in the World, New Zealand's Black Ferns.
We take a whip round last weekend's URC and Super Rugby Pacific Quarter Finals, the last regular season round of the MLR and the opening weekend of the Pacific Four Series featuring Canada's women.
We take a look at rugby action around the globe last weekend in the MLR, Super Rugby Pacifica and the Heineken Cup Final.
We take a look at rugby action around the globe last weekend in the MLR, Super Rugby Pacifica and the URC.
We take a look at rugby action around the globe last weekend in the Heineken Champions Cup, Super Rugby Pacifica and the MLR.
We take a look at action around the globe last weekend in the URC, Women's Six Nations, Super Rugby Pacifica and a look ahead to the Heineken Cup Quarter finals.
We take a look at the action around the globe this past week in Super Rugby Pacific, URC, MLR and Women's Six Nations.
We take a look at the action around the globe this past week in Super Rugby Pacific, URC, MLR and Women's 6 Nations.
We take a look at the action around the globe this past week in the Six Nations, Super Rugby, URC, MLR and U20s Six Nations.
France look unstoppable on their way to their first Grand Slam since 2010, but England despite their poor form of late have a habit of spoiling France's party. England will be desperate to finish a troubled campaign on a high while France intend to lay down a marker for the World Cup next year!
The Six Nations final round this year, commonly known as Super Saturday gets underway with Wales looking to finish strong, while Italy seek to keep that increasingly competitive edge they've shown all tournament and build on it for the future. Next up it's Ireland looking to seal the Triple Crown in Dublin by getting past a Scottish side that started so well but is in danger of exiting with a whimper. If England can do Ireland an unlikely favor in Paris then all of a sudden Ireland could find themselves hoisting the Championship silverware!
Most of the weekend's thunder will be emanating from the Stade de France on Saturday, but Sunday's encounter between Italy and England provides us with plenty of intrigue. It's a potentially fascinating encounter, and Italy's duel with tournament favorites France last Sunday in Paris was well worth watching. We've all said it a thousand times before in the past, but Italy really do look genuinely competitive this year and as a result their journey through the 2022 tournament could be refreshingly different. While we still have trouble seeing them recording a win, we certainly can't dismiss the idea that they are in with a chance to pull off an upset.
It's unlikely though that Italy will get that elusive win against an English side smarting from two successive losses to Scotland. Furthermore, the game last weekend at Murrayfield hung in the balance for the longest time. England, looked good albeit not as cohesive as they would like. However, we think it's fairly safe to say that this year England are likely to improve dramatically on their disastrous 2021 Six Nations campaign. England's opening night nerves in Murrayfield are likely to settle as the tournament wears on, and the crop of new talent England is now banking for the future on start to mesh more effectively with the veterans.
Although it's so early in the day, Round 2 to be precise, it's hard to not look at Saturday's clash in Paris as a possible Championship decider. There is little doubt that both teams are red hot at the moment. However, before we all get too carried away, let's put it in perspective. As good as Ireland and France looked last weekend, they were playing the two sides who will most likely be duking it out for the Wooden Spoon this year - Italy and Wales. To be honest, a shock win for Italy given their resistance against France last Sunday is not beyond the realms of possibility. Had France and Ireland played either Scotland or England and wiped the floor with them last Saturday, then perhaps we would be more akin to the idea of entertaining an early Championship decider. A contest of epic proportions awaits, of that there is no question, but a tournament clincher at this stage - not quite.
Ireland's performance against a clearly faltering Welsh side last Saturday, was impressive, clinical and played at 300 miles an hour. However, it wasn't perfect as both Coach Andy Farrell and his charges are keenly aware of. Ireland should in reality have put at least another 12 points on the Welsh last weekend. At times the weather didn't help and this is an Irish side on fire but one which is still fine tuning its processes, while at the same time finessing some rather extraordinary new talent into the establishment.
As for France, they got off to their usual rusty start at the beginning of every Six Nations tournament. Italy had come to play and were not overly daunted by the calibre of their opponents or the deafening cauldron that a packed Stade de France provided. France's All Stars struggled to impose themselves on the courageous Italians until the end of the first half. Much like Ireland they should have put at least 10 more points on the scoreboard. However, the engine was clearly purring by the end of the game, even if it hadn't quite reached the full throttle roar it will need come this Saturday afternoon.
Wales' first of three home Six Nations games sees them having to take on a Scottish side oozing confidence after back to back Calcutta Cup victories over England. Wales are not the Championship winning side of 2021 and in many ways are a mere shadow of it. Their current form is more likely to put them in in danger of going head to head with Italy this year for the Wooden Spoon. However, playing in front of a sold out Principality Stadium crowd will be a powerful tonic for the Men in Red and as a result to write them off would be beyond foolish. Scotland will know that and come prepared. There weren't too many positives last weekend for Welsh Coach Wayne Pivac's men, but their cause hasn't been helped by their ongoing injury crisis, and an opener against a red hot Ireland was never going to be a simple task. We can't help feeling that Wales can't get any worse than they were in Dublin and as the tournament wears on, especially now they only have one more away game left, their fortunes should improve.
Scotland will breeze into Cardiff knowing that they almost ruined Wales' party last year, and on the basis of that controlled win over England last Saturday, they seem more than comfortable with handling big pressure moments. It also should be borne in mind that their track record away from Murrayfield in last year's Six Nations was rather impressive as they won both of their away games against England and France no less. Barring the loss of back rower Jamie Ritchie due to injury for this match and sadly the rest of the tournament, Scotland look in rather rude health and more than up for the challenge that awaits them. There is little doubt that they are the form team of the two heading into this match, and that their Welsh opponents have it all to prove.
In the final game of the opening round of this year's Six Nations the byword is in the tagline above - Italy simply need to try and be competitive a trait will need to demonstrate throughout this tournament. There is literally a snowball's chance in hell that they are going to pull one over the mighty French in a rain sodden Stade de France on Sunday. However, if they can keep themselves in the match for at least the first hour, much as they did for the first 30 minutes against the All Blacks in November, then Kieran Crowley and his charges will have started their Six Nations campaign in the vein in which they mean to continue.
As for France, they will be seeking to lay down a marker that they are the team to beat this year and then some. To that effect Coach Fabien Galthie has brought a star studded cast to the Stade de France and a fully loaded squad. Looking at the lineup there are simply no deficiencies in it and it's a thoroughly tried and tested set of combinations. In short, nothing is being left to chance. France often start the Six Nations with a wobble and although nobody can really entertain the idea of them losing to Italy on home soil, there is no denying that a degree of rustiness is often present in the squad in their opening match of the tournament. It is precisely for that reason that Galthie has chosen to stick with his big guns for a match where had it been further into the tournament, he would probably have had the luxury of experimenting with his setups and resting some tired bodies.
Six Nations games between England and Scotland have always been packed brimful of expectation and emotion, but in recent years they have started to become the stuff of legend. Can anyone ever forget that remarkable Scotland comeback from 31-7 down in the second half in 2019 at Twickenham? Then there was last year's heroics on the same ground as Scotland secured their first victory at England HQ since 1983. Ironically, Murrayfield doesn't seem to produce the same level of success against the English. In their last five encounters at Murrayfield Scotland have only won one of them.
As for England, that defeat to Scotland last year at the start of the tournament on such hallowed ground stung them to the core, and in many ways set the tone for what would prove to be a disastrous English Six Nations campaign. To say that Eddie Jones and his charges are out to return the favor this time on Scotland's home turf would be a bit of understatement. The conditions look set to be horrific and would seem to favor the grit and determination approach favored by England as opposed to the pace and skill game of Scotland. Both sides have players of enormous talent and could provide us with a thrill ride of note, but we fear that Mother Nature is likely going to put a bit of a damper on proceedings, excuse the pun. Consequently it will be more of a slog than a F1 race, and as a result the team that can endure the longest while keeping their composure and discipline will emerge the winner.
And so it begins!!! The tournament that we anticipate more than any other is finally about to get underway. After the empty stadiums of the past two years, the crowds are back and will add that critical 16th man element to every home team as well as all the color and festive atmosphere the tournament has lacked courtesy of the pandemic. Covid is still likely to throw all the teams the odd curveball throughout the tournament, but with the World Cup only 18 months away and all six teams looking in fine fettle, this is likely to be a tournament to remember for many a year to come.
Ireland and Wales get us underway this Saturday, in wet and blustery conditions at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Ireland are one of the favorites to lift the trophy on March 19th, while defending champions Wales' luck seems to have run out before the tournament has even started. But as everyone knows in recent years this is a tournament, that perhaps with the exception of Italy, the form book seems not to respect. In short, anything can happen on the day and while Ireland look an incredibly daunting prospect especially at home, to write off Wales' before the opening whistle would be not only disrespectful but rather foolish to say the least. Wales got the better of Ireland last year in Cardiff in a hard fought encounter, and despite the conditions on Saturday expect no less in Dublin as both teams have everything to prove.
Yes it's finally here, a tournament that for most of us is the highlight of our annual rugby calendar. That in no way detracts from the Rugby Championship for our Southern Hemisphere friends but as International Test Rugby's oldest annual dustup, the Six Nations has so much history behind it that it's hard to top in terms of a sense of occasion. Some editions have been less than stellar but this year's competition looks set to have us glued to our TV screens for the next two months. Add into the mix the colorful crowds, which are such an integral and important part of this classic tournament, and ladies and gentleman get ready to start your engines this Saturday!
Good natured debates are already crowding the airwaves and discussions in pubs and bars around the globe as rugby's oldest tournament prepares to spool up once more. There is no doubt that as always there are some clear front runners, but in our opinion this year's tournament looks set to be one of the closest in history. We are fairly certain however that a Grand Slam for any of the six participants is quite frankly out of the question. Even the best, whom many think this year are France are going to encounter a banana skin along the way to Super Saturday on March 19th.
The last in our five part series looking at how the top ten nations finished their 2021 campaigns in November. In this episode we look at France and Ireland's highly successful efforts at the end of the year, which saw them both defeat New Zealand. Both teams look exceptionally well coached and bursting with talent, ahead of a Six Nations campaign only days away in which both must surely be genuine contenders to lift the silverware.
We take a look at how England and South Africa fared at the end of 2021 and what it means for both heading into 2022. For England there were plenty of positives ahead of what should be an exceptionally competitive Six Nations, while South Africa can reflect on a year that ended well after a few hiccoughs along the way. Both sides have plenty to work on in the coming months, but all of it looks set to be built on firm foundations.
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 we think would provide the platform they need for 2022 and beyond as the countdown to the World Cup begins. I'll try and get at least one a week out which should be a good segue into the buildup for the Six Nations in the New Year but, as mentioned before, work at the moment is getting the better of me and likely to continue to do so for the next few weeks.
In this episode we look at two sides, who had a mixed bag in relation to the expectations surrounding them ahead of the November Test window- Wales and Scotland
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 we think would provide the platform they need for 2022 and beyond as the countdown to the World Cup begins. I'll try and get at least one a week out which should be a good segue into the buildup for the Six Nations in the New Year but, as mentioned before, work at the moment is getting the better of me and likely to continue to do so for the next few weeks.
In this episode we look at two sides who arguably fared rather poorly in relation to the expectations surrounding them ahead of the November Test window- Australia and New Zealand.
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. I apologize for not getting any posts out last week ahead of some rather important fixtures but, as mentioned before, work at the moment is getting the better of me and likely to continue to do so for the next few weeks.
So without any further ado let's look at the two sides, that arguably fared the worst this month - Italy and Argentina.
So we've waited a long time for an England squad that finally starts to look new, and on Saturday we almost get it. The starting XV isn't all that fresh with the major exception being that fly half sensation Marcus Smith finally gets a start against top notch opposition. Freddie Steward also keeps his place at fullback, but apart from that it's still for the most part business as usual for England. However, when you look at their bench, it's almost a sea change. Sam Simmonds, back rower extraordinaire for Exeter finally gets included in a matchday 23 for England. Alex Dombrandt gets another shot from the bench, Max Malins in the backs, Raffi Quirke at scrum half and Jamie Blamire and Bevan Rodd in the front row. However, all eyes will be on Marcus Smith and if he makes a go of it expect him to get the nod next weekend in England's World Cup grudge rematch with South Africa. Nevertheless just to keep it spicy Eddie Jones has stuck with some of his controversial selection and positional choices.
As for Australia, they are pretty happy with their new look, and despite coming unstuck against Scotland by the slimmest of margins last weekend, this is a unit that is humming quite nicely. They won't be intimidated by England, even if some of their combinations aren't quite clicking they way need to be against the big Northern Hemisphere sides. Add in the fact that they are clearly missing Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete, and things are not quite the way the Wallabies would like them to be. Nevertheless it's still a pretty flash looking unit that knows how to score five pointers and has finally mastered the art of defence. They are familiar with each other and a culture of winning, something which this year has eluded England at key moments. Australia may not be as fully stocked as they would like for this one but make no mistake they will fancy their chances and have the talent to deliver on it.
In recent times, this fixture has provided us with some classics. We were fortunate enough to be at Soldier Field in Chicago that famous November afternoon five years ago when the Men in Green claimed their first ever All Black scalp. Since then encounters between the two have always (with the exception of the most recent World Cup quarter final) been tense and tight affairs with no quarters given on either side. Saturday's reunion between the two in Dublin promises to be no different, and with the All Blacks occasionally misfiring at the moment, Ireland must surely be approaching this match with a healthy dose of optimism. Ireland made a Japanese side, that had been World Rugby's new darlings since the last World Cup, look like rank amateurs last Saturday's 60-5 training romp. New Zealand will be a totally different proposition, but there is no denying that Ireland seem to have finally thrown off the shackles off the Joe Schmidt era and appear to want to play an exciting new brand of rugby, while having mastered the skills to go with it.
While it wasn't New Zealand's first choice team last weekend in Rome, there were still enough established starters in it that their inability to get on the scoreboard until the 27th minute will trouble the Coaching staff. Italy were able to ask them some serious questions in the first half, and in some cases New Zealand's answers weren't overly convincing. New Zealand have brought out the big guns for this Saturday, but we're still not convinced that this is an All Black side capable of sweeping all and sundry aside, and in Ireland they will face a serious challenge. We're not saying that New Zealand won't be extremely difficult to beat, but invincible as in years gone by they certainly aren't and consequently Ireland are likely to fancy their chances.
Last weekend's dustup at Murrayfield between Scotland and Australia may have been a low scoring affair but it certainly didn't disappoint in terms of excitement. It was a helter skelter affair from both sides, and if you liked running rugby then it was clear from the opening five minutes that you'd come to the right place. It was a game where as good as your attack was the defence was better. Throw in the inevitable errors and as a result it was never going to be a try fest per se, but there were countless attempts at crossing the whitewash from both sides which made for a very entertaining match. Scotland though will want to cut down the error rate and slow things down a bit, as if they thought the Australian defence was good, they are likely to find the Springbok version suffocating.
South Africa against Wales last weekend, consolidated their physical game plan in the rain while at the same time continuing to be more cautiously adventurous and backing the forward momentum of their set piece play. As we saw in the final Test of the Rugby Championship against New Zealand, South Africa are growing increasingly confident with hanging on to the ball as opposed to a kicking game that simply hands possession back to the opposition. In short, there's not too much point in having one of the world's best units of heavy artillery if you're not willing to use it to put points on the board and create an attacking platform. It's a refreshing change and it's cleary working for South Africa.
We wrap up the opening weekend of this year's Autumn Internationals. It was a thrilling weekend with some genuine full throttle Tests that kept us on the edge of our seats and left us hungry for more. This weekend kicks off with Italy who put up a brave fight against New Zealand taking on an Argentinian team that gave France a genuine run for the money last weekend in Paris. We have a look at the team sheets and how the game might pan out.
In our final look at this weekend's first round of Autumn Internationals we take a look at what we think could well be the game of the weekend - Scotland vs Australia
In this episode we look at today's clashes between Wales and South Africa along with France taking on Argentina.
In this episode we look at the first three key games of today's November Internationals featuring Italy, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, England and Tonga.
Wales take on New Zealand this weekend in a game that, similar to last weekend's misguided matchup between the All Blacks and the USA, appears to be poorly timed and leaving one team with one hand tied behind its back. Wales are without a number of key players doing club duty in England's domestic Premiership this weekend, and while we don't doubt for a second the resolve of Welsh Coach Wayne Pivac's charges, for many of them it could be a bridge too far against an All Black side suffering no such constraints.
Despite our initial reservations about the new United Rugby Championship, the successor to the old PRO14 has really caught our attention. The addition of four South African teams to the mix, has proven to be an exciting development, despite their shaky start in the opening two rounds. Meanwhile last year's Rainbow Cup champions Italian side Benetton are proving that they are no flash in the pan and are definite contenders for a strong finish. It's a fascinating tournament which has a real international feel to it and is so far serving up some spicy offerings.
The headline news for us here in Canada is that for the first time since its inception in 1987, Canada has failed to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. However, more to the point is the question concerning what has clearly gone so horribly wrong in the last six years. Remember that thrilling match against Italy in the 2015 tournament where we almost caused a major upset. The same tournament where winger DTH van der Merwe was one of the leading try scorers. Go back even further to 1991 where Canada actually competed in a quarter final. Always a feisty and nuggety opponent in the past, Canada are now on the verge or receding into rugby obscurity.
Meanwhile, it's not exactly a rosy picture south of the border either, as the USA failed to qualify in their first attempt, after losing the Americas 1 berth at the 2023 World Cup to Uruguay. They now face a tricky road ahead as they have to overcome an increasingly confident and fired up Chilean team, and if that fails then there is the humility of a last chance repechage tournament. Despite the advent of Major League Rugby here in North America it seems there is little if any benefit to the fortunes of the national sides. If anything both Canada and the USA look poorer after 3 years of the MLR. As rugby seems to be going backwards in North America, by contrast in South America it would appear to be going from strength to strength.
A look ahead to Canada's absolutely critical second round of their qualifying bid for the World Cup against Chile. They secured an uncomfortably narrow victory last weekend, meaning that Chile only has to beat them at home this Saturday by two points to knock Canada out of contention. In short, tense times in the Andes this weekend.
This year's Rugby Championship after several false starts and plenty of hiccoughs along the way finished with an epic showdown last weekend between New Zealand and South Africa. While South Africa may have faltered a few times this Championship and their game plan has been under considerable scrutiny by supporters and media alike, they produced their best for last and with the All Blacks gave us a Test match for the ages and one which paid tribute to the legendary rivalry between these two great sides. It was riveting stuff from start to finish and a fabulous advert for our glorious game.
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 rather off day at the office and whether or not that was a direct result of South Africa's controversial playing style remains hotly contested by fans and pundits in both camps. South Africa's physicality was as always immense, and Captain Siya Kolisi really did lead from the front in delivering it to New Zealand. Nevertheless, as the game wore on and South Africa seemed to have the edge we like many were left speechless at the number of times the Springboks kicked away valuable possession and poorly to boot (excuse the pun). As a result, you can't help feeling that they simply got lucky towards the end that the scoreline wasn't larger in favor of New Zealand. It was a narrow loss agreed but one that could have been potentially embarrassing had New Zealand brought their A game.
As for New Zealand, they were not at their best last weekend by a considerable margin. We will agree that some of that was caused by the relentless pressure they were under from South Africa and an inability to effectively deal with the constant aerial assault favored by the Springboks. However, one thing the All Blacks do better than any other team on the planet is fix the things that didn't work for them the previous weekend. This is not a team that is stuck in its ways. They adapt and restructure themselves quicker and more effectively than any International side out there. New Zealand will definitely have some tricks up their sleeves on Saturday, but judging from the press statements coming out of the Springbok camp, we're not convinced that South Africa have their own set of surprises in store.
Last weekend saw Argentina lose their fifth match in a row in this year's Rugby Championship, against a team that they probably fancied their chances against earlier this summer. Such hopes seem to have been well and truly dashed, as their campaign seems destined to stagger to a miserable end on Saturday against the Wallabies. It's very hard to recognize the Pumas side that stunned the world last year by beating the All Blacks in their first match out of their year long Covid isolation. There are glimmers of hope and we'd argue that this isn't a bad Argentinian side, but for reasons best known to perhaps only themselves they are simply failing to fire a shot so far this tournament.
Australia on the other hand seem to be going from strength to strength, something that their long suffering supporters are clearly rejoicing at. Although the All Blacks are still out of reach, it's hard to argue against this Australian side not being a match for the rest of Test rugby's giants. In short, they must be feeling more than just a little excited about their journey to Europe next month and the prospect of duels with Japan, Scotland, England and Wales.
We always look forward to the two fixtures between Australia and Argentina in the Rugby Championship. Invariably the teams are evenly matched and have everything to play for, especially pride as they seek to avoid a bottom spot on the standings table. Consequently, they are invariably tight tense affairs. Last year neither side could get the better of each other and both matches ended in a draw. Sadly this year Argentina are yet to fire a shot in the Championship. However having said that we got a glimmer last weekend against New Zealand that the Pumas are finally starting to click once more. Australia meanwhile, are brimming with confidence after they taught South Africa some valuable lessons, not just once but twice. Pride, passion and plenty of points to prove for both sides, mean that these two games between Australia and Argentina should make for a heady cocktail of Test Rugby.
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. Sure the Springboks are reigning World Champions, and let's face it few predicted them to win the World Cup based on their form heading into it - but win it they did. However, there is no denying that the back to back defeats to Australia showed some rather ominous chinks in the armor. We've tried to stay out of the arguments surrounding the Springboks "boring" style of rugby, but there is no denying that against Australia they looked very one-dimensional and thin on creativity with some glaring holes in their defense which looked ponderous at best.
New Zealand is a complete contrast and at the moment seem unstoppable with this year's Championship all but done and dusted in favor of the Men in Black. They're not perfect, but the sum of their parts is so much better than everyone else they've faced so far this year. Defensively they look sound, their execution is for the most part water tight and when it comes to creativity they would appear to be in a class of their own.
Argentina's 39-0 drubbing last Sunday at the hands of the All Blacks, had us looking away from our TV screens in horror for much of the eighty minutes. Where was the side that got their first victory over the All Blacks last year? We saw the first warnings when in their first match of 2021 against Romania, the Eastern Europeans (who themselves once had a proud tradition) almost wrote themselves into the history books at Argentina's expense. After reflecting on their successful tour to Wales where they drew the first match and won the second, the reality of the fact that it was only against a Welsh B side is rapidly starting to sink in. Their dismal tour of South Africa where they looked a shadow of last year's side, and then last Sunday's nightmare have left us in little doubt that this is a Pumas team that for reasons best known to itself is struggling to fire a shot, despite being blessed with the type of talent that would make many head coaches' eyes water.
The most eagerly anticipated fixture of this weekend's Round 4 Rugby Championship games, sees Australia and South Africa do battle once more, after the Wallabies grabbed themselves a tight but impressive win over the Springboks last weekend. South Africa were well off the mark at times last weekend, particularly with the boot. They'll be back with a vengeance this weekend as they seek to lay down a marker ahead of their title race with New Zealand next weekend. For the Wallabies they'll be looking to build on the confidence of last weekend and their successes against France earlier this year after a slew of back to back defeats against their old rivals New Zealand. It should be one of the best games of the Championship.
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 continues to put the world on hold. The rest of the Rugby Championship is now being played in Australia with all four competing teams, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa taking up residence in Queensland until the beginning of October. It's also for New Zealand and Australia the final round of the three match annual Bledisloe Cup series, however, with the Cup securely locked away in New Zealand for yet another year, that aspect of Sunday's competition is simply a dead rubber.
This weekend sees Canada take on the USA in St. John's for the first of two critical World Cup qualifiers against the Americans. Saturday's proceedings and the follow up in Denver a week later will determine whether Canada will be competing for the Americas 1 berth in Pool A. If Canada do not win the two game series on aggregate then they still have a chance at qualifying for the Americas 2 berth in Pool D. Whichever way you cut it it's a difficult route for a team that simply hasn't fired a genuine shot in anger for several years now and sits 22nd on the World Rankings Table.
Canada take on the USA this weekend in the first of two critical World Cup Qualifiers, but you can be excused for not knowing anything about it, as Rugby Canada doesn't seem to know much more either, with the squad for the series only being announced today a mere five days away from kickoff. It all seems to smack of a serious lack of foresight and preparation, and we hope we are proven wrong on Saturday. To add insult to injury, in a cash grab Rugby Canada have sold the rights to a foreign broadcaster so that you now have to pay to watch your own national team, as if Rugby wasn't hard enough to watch in this country already. Meanwhile, the Rugby Championship after being thrown a curve ball by COVID-19 finds a way to continue to completion, but the whole process is marred by an ugliness in the media as Coaches past and present hurl insults at each other.
Argentina field a completely changed set of backs after failing to get to grips with a less than full strength Springbok side last weekend in Port Elizabeth. After a comprehensive victory last Saturday over the Pumas, South Africa bring back their Lions Series All Stars. South Africa are clearly the favorites on Saturday, but although some of these Argentinian backs may lack experience they can provide plenty of excitement, and there will be some genuine talent on display from the South American youngsters. Nevertheless it may well be a bridge too far against the World Champions who seem able to notch their game up another few gears with every outing so far this year.
After the highs and lows of the Lions Tour to South Africa, a victorious Springbok outfit host Argentina's Pumas in two back to back Tests which serve as the start to their first participation in the annual Rugby Championship since the World Cup, having elected not to participate last year. Argentina have also had a good summer of preparation after winning their two Test series against a Welsh side shorn of their Lions representatives. Argentina will be the more rested of the two, as some of Saturday's Springbok squad have seen three back to back Lions Tests. So questions aplenty and everybody knows what happened last year in Argentina's Rugby Championship opener when they upset the All Blacks. An evenly contested match on paper, and one where the momentum of victory over the Lions could either act as a benefit or a detriment for the Springboks. In theory it's anybody's game and we can't wait to see how the dice roll!
Although New Zealand and Australia meet again, this match marks the start of their respective Rugby Championship campaigns as well as being the second game of the three match Bledisloe Cup series. Australia have it all to play for, and despite the daunting and seemingly impossible task of beating the All Blacks at their hallowed fortress of Eden Park, the Wallabies will take heart from their late but positive surge in last weekend's Test, despite New Zealand ultimately emerging one up in the Bledisloe Cup at the final whistle.
And so it comes to this! A chance, despite all the controversy for the rugby to finally do the talking and all the off field sideshows to be put away once and for all. South Africa come into this match riding high from an impressive and emotionally charged win last weekend. The Lions are slightly shell shocked but looking to put in a performance that justifies the traditions and pedigree of the famous red jersey. It's all to do for both sides, and we hope will finally give the Series the credibility it has often lacked up to now both in terms of quality and spirit in which the game is played. It hasn't been pretty at times, though from a purist point of view the rugby has been a fascinating battle of tactics and strength, but surely it's time for both sides to take their feet off the brakes and give us a full on end to end blinder of a Test match to send the series off in style!
As a precursor to the forthcoming Rugby Championship, Australia and New Zealand revisit their age old rivalry in the first of three Bledisloe Cup matches at the All Blacks impregnable Fortress - Auckland's Eden Park.
In the opening Test between these two sides, there was plenty of on and off field drama. It was an edgy affair that perhaps lacked the quality we were hoping for and sadly was riddled with controversy particularly in how it was officiated. The second Test this weekend leaves the Springboks with it all to do, but they are at their most dangerous when their backs are against the wall. We look at some of the questions raised by the First Test, particularly in relation to former Head Coach Rassie Erasmus recently issued video, as well as a breakdown of the match day 23 for both sides.
After all the controversy, drama and hype, Saturday sees the British and Irish Lions and South Africa's Springboks get down to business in Cape Town as they face off in the first of three eagerly anticipated Tests. We look at the lineups and where we think the key battles could be in terms of head to heads.
The recently concluded three Test series between France and the Wallabies in Australia was superb rugby entertainment. We enjoyed every minute of three incredibly hard fought Test matches. The rugby on display had everything. There was huge physicality, dynamic and silky running and some shrewd tactics put into play by both sides. It was way more than just a tasty appetizer for the Lions tour to South Africa, it was a main course of equal quality and one which kept us on the edge of our seats for eleven whirlwind days! We break down how we think the players in the two sides fared and what their Coaches learnt about them with an eye to the future.
We look at last weekend's Summer tours to Ireland and the UK by Japan, Canada and the USA, as well as a quick look at the Springboks first Test since the last World Cup.
We look at the Lions first warmup Test against Japan and the French name their squad for the tour to Australia.
This week's episode takes a quick look at this weekend's Super Rugby Trans Tasman final, the Rainbow Cup final between Italy's Benetton and South Africa's Bulls and lastly we take a look at the newly announced United Rugby Championship which replaces the old PRO14 format and includes South Africa's former Super Rugby Sides - the Bulls, Lions, Stormers and Sharks. We also give our continuing update on our endeavours to find out how you can watch the Lions series here in Canada.
With Super Rugby Trans Tasman now a strictly New Zealand affair, Australian sides limp out of the competition reflecting on 25 games in which the concept of defence was a subject seemingly alien to them. With the arrival of the French in just over two weeks, Australian sides need to find a solution to the fact that for every try they score they concede two to the opposition - not exactly a winning formula for Wallaby Coach Dave Rennie to contend with. Meanwhile Toronto's Arrows continue to find the going tough in this year's MLR season, and consistency and execution remain their Achilles Heel. We look at what they need to do for the remaining four rounds to salvage some positives out of the season to build on for next year.
A look at the recently announced 46 man squad to face Georgia and the British and Irish Lions. Pretty much business as usual, but some exciting new names in there!
We look at Toronto's run to the end of this year's MLR season and the obstacles they face.
In this episode we have a lot at the trials and tribulations of Australian sides in the Super Rugby Trans Tasman competition and try and understand why they're having such a torrid time of it. We also look at World Rugby's new experimental Red Card rulings.