Greetings, good morning, g’day and welcome to another Friday’s Rugby News. With tall test teams having a well earned break this week, it gives us time to pause and instead tackle the big issues surrounding our beloved game. So with that in mind, off we go.
First up today we revisit the country that’s also cradle of sportsmanship and fair play, in ‘No try for me Argentina’. Drop in at RA for the first up Wallaby squad from new coach Wendy Matthews with ‘Joe who?’ Then we head up north for legal complications for ‘The Brain Game, Blame Game’. Join with me and take a closer look at a pet hate of mine in ‘Anthem Anxiety’. Preview the final of SRW with ‘There can be only one’. Then go mono-e-Hosso with our new Wallaby coach in ‘Kiss & Tell’. Before farewelling a booming news day with Friday’s Goss with Hoss, glad that the sporting excellence is on a break, and we can instead watch the Commonwealth Games.
Gus goes full ‘quart of blood’ technique.
No try for me Argentina.
I think the world knows that when it comes to a fight between Argentina, and well anybody really, that they’re not going to win. Sure they will kick (literally), dive and roll around on the ground with little or no contact causing the sudden urge to cradle the earth around them. The pain so intense, so soul-deep, that only the application of tap water via sponge could help nurture those damaged muscles and tendons back to health. They’ll spit at you, they’ll wave their hands and gesticulate madly like those attending the funeral of a suicide bomber, but when push comes to shove, well they’re no braver than one of those yappy dogs. All bark: no bite. As now demonstrated by both their soccer sooks and unfortunately now, also by the actions of a few Los Pumas.
The scenes at fulltime in the Argentina v England match were a complete disgrace. It doesn’t matter if the final try/no try decision was right or wrong, what matters is that Tomás Albornoz who got up in the grill of Angus Gardner (actually touching him, another approaching Gus directly, brushing his shoulder and bouncing the ball like a hissy toddler) get rubbed out of the game for at least 6 months, perhaps even 12 months would send a more fitting warning to all players. What unfolded after fulltime should be anathema to all who love our game and WR must act decisively.
Watch this space.
Out with the old.
Joe who?
The ‘Farewell Joe’ cup cakes have barely been digested by those at RA, before incoming Wallaby Wendy Matthews has announced his first squad to take on the Nips over back-to-back weekends win August. And whilst no real surprises, the squad seems solid and well received by most OZ rugby fans.
In some good news, it appears LSL has learnt to ‘jump faster’ for lineouts over the past few weeks and has been selected in the squad, along with the deserving Isaac Henry. He’s a guy I’d love to see play more rugby and string together a body of work to see how good he is/could actually be. There are glimpses, but we need to see more, much more. Forgotten Tahs prop Isaac Kailea returns to the frame, after falling from grace under whomever the previous coach was.
Dirty Harry Wilson retains the captaincy role, whilst the squad will travel without injured players: Flash Gordon, Hunter Paisami, Mungo Hooper, Sticky and Josh Nassar. While Nick ‘Tolstoy’ Champion de Crespigny, Corey Toole (can’t tackle), James Slipper and the Italian Stallion (he asked me to call him that) Josh Flook all miss out completely.
Forwards (19): Allan Alaalatoa, Miles Amatosero, Angus Bell, Charlie Cale, Josh Canham, Isaac Kailea, Fraser McReight, Josh Nasser, Zane Nonggorr, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Billy Pollard, Aidan Ross, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Lachlan Shaw, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson (c).
Backs (15): Jock Campbell, Filipo Daugunu, Ben Donaldson, Carter Gordon, Isaac Henry, Max Jorgensen, Ryan Lonergan, Tate McDermott, Declan Meredith, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Kalani Thomas, Tom Wright.
‘A healthy brain, is a blue brain’
The Brain Pain, Blame Game.
Confirming a long held suspicion of mine, it appears you don’t have to be overly bright to get into law, well not in Wales anyway.
The class action being bought up north against various unions in relation to CTE, has suffered a rather large set back, with counsel Richard Boardman, of firm Rylands Garth, stepping away from the action, telling the court: I am writing to inform you and the defendants that my intention is to come off the record in this litigation and I have started taking steps to do so’. And in a shocking indictment of their representative, many of those he was supposed to represent only found out about the decision when it was read out in court!
Having previously been taken to task by the magistrate last year for their delays and unprofessional representation of their clients, it seems the writing was on the wall back then, with Presiding Judge Senior Master Cook, telling Boardman that he had a “complete misunderstanding of his responsibilities” following repeated failures to disclose all necessary medical records to the defendants’.
walesonline.co.uk has the full story.
‘Not this shit again!’
Anthem anxiety.
Gaggers I gotta tell you, for me, ‘Advance Australia Fair’ sucks. And it doesn’t just suck a little bit, it sucks as much as any single piece of music has ever sucked before. And if medals were handed out for the suckiest-sucking music in all of suck-dom then our anthem would stand in the pantheon of greatness for millennia! It’s musically ‘tinny’, yet somehow at the same time completely ‘shrill’. It lends itself to be sung with pomposity by stiff-necked opera wannabe’s, who sound like they need a good bowel cleansing. And to top it off, it’s set in a key that needs some sort of medical episode or extremely snug fitting underwear to achieve. And as for those goddam lyrics? Well, they’re just complete and utter tripe! You tell me the last time you got home to the family, went to the pub or lobbed at a party and shouted ‘let’s rejoice for we are one and free and I am girt by l all I see and in joyful strains let us all sing’ and I’ll show you the exact time you became a social pariah!
Isn’t it time we had an anthem that summed up the origins of our land/first nations peoples, who we are today and just where we are headed as a nation? And shouldn’t it absolutely be set to Jimmy Barnes ‘Working Class Man’?
So my challenge to you today is come up with something for the nation that represents who we are today and we are today, not that antiquated throat vomit from the 70’s. Best entry wins a free something from some place.
Finally!
There can be only one.
Saturday July 25 11:05 am AEST – Fijian Drua v NSW Waratahs at Four R Stadium, Ba. Live on Stan.
The Tahs travel to Fiji this weekend in search of yet another SRW title, after what has been a mixed bag of performances this season. In fact they have lost more games in just this one season, than they have in the previous 7 combined. Lying in wait are the home side the Drua who have improved over the year, having started in second gear.
Fearless Prediction: Waratahs by enough. Maybe.
DRUA (1-15): Karalaini Naisewa, Keleni Marawa, Tiana Robanakadavu, Mereoni Nakesa, Carletta Yee, Nunia Daunimoala, Salaseini Railumu, Sulita Waisega, Kolora Lomani (c), Varanisese Qoro, Aqela Raitubu, Josivini Naihamu, Merewairita Neivosa, Atelaite Buna, Litiana Vueti
Replacements: Bitila Tawake, Zipporah Sorokacika, Keri Lawavou, Karavaki Lutumaibau, Alfreda Fisher, Evivi Senikarivi, Repeka Tove, Verenaisi Ditavutu
WARATAHS (1-15): Brianna Hoy, Brittany Merlo, Faliki Pohiva, Leilani Nathan, Kaitlan Leaney, Ruby Anderson, Emily Chancellor (c), Piper Duck, Tia Hinds, Waiaria Ellis, Desiree Miller, Rosie Ferguson, Pleuni Kievit, Maya Stewart, Caitlyn Halse
Replacements: Nancy Volkman, Emily Robinson, Bridie O’Gorman, Grace Gillies, Nicole Nathan, Taj Heald, Piper Simons, Amelia Whitaker
Lights, cameras,…….
Kiss & Tell.
In a first for both G&GR and RA, this time we actually really* got to sit down (virtually), for a real, with new Wallaby coach Les ‘Wendy Matthews’ Kiss for an actual tête-à-tête about rugby, and life as the new Wallaby coach. Get that up ya Mr Williamson!
H: Wendy, congratulations on the new role and welcome to the pages of G&GR, how does it feel?
W: Incredible honour Hoss. I started as a coach over 20 years ago and it’s been a life long goal and to be honest, it’s really a dream come true and I still have to pinch myself a bit.
H: Thankyou so much, and how does it feel to be Wallabies coach as well?
W: Good one Hoss. Natho told me you were half a dickhead.
H: I know the corpse of St Joe is still warm, but what can we Wallaby fans expect early doors from you and the new coaching set up?
W: More evolution than revolution Hossy. Build on what we are good at, improve on those things that we aint.
H: So in no specific order then, things like: defense, attack, playing for 80 minutes, a discernible game plan, kicking, catching, passing, selections, fitness and general rugby IP?
W: I think you’ve been undersold as only half a dickhead Hoss. We have a short runway into our own 2027 RWC, so we need to hit the ground running and get instant results and a style of play that we can replicate under fatigue and under duress. A core that we can fall back on when needed.
H: So just like American nuclear ambitions, the testing of your real world capabilities starts in Japan. What ae the tangible improvements we should look for?
W: To win and win well. Full stop, end of story.
H: Any extra spice with Dr Evil being in charge?
W: No mate, he helped my coaching career way back when and I’ll be focused on the win. Besides if it wasn’t for him Joe wouldn’t have stepped in and perhaps I wouldn’t be here today. Maybe Cheik would be sitting here.
H: I wish.
W: What’s that Hoss?
H: I said I have a bad itch. Roll forward just over 12 months, what does success look like for the Wallabies. What expectations should us fans have under your tenure?
W: That we are playing exciting and consistent rugby. That we have made the final four of the RWC and that we are back playing the type of rugby we know we can. Daring, brave, clever, we want to be ambitious.
H: Sam Kerr trying to flag a London cab is ‘ambitious’. We want you to win. So to that end, what happens if you don’t?
W: That’s a story for another day Hossy.
H: Thanks Wendy. Go well and know us Wallaby rugby fans are right behind you. For now.
W: Thanks. I think!
*except, it wasn’t.
You heard it here first eventually!’
Friday’s Goss with Hoss.
Benched brawler benched: again.
Italian prop Marco Riccioni has been found guilty of ‘conduct contrary to the spirit of good sportsmanship, after his involvement in the scuffle last week in Perth and been issued a 2 week ban. Already substituted by his side, Riccioni got himself into the fray and threw a couple of hay makers at our own Miles Amatosero and was sent off, from already being off to begin with, leading to further sanction.
Gimme a break already!
Not content with wiping the floor against all comers in the NC, Rassie has recalled a few useful types to his 43 man squad to face the Nearlies. How’s this for a few useful additions: Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi, Handre Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Canan Moodie, Ethan Hooker, Andre Esterhuizen and Morne van den Ber.
I told ya’s
In other news a father & son have been banned for pushing/abusing a ‘teenage referee’ during a recent match in Canterbury (sheep shagger Canterbury – not drive by shootings Canterbury). The player is banned until the first game in 2028 and has shown remorse. His father has been banned for 12 weeks for abusing the young ref’s mentor.
Another reason WR simply must wield an iron hammer to the FISM’s involved.
Tayler made.
This week saw a changing of the guard for our Women’s 7’s program, with new coach Reg Tayler leading the charge for Olympic glory for our ladies. Tayler takes over from Tim Walsh who has moved into Director of High Performance for both Women’s 7’s and XV’s. Tayler comes into the role after serving an apprenticeship under Walsh in the lead up to the transition. Congrats Reg and go well.
Until next week.
Hoss – out.
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