Oct 4th, 2007 | Test Rugby | 15 Comments | print
Since the Professional Era of rugby began in earnest in 1995, the laws of rugby have not changed much beyond technical clarification and small ‘tweaks’ to increase player safety. Two obvious exceptions are (i) lifting in the lineout and (ii) television match officials for confirming trys. However, these have not had much much long-term impact on how the game is played primarily since line-outs and touch-downs constitute only a minor component of any rugby match.
However, new rules currently called the ‘Stellenbosch’ Experimental Laws are set to change that by legalizing many common law infractions at the break-down where much of the match is spent. → continue reading
Oct 4th, 2007 | Test Rugby, RWC 2007 | 18 Comments | print
And then there were 8. The quarter-finals of the 2007 RWC are set to kick off in a few days and to be honest, the match-ups are quite interesting. Even if you are a die-hard All Black fan, I think the fixtures are going to captivate rugby enthusiasts of all persuasions. → continue reading
Oct 4th, 2007 | Test Rugby, RWC 2007 | 1 Comment | print
“Nothing left but the crying” is probably the sentiment for many Irish, Welsh, Italians and Tongans this week as the pool stages end and the 3rd place finishers head back and start thinking about either retirement or the 2011 RWC in New Zealand. For a World Cup that was supposed to be a predictable spectacle by the ‘top-tier’ teams, the so-called ‘minnows’ flexed their might (and their hearts) and produced more flair and excitement than the championship favorites like France and the SANZAR nations. Here is how it breaks down pool-by-pool. → continue reading
Sep 8th, 2007 | Test Rugby, RWC 2007 | 1 Comment | print
RWC 2007 Predictions 3 - Pool B
Well, I should start by saying that a detailed analysis of Pool B is (i) totally unnecessary as Australia and Wales will undoubtedly advance to the quarter finals and (ii) I’m in Paris at the moment on Day 2 of RWC 2007 and simply don’t have time to write a lenghtly analysis. 
The one thing that sets this pool apart from Pool A and Pool D is the fact that Australia is guaranteed to finish at the top, with Wales following in second place. Everyone else is fighting for respect. Fiji and Canada (ranked 12th and 13th respectively) both want the #3 position, and their clash on Sep. 16th is the must-see game of the Pool. Win or lose, Canada must show up strong for their match against 18th-ranked Japan on Sep. 25th for the world to know that the canucks are truly developing their rugby chops.
Let’s go Canada, make you’re mark and soon you’ll be breaking into rugby’s top-10!
Jul 8th, 2007 | Test Rugby | 10 Comments | print
As I noted previously, the Springbok guests in Sydney on 07-07-2007 started the Mandela Challenge Plate as if their lives depended upon the outcome and quickly accumulated 17 unanswered points against the heavy favorites the Wallabies. In the first stanza, it seemed that the Aussie’s simply weren’t interested in scoring despite this match being the last home test match for the legendary team of Greegan (133 Caps) and Larkham (100 Caps).
Of course, with two Wallabies having the combined test match experience of the entire South African team, it is not surprising that cool heads prevailed. With tries before and after half-time, Australia brought the score-line level. A South African professional foul gave the home side a 1-man advantage and their opponents quickly took the lead and eventually the match, 25-17.
Despite the win, Australia again showed their major weaknesses: lack of focus early in the match and an underpowered scrum. Both of these deficiencies require solid solutions if the Wallabies are to have any chance at hoisting the Web Ellis Cup at RWC 2007.
In addition, an 8-point margin over the Springbok so-called ’second-string’ line is hardly anything to get excited about and is a testament to the depth of the rugby program in South Africa. If you remember that post-apartheid South Africa came out of almost 30 years of international sporting isolation to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the depth of the their rugby program doesn’t actually seem that surprising.
