Sad News for Brumbies Young Gun

After week off in Honkers for the 7s, I have gone another week with next to no rugby.
 A sad week for rugby, I have just read the shocking news that Shawn Mackay has died in a Durban hospital after fighting for his life all week in a coma.  He was hit by an armed response vehicle in [...]

Red Faced Steyn

What a weekend of rugby, but started off on the worst foot.
The Cheetahs shouldn’t even be in this competition.  Watching them against the Blues was painful and embarrassing.  The Blues should hang their heads that they only won by 34 points.
At least the Cheetahs can win at one thing, and that’s taking the mantle off [...]

Reeg’s Rant

Well, what can you say other than WOW!
What a start to the season.
Highlanders went crazy against the Brumbies in the first 20 mins leading 19-0 with only 28% territory.  Then their only All Black (Cowan) left the field with a sore finger (but mullet still intact) and they were lost in the wilderness for the [...]

Carelessly Trampling

Has it just been stuck in the northen hemisphere that has me well impressed with the calibre of the Super 14 games this weekend.  Maybe by week three I’ll be back to jaded and yelling at the tv:  ”This isn’t godamn Murryfield!”, but for now I remain impressed.   The Canes and Tahs besides.   [...]

Super 14 – Week Negative 1

Well I know I can get excited about the game, but thought I would start early with a quick review of week negative 1.
The missus is o/s on secondment in Hong Kong, which means I can dedicate more of my time to the game. You have to feel sorry for our new puppy though, the [...]

Super Trials and Kangaroo Courts

Last year I was taking in the results of the Trial games into my calculations for the Super 14 games-proper. Which I think judging by this years trial games is a mistake. Stormers beat Saracens 43-33 which tells us what? That northern hemisphere rugby is still really second division. Revelation? [...]

Super 14 – Semi Two

Have the Aussies learnt a thing or two from the World cup?   Defence wins world cups and you don’t need a crowbar to read between the lines of Dick Muir’s recent statements that he might reckon the same goes for S14.
Sharks will be looking to defend well and build on their scrum dominance.  However, it [...]

Super 14 – Round 14 – Part 2

Crusaders take on kiwi bottom of the table team.  Everyone’s predicting a drumming, but against reasonable teams, the Crusaders have been relatively quiet.  Reckon they’ll be nervous about injuries again and will be playing conservatively, whereas the Dunedin crew has nothing to loose.  On that basis the 3.40-1, odds on Crusaders by less than 12.5 [...]

Super 14 – Round 13 – Part 2

The Blues have the slimmest of chances of making the semi’s and this weekend will be crucial for them.  Blues have an awful track record at House of pain, having only won there once before.  Blues scraped through a great game last weekend against the reds, which won’t exactly fill them with joy.  Highlanders have [...]

Super 14 week 12 – Part 2

The less said about the Lions playing in Wellington the better. Last year the Lions won by 23, expect the Hurricanes to return the favour. Hurricanes by 23.
 
Now onto the tough stuff.
 
Waratahs travel to Loftus to make it 4 out of 4 against for the Saffer teams. Their only defeats have come from Kiwi teams [...]

Round 10 – Rugboracle Picks – Part 2

God, what a distasterous start.   Crusaders smashed by the Chiefs and now the Reds on fire to beat the spent force.
Brumbies get out the silver service for the Sharks at Canberra Stadium tomorrow and by all accounts it bound to be a close affair.  Sharks have seemingly limped across the line each week and soon [...]

Round 9 – Rugbyoracle picks

Sharks just won by a mullet.  A small mullet though, just a couple of tufts at the end that could just as easily be rolled up into a Phil Collins ponytail.   Its difficulty to follow a game via website text on your mobile phone on a packed commuter train, so I’m not sure if I [...]