Revving Up for the Southern Season - Need Followers

Hi, all,

Gatesy here!

I've been running this blog very sporadically for a few years - mainly because I spend a lot of time running a Rugby Club (School) website: www.maristrugby.com.au and a lot of time contributing to The Roar of the Crowd site, but this year I want to gear this one up and get lots of followers.

Also run a website for those who are interested in having their own website built: Rugby Website Builder.

So give us a shout!!

Season 2013

How great that the Southern Hemisphere and the Northern Hemisphere seasons literally kick off their internationals and Super Rugby at the same time! How long before we have a truly global season?

This year we have the Lions touring Australia and France touring NZ.

Argentina will be stronger in the Rugby Championship and the international Sevens circuit is in full swing.

Heaps to talk about, so jump on board and if you want to post articles on here, we are more than happy!

See you on the sidelines!!

SEASON 2013 WILL BE BIG!!

How much am I looking forward to season 2013?

I haven't had too much to say on the Roar this year, as frankly, I think that the reportage has been fairly ordinaire, but it's a new year, and there is a bit of excitement in the air!!

It seems like everyone is fit, for once.

James O'Connor back on board, desperate to take Kurtley's No 10 jersey, and along comes a new kid (Angus Roberts) who looks like getting the nod for Number 10 at the Rebels..wow!! One out of left field.. That's the kind of news that I like to read.

A brand new Sevens outfit, building to the Olympics (go Tommy Cusack!)

The Brumbies .. what could have been last year?. Watching Toomua and then Lealiifano go down with injury was almost surreal - Jake just got on with it and how close did we come?..Clyde Rathbone is back and don't underestimate that little vignette! Leaders stood up, none less than Benny Mowen .. stay with it, Ben, you will wear the Green and Gold ....Dave Pocock appears to be refreshed and mentally dangerous! Mogg, Coleman, Tomane, Speight and many others ready to make a mark. I reckon the team is revving up like a purring Ferrari. The quiet achievers are on the starting blocks and I'm excited. Strong across the park!

The Waratahs - the glamour boys, the perennial underachievers!! .....I have a funny feeling that that is about to change - Cheika, will bring the Eastern Suburbs, surf club, hard man attitude, and I'm guessing that there ain't much room for princesses, at Moore Park at the moment. If you haven't noticed, there is not a lot of hype coming out of the Waratahs right about now.. looks like they have finally decided to do their trash talking on the paddock for a change!

The Reds! How would you know? Who is really in charge? Have to say, every photo, video and article that Ewen features in shows him looking pretty relaxed. Looks like Richard is doing the hard yards at HQ. But they are fit, mostly ready to play and therefore bloody dangerous. A lot of people down south are hoping Quade gets knocked out by that bloke that he is about to fight. What a bummer for Rugby, in general , if he gets his block knocked off!! Silly season is in full swing!!

The Rebels - are these guys the new Waratahs??- I mean, on paper they are a top side - have they got their heads in the right place? They definitely have the talent, and I think that they will be the fourth team in the conference this year. Glad to see Cipriani go, but not too many other radical changes - Higginbotham should contribute - if they can get O'Connor and Beale firing together, they should be dangerous. Hope that Saffy can make an impact this year. He made a big commitment to come across from NRL and hasn't yet been able to crack it - he has come up against the likes of Hooper, Pocock, Gill, Schatz, and must be wondering what happened. Well, mate, when you are playing in that position, you can't afford to be complacent, that's for sure!

The Force - again, who knows? - a bunch of relative no names - Foley has to prove himself, yet again - I wish them all the best - definitely looking forward to seeing Sam Norton-Knight back - he is one of those players that you just like to watch. Will be interesting to see how his game has gone while he has been in Europe.

The Lions - who knows? - we need to have a good look at the 6 Nations, because I don't think that there will be the same number of big well known names in this year's group than the last time they were here. Given that they will be playing most of their games against our professional outfits this time around, it's not likely to be too much like the last time they were here, when their first game was against some WA amateurs with a couple of east coast ring ins (what was it? about 62 -0 ) - a feel good start to their tour - won't happen this year - my guess is that they better be on song from the get go - we have more depth in our Rugby this year, and barring some catastrophic injuries in the early part of Super 15, we are all on deck!! If the 6 Nations is one-sided, then England will get weight of numbers, so the arrogance factor will be right up there!!

The Wallabies - who knows (period) - after 5 years, I can't decide whether Robbie Deans is a great coach or not - probably not, but you have to give him the benefit of the doubt with the injury toll they suffered last year. However, the omission of Matt Giteau from the RWC was a glaring SNAFU, in my mind that can never be forgotten! So maybe that is the best way to sum it up.

The silly season has been pretty light on for Rugby news, but there seems to be a new crop of journos, who might try to write original stuff! I surf the Rugby web most days and I find the same stuff everywhere I go - at least the 9 University story was something that might have legs - as a Brumbies supporter, I can see how it can work - but we all need to keep open minds about it - maybe the University system that has proved so successful in the US is the way to go. Let's just make sure that we get there before NRL and AFL and Soccer suddenly see its potential!!

..and last but not least, the most exciting thing for me in season 2013 is that my little guy, Charlie (just ten years old), had his first Rugby season last year, loves the game, big time, and wants to learn everything about it and can't wait to get back into it... it doesn't get any better than that!!