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!!
30 January 2013
29 January 2013
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!!
30 April 2012
25 February 2012
OVERALL, NOT A BAD RESULT FROM THE BRUMBIES
A win is a win, even when it is "won ugly".
The Brumbies defensive line was magnificent. It was almost unbreachable all game.
In the last few minutes, the Force were playing in their Red Zone, and could have set up for a drop goal, but they didn't seem to see it. An ugly way to win, but still a win.
My take on it - the Brumbies are yet to gel, as a unit, but that is not surprising as this was their first outing. I think that they will gel reasonably quickly.
Their backs looked promising at times, but probably lacked that last little bit of confidence. Coleman ran wide in the first half, and there wasn't too much going on down the middle, but, that said, they were playing a tight game around the rucks.
The kickers were both on song, and honours were even, there.
The difference was most likely the Brumbies defensive line. You got the sense that the Force just did not know how to breach it.
That might be the case for a lot of other teams, if they don't think their way through the contests.
Overall, I would give the Brumbies a 6/10 score, but that effort, tonight will give the coaching staff a hell of a lot to work with.
The Brumbies defensive line was magnificent. It was almost unbreachable all game.
In the last few minutes, the Force were playing in their Red Zone, and could have set up for a drop goal, but they didn't seem to see it. An ugly way to win, but still a win.
My take on it - the Brumbies are yet to gel, as a unit, but that is not surprising as this was their first outing. I think that they will gel reasonably quickly.
Their backs looked promising at times, but probably lacked that last little bit of confidence. Coleman ran wide in the first half, and there wasn't too much going on down the middle, but, that said, they were playing a tight game around the rucks.
The kickers were both on song, and honours were even, there.
The difference was most likely the Brumbies defensive line. You got the sense that the Force just did not know how to breach it.
That might be the case for a lot of other teams, if they don't think their way through the contests.
Overall, I would give the Brumbies a 6/10 score, but that effort, tonight will give the coaching staff a hell of a lot to work with.
9 November 2011
THE FUTURE IS AN INTERESTING PLACE, BUT WHEN DO WE SEE THE RESULTS?
I'm seeing some interesting things in the tea leaves, lately.
Robbie Deans has all the hallmarks of a man who has been recruited by the ARU for a long term plan. Not just to establish ourselves now, for if that were the case, maybe we would have been more desperate to show improvement during the RWC.
Over the last, say, ten weeks or so, Robbie Deans has not looked like a man desperate to win the RWC at all costs.
Indeed, there were some pretty puzzling selections and decisions, made, weren't there?
No Giteau in the RWC squad - no back up no 7, which nearly came a cropper.
Nobody really took Quade Cooper by the coat tails and helped in his "hour of need".
Looking back on it, it's as if Robbie is a protected species, and maybe that't what has happened.
Is it too much to think that the powers that be took the view that we might or might not win the RWC, but that that was not the main game?
As Rugby has now got to find more ways to be profitable on the world stage, moves into Asia, moves into North America, NZRU teaming up with North American franchises, the prospect of Rugby in the Olympics where previously unknowns will start to throw serious money at the game ....well, maybe that frightens the likes of Australia and NZ. One of the opening salvos in that campaign was lobbed during RWC when NZ complained about the cost of mounting a campaign, and the ARU jumped right in behind them, with almost indecent haste. YOu would love to be a fly on the wall in John O'Neill.s office, at least when he is having closed door sessions with Robbie. Not much of this would be minuted, because the ARU would probably leak like a sieve.
So, if my theory is right, I take my hat off to the ARU for bravery. If you think about it, we have been living on borrowed time for years with a squad of brilliant players most years, but not a lot of depth behind them. This smacks of an attempt to build that depth, which is a move designed for the long term.
For instance ...... why has Robbie left it so long to bring James O'Connor into the midfield - his comments today suggest that James, despite his immense talent, still has a lot of development to go through...he suggests that Tapuai is a successor and cover, despite Horne and Faingaa only just beginning to settle into those spots.... a typically evolutionary process, not one driven by panic or pragmatism.
Why has he left it for so long to involve Berrick Barnes in his best position, which, patently, is no 10?
Why did we take three halves to the RWC and we are now talking about Lucas being the back up?
and importantly, when will the ARU start to put the same kind of serious effort into the forwards as they do with the backs?
It all points to another couple of years of development, and the only conclusion is that we are building for evolution and consistency, not winnign cups every four years by taking pot luck.
Just hope we can put down a few markers along the way and not always be evolving.
Robbie Deans has all the hallmarks of a man who has been recruited by the ARU for a long term plan. Not just to establish ourselves now, for if that were the case, maybe we would have been more desperate to show improvement during the RWC.
Over the last, say, ten weeks or so, Robbie Deans has not looked like a man desperate to win the RWC at all costs.
Indeed, there were some pretty puzzling selections and decisions, made, weren't there?
No Giteau in the RWC squad - no back up no 7, which nearly came a cropper.
Nobody really took Quade Cooper by the coat tails and helped in his "hour of need".
Looking back on it, it's as if Robbie is a protected species, and maybe that't what has happened.
Is it too much to think that the powers that be took the view that we might or might not win the RWC, but that that was not the main game?
As Rugby has now got to find more ways to be profitable on the world stage, moves into Asia, moves into North America, NZRU teaming up with North American franchises, the prospect of Rugby in the Olympics where previously unknowns will start to throw serious money at the game ....well, maybe that frightens the likes of Australia and NZ. One of the opening salvos in that campaign was lobbed during RWC when NZ complained about the cost of mounting a campaign, and the ARU jumped right in behind them, with almost indecent haste. YOu would love to be a fly on the wall in John O'Neill.s office, at least when he is having closed door sessions with Robbie. Not much of this would be minuted, because the ARU would probably leak like a sieve.
So, if my theory is right, I take my hat off to the ARU for bravery. If you think about it, we have been living on borrowed time for years with a squad of brilliant players most years, but not a lot of depth behind them. This smacks of an attempt to build that depth, which is a move designed for the long term.
For instance ...... why has Robbie left it so long to bring James O'Connor into the midfield - his comments today suggest that James, despite his immense talent, still has a lot of development to go through...he suggests that Tapuai is a successor and cover, despite Horne and Faingaa only just beginning to settle into those spots.... a typically evolutionary process, not one driven by panic or pragmatism.
Why has he left it for so long to involve Berrick Barnes in his best position, which, patently, is no 10?
Why did we take three halves to the RWC and we are now talking about Lucas being the back up?
and importantly, when will the ARU start to put the same kind of serious effort into the forwards as they do with the backs?
It all points to another couple of years of development, and the only conclusion is that we are building for evolution and consistency, not winnign cups every four years by taking pot luck.
Just hope we can put down a few markers along the way and not always be evolving.
28 September 2011
18 September 2011
MEMO TO WALLABIES
Get Pocock fixed up, fast!!
Tatafu was rusty, Saia wasn't..
Will Genia - lose the box kick! - all you do is kick it ten metres upfield and give it away - you could have run to that spot in one or two phases.
Why did we need to bring 3 half backs and only one openside flanker?
Please ask for no more Kiwi referees. No criticism of Bryce, but the ability to slot the Wallabies must be at least a little bit tempting.
Aussies are too one dimensional and don't ever seem to think that someone will come up with a creative game plan to nullify the attack. We effectively had 3 no 8's on paddock, last night, couldn't anyone protect Genia - did anyone tell McCalman that he was supposed to do what Pocock does?
Tatafu was rusty, Saia wasn't..
Will Genia - lose the box kick! - all you do is kick it ten metres upfield and give it away - you could have run to that spot in one or two phases.
Why did we need to bring 3 half backs and only one openside flanker?
Please ask for no more Kiwi referees. No criticism of Bryce, but the ability to slot the Wallabies must be at least a little bit tempting.
Aussies are too one dimensional and don't ever seem to think that someone will come up with a creative game plan to nullify the attack. We effectively had 3 no 8's on paddock, last night, couldn't anyone protect Genia - did anyone tell McCalman that he was supposed to do what Pocock does?
14 September 2011
CHECK OUT THE JEDI...!
I'm not usually one to plug anything Kiwi, but if you are bored with the usual suspects on Fox or Channel 9, I can suggest that you turn down the sound and tune into the Jedi (otherwise known as Jed Thian - bit fat Maori bastard, who never has a kind word for anything Aussie) and refers to us as the "West Island" or "the Criminal
Element"
...you should hear what he used to call Stirling Mortlock!! ...mind you he's not too complimentary about the Boks or the Poms, either!
But, his commentary is different, fresh and challenging (if you can ignore his love affair with Richie McCaw!!)
Now, if he just teamed up with Roy and H.G. you would never listen to anything else.
so check it out ...."Rugby, Racin' and Beer!!" at www.arcrugby.co.nz ... (I can't believe I'm doing this!...) ...and we always drink on a tight head, right??!!
....AND NOW FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT!
.... they teach referees to be in the middle of the game, but this is too close to home ....
A game played in Mackay last year, and its fair to say that the ref remembers some of it, but not all of it.
Thanks to www.rugbydump.com
...and look how far the ball flew after the Falcon!!
A game played in Mackay last year, and its fair to say that the ref remembers some of it, but not all of it.
Thanks to www.rugbydump.com
...and look how far the ball flew after the Falcon!!
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