Leah Manning

What happened in the Rugby Championship? Two won four and two won two. A bonus-point loomed large. Seventy-six tries scored, and the leading scorer was Mister Penalty Try. Twelve maul tries pushed over the line; none of them Wallaby. All cups were retained in Auckland. By the end, all the coaches were safe, but the order of security was reversed. Yes. But that never satisfies the rugby tragic, hunting mysteries and underground currents. Argentine rugby analyst and all-round good guy Francisco Roldan and I dug through the numbers and patterns so you would not have to; here is an alternate story of the “Four Nations” tournament, which inspired or deflated, but enlightened us all. Attack Francisco discerned the origin of the 76 tries. Six flowed from scrums (one was an old school Springbok pushover dot-down by Jasper Wiese in Round 6). Twenty-four of them emanated from lineouts, but equally were mauled (12) and non-mauled (12). Perhaps most interesting was how the teams stacked u

As the dust settles on another Bledisloe played and lost, the humdrum of contemporary rugby punditry continues. Inevitably, experts and fans shift through the tried and tested get-out clauses we are so familiar with and which come naturally after two decades. Injuries, inaccurate coaching, or a lack of discipline all get a mention until invariably, a longhorn of impeccable rugby pedigree resolutely and with the confidence of a man seated firmly on the sideline offers “a lack of passion” as the underlying cause. For my part, I have found solace in this perspective over the years. I tell myself, “If the boys on the big contracts would just believe a little more and bleed green and gold like the rest of us here in Clubland, then they can’t not but win.” Sedated by this familiar thought, I wander off cosily into “Maybe-Next-Year-Land” with a feeling of superiority well earned through many self-congratulatory mutterings of “if I had the chance to wear the jersey” and “they need to feel

Yep, things are pretty bad for the Wallabies at the moment. As a fella who started watching the Wallabies 30 years ago and have grown up entirely on league, I can honestly say this is the worst state they have ever been in. I never thought I would miss the Michael Cheika era but at […] http://dlvr.it/SZFngT

The fallout over Darcy Swain’s hit on Quinn Tupaea has continued with the Wallabies lock branded an “absolute coward” by a former All Black who is still an active player in France. Lima Sopoaga tweeted his disgust over Swain’s Bledisloe Cup cleanout on Tupaea at the time of the incident and doubled down in the wake of news that Tupaea would nine months after serious ACL damage, putting his World Cup in doubt. Swain was banned for six weeks for the clearance – although some swift thinking by Australian selectors means he’ll serve half of that on the Australian A tour of Japan that kicks off on Saturday. Australian A coach Jason Gilmore confirmed Swain didn’t travel to train with the team in Japan, staying at home instead. The injury to centre Tupaea has angered many in the NZ rugby community and Sopoaga made his feelings clear on social media. Swain is an absolute coward for this. Was no need for such a cheap shot. 9 months for 6 weeks seems fair, Joke of a suspension ????????‍ ht

This year, the English Premier League spent a record £2.2b on transfers of players. Because they are the biggest commercial league, they are able to bring in the best players. Of the transfer fees £858m went to the top leagues of Germany, France, Italy and Spain, £836m stayed in England (but not all in the Premier League), £374m was shared between the Portuguese and Dutch top divisions with the remaining £132m going to the rest of the world. Benfica from Portugal have made a business of buying low and selling high. Since 2001 they have made about €1.4b with a little over €500m coming in the last five years. They are able to take players from poorer regions of the world and sell them on to the six big leagues allowing them to overcome the financial restraints of their own league. Darwin Nunez of Liverpool (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) The transfer of David Beckham from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003 was one of the first deals done for commercial reasons. United

At the outset I want to say this is not about nostalgia; rather it’s about common sense. Certain professional sports played today warrant the embrace of new technology when it comes to officiating in an effort to reach perfection – zero errors. Tennis is one example. The most recent US Open eliminated line judges for the first time this year. Swimming and track are others. However, it gets messier when you look at team sports. To be sure, for some, the use of technology is working. Referees’ use of technology during soccer matches to call an offside works, or whether the ball crossed the goal line. Rugby union is another matter. What was initially intended to be a freewheeling sport has today, at the international level, turned into a game of stops and starts. The referee, thanks to wireless technology, is now being spoken to in real-time by the TMO and his two touch judges – if they feel they have seen an infraction the referee missed. Common sense alone dictates this approac

Yep, things are pretty bad for the Wallabies at the moment. As a fella who started watching the Wallabies 30 years ago and have grown up entirely on league, I can honestly say this is the worst state they have ever been in. I never thought I would miss the Michael Cheika era but at least he started well before things went haywire. Since Dave Rennie took over there has been the odd glimmer of hope from a match or two but the rest has been just miserable. Another Roar poster noted that 30 matches into Cheika’s term as coach he had a 56.7% win rate. This compares to DRs 36.7%. But it gets worse when you look at the breakdown of home and away matches. Because of COVID, Rennie has had the luxury of the following home and away fixture setup. Home = 18 Away = 11 That’s a massive advantage. Compare that to poor Cheik who was racking up the hotel stays: Home = 8 Away = 15 Neutral = 7 Some people say we have to accept that Australia is not a good rugby nation, we don’t have the cattl

In a Rugby Championship where all teams were up and down like a yo-yo were the Wallabies as bad as some have suggested and in a state of no return? Are the refs not making the correct which the ref did but it was the timing of it that was the problem, or could it […] http://dlvr.it/SZBLbp

All Blacks and Chiefs centre Quinn Tupaea has been given a worse-than-expected diagnosis after the injury suffered in Darcy Swain’s ugly cleanout in Bledisloe I. Swain received a six week ban – including matches he was named for on the Australia A tour of Japan – for tackling the leg of Tupaea. He will miss three Tests on the northern hemisphere tour starting next month. The Kiwi was initially thought to have avoided surgery and be out for three months, but the All Blacks confirmed Thursday that he would be sidelined for up to nine months with significant ACL damage. Feeling for our mate ???? Recover well, Quinn. Can’t wait to see you back next year ???? pic.twitter.com/ZYD2LQ2JD6 — All Blacks (@AllBlacks) September 28, 2022 Tupaea will miss Super Rugby Pacific and must be a doubt to get back to fitness before the Rugby World Cup next year. Swain copped a six-week ban for the incident but he will only miss three Tests after Rugby Australia controversially named him in the Aus

So the Rugby Championship has been run and won, and though it played out as tightly as anyone can remember through the first month or so, it finished as pundits of all persuasions probably expected. But before we put the two-up panel in the rack for a month – we’ll be back in time for the spring tour fixtures – the best way to wrap up the Rugby Championship is to name a few names. And as always, we’ll be interested to see who you guys come back with as your own players of the TRC. As is almost always the case in these exercises, consensus is far from assured. Sports opinion delivered daily       Question 1: Who was your player of the Rugby Championship – from the sides other than your own – and why? Brett This is another tough question I’ve set for myself and the rest of the panel, and it’s genuinely difficult to try and angle for one player above a handful of several very good players this tournament. But that’s what I have to do – though it’s only while compiling the guys

In a Rugby Championship where all teams were up and down like a yo-yo were the Wallabies as bad as some have suggested and in a state of no return? Are the refs not making the correct which the ref did but it was the timing of it that was the problem, or could it be that the Wallabies coaching staff are not researching the referees like they should be? The best teams want to know as much as they can about a ref, this will allow for better communication and respect between both parties. What is the captain’s role? He provides the communication and leadership by proving it through his own actions and gameplay. James Slipper was the most penalised player in The Rugby Championship and this must have had a negative impact on the less experienced players, seeing their captain not leading by example. He also seems to be lacking the necessary communication with the team, and I have not seen him talking with the players and telling them to ‘reset’ when the pressure is on. Dave Rennie is no

World Rugby has sanctioned law trials during two matches in Queensland next month as the game looks for ways to get faster and increase ball in play time. A number of law innovations for the Queensland Challenger series – between a Reds Development Squad and a President’s XV – will be in effect, after a similar trial between NSW and ACT XVs last weekend Changes to how the set-piece and ruck is time-managed and officiated will be trialled, as well as improved clarifications to deliberate knock-downs and advantage laws. Time limits will be placed on removing the ball from the ruck, packing the scrum, taking penalties, restart and conversions, and delivering line-outs. Wonky throws will only be penalised if the opposing team is contesting, while there will be no yellow cards for deliberate knock-downs and only three phases of advantage. Rugby has been under the microscope from friends and foe this season, with issues over time wasting and a rash of yellow cards. The Springboks vs, A