The Rugby Pass Podcast: Super Rugby Finals Fever

Absolutely agree. See my comment above. We could be heading for an 8/0 with no distinction between backs and forwards.

GrahamVF 23 minutes ago

I think they are going to throw the ball around a lot. But they also have a Badja front row over 380kgs total.

GrahamVF 25 minutes ago

This is finally the coming together of the Varsity Cup - Francois Pienaar’s baby as a development nursery and a bridge between schools and senior franchise rugby. The Varsity cup has been the experimental ground for numerous innovations for example the 50/20 and they give a two point bonus for a try that originates in your own half without the opposition getting the ball which encourages first phase play rather than multi phase where the opposition has a chance of getting the ball. Those backs have all been ingrained with the idea of break the like rather than set up another phase. After baby Boks got thumped in the RC they played a series of games against senior teams - Cape Town and Stellenbosch senior club teams, Boland, and even the Sharks. But they still have to get past France and the AB’s so I’m not counting my chickens - just enjoying them game by game.

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

NB 30 minutes ago

Could be. He’s been very solid since Schmidt started picking him so hard to understand why both Porecki and Pollard are now preferred?

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

NB 31 minutes ago

Yes agreed👍

Junior Springboks underline U20 title credentials in devastating display vs Scotland

Hellhound 32 minutes ago

The junior Bokkies is really doing very well, underlining the strength and depth in the SA rugby system. Who will snatch these players up? My worries is that there is just not enough professional teams that compete internationally, and most of these players might be lost to other leagues/countries in the future.

SARU needs to add more teams to the Currie Cup, maybe rebrand the competition. SA have as much, if not more talent than the French. We could easily supply about 14 teams, who could be very competitive with all the young talent coming through, others who might come back. The biggest problem SA rugby have, is money. The club's just don't have money and SARU holds the keys. SA needs investment, but that won't happen unless more teams, or a new system is brought forth. With the right investors, the club scene will make a lot of money. I would look towards the IPL franchise owners or the UAE. They have the money to grow the sport, build new stadiums etc. With 44 African countries, one or two teams per country could easily made up to 4 or 5 tiers of rugby competitions. Even if those countries play their national teams in the local club competition. It would help African rugby too, facing teams like the Bulls and Sharks etc. on a regular basis. Africa is untapped potential. There is big room for improvement. Currently SA is in a bubble or Island of their own on the African continent. Money is available from the right investors if they actually do proper marketing and get businesses or mine owners involved in sponsoring teams. Yes there is a lot of red tape, but creating a league the size of the French clubs scene could easily be achieved. There is more than enough very good players available, however no funds is available currently. There is certainly more than enough African billionaires around to be able to create a league like that. Many countries are currently diluting the SA talent, snapping them up young, offering what SA can't. Money. How many of these young stars will go on to represent a provincial team or the Boks? How many will find it so difficult to make a career of rugby and leave the sport? How many have been lost? With WR favouring the Northern Hemisphere, ignoring the Southern Hemisphere despite the South being the strongest throughout history (9 WC trophies compared to 1) they are pouring money into the NH leaving the SH to struggle for money and that's what you get. Weak local competitions like the Currie Cup. The attraction to watch the league? Same as playing rugby in your backyard.

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NB 32 minutes ago

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

Aussie will have to find the pressure points in the series, atm they are pretty obvious!

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

NB 33 minutes ago

True, though I never felt at any point that the Brums were a shot to win the game. Did you?

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

NB 34 minutes ago

you have to want to play the game. It cannot be just a job to get paid for.

Spot on. That feeling oils the wheels.

I don’t know why Topo bcame an outsider, but he forgot more about scrums than most of the other Aussie ptops ever learned.

I think it was also why RA picked up Noriega later on too, they saw another Topo.

GrahamVF 34 minutes ago

And I think that multiple position players are going to be more and more valuable. Rassie 7/1 split has opened the door to an 8/0 with multiple players being able to take No9/10/13/14/11/15 and 4/5/7/8 and 6/7/12 and even 1/2/3 al la the old Argentinian sides who seemed to think the position was just called front row - and John Smit so as someone said the numbers on the back mean less and less. Of course there must be more than oner kicking option but if John Eales can take the kicking duties that opens the door a bit too.

All Blacks will thrash France on Saturday

Jacque 35 minutes ago

Get ready to be “appalled”

I think some fans are still trapped in their mind that this is an ALL STAR All Black team like 10 years ago. Those days are long gone fellas.

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NB 36 minutes ago

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

It’s odd when you think back to that tug of wat for his services between NZ and Aussie when he was a junior isn’t it? Can’t help feeling how much he might have achieved as an AB.

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

NB 37 minutes ago

‘The harder I worker, the luckier I get’ is th Michael Jordan version. I read the story of the Larry Bird v. Magic Johnson rivalry recently, and the common factor was how much extra work both of them put into the game, lonf after official practice was over.

NB 39 minutes ago

South Africa do seem to taking the comp a lot more seriously don’t they? Could be a good game vs. France in the final if both make it.

Thanks for the background.

Rieko Ioane moved again as one debutant named for the All Blacks

Jacque 40 minutes ago

Honestly think his time as an ALL BLACK is over.

82 Go to comments

NB 43 minutes ago

Wrong again Ed.

I listed England as one of three ‘Probables’ in my 2024 preview and they duly finished third in the table only one point behind France. If Scotland had got home vs. Ireland and England beat Les Bleus, they were still a chance to win it in the final round. The result was in doubt to the end of both matches.

Then you invented this little parable that the Irish weren’t that bothered at Twickers, so somehow losing to England didn’t count! I’m sure IB can correct you on that one…

That was just one of your ‘predictions’ which crashed and burned quite comically.

Then you ‘predicted’ France would win easily against England and got burned again….

After a while I did actually feel sorry for you mind.🤕

Owen Farrell on Lions bench for AUNZ XV as five Scots start

BA 55 minutes ago

No doubt they bring physicality looking at this Lions line up in quite a few positions man on man the ANZACs possibly bringing more and have the athletes to punish Lions mistakes so I reckon Faz going to make them tighten it up a bit for this one ,possibly better front row than starting for ANZAC on bench and that Brial dude likes to bash so plenty there coming on, that’s a Lions backrow you wouldn’t have picked before tour ,short for sure but all 3 go hard at everything and with Henry and Ben plenty of extra spice

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GrahamVF 1 hour ago

When France used tour South Africa for three tests and six or eight provincial games they were anything but friendly and the French were determined to win the series or are you saying that a three test series is a tournament. And if it isn’t is it a series of friendlies? Your reasoning doesn’t make sense. The wording might be different in different languages but the intent is the same - like love in tennis.