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Ned Lester

Les Kiss confident latest Wallabies changes can unlock backline threats

Wallabies head coach Les Kiss is trying to keep the emphasis on developing combinations amid the Wallabies' backline injury woes, and is rolling with the punches as he prepares his men to face Scotland this weekend in Edinburgh.

Joe Santamaria

'We will never go back to where we were': Rodrigo Fernandez and the 'unthinkable' rise of Chile

Los Condores are one of rugby's biggest success stories of recent times and their playmaker is determined to continue their trajectory.

Fixtures & Results

Fixtures & Results

Premiership Cup fixture

Leicester

Leicester

Sun Nov 15

5:00am

Saracens

Saracens

Nations Championship fixture

Scotland

Scotland

Sun Nov 15

7:10am

Australia

Australia

Pro D2 fixture

Grenoble

Grenoble

Thu Nov 19

12:00pm

Provence Rugby

Provence Rugby

Nations Championship result

Ireland

Ireland

43 - 15

Fiji

Fiji

Nations Championship result

England

England

78 - 15

Japan

Japan

World Rugby Nations Cup result

Romania

Romania

24 - 53

USA

USA

Will Joseph equals try-scoring record as England demolish Japan

Georgia secure World Rugby Nations Cup title with a round to spare

Women's Rugby

PWR

Saracens Women

Saracens Women

Sun Nov 22

5:00am

Leicester Tigers Women

Leicester Tigers Women

PWR

Sale Sharks Women

Sale Sharks Women

Sat Nov 21

6:00am

Gloucester-Hartpury Women RFC

Gloucester-Hartpury Women RFC

PWR

Loughborough Lightning

Loughborough Lightning

Fri Nov 20

11:30am

Trailfinders Women

Trailfinders Women

Women's Internationals

Chile

Chile

19 - 28

Colombia Women

Colombia Women

Women's Internationals

Chile

Chile

39 - 10

Mexico Women

Mexico Women

Women's Internationals

Spain Women

Spain Women

0 - 20

South Africa Women

South Africa Women

Chiefs Manawa search for 2027 coach as Dwayne Sweeney moves on

'I really want to challenge myself': Sophie de Goede outlines ambition

38 - 24

FT

21 - 19

FT

14 - 19

FT

36 - 44

FT

55 - 31

FT

17 - 38

FT

35 - 28

FT

33 - 45

FT

5 - 36

FT

15 - 20

FT

20 - 25

FT

24 - 53

FT

78 - 15

FT

43 - 15

FT

Tomorrow

05:00

Tomorrow

07:10

International Highlanders

Watch: Is Aaron Smith the best player in the world right now?

Published: 21 March 2018 17:33 PDT

Is Aaron Smith the best player in the world right now?

On this week’s episode of The Short Ball, Scotty Stevenson & Mils Muliaina discuss the form of All Blacks incumbent Aaron Smith following some outstanding early season performances for the Highlanders. The young man seems to be back to his best having well and truly put to bed the spelling & grammar scandal of 2017.

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Listen in to the entire episode below, or subscribe on iTunes here and never miss an episode.

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Latest Long Reads

LONG READ

'We will never go back to where we were': Rodrigo Fernandez and the 'unthinkable' rise of Chile

Los Condores are one of rugby's biggest success stories of recent times and their playmaker is determined to continue their trajectory.

2

LONG READ

How Nations Championship is changing shape of the game - but let’s keep a fair maul contest

The competition has more ball-in-play time, more points and more tries, but the ease of scoring from close-range lineout drives may be exerting undue influence on games.

135

LONG READ

The Springboks are rightly favourites for the World Cup but don't bet against the resurgent All Blacks

New Zealand may have been bested in the RGR Series, but Dave Rennie is building a side who will push the Springboks all the way.

52

Comments on RugbyPass

K

K F 14 minutes ago

Jake White points to Springboks example after Fiji fall to Ireland

Since Jake White has taken over I have been impressed by his stated vision for the team. The following quote however, gives me much pause:

“We’re not there yet, we took a tap penalty. Having been a South African coach, it would be nothing better than to say take the scrum, put them under pressure, get a yellow card against them and then we’ve got 10 minutes against 14 men.

...

1 Go to comments

J

JW 14 minutes ago

All Blacks player ratings vs Wales | Nations Championship 2026

The ones who haven’t been playing much in NZ recently you mean or am I still supposed to be responding about Super Rugby? LOL

126 Go to comments

J

JW 17 minutes ago

'One-dimensional': Rennie weighs in on attacking performance against Wales

You think they should have overridden the coaching team?

Do you think Beauden was chosen as captain because he would think for himself or follow orders?

...

20 Go to comments

J

JW 29 minutes ago

All Blacks player ratings vs Wales | Nations Championship 2026

They’re bounce back for sure. This game was the coaching team regressing into the same sort of pattern Razor n Co found themselves doing.

They’ll spot that and it will be back to full bore next weekend.

...

126 Go to comments

J

JW 32 minutes ago

All Blacks player ratings vs Wales | Nations Championship 2026

Thankfully the won’t be needed?

126 Go to comments

B

B 33 minutes ago

Wales cling on to end 73-year wait to beat the All Blacks

I’ve seen 320 tackles with 27 missed. On 35% possession and 43% territory

It's seems to be ripped from the Opta stats. If it's true, then it's ridiculous

...

44 Go to comments

J

JW 35 minutes ago

All Blacks player ratings vs Wales | Nations Championship 2026

The won some big moments in the last 10 for sure. And the reverse was always expected of players like Moung and Leicester, they’ve got to try to be match winners but it’s far too much to ask of them not coming through Super Rugby (and being injured).

126 Go to comments

C

ColinK 36 minutes ago

Wales cling on to end 73-year wait to beat the All Blacks

Congrats to Wales, hopefully my boys will be better for this. Incredibly courageous defense from Wales and also France yesterday. Wales deserved to win, hats off to them. For my beloved ABs a sad day, but we will judge if its a blip or something more serious next week against a resurgent England. It’s been a long injury-riddled season but no excuse, as all teams face this now days. At least it’s nice to know that there will be many people so, so happy in Wales. Hopefully they will rise again now.

44 Go to comments

J

JW 37 minutes ago

All Blacks player ratings vs Wales | Nations Championship 2026

Not at all, three times (really only twice looked like scoring though) they held players up over the line, that was the luck they needed.

Also if they hadn’t of stopped those tries they could just have scored again themselves. It was great work don’t get us wrong, but it doesn’t invalid or making it more important than the prio 60min of good threatening rugby. One would even call your take disrespectul of Wales and more anit AB than anything else.

...

126 Go to comments

J

JW 42 minutes ago

All Blacks player ratings vs Wales | Nations Championship 2026

That Bok side went on to demolish France in the same fashion using one less player. It certainly wasn’t as bad a performance as this one.

126 Go to comments

B

B 45 minutes ago

Spooked Ireland fumble their way to win over Fiji as Boks loom large

After the majesty of Friday nights battle, then the history making Cardiff epic, comes the main event…

Game of the decade!!!

...

1 Go to comments

J

JW 47 minutes ago

All Blacks player ratings vs Wales | Nations Championship 2026

Even Argentina at home was worse than that following one.

You’d like to call it a D team but the reality is that the coaches consider some of those players as their A team.

...

126 Go to comments

B

B 49 minutes ago

'Feels like you're playing 16 or 17': All Blacks captain Beauden Barrett on loss to Wales

“couldn’t convert a number of chances” is an incredibly ungracious way of saying “were not allowed to”

None shall pass, as they say in that part of the world

...

1 Go to comments

j

jclaytonf 51 minutes ago

Dave Rennie's short response on Richie Mo'unga's performance against Wales

Mo’unga is a world class 10 and Rennie needs to persevere. I see the best option as Mo’unga as 10, Jordan at 15 with Love coming off the bench. Beauden Barrett and McKenzie are not consistent, and Barrett has (sadly) past his use-by date.

10 Go to comments

G

GP 53 minutes ago

Dave Rennie's short response on Richie Mo'unga's performance against Wales

Well said. Richie Mo’unga gave it a go and made meters in not always great positions. Opportunistic people blaming him when he actually played well. Kyle Preston should have started as should have Ethan Blackadder. Ethan should have come on way earlier anyway. George Bell made an impact and I believe should be in the Test squad.

10 Go to comments

B

B 53 minutes ago

Wales player ratings vs All Blacks | Nations Championship 2026

Managed to get the full replay without the spoiler alerts!

Incredibly they backed up their jaw dropping response to the haka

...

19 Go to comments

J

JW 59 minutes ago

All Blacks player ratings vs Wales | Nations Championship 2026

Wildkard saying the Scarlets have been really good this year. I wouldn’t put it past Wales putting as much on Aus as we did.

126 Go to comments

c

cnw 1 hour ago

All Blacks player ratings vs Wales | Nations Championship 2026

Yeah that was very painful too but losing to the No 10 in the world, is just utterly demoralising - it should never have happened - they only just beat Japan by about the same margin last week - who were then slaughtered by the English today. Its bad JD, very bad.

126 Go to comments

O

OtagomanII 1 hour ago

Du'Plessis Kirifi issues statement after meme posted on All Blacks account after loss

Ok, so who has access to his instagram account? I don’t have one so I’m ignorant on how it works.

1 Go to comments

T

Tom 1 hour ago

England player ratings vs Japan | Nations Championship 2026

Agreed on all points… although I'm not really bothered if Fisilau or Earl start. Earl playing the first 55 and Fisilau and Pollock coming off the bench works well.

9 Go to comments

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