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Catch up on the best of the weekend’s games on Rugby Pass, including a sweat-inducing NRL Grand Final, a busy afternoon for the Sale Sharks car park attendant and the mighty Northland Taniwha attempt to break a two year drought.
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NRL: Storm vs Sharks
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
If the enormous armpit sweat patches on the shirts of Craig Bellamy and Shane Flanagan in the coaching boxes were anything to go by then this was at no point a relaxing game to watch. The Sharks were the stronger side out of the blocks, putting pressure on the Storm goal line and drawing first blood through a James Maloney penalty kick. But for all the pressure the Storm’s miserly defence ensured they were never out of the game, the two teams giving the NRL season – and Ray Warren’s commentary career – a fitting send off with a breathless final 40 minutes.
Aviva Premiership: Sale vs Leicester
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
Whoever’s job it is to retrieve the ball from the AJ Bell Stadium parking lot after a kick at goal had a busy day on Saturday. Things got off to a frantic start between Sharks and the visiting Tigers with the home side striking first through Mike Phillips before a quick Peter Betham brace put Leicester on top – this all within the first 13 minutes. Sale showed in last week’s 34-34 draw with Worcester that they are capable of putting points on the board, so it was no surprise when they levelled scores ten minutes later. But could their defence withstand the inevitable Tigers onslaught in the second half?
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Mitre 10 Cup: Northland vs Waikato
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
Northland are the worst team in the Mitre 10 Cup. If that sounds harsh, consider this: the last time they won a competitive game of rugby was October 3, 2014. Despite going 1 year 364 days without once tasting success loyal Taniwha fans still turn up to home games at Toll Stadium with a frankly irrational sense of optimism. With the home side up 32-8 at halftime against a Waikato side who had lost the Ranfurly Shield midweek, it was looking like this would be the day the drought was finally broken. Then Waikato scored, and scored again, and suddenly it wasn’t such a sure thing after all.
TRC: Argentina vs New Zealand
Watch: Full Game | Condensed
If you were to time travel back to last year’s Rugby World Cup final and tell jubilant All Blacks fans that in a year’s time the starting test centre pairing would be Ryan Crotty and Anton Lienert-Brown, few would have believed you. If you had told the same fans this pair would be tearing up the Rugby Championship they would probably have laughed in your face. That’s exactly what we saw in Buenos Aires on Sunday morning. The game wasn’t a classic by any measure – in fact pretty much the whole second half was a complete write-off barring one spectacular Argentina try – but it was an impressive statement from the new All Blacks centre combination, and 21-year-old Lienert-Brown in particular.
Top 14: Stade Français vs La Rochelle
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Surprise Top 14 leaders La Rochelle would have travelled to Paris fairly confident they could retain their place at the top of the table against a Stade Français side coming off back-to-back losses. That confidence would have taken a bit of a knock when Stade’s balding flanker Antoine Burban crossed for two first half tries to give his side a 14-9 halftime lead. But the reliable boot of Brock James banging over penalties at regular intervals kept La Rochelle in touching distance, and set up an intriguing second half battle.
Comments on RugbyPass
Will rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
2 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
2 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
3 Go to comments