Category: Australia Rugby

It was entertaining but a ton of unforced Australian errors and an inability to build through the phases kept the visitors in the contest

“How good is afternoon footy?” Tim Horan was practically gushing when he delivered this rhetorical question shortly after the 3:45 pm kick-off in Sydney. The two-time World Cup-winning Wallaby didn’t need to provide an answer of his own. His love for the game, his love for the badge, was self-evident. The question that was left unasked, the question that runs through every facet of Australian rugby at present, is, how many people feel the same way as Tim Horan?

Pontificating over the health of the code in Australia has almost become old hat. Like pointing out that there’s a looming housing crisis in the country or that the ice caps are melting. And though even the most popular sports are far less important than those real world challenges, the current health and predicted future of rugby union remains a nagging existential concern.

Continue reading...

• Australia made to work hard for 40-29 win in Sydney
• Victory makes it three from three under new coach Joe Schmidt

The Wallabies survived a scare to keep their unbeaten run under Joe Schmidt alive with a hard-earned 40-29 victory over Georgia in Sydney. The 12th-ranked Georgians threatened to spring a surprise after closing to within two points of the hosts early in the second half before the Wallabies kicked away late at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.

Schmidt made 10 changes to the side that beat Wales 36-28 last Saturday in Melbourne and some seized the opportunity, while others didn’t. New flyhalf Ben Donaldson didn’t look the answer to Australia’s playmaking dilemma, his kicking and decision-making too often poor.

Continue reading...

A new-look Wallabies side continued their rejuvenation under coach Joe Schmidt Saturday to overcome Georgia 40-29 in an entertaining one-off Test in Sydney.

• Wallabies make it three from three under new coach Joe Schmidt
• Outsiders Georgia impress in defeat at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium

The two sides are now lined up in the tunnel. The Wallabies in gold jerseys and green shorts, Georgia all in white.

The teams are just making the final touches to their uniforms in the sheds. Our advertised start time of 3:45pm looks to be out by at least 10 minutes.

Continue reading...

• Australia swing 10 changes to starting side for rugby international
• Allan Alaalatoa to lead team, former All Black Alex Hodgman on bench

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has made wholesale changes to his team for the rugby Test against Georgia in Sydney on Saturday. Veteran prop Allan Alaalatoa will become the third captain in three weeks, starting in the front-row alongside rookies Isaac Kailea and Billy Pollard.

The trio are among 10 changes to the starting side as Schmidt rotates his squad after the tough 2-0 series sweep over Wales. Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Hunter Paisami, Filipo Daugunu and Tom Wright are the only remaining faces in the starting 15 from last week’s second Test win against Wales.

Continue reading...

The Wallabies will have a third captain in three games under new coach Joe Schmidt with Liam Wright failing to recover in time for Saturday’s clash with Georgia.

There was a degree of flair in the second of two wins over Wales, but other winning traits were in evidence which point to progress being made

If you’re looking for evidence that this so-called new era of Australian rugby might actually deliver on its promise, it came in the 13th minute as the Wallabies set up camp inside the Wales 22. Five minutes earlier, Filipo Daugunu scored a blockbuster try that stretched the length of the pitch, involved individual brilliance, over-the-top risk and a fortunate bounce of the ball. In short, it looked great on replays but is not something a meticulous coach like Joe Schmidt would want to see too often.

Instead he’ll point to the passage of play shortly after as a sign that his project is starting to bear fruit. With a penalty advantage and within striking distance of the Welsh line, Australia kept it short and cycled through 22 phases as Jake Gordon delivered neat passes to runners off his shoulder and forced Welsh defenders to make tackle after tackle after tackle. This is a hallmark of Schmidt-ball which saw him win three Six Nations crowns with Ireland and two European Championships with Leinster. And though James Slipper, captaining the side in his 136th Test, knocked on, momentum was with them and Noah Lolesio’s boot added three points to the score.

Continue reading...

Progress can be hard to measure when you are coming from such a long way back but a second-up Wallabies win in the Joe Schmidt era is better than the alternative.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt says his new-look team learned “a bit about ourselves” in last week’s win over Wales as he named a largely unchanged line-up, albeit with a new captain, for Saturday’s second clash in Melbourne.

Joe Schmidt’s reign as Wallabies coach got off to a flying start in Sydney on Saturday with a hard-fought 25-16 defeat of Warren Gatland’s Wales, who slumped to their eighth straight loss.