Rugby Union News
A frustrated Warren Gatland admitted “some things we need to be better at” after his side slipped to a 10 successive defeat in the 24-19 loss to Fiji in the 2024 Autumn Nations Series opener. Wales led 14-3 in the first half but fell behind after conceding 12 penalties and missing 32 tackles in the […]
The post ‘Frustrated’ Gatland wants better performance against Wallabies appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
The code-hopper is the talk of the rugby union world after making light of expectations and the occasion at Twickenham on his Wallabies debut
Picture this; you’re 21-years-old, you’ve been the most talked about player in rugby union for a month straight, you’re playing your first senior game, your first of any kind in this code since you were a teenager, and you’ve just stepped out to start for your country at Twickenham, the home of rugby. We all know that elite athletes are cut from a different cloth but it’s worth lingering on the staggering set of circumstances that preceded Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s Test debut.
Simply not stinking up the place with a string of errors would have been enough. If he’d managed to hold onto the ball and land a few tackles then Joe Schmidt and Rugby Australia could have argued that there was tangible hope in a return of their substantial investment in this unproven prospect. He looked the part, all 1.98m and 98kg of him. But could he handle the bright lights and weight of expectation? We had our answer shortly before kick-off.
Continue reading...Joseph Suaalii has put to bed any dispute about NRL players being far superior footballers to their rugby union rivals.
Retired England great Ben Youngs’ sledge of the Wallabies in the lead-up to Australia’s drought-breaking 42-37 win against England at Twickenham backfired spectacularly.
Head coach’s gameplan exploded in his face again against Australia. South Africa are next … do the players trust it?
One of the all-time great Wallaby Test victories has left England up a gum tree of their own making. Clearly Australia deserve huge praise for Saturday’s spectacular ram raid, topped off by a record for points scored in this fixture at Twickenham. For the home side, however, a recurring failure to close out big games is now the subject of mounting scrutiny.
Scoring five tries and 37 points, for instance, should be enough to win any Test match. But only last March England scored 31 points in Lyon and still lost to France. Yet another disturbing pattern is emerging, this time around their defensive solidity. It makes for cracking entertainment for neutrals, less so for those England fans who still have any hair left to pull out.
Continue reading...The England head coach, Steve Borthwick, retains the unequivocal support of the Rugby Football Union despite four consecutive defeats, the Guardian understands.
England have won just four of their 10 Test matches in 2024 and have lost six of their last seven matches against tier one opposition. On Saturday they conceded a record number of points against Australia at Twickenham, again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in losing 42-37. Since Borthwick took charge in December 2022, they have a 50% winning record.
Continue reading...Live match updates will appear just prior to kick-off…… –
The post Today’s teams – Wales v Fiji appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Australia coach Joe Schmidt hailed Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii as an “aerial freak” after the cross-code capture marked his first senior game of rugby union by starring in the Wallabies’ thrilling 42-37 win over England at Twickenham on Saturday.
A code-hopping 21-year-old has announced himself as Australian Rugby’s newest star.
Max Jorgensen’s try in added-on time saw Australia to a stunning 42-37 win over England at Twickenham on Saturday as the Wallabies launched their tour of Britain with a desperately-needed victory.
What did we just witness? Australian rugby fans — the ones who did not set the alarm for the 2am for kick off — have woken to a stunning win over England at Twickenham on Sunday morning.
Max Jorgenson dived over to steal victory for the Wallabies in a classic at Twickenham
Marcus Smith send the ball skywards and deep, the Wallabies deal with it sensibly.
Meanwhile, at the SponsorNameDome Twickenham, the anthems are completed and we’re about to quite literally kick off.
Continue reading...Gareth Anscombe believes the new look Welsh team can build the momentum required to break the chain of recent results. The 33-year-old outside half will make his first appearance for Wales since Rugby World Cup 2023 when he starts on Sunday at Principality Stadium, in tandem with his Gloucester half-back partner Tomos Williams, and is […]
The post Anscombe ready to steer Wales once again appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Fiji coach Mick Byrne has told his players he doesn’t want a repeat of the nightmarish start his side experienced against Scotland when they face Wales at the Principality Stadium in round two of the Autumn Nations Series. Up against it from the start with none of their overseas stars playing in France and England […]
The post Nayacalevu back to fire the Flying Fijians appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
There will be no love lost between rivals in reruns of World Cup pool matches also including Wales against Fiji
A 50-point frolic against the Fiji second team this will not be. Scotland welcome the Springboks, champions of the southern hemisphere, champions of the world, champions of the sort of rugby to make grown men cower, to Edinburgh on Sunday – and they know this is when it gets horribly serious.
It has been faintly amusing, faintly absurd, to watch South Africa’s head coach, Rassie Erasmus, try to mount a charm offensive during the week, all touchy-feely, we-want-to-be-loved one minute, all seven-one-split-on-the-bench, hear-our-roar the next. The Springboks know how to win rugby matches; it seems winning hearts is their next directive.
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