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.
Frawley’s last-gasp drop goal seals stunning win for Ireland in South Africa
- South Africa 24-25 Ireland
- Jack Crowley scores 14 points in thrilling Durban victory
Ciarán Frawley coolly landed a last-gasp drop goal as Ireland weathered a second-half storm to pull off a stunning 25-24 victory in Durban and secure a 1-1 series draw against South Africa. Frawley stepped off the bench to split the posts in dramatic fashion with the final action of a thrilling encounter at Kings Park Stadium after a similar effort 10 minutes earlier.
Andy Farrell’s side had looked set to slip to an agonising defeat to the back-to-back world champions after Conor Murray’s try helped reward a ferocious first-half display with a 16-6 lead. The flawless fly-half Handré Pollard slotted eight penalties to turn the contest in the Springboks’ favour on the back of their 27-20 triumph last weekend in Pretoria.
Continue reading...Australia 36-28 Wales: rugby union international – as it happened
The Wallabies remain unbeaten in 2024 after victory over Wales in Melbourne gave coach Joe Schmidt a second win
“Replicate some of the things we did well and hopefully solve some of the things we didn’t do so well.”
How’s that for some cutting edge rugby insight from Joe Schmidt?
Continue reading...Newly minted Wallabies captain Liam Wright to miss Wales clash, James Slipper to captain
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.
France’s Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jégou arrested on sexual assault charges
- Players currently on Les Bleus’ South America tour
- FFR president says an investigation is under way
Two France international rugby players have been arrested after an allegation of sexual assault was made against them during Les Bleus’ South America tour. The president of the the French rugby federation’ (FFR), Florian Grill, told reporters in Buenos Aires that if the facts are proven they are “incredibly serious”.
The two players – the 20-year-old Pau lock Hugo Auradou and the La Rochelle flanker Oscar Jégou, 21 – are set to be taken from the Argentinian capital to Mendoza, where the alleged incident happened. Mendoza staged the first Test between Argentina and France on Saturday, when Auradou and Jégou both started.
Continue reading...South Africa 27-20 Ireland: first rugby union Test – as it happened
The Springboks’ bench won a penalty try at the death to settle a thrilling contest between two true heavyweights
The players are making their way out to the field.
They pass under a sign that reads, “Altitude. 1 350m. It matters”.
Continue reading...South Africa hold firm to seal narrow win over Ireland in pulsating first Test
- South Africa 27-20 Ireland
- Late tries from Murray and Baird not enough for tourists
The Ireland wing James Lowe went from hero to zero as the world champions, South Africa, underlined their status as Test rugby’s top-ranked nation with a gripping 27-20 win in Pretoria.
Lowe produced a sensational offload to set up a debut try for Jamie Osborne and thought he had brought Andy Farrell’s men level with a superb breakaway score in the second half.
Continue reading...Aussie humiliates rival with vicious move as new Wallabies boss exacts RWC revenge
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.
Wallabies get seventh captain in a year as new coach Joe Schmidt names first team
Liam Wright will return to the Wallabies for the first time in five years as captain of the national team with up to seven players set to earn their debuts as new coach Joe Schmidt put a full stop on the disastrous Eddie Jones era.
Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper announces retirement from international rugby
Michael Hooper, who holds the record for the most caps as Australia captain, put an end to his international rugby career on Sunday after missing out on selection for the Paris Olympics.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt doesn’t know his line-up or captain nine days out from clash with Wales
New Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt concedes he’s never been so “underprepared” as he remains without a clear idea of his first team let alone a potential captain just nine days out from the opening Test against Wales and even after a four-day camp in Brisbane with his maiden squad.
Blues break 21-year title drought after thrashing Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific final
Caleb Clarke scored a hat-trick as the Auckland Blues crushed the Waikato Chiefs 41-10 on Saturday to win their first full Super Rugby title since 2003.
Eddie’s warning to England falls flat as Japan thrashed in first game back in charge
Eddie Jones said Japan were “going in the right direction” despite being thrashed 52-17 by England in Tokyo on Saturday in the first game of his second stint in charge.
Blues beat Chiefs to break 21-year Super Rugby title drought
- The Blues sweep aside the Chiefs in a 41-10 drubbing at Eden Park
- It was the first final between the NZ sides in their 28-year history
The Blues have broken a 21-year Super Rugby title drought, sweeping aside the Chiefs in a 41-10 drubbing at a sold-out Eden Park.
In the first ever final between the two New Zealand sides in their 28-year history, the Blues were dominant.
Continue reading...‘Very tight selection calls’: Kurtley Beale named in Wallabies squad as NRL duo miss out
Veteran playmaker Kurtley Beale has earnt a shock recall for the Wallabies after he was one of 38 players named in Joe Schmidt’s first squad as Australian coach that includes 13 uncapped players.