Referees
Let the game flow: Wallabies coach Robbie Deans's message to Lions referees
Darren Walton Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has placed the onus squarely on referees to ensure Australia's showpiece series against the British and Irish Lions lives up to the hype with vibrant, free-flowing rugby.
A tale of wrong referees and unfair advantage
Spiro Zavos TOM Keneally, wordsmith, describes the hype before big matches as the foreplay. Not unexpectedly, the qualifying finals between the Crusaders and Bulls and the Reds and Sharks have generated intense...
Matt Burke
Referees proving to be a major obstruction to innovative plays
Matt Burke I remember a training session with the Wallabies in Caloundra in 1998. Wayne Bennett had come along to observe.
Ewen McKenzie
Referees must get penalty ratio right in defence and attack to promote attractive rugby and reward adventure
Ewen McKenzie When you become the first team to hold the Crusaders tryless in Christchurch since 2000, it is difficult to understand why the statistic did not come with a memorable win.
Rugby
Super Rugby, the game they play in transit lounges
Ewen McKenzie One of the more important but often unseen aspects of Super Rugby is the amount of pure logistics involved.
Rugby
Waratahs have skill set to stop mauling by Stormers
Paul Cully As the Stormers tried to bully the Blues into submission last Friday night, one South African journalist sent the following pithy tweet. ''Heaven help us South Africans if the IRB ever bans the maul.
Rugby
Lions to kick against their revered heritage
Spiro Zavos Not long after the 2013 British and Irish Lions squad was announced, I received this email from a well-informed England supporter: ‘‘The two best players in their position left behind [Andrew...
Rugby Union
Jake's men call in a regional heavy to lecture players about game's laws
Chris Dutton The Brumbies have been given a crash course in what Super Rugby referees will crack down on.
Rugby
The eyes have it: Opticians chain to sponsor Lions officials
The International Rugby Board (IRB) on Thursday said that match officials for the forthcoming British and Irish Lions tour to Hong Kong and Australia will be sponsored by a leading chain of opticians.
Rugby
'Mucks' killing the ball and the game
Ewen McKenzie Former Wallabies centre Andrew Slack asked me about the offside situation in our game and how he had observed that there was an issue in this space at this time.
Union
White sees Reds at McKenzie's claim Brumbies lead penalty stats
Chris Dutton A battle of mind games started the rivalry and now a statistics war has tensions running high for a fierce contest between the ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds in the biggest game of their seasons.
Rugby
Tahs need to be wary as Chiefs bulk up, SBW style
Paul Cully The question most asked of the Chiefs has a simple answer. No, they haven't replaced Sonny Bill Williams, but for the first time this season they have picked a side that looks best equipped to...
Derby will decide real top dogs, says White
Phil Lutton Brumbies coach Jake White says Saturday's scrap with the Reds in Brisbane could represent a changing of the guard in Australian rugby as his ambitious side tries to usurp Ewen McKenzie's former...
Union
Reds still in a rage as Brumbies move on
Chris Dutton ACT side says it ahs already turned its attention to the Western Force.
Rugby could learn something off Ricky's rant
Phil Lutton Before Ricky Stuart walked into the press conference room at Skilled Park last Sunday night, there was the distinct feeling he was about to serve up something a little special.
Waratahs keep losing the ball, then the match
Georgina Robinson Turnovers killed the Waratahs' star on Saturday night and coach Michael Cheika says it's been happening all season.
Union
Squad depth the key, says Rathbone
David Polkinghorne ACT Brumbies winger Clyde Rathbone says rotation is an essential tool for Super Rugby clubs.
Paul Cully
Hoeft helps put scrum on a firm footing
Paul Cully Could an answer to the game's most problematic area be on the horizon?
Rugby
Sly art of 'managing' the ref worth its weight in penalties
Matthew Burke Sitting back on Monday night watching the news unfold for the day, I caught an interview from Wests Tigers coach Mick Potter and his comment about how their loss to the Storm was directly related to...
Force deny illegal rugby substitutions
Western Force coach Michael Foley denies the Super Rugby club have been making illegal front-row substitutions this season, claiming the moves have disadvantaged them at times.
