Union
I preferred Graham Henry over Robbie Deans for All Blacks job, says skipper Richie McCaw
Paul Cully Richie McCaw has revealed that he told the NZRU that the Graham Henry-led ticket was the better option than appointing Robbie Deans after the All Blacks' 2007 World Cup failure.
History is just that, and Tahs can crack Crusaders' weakened backbone
Paul Cully The burden all Crusaders teams carry is to be constantly compared to the great sides that preceded them. The one the Waratahs will face tonight is labouring somewhat to get out of those shadows.
Rugby
Wallabies improving, just don't tell them
Paul Cully It would be easy to imagine Wallabies coach Robbie Deans with a look of contentment as he surveyed the state of play after the weekend.
Rugby
Wallabies mustn't ignore young bulls
Paul Cully Remember the name of Bulls inside-centre Jan Serfontein. The outstanding young midfielder - big, strong, fast but with skills and vision- has the ability to change the way the Bulls attack and be a...
Rugby
Openside duels will whet appetites
Paul Cully If you intend to have your happiness levels influenced by the outcome of Bledisloe Cup encounters over the next decade, there are two tasty duels in the next two rounds that cannot be missed.
Rugby
Hansen not without his challenges for All Blacks
Paul Cully There are a few dark clouds in the land of the long white one.
Tight five
No.13 proves lucky for Ashley-Cooper
Paul Cully Adam Ashley-Cooper is growing each week in the No.13 jersey.
Six Nations delivers strong message
Paul Cully There a couple of ways of looking at the opening weekend of the Six Nations.
Expansive England send message
Paul Cully There are a couple of ways of looking at the opening weekend of the Six Nations.
Rugby
Farrell evokes Johns in Irish stew
Paul Cully After the openness of the first round of Six Nations, came something more familiar. Ireland and England, adventurous just a week ago, succumbed to a force greater than either of them: Dublin's grey...
Rugby
'Martyr' Deans didn't want Kiwi job, says Hansen
Paul Cully ALL BLACKS coach Steve Hansen has lifted the lid further on his uneasy relationship with Wallabies rival Robbie Deans, questioning whether Deans actually wanted the All Blacks job after the 2007...
Rugby
Deans wanted to be 'the martyr', says All Blacks coach Steve Hansen
Paul Cully ALL BLACKS coach Steve Hansen has lifted the lid further on his uneasy relationship with Wallabies rival Robbie Deans.
Pitiless schedule plays in favour of the Welsh
Paul Cully When the Welsh started hiring a succession of New Zealanders to hammer that fundamental rugby building block - fitness - into their players, they had games such as the one against the Wallabies in...
Dublin, Edinburgh and Cardiff rejoice at All Blacks' decimation
Paul Cully Occasions when the Irish, Scots and Welsh take any satisfaction from famous victories at Twickenham are rarer than accords stating all affairs are best run by the born-to-rule crowd from Westminster,...
Wallabies off the mark and still drifting away
Paul Cully No one has ever claimed it wasn't a cruel game: for most of the match Italy's five-eighth Luciano Orquera had outplayed his opposite, Kurtley Beale, yet it was left to him to hit a 79th-minute...
Absence of veterans may be pointer to Bleus tactics
Paul Cully For those trying to ascertain what the French will bring against the Wallabies this weekend, the easy route is simply to point to their emotional volatility and say no one knows.
Paul Cully
Sharpened team has grounds for optimism
Paul Cully Rugby's difficulty at dealing with an unwelcome visitor, the drawn Test, has produced a divergence of views about Saturday night's absorbing third Bledisloe Test.
Talking points
Five things we learnt
Paul Cully The talking points from Saturday's Bledisloe Cup clash.
Talking points
Five things we learnt
Paul Cully There's no doubt about it, the All Blacks dominate the Wallabies in every department.
