Rugby

Barnes' storming efforts could have him in starting side

Paul Cully The significance of Berrick Barnes' cameos against the Stormers and Brumbies in successive weeks is that he could be playing his way into the Wallabies starting XV, let alone the 25-man squad.

Comments 110

Rugby

Hold the phone: the one call no Wallaby wants to get

Paul Cully If you find yourself nervously checking your mobile device on Sunday waiting for the release of the Wallabies' initial 25-man squad to face the British and Irish Lions, you will be in good company.

Comments 27

Rugby Union

Deans spoilt for choice, but strategy will dictate picks

Paul Cully With the Lions series fast approaching and the highly charged Reds v Brumbies game doubling as a virtual Wallabies trial, Fairfax Media looks at five key Test positions.

Comments 43

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.

Comments 15

Rugby

Industrious Force lack polish but loom as a stumbling block

Paul Cully One reason that young Force No.12 Kyle Godwin has a good chance of playing for Australia inside the next year or two became crystal clear in the 24th minute of last week's loss to the Cheetahs.

Comments 7

Paul Cully

Lessons from Scotland and Samoa losses give Wallaby hopefuls a short time to make big strides

Paul Cully The tussle between the provinces and the Australian Rugby Union over the player release plans for the British and Irish Lions series should not disguise what it means for Wallabies candidates: the...

Rugby

European campaign a useful audition for Lions tour

Paul Cully If some members of the Wallabies squad to tour Europe announced yesterday are yet to fully comprehend the scale of the British and Irish Lions tour next year, they can be forgiven.

Comments 35

Talking points

Five things we learnt

Paul Cully There's no doubt about it, the All Blacks dominate the Wallabies in every department.

Comments 42

Kiwis' great expectations play into Wallabies' hands

Paul Cully On a bitterly cold Christchurch night in June, squat Irish loose-head prop Cian Healy pushed, the vaunted right side of the All Blacks' scrum wobbled and eyebrows in two hemispheres were raised.

Mistake-riddled Welsh performance not likely to be repeated, but the Wallabies have their measure for now

Paul Cully It did not take long after last Saturday's Wallabies victory for a familiar lament to be heard. In a London television studio, former Welsh No.

Comments 20

Barnes our perfect 10

Paul Cully THE EARLY naming of the Wallabies team this week conveyed an encouraging degree of certainty in the selectors' minds: this is our best team and we think they have Wales' measure.

Rugby

Barnes steps up a gear and jumps in driving seat to face All Blacks

Paul Cully The early naming of the Wallabies team this week conveyed an encouraging degree of certainty in the selectors' minds: this is our best team and we think they have Wales' measure.

Comments 44

Paul Cully

Wallabies watch and five on the radar

Paul Cully Each week. Paul Cully picks three talking points for the Wallabies and five rivals to watch.

Comments 3

Paul Cully

The devil is in the detail for Tahs

Paul Cully A World Cup-winning coach recently wrote a newspaper column which revealed a tactic brilliant in both its simplicity and its ability to influence the entire attacking mindset of his side.

Comments 14

Talking points

Five things we learnt in Super Rugby

Paul Cully The talking points from week 12 of Super Rugby.

Comments 31

Talking points

Five things we learnt from Super Rugby

Paul Cully The talking points from the week 13 of Super Rugby.

Comments 34