Former Wallabies captain Mark Loane once described lineout possession lost as rugby’s “slow poison”, meaning eventually it will kill you. On Saturday night at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, the All Blacks stole seven of the Wallabies’ lineout throws and killed the home side 38-13. The All Blacks have enough ways to kill you without adding…
Category: Rugby
A year before Japan 2019, rugby is braced for threat of natural disasters
With exactly a year to go to the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan the organisers are unusually bullish. For the first time rugby’s premier tournament is heading for Asia, with all the gospel-spreading potential that involves. There is talk of the event being the most economically impactful in the sport’s history and the knock-out…
English rugby calls for tougher penalties for high tackles as injury severity rises
Click:block making machine English rugby’s leading players and administrators want stricter penalties for high tackles following the release of statistics that show the severity of injuries in top-level rugby is on the rise. The idea of a visible line being printed on jerseys is among ideas being considered to try to reduce the professional game’s…
How rugby and the NFL found common ground on concussion
In an equation of physics and physiology, collisions plus big, fast, athletic bodies equals concussions. But while the risk can’t be eliminated, it can be lowered. With that common goal, a group of international sport representatives – including the NFL, World Rugby, NHL and AFL – gathered at the Collision Sports Conference this October. The meeting…
Sports prospects of 2019: the women set to shine in the year ahead
Football Georgia Stanway (Manchester City and England) Dynamic and prolific, Stanway, 19, is blessed with such an unerringly powerful right-foot shot that Manchester City fans have likened it to “a traction engine”. The Barrow-born woman grew up as a Newcastle United fan, idolising Alan Shearer, and there are definite shades of Shearer about aspects of…
Foley defends kicking record after crucial Super Rugby miss denies Tahs
NSW Waratahs five-eighth Bernard Foley will back himself to make the next kick he takes that’s identical to the crucial one he missed in his side’s opening round Super Rugby home loss to the Hurricanes. Crucial World Cup year set to make or break Australian rugby | Bret Harris With NSW trailing 20-19 and just…
‘Glint in Chris Ashton’s eye’ convinced Eddie Jones about England return
Eddie Jones was convinced Chris Ashton still has an international future by the “glint in his eye” only minutes before he ran England ragged with a hat-trick for the Barbarians at Twickenham in May. RFU warns England’s Eddie Jones: ‘We expect success in the autumn’ Jones on Thursday handed Ashton an immediate return to the…
England’s Marlie Packer: ‘I thought it was all over. I’d lose my job, lose my rugby’
Marlie Packer remembers it as a gorgeous August Saturday. Saracens had a pre-season friendly. She was still recovering from an operation, so didn’t play, but spent the day running out the water bottles. They won handily, and afterwards everyone went to the pub. It was the first time the whole squad had been back together…
Brad Shields hands England injury blow as Wasps fall to Exeter
Click:wps下载 Brad Shields is a doubt for the start of England’s autumn internationals campaign after suffering a broken cheekbone during his debut for Wasps. Shields was taken to hospital on Saturday night after sustaining the injury early in the second half of Exeter’s thrilling victory and Wasps confirmed he could be out of action for…
Premiership clubs turn on academy tap in bid to cut wage bills
Premiership clubs are promoting a record number of academy graduates to first-team squads as part of a drive to cut wage levels and end the persistent losses of the professional era. Exeter, the 2016-17 champions, recruited only one player from outside for the coming season, the Wales wing Alex Cuthbert, while signing 14 of their…