France to start Machenaud against Wallabies

Updated November 08, 2012 22:42:29

Young scrum half Maxime Machenaud will start for France against Australia at the Stade de France on Saturday with the more experienced Morgan Parra on the bench.

The 23-year-old Machenaud earned his first and only cap when France crushed Argentina 49-10 in Tuncunma in June.

France also named novice prop Yannick Forestier in one of five changes from the team which played Argentina when Saint-Andre rested several experienced players.

Machenaud will link up with fly half Frederic Michalak, who started by his side in Argentina on his return to the France team after two years' absence.

Scrum half Parra, who has 43 caps, was called into the squad though he is still recovering from a thigh injury.

"The choice was all the easier because Morgan could not train in the past three days," France's manager Philippe Saint-Andre told a news conference.

"But we will not beat Australia with 15 players. We'll need 22 or 23."

France: Brice Dulin; Wesley Fofana, Florian Fritz, Maxime Mermoz, Vincent Clerc; Frederik Michalak, Maxime Machenaud; Louis Picamoles, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Yannick Nyanga; Yoann Maestri, Pascal Pape (capt); Nicolas Mas, Dimitri Szarzewski, Yannick Forestier

Replacements: Benjamin Kayser, Thomas Domingo, Vincent Debaty, Jocelino Suta, Damien Chouly, Morgan Parra, Francois Trinh-Duc, Yoann Huget

Reuters

Tags: rugby-union, sport, france

First posted November 08, 2012 22:42:29

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No split loyalties for Hooper against England

Updated November 14, 2012 17:49:49

Australia's Michael Hooper has insisted he won't have any concerns about split loyalties when Australia play England at Twickenham on Saturday.

Hooper is set to continue at open-side flanker in the ongoing absence of back-row star David Pocock, who has been ruled out of the Cook Cup Test match with a calf injury.

And if he does take the field at Twickenham it will be the first time the 21-year-old loose forward, who has already won 10 caps since making his debut in June, will have played against England, the country where his father was born.

His dad David Hooper was a second-rower with Blackheath, in south-east London, before leaving Britain for Australia aged 24 to play for the Manly club in Sydney.

"My dad cheers for the Wallabies, I don't think he'd be allowed in the house if he didn't," Hooper junior said.

"He will be at Twickenham. My grandparents will be there and my dad's brother is still English so I'm not sure what flag they'll be waving on Saturday, hopefully Australian.

"My dad's bigger than me, so I got the wrong genes there. He loves rugby and enjoys watching Australia play."

And as for his father's role in his own rugby career, Hooper said, "He is probably my biggest critic and gives great advice.

"He'll always give me an honest account of how I played and what I should work on.

"There's a good mutual agreement in place -- he won't hold back on how I played which is a good thing to have."

"He tries to get to most games and is bit of a sucker for it."

Australia had hoped to have Pocock, one of the world's leading back-row forwards and a renowned breakdown specialist, back in action at Twickenham after being sidelined from recent Wallaby Tests with knee ligament damage, including last weekend's 33-6 thrashing by France in Paris.

But that plan was ruined by a calf strain and now Hooper, a player in a similar mould, is looking forward to the next chapter of an "awesome" year.

"This year I just wanted to get a starting spot for (Super 15 club) the Brumbies, so it's funny how things turn out. It's been awesome for me," he said.

"You want to play as much as possible and become a consistent starter. I've had the opportunity to do that.

"David will be back soon and that's a good problem for the team to have.

"He's a great player and that pushes all of the open-sides in the squad to improve."

Australia may have gone nearly three hours' playing time without a try, an astonishing statistic given the Wallaby tradition of running rugby, but Hooper is confident they'll have no problems raising their level against England.

"We're going to really bring it and are excited about this game. It should be a great game," Hooper said.

"It's all about this weekend and making history. It's a great rivalry between England and Australia and Twickenham is a great stadium.

"Their tails will be up after getting so many points on the board against Fiji (England beat the Pacific Islanders 54-12 at Twickenham last Saturday).

"There were 80,000 yelling at us in Paris last weekend and it was a great atmosphere. This weekend will be no different, so it was good to get that new experience out of the way."

AFP

Tags: rugby-union, sport, england, united-kingdom, australia

First posted November 14, 2012 17:24:39

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Sharpe to lead Wallabies against Pumas

Updated September 11, 2012 19:06:58

Veteran lock Nathan Sharpe will captain the Wallabies for the Test against Argentina on the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Sharpe takes over from the injured Will Genia with Nick Phipps to start at half-back and Kane Douglas to make his Test debut at lock.

It is the third time Sharpe has captained the Wallabies and he earns the honour in the first Test to be played at the Gold Coast.

"To have the privilege of leading Australia in the first ever Test to be played on the Gold Coast is an experience I will always treasure," Sharpe said.

"It's rare when you have played at this level for as long as I have to come across something totally new, but to play a Test in my home town is something I would never have imagined happening when I started."

Sharpe will have a new second row partner after a hamstring injury ruled out Sitaleki Timani. He has been replaced by his Waratahs team-mate Douglas.

Melbourne Rebels half-back Phipps replaces Genia who left the field in Australia's win over South Africa with a season-ending knee injury.

Western Force half-back Brett Sheehan returns to the bench after a three-year absence from the Wallabies.

In other changes Berrick Barnes moves from inside centre to full-back, to accommodate the return of regular inside centre Pat McCabe.

Kurtley Beale, who was the starting full-back against the Springboks, moves to the bench.

Stephen Moore has been named at replacement hooker but will have to prove he has recovered from the hamstring injury that saw him miss the match against South Africa. Queensland's Saia Faingaa is on stand-by.

The match on the Gold Coast will be Australia's first Test against Argentina since the 2003 World Cup.

Wallabies squad:

Berrick Barnes, Dominic Shipperley, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Nick Phipps, Radike Samo, Michael Hooper, Dave Dennis, Nathan Sharpe (captain), Kane Douglas, Ben Alexander, Tatafu Polota Nau, Benn Robinson

Reserves: Stephen Moore, James Slipper, Scott Higginbotham, Liam Gill, Brett Sheehan, Anthony Fainga'a, Kurtley Beale.

Tags: rugby-union, sport, robina-4226, qld, australia

First posted September 11, 2012 10:14:39

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All Blacks prevail against Pumas

Updated September 08, 2012 20:07:07

New Zealand remains undefeated in the Rugby Championship after defeating a spirited Argentina 21-5 in Wellington on Saturday night.

The All Blacks only led 6-5 at half-time with the Pumas providing the only try of the opening term through veteran prop Rodrigo Roncero.

But the hosts, following an extended half-time break caused by a malfunction with the floodlights, exerted their dominance in the second period to score tries through wingers Julian Savea and Cory Jane.

Aaron Cruden, starting at five-eighth in place of the injured Dan Carter (calf), landed a conversion and three penalty goals for the All Blacks.

The win is the All Blacks' third of the competition, while the Pumas now have two losses and a draw.

The Pumas, with little possession but a well-organised defence, were still in with a chance until the 66th minute when the All Blacks scored the first of their two tries.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen had said eliminating the indecision and poor option taking of their first two matches against Australia in the series had been the priority for this week but there was little sign of an improvement.

Not even the gale packing winds of more than 100 kilometres an hour battering the city could be blamed for the 20 turnovers conceded by the world champions.

The Pumas' performance against the All Blacks raised questions about how much better they could have been if they were able to secure more than 34 per cent possession and 33 per cent of territory.

The All Blacks' errors started in the opening minute when Luke Romano passed the ball to a linesman, unaware that Jane had cut inside him.

In a rare Pumas' foray up to the All Blacks line, Ma'a Nonu attempted to run out of trouble but succeeded only in turning over the ball, which the visitors turned into a try to Roncero.

The Pumas maintained the lead for 11 minutes before Cruden landed a second penalty to put the All Blacks in front 6-5.

Nonu was guilty of a second knock on and Kieran Read and Aaron Smith also spilled the ball when the All Blacks were threatening the Pumas line.

Marcelo Bosch's ability to marshall a tight Pumas defensive line was responsible for much of the All Blacks misfortunes as they searched for a way through.

When Victor Vito did find himself in the clear with a 22-metre run to the line it was outside centre Bosch who cut him down from behind just on half-time.

As the players were returning to the field after the break the ground was plunged into darkness by a power outage causing a 15-minute delay before they were able to re-start.

Cruden inched the All Blacks further ahead at 9-5 with a third penalty before Pumas flanker Julio Farias Cabello saved a try but earned a yellow card for slapping down the ball when the All Blacks had a two-man overlap.

While the All Blacks had the one-man advantage they scored their first try when the passes stuck and the ball went through the chain for Savea to score in the corner.

They scored their second try five minutes later with a wide pass from Cruden cutting out two players to find an unmarked Jane on the wing.

New Zealand: 21 (J Savea, C Jane tries; A Cruden con, 3 pens)

Argentina: 5 (R Roncero try)

ABC/AFP

Tags: rugby-union, sport, new-zealand

First posted September 08, 2012 19:31:15

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Wallabies need small shifts against Springboks

Updated September 03, 2012 20:18:26

Veteran lock Nathan Sharpe is confident small adjustments will make a big difference to a Wallabies team still smarting from their scoreless performance against the All Blacks.

The Wallabies are desperate to put a difficult start to the Rugby Championship behind them when they face South Africa in Perth on Saturday night.

"It's motivation," said Sharpe of his team's 22-0 last-start loss to New Zealand in Auckland following a 27-19 defeat by the All Blacks in Sydney.

"The guys are all proud Australians and we want to make sure that the next time we take to the track we get a victory.

"There's plenty for us to do in terms of getting things right on the field, but minor adjustments will see a big difference."

The Springboks beat competition newcomers Argentina 27-6 in Cape Town, but they could only scrape a fortuitous 16-16 draw and are under pressure at home as they attempt to stop a four-match losing streak against the Wallabies.

"This is very much a new Springboks side with a new coach and all the rest of it," Sharpe said.

"The one thing they will bring is that national pride and they will be strong up front and on the back of that they've got very good tactical kicking skills."

Sharpe gets another chance to farewell the Perth fans on Saturday night after his emotional Super Rugby send off earlier this year, but he says that is not a concern right now.

"It will be great to play well and win the game in what will be my last game in Perth," he said.

Meanwhile Sharpe's Western Force team-mate Nick Cummins is in the mix for a Test debut for the Wallabies in front of his home crowd.

The Force winger could get his chance following the season-ending injury to winger Drew Mitchell in Australia's 22-0 Rugby Championship loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park.

Kurtley Beale is expected to win a recall at full-back after being dumped to the bench for his fumbles in the earlier loss to New Zealand, with Adam Ashley-Cooper reverting to the wing in place of Mitchell.

But Western Force stalwart Cummins, who can also play centre, is a possible bench choice before his Perth fans.

And the 24-year-old vowed not to hold back if given a chance he has been waiting for since first being called into the national squad in 2009.

That time he suffered an injury and had to return home without the chance to play.

"It's been three or so years where I've been in the mix to play so I tell you what, I'm due for something," Cummins said on Monday.

"It would be awesome to get a gig here in front of the sea of blue. The Force fans are a rowdy bunch and that's why we love them."

AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted September 03, 2012 20:15:51

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All Blacks draw first blood against Wallabies

Updated August 19, 2012 00:26:21

The Wallabies began the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship on a low note following a 27-19 loss to the All Blacks at Sydney's Olympic stadium.

The All Blacks underlined their status as world champions with the two tries to one victory, which was built largely on a dominant first-half performance.

They led 18-3 late in the first half with Israel Dagg and Cory Jane crossing the stripe for tries, before a converted Nathan Sharpe try for the Wallabies closed the gap on the scoreboard to eight points at the break.

Both sides traded penalty goals in the second term prior to Dan Carter landing a three-pointer after the full-time siren to deny the Wallabies a bonus point, which could prove vital in the overall standings in the Rugby Championship.

The two sides meet again next weekend at Eden Park, a match the Wallabies need to win if they are to have any hope of claiming the Bledisloe Cup.

The Wallabies troubled their trans-Tasman rivals when they had the ball in hand but a raft of missed tackles and a couple of knock-ons at key moments effectively handed the win to the All Blacks.

Carter kicked 17 points but the biggest difference between the sides in a stop-start match was the speed of the ball won by the All Blacks forwards and the mistakes made by the Wallabies, as the visitors came at them.

"You could say its rustiness, who knows," Wallabies five-eighth Berrick Barnes said.

"We're going to have to go back to the drawing board and rectify it.

"We've got a long way to go."

The visitors' solid scrum laid the platform for their first-half tries and only the regular whistling of referee Alain Rolland kept the Wallabies from being even more comprehensively dominated at the set piece.

The score was 3-3 when Sonny Bill Williams ran decoy to let Carter carry the ball away from the scrum to meet the Wallabies midfield, slipping a delayed pass to Dagg. The full-back tore past opposite number Kurtley Beale on the left touchline and scored in the corner.

The hapless Beale was then culpable for the All Blacks' second try, knocking on a kick under no pressure inside his own 22.

The All Blacks sprayed the ball left to right from the resulting scrum and Dagg swiftly deposited the ball in Jane's hands on the right for the winger to score.

The Wallabies made a final attack of the half and Digby Ioane powered through only to be hauled down just short. Will Genia popped the ball up off the ground for Sharpe to go over for his eighth try from 106 Tests.

Barnes pulled the Wallabies to within eight points with the conversion and the gap was just five points within five minutes of the re-start after the Waratahs five-eighth landed another penalty.

Carter and Barnes then traded kicks before the All Blacks restored the cushion with a fourth successful penalty goal.

Dagg was bundled into touch as he raced in for a second try in the right corner following a break by Liam Messam and Jane spilled just short of the line on the other wing.

The All Blacks looked to be home and dry but Barnes again hauled the Wallabies to within a try and the majority of the 76,877 fans were roaring, only to be silenced as the ball was hacked clear and Carter made the match safe with the final kick of the fixture.

New Zealand: 27 (I Dagg, C Jane tries; D Carter con, 5 pens)

Wallabies: 19 (N Sharpe try; B Barnes con, 4 pens)

ABC/Reuters

Tags: rugby-union, sport, sydney-2000

First posted August 18, 2012 21:52:17

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Irish fall short against All Blacks

Updated June 16, 2012 20:45:54

A Dan Carter field goal in the final minute of play saw New Zealand beat Ireland 22-19 in Christchurch, denying the tourists their first ever win over the All Blacks.

The score was deadlocked at 19-19 when the All Blacks were awarded a five-mete scrum inside the Irish half in the 80th minute and after winning the set-piece Carter coolly slotted the winning score.

The victory gives the All Blacks a 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

Ireland had never beaten the All Blacks in their 25 previous encounters with a 10-10 draw in 1973 the closest it came in the 107 years they have been playing Tests and Saturday night's match at a chilly Rugby League Park was there for the taking.

The Irish lived up to their promise of being more aggressive in contact than they were last week in Auckland when they lost 42-10 and spent the first 20 minutes smashing into tackles at the breakdown.

They dominated the opening quarter and the decision to opt for a line-out in the corner instead of taking a kickable penalty shot at 0-0 paid off when half-back Conor Murray sniped around the blindside of a ruck and touched down for his first Test try.

Jonathan Sexton converted to give the visitors a 7-0 lead, which they built on eight minutes later after another sustained period of pressure allowed the fly half to punish an illegal block at the ruck by Owen Franks with his first penalty.

The 10-0 scoreline seemed to spark the All Blacks into action and as they built phases and dominated territory, the Irish gave away silly penalties, three of which Carter slotted between the posts to bring the All Blacks back to 10-9.

The All Blacks warmed the shivering crowd of 21,000 when they began the second half with renewed vigour, hammering at the Irish and holding the ball for several phases for Aaron Smith to get driven over in the corner for his maiden Test try.

Carter converted to give the home side their first lead of the match at 16-10, though that was quickly reduced when Sexton slotted his second penalty after the All Blacks had turned the ball over from the kick-off.

Carter and Sexton then traded penalties and with 15 minutes remaining, the match was either side's for the taking.

Sexton equalised with his fourth penalty and had an opportunity to give Ireland the lead when Israel Dagg was sin-binned for a late charge on Rob Kearney with eight minutes remaining, though the Leinster fly half's long distance attempt fell short.

The All Blacks, however, managed to get down field one last time and after a series of sustained attacks, the ball was tossed out to Carter, who lined up the drop goal from the pocket to preserve New Zealand's unbeaten record against Ireland.

New Zealand: 22 (A. Smith try; D Carter con, 4 pens, DG)

Ireland: 19 (C Murray try; J Sexton con, 4 pens)

Reuters/ABC

Tags: rugby-union, sport, ireland, northern-ireland

First posted June 16, 2012 19:28:54

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Brumbies hold on against Rebels

Updated June 01, 2012 23:07:07

The Brumbies made sure the Reds made no ground on their lead at the top of the Australian conference following a tough 27-19 victory over Melbourne Rebels at AAMI Park.

The Reds will remain five points adrift of the Brumbies, who bounced back from last weekend's 13-12 loss to the defending champions to post a two-tries-to-one win over the Rebels.

Andrew Smith and Robbie Coleman recorded tries for the visitors, while Cooper Vuna continued his solid scoring form with the Rebels' lone five-pointer.

Brumbies hooker Stephen Moore conceded the bonus point would have been handy, but they were still pleased to walk away with the win.

"We would have liked five points but we knew Melbourne were going to be hard they're always good at home," he told Grandstand.

Moore admitted the Brumbies' confidence took a hit as a result of the loss to the Reds in their last start.

"So it's a gutsy effort. We've had a bit of an up and down week, so four points is not so bad," he said.

Rebels captain Stirling Mortlock felt his side gave the Brumbies too much ball through handing over possession via penalties.

"Our discipline really hurt us basically the whole game," he said.

"We found it difficult to maintain pressure on them, so it's extremely disappointing."

The ACT-based Brumbies were in turmoil last season but have thrived under South Africa's 2007 World Cup-winning coach Jake White and short of a major collapse.

They are chasing their first play-offs appearance since 2004 when they won the then-Super 12 competition.

The Brumbies took a 9-0 lead courtesy of two long-range penalties from winger Jesse Mogg and one from closer to the posts by fly half Zack Holmes

Smith also crashed over after Rebels prop Jono Owen had been sin-binned by referee Keith Brown following a warning to the home side for repeated infringements.

But the Brumbies went off the boil in the final 15 minutes of the half and Rebels full-back Julian Huxley added three further penalties to the one he had slotted earlier to ensure his side were still in the match at the break.

The visitors extended their lead to 12 points after half-time when Holmes added his second penalty then converted full-back Coleman's try, but the Rebels refused to allow them to kick away.

Vuna scored straight from the kick-off following Coleman's try when the Brumbies failed to regather the re-start and the home side were again back within five points when Huxley converted from the sideline.

But Holmes added his third penalty with less than 10 minutes remaining, as the Brumbies did just enough to win the match.

Brumbies: 27 (A Smith, R Coleman tries; Z Holmes con, 3 pens; J Mogg pen)

Rebels: 19 (C Vuna try; J Huxley con, 4 pens)

Reuters/ABC

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, melbourne-3000, canberra-2600

First posted June 01, 2012 21:40:05

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Highlanders kick home against the Bulls

Updated May 19, 2012 18:13:58

Lock Jarrad Hoeata scored a late try as the Highlanders upset the Bulls 16-11 at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday and kept alive their hopes of a play-off spot.

The Highlanders had lost their two previous games and were in danger of losing touch with the New Zealand conference leaders the Chiefs (45) and second-placed Crusaders (37) but moved to 39 points with the win.

The Bulls had been at the top of the table on 46 points and could now be over-hauled by the Stormers (45) in the South African conference when they face New South Wales.

"Pretty big game for us, we'd lost two on the trot and the way the competition is we're still in the hunt," Highlanders captain Jamie Mackintosh said.

"It was a pretty physical game and fast."

The Bulls had taken a 6-3 lead into the half-time break, Morne Steyn kicking two penalties while Mike Delany replying with one for the home side.

The match was played between the 22-metre areas, with the South Africans content to use Steyn's tactical kicking to get them down field.

Delany levelled the score early in the second half with his second penalty as the Highlanders put immense pressure on the Bulls defensive line.

Prop Dean Greyling was subsequently sinbinned in the 56th minute after referee Ian Smith had warned them for constant infringing.

Hoeata, who had one try disallowed by the television match official, crossed from the ensuing attacking scrum as the home side patiently built phases and committed defenders before the 2011 All Blacks lock smashed over.

Delany added the conversion and then a penalty shortly afterwards to give the Highlanders a 10-point lead with little over 10 minutes remaining.

The Bulls, however, finally got some field position and used their massive forwards to punch over the advantage line before replacement hooker Willie Wepener crashed over to bring his side to 16-11.

They were not able to grab victory, however, as the desperate Highlanders defence held them out and turned the ball over as the hooter sounded.

"I think we made too many mistakes and the Highlanders capitalised on that," Bulls captain Pierre Spies said.

Highlanders: 16 (J Hoeata try; M Delany 1/1 con, 3/4 pens)

Bulls: 11 (W Wepener try; M Steyn 2/4 pens)

Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, new-zealand

First posted May 19, 2012 17:35:44

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Mitchell set to return against Cheetahs

Updated May 14, 2012 11:50:24

Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell is confident he will resume his Super Rugby career against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein later this month.

Mitchell aggravated an ankle injury during the World Cup in October and is yet to play for the Waratahs this season.

He flew out with the Waratahs squad on Saturday for their two-match tour of South Africa and is expected to play in the second match against the Cheetahs.

It's been a long road to recovery for Mitchell who was told by doctors that he may not play again.

"I've only played two or three games in the last 13 months but now I'm pretty close to being a rugby player again," Mitchell told ABC Grandstand before flying out with the Waratahs.

"It's been a big step just to be able to train with the boys in a team environment as opposed to being an individual athlete in rehab."

Mitchell said he had been told by several medical specialists that he may not play again but never gave up on returning to the game.

"I had a few different specialists tell me that. It was quite hard at one point because we had so many differing opinions.

"It was almost like a lottery which one we were going to take but fortunately the ankle has responded to treatment and I'm ready to play."

Mitchell said he was put through training sessions that replicated games to test his ability to return to Super Rugby.

He will continue to train hard in the week leading up to the Stormers game in Capetown on Sunday morning (AEST) but is preparing to play against the Cheetahs the following week.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, australia, sydney-2000

First posted May 14, 2012 11:45:15

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Elsom to start against Bulls

Updated May 09, 2012 13:24:53

Rocky Elsom will captain New South Wales for the first time this season when the Waratahs meet the Bulls at Sydney Football Stadium on Friday night.

It will be Elsom's first start for the Waratahs in 2012, having earlier been sidelined because of a hamstring injury, and he takes over as a skipper from Benn Robinson.

The Waratahs have made four changes in all to the forward pack that was part of the 23-6 loss to the Brumbies in Canberra last Saturday night.

Elsom replaces Dave Dennis at blindside flanker, Chris Alcock named ahead of Jono Jenkins at openside flanker, and Dean Mumm take the place of Sitaleki Timani in the second row.

Tatafu Polota-Nauleft the field against the Brumbies with a knee injury and is replaced by John Ulugia.

The backline features several changes with Rob Horne returning from suspension to play outside centre and Adam Ashley-Cooper named at inside centre after playing full-back against the Brumbies.

Ashley-Cooper's move into the midfield saw Tom Carter dropped to the bench.

Daniel Halangahu will wear the number 15 jersey against the Bulls, while Tom Kingston shifts back to the wing and South African import Sarel Pretorius replaces Brendan McKibbin at half-back.

The Waratahs are banking on Pretorius, who moved from the Cheetahs to the Waratahs this season, to provide some inside information on his countrymen.

"Pretorius has shown great form off the bench and has a good understanding of what's required against the Bulls," Waratahs coach Michael Foley said in a statement.

The Waratahs sit third on the Australian conference on 26 points with a 4-6 record from their 10 matches.

The Bulls (7-2) are coming off a titanic 41-35 win over the Rebels in Melbourne and lead the South African conference, in addition to sitting in second place on the overall standings.

Waratahs squad:

Daniel Halangahu, Tom Kingston, Rob Horne, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Atieli Pakalani, Berrick Barnes, Sarel Pretorius, Wycliff Palu, Chris Alcock, Rocky Elsom (captain), Kane Douglas, Dean Mumm, Sekope Kepu, John Ulugia, Benn Robinson

Reserves: John Mann-Rea, Jeremy Tilse, Sitaleki Timani, Lopeti Timani, Dave Dennis, Brendan McKibbin, Tom Carter

Tags: rugby-union, super-rugby, sport, sydney-2000

First posted May 09, 2012 13:24:53

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Brumbies fall short against Sharks

Updated March 31, 2012 22:51:54

The Sharks warded off a desperate last-gasp attack from the Brumbies in a nail-biting Super Rugby clash at Canberra Stadium to wind up 29-26 victors on Saturday night.

In an arm wrestle of a game, the visitors looked to have the match wrapped up at 29-19 with 10 minutes to go before the Brumbies scored in the dying minute through Nic White.

Then, after the siren having sounded, the home side played on for another five minutes and gained 50m in the hope of adding more points before finally turning the ball over.

The three-point victory was a significant one for the Sharks - their first away win this season and their first at Canberra Stadium since 1998.

For the Brumbies it was also noteworthy, but only in that it was their first defeat at home this season after four games.

The Brumbies had taken a 16-15 lead at half-time, but the Sharks set themselves up for victory early in the second half by piling on two tries through Willem Alberts and Lwazi Mvovo.

In the end, it was enough to secure them victory in a game where the lead changed seven times.

The game was tight from the outset, but the Sharks were the first to draw blood when full-back Riaan Viljoen scored controversially on the wing in the 22nd minute after appearing to knock the ball on.

But the Brumbies were quick to wrestle back the lead and they did it in style.

Jesse Mogg pulled off the try of the night after leaping onto a team-mate's pass a good 50 metres out and then delivering a kick-and-chase that bounced perfectly over Odwa Ngundane's head and back into Mogg's hands just before the line.

Viljoen crossed again in the 35th minute to give the Sharks another lead, before the Brumbies stole it back before the break courtesy of a Christian Lealiifano penalty.

The Brumbies finished the night with more injury concerns, with Matt Toomua re-injuring his knee and Henry Speight also limping from the field.

Sharks: 29 (R Viljoen 2, W Alberts, L Mvovo tries; F Michalak 3/4 conversions, penalty goal)

Brumbies: 26 (J Mogg, N White tries; C Lealiifano 2/2 conversions, 4 penalty goals)

AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, act

First posted March 31, 2012 21:52:27

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England wins thriller against French

Updated March 12, 2012 08:32:11

England stunned hosts France with a thrilling 24-22 away victory to erase any hopes the French had of winning the Six Nations title.

The visitors outscored the French by three tries to one as they became the first team to win at Stade de France in the Six Nations since their compatriots prevailed in 2008.

England had an early chance to go over but it fell short when South African-born lock Mouritz Botha knocked on and France cleared.

The hosts too had an early chance to break the deadlock but Lionel Beauxis, starting for the first time since 2009, saw his drop goal effort fall woefully short of the target.

His half-back partner Julien Dupuy had another chance to put the French ahead in the eighth minute after England was penalised, but the Stade Francais half-back's penalty drifted wide of the post.

But this French dominance came to nothing as a loose pass by Dimitry Szarzewski was picked up by Manu Tuilagi, who sped down the left and outpaced Aurelien Rougerie to touch down in the corner for his fifth try.

Owen Farrell converted brilliantly from the touchline to make it 7-0.

Beauxis got France on the board with a penalty in the 17th minute but it was barely able to enjoy that when it conceded another try.

A brilliant run by England number eight Ben Morgan carved open the French defence and a superb off-load with the back of his hand to Ben Foden saw the full-back tackled by Vincent Clerc but his momentum carried him over the line.

Farrell converted for 14-3.

France was all at sea especially Beauxis and fortunate not to go further behind when the previously foot-perfect Farrell saw a penalty from in front of the posts cannon back off one of them.

The home side reduced the deficit with a Dupuy penalty just after the half-hour mark, as Foden was penalised for not calling for a mark inside his 22 when tackled by Rougerie and then failing to release the ball.

But the French were hit by a further blow in the 37th minute as Clerc had to go off with his lower left arm strapped and was replaced by Maxime Mermoz.

Despite the apparent superiority of the English it was France who went off for half-time boosted by Beauxis landing a long-range penalty to leave it only five points adrift at 9-14.

Farrell made it 17-9 in the 50th minute for a deliberate knock-on and at that point coach Philippe Saint-Andre decided it was time to make sweeping changes sending on three replacements, including Morgan Parra for the struggling Dupuy.

Referee Alain Rolland was not so lenient when England was penalised for a deliberate knock on as he sin-binned Charlie Sharples, who had only come in for his first start on Saturday when David Strettle failed to recover from a chest injury.

Even with the one man advantage the French were unable to make any inroads into the England lead, though, just after Sharples returned, Parra converted a penalty to make it 17-12.

English nerves frayed further when Beauxis landed a long-range penalty from just inside England territory to leave France just two points adrift with near on 10 minutes remaining.

But England hit back in style with its third try as Tom Croft sent Rougerie the wrong way and broke one tackle to touch down. Farrell converted to make it 24-15.

Finally France crossed the try line to make it a tension-filled last five minutes as Wesley Fofana went over in the corner for his fourth try in as many matches after being fed by Parra, who then converted from the touchline.

The French went roaring back into the English half spearheaded by Rougerie but replacement Francois Trinh-Duc's effort at a drop goal fell short and England had held on by the skin of its teeth.

AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, france

First posted March 12, 2012 08:05:23

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Wallabies players rested for game against Samoa

Last Updated: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:55:00 +1000

Several high-profile Australian rugby players will be rested for this weekend's Test against Samoa but captain Rocky Elsom will make his long-awaited return from injury for the season-opener.

ACT Brumbies flanker Elsom will lead the Wallabies out in Sydney for what will be just his second appearance since Australia's tour finale against France last November, after he suffered hamstring and ankle injuries.

Four uncapped players have been named in the team, which sees Queensland Reds stars including James Horwill and Quade Cooper rested ahead of the Tri-Nations opener against South Africa later this month.

The Reds stormed to victory against the Canterbury Crusaders 18-15 in the Super 15 finals last weekend.

Winger Digby Ioane was the only Red named in Sunday's starting XV - his first appearance for the national squad since a season-ending shoulder injury against England last June. Four Queenslanders will open on the bench.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said the squad had a hectic lead-up to October's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and now was the last real chance to rest players.

"We assessed all of the Queensland guys when they joined us on Monday night and decided this was the best course for us," said Deans.

"They've had a big workload already this year. Given that our schedule is so congested, with five Test matches in seven weeks, we felt that now was realistically the only opportunity we had to give them a break.

"They'll get their opportunity, they're excited, and I know they will all contribute when we call on them."

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Blues let chance slip against Chiefs

Updated June 4, 2011 21:10:00

The Chiefs dealt another blow to the Blues' title ambitions with a deserved 16-11 victory in a typically hard-fought all-New Zealand Super Rugby clash at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.

A third successive defeat for the Blues drops them from second to third in the overall standings and left them just two points ahead of the Crusaders in the race for the top spot in the New Zealand conference.

The seven-times champion Crusaders, who had a bye this week, host the Blues, who have won three Super rugby titles, in Timaru in the penultimate round of the regular season next week.

The Chiefs, already well out of the play-off race, scored their only try through evergreen centre Tana Umaga in the first half and had marginally the better kicker in Stephen Donald, who made four of seven kicks for 11 points.

The Blues hit back in the second period with a try from Jared Payne but never had nearly enough possession to get their backs going as the Chiefs turned the screw at the set piece and ran back every loose kick.

Blues fly half Luke McAlister kicked two penalties in the first 10 minutes, the second a booming effort from five metres inside his own half, but then missed five successive kicks before being replaced 10 minutes from time.

"Really disappointing, the Chiefs really came out to play and pressured us tonight and deserved the win," Blues skipper Jerome Kaino said.

"You can't really play the territory game without the ball. We couldn't really get anything going."

Umaga rolled back the years to help the Chiefs to a 7-6 lead at the break, the highlight coming when the 38-year-old former All Black captain burrowed his way through defenders to ground the ball on the line and finish off a move he had started with a line break.

Donald, vying for the back-up position to All Blacks fly half Dan Carter for the World Cup with McAlister, kicked his first penalty in three attempts to extend the lead to 10-6 soon after the break.

The Blues struck back almost immediately from an attacking scrum, quick hands in the backline allowing outside centre Payne to scythe through the defence to put the home side ahead by a point.

Their lead lasted just six minutes until another Donald penalty put the Chiefs back in front and, with the Blues struggling to get any forward momentum going on a greasy pitch, he added the coup de grace with his third two minutes from time.

"We're stoked, the boys really dug deep, it was pretty difficult conditions but we got the win," Chiefs captain Mils Muliaina said.

"It would be nice to finish the season tonight."

Chiefs: 16 (T Umaga try; S Donald conversion, 3 penalty goals)

Blues: 11 (J Payne try; L McAlister 2 penalty goals)

- Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, new-zealand

First posted June 4, 2011 19:21:00

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Smiton breaks loose against Rebels

Published:Sunday, May 22, 2011 6:58 AEST

Riaan Smiton goes on the attack in the Cheetahs' clash with Melbourne Rebels at Free State Stadium on May 21, 2011 in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, vic, melbourne-3000, south-africa

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Carter offloads against Chiefs

Published:Saturday, May 21, 2011 8:03 AEST

Dan Carter of the Crusaders passes to team-mate Jonathan Poff as he is tackled by Sona Taumalolo of the Chiefs during the round 14 Super Rugby match between the Crusaders and the Chiefs at McLean Park on May 21, 2011.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia

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Olivier scores against the Rebels

Published:Sunday, May 15, 2011 10:49 AEST

Wynand Olivier of the Bulls scores a try during his team's 47-10 Super Rugby win over the Melbourne Rebels at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on May 14, 2011.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14

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Reds celebrate against Blues

Published:Friday, May 13, 2011 10:00 AEST

Anthony Faainga and Quade Cooper celebrate a try by Scott Higginbotham during the round 13 Super Rugby match between the Reds and the Blues at Lang Park on May 13, 2011 in Brisbane.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, qld, brisbane-4000

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Tahs putting it on line against Reds

Posted April 17, 2011 15:27:00

New South Wales is prepared to lay its Super Rugby season on the line in a must-win derby clash against Queensland at Lang Park next Saturday night.

The Reds are cruising at the top of the Australian conference and Waratahs stand-in captain Dean Mumm concedes his team's finals hopes could come down to this match.

There is still nine rounds remaining, but on 27 competition points, the Waratahs are currently outside wildcard calculations for the finals, and must urgently close the gap on the high-flying Reds if they are to give themselves a chance.

On the back of a disappointing 31-17 loss to the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday night, Mumm says the Reds match shapes as the biggest of the Waratahs' season.

"I think so, you'd have to say it's certainly very important for us," Mumm said.

"If we do go down in this it certainly makes it very hard going forward in the competition and the Reds become even further ahead in terms of that conference system.

"As it stands at the moment the Reds are in a semi-final and certainly for us to be guaranteed we've got to be ahead of them, so it does simplify it."

The Waratahs leaked five tries in the first half of their loss to the Blues, in a flimsy defensive effort.

But it was their defence back in round two which secured them their biggest ever victory over the Reds - a 30-6 smashing at the Olympic stadium.

At the time the Waratahs looked indestructible, and although a lot has changed since then, Mumm said NSW will tackle the Reds with confidence.

"It really wasn't that far away, it was only six or so weeks ago but a lot has changed," Mumm said of a Queensland side (35 competition points) which has swept past South African powerhouses the Stormers and Bulls in recent weeks.

"The Reds certainly have an abundance of momentum coming in ... so they'll be very confident but I think also we've got to take a fair bit of confidence into it knowing we have performed against the Reds on the last occasion we were up against them."

Mumm says shutting down Queensland playmakers Will Genia and Quade Cooper will be the key, but finding consistency is the Tahs' real challenge.

"Obviously we've got plenty to work on. First couple of rounds we played consistently well and we've had our challenges over the past couple of weeks and certainly reaching that consistency has been a struggle for us," he said.

"The nature of the competition means you can't dwell on what's happened the week before, and the Reds are playing so well that we've got to try and get our heads around them as soon as possible."

- AAP

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