Former Kiwi winger Kirwan new Blues coach

Updated July 17, 2012 11:36:38

Former All Blacks winger John Kirwan has been named as the new coach of the struggling Auckland Blues Super Rugby franchise, the team said on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old Kirwan, who also coached the Italy and Japan national teams, replaces Pat Lam, who spent four years in charge of the team in New Zealand's largest city.

The New Zealand Rugby Union had opened the job up for applications as the Blues lurched through a terrible season, finishing 12th in the southern hemisphere provincial competition.

Kirwan, an Auckland provincial stalwart, coached Italy from 2002-2005 and Japan from 2007-2011, including at last year's rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Reuters

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

First posted July 17, 2012 11:36:38

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Winger Vuna smiling despite Rebels loss

Updated March 03, 2012 10:36:17

Melbourne may have started its Super Rugby season with a loss to New South Wales but it was a victory of sorts for Rebels winger Cooper Vuna.

The Rebels lost 35-19 to the Waratahs at AAMI Park and were disappointing in a first-half display of a spiteful match, missing almost 30 tackles.

Despite the inclusion of Wallaby back James O'Connor, they also did not manage to get across the tryline except for a penalty try in the second half.

O'Connor contributed the rest of the team's points with his boot.

But Vuna could still manage a smile after the match, happy that he had done his best in an outclassed outfit in which he had few attacking opportunities.

Last year the explosive league convert came under fire as a defensive liability, but against New South Wales he showed how much work he had done, including losing seven kilos in the off-season.

New South Wales centre Tom Carter got past him to score the Waratahs' opening try but Vuna was not the only guilty party.

The 24-year-old felt he had come a long way since his rugby debut after switching codes from the Newcastle Knights.

He attributed much of his improvement to defence guru John Muggleton, who had great success with the Wallabies.

"He's probably one of the best defensive coaches I've ever had and he's helped me a lot and it's paying off," Vuna said.

"Last year I was more of a league winger, flying out of the line trying to sniper someone.

"But this year, with the help of (Mark) Gerrard, Kurtley (Beale) and James O'Connor, I'm learning off all them."

The Rebels will wait to hear from the citing commissioner after they received a white card from Bryce Lawrence following a complaint by Carter that he was eye-gouged by lock Adam Byrnes midway through the first half.

While coach Damien Hill said he did not see the incident, stand-in skipper Gareth Delve did not believe there was any intent.

"It certainly isn't the type of thing I've known Byrnesy to even consider doing," Delve said.

The task does not get much easier for the Rebels, who take on the champion Queensland Reds in Brisbane next round.

Hill was happy with his side's improved second-half performance and made special mention of his forwards.

"I think the forwards' display impressed me the most.

"We have been working very hard on our set piece and I thought our scrum, our lineout in attack and defence was outstanding and something that we can really take some positives out of."

AAP

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

First posted March 03, 2012 10:36:17

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Force winger out for the year

Updated February 02, 2012 17:42:47

The Super Rugby season of Western Force recruit Jordan Rapana is over before it even started after the former NRL speedster suffered a serious shoulder injury at training.

Rapana was forced to undergo a full shoulder reconstruction after injuring the joint during tackling drills last week.

The 22-year-old's season-ending injury is another untimely blow to the Force, who are still in the process of finding a replacement for Willie Ripia after the five-eighth quit the club amidst theft allegations last month.

Rapana, who played with the Gold Coast Titans in the NRL before embarking on a two-year Mormon mission, is contracted to the Force until the end of 2013.

Meanwhile, new Western Force skipper David Pocock and his predecessor Nathan Sharpe will be notable absentees for Saturday night's trial clash with Super Rugby rivals the Brumbies in Darwin.

Pocock has been rested after enduring a hectic 2011 campaign, while Sharpe is nursing a minor calf complaint.

Fellow Wallaby Richard Brown has also been ruled out as he recovers from a serious shoulder injury.

Fijian international Napolioni Nalaga will suit up for his first match for the Force, while Wallabies prop Salesi Ma'afu will front up against his former Brumbies team-mates for the first time.

And talented scrumhalf Justin Turner will make his return to competitive rugby after recovering from consecutive knee reconstructions.

In the absence of Pocock and Sharpe, lock Sam Wykes will captain the Force.

With the Force and Brumbies to meet in round one of the season proper, coach Richard Graham predicted both sides would be careful not to reveal too much during the trial.

"It would be nice to win but it's certainly not the be all and end all at this time of year," he said.

"It's about finding out about people, where we are as a group mentally and physically under stress."

Graham said he expected to announce a replacement for Ripia soon.

But it may not be a like-for-like replacement, with the coach confident playmakers James Stannard and Ben Seymour could do the job at number 10.

"At this stage it's about bringing in the best quality I can find," Graham said.

Squad: Forwards: Jake Ball, Phoenix Battye, Nathan Charles, Angus Cottrell, Pek Cowan, Tetera Faulkner, Matthew Hodgson, Ryan Hodson, Kieran Longbottom, Toby Lynn, Salesi Ma'afu, Ben McCalman, Ben Whittaker, Sam Wykes (capt)

Backs: Chance Bunce, Cam Crowley, Nick Cummins, Alfie Mafi, Napolioni Nalaga, JP Pretorious, Ben Seymour, Brett Sheehan, Rory Sidey, Winston Stanley, James Stannard, Justin Turner, Samu Wara

AAP

Tags: super-14, rugby-union, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted February 02, 2012 17:42:47

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Cheetahs winger banned

Posted May 23, 2011 21:31:00

Cheetahs winger Ryno Benjamin was given a two-week Super Rugby ban for head-butting Melbourne Rebels captain Stirling Mortlock on Sunday morning (AEST).

Benjamin received a red card in the closing minutes of the 41-21 win over the Rebels at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein and Mortlock got a yellow card for retaliating.

The suspension rules Benjamin out of South African derbies against the Bulls in Pretoria next Saturday and the Sharks in Bloemfontein the following weekend.

- AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, south-africa

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Force winger bound for France

Updated May 11, 2011 14:35:00

Western Force winger David Smith will leave the Perth-based franchise at the end of the Super Rugby season to link up with French club Toulon.

New Zealander Smith, who played seven matches for the Blues and 34 for the Hurricanes before moving to Perth, has signed a two-year deal with Toulon.

Although the Force were unable to hold on to Smith, they are hopeful star back James O'Connor will remain in Perth.

O'Connor, who is being heavily chased by the Brumbies, Queensland and Melbourne Rebels, is expected to make his decision known this week.

- AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, perth-6000

First posted May 11, 2011 14:39:00

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