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Issac Henry, Carlo Tizzano, Charlie Cale and Massimo de Lutiis repay faith shown by Wallabies coach and highlight squad’s strength in depth The Wallabies have problems, but they are of the good variety. In the return Test against Japan in Townsville on Saturday, they produced their most promising performance in 12 months, and not a moment too soon. The 56-17 victory included a professional,…
The Wallabies kicked clear to make it two-from-two against the Brave Blossoms with a commanding victory in Townsville The low key atmosphere isn’t helped by two of the less upbeat national anthems and the sky becoming blanketed in cloud. Hopefully the players can spark the occasion into life. And here come the two sides out into the Townsville afternoon. It’s all a bit muted in a stadium far from…
Australia beat Japan 56-17 in Townsville No 10 shows why he could be solution Les is proving more for the Wallabies, with new coach Les Kiss leading the side to a second consecutive victory in an eight-try 56-17 triumph over Japan in Townsville. The impressive victory gives the Australian men their first three-match winning streak since 2024 and fires the hearts and hopes of fans in the 14-month…
With the UK experiencing the driest summer on record, we look at how the weather is affecting the pitches and courses across the country Continue reading...
Australia head coach called in Carter Gordon to face Japan in Townsville but will keep investigating his flyhalf options before next year’s World Cup May the merry-go-round continue, after Wallabies coach Les Kiss promised to keep looking through his options at No 10 before the clash with Japan in Townsville on Saturday. The Wallabies’ new supremo has shuffled the side in only his second Test,…
Back-to-back world champions can use Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry to establish themselves as one of the greatest teams of all time South Africans are supposed to care about the All Blacks more than this. On Tuesday night 14,759 people dotted the 52,000-seat Kings Park Stadium to watch New Zealand dismantle the Sharks 54-0. Durban was cold and soaked, with snow falling elsewhere in KwaZulu-Natal, but…
Fly-half overcomes calf injury to partner Ryan Lonergan in halves Prop Massimo De Lutiis primed to become 1,000th player capped After three false starts, the Carter Gordon era for the Wallabies may have finally arrived after the flyhalf was named in the Australian XV to play Japan in Townsville on Saturday. New coach Les Kiss dropped Declan Meredith after last week’s inconsistent performance in…
New Zealand-born Mitchell became UK national in July England ready for revamped WXV tournament England women’s World Cup-winning coach , John Mitchell, has revealed he became a UK citizen in July after a six-year process. He said it would make representing the country on a sporting stage “very whole and meaningful”. Mitchell, who is from New Zealand and coached the All Blacks at the 2003 men’s…
Duo are notable omissions from England’s 25-man list Alex Coles and Asher Opoku-Fordjour both included Ollie Lawrence and Elliot Daly have both lost their central contracts, with Steve Borthwick omitting the pair from his 25-man squad a year before England’s World Cup campaign begins. Neither Lawrence nor Daly – who was nursing an arm injury – featured in the three Nations Championship matches…
Nonu on Sharks bench after signing for South African side last week ‘I thought it was the right thing to do,’ says 104-cap former All Black South African rugby teams love facing the haka. None have ever replied to New Zealand’s traditional pre-match challenge with another haka until Tuesday. Ma’a Nonu stepped in front of his new Sharks teammates and performed a solo haka in what will probably be…
Australia got ambushed early and were a hot mess at times. But Kiss showed patience and nous as he found a way to win When scaling a mountain, “don’t look at the peak”, advised the Japanese film-maker Akira Kurosawa. “Keep your eyes on the ground, put one foot in front of the other and climb patiently.” The Wallabies have to get from a current base camp of No 8 in the rankings to win next year’s…
Wallabies win first match under new coach Les Kiss Amatosero red carded in the first half “Deep care,” is the message from Les Kiss ahead of his first match in charge of Australia. He wants his team to care about every second, on and off the pitch, when they’re on national team duty. The 2026 Test calendar is a patchwork quilt of matches scattered around the world as the the All Blacks and…
Japan 32-35 Australia Wallabies withstand early red card and heat There was good, bad and plenty of ugly but the Les Kiss era is off to a winning start. Despite searing heat and a brave home side, the Wallabies shrugged off an early red card and a litany of reckless errors to welcome their new coach to international rugby with a brave and dramatic victory over Japan in Osaka. Against an…
Australia’s new head coach refused to cool expectations before a rugby international in Osaka with a short runway to hosting the 2027 World Cup The heat is on for new Wallabies coach Les Kiss – both physically and metaphorically – as he prepares for a sprint to next year’s World Cup, beginning in sweltering Osaka on Saturday. The temperature for the clash against Japan is forecast to climb to a…
Throwback series rekindles memories of the past, but the focus is very much on realities of the modern game Just in case you were unaware that the series between South Africa and New Zealand, styled as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR), is a “tour like no other”, the Springboks have just unveiled a jersey to prove it. “A jersey like no other” to be worn four times and then consigned to history. The…
Lonergan and Meredith to start against Jones’s Japan Kiss makes four changes to starting XV for Osaka clash New Australian coach Les Kiss has thrown his support behind inexperienced halves pair Ryan Lonergan and Declan Meredith for his first match in charge of the Wallabies against Eddie Jones’s Japan in Osaka on Saturday. The 61-year-old is looking to improve on the foundations laid by his…
Incident occurred after Pumas were denied a late try Albornoz’s ban begins against South Africa on Saturday Tomás Albornoz, the Argentina fly-half, has been banned for four matches for intimidating the referee after the full-time whistle of England’s controversial victory against the Pumas last month. Albornoz accepted allegations of misconduct at a disciplinary hearing, and that his behaviour was…
Team finished second bottom in men’s competition Insiders insist team’s ‘light calendar’ a significant factor England’s worst Six Nations performance has contributed to the Rugby Football Union expecting a £10m loss for the financial year ending June 2026, the Guardian can reveal. Steve Borthwick oversaw a miserable campaign in which England lost four of their five matches, ensuring a fifth-place…
Fijian Drua 17-34 NSW Waratahs as grand final held in Fiji for first time Tahs forward Faliki Pohiva named player of match NSW Waratahs have produced a scintillating performance to complete a hat-trick of Super W women’s rugby titles and defy their detractors with a 34-17 win over minor premiers Fijian Drua in Ba, Fiji. The Tahs secured a record-extending seventh Super W title. Continue reading...
Richard Boardman dropped by group of rugby players Football group includes family of Nobby Stiles The solicitor dismissed by a group of over 1,000 rugby players with brain injuries who are suing the sport’s governing bodies is still leading a similar claim on behalf of dozens of former footballers. Richard Boardman told a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice this week of his intention to “come…
