8:16 PM BST Liam Napier The narrow nature of last week’s defeat to the Springboks mitigated the outcry that usually accompanies All Blacks losses. Honours shared was a fair reflection. Dig down into successive Rugby Championship Tests against the world champions, though, and familiar root causes evoke cause for concern. The blueprint for upsetting the
Rugby
The Rugby Championship has been run and won for another year, with the All Blacks securing their seventh title despite the weekend’s loss to the Springboks. SANZAAR on Tuesday declared the tournament had delivered “high-quality” rugby to fans across the southern hemisphere, lauding its ability to play the Championship across three countries amid the difficulties
10:54 PM BST Captain Sam Cane has been recalled to the All Blacks squad for their northern hemisphere tour later this month as locks Scott Barrett and Patrick Tuipulotu return to New Zealand for family reasons. Cane, who missed New Zealand’s involvement in the just-completed Rugby Championship in Queensland due to injury, will join up
2:52 PM BST A consortium of investors has agreed terms to acquire a majority controlling stake in Premiership side Saracens for £32 million ($43m), the club said on Saturday. Saracens, four times Premiership champions and three times European Cup winners in the last five years, were relegated last season as punishment for multiple salary cap
6:02 AM BST Thirty-eight-year-old prop Greg Holmes has seen a few different incarnations of the Wallabies in his time. The Queenslander made his Test debut way back in 2005, in the final year of Eddie Jones’ reign, and has since played under both John Connolly and Michael Cheika within the national setup. And he will
1:59 AM BST ESPN staff Sean McMahon will make his long-awaited return to the Test arena with confirmation he will be named among the Wallabies replacements for their closing Rugby Championship clash with Argentina. McMahon hasn’t played for the national team since the Wallabies were thumped 53-24 by Scotland in the final game of their
1:49 AM BST Liam Napier With due respect to Tonga, Fiji, Australia and Argentina, the Springboks were always going to provide the litmus test for the All Blacks. Setting aside their great rivalry, and the occasion surrounding last week’s 100th Test, the Boks are the antithesis to the All Blacks. Where the Wallabies and Welsh,
1:06 PM BST Rugby Championship organisers have ordered players and staff to isolate in their hotels amid a COVID-19 outbreak in Brisbane ahead of the final match of the competition. New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and hosts Australia are allowed to continue training outside their hotels at closed sessions but cannot mix with the public,
2:01 AM BST ESPN staff The Chiefs have announced a change in coaching structure for the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific season with Warren Gatland moving into a director of rugby role on his return from British & Irish Lions duty. The decision means Clayton McMillan will remain coach of the Chiefs next year having led
5:30 AM BST While he’s been earmarked as a long-term fullback option at Test level, Jordan Petaia is set to take advantage of the absence of star Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete. Workhorse Koroibete will miss the final round of the Rugby Championship on the Gold Coast on Saturday, as the Wallabies aim to secure their