*





Manu Tuilagi smashes Tom Williams


Top14 player imposter!


JDV smashed by Benoit August


The Northampton Saints 30m scrum!


Bastareaud huge hit on Rory Lamont


All Blacks skills - Pt 2 In the backyard


Trinh-Duc sets up Harinordoquy try


Wales vs England 1999


Greg Holmes great hit on Francois Louw



Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Super 14 Pick of the Week - Round 7

Round Seven of the Super 14 provided us with plenty to shout about as we witnessed some classic matches, nail-biting finishes, huge hits, and loads of razzle dazzle. Here’s a look at the best tries with our regular Pick of the Week.

The Waratahs stole the game from the Blues in the last ten minutes as Lachie Turner sealed the 39-32 win with an intercept try as the visitors pushed for the win at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The tries of the match, as featured here, came from Rudi Wulf, Dean Mumm, and Isaia Toeava, and Totafu Polota-Nau. Wulf and Polota-Nau showed their power, Mumm did the same for the ‘Tahs, but with a handoff, and Toeava got on the end of an excellent move from the backs.

The Bulls travelled to Perth and managed to maintain their unbeaten run by beating the Force 28-15 in a match that tested them more than they would have liked. Pierre Spies was immense on the night, scoring a try after relentless pressure, but Zane Kirchner gets his try featured after some nice hands out wide put away.

As featured on RD earlier, the Sharks beat the Hurricanes 29-26 with a nailbiting finish at Westpac Stadium. The try of the match was undoubtedly the team effort that featured Jaques Botes handling twice to set up JP Pietersen’s run in.

The Highlanders beat the Lions 39-29 in Dunedin, with the tourists now sitting on seven defeats in a row despite never giving up. They scored five tries, but it was Israel Dagg who kicked nine out of ten kicks at goal to add to their penalty try, and efforts from Kendrick Lynn and Hayden Triggs. The Triggs try was excellent, involving many players.

Elsewhere, the Reds beat the Cheetahs 31-10 with tries by Will Genia, Digby Ioane, and Nathan Hynes. With a jampacked package this week, none of those were considered good enough considering the soft Cheetahs defence that allowed them to coast through.

The Brumbies edged out the Chiefs with a late try to Matt Toomua, taking the final score to 30-23 after earlier tries from 18 year old debutant Michael Hooper and scrumhalf Josh Valentine. The Valentine try featured a very neat finishing step, and the Toomua try is included simply because it was such a massive moment from the match. Enjoy.

Which would be your number 1 try of the weekend?


Time: 04:03
Music: Gold, Guns, and Girls by Metric


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The Hurricanes and Sharks nailbiter from Wellington

The Hurricanes and the Sharks couldn’t be separated on the score sheet with 30 seconds left in their Super 14 meeting at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington on the weekend. To avoid the spoiler, stop reading now and skip to the clip.

Ruan Piennar put in a great individual display as he answered his critics by staying composed late in the game, bringing back memories of that classic encounter between the Sharks and the Crusaders in Durban a few seasons back.

He kicked 19 points with seven out of eight kicks at goal, including the winning penalty kick from 49 meters out with time up. His return to form is much appreciated by the struggling Sharks, who lost their first five matches of this years campaign.

"I don't believe he is as strong mentally as we'd all love him to be," Springbok coach Peter De Villiers said when speaking about Pienaar recently.

"He has everything when it comes to skills and talent, but he seems to be missing that one little thing between the ears that could make him the great Springbok that I thought he'd be by now.

"Some people are motivated internally, but I think Ruan thrives on external motivation. He needs constant reassurance, and responds well to praise, whereas a guy like Morne Steyn is the opposite,” he explained.

Young fullback Patrick Lambie scored early on for the Sharks as they got out to a lead before Pienaar and Wilie Ripia exchanged penalties, with the visitors going into the break with a 13-6 lead. Piri Weepu then came on and slotted two kicks.

JP Pietersen then finished off an excellent flowing movement that had all the hallmarks of a classic Sharks try of old. Despite the lead, Ma’a Nonu and the Hurricanes struck back, and while Pienaar kept slotting his kicks, they later equalized with a Victor Vito try and excellent Weepu conversion, taking the scores to 26-26.

A penalty was then awarded to the Sharks near the halfway line, and as the hooter sounded, Pienaar coolly slotted the kick under massive pressure, giving the Sharks the 29-26 win.

"Pretty happy when a boy stands up like that to take the kick. I saw him leaning to the left (watching the flight of the ball) and nearly had a heart attack," said Sharks captain John Smit afterwards.


Time: 05:56


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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Tana Umaga returns for Toulon with two big hits

On Friday we heard via Toulon's Ross Skeate that coach Tana Umaga would be making a return to the field for their game against Bourgoin following a nasty hip injury to wing Chris Loamanu.

The 36 year old All Black legend laced up his boots once again and got out there, playing on the wing in the closely contested 13-9 victory for Toulon at the Stade Pierre Rajon. Argentina's Felipe Contepomi scored the only try of the match.

Umaga played over 70 minutes before leaving the field to a warm reception from the crowd. In that time, he showed some of the ferocity that made him a feared opponent as he put big hits in on two of the Bourgoin players, which you can see here on RD now.

The former All Black captain recently signalled his intent to leave Toulon and return to life in New Zealand after he signed with Counties-Manakau in a similar player/coach role. He intends to pursue a coaching career, so perhaps one day soon we'll see him in charge of the AB's.

For now though, Umaga has been added to the squad due to the injury crisis. He's said himself that he's still keeping fit, so will no doubt make more of an impact in the weeks to come.


Time: 01:23
Note: Thanks to Toulon video contributor 4Lc4TR4Z. If you'd like to see more of your own team's clips on RD, please get involved with contributions. Send us an email for further info.


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Guinness Premiership Pick of the Week - Round 18

After another busy weekend in the world of rugby, today we’re looking back at the weekend’s action in the Guinness Premiership, with the pick of the week’s tries for Round 18.

One of the performances of the weekend came from Saracens and hooker Schalk Brits, as they romped to a 58-15 victory over Newcastle Falcons. Brits scored twice, but it was his first try that caught the eye as he beat no less four players on his way to the tryline.

Leicester Tigers also had a high scoring win as they beat Worcester 38-19 at Sixways. An early try was scored by Jeremy Staunton before Ben Youngs crossed later on. Toby Flood kicked 24 points himself, so despite the big win, the Tigers failed to pick up a bonus point.

Bath beat Harlequins 24-13 at the Rec with nice tries from prop Duncan Bell, Joe Maddock, and Olly Barkley. Tom Williams, of Bloodgate fame, scored a really good late try for Harlequins as they put some respectability on the score line.

London Irish beat Sale Sharks 38-0 at the Madjeski Stadium on Sunday, with Steffon Armitage picking up two tries. John Rudd scored early as he got on the end of a nice bit of passing. Chris Hala'ufia then set up Armitage’s try with a break off the back of the scrum, and played provider for the flank’s second too.

Roger Wilson scored for Northampton Saints just before the half as they beat London Wasps 14-9 at Franklin’s Gardens. Stephen Myler came off the bench to kick a late penalty and drop goal to seal the win in a tight match.

I know which try I'll be telling my mates about, but which is your favourite?


Time: 03:32
Music: Lost In Stereo by All Time Low


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Monday, March 29, 2010

Smarter Rugby with Ian McGeechan - Shoulder Push & Ball out of Contact

It's time for another coaching session with Sir Ian McGeechan and the ASICS Smarter Rugby series. Today the focus is on the shoulder push and getting the ball to support runners while going into contact.

If you haven't seen any of the series yet, it features British & Irish Lions coach McGeechan as he takes players through basic techniques that are sure to make you a better rugby player.

In the first video today he focusses on driving into contact by getting your head and shoulders lower than your opponent and keeping your back straight. A tip that he includes is to make sure that you get your head up and use that to successfully effect the clear out.

The second video features attacking techniques whereby you're making space for your support runner by taking out the defender by running into his outside shoulder as you go into contact.

By popping the ball just as you make contact, you're allowing your teamate to run through the space that wasn't there before, while you effectively act as a barrier between the defender and the guy you're passing to. You're also drawing in the defender, taking him out of the game.

Hopefully by seeing these techniques for the first time, or at least brushing up on them, you'll become a smarter, better player. We'll have more from the series soon.

Smarter Player + Smarter Boot = Smarter Rugby with Sir Ian McGeechan
By learning how to become a Smarter Player and wearing the ASICS Smarter Boot, you can play Smarter Rugby with Sir Ian McGeechan. To win great prizes and find out more, go to www.asics.co.uk/rugby.


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Six Nations 2010 Highlights Montage

It's been over a week since the 2010 RBS Six Nations came to an end in Paris with France taking the Grand Slam. Many of you felt there should be some kind of compilation montage to relive the action, so here it is.

As it got off to a less than spectacular start, this years Championship later hit it's stride as we saw a handful of great matches and one or two spectacular upsets. At times it was edge of your seat stuff, no more so than when Wales scored in the dying seconds to upset Scotland.

The theme of the tournament though was if Ireland, reigning champions from last year, could do enough to retain their title as bookies favourites France looked to be the stronger side.

In the end, the predictions were correct as France beat all before them and went on to lift the trophy in Paris, having won the tournament before their final game even kicked off.

So here's your chance to look back on what was an entertaining, and at times dramatic, few weeks of Six Nations rugby. Please let us know your thoughts on the video.

Rugbydump covered every match from the tournament within days of them being played. If you'd like to watch specific match highlights, click on the sidebar banner or simply follow this link for the Six Nations 2010 page.



Time: 08:42
Note: Thanks to French video contributor Guetteba


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Saturday, March 27, 2010

Richard Kahui crunching hit on Adam Ashley-Cooper

The Brumbies edged past the Chiefs with a late try in Canberra on Friday in an entertaining, eventful, and somewhat historic match in the Super 14.

Flyhalf Matt Tomua scored the late try to seal the 30-23 win after scores were tied with time running out on the clock after both sides had shared the lead on numerous occasions throughout the game.

It turned out to be a great night for the Brumbies, as aside from the win there was a very special moment as Julian Huxley made his return after he had been out of Super Rugby for two years following surgery to remove a brain tumour.

The tackle of the match though was undoubtedly this cracking hit from Richard Kahui on Brumbies fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper. The versatile Wallaby back positioned himself under the high ball nicely, but was smoked by the incoming Kahui.

Ashley-Cooper was left a little dazed for a few minutes afterwards, as you can see the impact of the head on neck on the turf as he want down from the big hit. He did well to carry on though, and showed no ill-effects later in the match.

With many matches in the Super 14, Magners League, French Top 14, and Guinness Premiership this weekend, your help is needed to make sure nothing is missed.
If you’ve seen something you think should be featured on RD, please either send in an email or post it in the requests section. Match details and the time of the incident are important, or if you can contribute video wise, even better. Cheers.



Time: 01:04
Extra: You can also see a few great photographs of the tackle here


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Friday, March 26, 2010

The Ross Skeate Diary - Unbeaten at home for a year

Toulon play away at Bourgoin tonight as they look to stay in the top five on the table in the French Top 14. So it's a good time for us to catch up with lock Ross Skeate, as he gives us a bit of a recap of the season so far, talks about All Black centres, and touches on the great progress the side have made lately.

What an adventure this season has been then – and yes I use the word ‘adventure’ intentionally. Between all the big name signings of the pre-season to the tough battles on and off the pitch, throw in a few come from behind victories as well as a few lost in the final minutes, I suppose its just been your average rugby season then.

It’s the proverbial roller coaster and with a possibility of a home playoff spot, if we finish well, it seems as though the roller coaster keeps on climbing in anticipation of that stomach-lurching plunge. Let’s hope the inevitable plunge comes when we let our hair down after being crowned champions of France! It’s just fine to be ambitious isn’t it?

Coming into the second part of the season we found ourselves poised more or less where we wanted to be but unfortunately far from safe and sound in the top six, primarily due to a host of other teams also playing so damn well. Tough league – it certainly bloody is.

I mean that is where it’s all at isn't it? Finishing top 6, making a Heineken Cup appearance, more exposure for the club and better business in the long run. Maybe Mourad will meet my 2million euros a year contract suggestion, or was it 3? I forget now. Waiting for that dotted line in anticipation.

Either way, with so many victories under our belt (together with Perpignan we lead the league with 14 wins from our 22 matches) and a year long undefeated record at home injecting some much needed points as well as confidence. If all goes well coming into the final games of the season, we could be running out to a little Pilou-Pilou chanting come playoff time.

It's just a pity that last-minute defeats against Montpellier (20 point turnaround in the second-half) as well as missed opportunities against Castres and Montauban might come back to bite us in the arse. I mean we would be sitting pretty in the top two if it wasn't for those.

But regrets are a slippery slope - I mean there's still that ex-girlfriend I should have avoided! Bygones are bygones and it’s it's all about what's to come.

That all starts with our away game this Friday night against a powerful Bourgoin side who are fighting their own battles to stay afloat in the Top14. That reminds me of the good times of yesteryear when I arrived to the club and we were in the midst of our own relegation battle at the time which of course in retrospect seems crazy that a squad as good as ours had any trouble at all.

A measure of how far we have come and such is the nature of our successes this year, that we are eyeing home playoff and semi-final spots.

It’s always rewarding being part of something and I'm hugely proud of the team’s progression and how big a part I have played in that. Hopefully the team will continue to build and go from success to success from here on in and find ourselves dancing in Stade Mayol after a few more victories.

As mentioned earlier it has been a year since we've lost there, the last time being a final minute drop goal win to Perpignan last season. ‘Fortress’ Mayol is something that we spoke about wanting to establish, it’s obviously not just down to what happens on the pitch though, the crowd are unbelievable and I truly believe have played a significant role in that fine home record.

Of course victories do come with a price though, the latest being Chris Loamanu who suffered a dislocated hip in our last game's victory against Castres. I couldn't think of a crazier and more painful injury and he shall be a big loss to us. The game itself was a huge victory for us as it ensured the final run into the seasons finale would be that much easier.

Well OK it's definitely not going to be easy in any shape or form, but our standing on the table after that now sees us well-placed.

We are lucky enough to have a pretty good medical joker to fill Chris' big shoes though - Tana Umaga, ring any bells? Big guy, played centre for the All Blacks, no – not the one with the eye-liner, the other, better older one.

Oh and there’s that Jonny Wilkinson guy who's returned to the squad this week fresh from his England Six Nations duty. Perhaps he didn’t get the plaudits and took some criticism in the media for his displays for England but he certainly manages to get the exciting backs in our side away, does serious damage both offensively and defensively and of course with the boot as well.

Felipe Contepomi has been standing in for him and has been scintillating, so that augurs well for us as big game players are what’s going to pull us through those tight situations in the season run-in.

Great squad with great ambitions but more importantly even greater potential.

Much Love and here’s to the final push of the season
Skeato

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take a look at Skeato's website for more insights, which includes great photos and blog entries about life in Toulon. You can also follow Ross on Twitter at twitter.com/RossSkeate. As the season nears the crunch stage, Ross will keep giving us the rundown on how things are taking shape.

Until his next entry for RD, be sure to visit www.RossSkeate.com.


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Super 14 Pick of the Week - Round 6

Now things gets interesting. The Super 14 is approaching the halfway stage and the top two teams, the Bulls and the Stormers, are off on tour. Will the Bulls continue to dominate while they're away from home? Time will tell. For now though, we'll take a look at the best tries of Round 6.

Starting off with the outstanding match between the Blues and the Brumbies at Eden Park, we've got a great try that was finished off by centre Benson Stanley after a great break out by Rene Ranger and some neat handling from the backs. The Blues won the match 39-34.

Joe Rokocoko scored a couple of tries on the night too, with the one coming from a well placed kick by Stephen Brett. Patrick Phibbs crossed for the Brumbies after a nice burst by Rocky Elsom.

The Crusaders thumped the Lions 46-19 in Christchurch, but the final score perhaps didn't do the tourists justice as they'd been in the match for the most part, spare a few late tries from the hosts. Crusaders Flanker Jonathan Poff got his chance to start and showed what a valuable asset he can be to the side, as well as crossing for a try. Sean Maitland also scored a classy try.

One of the games of the weekend was the meeting of the Bulls and the Hurricanes at Loftus. While the Hurricanes hadn't had such a good tour, the Bulls had been rampant and were probably expected to breeze past.

It wasn't the case though, as the 'Canes pushed them all the way, including scoring a great try after some excellent handling. The final score was 19-18 to the Bulls, which included a nice finish by fullback Zane Kirchner.

In an incredibly physical local derby, the Stormers beat the Cheetahs 21-8 with Jaque Fourie scoring a nice try after some good play by captain Schalk Burger.

It was a pretty entertaining weekend of rugby all in all, but Round 7 has begun so it's now time to focus on that. If you spot anything that you think is worth sharing on RD, please fire in a mail or post a request.

Enjoy the tries, and have a good weekend. The Ross Skeate column is coming up.


Time: 03:55
Music: Spybreak by Propellerheads


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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Three big hits from Grand Slam winners France against England

There were more than a few requests for some of the big tackles that we saw last weekend when France beat England to take the Grand Slam in Paris.

First up, right at the beginning of the match, big centre Mathieu Bastareaud put a late shoulder in on England centre Riki Flutey. The hit probably wasn't legal, but you see players getting away with that type of stuff all the time. It looked good anyway.

Next up is one of the players of the match, fullback Ben Foden, getting well and truly dumped by French lock Julien Pierre. Despite being dumped heavily, Foden did well to place the ball back, allowing England to go forward.

Last but not least, we've got captain courageous Thierry Dusautoir's fantastic tackle on opposite number, England captain for the night, Lewis Moody. A few minutes earlier Dusautoir made another great tackle, but this one stood out as the impact was even felt up in the stands.

While this video depicts the hits that took place, France weren't dominant as it was England who played most of the rugby and at times looked like they could sneak the win.

However, thanks to the solid French defense, the English couldn't get over and the Six Nations and Grand Slam went to the hosts.

It's just a short vid that's been thrown together, but is a nice little tribute to the French victory.

There were a couple of technical issues earlier so we've used a different video player. Make sure you click the play button. If you click the text, you'll be taken away from this page. Please shout if there's any problems, and let us know if you enjoyed the clip.


Time: 01:07
Music: Superman by Bush


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Schalk Burger loses his cool and slaps Meyer Bosman

The Stormers beat the Cheetahs 21-8 in a bruising derby in the Super 14 on the weekend, returning them to second place on the log. Stormers captain Schalk Burger had a superb game, but blemished the performance by losing his cool.

Burger played one of his best matches of the season, popping up in support all over the show and putting his body on the line in typical fashion. Totally pumped up throughout, he’s never at less than 100% and sometimes loses the plot a little.

This was the case as the Stormers started a great counterattack from their own tryline, only to have it come to an end with a knock-on. As Meyer Bosman put the hit in on Burger as the whistle went, the big flanker took exception and lashed out with a slap.

He apologised immediately to both Bosman and referee Chris Pollock, and was let off without further punishment. You can hear him saying "Sorry about that, I was just irritated" to the ref.

Burger said after the match "It was a typical derby, you know. The Cheetahs are a very proud unit so it was a tough match." There has since been no talk of a citing.

Just a few weeks ago, Burger lashed out at referee Mark Lawrence while scuffling with Jimmy Cowan of the Highlanders. And in fact last season, Burger gave Griquas player Bees Roux a similar type of flatty. Despite all his worth as a player, he still manages to do silly things at times.

The Stormers are now only one point behind the Bulls on the log after this physical battle. They have a bye ahead of their four match tour to Australasia.

"It always helps having a week off, the guys can relax and recuperate a bit. Hopefully we can nurse the injuries and hopefully we can take those players on tour," said Burger.

Do you think that a stand should have been taken against Burger by sending him off, or did the referee handle things well considering the circumstances? We’ll have the best tries from this match and the weekend in our weekly Pick of the Week compilation soon.


Time: 01:32


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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Midweek Madness - The Dane Haylett-Petty gift

While the Reds tallied up a record total against the Force in the Super 14 last weekend, they were helped by an enterprising piece of play that went horribly wrong from opposition fullback Dane Haylett-Petty.

Down by twenty points and looking to create something out of nothing, Haylett-Petty caught the missed penalty, faked to dot the ball down, then took off.

While it all looked pretty flash and he took the Reds off guard for a short while, the pressure of Anthony Faainga coming in for the big tackle seemed to put him off, resulting in the gift for Reds flanker Scott Higginbotham.

Whether it was coincidence of not, youngster Haylett-Petty was pulled from the field directly after the try was scored. Perhaps in future he’ll leave those sort of tricks for the Sevens circuit, where he's already proven himself to be a talented up and coming player.

Have you registered on the forum yet? If not, please do so as we're collecting user info for the big switch-over when we launch the new and improved Rugbydump. More details about that will follow soon, as well as our development drive, but for now you can Register here to make sure your username isn't taken.


Time: 02:28


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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

LV Cup final thriller between Saints and Gloucester

The final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup, now called the LV Cup, produced a thrilling afternoon of rugby as Northampton and Gloucester gave their all in a match that saw the lead change hands five times. Eventually it was the Saints who won it 30-24 in the end.

Tries were scored by prop Soane Tonga'uiha, centre James Downey, and scrum-half Lee Dickson, with flyhalf Stephen Myler kicking everything asked of him, notching up 15 points on his own.

For Gloucester Nicky Robinson kicked 14 himself, including conversions of Akapusi Qera’s try, and the penalty try that was awarded by referee Alan Lewis.

"Cup finals are all about winning. You would take 3-0 in a final, but it is more encouraging when you can go out and play like that. There were two teams who wanted to play rugby, and I thought it was a good advert for the game," said Northampton coach Jim Mallinder.

"The Premiership has had some stick recently but there were two teams out there who wanted to play rugby. This victory shows how far we have progressed. We are going to enjoy ourselves over the next 48 hours and then it's back to business," he added.

The win books their place in the Heineken Cup for next season, as well as sets them up for the possibility of a rare treble, as they’re in this years quarter final, as well as currently sitting two points behind Guinness Premiership leaders Leicester.


Time: 07:22


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Monday, March 22, 2010

Gareth Thomas takes a battering on League debut

gareth thomas rugby league debutUnion to League convert Gareth Thomas had a rather forgettable debut for the Crusaders against the Catalans Dragons on the weekend as took a knock within a few seconds of kick and never quite recovered.

Thomas, playing in his first professional Rugby League match since making the surprise switch earlier in the month, left the field battered and bruised after just 30 minutes.

The 35 year old former British & Irish Lions captain later revealed that he spent the majority of that time with blurred vision following another big knock he received early on.

"I don't know what happened but in the first tackle I took a clout on the top of the head. Then 20 minutes later my head's gone into someone's knee. As much as I didn't want to go off, I had to," said Thomas.

"But I feel fine now, I feel good. Towards the latter stages of the game I wanted to go back on but it was to the benefit of the team because I wasn't one hundred percent.

"This could have been my first game or my 100th, and what happened would have happened. It is a contact sport and it could have happened at any time.

"Now it has gone behind me I can carry on enjoying what is, I think, really and truly a great game. It is a fantastic sport to play, that is why I wanted to play a full 80 minutes," he added.

Crusaders coach Brian Noble said Thomas still has a lot to learn, but he'll get there.

"We are going to have to teach him a few of the nuances of how to protect the ball in the tackle. He wants to carry the ball a lot but he needs to learn how to do that and when to do that.

"But for his first 30-35 minutes he’s done fabulously well given he’s never played any rugby league," he said.

While Rugby League isn't a regular feature here on RD, many will have be interested in how Thomas is getting on. And if rumours are to be believed, there could be one or two other well known Welsh players making the switch very soon too.

League fans, you can now also check out Engage Super League highlights on the Omnisport Player on the sidebar, top right. Just mouse over the video and scroll through the options to find what you're after.


Time: 01:55


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Rene Ranger huge hit on Christian Lealiifano

The Blues beat the Brumbies 39-34 in Round 6 of the Super 14 on Friday, with makeshift centre Rene Ranger standing out as one of the best players on the park on the night.

Injury troubles throughout the first six weeks of the competition have meant that the Blues have been without the backline options of Anthony Tuitavake, Isaia Toeava, George Pisi, and Luke McAlister.

This forced coach Pat Lam to take a chance on the powerful 23 year old, who’s normally a winger and showed a lot of promise with his pace and physicality last season. The gamble paid off as Ranger was involved in most of the Blues’ attacks and made his presence felt on defence.

"Rene was there initially because he was our last option to use," Lam admitted. "He certainly has the skill-set. All he is lacking is the experience. But he has that thing I like in rugby players - no fear. He likes to have a go."

He’s now proving to be a real success in the heart of the action, and showed his power as he smashed Brumbies centre Christian Lealiifano into sometime next week. To his credit though, Lealiifano jumped straight back up and showed no ill effects from the impact.

Ranger is in the headlines today though for a different reason, and that is that his name has been revealed as the player who was involved in the assault case from last October. He allegedly assaulted a man, leaving him unconscious, outside the Mangawhai Tavern in Auckland in August.

Initially he was granted interim name suppression, but the judge later lifted the suppression order. Ranger’s lawyer appealed, only to be rejected and have the order lifted, and his name made public, earlier today.

Ranger is expected to go on trial later this year or early next year.

"I’m disappointed that I was involved in something and that it has got to this stage. It’s not good for me or my family and it’s not good on the team," said Ranger.

"It’s now in the court’s hands. I have just got to get on with my job and do what is best for this team," he added.

Head coach Lam said that the Blues will not take any further action against Ranger.


Time: 0:49


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Saturday, March 20, 2010

France win the Grand Slam with victory over England

France won the Grand Slam after beating England in Paris with a workmanlike 12-10 performance that left the visitors wondering what could have been after they missed a few chances that might have changed the result on the night.

England scored early through Ben Foden and looked dangerous with the back three of Foden, Chris Ashton, and Mark Cueto. Ashton in particular had an opportunity in the second half that, perhaps with a bit more composure, should have resulted in a try.

Jonny Wilkinson, who came on as replacement for Riki Flutey, kicked a late penalty from the touchline that brought England close, but France closed out the game by controlling possession for the last few minutes.

Despite not firing on the night, France held off the England challenge and the honours ultimately went to them on a memorable night for French rugby. They have now won nine Grand Slams, and won the Championship title more than any other country.

Questions will be brought up over the ref Bryce Lawrences’ performance, with Martin Johnson visually upset as he discussed one or two issues with him after the match.

Lewis Moody, captain on the night, said afterwards that there were one or two decisions that went the other way, but added "Never blame the referee. It’s our game to win, not his."

Performances by Danny Care, Mike Tindall, and Ben Foden will be positives for England to take away from the match. Tindall however was surprisingly pulled from the pitch in the second half.

It’s France’s night though, as they’ll be celebrating their first Six Nations Grand Slam in six years. Coach Marc Lievremont said it was "A moment of great pride for me and the squad."

"I thought for a while we were afraid of winning the match. The English largely dominated but we had the nerve in the end to hold on," he added. Captain Thierry Dusautoir echoed the sentiments.

"I feel huge pride in what has happened tonight. It was really tough tonight but we hung in there and for us this evening is hard to put in to words but it is a massive achievement."


Time: 07:46


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Scotland upset Ireland at Croke Park

Scotland saved the best for last as they produced a great performance to ruin the party for Ireland at their final ever match at Croke Park. Dan Parks kicked the winning kick with a minute or so left on the clock, resulting in a 23-20 win for Scotland.

Scotland avoided the wooden spoon by competing for eighty minutes in what was one of their best performances in recent times.

Dan Parks was handed the Man of the Match award after his kicking feats that included a vital drop goal just before half time, and then the winning kick at the end, resulting in a tally of 18 points.

Johnnie Beattie scored a great try for the Scots as he powered down the wing following another strong Graeme Morrison carry. Brian O’Driscoll and Tommy Bowe both scored for the Irish, but it was the Scots who held their nerve to close out the game.

Dan Parks was delighted after the match, having been booed by the crowd a few minutes earlier for time wasting as he ran down the clock while preparing for his kick.

He lapped that pressure up though, and struck the ball beautifully as it flew through the posts, taking his side into the lead with time almost up. He said after the match he could understand the crowds reaction, but that it was all part of the game.

Ireland have now missed out on achieving their fifth Triple Crown in seven years, but the win by Scotland also meant that it effectively handed France the Six Nations title. They will kick off against England in a little under half an hour with the sole goal of a Grand Slam title on the line in front of their home crowd in Paris.


Time: 07:00


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Wales end on a high as they beat Italy in Cardiff

Wales ended their Six Nations campaign on a high as they comfortably beat Italy 33-10 at the Millennium Stadium earlier today, with flyhalf Stephen Jones taking the Man of the Match award after scoring eighteen points.

James Hook scored two tries while Shane Williams added a third as Wales picked up their game in the second half against an injury ravaged Italian side that fought bravely early on.

Wales finish fourth on the table for the second year running, despite the good win today. Italy though, have taken the wooden spoon, finishing sixth.

"It was a very good performance, the most complete performance of the Six Nations, though it came in the last game which is disappointing," said Stephen Jones.

Coach Warren Gatland was happy with the win, but felt the tournament on a whole was a frustrating one for them.

"I thought we played some outstanding rugby today. We showed potentially what we are capable of. In other games we've let ourselves down and been behind and having to chase games,” he said.

"There were 23 minutes of ball in play in the first half, if you put a team under pressure for that amount of time, often the opportunities will come in the second half.

"We still have a few things to work on but we think when we get everything right we can trouble any team in the world," he added.

Italy coach Nick Mallet was proud of his sides performance, considering the injury toll leading up to the match, and having lost their scrumhalf early on.

"I think they did absolutely fantastically in defence, we could have taken five or six more tries. We had lots of guys falling like flies on the field from after two minutes, we had three injuries on Thursday, we've just taken 45 points from France so, far from being disappointed, I'm very proud of the guys," he said.

Time: 06:06


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Friday, March 19, 2010

Super 14 Pick of the Week - Round 5

Round six of the Super 14 got underway earlier today, so it's time to take a look back at Round 5 with our weekly Super 14 Pick of the Week feature.

In Round 5 the Bulls continued their dominance of the tournament with yet another powerful win at home. They've now scored an incredible 50 points in three out of their four matches. The only game they didn't score 50 in was against the Waratahs, where they scored 48.

Against the Highlanders they scored a few great tries, but none was better than the individual effort from right wing Gerhard van den Heever scored from a run that started way back in his 22.

Other stand out tries came from scrumhalf Kahn Fotuali'i for the Crusaders, who scored two from some excellent offloading in the tackle and perfect support play. The Reds notched up 50 points themselves as they brushed aside the struggling Force, with Quade Cooper once again on fire. Great tries by Digby Ioane and Luke Morahan are featured here.

In Cape Town, the Stormers ran riot against the Hurricanes with big Fijian Sireli Naqelevuki and fullback Joe Pietersen combining twice for respective tries. The Waratahs also brushed aside a struggling unit, as they hammered the touring Lions in Sydney. Josh Holmes and Drew Mitchell scored great breakaway tries, with Mitchell actually getting four on the night.


:: Related Posts ::
Time: 04:38
Music: Breathe by the Prodigy


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Best tries of the Top 14 - Round 21

The week has flown by and another weekend of top class rugby action awaits us, including the big decider in the Six Nations as France look to take the Grand Slam. Today we'll catch up on the French league, the Top 14, with the best tries from round twenty one.

This round took place a couple of weeks ago so the bearing on the table isn't really that significant right now. There were some nice tries scored though, so it's worth the share as once again the Top 14 impresses.

Bourgoin beat Montauban, scoring a nice try through replacement number eight Wessell Jooste, made by a great offload in the tackle. Meanwhile, centre Lionel Mazars scored twice as Bayonne hammered Albi 46-13.

For Perpignan, Romanian hooker Marius Tincu finished off nicely as the Clermont defence held off. Toulon beat Biarritz 21-20 in a tight match that saw Gabiriele Lovobalavu dive over in the corner following good awareness and a nice long pass by Sonny Bill Williams.

Castres beat Brive 35-10 at the Stade Pierre Antoine, scoring four tries. An individual effort by Joe Tekori, where he threw two dummies and spun out the tackles, is featured at number four on this list. The other, finished off by Pierre-Emmanuel Garcia in the end, must be one of the team tries of the season.

Gregory Lamboley also had a bit of spin-action as he scored for Toulouse against Stade Francais,
but at number one is the flying Fijian Sireli Bobo, who flew up the centre for Racing Metro and showed that even at the age of 34, he's still got the gas.

Enjoy the tries. The Super 14 Pick of the week for Round 5 is on the way.


Time: 04:39


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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Rugby Club Super 14 Plays of the Month - February 2010

We're well into March so it's time to take a look back at the best of the previous month's action in the Super 14 with another great compilation from the guys at the Aussie show, The Rugby Club. Tries, hits, and pom-poms are the order of the day.

The tournament started off with some high scoring madness that had the people up north questioning if they were watching rugby or basketball, but things soon regained respectability as it became clear that he interpretations of the law led to a far more open form of the game.

As always in the Super 14, there’s plenty to talk about. If it’s not power failures and dancing girls, it’s the action on field with some cracking hits and incredible tries.

A few of the bigger hits have already been featured on here, but the hit of the month was handed to Blues number eight Peter Saili, who rocked Reds winger Digby Ioane.

Try of the month was given to the on form Quade Cooper for his finish against the Crusaders after a brilliant build up. There’s already talk about him pushing Matt Giteau for a place in the Wallabies line up. Time, and court hearings, will tell.

The celebrations featured will have the old school traditionalists pulling their hair out, condemning this great game as having gone to the dogs. In reality, it’s just a bit of fun and can only help towards growing the profile of the sport. Rugby needs characters after all.

Enjoy this alternative look at the most entertaining bits of action from the Super 14 in February.


Time: 02:27


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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Midweek Madness - Medics drop prop Bogdan Balan

Montauban prop Bogdan Balan picked up an ankle injury during their impressive 45-31 win over Racing Metro on the weekend. Unfortunately for him though, his journey off the pitch wasn't quite smooth sailing.

Last week the Midweek Madness clip that was featured was about a player being penalised for shouting on the field. Opinions were mixed about whether or not the penalty was necessary, but I think we’ll all agree that in today’s clip, the player involved would have been forgiven for making a bit of noise about it.

When you’ve been badly injured and realise your game is over, you basically just want to get off the park in the trusted hands of the medical team and support staff. If you’re stretchered off, you’re generally feeling pretty sore to start with.

Montauban’s Romanian front rower Balan unfortunately injured his ankle quite badly as a scrum went down midway through the match. The medical support he received looked to be excellent, right up until the point where they dropped him.

As you watch them walking off, you can see something isn’t right as there’s two tiny girls at the back who clearly don’t look comfortable with what has been asked of them.

Eventually he goes down to the turf in a heap as they struggle to hold him up. It’s pretty shocking to see, but luckily it didn’t seem to cause any further damage so we can have a chuckle about it and hope it never happens again. Someone please buy them a golf cart.


Time: 01:20
Note: Thanks to Lerugbynistere


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Ben Foden charge floors big Ally Kellock

Ben Foden looks set to make his first Test start when England take on France this weekend in the Grand Slam decider of the Six Nations. Foden had a cracking game when coming on as sub against Scotland on Saturday, just ask Alastair Kellock.

The dynamic young fullback came on as a replacement and looked dangerous with ball in hand more often than not, something that England have lacked in recent times. With Delon Armitage having been released to his club, Foden will no doubt start against France.

Foden showed that he not only has the running and creative game, but packs a punch as he left quite an impression on 6ft9 Scotland lock Kellock.

"I won't forget my introduction to England substitute full-back Ben Foden in a hurry as we collided with such an impact during the second half my back molars rattled.

"It was an elbow to the voice box, or was it his head? No matter, on came our brilliant doc James Robson to secure my neck. Doing my best Barry White impression I managed to assure him I was OK but understandably he was taking no risks after events of recent weeks," he said in his column, in reference to the recent Thom Evans injury.

Foden knocked him to the floor with incredible force, leaving him strewn on the turf for a few minutes while play went on. In a rather comical piece of sporting theatre, Kellock suddenly got up when needed, and played on.

"A request by a medic to secure an oxygen mask to my face was brushed aside and, lo and behold, as I got to my feet didn't the ball just come my way?

"I didn't think twice before grabbing it and heading for a gap in the England defence to roars of laughter from the crowd, a rare moment of comedy in a bruising battle of a game," he added.


Time: 01:17


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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Smarter Rugby with Ian McGeechan - Battle of the Shoulders & Spin Passing

The next instalment of our ASICS Smarter Rugby feature with Ian McGeechan comes to you today with a focus on two very important aspects of the game – clearing players at the breakdown, and spin passing.

McGeechan, one of the most respected coaches in the game, focuses on perfecting the basics before excelling at more complicated skills things. In the first of two clips, the British & Irish Lions coach talks about the battle of the shoulders at the breakdown.

The three key points discussed are:
• Your shoulders should be below your opponents
• Place your leading foot next to the ball
• Win the battle of the shoulders and make quick ball available


In the second clip he talks about how to find space by using longer, spin passes. While short, flat passes still have their place in modern rugby, the spin pass allows attackers to utilise the space in front of them, opening up defences when spreading it wide at pace.

The aim here is to target the player’s hands at shoulder height, get them running onto it by passing it in front of them, and to move the ball quickly and accurately away from the contact point.

If you can do all three of those, and make sure the player you’re passing to doesn’t break stride, you’ll find that you’ll become a far more potent backline just by perfecting those basic principles.

Smarter Player + Smarter Boot = Smarter Rugby with Sir Ian McGeechan
By learning how to become a Smarter Player and wearing the ASICS Smarter Boot, you can play Smarter Rugby with Sir Ian McGeechan. To win great prizes and find out more, go to www.asics.co.uk/rugby.


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Cory Jane flattened by Sireli Naqelevuki

Hurricanes fullback Cory Jane has had to return home after being knocked out cold by Sireli Naqelevuki in the 37-13 loss to the Stormers in Cape Town on the weekend.

The massive Fijian and Stormers winger trampled Jane on his way to the tryline, but was unfortunately called back by the ref for a forward pass.

All Black Jane was out cold before he hit the floor, as he clearly came off second best in this clash of heads. Naqelevuki on the other hand, barely flinched. As if the initial blow wasn’t bad enough, the impact as Jane hit the floor was also pretty horrific.

"I got knocked the f**k out lol. That's what happens when 120kgs hits 88kg," he said later that night on Twitter, adding the next day that his face looks like it’s been hit by a bus.

The Hurricanes, who lost badly to the Cheetahs a week ago, now travel to Pretoria for a meeting with the formidable title holders, the Bulls. Their tour has been a disaster so far, and doesn’t look like improving any time soon, according to the New Zealand media.

On a positive note, Ma’a Nonu has been let off after he was cited for a dangerous tackle on Stormers flyhalf Peter Grant. The judicial officer felt that the penalty on the field at the time was fair punishment for the high, no-arms tackle.

It’s Nonu's third misdemeanour in three matches, following yellow cards against both the Lions and the Cheetahs. The Hurricanes will at least be boosted by his availability for the Bulls match, following the loss of Jane after this sickening blow.


Time: 02:36


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Monday, March 15, 2010

Xavier Rush smokes Kevin McLaughlin

Leinster beat Cardiff Blues 29-20 in the Magners League last weekend, scoring a late penalty that snatched the losing bonus point away from the Welsh region. One of the moments of the match though was this great hit by Kiwi Xavier Rush.

Centre Fergus McFadden kicked 21 points for Leinster, but it was Blues number eight Rush who put in the biggest hit of the match, with this cracking blindside hit on flanker Kevin McLaughlin.

Rush, who captained namesake Auckland Blues to Super 12 titles, also played for the All Blacks on eight occasions. He’s a talismanic figure who unfortunately for Cardiff Blues, will be leaving to play for Ulster at the end of the season.

There was talk of Rush being linked to a move to the new Super Rugby franchise, the Melbourne Rebels, as well as a move to Japan, but Rush chose to stay up north after having lived there since 2005.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time living in Wales, representing and captaining the Cardiff Blues has been a real honour," Rush said. "Over the years I have developed many friendships that will last a lifetime.

"However, my original intention having moved from New Zealand in 2005 was always to experience life in Europe and after five years in the capital city of Wales, which has been a real privilege, I feel the time is right for a change before I consider the future following my playing career," he said.

The Blues’ loss is Ulster’s gain as Rush is a powerful ball carrier, has great hands, works like an ox, and as you can see here, hits incredibly hard.


Time: 0:55
Note: This clip was found thanks to a request on the forum.


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Ugo Monye and Kelly Brown both okay after bad head clash

Both England’s Ugo Monye and Scotland’s Kelly Brown have suffered no long term affects from their horrible head clash that ended both their matches at Murrayfield on the weekend.

Brown walked off with help from medical staff, while Monye was eventually stretchered off following the big knock that reminded many of the unfortunate injury to Scottish winger Thom Evans not too long ago.

Apparently by Saturday night, Brown was already entertaining the Scotland squad by singing and playing guitar. His chances of playing in the next match will be based on cognitive therapy tests this week.

Monye was taken for a precautionary x-ray and scan, but the results showed that no significant damage took place, so he was discharged to the care of the England medical team.

"If appropriate, a further injury update will be made when the England squad reconvenes on Monday," said the Rugby Football Union.

Scotland’s Evans, who following his injury against Wales has had to have double spinal surgery, summoned the strength to give a pre-match talk to the players on Saturday.

Evans’ future in the game is still unknown at this stage, but the fact that the 24 year old was walking is a miracle in itself. According to his brother Max, he came within a millimeter of paralysis or death.

Dan Parks has recounted how moving it was to have Evan’s talk to the side.

"It was a really touching moment. He's a great guy, Thommy, and I'm going to miss playing with him," said Parks, who will be joining Cardiff.

"It was a great occasion, very emotional, and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. It was great to see him and great to see him up and about, walking around."


Time: 02:06


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Sunday, March 14, 2010

France on course for Grand Slam after beating Italy

France are still on track to take their first Grand Slam since 2004 after they scored six tries to beat Italy 46-20 in the Six Nations game at the Stade de France.

The hosts ran in six tries through Imanol Harinordoquy, Yannick Jauzion, Marc Andreu, Alexandre Lapandry, and two by David Marty. Morgan Parra kicked 16 points while Italy only managed two late tries.

Italian centre Gonzalo Garcia was yellow carded by Irish referee Alan Lewis for an illegal block on French winger Andreu, making it his second yellow card in the tournament this season, following the match against Ireland.

The win for France now sets up a Grand Slam finale against England at the Stade de France next weekend. "After scoring those three tries we lacked a certain amount of intensity and discipline which we cannot do against England," said eighthman Harinodoquy.

"Obivously we are very very happy to have beaten Italy, who are regardless of the result a hard team to play against. We know it is not easy to play against Italy and they showed how they can play in the second half, scoring two tries.

"But generally I think we did what we had to do to win the match and I think it was a great game to watch for the supporters," he said.

Italy’s coach, Nick Mallet, was frank about his teams poor performance.

"That is the worst we have played for a year. The first-half couldn't have been worse. A lot of players played their worst match for a long time and we made France look better than they are," he said.

"I don't think they'll score tries that easily against England because we missed very simple tackles. But the French are a very good team, the best in this championship. They will win the Grand Slam."


Time: 05:24


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Scotland and England stalemate at Murrayfield

Scotland and England played to a scrappy 15-15 stalemate at Murrayfield on Saturday. The draw gave Scotland their first point this season, but effectively killed off England’s ambitions of winning the Six Nations Championship.

All the points came from the boot as Dan Parks kicked four penalties and a drop goal for Scotland, while Jonny Wilkinson kicked three penalties for England before going off hurt. Replacement Toby Flood kicked the other two.

Flood had a chance to win the match with time up, but had his kick charged down.

"Overall this game was a tale of missed chances but the draw doesn't bring our progress to a halt," said England coach Martin Johnson. "We did some very good things today but we also did some very silly things.

"We had chances to win the game and we didn't need to give away silly penalties in the second half when they didn't look like scoring," Johnson added.

"I said to the guys at half-time, just back ourselves to retain ball and win the game."

Scotland coach Andy Robinson said he was pleased with his sides improvement following their loss to Italy two weeks ago.

"The thing for us, and what I said to the team, is that we can stand toe-to-toe with anybody and play against anybody," Robinson said.

"I thought the set-piece work went well today, I thought some of the invention and things we tried to do were good.

"Nobody said it was going to be easy, we've got to keep working hard," he said. "We have been working hard and I'm really pleased with the attitude."

Scotland play Ireland in Dublin next, while England travel to Paris to take on France.


Time: 06:11


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