Tag Archives: Bulls

ESPNscrum: what we learned from Round 14

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Liam Messam finds space for the Chiefs in an otherwise tight New Zealand derby game against the Hurricanes. Image: ABC Grandstand

A tough round 14 for tipsters – well, anyone following my tips, at least – with several surprise results making the Super Rugby tables all the tighter.

In this week’s edition of Scrum Five, I make the five big talking points out of Super Rugby over the weekend as follows:

  • New Zealand can produce the tight derby, too;
  • The Melbourne Rebels need a Jake White or a Graham Henry;
  • The Waratahs: could they?
  • South Africa set for a grandstand finish, and
  • It’s the time of year for national coaches’ anxiety levels to increase.

Check them all out over on ESPNscrum.com now..

ESPNscrum: Super Rugby Round 14 preview

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Fourth-choice flyhalf Bryce Hegarty will make his run-on debut for the Rebels against the Stormers on Friday night. As if that isn’t pressure enough, I’ve tipped his team to win, too. Image: ABC Grandstand

Three cracking intra-conference derbies headline Super Rugby Round 14, for which my preview is up on ESPNscrum now.

Tipping is getting no easier as the competition goes on, especially in light of a few upsets last weekend and other teams not performing as well as they should. And things will only get rougher as we get closer to the playoffs. This week, I’ve even told tipsters to flip a coin.

For the record, I’ve gone: Chiefs, Rebels, Force, Crusaders, Brumbies, Bulls, and Reds. Apologies to all teams involved.

(And no, I’m not keeping track of how my tips have been going. That wouldn’t make pleasant reading for anyone…)

The ESPNscrum debut: Round 12 preview

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Kurtley Beale returns from the bench for the Rebels this weekend. How and where he plays will be interesting. Image: ABC Grandstand

Yep, there I am, front and centre on ESPNscrum with my Round 12 Super Rugby preview.

All in all, there’s a number of games that could go either way, and could do some damage to some seasons. Yet, worryingly, I didn’t find the tips overly difficult to come up with (he says, writing previews the day before most teams are even announced).

For the record, in my worldwide rugby media debut, I’ve tipped the Blues, Chiefs, Highlanders (they’re DUE, ok!!), Reds, Waratahs, Bulls, and the Brumbies.

(Which incidentally, are exactly the same as my new ESPN colleague, former SMH rugby scribe, Greg Growden, has picked. He should be very concerned..)

PLAY Canberra: July Super Rugby wrap

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Queensland Reds were knocked out by the Sharks in their Qualifying Final in Brisbane. Image via ABC Sport.

Never mind that this is now two weeks old, and when you do read it, best you forget about the result of the final last weekend.  This was one of those cases where timing around writing, publication, and personal holiday conspired against me.

Nevertheless, this was my wrap in PLAY for the last rounds of Super Rugby in Juky, and the first weekend of the finals, which unfortunately ended the run of Australia’s last hope, the Queensland Reds. Continue reading →