During the televised coverage of the Wallabies versus Springboks Test at Perth, there was a camera shot that appeared to show Bakkies Botha, the South African bully boy secondrower, belting Stirling Mortlock so badly that he was forced to leave the field with concussion.
Welcome to episode 4 of the Roar Rugby Review, brought to you amongst a whole gamut of tribulations behind the scenes.
It’s the time of year when all that stands between dreams of NRL glory and finals oblivion is mathematical probability, so much so that even the Bulldogs remain a top eight hopeful.
Archie Thompson will start his first game for the Olyroos against Japan tomorrow with Graham Arnold edging closer to finalising his starting XI for the Beijing Olympics.
More football
Blatter says clubs lack Olympic spirit
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is playing down the absence of the respective Australian and New Zealand captains from Saturday night’s Bledisloe Cup blockbuster in Sydney.
McCaw ruled out for Wallabies Test
More rugby
Wallabies promote Tahu for Cup showdown
Wallabies selection makes code-cross worthwhile for Ryan
Cricket Australia (CA) fears the integrity of the Champions Trophy will be further damaged if held in Pakistan and countries either refuse to attend or send under-strength squads.
It’s time for Melbourne to quit their jibber jabber and get a plan together. So it’s lucky Mr T was on hand.
When is a home not a home? When you’re playing in the AFL and your home ground has been put out to pasture, that’s when.
This is particularly noticeable in the remaining matches this season, when teams’ “home” and “away” games are one thing on paper, but stack up quite differently in reality in ways that could have an enormous impact on ladder positions after 22 rounds.
The ARU has made an excellent choice in appointing Nick Farr-Jones to the Wallaby Hall of Fame.
He was one of the best of the gentleman players, the breed of fine athletes and sportsmen who played rugby with passion and skill on the field and then, whether they won or lost, got on with their lives with equal enthusiasm and a smile on their face.
Troubled Canberra star Todd Carney faces the sack and de-registration by the NRL with police investigating allegations he urinated on a member of the public.
More league
Cowboys expected to fight out the season
Time for Eels to take out the trash
The Wallabies have brushed off accusations they cheat at scrum time and turned their attention to nullifying All Blacks captain Richie McCaw in Saturday night’s Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney.
Scrum no longer a weakness for Wallabies, says Hore
More rugby
Deans is rugby’s answer to Bennett, says Barnes
Cross set for call-up as Mortlock out of Bledisloe Cup clash
Blackadder, Hammett to succeed Deans at Crusaders?
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The possibility of foreign players being allowed to play for Australian Super 14 sides has been thrown around in recent months.
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Anticipation for this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup match is reaching fever pitch. For rugby fans, this is like the opening Test of the Ashes, the final leg of the football World Cup, or the NBA playoffs. It’s the grand stage of our sport.
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There comes a time where enough is enough. Carlton versus Sydney on Sunday was evidence that a tough approach is needed with the Swans making a mockery of what is required to be a law-abiding, respected member of the AFL fraternity.
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With the new season fast approaching, it is imperative that Australian football’s greatest asset continues to walk through the turnstiles from game one.
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The next few years will be fascinating for sports fans, with the promise of an increase in sports telecasts on free to air channels (FTA) as they add multi channels on both the standard on high definition platforms.
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I had a dream last night that that I was watching a great game of rugby league, just like in the good old days. I must have been reminiscing of a time before passion was outlawed, and refereeing was pseudo-political.
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The recent decision by Ford to reduce the number of V8 Supercar teams it supports further proves that the category needs a third manufacturer, not only to ensure there is a competitive and deep grid, but also so it can move away from the Holden V Ford platform that even the sport’s bosses admit is now dated.
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Rule changes and the tinkering with our great game of Australian Football, has been the topic of heated and emotional discussion for a while now. So why don’t we take a good hard look at some of the real reasons why the administrators feel compelled to constantly chop and change the rules?
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Ferrari may hold a comfortable lead over BMW and McLaren in the Formula 1 constructor standings, but their strategic position seem to be costing both driver’s the championship.
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The Tim Donaghy betting scandal is still getting headline space in the major New York dailies. His admissions have raised some interesting questions about the influence match officials can have in determining the outcome of big matches, not just in the NBA, but across all sports.
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Even though the Dingo has been hired for lots of money and gets lots of respect, he doesn’t have total control over who gets to play, or even who gets to play where.
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Congratulations to Rory O’Donovan who scooped the pool with 83 percent of the vote for his article What Next For Federer? A Coach Would Help in last week’s voting for The Roar’s Armchair Sports Writer Award. We have three new articles to be voted on this week.
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The A-League pre-season has just kicked off, and the new A-League season is not far off. As is the case every year, there will probably be refereeing controversies.
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At the tight, tense Tri-Nations game in Perth against the Springboks, midway through the second half, with the game up for grabs, some fools in the crowd thought starting the Mexican wave would be a good idea.
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The result seemed like a certainty prior to the American Motorbike Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in California. Having dominated all weekend with an average gap of 0.6 seconds to his rivals, a huge amount when multiplied over a thirty two-lap race, Casey Stoner was odds on for victory.
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Tiger Woods was probably glad he wasn’t playing professional golf last week, for even the great man himself would have struggled with the weather that greeted the players at Royal Birkdale for the 137th British Open.
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Now is not the time for the Wallabies to be Lost in Celebration. It’s time to focus on the next objective, the All Blacks.
