The cruellest corner of rugby’s lexicon is dedicated to damnation by faint praise, and it can surely hold no more withering euphemism than the ‘journeyman’ tag that is routinely applied to decent but clearly limited players.
Just ask Matt Mustchin, the 31-year-old Edinburgh forward to whom the term has had a limpet-like attachment for most of [...]
He may be right about the desperation surrounding the Brumbies campaign that has them lying ninth with just three wins and four losses.
They need to get something going if they are to be playoffs contenders.
But there should be an equally desperate air about the Blues. Yes, they lie third, but they are in a poor [...]
They flew last night to Sydney for the first leg of their journey to South Africa where they play the Bulls in Pretoria this weekend.
It always loomed as an important game but has now become a `must-win after the loss to the Crusaders two weeks ago and Saturday nights controversial 13-13 draw with the Sharks [...]
%26bull; Marks leaves his mark
They flew last night to Sydney for the first leg of their journey to South Africa where they play the Bulls in Pretoria this weekend.
It always loomed as an important game but has now become a `must-win after the loss to the Crusaders two weeks ago and Saturday nights controversial 13-13 [...]
%26bull; Crowd sizes a sorry sight
Hurricanes flanker Jerry Collins took Sharks pivot Frederic Michalak for a tour of Porirua on Wednesday, while manager Tony Ward has had a cafes worth of coffee with his old coach, John Plumtree.
And both teams have been singing from the same songsheet as they talked about the pressure going into [...]
And both teams have been singing from the same songsheet as they talked about the pressure going into tonights Super 14 match at Westpac Stadium.
Both camps know the Hurricanes are desperate to win after last weeks loss to the Crusaders. They dont want to leave for South Africa tomorrow with two losses on the trot.
Equally, [...]
In an effort to boost Tongas profile at last years World Cup and give the teams main sponsor a bit of publicity, Epi Taione changed his name to Paddy Power.
Its the name of an Irish bookie, and the Tongans also tried to colour their hair green later in the tournament - a move the IRB [...]
%26bull; Collins not cited for high tackle
%26bull; Cooper’s call to lay off halfbacks
%26bull; Super 14 table
The table-topping Crusaders would need a catastrophe greater than Daniel Carters badly sprained ankle to stop their stampede to the semifinals as the six-times champions are already only two wins away from securing a berth.
The Blues are also looking [...]
The table-topping Crusaders would need a catastrophe greater than Daniel Carters badly sprained ankle to stop their stampede to the semifinals as the six-times champions are already only two wins away from securing a berth.
The Blues are also looking good after another cliffhanger win, this time needing a Nick Evans dropped goal to steal a [...]
Nacewa injured a knee as the Blues ran in seven tries against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, notching another half century in the republic after blitzing the Lions in similar fashion last weekend.
A third successive bonus point win has elevated them to a one-point lead on the table ahead of the Crusaders.
But the Sharks are lurking [...]
