Time to Get Healthy and Wealthy

Forget the power merchants. Forget those who tell you the only way to win matches is by brute force. That is the long and winding route to oblivion for the game of rugby. Speed, and more accurately speed of thought, kills. Six of the nine teams to have won a World Cup have been based squarely on it. A seventh – South Africa in 2007 – hired it on their coaching staff in the form of Eddie Jones, just before the tournament began. They had the on-field brain they needed, with Fourie du Preez a world-leading intellect at scrumhalf. Sir Clive Woodward abbreviated this rugby essential to TCUP in the build-up to England’s 2003 World Cup success: thinking correctly under pressure. England sides of the past had always tended to respond to pressure by trying to exert more force, or put more size on the field. Not by thinking more clearly or correctly. Woodward changed the culture, at least temporarily, in England’s prime years of the professional era between 2001 and 2003. Speed and accuracy o...

Sam Simmonds breaks the Premiership try-scoring record for a season in his side's 31-12 win at London Irish. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/57088881 https://therugbystore.com.au/london-irish-12-31-exeter-chiefs-sam-simmonds-sets-try-scoring-record/

It’s that time of the week, rugby fans: the weekend’s games are all done and dusted and we need your questions for the next edition of Coach’s Corner. If you’re not familiar with the series, Coach’s Corner is the weekly Friday column where Nick Bishop answers your rugby-related questions. » Miss the latest Coach’s Corner offering? It’s not too late to catch up on last week’s issue With the first weekend of Super Rugby Trans-Tasman in the books, there have been plenty of Antipodean talking points from the last week. While it was a clean sweep for the Kiwi sides and there was plenty to cheer about for Highlanders, Rebels and Hurricanes fans to cheer about (although less so for the latter’s defence coach), the Brumbies and Force only lost after missed conversions after full-time. This weekend is offering up a host of tantalizing clashes, as the two domestic runners up face off on Saturday evening as the Chiefs host the Brumbies before each country’s champion meet in Queensland when th...

Premiership leaders Bristol Bears comfortably beat 14-man Gloucester 39-7, despite having eight tries ruled out. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/57088695 https://therugbystore.com.au/premiership-bristol-bears-39-7-gloucester-leaders-brush-aside-struggling-visitors/

Ospreys secure their second Pro14 Rainbow Cup win with a 42-26 bonus-point triumph against Dragons at Rodney Parade. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/57111902 https://therugbystore.com.au/pro14-rainbow-cup-dragons-26-42-ospreys/

How good was it to see 42,000 screaming rugby fans watching the two best rugby teams in Australia fight out an epic final on home soil in prime time on free-to-air TV? Exhilarating. Spine-tingling. Rugby’s back, baby! As a proud Brumbies supporter I’ll admit to a few sour grapes over one or two decisions on the night, but it was a fitting end to an enjoyable competition and a great night for the sport in this country. More Rugby Why Australian rugby should go it alone Six talking points from Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, Round 1 The Wrap: Goldilocks, Super Rugby and the three bears Read it and weep: Former All Blacks captain announces retirement Tim Sampson defends "world class" Domingo Miotti after conversion heartbreak Rugby Let’s fast-forwar...

Brumbies flyhalf Noah Lolesio has missed a sideline conversion on the final siren as the Crusaders escaped with a thrilling 31-29 win in Christchurch. The Crusaders were cruising to victory after skipping out to a 31-17 lead with just 10 minutes remaining in Saturday night’s Super Rugby Trans-Tasman clash. A magical solo try to Brumbies fullback Tom Banks – when he shook off three tacklers in a 62 metre sprint to the line – got the visitors back in the game in the 72nd minute. A 79th-minute yellow card to Crusaders substitute Ereatara Enari further opened the door, and the margin was just two points when a clever inside flick from Brumbies winger Tom Wright sent No.8 Rob Valetini over. It left Lolesio with a chance to draw the game, but he squeezed the tough sideline conversion to the left to narrowly miss as the final siren sounded. Lolesio hunched over in disappointment, but his teammates ran in to console him after what had been a remarkable late fightback from the Brumbies. “...