Young New Zealand talent shining in Super Rugby

There are number of things that are particular noteworthy about this year's Super Rugby competition. There are the injuries, many of them horrific, like the ones to first fives Colin Slade and Christian Lealiifano. There is the surprisingly good form of the Chiefs and the abysmal form of the Blues. However, if there is one thing that really stands out about the 2012 Super Rugby tournament, it is the young talent coming through, particularly from the 2011 Junior Rugby World Champs. The 2011 NZ Under 20s team are already providing a number of players who have taken to professional rugby like ducks to water. In fact, many of them look destined to take to the international stage sooner rather than later. Some players like Brodie Retallick and TJ Perenara may be ready to take the step up, while others like Beauden Barrett and Ben Tameifuna may get their chance in a year or two.

RugbyFix is producing a number of player profiles, highlighting some of the players who have emerged on the scene this year. Check out their profiles below.

	Player: Beauden Barrett Province: Taranki Plays for: The Hurricanes Click here for full profile
	Player: TJ Perenara Province: Wellington Plays for: The Hurricanes Click here for full profile
	Player: Brodie Retallick Province: Bay of Plenty Plays for: Chiefs Click here for full profile
	Player: Ben Tameifuna Province: Hawkes Bay Plays for: Chiefs Click here for full profile

Robert Deans to enjoy fresh instructing squad

Australia rugby union team advisor Robbie Deans could have an unique mentoring group in the coming year. The conditioning trainer Pete Harding not to mention Mr Williams his asst guru have formerly exited soon after the actual 2011 Rugby World Cup. Other group members Pat Noriega plus Phil Blake may also be believed to be under risk.

It's unidentified how many men and women is going to be inside Deans' training staff up coming yr. Nevertheless, there is speculation that you will see two associate coaches. The particular blueprint to the new team is actually inspired from the successful All Blacks training group. In that circumstance the top coach Mr Henry acquired 2 assistant coaches whom additionally acquired intercontinental coaching expertise. A recent assessment showed in which Deans did not have enough assistance because Australia rugby union team advisor.

There are many involving motor coach buses in contention to become listed on him. By way of example, Nick Scrivener can be commonly believed to be in in the running. They was previously associate coach in the Super Fifteen franchise, the actual Brumbys as well as already been involved with the Scotland An and Edinburgh factors. Other potential training franchise people consist of A. Blades, the former Wallabies prop as well as T. McGahan, that presently mentors together with Munster.

The actual Australian Rugby Union high performance system manager David Nucifora may continue within his part. Through the Rugby World Cup, 2011 he'd proved helpful as a possible associate advisor in order to Robbie Deans. The actual altering of training employees follows a rigorous review approach belonging to the 2011 period, especially the particular 2011 Rugby World Cup. The panel who conducted the assessment comprised associated with past Wallabies members Robinson, Hawker, Eales and Connors.

With the 2011 Rugby World Cup the particular Australia rugby team have been knocked out in the prelim final by the New Zealand rugby team. The particular All Blacks proceeded to be able to defeat The France rugby team inside the final. Regardless of completing in fourth position, the actual Australia team wouldn't normally have been happy with their particular tournament. They will suffered an awkward loss within early in the tournament to be able to Ireland. Rob Deans ' team assortment was put under overview. Specifically, their refusal to select Mat Giteau within the squad and also his perseverance together with flyhalf Quade Cooper had been criticised. Quade Cooper endured beneath the analysis with the All Blacks followers and also their skills flattened beneath the pressure.

Notwithstanding the particular complaint of the Australia team as well as their own coaching, they will finished the year positioned as the number a couple of positioned squad on earth and as the actual Tri Nations champions.

At the same time, Deans is going to be observing the development with the Australia Super Rugby teams. Associated with particular curiosity would be the type of Queensland Reds flyhalf Mike Harris. Michael Harris offers scored a SANZA Rugby Tournament record twenty-five straight kicks with the goal posts. Due to the fact he is a New Zealander, Deans will want to select him at the earliest opportunity to ensure their future has been the Wallaby rugby team. Another player Mister Deans will be observing is actually O'Connor who has relocated to the Rebels. O'Connor may be played at number 12 for your Rebels, rather than the back three where this individual played for your Wallabies. Following a criticism Deans received for that participants this individual selected inside the centres a year ago, he may consider actively playing Jim O'Connor right now there during the 2012 season. Deans will need to put together his / her team ahead of the June test matches.

Consider this unique Wallabies jersey posting to find out more for the Australia rugby shirt.

Heineken Cup Third Phase Assessment

Heineken Cup Third Round Appraisal

In Group 1 Castres played the Saints at Stade Pierre Antoine, with Castres winning 41 points to 22 while 5000 viewers watched. The Saints have had a tough series. Even though they were beaten runner-up in the last contest, after three rounds they still haven't been able to catalogue a decision this series.

Fellow Group 1 members, Munster and Scarlets kicked off at Parc y Scarlets, resulting in Munster rugby gaining advantage in their third game successively, 14 - 17 in front of in excess of 13000 viewers. Old Munster rugby team stalwart O'Gara got to his hundredth Heineken Cup cap at the event, capping off a breathtaking contest so far. In the brace of matches prior, 1st against Northampton Saints plus then against Castres he obtained a win in the final seconds with a drop goal. In the Saints match the drop goal resulted in the 84th minute after 41 consecutive hit ups by Munster rugby. During his dominant career the Munster rugby team pivot has a number of distinctions.

The Munster rugby number ten has vied in 116 tests for Ireland notching almost eleven-thousand scores, and a separate 2 tests for the British and Irish Lions. O'Gara has been on three British and Irish Lions camps, in '01, '05 and '09. During Ronan O'Gara's Ireland employment the gentleman has came top in 2009 6 Nations Championship in addition to the Full set in that competition. Ireland more than that topped the tests against England, Wales and Scotland in 2004, 2006, 2007 along with 2009.

Stade Yves du Manoir in Paris and Cardiff City Stadium in The United Kingdom saw results in the 3rd phase 2nd pool matches. At the start, a demanding 25 - 8 knock out for Edinburgh rugby versus the Blues. 2nd, Racing M?tro 92 suffered a disastrous downfall to London Irish.

Firhill Arena hosted Montpellier take a beating to Glasgow twenty versus 15 scores. The Rec saw existent champions The Leinster club defeat Bath rugby. Both games was decided by only five scores then Pool Three matches were copious amounts tighter.

There were quite assertive wins for the two pool 4 home franchises in chapter 3. At Ravenhill, Ulster won against Aironi Rugby 31 points versus 10. Already in the same evening, The Clermont Auvergne side had triumphed over The Tigers 30 versus 12 at Stade Marcel Michelin.

The final scores in the Group 5 matches happened to be notably comparable. Both out of town sides, Biarritz Olympique along with Ospreys missed out, despite notching twenty-six points. Biarritz's opponents Benetton Treviso registered thirty points so they would finish in front with 4 scores at Stadio Comunale di Monigo. Saracens won against Ospreys by means of five points in the vicinity of the outstanding Wembley Stadium. The Wembley crowd showed up, by means of in excess of 40,000 critics in attendance, which was the distinction for greatest admirers in round three. They saw a noticeably tense yet big producing match.

Concurrently the two home ground franchises in Group 6 recorded 10 scores and went astray versus their itinerant rivals. Situated at The Twickenham Stoop, Toulouse scored twenty-one scores to get around Harlequins by means of eleven points. Already that evening Gloucester Rugby reached a brutal four score victory versus the Connact rugby side in the vicinity of The Sports Ground.

After 3 rounds of Heineken Cup rugby, Saracens, Clermont Auvergne, Toulouse, Leinster and Irish rugby province Munster are in the lead of their respective pools. At this chapter of the tournament, the Scarlets and Ulster would be in the running for the yearned for 7th and eighth finals rankings. We are at this moment half way down the contest, and there are 3 extra Heineken Cup weeks before the finals.

For extra enlightenment about Heineken Cup Rugby and Heineken Cup Fixtures, check out the rugby union blog.

No Heineken Cup or Six Nations Rugby for Brian O'Driscoll

Brian O'Driscoll to miss the Heineken Cup and Six Nations

The continuously high-performing Leinster and Ireland rugby union number thirteen, Brian O'Driscoll, is going to avoid the complete Heineken Cup Rugby union series with a poor shoulder. Just now he has been troubled by virtue of a tangled nerve in the shoulder and he will have a medical procedure to repair the problem. The break will also eliminate him from the 2012 Six Nations rugby union competition for Ireland. It is a brutal blow for all involved. At 32, Brian O'Driscoll is obviously in the final stages of his occupation and is unlikely to get too much additional opportunities. The Leinster club is going to struggle in all of their Heineken Cup Fixtures without the great player as the man is their continued operational leader and record breaking try maker. He has recorded above and beyond 270 points for Leinster and played for the Irish stronghold over 150 times. 

The Heineken Cup series is about to come to an end in January 2012 with the final being perfomed London's Twickenham Stadium. O'Driscoll will be targetting the 2013 Heineken Cup final, as that rugby match will be played in Aviva Stadium in Ireland, which is his home country. Customarily there will be twenty-four sides trying to win the Heineken Cup this year and next year..

For the Six Nations, the Ireland rugby team is sure to further impaired since Brian O'Driscoll has been The Ireland rugby team's conductor for numerous tournaments plus the rugby union side is going to miss his 117 test appearances of existence. The man is additionally Ireland's top try scorer in all time. Interestingly, he is actually the highest try scorer in the history of the Six Nations, with 25 tries. Brian O'Driscoll is as well as the eighth maximum try scorer in worldwide test rugby.

The Ireland rugby team lineout exponent Paul O'Connell is going to be the conductor of Ireland in Brian O'Driscoll's vacancy. Paul O'Connell has lead the side in the past when Brian O'Driscoll has been injured. He has also captained Irish rugby province Munster and been honoured with the British and Irish Lions captaincy in 2009.

The opportunity to entertain an abscission on the shoulder was not difficult for Brian O'Driscoll, since the injury was beginning to restrict how he lives his life off the field. "I need the operation for general life, not just from a rugby point of view," O'Driscoll pronounced. "I've felt it during collisions. It hasn't been dangerous, but you go down because your arm doesn't work which means you're not much good to your team. I certainly see myself coming back from this and playing another season. I have been out for six months before so I know how to cope with these things - it's about keeping myself active, fit and involved" voiced O'Driscoll, "I just can't continue for another full season like this".

It's not the inaugural injury O'Driscoll has experienced. At the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour he was taken out of the contest very ahead of time as a result of getting dropped on the shoulder by two All blacks rugby union team players. This was in particular distressing for him considering O'Driscoll had been titled the captain of that franchise.

Fortunately for Leinster, The irish rugby team along with the British and irish lions rugby teams O'Driscoll is confident the gentleman will engage in the sport of rugby union at a high level again. "The danger of being away for six months is that you could be totally forgotten about but it gives me a chance to re-focus and set more goals for the latter part of my career. I will just wait and see how the body feels but I believe I have plenty more to offer. Breaks like this can give you the incentive to play for a longer period than you anticipated." articulated O'Driscoll

If you want more news on Heineken Cup Rugby, like Heineken Cup Fixtures, examine the rugby blog.

2011 Rugby World Cup Review

2011 Rugby World Cup New Zealand Review

The 2011 Rugby World Cup has concluded, with hosts New Zealand emerging triumphant. While history will remember what happened on the rugby field, with kiwi battler Stephen Donald's fairy tale topping off a gripping final encounter between the All Blacks and France.

However, the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand should be remembered for what happened off the rugby field. Many world cups can share the kudos of an event filled with atmosphere, joy and great spirit. New Zealand had all of that, but where it raised the bar was the embracing of all twenty teams who attended. Stadiums were filled with New Zealanders wearing their adopted nation's colours and cheering them on as if they were in front of their actual home crowd. Hopefully future hosts will be able to replicate this in coming tournaments, starting with England in 2015.

Read: 2011 Rugby World Cup Review

Leave it to Beaver: Stephen Donald helps NZ win the Rugby World Cup

Stephen Donald: World Cup Winner

The archetypical kiwi battler, Stephen Donald has triumphed against the odds to play a pivotal role in helping the All Blacks win the World Cup against France. Cast aside by the All Blacks coaches and ridiculed by the New Zealand following the 2010 All Black loss to the Wallabies in Hong Kong, Stephen Donald made a triumphant return to test rugby.

The fourth choice All Black number ten was finally called up to make his World Cup debut on the biggest stage, the final. Superstar Dan Carter and second fiddle Colin Slade had been ruled out with groin strains and third choice Aaron Cruden hobbled off after 35 minutes. Fortunately for New Zealand Stephen Donald held his nerve, kicking the essential three points and tackling and taking the line aggressively, with the All Blacks eventually emerging the victors in a brutal encounter.

Four More Years

Four More Years, Boys

It has been eight years since George Gregan's notorious 'Four More Years Boys, Four More Years' taunt, which was directed at All Black halfback Byron Kelleher. During the 2011 Rugby World Cup semi final, it became abundantly clear that New Zealanders have not forgotten. Once the game was finally in the bag the entire New Zealand contingent of Eden Park, which surely was around 58,000 of the 60,000 capacity crowd started chanting 'Four more years' at the downtrodden Wallabies.

The Wallabies lost to the All Blacks 20-6. The All Blacks now face France in the final while the Wallabies face Wales in the third fourth playoff. 

Read more about the chant an insight into All Blacks choking at RugbyFix.