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Rugby Union as we know it will drastically change in 2011! In recent news, the SANZAR (The South African Rugby Union, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby Union) have unveiled plans to establish a 15th team into the competition in 2011. So basically, the Super 14’s will become known as Super 15’s!

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So how will the new Super 15 work? Well nothing has been finalised yet, but under the proposed new rules, the season will run for 24 weeks, which is two months longer than the current season structure. Also, for the first time, the competition will be split up into three national conferences of five teams each! Sounds confusing I know. Naturally, there will be kinks that need to be ironed out, but the plan is that each team in the three divisions will play their four competitors twice, once at home and once away. The teams will also play four out of the five teams in both other divisions, four of those at home and four are to be played away.

So when looking at how the new Super 15 work, the new structure will guarantee that each team will play at least eight home games! That might draw more supporters to become members of their club! That can only be a good thing!

How will the new Super 15 finals work? There will be a final series with six teams. The three divisional winners and three other teams – possibly the team that finishes second in each division!

So who will be the 15th team? Only time will tell.

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Rugby Union’s new Super 15 competition, due to start in 2011, will replace the current Super 14 format, with one extra Australian team to be included.

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The name and details of the new team is yet to be confirmed, but the competition, with 15 teams, with operate under an NBA-style conference system, with three pools of five teams, based on location.

Currently, in Super 14, five teams from South Africa and New Zealand compete, while Australia has four. But the new system will ensure a perfect balance will exist in an expanded 24-week competition.

The decision to move to a Super 15 competition was made by SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australian Rugby). It is also hoped the competition will provide better quality rugby for fans of the sport, due to healthier competition in an expanded league.

Teams will play those from their own conference (and country), home-and-away, twice, while also competing against eight teams from the remaining two conferences of 10 teams. This results in each team not playing against two sides representing opposing nations during the regular season. Each team will play 16 matches.

The finals will then take place in a six-team system before the semi-finals. One team from each of the three countries must be included in the finals series under the rules of the new league.

It is hoped that this competition, with the addition of one extra Australian team, will help increase the power of our national Rugby Union team, because more players will, inevitably, get exposed to national-quality rugby.

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One of the closest Super 14s seasons in history is reaching fever pitch on SportingBet.com.au, with just three rounds to go while as many as nine teams battle it out for a coveted place in the top four.

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At the top of the table the Hurricanes and the Bulls tussle for top spot and the tag of outright favourite heading into the playoffs.

You could throw a blanket over the remainder of the field with just five points separating the third placed chiefs and the ninth placed Brumbies.

Surprisingly, Australia is in danger of not having a SportingBet representative come play off time after recent poor performances from the Waratahs and the Brumbies have seen them slide down the ladder.

The bolter of the pack would appear to be the Western Force who, after notching up a club record win over the Lions last week have snuck into sixth place on the ladder and sit only three points adrift of the top four.

However they face the unenviable task of playing the Bulls at home this week and will do extremely well to get a bonus point let alone a win.

The Brumbies square up against the Reds in a local derby that is a must win game for the ACT side if they are any hope of making the play offs, so keep an eye on the odds and bet on NRL when you have made a decision.

The Waratahs face a much easier assignment in taking on the last placed Cheetahs while the Hurricanes and Blues will battle it out in Wellington.

The Crusaders travel to Johannesburg to face the Lions who will no doubt be smarting from last weeks thrashing and keen to make amends.

If the Stormers can overcome the Chiefs at home it will throw the top end of the table wide open for the lower placed teams in the top eight on Sporting Bet.

The Wellington Hurricanes are looking like the team to beat in the Super 14s Rugby Union competition following a 56 – 7 hiding of the ACT Brumbies – the worst defeat in the clubs history.

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Aside from an early try to prop Ben Alexander, the Brumbies were never in the contest as the Hurricanes ran in eight unanswered tries for a massive bonus point victory.

The win saw them move to the top of a jam packed Super 14s table over the Bulls who look like the real deal and will challenge the Hurricanes for favouritism come play offs time so get your bets in at SportingBet.com.au!

Just seven points separate first and ninth place with three games left to play.

The loss saw the Brumbies slip out of the top eight into ninth position behind the eighth placed Crusaders.

The biggest surprise from the round was a club record win by the Western Force over the lions – a 41 point thrashing that saw them take seventh spot on the ladder and the honour of the highest ranked Australian team just ahead of the Waratahs.

The big move could see the Force make the play off finals for the first time in the clubs brief history – a massive shot in the arm for Rugby Union in Western Australia. For further information on these finals just visit the SportingBet website.

It really is one of the most hotly contested Super 14s series in years and it is anybody’s guess who will take out the major prize in just over a months time.

The red hot Hurricanes will be hard to beat but the Bulls (who have held top spot nearly all year) will have something to say about that.

Any of three Australian teams can make the play offs from here but the Brumbies have made it very difficult for themselves while the Force may just surprise everyone.

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Fixtures for the 2009 Tri Nations Rugby tour have finally been released and rugby fans right throughout Australia, New Zealand and South Africa can look forward to a veritable feast of rugby action come mid July as the competition gets under way.

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The opening clash will be between New Zealand and Australia ion the 18th of July in Auckland which should prove to be an extremely tough assignment for the Wallabies having lost there last year in failing to claim the Tri Nations trophy. This has, however, not affected the options to bet on NRL online.

Australia don’t play again til the 8th of August when the meet South Africa in Cape Town meaning although they will have a difficult start to the Tri Nations series they will have a solid run to the finish with plenty of home crowd support.

They then play three consecutive home games with matches in Sydney (vs New Zealand), Perth (vs South Africa) and Brisbane (vs South Africa) which should please Australian spectators no end.

They will face they unenviable task of fronting up against the Kiwis in Wellington on September 19th in the final game of the series and the decider for not only the Tri Nations, but the Bledisloe Cup.

New Zealand took out both the Tri Nations and the Bledisloe last year while South Africa turned in a sub par performance to finish last in the Tri Nations.

A new look Australian side has experienced a fair bit of success on the International front since then and no doubt provide tough opposition for both the All Blacks an reigning World Champions. This will certainly change the possibilities available at IASbet.

In other news, Argentina’s bid to be included in the Tri Nations (making it the quad nations) could become a reality as soon as 2012 despite some opposition from the current teams.

The ACT Brumbies squad remains in deep shock following an horrific accident in which Shawn Mackay was struck by a car in the early hours of Sunday morning.

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Following a loss to the Sharks, it is alleged that a number of Brumbies players went out on the town to take in the Durban nightlife.

On the way home and just metres from the hotel, Mackay stepped out onto the road into the path of an oncoming car and is lucky to be alive.

Doctors in Durban placed the young superstar in a drug induced coma in which he is expected to remain for a minimum of forty eight hours and until he is brought out of the coma the extent of his injuries cannot fully be assessed.

At 4.15 am on Sunday morning, players were about to board a security van to take them back to the hotel when Mackay was struck by an armed response vehicle, the driver of which sped off from the scene only to return minutes later, an allegation that Durban police will neither deny or confirm.

Mackay sustained a cervical spine fracture and dislocation, a fractured skull, a compound fracture of the left leg as well as multiple fractures and lacerations to the face.

Doctors at St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban fear that the likely outcome will be permanent paralysis.

According to sources within the team who remained at the Hotel for a good nights rest, the remainder of the squad returned to the hotel in tears and ‘complete shock’ believing that Mackay had in fact been killed.  Check here for our review of sportingbet.com.au

www.iasbet.com.au – Origin, test and premiership superstar Karmichael Hunt is well on his way to switching codes in order to pursue a lucrative Rugby Union contract in Japan.
Once touted as one of the most prodigious young talents in Rugby League, the Brisbane Broncos fullback who has played at the most elite level since he was just seventeen years old has reportedly had talks with former Wallabies Coach Eddie Jones in recent weeks.

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The news comes just days after contract negotiations between Hunt and the Brisbane Broncos broke down after he failed to accept a three year contract rumoured to be in the vicinity of one million dollars.
Having played Rugby Union in high school only to be poached by Brisbane talent scouts before his final year, Hunt has made no secret that he would relish the challenge of switching back to Rugby Union and would play either in Australia or over seas depending on which was in his best interest.
If negotiations with Japanese clubs break down, Hunt could attempt to juggle a career in both codes and join Union convert Sonny Bill Williams in France at the end of the current NRL season which will see him out of contract.
If all goes according to plan, Hunt could play out a season with a French side after his stint at the Broncos comes to an end, then potentially play for Suntory in Japan.
The two deals combined would mean a pay cheque of around $800, 000 on top of his final payment for the Broncos for just over a year of laying football. IASbet.com.au

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www.lasseters.com – Stirling Mortlock has made a last gasp conversion for the second week in a row to hand the Brumbies a second consectuive victory, this time over the Crusaders.
In a match which lived up to expectations, the Brumbies won a heart-stopping affair 18-16 against arch-rivals the Crusaders after fullback Mark Gerrard levelled the scores with a try in the dying seconds of the match.

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Last week, the Brumbies beat the Highlanders with a a drop goal in the final minutes.

Brumbies coach Andy Friend said it was again encouraging to see his side play out a full match.

Friend will be well pleased with his sides excellent start to the season after a below average season last year saw the Brumbies miss out on the finals.

A handful of Brumbie players have cut their teeth on the international scene and have been providing extra firepower in a new look Brumbies outfit.

Despite missing All Blacks trio Richie McCaw, Brad Thorn and Leon MacDonald, the Crusaders showed the depth they are renowned for, holding in their own at the breakdown.

The sides traded blows throughout a scrappy first half, scoring a try a piece with Crusaders star centre Casey Lualala and Brumbies No.10 Christian Lealiifano both crossing the line, but it was the visitors that went to the break in front 11-8.

The Brumbies played their best rugby late in the second half, with Gerrard a standout.

But it was Mortlock who stepped up to clinch victory with a conversion from wide out in windy conditions before a crowd of 17,500. lasseters.com

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www.centrebet.com.au – The faceoff between Ospreys and Connacht ended with a final score of 22 – 10.

All in all, the players of Ospreys have certainly displayed great team spirit, as well as aggressive playing skills. Initially, the thought of a really young team up against Connacht may have left viewers not even bothering much of the existence of Ospreys. They did well for themselves for this match and throughout this entire season and earn themselves a great win. However, the win isn’t enough to secure themselves the 2nd place in this league.

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It had been a rather challenging season for the Ospreys for many of their players sustained injuries, thus were unable to turn up on pitch.

The match started out well for the Ospreys as displayed by Vaughton who sneaked in, snatch the ball back and passed it on to Spratt. It was aggressively done, fast and there was no way Connacht players could prevent it.

Having said so, Connacht had their chances to turn the tables around but lost them out during the two penalties. The pressure was surely on Keatley for he missed two important opportunities then.

Jonathan Thomas, having sustained injuries, was released on the pitch and may not have been in tip-top condition. However, his appearance seems to have pressure its opponents and overall, boast the team’s spirit.

With many of the injured Osprey’s players raring to go, I think it would be a good watch down through the season. centrebet.com.au

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As always with the Tri Nations championship the standard of rugby has been astonishing .

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The All Blacks have won the last three tournaments and got off to a great start.. New Zealand opened with a 19-eight victory in Wellington over World Champions South Africa. Fly half Dan Carter making all the difference kicking four penalties and a conversion.

South Africa had the chance of revenge just a week later in Dunedin and took full advantage of some sloppy All Blacks defence to win a thrilling encounter 30-28. The defeat ended a five year unbeaten run on home soil for New Zealand with the game won in the final five minutes when Ricky Januarie chipped over the defence and gather himself to race clear a touch down.

So far that has been the Springbok’s only victory in the 2008 event as they failed to capitalise on that losing to Australia seven days later. The Aussies enter the fray with a 16-9 victory in Perth thanks to tries from Lote Tuqiri and Stirling Mortlock.

In Round four the Wallabies took on New Zealand and blew them away with astounding display that saw them run out 34-19 winners again in Perth. Four tries from the side was too much for their opponents with kicker Matt Giteau adding four conversations, a drop goal and a penalty.

However New Zealand put themselves back on top of the table, albeit having played a game more, with a 39-10 revenge score over Australia proving they are probably the team to beat again.

From a single look at the table, the Canterbury Crusaders are effectively guaranteed to be in the final four in this years Super 14 competition. After just ten rounds they are a huge 7 points ahead of the second-placed team, the New South Wales Waratahs, with a total point score of 43. If you are into Union and have not yet placed your bet on union, make sure you head on over to iasbet.com for the best odds and a great sign up bonus!

The Waratahs, who are not prepared to be denied a chance at the cup this season, after last year’s dismal position of thirteenth, just above the Queensland Reds. The Waratahs have only lost two games this season, the first to the chiefs who are also in the top four, and the second to the Crusaders, which was more an abolition than a defeat.

The Durban Sharks are next in line, being only a few points behind the Waratahs. They have also only lost one game; however have drawn one also, leaving them four points behind the second place team. They have played a good season this year and should stay in the top four according to iasbet.com if they continue to play the way they have been playing this year.

Also, equal with the Sharks, are the Waikato Chiefs, who have lose three games, however got a bonus point keeping them even with the Sharks points wise.

These teams should be in the top four for this year’s Investec Super 14 series, so get yourself on over to IASBet.com and register a new customer account today!

England 6 South Africa 15

England were the Reigning Champions and came into this match on the back of four great victories and although they had quite a poor start to the tournament they battled their way through, knocking the Host France out in the process. It just was not England’s night and the Springboks out who were not particularly great in defence, dominated the line outs and Kicked five penalties to secure this great victory and win them the Rugby World Cup 2007.

Jonny Wilkinson was England’s Hero in their 2003 triumph in Sydney, but he was just unable to turn on the magic for England this time and he missed two vital drop goal attempts for England. South Africa were leading England 9-3 at the break and both sides applied pressure and flexed their muscle’s with a series of up and unders, although this did not seem to amount to anything. Percy Montgomery opened the scoring on the 7th minute of the game after Mathew Tait slipped and became isolated in the ruck and England were subsequently penalised for failing to release. Jonny Wilkinson squared the ledger on the 13th minute after Bryan Habana was called for lying on the tackled player, counterpart Paul Sackey. South Africa attacked twice more late in the half but were repelled on the line on both occasions.
England started the second half in great style as Tait cut a swathe through the middle of the South African defence and he set Mark Cueto up for a try, but after a very long deliberation from the TV match official, the wing was ruled to have been in touch when he crossed over in the corner, although some may say his decision was wrong and the try should have been given, this proved to be a turning point in the match from which England just never recovered and South Africa then went on to clinch the Victory.

Who would have thought it after England’s poor start in the start of the Rugby World cup 2007, that they would have gone on to beat the hosts France 14-9 in the semi finals, but they did and it just goes to show that anything can happen in this great game.

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Johnny Wilkinson came through for England once again and kicked a late penalty and drop goal to take England to this fantastic Victory over France. Wilkinson’s four earlier misses looked set to cost England dear, but his efforts paid of in the last five minutes of the game and sent England sailing to Victory and France to their defeat.

England Coach, Brian Ashton said that the England players deserve a massive amount of credit and that they came through strongly in the end against the host country on their own pitch. At the start of the Rugby World Cup tournament, Aston’s team were 33-1 outsiders, and no one really thought that England would make it this far, but sport is a strange game and sometimes the underdogs rise and surprise everyone. England have been on great form for their last two games of this tournament against both Australia and France and they now go on to take on South Africa in the Final and they need to put behind the miserable defeat of 36-0 to them at the start of this fantastic tournament.

England Captain Phil Vickery told reporters that “Today was one of those special days when the underdog rises and that the South Africa game was a bitter pill to swallow and he also went on to say, We had to bounce back.

England and South Africa are now set to meet in the Final of the Rugby World Cup 2007 after they beat Argentina in their semi finals This is set to be a amazing Final, and their will be millions of people watching it form across the world, who do you think will win? It’s anybody’s guess, but won thing is for sure, England’s fans will be sitting on the edge of their seats right until the very end.

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With the Rugby World Cup, Quarter finals round the corner for England against Australia at Marseille, who should England watch out for in Australia’s squad.

The Danger Men for Australia –

Lote Tuqiri – Lote came onto the international scene as a wing, who could pierce through the oppositions defences with his huge power, speed and strength. Tuqiri has scored 19 try’s in as many tests, but lately he has been going trough a barren period and only getting 3 try’s all season while playing for the NSW Waratahs and Australia. Fill back Chris Latham and Tuqui are the only Australian players to play all 320 minutes at the Rugby world Cup 2007.

Chris Latham – Latham can turn any match around with his formidable running from the back and his powerful boot. Chris is extremely good at finding holes in the other teams defensive line, but it is his kicking that does make him a star and invaluable for Australia. His massive punts have bailed out his team, when they have been in trouble and his off the cuff type of play and his array of special skills make him a firm favourite with the fans. He is some might say arguably the best full back in world rugby and his achievements were recognised in 2006 when he became the first ever fall back to win the John Earls Medal, which is awarded to Australia’s player of the year.

George Smith – Smith is said to be a fearless flanker and has been a valuable part of the Wallabies team since 2000, when he made his first debut for them against France in Paris. Smith is definitely a workhorse and he frequently pilfers the ball for Australia and he can certainly rattle an opponent with his bone crunching tackles. The Wallabies have recognised his outstanding contribution to their squad and Smith was named Australia captain for the match against Canada on Saturday. Smith has now scored four Rugby World Cup try’s, which is more than any other Australian forward has ever done.

After last years lack luster results and the performance of this years Australian based super 14 teams a Bet on Wallabies might not be such a wise choice.

However they have their best odds against the Walsh this weekend and the next. Wales have always had a fire and flair in their rugby but have seldom been able to bring it with them on tour down under.

Australia will be looking to start the international season well and you should expect some experimentation from the coach and players if they get a good lead after half time.

Changes to the captaincy may have also affected players but at this level the team knows what they need to do to perform.

Look for the team to come up to the plate and put on good performances.

Sportingbet.com.au Odds Coming Soon
Look for odds around…
Australia 1.17
Wales 5.40

26-May 8:00pm
Wallabies v Wales
Telstra Stadium, Sydney

02-June 8:00pm
Wallabies v Wales
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

09-July 6:00pm
Wallabies v Fiji
Subiaco Oval, Perth

30-July 8:00pm
Wallabies v All Blacks
MCG, Melbourne

07-August 8:00pm
Wallabies v Springboks
Telstra Stadium, Sydney

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A Bet on Tri Nations Rugby in 2007 is well worth a punt. I mean sportingbet.com.au have the odds as follows for the Tri Nations Winner;

New Zealand 1.38
South Africa 3.60
Australia 9.50

But in this Rugby World Cup year I really think that South Africa has to be in with a real shot at this title.

Just look at how the South African teams went in the Super 14s. 1st and 2nd with the Bulls and the Sharks finishing of the season on highs by beating the might of New Zealand Rugby’s elite in Auckland and the Canterbury heart land.

In the past New Zealand has struggled against the African National Team especially when it comes to playing on the Africans home turf.

As for Australia well at 9.50 what can we say? I would like to see them get up but in the face of such un-dynamic coaching and lack of balls I really think that www.sportingbet.com.au has this right.

Added to the equation for Australian Rugby is the removal of Gorge Gregan as the Captain. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t think this is a bad move but come on really! Why did this not happen last year or even the year before? How long does it take to make some wholesale changes to what was once a great team?

The old wood should have been cut ages ago and let some of these youngsters show us just what they can do. After all the under 21 and other Junior Wallaby teams perform year in year out. Are these not the teams that feed the Wallabies?

Get your head out of the sand Australian Rugby execs. The reds are an embarrassment and yet most of the other stats teams are made up with top class players who come from Queensland.

Maybe its time to chop the old wood from the establishment too?

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If you are looking to bet on the super 14 final then look no further than sportingbet.com

Bulls 1.70
Sharks 2.10

The line up sees the Sharks take on the Bulls. The Sharks are the first South African team in super rugby history to host a final.

Of course with the Sharks finishing on top this season and with home town final advantage of the match being played in Pretoria they are certainly have a good shot at a win.

However with the current form of the Bulls and form of its dynamic players such as Havana I think this will be one of the best matches of the season.

Often finals football can be pretty tactical with little flair shown but I really think that both coaches will be sticking with the game plan of open style rugby to see them over the line in this one.

Both New Zealand teams where under prepared for the finals series this year and I think this is largely due to the fact that all the All Blacks where underdone by being excluded from the start of the Super 14 rugby season.

It proves the theory that no amount of training is a substitute for real game play and I think this will show through in both the Bledisloe Cup and the Rugby World Cup later this year.

South Africa has to be firming with their Super 14 current form.

Bulls 1.70
Sharks 2.10

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This semi finals of Super 14 Rugby is set to be an amazing event. We all ready have a first time with all semi finals being played in South Africa after the Bulls thumped the Queensland Reds 82 to 3 on the weekend meaning the bulls secured an unlikely home semi final as they needed to beat the reads by over 70 odd points.

While the crusaders lost in the weekend to the chiefs you are a braver man than me not to bet on Canterbury. They have won so many times and are packed full of All Blacks and experience so expect them to rise to the occasion.

As for the blues they had a rather soft match against the Western Force and have never really traveled and played well in the republic.

Bulls [SAF] 2.75
Crusaders [NZL] 2.85
Sharks [SAF] 3.50
Blues [NZL] 8.00

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Bet on Super 14 Finals

This round, round 14, has brings some important matches as the finals draw near. Look for a strong performance by the Waikato Chiefs who have been putting on a late charge at the end of the season.

While The Canterbury Crusaders go in to the match as strong favorite there is plenty of pride in the Chiefs outfit along with bucket loads of skill. Expect the Chiefs to play their skins off.

Crusaders 1.28
Chiefs 3.70

The clash of the Coaches! The Auckland coach originates from the heart of Australian Rugby and the former All Black coach leading the Western Force. Expect this to be blues revenge as they have just come off an embarrassing lose.

Force 2.25
Blues 1.65

In other Super 14 matches expect the Hurricanes to trounce the Waratahs. With so much All Black talent in the Wellington team you would have to have rocks in your head to back the pride of NSW.

Hurricanes 1.25
Waratahs 4.00

The back in form Brumbies to lower the Highlanders as they have just come off a win over last years chaps the Canterbury Crusaders.

Highlanders 2.40
Brumbies 1.58

The rest of the matches have some interest and a win to the way out of touch Queensland Reds would be a huge gamble but paying good odds should they happen to grow wings and fly over the opposition to score.

Lions 1.67
Cheetahs 2.20

Stormers 2.95
Sharks 1.40

Bulls 1.03
Reds 12.00

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It’s not a very well know fact that the USA won the Gold Medal in the last Olympics that had Rugby Union as part of the line up back in 1924.

Of course Rugby Football Union is not in the Olympics any more although a number of requests have been made to include both the 7 and 15 man version of the game.

Sporting Bet Rugby World Cup Odds

New Zealand 1.50
France 6.50
South Africa 9.00
Australia 11.00
Ireland 11.00
England 17.00
Argentina 51.00
Wales 67.00
Scotland 251.00
Italy 501.00
Samoa 1001.00
Fiji 1001.00
Romania 2501.00
USA 2501.00
Canada 2501.00
Tonga 2501.00
Portugal 5001.00
Georgia 5001.00
Japan 5001.00
Namibia 5001.00

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At the start of the season I would have said you know what the Blues have a great team on paper yet again but they will all let their egos get in the way of truly forming a great Rigby team.

However so far this season they have proved me wrong and it this stage of the competition I would only bet on the Blues to take out the finals.

Canterbury surly did look impressive over a deflated Western Force but their run will be too late in my option to have an impact on the finals.’

With the full time score of 53 to 0 that’s right zero the Western Force who had looked impressive up against lesser competition will have to lick their wounds if they are to bounce back from this loss.

Also in this game Brendon Canon the Force Hooker and veteran Wallabies player does not look in good shape and out thoughts are with him and his family at this time.

Brendon was stretchered from the field and taken to Christchurch Hospital suffering numbness down one side of his bide. A front rower’s worst nightmare.

Good luck Brendon.

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On tour in South Africa the ACT Brumbies fought hard to win by 14-9 beating the South African super14.comLions team in this weekends round.

The Waratahs played some of their best Rugby all season against the New Zealand Super14 side the Canterbury Crusaders missing out by just 1 point in the high scoring game that saw the Crusaders win 34-33 in Sydney’s Telstra Stadium.

All the Waratahs need to do is back themselves and they can play some magic Rugby. As for Canterbury there was a fair few rusty all blacks and Jack went off early in the game with a knee injury that could put his Rugbyworldcup plans in doubt.

The Auckland Blues looked less than impressive in their win over the Waikato Chiefs. Play in Hamilton the home teams crowd (Over 19,000) got in behinds its team which enabled them to lead for ¾ of the match.

In the end the Blues where simply to good and they extended their points lead on the rest of the super 14 competition. A loss to Waikato may have resulted in the Auckland team missing out on a home semi final and as such many New Zealand rugby supprtes and even a few Chiefs supporters where happy to see Auckland take the win as the Chiefs have no chance of making the finals.

The Hurricanes blew the Bulls away 17-9 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

The match of the round goes to The Western Force who while at times played very loosely won their match 22-12 over the inform Sharks.

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We what a great Kickoff to round 8 in the Super14.com.au It might not have been the result that I wanted to see with the Blues proving that on their home patch they are not to be messed with.

The visitors the New South Wales Waratahs appreciated that the ground was a little softer than what they where used to playing on as the Blues continuously drove them in to it.

Troy Flavell the Auckland captain lead his team from the front and nailed two great tries in the 34-6 thumping in round 8 of the super14.

The Auckland team was joined by the All Black World Cup players not this appeared to make a big difference to the outfit as they showed top class rugby with an open style of play and incredible ball retention.

The light Blues on the other hand where continuously on the defensive and few chances to unload its arsenal in attack. When they did manage to get into the opposition 22 they where meet with defense that matched the Blues attacking attitude they took into the game.

The Waratahs where poorly treated by the South African referee in the early stages of the game that put the Waratahs on the back foot and in catch up mode in the first 10 minutes. The Waratahs prop was penalized twice for not binding and bringing the scrum down. The South African referee clearly had no experience in a front row and the Waratahs copped the penalties for the refs lack of knowledge.

The Blues look on track to make the finals and if the can keep the intensity running for the entire season especially while playing away from home they will have a great shot at the title and possibly live up to the expectation that all Auckland fans have of their team.

The Waratahs while comprehensively beaten will need to regroup and get some structure to their game. The off field antics of the recent signing of Lote Tuqiri have detracted from the teams cohesiveness and this team needs to pull its socks up and play as a team not as a bunch of talented individuals if they are to have any success this ww.super14.com.au season.

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Round 8 Super 14 Games

March 23 Blues verse Waratahs in Auckland
March 24, Highlanders verse Bulls in Dunedin
March 24, Crusaders verse Stormers in Christchurch
March 24, Reds verse Chiefs in Brisbane
March 24, Sharks verse Brumbies at Durban
March 24, Lions verse Hurricanes in Johannesburg

Look out for a case of the blue colored jerseys with Auckland taking on the mighty Waratahs in Auckland. This will be a tough match with both teams having explosive backs but I think the home town advantage for the Blues will be enough to get the win.

The match with the most predicable outcome is the Chiefs V the Reds. Although being played at Suncorp in Brisbane based on current form you would have to back the New Zealand visitors.

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www.super14.com matches this week are set to be some of the toughest yet. After last weeks results the tide turn for at least one Australia Rugby site in the Western Force getting up by 1 point to deflate the Wellington Hurricanes in the dying minutes of the match.

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This week’s www.super14.com.au clashes are listed below.

March 16, 7:35pm Chiefs v Lions Hamilton
March 16, 7:05pm Force v Reds Perth
March 17, 7:35pm Crusaders v Bulls Christchurch
March 17, 7:40pm Waratahs v Stormers Sydney
March 17, 5:00pm Cheetahs v Brumbies Bloemfontein
March 17, 7:10pm Sharks v Hurricanes Durban

I think the match to look out for this week is the Force v Reds in Perth. Many of the force side is made up of some great Queensland players who where either over looked by the selectors in Qld or who where jumped on by the Force to play for them. Either way this will be a true grudge match with all players out to prove a point.

Also looking to prove a point will be former Wallabies Rugby Coach Edie Jones up against former All Black Coach John Mitchel.

While John Mitchel has not 100% proved that he has what it takes to make the Force number 1 in Australian Rugby the team is building momentum and showing promise.

As for Edie Jones he continues to play his players off against each other to increase performance but the results table shows this simply is not working.

With the tenant available to the Jones camp Queensland is surly the under performer of the Super14.com

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Played in Perth on Friday night the Western Force where looking for the elusive home ground win that they have so narrowly missed out in all their past matches – in their latest www.super14.com.au match.

Finally they got one over the link at home all be it by 1 point over the Wellington Hurricanes with a score line of 18-17 it was no certainty.

The round six match could have gone either way and if not for a late try by the Western Force left wing Cameron Shepherd and his subsequent conversion the Hurricanes would have walked away with the win.

In an exciting finally to the match the Hurricanes first five-eighth Jimmy Gopperth who had come on as a replacement converted his own try in the 78th minute giving the Hurricanes a 17-11 lead and what the expected to be the final score line but in true Australia verses New Zealand style the Force pulled one out of the bag by spinning the ball wide to Shepherd to score.

Shepherd then sealed the game with the conversion much to the delight of the Subiaco Oval crowd for the one-point victory.

The disappointed Hurricanes are now in South Africa where the take on the Sharks and the Lions, before heading back to Wellington to tackle the Bulls in Wellington on March 31.

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The Rugby World Cup being held in France later this year is set to be one of the biggest global sporting events of 2007.

The Wallabies have drawn Pool B which includes Fiji, Japan, Canada and Wales who are likely to be the strangest opposition in the pool.

Based on last years Tour results there is no certainty of where Australia will finish in this years world cup but odds are you will see the players and the coching staff pull out all stops to ensure they have as good a chance as possible.

This may be why the Australian teams are underperforming in this years super14 competition as many of the Australian Rugby Team has been sidelined to ensure they are fit for the Rugby World Cup.

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Of course prior to the World cup we have the Tri Nations

The Tri Nations series will be a six Test tournament of 2 home matches each. This is to cater for the Rugby World Cup which starts on the 7th of September.

Tri Nations Dates

16-06-2007 Springboks v Wallabies
23-06-2007 Springboks v All Blacks
30-06-2007 Wallabies v All Blacks
07-07-2007 Wallabies v Springboks
14-07-2007 All Blacks v Springboks
21-07-2007 All Blacks v Wallabies

Australia kicks off their World Cup campaign on 8 September 2007 against Japan in Lyon, France.

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South African and our friends from across the Tasman in New Zealand take up the first 6 spots on the Super 14 ladder as the Australian based teams failed to produce consistent results yet again.

Both the Western Force and the Brumbies lost the lead late in there games shunting them out of the top 6.

The Brumbies narrowly missed a win with a 11-10 score line to the Wellington Hurricanes who now sit in a commanding 2nd position. While the Brumbies proved formidable the New Zealanders snatch a try in the last 30 seconds to escape a loss.

The Force also lost by just one point going down to the South African Loins 25-24 at Subiaco Oval in Perth. The Force, who lost to the Highlanders at home in Pirth in the opening round are still seeking their first home win.

Queensland looked distracted in their 38-13 hammering by the Auckland Blues. This of course may have been a result of off field antics by Coach Eddie Jones who is fast gaining a reputation as the out spoken ex wallabies coach.

On the Wallabies front five-eighth Stephen Larkham will undergo a scan on Monday on his injured sternum.

In other matches, the Canterbury.com Crusaders thumped the South African Cheetahs 49-28 in Bloemfontein and the Highlanders showed their home crowd their appreciation for turning up to the match with a 35-24 in Dunedin win over the Stormers.

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There are some that would say the game between Queensland and the ACT Brumbies was good old fashioned rugby.

To hell with that what about the super14.com matches we all know and love.

Open expansive games that keep you on the edge of your seat, tries scored in the corner after incredible set up from a rampaging ford pack and the magic of the backs spinning it wide.

Rugby after all is an attacking game and is not a great spectacle when played in defensive mode.

I admit a massive huge defensive effort was required by the Brumbies and the score line at 6-3 to the brumbies really came down to poor discipline from the Qld Reds who had it over their opposition in many ways, just not on the score board.

Played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday night it was the lowest scoring rugby match.com in Super 12 or 14 Rugby history.

The Brumbies screwed up what was certainly a try with Mortlock unable to take a pass when he would have been in the clear with no chance of the Reds catching him.

In what was a game of few penalties and the goal kicker for the ACT, Huxley put the nail in the coffin for the Reds in the dead part of the game with a 30 meter penalty conversion to steal the game.

While the Reds performance looked promising under Eddie Jones it was much the same old same old of Queensland past performances.

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The might Brumbies take on the newly inform Queensland Reds on Saturday the 17 of February in Brisbane.

There have been many changes in the Reds camp over the last 12 months including their move from the traditional Brisbane home of rugby at Ballymore to the more modern and higher capacity ground at Suncorp Stadium.

This move along with the appointment of former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones is having an impact on the way the players have been performing. Just two weeks ago Eddie suspended two players for il discipline for turning up late to training.

While the Qld rugby team have always been good on paper perhaps their egos have been the true stumbling block to reaching their full potential in past Super 12 and 14 campaigns. In 2006 the Reds finished in a dismal twelfth position, maybe under the leadership of Eddie 2007 will be the year that Queensland lifts its self to the height that its opposition has in the past.

The Australian Capital Territory Brumbies or the Brumbies are making the trek north from their home town base of Canberra Stadium. Last year saw the team finish a commendable sixth position under coach Laurie Fisher.

The Brumbies this year will be looking to emulate there past winning success which saw them win in 2004, 2001 and where finalists in 1997, 2000, 2002.

The players to look out for in the Reds camp is the bullish prop Rodney Blake. Weighing in at over 130kg Brumbies players will want to have their tackling technique perfect to avoid be wrecked at the momentum of the big Rodzilla.

On the other side of the center line look out for the experience of Stirling Mortlock. Playing at outside centre Stirling has amassed 825 Super 12/14 points over his long career.

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