Hello rugby fans, this week’s article is coming to you from an altitude of 36,000 feet, where the six-year-old behind me in row 25 is rearranging my lower back.
His iPad has gone flat, he’s cracked it and is unloading elbows and knees into my seat with a fury not often seen or felt.
Excuse the typos.
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I think we can now safely say the Western Force have won the ‘best offshore signing in 2022’ award.
Winger Manasa Mataele has been brilliant on the wing with the boys in Perth.
Brought in from Super Rugby powerhouses the Crusaders, the Fiji-born skill-machine has been electric, scoring a try and assisting in another on Friday.
Mataele will bounce back to Canterbury for New Zealand’s NPC after Super Rugby Pacific wraps and will then return to the west for his second year at the Force.
If only there was a competition in Australia like the NPC so our stars could continue to improve with game time in their own state-backed programs.
Might be something in a tournament like that…
SLIPS IN
Immensely popular Wallabies and Brumbies prop James Slipper was rightly the main story at Suncorp on Saturday.
His exit from Queensland a few years back has been well documented, but in a fitting twist, he was back in Brisbane for his 150th Super game which enabled maximum attendance from family and friends.
When Slips was asked post-game by Nine’s Michael Atkinson to reflect on the journey and his debut, he replied with a smile.
“Well, I got dropped after that first game, so it’s kind of strange I’ve made it this far.”
Stan Sport’s Drew Mitchell and Morgan Turinui speak glowingly of their former teammate and current colleague Nic White was huge in his praise for the unassuming front-rower in the lead-up to his achievement too.
Everyone loves ‘Slips’.
Aussie rugby is lucky to have had him as long as they have.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcKljVEJAS0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
SINGAPORE SLING
The World Rugby Sevens circuit is back to full noise, with Singapore hosting across the weekend.
To wrap and dot point the 45 games for you, here’s what you missed.
– Australia finished with bronze BUT also scored the try of the tournament, rounded out by veteran Sevens gun Henry Hutchison.
It’s worth a look.
https://twitter.com/WorldRugby7s/status/1512747425177427970?s=20&t=xzz3vl3wdrEVFVfFDpIrcA
– Canada scored the most ridiculous try we’ve seen in some time thanks to a fluffed kick to touch from the USA’s Kevon Williams.
This one’s wild.
https://twitter.com/WorldRugby7s/status/1512698808672600066?s=20&t=gV4XW4pTLd9wg4B5mcwWMQhttps://twitter.com/mrKevonWilliams/status/1512699517363113986?s=20&t=xzz3vl3wdrEVFVfFDpIrcA
– Charlotte Caslick followed in the footsteps of Tiana Penitani with her commentary debut.
NO NTP FOR BOD
With Aussies cheering Cam Smith at Augusta across the weekend, I noted World Rugby Hall of Famer and all-round champion Brian O’Driscoll snuck a round in ahead of The Masters.
Intrigued to know how one of the best rugby players in history handled one of the best courses ever crafted, I WhatsApp’d the great man.
Here’s what came back.
“Played the Championship tees and it was a joke. Rolled two putts on 6 and 17 FROM the green INTO the bunker. Put two in the water at 12. Highlight was going -2 from 12 through 16 off the members tees on my first round. Hit 8-iron and wedge for my second into 13 and 15 after big drives. Incredible experience.”
BOD hits them well, so too does the Melbourne Rebels young gun Carter Gordon who plays off two!
DRIVE TO SURVIVE
Was lucky enough to spend time with legendary F1 cameraman Jean-Michel Tibi in pit lane at the Melbourne GP on Sunday.
Tibi can go from garage to garage and is welcomed by Ferrari, Mercedes or McLaren with the same warmth. They trust him implicitly.
Trailing Tibi are the Drive to Survive crews who essentially handcuff themselves to the drivers.
The access given and embrace of the teams with the producers and camera crews is insane.
The result? Record ticket sales, record merchandise purchases, a complete shift in who watches (female engagement is up over 30 per cent) and worldwide recognition of drivers who spend the entirety of their profession with a helmet on!
Where am I going with this?
It’s financially impossible to deliver a series for rugby which would match what Formula 1 are doing. You’re looking at a budget in the tens of millions.
However, what both sports do have in common costs nothing. Access is free.
Thankfully, things are slowly turning on that front here in Australia.
Clubs and the national team are beginning to embrace the need to deliver the storylines behind the player, of which there are many, and all of which are fantastic.
When we couple that with a rugby production crew at WWOS and Stan Sport who I know are hellbent on showcasing the stars of our game, we too can start making those steps to a more accessible code. The alternative is unthinkable.
What’s the point of going through a season unbeaten if nobody is watching or attending your games because they have no emotional connection to the players?
WHO DAT?
Which Stan Sport commentator recently had their identity stolen and uploaded to popular dating app Bumble?
Hobbies included surfing and gym, but the giveaway it was a knock off was the ‘likes dancing and writing’ additions.
Age was off by a long way too.
WHO DAT AGAIN?
Which likeable Waratahs weapon was sprung multiple times by the conditioning team at Wallabies camp with a face full of Cadbury’s chocolate?
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