‘Great shift’ not enough for Reds
The Queensland Reds have been left to ponder yet another swift ending to a Super Rugby Pacific finals series.
The Queensland Reds have been left to ponder yet another swift ending to a Super Rugby Pacific finals series.
Queensland’s Super Rugby finals campaign has fallen at the first hurdle for a fourth straight year, this time thrashed by a rampant Crusaders in New Zealand.
Straight out of school in 2016, Len Ikitau landed in Canberra with one dream in mind – but it seemed impossibly distant as he wrestled with his thoughts on cold winter mornings.
The Queensland Reds are desperate to advance past the opening week of the Super Rugby Pacific finals series for the first time in four years.
With the British and Irish Lions heading to Australia soon, the only concern among New South Wales and Queensland was the health of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii rather than the scoreboard.
The Reds can ill-afford another Super Rugby Pacific defeat if they want a home qualifying final at Suncorp Stadium.
Super Rugby officials are flirting with a bold plan to expand to the United States, but the boss has had his say on that idea, and where the competition’s priorities really must be.
Les Kiss starred on the wing for North Sydney, but the return of the Bears to the NRL in 2027 has the soon-to-be Wallabies coach cautious of a talent raid.
Tane Edmed hasn’t started a game since round three. Now he’s been tasked with performing a miracle to save the Waratahs’ spluttering Super Rugby season.
Barring a massive turnaround in the final month of the regular season, the Waratahs won’t be required for the Super Rugby playoffs, let alone the grand final.
A final minute try has denied Queensland Reds a drought-breaking win in Fiji and puts their chances of hosting a Super Rugby finals match in doubt.
It’s time for World Rugby to take a stand on French clubs raiding the best young talent in the south – with Australia losing two teenage stars to cashed-up foreign raiders.
Les Kiss might be more of a “larrikin” than Joe Schmidt, but their similar coaching styles will benefit the Wallabies.
The complicated Wallabies coaching succession plan looks set to pay immediate dividends – with Waratahs captain Jake Gordon to shelve his plans to quit Australian rugby in pursuit of France.
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