Rugby Fix

RugbyFix Picks: Super Rugby Round Thirteen 2012

Mike — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:17:50 +0000

After some exciting upsets last week, unfortunately the unlucky 13th round of Super Rugby in 2012 has some uninspiring match ups. That doesn’t mean they are easy to pick however, but it does mean there isn’t anything really juicy to look forward to. The first games of the round, Hurricanes v Brumbies, Highlanders v Bulls and the Crusaders v Blues are probably the most anticipated. However, even the Crusaders v Blues match is more about history than form. The Brumbies are having a terrific season, but unfortunately their injury woes at first five will surely catch up with them. We’re…

Super Rugby Round 13 Team Announcements and Fixtures 2012

Mike — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:07:23 +0000

Hurricanes v Brumbies

Hurricanes Team:

15 Andre Taylor, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (captain), 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Tusi Pisi, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Brad Shields, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Ben May, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Reggie Goodes.
Reserves: 16 Motu Matu’u, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 James Broadhurst, 19 Jack Lam, 20 Chris Eaton, 21 Beauden Barrett, 22 Jayden Hayward.

Brumbies Team:

15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Andrew Smith, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Zack Holmes, 9 Ian Prior, 8 Fotu Auelua, 7 …

Hansen Looks to the Future

Guest Author — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:17:34 +0000

Head-Coach Steve Hansen released his first All Blacks squad since assuming the top job this week, and while those selected were said to be part of the first ‘Training Squad’ of the year, there is much this squad says about the mind-set of Hansen and his coaching staff, and their vision for the future.
While there are plenty of recognizable faces in the 35 names read out today the side is very much Hansen’s own, and deviates in many ways from the sides put together by Graham Henry. Although battling Blues’ players Piri Weepu and Ali Williams have retained their…

RugbyFix Picks: Super Rugby Round Twelve 2012

Mike — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:45:19 +0000

There are some incredibly tough matches to pick in the twelfth round of the 2012 Super Rugby competition. Last week’s 100% tipping success is sure to be turned on its head. The difficulty starts with the cripple fight of the round, the Blues versus the Lions. It says how dismal the Blues are this year that fantasy rugby players aren’t loading their team with Blues in anticipation of the match. Instead, they are wondering whether the Blues will even win. Betting agencies are still firmly favouring the Blues, but RugbyFix has its not-picking-Blues policy to consider.

Considering the Waratahs’ embarrassing …

Why Auckland Rugby has the Blues

Guest Author — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:12:50 +0000

For years there was a saying around the New Zealand rugby community, that ‘when Auckland is strong, the All Blacks are strong’. And it makes sense – the Auckland catchment area is far and away the largest in the country. The population, the talent pool, and the resources at the Auckland Rugby Union’s disposal are almost equal to the rest of the country’s combined, so it seems reasonable to think that a strong Auckland side reflects strength in New Zealand rugby, and conversely a weak Auckland side would signal a lack of depth or talent.

However, times have changed, and …