Aussie not first in red

The British and Irish Lions squad now trying to be competitive in South Africa have an Australian tinge. One of their second-rowers is the Scotland lock Nathan Hines, who hails from Wagga Wagga. But Hines is not the first Australian to appear for the Lions in the Republic. In 1910, Tom Richards, one of the stars of the first Wallabies tour of 1908-09, played for the Lions in two of the South African Tests. Richards, was unimpressed with the experience, later writing that the Lions were "much too weak for the undertaking, some of the players knew very little about the game at all, and it surprised me how they were even brought on tour".
Rumours of the week

Roll up, roll up, says O'Neill - it's a bums on seats test for SFS

Greg Growden | June 5, 2009

RUGBY spectators have their chance to prove to the Australian Rugby Union that they want the Sydney Football Stadium again used as a Test venue by having the turnstiles spinning for tomorrow night's Wallabies-Barbarians match. ARU chief executive John O'Neill last night said that despite a common belief the match was a sell-out, more than 5000 tickets were still available. O'Neill described the match as a "litmus test" as to whether the SFS deserved more major matches. "There's been constant and consistent voices from the rugby community they wanted us to play Test matches and Wallaby games at the SFS," O'Neill said. "So if you really want to show that the SFS is the natural home of rugby, now's the time." With the SFS planning to expand the seating to about 55,000, the ARU is likely to again use it as a Test venue. But the Saturday night attendance will be crucial in convincing the ARU whether some major matches should not be at Homebush Bay, but closer to the city.
King of the fairground

Front-rowers don't like being described as fairy floss, but it is a description that Wallabies prop Benn Robinson will have to cop. Robinson reveals in the Wallabies-Barbarians official program that he is a specialist in making top-quality fairy floss. The in-form loose-head explained to Wristy Le Roux that his first job was working for his parents. "They used to own a company that had jumping castles, and I used to collect tickets at fetes and festivals," a proud Robinson said. "I also used to be on the fairy-floss machine. I made lots of fairy floss." Robinson admits his first hero was Matthew Burke, and that his first autograph was from the Wallabies fullback, now Waratahs assistant coach. Who, "when I was a young fellow watching Eastwood play at TG Millner Field signed the outside of an empty cardboard beer carton. I've haven't mentioned that to 'Burkey'." His first match for Beecroft under-8s was also momentous, because "I ran around with my hands in my pockets c as my mum tells me". The match program also reveals that fellow front-rower Ben Alexander is known by his mates as "Kernel Cluck". "In 2004, I was studying up at Bathurst University," Alexander said. "After a night out, a few of the boys and I would usually find ourselves at this late-night fast-food chicken joint. They had this giant burger called 'The Motherclucker'. I broke the record for eating one in the quickest time."
Fogeys at the gate

It's obvious the Barbarians are no longer the free and easy team of times past, and the officials in particular are now taking themselves ultra-seriously. Perhaps that's why they called on the media yesterday to leave their Sydney Football Stadium training session, while the day before they kicked out the TV cameras. We've been told the coaching staff are focused on winning, and this could have something to do with the prospect of beating the Wallabies, giving them the chance to expand the Barbarians brand, even to the extent of future southern hemisphere tours through Australia and New Zealand.




Strong and strange whispers of a concerted push among the states for constitutional change, including getting rid of the Australian Rugby Union's independent directors. A major flare-up is inevitable.

If any of the Waratahs are upset that Rocky Elsom is heading to Canberra, they have only themselves to blame. Let's just say that Elsom is far from alone in having his concerns about the direction at Waratahland. Again we hear whispers of administrative changes at Moore Park. Also, Queensland hardly excelled themselves when chasing Elsom. Again the Brumbies won because they are the most professional of the Australian provinces.

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