Wales were red hot!
It is time to look at who has their name in lights right now...and who is making headlines for the wrong reasons.
They're on fire!
Wales: First on our list and rightly so. Wales were excellent in Cardiff as they took the Six Nations and Grand Slam away from rivals England. Alex Cuthbert's brace stole the show but man for man - except for possibly Geoff Parling - the hosts were a good distance ahead of their opposite number.
Super wings: So many finishers to applaud after Tom Marshall impressed on the right side for the Crusaders while left wing Johnny McNicholl scored his first Super Rugby try. But three names rose above them all as hat-trick man Lelia Masaga, the line-busting Hosea Gear and Cheetahs wing Raymond Rhule stole the show. A mention also needs extending to the Brumbies duo Henry Speight and Joe Tomane while Peter Betham was good for the 'Tahs.
Brumbies: And then there was one. The Canberra side recorded a 29-10 victory over the Sharks in Durban to make them the last remaining unbeaten side in Super Rugby. It also takes them ten points clear of nearest conference rival the Reds. Other mentions from last week go the way of the Cheetahs, who won in Sydney, the Crusaders for their impressive showing against the Bulls, and the Force for picking up their first ever win in Brisbane.
Italy: The sight of Jacques Brunel punching the air at full-time proves just how much home wins over France and Ireland means to the Azzurri head coach. Two wins shows Italy are now set to become a consistent force to be reckoned with in the Six Nations but we guess the real test comes on the road as next year they travel to Dublin, Paris and Cardiff. But credit where credit is due, their win over the Irish was well deserved at the Stadio Olimpico.
Harlequins: Conor O'Shea's young guns once again proved their worth with a performance that saw them lift the LV= Cup. Star performers against Sale Sharks were Tom Guest and Tom Casson while Tom Williams and Luke Wallace joined that duo in crossing the line. With the trophy safely stored away in the cabinet, O'Shea will now turn his attention to their Aviva Premiership run-in and of course that Heineken Cup quarter-final against Munster.
Bbbrrr....someone turn the heater up!
Kings: The Port Elizabeth-based franchise's decision to include more foreign players than SARU's allotted quota is 'cheeky' to say the least. After SARU rejected their bid to field extra foreigners earlier this year, the Kings went ahead and used Hadleigh Parkes, Tomās Leonardi and Nicolas Vergallo on Friday. The aftermath has seen Kings boss Cheeky Watson announce that Leonardi and Virgile Lacombe would be flying back from Australasia and have been replaced in the touring squad by Edgar Marutlulle and Devin Oosthuizen.
England: Despite being on the wrong end of some questionable calls at the scrums from Australian referee Steve Walsh, Stuart Lancaster's side will have to do some introspection after they wasted a golden opportunity to claim their first Grand Slam in ten years. Instead of going all out for victory, they retreated into their shells and came off second best to a more determined and hungrier Welsh unit, who in the end cantered to the Six Nations title.
Highlanders: Although Gear's form has been impressive, the Dunedin-based franchise is yet to win a game after three attempts. They were amongst the early favourites to win the Super Rugby title after adding some experienced heads to their squad. However, little has gone right for Jamie Joseph's troops, who now face another tricky assignment at the Chiefs.
Ireland: Defeat to Italy in their final Six Nations match has seen the men in green plummet to new lows in the IRB World Rankings. Furthermore, the writing appears to be on the wall for coach Declan Kidney after his side's poor overall performance in the tournament.
Johan Goosen and Berrick Barnes: The Cheetahs and Waratahs playmakers' horrific run of injuries continues. Goosen has been seeing more of the Cheetahs doctor than his on-field team-mates in recent months after sustaining his third major injury in less than a year. Barnes, who played his first match of the season for the Waratahs, lasted all of 17 minutes.
Comments
new_j4a says...
@leinstergal, difficult to tell....can you post a picture?
Posted 17:54 22nd March 2013
new_j4a says...
@Stellenbosched2, are you even slighter than Geo Aplon? Or Shane Williams? You must be a perfect fit for the Durban July?
Posted 17:51 22nd March 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
To be fair to these articles, they are weekly so you can't complain if a poor performance ends you as cold despite the rest of the season. I'd have been pretty fed up if England were cold and not Ireland.
I suspect that if you looked at the NH season as a whole England and Wales would not appear in either category.
Wales have a limited but effective game plan, smash big men up the field as hard as you can and wait for the opposition to crack. There is little subtlety t0o it and very little in the way of creativity but as holes appear, it makes them look very good.
England's mistake was to approach the game as they have in all of the others. They sacrificed posession for territory against a side that will keep posession all day.
Disappointing but a scoreline that simply doesn't represent the closeness between these two teams.
Posted 16:51 22nd March 2013
jamesliveinhope says...
To be fair to these articles, they are weekly so you can't complain if a poor performance ends you as cold despite the rest of the season. I'd have been pretty fed up if England were cold and not Ireland.
I suspect that if you looked at the NH season as a whole England and Wales would not appear in either category.
Wales have a limited but effective game plan, smash big men up the field as hard as you can and wait for the opposition to crack. There is little subtlety t0o it and very little in the way of creativity but as holes appear, it makes them look very good.
England's mistake was to approach the game as they have in all of the others. They sacrificed posession for territory against a side that will keep posession all day.
Disappointing but a scoreline that simply doesn't represent the closeness between these two teams.
Posted 16:51 22nd March 2013
leinstergal says...
sorry guys 2 things - firstly Ireland's call is NOT the Irish anthem. It's played so that the Northern Irish guys can sing without reprisal. And secondly what about the Irish women's team.....Grand Slam winners.....surely worthy of a "hot" contender?
Posted 14:59 21st March 2013
TVaddict says...
@jontheref
It's callled momentum and yes.
Posted 12:42 21st March 2013
lawynd says...
@Fitzy - no, he's Australian. The Kiwis did the right thing by hoofing him out on his arse for being a tool on a few too many occasions, the Aussies took him on because he's still vastly better than any of the referees they've offered up recently. Ergo, for rugby purposes, he's Australian.
Posted 10:35 21st March 2013
Stellenbosched2 says...
I don't think it is fair to include Goosen and Barnes in the 'Not Hot' section because they are injury prone. To me the real culprits are those who change union laws so much that our game now looks like league. Which means talented, slightly built men do not have a future in rugby anymore.
Posted 05:26 21st March 2013
colvin says...
When you look at the Highlanders team selected to play the Chiefs this weekend it looks like a sure thing for the Highlanders. Highlanders by 10.
Posted 04:46 21st March 2013
ArmchairGeneral says...
England U20s deserve a mention as HOT
Posted 21:34 20th March 2013
olepete says...
@dybull, I agree about the Irish anthem - it's awful at the best of times but that was appalling - could it have contributed to Ireland's display?
And here we go after Steve Walsh's scalp. Good idea of Rowntree's to blame him for a rubbish performance - are we seeing a glimpse of the Lions' policy?
Posted 21:23 20th March 2013
bokbokbok says...
How about a "not hot" mention for the whinging Poms on this site. England were dominated. Get over it.
Posted 21:23 20th March 2013
suilven says...
Maybe a definite NOT mention to Fred Michalak for his psycho moment (a long one) on Stuart Hogg. Getting away with it, not even a citing.
I've been sticking up for Michalak for years too!
Posted 21:19 20th March 2013
Fitzy says...
Can we just get one thing straight.Steve Walsh is not Australian he is a kiwi
Posted 19:41 20th March 2013
jontheref says...
melkdave
What goes around comes around.
England have benefited from what you are whinging about in many games.
Wales have been on the end of it also.
Do you seriously think ref errors, which if you analysed the game, came out about even, was the difference to the tune of 27 points?
Of course, you did not see the game, as you showed by prattling on about how poor Adam Jones was!
Posted 18:30 20th March 2013
melkdave says...
A trifel hard on England imo,Its kind of hard to play any worthwhile rugby.When your not allowed to get any possion,from set piece or the breakdown from questionable refering decisions..But none the less England battled hard ,and made a game of it,for most of the match.Apart from that ive no real qualms about the rest of the list.
Posted 17:38 20th March 2013
TheGreatOne says...
But somehow Rowntree's whinge about the ref escapes the "Not Hot" section. PR hypocrites as usual.
Posted 17:20 20th March 2013
fozza says...
Love it. England are well outplayed away in Cardiff, which equals one lost game and they're not...
France finish the competition "enjoying" their first wooden spoon in over 40 years and there's no mention...
Seems you really are only as good as your last game!!!
Posted 16:41 20th March 2013
GCP_jones says...
NOT HOT...
Leinsters back-line next season, minus - Sexton, Nacewa, Maybe O'Driscoll, Luke fitzgerald long-term injury again, Fionn Carr, Andrew Conway.
Posted 14:57 20th March 2013
dylbull says...
And in the 'Not' section should be the band at the Italy-Ireland game... they absolutely butchered the Irish anthom!
Posted 14:45 20th March 2013