'Bizarre twist' to Fiji's magical Super Rugby ride

1 year ago 70

It lone took 3 rounds for america to get our archetypal tally of upsets successful Super Rugby Pacific and woah, did they springiness america a mates of moments to remember.

And portion those were playing retired successful our pouch of the globe, a erstwhile Brumbies and Aussie under-20s prima was tearing up the Six Nations… again!

Let's get into it.

Watch the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific play connected the location of rugby, Stan Sport. All matches streaming advertisement free, unrecorded and connected demand

Masi's superb scoop and score

TOSO DRUA

If you missed the Fijian Drua's upset triumph against the Crusaders from Lautoka connected the weekend, marque a constituent of catching the highlights connected Stan Sport.

You'll beryllium treated to a deafening, capableness crowd, much Drua magic and a decorativeness that's hard to believe.

I said past week that they'll beryllium pugnacious to bushed implicit there, but didn't expect their archetypal location triumph would travel against the defending champions.

READ MORE: Olympic fable dies successful his slumber aft conflict with deadly disease

READ MORE: Roos grilled implicit 'pathetic' Clarkson backflip

READ MORE: Why the NRL's $400m ambition is misplaced

Kemu Valetini, older member of Rob, was the leader astatine the decease aft a brainsick travel to Super Rugby.

He was doing his happening with the Harlequins successful Melbourne club-land earlier joining the Manly Marlins nether Phil Blake past twelvemonth successful the Shute Shield.

In a bizarre twist, 'Blakey' volition manager against Kemu this play with the Queensland Reds acceptable to big the Drua successful Brisbane.

NEW PODCAST! Sean Maloney, Morgan Turinui and Stephen Hoiles revel successful the Drua's celebrated triumph and Aussie export Mack Hansen mounting the Six Nations alight again

REBEL BARBARIANS

Get this for a premix of internationals being brought unneurotic by manager Kevin Foote and wide manager Nick Stiles down astatine the Rebels.

Monty Ioane volition play for Italy astatine the Rugby World Cup.

Richard Hardwick looks acceptable to prima with Namibia against Ioane successful excavation play.

Richard Hardwick of the Rebels runs with the ball. (Getty)

Stacey Ili is already capped with Samoa and volition nary uncertainty get immoderate crippled clip astatine Test level this year.

Finally, Vaiolini Ekuasi made an unthinkable content disconnected the seat successful his team's triumph connected Friday.

Every clip helium ran with the shot helium dragged Waratahs defenders with him.

Vaiolini Ekuasi of the Melbourne Rebels warms up. (Getty)

Ekuasi played New Zealand under-20s earlier winning 1 Super Rugby headdress with the Blues past year. He is dynamite.

Still successful Melbourne, it must've fixed the location squad a immense boost proceeding the 'Rebels, Rebels' chant precocious successful the game.

It's been a portion since they've caught that kinda sound and the show deserved it.

White snipes for archetypal Brumbies try

ALL WHITE… ALL WHITE… ALL WHITE

Nic White became the astir caller Super Rugby centurion backmost successful circular 1 with a cameo from the seat against the Waratahs successful Sydney.

On Saturday helium was capable to person the afloat attraction from household and friends successful Canberra pursuing their triumph against the Reds.

White made his debut mode backmost successful 2011 against the aforesaid absorption and has since go 1 of the astir salient players successful Aussie rugby.

With his 3 small ones and woman Mel connected hand, 'Whitey' marked his 100th with teammates and fans singing the nine opus connected the tract aft fulltime.

I've been covering Super Rugby intimately since 2007 and it was the archetypal clip I've ever seen a squad clasp their fans to observe a triumph similar that.

I anticipation it isn't the past due to the fact that it volition person created a transportation and a clump of memories for the adjacent question of kids wanting to play with the Brums.

Large cardboard heads of Noah Lolesio and Nic White are held aloft. (Getty)

I don't deliberation it should halt with Super Rugby either.

Should the Wallabies container a location triumph earlier the World Cup, they could stock their customary post-game song, the nationalist anthem, retired connected the tract with the fans.

Imagine the lasting interaction that would marque up of their travel to France.

LIKE FATHER...

Was unlucky capable to beryllium sat adjacent to promising Waratahs prop Dan Botha for the formation backmost from Melbourne connected Saturday morning.

The kid has shoulders similar bowling balls which leaves precise small wiggle country backmost successful economy.

Morgan Turinui mentioned successful commentary that Dan's dada Chris had made a huffy dash backmost from Cape Town to ticker his son's debut successful Super Round.

Daniel Botha of the NSW Waratahs takes photos with fans. (Getty)

Friend of the file Andrew Logan followed up by telling maine Chris played for Zimbabwe successful the 1991 World Cup.

The 'Sables' delivered their champion show against Scotland, going down by conscionable 39 astatine Murrayfield.

MMMM BOP

Hansen is the sanction everyone's cheering successful the Six Nations close present and with precise bully reason.

Mack Hansen, the laid backmost 24-year-old who went to schoolhouse successful Canberra, played Aussie under-20s and won games for the Brumbies has present earned 2 consecutive man of the lucifer awards with satellite No.1 Ireland.

He's besides earned praise from World Rugby hallway of famers Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara - which fundamentally means Mack drinks escaped successful Dublin for the remainder of his life.

'Oh, pardon!': Aussie ace's hilarious interview

His squad tin onshore the coveted Grand Slam with a triumph vs England this week.

Should that happen, Aussie Mack volition bull escaped Guinness astatine each Irish pub successful the world.

Charlotte Caslick astatine Allianz Stadium. (Getty)

250 AND COUNTING

Aussie sevens freak Charlotte Caslick finished with metallic successful Vancouver past Monday successful a tourney that saw her scope 250 satellite bid games.

She's a two-time World Rugby sevens subordinate of the year, an Olympic golden medallist and 1 of the astir recognisable players successful Australia.

Coach Tim Walsh marked her accomplishment with a bosom felt poem delivered successful the sheds.

Good areas each round.

CHILD'S PLAY

This play sees the inaugural 'Kids Round' acceptable to play retired successful Super Rugby.

It's a large conception with each nine embracing the accidental to springiness the small ones thing to remember.

There'll beryllium giveaways and opportunities for them to conscionable the players.

And if you've ever wondered what the Wallabies would've looked similar arsenic cartoon kids, get astir immoderate of these. Spooky.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here

Eddie Jones' singular vocation successful pictures: Hooker, teacher and maestro manager improbably leads Wallabies again

Read Entire Article