Sport | 11
AustralianTimes.co.uk
THE
RUBDOWN Wallabies must overcome Kiwi rugby
Taking AFL for granted can be a costly mistake By Will Denton They say the AFL season is a touch too long. And judging by the performances of a few sides this week, it seems ‘they’ might be onto something. As we strap in for the penultimate round of regular footy, several observations are blindingly obvious. Firstly, a few teams decided that clinching a top 2 spot isn’t really that important. I’m looking at you Adelaide and Collingwood. Got a wee bit carried away did we? Thought you would just rock up, have a bit of a kick to kick and look forward to a massage from that hot physio after the siren? Yep, both the Pies and Crows had handy leads, supreme confidence and two home finals within sniffing distance. Unfortunately when you take the foot of the pedal and leave the hard stuff to your mate in any circumstance (tandem bike riding included) you will inevitably come unstuck. It must be said though, the Kangaroo side that totally dismantled Collingwood after quarter time, were hungrier and more selfless than Buckley’s mob, and are now well on the way to having a big impact in September. Collingwood now faces the prospect of a marathon flight to Perth and a West Coast team -
that if they can stop the attempted manslaughter of their own teammates - might actually be able to field a decent squad. Luckily there were no witnesses viewing the match versus Port, so no charges have been laid. Adelaide will have to front up against the might of Melbourne, fresh after an official AFL win over the Giants. Apparently the AFL is investigating this ‘just to be sure’. Sydney look like they don’t want the season to end at all, as they simply toyed with the Dogs before casually going on to score their biggest score in five years. The win sees them perched firmly atop the ladder and looking like making it all the way to the big dance. Freo have snuck into the 8 this week after punishing Richmond for using the most pathetic war cry to rev themselves up before the do or die clash -‘YOLO’. I know most groovy kids are into social media in a big way but seriously, leave it out. I had more respect for you, Richmond. Nek Minnit… Lastly, have to mention the Blues total annihilation of their best mates, Essendon. It was more than embarrassing for the Bombers as they meekly surrendered not only the match, but also the 2012 season. Ouch.
hoodoo to avoid Bledisloe heartache Continued from p12...
controversially walked out on the NRL’s Canterbury Bulldogs back in 2008. Williams threw a forward pass in the opening minute which led to Australia taking a 3-0 lead from a subsequent scrum penalty, however the devastating No.12 made amends 12 minutes later when he ran a brilliant decoy for man-ofthe-match Dagg’s opener. Beale failed to get to ground when he ran the ball midfield 40 metres out from his own line and then he made a meal of a cover-defending attempt on Dagg after Williams
and Carter had mesmerised the Wallabies inside men. It only got worse for Beale - who made the most basic of errors eight minutes from halftime when he dropped a simple pass as he looked to clear the ball off his own line with no pressure on him whatsoever. The out of sorts Melbourne Rebels No.15 was then left grasping at thin air again when Jane crossed from the scrum. Dropped five-eighth Quade Cooper is sure to come under consideration for the rest of the Rugby Championship after Barnes struggled to get the Australian attack going in front of 76,877 fans.
Deans said the Wallabies would need to make a marked improvement after making “unacceptable” errors. “It has to be, we have to be better. That wouldn’t be too hard I don’t think,” said Deans. “We spent too long in our own half, and then tried to play too much rugby at that end as well and you can’t do that against these blokes.” Think your support is what’s missing from the Wallabies winning formula? Don’t miss their UK match against Wales at Cardiff on 1 December. AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport
AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport
Tumeke of Acton reign supreme in London
By Phillip Browne The weather gods were smiling on the London Tag Rugby community last Saturday with London producing a superb sunny 30 degree day with little wind for the 2012 London Tag Rugby Championships; the biggest event on the London Tag Rugby calendar! 28 teams descended on the East London Rugby club in West Ham to battle it out for the coveted title of who will be the best Tag Rugby team in London. Amongst the 28 teams were special guests, Bircroft Panthers & Panther Bears from Dublin as well as the Cyborg Sharpshooters from Reading. However this year’s event belonged to Acton champions, Tumeke, as they opened their campaign with a strong 12-1 victory over Gladstone Park’s, Jerome Brecard’s No Stars Who Love Maree! They were up against Finsbury Park’s, Boom! in the second round and managed to secure a tight 6-5 win. The third round saw them put out another strong showing with an 18-2 victory over Wandsworth’s, Astroburn. With only two teams going through the pool stages undefeated (Bircroft
Panthers & Tumeke), Acton’s premier team now had to face the much fancied Southfield Sharks in the semi finals. Tumeke sealed an 8-2 triumph which was a lot closer than the score indicated and earned a place in the final against the Irish powerhouses, Bircroft Panthers. In a nail biter of a final, Tumeke scored first and were never behind on the scoreboard but the Bircroft Panthers were always in it until the final whistle. The final score ended up 4-3 to Tumeke who secured the 2012 London Tag Rugby Championship trophy! In the Men’s division, Garlic Towers reigned supreme with a 4-2 defeat over Finsbury Park’s The Hardy Boyz in the final, whilst in the Mixed Social division the Panther Bears of Dublin were too strong for Reading’s Cyborg Sharpshooters with a 10-0 victory in the final. To register for a Try Tag Rugby competition or event, go to www. trytagrugby.com or email info@ trytagrugby.com for more details. AustralianTimes.co.uk/sport
Official WRU Corporate Packages Now Available Individual packages from £199pp plus VAT
Wales v Argentina 10/11/2012
Wales v Samoa 16/11/2012
Wales v New Zealand 24/11/2012
Wales v Australia 01/12/2012
wru.co.uk/hospitality