Alright, don't touch me...

Brian O’Driscoll will become the second Irish player in as many weeks to join the legion of rugby union test centurions when he runs out against Wales at Croke Park this Saturday. 

Whilst we aren’t taking anything away from other players who have reached this milestone, we are simply highlighting what a special player and persona BOD has been to the game of rugby throughout his career. Regarded by many as the best #13 the game has ever seen, Brian O’Driscoll (Irish name: Brian Gearóid Ó hEidirsceoil, best pronounced after your 15th pint.) started his professional career back in 1999 when he was selected as a 20 year old for the Ireland squad to face Italy, but only managed to win his 1st cap later that year when Ireland took on Australia. He has since gone on to win 9 caps for Ireland and been on three British and Irish Lions tours. Here’s taking a look through the years at this amazing players’ career.

 Brian O’Driscoll career highlights: [fooledyoass]

Career highlights:

Age Groups: 

• IRB Under 19 Rugby World Championship 1998
• Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup

Professional Club: 

• European Cup 2008/2009
• Magners League 2001/2002; 2007/2008

International: 

• Grand Slam 2009
• Six Nations Championship 2009
• Triple Crown 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009
• British and Irish Lions rugby union Tourist 2001, 2005 (captain), 2009

Individual Awards: 

• 6 Nations Player of the Year 2006, 2007, 2009
• 6 Nations Top try scorer 2009 (tied with Riki Flutey)
• European Cup Top try scorer 2009
• Shortlisted for IRB International Player of the Year 3 times 2001, 2002, 2009
• IRB International Try of the Year 2008 ( Australia v Ireland)
• IRUPA Players’ Player of the Year 2008/09
• Texaco Sportstars Rugby Award 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009
• ‘Rugby World’ magazines’ Player of the Decade
• Named on ‘Rugby World’ magazines’ Team of the Decade
• English Rugby Union Writers’ Club Pat Marshall Memorial Award as the sport’s outstanding personality for 2009

My internet was on the blink again last night (damn you iBurst), and I’ve been super busy today, so I wasn’t able to post the team-sheets for your fantasy rugby selections for round 4 of the 2010 Super 14. If you haven’t made your selections yet, and need the team-sheets, you can click here for a quick fix. Not as sexy as what I usually bring you, but team-sheets non the less.

Instead, I’m featuring some rugby humour on the site today. I saw this clip featured on our good mate, Seth Rotherham’s blog, 2oceansvibe yesterday, and thought it was hilarious. Now before anyone gets offended, this is in no way meant to belittle the Haka (which I love, and have great respect for) in any way. Funny stuff non the less.

Teletubbies perform the Haka: [Gringo1955]

This just in from the Mellbourne Rebels’ camp: Mellbourne Rebels Super 15 rugby side has signed young English star Danny Cipriani to a two-year contract.

World rugby’s newest team, the Melbourne Rebels, has today signed young English star Danny Cipriani to a two-year contract. This bold and innovative decision is another demonstration of the club’s commitment to forging its own path in international rugby.

The 22-year-old Cipriani has seven England Test caps and is currently contracted to London Wasps in Britain’s peak rugby competition, the Guinness Premiership. 

Cipriani is a highly talented player and proven goalkicker who has already successfully demonstrated his abilities at Test level. Cipriani’s international career was interrupted by an ankle injury in 2009, from which he has since made a full recovery.

Danny Cipriani said:

“I’ve had a great seven years at London Wasps which has also provided me with the opportunity to represent England at Test level. I believe this is the perfect time for me to take up an opportunity to play rugby in the southern hemisphere with a brand new team in a city recognised for its love of sport, Melbourne…I am extremely excited about working with Rod Macqueen and the other coaches and being part of something very special. Moving to Australia will be a new challenge. I have always admired the Super Rugby tournament. I think the opportunity of playing in a completely different tournament against different players at this time in my career will help me develop on and off the field.” Read More >>

In a weekend that was jam-packed with rugby, from the Super 14, Las Vegas 7s and 6 Nations, I didn’t manage to catch all the games.

The 6 Nations being sacrificed for the good of th Super 14 and the La Vegas 7s tournament. So I thought I should post the highlights for those of you who didn’t see the games either.

I’m not even going to pretend like I have something to say about the games, because I really didn’t manage to catch any bit of any of them. Here are the highlights:

Italy VS England 2010 Highlights: Read More >>

George Smith, who in my opinion, revolutionised the role of a fetcher flank has just announced his retirement from international rugby. This from the Wallabies camp:

Qantas Wallabies flanker George Smith, one of only four Australians to have reached the milestone of 100 Tests,has announced his retirement from international Rugby and will be released from his ARU and Brumbies contract at the end of the 2010 Super 14 season.
 
The 110-Test veteran recently approached ARU and Brumbies officials to discuss his future and felt after 10 seasons in the Australian jumper he wanted to explore other options.
 
Talks led to the 29-year-old, who made his Test debut with a man of the match performance against France in Paris in 2000, requesting an early release from an ARU contract that was to expire after the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

“George has made an enormous contribution to Australian Rugby for more than a decade,” said ARU Managing Director and CEO John O’Neill.
 
“His list of achievements in the game, both with the Brumbies in Super Rugby and with the Wallabies at the highest levels of the game, stands him alongside the all time greats. Obviously we wanted George to stay and continue through to his third Rugby World Cup.
 
We had lengthy discussions. However, when he made it clear that his passion for international Rugby was not the driving force it once was, we agreed there were suitable grounds for an early release given his long and continuous service to the game in this country.
 
We could have insisted he see out his contract and blocked any opportunities to play the game overseas before the next Rugby World Cup. His wholehearted commitment over 10 years, however, deserves special consideration.
 
We wish George all the best for the future as he enters his final season of Super Rugby with the Brumbies.”

Smith said it was a difficult decision to leave Australian Rugby at the end of May having started with the Brumbies in 1999 and the Wallabies a season later.

“I have been involved with the Qantas Wallabies and Rugby at the highest level internationally for over 10 years,” he said.
 
“Throughout these 10 years I have always held a deep respect and honour for the Wallabies jersey and for what it means to be a Wallaby. I have considered it a privilege to wear the gold jersey in representation of my family, my friends, my fellow players, past Wallabies and of course my country.
 
Being a part of the Australian Rugby family has also allowed me to form and develop lifelong friendships. From coaching staff and mentors who have helped nurture my ability as a player to my fellow players who have not only treated me as an equal from my debut in France 2000, but also helped me to become a better Rugby player and I believe, a better person Read More >>

I was looking around on Youtube the other day, as I often do, and came across this brilliant clip. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Fancois Steyn is an exceptionally talented individual!

SA Rugby needs to change their policy on foreign based players for guys with his skill set, who, as we saw in the Autumn Internationals, we so clearly cannot be without.

It looks as if he’s doing quite fine over there…

A tribute to Frans Steyn: [CombatBok]

RIP Springbok legend!

We learn last night that the former Springbok flanker Ruben Kruger past away after losing his long standing battle against brain cancer.
 
1995 Rugby World Cup winning hero, Kruger was forced to retire from rugby in 2000 after it was discovered that he was suffering from malignant brain tumours. He had a long battle with the disease over the last 10 years of his life.

We at BlogSpotRugby would like to express condolences and sympathy with Ruben’s family and friends.
 
The tough as nails flanker has been one of the best players that ever represented the Springboks and his death is a massive blow for the rugby community.
 
Apart from his rugby playing abilities, he has been a superb human being and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

In the words of PJ Powers:

“…we must take our place in history, and live with dignity…”

Something which Ruben most certainly did. RIP Springbok and South African hero…

The World in Union: [80ToMo8]

Legend amongst legends

So last week our mates over at Green and Gold Rugby posted this video of Stephen Larkham’s career highlights and I enjoyed it so much, I thought I would post it here for all of you to enjoy too.

After starting his professional career as a fullback, Larkham developed into one of the greatest flyhalves in the history of Australian and world rugby, in 2005, being named  at #10 in Australia’s team of the decade.

In my opinion, Larkham was one of the best flyhalves the world has ever seen. With a reputation as an elusive runner and the linchpin of a (then much more) potent backline. I think G&GR hit the nail on the head when they described him as often “ghosting” through the opposition backline.

Larkham’s famous 48m-drop goal to seal victory over South Africa in extra time of the 1999 Rugby World Cup Semi-Final has gone down in rugby folklore as the defining moment in the Wallabies victorious Rugby World Cup campaign. Until then, neither Larkham, nor any other member of the Wallabies team had ever scored a drop goal in an international test match.

A video montage of Larkham’s glorious career: [SARUGBY11]

This weekend, Julien Dupuy was cited for a horrific eye gouge on Ulster player, Stephen Ferris, during the Stade Francais VS Ulster rugby match.

Dupuy blatantly, twice,  attacked the eye area of Ferris in what can only be described as a blatant, deliberate and malicious attack. Below I have posted the video footage of Dupuy’s eye gouge as well as that of Schalk Burger and Sergio Parrisse, both from earlier in the year, for you to make a comparison.

1st up, in order, Schalk Burger:

2nd, Parisse:

3rd, Dupuy:

Burger and Parisse subsequently received eight week bans, respectively, for their actions in the above footage. In a year that has been riddled with erratic (at best) judicial processes, here, here, here (and the list goes on), it will be interesting to see what comes of this latest incident.

Will Dupuy get off easier than Burger and Parisse, or will the double attack result in a full 12 week ban?

Judging from the footage above, what do you think the length of Dupuy’s ban should be?

What we've come to expect...

Supersport have for the 3rd time this season have shown a blatant disregard for their subscribers, [who pay a hell of a lot of money, I might add, to subscribe to their channel on DSTV] when they didn’t broadcast the All Blacks VS Barbarians rugby game this weekend.

Even if we look past the fact that their were 9 South Africans playing in the star studded Barbarians squad, any Barbarians game is one of the star attractions of the sporting season. How can Supersport possibly justify not broadcasting the game on one of their numerous channels?

If you remember, back in August, we wrote a post about Supersport FAIL-ing us by not broadcasting majority of the Currie Cup games one weekend. They then proceeded not to broadcast the final Bledisloe Cup game between the All Blacks and the Wallabies. To say I am livid about now missing this game is an understatement! Maybe Sky Sports should think about moving into the South African market. I’m sure they would actually deliver value for money to their subscribers.

I am a big fan of watching the Haka, as I feel it is one of the greatest sporting traditions in the world today. It literally gives me goosebumps every timeI watch it, and I never like to miss it, so 1st up, here’s the weekend’s Haka.

The Haka: [TheCrazynessislife]