RuggaMatrix – Show 054 – Tall Tales

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Ali_Williams

The Heineken Cup is back and we have a full expert preview with our panel. Our special guest star is All Blacks lock Ali Williams.

Ali has just released a pretty funny book about life as a touring All Black. It’s called Ali’s Book of Tall Tales. Ali’s website is aliwilliams.com.

He’s also on the comeback trail from injury and has resumed training with the Auckland Blues. You can hear his thoughts on the All Blacks plus current and future trends in the game.

IN DEPTH ANALYSIS – INSIDE SHOULDER

Brought to you by bobwyerrugby.com (purchase an associate membership and use the code ‘ruggamatrix’ and you will receive 20% off. Offer valid until December 25th 2009)

When players run at each other they often aim for an inside or outside shoulder. Today we discuss what this really means in the dynamics of attack and defence. Once again it’s a rugby masterclass of the highest calibre.

RuggaMatrix – Show 049 – John Eales

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John_Eales

The Autumn Internationals are upon us and we look at the two big Tests – Wales v New Zealand and England v Australia with our special guest star Wallabies legend John Eales.

Fresh from launching a another important sporting programme, THE CAPTAINS’ FORUM, he spends some meaningful time with the RuggaMatrix team.

From leadership to the detail of the second-row, John Eales is a MUST LISTEN.

Les Kiss joins the show direct from the Irish camp and  talks about the pressure to perform against the southern invaders.

Our In-Depth Analysis this week is LOCK. (thanks to Nicholas Sykes for the suggestion)

As usual brought to you by bobdwyerrugby.com.

With commentary from John Eales, Ewen McKenzie and Les Kiss you’ll have everything you need to recruit your next world champion lock.

You can read more about what John and the CAPTAINS’ FORUM are up to here.

Captains_Forum

IMAGE: Phil Carrick


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RuggaMatrix – Show 033 – Rocky Mountain High

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World heavyweights Australia and New Zealand clash this weekend to open the 2009 Tri Nations.

Former Wallaby and Munster man … now Wallaby assistant coach … Jim Williams … joins the panel just before jumping on the plane to Auckland.

Williams says there’s an edge to this match which surely means we’re in for an epic start to the Bledisloe Cup. He also reflects on his days at Munster as a player and coach.

We also head north to the United States and Canada to check out the RWC qualifiers between the North American neighbours. Bruce McLane talks about the disappointment of US performance in game two after winning game one.

Canadian head coach Kieran Crowley takes our call while driving through the Rocky Mountains.

A highly respected coach, Crowley gives us a full and frank assessment of Canadian rugby and also adds some thoughts on the Bledisloe Cup.

Our in-depth analysis subject this week is WEATHER.

As the Wallabies head to a wet and windy Auckland we ask the question to our coaching panel, how does the weather impact you? We cover some real examples where teams have lost due to their tactics in poor weather. How much indoor training should a team do during the week? Do you travel early to a country with different weather or climate? It’s another important issue that coaches have to deal with as they prepare for match day.

RuggaMatrix – Show 005 – Were Going Platinum

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Todd_BlackadderSuper 14 trials begin this week and RuggaMatrix is on top of all the action. Show 005 is distinctly Kiwi in flavour with two special guests from rugby’s powerhouse nation.

The Heineken Cup is reaching crunch time and Ewen McKenzie gives us a first hand report on last week’s clash with the Scarlets. Les Kiss chimes in from Ireland as the Six Nations rapidly approaches.

The Heineken Cup is reaching crunch time and Ewen McKenzie gives us a first hand report on last week’s clash with the Scarlets.

Les Kiss chimes in from Ireland as the Six Nations rapidly approaches. Just some of the issues on the table in this week’s show include: Scott Johnson coaching update, Western Force latest, Australian sporting bodies get together for a united stand against binge drinking, Super 14 trials and the Sharks using rugby league great Andrew Johns.

Our special guest star this week is new Crusaders head coach Todd Blackadder.

The former captain of the All Blacks and Crusaders is our first guest from New Zealand. From our chat it appears the transfer of power from the Robbie Deans regime in Christchurch has been silky smooth – they’ve just got to change the office voicemail! Todd Blackadder talks about the state of the game from his vast experience which has seen him play and coach all over the world.

If teams think the Crusaders are heading for a form slump following Dingo Dean’s departure, they might be in for a rude shock. Interestingly Blackadder will go head to head with a good mate of his on Friday – John Mitchell – when the Crusaders play the Western Force in a Super 14 trial match in Perth. Check out the Crusaders website www.crusaders.co.nz.

Marc Hinton is this week’s guest panel member.

Hinton is one of the most respected rugby writers in the land of the long white cloud and is the co-editor of the online hub of all things on the game in New Zealand www.rugbyheaven.co.nz. His informative and quirky insights into the game have been appearing on the pages of Inside Rugby magazine for much of the past decade and he has amongst his quiver of awards been named NZ sports writer of the year on a number of occasions. Based in Auckland, Hinton has a soft spot for the Highlanders and anything to do with the deep south of New Zealand and when he isn’t writing and commentating on Rugby, he’s organising a pick-up game of basketball to re-live his days as a junior Kiwi representative star.

It’s a another bumper episode of RuggaMatrix.