Analysis. History. Perspective.

Sports Then and Now



Can Australia Reclaim Their Place at Rugby’s Top Table? 0

Posted on September 24, 2019 by David Hay

It’s been a strange few years for Australian rugby. Since reaching the World Cup final in 2015, where they lost out to New Zealand, the Wallabies have experienced something of a decline. Where once Australia were one of the most feared sides in world rugby, results have become more hit-and-miss, with every step forward seemingly being tempered by two steps back.

A recent victory over New Zealand in the Rugby Championship will have given hope to Aussie rugby fans that brighter times may lie on the horizon, but there could be a ways to go before we can consider Australia on the same level as New Zealand, South Africa, and Wales.

The upcoming World Cup offers Australia the perfect chance to reaffirm their traditional place as one of the top three or four teams in the world. The latest world rugby rankings have Australia in sixth position, but a strong showing in Japan could see the Wallabies rise up the ladder towards the top once again, even if the latest Rugby Union odds from Betfair cast the Aussies as outsiders.

Read the rest of this entry →
  • Vintage Athlete of the Month

    • Rusty Staub: A Man For All Ages
      April 8, 2024 | 1:26 pm
      Rusty Staub

      The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month is a former major league baseball player who came into the game as a teenager and stayed until he was in his 40s. In between, Rusty Staub put up a solid career that was primarily spent on expansion or rebuilding teams.

      Originally signed by the Colt .45s at age 17, he made his major league debut as a 19-year old rookie and became only the second player in the modern era to play in more than 150 games as a teenager.

      Though he hit only .224 splitting time between first base and rightfield, Staub did start building a foundation that would turn him into an All-Star by 1967 when he finished fifth in the league with a .333 batting average.

      Read more »

    • RSSArchive for Vintage Athlete of the Month »
  • Follow Us Online

  • Current Poll

    Who Will Win the 2024 World Series?

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...
  • Post Categories



↑ Top