Wallabies

Verblitz play the NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes in two weeks’ time after All Black halfback TJ Perenara’s team overcame Honda Heat 21-13.

The sizeable Australian contingent at the Panasonic Wild Knights can start thinking about the quarterfinals as well after burying Quade Cooper’s Kintetsu Liners 54-7.

Australian loose forward Jack Cornelsen scored two of the winners’ seven tries, as they blew Kintetsu away 47-0 in the second half, after being held to 7-7 at halftime.

Cooper’s fellow Wallaby, Will Genia, missed the game due to injury.

While there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before the international calendar kicks off in July, rugby officials are desperate to ensure the Wallabies feature in more than 2020′s tally of six tests.

Australia squared off against the Kiwis in four consecutive tests last year. Michael Hooper’s men drew the first test in Wellington, fell in Auckland and Sydney to ultimately squander the Bledisloe Cup, before salvaging some pride in Brisbane with a 24-22 victory.

Returning to Canberra after having to self-isolate for a fortnight after getting caught up in Sydney’s COVID-19 outbreak in recent weeks, Sio made it clear he was glad to be back ahead of his side’s season-opener against the Force on February 19.

“I think a lot of teams will have to deal with similar problems, so we’ve just got to adapt and adjust as best we can,” he said on Monday.

Perese has agreed to move to France last May after his options were closed off in Australia after he fell out of favour with the Broncos and was stood down following an arrest for drugs possession.

However, he failed to settle comfortably enough in the south of France, featuring in just five Top 14 games (three as a starter in the midfield) and picking up two yellow cards. He headed home to Australia last month and has now started training with the Waratahs in the hope of reviving a career that was tipped for great heights.

With an eye on the 2021 Olympics and 2023 Rugby World Cup, Australia's elite male and female players are being put through their paces to see how they compare with gold standard speed measurements.

The Wallabies are currently ranked a lowly sixth in world rugby, just ahead of Scotland.

The Wallaroos come in at fifth, behind England, NZ, Canada, and France.

In Sevens rugby, the Australian men's side was coming fourth in 2020 before the competition was put on hold, while the Australian women were in second spot.

Hooper polled 91 points in the player-led vote, finishing just three points ahead of last year's winner Marika Koroibete, while James Slipper was third with 79 points.

Nic White (61 points) and Reece Hodge (56) rounded out the top five.

In a pandemic-reduced season, the Wallabies played six tests, winning one, drawing three and losing two.

"On behalf of the Australian Rugby community, I would like to congratulate all of our winners throughout the Rugby Australia Awards series," Rugby Australia interim boss Rob Clarke said.

A report from the New Zealand Herald suggests O’Connor has sounded out the Chiefs as a potential playing destination in 2021.

The Herald reports O’Connor, who was Australia’s starting first-five in his three test appearances this year, is eager to play in “the world’s toughest domestic competition” and “regularly test himself against the best”.

The 55-test Wallaby reportedly met with Rennie on Friday to discuss a potential release from his contract with the Reds to play in New Zealand next year.

Argentina were rocked this week by revelations captain Pablo Matera and two other senior players had posted racist comments on their social media accounts more than seven years ago.

Coach Mario Ledesma has omitted the three from his matchday squad for Saturday's clash at Western Sydney stadium to shield them from more criticism after they were targeted by "a lot of hate".

Hooper said the tough week could make Argentina more determined to finish on a high note and the Wallabies needed to be ready.

O'Connor – who suffered a torn MCL in the Wallabies' 27-7 loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park before suffering a plantar fascia injury – did not feature on Rennie's team list for the record breaking loss to New Zealand at ANZ Stadium, the upset win against the same opponents at Suncorp Stadium or the frustrating 15-all draw against the Pumas.

But O'Connor started his press conference on Monday by declaring he would be fit and ready to steer the Australians to a season ending win against Argentina at Sydney's Bankwest Stadium on Saturday.

Five games into Dave Rennie’s tenure as coach, the results column reads two draws, two losses and one win, with the latest stalemate on Saturday evening tossing up more questions than answers.

Had Hodge booted a 78th-minute penalty, Australians would have been lauding the team’s stoic ability to grind out a win. But in White’s view, that would have been to gloss over inaccuracy and poor execution in the lead-up.

Regardless of full-time scorelines, the "inaccuracy" line is beginning to sound like a broken record out of Wallabies camp.