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/ 21 May 2008

Nucifora to be new ARU high performance manager

Departing Auckland Blues coach David Nucifora will take up the position of the Australian rugby Union’s (ARU) high performance manager in June, ARU chief executive John O’Neill told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday. The former Wallabies hooker will replace Pat Howard, who returned to Australia last year after a successful stint with English club side Leicester Tigers.

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/ 3 May 2008

Defending champs upstage Waratahs

Champions Bulls beat the second-placed New South Wales Waratahs 16-13 in a Super 14 match on Saturday. The result helped the struggling Bulls to move up a slot into 10th place, while the Waratahs retained their position in the standings. They lie 10 points behind the Canterbury Crusaders courtesy of a losing bonus point.

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/ 1 April 2008

McKenzie’s time at Waratahs comes to an end

New South Wales Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie’s contract will not be renewed beyond this year’s Super 14 season, the state’s rugby chiefs announced on Tuesday. McKenzie’s five years at the helm will end in July even if the Waratahs win their first title in the southern hemisphere provincial competition, New South Wales Rugby Union chief executive Jim L’Estrange said.

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/ 2 March 2008

Blues lead Super 14 after round three

The Auckland Blues took the outright lead in rugby’s Super 14 when they racked up 50 points for the second straight week against a South African opponent. The Blues followed last week’s 55-10 win over the Lions with a 50-26 win Saturday over the Cheetahs to secure their third straight bonus point and to open a one-point lead over their compatriots, the Canterbury Crusaders.

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/ 29 February 2008

New South Wales beat Otago 15-12 on Palu try

Wycliff Palu scored the winning try and was simultaneously sin-binned as the New South Wales Waratahs beat the Otago Highlanders 15-12 in Super 14 at Carisbrook on Saturday. Palu’s 58th-minute try was the only score in the second half and allowed the Waratahs to recover from a 12-10 halftime deficit to record their second win in three matches in the 2008 season.

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/ 23 February 2008

Waikato Chiefs scramble to last-minute victory

The Waikato Chiefs scrambled to a 20-17 Super 14 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs in Hamilton on Saturday thanks to a last-gasp penalty from Stephen Donald. In a volatile final eight minutes, the Waratahs fought back from a 5-17 deficit to level the scores — only to see Donald break the deadlock with a minute to spare.