Haka and Hair Pulling Feature in Post Match Fallout

First up we have an excellent article from Greg Gowden continuing his doom and gloom appraisal of the game at the weekend, and pointing out many flaws the Wallabies had during the game, and in the lead up to kick off.  There has been much comment about the haka, including the following from one reader of this blog who contacted me directly with his comments taking a different view from mine over the All Black performance of the traditional ‘ka mate’ haka.  He had this to say of the haka:

“It wasn’t backing down at all, I reckon it was a win to the Abs, the Aussies were trying to goad them into doing that haka [the throat slitting version] even though they only do it very occasionally, and then when they did the standard haka it made their lame warm ups look even more childish!”

You’re right, it did have that effect in the end.  However, the Wallabies played into the All Black’s hands by being silly about it all.  Greg Gowden’s article, which can be read by clicking here, points out that there were a number of silly games being played by the Wallabies during and prior to that test match.  Painting the touch lines yellow for instance to match the team colours of the home side, and for all the warming up with the tackle bags to delay kick off, the defensive effort by the Wallabies in the first half was below par.  None of the shenanigans seems to have had any positive effect on their game, unless you count being beaten by less than 20 points.

My point of view is that the correct approach to deal with any criticism of the haka would have been to perform it again to avoid any suggestion that the performance of the haka will be dictated to the All Blacks by the opposition.  The failure to respect the All Blacks by delaying kick off played right into New Zealand’s hands, no doubt about it.  But that isn’t the point. The All Blacks should perform whatever haka they feel is right for the situation, and indeed it seems this is what happened.  By changing the haka to a different version for this test, it hints of conceding that the haka is offensive when performed with that gesture.  I am heartened by reports that suggest that this was not the case.  For more on the haka, click here.

The game was, in my view, defined by the performance of captain Richie McCaw.  It was a superb performance, and there can be no doubt that this is the man to lead the All Blacks into the next World Cup in 2007.  His game was superb at the breakdown, and the tackle he pulled off to stop Mark Gerard, and also turn over the ball for a pressure releasing clearing kick from one of the largest full backs in the World, was just outstanding.  He lead the tackle count by a huge margin in both teams, and was everywhere on the field, a truly inspiring performance.  Click here for a full report on the captain’s knock.  He was rightly named as man of the match.

While the lineout disintegrated in the second half, at least this All Black team is winning while it is sorting out the problems that it has – and make no mistake the lineout is still a worry.  This will have to be rectified before New Zealand is unable to produce anyone that knows how to win good clean lineout ball.  New Zealand will take the win, but hopefully the lessons of six stolen lineouts, and three throws that weren’t straight will be taken on board and sorted out before next year.  For a full report on the win.  Perhaps there is room for a mullet sporting bogan in the All Blacks yet!  Keep at it Mr Eaton!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I had forgotten the All Blacks have yet to notch up a win in the Republic under Graham Henry.  They will be sorely tested over there by a side that will be pulling out all the stops to regain some pride at home (not to mention a few people that must be a bit uneasy in their present positions!).  However, the All Black coaching staff must be confident that they can cast away this hoodoo against a pretty ordinary African team, and this will be the next goal for the All Blacks.  Of note also, in the report can be read by clicking here, is that the controversy about Jerry Collins attempt to convince George Smith that a haircut is in order has been joined by Steve Hansen.  Hansen defended the hair pulling basically suggesting that players with long hair were asking for it!  Good call!  Tana Umaga certainly got his fair share of hair pulls back when he was on the field.  For the Aussie take on it, which unusually seems to be restrained, click here.

It was great to see Rokocoko back, scoring the only try of the match.  The Fijian flyer richly deserved the try that required him to fend off Rocky Elsom (no easy feat) and also had to step Latham (again a difficult assignment).  For more on Joe, click here.  Let’s hope that now he has broken the seal we will see more try scoring action from the rocket man in the remainder of the Tri-Nations competition.

Lastly Mills Muliaina seems to be warming to his task at centre for the All Blacks.  A positional change like this cannot be easy for a player, and it remains to be seen if he will be the first choice to take the All Blacks to World Cup 2007.  However, without any serious contenders for the position in the frame due to injury, there aren’t many on the horizon that could challenge for the role, and it will be interesting to see if the rotational policy generates some more tinkering with this position.  He’s played well so far, and has certainly had the acid put on him in the test matches he’s played this year.  A sound candidate, possibly supported by Conrad Smith (recovery presumed) and Nonu (again, recovery presumed) to be the back up men.  For more on Mils, click here.

Bring on the game this weekend in Sydney between the Boks and the Aussies.  It’ll be good to watch these two teams bang away at each other.  Steve Larkham still fancies that the Wallabies can win the Tri-Nations (for more on that click here), however the reporter does not seem to share his optimistic appraisal of the situation.  You can’t really expect anything else from the players I suppose, but such claims hardly seem credible.  I hope that the Boks can muster a good game this weekend and being some competition back into the Tri-Nations, however such hopes seem far fetched – although there has been little news of the Africans while the focus was on the All Black Aussie Bledisloe match.  Let’s hope we hear more about African preparations this week as all I have been able to find is this report that Coach White will scrutinise the All Black Wallaby game for clues on how to turn around the South Africans form…hold the front page.  If this counts as cutting edge coaching in South Africa, and newsworthy material, they really do need a complete overhaul of their system.  If anyone feels like reading this they can click here…

Bring on the pre-test match hype!

Stout Defence Retains Bledisloe for All Blacks

First of all I must apologise for not posting any comments immediately after the game last night. The fact is that I have just come off the EKG after having to have my heart monitored for the rest of the night after that duel between the Wallabies and the All Blacks.  I was on the edge of my seat for most of the second half waiting for Australia to score the winning try they looked certain to get on at least four occasions.    

In terms of closeness, and heart pounding stress, the game delivered on the expectations generated during the week.  There wasn’t the free flowing running rugby that we expect in this day and age, this was test match football – a closely fought contest between two teams ready to do anything to win.  First blood in the game went to Australia who managed to force a change in the All Black haka.  Call it diplomacy, call it whatever you like, it was still backing down because of comments made during the week.  Congratulations Connolly, you managed to get some points there.  

Then, to make it worse, Australia spends two minutes warming up after the traditional ‘ka mate’ haka, delaying kick off.  I’ve never seen that in international football before, and Nathan Sharpe this morning on channel 7 denied it had anything to do with the haka, and was caused by the Wallabies not being able to warm up on the field.  Really?  How stupid does the PR machine think we are?  This was a Wallaby home game – if there was anything going on preventing them from warming up on the field beforehand that is their problem.  The opposition and the fans shouldn’t be kept waiting because they can’t get the ground arrangements sorted out.  In any event, they were getting hits on in the car park in the warm up they did do, I didn’t see anything special about what they did once they got on the part.  Disrespectful at best, and probably just ill conceived gamesmanship that played into the hands of the All Blacks who appeared the better team for not indulging in such trivial gamesmanship, and took out the game.  For more on that click here.

Full marks go to the Wallabies for finally attacking the All Black line out which has been a weak point for about a decade, and went into complete meltdown in the second half.  They also got the roll on with a few rolling mauls, but I must take my hat off to the All Blacks, the effectively countered the drive and must have put in some work in this area of the game.  It is impossible to know why, but New Zealanders just don’t seem to be able to throw a ball in reliably to the same spot or to where it is supposed to go so that the tallest people in the country can catch it, when they know it is coming to them.  Surely this can be sorted out before the World Cup, and all game the All Blacks were running scared at line out time.  They must improve here, this lineout problem has plagued the team for at least the last decade.

As expected the All Blacks dominated at scrum time, but failed to turn this dominance into points.  They did force a few turnovers and this kept them in the game in the second half and was one of the few positives from set piece play, but I did see the All Black scrum go backwards in the final stages of the game after a few substitutions were made.  They cannot get complacent and must get the new players in there to ensure that replacements will be experienced for Rugby World Cup 2007.

Good to see smoking Joe score a try after an ordinary Super 14 season and failing to excel as he did earlier on in his career on the international stage.  As in past weeks, the try came from broken play and proved to be the defining moment of the hard fought test win.  For more on that, and NZ comment on the haka and warm up debacle, click here.

Again, there were no All Black tries from worked back line moves, or from sustained pressure, the sole try resulting from a restart bungled by the Wallabies.  It has been speculated that both sides retreated into their respective shells, and that the game could have been better if each side had chanced their arm a bit more.  Frankly, if passes had gone to hand, Australia ought to have scored at least two tries.  As a consequence, praise must be given to the All Black defence, and the Wallabies must have cause for concern as their star studded back line failed to break the resolute defence of the All Blacks.  Quite fairly Ritchie McCaw was awarded man of the match for another great performance from the man that is easily the best All Black player by far.  For more on that, and for McCaw’s after match comment, click here.  For Henry’s comments on his skipper performance, click here.

I think that there will be relief across the Tasman in the land of long white cloud to get away with a win.  Lessons will need to be learned from the performance if the All Blacks are to succeed at Rugby World Cup next year, but the win will be taken and New Zealand will be happy to retain the Bledisloe Cup.  The team will undoubtedly benefit from beating the Wallabies in Brisbane, and again toughing out a win where in previous years they have not had the mental toughness to defeat Australia in the close affairs.  What can the Wallabies take from this?  According to Greg Gowden, it seems not a lot and that the Wallabies are miles off the pace, and were for most of the game.  While it must be disappointing to lose having built up the team so much after the thrashing of South Africa, I think that this article is possibly a bit on the negative side.  Judge for yourself by clicking here to read the full article.

Doubtless there will be more analysis of the game over the coming days, and plenty of comments to come.  George Smith’s hair got a decent pull by Jerry Collins, who normally doesn’t indulge in that sort of thing, however Connolly has said that he wont take the matter further.  There is no place for that in today’s game, but when you are as good as Smith people will do things to try and stop you from playing so well, as frequently happens to McCaw.  Doubtless we will hear more about this, and I look forward to posting more information about that as it comes to hand.

It's All Good Fun Until Someone Loses an Eye

Steve Hansen hit back at alleged Aussie funnyman come rugby coach, Scott Johnson.  Hansen (who is apparently a great mate of Johnson) fronted the media today and returned the fire, interrupted Wayne Smith’s press conference to advise that he had a pair of shoes that had been found after the last All Black’s training session.  The shoes of course, were camouflage colours to match Jonson’s appearance the day before!  Well done, ho ho.

Not content to stop there, the hilarity continued with Hansen lambasting his mates haircut (fair enough too, what a shaggy devil, he clearly needs a haircut and a good wash).  For more of the witty repartee, click here.  I think it is good, it brings an element of good humour into the trans Tasman clash between New Zealand and Australia.

And still more off the field focus today as the barbs came out between the two head coaches over, you guessed it, the haka.  Connolly’s claim that the haka ought to be changed to get rid of the throat slitting gesture at the end seems to have gotten under Graham Henry’s skin, provoking a rebuke from the normally fairly unshakable New Zealand coach.  Basically, Henry told Connolly to keep his nose out of other peoples business.  I thought he could have added “We don’t lecture you about the merits of having the crowd sing songs about stealing property, slaughtering animals, and committing suicide”.  For more on the haka, and the ongoing off field focus, click here.  It seems a bit serious really, and perhaps no reaction would have been better.  It is a challenge after all, and vested with such meaning by New Zealand more than anyone else.  They are entitled to react to it however they like.

Back to the actual game however, a good round up of the sides, and some good commentary, can be found in video format by clicking here.   I’d agree with most of what Ben Kimber has to say about the game, and the relative strength of the teams.  However, I think that Australia have the edge in the back line, and have a more intelligent way of playing that came to the fore against South Africa.  For Mr Kimber’s video analysis, click here.  Tim Horan’s comments about the centre pairing for Australia are correct, however it is difficult to win games with a good back line alone.  Click here for that article.  Clearly the importance of the front row is not lost on Connolly. Click here for an article on his concerns about Rodzilla in the lead up to the test.  Making excuses in advance perhaps?  I doubt it, but he is right when he says Woodcock is one of the best in the business.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand press are focusing on Stirling Mortlock’s comments about the former captain of the All Blacks, Tana Umaga, and missing him now that he no longer plays international Rugby.  Mils has a mention in the article, and I think clearly he will be tested tomorrow evening.  He hasn’t really had to cope with much pressure so far, but he will be feeling it in Brisbane, that is one thing for sure.  Mortlock and Giteau will pair together well to put pressure on a relatively inexperienced All Black midfield (in terms of playing matches together).  Click here for more on that.

Lastly for today, the clown has revealed that he could be a bit of cry baby when it comes to hangovers.  A few days out from the Springbok test, marking his return to the first string Abs side for this weekend’s match, the lock has revealed he thought one of his drinks may have been spiked while out with his mates in Auckland.  He approached the AB management and was tested to check if his fears were well founded.  Apparently they were not, the test results not showing anything unusual, and it must have just been a hangover for the Clown.  Click here for more on that.

All the testy fighting and war of words should be largely done and dusted by now – with the exception of the expert pontificating and snide remarks we can expect to see in the papers tomorrow, and we should be on for a cracking game on Sunday.  Fantastic.

Focus Off the Field

The PR machines have begun in earnest now that the mutual compliments are all done and dusted.  First cab off the rank is the Aussie coaching staff, and in particular assistant coach Scott Johnson is deserving of full marks in trying to divert attention from on field performance, to off field comments.

Reacting to All Black claims of spying, and in particular to comments about where he is seated during games, the comedian added to his All Black baiting antics by revealing a camouflage outfit, complete with t-shirt emblazoned with the words “Can I sit here?” on the front, and after donning a camo hat, also revealed on the rear of the shirt were the words “Paranoia is curable”.

Johnson is certainly doing well to turn the normal dour affair of press conference of coaching staff into something a bit more entertaining.  To read more of his antics, click here and here.  It seems Connolly may not be requiring the attendance of Mr Johnson at future press conference, stating the press should ask all questions now.  However, I don’t believe the coach would have been unaware of the intentions of the assistant coach, and it is imply a ploy to try and distract the All Blacks from their on the field performance.  It remains to be seen if it works, but I would doubt that it will in this era of professionalism.  It will be up to the Wallabies to now come up with a strategy that will allow them to bully the All Blacks as Johnson has stated they will.

In yet further attempts to divert attention from the actual playing of the game, the Wallaby coach criticised the new All Black Haka featuring the controversial throat thrashing gesture at the conclusion of the dance.  Connolly has stated that the haka in this version, sends a murderous message to the younger people watching the game, and that isn’t a great message to send.  The haka has long been a tradition of the All Blacks, and recently the new version has had a few detractors from both sides of the Tasman.  The fact is, either version is a challenge made by a culture that was very war like.  Neither dance sends a great message, it isn’t meant to.  It is a challenge given by men to other men.  It is meant to inspire fear by displaying what fearsome warriors you are.  I don’t think this is a bad message, rugby is a physical game and provided it is played within the rules, is fine.  For more on that click here and here.

But back to the game!  Rodney Blake is certainly the man in the spotlight.  Apparently 130kgs is what the Wallaby coaching staff believe is the answer to their scrummaging issues.  It remains to be seen if Rodzilla, about whom the word ‘light’ could only be used when referring to the number of matches he has played at test level recently, can live up to this billing.  He has been cut down a bit by the coach announcing that one man does not a scrum make, nor did Rodzilla do too well against England early on in the season.  130 kgs is a lot of weight to haul around the field for 80 minutes, so we can expect a sub at some point, early on if the scrums don’t stablise I would think.  For more on Blake, click here.

Finally, for today’s posts, Graham Henry has allegedly been saying that he would like to lose!  Rest assured, the All Black coach hasn’t taken complete leave of his sense, and is merely referring to the endless analysis that comes from an All Black loss.  He is hoping that the Wallabies will reveal weaknesses in the All Black game plan this far out from Rugby World Cup 2007 so that there is some time to do something about it.  This is part of the rotation policy, and the forward looking approach to the game that the All Blacks have adopted this season.  All eyes are on the prize of the World Cup next year and every All Black fan will be hoping that the team can deliver World Cup Glory in France next year, instead of stumbling at the last hurdle as the All Blacks have in recent tournaments.  For more on that story click here.

I cannot wait for kickoff on Saturday.  It happens to be my birthday and I am hoping these teams deliver a cracker that I can remember for years to come!

Return of Rodzilla

Return of Rodzilla

The Australian selectors have had a change of heart today announcing the return of Rodney Blake to the tight head prop position for the teat against the All Blacks this weekend. The number 3 has presumably been recalled to bolster a struggling Wallaby front row, and will certainly increase the average weight of the pack significantly, weighing in at an impressive 130 kilos. For more on the Aussie reaction to the selection, click here.

This is an interesting call as we have heard coach Connolly carrying on for the last week or so about how the props he has are world class, and he will be sticking with them…presumably there has either been a change of heart, or all the talk was just hot air. For my money the coach has seen the danger of allowing the All Blacks to dominate up front and is making the only move he has left to do something about it. It remains to be seen if it will work, Rodzilla didn’t impress that much for the reds in this years Super 14 against the All Black front rows.

Rodzilla will have his hands full taking on Tony Woodcock this weekend…if the big man is fit for the game. Apparently he has been selected on medical advice that his shoulder injury will be better by the weekend…probably. So, we may yet see a change to the All Black front row. I think it matters not, the All Black replacement will be more than capable of handling the inexperienced front row for the Wallabies. For kiwi reaction to the selection, click here.

I don’t think that there is much weight to be given to Connolly’s claims about the All Blacks having favourite status after delivering a sound beating to the Wallabies in Christchurch, and an ‘impressive’ performance against the Africans (not sure if he watched the same game that I did). For my money, this is shaping up to be a classic clash this weekend and I am very much looking forward to it. There will be plenty of comment to come this week, and you can rely on it all to be covered here. Bring it on!

Predictable Team Named Today - Seven Changes to All Blacks

The All Blacks team was anounced today with seven changes to the team that faced South Africa. In essence the changes make the team the same as that which dispatched the Wallabies by 20 points in their last clash, bar one. Ali Williams has returned to the starting line up ahead of Mullet Man Eaton to lock in combination with Chris Jack.

As discussed in previous posts, the return to the so called 'first fifiteen' will reignite debate in New Zealand over devaluing the All Black jersey, and also stoke the fires of those who felt the changes to the All Black team to face Africa were 'arrogant'. Parhaps though, it does at least call into question the rotation policy, as it appears to have been put on hold. When the Bledisloe Cup is at stake, it would seem wise to go for your best team. For the complete team, click here.

The match this weekend will definitely be the toughest so far for the All Blacks who are now facing a Wallaby team at home that thrashed South Africa by a record margin and are riding high on the confidence front. It will be imperative if New Zealand is to win, for the All Blacks to cut down on the error rate and to improve markedly on the lineout performance of last week.

Widely predicted in the Australian media, the team anouncement today has come as no surprise. The Aussies anticipated that the team they faced was and is NZ's best, and that they woud expect to play against nothing else this weekend. They're right, to win the game at the weekend, NZ will have to field it's best team, and they will have to play at their very best to triumph. Except perhaps at scrum time. For more Aussie reaction, click here. Also, this article from yesterday reads as a fairly accurate analysis of the two teams and the game that is shaping up this weekend. Click here to read the article that focusses on Tuqiri's opinion of the game and how much his team has improved. This game should be a cracker and I am looking forward to the media latching on to this one and the shots that will be fired in the build up to the clash of the best two teams in the Tri-Nations.

Aside from the naming of the All Blacks team this weekend, there hasn't been a great deal else going on today. One article of note about the famous Casnozza incident can be read here. I mean come on, 14 years ago, I think it might be time to let that one go and move on. In any event, who really believes all this "I just want an apology" rubbish? If anyone does apologise, the first reponse they get is "Do you think saying sorry makes it alright do you?". Might as well carry on about an apology for bowling the underarm ball...even if it does happen it wont make a jot of difference as people like to have something to complain about. that identifies the opposition as scurrilous rogues who resort to cheating on a regular basis against your own hard fighting honest and true team.... Something tells me that Richard Lowe may not have been the force in world rugby that he was now that there is video replays and citing comissioners and all that other stuff to ensure that there is no place for that sort of thing in today's game...I think Carozza will be waiting a while for an apology on this one.

Bring it on!

All Blacks to Suspend Rotation Policy for Wallaby Clash?

The analysis of the weekend's game is now over and the scribes are turning to the game between the Wallabies and the All Blacks. The speculation is that the same team that dispatched the Wallabies by 20 points at Jade Stadium in Christchurch will again be named, as the first fifteen of New Zealand rugby. This will be a test of the rotation policy of the selectors. I'd be surprised if we don't see a return to a substantially similar team (with the exception if injuries) but there will also be some additional changes. I would be surprised if Ali Williams does not start in that test match as Eaton has some way to go yet before he could be said to be the first choice All Black lock. For more on the team, and some interesting comments about injury delays during games, click here. Williams may take some of the blame for a shocking lineout performance by the All Blacks, and they will have to get that under control against the Wallabies this weekend who should, if they analyse the game at all, attack the All Blacks here. The Wallabies should also play to their strength and put in plenty of rolling mauls and drives to gain territory, followed by a nice long kick to touch when they should have every chance of stealing All Black ball.

The substitution of the All Black captain with two minutes to go, allowing the poor victim of a unprovoked and heinous assault involving a handbag, Chris Masoe, to earn his first test cap, has again generated some controversey in New Zealand. Unfortunately the controversey is again related to 'devaluing' the All Black jersey by providing a soft test cap. Steve Hansen answered that by suggesting the move was made to protect McCaw for the next match. I've made my views on devaluing the jersey clear already, but suggesting Masoe isn't within the frame for earning the jersey in his own right, based on merit, is just plain nonsense. I'd like to have seen him have longer on the field to really see what he would be like at this level, but with the scoreline as it was, and the incumbent also being captain, such thoughts are just pie in the sky at this point. We may see him later in the season however, if this rotation policy lasts. For more on the replacement, click here.

However, this weekend's game is fast looming as the defining moment of the Tri-Nations competition this year. Africa are off the pace, and it is not unduly arrogant at this stage to say that this is a two horse race that could be decided this weekend, the Wallabies having their only home game against the All Blacks. This match is surely the best chance the Wallabies have of improving on the 5 points they have so far in the competition. It should be a real cracker, and forward coach for the All Blacks, Steve Hansen has clearly identified the clash as one to watch out for. Click here for more on that. For the Aussie preview on the game, click here.

It is amazing what one big victory will do to the recollection of people. The 32-12 result from the game in Christchurch, and the collapse of the Australian scrum, are apparently distant memories now. The Wallabies may not expect any changes to be made to the All Black team they last faced. However the fact that there are also not expected to be any changes to the Wallaby team is also of note. Vickerman may be out with injury, and Paul will likely remain at hooker unless McIssac recovers, but aside from that it appears the same team will face the All Blacks.

Apparently the answer to the shortcomings of the Wallabies at scrum time is to make no changes at all, not even to try anything. It will be interesting to see if this "steady as she goes" policy works for the Australians this weekend. I can understand the logic of letting the front row harness its confidence from the display against Africa, however the scrum was hardly dominant there, or even had parity. If no changes are made, we can expect to see the All Blacks attack this area with great gusto, and why not? This is clearly the weakest area of the present Wallaby team. The backline may be amongst the best in the World, however without winning much ball at the breakdown if policed properly, and possibly losing some of their own feeds at scrum time, the All Blacks will try to starve the Wallaby back line out of the game. With a weak scrum, containing the opposition is made that much easier.

For a slightly different take on the game at the weekend, and possible adjustment of Aussie expectations that are running high after the hiding dished out to the Boks, click here. Also note the reference to 'arrogant' changes made by Graham Henry. Arrogant? Pardon? Making changes to a team doesn't smack of arrogance when you've stated that you are making changes as part of the preparation for Rugby World Cup 2007. To label such changes as arrogant is to misunderstand the intention behind the changes, the intention being to develop more players into international quality players so that your scrum, for example, doesn't suddenly fall apart because of an injury to, or the retirement of, a couple of your top players. Especially in close proximity to the World Cup. Sounds like the Wallabies could have done with a policy like this within the last few years....I am sure that all All Blacks fans are hoping that it works, and that the All Blacks don't stumble at the last hurdle as has happened in so many of the more recent World Cup competitions.

Meanwhile in the Republic the South Africans are feeling good about being South Africans again. The performance of the weekend has allowed the supporters back home to put behind them the 49-0 thrashing of the week before that sorely tested the national character. While not a win, at least the Africans did not just lie down and take it this week. There is clearly cause for concern following on from the match, not the least of which was the disintegration of the scrum when the mighty Os du Randt left the field with a head injury. Mighty, but ancient, in Rugby terms at least. It is sad that a once proud scrummaging nation is relying on such old shoulders to carry such a heavy burden. New players and new blood to take the mantle are urgently required, however a shot in the arm at the weekend will do African rugby some good and they must improve. There was a better attitude this week, and hopefully the African team can build on this and put together a much improved performance in their last away game in two weeks time. Click here for more from Africa on the match.

I can't wait for the weekend, I'm expecting a huge game and some great running rugby. Let's hope that it delivers...

All Blacks Knotch Up Second Home Win

The All Blacks managed to come home with their second home win of this year's series 35-17, but it was far from the thrashing many had predicted (except yours truly). The Springboks indeed showed some mettle in this game, and were on the receiving end of fairly high penalty count in the first half, which was evened out in the second period, a fact reflected in the 13-10 scoreline to the All Blacks in that half.

The game finished with two tries to each side, the Springboks indicating that a thrashing of the week before was not on the cards in the first 30 seconds scoring a converted try off a charged down Daniel Carter kick. It was, as far as I could see, the only error Carter made during the game. For this reason only it was an inferior display to the last performance Carter had in Wellington against the touring Lions side last year, bieng instrumental in the two tries scored by the All Blacks, and linking well with midfield partner Mils Muliaina. He was also faultless with the boot in terms of goal kicking, and only kicked one touch finder out on the full. The All Blacks will be certain that he is the man to lead them into next years World Cup from first five.

However, some major areas of concern remain for the All Blacks, and while they will take the win there is still plenty of room for improvement. With untried combinations in the centres, the All Black's coaching staff will be pleased with the win, and the way that the team played in this area. Also, the forwards did muscle up and scrum time, but there was again room for imporvement in other areas of forward play.

Significantly less spectacular than the scrum was the performance in the lineout. The Africans won more than their fair share of ball from All Black throws and the All Blacks can count themselves lucky that the Africans did not make more of their superiority in this area. It is difficult to pinpoint what went wrong, but clearly some of the throwing lacked the direction needed and it seems Anton Oliver still has that problem with his play at this level. To be fair however, there were one or two jumps that seemed poorly timed, and the All Blacks could have preformed better in this area. The Wallabies will be looking to capitalise on this weakness next weekend. Don't be surprised to see a few changes in this area made to the All Blacks team that runs into the humid and hot Brisbane night.

At the breakdown the All Blacks were challenged by a team that turned up to play this week, as opposed to last week when they threw in the towel after the first quarter. This week they stuck to it and were very physical at the breakdown. In this area the difficulty the All Blacks had was more due to an improvement by the Springboks (not to mention a few violations of the rules) rather than any weakness in the All Black side. It has to be said that Reuben Thorne had a fairly good game and justified his selection. The All Black scrum was not only solid, but had the Africans reeling in certain stages of the game which no doubt means that the Wallabies can expect to be sorely tested in this area again at the weekend. Other standouts were the front row (excepting line out throws) and of course McCaw who, as usual, put together another fine performance.

The other main area of weakness the All Blacks displayed was that once again tries came mainly as a result not of All Black play developing pressure and exploiting weaknesses in the opposition, but from turnover ball and the counter attack resulting from mistakes. The All Blacks have not scored from a worked back line move in a number of seasons. Conversely the Wallabies were able to score plenty from back line moves last week against the Springboks. The next tri-nations game will be a real ripper in Brisbane and the backs will need to lift their game to get the better of the greatly experienced Wallaby back line. The Australian commentators are licking their lips in anticipation of the game this coming weekend, thinking that they have the edge and allowing confidence to run high. For the Aussie take on the game, click here.

A good win but room to improve is the verdict this week. A better performance will be required to beat the Wallabies at home this coming weekend. For the kiwi analysis click here, and for the Africans first reading of the game, click here.

Final Musings in the lead up to Kick Off!

The Aussie preview of the match is in stark contrast with the message coming out of New Zealand in the lead up to the game. No surprises there, given that the Australians aren't playing this weekend! Such cocksure confidence was thin on the ground before their clash with the haples Boks last week, amking the Wallabies a dangerous side next weekend. The only question according to the Sydney Morning Herald commentators is how much the All Blacks will win by. Click here for the preview of the game from rugbyheaven.

"Beware the wounded Bok" is still the catch cry from New Zealand in an attempt to avoid complacency in the national team. It is, again no surprise here, wet and windy in Wellington (is it ever anything other than wet and windy in Wellington) and this could act as a leveller and bring the game into more of a forward exchange than was the case last week in sunny Brisbane. However it would be a brave man who would put any money on the Boks to take this one. For more on the NZ perspective in the lead up to the game, click here.

South Africa appear to be clutching at straws, with Butch the favourite to be named to start at first five for the Africans tonight. Coach White appears to have kept his sense of humour, and undoubtedly this is due to not having to face a seething public while his team are on tour in New Zealand. The spectre of race based selections haunts the coach, along with some alleged comments made on that issue as it relates to the selection of lose forwards in the team. White will have to return home, eventually, and a victory in tonight's match would certainly make the homecoming sweet, a fairytale turnaround for the coach who claims that his side plays best when their backs are to the wall. Well, for tonight's game the backs, the forwards, and the coach are all hard up against the brick with nowhere else to go. We'll soon see which South African team shows up...click here for more on that.

Bring it on!

Sailor's Snort Cuts Career Short

The biggest news today doesn't really surprise anyone, and nor does it relate to tomorrow night's game (I wonder if perhaps everyone has written off the Boks and is looking for something else to maintain our interest in the game?). Wendell Sailor has been sacked by the ARU and has seven days to decide whether or not he will appeal the decision and the consequent two year ban. For a full breakdown of events, including an interesting summary of Sailor's previous indiscretions, click here.

The decision, and the secret nature of the hearing conducted into the matter have generated a lot of comment and given the issue a lot of publicity. However, at the end of the day we are talking about a sportsman who took a drug that while illegal, isn't a performance enhancing drug as far as rugby is concerned (as far as I know). At 32 years of age, a two year ban will end his career in all probability, and he wasn't even cheating or harming anyone else (this time). Essentially he is paying the cost of being a role model, something that he isn't paid for and as far as I know never agreed to become. In any event, it is likely that we've seen the last of him on the football field, and while recently he hasn't been at his best, and arguably gave his best to NRL, it is a shame to lose a star in this way.

Elsewhere the Tri-Nations is still getting some attention. As anticipated the "Beware the Wounded Bok" call has come out, along with some interesting reports about 'old school' Springbok training sessions this week where the players have been "smashing" each other. Let's hope it helps as the last thing we want is another thrashing of the 3rd team in the Tri Nations. Maybe they will be able to smash the All Blacks, fairly of course, and get some intensity going that was sorely missing from the game in Brisbane. If not, the Africans will struggle for the rest of the competition. For the report on the training, click here.

Sam Tuitupou is getting his share of media attention in the lead up to the game. He is stepping into some big shoes, replacing Mauger in the second five position for the weekend match. At least he is paired up with his Chiefs Team mate Mils Muliaina, the centre getting his second start in the position, something of a rarity in these days of rotation policies for positions in the build up to World Cup 2007. For more on that, basically a rehash of comments made earlier this week, click here.

The hair pulling continues in the Republic, although this time it is their own hair (for a change). The loss continues to dominate coverage of the game this weekend, and doubtless the pressure will be affecting the players. It remains to be seen if they can turn this into proper motivation. For an analysis of the game, click here. I would question the comments made by White in this article about blooding new players as it seems to have been a relatively recent theme in the comments he has been making. If he was interested in blooding new players, surely the number 8 who played against Aussie would have stayed in the side? For a real hair puller, and surely a beat up if ever read one, click here.

Right now I just can't wait for the game to start. I think that just about every angle of the match in anticipation must have been covered and really it comes down to this: Can the Boks pull finger and play like they used to? Hard, tough, fighting men who weren't afraid to put a bit of stick about. The Wallabies made them look old, fat, tired, and punch drunk like an ageing prize fighter who has gone a few too many fights, hoping against hope that the old one two combination that set up his title shot and ultimately won him the belt will work for him just one last time... White's insistence that the rush defence just needs to be executed properly after failing so badly last week smacks of a failure to appreciate the evolution of the game and the All Blacks are deserved favourites...let's hope the wheels don't fall off! Click here for more on White's comments concerning the rush defence.

Enjoy the match!

Roller Coaster Week in Lead Up To Second Tri-Nations Match

The Clown, also known as Ali Williams, is aparently looking forward to taking on the massive green and gold forward pack on Saturday, and realises that the pressure is on him to perform. Up against Victor Matfield he will certainly be tested. The lineout is still an area of concern and it will be interesting to see how he does, and I will be keeping an eye on this area of the game in particular as it is a weakness, still, in the lead up to the World Cup. For more commentary on Ali Williams and his thoughts ahead of the game this weekend, click here.

Let's face it, in recent years it has been more difficult to get out of the All Blacks, than it has been to get in (cases in point are Justin Marshall, Caleb Ralph, and Reuben Thorne who may prove me wrong this weekend). However, the rotation policy has allowed new talent, such as Mullet Man Eaton, to strut his stuff on the international stage. The All Blacks, and the players in any national team, must know that they are there only for as long as they are the best, to hopefully bring out the best in them by allowing some good old fashioned competition for positions. This tactic also has the effect of retaining players in domenstic rugby as they know that they have a chance of playing for the national team and possibly unseating the incumbent player. I believe that it also good for the team as players should know that they have one, or two, chances of playing in a World Cup and they ought to make the most of it.

As far as I am concerned, the rotation policy is great, provided it is used properly. All those who are claiming that the All Black jersey is being devalued by such a tactic have simply got to get into a Rebel Sports store and see that they are more expensive than ever these days. What I mean by 'used properly' is ensuring that actual talent is retained, and that younger players are encouraged and mentored under such a system, rather than left disillusioned and with the only option of playing overseas to realise their dream of representing a country on the international stage playing international rugby. Gone are the days when New Zealand could have Grant Fox at first five and ignore the likes of Frano Botica, and John Schuster. Those guys should have been part of the mix and playing against certain teams when their skills would've been more useful than Fox's formidable kicking talent.

More talk this week about whether or not South Africa are a dirty team. As far as I can remember this accusation has been made against the Africans. In fact, I gather that more or less the entire time they have been welcome in world rugby the accustaion has been made, apparently with some cause as there is a history of previous offending in this area (see ear biting, hair pulling for $100 bounties, and a penchant for persistent high and illegal shots from certain players earning a recall to the national team). There is of course no place for that in today's game and I would certainly hope that the game this weekend can be played in a good spirit, but I am glad to see that there is plenty of consideration being given to this point. Click here for more on James, and click here for Piri Weepu's take on the matter.

The Australians are, wisely, looking ahead to next weekend and the return match against the All Blacks. They lie in wait for a tired, and likely bruised All Black side, however there is no way of knowing which All Black team will be named to show up for that match. WIth 8 changes, less than half the side that put away Australia last time are playing this week. The focus for the Wallabies is again on the front row and it appears the selectors will stick with the same men as in Christchurch, and who held out last weekend. Click here for more. This is the right move, the front row held together and will play better for the experience of being beaten soundly by the All Blacks, but then having seen off the South Africans, even though they only just did so. Confidence is a wonderful thing and the Austrlian selectors might as well take this opportunity to see what, if any, improvement it brings.

The Africans meanwhile continue to focus on the first five eighth problem that the team has. A woeful performance in the first game has the possibility of being even worse this weekend if Butch James does end up playing. He has flown half way around the world, arriving in New Zealand on Tuesday night, having his first practise on Wednesday. Three days to prepare for his first test since South Africa were humiliated by England 53-3 in 2003 when he last played for the Springboks. There is much speculation as to how desperate Jake White really is, however James may be a red herring to put the All Blacks off, however it doesn't seem to be working so far. For more, click here.

After all of the build up this week, I just can't wait for the game to be played. It isn't possible to tell how well the South Africans will perform, and if the thrashing will do them some good and bring the players together. Even if it does, it is unlikely to be enough to beat the All Blacks, although it is unlikely that there will be a repeat thrashing of such a once proud rugby nation. This is for two reasons, firstly the wet should slow the All Blacks down and make the ball slippery and difficult to deal with, and secondly, the South Africans will be playing as if they were the boerwurst on the BBQ - they'll be roasted when they get home if they are thrashed again. Fear is a great motivator.

This blog wouldn't be complete without some word on Wendell Sailor who has been getting media attention in Australia this week. It has been reported that in secret the Australian Rugby Union has been considering if Wendell will be banned for two years (effectively ending his career) for the drug tests that were positive for cocaine use. Your interprepid blogger heard reports this morning that a decision should be made by this weekend. As soon as I know anything about this, you'll be the first to know. He had a decent side step on the field, but can the wayward Sailor side step the law on this ban?!!! If he can that is a hell of a way to revive his flagging career...and would be the best step he's done in quite some time...

5 Changes to African Squad Named to take on All Blacks

White has responded to 8 changes to the All Blacks with a few changes of his own, surprise surprise. All told there are five changes to the team. The first five decision has not yet been made, White bracketing James and Meyer Bosman in that position. Apparently the decision as to which of those two will take the field is to be made on Saturday. Fourie du Preez replaces Januarie at halfback, rounding out the only other change to the back line.

The remaining three changes are in the forwards. Albert van den Bergh replaces Rossouw, and flanker Solly Tyibilika and No 8 Jacques Cronje come into the loose forward mix. I think that this team is missing the outstanding play of Burger in the loose. The loss of Burger has had a massive impact on the team and its competitiveness, especially at the breakdown. This was an area that the Africans were shown to be way behind Australia, largely by the efforts of Smith. With McCaw to play this weekend, it looks like they will be in the firing line again.

Apparently Os du Randt has been unable to train with the team this week ahead of the match, although he is still named in the starting side. They will need him at his sausage guzzling best this weekend as he is their main man on the mission to restrain the rampant (and formerly bearded) Carl Hayman (such a shame it went too). The forward exchange could be more interesting than it was last week, especially with a wet track predicted.

Meanwhile Graham Henry is doing his level best to make a game of it this weekend, talking up the Africans. Make no mistake, I think it is unlikely that they will play that badly again, however the possibility that they might win is pretty remote. With wet weather predicted I think that will help the Africans and level the game up a bit as it will take the back line advantage away from the All Blacks. For Henry's comments, click here.

Elsewhere it seems that Brumbie and former Wallaby prop Bill Young may have to hang up his boots, permanently. The retirement has come after three (yep, not enough to get a second opinion, Bill needed a third and you can't blame him for being cautious with this kind of injury) opinions on the extent of the injury and the prognosis if he continues playing. Given the symptoms of pain and numbness in his arm, it seems his injury will rule Young out of a return to the pack for the Wallabies should their scrummaging woes continue. If indeed he is not going to play again, that is a shame as he was a formidable scrumager in his day, and it is a loss to Australian and World rugby if he is not able to remain in the game, at least for the Brumbies. For more on Young's retirement, click here.

Can't wait for the game this weekend, shame it is still so far away really...

Henry Rings in the Changes - 8 Changes to Victorious All Black Team

The All Black selectors continued with their rotation policy in anouncing the team changes today. One of the most interesting changes is the selection of Reuben Thorne at number 6 in place of Jerry Collins. This is the first time we have seen Thorne in the ABs for some time, and he will certainly get a lot of attention at the weekend. The former "Mr Invisible" will be scrutinised by fans and detractors alike. This is a big call and represents a return from the wilderness for Thorne.

The other changes to the forward pack are sound, Anton Oliver in for Keven Mealamu, Nima Tealata in for Tony Woodcock, and no surprise that Ali Williams is selected in place of the Mullet Man, Jason Eaton. These are all sound changes, and appear to be part of the rotation policy to generate exepreinced players for the 2007 World Cup. After the last outing against New Zealand it is no surprise to see Williams back in the All Black forward pack.

Both wingers have been replaced from the All Black side that beat the Wallabies, with Scott Hamilton and Doug Howlett coming in to take over from Rico Gear and Joe Rokocoko. In addition Sam Tuitupou comes into the side in place of Aaron Mauger at second five eights. Piri Weepu takes over from Byron Kelleher for the match also. I'd suggest that all of these changes are sound and make sense given the overall goal of having interchangeable players to cover injury and to bring some younger talent through.

However, there must be some doubt about blooding new talent as a lot of the players being selected have been selected for All Black sides in the past. For instance Reuben Thorne is hardly new blood by any stretch of the imagination, nor is Anton Oliver. The likes of Sam Tuitupou need some time to come back in from the cold having not been playing at international level for some time. Playing Tialata makes sense and is clear evidence of following the policy that will hopefully for kiwi fans yield the result needed next year. The changes and the policy make sense, and it would not appear to weaken the team ahead of the clash with Africa this weekend in Wellington. For more on the team and the anouncements, click here.

Jake White contionues to sturggle, recalling Butch James to the touring party to inject some physicality to the Springbok backline, and apparently some of his characteristically high and illegal shots. It will be interesting to see how he goes at the weekend. What is also interesting is the reference from the coaching staff to discouraging Dan Carter and Mauger (now not playing so we can assume Tuitupou) not wanting to run for fear of "coming close to a decapatation due to a swinging arm". Hmmm, perhaps these Africans haven't learned that boasting of dirty play beforehand doesn't seem to win matches? Reminiscent of the talk about Smith's dreadlocks last week. Click here for that article.

The inclusion of Butch seems unlikely to pay off for a team that has just been knocked by a massive loss. What is interesting in that article is the defence of the tactics White followed last game, and perhaps if they get those right the game could be much closer. Nevertheless this is the hope of South Africa, read here for more on the suggested strategy anounced by coaching staff. White has apparently done some soul searching, however it seems some of his younger players are going to feel the pinch, this doesn't bode well for the future of the game in the Republic. Click here for more on that story.

Finally a good piece of analysis has come out of the Aussie media. Spiro Zavos askes how good the Wallabies were against the Africans. Let's face it, the Africans weren't even playing the same game as the Wallabies that night and they were made to look good. While the Springboks might improve for this weekend's clash, the thrashing dished by the Wallabies doesn't mean that all of the weaknesses exposed by the All Blacks in the first Tri-Nations clash have suddenly been fixed. The main weakness is still the scrum which continued to be put under pressure, however the same pack has proved that they are devastating in utilising the rolling maul from the lineout and general play. If I was in charge of the Wallabies, the rolling maul would feature in play much more often as the All Blacks in particular seem unable to combat it. I expect to see it feature in the next clash at Suncorp. Not pretty, but it wins games. Click here for Spiro's article which also talks about some of the refereeing decisions in detail.

It would be a brave, and foolish person that would put any money on the Africans winning this weekend.

Predictable Reaction to the Drubbing

You heard it here first folks, the most predictable response from South African rugby to the massive loss has begun with calls for the sacking of the coach. Jake White's posturing before the Tri-Nations over reputed lucrative offers to coach northern hemisphere teams may come back to haunt him. I hope he had a good manager who secured a lengthy time frame for him to consider any offer as I'd say White's present position is about as secure as Paris Hilton's viceo antics. For more on that, well the rugby anyway, click here. Former players have even joined the calls for the coaches head, again predictably as they even used to do so in my day.

To continue the predictable reaction to the thrashing dished out by the Wallabies, Jake White also took the oppotunity to blame the referee for his side offering up 49 unanswered points to the Wallabies. He even had the captain Smit chip in as well. While Honiss might not be an expert in front row play, surely exhibited in the suspect call he made in penalising the Springboks for collapsing the scrum when they had driven the Aussies back about 10 metres and had them on the run, his performance was nowhere near as bad as the South African team who were comprehensively outplayed in all facets of the game. For an entertaining collection of responses from the media, click here. Victor Matfield can have no complaint over his yellow card, that is one thing for sure.

Finally, the predictable response from New Zealand's coaching staff came out today. To be fair there isn't much else to say other than surely the Springboks can't be that bad twice in a row. The Africans were once a mighty force on the international rugby stage. At the weekend they were made to look like a second rate rugby nation, definitely not worthy of having a pool at the Rubgy World Cup dedicated to them. For comments from Henry on the Africans, click here. It is unlikely that they can be this bad again this weekend against the All Blacks who will have to, again predictably, assure the nation that they are not complacent about the match and endure the usual cries of "beware the wounded bok". Better break out the boerwurst for the boys I think, that might get them cracking, although given that they all looked beefy enough and far too fat, that idea might need to be considered a bit further. Click here for more on the likely build up comments from the All Black camp.

Objectively you would have to give the All Blacks convincing favourite tags to take the match in Wellington this weekend. Natuarlly they will be wary of the performance by the Australians at Suncorp Stadium which is fast becoming a graveyard for visiting teams, and it will be difficult for the players and coaching staff not to have in the back of their minds the game next weekend. That must wait, and doubtless Graham Henry and his men will be prepared to reap the whirlwind of a rampant and confident Australian team. Until then I shall keep an eye out for items of interest in the build up to the match this weekend, check back for more as the week passes.

Wallabies Bounce Back, No Spring in These Boks!

Well, after all the posturing during the week, the emperor has been revealed to have no clothes. 49-0 the final score, after the Wallabies rushed out to a 30-0 lead at half time. The biggest winning margin ever against South Africa for the Wallabies, and the first time ever the Wallabies have held the Springboks scoreless.

The game was a totally one sided affair, and not the greatest example of international rugby that could have been served up. To give credit, the Wallabies took on the Springboks and beat them fair and square, as well as everywhere on the field. Wallaby fans would have been pleased with the outing, but may have some nagging doubts in the back of their minds.

The South Africans were terrible. With all the talk about the scrum during the week we could have expected to have seen more. With 15 to go in the first half the Australian scrum started to gain parity, and even work over the much more beefy South African opposition. Could it be that Os du Randt has had his day? Has the time come for the once mighty Ox to be put out to pasture for the last time? They looked fat and tired half way through the first half, having failed to dominate at scrum time. The slide continued with the South African front conceding many penalties in the second half, turning scrum time into a joke.

Perhaps worst of all was that the traditional hard as nails attitude of South African teams was missing from this performance. They were never in the game, and seemed bereft of ideas to challenge the Australians in any facet of the game, never really threatening to score. There was no continuity of possession, the side making mistakes that any coach of a high school first fifteen side would rightly not expect to see from his players. Knock on after knock on after offside play ruined any chance the team had to build any promising attacking moves.

This South African side looked like it had not been coached at all. Jake White can probably hear the sharpening of knives right now. We can expect the South African Rugby machine to react in the usual manner to the worst performance against Australia ever by getting the knives out for the coach firstly, and then secondly the players (probably the new players, dashing any chance of developing them for the World Cup next year). Back to the drawing board, and only a week to prepare for an All Black team that comfortably disposed of the Wallabies last week. Not the best position to be in.

Conversely the Wallabies can take the win and there were a few good points for that came out of it. The scrum weathered the assault the South Africans promised to make, however it never really looked like they delivered on their promises. In any event though, the new front row held and delivered a few blows of their own which will bolster their spirit after being knocked by the All Blacks formidable power.

Mat Giteau played well, bagging two tries and Larkham again displayed his considerable skills directing play and even bagging a drop goal early on to open the Wallaby account. Smith was as ever present as always and displayed his skills that have made him the number one contender against Ritchie McCaw as the best flanker in the game. He combined well with Scott Fava and the team will be stronger for having locked on to a good combination. They played so well that the commentators were confined to criticizing Fava for his ridiculous mutton chops, and had nothing else to comment on!

Overall while the Wallabies can take the win and the bonus point, there is not much more they can take from this game. They weren’t tested by a Springbok team that could be one of the worst in history. This was a record loss for South Africa and the Wallabies would do well to consider that the All Blacks had their measure comfortably last week. They will be hoping to see the South Africans rise to meet the traditional foe next week and leave the All Blacks bruised, if not beaten, for the Brisbane Bledisloe cup match in two weeks time. All things being equal however, the All Blacks should comfortably dispose of the South Africans having beaten the Wallabies with a performance that they can clearly improve on the more the All Blacks play together, and the combinations can settle.

Clash of the Also Rans?

Half an hour to kick off and I can't wait! All the hype and build up for this game will finally be over and we will be into the real thing. Fantastic, this extended Tri-Nations competition is shaping up to be a cracker, at least for second and third in any event. Or so All Black fans would have us believe.

This weeks game between the massive South African forward pack, and the inexperienced Wallabies (in the front row only, they surely have one of the classiest back lines in the game) is a difficult game to call, because assessing the relative strength of each side is difficult after what has transpired thus far this season. The build up for the Africans has not been good, beating Scotland (who hasn't?), and then suffering the humiliation of going down at home to France.

The Wallabies on the other hand have won at home against a relatively inexperienced England side (twice) and seen off a plucky Ireland team that tested the All Blacks. The captain of the losing Irish side declaring, in code, that the Aussies were a tougher team to play than the All Blacks. Undoubtedly this provided good motivation for the ensuing twenty point defeat suffered by the Wallabies in Chirstchurch last week. It could be that the Handbag Haka promotions in Australia also provoked the All Blacks into a stronger performance than any of the others they have put together so far this season. Most likely the strength of that performance can be put down to the selectors finally showing their starting 15, with one or two obvious exceptions such as the magnificent mullet man, Jason Eaton.

Twenty minutes and counting to kick off. I will be recording the game to ensure that any hair pulling (as reported during the week, no place for that in today's game to be sure) and any other action can be reviewed by me after the match. Be sure to check the blog for my thoughts on the game, followed by any additional links of interest that I find perusing material on the net. Bring it on!

Clash at Suncorp Stadium

The buildup to the game this weekend has focussed on the relatvie strength of the forward packs for each side. While the South Africans certainly have the edge, they normally do have a forward pack that is considerably heavier than the opposition. However, they still regularly lose. The question is, can the Aussies get enough ball to let their classy backline shine? The answer will decide the fate of the game.

However, the comments in the lead up to the game have been amusing. Jeremey Paul has waded in in this article by suggesting that the forward pack has more talent than any other while he had been playing. Say what? No Owen Finnegan or any of the other world beaters they produced even rate? I think that is going a bit far mate. However, at least he goes on to say that it is good for the youngsters to get knocked around a bit before the World Cup. He's right, and if you are a fan of rotating selection policies you have to agree. However, the problem is it may not help them that much for the match this weekend. The South Africans must be salivating at the prospect of buckling the Aussie front row.

However, their last outing against France must call into question some of the posturing of the Africans this week. They got creamed by the French in their last outing up front, and that team was no great shakes in the forward department. The Aussie front row is new, and inexperienced, however they will have played these bokes in Super 14 so it will be interesting to see how that goes. Scrum would have to go in the favour of the Africans after the performance last week, and the troubles of last year. The effect of this in the game will unfold on Saturday night, however it is a good attacking platform to have. Click here to read the Aussie take on the matter.

The lineout should be fairly even with Mattfield up against Nathan Sharpe and Daniel Vickerman. The Aussies have also changed the loose forward trio bringing in Fava and switching Smith to play the whole game at nmber 7. You'd have to wonder why that has taken so long. Smith is world class and can hold his own in any game. Seems that there is plenty of reason for him to play well if this article is correct. Perhaps he wont have to worry about holding his own, the Africans might do that for him. At least his hair anyway. It's often the retaliation that is seen by the officials so he may not be well advised to react to it if it does happen. His comments here.

Somewhat unsurprisingly the Aussies are predicting that it will come down to the quality of the respective back lines, and I would have to agree - barring a complete collapse of forward resistance. For a good summary from the Rugby Heaven crew, click here. The inexperienced South African winger will be tried on by Tuqiri, click here for that article.

The Australians have the edge in the backline, and I think their class will shine out, and win the day. However, I have no great confidence in that and would not put any money on this match. Also Aussie have not lost to Africa at Suncorp since the 70's, and it is hard to see that record falling this weekend. Enjoy the game, and remeber, keep thos ecomments coming!

Final Post for 2006

Sorry everyone, I ran out of steam with this blog mid-way through the season, as did the Auckland Blues. However, just like the Blues I will be back next year to give it another shot, and this time expect to go the distance, as I am sure every Blues fan hopes that they will. We'll see, and you can look back here then to see comment and debate on the performance of the various teams.

Congratulations to the Crusaders who win again making them the most successful franchise by far since professional rugby was introduced and the competition started under the former name of Super 12. We'll see next year how well they will go. At the moment the main question is how many of the All Blacks, Wallabies, and Springboks will be playing the Super 14 competition next year. There is a lot of talk that the public wont be watching if the stars aren't playing. For my money, a competition without the stars will be well worth a look as we will get to see stars of the future and gague the strength of teams in the coming years, and of course the depth of rugby in the respective countries. Bring it on, but for now I will make do with the Tri-Nationans competition.

Full credit to the All Blacks for notching up their first win of the season against a strong Australian team. Many were expecting the Aussies to truly be put to the sword by the World Cup 2007 Favourites, however my reading of the game was that but for the weakness at scrum time, the Australians were very competitive. They plan to remedy the weakness with the introduction of Rodzilla into the frame against the Springboks this weekend. We shall see what difference a few extra kilos makes.

Fans of the All Balcks might have overlooked the fact that they were running scared at lineout time, and that Dan Carter and the back three had clearly been told not to kick for touch. A sure sign of weakness, and this has plagued the All Blacks for the past few years since the total meltdown at the last world cup in the lineout department. In addition, the All Balcks seem to score only from turnover ball and opposition mistakes. Building pressure, working back line moves, and even occaisionally a good forward drive off a dominant scrum does not seem to be part of the repetoire, or at least not often enough for my liking. Far too much pick and go, one out running from the base of the ruck to the many waiting Aussie tacklers. Make no mistake, any win will be taken, and the All Balcks did play well. The encouraging thing is that there is room to improve, and it appears that the coach has a plan on how to improve the team in the lead up to the World Cup. All must be directed toward winning that competition.

So, check back here from time to time. I will be making a concerted effort to report on the trinations matches that I see and provide some comment on how the match went, areas to improve on, and possible developments for the World Cup next season. Be posting again soon, and until then, enjoy the rugby...nothing better than international test matches to keep you going.