All Blacks Predicted to Wipe the Veld With the Springboks

First up, the results of the poll are in. Readers voted 75% in favour of the NZRFU being able to determine the fate of the All Blacks, with 25% seeing things News Limited's way. An expected result, however the latest news is that there is to be a meeting between the two parties, and no one expects things not to be resolved. Cash is king, and both parties want as much as they can get. They'll work it out, the details of course will provide much comment on this site!

It seems that no one is willing to back the Springboks tonight. Unlike last week Ben Kimber and Greg Gowden both predicted that the 'New Zealand D team' would run away with this one by at least 10 points. The New Zealand media have written off the Boks, and it seems that the African media have joined in as well. Coach White has said that his team have run out of gas. If that is true, then they are in real trouble, having to front the Wallabies next week.

The All Blacks are as usual trying to create something to play for during this teast. In particular Jerry Collins has tried to build up the Springboks, and the challenge, by referring to the '96 All Black team that completed a series win in the Republic for the first and only time ever by a New Zealand time. They want to do it again. It will be good if they can, but not quite a full tour of the republic, and it possibly wont count for that reason in terms of this statistic. It would count as a clean sweep however.

Add to this mix the heady optimism (you call it that if you are a kiwi, you call it arrogance if you are an Aussie or an African) in the land of long white cloud and you've got a dangerous combination. RWC 2007 beckons, and all commentators in New Zealand are starting to crow, beat their chests, and search the world for a team to challenge the mighty All Blacks. This is a very dangerous combination. A combination that has come back to hurt the All Blacks in years gone by.

Allow me to suggest two teams that can challenge the All Blacks, France and the Wallabies. France dispatched the South Africans with ease in the lead up to the Tri-Nations this year. France is New Zealand's bogey team - remember 1999 anyone? They are a bit of an unknown, the All Blacks having caused the worst capitulation by a front ever the last time they played France, so the improvement in the side since then is hard to gague. All I am suggesting is that they could do it to us again, and I bet there are many New Zealanders out there who fear that!

The Wallabies are always tough and despite the victories by the All Blacks in all three games this year, the Wallabies are a team that peak at the right time, and have proved troublesome for the All Blacks at quarter final time before. Ominously they seemed to improve as the competition went on, and with further improvement on the end of year tour, it is likely they will again be a force at the World Cup. I'm not saying that these teams will beat the All Blacks in 2007 RWC, but it aint over until the fat lady sings as both of these teams could be the goods next year and have the stuff to do it. Confidence is the enemy of the All Blacks as it tends to turn so easily into overconfidence for this team. This is when the All Blacks are weakest.

So, does this bode well for the Springboks tonight? Probably not. But it wouldn't surprise me if an 'upset' did take place at 'Rustenburg' tonight (if the All Blacks manage to find the ground). I'll be taking in the game at the local watering hole tonight, and am looking forward to it. The African team is a new combination, as are the All Blacks, particularly in the back three. It could be that overconfidence and the unfamiliarity between some of the players might weaken the All Blacks just enough for the upset of upsets, but it is unlikely. Bring it on, and let's hope that we get to see a test match worth watching for the quality of rugby, rather than cheap shots and foul play. There is no place for that in today's game...