Super 14

2008-08-28T21:38:00.002+10:00

How about the Tri-Nations tournament this year? Is it not the best in...well almost forever. If not the best, the certainly the closest. A hotly fougth contest that will come down to the wire between the All Blacks and the Wallabies in Brisbane on 13 September. It is going to be fantastic. All those Wallabies fans out there will be watching to see if their team can pull off a two win tour of the Republic - an historic event to be sure. The suspension of Elsom will have riled many, and may yet be overturned. However, it is sure to have caused disruption in the preparation for this weekend's mighty clash against a Bok side that will be more desperate than the South Africans have been in generations to come away with a win...but if they weren't desperate before now, what does it take with this team? Being held to nil for the first time on home soil by a mediocre All Blacks performance should have given them cause to rally, but it didn't and they were well beaten by Aussie. The only question is, do they have anything left in them to pull out this weekend? Time will tell...

2008-01-05T10:06:00.000+10:00

Hey Fellow Super 14 Fanatics, the 2008 season is not far off, and is starting to make the sports news coverage. As is typically the case, there is a paucity of pre-season information about the teams, changes that have been made, and even coverage of the pre-season games that give a poor indication of the form we can expect from teams during the coming season!

There is a significant level of interest in this season's competition however, due in part to the departure of Robbie Deans for the fair shores of the Lucky Country at the end of this seasons Super 14 to coach the Wallabies. One last swan song at the helm of the Crusaders awaits NZ's most unlucky coach in recent memory. Who'd have thought that the All Blacks would retain a losing coach after the worst World Cup performance ever? The question that remains to be answered, and only time will tell, is whether or not the decision shows some maturity on the behalf of NZ Rugby, or if it is self interest at the highest levels of the NZRFU? As for Aussie, they fared no better and fell to an England team that played it tight and hard. South Africa, champions and deservedly so for no other reason than they played to their strengths, did not falter, and followed a game plan. A well deserved win for the Southern Hemisphere, but hopefully the South has been disabused of the arrogance that continually leads to supposed 'upset' victories when the teams actually play a full strength norther hemisphere side.

In any event, this blog is back underway. Posts are likely to be weekly until competition time when they will revert to daily or every two days during the season. Also I have found several newish sites that may be of interest to readers that feature some of the action from rugby around the world. I'll be adding those links in the near future. I'll also set up a poll where readers can choose the team they think will take out the competition this season. If you ask me, the Crusaders will win, but hey, let's see if some of those Blues fans come back to this site again! Keep those comments coming.

2007-04-06T21:37:00.000+10:00

Blues Continue Winning Streak

The Blues game tonight was a hard fought contest and the Cheetahs certainly turned up to play at Eden Park tonight. There were some huge hits, and some of the Blues looked a bit worse for wear by the end of the game, this torrid encounter coming hard on the heels of a very physical clash with the Chiefs last week. Daniel Braid in particular needed some running repairs to his rearranged face. There will be some stitches required there methinks.

However, the Blues will be pleased to have won the game 26-8. Of concern for the Blues will be the way that their forward pack was unable to combat the lineout drive of the tourists, and was unable to get any momentum of their own against a pack that included a few heavy weights. Nucifora will no doubt be working on that during the coming week in preparation for the game against the Sharks next week who will definitely exploit this weakness with their considerable forward pack of test veterans.

On the postive side the Blues backline really fired and delivered a length of the field try that will certainly make the highlight reels for this season. It was chamagne rugby, superbly opportunism and some great skills to make a wonderful try that no team in the competition would have been able to defend against. Fantastic stuff for you Blues fans out there, this team is a virtual certainty for the top 4 if they can win any of their remaining four games. About time this team turned around.

Smoking Joe made a return to the field after sustaining an injury following the controversial reconditioning program that the All Blacks have been on fro the first half of the season. He looked short of a game, but to be fair the game had lost a lot of structure by the time he took the field and nothing could really be said about his game at this stage. Hopefully he will be back to his very best. It is all onwards and upwards for the Blues who face the Sharks at Albany and then must be due for their tour of Australia and the Republic. What a way to finish!

2007-03-15T20:57:00.000+10:00

Break Over

Hi all, sorry for the infrequent postings of late, aside from being depressed about my complete inability to correctly tip any of the games this year (yes, my girlfriend is beating me again this year) I have also been moving and having to wait while interent is set up at my new place and so on.

The good news is that I have foxtel and am loving it. Watching all the games live is the best thing ever, and having such a massive screen to watch them on fantastic. I am well set up and watched 6 hours of rugby straight last weekend, and felt fortunate to have recorded it all so I could watch it all again after the live stuff stopped. Technology is a wonderful thing...

This weekend should be a more settled round I feel. The Chiefs are an enigma. Most punters have tipped them this weekend at home, however they will be a difficult team all season this year. The Tahs may be due for a win, but here in Sydney it is all doom and gloom as the punters write off not only the Tahs, but also any chance the Wallabies may have to securing the World Cup later on this year.

The Blues have been going well, however they only lead the table because they have played one extra game over the sharks. Both these teams should win this week to add to their impressive starts to the season. Mark my words, the Africans will be back come world cup time and the impressive display the sharks put on last week against young pretenders (or old hands looking at the front row at least) the Cheetahs. That was a strong performance by the African tight five that rolled out for the Sharks.

Before I go I must make mention of the strong performance put in by Doug Howlett last week who copped a low blow from the opposing fullback in the game against the Lions, and that was followed up by what could have been an attempted head butt from the same player, and then a punch from the African half back. Normally wingers will throw the handbags, and then that's it. However Douggie went hard and knocked the stuffing out of the opposing fullback with some very strong and superbly timed tackles that really left him rattled. Great to see some hard play coming back into the game. All we need now are for some of the bigger men to start doing it and we'll have some games on our hands!

Good luck to you all for this round.

2007-02-18T08:59:00.000+10:00

Upsets Continue in Round Three

Stormers Get First Win Against Lowly Chiefs

The Stormers handed the Chiefs their third loss from as many games, defeating one of the most dissapointing franchises from New Zealand this season 21-16 at Newland Stadium early saturday morning Australian time. I'm hoping that this is the last time this season that there wont be a game on to watch on Friday evening, nice organisational skills SANZAR. Get your act together. Aside from that, not much to say about this game except that the Stormers and the Chiefs are now tied at the bottom of the table on 5 points. It will be a long season for fans of either side from here on in.

Western Force Surprise Hometown Faithful

The Bulls surrendered their growing legend of toughness at home to newcomers, the Western Force this weekend, going down 30-27 in what was one of the more thrilling games this weekend. Cameron Shepperd was to the fore in his sides win against the predictions of most punters, and certainly the bookies. He scored 2 tries and kicked 6 goals for a massive point scoring haul to take his side home. Always nice to see a fat man score a try, and in this case we saw prop Gareth Hardy score the winning try for his side - especially sweet. The Force seem as if they may be...well a force to be reckoned with this season.

Hurricanes Pip The Blues

In Wellington the Canes managed to make Tana Umagas 300th first class game a fond memory for him downing the Blues by one point 23-22 in a see sawing match that the Blues will be kicking themselves for losing. They ought to have taken this match, but failed to show the necessary discipline and toughness in adverse circumstances and this cost them the game. Having won by one point the previous week, there is a certain sense of poetic justice about this result, incuding the fact that the Blues will at least walk away with a bonus point, and possibly can get into a good frame of mind to take on the resurgent Reds at home this coming weekend.

Ausse Derby Falls Flat

The much hyped Reds Brumbies match failed to deliver any attractive rugby as a hard fought, and very lucky 6-3 victory was attained by the Brumbies over a poorly judged match. Eddie Jones has been described as being OUTRAGED over the referee's calls during the game, especially those against the dominant scrum...I'd have to agree with him. There are too many backs outthere refereeing scrums about which they clearly know nothing and it is ruining the one aspect of the game that still sets Union apart from the other codes. The scrum is key, and we want to see a decent competition up front and well matched sides use their beef. This was a scrappy and intense game, but again this is one that wont make the highlights dvd for this season. Unfortunately Jones' contribution to free speech in Australia is likely to land him in hot water and incur a fine. This only adds to the Reds predicament after centre Johanssen was cited for a high tackle.

CheeTAHS To Good For Woeful WarraTAHS

The battle of the Tahs has been fought this year, and the Aussie side have slumped to their second loss for the season, the homeside Cheetahs continuing on their impressive run since entering Super 14 last season. They won in Kimberley 30-26 over a Warratahs side that included the underperforming multimillion million dollar man Lote Tuqiri who was shown a thing or two about commitment and performance by the rising star Kurtley Beale who scored brilliant solo try in his first Super 14 start. We will be seeing much more of Beale, and may even see more of him come world cup time...The Warratahs will look forward to the bye and to having some home games in the coming weeks after this tour.

Crusaders lose to Lions

The biggest upset of the round must be the Crusaders loss to the woeful Lions in the republic in a poor game that was decided 9-3 in faovur of the home side. This was a tryless encounter, as the Crusaders continue to feel the effects of the loss of their All Blacks for the first half of this season. On the road in the republic this side have been knocked over in other boilovers, but this was a particularly poor game by their standards and it can be put down to the second string side having to play in World Cup year. Not much to take out of this one except the fact that the Crusaders may not be worthy of backing this season, and of course they do get a bonus point in this one which may help at the end of the season.

Sharks Beat Highlanders

This was probably the easiest to predict of all games this round. The Sharks did manage to play to the script and took out the game thanks to Montgomerey who scored all 23 of the Sharks points against the 16 mustered by the Highlanders. This kept the Sharks unbeaten record intact and provided good competition points for this side who are now at the top of the table, 3 points clear of the Force, Blues, Cheetahs, Brumbies and Hurricanes all tied for second place on 9 points.

And that is it for round 3. Plenty of tight games, but only a couple produced any actual excitement. Bring on Round 4 (the first of the rounds with byes for some of the sides).

2007-02-10T18:26:00.000+10:00

Crusaders Back to Their Winning Ways

The Crusaders returned to form tonight in front of the hometown faithful, triumphing over the Reds by 33-22. The Crusaders snagged a bonus point which may serve them well in the weeks to come. One always had the impression that the Crusaders were unlucky against the Blues, having had the game presented to them on a platter by an at times wayward Blues gameplan that has become a hallmark of that team in recent years...However, this victory may see a return to winning form for the Crusaders, and certainly this team will count these 5 competition points without their All Blacks as especially sweet.

The Reds did push hard, but few would have backed them to take out the Crusaders at home. It was close until near the end, with the Crusaders holding only a two point margin with little time to go. A final try added the difference and pushed out the victory to a more respectable margin than it might otherwise have been. More importantly the Reds have been denied a bonus point in the course of this loss, losing by more than 7 and failing to score 4 tries. Schifkofske kept them in the game with his boot, however kicking is not normally enough to beat the Crusaders at home....

Let the games go on!

2007-02-10T15:21:00.000+10:00

Round Two Surprises

Hurricanes Back on Track by Beating Wayward Chiefs

In the first game of the round the Chiefs seem to be back to their most woeful worst. They bumbled at least 3 first half tries and handed a barely deserved victory 32-39 to the Hurricanes, who also looked unimpressive. In the words of the straight shooting Umaga, they were very lucky to win. Tito, former winner of the ugliest man in Super 12, snatched victory for the canes in the dying stages of the match leaving the Chiefs 0 from 2 at home...not a good start to the season and it seems the cellar dweller ways of the Chiefs may have returned. It could be a long season for them.

Force Notch up First Win Against Stormers

The much favourited Stormers failed to get any traction in this game, even with the aid of their formerly great number 7 Schalk Burger. They were pitiful in this game, and they will fail to attract much of a home crowd if they keep playing like this. They too appear to be destined to dwell in the lower stages of the competition. The Force on the other hand did manage to get a good win under their belts after the disappointing display against the Highlanders at home last week. 22-3 was the margin and very few would have picked that the Force would blos the Stormers off their own ground.

Warratahs Outclassed by Sharks

Despite a wealth of possession the Warraths confirmed for all to see why they have never managed to take out the title. Missed tackles, bumbled passes, and an inability to win a game that was there for the taking, this loss 22-9 will be considered a warning sign by the fans of this side. Class players simply failed to live up to their reputation and the home side ground out a win predicted by the bookies, but in the press the Tahs were considered a good bet. Not so it would seem. Poor penalty kicking did not see the Tahs put pressure on the home side, missing four of seven shots at goal. The Sharks on the other hand managed to get their kicks at goal and grind out a win in a scrappy affair from which no plays are likely to make the highlights reel from this season.

Plenty of good games to come this round, the main event being the Crusaders against the Reds from Christchurch. Also, the Blues shape up against the Brumbies and with Stirling Mortlock out for the game, the Blues may be feeling that things are starting to go their way. Traditionally they haven't done well against this side, especially in Canberra, and this could be a cracking game. Enjoy, and check back here for more of the results.

2007-02-04T08:49:00.000+10:00

End of Round One Round Up

Brumbies Burst Chief's Bubble

The Brumbies have destroyed the air of confidence that had surrounded the Chief's build up this season by beating the Chiefs in front of their home crowd at Hamiton 15-21. The Chiefs did outscore the Brumbies 3 tries to 2, but discipline hurt the team and Huxley made sure that they paid for it on the scoreboard by making his shots at goal count and taking the game away.

Wallaby Mark Gerard limped from the field in the second half, and this sight would be causing a few concerns for Knuckles as injury further depeletes the ranks of an unimpressive Wallabies side. However, the World Cup is a long way off and so far there is no suggestion that the injury to Gerard is unlikely to heal as the season goes on.

Stirling Mortlock again had another cracker of a game, he is easily Australia's most potent attacking weapon on the paddock, and while he is in the Wallabies, that team always has a fighting chance. He showed his class with the opening try, and by half time the Brumbies had the buffer they needed to ride out the game. A well deserved win away from home, and the Brumbies will be feeling a lot more confident about their home game next week against a scratchy Blues side that failed to impress against the Crusaders.

Reds Destroy Hopes of Hurricanes

Last night the Reds destroyed any feeling of confidence that there may have been among any Hurricanes supporters. The Reds turned on an impressive display to down the 'canes in Brisbane 25-16. It was a sound display by one of the underperforming teams in the Super 14. Clearly Eddie Jones has made a significant impact on this side, and the nay sayers about his credentials will have to eat their words in Queensland. A win to kick off the season is just what they needed and their confidence will have shot up no end.

The Reds were particularly impressive up front, the pack picking and running all over the Hurricanes who suffered several key injuries in the loss that will hurt them for the rest of the season. In particular the canes lost two props, one for the season, and this lead to uncontested scrums - a devastating sign this early on in the season. This will further dent the ability of an understrength pack to combat the opposition. Wellington would do well to try and find some replacement props out there in the world or their season is pretty much over.

League recruits Berrick Barnes and Schifcofske acquitted themselves well in the first official turnout in regular season. This Reds outfit is stronger than in recent years, and they will need to be. Next week they are off to Christchurch to face the Crusaders at home, never an easy task. In addition, the Crusaders will be livid that they let the mediocre Blues win the opening game when it was there to be taken by them. Watch out for the backlash next week, but the class of the Reds may see them through still. Should be a good game.

Sharks Have Beef for Breakfast

The Natal Sharks took out the Blue Bulls this morning 17-3 at home. The bulls are a team that seem to stutter on the road, even within the Republic. Two tries to winger J P Pietersen got the homeside across the finish line. He scored one try in each half and these proved the difference between the two sides. Montogomerey also contributed by converting the tries to take the Sharks outside of the 7 pioint margin to deny the Bulls a bonus point from the encounter. No surprises in this game, an easy result to pick, and the bookies got this one right.

Cheetahs Weather the Storm, and Come Out on Top

Relatively new franchise, the Cheetahs continued on their winning way from last season against the Storm at home, 27-9. This was a great result for the team, many having picked the Stormers to start with a win in round one. However, the Cheetahs have learned from last year, and are playing well at the start of the competition, clearly appreciating how important it is to win the home games. Ahead only 5-0 at half time, the home side had been applying pressure to the Stormers all of the first half, and were denied tries several times by the TMO. Eventually the side cracked and the Cheetahs were able to score from all the pressure they had been putting on with Strauss exploiting a huge overlap to run in a good try right on half time.

The Stormers then took the lead with two penalty kicks being successfully landed by Naas Olivier. Ariel ping pong began and the Cheetahs retook the lead with two successful penalties to Bosman to take the lead again. 11-6. The Stormers narrowed the gap with a penalty kick of their own, 11-9. However, the Cheetahs took out the winning lead by a great try to springbok prop C J van der Linde to take the score to 16-9. The Cheetahs added two more penalty goals, and sealed the win with a good try to Kabamba Floors in the last moments of the game. A well deserved win.

Of note, Schalk Burger made his comeback in the Super 14 proper since his devastating neck injury last year. The Africans will be glad that he is back, he makes a huge difference to the forward pack, and their competitiveness at the break down. However, his yellow card for a late and dangerous tackle (most out of character) was deserved and he spent 10 minutes in the firts half cooling his jets. He'll want to work on that area of the game.

So, that's round one done and dusted. All I can say is that I am so glad that Rugby is back, and Super Rugby is proving to be quite interesting this year without the key All Black players being available for the New Zealand franchises. This is proving to be making a difference to the New Zealand sides, and it will be whomever can overcome this problem the best that will still be in it at the end of the season. The teams playing the New Zealand franchises early on will be thankful for the opportunity to rack up some early points.

2007-02-04T08:47:00.000+10:00

Round One 1/2 Way Stage Round Up

And we are off. Round one kicked off last night, and I was able to enjoy watching the game live on tv, although I had no commentary for the match, I enjoyed it immensely. This was mostly because I have been missing rugby, the off season is too long for fans, and not long enough for players! Maybe we just need a few more decent siozed competitions that can kick off at different times. In any event all of the specualtion and preseason hype is over, and the game have begun.

Blues Over Crusaders

The Blues took out their first at home game of the season in a scrappy display that wont give their fans that much confidence for the rest of the season. Of particular concern was the Blues scrum that was shunted off the ball several times by a no name pack of Crusader young pretenders. The game was won by Auckland out in the backs, and the 9 point gap ought to have been much greater. The final score was 34-25, however the Blues failed to snag a bonus point, the difference between the two sides being the kicking game of the Blues and their ability to slot the penalties. Perhaps crucially the Blues denied the Crusaders a bonus point that may be important in the latter stages of the season. Not much to take out of this game except that the Blues have a long way to go with an average forward pack. Troy Flavell also was sin binned in the final ten minutes for stomping, something that wont assist his journey back to the black jersey...shame really, apart from that he had a very strong game.

Force Fails in Firey Heat against Highlanders

In spite of making several expensive purchases over the off season, the Western Force failed to win at home against an understrength Highlanders side. The bookies got this one wrong, however it was very close, the Highlanders getting home by one point, 8-7. The Highlanders are without All Blacks Oliver and Hayman, were also without playmaker Nick Evans who has another injury...this seems to be something that is dogging his otherwise promising career. The underdogs ground out the win, and points from road trips must be cherished. Well done Highlanders, and the Force can at least take some heart from the bonus point they picked up, and the narrow margin of their defeat. Plenty of time yet for them to improve.

Waratahs Tame the Lions

The South African team known formerly as the Cats, may have changed their name to the Lions but are still failing to deliver the goods on field. Last night they went down to the Waratahs 25-16 at home in the republic. Lote Tuqiri was beaten for pace by a young winger to make a game of it in the second half, however the Tahs got home 3 tries to 1. No bonus point here for either side, and with the New Zealand franchises understrength for the first 7 rounds every point will count this year, more than others. Discipline cost the African side, a stupid spear tackle on Tuqiri resulted in a sin binning for centre Fourie and the Tahs took out the game during the 10 minute moment of numreical supremacy. The Tahs are looking to make the finals for the third straight year this season...

So, that's the round up so far. More rugby to come this weekend yet, thankfully. Somehow I feel compelled to break with tradition for this blog and remark upon the upset victory at Sydeny Cricket Ground last night where England finally managed to knock off the Australian cricket side after 9 straight losses to that side. A remarkable win, and this makes the next two games extremely important, with the likely outcome being New Zealand and England playing for the final berth in the showdown series with the home side. Good stuff, but not rugby so I wont go on about it any longer! Check back soon for more results as they come in.

2007-01-28T09:26:00.000+10:00

More Pre-Season Results

Reads Down Highlanders by 2 points, 17-15

On the Gold Coast the Highlanders suffered a defeat at the hands of the lowly Reds. The game was settled two tries a-piece, the difference being a penalty slotted by Clinton Schifkofske to get his side across the line. This will be a much needed shot in the arm for the Reds, maybe this year under Jones they will be able to fire and get some traction in the competition for the first time? I doubt it, however it would be good to see one of the traditionally strong Australian Rugby Union sides exert some influence in the game again.

Hurricanes and Brumbies all tied up, 28-28

Meanwhile in Canberra the Brumbies and the canes thrashed out 80 minutes of football only to be all tied up at the end of it. Each side crossed the line four times, an effort that the attacking coaches will be pleased with. Obviously there is some work for each team to do on defence. Too late now, it is kick off next week and one week cannot be the basis for turning everything around. Note that the Hurricanes were missing a lot of forwards that are part of the All Black RWC 2007 training squad.

Chiefs down the Blues, 24-21

In another shock for Blues fans, a fair chunk of the readership of this blog, they were downed by the traditionally lowly Chiefs (again, note that the Chiefs have now beaten the Blues 3 seasons in a row, although this pre-season clash does not really count, although it wont bode well for the rest of the season either) in Rotorua. The Chiefs scored the match winning try in the dying stages of injury time to take the game. This is shaping up to be a great contest during the regular season. Troy Flavell's return to the All Blacks for RWC 2006 will not be assisted by a mediocre performance by this franchise again this year.

Tahs beat the Crusaders, 17-12

The Tahs continued on their winning way, beating an understrength Crusaders side at Aussie Stadium. Being understrength is no excuse for the the Crusaders, the Warratahs were without sever key players. New boy Kurtley Beale gave away one try, but redeemed himself by setting up the final try to win the game for the Tahs. A strong showing from the young man already tipped to be a surprise inclusion in the Aussie RWC 2007 side. Of concern for the Crusaders was the 12-0 lead that they surrendered in losing the match. Normally stout defence is a hallmark of this side, and perhaps this year there might actually be a good game between the Crusaders and the Blues at Eden Park to kick off season 2007.

Force Thrash Samoa, 59-10

The Western Force continue to live up to the praise offered them by Robbie Deans. He said they could win the Super 14, and this thrashing of a not inconsiderable international side could be showing that he wasn't too far off with that praise. They seem to have coped well in the pre-season and it will be interesting to see how they go in their first real hit out of the season.

So, not long to go until kick off now. Check in to see how things are going via this blog, and remember that you can always leave comments about how you reckon your team will fare. Hopefully you have all taken a little time to join up with various tipping competition, be interesting to see how many of you really know your rugby!

2007-01-24T21:09:00.000+10:00

And I Thought The All Blacks Were Being Rested...

The Warratahs have anounced that Phil Waugh and Rocky Elsom will be rested for Thursday night's pre-season hit out agains the Crusaders in Sydney. It has been reported that the two Wallabies have been sidelined as part of a restricted training agreement with the Australian Coach, knuckles. Well, so much for New Zealand arrogance and devaluing the Super 14 competition...it looks like everyone is doing it. Some are just a little more cunning than the NZRFU (not a difficult task to be sure) and don't come out and anounce what they are doing.

Elsewhere, and contributing to the above debate, 3 All Blacks will be on display as the Hurricanes take on the Brumbies in Canberra. Conrad Smith, Tialata and Nonu will all be playing in the last hit out of the pre-season warm up games..so much for resting the entire squad. The Brumbies are fielding a few of their Wallabies to take on the Canes and it should be a good warm up game for the season.

In a move that will bring smiles to the faces of the ladies who like Super 14, Paul Tito is rumoured to be heading off shore for the remainder of his career. It si rumoured the big orange roughy will be heading to Wales where he will fit right in. He has had a great career, and has contributed much to New Zealand rugby, and Maori rugby in particular. All joking aside, good luck to the big man.

So, all in all the last of the pre-season games will provide us with something to begin to gague the season on. They are traditionally very poor indicators of a team's real standing. It will be all on in a couple of weeks, and hopefully you all have had a few good couple of days warming up with the jibes, insults, and rivalry that this game can bring out in the best of us. I can't wait for kick off, the first game between the Blues and the Crusaders should be a cracker sans All Blacks as it is...the Blues might just have a chance!

2007-01-23T18:55:00.000+10:00

A Few Changes for the Blog

I had some feedback from you all in the last couple of days and as you can see I have taken it on board and made a few changes to the blog. First up, there were some comments about the template that I was using, and suggestions that it wasn't that easy to read, so I changed that this evening. I hope that you all find this one a bit easier on the eye. It is a new year and everything, so why not ring in some changes I say. Thanks to all of you that took the time to give me the constructive criticism.

In addition, some of you had trouble locating the link to Virtual Super 14 mentioned in the last post I put on the blog. It should now be clearly visible over on the right hand side of this screen in the links list. However, if you still can't locate the link, simply click here.

With any luck the changes to the blog will make finding the links a bit easier, and you will see that I have reduced some of the clutter on the blog. This should make things a bit easier for reading as well. Now, remember you can leave comments about the rugby too, so don't hesitate! Not long until kick off now, and I will be increasing the posts as the season gets closer. Check back for more rugby updates soon!

2007-01-22T18:12:00.000+10:00

Virtual Super 14 Is Back

Yes folks, that great game for those fans of Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere the virtual competition based in New Zealand is now operating and you can join by clicking the link over to your right in the links column.

This is a great game, it keeps the interest level up and it also lets you track your performance week in and week out against your mates, and all of the other so called rugby experts in New Zealand for sure, and you can even find a lot of people overseas prefer to use this format for their virtual rugby experience.

Well worth it, and you can even come back to this blog and brag about how great your picks were for a given weekend! Enjoy.

2007-01-20T13:56:00.000+10:00

Chiefs Down Canes In Pre Season Clash

In their pre-season Super 14 match this week, the Hurricanes were defeated 17-33 by the Chiefs who have signalled that they may be looking to better the mid table form that they were able to produce last season. Neither side will be particularly impressed by the game, or read much into it. They both failed to get out of first gear on attack, in spite of the Chiefs knocking up 30 points, and the real difference between the two sides was the verocity of the Chiefs defence. The coach will be pleased with that effort, and the Canes will be happy that the new front row have stood up to the opening salvos of the season. Each side was clearly trying combinations, new tactics, and using the games well as testing options before putting together the final tactics for their first game of the season. Good stuff, not long to go now!

Robbie Deans has also dished out some praise for the new Western Force franchise, predicting that they could win the competition in this their second year. This praise came after the Crusaders came home late in the game to seal a win, 28-12 against the Force in Perth. By all reports Rugby League convert Ryan Cross went well in his first game in the new code, and even managed to score a well worked try changing the angle off a ball from Pelesasa. Keep your eyes on this guy, Rugby League converts seem to be the players that are keeping the code going in Australia.

The Crusaders were of course without 6 of their All Black players who are being rested in anticipation of the World Cup tournament later this year. The Force were also without captain Nathan Sharpe and Giteau, who are also being rested. Funny how there hasn't been any comment about that devaluing the competition, although it could be argured that they are only being rested for the pre-season. A lot of good that did for Latham. In any event, while the Force will go better in their second year, thanks in no small way to some great player acquisitions in the off season, it would be a brave person to suggest that they will win the competition. However, it is early days yet.

Elsewhere there is still much comment about the Wallaby pack. In essence, everyone recognises that at present they are very much below par. Michael Foley the assistant coach, has been talking about the heads of the forwards, and getting them into a place where they want to improve. Well, I would have thought that a backwards tour of the playing fields of Europe ought to have galvanised the tight five to assure a better performance in the coming games. However, has time run out? It would be a big ask to expect an improvement before RWC 2007...but they've improved before and are always a tough to beat side in World Cup games. Don't worry Wallabies fans, your team will be there come the finals.

David Nucifora's Blues triumphed over the Reds 38-9 in their pre-season clash at Whangarei in Northland, New Zealand. His team performed well, especially in the second half having on lead 10-6 at half time. He will be pleased by this win, however Reds coach Jones read nothing into his sides loss. Correctly he noted that at this point in the season you don't have to be ready to win a Super 14 game, and his team wasn't. But it isn't that far away and they will have to be ready to win, and win as many games as they can, down their starting fullback. The Reds have been inconsistant since the Super 14 started, their only consistant feature having been disappointing their fans by failing to deliver each season. Maybe Jones can turn things around.

Well folks, not long to go now. Kick off in just a few weeks time, and I can't wait. All of you that are looking to go the World Cup games later this year - I envy you! It will be a great tournament, and I would go if I could, but live on tv will have to do. Stay tuned for more coverage of the Super 14. Bring it on!

2007-01-15T17:44:00.000+10:00

It's All On!

Well, it is all on in Aussie Rugby Union at the moment. The current and former coaches of the Wallabies are at each other's throats over the injury sustained by Chris Latham in training for the Queensland Reds. It is alleged that he was meant to be part of a non-contact trainign squad of Wallabies earmarked for the next World Cup when he injured his knee to the extent that he is said to have undergone a knee reconstruction last weekend.

In my opinion this isn't that big of a loss. He plays well, but he is a player that runs hot and cold. Probably the worst damage his injury will cause is further disharmony among the Wallabies World Cup Squad already reeling from a woeful Northern Hemisphere end of year tour, revelations that Lote Tuqiri wasn't fit enough to train with the squad and was sent packing, and the further talk of defection to the NRL which Lote tells everyone is his first and only love. Not the best preparation.

Across the ditch all has gone silent. Aside from the occaisional quip at the arrogance of New Zealand devaluing the Super 14 by withholding players, there isn't much news at all. With any luck this means that the All Blacks are getting through getting the job done - at least this is what every New Zealand fan will be hoping right now. The lads will be into their training phase now and the New Zealand public will be expecting them to be bigger, stronger, and faster half way through the Super 14. It remains to be seen if this will be delivered or not - there are a lot of sceptics out there who suggest that the All Blacks have peaked already and we will once again be seeing them fall at the last hurdle. This view is most commonly heard in New Zealand - outside of that green everyone else is supremely confident that the All Blacks will triumph...

I myself am looking forward to kick off at the beginning of February. While I did have rugby fatigue at the end of last season, right now I can't wait for it to come back. I love it, and thank goodness there isn't long to go now. Bring it on!

2007-01-07T13:24:00.000+10:00

2007 Calendar

Hi all, I'm back from a brief, but good, holiday in the land where Rugby rates as the number one sport for the country by a long shot. It was good to be back, and I noticed that there were several massive advertisements in Auckland that were already counting down the days, hours, mintues, and even seconds to the Rugby World Cup. Definitely New Zealand is full of Rugby mad people that think of nothing else, or so it would seem.

While I New Zealand I thought that I would gague the confidence of the nation after the northern hemisphere rout the national team had delivered last year, hard on the heels of the successful Tri-Nations campaign. I conducted a highly dubious and unscientific question and answer poll of taxi drivers, publicans, people on the street, all of whom were self prclaimed experts on the game.

It is fair to say that even for New Zealand, these wary souls did not display any form of confidence at all, and to suggest that the New Zealand fan is arrogant is a long way from the mark. Ask anyone, and the kiwis will be the first to say that they have seen this before from their national team, and they fell at the last hurdle. When asked to name where the danger lies, most will point to South Africa, France, and Australia in that order. There is no over confidence among the public, and they are all hoping this keeps the team down to earth, and aware of the fact that there are many sides out there with the class and skills to best them on the day of the quarter, semi, and final!

Before I close this post which really serves as notice to all the fans out there that I am back in business, I must give you all this link put together by our friends at Rugby Heaven. While not in the league of some of the more attractive looking calendars I have seen for the coming year, this certainly has most of the stuff that you would want to know on it. Click here to see the calendar. See you all again soon.

2006-12-26T05:56:00.000+10:00

Reflections

Don't worry readers, I wont be joining everyone else in writing a 2006 retrospective about the season just past. I think that there is more to be gained by looking forward at this point. Super 14 without the All Blacks, is about to start in a couple of months, for an extended season, bought forward due to the impending world cup tournament. I can't wait, I think it will be a very interesting competition this year, with loads of new talent on display, especially from the New Zealand sides.

This year, an understrength Crusaders side could struggle in the early rounds with none of their All Blacks available. Again I say that this is a good thing, and should even out the competition. It may be that by halfway their future has been decided, but if there is one thing that this franchise has shown, it is that they are competitive, even when they do not get the first choice for the players on the market. I mean look what they managed to do with the offcuts from the Blues!!!

Australia will continue to struggle, although they should be able to make some gains early on against the understrength sides if they can rise to the occaision. The biggest concern that Aussie has is not the Super 14, but preparing for the World Cup. In essence, they must hope that an entirely new front row emerges during the competition this season, or that they players they have persisted with come to form. Otherwise, they can kiss a fair chunk of their world cup campagin goodbye. They will always be a tough competitor at the cup, but it would be a real coup if they feature after the quarter finals.

Africa is a basket case. They have some great players, world beaters in some positions, but are lacking a certain sense of style when it comes to the Super 14. They again should be able to start the competition on very competitive terms and do well in the opening stanza. The second half may become tougher, however the away teams that are on tour in the first half of the competition and get some wins against understrength New Zealand sides could be there at the end this time. Hopefully they will take their opportunity and put a few points in the bank early on. It could make for an exciting finish, and the first African win in Super 14.

I do want to mention France. While they were humiliated in the first test against New Zealand, they did come back in the second. I think that come world cup time they will be strong contenders, they will push the New Zealand side, and anyone else, much more than they have shown so far. The All Blacks are capable of being beaten, we have seen this so many times in years gone by. One tour does not repair all of the problems that the team was having. The lineout could still turn ugly at a moments notice. The backline can be placed under pressure, and the concern with all props is that one season they are world beaters, the next just custard. It is a dangerous time for the All blacks when confidence is running high, and they will need to exercise caution, and keep their training up and minds focussed on the prize.

2006-12-16T20:07:00.000+10:00

Phil Waugh to Captain 2007 Warratahs Super 14 Side

The tahs today anounced that their captain for 2007 will be the redoubtable Phil Waugh playing at number 7. Apparently he is the recipient of a 'lucrative' contract that will see him remain in Australian Rugby through 2009. Not a bad days work for Phil and his manager, both of whom will no doubt laughing all the way to the bank with some decent up front money from the ARU now that they are free of having to pay the exorbitant price they forked out to Matt Rogers.

Waugh is talking down speculation that he may also be in pole position to captain the Wallabies at the world cup. Waugh pointed to at least two people that would be in front of him on the grid, Gregan the incumbent, and of course Mortlock who stood in for Gregan for a fair chunk of the most recent tour was also mentioned by Waugh. He has his feet on the ground, he is one of the better players in Australia, but how on earth he keeps getting past George Smith in terms of selection, I have no idea.

With Matt Rogers release from the shackles of riding the rimu for the Wallabies, questions are now being asked about what to do with the midfield...especially in so far as it concerns Giteau. With Rogers out of the picture, there are concerns about depth heading into the World Cup...good luck knuckles, you are going to need it mate. No one is doing you any favours.

Nor is John O'Neill, former rugby maestro, now critic of the game. Make no mistake, I take no issue with what he said, he is spot on in his assessment of Rugby in Australia. He says right now it is ranking fourth in the list of domestic football codes in Australia. He rightly says that number one spot is held by the AFL. They are the NFL of Australia and clearly come first consistently in terms of domestic popularity. Rugby League is next. The NRL is alive and well, consistently exciting week in and week out for the enitre competition. Soccer ranks next, basking in the afterglow of the socceroos success at the World Cup. Rugby ranks a distant 4th, and the Wallabies appear to be in for some tough times ahead, a bare trophy cabinet and some rebuilding to be done. The adversity might be just what they need to do well in 2007...

Once again the Christmas period means a paucity of rugby coverage in New Zealand. It all goes quiet now, right up until the kick off of super 14. There is almost an enforced radio silence over the build up, so it is difficult to get information about what the teams are doing and what is going. Fear not, the super sleuth is on the case and I will report whatever I find out in the mean time.

2006-12-15T18:01:00.000+10:00

Rogers Released, Tuqiri Targetted by Queensland

It's official, the long awaited, but never in doubt, anouncement came today that Matt Rogers will be release to play for the Gold Coast Titans in next year's National Rugby Leage competition. Citing personal reasons for the move, Rogers appears to be glad that all the fuss is over, and now he can simply get on with training back in his old game, with a new team. Goodbye and good luck Matt, no doubt we will be hearing more of you in the future, but not in the green and gold Wallaby jersey ever again. It is doubtful that Rogers would secure a place in the victorious Kangaroos national rugby league side, but you can't rule things like that out.

Today's main story was broken by Channel 9 news tonight, reporting that the Queensland Reds are having a crack at securing the services of Lote Tuqiri next season. If he heads back across the border he will of course be playing under his old Wallaby coach Eddie Jones of course. Apparently there is talk of Tuqiri being offered $1 million Austrailian dollars per season to remain in Rugby Union. That is some serious money, even by world standards and they seem to think that he is worth it. I tend to think that he may have been worth it, but I no longer think that he cuts the same dash that he used to, now he seems to easily tipped over into agressive unthinking play that earns him stints in the sin bin, and being told off by the Prime Minsiter of New Zealand (although I doubt that troubled him much - especially not when he gets paid a whole lot more than she does!).

The Wallaibes have anounced their training squad for the World Cup and there are a few players that have missed out. Among them is the luckless Scott Fava who tries hard, gets knocked into the middle of next year during the 7s tournament in Wellington last year, but continues to fail to crack it at the international level. Back to Perth and John Mitchell for you mate. Also missing out (of note) are Gene Fairbanks, Tai McIssac and Al Baxter. Knuckles was keen to point out that this is only a provisional squad, and that every player in Super 14 is in the frame. Knuckles, knuckles, knuckles...that is good talk my man, but if you can't name your squad for the World Cup now with any degree of certainty, I see troulbe coming down the line mate. Surely to goodness a little certainty wouldn't go astray right now. Sure, you might have to make one or two changes due to injury, but that should be about it. Watch out Wallabies fans, tough times are ahead...but there is one thing we know about Aussie sides, they always rally for the World Cup and put their best in everytime. This year will be no different, but you'd be a brave person to suggest they will win it.

2006-12-10T12:09:00.000+10:00

Back to Super 14

Hi All, I thought that it was about time this blog got back to the basics, yep time to return to the Super 14 and next year's competition. The controversey over the resting of the All Blacks for next year's World Cup competition has pretty much blown over and seems to be settling down as everyone gets used to the idea. News Limited is of course still a bit put out, the usual broadsides are coming from Australia, but the NZRFU seems to have stuck to its guns and the rested players will sit out half of the season.

This poses some interesting questions, this resting and training tactic that has been so publicly anounced. The All Blacks performed well in the end of year tour, I mean it couldn't really have gone better. The players looked like they were in peak condition anyway, and yet we are being lead to believe that they are about to go on a training program that will improve their perfromance substantially. The likes of Collins, Hayman and McCaw performing at their peak - what more are they going to be able to do - better, faster, stronger? Sounds like they will be as good as Lee Majors!

I can recall, in the not too distant past, it was being suggested that some players were getting overly bulky from their training. Cashmore was the first player I had heard that description being used for, and it was mainly in relation to his condition in the early years of Super 12. It was said by the then All Black coach, John Hart, that Cashmore was too bulky and had lost some of his pace and agility. Doubtless the All Blacks will be aware of thise, but tinkering with top level performing players can have a downside and New Zealand supporters must hope that this has been taken into account, and the grand experiment being undertaken will work. So far the coaching staff, and the management of the team have done a great job, there is no reason to suppose that this is going to stop. The All Blacks must win the next world cup to end a 20 year losing streak, made all the worse by the fact that at various times the prize ought to have been taken.

So, New Zealand will be left with understrength fanchises during the first half of Super 14. The question then becomes, how will those teams fare against the Australian and South African sides. Traditionally New Zealand sides have outperformed these sides anyway, and it is comments like this that are labelled arrogant by Australia and South Africa. However, based on past history, the New Zealand franchises have performed well. I think that the Super 14 without the All Blacks will be an interesting spectacle, and I think that crowd sizes wont suffer too much. There will still be plenty of talent on show, and perhaps there will be more of a even playing field with the additional African and Aussie sides in the comp this year. Remains to be seen what John Mitchell will do with the Force and in particular the 'new' wallaby half back.

Interesting times ahead, check back soon for more updates.

2006-12-07T18:40:00.000+10:00

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? If I Go There Will Be Trouble, If Stay There Will be Double.

This must be what Matt Rogers is singing to himself at the moment as his career takes centre stage in the media this week with Eddie Jones declaring that Rogers has played his last game of Rugby Union. I hope, both for the sake of the game and for the sake of Rogers, that he has played his last game of Union, and that common sense prevails and he is released to go and play for the Titans NRL side next season.

I don't think that any precedent needs to be set by this, except for the precedent that players that aren't performing and whose heart is not in the game, wont be kept in it out of spite or some misguided sense that contracts must be honoured at all costs. Having Rogers in any union side now is likely to do nothing more than adversely affect the team. The Warratahs of course will have to ascertain if Rogers is going to assist their Super 14 campaign in 2007 with an attitude that clearly says he wants to leave the game.

Also, I've said this before and I'll say it again, Aussie rugby union has to stop poaching players from the NRL by opening up the chequebook for the latest flash in the pan player from that code. They are leaving themselves open for this kind of thing to happen when the player no longer wants to play the game. Look at what else has come out this week, Schifcofske and Ryan Cross are both reportedly in the frame for the Wallabies world cup bid in 2007. How does that happen? They've only had one game and a couple of training runs! Seems to me it easier to get into the Wallabies playing in the NRL than it is playing in Super 14!

Seriously, the Aussie Union must take a long hard look at player development. What sort of message does this send to players - no surprises that there are players heading for the fertile rugby playing grounds of New Zealand, in particular the domestic national cup competition. New Zealand rugby will be all the richer for the injection of players from these fair shores.

A high profile player switch of course has ramifications for the game, but how many fans do you think have been turned on to the Wallabies by the likes of Sailor, Tuqiri and Rogers? Make no mistake, these guys are not heartland rugby players in Australia, nor do they appeal to the rugby watching crowd. This is a key period for rugby in Australia and some good decision must be made to preserve the state of the game this close to RWC 2007.

2006-12-01T07:40:00.000+10:00

Speculation on Future of Rogers and Tuqiri

Former NRL stars, and significant converts from Rugby League to Rugby Union, Mat Rogers and Lote Tuqiri, have reportedly been considering their futures in Super Rugby for some time. Both apparently disilliusioned with Rugby Union and are wishing to return to the game that was reportedly their first love. Undoubtedly the recent tour of the northern hemishpere, albeit a tour without any negatives according to the coach, will not have assisted in igniting their passions for playing in a Wallabies team that underperformed. At least on the expectations of fans in Australia.

Rogers in particular was scathing in press conferences when he returned from the tour to Australia recently. He criticised the lack of playing time that the new look backline, featuring his good self at first five eighth, got on tour and basically insisted that the combination needed more game time before it could be labelled a failed experiment. Unfortunately for Rogers, while he may be right on that point, this far out from Rugby World Cup 2007 is a bit too late to begin experimenting with a backline combination. This should have been done ages ago, and perhaps under Eddie Jones it would have. In the final analysis however, with a back player in that position of the calibre of Larkham, Robers has little chance of converting anyone to his point of view.

If this is the case then perhaps releasing Rogers prior to the World Cup would be a good move. It has been reported that there are rumours Rogers has been offered a contract to play with the Gold Coast Titans (whom he is joining in 2008 anyway) in 2007 and may be seeking a release from the Australian Rugby Union and The Warratahs (his Super 14 team) to enable him to make the change a season earlier. Everyone knows the damage that a player can do to a professional team when their heart is not in playing, and given the fact that Rogers has struggled to make the starting side the Wallabies might not end up missing him that much. Not enough to warrant the risk that he could cause further issues for the team now that he is leaving after the RWC in 2007 anyway.

Tuqiri is in a different position. He is in the starting side, whether he plays at centre or on the wing. Although from time to time he makes comments denigrating the game and the value that he places on it, most of these are rightly interpreted as claims being made to ensure that the bids made to secure him in either code are aimed at increasing his salary. After RWC 2007 Rugby Union is ulikely to have any further use for him, particularly if the RWC competition is given it rightful place amongst management as the most important goal for the Wallabies and the Australian Rugby Union. Lote, great players though he may be, will not be the best winger the Wallabies can field in 2011, or if he is the state of the game will be in complete disarray. Far better to bring in new players and get them ready for 2011 with plenty of time.

Tuqiri will be a key player in RWC 2007 for the Wallabies. His spear tackle on McCaw was one of the key moments in a tight struggle in Auckland during this year's Tri-Nations series. He took it to the opposition, regardless of the fact that it was illegal and made an impression. This is the stuff that the Wallabies need, as indeed does any team that wishes to best this All Blacks side. Tuqiri is a key player in terms of the physicality that the Wallabies want to take onto the field.

This sort of player loyalty speculation doesn't do the game of Rugby Union, or the Wallabies team, much good. At least as far as the game is concerned in Australia. In terms of mounting a challenge to RWC 2007 news of player dissatisfaction will be greeted by other national sides with a degree of cautiously optimistic joy. Anything to weaken the Wallabies is a good thing in terms of the challenges being made by other sides. Doubtless reports of shifting loyalties will spike some action from management, and direct contact with the players to sort out what is happening and their level of commitment next year. Rogers will probably feature more in this area than Tuqiri. Both, of course, will have to take pay cuts to switch from Union back to the NRL. These are interesting times for the Australian Rugby Union, perhaps they will consider building their own game more to develop talent among Rugby Union players, rather than plundering the resources of the NRL with massive monetary offers to attempt to buy loyalty to the game from players who don't consider it their first love.

2006-11-29T10:04:00.000+10:00

All Blacks Yet to Peak

So says Reuben Thorne, a man who should know better than most what it feels like to be in a team that fails to grip the final prize. If indeed this is correct, it is a good sign for New Zealand supporters who will know all to well the downside of a confident New Zealand side ahead of a RWC tournament. All too often expectations among the public in New Zealand have been cruelly dashed at quarter, semi, and final time.

If indeed the feeling in the camp is that there is room to improve, then the favourite tag and all of the pitfalls that tag has had for the All Blacks in the past will be able to be managed by what seems to be an impressive management team for the All Blacks. The conditioning period will be an interesting time for the 22 named players that will sit out the first half of the Super 14 competition next year to assist in their preparation for the RWC tournament in 2007. Jerry Collins has reportedly suggested that even he is looking forward to some time off, and undoubtedly McCaw, Carter, and Hayman are also looking forward to some down time to allow the body to heal, and to get some serious training in after that to perform at what New Zealand fans will hope is their best yet. Good luck.

Australian coach knuckles Connolly has stunned the media by suggesting, well stating actually, that there were no negatives to be taken from this tour. Former Wallabies have suggested that this position is untenable, and clearly it is. Tinkering with the backline by introducing Matt Rogers at first five ahead of Larkham and trying it out for two test matches, where it failed, and then for the player to arrive back in the country criticising the lack of match time the combination was tried for is laughable. This is a problem, but as was said in the previous post, make no mistake, the Wallabies will be tough at RWC 2007 - they always are and they know how to lift for the big games. The All Blacks will be wary of this team if and when they play them during that tournament.

Check back soon for more on the tour and the elements of the team that are still to be worked on, and the areas where improvements were made. Next post in a couple of days.

2006-11-27T12:42:00.000+10:00

Welsh Match Answers Questions

The All Blacks downed Wales by 45-10 in a good old fashioned hiding at millenium stadium. A few questions were answered by this victory, first and foremost it has been settled that the All Blacks are no more cheats than anyone else in world rugby. Two players were yellow carded and, according to the Welsh commentators that we were privileged to enjoy on the Foxtel feed in Aussie, the All Blacks were lucky that the entire team were not sent from the field. They did have to concede that the calls against McCaw in particular to get away from the ball faster were harsh, however moments earlier they had themselves been bleating away about how he was lying all over the ball and cheating. In fact what was obvious from this game is that the All Blacks are miles ahead of a welsh side that lived up to the label of the village idiots of world rugby. Only one penalty try had to be awarded during the game (not against the ABs) and it wasn't an All Black that punched the opposition skipper in the face nearly sparking an all in melee. In addition, the Welsh were only able to score a try once, and that was while the captain was off the field. Having struck back, they quickly conceded a converted try to undo all of their hard work.

If the commentating that I heard is what passes for analysis of rugby in that part of the world then they have a massive uphill battle ahead of them to get to grips with where they are falling behind, and what to do about it. Constantly I was forced to listen to two whinging welshmen, one of whom was convinced that the All Blacks were continually screwing the scrum, and then taking it down because "no scrum can twist like that without it being purposely done by the opposing team pulling back on one side of the scrum". Well, if that is what they think was wrong with their scrum during that game, then they wont improve any time soon. The fact is that they were being torn apart time and time again by a better scrummaging unit, and probably resorted to screwing the scrum themselves to try and get a penalty. Full marks for trying to do something about getting the squeeze put on, but like everything else they tried that day, it didn't work.

What is most interesting about all of this though, is that it just doesn't matter. 45-10 was the final score and Wales were comprehensively out gunned all over the park. Their much vaunted back line failed to fire, and all that the forwards could do in the end was resort to cheap shot pucnhes on McCaw, and pulling Luke McAlister's hair near the end of the match. When you're behind by 40 points that is about all you can do really and it sums up just how average this Welsh side is, and how full of hot air the northern hemisphere media has been about this Welsh side.

Wales also failed as hosts. The field was simply shocking, an embarrasment to the game. There were patches of grass, the rest was uneven mud. The state of millenium stadium is a searing indictment on human civilisation between the years 1000 to 2000. It was shocking, imagine expecting international teams to play on fields that would compare unfavourably with most school fields in the rest of the world?

Also, the Welsh did not allow the haka to be performed in the place that it has for the last 100 years. Full marks to the All Blacks for refusing to give in to this sort of bullying. It is a tradition, like it or not, and failing to respect the tradition is an insult to the touring side. If the Welsh are going to play games, they can't cry foul when the All Blacks wont buy into it. The crowd did not deserve to see the haka even though the chanting from the crowd of "haka, haka, haka..." indicated that most people at the game wanted to see it. Whatever happened to teams being judged by their hospitality? The Aussies played silly mind games in Brisbane against the All Blacks this year and it back fired, now the Welsh have felt it too. This tour is over, the All Blacks won well in every game, and the World Cup is now their focus. These petty things might warrant further consideration in the Northern Hemisphere but the AB's will be turning to the World Cup and winning that. Good for them.

Elsewhere the Wallabies managed to turn around a poor start against a fired up, but ultimately aimless, Scottish side. 44-15 was the final score, and it was an accurate reflection of the way the two teams played. Scotland had a lot of passion, but that was about it. It was good for 10-15 minutes, but they simply were outclassed by a Wallabies side that turned up to play this time. Putting players back into their preferred position really worked wonders in the back line and that was the difference between the two sides. The scrums were a bit better, and the tight five will get better with more game time. Come the world cup they will be as tough to beat as ever.

The rest of the games don't really rate a mention. England were beaten by a Springbok side that kicked a better game than England did. White will be pleased to head back with a victory under his belt and this may just save his bacon. The meeting will go a bit better for him, however the decision may have already been made about his future prospects. Good luck Jake.

2006-11-24T07:58:00.000+10:00

Horses for Courses Selection Policy has More Depth

Apparently more than just the opposing team come into the calculations Graham Henry makes in selecting his team based on the horses for courses selection policy he has followed on this northern hemisphere tour. Henry has been up front is suggesting that he selects players on the basis of who will be playing against them, their own skill level vs the skills of the opposition player, and how they will go fronting up to the opposing player if selected. Now it also seems that the weather and the field also come into the equation.

Henry has suggested that the selection of Smith is not just about the skills that Smith has at centre, and how he shapes up against Welsh Captain Stephen Jones in that position, but has more to do with the expected wet weather at millenium stadium at the weekend. The player seems to relish wet conditions as they require a higher skill level from him, and doubtless he gets plenty of practise playing in atrocious conditions in his native Wellington. Nothing Wales could offer would be worse than the horizontal rain Wellington is famous for.

This sort of vision in selection is exactly what the All Blacks need heading into the World Cup. Doubtless if the campaign is unsuccessful the selection policy will be branded fool hardy, overly technical, and of course arrogant. However, if successful this kind of forward thinking selection policy taking into account as many factors as possible will become the standard across the game. This is a risk, this is an experiment, but so far the faith the fans have placed in Henry and his changes to the traditional All Blacks selection policies has been rewarded. It will be interesting to see how things go at the weekend, and on into next season.

Wales continue to talk themselves up for this weekend. Accrding to the talk, they will play an expansive and open game, their creativity in attack will try the All Black line, however there aren't many punters that would be backing them to win as much as they seem to be backing themselves. The selection of New Zealand born Sonny Parker at number 12 casts doubt on this as he is less of an attacking player than the brilliant but flaky Gavin Henson, and has more robust defence than Henson has shown at times. Be that as it may, if you are going to take on the All Blacks it has to start up front and the battle will be won in the forwards as usual. The backs getting good clean ball going forward will be crucial to the success of each back line against the other. Also, with the Welsh calling their lineouts in Welsh, it will be difficult for the All Blacks to figure out lineout calls. It should be a great clash this weekend.

Elsewhere Springbok coach Jake White has been 'invited' home after the second game against England this weekend and before the next game on tour against a world 15. This cannot be a good sign for White who was under pressure during the Tri-Nations and managed to squeak through with a win over the All Blacks and the Wallabies at the end of the series. He is fronting the president's council, and the discussion will focus on a vote of no confidence in him as coach by the Blue Bulls last week. Good luck Jake, your boys had better win this weekend or you will be outski.

The Wallabies take on a confident Scottish side looking for their first win over the Wallabies in 15 encoutners. Something tells me that the haggis brigade will be lucky to get away with a win, even with the Wallabies in such a state of disarray. The players that have been selected will want to press home their claims to positions the encumbents are clearly regarding as their own, no matter what they do. Knuckles would do well to bench some of the stars to get the hunger back to take the field, and win. This team is on a downward spiral and reports of conflict between coaching staff and captain (for this tour) do not paint a good picture 10 months out from the world cup. Knuckles may well be looking forward to the return of Gregan who will not be sorry that he sat out this disaster of a tour.

I've noticed that a lot of people are looking for the draw for the 2007 Super 14 season. Please click here to be taken to the draw for next season, and note that kick off is one week early this year to account for the RWC tournament. Click here for the draw. In addition, there will be a permanent link to this page on the left hand side of this blog so that you can come back and check it out whenever you want. Note that the relegation position of one team in South Africa has yet to be resolved in relation to this draw being posted.

Bring it on - this weekend is another cracker for international rugby! Final game of the tour for the ABs, and the end of most of the touring sides quality games. This site will focus on preseason news for super 14 and ongoing world rugby issues after the end of the tours. Enjoy and check back often.

2006-11-23T08:48:00.000+10:00

Welsh Confidence Riding High

Wales are definitely riding high going into the match this weekend against the All Blacks. Keen to avoid being "afraid" of the All Blacks as the French were, according to the Welsh side, perhaps they are in danger of going into the match too pumped and too full of self belief? Unlikely however as Wales have always played their best rugby when confident and when attacking. Hopefully this will permeate their game plan and there will be a cracking rugby test this weekend.

Wales have been bolstered by the selection of captain Stephen Jones to return to the fray, and have named a strong team to take on the All Blacks. A sign of this strength, as was referred to yesterday, is the naming of the top 3 All Blacks in their respective positions, as well as the maintenance of the loose forward trio for this match. With the new guys in midfield, Smith and McAlister, the Welsh ought to attack here and make the most of the occaisional lapses in defence we have seen from this side. However these two newbies were impressive against France, and will need to play at the same level this weekend as Wales won't roll over.

The All Blacks should expect confrontation at the breakdown, a lot of physicality in that phase especially, the lineout will be targetted again, and the inexperienced midfield pairing should be run at frequently. While the team has performed well, it should be kept in mind that Wales were six nations champions two seasons ago and have a quality side that will have first hand knowledge of the coaching and playing strategy of two of the present All Black coaching staff. This is an advanatage, although it cuts both ways as Henry and Hansen will know the weaknesses of their former charges.

The usual cheating claims have been given another airing in the media by the Welsh players. This refers to the breakdown and the cynical penalties given by New Zealand, and how the players are street smart and know what they can get away with. I think this is fairly accurate, McCaw has come in for criticism even in his home country for some of his tactics at the breakdown - who can forget Ali Williams rucking McCaw so hard he was suspended for a ridiculously long period of time. Slowing down opposition ball at the breakdown is crucial, and all teams do it. I doubt any of these comments will cause any loss of sleep amongst the All Black players and management.

All that awaits us now is game day, and for the players to do their talking on the field. It is a difficult game to pick, the All Blacks should win, but given it is the last game of a successful season, confidence will be riding high, and the weariness will be at a maximum, Wales could surprise a few people this weekend. Check back soon for more on the upcoming match.

2006-11-22T08:32:00.001+10:00

All Blacks Team Anounced Today

The number of surprises in the All Blacks team anounced today has been kept to a minimum wth six changes made to the team. Perhaps most surprisingly the selectors have kept the loose forward trio intact, started Daniel Carter again, restored the midfield pairing of McAlister and Smith, and inserted Rico Gear back into the mix on the wing. Hayman returns again in the front row, joined by Oliver and Tialata. Williams returns as the starting lock, this time partnered by Keith Robinson. Mils makes a positional change to start at fullback. Sivivatu also starts again, and this is a good break for him.

Most commentators are treating the changes as showing respect for the Welsh team, and indeed they are a sign of respect. Perish the thought, especially after the roation policy, but does this also show some limitations on the present depth of the All Black side? Certainly in one position this is the case, tighthead prop. Hayman really has no understudy at this level, Afoa is untried and Yoda (Sommerville) is injured. Tialata is getting a crack at loosehead, and as I understand it is not ready or keen to try to swap to tighthead. This is a key position as so much of the All Blacks game is based on a solid platform at scrum time. It is no coincidence that the All Blacks suffered during the Tri-Nations after the mountain man from the mainland was felled by a tackle made by Wyclef Palu in Auckland.

However, aside from this concern, and it is minor, the team is looking in good shape. There is plenty of cover in all positions, although of course there are players that command their position, and are the best in the world playing there. Carter, McCaw, and of course many of the back line. All things being equal, New Zealand supporters should be fairly confident with their team. This test match this weekend may push the All Blacks.

Welsh confidence is riding high. Also, both Henry and Hansen have been involved with the Welsh side in the past, and the tactics will be known to each side. This will have an effect, much as it has in the past, particualrly in the one point victory the All Blacks had against the Welsh in 2004. It should be a cracking game, and I am really looking forward to the confrontation up front, the Welsh rate themselves there.

The Wallabies on the other hand are at an all time low. There is much comment in the media about how this has happened to the team before, and that the last time it did they made it to the RWC final, just losing by a dropped goal to Johnny Wilkinson. What to say about the match against Ireland? Yes Knuckles, the weather was shocking, but it hardly rates as an excuse for the loss - 2 tries to none. Some serious soul searching must be done - and it seems management may have to take a harder line with some of the inflated self assessments the players have of themselves. Rogers is no first five. Give up on it. If Tuqiri wants the ball more, he should go looking for it more often (like O'Driscoll does) instead of playing out of position. The Wallabies cannot play well in the Northern Hemisphere at the moment, and just out from the World Cup in France, that is a problem. Back to the drawing board, and maybe, just maybe, it was a little too late to fire the coach who had some sort of plan to build toward the World Cup.

No mention of the Welsh side that will take the field yet - check back later to see the team that is named and comment on that.

2006-11-21T15:55:00.000+10:00

That Was A Test Match

This weekend's game between France and the All Blacks was more like the test matches that we want to see. It was tough, willing, and this time the French came to play. From a New Zealand point of view, a lot more was learned from this game than was the case last week during the 47-3 hiding. The 23-11 scoreline reflected a much more competitive French effort, however the result of the match never seemed like it was in doubt. There was always the impression that the All Blacks could lift themselves, and if this was a final or semi-final during RWC 2007 they would.

Nevertheless, the All Blacks will have learned a lot from this game. They failed to dominate the breakdown as they had so completely the week before. The French turned up to play and compete in this area. The defence of the All Blacks was also outstanding, an uncharacteristic slip up in taking an up and under by McDonald was the only time that France were able to break the All Black line. Their kick and chase game had improved a lot from the week before.

However, the All Blacks continued to dominate at set piece, both scrum and lineout and it was a pretty strong performance all around. The All Blacks did not take all of their chances, and best of all from this win is the impression that there is room for the team to improve further which will assist them in combating the dreaded All Blacks favourtie tag that has undone them at so many competitions in the past.

Nonu scored a good try from a line breaking run set up well by Dan Carter. However, the jury will still be out on whether or not he has what it takes to be the front runner for this position. There was little in this game to resolve the question one way or the other, and now that Mauger is returning home from this tour due to injury, the position is again wide open. As was said last week, it is known what McAlister can bring to the position, however the Nonu question remains open. It would not be surprising to see him get another run.

The All Blacks are right to be wary of Wales. This team have been getting better after the draw against the Wallabies kicked off their season against the tourists. This test against New Zealand will rate very highly in terms of their goals for the season, whereas for the All Blacks the games against France were clearly the most important of this Northern Hemisphere tour. This will be a tough test match and it will be interesting to see what team is named tomorrow.

There are a vast number of combinations that could be employed by the selectors for this game, and given the obvious preferred method of rotation in terms of selection, it is anyone's guess as to how many changes will be made. It is the final game, and if this really is a tour that is building the team towards the world cup next year, then there should be a large number of changes to introduce the new comers to international rugby. Andy Ellis should get a go at fullback, and Nick Evans should get a crack at starting at first five. Masoe should get a start, as should Tialata. Afoa may be unlucky not to get a start as an untested tight head prop. Whatever the team is, they will take the field hungry to keep this winning record alive, and up against quality opposition that could surprise.

Check back tomorrow for comment on the All Blacks side when named. Note also that the Welsh have delayed naming their team until all injured players are able to be considered for playing this weekend, against an All Black side the Welsh are confident they can take on and beat. More comment tomorrow...

2006-11-16T12:38:00.000+10:00

Nonu Selection Dominates Media Coverage

The seleciton of Nonu at second five eighth continues to dominate the media coverage of the impeding test match between the All Blacks and France this weekend in Paris. Mils has come out in support of the selection pointing out that Nonu can be devastating on attack. Not many would argue with the proposition that Nonu, with ball in hand, could be a devastating attacking weapon and a formidable sight for any opponent seeking to tackle him when he's got a decent run up. In any event, we will soon know exactly how formidable he is, and whether or not the French will struggle to tackle him.

Divining rods are being dusted off, crystal balls are whipped out and polished, and all of this activity has but one goal in mind - figuring out why this selection has been made. If you stand back and consider it, there are some obvious reasons to make this choice now. Mauger is a known quantity - we've seen him perform time and time again and there isn't anything to his game that isn't known at this stage. Nonu on the other hand is an unknown quantity, and clearly there is an effort being made to include him in this All Black side. He did not play well against the Irish in New Zealand, his provincial season was cut short by an injured thumb, and he hasn't played on the international stage at second five for any great length of time, but has played some rugby in the position and attracted the attention of the selectors when he played.

Nonu has been earmarked and groomed as a future All Black, almost ever since he burst onto the scene with a resurgent Wellington side and comparisons with the then All Black captain, Tana Umaga were difficult to resist. They want to try him out, and they want to see if he will fire for them in some role. If they were not to try him out now, then when would they do it if indeed he is to take a role in the upcoming RWC 2007? Mauger on the other hand has been around the traps and, if we're looking for faults in his game, it is known that he can be suspect in terms of his defence.

In addition, Nonu is a young man. He has time on his side, but equally he may not be content to sit on the sideline in Union at the highest level forever. If there is a player in the All Blacks made for rugby league, then it is Nonu. And I am sure that the All Blacks Selectors, NZRFU, Super 14 franchises, and Wellington are keen to keep this guy in the game in New Zealand. Mauger on the other hand is not going anywhere at this point in time in terms of his playing career, he wont be going to league.

The reality is that this is a good time to see how he will slot into a side that has performed well, and against opposition that while it went down 47-3 last week, could turn around and come back at the All Blacks this weekend. There are seven new players taking the field for France this week, and it is said that their preparation for the game has been largely focussed on the mental side of the game - something that clearly let them down in the hiding last week. They can bank on a more confrontational All Black style in the back line, with Nonu being charged with running the ball at the opposition at every turn - this could be the factor the All Blacks have been looking for in developing and sustaining pressure in the backs leading to tries, instead of the counter attack, which Mauger has mastered. It will be a very interesting game this weekend.

For anyone out there looking for what can only be described as "just watchable" video highlights footage of France vs All Blacks, Wallabies vs Italy, Ireland vs Springboks, and Grant Fox's analysis of the game, these treats can be downloaded here. Bring on the weekend - I can't wait!

2006-11-15T11:07:00.000+10:00

Let The Games Begin

In keeping with the idea that this tour is being used by the All Blacks as a fore runner to the finals stage of the RWC 2007 tournament, two selection surprises were today anounced by the All Blacks selectors. Perhaps the biggest talking point is the omission of Aaron Mauger and the inclusion, at second five eighth of Ma'a Nonu. The only other surprises in the team is that Ali Williams has regained his starting test spot, being named to team up with Chris Jack to start as the second row,a nd Mils returns at centre. Compared with the selection of Nonu to start, these hardly rate a mention. Mils was going to come back in somewhere, and Smith has only had one game back - albeit a great game overall, and from him individually.

Mauger also misses out on being selected in the reserves, cover for Nonu would appear to be Luke McAlister or Nick Evans who may finally get some game time on tour replacing Carter or Nonu should the need arise. Most likely Carter if things go the way they did last week...otherwise there are no real surprises in the reserves that have been named either.

What to make of the selection of Nonu...it is very surprising to say the least. For a start, Nonu 's only start on tour was at centre where he did not have a great game. He was a late replacement at second five in Lyon, and has minimal provincial experience in that position, and has no kicking game to speak of (usually considered important in a second five). So why is he now being touted as the best second five eighth that New Zealand can field? You must remember that Graham Henry has said that the side that takes the field against France in Paris will be the best All Blacks side that can be named. How does this happen, that a man with less than one full game in the jersey can be named to start in an unfamiliar position?

Most punters are suggesting that either this is just tinkering and the claim that the All Blacks that took the field in Paris would be the best starting 15 the coaches could name was just posturing. Henry's comments today about the team being "the best team that could be named on the day" and "it depends on who is on top of everything and ready to go" lend some credibility to that suggestion. In addition, management did indicate after the last test that the plan to field the strongest side might yet be tinkered with.

But, perhaps most telling of all is the complete absence of Mauger from the team, even the reserve bench. If this is an experiment it could make sense to have the incumbent second five riding the rimu in case things go wrong, but instead McAlister slots into this role. After last week, there is good reason for McAlister to be there, but it sends a signal that would not have been lost on Henry before anouncing this side. Mauger is out of favour for some reason, and we may not have to look far to find it.

After the game against England, Mauger spoke ill of the rotation policy, and in particular mentioned how it didn't sit well with him watching someone else run out in his jersey...not the most diplomatic statement an incumbent player could have made about a controversial policy that management had obviously decided to follow. Henry has been at pains to dispel any suggestion that there is an ulterior motive, and there may be some substance to his position. Mauger hasn't performed that well, and we must remember that he has been suspect, particularly in defence, in years gone by. But to lose his place to a newcomer? That must hurt more than watching McAlister being given a crack at the position. We wait to see the reaction from Mauger, he may be spurred on to greater levels of achievement with any luck...

So, apparently some games are being played at the moment, and it would be a shame if these come back to haunt an All Black team that could be on the verge of greatness. They have a real chance to deliver New Zealand rugby from the painful position of being consistently one of the best teams in the world year in year out, but failing to secure the all important Rugby World Cup as often as they ought to. We will be watching with interest.

2006-11-14T16:23:00.000+10:00

What Waits for The All Blacks?

After the emphatic victory last weekend, the New Zealand press has been full of accolades for players, coaching staff, and just about everyone associated with New Zealand rugby. And why not? It was a massive victory, putting to bed ghosts from the past, confirming that the 2004 capitulation by the French was just the start for this All Blacks side who have moved on to bigger and better things. As the French coach said, his side were impotent against such an overwhelmingly superior force.

The question that is now being posed by the collective wisdom of the meida, is how to defend the world cup next year. The All Blacks are ranked number one, no one has been able to challenge them, and the media, almost without exception, are acting as if the competition next year is in the bag. Undoubtedly this will have an effect on the All Blacks, they are, and this has been proven over time, the worst team in the world when it comes to coping with favourite status. Remember the RWC final in South Africa in 1995? Remember the 1999 quarter final against France anyone?

The real test will be how this team develops and performs at the World Cup in 2007. If there is no victory next year, and the cup does not come back to New Zealand, that is what will be remembered. It will haunt the dreams of every New Zealand rugby fan for four more years, as Gregan once famously put it. Nothing else but that matters. This is the goal. Most New Zealand fans would trade a loss in every other game (except against England and Australia) for four years without hesitation if the team were to bring home the coveted trophy from the Rugby World Cup.

So, have the hopes, dreams, and fondest aspirations of the ruby watching public in New Zealand been placed in safe hands? So far, one would have to be pretty satisfied with what has been produced by the All Blacks coaching and management staff. The roation policy has delivered a team where, according to all reports, the biggest headache is going to be over whom to select in each position. With Conrad Smith having a good game (even though one good game does not a world cup win) it seems that the centre woes of the All Blacks may be over and Mils may be freed up to play elsewhere, if he can outclass Leon McDonald. Even the lineout now seems to boast four good locks, and two hookers that can throw in the ball reliably. The tight five have never looked better at scrum time, and the loose forward trio are amongst the most stout defenders in the gamecombination outclasses all opponents. Dan Carter and Richie McCaw are the best in the world in their positions, and our fijian wingers are better than anyone else's Fijian wingers (note also that Rico Gear is good and may edge out Joe).

The question that will be concerning the All Blacks now will be where to now for this side? They are at their peak, can any more be squeezed out of this side between now and RWC 2007? Come competition time the team will have to be firing new shots, anything left up the sleeve will have to come out at that point. A year is a long time to analyse video and pick out weaknesses. Other teams around the world can only get better, but can they do so quickly enough? And can the worlds worst team when going into a game/tournament as favourties cope with that label? Remember the losses in 1991, 1995, 1999 and again in 2003. "Will this be the case again in 2007?" must be the nagging doubt, often not allowed to be voiced out of fear that if spoken, the thought may become reality. Even worse, you could be called unpatriotic if you dared wonder how the All Blacks will go from here on in.

To be fair, the All Blacks management have not secured what they wanted in the lead up to RWC 2007. They wanted the All Blacks rested for the entire 2007 Super 14 season. Instead they have been given a half baked compromise that may not suit anyone, not even the big pay tv companies that were so outraged at this strategy when anounced. It will be interesting to see what, if any, further developments arise in this area as we head into the Super 14 season next year.

But wait a minute, the tour isn't over yet. Beware the wounded French, they could yet rally, although the defeat was so total it is difficult to see how. They failed to produce any penetration at all, and were only able to score via a wobbly old drop kick the just cleared the cross bar. Impotent is right. But still, this is the team that scored one of the best tries in World Rugby against a heavily favoured All Black side at Eden Park. I was there that day and I remember Stephen Bachop's kick that set it all off. I am confident that Daniel Carter is better than that. There is also Wales waiting at the end of the tour. The boyos could put on a show, but given they played well to get a 29-29 draw against the Wallabies, they will have to play out of their skins to overturn the All Blacks.

Everything seems rosy, the world has fetching pinkish hue for the All Blacks and their supporters. All that remains to be seen now is do the All Blacks management, coaching staff, players and supporters have what it takes to put together a side that can repeat the glory of winning the Rugby World Cup last seen by an All Black side in 1987, 20 years ago as the Australian media were pointing out until their team collapsed on the European tour. The latest word on that is the team is missing a captain...George will sort it all out when he returns...so what about Giteau then? Would want to be a Wallaby supporter at the moment...

2006-11-12T18:35:00.000+10:00

All Blacks Triumph, World Cup Beckons?

The only thing left to write about after the 47-3 thrashing the All Blacks dished out to the supposed number two team in the world is whether or not the preparation undertaken by the selctors and coach will secure the World Cup next season. It was such a commanding performance, and such an emphatic win that there really is nothing to say about the game. It was a complete performance, setting a new benchmark for this team in the lead up to the World Cup. Obviously France will not be rated number two in the world anymore, they were beaten by a bigger margin than England the week before. Still, they have next week to improve with.

Sure, the French will rally again next week and would be unlucky to be beaten by a similar margin, and may even pull off one of the upsets that the Gallic flair is famous for. Even if that were to happen, and I don't think for a moment this management team will allow the ABs to go off the boil, the ABs will be running into next seasons World Cup tournament as firm favourites, and with good reason. But, this is when the All Blacks are always at their most vulnerable, where miscalculations are made, and curcial losses undermine the public confidence and in the end, thwart the campaign. Is 2007 going to be New Zealand's year - 20 years after securing the first and only World Cup win for the country? Hard to say, but they will be pressed.

A few players deserve special mention, and none more so than Jerry Collins, the man of the match. Jerry came on for a mention from me last week that he needed a big game to get back in the frame as one of the class players in the New Zealand pack - he answered the call this week and has justified his selection and position as encumbent loose forward. So'oialo also deserves mention with a strong performance that erased the bad memories of Rustenberg and will go some way to quieting down the calls that were being made to look for replacements for him. Back up, yes, replacement no. James Ryan and Ali Williams have also both stepped up to the mark, the clown (Williams) even taking a major role in making the break that set up one try with a mighty flick pass that not even the best French playmaker could have hoped to pull off during that game.

Once again the New Zealand mighty forward pack have lifted the game to another level against a big and willing French pack that were rated before this clash. Now, their reputation in tatters, the French will be trying to pull together for a big push next week against the same side. Well, mostly the same side as Henry is likely to pull a few selection changes and continue with the rotation policy that has seen them through to this stage so well. I am now glad that my support of this policy has produced a victory such as this. Fantastic stuff to watch - for those of you that haven't seen the game, a resonable video highlight of each half can be seen on RugbyHeaven.

In the backs the new pairing of McAlister and Smith went well in midfield. In fact, it has raised more questions that it has answered. Yes they are good enough at this leve, and yes they were part of one of the greatest All Black victories in recent times. So, where does that leave Mauger? Is he a second string player now? Should he be used as cover? I doubt that this would be the result, but having such a strong combination in the wings is definitely going to help the coaching staff. In addition, it would have to be in the minds of the coaching staff as to where Mils is going to fit into the mix. Will he be the first selection at centre now? This is something that the rest of the tour could be used to sort out.

Sivivatu and big Joe had good games. McDonald was safe under the high ball and had a good game also, as did pretty much everyone on the field. That was perhaps one of the better aspects of this game - the All Blacks all played well and they took their chances. They lived a lot off scraps of possession, but the robust defence saw them weather off attacking foray after attacking foray - mostly in the forwards I will admit, but they were all shut down by impressive powerful play. Wonderful to watch if you support the All Blacks anyway.

Elsewhere the Wallabies beat Italy 25-18 after trailing at half time. Brendan Cannon made a comeback to be proud of - sent off with a yellow card for slapping an opposing player...nice, but really slapping is something I'd expect to see at the FIFA World Cup, not on the footy field. Harden up Cannon. In fact, the Wallabies supporters are getting a bit put out now by the continual dismal performance of their scrum, even when the coach and players are all insisting that it is performing better each game. Doesn't look like it mates, you're going backwards almost the entire game, and Italy are no great shakes. Matt Rogers has also possibly broken his hand during the match and may take no further part in the tour - doubtless this will help the preparation of the Wallabies for the World Cup.

England also suffered a humiliating defeat to Argentina at home...not much to say about that really except that the coach has steadfastly refused to go. One can only imagine that he is looking forward to tackling the Springboks who were downed by a well oiled Irish outfit this weekend. There is talk that Ireland may be waiting in the wings to upset a few Southern Hemisphere teams in the comp next year...better keep an eye on them I think. Realistically, people who suggest that can really only mean the All Blacks as the Wallabies are not up to it, and nor are the Springboks on the performances they have put together this year.

So, a great weekend rugby wise. There are some interesting games ahead, check back here to check out the comment and opinion on the upcoming games.

2006-11-10T08:29:00.000+10:00

HUGE Test Match This Weekend

I can feel the tension building at the moment as the ABs shape up to take on France. All the talk has remained civil so far this week, but one gets the impression that the AB s are preparing for a torrid encounter and expect the French to really take it to them, especially up front. Henry has made no bones about the fact that Oliver has been selected for one reason only - the scrum. I'm looking forward to a titanic struggle among the tight five, with France seeking revenge for the humiliation of 2004. The scene is set for a mighty clash in Lyon, and let's hope that the game delivers.

The bookies are rating the ABs very highly at $1.35 to win, while France are only attracting $3.20. Those are pretty heavy odds in favour of the All Blacks, considering the untried midfield, changes to the forward pack, a hooker that has been wobbly at lineout time, the return of new locks...this really is a confident position. I mean, this is the number one ranked team in the world against the number two ranked team...seems like those are pretty good odds for anyone considering not backing the ABs. Still, you'd have to be pretty game to not back the All Blacks after the season that they have had, and the hype coming out of the camp this week. This is a difficult game to call, the French have been largely quiet in the lead up to the game, the All Blacks have been trying to say that they wont be surprised, but this is when the ABs are at their most vulnerable. It will be interesting, either way.

Jerry Collins is one forward who will be wanting to have a big game this weekend. He needs it, he has been playing well, but it has been a long time since we saw him pull off a big hit and really make a mark on the opposition. He is a great back up for McCaw, and has a high work rate, but we'll be looking to see him really throw himself into this one and exhibit some of the passion he has been praising in the French this week. The photos of Jerry in boxing gloves at training will no doubt inspire visions of a firey encounter this weekend.

This will be a cracker and I am really looking forward to taking this one in. A titanic struggle that will be much more interesting than the Wallabies fumbling their way around the Northern Hemisphere. George Smith has returned at the expense of the Phil Waugh, and Mortlock makes his return to the starting side which should see more cohesion in the backline ahead of an anticipated thrashing of Italy. One wonders why Italy weren't the warm up side?

South Africa kick off heavy underdogs against a well oiled Irish side. This will be an interesting game in terms of watching the new South African players perform and see how they will get on against some good opposition. Just in the nick of time the Africans are blooding some new players on the international scene for RWC 2007. Hello - that is only a few months away boys, you really ought to have blooded new players before now...anyway, they are doing it now and eventually South African Rugby could be stronger for having tried something new. This weekend could be tough on the SA faithful I fear.

2006-11-08T17:03:00.000+10:00

Rotation Resurgance - 10 Changes To the Side That Crushed England

Coach Henry and the selectors have named their side to take on France at Lyon this weekend, and somewhat surprisingly it contains 10 changes from the side that crushed England at Twickenham last weekend (I can hear the cries of "arrogance" from the Aussie media around me as I write). I guess they wish that they had the luxury of being able to pick from such depth - the return home of Vickerman, and the doubts over Larkham's fitness, amongst other things, will not be helping in the campaign to emerge victorious from the Northern Hemisphere end of season tour.

But onto more important things...10 changes to the side to take on France this weekend. Most importantly, the front row that demolished France is returning with Hayman (one of the best performances from a New Zealand prop in a long time last week), Woodcock and Oliver making up the front row. With the introduction of Oliver, I am sure no one will question the pack strength at scrum time, however the lineout may suffer as this is not Anton's strongest point. Add to this the inclusion of two, that's right two new locks this week - Ryan and Williams return to test football. This is a huge call along with the new hooker and I am sure that the lineout will be a focal point for the French team in combating the All Blacks. Rounding out the forward pack is Captain Fantastic of course, assisted by the first string loose forward combination of Collins and So'oialo. No worries there - So'oialo will have a chance to redeem himself for losing his rag at Rustenberg.

Piri Weepu comes in at halfback, and this is probably a safe change with not much being lost by the absence of Kelleher who is, still, clearly the first choice halfback. In the back line Carter returns - of course. Mercurial as he is, and central to New Zealand's chances of winning the World Cup, he will have to produce another stellar performance this weekend for what is shaping up to be the sternest test match for the All Blacks on tour. Unusually, Henry and the selectors have paired him up with Luke McAlister and Conrad Smith. This makes for a new centre combination that is really untested, and Smith of course is making a return from a sickening injury to his leg that left it in one piece only due to the presence of his sock. He has had a good domestic season for Wellington, however this will be a pressure cooker test for him to return to the Black jersey. Let's hope the defence is more robust than it was against England in midfield as the French sport a pretty good midfield.

Out wide Sivivatu returns to the left wing, and the Fijian flyer Joe Rokocoko moves to the right wing, as he did when Gear was replaced during the England game. At full back, Leon MacDonald returns to the starting line up. I don't think that there will be much missed by these changes, and possibly the All Blacks will be stronger at the back for the presence of MacDonald as Mils did not have such a great game at fullback last week.

The reserves have not yet been named, however Eaton has not yet played on tour and it is likely that he will be named to ride the rimu according to some punters. I doubt the wisdom of this if it does indeed transpire as if things turn to custard in the lineout having Robinson or Jack to turn to if needed would be a better option - Eaton hasn't had much game time of late - and has the most bogun of hair dos - I guess that might be a good reason to put him on the field as the French are likely to be offended or just plain scared of someone with a mullet and a mou like that!

Massive changes to the team and this will make it an exciting game. If the All Blacks are victorious, and the lineout functions, this will be a great result with RWC 2007 just around the corner provided that the linout functions well enough. Again the All Blacks will be faced by a rugby public that want to see improvement in key areas, not just a win. This will be a fascinating game to watch and I cannot wait for kick off, or for the rest of the team to be anounced.

Perhaps the biggest gamble, and Henry has conceded this, is the midfield pairing not before seen at test level. While the players have played at that level, they have not done so together. This is possibly the one and only time they will be able to test such a combination, but for the 'biggest test of the year' according to the coaching staff, one must wonder about the wisdom of making that call now. All will be revealed in due course...

2006-11-06T07:30:00.000+10:00

Record Win for All Blacks - Wallabies Lift for a Draw?

41 points against England's 20 at Twickenham is exactly the result that the All Blacks were looking for. With a bit of feeling finally coming to the fore in the pre-match hype after accusations of racism were levelled at the Twickenham faithful, the game took on a bit of an edge that was only increased by the singing of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" during the All Black performance of the haka. By full time, all doubts about this team had been suspended until their next outing, but are far from erased.

The doubts about the lineout have been shelved after a stellar performance at set piece time. The scrum went well, and with Robinson in charge of the lineout, it showed a vast improvement on the stuttering and often incompetant lineout the All Blacks mustered during the Tri-Nations. The selectors will be very pleased, but the All Blacks are not out of the woods yet - one good game does not win the World Cup and they will be well aware of this. Criticism of the lineout will need to be shelved, but rest assured it will be quickly dusted off and put back out there by a rugby watching public in New Zealand that demand nothing less than first place at RWC 2007.

As usual, the All Blacks scored all of their tries from counter attacking moves, and as such there are lingering questions over what will happen to the All Blacks when they come up against an opponent that doesn't turn over the ball to them so frequently. The turnovers come, in part, from continuing dominance at the break down, and New Zealand fans will be hoping that the All Blacks can retain this through the World Cup tournament next year. Barring injury to Ritchie McCaw, this dominance is likely to continue as he is clearly the classiest openside in the world at the moment. It is no exaggeration to say that New Zealand chances hang on the fitness and play of McCaw.

Coaches will also be pleased with the performance of Dan Carter, another key player for New Zealand who really stepped up to the mark for this match having been set to ride the rimu while Nick Evans was afforded the opportunity to get back into the game at the international level. Carter bagged 26 points in all, a wonderful performance by any assessment. His continued presence in the game in New Zealand is also key for All Black chances of success. The main cause for concern are three defensive lapses the English were able to exploit and the back line defence will need to be tightened up.

So, a lot still rests on the game against France next week. 6 days to prepare for the hostilities that await the All Black in Lyons from a French team that will be oh so desperate to erase the horror of their complete capitulation against the All Blacks that saw golden oldies no pushing scrums after the French forwards displayed the backbone of escargot. However, this is the bogey team for the All Blacks, they will be worked up and desperate to avoid another thrashing, wanting some revenge, and it will be armistice day...sounds like the All Blacks will have a game on their hands this time. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile the Wallabies may have lifted themselves to draw with Wales...at least if you believe the pre-match hype coming from the Welsh camp. The Wallabies, and Aussie public, of course are not buying into that, and are disappointed by lost opportunities to take the game. On the other hand the Welsh are acting as if the game was won - the commentators for instance were referring to saving the game by pushing the Wallaby scrum over and getting the feed to the next game in the dying stages of the match to "save the match". Securing a draw is not saving the match, you save the match when you win the game, not when you draw.

The overall result from the match wont please either team, but one suspects that both will be glad not to have lost at least. The Wallabies ought to have taken the game, but the forwards continue to perform poorly, and let down the back line that functioned well despite nearly every player playing in a new position. Chris Latham, one of my least favourite players, scored a remarkable solo try flirting with the side line and despatching at least 6 defenders. For video of the try click here. It was good stuff from Latham, an inspiring solo effort that unfortunately did not quite secure the win in the end, but certainly looked like doing it for the Wallabies at the time.

Giteau at halfback seemed to work against Wales. Gregan will not be in serious jeopardy, even though knuckles is hinting at this. The Wallabies do not have the depth to leave Gregan out from the RWC 2007, and it is extremely doubtful that they will have him riding the rimu when, even aside from the fact that he is the better halfback, he is also the better captain at the moment and can lead the team well. Make no mistake, Australia will be ready for the World Cup next year.

All in all a couple of good games this weekend, although the New Zealand vs England game was more interesting to watch and provided a better spectacle. Bring it on for next Sunday when the All Blacks take on France...huge game!

2006-11-04T07:41:00.000+10:00

Unlucky Evans' Bad Run Continues

Evans is out, and Carter will start against England in the test match at Twickenham on Monday monring. Evans was apparently unable to pass the last minute fitness test he was given in order to determine if his minor hamstring injury has sufficiently repaired itself. His run of bad luck at international level continued and it seems that he will have to wait until later on in this tour to break the ice on his return to international rugby. Apparently there are no plans to replace Evans for the balance of the tour, and presumably he will be cover for the main man, Carter, for the rest of the tour. Given the level of the remaining games however, we can expect to see the strongest All Black team taking the field as the games against France are identified as being huge clashes that Henry and his men really want to take out.

The hype for the match against England continued to build in intensity today, with Anton Oliver's comments about arrogant English fans taking on a new level today. Aaron Mauger chimed in confirming that the main basis for the gripe against the English crowd stems from allegedly ethnic and racial slurs directed towards some members of the All Black team from the crowd in last year's grand slam test match win against the English side. At last there seems to be some venom coming to the fore, and there is speculation that 'hard man' Robinson has been picked to keep Danny Grewcock in check. Apparently the "steel" Robinson is bringing to the pack, and his undoubted reputation as a man not to take a backward step, is thought to be in response to Grewcock's inclusion in the English side. Obviously the pack will be an intense contest and if England are able to dominate the All Blacks in this area, the game will become difficult for New Zealand to win. Most punters are picking the New Zealand back line to dominate a much less experienced English back line, however without much ball this will be difficult. There must be concern over the lineout which will clearly be a target for England with a much taller back row combination than New Zealand.

The game is shaping up as a cracker, and the tour is at last getting underway. I myself cannot wait for the first real shots of the campaign to be fired on Monday morning on the field. All of the prematch hype has been good in building up the tension ahead of the clash, however we wont really have any final answers until the end of the game. And even if there is a New Zealand victory, most punters there will be expecting to see some considerable improvement in the style of game played by New Zealand and in particular a vast improvement at lineout time. If this does not occur for the All Blacks during the game, there will not be any peace in New Zealand in the lead up to RWC 2007.

Meanwhile in Aussie there seems to be a lack of confidence (very unusual) in the side ahead of the test match against Wales this weekend. The doubts about the pack and the ability to win ball continue to linger, and the defeat at the hands of a depleted provincial side are beginning to erode the previously thought to be impervious Aussie confidence in the national side. Against this, the return of Tuquiri from suspension, and the rejigged back line are offering some faint glimmers of hope. Mat Rogers returns to the unfamiliar role of first five, Larkham moves to second five, Giteau in at half back for the first time at test match level, Tuqiri returns to the centres, and Shepherd retains his sopt on the wing. The star studded nature of the back line is being suggested as cause to hope for a return to form for the Wallabies side in the clash this weekend.

However, on close analysis how much improvement can the public expect to see from a starting backline that has almost everyone playing out of their preferred position? Clearly this is evidence of the lack of depth in key positions that Australia has at the moment, and seems to suffer from most of the time. The only question is, how long can their first choice starting line up be expected to take the field at RWC 2007? My bet is that they will have their starting choice for the entire competition at least in the back line as they have proven in the past that they are able to rally and perform well at RWC comps. New Zealand and the rest of the world better be prepared for a tough ask against these guys, regardless of the outcome of this tour.

As for Wales...well, what can be said really. Put simply, there has been an almost total absence of coverage for the boyos over here in the lucky land. What a surprise. In any event, we can be sure that they are being made ready for a good crack at the Wallabies at the weekend. I am sure they would like nothing more than to compound the bad start to the tour that the Wallabies have had by handing them a 0 for 2 result this weekend. And if we can put any stock in the coverage of this game by Aussie media, the Welsh think that this will be a walk in the park...anyone see a theme emerging here? The mighty Wallabies love to be cast as the underdog, and this weekend is no exception.

The Welsh are going to be targetting the Aussie pack - no surprise there, and why not? They have played very poorly and did so in the tour last year getting a backwards view of most of the turf in each venue they played. This time they're also hitting the Wallabies where it hurts suggesting that their backline is classier, and that the Welsh have a good chance of winning RWC 2007 after accounting for the Wallaibes in pool play. According to media reports this has fired up Tuqiri who says all the pressure is on the Welsh. Yeah, right. Another loss this weekend will have the normally overconfident Wallabies supporters clutching at straws, and Knuckle might be reconsidering the wisdom of taking over from Jones last year, and the union may be reconsidering the decision to axe Jones who clearly had a plan to improve the Wallabies and build towards the RWC next year. Interesting times...

At least there is dleayed coverage of this test match on free to air tv in Aussie...what a farce. Why should people who want to watch games live be penalised so those who can handle the second rate delayed coverage of the free to air networks can be fooled by propaganda from these same networks about showing sport live on tv "for all Australians"? An outrage - end the monopoly on determination of what sport will be shown live and let the market decide by getting some competition in there.

2006-11-03T15:44:00.000+10:00

Southern Hemisphere Tour of the North Hots Up This Weekend

Both the All Blacks and the Wallabies have their real tour opening games this weekend. The All Blacks are taking on England and the Wallabies have their first proper hit out against a full Strength Welsh side. Each of the Southern Hemisphere teams seems to be in a different position in terms of the tour and the weekend will be an interesting one, very interesting.

The All Blacks have had training, and Carter was running in the team in place of the injured, and unfortunate Nick Evans. It is a shame that he isn't likely to get a start, however it is said that he has tomorrow to pass a fitness test before a final decision will be made, but even if he does start it seems that he will be unlikely to perform at his best. Captain Richie has called on his team to convert more of their scoring opportunities, and this is definitely something that the team must do. There have been plenty of squandered opportunities this year, however it is difficult to say if those opporutnities are real, or if we are expecting too much from the athletes to convert them all into points. Nevertheless, some tries have gone begging, and against a desperate English side at home, points must be taken when on offer. The All Blacks wont want to start poorly like the Wallabies did...

Imagine, losing to a depleted Osprey's side...how embarrassing. Sure, you can say that it is the dirt trackers that were playing, there were lots of guys out of positon, the true captain isn't there...but the fact of the matter is that the Wallabies were just awful in that game. There isn't that much depth to the Aussie side and they are going to find that this is a problem for them in a competition like RWC 2007 with so many games. If Larkham succumbs to injury, as he has become prone to in recent years, the Wallabies will be a very average team. Add to this the insults that are being poured on great players like George Smith - captaining his country for the first time, only to be replaced by one of the ugliest players in Rugby History, Phil Waugh this weekend. He must be spewing! Not only losing his preferred spot to Waugh, clearly the second best player, but also losing the captaincy...all those who want the Wallabies to lose will be hoping that Knuckles keeps this up.

Now, I am not suggesting for a moment that the Wallabies are a write off for the rest of the tour, however this was not a good start having se themselves the goal of not dropping a game. The backline for this weekend's game is very different - Giteau, Larkham, Rogers, Tuqiri all return and undoubtedly they will add some sting to the Wallabies. However, they are up against a strong Welsh side who would love nothing more than to wipe the ground with the Aussies this weekend. A weak scrum, a forward pack in general will also play into Welsh hands. Make no mistake, this game could be a cracker.

Back to the ABs, they will be wanting to improve on the lineout and captain McCaw had some key things to say about this area. If he means it, then he should be ensuring that those players in the team actually do what he is talking about. He is cpatain, and he should command respect and improve the performance of his charges. Chris Jack has to step up to the mark and become the lineout legend we need, as does his partner in crime. It will be very interesting to see what, if anything, England can do to the All Black lineout and there will be four million kiwis watching on Monday morning NZ time all expecting to see an improvement by their team in this area. It is no exaggeration to say that the RWC 2007 campaign depends on seeing improvement from the team in this area.

Bring on the weekend - of course none of the great international rugby games will be screened in Australia. Take that anyone that suggests free to air tv should be protected from competition from the pay tv arena in terms of screening sports. I'd like to know where the nine network gets off telling us all that sports ought to be protected for the good of everyone and shown on free to air tv...I mean they don't even show most games live...it is always delayed on so sprinkled with advertising that you left half the time wondering what happened as you miss out on so many replays. Get with it, free to air is dead, long live pay tv and free up the market Aussie, at the moment we are being put to the sword for the sake of protecting second rate broadcasters right to not show sport live on tv, and stop everyone else from doing so. An outrage.

2006-11-02T07:11:00.000+10:00

Rotation Policy Resurfaces?

A few surprises in the All Black team anounced to take on the English team at Twickenham on Monday morning. Amid accusations levelled by former All Black captain Anton Oliver that the English supporters are arogant and have a poor attitude towards Australian and New Zealand players because of the history of colonialism, the New Zealand selectors have suprised by resting several key players ahead of this test. In particular Daniel Carter will be on the reserves bench, replaced by Nick Evans. It seems unlikely that this switch will now have the chance to take place as the unfortunate Evans has injured himself at training and seems at best to now be a 50-50 starter. Still, undoubtedly this rotation will bring additional cries about the arrogance of the All Blacks from the rabid England press - how according to Oliver even when their team lose write as if they had won the game, praising their fallen heroes and complaining about the antipodean opposition.

A further change to the back line sees Ma'a Nonu return at centre. This experiment was thought to be over, howver my money is on the fact that the selectors want to see Nonu run the ball up as many times as possible, as hard as possible, at an inexperienced English back line and put some pressure on them. This heralds a return to crashing runs, and trying to bash through the opposition back line and it will be interesting to see how this works. Nonu's onthe ground game, ie returning the ball after being tackled during the breakdown, is not a strength and the New Zealand loose forward trio will have to perform in order to make this tactic work for the team.

The settled loose forward combination has been upset once again. After the English coach referred to the need to counter Collins and So'oialo, he will be amongst the surprised throng at the anouncement of the team which has So'oialo on the bench, and Collins not featuring even as a reserve. Instead Thorne (blindside) and Masoe (number 8) are named as starters along with Richie McCaw on the open as always. One would have to wonder if Thorne is a little underdone, not having played since the debacle at Rustenberg due to injury, and also Masoe hasn't had much game time at number 8 - probably the reason he has been put in this position as the utility back row cover. With only So'oialo riding the rimu for this game as replacement cover, these guys will have to go the distance and last out the entire 80 minutes of the game. Thorne will have earned his place in part due to his height, and the addition of another jumper in the All Black lineout. The English have 5 players over 1.9m and the All Blacks can put a ring around pressure being put on them at lineout time. Let's see this much talked about improved lineout then boys...

In addition, Keith Robinson has returned to the pack after a 2-1/2 year absence from test footy recovering from a back injury. Robinson has been selected to add some steel and resolve to an All Black pack that has been a bit down on these important commodities of late, particularly in tough times against the Wallabies and Africans in the Tri-Nations this year. One could not go so far as to say that he is an enforcer, but certainly he added steel to the Waikato pack in the domestic rugby competition in New Zealand this year, and it is that attitude that helped him recover and earn a test recall. Go the big man, and with Danny Grewcock on the field it seems likely that his skills will be needed at some point during the game.

This should be a good test match, clearly New Zealand are expecting a win. This many changes, so many top level players not being selected in key positions indicate a certain confidence going into the game. It will be very interesting to see what happens on Monday morning, the English will be desperate for a win being ranked 6th in the world at the moment, and having the worst record of win to loss ratio as World Cup holders ever. There is plenty for England to play for, and one senses that the All Black focus is on the two test series against France for this tour. Dangerous...

2006-10-28T16:46:00.000+10:00

End of Season Tour Parties Depart for Northern Shores

Both the All Blacks and the Wallabies have now taken off for Europe on their end of season tours to prepare for RWC 2007. The All Blacks have a realtively inexperienced England team to take on, as well as a test against Wales. The highlight of the tour is of course the two tests against the monkey on the back of the All Blacks - France. One takes place on armistice day and it is being suggested that there will be plenty of fire in the bellies of the French as they take the field that day. Let's hope we don't see a repeat of the Shelford incident, but short of that everything should be fine. The French will still be smarting from the embarrasing defeat they suffered at the hands of the All Blacks last season when their front row was shamed into golden oldies no pushing scrums due to 'injuries'. Anyone that watched that game knew that was a complete capitulation and the 'injuries' were bogus. This time it will be different and that loss will serve as a great motivator for the French.

The All Blacks on the other hand are coming off a successful season, retaining the Tri Nations and generally performing well - with the notable excpetion of the line out, and of course some troubling aspects returning to their game that is reminiscent of seasons gone by. Particularly seasons just before, and in the same year as RWC. The lineout remains concern number one, and is a wise move Ryan has returned to the fold of locks that are going on tour, as has Keith Robinson. This should provide more options, and on the eve of leaving there was much talk about the work that had been put into the All Black lineout. I await the improvement, and they will need to be remarkable to ensure that the All Blacks are not taken apart by the Northern Hemisphere teams in this area, many of which excel at lineout time. The return of several key players that were involved in the systematic destruction of the touring Lions lineout in New Zealand in 2006 is a good move.

Also an improvement in the team to be selected to tour by New Zealand is the return of COnrad Smith. Returning from a broken leg (so badly broken that according to Smith the only thing keeping his leg in one piece was his sock) Smith has had a good season for Wellington. It is rumoured that until Lean McDonald is available Smith will slot in at centre and Mills will revert to fullback - for at the least the game against England. One concern is that Smith did not perform so well in the final agains the mighty Waikato Mooloo men. Kahui, the young up and coming centre had the better of him by all reports and yet Smith will slot straight back in. Clearly the slectors must have something in mind, and of course knowing players and being able to slot in to competition at that level is important, however we do want the best. We'll see what happens. There are some good games ahead and you will be able to catch analysis and results here on this blog as and when they happen.

The Wallabies do not seem to be having quite the same start to their tour. They have been at sixes and sevens since Gregan declared himself unavailable for this tour. That absence has seen Matt Giteau, one of the more expensive buys for the Western Force based in Perth, transferred to play at half back. Understandably John Mitchell, head coach at the Force (who knows for how long) is less than impressed with this shifting around of one of their key players. Giteau is not a half back, doesn't want to be a half back, but starting half back he will be. This is a worrying sign for Wallabies fans, any team with this lack of depth is in trouble. Giteau was supposed to be putting pressure on the less than impressive Larkham (in recent times) but now it seems he is the back up boy, and any experience he gets on this tour will not assist at world cup time because he certainly wont be starting at half back then. Georgie Porgie will be returning then, you heard it here first.

Nevertheless, it is good that there will again be some international rugby union gracing our screens again. These games where the colonies take on the 'home unions' are always great affairs and bring out the best (or worst) in both teams and we have cracking games. I can't wait, although of course there is no place for biffo in today's game (yeah, whatever). Bring it on, I am looking forward to the games, biffo and physicality included!

2006-10-14T09:21:00.000+10:00

The first game for the 2007 Super 14 competition has been anounced. The Blues will take on the Crusaders at Eden Park to begin the season. It should be an interesting game, with most reports noting only that the Crusaders will be without their All Blacks for that gamem in all probability, due to the NZRFU anouncement that key All Blacks will be rested for the first 7 games of next years' competition. Of course, the Blues will be without their All Blacks however given the way that those guys have been playing (beaten by Wellington 30-15 in this years semi final) it seems that this Blues and Auckland team are again failing to perform when required.

Consider this alongside the loss that Canterbury suffered to Wellington in the final round, and you'd have to start thinking that the All Blacks are not really performing for their domestic teams. By all accounts Richie McCaw had a terrible game. Full credit to Wellington, but they are hardly a star studded team (although they do have the All Black lose forward trio). This is not good news for any fan of New Zealand rugby. Wellington have now beaten Canterbury and Auckland in consecutive weeks, the All Blacks in those sides that are beaten are failing to perform, and this is in the season prior to Rugby World Cup year...

I am going to go on record now and say that there is no way that the All Blacks will win the Rugby World Cup in 2007. The above is part of the reason for stating this, but the other reasons have been touched on in this blog all season. The main reason is that you simply cannot have any confidence in a professional rugby team that can't win its own lineout ball. This has been a problem for the All Blacks for at least the last decade, and for some reason they cannot fix it. This is nothing short of a disaster, and is far more significant than the collapse of the Wallaby front row this year. There are many more lineouts in a game of rugby than there are scrums, and even while on the back foot, the Wallabies still manage to win most of the scrums that they feed. The same cannot be said of the All Black lineout.

My second reason for stating that the All Blacks will lose the next World Cup is that defence is again becoming the most important aspect of New Zealand rugby. Defence is crucial, and the Crusaders know that more than most teams having effectively won several of their titles on the back of staunch defence. However, you must score points to win a game and there is mounting evidence that New Zealand is having trouble doing that from pre-planned and organised back line moves. Most tries this season were from turnovers, and the consequent counter attack. To be sure this is good, scoring from mistakes is an important part of any teams scoring arsenal. However, it is not so positive when viewed against the lack of tries scored from sustained pressure. Too often the pick and go is used over and over and over, and there is no other plan other than to keep doing that. It is as if the All Blacks don't know what to do with the ball when they have it in hand and the first line of attack is absorbed by the opposition.

Stupidity will also play a big part in losing the next world cup. The last game that the All Blacks played against South Africa was there for the taking and stupidity cost them the game. It is possible that a lesson may be learned from this game by Rodney So'oialo, however I doubt it. His brain explosion gifting Africa the game in the dying minutes at Rustenberg is an example of the kind of play that we had been lead to believe was no longer in the All Black manual. They were supposed to have developed 'mental toughness' that would see them through the tight games. Admitedly this was the last game of the season and nothing was riding on it, but the hype in the lead up was that the All Blacks wanted to win it, "so why didn't they show that on the field and take the game when it was there for the taking?" is my question.

There must also be some comment on the coaching of the team. While the results have, mostly, gone well since Henry and his wise men have taken over there are several key underlying areas for concern that have either failed to be addressed by a succession of coaches. I have already pointed to the lineout which is an ongoing problem. Also, I have pointed to the deficiencies in attacking, and the often directionless play that the team produces when given a lot of possession hot on attack. There seems little direction and plan in the back line in general, and too much emphasis on trying to score from all parts of the field rather than building pressure to produce points and force the error.

The other fascinating area in terms of coaching is the scrum where a specialist scrummaging coach has been retained. So two key areas of forward play are no longer running well under the stewardship of Steve Hansen - one has even been taken off him and given to a specialist, with a suggestion that the other is too. What is left for him to do? I rate the All Blacks scrum, it has been going well, but the rest of the world is catching up and I am picking that they will not dominate the French during the armistice day test match. There will be plenty of fire up front and the All Blacks can expect to be matched in that area. With the scrum dominance gone, how well with this team perform?

Lastly, the coaching team does not seem to be able to operate with a free hand. Commitments to sponsors are binding the hands that are charged with winning the World Cup for New Zealand. Rather than getting the rest that the coaching staff have deemed to be the best possible preparation for the team to win the cup, the team are shaping up to be made to play in some kind of half baked compromise where no one will end up getting what they want, including the Rugby watching public who want to win the Rugby World Cup. I note that the rotation policy is to make a comeback this year in the end of year tour to England, France, and Wales due mostly to England insisting that their test match be held 5 days prior to the first French test. Once again the NZRFU are shown to be amateurs in their organisation having test dates dictated to them, and foolishly anouncing the withdrawal of the All Blacks from the Super 14 without having first ensured that they were able to do it, or consulting with key stakeholders...

Finally, I will turn to the usual refrain of "but the team has to keep some things up its sleeve before the world cup" and "but they have to keep their powder dry". Successive New Zealand coaches have always said this in the lead up to RWC competitions. Why anyone has believed this, I don't know, but the public in their desire to win the RWC seem prepared to accept any kind of false promise. The captain of the titanic crying "steady as she goes". If the All Blacks were the best team in the World, we would be seeing it now. As it happens, they are fortunate to be in the situation that they are and the Wallabies are closing in fast, and we are about to see how close the Northern Hemisphere teams are also. Watch out, there are several teams that will be ready, willing, and able to knock the All Blacks off during the 2007 RWC competition.

2006-09-20T17:43:00.000+10:00

League Converts, News Limited, and Hair Cuts

Okay, so it has been a while since the last post to this blog, however given the raft of games that we had just struggled through, and the length of the competition this year, you will, I am sure, forgive me for taking a little time off to recover from the rigours of the professional era. And the players reckon they have it tough! Take a moment to congratulate yourselves for making it through such a demanding season. You all should give yourselves a pat on the back, or the beer belly if that is the only thing you can reach! The season takes its toll on the best of us that way sometimes! If News Limited have their way then we should expect more and more rugby to get through each year. I'm not sure about you all, but I think I am up for it! Doctor says I shouldn't however!

Okay, so the slightly delayed news is that Mat Rogers is going back to Rugby League. In addition, Lote Tuqiri has also revealed that League is his first love and if he had the chance to go back, then he would probably take it. Is this desertion? Is this bad for Rugby Union? Should there be some sort of consequence of such out in the open talk of defecting to the dark side? Many Aussie commentators are suggesting that very thing in the wake of these 'surprise' anouncements.

Right. Whatever. Who do they think they are kidding? I agree with Fitzsimons (hold the front page) who rightly points out that the cheque book did the talking in getting these players to convert from NRL to Union, and clearly that is all that is happening here. Rogers couldn't force his way back into a starting jersey in the Wallaby team this year, and it wasn't looking like he would be able to reliably play in the national side from this point. Full marks for heading to the Gold Coast to play for them in 2008. A challenged, and he'll bring a lot to that team. Note that the Wallabies still have his services for the World Cup next year - beyond that who would want him anyway? He's too old, already struggling to hold a place in a star studded team. Bring through the newbies.

Tuqiri is in a different position. For a start, he is currently, or soon going to be negotiating his contract for the coming years. So, why not hint at a defection? It will, or at least might, bring in some higher competitive offers that the winger might think of taking. However, he knows which side his bread is buttered on, and in this age of rampant professionalism what else can we expect from the chequebook converters? They will do all they can to maximise their earnings while they have the chance, and why shouldn't they? There is no question of loyalty here, or rather disloyalty. The fact is that in Lote's case, he has also largely served his purpose. He'll be good for the world cup, and then after that they ought to be looking elsewhere, and saving their pingers for the next set of chequebook converters.

It wasn't that long ago that the New Zealand rugby player ranks were being decimated by Rugby League chequebook wielding scouts, who secured repeated defections to league. It is good to see the shoe on the other foot, with Rugby Union moving away from the utopian fools paradise that was the so called amateur status of the game. I say so called, as almost everyone was doing what they could to make it professional in every way, except by name. That battle is long over now, so why bring it up in the context of high profile players anouncing their intentions and using the media to their own ends. Interesting that it has only happened in Australia so far....why is that I wonder? Player development an issue perchance? Aussie certainly don't have a lot of depth, or many exciting new players coming into the game through their own ranks.

Not much else to report. New Zealand is right into the domestic season, and Aussie seems content to muddle through the domestic competition it has never had with the Australian Provincial Championship. Eddie Jones has labelled this a waste of time, and it is hard not to agree wtih him this time given that it is a one off competition between the super 14 franchise teams, and will be replaced with the 8 team national tournament from next year. In any event, apparently the Brumbies are winning, with the Force and Reds in second place. Yawn. I wonder if this is related to the above issues? Not according to Greg Gowden and other analysts of the game here.

No doubt you will all recall the discussion on this blog about the News Limited reaction to the NZRFU anouncing that All Blacks will be rested during the first seven rounds of next years Super 14 competition. Grant Fox has waded into the issue with a few points of his own, many of which were canvassed here earlier, but Fox has included a number of additional points. The article is worth a read, and can be found by clicking here.

Well, that's about it for now. In closing, I am sure that you will all gree that it is good news that George Smith has finally had a hair cut. Fair enough doing that sort of thing for charity, but I wonder if the attention it got this season has finally caused him to consider whether having dreads is really the best thing for a professional rugby player. It is, in the words of the All Blacks coaching staff, asking for it and on more than one occaision he has gotten it. In any event, with the new do we'll have to think of different contenders for worst hairdo in Super 14. Methinks mullet man Eaton would win that hands down! Check back soon for more updates.

2006-09-09T23:30:00.002+10:00

Ugliest Player in 2007 Tri-Nations Competition Anounced

It's official, with 50% of the popular vote Chris Jack has been voted the ugliest player of the 2007 Tri-Nations competition. Well done Chris, another trophy for Southern men to be proud of. Truth be told the Southern Men have had their hands on this one since O'Halloran retired from the Hurricanes. That man surely fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Chris has an unfortunate resemblance to the banjo playing kid from Deliverance - perhaps he's the kids uncle? Runners up Akona Ndungane (also known as Anaconda reports the Sydney Morning Herald) and Anton Oliver also put in strong showings being tied for second place. Nice going lads.

Today was also noted as the final game of the Tri-Nations from Joburg took place. Imust admit it was difficult to get too excited over this game, but I did still watch it. Late at night, on a windy and wild Sydney evening. The Wallabies took on the best of South Africa in the final game of the series. The Wallabies started well and looked like they had a point to prove to All Blacks fans who think that the World Cup is in the bag.

The opening exchanges were marked by staunch African defence, and some clever play by the Wallabies back line, particularly Larkham who managed the backline play well. The rush defence was again utilised by the Africans to good effect, but it has to be said that they have improved markedly in the loose. The Africans of course dominated in the tight up front as well, Os du Randt took Rodzilla to school and showed him what scrummaging is really all about.

Steve Walsh had his usual game, lots of whislte and plenty of involvement from the ref. The Joburg crowd gave him their usual fair and unbiased appraisal of his performance at times. In spite of some promising attacking play by the African backs, stout Wallaby defence saw the game tied at half time, 3 points all. To be fair, the game was waiting for someone to do something to blow it open and break out with a scoring play. By far the best play of the first half was Jeremy Paul's dislocated finger - ouch!

An early penalty saw Africa score first after the break, and while it is always good to get points on the board early on in the second half, they would've been looking for something more. Australia answered immediately with a try to Larkham, who scored from sustained forward pressure, and a nice inside pass from Palu. Mortlock added the extra points from a relatively early kick, made from slightly wider out as Larkham was deemed to have grounded the ball wider out than he initially claimed. Good involvement of the TMO. The Wallabies then lead by 10-6.

A silly penalty from Vickerman gave the Africans the opportunity to snatch back three points, and Pretorious did not miss the easy points on offer. 10-9 in favour of the Wallabies after 8 in the second half. 5 minutes later Pretorius added another 3 from a difficult drop goal to put his side back in front, 12-10. Given their possession and the pressure they had been applying to the Wallabies, perhaps running the ball may have been a better option, but points are points, and this was looking like a close one. Two minutes later, it didn't matter one iota as du preez took a quick tap following a strong African forward drive that Chisholm pulled down, caught the Wallabies napping, and muscled over for what became a 7 pointer. Great play from the half back. 19-10 to Africa after 56 minutes. 13 unanswered points from Africa, but still only one try a piece. However, the confidence was running stong in the African side, their pride starting to swell their chests once again. Could it be that they would have two wins in two weeks after being the laughing stock of the Tri-Nations? Dare to dream was the call last week, would it be so again for Jake White's African side?

The Wallabies struck back at the 59 minute mark with a three pointer following some blatant offside play from the Africans. Mortlock elected to kick, and saw his team right by converting the penalty into points. Some poor form under the high ball from the African winger saw an offside regathering of the ball draw a penalty that Mortlock again converted into 3 much needed points for his side. The Wallabies back in the match, 19-16 to South Africa and just 3 points in it. A valuable lesson for Africa, it's an 80 minute game. Too much kicking from Pretorius robbed a rampaging confident African back line of some great attacking opportunities, and handed safe ball back to the Wallabies who were tiring in the dying stages of the match.

A great try to Paulse snatched all hope of victory from the iring Wallaby side. Even Captain Fantastic Gregan was left reeling from the attack, apparently injured in the driving play of the Africans. The initiative was wrested back with that try, and when the slow to get to his feet Paulse returned back to half way the crowd gave him a deserved cheer. Fantastic stuff, and one would have to wonder why he had been left out in the cold for so long when he had such a hand in turning this game. The missed conversion had the Africans ahead by 8 points, 24-16. Would it be enough? 75 minutes elapsed, and Knuckles showed his astute reading of the game by bringing on Smith.

Smith did managed to stomp on the feet of a prone African in the few minutes he was on, and we got a nice replay of that courtesy of the African feed we were watching. Of course, the Aussie commentators said nothing about that, talking instead of 50-50 calls not going their way. In any event, Africa held them out with some stout defence in front of the home crowd. 50-50 calls did not decide this game, good enterprising play, and the ability to apply sustained pressure won the day as usual. It was a much improved performance from Africa and they can be justly proud of having come so far. While this 24-16 victory wont erase the memories of the 49-0 thrashing in Brisbane, it will go some way to restoring confidence among the African team, and bestowing some pride in the Springbok side. Well done Springboks, it was a good game and you deserved to win scoring 2 tries to 1. Hopefully next time you will get a decent crack at the Tri-Nations with some more astute scheduling so you have a home game before it is all done and dusted, and maybe the Australian Rugby Union wont stuff you around with training venues.

That brings an end to the Tri-Nations, it's been great covering the controversey, results and speculation with you all. Keep checking back, there is a great deal of rugby to be played yet this year, not to mention the developments over next years Super 14 competition still to cover. Check back often, there'll still be plenty of posts on this site to keep you going. Thanks for reading, and thanks to those of you that voted in the polls taken on this site. They'll still be going, but may revert to montly polls for the next wee while.

2006-09-09T23:30:00.001+10:00

2006-09-09T23:30:00.000+10:00

2006-09-06T15:00:00.000+10:00

Loss Leaves A Sour Taste For ABs Fans

The 1 point defeat in Rustenburg has left both a sour taste in the mouths of All Blacks fans, as well as resurrected a few fears from past failed World Cup campaigns. And well it should. While Steve Hansen can be philosophical after the loss and spout on about winning 8 out of 9 tests this year, being astonishingly blase about the All Blacks lineout saying it was a problem common throughout all New Zealand rugby, and fans should get used to it. Pardon? What the hell is he talking about? Mr Hansen is the present All Blacks forwards coach. At the moment it is his job to make the lineout function. He's already got specialist advice about the scrum, and Graham Henry's assertion that Hansen is a specialist lineout coach seem ludicrous at this point. Hansen's suggestion is 'get used to the lineout being bad'? Goodbye RWC 2007 if that attitude is allowed to flourish within the All Black camp.

Graham Henry and the wise men that have been developing this team toward winning the competition have so far learned well from events that have taken place, and learned the lessons that needed to be learned to make the team perform better. In this case, they are wallowing in denial if they think they can just leave the problem alone and win test matches with a malfunctioning lineout. Every international side will now target the All Blacks lineout and they ought to be practising it like never before, not hiding their heads in the sand and saying "get used to it". If I were an All Blacks fan, I would be crying out for someone to tell Hansen needs in no uncertain terms that he has to do whatever it takes to get the lineout sorted, right now.

The rotational policy hasn't helped much here, and combinations need to be worked on. It seems that the All Blacks have decided that if they make the lineouts more and more complex, the opposition wont be able to figure out what is going on. Unfortunately for them, the opposition decide to send up number two or four and see what happens. Now it seems most of the time they can get the ball off an All Black throw. The All Blacks need to figure out why going to number 2 or 4 is not an option at lineout time. If they are running scared then I would sack the locks, but mostly I would drop Ali Williams and give mullet boy a go, he's won better lineout ball than the clown, and has a better hairstyle hands down! Chris Jack is usually up to it, and if he had a decent partner they'd probably be right.

All Blacks fans must be in a difficult position now. A good campaign is completed by their team, however some of the old demons have clearly come back to haunt them. I'd be nervous about the end of year tour to France, although the French are more likely to cruelly dash New Zealand hopes actually in a final, rather than in the lead up to a competition. It'll be interesting to see how the ABs perform, and if they can in fact build on their performances and be a more complete unit in anticipation of the RWC tournament.

Elsewhere interest is being feigned in the final game of the Tri-nations competition. Yes, I will still watch it, but it really is a game between the also rans. It would be difficult to maintain that South Africa can play out of their skins and beat the Wallabies. There is nothing in it for Aussie, so that may give the Africans a slight edge, at least if they want coach White to stay at the helm. The teams are to be named today so it will be interesting to see what changes are made. Habana is apparently suffering from concussion, and may need to be replaced. Shame really, he is their most potent attacking weapon. Especially when passed the ball by an opposition number 8, with no defenders in sight between him and the try line.

Connolly is likely to experiment with some new combinations, and may use this as an opportunity to try a new half back in preparation for the end of year tour sans Gregan. The Wallabies must be liking their chances of competing well at RWC 2007 after the All Blacks loss to a clearly inferior South African side last week. The Wallabies have been shwon how to do it, and all they need to now is prepare.

2006-09-03T01:18:00.000+10:00

Dream the Impossible Dream!

It's official, the upset of upsets has ocurred, and you didn't exactly hear it here first, but at least I did say that I would not be surprised to see the upset take place given the All Black confidence, and expectations riding so high. The Springboks wanted the victory more and a few dunderheaded decisions cost the All Blacks highly. Rodney So'oialo will not remember this game fondly, gifting Habana a try after what can only be described as a brain explosion by passing him the ball leaving the try line open, being instrumental in the disallowing of one try, and being involved in giving away the penalty that ultimately cost the All Blacks the game.

But it is not the fault of one man, as any loss rarely is. The All Blacks were weak tonight, the weakest we have seen them all season. Lineout woes returned, and not even Mullet Boy's new mou could save them tonight. How about that? Isn't he the biggest bogun in the game these days? Eaton, what a man! What a fashion statement!

The All Blacks never looked comfortable with the rush defence, and the only kick through (from Mils Muliaina I believe) resulted in an easy try to the flying fijian Joe Rokocoko out on the wing. The All Blacks consistently failed to 'break out' tonight and failed to take opportunities. They will learn much from this loss, and hopefully what they will learn is some humility, as will the New Zealand press. They need look no further for challengers to the World Cup, anyone with a decent lineout can take on this team.

The South Africans failed to capitulate this week. They toughed it out, and showed some discipline and passion in the last moments of the game. They denyied the All Blacks a come from behind victory in the last seconds by stripping captain fantastic of the ball. They consistently managed to slow the game down with well timed injuries and allowed their forwards to suck in some big ones and stay in the game to the end. They did well. They played well, played to a strategy, and stuck with it.

There will be some fallout after this game, as the Africans played a tough test match, and took it to the All Blacks up front. This will be good for African rugby, they have succeeded in avoiding a record 7 defeats in a row for a South African side. Their combinations worked well, and this team may start to play with more confidence against the Wallabies, something that should serve them well.

So, a good result all round. The officials copped a lot of criticism where I watched the game, but truth be told although there were some harsh decisions, the All Blacks were their own worst enemy. The Africans played a good hard test and deserved the win more than New Zealand. Rugby was the winner on the day, it was a game of two halves, and full credit to the Africans (thanks Sean Fitzpatrick (although he would have also thanked the ladies for the fantastic spread). Maybe there is life in this Tri-Nations lark yet!

2006-09-02T18:30:00.000+10:00

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...

2006-08-31T14:29:00.000+10:00

New Zealand and Africa "Ring In The Changes"

But first, the ongoing News Limited issue. As you're all aware, the last lead in submission to my previous post was from a contributor to this site. He read the reply that I posted and had this to say in response:

The point about SKY that I was trying to make was the quality of the product - yes there will still be great movies on show on Sky and there will even be live sport but surely the pay TV product would be reduced if they didn't show all the S14 games? This is the same story with the S14 sans the ABS - yes there will still be a competition and yes there will still be great players to watch but surely the quality of the product is reduced if the ABS aren't on display? Therefore like the subscriber, they have a reason to squeal.

You make an excellent point - broadcast rugby and they people will watch. yes the Tri-Nations was already won but did you watch the AB SA game? I did - and why? Because for all the talk
of fans becoming bored and "too much rugby" we have yet to see a TV viewing public boycott or viewers turning away in droves. Does that mean that News Ltd is right to demand further and further expansion of the rugby competitions - nope but it is a bit rich of the NZRFU and the other unions to cry foul and to say they are acting "in the interests of the game" as their profits soar.

There is no question that the 'product' is being effected by the All Blacks not playing. The difficulty I had with your analogy was simply that it was based on the fact that the product was completely absent from Sky (ie Super 14 games would not be shown). That's not a reduction in quality in terms of Super 14, it is a complete absence of it for half the competition. Super 14 will still be played, there will be good players on show. there will be the same New Zealand franchises fielding teams, people just wont be able to see Reuben Thorne and Scott Hamilton play on tv (if News Limited want to broadcast it)!

This leads in well to the second point that you raise. As I said, broadcast it and they will watch. No doubt about it. I don't believe there is such a thing as too much Rugby (if you're watching it) and have long been an advocate for 10 channels with nothing but rugby on them 24 hours a day! With the extra Rugby available now, to the best of our combined knowledge, there has not been a downturn in viewership. People are not getting bored by it, they want to watch, and News Limited and the NZRFU and other unions are making large amounts of cash out of it.

The issue here, for me, is twofold. Firstly, and less significantly, News Limited are assuming that there will be downturn in viewership because the All Blacks wont be playing. That will not necessarily be the case because seldom do people watch every game that an All Black is playing in. They normally follow their team, or teams they hate(!), and will continue to do so. Many viewers continued to watch the Tri-Nations even though the All Blacks had won it. I will also continue to watch the games between Africa and the Wallabies. Why assume that people will stop watching the Super 14 because the All Black World Cup Squad wont be playing? With the Australian and African franchises likely to do better (at least in the first 7 rounds) perhaps more people in those countries will start watching when their teams win (possibly compensating for viewership declining in NZ as those franchises struggle)!

Secondly, and more importantly the people charged with winning the Rugby World Cup 2007 for New Zealand have stated that they want to rest the All Blacks for the entire competition. They got a compromise from the NZRFU that the players will be rested for 7 rounds. What interest does News Limited have in the All Blacks winning the Rugby World Cup in 2007? None as far as I know.

The NZRFU clearly does have an interest in winning because we all know that the New Zealand rugby watching public will not take another RWC loss well. The cries of "chokers", and "you peak too early" that come from Australia, South Africa, and now even more parts of the world are starting to cut to the quick. The whole country will be covered in a dark cloud of depression for at least three and a half years after any such loss! After that hope, expectation, even certainty that the All Blacks will win the next competition takes over (the arrogance the Australians comment on so much).

Also, the coaching staff have their hands tied in this situation if News Limited takes away a strategic method of preparing for the RWC. They are not able to do what they think is required to give the team the best possibly chance of winning the most important tournament in international rugby. So, New Zealand plays another super 14 with the All Blacks, and win it again. New Zealand plays another Tri-Nations (even more games) with all the All Blacks and win it again. Then New Zealand play another World Cup and lose it again. I would gladly take many Super 14 and Tri-Nations losses if it meant winning the World Cup. In fact, if we never won another Super 14 or Tri-Nations competition, but won every World Cup and Bledisloe Cup, that'd be just fine with me. The World Cup is the pinnacle, the most important of them all. The NZRFU must give the team the best chance to win what matters most. The more you tie the hands of the coaching staff in these sorts of ways, the less responsible they are for the outcome.

As we both said, News Limited and the NZRFU make too much money to let this sort of problem go on for too long. A compromise will be reached as neither can afford to jeopardise the cash cow that the Super 14 and Tri-Nations are. It will be interesting to see what they work out though.

Back to Footy! The ABs have anounced their team. There are some surprises, however not that many that weren't picked in the previous post that I did on this point. Howlett comes in at fullback to allow the two Fijian Flyers to take their places on the wings (Rokocoko and Sivivatu). A pretty potent back three, but there must be some question marks over this untried combination as having Howlett at fgullback didn't work too well for the Blues when they tried it and had Rokocoko and Caucau on the wings.

Mils slots back in at centre and it seems as if this will be the first choice selection position for him. Aaron Mauger returns from injury, and I think we can look to see his defence being questioned by the South African backline. Daniel Carter remains at first five, and this weekend he will be teamed up with Jimmy Cowan who gets his first starting game replacing Piri Weepu.

The forward pack has been substantially altered, however captain fantastic is still the number one choice. The starting loose forward trio have been selected again with So'oialo and Colling joining McCaw. The locks are Chris Jack and Ali Williams are the locking combination. The front row consists of Carl Hayman, Tony Woodcock, and Andrew Hoare.

The reserves are Anton Oliver, Neemia Tialata, Jason Eaton, Marty Holah, Byron Kelleher, Luke McAlister, and Rico Gear. Hopefully the injry count this week will be much reduced from last week but we can expect to see some of the reserves being used this weekend I am sure.

The biesieged Sprinboks have made five changes to their side, and it is reported that no one in South Africa outside of the camp thinks that the changes will make any difference to the result this weekend. Finally Percy Montgomerey has got it in the neck and Jacque Fourie comes into fullback in his place. About time, Percival's kicking game was shocking, but when they ran it the Africans looked better when the game had already been lost.

AJ Venter comes back into the side at Number 8 bringing a wealth of experience. He will be joined by Pierre Spies and Pedrie Wannenburg in the lose. The only other change to the pack is B J Botha coming in for C J van der Linde.

Pretorious starts at first five in place of James and Wynand Olivier comes in to the vacant centre berth left by Fourie's positional change to fullback. Both wingers remain in their positions, howver Paulse has returned to the bench and could see some game time.

It will be interesting to see how they go. They are facing an All Black team that has several key changes from the team they lost to by 19 points last week. It is unlikely that the changes will weaken the All Blacks, but I think that the Africans will be stronger for the changes they have made. They will be desperate to win this game, again, but this time they might actually be able to produce some intensity that lasts the distance. There are concerns over fitness, and if that is true they will be in trouble again. Bring it on I say!

2006-08-30T13:20:00.000+10:00

A Word on the News Limited Debate From A Contributor

I have today received the following from a regular contributor to this blog (by way of e-mail comments) and he asked me to publish this on the site in connection with the latest round of spats in public between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, and corporate giant News Limited. This contribution raises some good points and is worthy of a read, particularly in connection with this week's poll.

I hear that that SKY TV has decided NOT to broadcast the first 6 rounds of the S14 on TV so that they can carry out urgent maintenance and re-equip their studios and engineering departments to ensure the best coverage of the world cup ever, and to ensure that any possible technical disruption to coverage of the World cup rugby is minimised. Subscription charges are to remain the same. Is this fair to fans who have signed up for the service on the understanding that they could view all S14 games live - surely SKY should offer some kind of compensation?

The story isn't true of course but this is pretty much the scenario that News Ltd faces - yes resting the ABs should give them a better chance at the all important prize but surely they are within their rights to ask for compensation - no Abs (and we are talking a fair few players) participating for such a long stretch of the competition is a significant ask and the ABs and the NZRFU is a business worth millions of dollars - surely other businesses of similar size would be expected to fulfil their side of a contract even if the reason for doing so is noble?

I can't see this story going anywhere and I am sure something will be worked out pretty quickly, the NZRFU and News Ltd are constantly playing games of bluff in order the strengthen their all important bargaining position when contract renewal time comes about. How many times have we heard that News Ltd is thinking of dropping its support of rugby or that the NZ TV audience can't justify the funding etc?

The fact is both News Ltd and the NZRFU have both done very well out of the current arrangement - remember the fuss about the expanded Tri-nations series or the move from S12 to S14? Was News Ltd bullying the rugby unions into more games than they wanted to play and diluting the interest of fans by over exposing the 2 most popular competitions in this part of the world?

A quick check of the TV ratings figures and the NZRFU bank balances seems to suggest both parties did very well out of the new arrangements. Now the news comes of a possible further expansion of the Tri-Nations series - and no doubt the inevitable cries of outrage against News Ltd. Yawn.

As I have said there are some fair points in this contribution. However, one point I would take issue with is the analogy to Sky TV cancelling broadcasting the first six rounds of the Super 14 and the consequent effect on subscribers. Unless I misunderstand the position of the NZRFU, I don't think they are saying that there will be no Super 14 for the first seven rounds, but that the Super 14 squads in New Zealand will field teams that do not feature All Blacks. I readily agree that this means under strength teams would be fielded, with a consequent effect on the quality of the product, however there would still be a competition to be broadcast and money to be made. It may even be a more lively competition as the African and Australian sides might stand a chance of winning the competition next year. Come to think of it, probbly not as the All Blacks would be available for the allimportant finals...

In reference to the point about the constant posturing of the respective parties, and the negligible effect more and more televised rugby has had on the enthusiasm of the rugby watching public to soak up more and more product, does this have any lessons for a Super 14 competition sans ABs? Would people watch the Super 14 sans ABs? Presumably this is all that News Limited should care about. Experience seems to show that they would given that there is so much more rugby to watch now, and it is claimed that more people are watching it. How many customers will cancel pay tv subscriptions because the All Blacks aren't playing some games?

But there is one question that we do need to consider. Can we honestly say that this extended Tri-Nations has been more exciting than the older format? I doubt it. This year the result was known before the Africans got to play at home, there was really only one horse in the race, and the level of football being played during the test in Sydney was woeful. The only reason to watch that game was the chance of an upset win to South Africa. The lesson seems to be that if you broadcast it, they will watch.

Let us not forget how the Austrlaians and the Africans fit into this. So far there has not been any anouncement about their plans for national players during the Super 14. I have seen references to resting key players during the Super 14, such as Larkham, however no firm commitments have been made to my knowledge. Presumably News Limited will also be seeking the same sort of 'compensation' from these two unions in the event that they do not field their national players in the RWC year.

As identified in the above contribution, the key here is cash. There is simply too much money at stake for some resolution not to be reached between News Limited and the NZRFU. Add to that the fact that many fans have benefited from the move to professionalism, and the new competitions that have arisen as a result of News Limited and the promotional agreements that they have reached with the unions participating in the Super 14. I think that the rugby watching public in southern hemisphere rugby union nations has a lot to thank News Limited for. It would be wise to resolve this 'dispute' with a view to sorting out some sort of format or arrangement that will suit the parties in future RWC years. I agree that the story will not go too far and a compromise will sort the dispute out because the two parties do so well out of it financially.

2006-08-29T13:22:00.000+10:00

The Last Reshuffle For All Blacks?

The word on the virtual street this week is that there could be as many as 10 changes to the All Black team to take the field at Rustenberg this weekend against the besieged Boks. Among those 10 changes are some surprises that will probably fail to cause much surprise as the naming of the team seems to be the worst kept secret in international rugby. Who can forget Wallaby claims they knew the starting lineup a week before the first test this season...not that it did them much good getting a twenty point whupping in Christchurch.

Apparently Tony Woodcock and Carl Hayman from the starting forward pack for the All Blacks are tipped to return, probably with Andrew Hoare at number 2 to round out the front row. Having dragged John Afoa all the way over from New Zealand it is a bit rough having the big powder puff sitting on the bench, while risking the two most important props in New Zealand rugby in what will probably be the Springboks most doer performance all year. After the allegations of questionable play during the last test match, it'll be interesting to see what, if any, dubious underhanded play comes out this week. Imagine not giving the boys a microphone for the haka so that the Boer crowd could drown them out with shouts of ole, ole, ole.

The second row should be Ali Williams and Chris Jack, provided that the big man recovers from a virus that had him confined to bed yesterday. It would be good to see someone else have a crack and measure how the lineout performs with a different jumper in there, along with a different number 2 throwing the ball in. The top level loose forward trio of McCaw, Collins, and So'oialo should return to take the field this week. I have to add that So'oialo has been playing some superb rugby these last few weeks, getting around the field like nobodies business. He is everywhere that man, watch him for a while and see how well he is reading play at the moment.

The lafbaack should be Jimmy Cowan, getting his first start in quite a while. He will team up with superstar Daniel Carter and Aaron Mauger who returns from his groin injury. Joe Rokocoko and Siteveni Sivivatu return to the wings, and there is some speculation on the full back and centre positions. Some have speculated that Doug Howlett will play in the number 15, presumably resulting in Mils Muliaina playing at centre, or perhaps Isaia Toeava will play there. That would be a big call as Douggie hasn't played at the back for the All Blacks since the test in 2003 against England in Wellington...not many good memories of that game for All Blacks fans.

I would be surprised to see Toeava not in the mix following these comments from All Blacks management during this Tri-nations competitionc learly indicating that they regard him as a major talent, and I would expect a central figure in the World Cup campagin of next year, and subsequent tournaments. Most recently selector Steve Hansen (admittedly the forwards coach) had this to say:

He is a young man and there have been a lot of expectations, and that's a lot to carry around. [On Sunday] he did particularly well after an unfortunate knock on. He had a peak at the try line which is an easy thing to do.

For him to pick himself up from that and play what I thought was his best test was a credit to him.

He defended really well and made good decisions. It was the first time we really got the ball wide against South Africa over the last couple of years and he has to get some credit for that.

His hands in the centres role were outstanding.

One day he will be a super star, I've got no doubt about that. The public and you people [the media] just have to be a little bit patient because we're prepared to be.

We know how good he is. We see it every day at training and we've seen in flashes in the games he's played.

Just give the kid a bit of a chance and sit back and watch this space.

(source: Jim Kayes, stuff).

Kayes goes on to analyse the failures of Toeava in the test match the weekend, claiming that he missed two opportunities to score tries. The fact that he single handedly made the opportunity going toe to toe with the South African winger and missing out by the narrowest of margin on dotting the ball down over the try line when he would have been unsighted? You're joking if you think he deserves criticism for that mate. That would have been a freakish try, and a try that would have justified the huge support he is getting from the All Black coaching staff at this point.

He definitely did cough the ball up once during the game, thus missing an opportunity and a defnite try. That is true, no argument there. But come on, this guy is young, not experienced at this level and will make mistakes because of that. He, and others in the team, need more experience at this level before they will reach their true potential. This is what the rotation policy is for, to blood these guys and get them used to the necessity of taking every opportunity at the top level that is available. You can be sure that Toeava will be wiser for the experience of having played at that level and will add this to his game. The days of throwing young players into the deep end of international test football to see if they sink or swim are over, thankfully, and a more measured approach is at last being adpoted that will bring considerable rewards to New Zealand rugby in the future.

Predictably the Springboks are preparing to dump coach White at the end of the Tri-Nations. Under the guise of a coaching panel to assist Coach White and his Springboks, this Thursday will see the convening of four past national coaches, representatives of 'previously disadvantaged communities', and of course the South African Rugby Football Union. DFesperate to stress that this forum is not an opportunity to stab the coach in the back and do away with him, it is being emphasised by SARFU that this is a constructive forum, to provide helpful advice to coach White to assist in improving the performance of the Springboks. Yeah, whatever. I don't think that you're fooling anyone. He'll get it in the neck like every other South African coach that fails to deliver. The only reason it hasn't happened by now is that there are only two games left in the Tri-Nations tournament this year.

In a positive move, A J Venter has rejoined the Springboks ahead of the clash this weekend, however the remainder of the team has not yet been anounced. We can obvioulsy expect a number of changes to be made to the starting side, with Montgomerey surely deserving demotion to the bench for continuing on his woeful form at the moment. He just isn't up to it, and I would epxect to see Pretorious come into the starting side. However, it is unlikely that any tactical changes at this late stage will see the Springboks reverse the 19 point defecit the All Blacks were able to clock up last week. Coach White put it down to being tired, and playing too much rugby. Well, if that is true they really are shot. It was the All Blacks that were backing up, dealing with jet lag and the hangover from a touch test match the previous week. I don't care where you play or who you are, you cannot get that much fitter in a week. They'll bring passion to the game, they'll do whatever they can to win, but it would be a brave person who would put any money on them successfully shutting down the potent All Black machine at this late stage.

2006-08-28T16:21:00.000+10:00

News Limited Turns Up Heat on NZRFU

The stoush over the proposed resting from the 2007 Super 14 competition of All Blacks involved in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Campaign has moved up a gear. News Limited have now made it clear that they were not consulted over the plans of the NRFU and reportedly believe that to rest the top level players would be a breach of contract. In these days of professionalism, and the all important dollar in Rugby, this could have potentially enormous repercussions for New Zealand Rugby.

News Limited are holding an ace up their sleeve in that they make quarterly payments to the NZRFU, and it is this money that funds the All Blacks, the Super 14 franchises, and basically the majority of professional rugby in New Zealand. As it is alleged that the resting of the All Blacks would constitute a breach of contract, New Limited could withhold payments under the contract with the NZRFU. This could be devastating.

It shoud be noted that the NRFU have stated that they have legal advice that the steps they have proposed thus far (resting the All Black players for the first seven rounds only) is not a breach of their contract with News Limited. They also have stated that they consulted with stakeholders concerning the decision...either News Limited isn't a stakeholder, isn't telling the truth when they say they weren't consulted by NZRFU, or someone at the NZRFU has stuffed things up in relation to a Rugby World Cup...again! The truth about this stoush will out, and I will expect sooner rather than later.

It is a shame that unions are not able to prepare for the biggest international rugby competitiuon in the way that they see fit. However, it also isn't good policy to allow unions to enter into agreements, get paid money, and then not live up to their obligations. The reality is that a stoush wont suit either News Limited or the NZRFU and so some sort of compromise will be agreed to. You heard it here first! Have your say on the current stoush by voting in our poll for this week, on the right had side of the blog.

Back to the game. Both Williams and Smit were cleared after being cited. Apparently the All Blacks are 'seething' after Victor Matfield was not cited after an alleged high and late tackle after 9 minutes on Daniel Carter. I think that is stretching it a bit, and at the time I saw the tackle I thought that Tony Johnson and Murray Mexted were being a bit overly protective. Daniel Carter ran to the line before kicking the ball, and seemed to be delaying the moment that he kicked it, presumably for maximum distance on the kick. Anytime that you do that, especially on Loftus, you are asking for it.

Newsflash; rugby is a physical game. The tackle was hard but not late nor that high, and if Carter doesn't like it, he could've kicked the ball much earlier. Add to this the complaining about Smit and his stoush with McCaw, my verdict is that the All Blacks need to take a hard look at themselves. They are in danger of becoming whingers who are too scared to respond to aggression on the field with some agression of their own. Troy Flavell could be back in the team soon, and then we'll see some agression from the All Blacks I think!

Coach White might not be called Coach White for much longer. Reports have it today that SARFU have contacted Rassie Erasmus (currently coach of the Cheetahs). Exactly what they contacted Rassie for is not stated in any reports yet, however after the defeat at the weekend it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to work that out. Rassie himself has denied being contacted.

What great preparation for the tournament next year that would be for the Africans. Sack the coach just after the Tri-Nations ends, and give a new guy the end of year tours to get started on. Not exactly ideal! But true to form at least for the Republic.

Erasmus has previously been contacted by SARFU about the availability of his services. It is understood that were he to be appointed to the top job, he wants all of South Africa to know the servie conditions. This is a reference to the affirmative action selection policies of the national side in South Africa. In simple terms, being required to select a specified number of black players in the team, not necessarily reflecting their abilities or skills. Sounds fair enough, this sort of thing ought to be transparent if you are going to do it.

This weekends game will be another late night/early morning affair for yours truly. It wont be on tv here, and I will again have to venture to the local watering hole to view the action. I hope that it is another free flowing game of open rugby in which the All Black backs are able to shine. Check back soon for the anouncement of the teams to play this weekend.

2006-08-27T01:24:00.000+10:00

All Blacks Secure First Win in Republic Under Henry

The New Zealand All Blacks downed a clearly off the pace South African Springbok side 45 to 26 at Loftus Versveld stadium in Pretoria. The game was torrid at times, patchy elsewhere and the Africans did play with as much passion as they have to give to the game. Coupled with some cheap shots, it just wasn't enough as they were outclassed in front of a home crowd so obsessed with victory they even cheered injuries to the All Black players.

The South African side were exposed as the average team that they are, by a second string All Black side. It must be said that with the number of injuries to the starting team, by the end of the first half it was beginning to look more like the number one team preferred by coach Henry and the selectors. While the Springboks raced out to a small lead, it never looked like they had any ideas about how to actually go about winning the game. Chief among the players that caused the downfall was Percy Montgomerey who kicked away so much ball he'd be better off playing AFL.

South Africa started with a hiss and roar, whipping out to an early lead in the opening exchanges. What was notable however was that all their scoring plays were from All Black mistakes, and you know that an All Black side is only going to make so many of those in one game. It seems that they made most of those inside the first 20 minutes of the game. The turning point was a 61 metre penalty conversion to first five Daniel Carter who then proceeded to set up the first All Black near try, followed by an actual try to the fat man, Tialata. Go the front rower! Everyone loves to see the porkers running on to a kick out wide to dot down in their first starting test.

In the second half there were a number of tries run in by the All Blacks who sailed away with the game. The Africans were able to bag a couple before full time to make the scoreline more flattering, but you'd always expect that in a game that was over with 20 to go and playing at altitude hard on the heels of a gruelling test. Jerry Collins made some deft moves, including taking a tap penalty kick to set up Sivivatu, as well as putting through an educated grubber kick for Rico Gear to run onto and dot down under the bar as the last try of the match. I have criticised Jerry before about not living up to the hype, but he certainly came good tonight.

Not so good was the lineout, as expected. The Africans won five off the All Black throw, however when Oliver was taken off for Mealamu, and Chris Jack came on, the lineout woes largely dried up. The Africans exploited the weak lineout well with kicks to touch, however this seemed to become their only idea on how to advance the ball and ended up simply kicking away too much ball to the All Blacks who recovered in the lineout. The Africans were comprehensively outplayed out wide tonight, and in midfield where a number of All Black busts began.

Also of concern was the number of injuries to key players. Leon McDonald, Greg Somerville, and Chris Masoe (who played extremely well until being injured - unlucky not to have been awarded a try that appeared to at least deserve inspection by the TMO, but I will concede that the ref was right on the spot) all appeared to suffer serious injury requiring them to be replaced. Ali WIlliams may have more to worry about than drink spiking tonight after belting an African lock that admittedly asked for it. We may hear some more about this, but in my view it was handled appropriately by the referee who in general was adequate, but stopped play too often and failed to let the advantage run in some instances.

The game was a tetchy affair and I doubt that McCaw and Smit will be sharing a drink tonight. Again McCaw copped some heavy attention, but not much more than you would expect a number 7 to cop when he's that good. He made some mistakes early on, but reverted to his stellar levels quickly thereafter and had a good game. Luke McAlister was handy, and the replacements that came on clicked in well to the team. However, this was a test match in name only, the Africans not being in quite the same league as this All Black side.

It is difficult to see where the Africans can go from here. This is now their longest losing streak ever. Their last best hope for a win is against the Wallabies in the last match of this years Tri-Nations. Coach White will be able to point to the last rally by his team, but there was little in that, the game having been won already and the All Blacks clearly playing within themselves. They did after all crank things up a gear to score the final try when required. There were some wonderful tries scored by the All Blacks, particularly some from sustained pressure and developing play - great to see.

So, the readers of this blog got the margin wrong - all bar the 16% that picked a 13+ scoreline. Well done to those of you that are in that group. Two more games to go in this season, and clearly the best team has won the competition again. The talk now will focus on the All Blacks peaking too early, or being chokers, but we'll just have to wait and see if that talk is anywhere near the mark.

2006-08-26T16:40:00.000+10:00

Results of Poll

The Poll has now been closed and the results for the fixutre tonight are that 50% of votes were cast in favour of the All Blacks taking out the game by 12 points or less. Pretty safe really. Each of the other options received 16% of the vote (Africa by 12 or less, 13 or more, or the ABs by 13 or more). It remains to be seen how wise the readers of this blog are, and what sort of predictions you are capable of making!

Thanks to all of you that voted. A further poll will be posted on Monday for next week. At the moment I am working on the question, however I am hoping that the game will produce some action that is worthy of polling your opinions on. Check in on Monday to see what the poll is, and of course after the match tonight for the analysis of the game.

Looking forward to the game tonight, it will be a cracker I reckon.

2006-08-26T10:02:00.000+10:00

Last Minute Change to Springboks

I awoke this morning to the anouncement that the Springbok loose forward trio is undergoing yet another change. Apparently Van Niekerk couldn't sleep last night, and scans this morning have revealed an injury to his neck in the same area that Burger sustained his career threatening injury recently. It is never good to hear of these injuries and I gather he is being rested as a precaution.

However, this kind of last minute injury is either posturing for the media, or a serious blip on the South African preparation. These last minute changes introduce instablility to the team, and I am sure that Coach White will be hoping that the boys can overcome this, or perhaps even use the adversity as extra motivation to ensure that the Springboks do not lose their seventh straight test match. He will already be able to feel the noose tightening around his neck right now, and another loss is sure to see the trap door open up beneath his feet and he'll be sent on his way.

Van Niekerk's loss is Pierre Spies' gain. He comes back into the mix leaving the other contenders Wannenberg and Van den Berg on the bench as back up during the test match. In spite of the reshuffle, the Springboks still have the edge in terms of preparation as they are playing at home, have had a decent rest since thier last game in Sydney, and are used to playing at altitutde. The cards are about as stacked in their favour as they are ever going to get, and I will be surprised if we see anything other than a very close African loss, or even (shock horror) a win to the men in Green.

One reason I say this is that we can expect to see the mediocre (at best) All Black lineout return tonight. There is only one recognised lineout jumper in the team, Williams, and he is not performing that well in this area at the moment. Add to that the inclusion of Oliver, a powerful scrummager to be sure but no one would ever claim he is recognised as a master of lineout throwing, and I think we could see a serious and substantial breakdown in the lineout. The inclusion of a totally new front row (with the exception of Sommerville who replaced Carl Hayman last week due to injury), could bring into question the cohesiveness that the tight five will play with, not having had much game time together.

The loose forwards are of course an important aspect of this game. I am glad that Masoe is getting the chance to have a crack in the starting side, but including him as number 8 seems unusual. Reuben Thorne reportedly enjoys playing at Loftus and his inclusion as number 6 would seem to be a sound choice. Captain Fanstastic of course is a shoe in, however it seems he is not part of the rotation policy - the All Blacks will be beyond help if he is injured before or during the World Cup tournament next year.

The traditional tough test with the old foe beckons. I think that it will be a cracking game, and I can feel the tension increasing around me now that gameday has finally arrived. I will be watching the game tonight at the local tavern, free to air Aussie tv has let me down and are not screening the game tonight. I guess that there is no local interest as their team is not playing. Pretty poor really. In any event, check back later today for the results of the poll, and enjoy the game tonight!

2006-08-25T14:54:00.000+10:00

Dunning Beats the Rap

The news today is that the big boy has beaten the rap, getting a stern warning from the Warratahs in place of the $3k fine. I bet the Colnel will be happy, Matt will be back to number one Aussie customer in no time with all that extra cash to spend at KFC! Or perhaps he'll blow it at the pub...In any event it is good to see that justice can occaisionally be done, even for a front rower.

Shock news, Greg Gowden has gone out on a limb and backed the Africans this week. Perhaps he had the opportunity to read my last post on this blog, but somehow I doubt it. Ben Kimber has stuck with the safe ground of backing the All Blacks, however given that they are at Loftus this week, and the South Africans will be sweating blood before they give up on winning this, I think this could be the game of the season. Click here to watch the wrap up by Kimber and Gowden. Don't forget to have your say in the poll being taken from this site.

Of note in the above wrap up is the reference to resting players from the Super 14. With the anouncement of the plans to rest 22 All Blacks until round 7 of the competition, the Aussies are enjoying making reference to the length of time since New Zealand won the Rugby World Cup (20 years). However hard on the heels of the New Zealand anouncement, and subsequent condemnation, comes the SHOCKING news that certain Wallabies may be rested as well. Hold the front page.

No concrete decisions about who will be rested or for how long have been made public yet, and there is the rub as far as I am concerned. It is all good and fine for Kimber and Gowden to speculate on who will be rested and when from the Wallaby squad, but until we actually know what the ARU is planning to do any comments about that are just rank speculation. This is to say nothing of any comment directed towards the supposed arrogance of the NZRFU. The World Cup is the biggest focus for international Rugby now, and as such the NZRFU must keep its eyes on the prize and give the All Blacks the best chance to win the thing next year. Any suggestion that any other union should do anything other than act in what it considers the best interests of that union to take the prize is just foolish talk.

News Limited may find it a hard sell telling the NFRU and rugby watching public in New Zealand that they have to risk the best chance at winning the World Cup for a competition that is rapidly becoming meaningless. It is meaningless because the Africans consistently fail to perform, and the Aussies seem to only be able to field second rate teams that fall at the last hurdle most years. Perhaps the Australians should try to develop a domestic competition to produce more players at a higher level, instead of trying to compete at a level they do not have the necessary player depth to, and sponging off other rugby playing nations.

Let's look at that. In Super Rugby the Reds suck every year, the Storm have only just started but were cellar dwellers this season, the Warratahs have failed to take out the trophy and apparently can't handle the finals, and the Brumbies were the only successful Australian team (twice) until the players started running the joint and chased off any good prospects that might challenge them for a starting position. The fact is that Super Rugby is more important to the Australians than anyone else because they lack a serious domestic comeptition. Their challenge is to fix that, the NZRFU and to a lesser extent the South Africans shouldn't have to do that for them.

Meanwhile the All Blacks are preparing well for the game this weekend by their own reports (not surprising really is it). I was astonished to hear that the All Blacks wore special humidity masks on the flight to the republic to ensure that they were no dehydrated during the trip. Apparently this is the first time this has been tested. They are battling the usual jet lag and effects of playing at altitude. With 11 new players, teh coaching staff have recognised the issues this presents and have gone for fresh legs. I think this is a good move, but we will have to accept that there is likely to be less free flowing play from this All Blacks side. In addition with the Africans no doubt aware of the tactics the Wallabies correctly employed last week in Auckland, they will be seeking to emulate the hard uncompromising defence that did upset the All Blacks in Auckland, although not enough for them to lose. This will be a humdinger, and I think we can expect a tough test match that will be a hard fought victory for the side that comes out on top. Bring it on!

2006-08-24T16:03:00.000+10:00

Let That Be The End of It! Please!

Reports today have it that Richie McCaw has shown himself to be the man off the field that we all know he is on the field. McCaw has received a letter of explanation from Tuqiri, and he has accepted the apology of the Wallaby winger. Add to that an 11 week suspension from rugby (although only for one test) and I for one hope that the Tuqiri spear tackle can be left at that, and we can get on with some rugby. It is after all a physical game, and McCaw's comments about the swinging arm from Phil Waugh perhaps could educate those that have become involved in the controversey and should know better. McCaw said of his nose "It's been busted before" and in relation to the swinging arm itself

"A lot of things like that happen in games, and to be cited it's got to be a sending-off offence.
I don't know if the ref saw it he would have sent him off, but if it's intended you could say
it's a bit of a cheap shot. I don't know whether he did or not."

Full marks to McCaw, a true captain and a good sport. Time for New Zealand to give up the national pass time of whinging about Australians and beign outraged by good hard competition, and get on with winning the game this weekend.

In a shock move, the Aussie media have refrained from labelling Graham Henry arrogant after the anouncement of 11 changes to the starting 15 for the test match this weekend. Punters will no doubt recall that was the verdict of the cosnidered Aussie media prior to the Brisbane test match where New Zealand successfully retained the Bledisloe Cup for another year. Having to deal with the problems of coming off a physical test match, injuries, jet lag, and altitude, the number of changes to the side are not surprising.

Mils returns to centre, Daniel Carter remains at first five, Richie McCaw remains at number 7 (somewhat surprising given the coverage of his injuries this week, and the "revelation" that he is targetted by other teams), and Luke McAlister gets his second consecutive start - presumably Mauger is not yet ready to return to the field.

The wholesale changes mean that we will effecticely be seeing a 'new' All Blacks team this weekend, in the sense that we have not seen the second team play for some time now. The front row consists of Oliver, Tialata, and Sommerville (Yoda, don't you all think that he looks like a bigger and less green version of the Jedi master? Perhaps that could be the next poll.). Rawlinson and Williams are the locks, while Masoe, McCaw and Thorne round out the loose forward trio. A pretty strong forward pack, and they will need to be on top of their game to take the Boks on the veld this weekend.

The most exciting development in the backline is that Sitiveni Sivivatu has returned to the wing. The All Blacks will be hoping that Sivivatu can return to the form that had him injectment levels of excitement into the game that appeared to have left the fair shores of New Zealand with Rupeni. Rico Gear and Leon McDonald round out the back line for New Zealand and are both strong selecitons. This will not be a weak All Black side, nor does this represent a devaluing of the All Black jersey.

Meanwhile the South Africans are dealing with a few selection woes of their own. Flanker Juan Smith has been omitted from the test team this weekend due to a muscle injury to his quads. However, coach White has not yet anounced a replacement for him, prefering to wait until later on today. White is clearly (and perhaps easily) trying to sieze underdog status by labelling his side as "like a South African B team". This is because of the injuries to Burger, Botha, and Steenkamp. That may be going a bit far, but certainly they are reaching the limits of their player depth in the loose forward position.

But let's not be too hasty, the All Blacks have not won in South Africa since 2003. Graham Henry has yet to notch up a win in the Republic, so there is some history on the side of the locals this week. This is also the African's first home game, at altitude, and the side will be desperately wanting to make up for their three loses on the away leg of the competition (as will the coach). It also shouldn't be forgotten that they improved in each performance on the away leg, and were unlucky not to win in Sydney against an admittedly terrible Wallaby performance.

Not surprisingly backing the South Africans is a pretty lonely position to be in, and you'd either have to be mad, or needing to rid yourself of some funds before the tax man comes to get you, or you are forced to account for having it. The All Blacks will are reportedly treating the two games in the Republic as a 'series' and intend to win both to take out the 'series'. This will be a tough ask, however players will be wanting to impress selectors ahead of the World Cup. Ali Williams is facing a strong contender for his position in Mullet Boy, and several other contenders are getting the chance to strut their stuff on the international stage. This could be enough motivation for the All Blacks to break the African hoodoo they are currently labouring under. I for one am looking forward to this game.

Don't forget to vote in the poll over the left hand side of your screen. The results will be anounced by me on Saturday during the day, prior to the game. At that time a different poll for the following week will appear on the blog. Check back then for the results, and of course right after the game for the post match analysis!

2006-08-22T16:29:00.000+10:00

PM Weighs In To Continual Fallout From Confrontational Wallaby Performance

The New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark has put in her two cents concerning the tactics Australia used to try and contain All Black captain Richie McCaw. She suggested that Tuqiri ought to have been sent off, and that there were several ugly assualts against the All Black captain. You know things are getting heavy when the Prime Minsiter gets involved in sporting controversy between the trans-Tasman rivals. The last time involved cricket, and a certain porcine Prime Minister Muldoon suggesting that yellow was an appropriate colour for the Australian cricket jersey. That being said, I have already gone on record saying that Tuquiri was lucky not to be sent off, so in this case I agree with her.

Adding further weight to the outcry in New Zealand is South Africa's Jake White who has also come out saying that the Wallabies targeting of McCaw was over the top, but the star flanker does have a target on his head because he is so good. You know that there is something to an outcry if even a South African thinks that things were getting a bit over the top!

However, Phil Waugh has reportedly said that All Blacks coach Graham Henry is a "whinger" on this issue. Given the comments attrributed to Henry, it is a little unusual to see how he arrived at this conclusion, after all he only said McCaw was targeted to take him out of the game, that was part of rugby and you had to live with it, but that the Wallabies lacked discipline when doing so. Seems fair enough to me, Tuqiri has been suspended for 5 weeks so clearly there was a lack of discipline about the display. Waugh has copped some flak, and I'd suggest rightly so. He was, after all, the only player yellow carded during the match (amazingly).

In the final analysis it was a tough test match, rugby is a physical game, and in the words of a recent All Black captain they're not playing tiddlywinks out there. The Wallabies threw everything at the All Blacks, they should expect nothing less, and still came away with a loss. The All Blacks never really looked like losing the game at any point, even when down by 11 points. Harden up, and get on with it New Zealand is my verdict.

On reviewing the game, there were a number of areas of the All Black game that were tested, and I think that Henry and the rest of the coaching staff will be pleased that they have had a decent run like this, and a stout test of their defence well before the World Cup. There were some unsavoury incidents, however these also form part of what makes the Trans-Tasman rivalry so fierce. They happened, some were dealt with, some weren't, get on with it and focus on the rest of the competition.

One final point before closing this post, the All Blacks non inclusion in the first 7 rounds of the Super 14 is a compromise, a fact I wasn't originally aware of. Graham Henry wanted the All Blacks out of the entire Super 14 tournament. The anouncement of the All Blacks being available for the second half of the competition is a compromise that probably satisfies no one. I should imagine that the reasons for not having the All Blacks play, apply whether they play 7 games or 14. It remains to be seen what the final decision will be, but no doubt the fans will be hoping that whatever the final result is, Rugby World Cup 2007 is the top priority for the New Zealand Rugby Union.

Readers will note that I have added a poll on the sidebar of this blog - over there to the right of your screen. You can vote for the winner of the game this weekend, and pick the margin also. The poll results will be published this weeekend, and readers would be well advised to remember that the All Blacks have yet to post a win in the Republic under Henry. Of course, that may mean that they want it more this weekend, but on the back of a tough test all that travel might just get to them... Vote and have your say - you can see what option is most popular at the end of the voting process.

2006-08-20T20:38:00.000+10:00

Tuqiri Suspended For Five Matches

As predicted yesterday by yours truly, Lote Tuquiri will take no futher part in the Tri-Nations competition after he was today suspended by SANZAR for 5 matches following his illegal tackle on All Black captain Richie McCaw. Tuquiri is reportedly considering his options and may appeal the ban handed down to him.

Fat chance of succeeding with any appeal my good man. That was a spear tackle, and yes, you might as well cop it and discuss with your coach the wisdom of targeting the most effective All Black in recent times. You're not George Gregan after all and wont inexplicably and unreasonably be able to beat the rap for allegedly being a good bloke. Lote should consider himself lucky not to have received a red card for that tackle. As I said, he was always going to go for a decent skate for that one, and any appeal would, in my humble opinion, be ill conceived.

Seriously, some scrutiny should be saved for the officials. They had a shocker, although I felt that the referee was poorly served by his supporting officials. Touch judges failed to take action against Tuqiri for this incident, the TMO failed to disallow Elsoms bogus try, and allowed McCaw to be taken out by Elsom miles off the ball, and held on the ground to keep him out of play. The referee did let himself down by allowing Elsom to commit so many infractions without even appearing to issue a warning of a yellow card.

The targeting of McCaw, easily the best All Black by a country mile, was a clear tactic. The All Blacks need to develop an effective counter to this type of play as all teams will target McCaw. My suggestion is firstly that the other All Blacks back up their captain by pulling their weight and effecting some big hits on the opposition (when was the last time that Jerry Collins pole axed anyone?) instead of being on the receiving end. Secondly the other All Blacks must take advantage of the gap caused in attack and defensive lines by players coming miles out of position to hold McCaw back. Easier said than done.

So, New Zealand have been given notice that the Wallabies may be a force to be reckoned with next year at the Rugby World Cup. It seems that the plan is for the All Blacks to miss the first seven (yep, you read right, 7) rounds of the Super 14 in the quest to win Rugby World Cup 2007. Apparently this is to give the All Balcks a window within which to train and reach peak conditioning for the competition without the added rigours of playing top level Rugby. Undoubtedly this will have an effect on that competition, and the level of performance by the New Zealand franchises for the first half of the competition. What a great opportunity for Africa and Australia to get a real head start in the Super 14 in 2007.

Seriously though, it is an interesting idea. I cannot help but think it is a reflection on the conditioning and pre-season training for Super 14 teams in New Zealand however. Clearly that alone is not considered enough for the New Zealand Rugby Union. Never the less, if the tactic is successful you can bet your bottom dollar there wont be any complaints across the Tasman in New Zealand! If the All Blacks do not succeed, along with the instant dismissal of Graham Henry, you can bet the outcry will be able to be heard in the Northern Hemisphere!

Look on the bright side, with the All Blacks out of the contest until the second half, not only do an Australian or an African team have a chance to win the competition(!), but the much vaunted depth of New Zealand Rugby will truly be on display for all to see. There could be some exciting young talent unearthed during the opening rounds, so keep an eye out for that.

2006-08-19T17:48:00.000+10:00

Tri-Nations Wrapped Up by All Blacks, But Fair Warning Given by Wallabies

The All Blacks today received fair warning from the Wallabies during a torrid match at Eden Park. As expected the All Blacks prevailed over the tourists, 34-27 but few would have picked that the Wallabie would press the All Blacks so hard. The All Black selectors have been given fair warning that the Wallabies are not far off the pace, and their chances in Rugby World Cup 2007 are still good.

A few areas of the All Blacks much talked about defence were exposed during the game by some expert play from the considerably more experienced Wallaby back line. The lineout however, benefited from the selection of the Mullet Boy who took some great ball there, and even managed to get over for a try to get the All Blacks back in the game. However, what a hair do! Office at the front, and party out the back! He get's the prize for the best mullet in the business (actually, could any mullet be described as 'best'?)!

The first half was a bit scrappy, with a large number of penalties be given away by the Wallabies. These were largely designed to slow the game down when the All Blacks were on attack, and were clearly professional fouls from the leading expert in that area. Rocky Elsom can count himself lucky that he was still on the field when substituted in the second half. He gave away so many penalties it is suprising that the referees whistle still worked. Still, he got away with it, and that is what counts. Someone up stairs must like that guy, he was awarded a try that clearly wasn't...I wonder if it is any conincidence that the TMO was South African? Might have wanted the All Blacks to lose to keep the Boks in it? I thought we had TMOs so that we could get decisions right. Not much point in having them when they clearly get it wrong.

My money is on Lote Tuqiri being suspended after a stupid tackle on All Black captain Richie McCaw. It was a blatant spear tackle and unless his second name is 'George' I doubt that we will see him in the rest of the Tri-Nations series. It will be an outrage if he is allowed to play after such a deliberate and unecessary spear tackle. McCaw was targeted during the game, no question. However, this is the first time that the Wallabies were able to make that count.

One huge hit during the game was made by newcomer Palu on the hariest beardo that took the field, the man mountain Carl Hayman. He was pole axed by Palu in the first half and was the only man back in position to try and tackle Tuqiri who ran in what was to be the first of his two tries around the injured Hayman. Make no mistake, Carl was never going to stop that, especially when he was having trouble standing up. Keep that one in the back of your mind mate, that could give you some good motivation for the series next year and the World Cup!

My favourite hit though was made by Carter - yep, you heard me right Daniel Carter. He read the trademark Larkham glide around the scrum to perfection and nailed him, dislodging the ball from his grasp. leaving him sprawled on the ground, and bouncing the ball into in the arms of Luke McAlister who ran the rest of the length of the field for the try that gave the All Blacks the game. It was great stuff. Some of us have been waiting years for someone with the nous to actaully read Larkham's game and nail him. We finally got to see it at crunch time in a test match.

Great to see Chris Jack get justly rewarded for his usual display of athleticism getting a try to bring the All Blacks back into contention during the game. He was on the end of a good move, great interplay and it was scored at a good time to get the All Blacks back into the game and increase tensions levels on both sides of the Tasman.

Full marks to the Wallabies, this was their best shot to beat the All Blacks this year, and they made the most of it. A confident All Blacks team is ripe for a fall, but they avoided it this time with a disciplined performance in the second half. The Wallabies were the victims of a concerted and well orchestrated media assault for the last two weeks after a less than exciting game against the Springboks in Sydney. Great preparation for them, a real siege mentality must have gripped the camp and this game was almost exactly what they needed to get the media back on side. A win would have been exactly what they needed.

Matt Giteau was a star for the Wallabies. He was always dangerous with the ball in hand, and set up the second of Tuqiri's tries. This was a well taken opportunity by the two players, it worked to perfection and surprised the All Blacks, getting the Wallabies back into the game. Mortlock gave his usual sterling effort, and you can't ignore Tuqiri's game apart from the suspension that must be coming. Also, full marks to the forwards at scrum time, they withstood the challenge and pushed the All Blacks backwards near the end of the game. Stunning!

The All Black game plan was difficult to discern. I think for the first time we have seen an All Black team play two game plans in the one game. Clearly caution was thrown to the wind in the first half, I mean how often does Jerry Collins throw doulbe miss out passess to a hooker on the wing? Never, and he shouldn't start doing that now given he gave away a sitter to Tuqiri who is no slouch. Also McAlister settled into the game well with two great early touches, indicating that the test match atmosphere wasn't getting to him - playing out of position in place of an injured Mauger.

In the second half the discipline returned and the doubtful passess and low percentage play was kept to a minimum. A disciplined performance saw penalties given away in their own half that wer convereted into points, and eventually the lead. In addition, the lineout was sound again. Can we put that down to the influence of Robin Brooke? It certainly was much improved, however there was the selection of Mullet Boy who excelled in that area, and put in some good hits around the field, plus scoring a try.

All in all, this was the game we were all looking for to earse the memories of the dismal spectacle that was the previous 'clash' between the Wallabies and the Boks in Sydney. That game was only good to the extent that the South Africans nearly pulled off a win when they had been written off by everyone (except yours truly). The subsequent media cacophony of concerns about the 'product' (meaning rugby) can be safely put to bed. This was a great game, exciting, close, and full of excellent skills displayed by both sides. Rugby was the winner on the day (thanks Sean Fitzpatrick).

In closing spare a thought for the South Africans. The Tri-Nationas has been decided, without the Springboks even having had the benefit of one home game. This surely is unfair, and must be looked at for future contests. Apart from being unfair, it also takes the fun out of it for fans. However, the tests in the Republic are yet to come and I for one will be watching them with more than just a hint of anticipation! I can't wait to see the Wallabies play over there, and of course the All Blacks under Henry have yet to win there...could it be that this record will be broken this year.

2006-08-15T17:08:00.000+10:00

Teams Anounced for This Weekend's Clash

The expected three changes to the Wallabies team were anounced today. Phil Waugh, Jeremey Paul, and Clyde Rathbone are the changes to the starting side. No surprises there, all three changes were tipped during the week and have come to fruition. I am surprised by the inclusion of Waugh over Smith. Smith has been said to be out of form and not at the top of his game, but he consistently harassed the All Blacks, and while they weren't quite frustrated enough by his efforts to tear their own hair out, they had a fair crack at his! Waugh is a sound replacement, but if it were up to me, I'd have Smith in there still. Rathbone and Paul are good changes that shoud assist the side with their game this weekend.

In a much bolder move, the All Blacks have anounced their team today, and Isaia Toeava has been named to start at centre, with Mils moving back to full back, and McDonald moving to the bench. Clearly these are not changes that are made in line with a rotational selection policy. Firstly, there are only three, and secondly there is only one new player coming in to try a new position. Toeava is a full back normally during the Super 14 and it will be interesting to see how he handles big time test match rugby out of position. I think that the Wallabies will be looking to exploit his inexperience, and it remains to be seen if he is up to the challenge. Keep an eye on this area of the game, it will be crucial I am sure. But let's not get too carried away, if Toeava is shown up, I am sure that a switch between him and Mils will be on the cards, after all, he is a full back and Mils is now the incumbent centre.

Elsewhere Howlett comes in from Rico Gear on the wing. This change must surely be one of the last attempts Howlett will have to justify his place in the side. He will need to have a good game to show that he can expect to be in the frame come world cup time next year. He had a poor Super 14, and has given up incumbent status to Gear. I'll be looking forward to seeing if Howlett can get his act together and produce some of the class that made him so exciting to watch early on in his career.

Hooray! Mullet man is back in at lock for the Clown. In case you're not familiar with the nomenclature I've employed, I am referring to Jason Eaton coming in for Ali Williams. I think that this might be a reflection of the poor performance at lineout time the All Blacks showed in Brisbane against the Wallabies. While the lineout was shaky in the first Bledisloe Cup match, Eaton did win all the balls that were thrown to him, and the All Blacks did not lose any on their own throws. I think that this is a good decision, and could lead to some competition for the black hersey amongst the forwards. We are weak in the lineout, and guys like Williams need reminding that they need to be on top of their game, especially in the lineout, if they are going to play for the national team. A good call, and with Williams on the bench, you can be sure that he will get some game time during the second half, or earlier if Eaton doesn't perform.

Lastly, Weepu comes back in for Cowan and replaces him on the bench. Not much in this change, Cowan is clearly the third string half back for the team. He's good to have as back up, and has a lot of room to improve. The other two will need to keep a look out over their shoulders to see what he is up to. Isn't this the way that it should be in the national side though? This seems to me to be the main strength of New Zealand rugby - the depth of players in each position (with the possible exception of centre). The Wallabies on the other hand do not have so many class players to chose from - who is there to replace Larkham as a first rate first five in Australia? There are some sniffing around, but the Wallabies are nowhere near as well served as the All Blacks are with Carter and McAlister.

Where New Zealand is lacking is in the top two inches. It has been so long since we saw a clearly set up, well rehearsed back line move yield any points for an All Black team that I for one am beginning to wonder if they can do it. I hope that the art of using the ball to beat the man is not dead, and that the All Black backs know how to create and build pressure to get over the line, and create space out wide. So far in the Tri-Nations there has been no evidence to suggest that they do. Instead, and it is to be expected, they have followed a Crusaders style of play that relies on punishing defence until the opposition gives away possession and scoring from the counter attack. What I want to know is why are they confining themselves to scoring from the counter attack? Why not build your own attack as well and create pressure? I sincerely hope that this deficiency is overcome prior to Rugby World Cup 2007 or the All Blacks may find it very tough at semi-final stage.

The media seem to be coming to the party, and winding up for the game this weekend. The Aussies seem to have realised that griping about the poor game their team put on against the Africans is irrelevant this week. This week they are in Auckland. Up against the All Blacks. A home game. Rest assured there will be a test match atmosphere at this game. Both teams play an expansive game and running rugby is what they do best. Expect less kicks, expect more running and more hit ups. All Blacks to dominate up front, Wallabies to have the edge in the backs. The Wallabies will want the win more, for the All Blacks the cup is in the bag, but for the Wallabies they will be wanting to silence their critics in Australia. I think we can expect a
real hum dinger!

2006-08-14T12:55:00.000+10:00

Wallabies Ponder What is Needed To Beat ABs at Home

Mark Rathbone will be selected to join the starting side in Auckland this weekend to try and beat the All Blacks on the hallowed turf of Eden Park. The rationale is apparently that the Wallabies want to take on, and even beat the All Blacks for pace out wide. I rate Rathbone, I reckon that he is a class act and would've been in the starting side had it not been for the injuries that kept him out of last season to a large extent. I think that it is a good move to rotate him into the side and put him out on the field, the Wallabies will be a better team for it. For moreon Rathbone's thought's on the matter, click here.

Meanwhile in New Zealand, many of the All Blacks were released to play in the Air New Zealand Cup games this weekend. This is the new domestic competition in New Zealand, a refinement of the National Provincial Championship that is meant to take New Zealand rugby into a new era where the smaller provinces might one day be able to foot it with the big boys. Lofty ideals, and it remains to be seen if it will work. So far the Tasman team seems to have done the best out of the new arrangement, bagging several top level players from Canterbury.

Back to the Tri-Nations where the latest news is that Sitiveni Sivivatu, yet another flashy flying Fijian winger has joined the All Blacks squad in place of the luckless Scott Hamilton who is forced out of the squad. Apparently Sivivatu wont be playing this weekend, but is back in the mix to bolster the squad for the rest of the Tri-Nations competition. It is great to see him back as he could really inject some speed, enthusiasm, and unpredictability into the All Black back line again. The only other change is that Otago's Nick Evans is also back in the mix, covering for Luke McAlister who injured his jaw in the game against Taranaki. Hmmm, I wonder how that happened?!! A bash perhaps! For more on the new selections (but not much more) click here.

For a bit of a general whinge on the state of the game, and in particular the ailing fortunes of the Wallabies, click here. Greg Gowden attempts to provide some insight into the pre-game and halftime entertainment on offer to the rugby punter, a perhaps startling admission that he does not have many suggestions as to how the Wallabies could improve their game! I'll just say that the greased pig sounds like a good option, they could barbecue it at the end of the game for the visiting team to enjoy also. I also thought it was about time that someone suggested the singing of Waltzing matilda fails to get the crowd going and into what should be a spectacle of physical endurance and athleticism. Frankly, I don't think that they have too much to worry about. The team will be smarting from two weeks of getting caned by the normally compliant media in Aussie and will be wanting to make an impression where it counts, on the field against the All Blacks. We could be in for a good game this weekend I reckon, and we wont need to rely on the half time entertainment to get a crowd along.

Unfortunately it seems that the rotation policy for the All Blacks may be at an end. For more on that click here. I say unfortunately because clearly there are some areas of the All Blacks game that need considerable work. The lineout is one, and the other is the back line need to become more structured on attack. Any team that is able to deprive them of the ball by not making errors and turning over the ball, will deprive the All Blacks of their main method of scoring. However, the rotation policy had to end at some stage, and perhaps the end of the Tri-Nations would be best. They will, after all, need some more time to play together on the end of year Northern Hemisphere tour.

Media beat up of the week goes to the stories about Daniel Carter converting codes to become, yes that's right, a soccer star! Yeah, whatever! I first read this story last week, and didn;t bother to comment on it as it was laughable then, and is even more so now. Apparently the last best hope of New Zealand donned some soccer boots to help out a friends team over the weekend, and now he is being rumoured to want to transfer to soccer full time! Yeah, whatever. In this article Chris Moller has been asked to comment on the revelations, and says quite properly that the ABs have to have interests outside of rugby. I do like the headline though "Carter Code Switch Cleared", which make sit sound like he actually wants to, and has been given permission, to play soccer full time! Nice one! For more humour, click here.

2006-08-11T16:27:00.000+10:00

Dunning Not Content With Fine

Warratahs prop Matt Dunning anounced today that he will appeal the $3,000.00 fine imposed on him for being inappropriately affected by alcohol in public. His stance is backed by the Australian Rugby Union Players' Association who say that there is an important precedent at stake in this case. The precedent seems, from what I can gather from their argument, that if Dunning can be fined for drinking in a hotel, then any player who has alcohol at any time in a hotel can be fined. As an ancillary and procedural matter, the Association claims that it was unfair that they were unable to introduce evidence about the intention of the Players Code of Conduct under which Dunning was convicted.

The Assocaition, I would say, seems to miss the point. Surely the key here is that Dunning is alleged to have damaged a taxi while intoxicated. The damage was caused outside of any hotel, in a public place as he was being delivered to his destination, Bill Young's hotel. He has admitted being under the influence of alcohol at the time, and that people who saw him would have known he was under the influence, or drunk. He's admitted that much, but still denies that he was drunk. If you accept his argument, then it comes down to a subjective test that would reflect the capacity for consuming alcohol that individual had. Surely the objective test is the better one, and the code is aimed at protecting the public as well as the reputation of the game in general.

I'm not trying to say that players shouldn't ever get on the turps, but I am suggesting that players should behave themselves in public. In this case the police were involved, as was a taxi driver who sustained some damage to the vehicle by which he earns his living. Dunning allegedly did nothing about the incident until such time as he was contacted by the police, according to reports. He shouldn't be getting into trouble like this, and most employees are responsible for bringing their employers into disrepute if they attract undue attention to themselves in their personal lives.

As for the argument about the introduction of evidence on the point of the intention of the code of conduct, I think that is valid. These semi-judicial bodies need to realise that they are making decisions that are very important and ought to allow evidence to be called that may have some bearing on the issue to ensure that the correct decision is made. The point seems realted to the issue, and so Dunning ought to have been allowed to call evidence in relation to it. Would it affect the outcome? Who cares. The fact is that it might have, or conceivably could have and so ought to have been allowed. He should make the argument on appeal and see how he gets on. Click here for more on that.

Greg Gowden delivers an interesting round of ussie rugby this week in a colum covering mutliple areas. A good read, and you can find it here. Also Greg covers several changes to the Wallaby team that are being mooted for the end of year tour this season, to try to change the way the team is performing at present. It seems that a decision has been made that a new half back is required, and adventurous changes are promised for the end of year tour. Click here to see what some of those are.

Newcomer to the Wallabies training camp, Brett Sheehan, sent a scare through the camp yesterday when struck in the eye by a tackle bag. Apparently he was blinded for a period of time, and some reports had him with a broken eye socket. Apparently all has been cleared and he will continue to train with the team. For the latest on that, click here.

I'm sad to say that there was noting reported on the All Blacks today of any great moment. It seems that some players have been released to take part in the new domestic competition and as such the focus on the national team has eased somewhat. It is a shame that we are not seeing the same media bickering that was the build up for the last test in Brisbane. I guess that is to be expected with the Bledisloe Cup already having been decided, however a clean sweep would surely be a good thing to round out the final clash of this season with the Wallabies. A big ask, and possibly a loss would do the team some good before heading off to the Republic to take on the Africans twice at home. The All Blacks will need to have their lineout sorted when they head over to the Republic.

2006-08-10T15:09:00.000+10:00

All Blacks Focus on Lineout, Wallabies Tipped to Ring in the Changes

Robin Brooke has been providing tips to the All Black coaching staff on how their lineout could be improved, according to recent media reports. I am not going to go back and what I said earlier, good stuff I say. Get him in there and see what he can do. It is, and has been a persistant weakness of All Black teams in recent memory. For some reason they just can't get it right. Is Robin Brooke the man? Who knows? Not I. But we will be able to see what his involvement has been able to achieve since he came on board in the next Tri-Nations clash in Auckland weekend after next. Brooke has not been appointed to any position, and will not be involved in the camp on a full time basis - he is reportedly involved on a request basis from the full time All Blacks coaching staff. Clearly this area of the All Blacks game will be targeted by Australia, and even more so by South Africa as their lineout seems to be the strongest in Southern Hemisphere rugby at the moment. Click here for more on Robin Brooke's involvement with the All Blacks.

Meanwhile the Wallabies are ringing in the changes in anticipation of the final Bledisloe Cup clash for this season. Three changes are expected to the forward pack, with George Smith, Nathan Sharp, and Tai McIssac all reported to be in the firing line. Phil Waugh will come in for Smith, Chisholm will come in for Sharp, and Jeremy Paul will return for McIssac who was made to look like he could be a shoe in for the All Black team which such wayward throwing in the narrow victory over the Africans last weekend.

However, most speculation centres on the captain and his laboured pass. Can Gregan retain his top spot heading into the World Cup, especially when he has suggested that he should be rested for the tour of the Northern Hemisphere at the end of this current season. With injury to his immediate replacement, Cordingley, it seems that George has been given a bit of a lifeline. The selectors will need to pick someone to cover the position for the Auckland game should Gregan be injured or come off early. Speculation is that Mat Giteau may be called in to cover the position, or the little known Warratahs halfback Brett Sheehan may be given a crack. For more on the Aussie selection conundrums, click here. There are also reports that Josh Holmes, another littel known halfback from New South Wales is also in the frame. For more on him, click here.

Frankly, it doesn't really matter who they pick at this stage. The World Cup is still a long way off, and anyone would think that Cordingley is a shoe in to either replace Gregan, or serve as his understudy for that tournament. Leadership is important, and there are many games that the Wallabies have reveled in winning that can be put down to the tenacious temprament of Gregan. His tackle on Jeff Wilson, and his "Four more years" remark as the Wallabies knocked the All Blacks out of the last World Cup are some of his more memorable moments. Could it all be over for the coffee man?

Elsewhere Matt Dunning's test night escapades have been resolved with the 2006 Billy Bunter look-a-like competition winner being handed a $3,000 fine for being inappropriately affected by alcohol. I wonder, does that mean he couldn't handle his booze like a real front rower should be able to? Or is there something more obvious at work here - like making an idiot of yourself in a taxi and then not working things out with the driver if you do something wrong in or to the cab and waiting for the police to contact you before trying to put things right? It seems Matt isn't too sure, reportedly stating that he will take some time to decide if he will appeal the decision as he is trying to understand the finding. He does think the fine is harsh, but "men smarter than me came up with that fine". For more choice comments from the man, click here.

Lastly the African team lying in wait for the tourists to the Republic has been named. There has been mixed reaction to the selections made, with most comment focussing on the omission of Western Province captain and flanker Luke Watson has again been overlooked by the selectors. It does not look like there will be many changes to the team that toured, apparently on the basis that it has been improving since the tour started. Mate, from that first game, the only way was up. They couldn't have played any worse than that! To be fair though, they were unlucky not to upset the Wallabies on Saturday. The other changes focus on the halfback area with Januarie being likely to be replaced by Penaar who can also cover first five. For more on the African team, click here.

Oh yes, I almost forgot, Wendell Sailor's appeal failed. Surprise, surprise. Might need to get down to Centrelink mate. I wouldn't waste any more money on lawyers bills by reviewing the entire prcoess at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Click here if anyone is in the least bit interested in yesterdays news. Get your head down, do the two years, and see how you are placed then.

Fallout from Win Continues

2006-08-08T17:55:00.000+10:00

Now this is more like it from the Aussies.  Calls to axe the skipper, and a wringing of hands at the fact that due to a lack of depth, there is no other first five eighth to come in and take over from Larkham.  Both men had very average games on Saturday night, however it is interesting to see how quickly the worm turns in this game.  For Greg Gowden’s article calling for the head of Gregan and making several other interesting observations, click here.  Former coaches are reveling in the disarray in the present ‘woeful’ wallabies.  Click here for more on that.

But they don’t just stop there, Nathan Sharp is distracted and the entire team seems to be performing below par…and all this after a win!  This sort of fall out and division within the ranks wont be helping the preparation for the World Cup next year, nor the next test match.  The Wallabies are a confidence side, and it will be at an all time low at the moment.  Spiros Zavos takes a less controversial road, by suggesting that the Wallabies test other players before the World Cup, while retaining Gregan should they need him.  This seems like a good idea, and Gregan’s ‘rest’ from international football that has been getting so much publicity would be the ideal opportunity.  For more from Zavos, click here.  Eddie Jones also has his two cents worth here.  I wonder if he was none too impressed by Gregan’s refusal to answer questions about his role in the downfall of Jones…wouldn’t be the first time he has ended a coaches career…anyone remember Nucifora?

Out of form, and out of favour, prop Mat Dunning hasn’t done his chances of going on tour at the end of this year any good by having ‘an accident with a hinge on a taxi door’ on Saturday night.  Details at this stage are sketchy, however I wouldn’t expect it to stay that way.  Dunning is to face a Warratahs disciplinary committee over the incident.  For more on that click here.

Good news, it seems that coach Henry is acting in relation to the line out woes.  Robin Brooke has been called in to assist in that area (after having previously said he would not be able to due to business and personal commitments).  I can only say that it is about time something was done, and I am glad that there seems to be some plan now.  Let’s hope that Brooke and Henry are able to turn things around and make the lineout a bit more of a competitive area for the All Blacks.  Click here for more on that.

The Boks Are Back - Woeful Wallabies Sneak Home

2006-08-05T22:23:00.000+10:00

The Wallabies tonight escaped a fate worse than death after a week of media buildup that had written off the Africans.  They narrowly defeated a much improved South African side 20-18 at Telstra Stadium in Sydney.  The South Africans, who deserved to win, did come away with a bonus point, and with their pride salvaged.  They will be a different team to play at home.

The game was not much of a spectacle for the first half, the South Africans kicking away far too much ball and failing to play to their strengths.  A ridiculous cross field kick from Butch James gifted Mark Gerrard a try, and the rest of the Wallaby points came from the boot in that half.  It was a disappointing and scrappy half.

I wouldn’t have minded being a fly on the wall during the half time talk as the Africans came out firing, and played a totally different game to the first half.  Jake White must’ve really given them a wind up.  They ran onto the ball well, hit up the field directly, and were rewarded by scoring two tries.  The first try went to Fourie, and then following up with a miracle try was Percy Montgomery, pushed over in the corner by his teammates and managing to ground the ball even though he was in the clutches of a ineffective tackle from Lote Tuqiri and one other Wallaby.  A miracle try, the grounding of the ball apparently called by touch judge Paul Honiss (according to the commentary that I watched).

The changes then came thick and fast for the Wallabies.  Gregan was hauled off, as was an ineffective and strangely poor performing Larkham (perhaps that talk during the week did get to him after all).  As Gregan departed, Mortlock filled his shoes as captain.

On the field to replace Steven Larkham, Mat Rogers pulled the Wallaby fat out of the fire by latching onto a pass from Phil Waugh, and crossing over in the corner to break the heart of every South African.  No doubt a few kiwi hearts skipped a beat as well, a South African win would’ve put the Tri-Nations out of reach for the Wallabies, but after that performance, the All Blacks won’t be too worried about facing the Wallabies in two weeks time in Auckland.  Waugh made the most of being marked by a tired and out of place Os Du Randt who put in a massive effort staying on the field for the whole 80 minutes.  However, the contest of fresh, very much smaller legs, against tiring bulk, led to the Os being hopelessly mismatched and the try was scored to take the game to a draw.

The kick from Mortlock to convert was an absolute pearler, they don’t get much tougher than that, Mat Rogers doing him no favours by running the ball nearer to the goal posts.  The kick came around and went in off the upright to take the game by two points.  A mighty game in terms of the result, and the Springboks will be heading home with some wind in their sails, although they will be disappointed to let it slip so close to the end of the game.

The Wallaby lineout was shown up tonight.  They were shaky, McIssac was forced to throw long by a South African lineout that challenged for every ball, and competed well.  The All Blacks would do well to take notice of that aspect of this game.  The Wallaby scrum was dominated for two thirds of the match, but was nowhere near as unstable as it had been.  With the inclusion of Rodzilla at 130 kgs and Palu at 120 kgs the Wallabies outweighed the Africans this week and the extra bulk clearly helped.  They were put under pressure, but came home strong against the Africans, even pushing them off their own ball and completely shoving Os Du Randt off his feet near the end of the game.

A close shave for the Wallabies, and the South Africans still have yet to notch up a win in the 2006 Tri Nations series.  However, notice has been given that the African team has a bit more left in the tank, and they are likely to be a more challenging unit at home. Of course they won’t have the same training facilities that they enjoyed at my gym in Kogarah, which I am sure accounts for a fair portion of their form turn around!  Seriously though, they will play the All Blacks twice, and the Wallabies once in the Republic, with hordes of screaming fans baying for opposition blood.  Those games will be real crackers I am sure.

Be sure to check back here tomorrow as I try to find Aussie media reaction to the performance of the Wallabies tonight.

2006-08-05T19:31:00.000+10:00

Mediocre Media Coverage Continues

The paucity of coverage from the Republic of this evening’s game and the fortunes of the national team has finally been broken by the publication of the following article that can be read by clicking here. I have been astonished at the lack of media coverage, waiting most of the week to read this short piece which is not exactly cutting edge stuff. “Australia Wary of South African Backlash” trumpets the headline. Wow. Really? You think? A 49-0 thrashing and you think the Wallabies are wary of a backlash? Really, this is just spouting the platitudes dished out by Captain George at the last press conference (where, incidentally he refused to answer questions about his involvement in the sacking of coach Eddie Jones – see article below).

This cutting edge journalism includes the insightful “South Africa's prospects will depend largely on their ability to dominate the set pieces while shutting down Australia's explosive backline.” Sounds like someone has been watching videos of the game in Brisbane and learning important lessons from it. Yeah, whatever. As if the game was ever going to be about anything else other than dominating up front at the set piece, and controlling the possession that the other team wins by shutting down their back line. Sounds like the recipe for every game of rugby really. What a sorry state of affairs when this sort of thing passes as reporting on rugby.

My reading of the Aussie media makes one thing clear, this is a no contest situation as far as the Wallabies are concerned. The South Africans have been written off as losers after the first half of their opening game of this Tri-Nations series. According to Greg Gowden, whose contempt for the African team was palpable in the video linked from this site in the last post, “The Springboks talk dumb and consistently play dumb, reverting to neanderthal football.” He was suggesting that the Springboks have worked hard to create a siege mentality, with complaints about training facilities and threats to target Larkham by having Butch James take his head off in a trademark high shot. The South Africans are being cast as a desperate team that in the past have resorted to all sorts of deplorable tactics in desperate situations to try and win, and look set to do it again. For more from Gowden, click here.

I think that being written off by the Aussie media is very likely to have had a negative effect on the Wallabies preparation. It would be very hard for it not to. Everyone expects them to win tonight, and to win big. Why shouldn’t they? It was a record hiding last time, and since then the Africans have been defeated again by the All Blacks, and made a few desperate changes to the side. The focus this week has not been on the game, it has been on off field incidents, and more particularly the role George Gregan played in the sacking of Coach Jones six months ago. For an interesting record of what took place at the team press conference yesterday, click here. I must say that I do like the way Gowden reports questions, and answers (presumably fully) from the press conferences as it gives the reader a better insight into how teams and players are really functioning, and fronting the media. Here there is more going on than meets the eye – why else the avoidance of the question.

Bring on the game tonight I say. It is pretty cold and wet here which should add some spice into the mix tonight. Rain is known as the great leveler and can play into the hands of the heavier or better pack. It could also make things a bit greasy underfoot and make handling a bit difficult for the Wallaby backs tonight. You’d have to be a brave man to pick the Africans after the last game against Australia, and I am not going to do that. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it would be great if the Springboks could put some spring back in their step and pull it off tonight. Short of divine intervention, I think that is unlikely to happen, but I’ll be cheering them on tonight, just for the spectacle and in the hope of a good game.

Look out for my post immediately after the game.

Low Key Build Up Continues

2006-08-04T17:19:00.000+10:00

Aussie confidence about the game this weekend seems to be riding high at the moment, even for them!  Greg Gowden and Ben Kimber deliver their appraisal of what is likely to happen in the Rugby Heaven video presentation that can be seen by clicking here.  Now, I’m not saying that in the final analysis these boys are wrong, however as it would be a brave man indeed who would pick that this South African team were capable of pulling off a win, or losing by less then 15 points after last week.  However, I did want to say that it would be great if they could pull off a win, and get some competition back into the Tri Nations.  Springbok pride will be hurting, but I agree with Gowden and Kimber that the Africans just aren’t good enough at the breakdown.

Of note is the reference to Butch James’ tackling style, calling him the Venus de Milo of tacklers (ie no arms).  I thought that was rather good, and it remains to be seen what difference Butch can make to this game.  He was, of course, not playing in the last thrashing they took at the hands of the Wallabies.  He has played a part in the pre-match hype already in any event.  Click here for the latest on that.  Perhaps his inclusion, and much hyped defence has been able to get inside the head of Larkham, however I very much doubt it.  That guy is a wonderful player, and very professional.  It is difficult to see him getting caught up in the emotion of pre match hype at this stage of his career.  However, for an interesting article on his thoughts prior to the match, click here.

The Wallabies are being picked to attack the African forwards this week.  Click here for more on that.  I was pleased to see that there was no reference to the Wallaby scrum being involved in this attack, as clearly the Springboks can expect to dominate there, although they have to turn this into go forward and points which they failed to do last time.  They apparently have more confidence in Jutge as a referee to police this area of the game more efficiently than they say was the case in the previous match against the Wallabies.  McIssac and Palu should assist with that endeavour, however attacking the Springbok forwards is never an easy task.

Bring it on I say.  This is the game of the also rans, but let’s hope that something unpredicted might take place this weekend and give things a bit of a shake up.

Low Key Media Build Up to Game

2006-08-03T17:40:00.000+10:00

Well, there is some sting starting to come out in the build up to this Saturday’s test between the Africans and the Wallabies.  I’d have to say that this is a bit of an anticlimax after last weeks pre-match media battles between the All Blacks coaching Staff and knuckles Connolly and his side kick.  I am guessing that the Australians are finding it difficult to take the game seriously after the 49-0 thrashing.

I can report that today I again spied the Springbok team training in the lead up to the game.  This time, however, the entire team seemed to be present.  Captain Smit and a couple of others were there first, but about an hour later the rest of the team arrived and got quite a lot of attention from the locals.  It was great to see these guys, not exactly out in public, but at least not locked away training in exclusive gyms only for the rich and famous.  Even though it hasn’t been plain sailing for the team in Sydney this week (see the last posting on the site) the team seemed in good spirits and went through a fairly impressive workout.  Really interesting to see these guys up close and get an idea of how fit and big they are.  Os Du Randt blocked out the sun when he walked in – a mountain of a man and it looked like it was all muscle.

However, onto the media related events.  Surprise, surprise the Aussie media are trying to get coach White to say that they are going to target Larkham on Saturday night.  Hello!  He is one of the key players in the Aussie side, of course they are going to target him…but what is the point of trying to get the coach to say they will try to rip his head off?  Not even South African rugby is likely to produce a comment as stupid as that in the lead up to a game, and I think that he handled a stupid series of questions pretty well.  Click here for more on that from Greg Gowden.

Gowden’s article picks up on an issue that appears to be red hot in South Africa, and doubtless would be elsewhere in the world if it was raised.  It is claimed that Coach White has been directed to select 5 black players – a quota system for the national team.  A recent letter has been leaked to the press and is causing some controversy, mostly because it relates to previous acrimony between coach and union over his claims that selections are dictated by such a policy, effectively tying his hands over selection.  I gather his claim is that to a certain extent, this has an impact on the ability of the Union to hold him accountable for the performance of the team.  Click here for more on the leaked letter.

It seems to me that if they are going to have this policy, then transparency is exactly what is required – and you don’t get that by trying to shut down questions in press conferences about the issue (as can be seen in the Gowden article above).  A public statement ought to be made about the quota and how it operates.  This secretive correspondence between coach and Union is exactly the kind of thing that causes confusion, resentment, and division within a team.  Small wonder they have struggled on the field in recent years (and no, I am not suggesting that this is the only reason for the form slump).

19 year old ‘Chiliboy’ has been getting some media attention in the lead up to the match at the weekend.  He is a rising star of Springboks rugby, and there is already talk of him being captain as hooker.  This will put him directly in competition with his mentor and great mate, the present captain and hooker of South Africa, Smit.  He certainly is very young, not even being 20 yet and being named in the reserves.  In line with the above racial issues in South African Rugby, race is being raised in connection with the young mans elevation to the national squad this weekend.   Let’s hope he can put it to one side and get stuck in and become the best man for the position.  As a substitute hooker he probably is the best man for the job, and in any event blooding new players from the bench is important for a proper introduction to test match rugby.   Click here for an in depth article about Chiliboy, his relationship with Smit, and his inclusion in the side this weekend.  Click here for more on Chiliboy, and also some comment on the new starting man in the African team for Saturday, Johann Muller.

And, can you believe it, that’s it!  All the rest of the media are focusing on whether or not Graham Henry has said that he will retire at the end of the World Cup in France next year.  If the All Blacks lose he certainly will retire, or will be forced to as his predecessors have in recent years.  For a very short article on that, click here.  Bring on the game!

More Aussie Games in Lead Up To Match

2006-08-02T17:50:00.000+10:00

The weakest point of this current All Blacks team has continued to received attention in New Zealand this week.  Firstly, former All Black Robin Brooke, brother to the legendary Zinzan, has called for a lineout coach to become part of the All Black coaching panel.  He points out that while there is already a forwards coach, there is presently a specialist scrum coach in the existing framework.  He puts the simple question: why not for the lineout too?  I’d have to say I agree with him, something must be done because whatever has been done for the past decade has been inadequate.  Click here for more on that.

John Eales has had his two cents on the issue as well identifying that it was the Aussie dominance in the lineout that largely kept them in again, as much as it was New Zealand’s dominance in the scrum that produced much of the go forward and territory for the All Blacks.  As a former lineout expert, and magnificent player all round, his thoughts on the subject are worth taking in.  He identifies that Jeremy Paul’s throw has been questionable when under pressure, so why were the All Blacks not challenging on the Aussie throw?  Some serious thought must be given as to why the All Blacks are virtually the only international team that routinely does not attack the opposition throw.  As I have said before, at least the All Blacks are winning when they are not performing at their best.  I’d say that this is a crucial area for the All Blacks to improve in before the end of the season.  We’ll see if they are able to turn it around.  For more from Eales, click here.

Elsewhere, and in the lead up to this weekend’s clash, the Wallabies have announced their team.  Jeremy Paul and Scott Fava have been replaced in the starting side by McIssac and Palu respectively.  The remainder of the team is unchanged from the side that took on the All Blacks last weekend.  Meanwhile the South African team has been keeping a low profile and announced two changes to the starting side for the game this weekend.  Akona Ndungane returns as wing having recovered from his injury, and Johann Muller comes in to partner Matfield at lock.  Also of note the interestingly named Chiliboy Ralepele will make his test debut for the Boks from the bench.  Can someone let me know what Murray Mexted makes of that name?  I’m sure that will provoke some sort of ribald comment from the mixed metaphor and double entendre kiwi king!  Click here for the Aussie take on the teams.  Click here for the South African reaction to the announcements.

The inclusion of Palu in the Wallaby team shows that coach Connolly is looking for a bit of beef to toughen up the pack.  The 120 kg player is likely to assist in combating a significantly larger Springbok pack, and to help getting some go forward off the back of the scrum, as well as increasing their competitiveness at the break down.  It will be interesting to see how he goes this weekend, however he has some big names in his corner.  For more on that, click here.

Now this I have to report.  I almost fell off my treadmill at the local gym when a couple of lads dressed in springboks jackets came wandering past where I was struggling away.  Initially I thought, “Who are these guys?  Who would wear in that jacket in public after the 49-0 humiliation?”  Then I recognised that it was none other than captain John Smit.  “No choice but to wear the training outfit then”, I thought to myself.  The boys were in pretty good spirit by the looks of things and got through what appeared to me to be a fairly light training session – especially when compared with my own grueling routine!

Apparently the Boks are in my home area in the lead up to the game this weekend.  They seem none to happy about the treatment they have had from the ARU while preparing for the match.  Initially I was insulted that they thought so poorly of my local area, however it seems this is unfair.  Apparently the Boks had long standing arrangements to use the Oki Jubilee field in Kogarah, NSW home of the St George Dragons NRL team.  The Dragons suffered a loss on Friday night to the Melbourne Storm, and the coach apparently ordered his team to undergo seriously hard out training session and the Springboks were prevented from training, getting pushed to a second rate field in an industrial wilderness known as Erskinville (fair enough to complain about that awful place I say!).

Hardly surprising that the same team who delayed kick off to perform drills on the field last week are up to their usual tricks in the pre-game build up.  This isn’t the first time that visiting teams have been treated poorly here.  The Africans are claiming the high ground here, however I just hope that they can turn being snubbed by the ARU into motivation to lift their game this weekend and make it a game worth watching (which the last one between these two teams wasn’t).  So far the only reaction is that they might change the way they tour and not rely on hosts to set them up well…I would’ve thought that is a good move.  For South African Comment on these events, click here.

Perhaps while they are at it they might also like to look at their press conference arrangements.  This witty piece by Greg Gowden paint s humorous picture of what must be pretty uncomfortable press conference at Springbok HQ in Sydney.  Click here for more on that.  It is pretty clear that the Aussies regard this weekend’s game as a non-event, already being in the bag after the pounding the Boks took from them last time.  However, the Boks were better against the All Blacks, and although miles off the pace it can only be hoped that there is some capacity for the team to improve and make a contest of it this weekend…another thrashing would not be good for the future viability of the Tri-Nations.  Let’s hope that there is something in the South African rhetoric here.

Haka and Hair Pulling Feature in Post Match Fallout

2006-07-31T18:55:00.000+10:00

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

2006-07-30T12:34:00.000+10:00

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

2006-07-28T19:42:00.000+10:00

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

2006-07-27T16:17:00.000+10:00

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

2006-07-26T17:32:00.000+10:00

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!

2006-07-25T17:02:00.000+10:00

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!

2006-07-24T09:47:00.000+10:00

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...

2006-07-22T20:53:00.000+10:00

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.

2006-07-22T16:39:00.000+10:00

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!

2006-07-21T17:14:00.000+10:00

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!

2006-07-20T14:41:00.000+10:00

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...

2006-07-19T15:51:00.000+10:00

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...