ouch

 

just doubled his pay

Hansen seems to have a very dry humour which is often aimed at the press who are just searching for any to comment to take out of context. Often i have read an article on Hansen said this or that and once read seen it was nothing at all like implied in the heading. I'm sure it was just hansen keeping his mouth shut til after the judiciary....fair enough but he should have at least mentioned it looked serious, though the English press dont have to look out of their own backyard to find that kind of crap every wkd. People find it easy to knock the ABs but they just learn to take it as a form of respect, the game of rugby would have half its worldwide profile without them. For all the criticism they get for playing the game better than anyone AND in the most entertaining style of all. For all the criticism they got post 95 when not one player moaned about being sick, when they deserved respect for getting out there and playing, when they deserved to take home that cup. All the comments through time of the arrogance of the All Blacks are totally unfounded....you will not find a more humble sportsman than a Kiwi sportsman.

When the (before mccaw snatched that mantle) #1 ranked AB of all time, Pinetree Meads, and rugby's #1 gentleman, Sir Brian Lochore, both succumbed to the bug, and both stood up and defended the team....however it happened, it cant be denied. Last time it came out post game, they got criticism, this time it came out pre game(difficult to keep secret when the press are everywhere) and the ABs still cant win a trick with many fans and international press. Everyone knows a stomach bug saps your strength and not one of those players would of been at 100% by the time the match rolled round. But not one AB lamented the fact. Their reward?...yet more crap trolled out around the world all from haters JUST because they are so good. Yes, the poms played well, yes they put the ABs under pressure,...but observe some reality....England arent the best team to put the ABs under pressure this season, and pressure is nothing new to them. The uncharacteristic trait for that game was error after error...missed tackles, dropped balls, botched lineouts, some rough scrum calls(I'd argue NZ had the wood on the English scrum), and for a team that has such self belief in its own defensive system so many ruck penalties.

Whether you think the ABs were affected by any virus you hopefully make up your own mind without reading the dribble & vitriol that comes out of the english press. From what happened on the field the English clearly deserved their win. Some scribes will try to gloss over their pitiful season with this result, and maybe in such an appalling season where they played such appalling rugby....one swallow does make their winter. I will say this....great result for world rugby. I dare say even AIG is happy.

Round Up Week 1

Wayne Barnes sucks.  Nigel Owens sucks.  Glen Jackson sucks.  Craig Joubert sucks.  The frog twat who reffed the ABs Scots sucks.

Please come back, Lyndon

 



These are the world's best?  Rugby deserves better.  Players can't go for an intercept now because if you don't take the ball you are going to receive a yellow card.  What player going for an intercept seriously isn't trying to catch the ball?  You can't tackle anyone without someone calling spear tackle.  The TMOs finally seem to be getting more decisions right than wrong regarding try or no try....but sometimes they make it so confusing with their conformity of phrases that they don't get the best decision.  Even when no try is given the following play should result from whatever the last action was.  The TMOs being used in European club rugby for foul play etc is a good thing....but make some decisions with 1 ounce of grey matter involved.  Players are getting carded or penalised just for committing normal rugby actions,...challenging to catch high balls and making committed tackles that look late under slowmotion replay.  The week gone by, TMO asked to check a challenge answered "There was contact"....result...hmmmmm.... rugby player got penalised because there was contact?  Rugby players are sometimes lambasted for not being the most intelligent men on earth, but they are still a couple of rungs above rugby referees especially those in the boardroom making more stupid decisions.  Why on Earth does a TMO not have a split screen when making decisions?  Instead of watching the same action over and over from 3 or 4 different angles trying to piece together pieces of information regarding where his foot was when the ball touched down, have all 3 or 4 camera angles on the screen at one time.  Hardly rocket science but well beyond the grasp of the idiots running  rugby officialdom.

Interesting press reports saying Italy had a comfortable win over Tonga.  Then what the hell was I watching?  The curtain raiser?  Italy have gone rocketing downhill since losing Berbizier.  Why give Kirwan the go ahead to bravely transform the Azzurri game, bring in Berbizier to continue on the same path....then take a South African coach?  Mallet deserves credit for the development plans he helped put in place but the FIR needs 1 giant kick up the arse for taking him on as head coach.  My insider info told me why.  After an extremely weak 2007 Boks lucky numbered their way to World Cup Champs the Italian Federation suddenly believed to be the best at rugby you had to be bigger then the rest....you had to be the model of the blonde haired blue eyed 6ft 4" Jarpy.  To enter an academy here 18yr olds had to already be 85kg and 1.85m.  Brainless.  New Zealand's new find at halfback or the extremely talented Cruden would never get a look in.  The Italians looked woeful and their only chance at keeping the score down this weekend is infringe their arses off coupled with more incompetent reffing.  But going on what the ABs still managed to do to a continuously ruck violating Scots it doesn't bode well.

 

Naqelevuki...125kg??...No,...a mere 113

The Fijians came out firing as you expect the island teams to do....pity it only lasted about 15 minutes.  Shocked to see pregame stats list the Fijian 2nd5 as 19stone 4lb and 6ft 4"...Naqelevuki or something like that.  I saw he was big but someone somewhere along the line is either having a laugh, a wet dream, or getting their little brain all confused.  Being rugby I'd go with the 3rd option.  No surprise to see the Poms run away with it but I'd have liked the Fijians to be a bit more in the game.  Suppose the English backs will think they are an attackign machine now.  Please get rid of Toby Flood.  And Stuart Barnes while you're at it.  For a former flyhalf he really has little clue much of the time.

Awful Wales.  This is a warning for all Northern Hemisphere sides.  The Pumas are now playing the Rugby Championship year in year out.  That means very soon it will read 1,2,3 & 4 the world rankings all from the South.  Wales tried to run themselves to victory and never looked like pulling it off.  They may not be able to go up the middle versus the Pumas but they should have been attacking 1st & 2nd channels trying to make room out side for their classy wings.  That will be a demoralsing loss and interesting to see if they can pick themselves up fast enough.

 

My man of the match, Cousin Strauss

What did I say about Ireland?  They have to play for more than their customary 30minutes.  Well,...I suppose they did....they managed to etch out 40.  The Boks looked terrible before they arrived in Europe and they looked terrible on Saturday.  They need a 1st5,...badly.  And when will officialdom finally crack down on their highly & obviously illegal mauling tactics?  Oh wait...rugby officialdom...probably never.  Did love the Irish jerseys though. 

 

Tackle these

Always knew the Wallabies were gonna be up against it here.  If you were gonna bet on any game it had to be this one and it had to be the Frogs.  The French pack are some hardnosed boys and the Aussie pack were never going to survive this.  I do think Owens was too harsh on them, any scrum that went down was an instant penalty to the French but a few times on such a shoddy surface it really seemed 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.  The game was lost here on taking the ball into contact alone.  The Australians seemed hesitant, the French carried it with gusto.  Nathan Sharpe is the worst of all.....though he isn't hesitant....he's just cumbersome.  He's a lock from the 70s with no place in today's game.  Surprised Kafer, for one normally so astute at explaining the gameplay, heaped so much criticism on Beale.  A wet surface with a a struggling pack, what is a 1st5 supposed to do?  Beale, along with Cummins, carried the ball to the line much more physically than most of the Aussie forwards.  Shame Aussie didn't play the whole game like they did the last 10minutes.  Barnes had a big hand in that and I have no idea why he wasn't brought on earlier.  Big up Picamoles....love the guy.  Glad to see that maybe he has unsettled Harinordoquy as the first choice #8.  And just can't believe the size of that guy's thighs.  What a nightmare for any defender.  Wrong call Owen's & co., for saying IF they had got a number Rob Simmons would have been sent off.  The tackle was slightly late but Simmons was head down making the tackle...he wouldn't have seen the player lose the ball.  And it was not a spear tackle.  But hey,...we have to expect soft decisions from Owens.  As the great Tana once said, "This isn't tiddly winks we're playing ref".

Black tide of support

 

I'm not even going to google for that ref's name.  He deoesn't deserve a mention.  The Scots' gameplan was evident from the start.  Infringe as mush as we can and hope like buggery we get away with it.  I'd call it a success.  Most NZ rucks there was a Scotsman lying, yes lying, on the ground arms stretched out over the tackled player and attempting to hold the ball, or a stray boot from a prone player swinging (very clearly) at the ball.  That is why Adam Thomson "tapped" Strokosch's headgear with his toes.  Mere frustration at reffing incompetency.  Strokosch was lying full body on the ball on New Zealand's side of the ruck.  He knows it, knows he was in the wrong and that's why post game he said to Mr Thomson, "Don't worry about it...it was nothing!".  Surely the yellow card is more than enough punishment for that misdemeanour.  All credit to the ABs for implementing their gameplan regardless of the Jocks' negative efforts.  While it wasn't all smooth sailing, and the defence will have to be looked at, what we saw there was the best example of what the All Blacks are trying to do with their rugby these days.  The ruck ball was lightning quick, the passes under pressure were a delight to watch and the speed with which they get width on the ball is a killer for any opposition.  Some of their play was just marvellous to watch.  Wish we were playing France.

the November Internationals

So here we go again. The Southern Hemisphere's "Big 3" venture north yet again to remind Europe who wears the trousers.  Well...something we already know...it isn't South Africa or Australia.  New Zealand have nothing at all to be worried about.  Meanwhile the world's #2 and 3 ranked teams have slipped to Northern Hemisphere standards.

Australia is playing for their #2 spot, Robbie Deans' future, World Cup seeding, and perhaps above all, their pride.  The fact that Nathan Sharpe is still there, even got near 100 tests, is proof enough of how little depth they have. With a never ending flow of injuries to a team with the softest pack in tier 1 this tour is going to be a big ask.  It is a chance for many unknown Kiwis to step up and make a name for themselves but even a fullstrength Wallabies always had problems returning home from the north unbeaten.  The first up game vs the Frogs is going to test them severely.  No secret the French are going to attempt to steamroll them upfront, and the number 1 tactic will be their infamous dark, dirty play to put any green Wallaby into hesitancy mode.  This game is make or break for their tour.  One way traffic here could put the doom and gloom into the squad for the rest of the tour.  With the Poms the week after there will be no let up.  The English will know where to hit them and exactly where it hurts after a bruising battle with Les Bleu.  For all England's endeavour to open up their game all their backs can do is crab across field so it has to be a hark back to the dull old days for them.  It could be that the hurting Wallabies return home with the solitary scalp under their arms versus a going backwards Italian team.  By the time they get to Wales somehow one feels there will be yet more players on the sideline and the Scarlets are going to give them a mix of everything.  The Welsh pack will take it to them while the backs will open up and try to run the tired Wallabies ragged.  Their long season is just going to get longer yet maybe the longest part will be the long flight home.

South Africa may not fare much better.  Struck by injuries to key players and mainstays they will also have their work cut out to leave Europe with their egos intact.  The Irish will be pumped for this but they're going to have to man up for longer than their customary 30minutes.  They will confront the Boks through their pack and I'm sure try to open up but with not much more idea than the English backline this could be 1 game lacking anything regarding penetration.  The Scots will be buoyed by their recent form against the men from the republic but the Scottish backs are going to have to perform better defensively than they have been domestically.  This match alone is worth watching to see Richie Gray in full flight, and if Denton only gets a bench spot you know they have a classy backrow.  But to have a real shot at this....the Jocks will be praying for rain.  Surely England have the best shot here and will almost be 50/50 odds in Britain to get one over the Boks here.  Another injury struck team cóming to the final hurdle at the end of a long season and I don't know if the Boks have it in them.

The All Blacks.  The ABs have nothing to worry about.  No, as far as rugby goes they haven't looked good when it comes to executing their gameplan.  But how comfortable do they look versus their challengers for the top ranked spot.  So comfortable that they have almost treated the Rugby Championship as a training run.  Implementing their wanted game, then closing down the opposition when having trouble executing.  New Zealand really do have 30-40% more than what we have seen this year.  Scary stuff for any potential foe.  Hansen has his critics but I'm a fan.  He doesn't suffer fools,and  relates well with his team managing to be one of the boys yet commanding respect when needed.  The players know....perform or you sit on the bench or miss the match day 22 (soon to be 23).  He has introduced 9 new caps during a dynamite season and the powder is still dry.  Can't believe the crap about an "ageing All Blacks"....take out the 2 hookers and it's a very young team.  The player management has paid dividends with a relatively injury free season and all players are feeling fresh and chomping at the bit to start this tour....a far cry from their Southern counterparts.  The Scots could be looking down the end of one very long barrel here. The Italians will be just a small judderbar, their negativity doing nothing to stem an all black tide.  The Welsh have the best shot by far at tipping over the rugby giants but even that would go down as one of sports greatest upsets.  While the English have no show....their forwards can't and won't dominate the men in black, and their backline tendency to slide across field means Lassie could sort out the ABs defensive plan.

What ruined that game....

2 things ruined that game.  The All Blacks' handling errors,...and Craig Joubert.  One of the most inconsistent rulings of the breakdown seen in recent times.  Yet another game ruined by incompetent officiating.  From the world's #1 ranked referee, too.  What was good for the goose, wasn't ok for the gander.  The ABs were deservedly penalised for infringing at the ruck.....Australia should have been penalised out of the game in the 2nd half for the same transgressions.

Plaudits to McCaw for his last call.  Shows just what disregard New Zealand hold for the world's 2nd ranked team.  Never had a lot of faith in Carter as a dropgoal maker....especially from that distance.  Personally I was surprised they went to that option so early.

Same Old Story

...here we go again.  Aussies never incapable of talking themselves up.  I will admit that an even-in-the-doldrums Wallabies has always been capable of turning the tables on the All Blacks....but not this time.  You do get the feeling it's all for their own benefit...because if they can't believe they can win, they certainly can't expect anyone else to.  But this time......even those that know how many times an out of form Australia have stunned an in form New Zealand.....this time it aint happening. 

The straw that broke the camel's back

Do or die time for the Boks.  Presently, they don't seriously believe they can beat the All Blacks on Saturday.  After this weekend they will know they can't beat them. And what a serious psych that will be to get over.  Heyneke Meyer stating they want to start winning consistently (how bout just winning one? ....baby steps) over the World Champions leading up to the World Cup is covering up a machete wound with a band aid.  The fact is, if this homegame is lost even many of the fervant Bok supporters will start to doubt.  No mean feat.  If they lose badly it's going to be soul destroying. 

See ya, wouldnt wanna be ya

Let's start with Meyer.  His success....the Bulls' success....Morne Steyn's success....was the result of one thing.  The previous (moreso than now) shambolic ruck laws that South African rugby managed to find a loophole in (or abuse...whichever suits you), that 100% favoured a team playing their style. Critics reported that South Africa was fastest to adapt. South Africa have never been fastest to adapt.  They never even adapt.  Those rules just fell into their lap. South Africa kick, kick, kick.  At some stage the opposition will run it back.  Ruck forms somewhere but most probably well in defending team's half.  Ref blows a ruck penalty that was always 50/50.  Penalty for defending team? Kick for touch.  Penalty for South Africa? Kick for goal, Morne Steyn, 3 points thank you very much.  Now those rules are gone.  The Bulls are gone.  Morne Steyn has gone. The signs for Meyer aren't good.  Despite all the criticism PDV suddenly isn't sitting so bad.  The Bok team he had was stronger than the weak team Jake White commanded (yes, including the very weak but fortunate 2007 world champs) and stronger than Meyer's. 

Scary stuff



A lot are pointing to the newfound "form" in the match vs the Wallabies.  Seriously?  This Wallabies??  Everyone knows the Aussie backs can keep their team in the game....but their tight five folds like wet paper. When 2 tries clearly shouldn't have been given(a clear 5metres forward pass and an obviously illegal maul drive) it makes the 31-8 scoreline much slimmer. Yes, South Africa looked very dominant all over the paddock but it's a damn site easy for backs when their pack is rolling the opposition into the turf.  South Africa can't do that vs a capable pack.  Without that continuous frontfoot ball the Bok three-quarters will resort to what they know best when opening up versus the All Blacks.....dropping the ball.  It's such misguided optimism and it happens everytime.  Remember the 2007 cup when after steamrolling Samoa Matfield told the press "See!...we can play running rugby!".  Yet in the following 2 games being extremely fortunate to get past Tonga and Fiji after being sucked into running rugby? So talk about the Spring Boks playing a wide game are not worrying or surprising anyone.  The reality is when the heat is on South Africa have one gameplan....ONE! They are able to open up and throw the ball around once they have 30 or 40 points on a minnow, but not vs the ABs.

Keeps going...and going...100 test victories...



New Zealand has been winning every game, before Argentina last Saturday, while not playing well.  Some will point to South Africa's missed kicks and bombed tries putting them yards ahead of the ABs but you get a clear feeling this All Black team is totally in control.  They are trying to execute a certain gameplan but have been struggling with accuracy, but when are under the hammer they lift that determination and, different from years gone by, truly believe they can and will come through.  For large parts of the 2nd half versus the Wallabies it was a 5 point ballgame...but did anyone seriously believe Australia had the proverbial snowball's?  And that's just when the ABs aren't playing well.  They clicked versus the Argies in Argentina....completely shut out a team that had even true AB believers (like me) more than a little bit worried.  The Pumas started hard and scored a fantastic try.  The All Blacks hit back...fast.  No doubt in my mind that had South Africa kicked a couple, or made that last pass stick (god, they were terrible weren't they? You don't see passes like that til you get down to 4th division club teams)...New Zealand would have clicked into gear.  The Boks will need a dominating pack on Saturday.  It isn't going to happen. New Zealanders rate Franks the world's best (outside Hayman) tighthead, Woodcock the world's best loosehead, an inspirational Sam Whitelock the world's classiest lock, and the everywhereman more than just a workhorse Read has daylight between him and the next cab off the rank at #8.  Add to that six of the starting lineup are the most capped All Blacks ever in their respective postions. Six. And McCaw....verging on the unbelievable.

So nothing points to a South African victory.  This was all about who would win if New Zealand played bad.  If the All Blacks are ready to rock....no one in world rugby can roll with them.  Get the vuvuzelas out!....Don't.

ALL BLACKS v PUMAS

C'mon the NZ press. All you are doing is feeding the pigeons.  Any rugby fan worth his salt would support Graham Henry advising  the Pumas.  We need this Championship to be up and running in no time.  For the All Blacks as a brand and a team we need more competition for when the likes of the Wallabies and the Boks lose form.  It's great supporting the world's winningest sports team...but I want some competition! It's no fun winning easy.  it's no fun knowing just putting on your boots is half the game won.  I always coached my guys to enjoy a 15-12 loss more than a 60-0 win.  I played rugby for the sport, and I support rugby for the sport. I support the All Blacks for the sport. Is there seriously anyone with a problem with Sir Ted giving the Argies a helping hand?

Onto the game itself and some journos trying to drum up some readers are suggesting the "fast improving" Argentina are a serious threat.  That the underperforming "Carter-less ABs" are a potential victim for the Henry-advised Pumas.  Everyone is a potential victim.  Anyone who buys a Sunday paper is a potential victim.  Anyone who doesn't wear a condom is a potential victim. Hell, anyone who wears a condom is a potential victim.  Of course the Argies could turn in a great performance, and coupled with a dismal one from New Zealand could possibly spell defeat for the All Blacks.  Possibly,...but not probably. 

The ABs have been round the block too many times to throw this game away.  There are enough new faces that want to win, want to uphold tradition, and want their places to let this be anything else.  Don't point to Carter's absence when Cruden was the form 1st5 of the SuperXV.  Don't point to any of the earlier made replacements, who would challenge for a place in any other international team.  Sonny has gone but the nous of Conrad Smith are worth 2 tries to any team added to the performance only he can bring out of Nonu.  Savea is a potential matchwinner or matchloser but I don't think Argentina have the kick & chase game to exploit there. And the almighty Dagg will have to learn to pass the ball...without a doubt something raised by Hansen over the past 2 weeks. Lock for lock great xp for Retallick but Vito will have to stand up versus some traditional hardnosed forwards.

Graham Henry please help the Pumas.  NZ needs you.

The Rugby Championship

Thank god for the Argies! They are, Sonny Bill aside, the only thing bringing interest to the reformatted Tri Nations.  I seriously hope the Boks can put on a lot better show than to date. How sad are the Wallabies if even when large parts of the 1st test's 2nd half it was a 5point ballgame no one actually thought they had a snowball's? I never got nervous...a strange feeling in a 5point ball game vs a nemesis. The bad news/good news(?) is that, as Hansen says and all can see, the All Blacks aren't just not playing well,...they are also controlling the game.  If South Africa can't front up it is going to make the Championship look ridiculous. SANZAR (does it have a new name?) are fortunate to have contract in place for the next few years because I couldn't see pay tv lining up for the present product.

South Africa and Australia dropping to northern hemisphere standards will severely damage the game here. There will have to be some competitiveness to the last 2 editions of the present contract or the ABs will have to look for something else, something new to tickle the tastebuds of not just the paytv operators, but the paying public.Argentina, while going to improve, are never going to be decent opposition for the ABs in the next few years.  Maybe we will have to disband the All Blacks and limit them to Barbarian style invitation matches? New Zealand could enter 2 rugby teams into the international game....the NZ North and NZ South.  That, in the long run, would just make New Zealand rugby stronger and the gap between the best and the rest would widen, though I imagine the inter-island edge would dramatically increase local interest in the game.  I remember as a kid the "patriotism" I felt while watching my often beaten South Island team vs the always favourites, North.

New Zealand dominance doesn't just threaten world rugby,...it threatens New zealand rugby.  Any ideas?

Super Rugby Crunchtime

Few things open yet. A real possibility of 3 South African teams in the finals with the top 3 from the republic having 3 home games.

Chiefs really need to win to keep home advantage through the finals, while the Hurricanes are playing for a finals spot if other results go their way and could do some serious damage to NZ's title aspirations taking away a possible home advantage fianl from the Chiefs.

Brumbies have to get past a rejuvenated of sorts Blues who finally have some players back from injury.

Crusaders bogey team has often been the Force...but at home they should get through and most kiwis will be expecting them to lift their game as they traditionally do.

Bulls get the easiest ride through but need to make sure that doesn't come back to haunt them. The Lions may well feel they have as much riding on this as the Bulls. From Currie Cup champs to SuperXV chumps here at least is a chance to salvage some pride (and wreck the Bulls' season).

Sharks have a real threat in a derby of sorts vs the Cheetahs and could be sent spiralling out of the competition.

Reds have their traditional derby vs the Waratahs and will hoping the home advantage is enough to swing the ledger their way in a tough game to pick.

Most will be expecting the status quo with teams 3 to 6 which will mean home minor semis respectively for the Brumbies  and Crusaders vs the Sharks and Bulls. As always home advantage will have a huge bearinbg on the outcome of the finals but the republic teams are no longer the push over they once were away from home.

Personally hoping for the Chiefs to go all the way...be nice to have a 3rd different champion from NZ and the Chiefs have the experience (including the 2009 final thrashing received from the Bulls) and the players to take this through. If they are on their game their biggest threats come from within NZ...the Hurricanes threatening to derail the run to a home final and, the possibility of meeting the Crusaders somewhere along the line.

Springboks v Poms

Plaudits to the Poms, always managing to come back and stay in the game everytime we thought it was all over. I'll also tip my hat to JP Pieterson, I've always ridiculed Bok supporters, saying he wouldn't make a NZ S15 team but on recent form he has to be 1 of the form wingers in the game. Now it only remains for him to pull his horns in a bit, all his post tackle pushing & attitude is reminiscent of a South African forward. It belittles him.

All Blacks Ireland 2nd test

My grizzle here is the gulf in refereeing habits between north & south. You saw it last week and Owens put in the same performance 2nd time up.  This Irish team would get penalised out of the game in S15 or the Tri Nations. Their unwillingness to clear away from the tackle area takes inhibits the All Blacks greatest weapon of quick ball. The ABs clearly came out in the 2nd half to be more aggressive at the ruck and to make up Owens' shortcomings. It started strongly enough but it's energy sapping stuff and is always going to be hard yakka keeping that up for 40. In contrast was the Wallabies Wales affair was twice the game to watch. The Welsh got stung a couple of times early on for not getting clear but learnt quickly.  A Southern Hemisphere ref and we saw a game of action over 80mins fuelled by quick ball.