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?