Pieces of Eight

Cant wait to see Read's impact in the Nov internationals.  He has moved on as a player since last meeting any northern oppostion and his wide ranging game, freeing up wingers down the outside lanes is incomparable in today's game.

For those of you who haven't followed AB rugby that long you wouldn't know the story behind the Bring Back Buck campaign.

An inspirational captain who re-entered a game after having a testicle placed back in its scrotum and stitched up, making the list of 7 Most Horrific "Man Injuries" In Sports, only to have some teeth knocked out.  The man who reinvented the All Black Haka unwittingly propelling the brand to greater heights, and who spurred the birth of the Bring Back Buck campaign which lives to this day since his dropping in 1990.

An up and coming #8 in Zinzan Brooke who lacked that raw edge but had all the skills of an outside back.  Rumour has it that Buck was dropped to keep Zinny in the "amateur" game (he had just signed with Manly Sea Eagles before asking Graham Lowe to rip up the contract) by giving him the All Black jersey.  This certainly played a part but the snake in the grass was team mate Gary Whetton who long held aspirations to be the All Black captain, even going as far as to jettison Shelford's role in the French Barbarians match versus the ABs.

However, Zinny went on to become the world's best ever number 8.  A player so competitive he would challenge Grant Fox and company at Auckland to goalkicking contests, and we can all remember his mammoth international drop goals against South Africa and England.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRdo2nsr_b0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0nfYW-wIZ4

My question to you is,....is Kieran Read already the world's best ever eightman?

Master Class at Ellis Park

Finally.  All the hype, all the expectation, all the discussion.  Baited breath.  A game lived up to its name.  Not ruined by an act of stupidity from player or referee.  Billed as the game of the year and it was all that.  The South Africans wanting revenge for what they saw as a stolen victory in New Zealand must have been deemed at least equal favourites versus a travel weary All Blacks.  Yet a New Zealand team that felt robbed of a respectable win weeks earlier, and excited, not intimidated, by the Ellis Park challenge.  And we knew it was going to be brutal.

Everyone knew tthe Boks were going be at their physical best.  The question was how much aggro, how much push and shove, how much biffo was going to be dished out.  Either way it didn't worry this New Zealand team.  They are the one team that can stand up to the Springbok intimidation test.  All the talk about Ellis park and you just know that this All Black team revel in these situations.  What you saw on Saturday was the result of 6 years of intelligent work by Graham Henry and Steve Hansen.  A team that learnt to change games to take the ref out of the game, a team that has such self-confidence in themselves that no deficit is unreachable.  This raw confidence coupled with a smarter and less legible game plan makes this AB team what they are today.  The way they pick up their game as required shows they always have another gear.  De Villiers try in the 58th minute threatened to completely derail the All Blacks.  A 3 pointer to the Boks would have put them in the box seat, one hand on the trophy and in prime position to turn the screws.  With their bonus point in the bag they could have resoughted to their traditional game and force New Zealand to counter but really 20 minutes was always going to be too long to hold out this NZ team.  In effect 3 minutes was all they needed to wrap up the championship and have the Boks asking questions of themselves as to whether they were up to saving the game.

With whom do you start?  Messam had clearly his best game in a black jersey.  He didn't shy away and let the selectors know that Kaino can't just walk back in.  He finally showed some real muscle but I still question his size and I'm sure that while the coaches were happy they still realize he can't impose himself on the game like his predecessor.  And the added explosiveness when Luatua took the field was very noticeable, though granted, much of the hard work had been done.  But I see Retallick as our enforcer and not Messam.

Savea has become the complete winger.  His improved ability and confidence under the high ball has been evident over the season but now it's the deft little touches that are making the difference.  His subtle move infield to create space for Read to skirt away for his try down the touchline was perfectly executed.  There's a frightening gap between our best wingers and the rest.  Now we just have to sort out that haircut.

The complete package

Aaron Cruden was sublime.  Steady all day with Du Plessis and co rumbling down on him all game long til, face battle-scarred, leaving the field at the hour mark.  Barrett on and imposing himself on the game immediately, first being run over the top of by a very impressive Bok captain and letting in 5 points before 3 minutes later bamboozling the same man and leaving 3 others clutching at air to claim the Rugby Championship with a bonus point try.  Barrett finally stood up defensively, despite the miss on De Villiers that threatened to steal not only a victory but the whole Championship, making a handful of telling tackles with the team going backwards, including one spectacular on le Roux.  But Cruden takes my man of the match.  A Jack amongst giants.

A Jack amongst giants

Read continues to raise his game to yet another level.  His wide ranging game, bearing down the outside channels receiving and distributing with all the class of an international centre is unmatched in today's game.  We had Carter, we had McCaw,....now the mantle of World's Best has been passed on.  A very different skill set to Zinzan but at this "early" part of his career already the best ever eightman?

Best ever eightman?

Northern Hemisphere should be scared.

Going for the championship

It's either the stupidest plan in the world or a very weak bluff. The Boks havent scored 4 tries vs the ABs in about 9yrs. They either try to grind NZ into submission by dominating setpieces (wont happen) and Steyn kicking 3 points after 3 points, which wont net them 4 tries....or they can try to play open rugby which turns their game to pie whenever against any serious opposition. Could be a great game in the making but end up ABs 50 Boks 30.

I havent seen anything from the Bulls in recent years to suggest they are close to capable of doing this in a tight game. We always get the same tripe rolled out after any game where the opposition had already folded and the Boks manage to run in a couple of tries but when the pressure is on their backplay skill drops below schoolboy level. Very much what we saw last Saturday.

Not all doom and gloom for the Green and Gold

I dont think it's all doom and gloom for the Wallabies after watching that. 2 dubious yellow cards, the first which should of resulted in a reversed penalty. Obviously the original strategy was to play for position but White's kicks werent up to scratch and for a professional team they shouldnt have needed a coach at halftime to tell them to change. I do tire of watching the Boks off the ball, after the whistle play. It's neanderthalish and doesnt really paint a pretty picture of the man from the republic, rather showing a serious lack of IQ. McCalman was good to watch in the 2nd half, getting some good and much missed go forward for the Aussie pack. I dont think the Boks were all ball in hand in the first half, a great break out try perhaps warping people's impressions. I was getting bored midway through the first 40 because of all the kicking from Steyn and co. Take out that woeful 25 minutes in the first half and the Wallabies were right in the game. I would have liked to see Kuridrani smashing it up in midfield more, De Villiers is a weak front on tackler, and Timani added some much needed muscle to the pack.  The Wallabies just seem to be missing that finishing touch at the moment.  The soft underbelly pack is nothing new,...they're beaten all teams in the past while receiving the same criticism.  I'll tip them to beat the Pumas next weekend, they are a very intelligent team.

Folau is proving to be somewhat lacklustre. He had a few, albeit minor, opportunities on Saturday but with all the hype about his one on one ability I expected more. He got caught out badly too 2nd half when he fielded a kick, had time to clear and just shuffled himself to the sideline when he got bundled by 3 Boks into touch. Must have thought he was playing league for a moment there. 

Seen my green jersey anyone?

How hilarious was the Kobus Wiese halftime stats run down? "We took it to them, ball in hand, we will kill them, ball in hand, Australia dont want to play, I repeat we are taking it to them, ball in hand, they dont want to play, we will kill them, I want to stress we are taking it to them,.... etc etc etc...".....Kanye West anyone? Spose I'm asking too much of a Bok forward.

Tip my hat to Peyper for giving Cruden another kick after the laser incident in South America. Whether he gave it for the early charge or not it resulted in a laserless match from there on in. Though must be some questions asked over the TMO who took a ridiculously long time to award Savea's try and seemed to be looking at some totally irrelevant footage.

The Pumas spolied well and Peyper was slow to pick up on lazy rollers out the back of the rucks and combined with a small field the ABs will be more than relieved to get their bonus point.  All bodes well for the Republic.

ABs vs the Springboks 14 Sept: Just another idiot with a whistle part II

Roman Poite is a twat. Du Plessis shouldnt have even been penalised, there wasn't even an offside (however look at it as karma because he has gotten away with a lot in his career ).  Poite made error after error the whole game and further embarrasses himself with the live audio feed.  The discussion of whether to award a penalty try against Piutau for tackling Lambie in the air when it was never from a kick makes a mockery of the standard of international referees.

Ruined the game but where was this much vaunted new found Springbok attacking flair?  The red card didn't effectively change anything except taking the gloss of what would have been an AB victory regardless.  I don't think I have ever seen one team kick the ball so much over 80 minutes.  NZ now balance their game much more intelligently and choose wisely when and from where to attack.  This Bok tactic of continuous kicks is not going to win a game versus this AB team.  The All Blacks played at a frenetic pace with width and accuracy and looked dangerous the whole game with the players, from 1 to 15, making short work of getting over the gainline.

Shut the critics up

Take a bow Sam Cane....what a huge, huge game.  The sight of him drenched in blood and coming back again and again for more and more must have won over the harshest of critics.  The defensive work all round from the ABs was impressive, as were the lineouts while the scrum needs some polish.  Barrett came on with no little pressure in the biggest game this year and didn't disappoint.  Dangerous ball in hand, taking it to, and through, the line on a number of occasions and shocking most by his tackle count.  My player of the day is hands down Brodie Retallick.  I said he would have a breakout year and he just keeps getting better and better.  I would say this was his best ever outing in a black jersey.  Fearless in defense, busy and physical in the tight, and a real attacking threat in the open.

Surpassed Whitelock as the world's premier 2nd rower?