Running out of time

The wheels are threatening to fall off the NZ Super15 wagon.  Seems they are struggling to find that balance between ball security and their natural excitement machine.  Not a lot of rounds left to get it right.
One feels the Blues are still a work in progress....Kirwan has had his hands full curbing calypso instincts and the Hurricanes are the Hurricanes,...NZ rugby's version of the Black Caps....everytime you start to expect big things from them they never fail to disappoint.  Highlanders hopefully will throw the proverbial spanner in some other teams' aspirations. Not really much else to play for except some southern pride.  It really seems all up to the Crusaders, who are showing flashes of themselves and with some simple game plans are showing up the South African teams, and the heady Chiefs, who really do look unstoppable if they are 70% on their game.  A backline that creates from  nothing all game long.  They are a much stronger unit than last year's championship team....fingers crossed they time their finals run right....and that Kerr Barlow will be back soon....

the AB PACK

Big Ben Afeaki

1 Ben Franks
2 no real stand out, position is up for grabs....at the moment I'd go with Elliott or Flynn.
3 Owen is the incumbent....but look for Ben Afeaki to find some AB game time this season. An absolute monster
4 Sam Whitelock. Clearly the best lock in the world.
5 Ali Williams is busy busy busy. Into everything, not 22 anymore but 1 smart cookie.  Dominic Bird receiving big raps.  Both Retallicks on their game.
6 Steven Luatua....dynamic in the loose without shunning the hard graft.
7 Todd was doing ok but #7s have always stood out in the Canty packs.  Ardie Savea's 'Canes debut was inspirational, perhaps even the motivation behind their dominant performance over Aussie's best pack. Sam Cane will never be more than a Journeyman. Every time it's the same thing....who will replace Jock Hobbs? Who will replace Michael Jones? Josh Kronfield?....we can rest assured that Savea is well and truly on the radar.
8  Kieran Read

All that glitters....

All that glitters isn't gold

The truth is the game's rules need a real and PROPER overhaul. I know all the chopping and changing as they strive for the perfect game doesnt help, especially when they get it wrong and some teams take advantage to the detriment of rugby (like a certain recent Bulls team), and the old adage says dont fix what isnt broken. Thing is rugby IS broken. There are still rules that just dont need to be there and a hell of a lot of rules that contradict themselves (you want to be really confused?...study the rules for when the ball is deemed in or out of the field of play).
The rule-makers have tried to do certain things like take match deciding decisions out of the refs' hands (how's that one working out?), and just eliminate unnecessary whistling. One rule springs to mind. A few seasons ago the "tackle-release" law was introduced because tacklers who were still playing at the ball while they were regaining their feet were killing the game's attack and making every ruck a 50/50 penalty call either way (so when you played for the Bulls that meant either 3pts for you or, on account of you always kicking the ball when within 60m of your own goal line, a clearing kick for the opposition). Problem is some idiot ref got it wrong in one of the first games and the rule has become what it wasnt supposed to be. There is no reason at all that a tackler who doesnt go off his feet should have to release. And if the refs were more capable then the bigwigs would see that no rule change was even necessary,....any tackler on the ground isnt allowed to play at the ball anyway.
Easy to gloss over all this when once in awhile there is a great game where the ref HASNT effected the outcome and acting like all that glitters is gold when all the new rugby fans dont actually understand the game enough to question....but as i said...the game is broken.