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?

All Blacks vs Springboks Rugby Championsip 2013

A lot of talk but can't see the Boks taking this one.  They certainly won't be short of confidence.  They seldom are and after 3 wins on the trot, albeit 2 versus some dreadul opposition and a close one up against the Pumas in South America, they will no doubt have their tails up.  Credit to them, they truly put the Wallabies to the sword but they were a shadow of themselves, resemblant of a team that was completely lost.  But take out the middle of that 2nd half when every bounce of the ball seemed to go against them, and some bad finishing that cost them at least a couple of tries and the crazy thing is the score would have been quite close.

Missing McCaw and Romano will the selectors bring back Messam to muscle up the pack for this clash?  Hope not...this kid is pretty tough

We will miss McCaw of course. He isnt the ball pilferer he used to be but his physicality would have been more than useful. He has become one of the best ball carriers in the game and he won't shirk any work defensively. If it's a dry track I cant see the Boks being able to stay with them. Their gameplan now is so quick and very low risk and the South African loosies are going to run out of puff. I cant see them being up to bullying this AB pack (though Romano would have been handy) and the much hyped new found ability (dont we hear this every year?) to attack will be sorely tested in a tighter game against the world #1 ranked team. The Boks in the past have talked themselves up but every time it came to the crunch the supposed new ball skills were nowhere to be found.

ABs by ten.

Nonu or not?

Thought maybe it'd be nice to shed some light on this saga.  There's probably no bigger story in NZ rugby currently, including Sonny Bill and Benji.  What you read here it seems most the press don't know in New Zealand.

I imagine most of you by now have been persuaded that the blockbusting 2nd5 does create a problem with "team dynamics".  Reading between the lines you can see that Nonu more than likely belittles younger players or those he feels beneath him.  There are surely dry, sarcastic comments, often muttered half under the breath, aimed at the coach and unquestionably followed up with a little sniggering.  Hammett comes from the best provincial rugby set up in the world and it seems the main thing he wants to instil at the Hurricanes is a team ethic, camaraderie and culture.  Nothing wrong there.  After all, this is what rugby is.

Homeless

Personally I haven't been a fan of him of late.  The show he puts on at Super level seems to say this is all beneath him.  A demonstrated lack of interest injected with moments of petulance that cost 3 points and his team minus one player for 10 minutes.  Add to that the huge wage bill and you have to ask is he worth the hassle?  He's not my cup of tea.

Not my cup of tea

But I will say he was one of my players of the match last week.  A Wallabies side obviously intent on pressuring Aaron Smith's service (which didn't falter) to a young 1st5 coupled with a rushing defence on the #10.  All Taylor had to do was shovel the ball onto Nonu.  With 3 players rushing down on him Nonu makes it look like child's play to take the ball up and I argue there isn't one other inside centre in world rugby that can do that.  All the heat removed off Taylor...and simply.  In the All Black set up he tows the line and definitely performs.

So what is going on with the Super franchises?  Surely someone thinks they can make it work?

Well...here's the inside info.

When Nonu left for the Blues he apparently stipulated to Kirwan that he wouldnt play outside Ainscombe who was subsequently jettisoned to the Chiefs. Then after one season Nonu packed up and left (despite a "gentlemen's agreement" to stay for 2) running afoul of JK. Down at the Highlanders our prize 2nd5 had Jamie Joseph bending over backwards to accommodate him and despite something similar to the Kirwan agreement told Joseph he wouldnt be back (couldnt see why Joseph would want him....he was abysmal this Super season). So now all the talk about how he wants to move back home to the 'Canes. Now a little while ago didnt it seem very much like Hammett was ready to forgive and forget? Then next thing we hear is no chance? Then Barrett taking a long time to make his decision? Word is Barrett told Hammett if Nonu comes back he's off to the Blues and Hammett immediately abandoned the idea of welcoming him back. So....3 seemingly burnt bridges. And 2 other franchises that dont want him (dont forget that Ainscombe was a pivotal part of the Chiefs' winning campaign). The NZRU will have to let him go offshore to get game time. Most seem to think he will rake in some big bucks in Japan or France for a season but I dont know why they dont push for him to join an Australian outfit.  But the $$$ will do the talking and it maybe that the NZRU don't want him playing against NZ teams....though it may be a good way to undermine an Australian squad ;)

With his troublesome ankle may be given a rest this following weekend hopefully Saili can produce something spectacular.  Much of a Crotty fan as I am (he was the form 2nd5 in all Super rugby this season) Hansen doesn't want to break the mould of a blockbusting number 12 and distributor at outside centre.  Of course....Sonny will be back soon, but Benji won't get a look in with Smith at centre.  His only chance is if Sonny Bill has 13 on his back.

The Love Affair

Isn't it time to end it?  Is the spark still there?  Knowing when to end the relationship and actually being able to do it?  Before it ends up in pieces on the floor with all sides hating each other?  No one seriously thinks the never ending love affair, the romantic handhold between the ABs and the Nonu/Smith pairing will be cut but isn't it time?

How many other players would get the respite that Nonu has over his career?  In form, out of form, in form, out of form.  Having to carry a specialist 2nd5 on the bench in case Nonu is having one of his dream days.  The rest of the team having to give 10% extra because a gone missing Nonu will resurface at some stage in the game with some childlike play resulting from the frustration of not being involved in the game at all.  A player that's petulance threatened to scuttle the whole Hurricanes' franchise.  A player that's subsequent departure to the Blues had the critics speaking of a possible Super Championship contender but whose error-ridden play aided them to be anything but.  A midfielder whose insolence lead him quickly on down to the south where, with other big names, the Highlanders were arguably one of the pre-season's favourites but now can't even hold his spot.  Doesn't an in form player deserve a shot?  Is there any point in hanging around if one player can be so short of form and well below the current standard set by rivals yet still be guaranteed his jersey?

Conrad Smith has been a great servant to the All Blacks.  He isn't a rock in midfield, one can think of the odd occasion where he faltered in defense up against big hard-running centres costing the All Blacks games.  Stirling Mortlock comes to mind.  But he is a supreme commander at organising the outside defenses, and a great distributor for New Zealand's classy finishers.  Yet this season he has been made to look very schoolboyish in defence versus fellow NZ contenders for the 13 jersey.  It may be the only thing that keeps him there beyond the current season is the amount of new blood coming in.

 Deserved a spot at least in the wider training group

(I#d like to interrupt this article with some breaking news.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2INd9Cjf1U )



Bring in Ryan Crotty.  He isn't the most damaging 2nd5 in town but he is one smart cookie, capable of orchestrating his own breaks and more than able in D.  I doubt there is a more in form #12 in Super Rugby.  Throw him in outside Carter and you have a great combination ready-made.  To keep with one damaging runner in midfield NZ currently has a swag of blockbusting midfielders to pick from.  Unfortunately big Robbie Freuan has fallen by the wayside after a very strong damaging run through the first half of the championship.  Francis Saili made the initial training squad and has proved a real handful for opposition teams at inside centre but doesn't presently have the ball security required at this level.  In round 16 Highlanders vs Blues in Dunedin....after a woeful 1st half and possession was needed to get back into the game, Saili was the main culprit handing the ball back to the team from the South epitomising the Blues' real problem of years gone by.  JK deserves another knighthood.  Nothing more frustrating as a coach.  But Rene.....Rene Ranger has stood up.  The influx of exciting new youngsters at the Blues gave him an automatic senior role.  Instantly,...gone were the lapses in concentration, the issues with ball retention, defence and general 80 minute involvement.  Not the biggest centre doing the rounds but his performances belie the stats.  A real bulldozer with ball in hand and a devastating tackler.

Just a utility?...our loss

However, one feels Ranger will be consigned to a utility role.  Our loss.  Crotty wasn't even selected in a wider training group.  To my eyes Ben Smith has long been groomed as the successor to Conrad.  Just as adept at feeding his outsides, a great organiser, capable defender but with speed to burn. Something Conrad doesn't have.  Ben can open up a game on his own, an attacking edge Conrad never possessed.  But with Dagg's dip in form he could be about to nail down the fullback spot.  But then again, Dagg almost seems another untouchable when it comes to form affecting your AB jersey.

So....the handholding will continue...regrettably.

Just another idiot with a whistle

What a surprise.  Officiating controversy dominates a high level rugby final.  What a surprise. Wayne Barnes is thereabouts.  Was good to see that he has finally learnt that rugby has an offside law and while there aren't really any referees presently in rugby to write home about there are certain refs that just get your goat.  Wayne Barnes is the English version of that Australian Steve Walsh (Rob Muldoon once said.....if you want to raise the IQ of both countries...."just send another Kiwi over the ditch").

Did Hartley deserve his 11wk ban? Most probably.  Previous record for foul play including eye gouging and biting, definitely no stranger to the judiciary and well known to have control problems, and you have to have some sympathy but any captain should know better.  No small ban and missing a career highlight Lions' tour must hurt but he was warned.  Maybe back to the psychologist for him.

To the actual detonator...a missed penalty in the dying seconds of the 1st half.  Time runs out before the 22 is taken and Barnes repeatedly tells Myler he can't kick the ball directly out(some understanding for Myler here, he didn't disregard Barnes' orders...just clearly misunderstood).  Barnes said the "ball must be played".  Forgive me, ...isn't kicking the ball playing it?  Regardless if the ball is kicked directly into touch it has been "played".  Is it a penalisable offence?  In the normal course of a game the opposition would get the choice....restart or scrum.  So, that being the case, time up when the kick was taken, shouldn't Barnes have blown for halftime?  Or was the better option to get on his high horse, take that PC Plod/school teacher attitude of his, talk down to the players and award a possibly match deciding(in the end, match defining) scrum to the Tigers?  The resulting scrum penalty right in front of the posts was enough to make most players lose their cool, Hartley had no chance.  The Saints battling well to stay in the game til halftime to restrict Tigers to a 13-5 lead suddenly had another thrown 3 on top.  The resultant "You fuckin' cheat!" was clearly aimed at Barnes despite Hartley's insistence it was directed at Tom Youngs (much like his earlier excuse).  Hartley deserves the rap for that.  Barnes deserves the rap for it getting to that.

We aren't talking bout whether Myler's direct kick to touch was cynial or negative, or that Barnes had said he can't do it.  We are talking bout who was wrong and who was right.  I don't know of any rule that says that Myler could not kick that ball directly out.  To me,....Barnes just pulled another one out his arse.  Then again, could be he was right.  But it was clear Myler misunderstood....just have another 22.

For the last few seasons the fishheads in the officiating swivelchair boardrooms have been trying to take match results out of referees' hands....to get away from controversial match deciding, championship losing calls.  They aren't getting anywhere.  And they never will until they use some commonsense when making the rules, and get some whistle blowers who actually have some commonsense when ruling on them.  Even if you fixed problem 1, it wouldn't be enough.  The current match officials aren't up to it.

Better than the current crop...

You can't take groups of men that aren't up to playing a certain sport, then give them a whistle and ask them to officiate soemthing they were never capable of playing.  And certain whistlers are bigger than the games they control.  Be interested to know if there was one Super rugby player who thought Steve Walsh was a great guy? "....Gee...can't wait to have a beer with Steve after the match!".....Nope....can't see it.

Wayne Barnes...just another idiot with a whistle.