Tri Nations 2009 - Still alive and kicking

It’s amazing how one game can change everything in world rugby. Less than a week ago and the Springboks were invincible world beaters that were so far ahead of the rest of the teams in the world, all we could do was stand back in awe and admiration. This week and the Wallabies with an injection of passion and desperation, blow that aura of invincibility to smithereens. How quickly the tables can turn with a fickle media and public.

Already the sniping at Springbok talisman John Smit has begun. (Maybe there is a point to this considering he was annihilated by a scrum that has up until very recently, been a world laughing stock). The murmur of usual clichés have started to gain in volume: ‘The boks are poor travellers, they don’t know what to do when someone applies pressure to them, they’ve got a stupid coach’ etc etc. It just goes to prove that any team, no matter how fearsome, is only as good as its last game.

Good news for the Tri Nations too. This means the last two games won’t be dead rubbers – although the All Blacks will have to play out of their skins and score four tries in each match to have any hope of retaining the trophy. Call me a pessimist but I can’t see how it will be possible with the current players in the All Blacks. Especially if Henry decides to continue tinkering with his backline and playing everyone out of position. Dan Carter is the world’s best number 10. Why would Henry play him at 12? And what impact can an out of form Mils Muliaina possibly make at centre? He has struggled in his own position, so what kind of cutting incisiveness will he make at centre? Not much I should imagine.

If Henry picks the slovenly Tialata who I see is back training with the squad, well then I’m going to trot off to the TAB and put some money on the South Africans myself. I thought the silver lining from the losses we have had this year would be that Henry would shave the players from the team who turn up but clearly look like they can’t be bothered. We need to get rid of the dead weight. Not keep on flogging a dead horse by playing inept players with no brains for the game or passion.

Getting beaten

Ok. It's terrible, I haven't updated for a week because I've just been feeling so blah about rugby since the All Blacks lost to the Springboks. I also accidentally wiped my old blog template and now I'm stuck with this green thing until I have the time and inclination to get around to fixing it. Grrrr! Are there any web designers out there who could give me some advice about bringing my blog into the 21st century?

But back to me feeling blah. My team, the team that I love and adore, is going through a serious blip at the moment. The scarey thing is, I'm worried the blip is going to turn into something longer than a blip. And then what? How long does a blip need to last before we'll be calling ourselves the the Wales of the Northern Hemisphere. Once, one of the greatest rugby teams in the world and now, with money ruling the day, struggling to keep up with even the minnows (read the match against Italy to see what I mean).

I'm overreacting yes. But the signs are worrying. Our backline seems to have lost the natural instinct to attack. Is this because they're being coached to stand so flat? Is it because they don't appear to have any collective intelligence (yes, yes, I know Conrad Smith has got a law degree and 'runs a good straight line' blah de blah blah blah). Why do the coaches persist with selecting players like Tialata and Eaton? The whole world has gone mad. What's happened to Mils Muliaina? He's lost his spark. The wingers have lost their speed. And Andrew Hore has lost his accuracy throwing into lineouts - although sadly I have to acknowledge it was never actually a strong point for him anyway).

The Springboks were the better team last week. Yes, yes, there was playing at altitute and the one week turnaround and the jet lag for the All Blacks to have to contend with. But I'm a bit afraid that this week we'll have no excuses if we come out second best. Of course, you're only as good as your last game. And I live in hope. I will for another day at least.

The weird and wonderful rugby world of hair

There are a bevy of beauties on the rugger field, each with their own special trademark. Although I would hate to categorise any team by country, it has been noted that the Welsh, when not sporting the woolly Duncan Jones sheep look, seem to be attempting some kind of Guinness record when it comes to the amount of hair gel to apply to their locks. This does for old Gav what countless other beauties have found in their time – over use of the bryl cream gives ultimate lift of the hair follicle but ultimately, also an increased reputation that you can’t have hair and brains too.

In the All Blacks camp, apart from the obvious dreadlocks, there is a fond predisposition to dying the edges of the hair yellow. Jerry Collin’s cousin (also his hairdresser) looks to be doing a rip roaring trade for half the All Black team with Neemia Tialata, dropped Piri Weepu and Ma’a Nonu plus Chris Masoe all sporting their fairer edges.

Meanwhile, England and the Wallabies are content to wear their hair the way real rugby men do – with short backs and sides. That is of course unless you’re Dallaglio. The man who loves the media bite almost as much as the sound of his own voice could possibly be the only geezer in the world looking to inspire a revival of the comb over. Much like Lol’s rugby time on the rugby field – it sadly isn’t tipped to be around for much longer.