Half way point in the Tri Nations 2009 - fall out and theories

Half way through the Tri Nations and it looks like the Saffas are going to steam roll the very mediocre All Black and Wallaby outfits this year. Or will they?

Granted the South African team is very good but will they be good enough when they’re away from home? And is it just me or does anyone else think this Springbok team bears a striking resemblance to the English of 2003 with a kicker in Steyn that is as metronomic as Jonny Wilkinson, a forward pack who can clinically wear down any opposition and a back line that looks rather short on ideas and attack. Mind you – as an All Black supporter, who am I to dis the South African backline when the NZ backline currently doesn’t look like it would be able organise a piss up in brewery.

It seems that rugby’s pendulum has swung. Where as four years ago in 2005 a team that played glorious, attacking rugby was the victor, rugby now is won by strong defence and having a man in the backline who can kick all your territory and points. Of course, It helps if you can get into the ref’s head at the breakdown as well. For New Zealand, we’ve never been much good at this (current popular theory is lack of intelligence). We suffer most with Welsh and Irish referees who seem to collectively hate us.

Whether it’s the old rules or the ELVs, everything is up the whop at the moment when it comes to rugger. The kind of rugby we are seeing being played and won this year is the kind of rugby that normally only appears at rugby world cup tournaments. Low risk rugger where you batter and squeeze the life out of the opponent with a one man point scorer. Maybe it’s good for the All Blacks that is happening now. Maybe the pendulum would have swung to a more attack based game by 2011. Or maybe we will be able to better deal with what is before us in two years time if we have a bit of practice and do the hard yards in pain now.

Sports after dark blog - the endangered All Blacks

Woeful All Blacks

This match was upside down and back-to-front even before it had begun. To start, the national anthems were played in an order that bucked tradition with the beautiful South African anthem sung before New Zealand's was delivered at it's usual dirge like pace. (Why can't they quicken it up - it's not supposed to be sung so slow).

The All Blacks then issued South Africa with a what I can only presume was meant to say 'we mean the business so you better watch out' by presenting their Kapo o pongo haka. All spit and eye rolling. I'm not really a fan of this haka, but in the past when it has been performed, we've had proud men with mana who lived up to their early pukana by following up the challenge by playing some meaty rugby on the field. Sadly, this was not to be the case last night.

Things started off well for the All Blacks though. (Another upside down moment). Usually so slow out of the blocks, they drew first blood with the gazelle like Isaac Ross crossing the South African line. Stephen Donald brought his kicking boots to the party and slotted over a penalty and a conversion. We dared to hope it might be a good night.

Instead, it decided to turn itself to custard.

A regular phrase in the commentary box as the night wore on was 'brain explosion'. And the All Blacks were having plenty of those playing some of the most dimwitted rugby I've ever had the misfortune to watch a New Zealand rugby team play. They just had no answers to the mighty kicking boots of Steyn who scored all of South Africa's points - with a record breaking 8 out 9 kicks and the only try of the evening. When Steyn wasn't asassinating us with his goals, he was assassinating our hapless and inept backs with his high bombs.

The All Blacks as a collective, fumbled, dropped the ball, missed tackles, got pinged, penalised and told off by the pedantic Nigel Owens. But this wasn't the Welsh ref's fault. New Zealand lost this fair and square because we were useless and the Boks were infinitely better. Why the All Blacks persisted with trying to run the ball from under their own goal I will never understand. We played much of the game (nearly 80%) in our own half. We're afraid of our lineout misfiring so we don't kick for touch anymore. But running it from your own 22 when you've got the world champion expert scavengers ready to capitalise on any mistake you make? Completely idiotic. Brain explosion, brain fart, brain dead.

South Africa were brutal and took it to the All Blacks. Deserved winners, I can't see how they won't win the Tri Nations although in saying that, they're not the best travellers so maybe this might be Australia's year too. Either or. All I know is that 2009 isn't going to be New Zealand's. This isn't a blip, it looks more like a black hole. At least we can all console ourselves in the knowledge that this time, we're not peaking between world cups.

All Blacks beat the Wallabies to retain the Bledisloe and Tri-nations in 2008

One good thing to come out of the All Blacks losing that infamous day in Cardiff last year is that I really don’t get so amped now about whether we win or lose. In fact, when the All Blacks fell to South Africa and Australia in the early stages of the Tri-Nations this year, I was disappointed yes, but not devastated. Maybe I’m growing up?

Still, I was pretty happy on Saturday night when the All Blacks managed to come back from the pit of defeat and then hang on by a grimy fingernail against a spirited Wallabies side. (So happy I managed to spill four pints of beer in one single arm movement of whooping joy much to my cohorts chagrin).

It was a great test match and everyone (down in the SH anyway) seems to be calling it a triumph for the new ELVS. One thing’s for sure – for a rugby final – which this definitely was, it certainly had it all.

The match could not have been more different to the World Cup final played by England and South Africa last year. For a start it had risk and adventure and huge pace. The winner was decided through the amount of tries scored, not by the amount of (boring) penalty and drop kicks. Imagine a Rugby World Cup final with seven tries scored? Impossible (especially if the English rugby team has anything to do with it).

So the All Blacks are number one again. Even Daniel Carter in a moment of uncharacteristic joy may have signalled so too as he crossed the line for the decisive try that was to end the Wallabies’ hopes of Bledisloe glory. I’ve actually never seen him smile so much after the game. In fact I have never seen so many All Blacks so unstaunch in celebration. An indication if ever there was how sweet this success was after the lows of the earlier tests this year and the valley of woe in Cardiff.

For a match report read Matt's @ Green and Gold Rugby

All Blacks V Springboks and Wayne Barnes

Another Saturday in August and another test match - this time the All Blacks take on the Springboks in Cape Town for yet another 'to the wire' and 'mouthwatering' (both quotes our very own Muzza Mexted) test match.

Already the mud has been slung with De Villiers getting his two p in about the All Black lineout. Last week it was the scrum, this week the lineout. What next Pete? Daniel Carter's undergarments?

Meanwhile, the All Blacks may have a greater nemesis to contend with P C Barnes back on the beat. After the calamities of 'that' world cup quarterfinal in Cardiff, you've got to respect the man's courage. Mind you, I notice old Paddy O'Brien didn't send him to touch judge on NZ terra firma. Maybe they're all not so gung-ho after all.

Whatever way, old Ted doesn't seem too concerned about Wayne Barnes' presence on the pitch Saturday night- or at least, he isn't letting on to the media if he is.

Wayne Barnes is Back...


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