The great number 9 debate of the All Blacks

SBW you ain't, Jimmy

New Zealand have three half backs. Piri Weepu. Andrew Ellis. Jimmy Cowan. Piri has a lion heart. He can kick goals and play first five if need be. Sure, he might not be the leanest man on the field, but he is one of the nicest afterwards, plus he knows how to play the big games. But is he up there with the Genia’s or Du Preez’s of the world. We all know, probably not.


Andrew Ellis is weaker that Piri and partial to a spot of river dancing before he passes the ball to his outsides, so he is not my favourite. He has coasted by having the incredible fortune of playing for the Crusaders for most of his professional days and it is easy to look quite good when you’re behind a pack of Richie McCaw’s and Brad Thorne’s and inside a player like Dan Carter.
   

But if I was Sophie, I would find it very hard to choose between him and Cowan (for the wrong reasons). Jimmy Cowan, once right up there, is now the great pretender. Right down to holding the ball in the palm of his hand as he dives over the tryline for an easy try against Canada the other day...sorry Chris Ashton, oops, I mean, Jimmy. There are only two rugby players in the world that deserve to hold the ball in the palm of their hands - SBW and pinetree. The rest of you are just showboating and pretending. Protect the ball and get your own brand of playing rugby (i.e., a better one than you're managing to pull out of the hat at the mo).

So, for me it's Piri first. Cowan and Ellis are both a very poor third equal. But I'm not Ted.
Who do you think should be the number one number nine for the All Blacks? Weepu, Ellis or Cowan?

Tournament Point

I’m jealous, Ferdy. Living in London, the All Blacks v Springbok games in SA each year were my favourite - kick-offs that matched British Summer Time perfectly. Yes ... watching a Test match, in daylight, at the pub. Old skool, all day, Test Match Fever!

So, we only need a point to take the Tournament? Done I reckon. Not saying we’ll thrash the Boks, but the eight changes P Divvy has brought in emphasise their loss of direction recently, and reflect a need to try something a little bit different. Only a little bit though, its all about execution for them this weekend ... time to step up for John Smit’s Century Test. And how good is that? 100 Tests for the Boks - outstanding.

After last weekend’s dismal efforts by my other teams (the Turbos and the Hammers, someone has to support these teams) I am keen for the All Blacks to produce an emphatic win on South African soil. I am looking forward to Cowan scrapping with that feisty nugget Francois Hougaard, and I bet our guys are relishing the chance to run at those little fellas at the back: Aplon and JP Pietersen. Plus, will Juan Smith adapt to these new rules at this pace?

Let’s hope the 90,000 spectators at Soccer City don’t spook our boys. Will Vuvuzelas be allowed?

And as for all this tripe about SA going it alone after 2015? What rubbish. Go on, I dare you SARU. You need us as much as we need you ... talk about throwing your toys. Cry babies.

All Blacks 29 - Wales 9

A great day today for New Zealand sport. The Kiwi rugby league team producing the upset of the century by defeating Australia and winning the Rugby League World Cup. Yay - we've won a world cup that isn't for lawn bowls. Awesome and well done to Steve Kearney and his guys.

The All Blacks followed up with a comprehensive final score against a spirited Welsh side in Cardiff this morning - but the score did flatter the ABs who were pants in the first half. The naughty step award could have been shared by Carter and Cowan who both had off nights.

Highlights? Great plays by Mealamu, McCaw, Kaino and of course Rodney (does he ever have a bad game?). Awesome too Joe, and even Sivivatu was OK. But the biggest highlight was definitely the haka stand-off. Now that's the way to issue a challenge. Brilliant!

For full match report read here