South Africa v Australia - 13 July 2011

It took a few days, but here are the visual numbers. Another tight game where no one seemed to get the upper hand in set pieces - perhaps a victory for Aussie there. The Boks just couldn’t get the edge, though the TMO denied Fourie by the slimmest of margins. Both sides goal kicking also looked rusty which kept a few points off the scoreboard.

For me, that Aussie midfield pulled off some mean tackling. I have been quite non-plussed with their midfield - Ashley-Cooper is no Mortlock for me, and 12-13 just seemed to be an offensive weakness. Last weekend they just got on with it. The thing I like is that while all the hot doggin outside backs and Quade Coopers of this world get all the Twitter follows and press column inches ... a bloke like Pat McCabe is quietly going about his job and getting better each week.

South Africa? Who knows? This could be such a different team, and maybe from next year it will start to rebuild around the youngsters liek Broussow, Aplon, Lambie etc. But for now it looks like P Divvy will simply revert to type, with Morne Steyn behind a big, big, hungry pack. And you know what? ... in a drag down, bar brawl of a semi, who knows ... its worked for them before.

This weekend our B team(?) takes on the Boks and its X Factor in more ways than one: Jane, Kahui, Toeava may all get last chances to shine before the squad of 30 is picked next week. However, the Last Chance Saloon should surely also be observing Sonny Bill Williams. He needs a special game this weekend. As of yet I don’t think he has done enough in the Test arena to warrant the selection everyone else thinks he deserves.

Nonu is a better 12, Smith a better centre, Toeava & Kahui can cover fullback and wing between them ... as can Corey Jane. SBW is a devastating player, but seriously, in a big knockout match, on defence, with that tendency to fly in with no hands ... the cards may come out. Good luck to him though.

Go the All Blacks.

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.

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

British and Irish Lions keep up their losing ways

Another eventful weekend of rugby saw the All Blacks winning a scratchy and frustrating match against Italy, South Africa taking the Lions series in Pretoria and more red faces in the French camp.

The Lions lose by two points in a thriller - and the moaning begins

After the melodramatic and unsuccessful 2005 British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand went pear shaped for the Lions, the high pitched squeals of Brian O’Driscoll, Clive Woodward and Alistair Campbell complaining as they actively launched a hate campaign on Tana Umanga could be heard throughout the world.

Unfortunately for Woodward and co, the moaning didn’t translate into points on the field in 2005 so it was a good idea when the Lions squad of 2009 decided to keep their complaining about the opposition behind closed dressing room doors for their tour of South Africa.

This all unravelled after the scintillating second test when several incidents off the ball saw a number of Lions players hospitalised (and lest we forget Schalk Burgers’ very obvious eye gouge in front of cameras, touch judges and other team members).

South Africa turned up to play dirty according to the spotless Lions who of course with players like Simon Shaw and O’Driscoll would never do anything collectively underhanded as a spear tackle or eye gouge. Yeah right.

So now that the Lions have lost, the dressing room door has been opened and the insults in the British media are out. While I agree that Schalk Burger should be punished for his offences (and since writing this, has been), the British and Irish media maybe need to take a look in their own back yard before they get all self righteous and start throwing stones.

It is bad when the game is played dirty, but it isn’t just the All Blacks and Springboks who are guilty of those offences. The British and Irish Lions lost and already the moaning has gone up a gear. It looks like sour grapes, as per usual. Haven’t they learnt anything?

All Blacks at new lows

It was a shambolic and frustrating display at Jade Stadium on Saturday night for the All Blacks’ test match against Italy. The Italians managed to restrict the All Blacks to the smallest ever margin and the celebrations were evident in the Azzuri coaching box after the game.

The problem for the All Blacks according to the media is all about the 9 / 10 axis. Personally I think there are a few more rotten apples in the barrel of the New Zealand backline. For a start, where is the attacking potency of yesteryear? It certainly wasn’t on display on Saturday. This is as much to do with Luke McAlister’s error ridden game as it is to do with a lack of intelligence and collective nous.

Poor Mils Muliaina - who was the best back by far on Saturday - cannot be the brains for a backline that had arrogance (yes, trying to run in your own 22 for the majority of the game because you think you’re going to score a 10 try haul against the Italians is arrogant) and stupidity (even when the 10 try haul didn’t look like it was going to happen, they didn’t know how to change their tactics. Duh – dumb).

Why did the backline stand so flat behind the first five eighth? Murray Mexted - love him or hate him - was right. The All Blacks had no go forward and never really looked like getting over the gain line. Instead the fancied themselves doing little flashy moves that came to nothing: running criss cross dummies and executing silly little hospital passes to each other. It was a depressing sight to watch.

Once an attacking team with flair and ingenuity, I fear to say they look more like an English backline now – running backwards and sideways, pointing and yelling idiotically, and no structure or skill. This is not looking good for the Tri nations at all.

The only upside (and I’m clutching at straws here) is that the South Africans under their foot in mouth prone coach Peter De Villiers may not be as strong as they could potentially be. After all, the Lions theoretically were never expected to beat the Boks. But the northern hemisphere side took them pretty close and often played the better rugby.

Also, the Wallabies only managed the one try against France in what was described a ‘turgid’ match on Saturday. Not exactly the roasting that everyone was expecting. Only time will tell I guess

Bastereaud

The New Zealand media is having a field day with plays on Bastereaud’s name and the sentence ‘lying bastard’. All very obvious and unsubtle. The unwitting centre it turns out didn’t get assaulted by any New Zealand thugs but into a scuffle back at his hotel room with his team mate.


Wellington mayor and property developer Kerry Prenderghastly waded into the drama demanding Bastereaud make an apology to the people of Wellington. How very typically parochial of us. I guess the police investigation costs should be covered by the French but it’s become a bit of a non story now and I do kind of feel for the ‘French Nonu’.

He is just a young guy who is (obviously) a bit stupid and panicked. Now his reputation has been tarnished with this story making rugby pages throughout the world. How embarrassing for him and his family. As Graham Henry said, he’s a young guy and all young guys do stupid things from time to time. Unfortunately for him, this one has made worldwide headlines.

Hello, I’m back. It’s been a while since I last posted on here and I have toyed with the idea of closing this blog down. But as per usual and true to form, when test time arrives in the southern hemisphere, I just can’t resist.

I’ve stayed mainly silent on the Super 14 this year because I didn’t watch a heck of a lot. As a Wellingtonian/Taranakian I could tell half way through the season that the Hurricanes would yet again be pipped at the post (why anyone thinks Colin Cooper is a halfway decent coach remains a mystery to me). Along with the rest of the country, I’m tired of Super 14. (And it’s a shame that the NZRFU preferred to stick their heads in the sand and sell their souls to Sky by agreeing to an extended competition for this already tired tournament).

The Bulls deservedly won the Super 14 and if I was a member of the British and Irish Lions, I would be feeling very squeamish about facing the Springboks this weekend, based on that result alone. Of course, the British papers are having none of it and are doing their usual by pumping up the Lions as much as they can. But I think this tournament will be another whitewash along 2005 themes with many a lion going home with his tail between his legs. At least they haven’t got Alistair ‘dodgy dossier’ Campbell there making a general nuisance of himself on the sidelines this time around.

Of course as an All Black supporter, I’m also feeling squeamish about NZ facing the Springboks this year. Particularly if last weekend’s drubbing at the hands of the magnificent French is anything to go by. However, I haven’t slipped into full panic mode yet. The All Blacks were without their superstars and it was the first game of the season. There were some promising moments for a green team. Particularly the way we managed to claw back the score in the second half. In saying that, there’s definitely some flaky flotsam in the team that don’t deserve to be there but with no one in the wings, we’re stuck with them. I’m not one to mention names. (Tialata. Tialata, Tialata).

For once it is great to have a decent French team visit down under and properly challenge us. It makes test week here in Wellington a lot more exciting. I’m picking an All Black win this weekend but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we lost either. At least no-one could accuse us of peaking between world cups anymore.

New Zealand 19 - South Africa 0

It is all too often that on a Sunday morning New Zealand's papers are full with the doom and gloom of another sporting weekend gone wrong.

Well, I'm thankful to say that today is not such a day. New Zealand celebrated its best day in Olympic history with the Evers-Swindell twins and Valerie Vili taking gold in rowing and shot put. There was a also smattering of bronzes and a silver to throw in the bag too. Not bad for a nation of four million and not much money to bring to the world's largest stage.

Further south in Cape Town, probably only the most ardent rugby fans were turning in to watch the All Blacks play the Springboks in the face of such glamourous olympic competition. But if you were watching, and you were a New Zealander, then you wouldn't have been disappointed.

South Africa came out jittery and their poor decision making and general lack of excution stayed with them for the entire game. In contrast, New Zealand came out fired and with the same aura of desperate hunger they had brought to the table against the Wallabies two weeks ago.

In the end, it was the breakdown and fantastic, brutal and committed defence that really won it for New Zealand. Because Daniel Carter's kicking wasn't going to. The swirling Newlands winds put paid to that. His place kicking however was great and that combined with quick delivery from Cowan and then Weepu let the All Blacks play in the South African half for large amounts of the game. frustrating the living bejesus out of the world cup holders.

There is too much to write for a match analysis so better to go to a trusty expert like Matt at Green and Gold or Toby Robson (who's he?!) at stuff.

For a completely biased representation of events from proclaimed 'Allblackisogynist' then look no further than the grand master of sour grapes Stephen Jones. The All Blacks won on Springbok soil and kept the South AFricans scoreless. I'm not sure what more they have to do to get a 'full credit'.

But then again, Stephen Jones really is just a jealous twat so it makes a great read to see him so huffy.

Final word: Wayne Barnes came to the rescue of the All Blacks on more than one occasion during this game. Maybe it's time to forgive and move on. But hopefully the irony wasn't lost on him that the team he had in some small way helped to elminate from the 2007 World Cup had just left the World Champions humbled in their own fortress.


Stephen Jones has a green-eyed rant

Matt at Green & Gold
Toby at Stuff

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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Daniel Carter Injured

The nightmares of four million New Zealanders have come home to roost. Daniel Carter has injured his calf muscle (scream) and is looking in doubt for the quarterfinal against what is looking like the French (strangulated cry). No doubt there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the next few days. Many reports and news bulletins on the state of Dan's kicking leg; muscle tightness flowcharts, swelling updates and general dithering about where we're going to go from here.

One of the things that drives me crazy about the media is that they would have you believe that there are only four worthy All Blacks in the team (Carter, McCaw, Hayman and Muliaina) and the rest of them are just a hotch-potch to make up numbers. Yes Carter's injury is a slight set back but Nick Evans is a more than worthy replacement. And it takes more than a man to create a winning team (although some may argue Jonny Wilkinson did pretty well for England in 2003).

Rugby World Cup Blogwatch: 3 Days To Go

The quiet before the storm. As office workers world wide start rolling out their Rugby World Cup sweepstakes, the traditional pre-match rugby reports start trawling out with the same old mundane rugby ‘news’ when there isn’t any rugby to watch:

Robinson and Wilkinson injured … again. Who will be the centre All Black pairing? The All Blacks resort to astrology and technology to end their twenty year curse. The English, Scottish and Azzurri are all hopeful. The French even more so; and the Portuguese not at all. The Cherry Blossoms (a most unrugby name for a team if ever there was one) are quaking in their boots about their first match with the Wallabies. The Tongan rugby team have shocked Bournemouth locals with the amount of food consumed during a gentle pub lunch. Steven Larkham doesn’t have a home to go now that Edinburgh has been bought out (and is rather worried). Plus, the Springboks are threatening to unleash a haka of their own (the mind truly boggles).

In the blogosphere, MiramarMike continues with a great blogwatch round up (which I have shamelessly drawn inspiration from). Total Flanker surmises that the Canterbury rugby brand is a lucky one and the Irish, Wallabies, Scottish and Springboks should have it over the lycra clad pretty boys with their scientifically enhanced shirts, sweaty ions and all (even if the Canterbury brand does mean those hardened Aussies and South Africans are wearing kiwis on their chests). Allez les Noir – my pals in the action have a good list of World Cup songs (particularly if you’re an All Black supporter) to get everyone in the spirit.

Roll on Saturday.