Australia v British & Irish Lions - 3rd Test

Australia v British & Irish Lions - 2nd Test

Apologies for lateness. Like James Horwill’s lawyer, I’ve been changing nappies all week.

Well, it is a ding-dong old battle out there in this Test Series, and only one point is separating these two teams. The Lions scraped home (slipped home?) by one point in the first Test. The Wallabies strangled their way to a win last week by a single point. The tally for the whole series stands at one game a piece ... so the winner on Saturday night will win the the tour by a point.

However, while the tension is high, and immense bragging rights are at stake, last week’s match was not of the highest quality. No team is really at their peak yet, and rolling out a sparkling, dominant performance to really put away their opposition. Maybe this week? I hope so.

For me, O’Connor has to go. He is not an international 10 and is playing second fiddle to Genia still. We’ll see if he can deliver on Deans’ faith this weekend.

It has been great entertainment in the first two Tests, and it is now all on the line, set up nicely for the big finale. The final episode in this trilogy really needs to end in a big bang.

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

Rugby World Cup: Ireland pasted by triumphant France

France 25 - Ireland 3

It seems the luck of the Irish has finally run out. In a lacklustre display against a hungry French team they were reduced to just three points off a Ronan O'Gara drop goal. From here, it was bleak for Brian O'Driscoll's men. The big question is who is the most disappointing of the Super 6 in the Northern Hemisphere? England or Ireland? And was France that good or was it just that Ireland were completely abysmal?

Back again tomorrow for match analysis of South Africa V Tonga and England V Samoa. My heart says PI but my head thinks England can't play worse than last week and the South Africans are hitting gears like there's no tomorrow. We shall see.

For now now, I leave you with a scrumbag exclusive and the Wallabies ploy for derailing an All Black campaign (if either team makes it as far as a semi, that is). Ka kite.

Rugby World Cup: England, USA, Australia and the Cherry Blossoms

England 28 - USA 10

There must have been moments in the USA England test where the current world cup holders wondered just who the rugby minnow was supposed to be of these two teams. I didn't see this match but by all accounts The Eagles gave Brian Ashton's men a good run for their money. A quick skim of the British media concludes my investigations that England must have been quite dismal: "England were slow, clueless, imprecise and boring." and 'England were diabolical' suggest that poor old England didn't quite live up to their pre-match hype. Again.

Australia 91 - Japan 3

Australia scored 13 tries to none against John Kirwan's Japan although the Wallabies didn't have it all their own way with the Cherry Blossoms holding them to 23-3 at half time. A major blip for the Australians is the potential loss of one of their key backs, Mark Gerrard to a serious sounding knee injury. Gerrard is quite simply, a brilliant player. Losing him would be a major blow to the Wallaby campaign.