This, I am hoping and somewhat confidently, will be a year in which the Sports Axis stops spinning in reverse and goes back to normal and The All Blacks dominate every aspect of the Southern Hemisphere Rugby Union Football game. I have some reason to be hopeful as the New Zealand Rugby Sevens team has destroyed its opponents in the first two rounds of play in the Seven series.

Super Rugby: The defending champs from Tswane (Pretoria to the Boer
Nationalists) are struggling with some high profile injuries to Botha and Dewald Portgeiter. Some may argue the return of Gary Botha may not help an aging scrum. With this in mind I boldly state the following rankings for the end of the Super 14 round robin stage and the overall victors in no specific order: Crusaders, Brumbies, Hurricanes and Bulls. The Crusaders will win the tournament for the 7th time reestablishing their dominance in Super Rugby and swing the balance of rugby power back to its righful home New Zealand. What will be interesting is the return of the best and only serious Australian team in Super Rugby-The Brumbies. They will be a fierce team with a youthful pack and Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley Copper running their offense.

What will not be suprising is the poor form of the South African teams like The Cheetahs and The Lions. Not even a great All Black Fly-half like Carlos Spencer (who used to be King Carlos until he joined the Lions is now a lowly Earl of Gauteng) can save The Lions. The Stormers and Sharks will threaten but nothing much will come of it. Australian teams will show little promise with The Force doing nothing and The Reds remaining useless. The ‘Tahs will be interesting especially with Barrick Barnes running the offense. New Zealand under achievers will be Otago and Auckland but I must note that The Blues have made some good changes and thus are my dark house team.

Tri-Nations: All Blacks will win back the trophy for the record 8/9th time. After a woeful tour of the North the Springboks in late ‘09 showed that they struggle with depth at certain key positions and thus are one or two injuries away from disaster. Australia will improve and may thus finish second.

These are the impassioned predictions of an All Black fan but as a fan of Rugby Union Football I would like to see less defensive rugby and more free flowing attractive football. Bok Ball is boring and the whole Rugby world seems to be playing defensive 10man rugby.

Finally I will not be synmpothic to the Bok Nation.
Last year was a great year for the Bok Nation and your fanatical fan base but this year the wrongs of the past to the All Blacks will be righted by The All Blacks and this great team and its franchises will restore itself to the top as the winniest team across all professional sports over the last decade with a winning percentage over 75%.

To All ALL Black fans, I hope good things are ahead.

Simbarashe

P.S. I am aware of the easy retort of our RWC performances and yes fair point but engage us on how we have put the Rugby Union Football brand on the map, how time and time again we redefine the way the game is played and how we play the best rugby on the world. We are aware and yes you (those who love to say this will sing it all day long) but not matter what The All Blacks set the tone in Rugby Union Football.

Your views on the big man’s return …..

JL is playing for French 3rd division team Marseille .Will he be able to be anywhere near his best ? Or will the fact of playing 3rd division rugby not motivate him enough ?

All in all, its great to see this legend healthy and back on the playing field !!!

We are barely half way through the accustomed year end tours and already we have a few issues arising that I believe deserve some debate. Unfortunately, it stems from Bok failures rather than Bok success. At the end of a dominated Tri-Nations and Lions series, I seriously believed that the Bok camp was set for success at least until next years Tri-Nations. While i take nothing away from the French, who also beat the All Blacks earlier this year, the Boks have looked limp compared to that of the 3N’s and Lions games.

While the Boks have lost 2 key players in F.Steyn and JDV to overseas, the same could be said about numerous players from the all blacks and the aussies losing players over the last couple of seasons.

What has happened to turn the fortunes of the Boks so badly on its head that they head into the Italy game with a 0 from 3 return so far on this tour? Is it down to selection issues? Coaching issues? Fatigue issues? or did we all simply over rate a strong Bok team with a winning, 1 dimentional game plan that when it doesn’t work, there is no plan B or C?

What is the purpose of year end tours if these midweek games are not building/blooding new players but more to be showing who NOT to pick? it seems that these midweek Bok teams are not even the second best players in their positions?

I hope for the sake of SH pride and for the vital role that the Boks play in world rugby that they turn this around and put out a convincing win against the Italians and Irish, but how likely does that look given the last 3 games and players picked for this tour in general?

I stumbled across this article on Planet Rugby and thought it made for an interesting debate, given current form of rugby teams etc. not sure which nation ‘owns’ the site, so don’t know if/where any ‘bias’ in decisions would come from:
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16016_5592556,00.html

15 Christian Cullen (New Zealand) - Nobody has yet mastered the art of surreptitiously slipping into an attacking line and then tearing out of it for a score like the former Hurricane and Munsterman. Unbelievable pace was hidden in this long and languid stride that left you gaping every time. 

14 Doug Howlett (New Zealand) - The record Super 14 try-scorer, New Zealand’s record try-scorer… that’s the kind of guy you want on the wing. 

13 Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland) - Europe’s rugby statesman finally added the Heineken Cup and a Grand Slam to an already-impressive list of achievements last season. Good enough to re-invent his game after age sapped his pace, he has become one of the all-round greatest ever. 

12 Tana Umaga (New Zealand) - Ironic, considering his partner is the man who accused Umaga of crocking him out of a Lions series with a spear tackle. But it’s the same Umaga who rushed to Colin Charvis’ aid when the latter had been knocked out on New Zealand turf, and who once famously responded to a refereeing call of heavy no-arm tackling: “we’re not playing tiddlywinks here mate!” 

11 Rupeni Caucaunibuca (Fiji) - How can you leave out Jonah and Bryan Habana, never mind Shane Williams or even Christophe Dominici!? But the Fijian with the flawed temperament did things on a rugby field that nobody else will probably ever do. Just put his name into You Tube and watch. 

10 Dan Carter (New Zealand) - a three-way tie between Carter, Wilkinson and Stephen Larkham if we were honest. But the team needed a goal-kicker as well as a playmaker, so Carter’s total points were just higher than the other two. The greatest ever? 

9 Gus Pichot (Argentina) - Again, how do you leave out Gregan, who has the most Test caps of any player, or the scintillating Joost? But Pichot brought qualities to scrum-half play, so often in adversity and so often with the extra responsibility of leadership through the adversity, that neither of the others had. We always wonder what his talents would have done for a team like New Zealand, but his rugby is so responsible for Argentina’s accession to senior Test status that we’d not have it any other way. 

8 Lawrence Dallaglio (England) - Another close-run thing, with Sergio Parisse snapping at Dallaglio’s heels, but the Italian’s blotted disciplinary copybook - we know Lol is no angel, but he never gouged - saw him relegated to second. And let’s face it, would you not like to go into battle with Dallaglio on your side? 

7 (openside) Richie McCaw (New Zealand) - Undoubtedly the greatest exponent of openside play there has been. George Smith deserves a mention, and maybe Heinrich Brussow will eclipse McCaw in a few years, but until then the All Black captain is in a class of his own. 

6 Richard Hill (England) - The most unsung of all English rugby heroes, but he’d have it no other way. If you didn’t see him much, it was he was forever at the bottom of the ruck, putting limb and digit where others feared to put but many trod… 

5 Martin Johnson (England) - The biggest, darkest and most brooding of the driving forces behind England’s World Cup win. We reckon the moment when he hoisted Bill was the first time he had smiled on a rugby pitch! Now bringing that menace to England’s national team, Johnno takes the captain’s armband in this team as well. 

4 John Eales (Australia) - This one will have Saffers everywhere raging; how can we leave out Victor and Bakkies? Because Johnno’s meaner than Bakkies, and because Victor was not nicknamed ‘Nobody’ as Eales was (because Nobody’s perfect), despite his obvious talents. We felt Eales offered perhaps just a little more grunt. We’re now running for cover… 

3 Carl Hayman (New Zealand) - This one was much easier. Hayman has been peerless at tighthead for some time now - New Zealand still miss him. 

2 John Smit (South Africa) - Has now won every honour going in the game except for the Super 14. We know he plays tighthead now, but for a solid anchor in the scrum, an extra dose of leadership and some pinpoint line-out throwing, Smit’s the man - just edging out Rafa Ibañez. 

1 Rodrigo Roncero (Argentina) - The Argentine beefcake was so close to being our player of the 2007 Rugby World Cup after a series of stellar performances. Discipline remains an issue, but you’d be hard-pushed to find a number one in the world who has contributed so much so regularly to his team’s loose play.

I have a few things L’ld like to add firstly:

Christian cullen - undesputedly the best attacking fullback in history, in my humble inexperienced opinion. Set the world alight, almost literally! No other fullback has done on the field what that maestro did.

I think that Os du Rant deserves at least a mention at loosehead…outstanding player for a front rower.

I think Sean Fitz and Zinzan Brooke deserve mentions for their short stint in the professional era.

Habana and Victor Matfield both deserve mentions, I’d have said it was a close call between Matfield and Eales. Johnno, you couldn’t really leave him out and I’d like to see him and Bakkies match up for enforcer of the decade award.

Richard Hill and Lawrence Dellaglio? I am seriously not sure about these two. George Smith and others like Michael Jones and co come to mind. Gary Teichman, leader and player, Zinzan et al. How do you even mention Sergio Parrisse when he’s only recently come about?

Interesting point here, Aussie and SA have 2 RWC’s, yet either of them only has 1 representitive?

Anyways, just some thoughts to get the debate going: lets crack it on gents!

So, after a very succesful Tri-nations campaign, what are the Boks future prospects looking like? Will PDV’s kick-and-chase game plan work next year or the year after or will teams have cottoned onto this idea and find a defensive pattern to counter act the effective kicking game recently employed. A fair number of the current Bok squad are RWC 07 winnners and look likely to be there or there abouts in 2011, but who will be the new comers challenging for places and if PDV continues with generally good selection policies, will this Bok squad become the stuff of legends during the next 2 seasons? there is definitely no lack of depth in South Africa, and should be strong contenders to defend their title come 2011.

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Everyone in the rugby world says that the All Blacks are the biggest chokers in the game when it comes to World Cup Rugby time. It is a fact that the All Blacks have failed to win the World Cup every since they won the first one. They somehow always seem to disappoint when it comes to the World Cup. They play so well in non World Cup years and they are usually always the favourites going into a Wolrd Cup to win it.

I believe that if the All Blacks can not win the World Cup in 2011 on the own home patch, they may not win it again in a very long time.

Now let us look at the other great chokers in sport today: The South Africa cricket team otherwise known as The Proteas. Now just like the All Blacks, the Proteas can not seem to win these major cricket tournaments be it the recent ICC Champions Trophy that they got dumped out from, or a T20 World Cup or the main Cricket World Cup. What is it about the Proteas and these tournaments. Right now the Proteas are ranked Number 1 in both forms of the game thus many expected them to win the ICC Champions Trophy and even more so that it was being played on their own home turf.

What is it about the All Blacks and the Proteas when it comes to the big stage?

Two years ago, the All Blacks were a dominant force, once again the smart money was on them to take the RWC until France, once again, trounced their hopes in the quarters, leaving the Boks the last team standing with the golden cup. 2 years down the line, the tide has changed. After a rocky 2008 for the Boks in general, wooden spoon for the Bulls in the S14 and for the Boks in the Trinations, they’ve followed that up with a commanding performance in 2009, taking every piece of silverware available to them, bar possibley the ‘home nations’ title, which surely they’d have taken had it been for the offering on the end of year tour.

Looking ahead to 2011 after the current Trinations tournament where the currently ranked top 3 teams do battle, it seems more than likely that the Boks are in the driving seat and, on current form, look like the All Blacks during non-RWC years. The Boks will be hoping that they can continue to improve and this form doesnt dip. PDV will be the architect of their own demise as i feel they have the players to take the golden cup once again, even in the All Blacks back garden.

While reading a New Zealand website i came across some analysis of the All Blacks and their current choices for players in 2011, which i thought would be good if we could do an analysis of all Trinations teams and see where we end up. we’ll start with what they’ve gone with, and then having to make our own way with the Bok and Aussie teams respectively following a similar format as below:

http://www.nzrugbyworld.co.nz/Article.aspx?id=423
Read the rest of this entry »

Many had called this a dead rubber and a battle for the wooden spoon but weren’t we treated to a good game of rugby, especially for New Zealand supporters. For those who thought that the All Blacks would roll over and play dead, they were pleasantly surprised.

For me, I could see a difference in the All Black team straight from the Haka. It had a bit more intensity on Saturday and I believe the main reason for that is because Hosea Gear was leading it. He seems to have more passion when leading the Haka than Richie McCaw.

Looking back at the game, one now just has to wonder what a difference Cory Jane would have made to the All Blacks team against the Springboks. Jane looks superb under the high ball and that was largely seen in the first try the All Blacks scored when Jane made young James O’Connor really look like a school boy playing test rugby. Jane would have been able to handle the Springboks kicking game much better than Joey and Sivivatu. But I guess that is a lesson learnt now by the All Blacks…Jane has to play against the Boks.

I have been a huge fan of James O’Connor ever since I saw him play at the end of last year. He is not a bad player at all and will certainly have a bright future ahead of him BUT he should not be afraid of the All Blacks. Every game he has played against the All Blacks he has had a shocker. I am sure it is just a physcological thing with him but he has to get over it now!

For the first time in a while, the All Blacks lineout worked on Saturday and I like the look of Donnelly at lock. He was solid in the lineouts and held his own at scrum time. I just wonder what kind of a future he has for the All Blacks considering that there are the likes of Ali Williams, Anthony Boric and Bryn Evans who still have to return from injury and not forgetting Isaac Ross who has played for most of the Tri-Nations this year.

Looking at a key change for the All Blacks, the introduction of Isaia Toeava in the number 13 jumper was key for the All Blacks. Toeava probably had his best game ever in an All Black jursey even if he got a yellow card. If Toeava can display form like that week in and week out in an All Black jersey, New Zealand may have found a long term solution to number 13. But most of us know that Toeava delivers at Super 14 level but seems to choke at Test level.

For the Wallabies, they really need to get sorted out. They can not afford another Tri-Nations like this next year where they only win one game. People say the Wallabies are young and rebuilding so they will chalk this Tri-Nations down as being their teething season so we should expect to see them deliver next year..only time will tell if they will be able to deliver.

Messeurs Henry, Smith and Hansen delayed the announcement of the team to face the Aussies in the last of the Tri-nations matches, which, in all essence is a dead-rubber and only competing for wooden spoon, which I guess, if you’re not a Bok is a big thing. But have they made the decisions in keeping Rockoko, Hore, Thorne and to an extent, Nonu? are the replacements in the form of Donnelly, Thomson, Toeava and Jane the correct ones?

If your lineouts are going pear shaped, do you fire the lock calling them or the hooker who can’t find his jumpers? personally, i think Hore should’ve got the boot, ROss has played all the ABs matches this year and i rate him above Thorne.

Joe must have a photo of the 3 ‘wise’ men with a sheep or something, how is he still being selected above the likes of masanga, david smith, hosea gear and co?

Nonu is lucky to have survived the axe from what i’ve heard about his display last weekend. his hands are not consistent and he doesn’t offer that much around the park outside of a wrecking ball, which again lacks consistency.

is this the right team? should this be a trial match for those fringe or new players? personally, i dont think the changes will change the mental strength that is lacking in this team, the determination and fierceness that we’ve become accustomed to over the last 2 decades or so. let me know your thoughts/comments!

After a long debate about where/if Argentina should join one of the top 2 competitions in the world outside of the RWC, they have been invited to participate in a proposed 4 nations tournament along with the current SANZAR teams, SA, NZ and Aus from 2012, the year after the RWC in NZ.

There are conditions set for the Pumas though, and the main one being that their players are to play in the super rugby tournament before the start of the 4 nations. While this isn’t a bad idea, it will flood the SANZAR teams with foreign players, not too disimilar to the English, French and Italian teams at the moment. Something that SANZAR teams seem to pride themselves against such invasion of foreign players.

Given that most of the Puma players already play in the Northern Hemisphere, is it such a good idea to completely change that and get them to all pack up and move south bound and play for SANZAR teams? Would it not be better to make a 2-tiered 7 Nations tournament in the North, and rather introduce Fiji/Tonga/mixed islands team to join the SANZAR teams in a 4 nations tournament? I agree that rugby should be opened up to all teams, not just the Pumas, what are your thoughts/comments on this potential addition to world rugby?