RUGBY: Preview: South Africa v England

Friday 25th May 2007

Ashwin Willemse: Only he makes Jonny Wilkinson look fortunate

If your local club had 35 of its top players grounded by injuries or prior commitments, the end-of-season jolly across the border would undoubtedly be cancelled and the stragglers would decamp to the nearest pub, and rightly so. But those who do battle in the name of England do things differently.

In ludicrous homage to Lord Cardigan's Light Brigade, Brian Ashton's motley crew of "part-timers, plumbers and decorators" are to face the might of South Africa - provider of the two Super 14 finalists - in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

The tourists will then have a week to lick their wounds before they do it all over again in Pretoria. Andrew Motion, Britain's current Poet Laureate, should prepare to dip his quill.

Say what you will about the dubious merits of these half-baked tours, but we'd wager you'll still tune in on Saturday. Don't feel bad about it, it's human nature - the rubber-necker in all of us will be craning for a view of the jack-knifed chariot on the plains of the Vrystaat.

Yes, these mismatches do tend to devalue Test rugby, but Saturday's game does actually carry a small measure of importance.

England's last appointment in South Africa, way back at the turn of the century, is widely regarded as the point at which these two sides parted in the yellow wood.

After losing the first Test in Pretoria, England managed to square the series with a famous 27-22 victory in Bloemfontein, with all 27 of the visitors' points supplied by Jonny Wilkinson.

That result set England on the path to greatness. They went on to win 39 of their next 42 Tests, a tally that included a clean sweep at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

South Africa, for their part, went on to develop a psychological block when it came to the English - they lost the next seven encounters, including that crucial Rugby World Cup meeting in Western Australia.

Jake White's troops finally broke their duck at Twickenham in November when they squared a two-Test series with a well-taken 25-14 win in the second meeting.

The Boks have now come full circle, they are back in Bloemfontein for a game against the English and have the chance to exorcise their demons once and for all and emphatically.

Not only that, a handsome series win over England will allow the South Africans to take a psychological advantage to Paris where the two sides met in the crunch Pool A clash of the forthcoming Rugby World Cup.

It is for this reason that White has chosen to signal the beginning of South Africa's international season not with a starter's pistol but with a bazooka.

Whilst England's 20-odd Heineken Cup finalists get to put their feet up this Saturday, South Africa's contingent of Bulls and Sharks go straight from the cauldron of the Super 14 Final to the fires of Test rugby.

White wouldn't have it any other way. He has been planning for France 2007 ever since he assumed the green and gold reins in 2004 and has remained fiercely loyal to the men who delivered the Tri-Nations title in that very year.

Players from outside White's inner circle have raised their hands to the heavens on occasions too numerous to mention, but the Bok boss is of the belief that proven class always trumps fleeting form.

To that end, the no-nonsense side that faces England at Vodacom Park on Saturday is nothing if not experienced.

White celebrates equalling Nick Mallett's record of 38 Test matches as head coach by selecting a XV that boasts a total of 418 caps.

John Smit will lead his country for a record 39th time and will be playing in his 43rd consecutive Test match (also a record). He will also improve on his record of 61 Tests as a hooker.

Percy Montgomery - 654 points in Tests and counting - will improve his record 66 Tests at full-back; he has 80 caps in total.

Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha will improve the record they shared with Mark Andrews and Krynauw Otto with their 26th Test match as a lock pairing.

By contrast, the England XV chasing a first away win in 15 months can only muster 198 caps between them. Wilkinson, Jason Robinson and Mark Regan account for 131 of those - the other 12 players share the remaining 67 caps.

That puny tally is significantly improved by the late inclusion of Iain Balshaw (29 caps) who surely rates as the jammiest man to have ever laced a boot. After being handed a ticket to South Africa after Ben Cohen opted out of the odyssey, the mercurial Gloucester star sneaked into the XV after David Strettle was laid low by illness.

Strettle is not the only English patient - Wilkinson, Andy Farrell and James Simpson-Daniel have also partaken in extra-curricular shuttle-runs to the toilets and back, but the news on Friday is that Wilko and Farrell remain solidly in the line-up for now.

One suspects the hand of 'Suzie' in all of this. She being the shadowy assassin who, according to New Zealand lore, nobbled the All Blacks on the eve of the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final.

But why waste good salmonella on a bunch of no-hopers? Besides, England doctor Simon Kemp has stressed that the virus is airborne and not caught from food. (Perhaps Dr Kemp should check Balshaw's washbag for incriminating aerosols.)

Yet despite the desperate odds, the English tourists are refusing to let their heads drop, never mind anything else. It could be the stiff upper-lip routine, or it could be that the Boks have far more to lose.

The South Africa media has made a great deal of the tourists' shortcomings - the "part-timers, plumbers and decorators" jibe comes courtesy of one of the local Sunday papers - and nothing less than a winning margin of around 40 to 50 points will cloy the local rugby public's newly-acquired taste for all-out success.

In that respect, England could lose by 20-odd points and still deny the Boks the right to flaunt the psychological advantage. Make no mistake, keeping the cream of South African rugby even partially honest will be a definite moral victory for a rag-tag bunch of old soldiers and young bucks.

Furthermore, England's overwhelming anonymity could turn out to be their one strength. Even the most clued-up Bok would be hard pressed to pick Mike Brown out of a police line-up, whereas every English tourist will be acutely aware of which way Brian Habana likes to step and when and why.

But we are picking at straws. The top dogs of South African rugby simply crave pressure, just witness the Bulls' recent encounter with the Reds. Needing to score at least 72 points to ensure a home semi-final, the eventual champions bagged a 92-3 victory.

Indeed, giving England a 30-point head-start is unlikely to make one iota of difference to Saturday's result.

Bloemfontein is known as 'the city of roses', but the red English variety will surely wither and die here on Saturday. The tourists best hope is that they inflict one or two thorn-wounds that will mutate into festering clumps of doubt ahead of that reunion in Paris.

Ones to watch:

For South Africa: Jonny Wilkinson looks to have the shatterproof physique of a terminator when compared to South Africa's right-wing. The luckless Ashwin Willemse has spent the best part of the last three years strapped to a plinth. He is now back to full fitness and gets another chance at the big time despite having failed to complete a game this year. If there is a suspect link anywhere in the Bok line-up, it is here. Elsewhere, in a vivid indication of how the Boks will approach this game, the hulking Danie Rossouw wins a place at the expense of the more dexterous Pierre Spies. This is his chance to nail down a berth in the XV - expect the big man to take it with both shovel-like hands.

For England: Most debutants shy away from confrontation on the eve of their first cap, but Dean Schofield is not your average debutant. The former builder has been billed as England's 'enforcer' and has been tasked to take the game to the fabled Bok forwards, vowing to get "stuck into them". Elsewhere, Mike Brown - a budding referee - will have his mettle tested under the high ball, Andy Farrell will be looking to answer the critics who questioned his performance in England's defeat by Ireland in Dublin in February, and all eyes will be on Jonny Wilkinson for all the usual reasons.

Head to head: Schalk Burger (South Africa) v Andy Hazell (England): The battle between the two fetchers will be one of contrasting styles. Whilst the big South African is all boundless enthusiasm and powerful limbs, the diminutive (in South African rugby terms at least) Englishman is a technician of the game, in the style of Neil Back. Burger returns to Test rugby for the first time in 11 months having made a full recovery from a severe neck injury suffered against Scotland. Hazell make his first appearance in an England jersey since the Six Nations victory over Scotland in 2005; this will be his third start.

Prediction: The Boks are determined to lay down an out-sized marker in Bloemfontein, and this England team will be unable to stop them. South Africa by 35 points.

Recent results:

2006: South Africa won 25-14 at Twickenham, London
2006: England won 23-21 at Twickenham, London
2004: England won 32-16 at Twickenham, London
2003: England won 25-6 at Subiaco Oval, Perth (RWC)
2002: England won 53-3 at Twickenham, London
2001: England won 29-9 at Twickenham, London
2000: England won 25-17 at Twickenham, London
2000: England won 27-22 at Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
2000: South Africa won 18-13 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
1999: South Africa won 44-21at Stade de France, Paris (RWC)
1998: England won 13-7 at Twickenham, London
1998: South Africa won 18-0 at Newlands, Cape Town
1997: South Africa won 29-11 at Twickenham, London

The teams:

South Africa: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Ashwin Willemse, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Butch James, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Danie Rossouw, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 BJ Botha, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Deon Carstens.
Replacements: 16 Gurthro Steenkamp, 17 Gary Botha, 18 CJ van der Linde, 19 Johann Muller, 20 Pierre Spies, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Francois Steyn.

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Iain Balshaw, 13 Mathew Tait, 12 Andy Farrell, 11 Jason Robinson (captain), 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Peter Richards, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Andy Hazell, 6 Chris Jones, 5 Alex Brown, 4 Dean Schofield, 3 Stuart Turner, 2 Mark Regan, 1 Nick Wood
Replacements: 16 Matt Cairns, 17 Darren Crompton, 18 Roy Winters, 19 Pat Sanderson, 20 Andy Gomarsall, 21 Toby Flood, 22 A N Other.

Date: Saturday, 26 May
Venue: Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 15:00 (13:00 GMT)
Conditions: Sunny, dry, light north-easterly winds - max 17°C, min -5°C
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Joël Jutge (France), Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official: Derek Bevan (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

By Andy Jackson - Planet Rugby

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

Soccer: Benítez's call for cash would raise price of failure

A big transfer kitty may not be enough to bring Liverpool success with suitable players hard to find.

Kevin McCarra

May 25, 2007 12:28 AM

Ambition comes at a cost and often it hits a manager's reputation as hard as his club's bank balance. This has turned into an era where talent is so thinly spread that no side is resoundingly dominant, even if Barcelona may recover from their careworn year. Although Rafael Benítez knows the signings he insists Liverpool must make, footballers have never come with a money-back guarantee.

Gérard Houllier, the previous manager at Anfield, squandered £14m on Djibril Cissé, and Benítez himself failed when he spent £6.3m on the seemingly sensible acquisition of Fernando Morientes. Few managers enjoy the luxury of turning their backs on the transfer market, because there is always a pressing need to plug some gap in a squad, but when elite performers are so scarce each decision comes with a high tariff of risk.

For all their economic advantages the top clubs in Italy, England and Spain struggle to enlist people who will thrive to dramatic effect in the Champions League. Chelsea were utterly mistaken in thinking that the £30m Andriy Shevchenko would be such a figure and the Premiership sides have far more to do before they are seen as undisputed masters of Europe.

Arsenal, like Chelsea, have never been Champions League winners. Manchester United, in addition, must find it galling that their actual record is out of kilter with their renown. Benítez's work, as winner and losing finalist in the space of three seasons, outdoes Sir Alex Ferguson's efforts in this particular competition during 21 years at Old Trafford.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett, the new proprietors at Anfield, may not know a great deal about football but they will appreciate that there are imponderables whenever a player switches clubs. This summer they have to safeguard their investment while also meeting the aspirations in the transfer market of Benítez, a manager they cannot afford to alienate.

It will be tough going. Milan, the victors of 2003 and 2007 who should have won the Champions League in 2005 as well, are as close as the sport has come to a commanding power of late. None the less, they are far from being in complete control. They, like Liverpool, are not quoted by the bookmakers among the favourites to lift the trophy in 2008. Their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, frankly admits that his current side is inferior to the one beaten by Liverpool in Istanbul two years ago. No one's breath will be taken away, either, by the reinforcements being mooted.

There are rumours that Milan will extract Gianluca Zambrotta from Barcelona, but a fine player whom Ancelotti previously managed at Juventus will not exactly transform Milan. Emerson, who is older, can be classed as the same type of target after a solitary season at Real Madrid. And a move for the Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon became less likely when Milan extended Dida's contract.

After Wednesday's final Silvio Berlusconi radiated a replenished power as owner of the Champions League winners and he strove to recapture the glamour of yesteryear. He spoke of buying a present for the fans and although no names were mentioned there was instant speculation that he must have been alluding to Ronaldinho or Samuel Eto'o. Ancelotti's preference would be for the latter, but it will be some undertaking to make the financial commitment to winkle either of them out of Barcelona.

Milan, with their focus on sports science, pioneer the policy that old lags with their old legs can be conditioned to function at the top level well into their 30s. This is not a high-minded commitment to help the aged; they stay loyal to the veterans when there is no one better in sight.

The arrival of Ronaldo was the cause of excitement in January, even though the forward had followed a scratchy World Cup with the sort of contribution at Real Madrid that made Fabio Capello yearn to dispense with him. Since arriving in Italy he has scored seven goals in 13 appearances, but he was looking chubby on the sidelines in Athens. When he becomes eligible to appear for Milan in the Champions League next season he may be as much of an anachronism at San Siro as he became at the Bernabéu.

If Milan have to invest their hopes in him, Liverpool likewise may find it hard to recruit the calibre of individual they crave. How Benítez and his peers must regret not wooing Dimitar Berbatov since he started to show at Tottenham that he is one of the few youngish players equipped to boost the status of a side.

The Liverpool manager has to rule now on topics such as the prospects of a player such as Valencia's David Villa coming to terms with the hurly-burly of the Premiership, assuming a deal could be cut with the Spanish club. If he had his pick of whom he might take to Merseyside, Benítez would opt for Eto'o. All the same, the forward will be standing in a blizzard of offers if he comes on to the market.

Should Gillett and Hicks recognise a general need to stump up, there will be new danger and responsibility to weigh down Benítez.

Guardian Unlimited

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

Soccer: Benitez's big challenge

Rafael Benitez was itching to start his summer spending after Liverpool's Champions League final defeat by AC Milan.

"We must spend big and spend now," the Reds boss told reporters following his side's 2-1 defeat in Athens.

"Our fans know what we need to do and so do I. We need to pay the price needed for each position."

The Athens defeat again highlighted Liverpool's desperate need for a world-class playmaker to create chances and a predatory striker to put them away.

Benitez will reportedly have £40m to spend this summer, courtesy of the club's American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Definitely going: Robbie Fowler, Jerzy Dudek Likely to leave: Bolo Zenden, Mark Gonzalez, Sami Hyypia, Craig Bellamy Will listen to offers for: Peter Crouch, Harry Kewell, Jermaine Pennant Linked with: Samuel Eto'o, Carlos Tevez, David Villa, Aaron Lennon, Fernando Torres, Daniel Alves

But former Liverpool striker Michael Robinson, now the leading football presenter on Spanish television, says this will not guarantee success.

"This summer will be very, very interesting for Rafa Benitez and Liverpool," Robinson told BBC Sport.

"He didn't have huge spending power at Valencia and hasn't had at Liverpool either so far. This will be the first time he has had a transfer budget to match those of the European elite and it will be fascinating to see what he does with it.

"To date, tactics have always been the star of Rafa's teams. He hasn't really dealt with star players before in his managerial career, apart from Steven Gerrard.

"He doesn't care for egos or players who can't fit into his structure. For example, he has always made it very clear to Gerrard that he must fit into the structure of the team and sometimes play out of position, if that's what he believes is best."

Liverpool have often lacked the spontaneity and improvisation to turn tight games this season. Yet Benitez has been wary of 'flair' players during his career, instead preferring discipline and stability.

His refusal to always select Argentine playmaker Pablo Aimar at Valencia was a cause of friction with the club's board and he has mainly signed functional players during his time at Anfield.

He could cite a lack of substantial funds as the reason for this, although Robinson wonders whether such players fit in with Benitez's nature and footballing philosophy.

"Rafa is a very educated man who sees football tactically brilliantly," he said.

"Sometimes, for my own taste, he gets over-methodical with the tactics. Sometimes it seems to me he's sat in the dug-out with a remote control.

"The times I have enjoyed watching Liverpool play are when it seems the batteries are going low on the remote and the players do what they want.

"If you want entertainment from Rafa, you might be left wanting. But if you want to win and be extremely competitive, he's your man.

"He's won a European Cup and I don't think any other manager in the world could have done that with the same players."

What is beyond question is that there will be plenty of comings and goings at Anfield this summer.

Benitez has already cited the need for a prolific goalscorer. To make way, he has released Robbie Fowler, seems certain to sell Craig Bellamy and might also listen to offers for Peter Crouch.

Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o and Valencia's David Villa are rumoured to be top of Benitez's wanted list and Robinson is a firm admirer of two of La Liga's best players.

"Eto'o is an excellent all-round centre forward and a proven goalscorer," he commented. "He also makes an enormous difference to the general play of Barcelona, even forgetting his goals.

"Often we will praise Andres Iniesta, Deco or Xavi for a great pass but what we might not notice is the way Eto'o lost his marker and moved to open up the possibility of the pass.

BENITEZ'S MAJOR TITLES Extremadura: Spanish Second Division (1997) Tenerife: Spanish Second Division (2000) Valencia: La Liga (2002 & 2004), Uefa Cup (2004) Liverpool: Champions League (2005), FA Cup (2006)

"He is also fantastic at defending from the front, closing down and making it difficult for the opposition to get the ball out from the back."

Villa has emerged as one of the hottest properties in European football over the last two seasons.

"David Villa is simply a fantastic footballer," stated Robinson. "He would score goals in any league in Europe and the Spanish national team should be based around him. He's quick-witted, has a superb touch and is an instinctive goalscorer."

Benitez is also eager to sign top-class wide players after Mark Gonzalez, Bolo Zenden and Jermaine Pennant failed to grab their chances at Anfield.

He is a long-term admirer of Seville's outstanding left-sided Brazilian, Daniel Alves, and has been strongly linked with Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen.

Whoever Benitez lands, he will be unwilling to tolerate egos and his tactical genius will remain the star of the Liverpool team.

By Simon Austin - BBC Sport

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

Soccer:Government wants answers over treatment of Liverpool fans

Andrew Culf in Athens
Thursday May 24, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

The government today demanded an explanation from the Greek authorities over the treatment of Liverpool fans who were baton-charged after being denied entry to the Champions League final in Athens last night.

The call came as thousands of disconsolate supporters headed back to the UK after seeing their dreams of European glory dashed by AC Milan's 2-1 win at the Olympic Stadium.

Chaotic disturbances outside the ground soured the evening, as fans with tickets were turned away and sprayed with tear gas by riot police.

The government today demanded an explanation from the Greek authorities over the treatment of Liverpool fans who were baton-charged after being denied entry to the Champions League final in Athens last night.

The call came as thousands of disconsolate supporters headed back to the UK after seeing their dreams of European glory dashed by AC Milan's 2-1 win at the Olympic Stadium.

Chaotic disturbances outside the ground soured the evening, as fans with tickets were turned away and sprayed with tear gas by riot police.

Today, British embassy officials in Athens said they would be raising the matter with the Greek authorities.

"We have received reports from some fans that they were prevented from entering the ground despite having tickets, and were then the subject of heavy-handed treatment by the police," a spokesman said.

Police also used batons against fans who had genuine tickets for the game. Supporters were angered after being told the ground was full to its 63,800 capacity, and trouble erupted as they attempted to find a way around police cordons.

Officers at the scene told the fans it was not their fault, and it appeared that supporters with forged tickets had got into the stadium earlier.

Last night's disorder was the latest involving European police forces and supporters from English clubs.

Earlier this season, Manchester United complained their fans had come under "unprovoked attack" on the terraces in Rome, while Tottenham complained about baton charges on their supporters in Seville.

Around 2,000 people were still outside the stadium when last night's final kicked off. Pete Evans, 37, a BT worker from Dublin, said: "This is crazy. I paid € 2,000 (£1,350) to be here."

Kenny Roberts, a 19-year-old from Norris Green, Liverpool, said: "I've got no chance of using the ticket now. I've been gassed and hit on the back of the head by the police ... this is just disgraceful. It's terrible organisation."

Two Liverpool fans from Norway, who had paid €3,000 each for travel packages, headed disconsolately back into central Athens 30 minutes after kick-off.

Rune Loholt, a 35-year-old from Trondheim, said fans with forgeries had got past the authorities, meaning genuine supporters were not let in. Frode Forsdahl, 32, a student from Trondheim, said: "We've been pepper-sprayed and hit in the face with clubs. We'll have to give up."

Uefa's communications chief, William Gaillard, put the blame squarely on Liverpool supporters. "Unfortunately in Britain it is the behaviour," he said. "Liverpool fans are responsible for the problems before, during and after the game."

After the match, hundreds of Liverpool supporters gathered in the centre of the Greek capital to chant their support for the team into the small hours. Police praised the behaviour of the fans, saying there had been no trouble and no violent incidents.

More than 25,000 Liverpool fans and around 17,000 Milan fans were estimated to be in the city for the match, with 8,500 police officers on duty.

A total of 230 people who had been detained with forged tickets were released today, and no further action will be taken against them. Police said 216 of them were from the UK, and nine from Italy.

There were some hard luck stories even before the game got underway. Clifton Harrison, 33, from Liverpool, had four tickets - which he had bought for £600 each in Britain - stolen from an envelope in his pocket on the underground early yesterday.

"I am hugely disappointed - I spent all last week sourcing the tickets," Mr Harrison, who works in business development for Price Waterhouse Coopers, said. "I could have cried when it happened."

Another 150 fans were stranded at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport after one of 37 charter flights scheduled to take 8,000 people to Athens was cancelled yesterday.

The Jet Time Airways flight was unable to take off because of technical problems. Ben Whitehead, a 22-year-old computer technician from Huddersfield, who had paid £550 to travel on it, said: "I am absolutely devastated. I have been crying."

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

Soccer: Liverpool tickets Q&A

By Gordon Farquhar BBC Five Live sports news correspondent

Tickets were in demand for the Champions League final

The Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan was marred for some fans after they failed to obtain tickets - or even entry - into the game in Athens.

Police and fans clashed in ugly scenes outside the ground before the game.

BBC Sport looks at the issues surrounding the ticketing arrangements for the game.

Q. What was the ticket allocation?
Officially, Uefa made 17,000 tickets available to each club for a stadium that had a capacity of 63,000.

Q. Why did Liverpool only allocate 11,000 to their fans?
Liverpool's explanation was that for every major event like this they have an obligation to their own sponsors, their former players and the like.

Any club would use the occasion to award tickets as a thank you to those who work for them, and Liverpool is a club with a strong sense of history and community.

It is not unusual, or unreasonable, although fans might question why so many were distributed in this way.

Q. Many of the tickets for the Champions League final are given to the Uefa family. What is meant by this?
This is a phrase often coined by the Fifa president Sepp Blatter who likes to refer to the 'football family'.

It is a conveniently loose generic definition that covers almost anyone who has anything to do with the game.

Uefa might consider that to include all their member associations and federations, clubs, officials, administrators, referees, sponsors, suppliers etc.

Q. How were the tickets allocated?
It is a bit like a big wedding: You know what the maximum number of guests is, so you start off with the ones you have to invite, then draw up a list of the ones you now want to invite and squeeze as many of them in as possible.

Some of the top-line sponsors will know as part of their deal that they will be given a certain allocation for matches.

Q. Why were there empty seats?
Lots of reasons. Security is one, to allow for proper segregation rows of seats are left unallocated to allow for the stewards, police etc to move between the fans and reduce the risk of trouble.

Some seats were lost by the inclusion of advertising stands.

When the stadium was in Olympic mode, the capacity was supposed to be 80,000. That dropped to 63,000 for the Champions League final.

Q. How did fans without tickets get in?
The great, traditional blag. There were by all accounts a pile of forged tickets doing the rounds.

High-definition scanners and perforating machines these days make forgeries easy to produce, which is why at the World Cup in Germany last year all tickets had microchips embedded in them that were read at the turnstiles.

No chip, no entry was the theory.

The Champions League tickets were less sophisticated, but still had holograms, barcodes and watermarks on them: in theory enough to put the forgers off.

But in the melee of getting into a football match, that counts for little. Police officers controlling crowds make isolated decisions based on public safety first and foremost.

There were no turnstiles in Athens, and when crushes developed at the entry points, fans were waved through with the most cursory of checks. Some said their tickets weren't checked at all.

Q. What security measures were in place?
Athens police say there were 7,500 officers on duty. They had support from the British and Italian police forces who had spotters monitoring the fans.

Around the stadiums, police in riot gear were much in evidence, assisting the stewards with ticket checks and in ushering the crowds in through the 'funnels' they created with lines of police vans etc.

There was CCTV covering the main access points.

Q. Were they adequate?
7,500 officers is a lot. Far more, for example, than the number on duty for the FA Cup final last week.

So that should have been enough. What went fundamentally wrong is the system in place for ticket checks just was not effective.

As soon as that broke down, the problems began. Stewards inside the stadium could not or would not do much about the problem of fans with forgeries sitting in the seats of genuinely ticketed fans, who in turn took someone else's seat.

In the end the gangways and access areas filled up with displaced fans, so Uefa took the decision to close the stadium, leaving fans with genuine tickets locked out - and understandably furious.

Q. What about the suitability of the stadium?
It is a cracking stadium for athletics, big enough for major football matches, albeit with the drawback of the running track between the fans and the action.

The transport system coped well with large numbers of spectators at the Olympics and Athens is a lively, bustling city well used to holding major events, with an experienced police force, so no real issues there.

Q. Did police react in the right way?
Probably. No-one seems to have been seriously hurt, and that's their main objective.

That is not to say it could not have been handled better, for the reasons above. As soon as the ticket checking process started to fail, the outcome was inevitable.

Q. Are the fans culpable?
Any fair analysis will have to conclude some responsibility rests with the fans who knowingly bought forged tickets, and ticket-less fans who tried to rush gates, or just create an incident, knowing in the end, as happens every time, not everyone's ticket will be checked.

It is dishonest and they're cheating their own mates.

Q. Who is ultimately responsible?
It is Uefa's competition. It decides where the finals are played, co-ordinates the ticketing arrangements and liaises with the hosts over how to make the game work at all levels.

It is Uefa's property to protect and it has been asked to provide answers for why things went wrong.

Uefa says it was the behaviour of the Liverpool fans that exacerbated the problem, but of course the reality is there were a combination of factors responsible.

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

Soccer: BBC pundits on Athens final

Liverpool lost to AC Milan in the Champions League final because they did not take advantage of the spells during the match when they were on top.

If Javier Mascherano had not been substituted he would have been the first Liverpool player out at Kaka putting him under pressure, as he did all night

When you dominate possession like Liverpool did in the first half and get in situations where you put crosses in, or take shots from distance, you have to make it count.

But Liverpool did not have enough quality in attack to do that.

That is because the one thing that manager Rafa Benitez has failed to do in his three years in charge at Anfield is to bring in some proven firepower up front.

Milan had the luck when they needed it with the first goal - when Andrea Pirlo's shot deflected in off Pippo Inzaghi - and they had a bit of luck with the second goal too.

If Javier Mascherano had not been substituted he would have been the first Liverpool player out at Kaka putting him under pressure in the build-up, as he did all night.

But he was not under pressure and, for the first time in the match, that allowed Kaka to slip a little ball in behind the back four for Inzaghi to add a second. It was a great run and finish by the striker too.

When it did come, the Liverpool goal was too late.

They never really pressurised Milan in the closing stages and the Italians were always going to be capable of running down the clock.

In the end you just have to say 'well done' to Milan.

They maybe should not have been let into Europe because of the match-fixing scandal in Italy.

But they have been allowed in the competition and they have reached the final on merit.

Carlo Ancelotti's side gave us some wonderful performances - in the quarter-final away at Bayern Munich and in both legs of the semi-final against Manchester United - and here they are as winners.

Even as a Liverpool fan you have to find it somewhere in your heart to accept they have won the Champions League and that is no mean feat.

Graham Taylor Former England manager and Five Live summariser

For most of the game the team in red, Liverpool, were in charge.

But what they didn't do was create one chance inside Milan's area, other than the goal - which was right at the death.

That was a big a failing for them and they could have done a lot more.

To change that, from a personal point of view, I would have brought Peter Crouch on earlier than the 78th minute.

The changes that Rafa Benitez made were fine but I would have liked to have seen them happen 10 minutes earlier, and for Steven Gerrard to have dropped back into midfield then.

---

Jan Molby and Graham Taylor were speaking on BBC Radio Five Live.

RUGBY: Henry: Leaving All Blacks may struggle to regain jersey

3:05PM Thursday May 24, 2007

New Zealand rugby players taking up lucrative contracts in Europe are harming their development and may struggle to win back their All Blacks jerseys, coach Graham Henry says.

"It's a huge problem," Henry told overseas reporters in a conference call from New Zealand.

"I don't think they'll develop as well in a club environment compared with an international environment.

"The risk they take is that they come back and somebody has established themselves as better than them because they have developed better during that time."

The trickle of New Zealanders playing for European clubs is gathering momentum.

Second five-eighth Aaron Mauger, prop Carl Hayman and lock Chris Jack, all still in their 20s, are among a group joining English clubs after the World Cup finishes in October. Others are still considering their options, most notably 23-year-old playmaker Luke McAlister.

It will leave them ineligible to represent the All Blacks under New Zealand Rugby Football regulations.

Other nations are also losing players to European clubs, particularly from the Pacific Islands.

Henry believed the trend could hamper the development of local talent in countries such as England.

"I was told there were only three No 10s playing in the Premiership who are English," Henry said.

"I just can't understand what they're doing in Europe to develop their own players with all these top players coming from around the world."

The New Zealand Herald - NZPA

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

RUGBY: Naas highlights home display

Thursday 24 May 2007

Naas Botha believes the Boks need to worry about their own performance instead of the significantly weakened England outfit.

Expectations are rising as we edge closer to the first Test of the season, and the fact that England have sent out what is effectively a ‘C’ team has lifted that expectation even further. The South African rugby community want their side to beat England by a record score and to lose is at this moment, inconceivable.

Botha told Keo.co.za it would be foolish for the side to get caught up in this hype, and he has suggested the team concentrates on perfecting their own structures and laying a good platform.

“The Boks must not worry about the England team and their apparent shortcomings,” he said. “Everybody is talking about what a walkover this England side will be, but no international match is ever easy.”

The Boks will take some time to gel and may opt to play closer to their forwards in the early stages. If they can exercise some patience they may wear down the Pommie resistance to the point where a more free-flowing display will be possible.

“How this game will go also depends on the England effort,” said Botha. “If South Africa go well and completely dominate England, then there is no reason to keep it close the whole time. I’m sure the plan will be to assess the situation in the first 15 minutes and work form there.”

The last time England played in Bloemfontein, they beat the Boks by 27-22 with 21-year-old Jonny Wilkinson sinking the hosts with a flawless kicking display. England will look to Wilkinson once again, although even his brilliance may not be enough to save England on this occasion.

“Everybody is well aware of what Jonny Wilkinson is capable of, but it really does depend on the performance of the team around him. We saw it when England played Ireland in the Six Nations. If he doesn’t receive support he is vulnerable just like everyone else.”

South Africa’s performance may also be effected by the dramatic events of last week, where the Bulls beat the Sharks in the dying seconds of the Super 14 final. The Sharks players will need to forget the disappointment of that day and there are many players from both sides who have to improve from their showing at the Absa Stadium.

“I don’t have a problem with the team Jake [White] has selected,” said Botha. “How they will perform is another question. Some of those players from last week’s Super 14 final will need to put the bad day at the office behind them and focus on the task at hand.”

By Jon Cardinelli

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

RUGBY: England plans hit by gastric bug

By Andy Clarke - Created on 24 May 2007

England's preparations for the first Test against South Africa on Saturday have been hampered by a stomach virus which has affected several members of the squad.

David Strettle and James Simpson-Daniel are the latest players to miss training with symptoms of the virus which has already laid Jonny Wilkinson and Pat Sanderson low.

Fly-half Wilkinson returned to training on Wednesday and England are hopeful that Strettle and Simpson-Daniel will be back on Thursday.

The players have been briefly affected by the virus, which is not food-related but which causes gastric pain over a 24 to 48-hour period.

England doctor Simon Kemp said: "The symptoms have affected a small number of the England squad to date.

"One of the positive features about this sort of viral infection is that it typically develops and settles relatively quickly."

England are already under-strength, having been unable to select players from Leicester, Wasps and Bath, while several experienced members of the squad are missing through injury.

Sky Sports

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

RUGBY: Buoyant Boks look ominous

24/05/2007

Marc Hinton

The test season starts this weekend folks, and though it's difficult to get excited about the pathetic rabbles they've sent to the southern hemisphere from up north, I know there's one aspect of the opening salvos I'll be keeping a close eye on.

Just what sort of a performance will we see from the Springboks against England 'G' in Bloemfontein?

Will there be a carry over from the outstanding Super 14 season enjoyed by teams from the republic, in particular the Bulls and Sharks?

Will the whole rugby vibe in general stay as buoyant as it clearly was through the closing stages of the competition?

And can Jake White bring his men together, cast aside the evil political forces that continually work to undermine him, and produce a cohesive, strong, punishing rugby team, such as he will need to have a decent shot at World Cup glory later this year?

I doubt, frankly, whether England will provide much in the way of a measuring stick, but as the All Blacks will tell you endlessly next week as they prepare for their opening hitout against France's Dad's Army, it's all about keeping your own standards high.

Crusaders coach Robbie Deans told me earlier this week that his main worry out of the disappointing end to the Super 14 for the Kiwi sides (well, for them all but the Chiefs who I reckon could have won the thing if they'd snuck into the playoffs) was the confidence that the South Africans would have gained out of their dominant finish.

Deans reckons -- and quite rightly -- that the New Zealand teams could have handed the Boks just the shot in the arm they need to present a credible and sustained World Cup challenge later this year.

As we all know the Bokke when they've got the tails, and their gander, up are a difficult beast to peg back. They hit harder in the tackles, they chase with more earnest and they leap higher in the contests. More importantly, when they're in the zone the bounce of the ball seems to go unerringly their way.

The Crusaders coach told me he reckoned the damage from this handing of the psychological high ground could be contained by the All Blacks if they go out and put them back in their place during the upcoming Tri Nations.

Remembering the All Blacks open that competition with a visit to the seething Absa Stadium in Durban, that's going to be some ask.

And it's why I'm keen to see just how well the Boks start their season at the weekend.

England will not be stink-the-house-out bad. Surely. Not Brisbane bad from the 1998 tour when they basically rolled over and played dead. Professionalism has seen their stock improve on that miserable lot.

But I still expect them to be well beaten by the Boks who will have too much power up front, too much of a kicking game and too much of a chasing one too.

What I'll be watching is just how well this South African side comes together. Does Schalk Burger return as the force he was pre-back injury, how effectively Wynand Olivier and Jean de Villiers combine in midfield, and just how much acid that big front row puts on the Poms.

I'll be looking for signs they will be a danger this year, like accuracy, confidence, precision, power and of course commitment.

And I expect to see the South Africans dominate. For Deans is right, they're a country riding high in their rugby right now, and it could just be that their kick-start back in the right direction has come from the most unlikely of sources.

It was All Blacks coach Graham Henry who basically torpedoed the New Zealand franchises' chances in the Super 14. He coughed up that title to the South Africans as sure as his only concern this year is bringing back the World Cup.

But could he in the process have made his own job considerably harder.

I think we'll get a clearer indication this weekend. But I fear the damage has been done. These Boks well and truly have their tails up.

Yahoo! Xtra

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

Soccer: Liverpool got everything right but their selection

Rafa Benitez found the perfect formation to stifle Milan, but he lacked the players to win.

Paul Doyle

May 23, 2007 9:39 PM

Greece has always been a dangerous place to forget what made you great. Thales the Milesian, for example, was the country's first ever philosopher and found fame by positing that everything is made of water. Oh how he must have been kicking himself in 546BC when, in the middle of a gymnastics contest, he dropped dead of dehydration. Then there was Chrysippus, a celebrated Stoic - who laughed himself to death.

It's tempting but wrong to add Rafa Benitez to the list. His success at Liverpool has been based above all on defence, yet tonight he adopted a vigorous attacking formation. Liverpool's aggression was evident from the very first minute, when four raiders in Red romped into the Milan box, only for their ardour to droop when Steven Gerrard overhit his cross to Jermaine Pennant, who had fizzed in free at the back post. But the intent was clear. And correct.

Manifestly, attack is the best form of defence against this Milan side - by pressing high up the pitch, Liverpool cut off the supply not just to Kaka and Clarence Seedorf but also to Andrea Pirlo, the principal conduit from back to front. Of course, Benitez has always known this - far from abandoning his previous beliefs, tonight he in fact reverted to the strategy he'd begun with in Istanbul - and it worked insofar as it meant that Liverpool lorded it over their opponents in the first half. The only reason their tactics didn't bring triumph is that, while the shape and idea were sound, the personnel were inadequate.

If Jermaine Pennant and Bolo Zenden were postmen in your district, you'd wake up every morning to find parcels in your shrubbery and letters strewn all over your lawn: that's how bad their delivery is. Both had ample opportunity in the first half to exploit Milan's narrowness, but both failed miserably to turn time and space into tangible success, their crosses either too wild or too feeble.

Zenden toddled about in particularly ineffective fashion, as he did against Chelsea in the semi-finals and, indeed, for most of his strange career at the top level. Harry Kewell may have been a shock inclusion two years ago when he was thrust into the starting line-up after almost six months out through a mysterious injury, but he should have started tonight. Not 'in the hole' behind the lone striker, which is where he was deployed in 2005 and where Gerrard thrived tonight, but on the wing in place of Zenden. Because when he's at his best, Kewell is faster, more precise and more menacing than Zenden has ever been or will ever be. If he was close enough to his best to be on the bench, then he should have been in the first XI. If not, he shouldn't have been on the bench.

If those options sound embarrassingly limited, then it's because Benitez has not bought better ones.

Speaking of which: Zenden wasn't the only defective Dutchman on the pitch. Dirk Kuyt is simply not a Champions League class player, nor an improvement on the people he replaced. He may be more disciplined than Milan Baros - a trait that will always endear him to a technocrat like Benitez - but his touch and finishing is equally shoddy, and he doesn't have the pace of Djibril Cissé. Peter Crouch has failings too, but he would have been harder for Milan to handle, notably from set-pieces, at which Milan's vulnerability had previously been exposed in this competition by Celtic's Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Bayern Munich's Daniel van Buyten. And Crouch is more than just an aerial nuisance, of course, he's also deft of touch. He would have been a far more reliable foil for the game Gerrard.

Both Kewell and Crouch were eventually introduced, but at a time when Milan had already stolen a lead and could therefore sit back, squeezing the space that had hitherto existed and springing forward in speedy spurts. Liverpool, meanwhile, became rudderless in their desperation and were forced to sacrifice Javier Mascherano - the holding player they'd missed so glaringly two years ago until Dietmar Hamann's belated entry; that gave Kaka the room he'd previously been denied, and he duly released Inzaghi for the game's killer goal.

Kuyt's 88th-minute goal, his first in the tournament, was more than mere testament to Liverpool's wonderful fighting spirit - it was also an ironic way of signalling their shortcomings. With the backing of Liverpool's new American owners, Benitez will have more money than ever before at his disposal: but he must spend the big bucks better than he has spent the relatively small ones so far. He is brilliant at shaping a team. Now he must prove he can staff one.

Guardian Unlimited

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

RUGBY: 'I don't want to play anymore'

Is it possibly that I am not the only member of the cricket fraternity unable to supress my giggles at the righteous indignation spewing forth from our colleagues in the rugby world over the Luke Watson affair?

The fact that a board president saw fit to include an extra player in a squad big enough to include half of South Africa's registered professional cricketers so incensed some rugby people that one would have thought Regan Hoskins had commited manslaughter, or worse.

Depending on on your viewpoint, the fact that the cricket family has become completely blasé about political interference in the selection of all of it's teams means either that we are approximately a decade ahead of rugby in embracing and, indeed, pioneering the sporting future of our country, or that we have been kicked around for so long by our politicians that, like a stray dog, we have become immune to the beatings.

Sure, there were a few terse words and strained emotions when Ray Mali supplanted Mark Boucher with Thami Tsolekile in the test team three years ago, but we soon got over it and besides, Boucher returned a much stronger and enriched cricketer. Tsolekile, meanwhile, having perhaps been promoted ahead of his time, has disappeared from the Cobras set-up, let alone the international scene.

Sporting presidents hold the right of veto for a reason and it seems to me that in the case of Luke Watson and Jake White, the reason was justified.

It was obvious that the schoolmaster in White didn't like the 'bighead' in Watson when he refused to select him for the national under-21 side when he was already a regular member of the Sharks Super-12 team. But personality clashes should never affect the selection of a team.

It is hard to imagine the uproar that would have been caused if White and the selectors had been told to include Watson on the bench for Saturday's test match, or - heaven forbid - a place in the starting XV. If he been given such orders, he could have done worse than call Mickey Arthur for a word of advice on how to handle it.

The Queen of England is the head of that country's armed forces but she isn't going to declare war or make any other military decisions without being told what to do by her admirals and generals. The same applies to Thabo Mbeki, for that matter. So why on earth do rugby people assume that Regan Hoskins, an intelligent lawyer not given to pursuing the limelight, acted unilaterally in creating 'Watsongate'? He did not.

The major difference between rugby and cricket, however, is the calibre and moral fortitude of those unfortunates to be slung with the label 'political pawn.' Whereas cricket's victims are often left to fend for themselves and end up sinking, Watson is undeniably having the time of his life.

While the Luke Watson 'thing' has amused the cricket family, of more concern must be the extreme reluctance of many of our national cricketers to take part in the forthcoming Afro-Asia Cup in Bangalore.

Graeme Smith has had a knee operation so he's not going for legitimate reasons. Jacques Kallis, apparently, will be rested - which is exactly the intention of many of those who have been named in the African squad.

The players' contracts with CSA oblige them to be available for every series and fixture covered by the ICC's Future Tours Programme - which does not include the Afro-Asia Cup. So, technically, they do not have to be available for selection.

The tournament is a mere eight days long, however, including the travel days to India and back. And for those eight days, the chosen players will be guaranteed over R100 000 each. More if they win.

For Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Makhaya Ntini and a couple of others, the money is irrelevant when weighed up against the time spent away from home and the chance to live a 'normal' life.

Having spent almost as much time as them 'on road' over the last eight months, I must admit that the prospect of leaving again in three weeks' time would not appeal. But with R120 000 at stake, my wife and children would be packing my suitcase and waving me out of the door, especially for a mere eight days.

So, why are the senior players so reluctant? I can't be sure of this, but I suspect it is because they are being treated like 'political pawns' on an international scale, and they know it.

The organisers of this spurious event, which is 'justified' by the money it raises for the development of the game in both regions and by a donation to charity, need the 'big names' in order to give the series credibility and therefore convince the television producers to pay top dollar.

What CSA should be doing with an event like this, of course, is sending Alviro Peterson, Thandi Tshabalala, Dale Steyn, Albie Morkel and - just to be mischievous - Vaughn van Jaarsveld, to give them full exposure to subcontinental conditions in full colours.

Instead, unless they can find a convenient injury soon, Pollock and Ntini will be forced to leave the kids behind once again, just when everyone was getting used to the routine of Dad being at home.

Me? I'll be going out for dinner with my wife, playing a little winter golf and watching James Stewart perform live at the Suikerbossie.

Unless anybody is prepared to offer me R120 000 to cover the tournament, in which case I'll drop everything. Actually, I'll do it for a quarter of that.

by Neil Manthorp Super Sport

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

Soccer: Wednesday's rumours

Today's rumours fear the combination of tuppeny rice and treacle

Paolo Bandini
Wednesday May 23, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

'It's all about me baby...' Photograph: Tom Hevezi/AP

The average Briton, according to Channel Four dweebs, has 14 friends, goes to the toilet six times a day, and, bizarrely, lives in Swindon. The average footballer, according to professional floozy Danielle Lloyd, is a cheating love rat. And the average rumour in today's column, according to the Mill, was entirely fabricated by a lazy journalist desperate to fill his remaining word count in time for last orders at the Dog & Duck.

Still, that's never stopped us before, so why not let's kick off with every slack hack's favourite fable - Andriy Shevchenko's imminent return Milan. Apparently this time it's really, really true, though (honest!) because Andriy's missus Kristen Pazik says so. "Milan is our city and where we want to be," wibbled Kristen yesterday. "It would be wonderful for [Shevchenko] to go back and play with Ronaldo."

What was that, did she say Ronaldo? Must be a typo, because the one Andriy's really excited about linking up with is Ronaldinho, whose on-again, off-again, never-was-on-in-the-first-place-but-we're-going-to-say-it-anyway-again transfer to the San Siro is really, really going ahead (honest!). And if that wasn't exciting enough, Silvio Berlusconi is now promising to add a little bit of Franck Ribéry to the Rossoneri mix too.

Internazionale will respond to their city rival's burst of activity by pinching Roma's favourite Romanian Cristian Chivu, while Juventus will complete the carve up of the Giallorossi's penetrable back line by having French centre-half Philippe Mexès too. The Old Lady will then holiday in Munich, where she plans to have her way with FC Bayern goal-getter Claudio Pizarro.

Bayern are after a new striker of their own, though the Mill suspects they're being a touch optimistic when they reckon £8m will tempt Arsène Wenger to part with Robin van Persie - given that he led the Gunners' scoring despite injuries restricting him to a paltry 22 games. They might be better off turning their attentions to Eidur Gudjohnsen - West Ham, Manchester United and Sunderland all reckon they can land the Icelandic Paul Bettany for that same sum.

The Hammers, meanwhile, are ready to flog Carlos Tevez to Chelsea for a mere £35m, a sum they will reinvest in mocking Chelsea by putting it towards a brand new 60,000-seater stadium - approximately 50% bigger than the ground Jose Mourinho's men can only fill by advertising in the Evening Standard.

Down in Portsmouth, 'Appy 'Arry Redknapp's 'ome for waifs and strays will soon be welcoming Charlton defender Herman Hreidarsson - available for free after relegation triggered a clause in his contract - and unloved Lyon midfielder Alou Diarra. Mark Viduka could soon be knocking on the door too, which might come as a blessed relief for Gareth Southgate, who for some reason insists he can't get on with his own transfer dealing until Mark makes his mind up on whether he's staying or going.

Elsewhere, Benfica have been sniffing around Bolton's El-Hadji Diouf, Antoine Sibierski will soon be calling Fulham home and Tottenham are going to nab France Under-21 captain Younes Kaboul from Auxerre.

Samuel Eto'o, on the other hand, going absolutely nowhere.

Guardian Unlimeted

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

Soccer: Ticketing policy infuriates fans

Andrew Culf

There is genuine anger on the streets of Athens about the distribution of Champions League tickets.

Andrew Culf

May 23, 2007 10:45 AM

Two contrasting snapshots of Athens during the countdown to the Champions League final. In Syntagma Square, in the centre of the city, hundreds of Liverpool fans, gathered on a flight of steps, a wall of red and yellow replica kits, belting out their traditional Kop repertoire. Across a chaotically traffic-choked road in the hushed environs of one of Athens' five-star hotels, besuited Uefa bigwigs and honoured guests checked in, clutching Champions League goodie bags.

The phenomenon is nothing new - it was a feature of last summer's World Cup in Germany, where real fans rubbed shoulders with sponsors' clients on corporate jollies. But fans are getting increasingly wise to football's big divide and they are not remaining silent about it. The Football Supporters' Federation has struck a raw nerve with its "Tickets for fans - not sponsors" campaign, and they have been busy handing out their stickers in Athens.

As supporters hunted down exorbitantly priced black market tickets, many expressed understanding of the need for some tickets for sponsors and officials - but there was also genuine anger about Uefa's ticket allocation, plus, for this match, concern that Liverpool had let down regular season ticket holders by the way they had distributed the club's 17,000 tickets, 6,000 of which were set aside for white-collar supporters.

The Olympic Stadium has a capacity of 63,800 for tonight's match - but only 34,000 tickets go to supporters of Liverpool and Milan. Another 9,000 were available to all supporters (and, presumably touts too) in an internet ballot held in February.

The fans I met in the square yesterday were united in their condemnation of Uefa's policy. Graham Craig, 40, of Anfield, said: "It is a commercial issue, rather than purely about football. Not enough grassroots fans are receiving tickets." Gary Bown, 38, of Leicester, and his friend Paul Bolton, 35, were hoping that tickets ordered through a London website agency at an eyewatering £675 each, would arrive in time - and had heard of someone selling 50 corporate tickets at €1,500 each.

Graeme McKean, 35, of Falkirk, told how he could afford €300 for a ticket, but had been offered one for €4,200. Season ticket holder Malcolm Hunter, 29, had flown in from his new home in Melbourne and, despite having the necessary fan credits, was ticketless. "Absolutely scandalous" was his simple verdict.

Until these problems are addressed, it is inevitable touts will continue to demand up to €3,000 for tickets. The question is, how can supporters shame the authorities into putting the ordinary fan - and not corporate sponsors - first?

Guardian Unlimited

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

RUGBY: Henry warns of Bok backlash

Sunday 20th May 2007

The Springboks are once again New Zealand biggest threat in the Kiwis' quest to win their first World Cup crown in 20 years.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry, speaking at the weekend, reiterated earlier statements that the Boks would be New Zealand's toughest opponent at the Rugby World Cup in France in September.

With the Sharks and Bulls having contested the Super 14 Final at the weekend (won 20-19 in dramatic fashion by the Bulls), many critics have spoken out about they see as the "revival" of South African rugby.

"You have to be impressed with what they have done at Super 14 level," Henry said in an interview on allblacks.com.

"I have thought all along that South Africa might be our biggest challenge," he said.

"That is not to lessen the potency of France or Ireland but the South Africans may prove to be a helluva good side."

Henry didn't think the South Africans had changed their style of play so much as improved the speed at which they did things.

"They have been keeping the ball in their hands much more. The biggest area of improvement has been their defence in comparison to other years," he said.

"They have changed their defensive pattern. They may use both their more blitz style or the more traditional South African style," he said.

"They have used the ball better. It will be interesting to see if that transfers to the Springbok side," he said.

Planet Rugby

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

RUGBY: Rossouw beats Spies at number eight

Wednesday 23rd May 2007

At number eight: Danie Rossouw

Springbok coach Jake White has, predictably, gone for a very beefy looking set of forwards for the first test of a two-match series against England, when he named his team in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.

The Boks and England go head-to-head in Bloemfontein this Saturday, May 26, and again in Pretoria a week later.

White has made it clear that he wants to strike a huge psychological blow against England, whom South Africa will meet again in the pool stages at the World Cup in France later this year, and as a result he named a very strong team - despite facing an English side minus 30-ofdd frontline players.

However, the most noteworthy selection is the inclusion of Bulls second row forward Danie Rossouw at number eight, ahead of his Bulls teammate Pierre Spies.

Rossouw has been instrumental, both in the starting XV and as impact player, as a lock in the Bulls' success in this year Super 14 competition.

However, White prefers him at number eight, where he starred for South Africa on the year-end tour to Ireland and England last year, ahead of the Bulls' regular number eight, Spies.

Then there is the inclusion of wing Ashwin Willemse, who will play test rugby for the first time in more than two years.

Willemse, South Africa's player of the year in 2003 has been picked to play England, despite having failed to complete a game this year. His last three years have been riddled with injury - since he aggravated a knee injury against Ireland in November 2004.

He made a bold attempt at a comeback in 2005, only to suffer further injury setback - requiring surgery to both his knee and ankle. Last year he did not get past the pre-season matches, before injuries again ruled him out.

This year he played half a Vodacom Cup game for the Lions, before crying off with a hamstring injury, and then 60 minutes of Super 14 rugby for the Lions.

However, White feels strongly that Willemse - who has been one of the Bok coach's prodigies since his junior days - will come good if given enough chances to play.

Injury has also forced White's hand in several positions - with André Pretorius, Jaque Fourie, Fourie du Preez and Os du Randt all ruled out of the battle of Bloemfontein through injury.

Butch James (number 10) and Ricky Januarie (number nine) will be the halfback combination in the absence of Pretorius and Du Preez.

With Du Randt out the Boks field the powerful Sharks front row - BJ Botha, John Smit and Deon Carstens - in its entirety.

There are no new caps, but the Bok starting fifteen, with a total of 418 caps, have a distinct experience advantage over their opponents - whose starting fifteen have just 172 caps.

John Smit will lead the Springboks for a record 39th time and will be playing in his 43rd consecutive Test match since the match against Georgia in the 2003 RWC (also a record). He will also improve on his record of 61 Tests as a hooker.

Percy Montgomery - 654 points in tests; 98 conversions, 115 penalty goals - will improve his record 66 Tests as a fullback. Montgomery needs two conversions to improve Johan Heunis' record of six career conversions against England.

Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha will improve the record they shared with Mark Andrews and Krynauw Otto with their 26th test match as a lock pairing.

White will also equal Nick Mallett's record of 38 Test matches as coach of the Springboks.

South Africa: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Ashwin Willemse, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Butch James, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Danie Rossouw, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 BJ Botha, John Smit (c), Deon Carstens:
Replacements: 16 Gurthro Steenkamp, 17 Gary Botha, 18 CJ van der Linde, 19 Johann Muller, 20 Pierre Spies, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Francois Steyn.

Date: Saturday 26 May
Venue: Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 15:00 (13:00 GMT)
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Joël Jutge (France), Malcolm Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official: Derek Bevan (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

Planet Rugby

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

NBA: Hi, I’m LeBron’s Apologist

Nice to meet you. Shut up.

I wasn’t going to do this. I didn’t want to do this. And anyway, I hardly have the time. I’m dumb busy this week, what with my regular job and lawn care responsbilities and constantly looking over my back to make sure the Bluegrass Mafia isn’t sneaking up to merck me with a pick-ax.

Sometimes, though, I just can’t help myself.

I assume Jake’s handling the Cavs-Pistons game notes (update: he’s not), and I’m sure Sam will address this if he hasn’t already (update: he has). In truth, I was content to let everybody else have this one. Then I got to the office today and started reading the internets. Bad idea. Not only did Jimmy Carter backtrack on his fair and balanced critique of the Bush Administration, but all the national basketball writers have apparently lost their minds.

I know many of you won’t agree with me here, but as always, you’re entitled to be wrong.

Two pieces in particular caught me. First is this one, by SLAM favorite Chris Sheridan. We genuinely do like Chris. Good people with a great, dark sense of humor. One of the few mainstream media cats we’re always happy to see at All-Star weekend or at the Finals. So it’s anything but personal when I say Chris got this one dead wrong. Here are the highlights:

It was an instant that called for a split-second decision, and James decided to give it up. And it’s not like he gave it up to Scot Pollard. He gave it to a guy who nailed six 3s in the Cavs’ previous game.

“I go for the winning play,” James said. “If two guys come at you and your teammate is open, then give it up. Simple as that.”

Actually, it’s not that simple, LeBron. Not when the eyes and the weight of the world are on you, and not when people expect otherworldly things out of you even though you’re only 22.

And then, later…

We’re talking about what might have been a game-winning assist from James, not a game-winning shot. It just sort of doesn’t seem right, does it?

Doesn’t matter how open Marshall was, and it doesn’t matter how many defenders were coming at him. It just didn’t seem right, and it’s an open debate as to whether it was.

Thanks, Chris. You just threw off my whole f*cking morning.

Five minutes after reading that, I stumbled across this column from an AP writer. I don’t know this person, and although I do have a problem with the AP employing columnists (to me, they’re supposed to be the just-the-facts portion of the media; getting opinions from the AP is like getting nutrional advice from the high school kid at the check-out counter at the grocery store — to which I say, “Shut up, press the buttons on the cash register and put my f*cking cereal in the f*cking bag”) this one isn’t personal either. But here’s what she said:

Give Michael Jordan that same shot, and he doesn’t give the ball up for anybody.

‘’I go for the winning play,'’ an unapologetic James said afterward. ‘’The winning play when two guys come at you and a teammate is open is to give it up. It’s as simple as that.'’

Not quite…

If there’s a knock on James, it’s that he’s too good. Too much of a team player. More Magic than Michael.

And thank you, Nancy.

They’re both right, of course, as is every other sh*tbag talking head and talk-radio caller and blogger who will criticize LeBron today. Yes, he could’ve done more last night. Yes, he needs to be more cut-throat and ruthless at the end of games. Yes, it’s no longer a valid excuse that he’s only 22 years old. And yes, the Jordan-esque thing to do on that last play would’ve been to put his head down, do that crazy runaway-train bullrun drive he does and just get to the damn basket, no matter what. Everybody’s right. LeBron didn’t win the game last night, so he has to take the hit for the loss.

Fair enough. Just a few counterpoints, then:

He still is only 22 years old. Sorry, but it’s still valid, and I’m not the only one who knows it.

Beyond that — LeBron was, on a night when his shot wasn’t falling against regular triple teams, just one assist away from a triple-double. If Jason Kidd had the exact same game last night, including making that same decision to pass to Donyell on the final possession, our collective reaction would be overwhelmingly positive.

If you want to criticize LeBron for what he did in the first 47:50, I ask only that you remember that the Cavs were in this game, holding a fourth-quarter lead on the road against one of the most dominant and experienced teams of the decade. No, he wasn’t scoring, and yes, he could’ve been more aggressive. But he was also being swarmed by arguably the best defensive team of the era, and as the leader of his team, he had done his primary job: Given his team a chance to win.

And if you want to criticize LeBron for what he did in the last 10 sesconds, I ask that you eat a d*ck.

Seriously.

You can’t have it both ways, people — like my man Chris saying that the idea of a “game-winning assist… just doesn’t seem right,” and this AP writer saying that “if there’s a knock on James,” it’s that he’s “more Magic than Michael,” I’m sorry, but NO. You’re not allowed to go there. You can’t go there and still pretend like you know anything about basketball, because the whole thing with LeBron, the thing that anyone who does know anything about basketball has said all along, is that he is more Magic than Michael, and that’s what makes him special.

This is what Keith Dambrot, LeBron’s high school coach, told me when LeBron was a sophomore, and this is what every NBA scout and coach and GM who watched him told the media over the next few years, and this is what every sportswriter with half a brain regurgitated onto their keyboards when writing about this high school phenom. He’s a remarkable passer, but the blessing and curse is that he’s also probably the most physically gifted passer we’ve ever seen — the “curse” part of that equation being that, because he is such a remarkable athlete, we figure he should always do the Jordan thing in situations like these and take the shot, no matter what.

Except, of course, that Mike passed on that shot a few times, as well. But you knew that.

So, back to that play. LeBron hasn’t been to the line all night, which is partly a result of the fact that he hasn’t been overly aggressive driving to the basket, and partly because when he has gone to the basket, the Pistons’ swarming D has, well, swarmed about as convincingly as it ever has, and partly because he isn’t getting any of the superstar calls he’s used to — or, in a few key cases down the stretch, the regular-dude calls that even the announcers are sort of bemused to see go unwhistled. He gets a one-on-one with Tayshaun Prince, who is undeniably one of the best defenders in the game, and he gets a lane. Rasheed Wallace, who BLOCKED SEVEN SHOTS IN THE GAME, is lingering in the paint.

The sum total of this information: a) LeBron is unlikely to get a clean look at the basket, b) he’s equally unlikely, based on the precedent set throughout the game, to get a call on anything but the most blatant hack, and c) Rasheed’s presence in the paint means Donyell Marshall is wide-the-f*ck-open in the corner.

LeBron, who much to Nancy Armour’s dismay is more Magic than Michael, finds his teammate, a proven three-point shooter, with a perfect pass for a potential game-winning shot.

Donyell missed. If he makes, these columns (this one included) don’t get written, and we’re talking about what a great win that was for the Cavs and what a great play LeBron made.

Unless we’re not. Would you be one of the exceptions, still criticizing LeBron because he didn’t man up and take the shot himself, even if they’d won? That, at least, I could respect. But you can’t have it both ways. The Cavs lost a road playoff game to a better team last night, and as the team leader, LeBron carries some of the guilt for that, because he could’ve done more. There are still a lot of ways this kid can (and will) get better, and you can (and should) hold him up to that higher standard and criticize him for falling short. But that play? You gotta let that one go. Facing a superior team, in a game (and a series) that the Cavs really shouldn’t have a chance of winning, they had a chance last night.

And if, in failing, LeBron James was a little too much Magic and not enough Michael, so be it.

Farmer Jones Roundball Almanac

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

RUGBY: S14 team of the tournament

Monday 21st May 2007

Isaia Does It: Toeava in action for the Blues

The tournament has come and gone and now we have a South African Super Rugby champion for the first time in 14 years. That is why our team of the tournament is so bullish, because it was a bullish tournament with a bullish finish.

Having dominated the latter stages of the tournament and also winning the Final, albeit with a try in the dying seconds, the Bulls provides the bulk of our team.

We have five Bulls in our starting XV and another three 'bubbling under' - our back-up squad.

The Sharks, the losing finalists, are also well represented. They have two staring members and another four bubbling under.

The rest of our starting XV is made up from the losing semi-finalists, Crusaders and Blues, who have two each, while the Brumbies, Western Force, Highlanders and Lions make up the numbers with one member each.

We didn't name an official captain, but it would be between John Smit (Sharks) and Victor Matfield (Bulls), who both made our starting XV.

Here's our selection!

Team of the tournament:

15 - Julian Huxley (Brumbies):
Huxley played in a number of positions for the Brumbies and did not let his team down once. However, he really came to the fore when he moved to fullback. Drew Mitchell, Percy Montgomery, Scott Hamilton and Francois Steyn had their moments (or matches), but Huxley was simply the most consistent.
Bubbling under: Percy Montgomery (Sharks)

14 - Doug Howlett (Blues):
There is a good reason why he is back in the All Black team and it has a lot to do with his Super 14 season. Then, of course, you can ask Earl Rose about Doug Howlett if you wish! Lelia Masaga also had a good campaign and Rico Gear had his moments.
Bubbling under: Lelia Masaga (Chiefs)

13 - Isaia Toeava (Blues):
Much of the Blues' success this season had to do with his ability to break the line and set up opportunities or create space for others. Tana Umaga and Jaque Fourie did well in the early stages of the season and Waylon Murray came to the fore in the latter stages.
Bubbling under: Waylon Murray (Sharks)

12 - Matt Giteau (Western Force):
Few would doubt that Giteau was the most impressive inside-centre on show, even though he played a fly-half quite often as well. Several players had good games, but other than Giteau the most outstanding was Luke McAlister.
Bubbling under: Luke McAlister (Blues)

11 - Bryan Habana (Bulls):
Without doubt the form left wing in the tournament and very few will argue with the statement that this is his best season ever. Not to mention that he scored the tournament-winning try. Apart from Habana the most consistent of the left wingers was Roy Kinikinilau.
Bubbling under: Roy Kinikinilau (Chiefs)

10 - Stephen Brett (Crusaders):
With the All Blacks out for the first half of the season there were opportunities for others to make their mark. Brett showed that neither the Crusaders, nor the All Blacks, need to worry to worry about the future - there is a ready-made successor at number 10. Dan Carter, after he came back from the reconditioning camp, Stephen Larkham and Derick Hougaard (especially in the latter stages) were also outstanding.
Bubbling under: Derick Hougaard (Bulls)

9 - Fourie du Preez (Bulls):
There are suggestions that Du Preez is now the world's premier number nine and few would argue with such a statement had they watched him throughout the tournament. Ruan Pienaar, Brendon Leonard and Heinie Adams (in the coupler of weeks that Du Preez was out injured) also left their marks on the tournament.
Bubbling under: Brendon Leonard (Chiefs)

8 - Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders):
Often you look at a national team and wonder why certain players don't make it, considering the form they displayed all season. Tuiali'i is just such a person. John Roe and Sione Lauaki also impressed.
Bubbling under: John Roe (Reds)

7 - Wikus van Heerden (Bulls):
You would often see him leave the field at some stage bleeding, then returning heavily bandaged. It is a sign that he is involved in some heavy contact. But it is the way that he adapted to the openside role that really impressed us. He could be invaluable to the Springboks this year. George Smith, Daniel Braid and Schalk Burger also made huge impressions.
Bubbling under: George Smith (Brumbies)

6 - Jacques Botes (Sharks):
While the Luke Watson saga was raging in South Africa last week, one name constantly popped up: Jacques Botes. Every time the self-imposed presidential selection committee of SA Rugby (Oregan Hoskins, Mike Stofile and Koos Basson) tried to justify why they want Watson there, the counter argument would be Botes's form. Also impressive on the blindside were Steven Bates and Jerome Kaino.
Bubbling under: Steven Bates (Chiefs)

5 - Victor Matfield (Bulls):
Few would argue with this choice - as player, captain and above all line-out king-pin. But there was some tough competition from Troy Flavell.
Bubbling under: Troy Flavell (Blues)

4 - Bakkies Botha (Bulls):
It has as much to do with his physical presence as his all-round work-rate. Then, of course, there is also his partnership with Matfield. Greg Rawlinson and Johan Ackermann showed their class as well.
Bubbling under: Johan Ackermann (Sharks)

3 - Carl Hayman (Highlanders):
Few realise what a loss he will be to New Zealand, Highlanders and Otago rugby. But they will come to realise this next year when he takes up his contract with Newcastle Falcons. BJ Botha certainly was right up there with the best.
Bubbling under: BJ Botha (Sharks)

2 - John Smit (Sharks):
Without doubt the Sharks and Springbok captain's best season ever. He has showed exactly why he is so highly rated as a player and leader. But Gary Botha certainly gave Smit a good run for his money.
Bubbling under: Gary Botha (Bulls)

1 - Heinke van der Merwe (Lions):
This young man, who is just 21, has a huge future ahead of him if he continues to improve like he did this year. South Africa has some good props and he is right up there with the best. Gurthro Steenkamp and Tony Woodcock also made their marks.
Bubbling under: Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls)

Our weekly selections:

Team of the Week Round One: 15 Clinton Schifcofske (Reds), 14 Louis Ludik (Lions), 13 Marius Joubert (Cheetahs), 12 Matt Giteau (Western Force), 11 Anthony Tuitavake (Blues), 10 Julian Huxley (Brumbies), 9 Falie Oelschig (Cheetahs), 8 Steven Bates (Chiefs), 7 Josh Blackie (Highlanders), 6 Rocky Elsom (Waratahs), 5 Troy Flavell (Blues), 4 Greg Rawlinson (Blues), 3 CJ van der Linde (Cheetahs), 2 Gary Botha (Bulls), 1 Ollie le Roux (Cheetahs)

Team of the Week Round Two: 15 Drew Mitchell (Western Force), 14 Hosea Gear (Hurricanes), 13 Tana Umaga (Hurricanes), 12 Luke McAlister (Blues), 11 Roy Kinikinilau (Chiefs), 10 Butch James (Sharks), 9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls), 8 Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders), 7 George Smith (Brumbies), 6 Juan Smith (Cheetahs), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls), 4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls), 3 Campbell Johnstone (Crusaders), 2 Gary Botha (Bulls), 1 Heinke van der Merwe (Lions).

Team of the Week Round Three: 15 Percy Montgomery (Sharks), 14 Philip Burger (Cheetahs), 13 Tana Umaga (Hurricanes), 12 Junior Pelesasa (Western Force), 11 Cameron Shepherd (Western Force), 10 Matt Giteau (Western Force), 9 Ruan Pienaar (Sharks), 8 Willem Alberts (Lions), 7 George Smith (Brumbies), 6 Steven Bates (Chiefs), 5 Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), 4 Cobus Grobler (Lions), 3 Brian Mujati (Lions), 2 Gary Botha (Bulls), 1 Heinke van der Merwe (Lions).

Team of the Week Round Four: 15 Scott Hamilton (Crusaders), 14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs), 13 Jaque Fourie (Lions), 12 Rua Tipoki (Crusaders), 11 Roy Kinikinilau (Chiefs), 10 Stephen Brett (Crusaders), 9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls), 8 Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders), 7 Ernst Joubert (Lions), 6 Steven Bates (Chiefs), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls), 4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls), 3 Neemia Tialata (Hurricanes), 2 Corey Flynn (Crusaders), 1 Heinke van der Merwe (Lions)

Team of the Week Round Five: 15 Scott Hamilton (Crusaders), 14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs), 13 Isaia Toeava (Blues), 12 De Wet Barry (Stormers), 11 Roy Kinikinilau (Chiefs), 10 Stephen Brett (Crusaders), 9 Ruan Pienaar (Sharks), 8 Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders), 7 George Smith (Brumbies), 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (Lions), 5 Troy Flavell (Blues), 4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls), 3 John Afoa (Blues), 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau (Waratahs), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls).

Team of the Week Round Six: 15 Francois Steyn (Sharks), 14 Doug Howlett (Blues), 13 Isaia Toeava (Blues), 12 Bradley Barritt (Sharks), 11 Bryan Habana (Bulls), 10 Nick Evans (Highlanders), 9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls), 8 Nick Williams (Blues), 7 Wikus van Heerden (Bulls), 6 Jerome Kaino (Blues), 5 Troy Flavell (Blues), 4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls), 3 BJ Botha (Sharks), 2 John Smit (Sharks), 1 Heinke van der Merwe (Lions).

Team of the Week Round Seven: 15 Francois Steyn (Sharks), 14 Rico Gear (Crusaders), 13 Ronnie Cooke (Cheetahs), 12 Tim Bateman (Crusaders), 11 Cameron Shepherd (Western Force), 10 Stephen Brett (Crusaders), 9 Chris O'Young (Western Force), 8 Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders), 7 Marty Holah (Chiefs), 6 Juan Smith (Cheetahs), 5 Corniel van Zyl (Cheetahs), 4 Michael Paterson (Crusaders), 3 BJ Botha (Sharks), 2 Corey Flynn (Crusaders), 1 Heinke van der Merwe (Lions).

Team of the Week Round Eight: 15 Corey Jane (Hurricanes), 14 Rico Gear (Crusaders), 13 Jaque Fourie (Lions), 12 Julian Huxley (Brumbies), 11 Scott Hamilton (Crusaders), 10 Dan Carter (Crusaders), 9 Enrico Januarie (Lions), 8 John Roe (Reds), 7 Daniel Braid (Blues), 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (Lions), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls), 4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls), 3 BJ Botha (Sharks), 2 Ethienne Reynecke (Lions), 1 Heinke van der Merwe (Lions).

Team of the Week Round Nine: 15 Julian Huxley (Brumbies), 14 Doug Howlett (Blues), 13 Isaia Toeava (Blues), 12 Matt Giteau (Western Force), 11 Lachlan Turner (Waratahs), 10 Sam Norton-Knight (Waratahs), 9 Jimmy Cowan (Highlanders), 8 Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders), 7 Cobus Grobbelaar (Lions), 6 Jerome Kaino (Blues), 5 Jason Eaton (Hurricanes), 4 Greg Rawlinson (Blues), 3 Carl Hayman (Highlanders), 2 Keven Mealamu (Blues), 1 Heinke van der Merwe (Lions).

Team of the Week Round 10: 15 Julian Huxley (Brumbies), 14 Doug Howlett (Blues), 13 Isaia Toeava (Blues), 12 Sam Tuitupou (Blues), 11 JP Pietersen (Sharks), 10 Stephen Larkham (Brumbies), 9 George Gregan (Brumbies), 8 Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders), 7 Schalk Burger (Stormers), 6 Jone Tawake (Brumbies), 5 Ross Filipo (Crusaders), 4 AJ Venter (Sharks), 3 Carl Hayman (Highlanders), 2 Tom Willis (Chiefs), 1 Tony Woodcock (Blues).

Team of the Week Round 11: 15 Drew Mitchell (Western Force), 14 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), 13 Casey Laulala (Crusaders), 12 Aaron Mauger (Crusaders), 11 Roy Kinikinilau (Chiefs), 10 Dan Carter (Crusaders), 9 Brendon Leonard (Chiefs), 8 Mose Tuiali'i (Crusaders), 7 Richie McCaw (Crusaders), 6 Bobby Skinstad (Sharks), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls), 4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls), 3 Carl Hayman (Highlanders), 2 John Smit (Sharks), 1 Deon Carstens (Sharks).

Team of the Week Round 12: 15 Julian Huxley (Brumbies), 14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs), 13 Jean de Villiers (Stormers), 12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls), 11 Bryan Habana (Bulls), 10 Stephen Donald (Chiefs), 9 Brendon Leonard (Chiefs), 8 Sione Lauaki (Chiefs), 7 Schalk Burger (Stormers), 6 Luke Watson (Stormers), 5 Ross Skeate (Stormers), 4 Bakkies Botha (Bulls), 3 Carl Hayman (Highlanders), 2 Anton Oliver (Highlanders), 1 Clarke Dermody (Highlanders).

Team of the Week Round 13: 15 Julian Huxley (Brumbies), 14 Lachlan Turner (Waratahs), 13 Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies), 12 Matt Giteau (Western Force), 11 Bryan Habana (Bulls), 10 Stephen Larkham (Brumbies), 9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls), 8 Stephen Hoiles (Brumbies), 7 Wikus van Heerden (Bulls), 6 Jacques Botes (Sharks), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls), 4 Johan Ackermann (Sharks), 3 Carl Hayman (Highlanders), 2 Aled de Malmanche (Chiefs), 1 Heinke van der Merwe (Lions).

Team of the Week Round 14: 15 Johan Roets (Bulls), 14 Lachlan Turner (Waratahs), 13 Waylon Murray (Sharks), 12 Luke McAlister (Blues), 11 Bryan Habana (Bulls), 10 Derick Hougaard (Bulls), 9 Heinie Adams (Bulls), 8 Sione Lauaki (Chiefs), 7 Wikus van Heerden (Bulls), 6 Schalk Burger (Stormers), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls), 4 Dean Mumm (Waratahs), 3 Carl Hayman (Highlanders), 2 John Smit (Sharks), 1 Tony Woodcock (Blues).

Team of the Week semi-finals: 15 Percy Montgomery (Sharks), 14 Akona Ndungane (Bulls), 13 Waylon Murray (Sharks), 12 Isaia Toeava (Blues), 11 Bryan Habana (Bulls), 10 Derick Hougaard (Bulls), 9 Heini Adams (Bulls), 8 Ryan Kankowski (Sharks), 7 Daniel Braid (Blues), 6 Jacques Botes (Sharks), 5 Victor Matfield (Bulls), 4 Johan Ackermann (Sharks), 3 BJ Botha (Sharks), 2 John Smit (Sharks), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls).

Planet Rugby

*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog