Gatland`s beef with `disloyal` O`Sullivan

Wednesday 05th March 2008 - www.planetrugby.com

Wales coach Warren Gatland has criticised Irish rival and former colleague Eddie O'Sullivan for a lack of loyalty.

The barb comes just days before the two coaches go head to head at Croke Park in Saturday's Six Nation clash.

Gatland was axed as Ireland coach in controversial circumstances seven years ago and replaced by O'Sullivan - the man he originally appointed as his assistant.

O'Sullivan is seen in many quarters as the architect of Gatland's downfall and the sores of that episode are still not fully healed.

"On reflection what I didn't have was the undying loyalty you might expect from people within your coaching set-up," said Gatland.

"That is what we have got here [with Wales]. Eddie is his own man. You have got to respect Eddie as a coach and the results he has achieved.

"It was a very professional environment we created in the Ireland team."

Gatland has tried to deflect attention away from his personal duel with O'Sullivan - but these bristling comments will only raise the temperature further.

And they follow on from stinging criticism Gatland aimed at O'Sullivan in a weekend interview.

"The number of people who said: 'Don't touch him, don't go anywhere near him, don't touch him with a barge pole' was huge," said Gatland.

"But you have to back your own judgement about people and their ability. I did that and sometimes in life you get burned."

But Gatland also tried to emphasise the positives of the situation and maintains that Ireland's loss has been his own personal gain: he subsequently led Wasps to three Premiership titles and a Heineken Cup triumph and then Waikato to the Air New Zealand Cup provincial championship.

Gatland travels to Croke Park with his Wales team unbeaten on the top of the Six Nations table, one step away from the Triple Crown and in the box seat to win the championship.

"What I have learned is that you don't hold grudges otherwise they will eat you up," said Gatland.

"My ambition at the time was to take Ireland to the 2003 World Cup - but if it had not happened I wouldn't have had the chance to go to Wasps.

"When I left Ireland I had eight job offers in the space of two weeks and one of them was the opportunity to go to Wasps. That proved a great decision.

"I am quite happy with the way my rugby path has gone.

"I will always have respect for Eddie as a coach. He has won a few Triple Crowns and you can't deny the success Ireland have had under Eddie O'Sullivan.

"They have been a top five side in the world for a number of years."

Gatland has identified Ronan O'Gara as Ireland's chief threat and as a result he has opted for the steady, controlling hand of Stephen Jones at fly-half instead of the maverick youth of James Hook.

"In Ronan O'Gara they have someone who can direct the game and really hurt opponents. If we don't keep a tight rein on him it could be a long day for us," Gatland explained.

Toulon threaten Botha with legal action

Thursday 06th March 2008 - www.planetrugby.com

In the lastest episode in the saga involving Toulon Rugby Club, Bakkies Botha and the Bulls, Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal told a press conference on Tuesday that he would take legal actions against the player, and his franchise, if the Springbok does not report for duty on April 1.
A press release, published on the French side's website states their intentions.

"The player has signed a contract and must be in Toulon on 1 April 2008. If he is not present the RCT will instigate legal procedures against the player and the Bulls, " reads the statement.

This statement is in stark contrast to the last press release eminating from Toulon which stated "[Botha] is not one of our players and never has been. The reports that he has moved to Toulon are completely false."

At the time, the Bulls Company and SA Rugby had threatened to lodge complaints to the International Rugby Board as Botha is still under contract to the Bulls for five years and to SA Rugby for three.

If Botha signed has indeed signed a deal with Toulon, he risks a lengthy ban from the game and/or a fine.

Botha is set to make his come back from injury for the Bulls on Friday.

RugbySharks need to bite ‘dem Blues

by Super Wrap | 04 March 2008 (13:27)

Bookmakers in New Zealand, with 11 rounds still to go in the round robin section of the Vodacom Super 14, have already installed the Crusaders and the Blues as overwhelming favourites to meet in the 2008 Final.

And, the SuperWrap has to admit, it is difficult to query the view of men who make their living by juggling the odds.

The two New Zealand outfits, who between them have won the title on nine occasions, are certainly way out in front of the rest when it comes to possessing the combination of skill and fitness required to exploit the experimental laws.

If there is one thing that has been shown up by the first three rounds then it is that South African coaches have been caught with their pants down in terms of adapting to the new provisions.

There is simply no innovation and all those questions that used to be asked about the lack of stamina and nous (described as “innate intelligence” in Roget’s) are back again following the heady heights scaled in 2007.

It certainly does not look good at the moment with new Springbok coach Peter de Villiers already made a fool of given his prediction that three local sides would reach the playoffs.

The new laws suit the two front-runners to a tee and in the latest round of matches there were awesome moments from the Hurricanes and the Brumbies as they too came to terms with the helter-skelter, keep-the-ball-moving, support-support, nature of the game metamorphosing under the new laws.

The form of the Kiwis and Aussies is reflected in the weekly “Super XV” compiled by the SuperWrap to recognise outstanding play while the “Bok Barometer”, an “any given Saturday” gauge of the Springbok team, perfectly reflects the absences, injuries and under-preparedness of South African teams but also (thankfully) the great depth in our game.

Nevertheless the reality, even at this early juncture, is that if the Blues (No 1 on the log) beat the Sharks (No 3) and the Crusaders (No 2) beat the Force (No 7) this coming weekend the two New Zealand sides will be very hard to overhaul with their most difficult away games already negotiated.

Pardon the sober tone of this week’s SuperWrap. It is completely at odds with the stiff Johnny Black the doyen required after the weekend’s matches but that’s what happens when you find yourself writing the same old story!

The Super XV for Week Three:

1. John Schwalger (Hurricanes), 2 Keven Mealamu (Blues), 3 John Afoa (Blues), 4 Brad Thorn (Crusaders), 5 Mark Chisholm (Brumbies), 6 Jerry Collins (Hurricanes), 7 Richie McCaw (Crusaders), 8 Stephen Hoiles (Brumbies), 9 Patrick Phibbs (Brumbies), 10 Jimmy Gopperth (Hurricanes), 11 Ma’a Nonu (Hurricanes), 12 Jean de Villiers (Stormers), 13 Isaia Toeava (Blues), 14 Joe Rokocoko (Blues), 15 Leon MacDonald (Crusaders).

The Bok Barometer for Week Three:

1. Heinke van der Merwe (Lions), 2 Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs), 3 BJ Botha (Sharks), 4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls), 5 Johann Muller (Sharks), 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (Lions), 7 Heinrich Brussow (Cheetahs), 8 Ryan Kankowski (Sharks), 9 Jano Vermaak (Lions), 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter (Cheetahs), 11 JP Pietersen (Sharks), 12 Jean de Villiers (Stormers), 13 Waylon Murray (Sharks), 14 Odwa Ndungane (Sharks), 15 Francois Steyn (Sharks).

Match of the Week: In terms of the new laws it has to be the Cheetahs vs the Blues, not necessarily because it produced 11 tries and a 50-26 scoreline for the highest aggregate of the season, but because it showed that South African sides can score tries and play the rollicking kind of rugby administrators seem to want.

Try of the Week: There were some stunners from the Hurricanes, the Brumbies and the Blues but, in case you hadn’t noticed, the SuperWrap is proudly Seffrican so the Oscar goes to the Cheetahs’ second in which JW Jonker put the cherry on a move that contained ten phases.

Schlepper of the Week: JP Nel is the Schlepper of Schleppers in a week that produced a few. The Bulls centre has been running crazy for too long and his spear tackle on Francois Steyn, and subsequent yellow carding, by referee Mark Lawrence was the catalyst for the Sharks’ late burst of scoring which blew the Bulls away. Not far behind were Johan Ackermann, who punched Derick Kuun, right in front of the referee in the third minute and Jaco Engels who did the same to Johann Muller without being seen by the match officials but who was caught by the all-seeing TV cameras. *The Schlepper was so named by Phil Kearns. He, like us, has no idea where the word came from but it describes a really brainless act.

The Strasheim solution: On the subject of Schleppers - former South African test referee Bertie Strasheim apparently once levelled the following warning at a player. “If you get hit one more time I’ll send you off!” Strasheim knew only too well that the victim is often the instigator. The tale came to mind while the SuperWrap was considering the circumstances that led to the bestowing of the Schleppers. Johann Muller was alleged to have caused Schalk Burger’s angry outburst the week before because he had punched Brian Mujati and the Sharks skipper was the man whacked by Jaco Engels. Mmmm, coincidental or circumstantial?

Atoning for a Schlepper: Well done to Schalk Burger for the dignified and honourable way he responded to his suspension for his outburst -- aimed at TJ Wee Willie Roos -- at the Absa Stadium. Even though he might have had extenuating circumstances on his side Burger upheld the old values of the game by taking it on the chin and apologising.

Acres of heart: We’ll have to wait to see whether it’s really goodbye or just another “totsiens” but a heartfelt farewell from the SuperWrap to Johan “Akkers” Ackermann who, apparently, played his last match for the Sharks against the Bulls at the weekend. At 37 years, 272 days “Akkers” is the oldest player to play Super Rugby and the last player (standing) to have played in the first competition in 1996. In spite of numerous injuries, many of which would have broken a less brave heart, Ackermann earned a total of 66 Super Rugby caps; 12 for Northern Transvaal (the year he became a Springbok) in 1996, 24 for the Cats from 2000 to 2001 and 30 for the Sharks from 2004 to 2008. However, he’s apparently moving to the Cape so don’t rule out an appearance for the Stormers!

Irascible Rassie: His side might have been up against last year’s top three in the Bulls, the Sharks and the Crusaders, in the first three week’s of this year’s tournament but the numbers are not looking good for Rassie Erasmus. In their opening trio of games the Stormers have scored just 19 points, just one try, been whitewashed once and they have now gone 120 minutes (the second half against the Sharks and the whole game against the Stormers) without scoring a single point. All of which makes the Stormers’ concerted efforts to get a Crusader yellow-carded even more pathetic.

Breaking the rules: That’s the Blues, the Hurricanes, the Reds and the Waratahs who regularly number their wings incorrectly in defiance of an IRB ruling which states that the left-wing should be No 11 and the right-wing No 14. Just thought we’d mention it.

At last, an explanation: For Loffie Eloff’s pinstripe suit and white shirt. It’s a case of if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em because that’s exactly the outfit preferred by Robbie Deans of the Crusaders. Deans’s red tie is bad enough but now he’s also cultivating a droopy moustache, obviously to get ready for his stint with the Wallabies. Wonder who Robbie is trying to emulate -- John Newcombe or, heaven help us, Merv Hughes?! Note to Loffie: Whatever you do, don’t copy the “mo!”

Eddie’s niche: SA Rugby’s statistician Eddie Grieb never ceases to amaze with his attention to detail. Tane Tui`poluto’s last-gasp dropped-goal for the Hurricanes against the Chiefs was the 150th “droppy” in Super Rugby. Andrew Mehrtens, with 17, holds the record for the most drops with the Louis Koen the leading South African on 11. According to Eddie, there are two “odd men out” among the drop-kickers -- prop Matt Dunning of the Waratahs (who will ever forget!) and, wait for it, Bob Skinstad. And, seeing as you ask, Zinzan Brooke did not kick a drop in Super Rugby -- he saved it for the Springboks!

Ellis Park crisis: You’ve heard the one about people voting with their feet. The Lions and the Stormers played at home last Friday night -- there were 43 724 spectators at Newlands and just 6 050 at Ellis Park.

Caning the Chiefs: Congratulations to the Hurricanes for displacing the Blues as the team with the fastest bonus point of the season -- 31 minutes 14 seconds.

No joking matter: The Lions have three Van der Merwes in their squad -- Heinke, Franco and Gert-Andries. As yet, no Koos.

Mysteries of the Super 14 I: What was Danwel Demas thinking running outside the field of play while waiting for a pass from Wynand Olivier?

Mysteries of the Super 14 II: Has anyone seen Kees Lensing? Remember him? The world’s most destructive prop when he played for the Bulls.

Continued Mysteries of the Super 14: When is JC Fortuin going to get a decent whistle -- or should that be have a decent whistle?

Quote of the Week I: “The ebb and flow of psychic energy.” -- He had to wait to Week Three but finally Murray Mexted, prompted by Ian Smith, got in his trademark remark.

Quote of the Week II: “We’ve got a hungry Hore tonight.” -- The inimitable Mex on the Hurricanes’ hooker.

Quote of the Week III: “If you miss this I’m in trouble.” -- Mark Lawrence to kicker Rory Kockott lining up a kick. Lawrence had awarded the Sharks a penalty right in front, blowing his whistle moments before Francois Steyn snapped off a dropped goal that went over.

Quote of the Week IV: “Of course they go and fluff it up.” -- Garth Wright’s “quick recovery” while talking about the Bulls.

Blues and Crusaders to feel the heat

06/03/2008 NZPA - www.allblacks.com

 

The Blues' unbeaten Rebel Sport Super 14 record goes on the line on Sunday, when they play the Sharks in steamy Durban, with coach David Nucifora expecting their undefeated hosts to turn up the heat.

"It seems everybody is talking us up and them down, but the bottom line is that the Sharks also have three wins from three," Nucifora said.
"They are coming off a good win at Loftus Versfeld (29-15 over defending champions the Bulls) and wins there are hard to come by.

"I would agree that the Sharks have not yet hit their best form, but they will be looking to this match to show a big improvement.

"And with us very keen on finishing our tour unbeaten, it is shaping up to be one heck of a game."

Sharks coach Dick Muir agreed it would be a big test for both teams, adding his players were keen to shake off their early season sluggish form.

"We will see how good the Blues really are and we will see if we have what it takes to 'up' our game and play towards our potential.

"If we can do that, we would hope to win. If we continue the way we have been playing we will lose."

The Sharks will be without Springbok halfback Ruan Pienaar who has a collar bone injury and possibly rugged forward A J Venter but the ledger is evened out as the Blues will be without inspirational fullback Isa Nacewa (injured knee) whose replacement will likely be Ben Atiga.

New Zealand's other unbeaten side, the Crusaders take their road trip to the hot climes of Perth to play the Western Force, also on Sunday morning (NZtime).

The round four tie is the first of the home campaign for the Force after a bold start to the competition with two wins (Cheetahs and Lions) and a narrow loss (Sharks) from three outings on the road in South Africa.

John Mitchell's team will be looking to continue with the momentum gained at Subiaco where the Force won four from seven last season.

They will also take on a travel-weary Crusaders, whose arrival in Perth on Tuesday was preceded by 15 hours in the air.

Hovering in the background of this match is a predicted temperature of 37degC for match day.

The option exists for the game to be played in 20-minute quarters, and not the regular 40-minute halves, if the teams and match officials believe it is necessary.

Force playmaker Matt Giteau, is unbothered about impressing incoming Wallabies coach Deans -- the Crusaders coach -- and thought the match would be decided in his tussle between himself and All Black Dan Carter.

It would be a taste of things to come for the Wallabies and All Blacks in this year's Philips Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup series.

"Both are thinking sides and obviously the two five-eighths will be pivotal," Deans said.

In other fourth-round matches, the Highlanders welcome back skipper Craig Newby as they seek their first win of the season on Friday in Dunedin, against a Hurricanes side missing star forwards Chris Masoe and Neemia Tialata as well as fullback Cory Jane.

And the Chiefs will be wanting to bounce back from their 39-19 pasting from the Hurricanes when they have the winless Cheetahs on their menu in Hamilton on Saturday.

Other offerings in the round include the Waratahs-Brumbies derby, the Reds playing the Stormers in Brisbane and the Bulls meeting the Lions.

Blues quietly confident

Super 14 | March 5th, 2008

Blues captain Troy Flavell believes his team have had the perfect preparation to gain revenge over the Sharks.

The Sharks beat the Blues twice last season, in Albany and at home in the semi-final, but Flavell thinks their build-up in South Africa has been ideal in reversing these results, especially up-front, where they were dominated home and away last year by the South Africans.

Flavell feels they can take a lot of confidence from the Cheetahs game last week. “It was a good challenge for our forwards especially with regards to our set-piece. It sets us up well leading into the Sharks,” Flavell told rugbyheaven.co.nz.

But at the same time coach David Nucifora was wary of the Sharks display. “It was a typical South African derby where they smashed each other. The Sharks are getting into a rhythm. They have a very well-balanced side and they are going to be very formidable opponent down there [in Durban],” said Nucifora.

The Sharks pack should have more grunt than their Cheetah counterparts, and if Bismarck du Plessis returns they will have an all-Springbok front-row to counter Tony Woodcock, Kevin Mealamu and John Afoa.

But the Blues confidence does not lie solely in their pack’s progression - the team has scored seven tries in each of their last two games, and 18 in the season so far.

Posted by Grant | www.keo.co.za

French clubs choose new collision course with IRB

By Ian Moriarty  - Tuesday 04th March 2008 www.planetrugby.com

Stade Français and Clermont Auvergne have indicated that they will investigate the possibility of seeking a judicial review in the French courts in order to overrule playing bans received by French club players outside the French Championship.

Both clubs are furious after seeing recent playing bans handed down to players Alexandre Audebert and Mauro Bergamasco in the Heineken Cup and Six Nations respectively.

Italian International Bergamasco, who was given a thirteen-week ban for eye-gouging in the game against Wales, will be unavailable until the 2nd June, rendering his season effectively over.

In an interview with Midi Olympique on Monday, Stade Français boss Max Guazzini made it clear that the two clubs, assisted by the professional clubs body, Ligue National de Rugby (LNR), would be investigating the possibility of contesting the validity of Article 17 of IRB regulations in the French courts.

"When an international player in sanctioned with his national team, he should be punished for international matches, not for the domestic league," fumed the Stade President.

"It seems illogical to me that not only has the player been sanctioned, but Stade Français has been equally sanctioned.

"It's not right. There are only 2 Italian matches left in the Six Nations tournament but for Stade Français, he is suspended until June and the worst of it is that he will be eligible to play for Italy for their summer tour," added Guazzini.

Like his Clermont counterpart René Fontès, Guazzini added that he was in favour of separating domestic and international sanctions, an idea that has been openly discussed by some in French club rugby but is unlikely to be taken seriously by the national unions or the IRB.

The French clubs' proposal could mean that a player like Trevor Brennan, who received a five-year ban last season for assaulting an Ulster supporter during a Heineken Cup match, could still be eligible to play in the Top 14.

Whatever about the ramifications of such a move, Guazzini believes that the Top 14 shouldn't suffer from disciplinary decisions taken in other competitions, a sentiment which is in direct conflict with IRB regulation 17.

"why should we continue to pay a player who isn't eligible to play? Obviously this is a problem because French employment laws wouldn't allow us to not pay them," he added.

"Is the IRB above French employment law?

"You have to ask the question. At the moment, it is still unclear which article of French law we can use to contest this decision but we are going to discuss this with our lawyers."

Both clubs have been informed that they will receive full support from the LNR but it is expected that they will find little support inside the FFR or for that matter, the French Government.

LNR Vice President Patrick Wolff declared: "anything which enables the clarification of the situation concerning the disassociation of sanctions will have the support of the LNR."

Crusaders strung out

Tuesday 04th March 2008 - planetrugby.com

Crusaders winger Scott Hamilton is set to replace the injured Kade Poki who has been ruled out of Sunday's Super 14 clash against the Western Force with a hamstring injury.

Right wing Poki strained a hamstring in the warm-ups before last Saturday's 22-0 Super 14 win against the Stormers at Newlands and will be sidelined for around two weeks.

Hamilton will join the Crusaders squad in Perth on Tuesday after missing the Cape Town fixture because of personal reasons.

Coach Robbie Deans must now prepare to re-jig his combinations with Poki ruled out and centre Casey Laulala also an uncertain starter.

Laulala injured his hamstring during the game and Deans said he may be in doubt for Sunday's fixture at the Subiaco Stadium.

"Casey himself is confident but we will wait to see how he pulls up," said Deans.

"If doubtful we will not be risking him."

Caleb Ralph, who started on the left wing at Newlands, is an option to start at centre, as is Tim Bateman.

The North ain't playin' by our rules

By MARC HINTON - RugbyHeaven | Tuesday, 04 March 2008

Told ya so. These flash new experimental laws which are currently changing the face of Super 14 rugby are about to join good old-fashioned rucking and coaches who admit they got it wrong on the extinct list.

That didn't take long, did it? What are we, three weeks into the competition-long trial, and already it appears certain stodgy outfits up north (and in South Africa, for that matter) have their minds made up.

But, as predicted here in this very column not so long ago, the IRB's much-touted ELVs (Experimental Law Variations) have about as much chance of surviving the year as Helen Clark does.

The most pointed indication of that came just recently when the IRB convened the CEOs of the so-called "tier-one" national unions in Hong Kong for a good old chin-wag.

Somewhere between putting the kibosh on a matchup between the Six Nations and Tri-Nations champions (far too sensible a proposition for anyone's liking, but more on that later) and trawling over some complex format to make the inter-hemisphere test matchups mildly relevant, the ELVs came up as a topic in the conversation.

And boy was the response predictable.

Northern unions (unnamed, but most definitely including England) offered such unadulterated opposition to the IRB-driven law changes that even an optimist like John O'Neill is practically already throwing his hands up and admitting defeat.

This was O'Neill's take on the response the ELVs produced in Hong Kong.

"We were a bit taken back that following a presentation a couple of the northern hemisphere unions indicated very strong reservations, and a very strong level of scepticism about the new laws. We are still trying to absorb that before we contemplate what we are going to do about the Tri-Nations."

Memo O'Neill: Forget them for the Tri-Nations, we're just wasting everyone's time bedding in laws that are never going to make it past the northern gatekeepers. What, make the game faster, more fluent and more attractive to watch? You must be joking, old boy!

As an exasperated O'Neill pointed out, the IRB have been driving these law changes since February 2006. "We're now in March 2008 and some of the four Home Unions are saying two years later that they have strong reservations about the laws, and yet they haven't even trialled them."

That just sums it up really. Their minds are made up purely on the evidence of what they've seen in the opening rounds of the Super 14. Which to them must seem like anti-rugby, rather than what they're used to.

Up in northern hemisphere climes they've always looked at the Super 14 with a good measure of distrust. They regard it as an abomination of rugby, what with all the passing of the ball and the desire to score tries.

Their latest reaction just confirms this, with O'Neill observing that the northern objectors regard the ELVs as nothing more than "a southern hemisphere plot". Never mind that they've been introduced after extensive and independent IRB analysis on what is best for the game of rugby.

Also, heaven only knows what they would have made of it if the Sanzar unions hadn't taken the more radical proposals out for this year's Super 14 trial.

"They have this suspicion that they were introduced by us to overcome our scrummaging problems," added O'Neill. "I don't know how many times we have to say that these aren't our laws, but the IRB's."

Even the ultra-conservative Steve Tew concedes it's going to be an uphill battle. "They're very concerned we don't lose the shape of the game but we're saying ‘trial them, then make a decision'."

None of the above surprises me in the slightest. In fact it's as predictable as an All Black World Cup choke.

Given the weight of vote that will be needed to get this legislation through, it was always going to be a tough task persuading the northern sceptics that they should abandon the game they treasure, that suits their climate, and their mentality, in favour of something more vibrant, user and spectator-friendly and requiring a fair degree of athleticism and fitness.

Given that only Scotland of the major northern unions has even trialled these new laws, it's easy to be fairly pessimistic when you're hearing the negativity already emanating from up that way.

As already demonstrated with the IRB-led quest to establish an integrated international season, if the north don't want it, it simply ain't going to happen.

Which brings us to this proposed matchup between the champions north and south. Sounds sensible, right?

Well, it's died a death already. One lousy match that would have drawn huge interest – not to mention money – and they can't make it happen.

Although at least here there is a greater good at play. The plan is to get this inter-hemisphere competition up and running, essentially giving much-needed weight to the June and November tests.

What is proposed is some sort of a system where these matches carry points and at the end of it the two best sides square off in a good old-fashioned final.

Again, sounds sensible. But when you factor in things like format, commercial considerations, revenue-sharing and, well, Argentina in general, it's easier said than done.

Already 2010 is being spoken of as a best possible scenario. They could still be trying to get the new laws approved by the north then, too.

Blues know how to handle a Shark attack now

By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - RugbyHeaven | Tuesday, 04 March 2008

The Blues have shown they won't be bullied by the Sharks this time with captain Troy Flavell believing their two big wins in South Africa have set their pack up well for what will surely be a massive confrontation in Durban this weekend.

The Sunday morning match (6.10am NZ time) is surely the match of the fourth round with both teams unbeaten and the Blues edging ahead by the bonus points they have picked up in all three matches so far.

And while the Blues have been happy to accept the plaudits for their ability to transform the new rules into open, attractive rugby, it's been their willingness to front up to the South African bump and grind and wear down both the Lions and Cheetahs that has both Flavell and his coach David Nucifora quietly confident about their chances against the Sharks.

It was the Sharks who exposed an unexpectedly soft underbelly to the Blue last year as they brought an aggressive game to Albany and beat up the Blues 32-25.

They provided the blueprint for the Stormers to then beat the Blues 33-20 and the Bulls to trample them 40-19 as the wheels fell off Nucifora's pace-setting team.

Sure they fronted much better when they returned to South Africa for their semifinal but the Sharks still triumphed 34-18 last May in Durban.

Clearly there is an air of revenge about the Blues this week as they seek a rare hat-trick of victories in the republic after posting half-centuries against the Lions and Cheetahs.

They know what to expect and they are ready for it, according to Flavell. They got a decent dress-rehearsal against the big Cheetahs pack who never took a backward step in Bloemfontein and must have been bemused by what happened on the scoreboard.

"I don't think the score reflected the physicality of the match," Flavell told RugbyHeaven.

"For us it felt a lot closer. But I feel we can take a lot of confidence out of this. It was a good challenge for our forwards especially with regards to our set piece. It sets us up well leading into the Sharks."

Nucifora said the Cheetahs had provided just the physicality his pack needed in terms of acclimatising to what the Sharks would bring to Sunday's match.

"We had a few challenges and the guys fought extremely well," said Nucifora.

A couple of hours after the Blues eventually demolished the Cheetahs the Sharks did something similar to the Bulls, scoring three late tries in Pretoria to win 29-15 and reverse the result of last year's final.

Nucifora felt the Sharks' victory there was ominous after two scratchy wins at home over the Stormers and Western Force.

"It was a typical South Africa derby where they smashed each other. The Sharks are getting into a rhythm. They have a very well-balanced side and they are going to be very formidable opponent down there (in Durban)."

Most teams would be happy to get out of Africa with the 10 points that the Blues have already amassed. But there is clearly unfinished business for the New Zealanders who know how important fighting for every championship point can be in this quick-fire tournament.

"I don't know if you every get the pressure off you in this competition. It's great to be 15 out of 15 points but you know you only have a little bit of time to relax. As coaches we are right into getting ready for the next game and the Sharks in Durban is going to be difficult.

"But we are happy with the way we are sitting at the moment. To have 10 points so far from our trip over here is really promising and our aim is certainly to take a win next week.

"We had a goal as a group to do well in Africa this year. We have gone part of the way to achieving that but next week is another step up and we hope that we can nail those guys as well."

Nucifora's biggest challenge might be how to manage his personnel, particularly his pack which also fronted well against the physical Chiefs in their championship opening win at Eden Park.

The starting forwards have been unchanged for three matches. They have impressively handled a heavy workload with a fair bit of travel tossed in between. Does Nucifora ask for one more big effort before flying home or does he bring in some fresh legs?

He gave some hint to that when he told us: "I don't see three games as a fair bit. I think the guys are pretty comfortable with the workload."

Expect the core to be their again against the Sharks and for Nucifora to make clever use of his powerful bench.

'The Gatfather' faces his Irish demons

By JENNI RUTHERFORD in London - RugbyHeaven | Tuesday, 04 March 2008

The intrigue continues to build over the reunion of former colleagues Warren Gatland and Eddie O’Sullivan when Wales visit Dublin in the Six Nations this weekend.

In the lead-up, Cardiff Blues’ meeting with Munster last weekend may have offered an insight of what to expect.

The Welsh region came away with the spoils against the Irish province in the latest round of the Magners League and rather like the Wales national team at present, Kiwis ran the show.

Blues captain Xavier Rush looked like he had the measure of his former All Black opponent Doug Howlett when he chipped over the Munster wing and sprinted for the line but Rush was never going to outrun his former Auckland team-mate.

He was on hand again to set up Jamie Roberts’ try with a perfectly-weighted pass in the 25-22 victory at Arms Park.

Ben Blair, who has revelled in his time in Wales, kicked two penalties and converted twice to help Cardiff mount a thrilling comeback after trailing 22-11 with 22 minutes remaining. Paul Tito, the former Hurricanes lock, also played a hand in setting up Rhys Thomas’ try.

Saracens’ Kiwi contingent however, were unable to prevent defeat against London Irish in the Guinness Premiership. Glen Jackson’s two missed penalties in the final minutes proved the difference in the 27-24 loss. Chris Jack was unable to take the field because of a virus.

Sale did not fare any better without Luke McAlister who withdrew after suffering a back spasm in training. The Sharks were upset by Worcester, who are struggling at the bottom of the league.

Bruce Reihana and Carlos Spencer are providing the guiding hand in pushing Northampton back up to the top flight and were instrumental in a 73-0 thrashing of National League One opponents Rotherham, who are headed towards demotion.

Reihana scored three of the 11 tries and kicked four conversions while Spencer was allowed to run riot in midfield and converted five tries. Mark Robinson, whose future at the club is uncertain, came off the bench to score.

The Six Nations concludes in the upcoming weeks with Wales the only team still able to claim a Grand Slam this year.

The encounter at Croke Park will force Gatland to face his demons. While he is playing down Saturday’s on-field meeting with O’Sullivan, his former assistant at Ireland, the media cannot get enough of it and are determined to get to the bottom of the feud, which left Gatland out in the cold and O’Sullivan taking over the hot seat.

The Wales head coach has steered away from talk of personality clashes and split factions led by O’Sullivan and captain at the time Keith Wood.

But perhaps that’s why he decided to divert the attention by criticising the All Blacks specifically and New Zealanders in general. Clever.

Gatland's gripes a case of sour grapes

By JOSEPH ROMANOS - Taranaki Daily News | Monday, 03 March 2008

Bouyed by a couple of early successes with Wales, rugby coach Warren Gatland has come out swinging, hammering not just New Zealand rugby, but also New Zealanders.

Gatland was disappointed not to be a strong candidate when the All Blacks coaching job was being assessed late last year.

After solid work with Ireland, Wasps and Waikato, the former hooker should have been strongly considered, and when it was obvious the waters were running against him, he headed to Wales.

Good on him. It's a professional game, and if he can sell his skills to people who value them, he should.

But his astonishing weekend attack on New Zealand had all the signs of sour grapes.

Perhaps he feels empowered because under him Wales has had early success in the Six Nations, but let's not forget that Graham Henry was hailed as the Great Redeemer soon after he arrived to coach Wales, and ended up being tipped out of the job after a string of losses.

Chips firmly embedded in each shoulder, Big Warren accuses the All Blacks of not respecting their opponents, agrees that New Zealand is nothing but "two poxy islands in the Pacific", says Kiwis have an over- inflated opinion of themselves and says we need to be more open-minded about the rest of the world.

"Do we change anything? Do we change the politics of other countries?" Gatland asks, stressing how unimportant New Zealand is.

I disagree with Gatland on nearly every score and I hope that in 20 years he'll be embarrassed by what he has said.

From my observations, the All Blacks team is not especially arrogant. The players realise they are among the best in the world, which they are, but they don't seem to take opponents too lightly.

It doesn't mean they always win, but they win pretty often, and they generally seem fitter and better-trained than their opposition.

Two poxy islands? Hey, Warren, drive for 10 hours through many parts of Asia, Africa or Canada, and you might realise what a beautiful country we have.

Need to be more open-minded about the rest of the world? New Zealanders are generally extremely aware of other parts of the world, as witnessed by the strong following here of the American presidential primaries.

Put it this way: I'll wager we follow stories in the United States, Britain and Asia more closely than they follow ours! We never change politics in other countries? Well, in that case big Wazza has clearly not heard of Kate Sheppard, Ernest Rutherford, Alan McDiarmid, Brian Barratt-Boyes, William Pickering, Maurice Wilkins, Harold Gillies, Fred Hollows, Archie McIndoe, Matt During, Marie Clay, Colin Murdoch or John Bedbrook.

Gatland clearly doesn't know his history, or his science, or his medicine, or his politics.

But before he opened his mouth, you'd think he'd at least have considered our anti-nuclear legislation, which certainly reverberated around the world, to the extent that the United States sought for two decades to bully us into changing our stance.

Advice for Warren: keep your head down, stick to rugby and stop making a fool of yourself.

Gatland slams NZ and AB arrogance

By DAVID LONG - Sunday News - | Monday, 03 March 2008

www.rugbyheaven.co.nz

Warren Gatland - the former Waikato coach sparking a rugby revival in Wales - has launched a stinging attack on attitudes in New Zealand and claims he "gets embarrassed by Kiwi arrogance".

The 44-year-old former hooker says Welsh stars have been cocooned and put on a pedestal - and accuses the All Blacks of being no different.

In hard-hitting interviews with a Welsh newspaper and Sunday News, he said that ...

* The All Blacks have little respect for and knowledge of their opponents.

* Aussie assistant coach Scott Johnson was right to call New Zealand "two poxy little islands in the Pacific" when he worked with Wales in 2004.

* Kiwis have an over-inflated opinion of themselves.

* We need to be more open-minded about what is happening elsewhere in the world.

* He was frustrated at not getting the chance to coach in the Super 14.

"As Kiwis, we sometimes have such high opinions of ourselves and what a difference we make in the world, or what difference we make in politics or sport, and the reality is we don't," said Gatland, who has also coached Ireland and the Wasps club in London.

"I've seen it in the past and have also been involved in it ... how many All Blacks would know the players in the Wales team if they were playing them tomorrow?

"I get embarrassed about Kiwi arrogance at times and we need to be more aware of things."

And Gatland believes that self-obsessed culture pervades right through to the All Blacks.

"It's a real negative about New Zealand and the All Blacks," he blasted.

"You have to do your homework on the opposition teams. I think they don't do that enough and they aren't aware of what else is going on around the world.

"When you have been away for a while you can put all of that in context.

"I think that's because we're so isolated. Yes, we're successful but do we change anything, do we change the politics of other countries, does our economy influence the world economy? No, it doesn't.

"For me, it's about us being a bit more open-minded about the rest of the world.

"We're not that important and there are a lot of other good things happening around the world.

"I get embarrassed about Kiwi arrogance at times and I think we need to be aware of things."

Earlier in the week Gatland told the Wales on Sunday newspaper New Zealand was suffering from an over-inflated idea of itself.

"Like Scott Johnson (former Wales and Wallabies assistant coach) said, we are just a couple of poxy islands in the Pacific. New Zealanders who haven't travelled think we make a difference in the world.

"We don't make a squat of difference. Our views politically aren't important, nobody takes notice of us."

Gatland has had the Midas touch since taking over from Gareth Jenkins as head coach after their failed World Cup campaign.

He has already achieved something Graham Henry and Steve Hansen failed to do defeat England at Twickenham and Wales are two wins away from recording an historic Grand Slam.

He has been applauded in the press in everything from his team selections to choosing to use the away team's changing room at the Millennium Stadium.

Gatland says he hasn't had problems dealing with the hype around him and living in the fishbowl of the Welsh media where every move is scrutinised.

"In a strange way this is not unfamiliar territory for me," he said.

"Having come from the Waikato and not being in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch I've felt I've always had to fight in my corner pretty hard," he said. "It's similar ground to having gone to Ireland and Wasps.

"Coming into Wales where I've seen some potential, but know it needs to be harnessed, is a situation I've known before.

"I've spent quite a few years coaching in the northern hemisphere and I think I understand the culture and how things work.

"It's quite positive this is happening. What disappointed me about going back home is that I was at Waikato for three seasons and there hadn't been an opportunity to do Super 14, even though I was involved as an assistant.

"And when an international job came along I thought it was going to be at least another two years before I had a chance in the Super 14, so I didn't feel like I could turn this opportunity down."