No quota; no restrictions

www.keo.co.za |March 27th, 2008

Keo, in his Independent Group column, writes the national coach should pick the best players, regardless of where they are based.

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers insists he wants to pick his best team. He says colour won’t matter and that he owes it to the South African public to send the strongest available side into battle.

He says he won’t accept a quota situation and he won’t accept any restrictions on who he selects. So why then is the issue of overseas-based players even an issue?

If De Villiers is adamant the best team must play, and incumbent SA Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins continues to endorse his support of De Villiers, then the Bok coach must be given the freedom to select the best player, regardless of geography.

De Villiers has already back-tracked from his initial and premature utterance that Super 14 form will dictate his first Springbok line-up. The obvious response to this naive comment is “what Super 14 form?”

De Villiers also naively tripped himself up before a minute was played in the tournament when he said three South African teams would make the semi-finals.

It made him look like an idiot who knows nothing about the game, and having spoken at some depth to him about his philosophy, I can assure you he knows his rugby. So let’s be charitable and forgive him his early embarrassment when handing out quotes like leaflets.

The coach needs to be more circumspect in what he says to the media, and Hoskins should never back himself into a corner in putting a number to how many overseas-based players should be selected.

Hoskins, I fear, has tried to appease all parties by suggesting the overseas-based selections should be limited to two. In the next breath he says there should also be flexibility.

Why even make the statement? Why the restriction? Why the limitation?

There are 150 South Africans in the French, English, Welsh and Irish club leagues. Some are very good and others no more than journeymen. It may be that in one year the national coach would want to select 10 overseas-based players and in the next he wouldn’t be interested in one player. Give him that luxury.

Springbok captain John Smit, Victor Matfield, Percy Montgomery and Butch James are just four of the World Cup-winning Springboks who remain good enough to play for South Africa. Smit is captain and De Villiers would be foolish to leave out Matfield.

James, until his injury, was superb for Bath. Montgomery has been playing well and still has two years in his legs, while Neil de Kock (Saracens), Marius Joubert (Clermont) and Shaun Sowerby (Toulouse) are enjoying excellent seasons.

Talk of luring South African players back to this country to play their domestic rugby is equally naive in the current economic climate. The Euro gets you more than R12 and the pound is breaking R16 with the ease teams break down the Bulls defence.

Why would a player give up that security for the insecurity of test rugby?

The game’s administration - and that starts with the president of the organisation - have to be realists and pragmatists. The same applies to the national coach.

The Springboks have to beat Wales in June. It is a result that simply cannot be negotiated, and to do so the best side has to play. This means embracing the best South Africans in Europe and being true to the public sell that the best will play.

Crusaders out to throttle Hurricanes

By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - RugbyHeaven | Thursday, 27 March 2008

Friday night preview: The Crusaders coaching staff have called for one last effort before the front-runners take a deserved bye in the Super 14 with forwards mentor Mark Hammett demanding a "full throttle" approach against the Hurricanes at the Cake Tin.
On the Couch: Week 7 preview

Things have been going along sweetly for the Crusaders as they enjoy an eight-point lead at the top of the table. Even the championship draw has worked out well for them with a breather coming smack, bang in the middle of things.

So Hammett and his boss Robbie Deans want everything preserved by beating the Hurricanes. It's not an easy assignment but the rewards are there.

"We want to go out full throttle knowing that we have two weeks after this to recover and adjust and refocus our sights," Hammett told RugbyHeaven, emphasising that they didn't want to get ahead of themselves and saw the Canes as a huge challenge to their unbeaten status.

"I think the bye will give us a chance to reassess the next six games but this is all about this week.

"We're really excited about this as we should be," he said, agreeing that Crusaders-Hurricanes matches have developed into something special over the years.

"They always have good matchups in them ... the front row, the middle row ... right across the park really.

"Look, nothing really changes really about this week apart from the very important factor that there are four points on the line and we are heading into the bye and we want to go in there in good shape."

There is a subtle change though. Surprisingly the Hurricanes represent the first New Zealand opposition for the Crusaders. They have reigned supreme against four South African and two Australian sides.

Now they look to see how they fare under the new rules against the fifth-placed Canes, a side who have an enviable mix of talent through the tight and loose forwards and their backline.

The Hurricanes, if they can get decent ball supply, also have the ability to mix up their attack while their counter-attacking ability puts real heat on Dan Carter's kicking game.

The Crusaders believe the Western Force gave them their closest approach to a New Zealand style - not surprising given John Mitchell's influence in Perth. Deans and Hammett have run over the tape of their comeback win in round four at Subiaco Oval to look at what they can do to their own game in terms of adjustments.

"Yes, it's a bit of change of style. In terms of who we have played so far the Hurricanes are probably similar to the Force where they have the ability to muscle up front but also go wide," said Hammett.

"So we have gone back to our errors of that 20 minutes when the Force had us under the gun and isolated the key aspects of that."

This looms as the first really big match of the championship on New Zealand soil. Two old rivals right in the playoffs mix, full of All Blacks and full of feeling.

Hammett's earlier use of the word "throttle" is highly appropriate, bringing back memories of Neemia Tialata's massive paws wrapped around the throat of Richie McCaw in one encounter in Wellington where niggle ruled the night.

This is a match that will have consequences for the teams and their players. It will be closely watched by the national selectors who will see it as a game that could go close to matching the intensity of a playoffs encounter.

The Hurricanes have been scratchy. But after being walloped in Sydney in their season opener they have strung together four wins. Some have been ugly but their most recent win against the Brumbies returned some trademarks.

That was two weeks ago and how they come off the bye is anyone's guess.

But, as the Crusaders note on their team website, the Hurricanes won't lack for motivation.

The Canes know that they have been stopped by the Crusaders in three of the biggest games of the franchise's history - the semifinals of 2003 and 2005, and the fog-bound final in 2006.

While the Hurricanes have made the playoffs three times since Colin Cooper, the former Crusaders assistant-coach, took over at the helm in 2003, his old team have been his biggest nemesis: the Hurricanes have won just one from eight against the Crusaders during his term in charge.

From all of the matches that the two teams have played since Super Rugby started in 1996, the Crusaders have won 11 and the Hurricanes just three with the 1999 game an 18-18 draw.

The Hurricanes can take heart that at domestic level Wellington have eliminated Canterbury in the knockout phases of the last two Air New Zealand Cups, while the Crusaders and the Hurricanes share the spoils 2-2 since the Cake Tin opened in 2000.

As Hammett enthuses: "It's a great place to play."

And if the two teams front up with their A-games, this could be a great match to watch.

HURRICANES: 15 Cory Jane, 14 Ma'a Nonu, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Tamati Ellison, 11 Shannon Paku, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo (c), 7 Chris Masoe, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Neemia Tialata 2 Andrew Hore, 1 John Schwalger. Reserves: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 Tim Fairbrother, 18 Jeremy Thrush, 19 Scott Waldrom, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Tane Tu'ipulotu, 22 Hosea Gear.

CRUSADERS: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Scott Hamilton, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Kade Poki,
10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andrew Ellis; 8 Mose Tuiali'i, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Kieran Read, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Ben Franks. Reserves: 16. Ti'i Paulo,  17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Michael Paterson, 19 Nasi Manu, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Caleb Ralph, 22 Sean Maitland.

The games within the big game

RugbyHeaven | Thursday, 27 March 2008

It's a match that has All Blacks trial written all over it as the Hurricanes host the Crusaders in Friday night's Super 14 feature. But who has got the most to play for in the many head-to-head battles?

RugbyHeaven co-editors Duncan Johnstone and Marc Hinton sift through the many matchups in the backs and forwards and to look at some of the crucial calls facing Graham Henry and his national selectors.

 

BACKLINE - Duncan Johnstone

Andy Ellis against Piri Weepu and Casey Laulala against Conrad Smith loom as the most influential personal battles from this massive match as the All Blacks look at their options at halfback and centre.

There's certainly bit of sting to the No 9 confrontation. It was Ellis, after all, who stole Weepu's World Cup jersey late last year in the biggest surprise of the All Blacks squad chosen to head to France for the ill-fated campaign.

As it turned out Weepu's pain was probably eased the longer that tournament went on. But it's the Super 14 now and he needs to start showing Mr Henry that he is still a viable option.

Weepu is an enigmatic talent who can fizz and frustrate in the same match. At his best he looms as the top halfback in the country now that Byron Kelleher has departed. He's got size, great anticipation, a clever kicking game (that includes goalkicking), a solid pass and he loves to run at the opposition.

But he still appears to be a little way off his best. A bit like his Hurricanes team he has stayed in the frame without really hitting top gear. It's time to fire up and what better way than to try to dominate Ellis?

Ellis has a smooth game that is based around doing the basics right and then choosing his moment for a bit of individual genius.

He doesn't have the power play of Weepu but he does have a superb pass and if you are looking for a halfback to set a backline of talent free, then there aren't many better around.

Of course it helps to have a dominant pack in front of you and Ellis certainly gets a cruisy ride behind the red and black juggernaut.

Meanwhile the midfield muddle needs to be sorted out once and for all this season and Laulala and Smith are certainly two characters who have been putting their hands up for the No 13 jersey.

Laulala has hardly had a fair crack at things at test level despite his consistent form for the Crusaders.

They keep talking about his continued growth down south and it's hard to argue against that with his dominant displays for Robbie Deans' outfit. He has even added a bit of a mean streak to his game this year with some punishing defence.

If you are looking for the form New Zealand centre at the moment then it's either Laulala or the Blues' Isaia Toeava.

Smith has led a charmed life in recent times, earning selection despite limited game time because of injuries. But, when push came to shove for the quarter-final against France, he was overlooked for the makeshift option of Mils Muliaina.

Smith, like Weepu and his team, has had a slow start to this season. But there were encouraging signs against the Brumbies in Canberra and this is the sort of match where he needs to show his authority.

These guys are specialist centres and I certainly feel it's about time a specialist was selected. May the best man win.

 

FORWARDS - Marc Hinton

 

Nowhere does the array of head-to-head battles at the Cake Tin have more resonance  than at No 8 where we've got the country's form player, in the Crusaders' Mose Tuiali'i, going toe to toe with the incumbent All Black in Rodney So'oialo.

This really should be a heavyweight contest. Down in Crusaderland the drums are beating loudly for their talented No 8. They believe he's been the best on the New Zealand scene for the past two years now and the time has come for that to be recognised.

There's also recognition around Title Town that if Tuiali'i doesn't get an All Black recall this year, he could take up one of those big-money contracts being waved around by desperate northern clubs at the moment.

He's also playing superbly, to be fair. His work with ball in hand has been first-rate and he's a constant source of go-forward for the Crusaders. He's got a nose for the try-line too, gets around the field extremely well and, like most of his team-mates, doesn't miss a lot on defence.

Then you have So'oialo, long an enigmatic figure in the All Black loose trio. The guy is classy, there can be no doubt about that, but his critics have pointed to his lack of impact at times and wondered if he lacks the physical presence to really dominate the position at test level.

But the man has ticker, of that there's no doubt. He plays hard, he plays to the final whistle and he does have some outrageous skills for a No 8. He's also coming into some useful form as the Hurricanes season slowly builds to the level they'll need to operate at to return to playoff territory.

I believe both No 8s will be primed for this matchup. Tuiali'i will know this is the sort of contest where he really needs to shine and he'll regard the chance to get one over his All Black rival as gold.

But So'oialo will sense the challenge and like all champions he'll respond. Graham Henry and co will be paying close attention to this special head-to-head.

But it's far from the only contest up front that will have national repercussions.

Hurricanes openside Chris Masoe has his critics, but he is coming off a huge game against the Brumbies and will regard the chance to battle the best of them all, Richie McCaw, as a gilt-edged opportunity to reinforce himself as the country's premier backup loose forward.

At hooker there's a cracking little contest brewing too, where Corey Flynn of the Crusaders will be keen to usurp Andrew Hore as the likely No 2 No 2 for this year's international season. There's not a lot between these two hard men, though Hore has a habit of rising to these sort of challenges.

And at tighthead prop there's also an All Black audition going on. Neemia Tialata of the Canes seemed the natural successor to Carl Hayman, with age on his side and a developing power game too. But he's started the year slowly, and the old warhorse Greg Somerville of the Crusaders remains a reliable option at No 3. Can Tialata stand up to that renowned Crusaders scrum? It will be his biggest acid test of the year.

But it's the lock battle between the Crusaders' Brad Thorn and the Canes' Jason Eaton that I like most outside of the No 8 clash.

If you factor out Troy Flavell, who's not exactly a Henry favourite and supposedly soon to depart anyway, these could be the next two contenders to join Ali Williams in the All Black second row.

Thorn has the advantage of playing alongside Williams on a weekly basis and there's no doubt his return from league, mark II, has been impressive. The big man is thriving in Robbie Deans' superbly organised system.

But Eaton, too, has his merits and he is a highly skilled operator at lock with a fairly useful engine to boot. He may not be the workhorse that Thorn is, but Eaton can go a long way to completing a dream return to test duty with a strong showing against the classy Crusaders second row.

There is one last battle worth mentioning. The collective one. Whoever wins that combat will go a long way to grabbing victory. It's going to take some effort to deny this Crusaders pack in their current form. We await the Canes' response.

Unpredictability is Blues' greatest asset

By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - RugbyHeaven | Tuesday, 25 March 2008

The Blues may be battling their way out of a slump but don't write them off yet with one of the Super 14's most respected coaches saying their unpredictability makes them a constant threat on the paddock and the points table.

Rassie Erasmus, a rising talent on the South African coaching scene who turned down a World Cup chance with the Springboks to concentrrate on his Stormers job, watched his side get tipped over 17-14 by the Blues at Eden Park.

While all the talk was about Ben Atiga's last-gasp penalty that gave the Blues a much-needed win after two losses, Erasmus believed the true dangers of the Blues were revealed much earlier in the match.

They may have scored just one try but it was a cracker and, according to Erasmus, Danny Lee's 11^th minute touchdown represented everything that is special about the Blues.

He warns that opponents would write-off the Blues at their peril at this stage of the season with David Nucifora's side clinging to third place after six rounds.

"The thing that is tough about the Blues to coach against is that there aren't specific guys that you can mark. When you go through the team, or their 22, then there are only three or four who aren't special with the ball in hand," said Erasmus.

He noted that tight forwards like John Afoa, Keven Mealamu and Troy Flavell all regularly exhibited remarkable ball skills and running capabilities.

"If you go through the team as an opposition coach, there aren't many guys who can't make something special out of nothing.

"It happened again (against us). We put in a good kick, there was a good chase line and one missed tackle and then it's a try.

"That makes them unpredictable."

And while Erasmus believed the Blues had more structure to their game than a team like the Chiefs, it was their unpredictability that was perhaps their greatest asset as the second half of the championship looms.

"I think they will go far just because they have those brilliant game breakers," said Erasmus.

"You can practice through the week and try and mirror those sort of players but when you get on to the park they can still step you.

"I think that is how they are going to be - some days those guys are going to score six or seven tries and sometimes they aren't going to come off.

"But they are certainly a very difficult team to coach against. I don't think they are going through a dip. They are third on the log, they won (against us) and I think they are doing well."

Not well enough for Nucifora's liking though. He is demanding far better things from his side this week as they get set to host the Bulls at Eden Park on Saturday night.

Nucifora wants some fluidity to return to the Blues' play after three stuttering weeks. The two losses have hurt them but a lack of bonus points has also allowed the Crusaders to leap away from them at the top of the table. The Blues are now nine points adrift of their southern rivals and their hopes of claiming the No 1 position are super slim.

It would take a spectacular meltdown from the red and blacks to allow that to happen. Gaining the No 2 spot from the unbeaten Sharks is a more realistic goal for the Blues.

The Bulls loom as an ideal opportunity to get things back on track for the Blues. The defending champions are having a nightmare road trip to add to their ordinary overall campaign. Heavy defeats to the Reds in Brisbane and the Chiefs in Hamilton have seen the Bulls slip to 11^th on the table.

"We will be looking for an improved performance there, far slicker than what we produced tonight," said Nucifora.

The Blues are hopeful of having Nick Evans back to lead their attack after he was a late withdrawal against the Stormers because of ongoing issues from his head knock.

Nick Williams' shoulder is the only question mark apart from the prolonged absence of Isa Nacewa (knee).

The most pleasing aspect from the Blues' struggle against the Stormers - apart from the four championship points, of course - was the successful return of Daniel Braid.

The classy openside flanker gave them the ability to make a genuine contest of the breakdowns, something they struggled with in their losses to the Sharks and Western Force.

Danny v Dan - Cipriani eager to meet Carter

By JENNI RUTHERFORD in London - RugbyHeaven | Tuesday, 25 March 2008

England's man of the moment Danny Cipriani is relishing a chance to pit his talents against Dan Carter when the team tours New Zealand in June.

The 20-year-old London Wasp has made it clear that he wants to make the No 10 jersey his own and oust Jonny Wilkinson as the first-choice first five-eighth.

"It would be amazing to come up against Dan Carter, who is a phenomenal player. I have tried to mimic things he does," Cipriani told the Sunday Express. "I watch Super 14 games all the time - it is a competition I have watched since I was young.

"A lot of players will go out [to New Zealand] and learn and improve themselves as players, I want to improve tenfold."

Xavier Rush has warned Warren Gatland not to get too carried away with the prospect of claiming a first Springbok scalp in South Africa when his Grand-Slam winning Wales side tour the Republic in June.

The Cardiff Blues captain believes that world rugby is at a crossroads with the northern and southern hemispheres playing different versions of the game after the introduction of the Experimental Law Variations in the Super 14 which could mean that victory against South Africa may rely on which laws are adopted.

"We've got half the world playing one game and the other half playing another game," the Kiwi No 8 told the Western Mail. "It's hard to know what rules we are going to be playing in the future or where it's all going.
"But I just think it's a bit bizarre we've got one hemisphere playing one game and another hemisphere playing another game at the moment. You are watching one set of rules in the Super 14 and a totally different set of rules in the Six Nations and Heineken Cup.

"If Wales have to play the new rules in the autumn, it's going to be a bit of a disadvantage because the southern hemisphere has had six months to get used to them and play them."

"Any penalisable offence in ruck and maul is just a free-kick now in the southern hemisphere, which means the game is a whole lot quicker down there than it is up here at the moment.

"There's a lot of free-kicks and not many line-outs because there are virtually no penalties, so people aren't kicking for touch.

"The ball-in-play time in a game is 38 minutes, whereas we are at about25 minutes.

"So it's a lot more about fitness and skill, rather than power. I'd have to lose about 5kgs to play under the new rules."

It was a reunion of sorts, meanwhile, at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday for former Crusaders team-mates Justin Marshall and Chris Jack when Saracens, of the English Premiership, met the Ospreys, the Welsh Magners League side, in the semifinal of the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

Marshall got about 25 minutes game-time in the 30-3 victory by the Ospreys after starting on the bench. He was a blood replacement for Wales fullback Lee Byrne before replacing Mike Phillips, the Wales halfback for the final 20 minutes.

Disaster struck for Jack just after half-time when he was forced to leave the field with a suspected broken hand that could impact on his involvement in the upcoming Heineken Cup quarter-final.

It is a blow for the former All Black lock, who earlier in the week said that he was enjoying his first season at the Watford-based club and admitted that he was genuinely surprised by the quality of rugby in England.

"The way these guys play is exceptional. That is the first thing that surprised me when I got here," he said. "The rugby they play is open and wide and then when you play against the England side their play is not."

Another Cantabrian and former All Black Aaron Mauger was not part of Leicester's 10-point victory over London Wasps in the other semifinal in Cardiff after being ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Carlos Spencer in particular will be happy to see the back of the National League One after Northampton ensured their promotion back to the Guinness Premiership with their 26^thsuccessive victory on Saturday.

Spencer admitted that the facilities and conditions in English rugby's second tier competition is a long drop down from those he experienced in the top flight.

"Some of the pitches have been crap, absolute crap, especially last weekend. Fair play to the guys who play in those conditions all the time," Spencer told The Times.

"And some of the changing-rooms have been so small we could hardly move. I've learnt that you've got to be first into the shower, otherwise the water will be cold."

NZ rugby prepares for major talkfest

Rugby Heaven | NZPA |Tuesday, 25 March 2008

The sustainability of rugby in New Zealand comes under the microscope at a two-day forum starting in Wellington on Wednesday.

Even the most traditional vestiges of the national game, such as the provincial championship, will not be safe from dissection as a wide array of rugby shareholders seek to boost sagging elements of the sport.

An apparent slump in interest over the past two years - measured by falling crowd and television viewing figures - and the departure of top players to big-spending overseas clubs are prominent issues to be addressed.

Perhaps even more pressing are the mounting financial problems faced by provincial unions, many of which reported significant financial losses last year.

Officials from each of the 26 unions and five Super 14 franchises will address the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) about changes needed at all levels to improve rugby's health over the next five years.

Joining them will be invited players and coaches and other rugby thinkers such as John Hart and Grant Fox.

At the heart of discussions will be how to fund professional rugby in a world market dominated by the massive finances of French and English clubs, while also managing the need of the amateur game here.

NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said he could sense an appetite for innovation, with his organisation to act as a facilitator for all manner of ideas.

Changes to the way players are contracted and a tweak to All Blacks' eligibility rules may be forthcoming while the introduction of overseas franchises and venues for professional rugby competitions could not be discounted.

The domestic Air NZ Cup enters its third year under an expanded 14-team format this year, after which it was to be reviewed.

Several provinces have felt the financial squeeze, having to pay players sums they cannot afford to remain competitive, and have reported losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Otago, Northland and Southland have voiced particular concern while last week the ailing Bay of Plenty union announced an assistance package from the NZRU, something critics fear could become an ongoing scenario.

New Otago chief executive Richard Reid walked into enormous financial problems at his union.

"We've got to make sure we've got the money to pay for everything, clearly that's a big one, generating income," he told RugbyHeaven, pointing out that income only came from four sources.

"If that fluctuates, whether it be sponsorship, gaming machine funding, grants from New Zealand rugby or test match allocation, it doesn't have to move far for you to have a pretty average year."

Struggling unions have already started cutting back on contracted player numbers to the national minimum of 26 and reducing their wage budgets which are mostly well under the salary cap.

By contrast, the bigger unions such as Canterbury have voiced concern about a competition that doesn't allow it to maximise its earning potential.

Some solutions already raised include reducing the number of teams in the provincial championship - possibly through amalgamation - the involvement of Australian teams or running it as an amateur competition concurrently underneath the Super 14.

New Zealand Rugby Players' Association head Rob Nichol recently warned that New Zealand was on the verge of becoming a "feeder" nation to the northern hemisphere if changes to the New Zealand structure were not forthcoming.

Nichol has touted private ownership of Super 14 franchises as the next step to inject money into a limited market.

Since rugby turned professional in 1995 those franchises have been run by the NZRU and the players all centrally contracted.

Former All Blacks coach Hart supports Nichol's view, believing it is the only way to keep pace with the northern juggernaut.

"Suddenly, their (English and French) models are looking far superior as they are beginning to evolve the partnerships that will take their game forward, while ours stagnates," Hart said.

"European football has proved that money can be made from the club game and there are now billionaires from the US lining up to buy their way into British football."

Hart is concerned by figures that test rugby in Europe generates about three times the money of the tests in the southern hemisphere.

He said those disparities would only grow under current structures.

However, Craig Norgate, a prominent New Zealand businessman and a former director of the NZRU, believes privatisation surrenders a strategic advantage of New Zealand rugby.

He fears the franchises will all fall into rich foreign hands and spark the onset of a war over who has first rights on players, something that has plagued the French and English games since 1995.

Norgate instead advocates scrapping the Air NZ Cup, which he believes no longer has a place in the professional game and was decimating provincial financial accounts.

He will get support on that front from Australian rugby boss John O'Neill, who wants Super rugby to cover half the year, with mid-year inter-hemisphere tests turned into midweek fixtures.

Welsh club looking to land All Blacks

By MARC HINTON - RugbyHeaven | Tuesday, 25 March 2008

Ambitious officials from the Newport-Gwent Dragons club are in New Zealand looking to land themselves a big-name All Black signing or two for the next northern season.

Dragons chief executive Gethin Jenkins and coach Paul Turner are both in this country on a scouting mission and they've told media in Wales they are confident they can pick up All Blacks who can help lift the club to a position where they can challenge for silverware.

Jenkins confirmed to the Wales on Sunday newspaper that they have had discussions with a number of All Blacks, and they were hopeful of securing the services of some who could prove influential figures at the club.

The success of former Blues and Auckland skipper Xavier Rush at the Cardiff-based Blues has shown the sort of influence the right sort of signing can have, and the Dragons seem determined to follow a similar pathway.

"We are looking at possible recruits available to us," Jenkins told the Welsh paper. "Everybody knows we are excited about the crop of exciting Welsh talent, but we also need some experienced players.

"We are looking for players who can give us direction and leadership.

"Going for overseas talent has happened at Rodney Parade before but we will only sign the right players.

"We have been accused of lacking ambition but we are ambitious – we just aren't willing to get caught in a boom-or-bust cycle. When you look at the influence somebody like Xavier Rush has had at the Blues you can see what the right overseas player can bring to any side."

Welsh media were speculating that the Newport-based club could come out with a major announcement on a new signing as early as this week.

The Dragons have been quiet in the player-movement market of late and this has led to speculation they are keeping their powder dry to bring over some serious sort of All Black talent.

Welsh internationals Michael Owen and Ceri Sweeney are leaving the club this summer, and it is speculated that the club must act now to lift itself out of the lower regions of the Magners League table currently being occupied.

McCaw the Super Crusader

by Super Wrap | www.supersporyt.co.za | 24 March 2008 (19:07)

Richie McCaw, in setting a magnificent example for his teammates to follow in their quest for a seventh Super Rugby title, has revealed the secret of the Crusaders’ success.

The All Black captain, who has turned the 2008 Super 14 tournament into a personal crusade to arise after last year’s RWC disappointment by leading Canterbury to success in what they’ve dubbed “the 13th Crusade” revealed the elusive formula while being interviewed after his team’s victory over the Waratahs at the weekend.

Typically there were no big statements from McCaw but what he said did not elude the SuperWrap for it contained the essence of what makes the Crusaders great.

Referring to the fact that the Crusaders had been trailing 6-7 after 50 minutes, McCaw said he had impressed on his men the need to “look after the ball in contact” before they mounted a surged that resulted in a 34-7 victory.

And there it was. “Look after the ball in contact.”

Much is said about the Crusaders’ tradition, about their depth, about their fitness, about their talented individuals, about their pride, about the coaching of Robbie Deans but contained in all that is a single kernel, one of the oldest axioms, that you cannot play without the ball.

The SuperWrap would like to suggest that South Africa’s five Super Rugby coaches ask SuperSport for a couple of DVDs of McCaw uttering his single profound phrase. “Look after the ball in contact.”

They should play it in team rooms, dressing rooms and on coaches. Insist that the players add it to whatever they listen to on their music players or whatever they look at on their laptops. “Look after the ball in contact.”

Imprint the message and hopefully the players will go to the next stage of emulating the Crusaders by realising what underpins the philosophy revealed by McCaw because once they appreciate that it’s all about “looking after the ball’ they may start to eliminate the errors that have made this, Sharks apart, a dismal season for South Africa.

Because to protect the ball you need superior fitness to provide a constant phalanx of support; you need to be thinking all the time about not giving the ball away; you need to be on top of the set pieces to make sure you win it easily; you need to be aware of where your support is; you need to have the skill to handle it; you need to have imagination to use it cleverly and you need to have utter belief in what you’re doing.

It is the contention of the SuperWrap that the essential problem in South Africa’s teams is, to use another cliché, that they don’t “respect the ball” enough.

This old game is about the ball. Winning it, keeping it, using it to score points and then starting again.

As McCaw says “it’s about keeping composure and doing the right things” -- something markedly lacking in most local teams. When it comes to the Crusaders it is not about their being favoured by the ELVs; they’re simply doing what they’ve always done and that is bringing to every match the machinery needed to control the ball.

And the Crusaders skipper’s professionalism is an object lesson to those many top class players (mostly in the Bulls) who have been doing little more than going through the motions this season.

He sets incredibly high standards as shown by the fact that he is the only player to make the “Super XV”, compiled by the SuperWrap and sundry cronies, as an acknowledgement of form after every week of the first six weeks of the tournament.

The Super XV for Week Five:

1 Simms Davison (Chiefs), 2 Huia Edmonds (Brumbies), 3 John Afoa (Blues), 4 Brad Thorn (Crusaders), 5 Mark Chisholm (Brumbies), 6 Jerome Kaino (Blues), 7 Richie McCaw (Crusaders), 8 Sione Lauaki (Chiefs), 9 Brendon Leonard (Chiefs), 10 Dan Carter (Crusaders), 11 Fetu’u Vainikolo (Highlanders), 12 Tyrone Smith (Brumbies), 13 Casey Laulala (Crusaders), 14 Lelia Masaga (Chiefs), 15 Chris Latham (Reds).

The Bok Barometer for Week Six:

1 Heinke van der Merwe (Lions), 2 Schalk Brits (Stormers), 3 Brian Mujati (Stormers), 4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls), 5 Adriaan Fondse (Stormers), 6 Schalk Burger (Stormers), 7 Wikus van Heerden (Bulls), 8 Joe van Niekerk (Lions), 9 Jano Vermaak (Lions), 10 Jaco van Schalkwyk (Lions), 11 Jongi Nokwe (Cheetahs), 12 Walter Venter (Lions), 13 Jaco Pretorius (Lions), 14 Tonderai Chavhanga (Stormers), 15 Conrad Jantjes (Stormers).

Match of the Week: To the ‘mystery' game, played in the shadow of the most beautiful mountains called the “Remarkables”, at 3.30 in the morning (SA time) between the Highlanders and the Force in Queenstown -- the men from Perth staging their by now customary late rally to take the spoils 36-28. In only their third year of existence the Force have an excellent chance of reaching the semifinals after battling through a tough draw. They have accumulated four wins (out of five) on the road and five of their remaining seven matches will be at home at the Subiaco Oval.

Try of the Week: Fetu’u Vainikolo’s stunning solo effort, speed, step, swerve, for the Highlanders; edging the amazing 70-metre effort by Peter Hynes for the Reds at Ellis Park.

Schlepper of the Week: Steve Walsh. Wikipedia informs the SuperWrap that Matinee Idol, i.e. the star of the Saturday afternoon show, is a term used mainly to describe film or theatre stars who are adored to the point of adulation by their fans (and probably feel the same way about themselves!) and that invariably the adulation is fixated on the actor’s looks rather than his performance. For reasons unkown Walsh has not been a favourite of the Sharks and you can add the Cheetahs to those who will not pay at the gate to see him perform on the whistle. Not only is Walsh colour blind, describing the Cheetahs’ jersey as “red” instead of “orange”, but his petulant reaction to sinbin Falie Oelschig, who had been complaining to the referee about some nefarious deed in a ruck, for foul language was oversensitive in the extreme. Willie Roos had the same reaction to something Stephen Hoiles said the week before. Doubtless the refs will produce thousands of words of justification, but the SuperWrap believes it is time they got off their high horses. All this kind of thing does, is show that the men who play such an important role in a team’s fortunes have no feel for the game they’re involved in.

Quick thinking: Cheetahs captain Rory Duncan trying to convince Steve Walsh that Oelschig had been saying something in Afrikaans!

Bloem bleeps: If Steve Walsh’s sensitive nature was affronted by what he heard Falie say imagine if he had been in Bloemfontein on Friday evening!

We’re waiting… for Kurtis Haiu to be cited. If there’s any equity and consistency in the citing procedure the Blues lock, who was caught on camera punching Stormer Deon Fourie in a maul and then aiming another swing at Brock Harris, simply cannot escape at least a hearing.

Mysteries of the Super 14: Why is it that all the match officials have to be neutral yet the people who have to make arguably the most crucial decisions, the TMO and the citing officer, are local?

Duh?! Dear old Murray Mexted finally finding out why its called a banana kick. It’s not about the islands, or the colour but about the curve! Thanks for joining us Mex!

And the Jorrie goes to…? Mark Gerrard, who joined an illustrious list, that includes props, locks and lady mayors, by missing a shot at goal from right in front.

Congratulations to:

100 Super Rugby matches: George Smith of the Brumbies who almost incredibly reaches the milestone at the age of just 27 after making his debut in 2000 against the Sharks.

50 matches: Guy Shepherdson of the Brumbies and Josh Valentine (35 for the Reds, 12 for the Waratahs).

If you’re good enough… Matt Toomua’s debut for the Brumbies against the Hurricanes recently makes him the fourth youngest player on Super Rugby debut, aged 18 years and 27 days. This means that the five youngest players on debut ever are all Australians -- David Pocock (Force) 18 years 19 days, Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) 18 years 27 days, Sipa Taumoepeau (Brumbies) 18 years 35 days, Toomua and Rob Horne (Waratahs) 18 years 205 days. The youngest ever New Zealander was Doug Howlett (18 years 230 days) and the youngest South African was Jaco van der Westhuyzen (18 years 364 days). Interestingly the Aussies have four others on the list of 18-year-old debutants -- Mark Gerrard, Elton Flatley, Quade Cooper and Caleb Brown.

Quote of the Week I: “One more piece of foul play directed at me, you’re in trouble.” -- Steve Walsh to Falie Oelschig.

Quote of the Week II: “To go three points down, softly like that in a game … the refs don't understand how critical those sort of calls are in the context of the game. It's disappointing they don't understand that. It wasn't dangerous play. He [Williams] didn't go to the ground. [But] there is three points on the scoreboard, a minute and a half into the game. I don't know what it is with the refs. But it seems like we are getting a little bit of the raw end of the deal. Maybe we should stop being so friendly to them in the hotel foyer and things like that." -- Phil Waugh complaining about Craig Joubert’s handling of the Waratahs’ game against the Crusaders.

Quote of the Week III: “It’s getting gentle with the game of rugby.” -- Murray Mexted on the questionable lineout penalty referred to above.

Quote of the Week IV: “Don’t stand and yell how to referee the game.” -- Bryce Lawrence to Chris Latham at Ellis Park.

Quote of the Week V: “He had everyone confused there for a moment, the referee.” -- Aussie commentator Greg Clark says it for all of us.