RUGBY: Painting it All Black

By Dan Retief - Super Sport Zone

One of the biggest strengths of New Zealand rugby is the care taken to preserve the heritage and ethos of the All Blacks.

Sean Fitzpatrick, when he was recently in South Africa, spoke movingly about the value All Blacks place on their jersey; how for instance they refuse to swop the black jumper with an opponent unless they thought him to be worthy.

The most-capped All Black of all time sketched his own passage through the age-groups and how there had always been All Blacks involved in the squads, either as coaches or managers, always passing on the lore of the brotherhood of black.

Fitzpatrick’s words came back to me in Christchurch recently while paging through the Jade Stadium programme for the 72nd test match between the All Blacks and the Springboks.

The first message of welcome in the booklet was from the president of the NZ Rugby Union – former All Black captain Andy Leslie.

The next note was from the president of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union – former All Black captain Tane Norton.

The All Black team’s manager was Sir Brian Lochore – also a former All Black captain.

I don’t propose to labour the point as I’m sure you get my drift. The future of the All Blacks is rooted securely in the past and their success is down to this legacy as each generation passes on experience, wisdom and knowledge to the next.

Experiencing New Zealand’s passion for rugby close up again was instructive; especially an undercurrent of hysteria – most often expressed in columns ridiculing this national angst! - that the All Blacks might not win the World Cup.

The All Blacks won the inaugural World Cup in 1987 but have not won the championship since, losing the 1995 final to South Africa and bowing out during the semifinals in 1991, 1999 and 2003.

With a record of not having lost at home in the last three years (establishing a record of 26 consecutive victories) while suffering only four defeats (three to the Springboks and one to the Wallabies) they will go to France as overwhelming favourites.

Their coach Graham Henry has recognized the depth of expectation, accepted the challenge, and embarked on a bold (and stridently criticized) plan to ensure that the player holding up the Webb Ellis Cup at the Stade de France late on the night of October 20 will be dressed in black.

This has engendered the increasingly expressed view that all Henry has done is create too much pressure which will once again result in the All Blacks becoming the best team “between World Cups.”

It was an opinion I tended to go along with until a niggling little thought germinated as I watch the Blacks, as they’re referred to in New Zealand, going through one of their slick, high-paced practices.

Could it be that the team most locked into history has quietly been exploring the future?

There has been a lack of discipline in recent All Black performances (the word “wild” comes to mind) that has worried traditionalists but could it be that this was intentional?

Could it be that Henry, confident of his team’s ability to play possession-based rugby and blessed with the best flyhalf in the world, was encouraging them to push the envelope?

Those 50/50 passes, those crazy offloads, those odd angles and seemingly stupid kicks? Running from deep, trying to play faster and faster, upping the tempo, attempting things only seen in Sevens? Could it have been part of a grand plan?

It seems far-fetched but I would not be surprised to find out that the All Blacks have deliberately been trying to test the boundaries – trying to play a ‘new’ game while their opponents were trying to perfect and imbed old habits.

I might be way off beam but I do know which team I would back if there were five minutes to go in a World Cup Final and the only way to win was with a try.

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

RUGBY: Ominous explanation for Boks captaincy riddle

COMMENT

After the New Zealand-South Africa Test in Christchurch on on Sunday, I was telephoned by a knowledgeable source, who asked me: "Do you know why Wikus van Heerden didn't captain the Springboks yesterday?" I told him I had also wondered why the most experienced forward in the team hadn't taken the armband.

I thought it may have had something to do with coach Jake White grooming Johann Muller - a huge second-rower who has been impressive on and off the field - for the job,

"Van Heerden," my informant told me, "is not going to make the Springboks World Cup squad. Jake White is being forced by the ANC to take Luke Watson. So the captaincy had to be given to someone who is going to France."

The development, if it comes to pass, represents bad news for the Tri Nations and Super 14. African National Congress heavies have been pushing for the inclusion of Watson, the Western Province captain, in the World Cup squad since he was excluded from the first squad earlier in the year.

Watson is a journeyman player, but his family played an important part in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. His father, Dan "Cheeky" Watson, gave up his chances of a Springboks jersey to play his rugby in the black competitions.
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Ominous explanation for Boks captaincy riddle

Spiro Zavos Tuesday, July 17, 2007

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COMMENT

After the New Zealand-South Africa Test in Christchurch on on Sunday, I was telephoned by a knowledgeable source, who asked me: "Do you know why Wikus van Heerden didn't captain the Springboks yesterday?" I told him I had also wondered why the most experienced forward in the team hadn't taken the armband.

I thought it may have had something to do with coach Jake White grooming Johann Muller - a huge second-rower who has been impressive on and off the field - for the job,

"Van Heerden," my informant told me, "is not going to make the Springboks World Cup squad. Jake White is being forced by the ANC to take Luke Watson. So the captaincy had to be given to someone who is going to France."

The development, if it comes to pass, represents bad news for the Tri Nations and Super 14. African National Congress heavies have been pushing for the inclusion of Watson, the Western Province captain, in the World Cup squad since he was excluded from the first squad earlier in the year.

Watson is a journeyman player, but his family played an important part in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. His father, Dan "Cheeky" Watson, gave up his chances of a Springboks jersey to play his rugby in the black competitions.

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For the ANC, Watson's elevation to the captaincy of the Springboks is seen as part of a necessary transformation of South African rugby in the post-apartheid era. Other changes deemed necessary are the imposition of a quota of 10 black or coloured players in the national starting XV and the renaming of the side to the Proteas.

If this policy is put into effect next year, as has been suggested, South African rugby will go into a decline from which it might not recover. The impact on the Super 14 and Tri Nations would be devastating.

Yet on recent evidence, South African rugby is - finally - coming to terms with the transformation experience: the Bulls became the first South African side to win the Super 14 this year, and the second-string Springboks side made a strong showings in the Tri Nations Tests against Australia and New Zealand in the past three weeks.

There were five black and coloured players in the 22-man squad for the All Blacks Test, and all justified their selection. In the warm-ups before the Test, the Springboks concentrated on their defensive patterns and drills. These patterns worked for 67 minutes, before the All Blacks scored three tries to establish their third-largest winning margin against the Springboks.

Steve Hansen, the embattled All Blacks forwards coach, pointed out that if the All Blacks had converted some of their 13 line breaks into tries, the score could have ballooned out to the 60s. A South African supporter said to me at half-time: "We are hanging on by our fingernails."

Spiro Zavos
Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The Springboks were also helped by the dropped-ball syndrome that is afflicting the All Blacks. In their five Tests before last Saturday, the All Blacks dropped 75 passes. Against the Springboks, they dropped 20 more.

This has been explained as an overeagerness to exploit a break and "a lack of patience" in waiting for an opportunity to score. But there is also the fact the All Blacks haven't fielded the same back line in successive Tests for a long time.

So the stage is set for the Eden Park showdown. The Wallabies seem to have settled on a side to take them to the World Cup. The All Blacks are still searching, it seems, for their best line-up.

What happens in South Africa next year can wait. The rugby story right now is that, in a World Cup year, the Wallabies and the All Blacks, with the Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup on the line, have a perfect dress rehearsal for the World Cup semi-final.

rugbyheaven.smh.com.au
*Disclaimer - Views expressed within this story are not necessarily the views of this Blog

RUGBY: Scrum schools up on sneaky Gregan

16/07/2007

NZPA

A facet of the All Blacks rugby armoury that escaped condemnation last weekend ironically looms as an area demanding attention ahead of the Tri-Nations rugby decider against Australia.

An under-strength South Africa posed few problems at scrum time during New Zealand's scratchy 33-6 victory in Christchurch, and although the Wallabies pack is also identified as inferior to the All Blacks come set-piece time the gamesmanship of halfback George Gregan undeniably gave the home side parity there at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on June 30.

Gregan successfully undermined an area of All Blacks strength by ignoring one of his core responsibilities -- feeding the ball when the Wallabies gained possession from an All Blacks' indiscretion.

The canny veteran was so adept at delaying the feed, a scrum barely went its course, particularly during the first half of Australia's 20-15 victory.

Gregan's tactic resulted in practically all of Australia's scrums being either reset or fragmented after South African referee Marius Jonker awarded a free kick, usually in the home side's favour.

New Zealand were regularly penalised for either engaging too early or pushing over the mark while Gregan, ball aloft, remonstrated with Jonker.

Although the canny ploy was not wholly responsible for the All Blacks' grip on the Bledisloe Cup being loosened, it was one area where Australia's street smarts negated New Zealand's ability to attack a vulnerable area.

Tony Woodcock and Carl Hayman were frequently bemused by Jonker's rulings, particularly the latter after he was penalised for collapsing on Australian loosehead Matt Dunning.

Welshman Nigel Owens will be giving his slant on the scrummage at Eden Park on Saturday night, with loosehead Woodcock admitting the pack would have to react quicker to his interpretations -- and a repeat of Gregan's time wasting.

"They conjured up a strategy there, and we were probably a little bit slow to react to what they were doing," Woodcock admitted.

"There were a couple of calls where everyone was unsure about the ref, but we've got to deal with what happens and try as be as positive as we can.

"At times it was frustrating (at the MCG). We just have to be more patient."

The frontrower was loathe to finger Gregan as the genius, offering "it's pretty hard to tell when you've got your head buried".

However, the Australian's longtime adversary Byron Kelleher acknowledged his nemesis has been at his argumentative best in Melbourne.

"Referees determine the way they like to see the game -- and George likes to get in his ear and give his opinion on what should be happening."

France-bound Kelleher plays his 54th test on Saturday -- and last on home soil -- said he would not be changing his approach and entering onto a war of words, four years after Gregan's infamous "four more years" taunt during the 2003 World Cup semifinal.

"I concentrate on trying to dominate that space and make sure the opposition halfback knows I'm on top of him."

Meanwhile, Woodcock reiterated forwards' coach Steve Hansen's plea that an increasingly edgy rugby public keep the faith ahead of what looms as a virtual World Cup dress rehearsal -- their last meaningful game before the quarterfinals in France.

"We've slowly being trying to build, we're slowly getting there," he said.

"We realise we're not right there but hopefully in the next wee while we can put things together a bit better," he said, adding the team was virtually in a no-win situation.

"Before the last World Cup we were thrashing teams, and we were peaking too early."

The All Blacks team is named tomorrow (1pm) with Kelleher expected to return to the starting line-up for Piri Weepu. Jerry Collins will be back on the blindside flank for Reuben Thorne in the other definite switch.

There will be the usual element of intrigue surrounding the midfield combination though after Conrad Smith only received three minutes at centre in Christchurch it could be considered too great a risk to turn him out against Stirling Mortlock.

Luke McAlister and Isaia Toeava appear likely to continue their partnership though the experience of second five-eighth Aaron Mauger could prompt yet more tinkering.

Copyright: NZPA 2007

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

RUGBY: `Bledisloe is RWC dress rehersal`

Monday 16th July 2007

When New Zealand and Australia go head-to-head in a Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup decider in Auckland on Saturday it would be as much a dress rehearsal for a possible Rugby World Cup re-match later this year as it is a battle for the silverware on offer.

New Zealand forwards coach Steve Hansen and Wallaby flanker Phil Waugh said there is more at stake at Eden Park on Saturday than just two trophies - the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cups.

Speaking to Sportal after the All Blacks beat a second-string Springbok outfit 33-6 in Christchurch at the weekend, Hansen said he was "excited" about the showdown between the All Blacks and Wallabies this week.

"It is perfect. You couldn't ask for a better [RWC] dress rehearsal," he told Sportal.

"Everything is on the line. We have great opposition, we lost to them last time we played," he added.


Waugh, one of the Wallabies' co-captains - Stirling Mortlock is the other - said the Eden Park encounter will be the toughest Test Australia will face so far this year and agreed the clash would provide the perfect preparation for the World Cup.

"The challenges of going to Eden Park and facing the All Blacks in a Bledisloe Cup decider - games don't come much bigger - so it is going to be big challenge and a good experience for the guys," he said.

"It is a big clash and there is a lot at stake. Everyone is looking forward to it. We got a lot of confidence out of the game last year so we are fairly confident going over there.

"It is the business end of the competition and this is a big game it would be nice to fill the trophy cabinet up before going over to France later in the year."

planetrugby.com

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

RUGBY: Only winner was New Zealand

Monday 16 July 2007

There should never be any honour in losing a test to New Zealand by 27 points, writes Keo in the Sunday edition of the Weekend Argus.

New Zealand have problems, but even with all their problems they won by 27 points in a test against the Springboks. So let’s not get too carried away with talk of bravery, courage and defensive heroics. The Boks still got a hiding in being beaten 33-6.

The scorline is flattering, but whether you get your points in the first 10 minutes or the last 10 minutes the game is played over 80 minutes. It would be too simplistic to suggest the Boks lack fitness and that is the reason they have not been competitive against the All Blacks in the final quarter. A more accurate assessment is that if you tackle more than you are tackled for the first 70 minutes and if you play with 14 men and not 15 for 10 of those minutes you are going to be the more fatigued side in the last 10 minutes.

In Durban Pedrie Wannenburg’s sin-binning influenced the outcome and in Christchurch the same player’s departure for 10 minutes expedited the inevitable conclusion, with New Zealand again beneficiaries of a superior class of player warming the bench.

Brendon Leonard, replacing Piri Weepu at scrumhalf in the 50th minute, provided the urgency in New Zealand’s attack. For South Africa there was no such luxury, although the Boks would have at least given themselves an attacking opportunity if they had started with Peter Grant at flyhalf.

Instead Derick Hougaard got one more match to play himself out of the World Cup 30 and he surely must have succeeded. The first time he tried to attack from 30 metres out he got turned over and the Boks found themselves 30 metres out from their own tryline.

The Boks showed willingness to run the ball, but they did not have the backs to execute this intention. Their good intentions were not packaged with conviction. The All Blacks had the players to score tries but not the game plan. Too often the ball was moved laterally and the skip and long passes gave the Boks a crucial additional second to get back and scramble on defence.

The one on one tackling of the Boks was not as good as their scrambling, while New Zealand’s finishing was as ordinary as in the Melbourne test defeat against Australia. The same players made the same mistakes in throwing poor 50-50 passes and taking the wrong options.

New Zealand’s passing was sloppy and their finishing was not clinical. For that reason alone the differential was closer to 30 and not 50.

The Boks were tough in defence, but also cynical in trying to stop New Zealand from playing. With the quality of team in Christchurch that is all they could be. This test has no relevance to the Boks prospects of beating New Zealand should the two teams meet at the World Cup.

Only three of the battered Christchurch bodies will be in the Boks World Cup match 22 against England, with none of Gary Botha, Johann Muller and CJ van der Linde in the starting XV.

New Zealand’s starting XV, in four years, remains a debate and All Blacks coach Graham Henry is expected to make another seven changes for next weekend’s Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations final against the Wallabies.

The All Blacks in this year’s Tri Nations have played like a composite team, whereas Australia’s weakness in squad numbers could translate to strength. They only have 22 players and coach John Connolly is forced to pick his best team every time. They’ve found the continuity absent in New Zealand’s game.

Getting the ball for New Zealand was not an issue, but actually doing something with it was. The Boks made 206 tackles to New Zealand’s 136, but the handling error count of 16 to 5 was disproportionate with the advantage in ball dominance.

The All Blacks have psychological issues, but it would be naïve to think South Africa, France, Australia, Ireland and England don’t have similar doubts.

There will be relevance to next weekend’s test because the winner takes the Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations. In Christchurch the only relevance came at the final whistle when referee Stuart Dickenson ended the farce the Tri Nations has been in the last two weekends.

And if you question the use of word farce then ask yourself why the applause for a 27 point Bok defeat to the All Blacks? Exactly.

Mark Keohane - keo.co.za

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

RUGBY: Panto season nears uproarious finale

Thursday 12th July 2007

If the Tri-Nations game in Durban between New Zealand and South Africa was a dress rehearsal for the World Cup Final, then this weekend's affair in Christchurch will be nothing more than a local pantomime production.

New Zealand have made sweeping changes to their side with the view of raising the standard throughout their squad, while South Africa will limp into Christchurch under the guidance of a fourth captain in as many games, and under the pretense of being an international side.

The two subplots to this encounter are vastly different and yet both conspire to a brutal ending for the touring Springboks. And as with the Commedia dell'arte of Ancient Rome this show will also teach a valuable lesson, namely that a wounded All Black will feast well on a weakened Springbok.

The misfortune of losing yet another captain last week has done nothing to detract from the comicality of this Springbok tour. It hardly started in a positive manner, ridiculed in the press, particularly in Australia, and has gone from bad to worse. The sniggers in the wings could develop into roars of laughter come Saturday.

Without their lead man, Bobby Skinstad (injured in the defeat to Australia), South Africa have turned to Johann Muller to lead them into battle amid surprised cries of 'oh no he isn't' during the week. The man himself admitted that not long ago he would have seen this particular predicament as crazy, yet it is one he appreciates the magnitude of.

Jake White, seen as the chief villain in many parts, has made four changes to his side, although on reflection many may now see him as the pantomime director. Ignoring the fact Peter Grant gave the side more fluidity when he entered the fray last week White has stuck with the indifferent Derick Hougaard at fly-half.

At least we know the Springbok lines now: 'ten-man rugby, chaps', so if they happen to stumble and forget them a prompt from the side stage will soon have them back on track.

Skinstad is ably replaced by Jacques Cronjé who will relish the chance to prove his worth with the World Cup rapidly approaching. Last week's debutant Jannie du Plessis will be joined by his brother, Bismarck, in the run-on front row after they become the 30th set of brothers to represent the Springboks last week.

The other change sees sevens star Jaco Pretorius come in on the left-wing. The evil villain traditionally enters stage from the left and with his pace Pretorius could add some devil to a rather predictable backline, yet he will have to go some way to snatch the villain tag from White himself.

After all it was his decision to leave the bulk of his squad at home, a case he vindicated through the injury to Skinstad. After all South Africa could have lost a first-choice player and not a 'B Bok'.

Playing the lead role is hardly a strange concept to New Zealand and they have a cast full of players happy to take the limelight. They also have more than one Victorian Harlequin with a magic touch. The addition of a rare defeat to Australia will only have added fuel to the All Black fire and a two-week simmering period means they are ready to ignite and wreak havoc on the Springboks

All that remains to be seen is whether they produce a rousing performance that brings the house down or stumble through their line amid a chorus of boo's. The likely answer is the former, although the dip in form of key individuals will be of concern, none more so than that of the affable Dan Carter.

Luke McAlister has been restored to his customary inside centre slot with Isaia Toeava outside him to form the twenty-third centre pairing in as many Tests for New Zealand. The presence of McAlister outside Carter may prove to be the catalyst that steadies the ship and allows Carter to hit top form again.

Having returned from paternity leave Doug Howlett returns on the wing in place of Rico Gear, who after a near faultless performance against Australia can consider himself hard done by to be out of the matchday squad altogether. Joe Rokocoko finds himself in a similar situation with cousin Sitiveni Sivivatu preferred on the left wing - although Rokocoko himself said Sivivatu was the best man in the position at present last week. Piri Weepu also gets a chance at scrum-half to complete the shake up in the back line.

Up front the vastly experienced Reuben Thorne gets a hit-out in the number six shirt, with hardman Jerry Collins having to settle for a place on the bench. Keith Robinson, who is finally fit again, returns in the second row to partner Chris Jack. His return will add an extra dimension to the All Black line-out, something they desperately need. Veteran hooker Anton Oliver is replaced by Keven Mealamu.

As in many Commedia dell'arte productions the notion of jealousy is a rife one, as it may also be between South Africa and New Zealand rugby at present. If this is the case then the jealousy is set to escalate on Saturday as there is only one team who will be taking the flowers from the audience at the final curtain call. As to the manner in which they earn that right we will have to reserve judgement for now.

Players to watch:

For New Zealand: With such a side as Graham Henry has picked there isn't a player amongst them who you wouldn't want to watch. Yet after his considerable dip in form of late you may want to keep an eye on Dan Carter, as one senses there is a backlash in the offing from the Canterbury man.

For South Africa: With an uninterrupted run in the side Ruan Pienaar is finally getting a chance to showcase his considerable talents. He will get another shot this week and we may just get to see his running game as aimlessly kicking the ball away this week will cost the Springboks dear.

Head to head: Nobody is predicting a Springbok win, but if they want a chance of keeping an air of respectability to the score line then the battle at the scrum will be vital, and more importantly how young Jannie du Plessis stands up to Tony Woodcock. The All Black scrum is a menacing unit at its best and the Springboks could be in for a torrid time of it.

Prediction: It is hard to see anything other than a comfortable All Blacks win. The key factor will be if they click as a team and cut loose or if the Springboks can grind out another gritty effort as they did last week. One can't see it happening again. New Zealand by 22 points.

Recent results:

2000: New Zealand won 25-12 in Christchurch
2000: South Africa won 46-40 in Johannesburg
2001: New Zealand won 12-3 in Cape Town
2001: New Zealand won 26-15 in Auckland
2002: New Zealand won 41-20 in Wellington
2002: New Zealand won 30-23 in Durban
2003: New Zealand won 52-16 in Pretoria
2003: New Zealand won 19-11 in Dunedin
2003: New Zealand won 29-9 in Melbourne
2004: New Zealand won 23-21 in Christchurch
2004: South Africa won 40-26 in Johannesburg
2005: South Africa won 22-16 in Cape Town
2005: New Zealand won 31-27 in Dunedin
2006: New Zealand won 35-17 in Wellington
2006: New Zealand won 45-26 in Pretoria
2006: South Africa won 21-20 in Rustenburg
2007: New Zealand won 26-21 in Durban

The teams:

New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Isaia Toeava, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Reuben Thorne, 5 Keith Robinson, 4 Chris Jack,3 Carl Hayman, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.

Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Jerry Collins, 19 Chris Masoe, 20 Brendon Leonard, 21 Conrad Smith, 22 Nick Evans.

South Africa: 15 JP Pietersen, 14 Breyton Paulse, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Jaco Pretorius; 10 Derick Hougaard, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Jacques Cronjé, 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Wikus van Heerden, 5 Johann Muller (captain), 4 Albert van den Berg, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 CJ van der Linde.
Replacements: 16 Gary Botha, 17 Eddie Andrews, 18 Gerrie Britz, 19 Hilton Lobberts, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Peter Grant, 22 Tonderai Chavhanga.

Date: Saturday, 14 July
Venue: Jade Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
Conditions: Cloudy with a easterly winds and a slight chance or rain
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Nigel Owens (Wales), Paul Marks (Australia)
Television match official: James Leckie (Australia)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)

By Marcus Leach - planetrugby.com

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

RUGBY: Test rugby scores zero

Wednesday 4 July 2007

It seems that winning tests no longer matter and losing matters even less, writes Keo in his Independent Group column.

The All Blacks are relieved to have lost to the Wallabies and aren’t reading too much into the result. The Wallabies aren’t reading too much into it either, saying it was just one win, albeit the first one against the All Blacks since 2004.

Where’s the disappointment in losing a test? Where’s the joy in winning? What happened to living the moment?

What has happened to test rugby?

Why do teams still play test rugby outside of the World Cup?

Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones described the first Bledisloe Cup test of the year between New Zealand and Australia as a chance for both teams to learn something about the other. Nothing more and nothing less, he said, adding it would give both a chance to assess their respective World Cup preparations.

There was no reduction in the price of test match tickets. The game was officially recognised as an international and players were awarded test colours for taking part in what effectively was just another World Cup practice match.

To add insult to this training exercise, 80 000 punters paid an entrance fee to see two teams play a match one coach wasn’t unhappy to lose and the other wasn’t thrilled to have won.

As King Louis, of Jungle Book fame, would say … ‘Crazy Man-cub … Crazy’.

King Louis, for those familiar with the animated classic, offers the Man-cub a banana in exchange for the secret of how man makes fire. In fact he offers him two bananas to close the deal.

If King Louis had been privy to the crazy jungle professional test rugby has become he would offer two fingers instead of two bananas. He would give the game’s administration, the coaches and to some extent the players an up yours for the scam of charging punters top dollar to watch ‘meaningless’ pre-World Cup test matches when the performance matters more than the score.

The World Cup, played every four years, only has one winner and that winner has to play four big games – traditionally one in the Group stage, then a quarter-final, semi-final and final. Teams on average play 12 tests a year, with most playing eight before the start of the tournament in World Cup year. This gives you 44 tests between World Cups that mean absolutely nothing, according to coaches who rally around the call of World Cup glory in their defence of every performance.

Everything is acceptable outside of those four big games. Only then does it really matter what the score is. Only then is there accountability to the paying public and whoever else invests in a team’s fortunes.

So here’s an idea. Don’t give any of those 44 tests international status. Make entry to the ground free and call them friendly matches between two countries preparing for a World Cup when the real stuff starts, like Portugal against the All Blacks and South Africa against Tonga and the United States.

If you think that’s ridiculous, it isn’t half as crazy as the notion that it is okay for the game’s highest paid rugby professionals to take the public for fools and preach positives from losing a test, while the winners tell you they played better the last time when they lost.

If winning isn’t important, why keep score?

I hate how the World Cup devalues test rugby. It used to be something to beat the All Blacks, but it apparently only matters now if it happens at the World Cup.

Cue King Louis: ‘Crazy Man-cub … Crazy …’

Keo - keo.co.za

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

RUGBY: McCaw rues vital errors

Saturday 30th June 2007

McCaw: No hiding his disappointment

All Black skipper Richie McCaw cited crucial errors from his side for the reason behind their shock 20-15 Bledisloe Cup defeat against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday.

Having led 15-6 at the interval New Zealand failed to score in the second half and coughed up two crucial tries whilst down to fourteen men.

"We made crucial mistakes," McCaw lamented to Fox Sports.

"We had them on the ropes at halftime and had we scored early in the second half it might have been a different matter."

Despite dominating for long periods in the second period New Zealand could not capitalise on their territory and possession and often came up with basic errors at key times.

Australia fed off the errors and grew in stature as the game went on, and their never-say-die attitude showed through according to McCaw.

"But the Aussies never lie down, they showed that and played the rugby in the second half," he concluded.

planetrugby.com

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

RUGBY: Kiwis to take `losing lessons` to RWC

Sunday 01st July 2007

Lessons learnt: Graham Henry

Coach Graham Henry wants to use New Zealand's rare Tri-Nations' loss to Australia as motivation for the All Blacks to go on and win the World Cup later this year.

The All Blacks, dominant in the opening half and leading 15-6, paid for not putting the resilient Wallabies away and failed to register a point in the last 54 minutes to go down 20-15 on Saturday.

It was New Zealand's first Test defeat since losing to South Africa 21-20 in Rustenburg last September and their first loss to the Australians in six Tests, stretching back to August 2004.

Skipper Richie McCaw spoke of letting the Wallabies off the hook with No.8 Rodney So'oialo and inside-centre Aaron Mauger both fumbling try-scoring chances which, if converted, would have probably put the All Blacks out of reach.

Henry has the task of tempering home expectations of winning a second World Cup in France in October, such has been the All Blacks' glorious run of form - they haven't lost a home Test, a sequence of 24 consecutive wins, for four years.

The All Blacks have lost only five of their 41 Tests since the 2003 World Cup, when they were sensationally knocked out in the semi-finals by unfancied Australia.

Saturday's loss recalled memories of that painful 22-10 loss to the Wallabies and again it was Stirling Mortlock who plunged the dagger into the All Blacks with his linebreak that set up replacement Scott Staniforth's winning try eight minutes from time.

"Hopefully, we'll learn a lot from this fixture and it's better to lose now than in October at the World Cup," Henry said Sunday.

"Hopefully, it will be a big learning experience for us all.

"This side hasn't lost often and I think you learn a lot from losing and hopefully we do learn from that."

Henry praised the Wallabies for fighting their way back after a ragged first half to keep the All Blacks scoreless for the entire second half.

"They finished stronger than we did, the Australians played particularly well in the last 20 minutes and deserved their win," he said.

"We've been saying all along that the Australians are a pretty good rugby side, the Australians would understand that, maybe the New Zealanders still find that hard to handle, but they deserved to win.

"We didn't take a few opportunities and we got opened up a couple of times in defence.

"Hopefully, we'll look back on this as a very important game for us and show the character from learning from this game and improve in the future."

McCaw, who missed key tackles in the lead-up to Australia's two second-half tries, said the All Blacks let the Wallabies off the hook.

"We weren't getting across the advantage line in our own half in the second half, we turned the ball over a couple of times and looking back on it we should have put the ball in front of us a couple of times," McCaw said.

"We let them off the hook a bit, they got a sniff and a Test match like that with a couple of mistackles, some points and they were right back in the game.

"At halftime we had them on the ropes and perhaps if we scored early in the second half it may have been a different story.

"The Wallabies are a team that never lie down and they came out on top in the second half."

New Zealand's backs coach Wayne Smith praised Mortlock's contribution to the Wallabies' victory.

"To me, Mortlock typified the Australian performance. He ran really hard, he chased hard and they were up for it big-time. Stirling made some critical line breaks," he said.

"We'll have to look at it, analyse it well and learn from it. It could be a very good game for us ultimately.

"We all have to look at our performances and I'm no different to anyone else. I'll learn a lot from it and I'm sure the players will."

SAPA-AFP - planetrugby.com

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

RUGBY: Henry happy to be rid of invincible tag

Saturday 30th June 2007

Henry: Happy to no longer be invincible

The All Blacks have finally been beaten, and despite the disappointing nature of defeat, their coach Graham Henry insists the lose is "a good thing".

Most people, before the game, were convinced that New Zealand would sweep all before them in the coming months resulting in a World Cup win. The result does not cast New Zealand's credentials into doubt, but it does give hope to others and prove they are not invincible.

Henry, who has grown tired on the invincible tag, believes the defeat will give the squad a chance to now reaccess where they are as well as providing huge motivation for the coming months.

"I think this is probably a very good thing in many respects," he told Fox Sports.

"It just put us back on our hind foot and made us think and rethink what we are doing.

"Hopefully this is motivational."

The expectation for New Zealand to deliver the World Cup has grown over the past years and has now become something of a burden, similar to 2003. At that stage four years ago New Zealand had whitewashed Australia in the Bledisloe Cup but went on to lose 22-10 in the World Cup semi-final.

Despite the winning score coming from a Luke McAlister mistake Henry was quick to defend the makeshift outside centre.

"We made some mistakes defensively generally, I won't blame any particular individual and that's the way it was," he said.

"And Mortlock played particularly well, had a big game, and exposed us a couple of times."

Henry was however far from happy with the manner in which referee Jonker handled the scrum, with both sides struggling to come to terms with his interpretations of the laws.

"It's frustrating the scrum at the moment," he said. "It needs to be looked at.

"That's not the way to play it really with short-arm penalties all the time. It's frustratin

planetrugby.com

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

RUGBY: Hayman fires All Blacks engin

Phil Wilkins - Rugby Heaven

The smoke of a Test match inevitably emerges from the fire of the scrum, and on Saturday night, stoking the furnace against Australia will be New Zealand's Carl Hayman - the most destructive force in international rugby.

Over and above the many contributing factors, it was the massive tight-head prop who paved the way for the All Blacks' absorbing, step-by-step, metre-by-metre revival from a 9-18 deficit to an eventual 26-21 victory in Durban last weekend.

When South African coach Jake White was ringing the changes with increasing desperation late in the Test, the one player he dared not take off was his talismanic 34-year-old loose-head prop, Os du Randt. In all of his international squad, he trusted no other to combat Hayman - and still the Boks lost.

Led by Hayman, the unrelenting power of New Zealand's scrum slowly squeezed the life and limbs from the Springboks pack, with only "Ox" du Randt's 125kg physique preventing the All Blacks winning by a landslide.

Since New Zealand's semi-final elimination by Australia in 2003, the lingering motivation for the 1.93m, 120kg, black-bearded Hayman has been his omission from the All Blacks' last World Cup campaign. Along with his Otago teammate and then 27-year-old hooker Anton Oliver, the front-rower was devastated to be left out by New Zealand's coach of the period, John Mitchell.

Significantly, when Graham Henry took the reins again after Mitchell's term ended, one of his first actions was to rush the pair back into the international fold. Last Saturday, both jogged out in New Zealand's starting XV against South Africa.

Despite the undoubted and outstanding talents of Keven Mealamu, Oliver is regarded as the superior scrummager. Mealamu's mobility and workrate make him an exceptional replacement off the bench, as was obvious at Absa Stadium.

New Zealand's forwards coach, Steve Hansen, told Fairfax rugby writer Marc Hinton of Hayman's enhanced standing among the All Blacks: "The thing that has really impressed me about Carl is his maturity as a person. He has grown tremendously and that is reflected in his preparation. It's reflected in his work ethic in the gym and the things he was probably not good at. Because he's doing that stuff from Sunday to Friday, his performances on game day have really improved.

"He's always been a good rugby player, and now he's probably the No.1 tight-head in the world. He's a huge asset to any side. He is 122kgs of sheer muscle. He's a big man and naturally strong. Not only is he a great scrummager, but also he's an outstanding lifter - which is handy in a lineout."

The rising alarm in the South African television broadcaster's voice foretold doom for the Springboks as the "enormous pressure" of Hayman started to tell and the "black tide" began freeing up the ball.

Suddenly, No.8 Rodney So'oialo was carving a 50-metre swathe through the Springboks' defensive line, carried on by his Wellington crony, Jerry Collins and finished by winger Joe Rokocoko, and the Test was over. Justifiably, Hayman's arms were held high at the final whistle.

They call Durban's ground the Shark Tank. Make no mistake, the black shark of the New Zealand team is Hayman, the ferocious No.3 diving headlong into every wave of every scrum, sending tremors through opposition packs.

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

RUGBY: To rest or not to rest

Yahoo!Xtra / Marcus Forbes

OK, hold the phone, back the truck up and give me a minute to get something off my chest.

So the Springboks have decided they want to give their top players a bit of a rest before the World Cup.

Sounds fair to me, the rest of the world's power players have done the same at some stage this season and let's be honest some have been doing the same thing for years.

Now there is outrage and officials are seething, disappointed and surprised over the issue.

But seriously, what is the difference between what the Springboks are doing and the All Blacks rotating their squad or England and France sending C strength teams on the road?

There is none.

And anyone who says this is devaluing test rugby should take a look at the state of the game.

It's World Cup year and we have all had it jammed down our throats that the most important thing this season is bringing home the William Webb Ellis trophy.

Every team involved in the competition will do everything in their power to win.

And who can blame them?

This is the most valued prize in world rugby.

You can call yourself the Tri-Nations champion, the Bledisloe Cup holder or Six Nations champ but it doesn't mean a hell of a lot when it comes to the world cup.

This is the be all and end all.

And no one is really going to bat an eyelid come September when the world cup kicks off about who did or didn't field a full-strength team in the Tri-Nations.

What's good for the goose has got to be good for the gander.

So basically if you ask me, there's really not a lot the power brokers can do about this.

And is it just me or are the head honchos at the various rugby unions getting it all a bit wrong?

At the end of the day it's the fans that are suffering.

The ticket prices won't come down because the strength of the opposition has.

Your Sky subscription isn't going to get any cheaper because the teams are weaker.

And too be honest something needs to be done about this.

This isn't going to be an issue that disappears.

Yes, next season we'll see the Super 14 and Tri-Nations completely full of A grade sides.

But when the next World Cup comes around it will be the same issue.

Each team will find a way of resting their top players to make sure they are at full strength to be in the final and win it.

So, what are the people at the IRB doing to help out the fans?

Whatever they do they must act now.

This is a right now topic, once we get to the World Cup no one is going to care again.

So the message is pretty clear to all the rugby unions.

Do what you have to to win the big trophies but don't do it at the expense of the fans.

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

RUGBY: Jake’s white flag

Jake White’s refusal to test his best away from home is as good as hoisting the World Cup white flag, writes Keo in his Independent Newspapers weekly column.

Minutes after All Blacks captain Richie McCaw on Saturday night told the Springboks the current generation of All Black finally had an appreciation of the Springboks and All Blacks rivalry, it was confirmed a second-string Bok squad would play the All Blacks in New Zealand.

The biggest All Black compliment of the last decade was returned with an even bigger South African insult.

Just when the respect is back for the contest, the national selectors pick a team with disregard for the traditions of the rivalry. New Zealand versus South Africa is supposed to be best plays best.

Springbok coach Jake White was adamant the mass pull-out was logical and necessary if the Boks were to win the World Cup. White said it was ludicrous to risk his first choice players in New Zealand. Why?

What was the risk? Is he talking the psychological blow of further defeat or is he masking behind potential injury risk?

If his available best can’t win in Durban, has he privately conceded they have no price in Christchurch? White needs the players and the public to believe a World Cup win against the All Blacks is possible. And he now has the escape of saying who knows how the first-choice team would have gone in New Zealand.

Where defeat in Christchurch would crush the Boks’ spirits, the coach will argue his second-string option is an all-win situation. Any decent performance will be a moral victory. Some would say there is brilliance in the thinking.

It is one way of looking at it; the other is White is simply delaying the inevitable by not fronting the All Blacks in New Zealand with his best.

That game would have given him the most honest assessment of their ability to beat the All Blacks on neutral ground.

White, in refusing to back his best to win in New Zealand in three weeks’ time, will have his conviction questioned. Does he really believe this team can do it in Paris? Or does he hope they can?

We won’t know the answer until the World Cup is over. But if fatigue is the currency for escaping selection accountability then why did exhausted Bulls and Sharks players get selected to play a third-choice England seven days after a titanic Super 14 final? Why did these same players again play England a week later?

The rest White now promotes should have come during the first three home Tests against meaningless opposition. The World Cup dress rehearsal should have been this Tri-Nations. White, playing his best against New Zealand and Australia’s best, would have known the World Cup state of play.

Saru has used science to defend the mass withdrawal. Where is the science in resting the likes of Ashwin Willemse, Os du Randt and CJ van der Linde, who hardly played in the Super 14? Jaque Fourie missed a month of rugby and only started as recently as the Wallabies Test. Fourie du Preez has not played for six weeks.

There was sound basis for tinkering with the squad for the demands of overseas travel. The All Blacks will see the mass withdrawal as a Bok white flag and confirmation of how much damage they did to the Boks’ World Cup psyche by winning in Durban.

Mark Keohane - keo.co.za

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

RUGBY: Class counters crassness

Monday 25 June 2007

Classy substitutes proved decisive for the All Blacks in Durban, writes Keo in the Independent Group Newspapers.

The All Blacks emphasised the importance of a world-class reserves bench to condemn the Springboks to a painful defeat.

Keven Mealamu, Piri Weepu, Luke McAlister and Leon Macdonald all made an immediate difference to a test match that was crass viewing, but for the connoisseur this crassness would have been a picture of beauty.

After the run-on XV’s had brutally battered each other for an hour, New Zealand won the match in the last quarter because they had the classier impact players.

The Boks led 21-12 with 15 minutes to play, but nine points was an inflated buffer courtesy of Butch James’s intercept try. At that stage the Boks were probably a three-point better side, but New Zealand coach Graham Henry knew he could introduce players capable of scoring 15-20 points in as many minutes.

Jake White couldn’t.

The Boks, on this particular Saturday, did not have the man-power to counter New Zealand’s impact players. Injury had depleted the Boks in the build-up to this test and perhaps a Pierre Spies, Bryan Habana and Fourie du Preez would have made a difference because it would have allowed Ruan Pienaar and Danie Rossouw to strike with fresh legs in the last quarter.

Who knows?

What we do know is that the All Blacks can win away from home when Dan Carter does not play well. Carter, the best flyhalf produced in the professional era, has battled for form this season and it did not get any better for him in Durban.

His decision-making was poor and he took great exception to James’s defence, some of it legal, some of it not. The physical attention upset Carter and his game suffered because of it. Fortunately for New Zealand they have two world class inside centres in Aaron Mauger and McAlister. When Carter doesn’t go well, one of Mauger or McAlister invariably takes up the challenge.

The All Blacks, in the last three years, have matured. All Black teams have played better in South Africa and lost. This one can play a game of decidedly better quality than we saw on Saturday, but they will struggle to show greater ticker in defence, composure in scrambling back and physical intensity.

Jerry Collins and Richie McCaw were colossal for the All Blacks, while Schalk Burger was massive for the Boks.

It was billed as a dress rehearsal of the World Cup final in France. Some won’t be so sure as the Boks’ attacking limitations were again exposed, despite an abundance of possession in the first hour.

To beat the All Blacks, in Durban, in Christchurch and in Paris, it is accepted that the Boks have to maintain physical intensity in defence for 80 minutes. They know it and so do the All Blacks.

In Durban this intensity never went past 65 minutes. The last 15 minutes belonged to the All Blacks, who would have won more comfortably had Carter not missed three kicks that would have swung the momentum earlier.

Injured Bok captain John Smit’s presence at hooker and as leader was missed. That was one positive to take from the game because it showed up the folly of the constant criticism Smit has had to endure.

Sadly, though, Os du Randt is on one leg. White has invested so much faith in Du Randt being the cornerstone of his pack at the World Cup. But as they say in the bible, faith without works is dead, and the work in Du Randt’s legs are no longer there.

The All Blacks deserved a win that meant a lot to them. You only had to witness their elation at the final whistle. They struck the big psychological blow in Durban because what we got out of the game was the strength of the All Blacks and the weakness of the Boks.

The New Zealanders have balance to their attack and defence. The Boks don’t. And that is the brutal concession White will have to make if he has any chance of fixing it before Paris.

Mark Keohane - keo.co.za

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

RUGBY: Henry builds up Durban clash

Friday 22nd June 2007

It's been a week for clichés in Durban ahead of Saturday's Tri-Nations match between South Africa and New Zealand, and some 30 hours before kick-off, All Black coach Graham Henry used his opening press conference address to neatly summarise them all.

"What a beautiful day!" he exclaimed.

"Middle of winter and 26 degrees. City and country in huge anticipation of a great rugby game, two top teams in the world playing each other in the most demanding competition in world rugby. we are all looking forward to it."

Captain Richie McCaw was a little more pragmatic about the situations he will face on Saturday, with the Eastern Cape winter about as far removed from the Christchurch winter as it can get.

" It's different to what we usually get," he said.

"I guess I got used to playing under lights, and I think back on the South island it's snowing, so it will be different. But it will be fun."

Jokes, clichés, and weather chat aside, the All Blacks are enjoying the smoothest of build-ups to the game, while the Boks have been cruelly shorn of four senior members of their pack.

Bob Skinstad's replacement of Pierre Spies at number eight has been a particular talking point, and Henry was quick to hint that it would change the pattern of the Boks' play.

"Skinstad and Spies are different players physically aren't they," he said.

"Skinstad is more of a ball-runner than a carrier, so I think that might change things for them a bit.

"But I haven't really given the changes a great deal of thought to be frank. Loose forward is an area of huge strength in SA rugby, I watched Super 14 and was very impressed with the quality of loose forwards.

"They can play all sorts of different combinations and not lose potency.

"We expect them to take us on up front. More of the same. They always look to get physical domination and they will do so tomorrow, and that starts up front."

McCaw also expects a crunching battle up front, and is well aware of Danie Roussouw's potential to cause problems at the line-out.

"They take you hard - perhaps not directly on the ball, but at the breakdown.

"It was important in the last three weeks to get us all back together as a unit, but there is a sense of it being here and now where it really starts.

"It doesn't get too much bigger than tomorrow, and everything has gone up a level this week. Hopefully we can do that with the performance tomorrow as well.

"I guess Danie Roussouw is a big man, and they were pretty smart as it is, so we have to make sure we try and pour some pressure on them, and make sure it doesn't change what we try to achieve on our own ball," he said.

"There's no extra training - well... there's always big line-out training! But that's always been the case, it won't be any different to what we have already experienced."

South Africa are totting up a number of niggly injuries, while New Zealand's casualty list is of a more once-off nature - broken jaws, knee ligaments, paternity leave - and it is fair to say, given the comparative energies visible within the teams, that the re-conditioning programme instituted by Henry at the start of the year is reaping rewards, despite Henry's attempts to play it down.

Disturbingly for other countries, Henry also hinted that although he found the Tri-Nations the most demanding tournament in world rugby, he was not aiming to peak just yet - an ominous statement of intent indeed if the All Blacks do win tomorrow.

"The benefits of reconditioning are for later in the year - we are hoping to peak later in the year," he said.

"We have injuries as well with Ali Williams and Keith Robinson's calf muscle.

"Injuries are just part and parcel of the international game. Depth in the squad is important, it is something we have tried to develop over the last three or four years and it is something the Springboks have developed as well.

"When it comes to World Cup time, the side with that depth is going to come through, because you are going to get injuries, it is the nature of the game.

"The Boks have played a lot of football on end - remember they played the semi-finals and final of the Super 14 as well, and then three Test matches. There will be wear and tear. It is how you handle it at the time that is important."

By Danny Stephens in Durban - Planet Rugby

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

RUGBY: 3N Preview: South Africa v New Zealand

Thursday 21st June 2007

Pienaar: Could he be South Africa's missing link?

This is it! Both coaches have played it down this week, but there is little doubt in most minds that this is dress rehearsal, part one, for October's Rugby World Cup final.

Both are behaving like it already is the World Cup final. There have been police guards at training, and there has been aloofness from both teams in their dealings with the media this week, with sessions heavily-policed by the gatekeepers of information and restricted to the barest minimum of time.

It seems, from the late changes to the Bok team, that they at least have good reason to throw up the cloaks of secrecy. If politics has bedevilled Jake White's previous attempts to field his first-choice team up to now, in the week that matters it is injury sneaking up to apply the rubber to the pencilled names on the team-sheet. The losses of John Smit and Juan Smith were anticipated blows, but the sudden additional loss of Pierre Spies will leave a hole that cannot be filled.

Politics may still be wrapping up White's mission in red tape behind the scenes - it is rumoured that Ashwin Willemse's place in the side would have been Frans Steyn's but for a command from a higher being - but publicly at least, there appears to be a blessedly united front about the Boks' preparations for Saturday's clash.

New Zealand have never been anything but united since Graham Henry took over, and the team has been quietly bubbling up all week, with energetic training sessions, clean bills of health, and confident arrogance pervading every movement.

Henry's cotton-wool policy of resting his players at the start of the season has paid a rich dividend. While the injuries creeping into the Bok squad - muscular tears and deep bruises - are those that you would normally associate with tiring players nearing the business end of an abrasive season, Henry's troop is enjoying the effervescence of battle-hardened health that a team has after stepping its way through the minefield of early-season niggles.

It is this that will give them the edge in Saturday's encounter. The slow speed of the Boks' recovery from the hammering dished out by Australia last weekend has left them precious little time to get the matchday structures right, and although you can argue that New Zealand have had just as little time because of the jet-lag involved in the long journey, the brief glances afforded of their training have revealed a team anything but weary. Monday's training session was marked by a caterwaul of whoops and battle-cries as things went right.

The injuries have hit the Boks where it really hurts. Smit's absence will be filled by Gary Botha in the loose, and Botha's runs may tempt the Boks into a more open style of play, but Anton Oliver was right when he hinted that the Bok scrum will now be easier to split down the middle. Botha is good, but he is not the scrummager Smit is.

In the back row, Smith's absence removes some of the speedy dynamic from the Boks' hard-hitting game, and Spies' absence merely exacerbates that. With Bob Skinstad, the Boks have a ball player, but not the battering ram hitherto favoured by White.

The Boks have lost key elements of their preferred weapons of choice - scrum and back-row charge, and in other aspects, the All Blacks are streets ahead. Out wide there is no comparison between the two teams whether Jaque Fourie is injured or fit, and although White waxed lyrical about the Boks' ball retention skills on Wednesday, New Zealand won't really need all that much ball to get the necessary points. Up front, the Boks' slight edge has been lost, and if they are forced into an open game, they may end up signing their own death warrant.

Neither coach believes, publicly, that it would be a setback to World Cup preparations if defeated, but the Boks, at home and on a roll, have far more to lose and far more pressure on them to win. Losing away from home in the Tri-Nations opener would not be a huge setback for Graham Henry, but a home defeat for the Boks would be a huge psychological blow. After Saturday, it may well be interesting to see how they cope with it.

Ones to watch:

For South Africa: So much has been made of Pierre Spies as the new great thing of SA rugby, but quietly slipping into the team as a regular, and making a massive difference to South Africa's play last week, is scrum-half Ruan Pienaar. His distribution from the base of the scrum was just the snappy, zippy ball that ought to set a back-line firing, and a more adventurous fly-half than Butch James - Andre Pretorius for example - would use it to set the back-line alight. He is also a useful weapon with an ounce of space with his elegant acceleration and eye for a move. Spies may be a rising star but Pienaar is poised to be a truly great scrum-half if given the chance.

For New Zealand: The latest bright thing shining bright in New Zealand's stellar backs is Isaia Toeava. He struggled initially to lose his greenness when thrust into the team, but a terrific Super 14 full of tries, tackle-busts and steps shows he is now up to the level, and Graham Henry could finally have found an outside centre to rely on for the next four years, never mind this one.

Head to head: Carl Hayman v Os du Randt. Hayman is, relative to position, the best player in the world right now, but he comes up against a fearless old campaigner with every trick in the book within his repertoire in South Africa's 'big Os' on Saturday.

Prediction: New Zealand are fresh, South Africa are not. The Boks will put up a fight to be sure, but they may find themselves run ragged by the end of Saturday. New Zealand by 15 points.

Recent results:

2000: New Zealand won 25-12 in Christchurch
2000: South Africa won 46-40 in Johannesburg
2001: New Zealand won 12-3 in Cape Town
2001: New Zealand won 26-15 in Auckland
2002: New Zealand won 41-20 in Wellington
2002: New Zealand won 30-23 in Durban
2003: New Zealand won 52-16 in Pretoria
2003: New Zealand won 19-11 in Dunedin
2003: New Zealand won 29-9 in Melbourne
2004: New Zealand won 23-21 in Christchurch
2004: South Africa won 40-26 in Johannesburg
2005: South Africa won 22-16 in Cape Town
2005: New Zealand won 31-27 in Dunedin
2006: New Zealand won 35-17 in Wellington
2006: New Zealand won 45-26 in Pretoria
2006: South Africa won 21-20 in Rustenburg

The teams:

South Africa:15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Ashwin Willemse, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Butch James, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Bob Skinstad, 7 Danie Rossouw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 BJ Botha, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Johann Muller, 19 Pedrie Wannenburg, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Wynand Olivier, 22 Frans Steyn.

New Zealand:New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Isaia Toeava, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Greg Rawlinson, 4 Troy Flavell, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Anton Oliver, 1 Tony Woodcock
Replacements: 16 Kevin Mealamu, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Ross Filipo, 19 Chris Masoe, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Luke McAlister, 22 Leon McDonald.

Date: Saturday, 23 June
Venue: ABSA Stadium, Durban
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
Weather: Sunny skies, 25°C, low humidity, little wind. A perfect day, cooling later to 10°C
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges: Wayne Barnes (England), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Hugh Watkins (Wales)

By Danny Stephens - Planet Rugby

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

RUGBY: 'The All Blacks are ordinary!'

By Mark Keohane - iol.co.za

Don't make the mistake of putting the All Blacks on a pedestal. They are not that good that you need to strain your neck in taking a peak at their match 22.

The Springboks aren't that good either, which means we should have a decent contest on Saturday, much as we did in Cape Town against Australia.

The negativity in assessing the Boks' come-from-behind win at Newlands against the best defensive team in the game has been bizarre. It was a positive result that should be appreciated.

Equally perplexing has been the instant elevation in status of the All Blacks. This is the same team who have won just once against the Boks in this country in the last four years. On what basis do they start as favourites in Durban?

The All Blacks have been ordinary in three Tests this season. Dan Carter and Richie McCaw are the game's best in their positions, but on form both are not the best in New Zealand.

The top four locks in New Zealand aren't in Durban and the All Black selectors still don't know if centre Isaia Toeava has the Test match temperament to match his talent.

This is not an All Blacks side riding the crest of a wave, but one that looks like it has been hit by a wave in 2007.

The Boks will beat the All Blacks if they confront the form of the guys wearing black jerseys and are not influenced by the legend of the jersey.

And if the Boks get their psyche right and win, does that make them World Cup favourites? No. The relevance of this Tri-Nations is how teams perform away from home.

Australia's World Cup standing improved after the thriller at Newlands and New Zealand will face a similar evaluation in Durban and Melbourne a week later.

The Boks will be judged when they play overseas, which is why Jake White should shelve any notion of sending a second team Down Under.

The Boks, by winning at home, can build momentum and confidence, but wins in Australia and New Zealand will give the players a conviction far more powerful.

There are those who have said the Boks could upset the All Blacks in Durban. Why would it be a surprise?

Individually, the two teams are well matched. If you picked a combined team, it would be 8-7 to one or the other.

An upset would be if the All Blacks provided 13 players to the Boks' two and then lost. South Africa should win on Saturday, but no victory in Durban will be an indicator of better days at the World Cup.

Winning at home is the norm for the All Blacks and Springboks.

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

RUGBY: Tri-Nations Preview - Australia

Wednesday 13th June 2007

The Wallabies are virtually down and out. They are regarded as no-hopers for both the Tri-Nations and Rugby World Cup tournaments - or so their critics would have us believe.

Following the unprecedented poor performances of the Australian franchises in the Super 14 - the Brumbies in fifth place were their best performers, followed by the Force in seventh, while the Waratahs and Reds propped up the bottom of the table - the critics were convinced that the Wallabies are there for the taking.

And they did indeed look vulnerable in their opening match of the year against Wales - they were indeed there for the taking. However, the Aussies showed some real character in coming back to sneak a 29-23 win and then whitewash the Welsh (31-0) in the second Test. They showed further growth in thrashing the Fijians 49-0 the following week.

While a number of questions remain over the Australians' ability to step up in crunch matches, they at least showed they will not be the cannon fodder most expected them to be.

What makes it even more interesting is that with the 2007 Tri-Nations series reduced to a six-Test tournament (two home matches each) - to allow for the
Rugby World Cup which kicks off in France on 7 September - the attrition rate will be a lot less on the teams, which will certainly benefit the Wallabies.

The key for Australia will be how their old guard of George Gregan, Stephen Larkham and Stirling Mortlock perform. These remain the key players for the Wallabies and that is why a shortened event - which reduces the risk of serious injury - can benefit them.

You still wouldn't make them favourites, but anybody writing the Wallabies off do so at their own peril.

Strengths: They have experience in abundance in the backline - three of the wisest heads in world rugby in George Gregan (a world record 123 test caps), Stephen Larkham (107 caps) and Stirling Mortlock (56 caps). Then there is their continuity game. When the Wallabies get this going they trouble any team in the world.

Weakness: Question marks remain over the ability of their tight forwards and their scrum in particular. Any team that puts them under pressure in the set pieces will disrupt their game plan. They also don't have real dept, especially in the 9/10/12 channel.

Coach: A career rugby coach, John Connolly has more than 15 years coaching experience at the elite level. He took over from predecessor Eddie Jones as Wallaby coach in February 2006. The man, known to many in rugby circles simply as 'Knuckles', says he is ready for the challenge of preparing the Wallabies for the Rugby World Cup in France in 2007. But first he has to get through this year's Tri-Nations.

Captain: The decision to appoint 'co-captains' (Stirling Mortlock and Phil Waugh) is seen as both visionary and foolhardy. However, it does allow for smooth transition when the wise old heads of Mortlock, Gregan and Larkham move on next year. After returning from his first tour (Europe November 2006) as captain of the Wallabies, Stirling Mortlock is primed to extend his leadership credentials ahead of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Phil Waugh became the 74th player to captain the Wallabies, leading the team on against Wales at Millennium Stadium on last year's year-end tour.

Previous campaigns:

2006: Second
2005: Third
2004: Second
2003: Second
2002: Second
2001: Champions
2000: Champions
1999: Second
1998: Second
1997: Third
1996: Third

2007 prospects: They will put up stern resistance, but their tight forwards frailties and lack of depth will count against them. Third place (or last place if you will) finish.

Fixtures:

June 16: v South Africa, Newlands, Cape Town - 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
June 30: v New Zealand, MCG, Melbourne - 20.00 (10.00 GMT)
July 7: v South Africa, Telstra Stadium, Sydney - 20.00 (10.00 GMT)
July 21: v New Zealand, Eden Park, Auckland - 19.35 (07.35 GMT)

Squad: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Alistair Baxter, Mark Chisholm, Sam Cordingley, Matt Dunning, Rocky Elsom, Adam Freier, Mark Gerrard, Matt Giteau, George Gregan, Stephen Hoiles, Julian Huxley, Stephen Larkham, Drew Mitchell, Stephen Moore, Stirling Mortlock (c), Wycliff Palu, Benn Robinson, Nathan Sharpe, Guy Shepherdson, George Smith, Scott Staniforth, Lote Tuqiri, Dan Vickerman, Phil Waugh (c)

By Jan de Koning _ Planet Rugby

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

RUGBY: Tri-Nations Preview - South Africa

Wednesday 13th June 2007

For perhaps the first time ever, the Springboks head into this year's Tri-Nations series with a sense of fear and awe attached to their name by their opponents.

South African rugby is on a high.

Coming off the back of unprecedented Super Rugby success, with the Bulls and the Sharks both winning home semi-finals, Springbok coach Jake White and captain John Smit seem ready to assert some dominance in world rugby.

Not only has there been domestic success, but the national line-up is looking settled and fairly polished to boot.

The pack is big. There are no two ways about it; it is a big and mean South African pack, and that has always meant something when facing Australia and New Zealand.

The backs, whilst not being perhaps the slickest and most cohesive outfit, are scoring tries - albeit relying on the likes of Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers to carve them out of nothing.

But perhaps this optimism needs to be tempered somewhat. Whilst the rugby has been plain-sailing, the backroom politics have been torrid, with Jake White incessantly clashing with his employers.

Added to this is the thought that if you get on top of this large South African side, as England did in the first half of their last meeting, the soft underbelly of this side is all too easily exposed, and there is perhaps not a lot left after speed and power are nullified.

Strengths: This team, as said before, is a settled outfit, and the forwards' power must be rated as their chief weapon. Added to that, is the backline's ability to pounce on opposition errors to score quick and easy tries.

Weaknesses: The chief weakness of this side is its conservatism. White is a conservative selector, and the players are big and powerful, but it is questionable whether they have the pattern and ability to win the big games when mere strength is not enough.

Coach: Jake White is under fire, make no mistake. A shocking season last year, which also saw him fall out with the bosses of SA Rugby over contractual and then transformation issues, sees him under vast pressure this year. Added to this, is the endless Luke Watson-saga. Besides the politics, this needs to be the year where White actually proves that all his talk about building the perfect Rugby World Cup combination can come good. It could go either way.

Captain: Hooker John Smit has not always been the public's favourite. And like Jake White, his play has become more and more conservative and traditional. In past years, his form has not been good at all, but this year's Super 14 emerged as his finest performance in a competition yet. He has shown that the players back him, but the question remains whether he is able to lead a Springbok side to victory when they are trailing the All Blacks or Wallabies with only minutes to go.

Previous campaigns:

2006: Third
2005: Second
2004: Champions
2003: Third
2002: Third
2001: Third
2000: Third
1999: Third
1998: Champions
1997: Second
1996: Second

2007 Prospects: All the talk has been positive, and the Australians and New Zealanders have enjoyed talking up the Springboks ahead of this year's competition. But it is going to be a tough campaign for the Springboks. The All Blacks are still the most exciting team in world rugby, and the Australians may be a dark horse if they can hold the fort in the front row. The Springboks will finish second.

Squad: Os du Randt, Gurthro Steenkamp, John Smit (captain), Gary Botha, BJ Botha, CJ van der Linde, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Johann Muller, Albert van den Berg, Schalk Burger, Pedrie Wannenburg, Juan Smith, Danie Rossouw, Bob Skinstad, Pierre Spies, Fourie du Preez, Ruan Pienaar, Michael Claassens, Butch James, Derick Hougaard, Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Wynand Olivier, Waylon Murray, Ashwin Willemse, Akona Ndungane, JP Pietersen, Percy Montgomery, Francois Steyn.

Fixtures:

16 June: v Australia, Newlands, Cape Town 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
23 June: v New Zealand, ABSA Stadium, Durban, 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
7 July: v Australia, Stadium Australia, Sydney, 20.00 (10.00 GMT)
14 July: v New Zealand, Jade Stadium, Christchurch, 19.35 (9.35 GMT)

By Chris Waldburger - Planet Rugby

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

RUGBY: Tri-Nations Preview - New Zealand

Wednesday 13th June 2007

In case you have been living in a cocoon for the past couple of years, New Zealand are the world's number one rugby team.

They are odds-on favourites to take the Rugby World Cup in France later this year, they have a squad depth that creates a green mist of envy over the faces of all of coach Graham Henry's counterparts, they are unbeaten in 23 matches at home (likely to be 24 by the time the Tri-Nations starts assuming they beat Canada) and they play a brand of rugby that has neutrals all over the place swooning with delight.

Most of the players in visiting teams fall over themselves to confess that even against the All Blacks B team - whatever that may be - all the other international A teams would struggle. Everyone tries to find a chink in the armour, but the armour on this team is eerily like the armour of the advanced model in Terminator II: even if you cleave it apart once, it simply melts back together, forms itself into a lethal cutting tool, and then slices its opposition apart.

One final test probably awaits in the form of Jake White's Springboks. White has masterminded the All Blacks' only two defeats of the past couple of years, basing his tactics on size and speed and a shamelessly bullish implementation of the two. Only the Boks have been able to bundle the All Blacks to the floor, and keep them there until the final whistle.

Graham Henry's start-of-year re-conditioning programme could have been a protest against the amount of rugby foisted upon all the players by the various competition bodies, but lurking in the back of Henry's mind might also have been an idea that his players needed just a little more muscle to cope with their likely challengers from across the time zones.

That re-conditioning appeared to be backfiring for a time, with several players getting early-season injuries mid-season in the Super 14, and many not up to speed initially. In the first Test against the weak French, the All Blacks as a team struggled to get into top gear.

But last week's French re-match saw a vast improvement, and it signalled the start of an upward trend for this team. The trick is to know when to peak ... Tri-Nations or Rugby World Cup? Time will tell.

Strengths: The best front row in the world, a perfect combination of physicality and speed in the back-row, the best fly-half in the world, and a set of backs that know each other's ins and outs intimately. Oh, and a reserve XV every bit as good as the first XV in most positions.

Weaknesses: There lingers a doubt about the ability to withstand a sustained physical onslaught, and the line-out is prone to occasional bouts of the yips. But instances of either symptom are few and far between, and becoming fewer and further.

Coach: Graham Henry is an ex-grammar school headmaster who has taken Auckland to four consecutive NPC titles, the Auckland Blues to a brace of Super 12 titles, taken Wales out of a deep slump, and taken New Zealand to the brink of greatness. The Rugby World Cup would cap a fine career.

Captain: Richie McCaw made his All Blacks debut at the age of 20 in Ireland in 2000, and inherited the captain's mantle from Tana Umaga after the Grand Slam tour of 2005 - he had been heir apparent for a long time. He is by some distance the best openside in the world.

Previous campaigns:

1996: Champions
1997: Champions
1998: Third
1999: Champions
2000: Second
2001: Second
2002: Champions
2003: Champions
2004: Third
2005: Champions
2006: Champions

2007 prospects: They really ought to win. There could be a stumble on the road in Durban, but expect the performances to improve and improve as the tournament wears on.

Fixtures:

June 23: v South Africa, ABSA Stadium, Durban - 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
June 30: v Australia, Melbourne Cricket Ground - 20.00 (10.00 GMT)
July 14: v South Africa, Jade Stadium, Christchurch - 19.35 (07.35 GMT)
July 21: v Australia, Eden Park, Auckland - 19.35 (07.35 GMT)

Squad:

Forwards: Ali Williams, Andrew Hore, Anton Oliver, Carl Hayman, Chris Jack, Chris Masoe, Greg Rawlinson, Jerry Collins, John Schwalger, Keith Robinson, Keven Mealamu, Neemia Tialata, Reuben Thorne, Richie McCaw, Rodney So'oialo, Ross Filipo, Tony Woodcock, Troy Flavell.

Backs: Aaron Mauger, Brendon Leonard, Byron Kelleher, Conrad Smith, Dan Carter, Doug Howlett, Isaia Toeava, JoE Rokocoko, Leon MacDonald, Luke McAlister, Ma'a Nonu, Malili Muliaina, Nick Evans, Piri Weepu, Rico Gear, Sitiveni Sivivatu.

By Danny Stephens - Planet Rugby

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