Think Tim Duncan's the shy, quiet type? His thankful teammates know better.

TK HEADLINE | www.espn.com | Ric Bucher

The San Antonio Spurs are about to begin their 1999 playoff run and Tim Duncan could use a ring of orange safety cones around him. It's less than an hour before Game 1, and Duncan is in game uniform and his standard-issue NBA socks, standing in front of his locker. He bends his seven-foot frame slightly as he tries to drop a plastic sports-drink bottle into the heel of his left basketball shoe from about five feet high, and he's buggin' because he can't. Why is he trying at all? Duncan hates such questions. For the same reason he got a tongue stud last summer. Ask why, and he says, "Why not?"

"You pierced? You tatted?" jumps in partner-in-crime point guard Antonio Daniels. They've been tight since rooming together at the '97 NBA rookie orientation, and when the Spurs acquired Daniels from the Grizzlies last June, Duncan was the first to call. Both peer at you closely, as if they're more interested in your reaction than your reply, which is no piercings, no tattoos. Daniels and Duncan exchange a glance.

"Ohhhhhhhh," Daniels says, as if you'd just clanked two potential game-winning free throws. "You're conservative." And Duncan, despite what you may have heard, is clearly not. But piercing his tongue hopefully took far fewer stabs than getting the bottle into the shoe.

Time after time, Duncan drops the bottle, only to see it skitter across the locker room floor, his teammates blithely going around him as he chases after it. After the fifth miss he looks up with those huge E.T. eyes, grabs his tear-away warmups and, exasperated, yanks them open as if ripping them to shreds. Finally, on the eighth try, there is the solid thunk of bottle finding sole. "Hey, all that counts is the last one," he says before lumbering off to the training room to continue his pregame routine.

That combination of playfulness and persistence—along with an astonishing arsenal of post moves, unselfishness and defensive prowess—is why the Spurs are in the Finals for the first time in their 26-year history. Duncan is at the heart of this team because every Spur, in one way or another, can identify with him. He can go toe-to-toe cerebrally with David Robinson, Sean Elliott or Avery Johnson. He has some bulldog in him like Mario Elie, Jaren Jackson, Malik Rose and Jerome Kersey. He makes up for his lack of athleticism with precision, much like Steve Kerr and Will Perdue. And he's as much of a cut-up as Daniels or Rose. When asked if this Spurs team can win it all, they all echo Tim's mantra: Why not?

He has shown them it's possible to simultaneously bear down and not take things too seriously. If he has the quiet confidence that anything is possible, it is because, as Perdue says, he's "a 15-year-old in a 23-year-old's body." And the Spurs needed to grow down. Before Duncan came along chasing sports-drink bottles, smirking behind sportswriters' backs and exuding a no-biggie 'tude, this team was mired in its tragic flaws. They took everything said about them to heart, trying so hard to dispel the criticism they'd perpetuate it instead. Pose a question and they'd analyze themselves into a funk. You know the rap sheet: Elliott couldn't pull the trigger in the clutch. Johnson would pull it, fire a few blanks and holster it. Robinson, conflicted between being competitive and being a good human being, could be pushed around.

Not annnnnyyymoorrre.

If Duncan has heeded his teammates' suggestion that he was a tad too nonchalant in last year's playoffs (4-1 second-round loss to Utah), the rest of the Spurs are chalanting as never before. Robinson is exchanging shoves with Joe Smith and wagging a finger in referee Don Vaden's face. Elliott is burying a game-winning three-pointer as he pirouettes along the sideline against the Blazers. (First to hug him after the game? You guessed it.) Johnson is going 0-for-8 in the first half and still firing, making two huge second-half 18-footers in a Game 1 conference finals win. "Tim seems to believe this is our year," Rose says. "And if he believes it, we're all going to believe it."

The Spurs are entertained by Duncan's preoccupation with video games, sophomoric jokes and general insistence upon living "a stress-free life," as Elie puts it. But they also admire his composure and mental toughness on the court. When the Blazers threatened to extend the conference finals to a fifth game, it was Duncan who blocked a runner by J.R. Rider in the paint to protect a one-point lead, then padded it with a pair of offensive three-point plays, muscling his way around Brian Grant on one and Rasheed Wallace on the other.

Duncan has evolved into the team's emotional barometer and favorite kid brother at the same time. He had to wear ties in grade school in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, and has such an aversion to them now he specifically bought a tab-collared shirt for draft night. He clearly remembers the last time he wore a suit—last year's All-Star Game—when he walked onto an elevator to find himself surrounded by veterans in warmup suits. His idea of a good time is chomping on sweet and sour strips (think fruit-flavored sugar linguine) and waxing Daniels at Tekken 3 on his PlayStation.

The PlayStation and his Porsche Carrera are his favorite possessions. His standard dress is baggy jeans, baggy T-shirt and unlaced work boots. He calls a video-game maker his best endorsement deal because it sends him new games to test. He trades quips with the ball boy or the video coordinator the same as he would Daniels or AJ. One second he is recommending a particularly toasty hot-water pad to Steve Kerr ("Awwww, Steve, you gotta try it"), the next he is describing in great detail racing trucks with Elliott and Perdue. He wears his practice shorts backward (he had a great workout after accidentally reversing them as a Demon Deacon freshman) and hugs the ball before every game and asks, "Where's Liky?"—Malik Rose—right before the Spurs run onto the court, even if Rose is standing right next to him.

Night life? Duncan claims he partied back in the day, but he goes for months at a time now without a sip of alcohol. He's perfectly content hanging at home with his two housemates, college sweetheart Amy Sherrill and Wake Forest buddy and business manager Mark Scott. Daniels recalls the one time they went out clubbing, in Vancouver, to celebrate Daniels' 24th birthday. "I looked over at him and said, 'You look funny.' " Daniels says. "He just didn't look right to me hanging out in a club."

If any team could appreciate a guy with disparate public and private personas, it's the Spurs. Johnson is acclaimed as a devout Christian, yet he'll curse like a sailor if his man gets a layup because Duncan or Robinson don't provide their prescribed defensive help. Mild-mannered Elliott has developed a race car-driving passion. Clean-cut Kerr finds dirty jokes on the Internet to tell. Then there's Robinson, the mildest-mannered, cleanest-cut Christian of them all. He stoically battled through back pain to be the team's defensive stopper this season, a far less glorious role than being the offensive go-to guy. Then the NBA coaches goofed by voting Duncan onto the All-Defensive first team instead of Robinson. "Everyone on this team knows David is our best defender," Rose says. The Admiral joked about it, saying in a team meeting, "If he's first-team All-Defense, then let him guard Shaq!"

Robinson has accepted his altered role and helped Duncan grow into his in part because Duncan gave him the space to do so. Word is the Spurs knew there was a new commanding officer when the rookie Duncan schooled Robinson their first day of training camp together. But Duncan deferred to David all last season out of respect for time served. That's how the two came to walk side by side through a back tunnel on June 6 after sweeping the Blazers, arms around each other's necks, their roles momentarily reversed. Now it was Robinson whooping and shouting "Yes!" while giving Duncan an appreciative squeeze. Duncan beamed, simply happy he had a part in bringing the old guy such joy.

Duncan's kindred spirit on this team is not Robinson, though, but 50-year-old coach Gregg Popovich, the most iconoclastic cadet the Air Force Academy ever graduated. He shares Duncan's view of basketball as something to be passionate about, but not treated as a prime directive. Asked if he deserved more credit for the team's success, Popovich says, "The question never enters my mind. People who find cures for cancer deserve credit."

Two such minds can create some unusual dialogue. At one point this season, Duncan too easily allowed his man to get the ball with one foot in the paint. Duncan had no choice but to foul. Popovich waved him over to the sideline as the first free throw went up. "Timmy, how we doin'?" "Fine, how 'bout you?" "Are we havin' fun yet?" Duncan played along, inspecting the air above his head as if looking for confetti. "No, not yet." "You think maybe if you three-quarter that guy, maybe touch him, he won't catch the ball so easily?" "Hey, that's probably a good idea." "Why don't you give it a shot." Pop turned away in mock disgust. Duncan dutifully ratcheted up his intensity on the next few defensive stands, then jogged by the bench, patted Popovich on the butt and said oh-so-insincerely, "Hey, Pop, thanks for the support. Really fired me up."

Their relationship was forged when Popovich made a get-to-know-you trip to Duncan's home on St. Croix before the 1997 draft in which the Spurs held the top pick. They were scheduled to meet the first day at 10 a.m. Duncan showed up 40 minutes late, his boyhood buddy Rashidi Cleneance in tow, no explanation offered. Popovich let it roll, sensing that Duncan was putting his psychology degree from Wake Forest to work. So at the end of that first chat, when they agreed to meet at 6 for dinner, Popovich said, "Now, I just want to make sure I've got it right. Does that mean 6, or 6:40?"

Duncan grinned and got him back later. The two were at the beach catching rays when Duncan suggested they go for a run. After jumping into the surf to cool off, Duncan showed why as a kid he aspired to be an Olympic swimmer, putting several hundred yards between himself and Popovich in a matter of minutes. Popovich, landlocked for most of his life, had an eye out for shadows beneath the water when Duncan suddenly began splashing around as if he were drowning. By now Popovich didn't need to hear the ensuing cackle to know Duncan was goofing on him. "That's just me," Duncan says. "I'm not serious most of the time."

But he showed Pop he knew when to be serious immediately after the draft, agreeing to play in the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league in Salt Lake City, the only No. 1 pick ever to do so. Duncan was instructed to work on his weaknesses—lefthanded jump hook, face-up jumpers, dribble drives—and not worry about the results. Observers, unaware of Popovich's instructions, saw Utah Jazz center Greg Ostertag dominate Duncan and began whispering "bust." Pop, seeing Duncan resolutely stick with the plan, knew he had something special. "If he throws someone's shot into the 10th row, he's not impressed with himself; or if he travels, he doesn't hang his head," Popovich says. "He just keeps competing. You can count on 10 fingers the guys you've seen over the years like that."

Equally rare is his postseason poise. Efficiency usually slides in the post season, but Duncan's has improved—his regular-season negative assist/ turnover ratio has gone positive in the playoffs, and both his field goal (49.4 to 49.7) and free throw (69.0 to 72.7) percentages have risen. More important, he has won his personal battles, outdueling Kevin Garnett in Round 1, Shaq in Round 2 and Wallace in the Western finals. And now he has his rematch with the suddenly resurgent Knicks forward Marcus Camby, who outdueled Duncan four years ago when UMass knocked off Wake Forest.

Once off the court, anything goes. After closing out the series over the T-Wolves, Daniels and Duncan notice that Perdue and Rose are wearing similarly patterned gold and brown shirts. Rose is wearing his unbuttoned with a T-shirt underneath, and Daniels suggests that is so they don't look identical. Duncan then asks Perdue if he forgot his gold chain since Rose is wearing one. Rose dismisses them with a wave and escapes toward the door, but Duncan, cackling, calls out, "Don't leave your brother behind!"

Robinson, seated in front of the TV wearing a suit, is next. He's engrossed in a Lakers-Rockets game. Duncan stops directly behind him and, grinning madly, stares at the back of Robinson's recently trimmed 'fro, which apparently has been targeted for grief. Daniels silently joins in and Robinson suddenly senses the two pairs of eyes drilling the back of his skull and whips around. "Y'all better get on out of here now!" he roars as Duncan and Daniels, laughing into their hands, head for the bus. A minute later Robinson is grumpily getting out of his chair, muttering, "Somebody got a brush?"

Memo to the people of San Antonio: Get over your football jones and authorize the building of a basketball arena, or you risk losing this on-court Merlin (right-pec tattoo) and off-court Joker (back of right shoulder). Duncan plans to test free agency rather than re-up this summer with the Spurs because he wants to see if the franchise will be forced to move to find a suitable building. "I don't know what I'm going to do," he says, turning genuinely serious for once. "I'm worried about the facility. I don't know if I want to be with a team that goes to St. Louis. I don't know if I like St. Louis."

Second memo to Alamoers: In an arena slightly cozier than your football dome, you might just get a closer glimpse of Duncan, which alone would be worth it. So build it and he'll stay. Why? You already know the answer.

Toulouse chase Carter - at nearly $2m a year

Friday, 18 April 2008

France's Toulouse rugby club is offering Dan Carter the biggest contract in world rugby of £750,000 ($NZ1.9 million) for one year, according to Britain's Daily Mail newspaper.

The newspaper reported that the bid doubled the highest salaries in the English game paid to fellow All Blacks Carl Hayman, at Newcastle, and Luke McAlister, at Sale.

It would outstrip any from the most ambitious British clubs, including the Ospreys, who have been in talks with Carter's financial advisers.

Carter and his All Blacks backup Nick Evans are off-contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) at the end of this year, fuelling speculation they will seek to pursue their careers in Europe.

The Daily Mail reported that the NZRU could not compete with an offer which would treble Carter's salary and was increasingly resigned to losing its most valuable player when his contract runs out.

"The only question is whether the 26-year-old signs for Toulouse or Toulon, the second division promotion contenders run by ex-All Black captain Tana Umaga," the newspaper reported.

"Money has been no object to them under the presidency of Mourad Boudjellal."

Any New Zealander playing overseas automatically forfeits his eligibility for the All Blacks but Carter can exploit his fame in Europe for 18 months and still be back in ample time for the 2011 World Cup.

One and a half seasons in Toulouse would reportedly earn him more than £1 million.

Another leading All Black, Wellington loose forward Jerry Collins, has warned that he will consider joining the overseas exodus once his Wellington contract expires at the end of next year.

The NZRU has refused to compromise its ruling that players based abroad cannot be considered for national selection. – NZPA

Carter: Should he stay or should he go?

RugbyHeaven | Thursday, 17 April 2008

Get Carter! That's the catch-cry as the New Zealand Rugby Union and the cash-rich European clubs scramble for the signature of All Blacks star Dan Carter. But is he worth the fight?

In their regular debate slot, RugbyHeaven co-editors Duncan Johnstone and Marc Hinton put up cases for and against keeping Carter on the books of the NZRU.

 

HOLD ON TO HIM - Duncan Johnstone

It's time for the New Zealand Rugby Union to make a stand and who better to base a statement around than Carter, the talisman All Black and marketing mega-star?

Somehow New Zealand has to send a message to the north that they can't simply come down here with their chequebooks and whisk away every leading player to bolster clubs that are fast resembling the play-things of bored billionaires.

It may seem like we're plugging a leaking dyke with a finger and that the flood is inevitable. But make that the middle finger and raise it square in the greedy eyes of those looking this way.

Yes, you can do everyone a favour and pay the pensions of some aging players in their twilight years. But don't come and rape and pillage our stocks of players in their prime.

And you sense the best years are still to come from the 26-year-old Carter. He hit one peak in the 2005 series against the Lions but there must be even better ahead in the All Blacks jersey.

Some critics have been hard on his World Cup effort last year. I lay the blame for that squarely at the feet of the coaching panel who kept him in cotton wool when he was screaming out to be played in the lead-up to the tournament and during the event itself.

He needs to be tied down to a contract that sees him leading the backline in the 2011 World Cup.

Offering a deal that sees him head away for a year or so with the hope that he might return isn't good enough in these professional times.

It sounds like that Richard Bach quote: If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were.

I'd say there would be little chance of Carter being back in black if he was set free in Europe now.

Carter is the biggest test-case facing the men in suits in Wellington.

The NZRU thought outside the square to try to retain Carl Hayman by offering to help him with something close to his heart - a piece of rural homeland. It was an imaginative ploy even though ultimately it failed.

Special people need special attention and no one would deny that Carter is special.

His marketability is incredible and if a private deal can't be stitched together to come up with the dollars to match those Euros, then something is wrong here.

But this isn't just about Carter - it's bigger than just one person.

This is about New Zealand flexing their rugby muscles and putting up a show of strength to let the rest of the 15-man world know that we won't be easybeats off the field.

 

LET HIM GO - Marc Hinton

Don't get me wrong. I'm as big an admirer of Dan Carter as the next man. Even if he hasn't managed to reproduce his test form of 2005 since. Undoubtedly his untimely World Cup injury was one of the contributing factors in that demise and New Zealand rugby is most definitely better for having him in its midst.

Certainly the glossy mags would miss his presence too, the pinup looks and the "gee-shucks" country boy attitude making him a favourite of the female fraternity.

He can play a bit too, and no one has ever questioned the young man's courage. He's a guy that appeals to the cross-section of rugby follower.

It's just that I don't think anyone should be bigger than the game in this country. Nor that anyone should hold us to ransom.

If money's what he's about, then he should head north and boost his already pretty healthy bank balance. And then join Justin Marshall in bleating about the closed selection shop for those plying their trade that way.

(By the way that should never change, despite the ill-informed views of some, mostly non-rugby, types. Once the NZRU start picking All Blacks from up north, any hope we ever had of retaining anything near our best players in this part of the world will dissipate.)

If it's about more altruistic motivations, such as seeing the world, experiencing a different "culture", then also fair play to him. I did my OE and who am I to deny Danny-boy his?

But let him go, say I. If playing for the All Blacks doesn't motivate him any longer, then let someone take his place for whom it does. There are plenty of contenders lining up.

Stephen Brett looks like a pretty handy sort of successor; Stephen Donald, if he can shake his yips, also has the goods; while, who knows, maybe Nick Evans could be persuaded to stick around and enjoy some time without Carter's shadow cast all over him.

If the coffers were full, or there were sponsors lining up, it would be different. I'd say dig deep and do what you have to do to keep him.

But these are parlous times for rugby in this part of the world and to break the bank to keep one player around for a couple more years just doesn't make any sense.

Besides Carter needs to do a little mental arithmetic as well. Doesn't he make a good deal of his income off his profile? And isn't that profile higher while he's playing test rugby instead of trundling round in the rain and wet of a northern club season?

Maybe the solutions in keeping Carter and his ilk in this part of the world aren't as simple as dollars and cents. Maybe a revitalised competition product, less travel pressures, a more substantial break and one less team to have to play for would do the trick.

But if he's not prepared to wait around for the NZRU and its fellow Sanzar unions to save the game, then let him head off. Plenty have gone before him, and they've all been replaced.

As Graham Henry is so fond of telling us the All Blacks win nearly all their matches. Even without so many of their so-called best players.

What The Papers Say About Liverpool`s Win

Posted 09/04/08 07:15 | www.football365.com

 

The Fourth Estate provide their explanations for how Liverpool beat Arsenal. Apparently it had nothing to do with the first-half injury to Mathieu Flamini or dodgy refereeing. Victory is always written up for the victors...

'When the noise had subsided, the victors and vanquished departed, when Anfield was at last silent, empty and still, the question remained: why? What was it that possessed a defender as experienced as Kolo Touré to take fright, to be so terrified at the prospect of lasting just six minutes at this remarkable arena that he should give away the penalty that cost his team the game and the dream of a first Champions League crown?

'And the answer will come back: it was Liverpool. It was this club, this particular team, and what they have come to represent in Europe. Touré was disturbed by the legend of a Liverpool who will not lie down, who return from the dead like The Shape in John Carpenter's Halloween films. Remember that scene in the pitch-black bedroom when the monster rises again, his white mask all that is visible in the darkness? On nights such as this, Liverpool are like that: unstoppable, remorseless, their power inexplicable' - Martin Samuel, The Times.

'There are the good Anfield European nights, there are the great ones and then, like this one, there are those remarkable occasions which fall into a different category altogether. This morning Liverpool awake to contemplate the prospect of a third Champions League semi-final against Chelsea in four years, although how they got there is a story that will outlive whatever else happens this season.

'It is that man again. In the final 21 minutes of last night's game, Rafael Benitez made a crucial substitution, watched his side win the tie, then lose it and then win it all over again. In his precise, meticulous world it was perhaps not how the Liverpool manager planned it but it certainly made for an absorbing, compelling spectacle. How does such a control freak of a man conspire to preside over so much joyously chaotic football?' - Sam Wallace, The Independent.

'Liverpool so often come through to win at this remarkable ground in the Champions League. Unlike the encounters of 2005 and 2007, this year's semi-final will be settled by a return leg at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were due a change of venue and will be all the more relieved after studying this uncanny struggle' - Kevin McCarra, The Guardian.

'Another chapter in Anfield's rich European history owed much to another hand expertly played in the Champions League by Rafael Benítez. Arsenal will rue the lapse in concentration that squandered this tie for as long as it takes to lift their first European Cup or the time it takes the Liverpool manager to display a weakness that compares. The former would appear the shorter wait.

'Perhaps last night's return to the fold will influence that outlook but career decisions can wait. Crouch offered a remedy to the failings Benítez had identified in his team's first-leg display, with the Spaniard bemoaning the cheap possession given away in attack, goals conceded at set pieces and the relative comfort of William Gallas and Philippe Senderos in defence' - Andy Hunter, The Guardian.

'As the party intensifies in Liverpool, the wake will be long and bitter in north London. Arsene Wenger's failure to strengthen a young side, to dip into a war-chest rumoured to contain £60 million, now looks an incredibly expensive mistake. Contrast with Benitez's January purchase of Martin Skrtel, as imposing a centre-half as Arsenal's Philippe Senderos is weak.

'Ultimately, though, it was Steven Gerrard's penalty that won it for Liverpool, completing Arsenal's week of spot-kick misery. On the long road north, the joke amongst Arsenal fans had been that they prayed the tie would not go to penalties, because they would be denied all five. Resentment still lingered over the two spot-kick appeals turned down at the Emirates in the first two games of the clubs' epic trilogy' - Henry Winter, The Daily Telegraph.

'After the bold prediction of the previous evening, the cold reality of another crushing defeat faces Arsene Wenger this morning. A season of so much promise now appears to be over for Arsenal, whatever Wenger might now say about Sunday's trip to Manchester United.

'Beaten by the brilliance of Fernando Torres, a Steven Gerrard penalty, and a last-gasp clincher by substitute Ryan Babel, Wenger's confidence in his team but more crucially in Philippe Senderos was misplaced' - Matt Lawton, The Daily Mail.

'Enormous credit, though, to Liverpool for the manner in which they refused to accept anything less than outright victory. Huge congratulations to them for writing another glorious chapter in the history of a team that refuses to die.

'But your heart bleeds for Arsenal. What a cruel and unfathomable game football can often be.

'Just when they appeared to have pulled off one of the most remarkable results in the history of the competition, fate ripped the carpet from under them.

As the whistle went, the brilliant Cesc Fabregas somehow took himself over to applaud the away fans. His team-mates hauled themselves off, blood and sweat now joined by tears' - Steven Howard, The Sun.

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.