Well, that pretty much says it all doesn't it?
What, you want some slightly more in depth analysis? ok, but be warned ... I watched the game at the pub sans-sound (we won the battle of the TV channels and sent a bunch of Richmond supporters away grumbling about this being Victoria and Rugby Union supporters should all bugger off back where the came from - but I digress).
I did tape the game with the intention of watching it again this morning complete with commentry, but I donwanna, I'm notgonna .... and youse can't make me!!
At the end of the day, while the Reds were sneaky cheaty bastards in Round 15 and were lucky to come away with the win, they deserved this one.
The Crusaders had the overwhelming majority of possesion and territory in the first half, they failed to stake their claim on the score board, so, in the second half, when the Reds kept hold of the ball the Crusaders had a lot of work to do - in the end, they couldn't do enough.
One of the punters sitting in my general vicinity (although, to be fair most Reds fans seemed to steer fairly clear of the rabid cantab fan foaming at the mouth) observed that it looked like a good team playing a quick team. And that's a pretty fair cop.
I must say that I was very impressed by the dicspline shown by players on both sides. This game was never going to be won on cheap penalties, it was going to have to be tries, and unfortunately the Crusaders only managed one.
Both sides managed to shut down major attacking threats, neither Quade Cooper nor Sonny Bill were allowed as much room as they'd like.
While the Crusaders passing was sharp, clean and accurate, somehow things just kept going wrong at the last phase, while Reds managed to break the advantage line almost every movement.
The Crusaders scrum was again dominant, I didn't see the exact figures but I counted at least two penalties awarded to the grey and reds (I know, don't get me started about the way they ALWAYS play in that bloody strip... it's like the heart's been ripped out of the side) for screwing the the Reds through 90.
But Corey Flynn didn't do his All Black chances any favours with a couple of crooked throwins.
So, that's Super Rugby done for the year. Now we embark on what could be (espcially if the Aussies and Kiwis follow the South African lead) a sham of a Tri Nations before we get down to what 2011 is really about, the WORLD CUP.
I won't be writting about the Tri Nations - I'm going to be AFR (away from rugby for you non-regular readers) - for most of the series.
I am going to be heading home for the big tomali, got tickets to four pool games in the North Island and really looking forward to it :)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
And then there were two ...
They weren't the prettiest, or the closest, semi finals ever. In both cases one side took control fairly early and never really looked like losing out. But now we know who'll be battling it out for the first Super 15 title. And it's confirmed, Suncorp Stadium will, once again, be a sea of red (and black).
It felt really odd supporting Auckland, I can almost hear collective gasps of astonishment that I would even contemplate such a thing, especially when I basically felt they hadn't a hope in hell (Sportsbet the odds really surprised me, 1.40 to 2.90), but I felt the Cru could do it in Cape Town and I knew who I'd rather face in the final.
Cooper had a great night, on the park but not so much with the boot.
His fancy footwork down the sideline was crucial in helping Rod Davies to his hat-trick, the Reds first in Super Rugby - although, he didn't need any help with his first ... An intercept on his own 22, run in under the posts.
The Blues just didn't have the imagination to give the Queensland defence too much trouble.
The Blues struggled to get over the advantage line for most of the night, and a couple of promising breaks all came to nothing.Their first, and only try went to Chris Lowrey, replacing the injured Anthony Boric, on the stroke of half time.
History will show the Reds missed more tackles, but watching the game, I could have sworn it was the other way around. Maybe it was just that the Aucklanders missed the important ones ....
Stephen Brett continued to make Danny Cipriani look committed as he fell off more tackles than he made, including one on Davies enroute to the try line for his third.... Although, to be fair Mealamu missed him too.
In the end, the result was as expected, almost exactly! I'd picked the Reds by 15, and the final result was 30 - 13.
I was fairly confident the Crusaders would get up, although some people suggested that my heart was over ruling my head and the travel would be too much for them. That was certainly the view of the Aussie commentators after the first semi final, only Phil Kearns showed his intelligence and good sense, the rest of 'em backed the Stormers. SUCK IT ....
The Crusaders tight five absolutely dominated this match.
The Stormers pack had the weight advantage, 50kgs, but that was all they had going for them! The red and black scrum was unstoppable and, yes it's cliche - but true, was the platform on which Canterbury built their win.
It was the fourth trip to the semis in five years for the Crusaders,they know how to win this kind of rugby, but you'd imagine this one was a bit special after the season they've had.
It was also Corey Flynn's 100th game in the red and black .... Not a bad effort from the hooker whose had 5 broken arms along the way .....
A couple of obscure similarities with the Blues Reds game.
The Stormers, like the Blues, had the first real opportunity of the match, also around the five minute mark. And the first try if the game was an intercept, against the run of play,this time to Sean Maitland.
Speaking of intercepts, Kieran Read obviously got a taste for them last week, he spent a bit of time lurking on the wing looking for another one.
There were some big tackles from both sides, but the Crusaders defence was outstanding. Special mention must got to Zac Guilford and Kahn Fotual'i for their try savers.
The Stormers never regained the early lead, a massive 3 points, and, despite an overwhelming majority of possession - 67%, only managed to score 10 points in the first half (which was 10 more than they could do in the second when the Crusaders had more ball).
Carter had a good night with the boot.
Even his first miss had a good result. A rebound off the post and back into play gave the Crusaders a line out on the 22 which set the stage for what has become a classic Robbie Fruean try, off a miracle ball from SBW who was double teamed in a tackle.
Schaulk Brits didn't quiet have the impact his controversial selection warranted. Coming on at half time replacing the injured Schaulk Burger, Brits immediately started a fight and conceded a penalty. That sort of behaviour might be tolerated at Saracens mate ...
So the southern men live to fight another day. Toddy took the Crusaders to 3 titles as captain, now he's one step closer to his first as coach - I just wish the team standing in the way wasn't in such good form ...
It felt really odd supporting Auckland, I can almost hear collective gasps of astonishment that I would even contemplate such a thing, especially when I basically felt they hadn't a hope in hell (Sportsbet the odds really surprised me, 1.40 to 2.90), but I felt the Cru could do it in Cape Town and I knew who I'd rather face in the final.
Cooper had a great night, on the park but not so much with the boot.
His fancy footwork down the sideline was crucial in helping Rod Davies to his hat-trick, the Reds first in Super Rugby - although, he didn't need any help with his first ... An intercept on his own 22, run in under the posts.
The Blues just didn't have the imagination to give the Queensland defence too much trouble.
The Blues struggled to get over the advantage line for most of the night, and a couple of promising breaks all came to nothing.Their first, and only try went to Chris Lowrey, replacing the injured Anthony Boric, on the stroke of half time.
History will show the Reds missed more tackles, but watching the game, I could have sworn it was the other way around. Maybe it was just that the Aucklanders missed the important ones ....
Stephen Brett continued to make Danny Cipriani look committed as he fell off more tackles than he made, including one on Davies enroute to the try line for his third.... Although, to be fair Mealamu missed him too.
In the end, the result was as expected, almost exactly! I'd picked the Reds by 15, and the final result was 30 - 13.
I was fairly confident the Crusaders would get up, although some people suggested that my heart was over ruling my head and the travel would be too much for them. That was certainly the view of the Aussie commentators after the first semi final, only Phil Kearns showed his intelligence and good sense, the rest of 'em backed the Stormers. SUCK IT ....
The Crusaders tight five absolutely dominated this match.
The Stormers pack had the weight advantage, 50kgs, but that was all they had going for them! The red and black scrum was unstoppable and, yes it's cliche - but true, was the platform on which Canterbury built their win.
It was the fourth trip to the semis in five years for the Crusaders,they know how to win this kind of rugby, but you'd imagine this one was a bit special after the season they've had.
It was also Corey Flynn's 100th game in the red and black .... Not a bad effort from the hooker whose had 5 broken arms along the way .....
A couple of obscure similarities with the Blues Reds game.
The Stormers, like the Blues, had the first real opportunity of the match, also around the five minute mark. And the first try if the game was an intercept, against the run of play,this time to Sean Maitland.
Speaking of intercepts, Kieran Read obviously got a taste for them last week, he spent a bit of time lurking on the wing looking for another one.
There were some big tackles from both sides, but the Crusaders defence was outstanding. Special mention must got to Zac Guilford and Kahn Fotual'i for their try savers.
The Stormers never regained the early lead, a massive 3 points, and, despite an overwhelming majority of possession - 67%, only managed to score 10 points in the first half (which was 10 more than they could do in the second when the Crusaders had more ball).
Carter had a good night with the boot.
Even his first miss had a good result. A rebound off the post and back into play gave the Crusaders a line out on the 22 which set the stage for what has become a classic Robbie Fruean try, off a miracle ball from SBW who was double teamed in a tackle.
Schaulk Brits didn't quiet have the impact his controversial selection warranted. Coming on at half time replacing the injured Schaulk Burger, Brits immediately started a fight and conceded a penalty. That sort of behaviour might be tolerated at Saracens mate ...
So the southern men live to fight another day. Toddy took the Crusaders to 3 titles as captain, now he's one step closer to his first as coach - I just wish the team standing in the way wasn't in such good form ...
Monday, June 27, 2011
"It's business, it's business time ...."
I know I'm supposed to be talking about the Quarter finals this week ... Is that what they're called? Can they be called Quarter finals when only 2 games were played? I'm still trying to get my head around this new format .... And I will, I just want to start with a couple of buts and pieces from my time away.
Apologies for late, and absent, blogs. Internet access in China was not as accessible as I had, perhaps foolishly, anticipated - this is a google blog after all. The Shanghai Shangrila was the first, and only time I had full access, and I think that was because they ran a VPN out of Hong Kong.
In an apparently misguided attempt to let you all know I was AWOL, AFR, I, naively, gave my password to the boyfriend and asked him to post 2 entries I'd written. I apologise for the fact that you got 3 ......
While unauthorised, I do however feel no small degree of pride in the wooden spoon post. Not bad for someone who watched his first game ever just three years ago, in a pub, to which he brought a newspaper. I feel a bit like Obi Wan, the force is strong in this one.
I have taught you well grasshopper.
Anyway, that is not to say I didn't actually manage to see the Rebels last game of 2011. I did, in an Irish pub, in Shanghai, and it turned out to be kiwi night! Very surreal. Tui, hoki poki, pav and lamb, it was all good ay.
But now, back to the games that matter. I'm proud to say I called em both, not that you'd know since I haven't been able to make my picks in three weeks .... But I did.
The Blues v Warratahs, I actually watched second. I was in the air while it was played and upon returning home opted for a nap before the Crusaders game.
So, while watching on Monday morning, I knew who won, but not the score.
Conditions weren't pretty at Eden Park which kept fans away and made for some tricky handling. The 15,000 who did show up certainly looked very small in the recently expanded 50,000 seat stadium.
It was scrappy rugby with crooked throwins, some shocking passes and abysmal kicks from both sides.
The Blues missed a lot of tackels, 11 to the Tahs 4 in the first half, and Brett missed 5 of 6 attempted during the match.
If the Blues were struggling a bit in defence, it was discipline letting down the Warratahs, who's bad luck with injury continued, including some 'friendly fire', a lock and a winger knocking heads while attempting to tackle a rampaging Joe Afoa storming down the wing in his 100th game for the Blues.
If they weren't 6 feet under already, the Ali Williams try was the nail in the Sydneysiders coffin and Phil Wagh ended his long career with the Tahs leaving the field in the 65th minute.
The Blues just never gave the Warratahs any ball in the second half. Putting on 16 unanswered points before Lachie Turner went over in the 74th minute, after Pat Lam rung in the changes and pretty much emptied the bench, including brining Daniel Braid back on the park for the first time in 14 weeks.
On to game number two.....
Before the 2 sides even ran onto the pitch, there were two things I was happy to see:
1, the Crusaders were playing in their 'proper' strip, and 2, it looked bloody cold in Nelson, the Sharks bench were sitting under duvets, not blankets, DUVETS (donnas for the Australians amongst us).
The Crusaders were first on the board, courtesy of a Willem Alberts infringement right in front of the sticks after 18 seconds. Yep, 18 seconds. The only change to the Sharks line up from the team that beat the Bulls was certainly making his presence felt. He 'redeemed' himself shortly afterwards crossing the line for the first try of the match and giving the boys from Durban the lead.
The Crusaders know how to play 'finals football' though, and the most successful team in super rugby history was always going to be tough to beat. Once Sonny Bill Williams went over, the Crusaders never lost the lead.
It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops though. The Sharks outmuscled the Cantabrians at the break down effectively cleaning out the rucks and making life difficult for Andy Ellis as the Crusaders just didn't commit the numbers in the first half.
Ok- sidebar. An ad for Hahn Super Dry that screened during half time ... Who gave a sub standard Aussie beer permission to usurp the theme tune from knight rider?
The game wasn't as pretty as the one played at Twickenham during the regular season - that one was spectacular - but the second half got a lot better for the red and blacks and the Sharks never really looked in it.
So, despite the multitude of 'extra' challenges faced by the Crusaders this season, the crew will add to their massive tally of air miles - over 80,000 this season already, travelling to Cape Town to face the Stormers. They will get Richie back for the semi final, but might have lost Kieran Reid .....
Apologies for late, and absent, blogs. Internet access in China was not as accessible as I had, perhaps foolishly, anticipated - this is a google blog after all. The Shanghai Shangrila was the first, and only time I had full access, and I think that was because they ran a VPN out of Hong Kong.
In an apparently misguided attempt to let you all know I was AWOL, AFR, I, naively, gave my password to the boyfriend and asked him to post 2 entries I'd written. I apologise for the fact that you got 3 ......
While unauthorised, I do however feel no small degree of pride in the wooden spoon post. Not bad for someone who watched his first game ever just three years ago, in a pub, to which he brought a newspaper. I feel a bit like Obi Wan, the force is strong in this one.
I have taught you well grasshopper.
Anyway, that is not to say I didn't actually manage to see the Rebels last game of 2011. I did, in an Irish pub, in Shanghai, and it turned out to be kiwi night! Very surreal. Tui, hoki poki, pav and lamb, it was all good ay.
But now, back to the games that matter. I'm proud to say I called em both, not that you'd know since I haven't been able to make my picks in three weeks .... But I did.
The Blues v Warratahs, I actually watched second. I was in the air while it was played and upon returning home opted for a nap before the Crusaders game.
So, while watching on Monday morning, I knew who won, but not the score.
Conditions weren't pretty at Eden Park which kept fans away and made for some tricky handling. The 15,000 who did show up certainly looked very small in the recently expanded 50,000 seat stadium.
It was scrappy rugby with crooked throwins, some shocking passes and abysmal kicks from both sides.
The Blues missed a lot of tackels, 11 to the Tahs 4 in the first half, and Brett missed 5 of 6 attempted during the match.
If the Blues were struggling a bit in defence, it was discipline letting down the Warratahs, who's bad luck with injury continued, including some 'friendly fire', a lock and a winger knocking heads while attempting to tackle a rampaging Joe Afoa storming down the wing in his 100th game for the Blues.
If they weren't 6 feet under already, the Ali Williams try was the nail in the Sydneysiders coffin and Phil Wagh ended his long career with the Tahs leaving the field in the 65th minute.
The Blues just never gave the Warratahs any ball in the second half. Putting on 16 unanswered points before Lachie Turner went over in the 74th minute, after Pat Lam rung in the changes and pretty much emptied the bench, including brining Daniel Braid back on the park for the first time in 14 weeks.
On to game number two.....
Before the 2 sides even ran onto the pitch, there were two things I was happy to see:
1, the Crusaders were playing in their 'proper' strip, and 2, it looked bloody cold in Nelson, the Sharks bench were sitting under duvets, not blankets, DUVETS (donnas for the Australians amongst us).
The Crusaders were first on the board, courtesy of a Willem Alberts infringement right in front of the sticks after 18 seconds. Yep, 18 seconds. The only change to the Sharks line up from the team that beat the Bulls was certainly making his presence felt. He 'redeemed' himself shortly afterwards crossing the line for the first try of the match and giving the boys from Durban the lead.
The Crusaders know how to play 'finals football' though, and the most successful team in super rugby history was always going to be tough to beat. Once Sonny Bill Williams went over, the Crusaders never lost the lead.
It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops though. The Sharks outmuscled the Cantabrians at the break down effectively cleaning out the rucks and making life difficult for Andy Ellis as the Crusaders just didn't commit the numbers in the first half.
Ok- sidebar. An ad for Hahn Super Dry that screened during half time ... Who gave a sub standard Aussie beer permission to usurp the theme tune from knight rider?
The game wasn't as pretty as the one played at Twickenham during the regular season - that one was spectacular - but the second half got a lot better for the red and blacks and the Sharks never really looked in it.
So, despite the multitude of 'extra' challenges faced by the Crusaders this season, the crew will add to their massive tally of air miles - over 80,000 this season already, travelling to Cape Town to face the Stormers. They will get Richie back for the semi final, but might have lost Kieran Reid .....
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Rugby Grrrl AWOL and AFR
For the next few weeks this blog will be in hiatus while I am globetrotting in Asia.
While I will have access to the blog, via ipad and internet café, I will not have regular access to a very necessary ingredient: Super XV rugby games.
To tweak an internet acronymn learned from Dr Sheldon Cooper, I will be A (away) F (from) R (rugby).
Feel free to share your thoughts about the next three rounds with me and each other via the Comments section.
Hui jian
Rugby Grrl
Saturday, June 11, 2011
And the wooden spoon goes to......
Every great entertainment show has it's guest format - guest presenter, guest writer, guest singer. And this week, you lucky lucky people, you get a guest blogger, as Rugby Grrrl is still running around China taking a great leap forward. Now, obviously one cannot compete with the Grrrl in many areas - to quote a certain judge, 'Your vision of her probably will never disappear. Has she elegance? Has she fragrance?"
Actually, probably not a good quote, as the judge then went on to talk about something not very nice at all in the case he was commenting on, but I won't bring the tone down. er.....that looks like Rugby Grrrl was on trial, so I should clear that up -no, she has never been charged with a felony.
Not easy this guest blogger stuff. Don't think I'll be invited back.
So - this week the Rebels reached for the wooden spoon for the Australian conference and firmly wrested it from the Brumbies. The rejoining of Danny Cipriani to the starting lineup gave supporters hope that they might repeat the performance of week two, this time in an away format much more chilly - in all senses of the word - than Melbourne had been.
Rebels watchers have learned to dread the 20 minute burn - that initial 20 or so minutes when the brains of the team havent yet warmed up, and opposing teams slam 15-30 points away before a slow fightback begins. true to form, the Brumbies dominated the first half, with 13 points in the first 20 and another 12 before the mid-term whistle. 25-3 was not the score hoped for at this juncture.
And then......once again, a different team walked out in the second half. Quick balls, flicking back and fowards between multiple blue jerseys, fast breaks, and a willingness to drive hard up the middle (at one point I am sure there was a 18 phase attack!) gave the Rebels two unanswered tries, bringing them within one converted try and a penalty to win. Rousing stuff....especially as Prettyboy Danny actually made a couple of tackles without looking like he was trying to save on the washing powder.
But, in the end, the Brumbies pushed another try over, and the whistle cemented the spoon; nice for them, as it was the final game in the stadium for a number of their key players who are moving on. For the Rebels, the question now must be how can they prepare for the next season to avoid another spoon for the dressing room wall.....
One more thing before I hand back to the Grrrl - congrats on Gareth Delve on getting a Welsh jersey for the World Cup in just a few months. I for one will be cheering him on from the sidelines of at least a couple of the games.....
right, I am off to find a lawyer who can protect me from vengeful kiwi wimmin......
Actually, probably not a good quote, as the judge then went on to talk about something not very nice at all in the case he was commenting on, but I won't bring the tone down. er.....that looks like Rugby Grrrl was on trial, so I should clear that up -no, she has never been charged with a felony.
Not easy this guest blogger stuff. Don't think I'll be invited back.
So - this week the Rebels reached for the wooden spoon for the Australian conference and firmly wrested it from the Brumbies. The rejoining of Danny Cipriani to the starting lineup gave supporters hope that they might repeat the performance of week two, this time in an away format much more chilly - in all senses of the word - than Melbourne had been.
Rebels watchers have learned to dread the 20 minute burn - that initial 20 or so minutes when the brains of the team havent yet warmed up, and opposing teams slam 15-30 points away before a slow fightback begins. true to form, the Brumbies dominated the first half, with 13 points in the first 20 and another 12 before the mid-term whistle. 25-3 was not the score hoped for at this juncture.
And then......once again, a different team walked out in the second half. Quick balls, flicking back and fowards between multiple blue jerseys, fast breaks, and a willingness to drive hard up the middle (at one point I am sure there was a 18 phase attack!) gave the Rebels two unanswered tries, bringing them within one converted try and a penalty to win. Rousing stuff....especially as Prettyboy Danny actually made a couple of tackles without looking like he was trying to save on the washing powder.
But, in the end, the Brumbies pushed another try over, and the whistle cemented the spoon; nice for them, as it was the final game in the stadium for a number of their key players who are moving on. For the Rebels, the question now must be how can they prepare for the next season to avoid another spoon for the dressing room wall.....
One more thing before I hand back to the Grrrl - congrats on Gareth Delve on getting a Welsh jersey for the World Cup in just a few months. I for one will be cheering him on from the sidelines of at least a couple of the games.....
right, I am off to find a lawyer who can protect me from vengeful kiwi wimmin......
Ravenous Brumbies storm the thin Red line
ok, now this time the extreme tardiness really isn't my fault ... I blame delayed flights and inconstant Internet access ....
Well I'm writing this week's entry somewhere fairly unique. Seat 40A, 38,000 feet somewhere above the Molucca Sea (I didn't even know there was such a thing).
Needless to say I've had some things other than rugby on my mind this weekend, but I still managed to squeeze in a game or two.
Two that I wish had seen, but didn't, were the Blues v Chiefs and the Sharks v Cheetahs. The highlights I saw on Fox Sports' Inside Rugby made both look like crackers. That, almost, full length of the field run by Joe Rokothoco, only to end up, almost, at the other end if the park courtesy of Mills Mulinia looked pretty exciting.
The games I did see ... My last trip to AAMI Park for the Rebels, then the highlanders v Force and the Reds v Brumbies.
I'll start with the Highlanders as they played first even if I saw them second.
Now I'm not going to pretend to know the full story or all the arguments for and against the new strip. I just wasn't sure why they didn't choose to e d an era by playing Carisbrook's last Super Rugby game in the old jerseys.
Tradition runs deep at the house of pain and, to me, it would have made sense to retire the stadium and the strip at the same time and start over with a new look and a new home next season.
But, like I said, that's just me.
The Rebels v Stormers was just the sort of game no rugby fan wants to see - BORING.
When the members are reading the newspaper and cracking jokes about the feasibility of sailing to New Zealand for the World Cup, you know you've lost a key demographic.
Personally, I spent most of the game translating the Afrikaans banners brought along by the many Stormers fans in attendance. I don't think they all made the trip especially for the occasion. Previously, I had supposed that the Rebels fan-base was rooted across the Tasman, now I'm not so sure. Over 15,000 in attendance and I think a significant number of those were from much further afield (originally).
The Reds v Brumbies was an interesting proposition, playing for the wonkiest trophy I've even laid eyes on. I guess most of the blame for that should go to the Brumbies since they've held it most of the time.
The Brumbies were hungry, and it showed. They shut down the Reds, who didn't seem to be able to adapt and come up with anything new in response.
The Queenslanders frustration was obvious, they were losing the game and started to lose it with each other as well. Anthony Fa'inga threw his twin brother the mother of evil looks, and a bit of strong verbal when he put down a pass from the Hooker that could have been a real try scoring opportunity.
There were some nasty injuries: Digby Ioane unwittingly contributing to the planking craze sweeping the nation when he was knocked out cold, Ben Lucas taking a trip to la-la land (although he returned to the field and played on), and Mark Chisholm hobbling off with a bung knee.
All in all the Brumbies were the better side on the day and 13 knocked off the top dog. They played well, but as the commentary team pointed out, "They should have a few (good games) stored up, they've been rubbish all season!"
Touché.
Well I'm writing this week's entry somewhere fairly unique. Seat 40A, 38,000 feet somewhere above the Molucca Sea (I didn't even know there was such a thing).
Needless to say I've had some things other than rugby on my mind this weekend, but I still managed to squeeze in a game or two.
Two that I wish had seen, but didn't, were the Blues v Chiefs and the Sharks v Cheetahs. The highlights I saw on Fox Sports' Inside Rugby made both look like crackers. That, almost, full length of the field run by Joe Rokothoco, only to end up, almost, at the other end if the park courtesy of Mills Mulinia looked pretty exciting.
The games I did see ... My last trip to AAMI Park for the Rebels, then the highlanders v Force and the Reds v Brumbies.
I'll start with the Highlanders as they played first even if I saw them second.
Now I'm not going to pretend to know the full story or all the arguments for and against the new strip. I just wasn't sure why they didn't choose to e d an era by playing Carisbrook's last Super Rugby game in the old jerseys.
Tradition runs deep at the house of pain and, to me, it would have made sense to retire the stadium and the strip at the same time and start over with a new look and a new home next season.
But, like I said, that's just me.
The Rebels v Stormers was just the sort of game no rugby fan wants to see - BORING.
When the members are reading the newspaper and cracking jokes about the feasibility of sailing to New Zealand for the World Cup, you know you've lost a key demographic.
Personally, I spent most of the game translating the Afrikaans banners brought along by the many Stormers fans in attendance. I don't think they all made the trip especially for the occasion. Previously, I had supposed that the Rebels fan-base was rooted across the Tasman, now I'm not so sure. Over 15,000 in attendance and I think a significant number of those were from much further afield (originally).
The Reds v Brumbies was an interesting proposition, playing for the wonkiest trophy I've even laid eyes on. I guess most of the blame for that should go to the Brumbies since they've held it most of the time.
The Brumbies were hungry, and it showed. They shut down the Reds, who didn't seem to be able to adapt and come up with anything new in response.
The Queenslanders frustration was obvious, they were losing the game and started to lose it with each other as well. Anthony Fa'inga threw his twin brother the mother of evil looks, and a bit of strong verbal when he put down a pass from the Hooker that could have been a real try scoring opportunity.
There were some nasty injuries: Digby Ioane unwittingly contributing to the planking craze sweeping the nation when he was knocked out cold, Ben Lucas taking a trip to la-la land (although he returned to the field and played on), and Mark Chisholm hobbling off with a bung knee.
All in all the Brumbies were the better side on the day and 13 knocked off the top dog. They played well, but as the commentary team pointed out, "They should have a few (good games) stored up, they've been rubbish all season!"
Touché.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Game of the season?
Billed as the match of the season the final game of the round had much to recommend itself, but I guess its official, although the Highlanders are rumoured to be changing their strip - lime green anyone? It's the Crusaders who appear to have gone and done it by stealth. They are no longer the red and blacks ... Those bloody grey jerseys seem to have been out more often than the real ones
The game was played at a frenetic pace, and end to end action wasn't uncommon - although only one of these relay exchanges resulted in a try, to the Reds.
The battle of the number 10s, was a preview of what could be on show in the Tri Nations, and hey, I'll take Carter's boot, and defence any day. Cooper missed a couple of sitters but Dan the man seemed to have the ball on a string (when it didn't come off the side of his boot).
Although first blood went to the Crusaders, the first try was awarded to the Reds, despite an obvious, no, I'm not being one eyed, the commentators saw it too - FORWARD pass!!!
The Crusaders first try went to, who'd have thunk it ... Brett Ward, who added to his points tally in Super Rugby, an account long thought closed, dotting down off the back of a great run by Robbie Fruean and taking on Digby Iaone in a footrace.
Zac Guilford had another great game. Just overrunning the bounce after some great work getting to the try line and dealing with a bit of interference from Samo.
The Crusaders set piece worked really well, nicking three line outs against the throw and putting loads of pressure on the Reds scrum, but penalties were a problem (would have been a much bigger one if Cooper could land 'em).
Both sides played their best rugby from broken play, and Canterbury did pull off a few more turn overs, but were pinged a couple of times for slowing the ball down. However, I couldn't agree with the commentators: "Richie McCaw still winging ...."
Well if Stu Dickinson won't blow it right, forward passes, knock ons and only one side getting done for holding on or coming in from the side, I'd be "winging" too!!
With a bye this round, the Rebels at least gained some points. Their first since .... their last bye .....
If the Crusaders were hard done by re:'the gate', their southern brothers dispensed with it entirely. Neither the Highlanders nor the Lions came from behind last feet at the majority of the rucks that went down in Dunedin.
Two players can probably expect a call from the citing commissioner after a nasty round the neck clear out right on the try line resulted in a couple of punches, which lead to an all in flare up in the corner.
Sharks flanker, Desyl, replicated the manoeuvre on Tom Carter ... but he coped a yellow card for his trouble.
In other news from Durban, I was so excited ... the hairy caterpillar that had taken up what appeared to be permanent residence on Kurtley Beale's upper lip has GONE!!! Oh happy day.
The Tahs were possibly a little over confident coming into the encounter - apparently the Sharks had only won one of the last 10 matches between the two sides. But the Sharks prevailed and dispatched the Sydneysiders 26:21.
The game was played at a frenetic pace, and end to end action wasn't uncommon - although only one of these relay exchanges resulted in a try, to the Reds.
The battle of the number 10s, was a preview of what could be on show in the Tri Nations, and hey, I'll take Carter's boot, and defence any day. Cooper missed a couple of sitters but Dan the man seemed to have the ball on a string (when it didn't come off the side of his boot).
Although first blood went to the Crusaders, the first try was awarded to the Reds, despite an obvious, no, I'm not being one eyed, the commentators saw it too - FORWARD pass!!!
The Crusaders first try went to, who'd have thunk it ... Brett Ward, who added to his points tally in Super Rugby, an account long thought closed, dotting down off the back of a great run by Robbie Fruean and taking on Digby Iaone in a footrace.
Zac Guilford had another great game. Just overrunning the bounce after some great work getting to the try line and dealing with a bit of interference from Samo.
The Crusaders set piece worked really well, nicking three line outs against the throw and putting loads of pressure on the Reds scrum, but penalties were a problem (would have been a much bigger one if Cooper could land 'em).
Both sides played their best rugby from broken play, and Canterbury did pull off a few more turn overs, but were pinged a couple of times for slowing the ball down. However, I couldn't agree with the commentators: "Richie McCaw still winging ...."
Well if Stu Dickinson won't blow it right, forward passes, knock ons and only one side getting done for holding on or coming in from the side, I'd be "winging" too!!
With a bye this round, the Rebels at least gained some points. Their first since .... their last bye .....
If the Crusaders were hard done by re:'the gate', their southern brothers dispensed with it entirely. Neither the Highlanders nor the Lions came from behind last feet at the majority of the rucks that went down in Dunedin.
Two players can probably expect a call from the citing commissioner after a nasty round the neck clear out right on the try line resulted in a couple of punches, which lead to an all in flare up in the corner.
Sharks flanker, Desyl, replicated the manoeuvre on Tom Carter ... but he coped a yellow card for his trouble.
In other news from Durban, I was so excited ... the hairy caterpillar that had taken up what appeared to be permanent residence on Kurtley Beale's upper lip has GONE!!! Oh happy day.
The Tahs were possibly a little over confident coming into the encounter - apparently the Sharks had only won one of the last 10 matches between the two sides. But the Sharks prevailed and dispatched the Sydneysiders 26:21.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Ignorance is bliss
Confession time again.
A few weeks ago I noticed the eminent visage (ears and all) of one Ruben Thorne on the Crusaders bench sitting next to – at that stage injured – Richie McCaw.
The boyfriend then had to put up with all manner of gushing comments about a team coached by a former Canterbury (and All Black) Captain who was now drawing on the experience of his successor (in both jerseys), in what I assumed to be a consultant coaching capacity, alongside the current All Black (and sometime Canterbury) Captain. Outstanding.
Now the confessing – I would have been much less excited had I known the real reason Thorne had rejoined the fold.
Not in the consulting capacity I envisaged, he was actually there (as I would have known if I’d read more of the rugby press – a serious downside of writing this blog is that I don’t read nearly as much as I used to for fear of prejudicing my own commentary) … as an actual member of the touring 22!
The il-(or del)-lusion was shattered when I read Injury-cursed Crusaders stagger on, New Zealand Herald, 20 May 2011.
Where, as Dylan Cleaver eloquently put it: “There's depth … and then there's having to draft Brent Ward and Reuben Thorne into your squad, just to make sure you can name a match-day 22.”
It speaks volumes – well, maybe yells is more apt – about how much trouble the Crusaders are in on the injury front.
The casualty list reads like a whose who of All Blacks and contenders: Israel Dagg, Sean Maitland (both gone for the season), Sonny-Bill Williams, Kahn Fotuali'i, Matt Todd and Owen Franks. Its fortunate Cater and McCaw are back, as now the players who have been ably holding the fort have also been packed off to the infirmary (although Matt Berquist did manage an appearance with 2 minutes to go).
However, while Thorne (Reuben Thorne Ruben Thorne Ruben Thorn) didn't get off the bench, Brett Ward started on the wing against the comparatively 'new' boy on the block Sitiveni Sivivatu.
But, just as it seems they're living in the past, the Crusaders have apparently gone high tech. The large bump protruding from above the shoulders of the southern men is not a new form of protective gear ... It's a GPS!!
That's right, Toddie is now keeping a close eye on how much his boys run in the game - big brother style, no more 'lazy running' in this side.
The mainlanders faced another 'home' game away from fortress Cantabria ... This time a trip up north to Napier, closer to Chiefs territory than their own, and the cow bells were there to prove it.
Robbie Fruean got another shot to prove he's more than just Sonny Bill's sidekick, and fluffed it again with another very quiet night.
Guilford had another strong showing, seemed to be in everything, including an almost intercept off a Kahui pass which was the result of great vision from the form winger, and challenging hard on all Crusaders restarts.
Good rucking and counter rucking from both sides opened the game up and it felt like anything could happen.
The second half heralded the return of big bad Brad, and the first try of the match went to the only non-All Black in the Crusaders pack, Luke Ramano.
After a close contest in the first half, the Crusaders ran away with it a little in the second. Finally closing it out 25:19.
I obviously didn’t learn my lesson last week, and again tried to stay awake for the Rebels match in RSA – where the cameramen still haven’t figured out who Richard Kingi is – this time Cooper Vuna was elected ‘stand in’, and I was most surprised to see James Hilgendorf back on the field, I thought he was gone for the season after doing his knee against the Reds.
Needless to say, I dozed off – again!
But it appears I’ve created a monster. The boyfriend, who watched the entire game before hauling me off the couch, kept waking me up to complain about the referee: “Look at that, in from the side? BOLLOCKS!”
I was really looking forward to the Sharks Bulls game in Durban, where it’s good to see they’ve finally given up any pretence of having cheerleaders and now just call them the Flasher Girls right off the bat.
Now, I picked the Sharks, but based on their performance I can only plead sentimentality. They couldn’t stick a tackle, falling off 9 of 23 by the end of the first half and putting themselves under enormous pressure with dodgy handling.
The Bulls simply outmuscled the Springbok laden pack (although in fairness the Bulls aren’t short of the Green and Gold either….) and, in the end Patrick Lambie couldn’t knock over a penalty for the bonus point.
A few weeks ago I noticed the eminent visage (ears and all) of one Ruben Thorne on the Crusaders bench sitting next to – at that stage injured – Richie McCaw.
The boyfriend then had to put up with all manner of gushing comments about a team coached by a former Canterbury (and All Black) Captain who was now drawing on the experience of his successor (in both jerseys), in what I assumed to be a consultant coaching capacity, alongside the current All Black (and sometime Canterbury) Captain. Outstanding.
Now the confessing – I would have been much less excited had I known the real reason Thorne had rejoined the fold.
Not in the consulting capacity I envisaged, he was actually there (as I would have known if I’d read more of the rugby press – a serious downside of writing this blog is that I don’t read nearly as much as I used to for fear of prejudicing my own commentary) … as an actual member of the touring 22!
The il-(or del)-lusion was shattered when I read Injury-cursed Crusaders stagger on, New Zealand Herald, 20 May 2011.
Where, as Dylan Cleaver eloquently put it: “There's depth … and then there's having to draft Brent Ward and Reuben Thorne into your squad, just to make sure you can name a match-day 22.”
It speaks volumes – well, maybe yells is more apt – about how much trouble the Crusaders are in on the injury front.
The casualty list reads like a whose who of All Blacks and contenders: Israel Dagg, Sean Maitland (both gone for the season), Sonny-Bill Williams, Kahn Fotuali'i, Matt Todd and Owen Franks. Its fortunate Cater and McCaw are back, as now the players who have been ably holding the fort have also been packed off to the infirmary (although Matt Berquist did manage an appearance with 2 minutes to go).
However, while Thorne (Reuben Thorne Ruben Thorne Ruben Thorn) didn't get off the bench, Brett Ward started on the wing against the comparatively 'new' boy on the block Sitiveni Sivivatu.
But, just as it seems they're living in the past, the Crusaders have apparently gone high tech. The large bump protruding from above the shoulders of the southern men is not a new form of protective gear ... It's a GPS!!
That's right, Toddie is now keeping a close eye on how much his boys run in the game - big brother style, no more 'lazy running' in this side.
The mainlanders faced another 'home' game away from fortress Cantabria ... This time a trip up north to Napier, closer to Chiefs territory than their own, and the cow bells were there to prove it.
Robbie Fruean got another shot to prove he's more than just Sonny Bill's sidekick, and fluffed it again with another very quiet night.
Guilford had another strong showing, seemed to be in everything, including an almost intercept off a Kahui pass which was the result of great vision from the form winger, and challenging hard on all Crusaders restarts.
Good rucking and counter rucking from both sides opened the game up and it felt like anything could happen.
The second half heralded the return of big bad Brad, and the first try of the match went to the only non-All Black in the Crusaders pack, Luke Ramano.
After a close contest in the first half, the Crusaders ran away with it a little in the second. Finally closing it out 25:19.
I obviously didn’t learn my lesson last week, and again tried to stay awake for the Rebels match in RSA – where the cameramen still haven’t figured out who Richard Kingi is – this time Cooper Vuna was elected ‘stand in’, and I was most surprised to see James Hilgendorf back on the field, I thought he was gone for the season after doing his knee against the Reds.
Needless to say, I dozed off – again!
But it appears I’ve created a monster. The boyfriend, who watched the entire game before hauling me off the couch, kept waking me up to complain about the referee: “Look at that, in from the side? BOLLOCKS!”
I was really looking forward to the Sharks Bulls game in Durban, where it’s good to see they’ve finally given up any pretence of having cheerleaders and now just call them the Flasher Girls right off the bat.
Now, I picked the Sharks, but based on their performance I can only plead sentimentality. They couldn’t stick a tackle, falling off 9 of 23 by the end of the first half and putting themselves under enormous pressure with dodgy handling.
The Bulls simply outmuscled the Springbok laden pack (although in fairness the Bulls aren’t short of the Green and Gold either….) and, in the end Patrick Lambie couldn’t knock over a penalty for the bonus point.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Game and a half
For those of you who might have taken this week's heading as alluding to a fantastic game of rugby, sorry. It's a little more literal.
That's right, of all the rugby played in Round 13, I watched precisely a game and a half.
Now before the booing starts let me explain the half ... It was 2am, and the Bulls had already score 6 tries in under 40 minutes!!
To give you some indication of the fight the Rebels were putting up, let me quote a ridgey didge Melbourne supporter. At one stage, I must have dozeily asked how things were going and got this response: "Well the Rebels are doing quiet well actually ... It's been 10 minutes since they conceded a try" - actual conversation, scout's honour.
The Rebels were always going to face an uphill battle without a solid first five - the fact that it was the players themselves who elected to leave Cipriani behind is indicative of just how much respect the rest of the team have for the former golden boy.
Obviously keen to make amends for his transgressions, Richard Kingi on the other hand seemed to be everywhere.
Granted that could sometimes have been due to the fact that Joel Stransky obviously had no idea who any of the Rebels replacement players were and called about 3 of them, including Luke Rooney on the wing and Afusipa Taumoepeau in the centers Kingi (when he was actaully playing at full back....).
It was all pretty much one way traffic, but the Bulls third try deserves a special mention.
Everyone thought Zane Kirschner had knocked it on, except the referee. And after a cheeky "oh well I might as well kick the ball away" hack at the pill, Busson found himself in acres of space - everyone, both sides, had stopped playing - with Dani Russo bellowing at him to run. So, run he did, and scored one of the more bizarre tries I've seen in Super Rugby.
It all underscores that fundamental commandment of competitive sport ... Don't let up until you hear the whistle, because as any sports fan can attest ... The officials are often BLIND.
Apparently they Rebels had a much better second half, and the final score backs up what I had initially supposed to a very one eyed assessment, 47-10 at full time after trailing 40-3 at the break.
Now I had very high hopes for the Reds v Blues game (see I'm not biased, I didn't even watch the Crusaders game this weekend) but it wasn't one I would have liked to call one way or the other ... Which is lucky really since, for the first time this season, I forgot to lodge my picks ..... GRRRRRR
The Reds claimed first blood, and second, and third. But the Blues fought back late in the first half with 2 quick tries. The Aucklanders seemed to be their own worst enemies, and why they were playing in their away strip is anybody's guess.
I've always been under the impression that it's red and green that gave colourblind folks trouble, but apparently, red and blue are also too close as the Blues trotted out in their alternative white jerseys.
The Blues opened the scoring in the second half, and seemed to have the momentum, but it wasn't to be.
The Reds played well, but they didn't take or play the Blues out of the game, the Kiwis did that to themselves.
That's right, of all the rugby played in Round 13, I watched precisely a game and a half.
Now before the booing starts let me explain the half ... It was 2am, and the Bulls had already score 6 tries in under 40 minutes!!
To give you some indication of the fight the Rebels were putting up, let me quote a ridgey didge Melbourne supporter. At one stage, I must have dozeily asked how things were going and got this response: "Well the Rebels are doing quiet well actually ... It's been 10 minutes since they conceded a try" - actual conversation, scout's honour.
The Rebels were always going to face an uphill battle without a solid first five - the fact that it was the players themselves who elected to leave Cipriani behind is indicative of just how much respect the rest of the team have for the former golden boy.
Obviously keen to make amends for his transgressions, Richard Kingi on the other hand seemed to be everywhere.
Granted that could sometimes have been due to the fact that Joel Stransky obviously had no idea who any of the Rebels replacement players were and called about 3 of them, including Luke Rooney on the wing and Afusipa Taumoepeau in the centers Kingi (when he was actaully playing at full back....).
It was all pretty much one way traffic, but the Bulls third try deserves a special mention.
Everyone thought Zane Kirschner had knocked it on, except the referee. And after a cheeky "oh well I might as well kick the ball away" hack at the pill, Busson found himself in acres of space - everyone, both sides, had stopped playing - with Dani Russo bellowing at him to run. So, run he did, and scored one of the more bizarre tries I've seen in Super Rugby.
It all underscores that fundamental commandment of competitive sport ... Don't let up until you hear the whistle, because as any sports fan can attest ... The officials are often BLIND.
Apparently they Rebels had a much better second half, and the final score backs up what I had initially supposed to a very one eyed assessment, 47-10 at full time after trailing 40-3 at the break.
Now I had very high hopes for the Reds v Blues game (see I'm not biased, I didn't even watch the Crusaders game this weekend) but it wasn't one I would have liked to call one way or the other ... Which is lucky really since, for the first time this season, I forgot to lodge my picks ..... GRRRRRR
The Reds claimed first blood, and second, and third. But the Blues fought back late in the first half with 2 quick tries. The Aucklanders seemed to be their own worst enemies, and why they were playing in their away strip is anybody's guess.
I've always been under the impression that it's red and green that gave colourblind folks trouble, but apparently, red and blue are also too close as the Blues trotted out in their alternative white jerseys.
The Blues opened the scoring in the second half, and seemed to have the momentum, but it wasn't to be.
The Reds played well, but they didn't take or play the Blues out of the game, the Kiwis did that to themselves.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Close calls
Well the were some exciting games this weekend.
The Hurricanes had their second opportunity in two weeks to snatch victory in the dying moments, but this time, against the Blues they needed a try and just couldn't pull it out the hat.
The Crusaders were also six points up approaching, and at, the 80 minute mark, but the Stormers hung onto the ball, maintaining possession. The Crusaders threw everything into defense, including some naughty business that earned Maxwell a yellow card two and a half minutes after the game 'should' have been over. Nervous moments there, but the crew managed to defy their grey jersey odds and hold off one of the form teams in the competition.
The Sharks Brumbies match was also close for most of the game, as the second half ticked by, one just got the feeling that if either side could make a break through, they could run away with it. After a few matches where they scored three, the bonus try, scored by Alberts, was a just reward.
Speaking of Alberts, he had an absolute blinder. A demon in defense, he was literally throwing himself into tackles - kinda reminded me of the human javelin himself Mr Norm Maxwell ... Except better discplined.
Now that I think about it, I actually made a few personal, rather than personnel, observations this weekend.
1. Digby Ioane's ninja head /face gear. Yes, it was every bit as bizarre as we were lead to believe it would be, but did he actually play in it? He wore it when he ran onto the field, and then I never saw it again. Granted, it looked slightly more intrusive than the one famously worn by Detroit Pistons Gaurd Richard Hamilton, but surely someone would have thought about that before hand?
2. Could the third Faingaa brother look anymore like the twins? I mean seriously.
3. I know we should all be used to it by now, but what is Matt Giteau's hairdresser thinking? And is he / she on acid? The GI Jonah faux mullet is a big call even from a man with a reputation for wacky do's. Three cheers for head gear.
4. I know this was hardly his fault, but I had to feel for Brumbies prop Ben Alexander just before kick off. Usually the player bios which pop up on screen when the player takes the field says something like, 34th super cap, or, debuted against the Warratahs in 2005. But no, not Ben Alexander. He's "conceded 15 penalties this season", and that's before the game has even begun.
5. Andries Bekker definitely had his angry man face on ... Abusing the ref, Zac Guilford, and his own hooker after a couple of dodgy lineouts.
Which brings me back on track.
Lineouts were a bit shaky across the board this weekend.
The Blues stuffed up their first four throws, Zac Guilford needs to learn to stop and think before automatically taking a quick throw, and yes they still have to be straight ... Which leads to one of the most bizarre call line out calls I've ever heard ... pisang. Now I'm not sure what planet Andries Bekker is from, seriously, but here on earth, a banana (English tranlastion) is by definition crooked .... Not exactly what you want from the hooker.
The other couple of bizarre comments come from the Rebels v Reds match.
Phil Kearns, the Rebels fans (dubbed by Kaf as the noisiest in Australia) are NOT "becoming more and more educated", the reason we "shout the right things at the right times" is because we KNOW THE BLOODY RULES.
And yes, the Rebels missed Cipriani's boot, but I don't understand how commentators across the board could sit there with a straight face and say that the Rebels will miss his attacking capabilities when they are the team that's scored the least number of tries this season. And who was directing traffic then?
That's about all from me this week, except to give a massive shout out to the Crusaders replacements.
Starting without many front line players, the Cantabrians then had to deal with losing four backs to injury in the first 30 minutes. The numerous resulting reshuffles, which even saw flanker Matt Todd move to the centers, obviously interrupted their flow, but the team stuck irony and stuck at it. Champion.
The Hurricanes had their second opportunity in two weeks to snatch victory in the dying moments, but this time, against the Blues they needed a try and just couldn't pull it out the hat.
The Crusaders were also six points up approaching, and at, the 80 minute mark, but the Stormers hung onto the ball, maintaining possession. The Crusaders threw everything into defense, including some naughty business that earned Maxwell a yellow card two and a half minutes after the game 'should' have been over. Nervous moments there, but the crew managed to defy their grey jersey odds and hold off one of the form teams in the competition.
The Sharks Brumbies match was also close for most of the game, as the second half ticked by, one just got the feeling that if either side could make a break through, they could run away with it. After a few matches where they scored three, the bonus try, scored by Alberts, was a just reward.
Speaking of Alberts, he had an absolute blinder. A demon in defense, he was literally throwing himself into tackles - kinda reminded me of the human javelin himself Mr Norm Maxwell ... Except better discplined.
Now that I think about it, I actually made a few personal, rather than personnel, observations this weekend.
1. Digby Ioane's ninja head /face gear. Yes, it was every bit as bizarre as we were lead to believe it would be, but did he actually play in it? He wore it when he ran onto the field, and then I never saw it again. Granted, it looked slightly more intrusive than the one famously worn by Detroit Pistons Gaurd Richard Hamilton, but surely someone would have thought about that before hand?
2. Could the third Faingaa brother look anymore like the twins? I mean seriously.
3. I know we should all be used to it by now, but what is Matt Giteau's hairdresser thinking? And is he / she on acid? The GI Jonah faux mullet is a big call even from a man with a reputation for wacky do's. Three cheers for head gear.
4. I know this was hardly his fault, but I had to feel for Brumbies prop Ben Alexander just before kick off. Usually the player bios which pop up on screen when the player takes the field says something like, 34th super cap, or, debuted against the Warratahs in 2005. But no, not Ben Alexander. He's "conceded 15 penalties this season", and that's before the game has even begun.
5. Andries Bekker definitely had his angry man face on ... Abusing the ref, Zac Guilford, and his own hooker after a couple of dodgy lineouts.
Which brings me back on track.
Lineouts were a bit shaky across the board this weekend.
The Blues stuffed up their first four throws, Zac Guilford needs to learn to stop and think before automatically taking a quick throw, and yes they still have to be straight ... Which leads to one of the most bizarre call line out calls I've ever heard ... pisang. Now I'm not sure what planet Andries Bekker is from, seriously, but here on earth, a banana (English tranlastion) is by definition crooked .... Not exactly what you want from the hooker.
The other couple of bizarre comments come from the Rebels v Reds match.
Phil Kearns, the Rebels fans (dubbed by Kaf as the noisiest in Australia) are NOT "becoming more and more educated", the reason we "shout the right things at the right times" is because we KNOW THE BLOODY RULES.
And yes, the Rebels missed Cipriani's boot, but I don't understand how commentators across the board could sit there with a straight face and say that the Rebels will miss his attacking capabilities when they are the team that's scored the least number of tries this season. And who was directing traffic then?
That's about all from me this week, except to give a massive shout out to the Crusaders replacements.
Starting without many front line players, the Cantabrians then had to deal with losing four backs to injury in the first 30 minutes. The numerous resulting reshuffles, which even saw flanker Matt Todd move to the centers, obviously interrupted their flow, but the team stuck irony and stuck at it. Champion.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Coming soon
Ello everyone, experiencing some technical difficulties.
This week's post is written, but needs a second edit and the editing page isn't playing fair.
Will be up as soon as I can ... Provided the hardware doesn't find itself out the window and into the rain ....
This week's post is written, but needs a second edit and the editing page isn't playing fair.
Will be up as soon as I can ... Provided the hardware doesn't find itself out the window and into the rain ....
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
There and back again, a supporter's tale
Yes yes, I know. I'm late again and I promised I'd try not to be. But I watched a full weekend's worth of rugby yesterday and needed some time to take it all in.
You see, along with what was probably only a couple of hundred (although they managed to sound like a couple of thousand) hardened Rebels supporters I made the trip deep behind enemy lines into New South Wales to watch the away leg of the newest local derby in Super Rugby.
I was just hoping it wouldn't be a repeat of the thrashing dished out in round one, and what do you know? The Rebels scored more points (I know, not hard when you're working from a base of 0), and the Warratahs scored less, than they had in that encounter, so it wasn't a total loss. It was a loss none-the-less, although something we've come to expect from the Rebels on the road.
Kudos to the fans though. The weather was miserable ... fully justifying my recent decision to battle common sense and Air New Zealand (re-packing my suitcases 3 times at Tauranga airport) to bring my Dr Martens (all 5kg of them) back to Melbourne - to wear in Sydney ...
But basically, between travelling to Sydney, and then getting to and from the game itself I would have missed all the others were it not for the wonder that is ... my Foxtel IQ (had I mentioned that I've missed it while I've been in NZ?) and so yesterday, while many of you were at work .... I sat on my couch and had my very own Super marathon, 5 games back-to-back. You can see why I needed to decompress.
The Highlanders struggled to get much ball against the Blues. They weren't getting the number of turnovers we've seen all season and couldn't seem to come up with another way of getting their hands on it. I know this will get me in trouble, but it seems like if they can't do it illegally, they can't do it at all. Adam Thompson was back for the Southern men, he got pinged twice in the first 8 minutes for infringing at the breakdown, and the first yellow card was also for doing bad things in this area.
Funnily enough, being a man down did good things to the Highlanders. It almost looked like they'd been in each others way before, but now had space to move. Ben Smith and Matt Saunders ran some great lines, and Robbie Robinson was the man eventually over for the try early in the second half. The Blues shut-up-shop late in the second half, and trapped the ball in the forwards for 29 phases to chew up time and claim the win.
Once again the Hurricanes started with a hiss and a roar. The Reds were the first on the scoreboard with Scott Higginbotham crashing over in the opening minutes, but the Hurricanes came back with 22 unanswered points and claimed the bonus point in the first half when a little man (Will Genia) was left trying to stop a fat man (Neemia Tialata) just a couple of meters from the line ... no chance.
The Reds staged a comeback in the second half, and there was some confusion when Dom Shipperley thought he'd claimed the mark when juggling a catch inside his 22, turned out he hadn't / couldn't in that situation and ended up being driven back over the try line by some strong hurricanes defense. Schoolboy lesson that. Always. Play. To. The. Whistle.
The visitors couldn't do enough though, and Cruden, who hadn't kicked well all night, slotted a high pressure penalty right on full time to give the Hurricanes the game by 2.
Before I get to the Bulls v Chiefs, I just want to mention something I noticed on the advertising banners during the NZ games (I am going somewhere with this, and the segway isn't as random as it seems). In both Dunedin and Wellington I noticed, for the second week in a row, advertising that was most definitely not aimed at the local audience. The RAND Show being held in Jo'burg.
While I was pondering the value of having your product seen by hundreds of thousands of people (the TV viewing audience) who wouldn't be attending in the hope of catching the eye of tens of thousands of South African viewers, I turned on the Bulls game.
Loftus, the home of the 'Blue' Bulls and seas of banners claiming 'Ons bloed is blou' (our blood is blue, for those whose Afrikaans is a little more than rusty), was swathed in ... Red! the team also playing in one-off red jersey's. No explanation given on-air other than the jersey's would be given to fans after the match. So, not for charity then.
My eagle eye then noticed that the flags and T shirts waved, and worn, by the crowd were covered with the Vodacom (Vodafone to those not living in the republic) logo. The whole thing was a sponsor's promotion. I guess it worked ... since I'm now telling all of you about it too but left a bad taste, interfering with the team's very identity.
The Crusaders came out firing in Perth. McCaw slotted in at Number 8, a testament to how well Matt Todd has played in his absence, so the anticipated head-to-head with Pocock didn't quite eventuate, but the breakdowns were hotly contested all match. The Crusaders getting the upper hand in the first half and the Force seeming to turn over a few in the second.
The Crusaders backs were everywhere in the first 20 minutes, but the Force stayed in it. The Crusaders seemed determined not to kick at all and ran the ball from everywhere. They had a fair amount of support in the stands and CA-ANterbury rang out across the sold out NIB Stadium.
The rugby gods however seemed to be smiling on the men in blue. Every bounce of the ball of 50:50 call seemed to favour the Force, and Richie spent 10 minutes in the bin (the red and greys conceding 11 points in that time). For some reason the Kiwis abandoned the running game that had worked so brilliantly and started paying safe, when they were behind! It was stressful!
The wasn't held / didn't release the ball drama refuses to go away, and popped up twice leading up to Corey Flynn's try, but the points were on the board and when Fotuali'I went over from half back (where he should be) after some sustained pick and go, it was all over 42:30.
You see, along with what was probably only a couple of hundred (although they managed to sound like a couple of thousand) hardened Rebels supporters I made the trip deep behind enemy lines into New South Wales to watch the away leg of the newest local derby in Super Rugby.
I was just hoping it wouldn't be a repeat of the thrashing dished out in round one, and what do you know? The Rebels scored more points (I know, not hard when you're working from a base of 0), and the Warratahs scored less, than they had in that encounter, so it wasn't a total loss. It was a loss none-the-less, although something we've come to expect from the Rebels on the road.
Kudos to the fans though. The weather was miserable ... fully justifying my recent decision to battle common sense and Air New Zealand (re-packing my suitcases 3 times at Tauranga airport) to bring my Dr Martens (all 5kg of them) back to Melbourne - to wear in Sydney ...
But basically, between travelling to Sydney, and then getting to and from the game itself I would have missed all the others were it not for the wonder that is ... my Foxtel IQ (had I mentioned that I've missed it while I've been in NZ?) and so yesterday, while many of you were at work .... I sat on my couch and had my very own Super marathon, 5 games back-to-back. You can see why I needed to decompress.
The Highlanders struggled to get much ball against the Blues. They weren't getting the number of turnovers we've seen all season and couldn't seem to come up with another way of getting their hands on it. I know this will get me in trouble, but it seems like if they can't do it illegally, they can't do it at all. Adam Thompson was back for the Southern men, he got pinged twice in the first 8 minutes for infringing at the breakdown, and the first yellow card was also for doing bad things in this area.
Funnily enough, being a man down did good things to the Highlanders. It almost looked like they'd been in each others way before, but now had space to move. Ben Smith and Matt Saunders ran some great lines, and Robbie Robinson was the man eventually over for the try early in the second half. The Blues shut-up-shop late in the second half, and trapped the ball in the forwards for 29 phases to chew up time and claim the win.
Once again the Hurricanes started with a hiss and a roar. The Reds were the first on the scoreboard with Scott Higginbotham crashing over in the opening minutes, but the Hurricanes came back with 22 unanswered points and claimed the bonus point in the first half when a little man (Will Genia) was left trying to stop a fat man (Neemia Tialata) just a couple of meters from the line ... no chance.
The Reds staged a comeback in the second half, and there was some confusion when Dom Shipperley thought he'd claimed the mark when juggling a catch inside his 22, turned out he hadn't / couldn't in that situation and ended up being driven back over the try line by some strong hurricanes defense. Schoolboy lesson that. Always. Play. To. The. Whistle.
The visitors couldn't do enough though, and Cruden, who hadn't kicked well all night, slotted a high pressure penalty right on full time to give the Hurricanes the game by 2.
Before I get to the Bulls v Chiefs, I just want to mention something I noticed on the advertising banners during the NZ games (I am going somewhere with this, and the segway isn't as random as it seems). In both Dunedin and Wellington I noticed, for the second week in a row, advertising that was most definitely not aimed at the local audience. The RAND Show being held in Jo'burg.
While I was pondering the value of having your product seen by hundreds of thousands of people (the TV viewing audience) who wouldn't be attending in the hope of catching the eye of tens of thousands of South African viewers, I turned on the Bulls game.
Loftus, the home of the 'Blue' Bulls and seas of banners claiming 'Ons bloed is blou' (our blood is blue, for those whose Afrikaans is a little more than rusty), was swathed in ... Red! the team also playing in one-off red jersey's. No explanation given on-air other than the jersey's would be given to fans after the match. So, not for charity then.
My eagle eye then noticed that the flags and T shirts waved, and worn, by the crowd were covered with the Vodacom (Vodafone to those not living in the republic) logo. The whole thing was a sponsor's promotion. I guess it worked ... since I'm now telling all of you about it too but left a bad taste, interfering with the team's very identity.
The Crusaders came out firing in Perth. McCaw slotted in at Number 8, a testament to how well Matt Todd has played in his absence, so the anticipated head-to-head with Pocock didn't quite eventuate, but the breakdowns were hotly contested all match. The Crusaders getting the upper hand in the first half and the Force seeming to turn over a few in the second.
The Crusaders backs were everywhere in the first 20 minutes, but the Force stayed in it. The Crusaders seemed determined not to kick at all and ran the ball from everywhere. They had a fair amount of support in the stands and CA-ANterbury rang out across the sold out NIB Stadium.
The rugby gods however seemed to be smiling on the men in blue. Every bounce of the ball of 50:50 call seemed to favour the Force, and Richie spent 10 minutes in the bin (the red and greys conceding 11 points in that time). For some reason the Kiwis abandoned the running game that had worked so brilliantly and started paying safe, when they were behind! It was stressful!
The wasn't held / didn't release the ball drama refuses to go away, and popped up twice leading up to Corey Flynn's try, but the points were on the board and when Fotuali'I went over from half back (where he should be) after some sustained pick and go, it was all over 42:30.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Underestimate them at your peril.
There was a common thread running through the three games I watched this weekend. Never underestimate your opponent.
Only the Blues managed to finish with a win after allowing the shambolic rebels to get within striking distance.
The Crusaders started an understrength side against a resurgent Highlanders team, a few key players were out through injury, but many were rested or came off the bench - too little too late, and they paid the ultimate price.
The Warratahs would have known they would have a contest on their hands against the form Australian side, the Reds, but may have relied on a 7 year winning streak to get them through, as they looked shocked when the final whistle blew with the Reds 4 points up.
Head clashes were again a feature this week, emphasising that players are going in too high, although with more and more players attempting to offload rather than take the ball to ground I reckon this will get worse before it gets better as defending sides try to shut this down, especially as Sonny Bill keeps breaking the advantage line and making headlines.
Owen Franks featured again this week, the head on the receiving end this time belonging to Tony Brown, but he got up and walked away - blood free. The same cannot be said for the 2 Highlanders who simultaneously went high on Sean Maitland. He broke through while the would-be tacklers headed off to the blood bin with claret streaming down their faces.
The Rebels v Blues game was the Danny Cipriani show, and not in a good way.
I've never heard a commentator repeatedly lay into a player as Justin Marshall did to the Melbounre first five. But he was right. They tried hiding him on the wing in defense - a great idea when the likes of Rene Ranger can, and did, run straight through him.
That was the first a a few costly defensive blunders by the former English international. Marshall said it best, "That's too easy Rebels, there's no question they're trying to hide him on the wing ... The next place is the changing room."
And again late in the game, with Cipriani lining up a tricky shot at goal "He has not missed though, and hasn't looked like missing tonight," said fellow commentatorTony Johnson, "Except tackles," quipped Justin Marshall.
The Blues didn't have it all their own way though. Steven Brett had an absolute clanger with the boot - Cipriani's goal kicking was at least on target, but he was scoring in 3s and giving away 5s.
The Blues took a page out of the soccer playbook and tried to set up a set piece using a wall - looked like a nice idea but they couldn't quiet pull it off.
Rebels prop Rodney Blake had some issues at scrum time, conceding multiple penalties which had Rod McQueen ringing the changes and switching Somerville to the other side of the scrum - handy having that versatility - which meant that he packed down against both All Black props, Tony Woodcock and Joe Afoa, in this 80 minute spell.
Things looked close in the last 10 minutes, but tries to Jarred Payne and the 'other' Braid (that would be Luke), wrapped it up.
The Crusaders took a big risk with the side they fielded against the highlanders. No Mcaw, Carter or Reid, and Williams, Maitland and Flynn on the bench. The issue was compounded by early injuries to Ellis and Thorn.
Things didn't go the highlanders way early on, Tony Brown pushed the kick off too far, captain Jamie Mcintosh conceded a penalty at the resulting scrum and Birquist slotted the first three points for the Crusaders.
Zac Guilford once again showed he has pace to burn, but Fruean had a quiet game without his usual partner in crime, SBW, in the midfield. The two never played together as, when Williams was injected off the bench, it was to replace Freuan.
The Highlanders did some fantastic, and - for a change - legal, work at the breakdown and push the Crusaders forwards off a number of mails securing great turn over ball. And Whitlock, George I think, it is a damn mission to keep track of all three on the field at once, conceded two very kickable penalties at breakdowns in the dying minutes to secure the Highlanders win.
The Reds v Warratahs was definitely a game of 2 halves.
All the Queenslanders points were courtesy of Quade Cooper, who had a good game with the boot and also scored their only try.
(He also ecided that anything Digby Ioane could do, he could do better with a showboating try celebraion which uincluded 2 backflips and must have made the conversion a little more challenging when taken on such shaky legs.)
The medicos were kept busy with Drew Mitchell stretchered off, an injury change to the ref, and Reds Ben daley meeting the pointy end of Warratah Ben Mowan's elbow - the stubborn prop actually tried to retake the field three times, but was told to sit back down.
The Reds scrum was in all sorts of trouble all night, but Genia somehow managed to consistently get good ball away from the back of the carnage.
The game was won in the 20 or so minutes late in the second half where the Warratahs practically set up camp in the Reds 22 but were unable to score.
Brilliant defence, brilliant discipline, brilliant result for the Reds.
Only the Blues managed to finish with a win after allowing the shambolic rebels to get within striking distance.
The Crusaders started an understrength side against a resurgent Highlanders team, a few key players were out through injury, but many were rested or came off the bench - too little too late, and they paid the ultimate price.
The Warratahs would have known they would have a contest on their hands against the form Australian side, the Reds, but may have relied on a 7 year winning streak to get them through, as they looked shocked when the final whistle blew with the Reds 4 points up.
Head clashes were again a feature this week, emphasising that players are going in too high, although with more and more players attempting to offload rather than take the ball to ground I reckon this will get worse before it gets better as defending sides try to shut this down, especially as Sonny Bill keeps breaking the advantage line and making headlines.
Owen Franks featured again this week, the head on the receiving end this time belonging to Tony Brown, but he got up and walked away - blood free. The same cannot be said for the 2 Highlanders who simultaneously went high on Sean Maitland. He broke through while the would-be tacklers headed off to the blood bin with claret streaming down their faces.
The Rebels v Blues game was the Danny Cipriani show, and not in a good way.
I've never heard a commentator repeatedly lay into a player as Justin Marshall did to the Melbounre first five. But he was right. They tried hiding him on the wing in defense - a great idea when the likes of Rene Ranger can, and did, run straight through him.
That was the first a a few costly defensive blunders by the former English international. Marshall said it best, "That's too easy Rebels, there's no question they're trying to hide him on the wing ... The next place is the changing room."
And again late in the game, with Cipriani lining up a tricky shot at goal "He has not missed though, and hasn't looked like missing tonight," said fellow commentatorTony Johnson, "Except tackles," quipped Justin Marshall.
The Blues didn't have it all their own way though. Steven Brett had an absolute clanger with the boot - Cipriani's goal kicking was at least on target, but he was scoring in 3s and giving away 5s.
The Blues took a page out of the soccer playbook and tried to set up a set piece using a wall - looked like a nice idea but they couldn't quiet pull it off.
Rebels prop Rodney Blake had some issues at scrum time, conceding multiple penalties which had Rod McQueen ringing the changes and switching Somerville to the other side of the scrum - handy having that versatility - which meant that he packed down against both All Black props, Tony Woodcock and Joe Afoa, in this 80 minute spell.
Things looked close in the last 10 minutes, but tries to Jarred Payne and the 'other' Braid (that would be Luke), wrapped it up.
The Crusaders took a big risk with the side they fielded against the highlanders. No Mcaw, Carter or Reid, and Williams, Maitland and Flynn on the bench. The issue was compounded by early injuries to Ellis and Thorn.
Things didn't go the highlanders way early on, Tony Brown pushed the kick off too far, captain Jamie Mcintosh conceded a penalty at the resulting scrum and Birquist slotted the first three points for the Crusaders.
Zac Guilford once again showed he has pace to burn, but Fruean had a quiet game without his usual partner in crime, SBW, in the midfield. The two never played together as, when Williams was injected off the bench, it was to replace Freuan.
The Highlanders did some fantastic, and - for a change - legal, work at the breakdown and push the Crusaders forwards off a number of mails securing great turn over ball. And Whitlock, George I think, it is a damn mission to keep track of all three on the field at once, conceded two very kickable penalties at breakdowns in the dying minutes to secure the Highlanders win.
The Reds v Warratahs was definitely a game of 2 halves.
All the Queenslanders points were courtesy of Quade Cooper, who had a good game with the boot and also scored their only try.
(He also ecided that anything Digby Ioane could do, he could do better with a showboating try celebraion which uincluded 2 backflips and must have made the conversion a little more challenging when taken on such shaky legs.)
The medicos were kept busy with Drew Mitchell stretchered off, an injury change to the ref, and Reds Ben daley meeting the pointy end of Warratah Ben Mowan's elbow - the stubborn prop actually tried to retake the field three times, but was told to sit back down.
The Reds scrum was in all sorts of trouble all night, but Genia somehow managed to consistently get good ball away from the back of the carnage.
The game was won in the 20 or so minutes late in the second half where the Warratahs practically set up camp in the Reds 22 but were unable to score.
Brilliant defence, brilliant discipline, brilliant result for the Reds.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Uninspired
Ok ok ok, I admit it .... I'm a bit late this week, mea culpa.
The problem is I was left fairly uninspired by the three games I watched this weekend - Chiefs v Crusaders, Rebels v Highlanders and Brumbies v Force.
(Things might have been different if I'd seen the Blues v Warratahs - 31:17, or the Cheetahs v Hurricanes - 47:50, but I didn't .... So they aren't)
I should have guessed things weren't going to go my way.
I was invited to go along to the Chiefs game by a couple of mates who'd bought their tickets weeks ago. "Just go to the Warehouse and get a ticket," she said.
Well, 4 store visits later (5 if you count the trip to the first shop where the ticket machine wasn't even connected ....) I still had no ticket. The bloody machine was continually out of order. "Oh that's strange," says helpful Warehouse staff member, "It was working a moment ago!" Grrrrrrrrr.
Finally after a phone call to Ticket Direct (very friendly staff by the way), I had my ticket - problem - it's allocated seating.
So, faced with the prospect of having to get there about an hour early to get a park, then sit alone to watch matchstick men run around a strip of grass in the middle of a racetrack ... Oh yes, for the Baypark uninitiated I'll explain in a moment .... Where I couldn't see a thing, coupled with the remotest chance I might be anywhere near Hory BOP, I flagged and went out to watch it with mum and dad at a mate's place.
Now, Baypark, I promised to elaborate.
In New Zealand, most of the grounds where rugby is played at Super 15 level are also cricket ovals, so you get kinda used to not being particularly close to the action (incidentally that's one of the things I love about Melbourne's AAMI Park).
But Baypark is in a league of it's own. When the Chiefs aren't playing their one game a season, or the Steamers aren't at home for the NPC, Baypark gets to do what it was built for - speedway.
Yip, it's actually a stock car race track.
The strip of turf used as a rugby field is more commonly seen covered in the bashed up frames of demolition derby contestants and crashed out stock cars.
For big games, they cover part of the clay track with astro turf - anyone else see Sivivateu slip on it trying to tack a quick throw? But there's no disguising the safety fence, and while Football fans in Europe might have become accustomed to watching their team through wire mesh - it's not a evil usually endured by rugby fans.
Basically, it's a s#*£¥ place to watch rugby - even if it's a great game. This one wasn't.
Much anticipated head-to-heads, Ellis v Lenard and SBW v Tana, were delayed as Ellis and Tana started off the bench, but Flynn v Elliot played out - although I'm not sure there was a clear winner, and even the Chiefs faithful cheered the return of veteran Crusader and All Black captain Richie Mcaw (according to intensive media coverage last week he would have accepted his invite to the royal wedding if he'd still been on the injured list - his 'will not attend' made national headlines and was talkbacked to death - and yes I believe that qualifies as a word).
There were some big hits, Richard Kahui. Big rumbles, Cory Flynn and Liam Mesam and Owen Franks's head continued to do double duty as a wrecking ball, this time Tanireau Latimer on the receiving end. Big celebrations, Masanga and too many big names to mention. But I was left underwhelmed. I suppose it's not that surprising really - the Crusaders were back in their (slightly improved) grey strip.
The same could probably be said for the Rebels, I picked 'em, for the first time ever and .... in their first real game without Mortlock, it looked a bit like the rest of team forgot to come back after the bye.
Perhaps Kurtley Beale will be able to do something about the lackluster back line next season.
The Force eeked out their first win on Australian soil, and that's about all there is to say about their game against the Brumbies.
Next week is my last week without IQ, and I'll try not to be late again.
The problem is I was left fairly uninspired by the three games I watched this weekend - Chiefs v Crusaders, Rebels v Highlanders and Brumbies v Force.
(Things might have been different if I'd seen the Blues v Warratahs - 31:17, or the Cheetahs v Hurricanes - 47:50, but I didn't .... So they aren't)
I should have guessed things weren't going to go my way.
I was invited to go along to the Chiefs game by a couple of mates who'd bought their tickets weeks ago. "Just go to the Warehouse and get a ticket," she said.
Well, 4 store visits later (5 if you count the trip to the first shop where the ticket machine wasn't even connected ....) I still had no ticket. The bloody machine was continually out of order. "Oh that's strange," says helpful Warehouse staff member, "It was working a moment ago!" Grrrrrrrrr.
Finally after a phone call to Ticket Direct (very friendly staff by the way), I had my ticket - problem - it's allocated seating.
So, faced with the prospect of having to get there about an hour early to get a park, then sit alone to watch matchstick men run around a strip of grass in the middle of a racetrack ... Oh yes, for the Baypark uninitiated I'll explain in a moment .... Where I couldn't see a thing, coupled with the remotest chance I might be anywhere near Hory BOP, I flagged and went out to watch it with mum and dad at a mate's place.
Now, Baypark, I promised to elaborate.
In New Zealand, most of the grounds where rugby is played at Super 15 level are also cricket ovals, so you get kinda used to not being particularly close to the action (incidentally that's one of the things I love about Melbourne's AAMI Park).
But Baypark is in a league of it's own. When the Chiefs aren't playing their one game a season, or the Steamers aren't at home for the NPC, Baypark gets to do what it was built for - speedway.
Yip, it's actually a stock car race track.
The strip of turf used as a rugby field is more commonly seen covered in the bashed up frames of demolition derby contestants and crashed out stock cars.
For big games, they cover part of the clay track with astro turf - anyone else see Sivivateu slip on it trying to tack a quick throw? But there's no disguising the safety fence, and while Football fans in Europe might have become accustomed to watching their team through wire mesh - it's not a evil usually endured by rugby fans.
Basically, it's a s#*£¥ place to watch rugby - even if it's a great game. This one wasn't.
Much anticipated head-to-heads, Ellis v Lenard and SBW v Tana, were delayed as Ellis and Tana started off the bench, but Flynn v Elliot played out - although I'm not sure there was a clear winner, and even the Chiefs faithful cheered the return of veteran Crusader and All Black captain Richie Mcaw (according to intensive media coverage last week he would have accepted his invite to the royal wedding if he'd still been on the injured list - his 'will not attend' made national headlines and was talkbacked to death - and yes I believe that qualifies as a word).
There were some big hits, Richard Kahui. Big rumbles, Cory Flynn and Liam Mesam and Owen Franks's head continued to do double duty as a wrecking ball, this time Tanireau Latimer on the receiving end. Big celebrations, Masanga and too many big names to mention. But I was left underwhelmed. I suppose it's not that surprising really - the Crusaders were back in their (slightly improved) grey strip.
The same could probably be said for the Rebels, I picked 'em, for the first time ever and .... in their first real game without Mortlock, it looked a bit like the rest of team forgot to come back after the bye.
Perhaps Kurtley Beale will be able to do something about the lackluster back line next season.
The Force eeked out their first win on Australian soil, and that's about all there is to say about their game against the Brumbies.
Next week is my last week without IQ, and I'll try not to be late again.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Just not Cricket
I'm going to start things off this week with a bit of a rant - does anyone else think it's just a little bit wrong that the Highlanders take the field to 'Flower of Scotland'?
I couldn't quiet believe my ears when I twigged to what the pipers were playing in Invercargill last week, and since I missed the opening minutes of the match against the Brumbies, I watched the replay just to make sure I wasn't imagining things.
I wasn't.
The Cheetahs ran onto the park, the bag pipes fired up ... and out rang Scotland's national song as the southern men took the field.
Now I do get it, the folks from the deep south come from Scottish stock, and are justifiably proud of their kilted heritage ... the team's name and emblem say it all.
But I just can't say that the wholesale importation of a National team's identity is ok in super rugby. It's what the Scots sing at the world cup for Pete's sake.
God Save the Queen may be their national anthem, but Flower of Scotland and Land of our Fathers are synonymous with the Scottish and Welsh sides respectively and, although I am 100% sure that no offence is meant, I, personally, find it disrespectful for the Highlanders to have appropriated this particular song.
But, after the pipes, there was rugby .....
The Cheetahs gave the Blues a bit of a scare last week, when they looked dangerous with the ball in hand, but for the most part this week they seemed content to kick away whatever possession they managed to find themselves with. And they did it poorly. By the time they reverted to the game plan that worked - it was too late and they fell short by 3 points.
Now the Highlanders appear to be on a bit of a roll this season, and it's all on the back of some quality work at the breakdown ..... however .... the Highlander's forwards aren't as lilly white as their pasty arms and legs might suggest. Oh no my friends. There is something rotten in [the state of] Dunedin. There is a lot of dirty work going in the bottom of those rucks and it's starting to look a wee bit cynical.
The Highlanders aren't the only ones playing dirty, oh no siree.
The commentators claimed the 16 penalties conceded by the Hurricanes this round was the most in a super rugby match this season. It wasn't. (see previous post: Last week, against the Bulls, the 'Canes gave away a whopping 22 penalties - and the Bulls 19).
I'll admit I struggled with my pick for this round 8 clash with the Brumbies ... I mean you had to chose a winner, between 2 sides which have been doleful. In the end, I jumped the wrong way - hey, no body's perfect, although when I saw them run on in the much maligned grey strip I think I knew it wasn't going to go my way.
This was do or die for both sides, but you wouldn't have known it from watching Nonu who calmly continued the habit of a lifetime refusing to retire behind the offside line - not that he got called for it as often as he should have.
It was a messy match, with charge downs and intercepts all over the park. The Brumbies scrum dominated an all All Black front row and the Canberra side ground out a one point win to - mathematically at least - keep their season alive.
Now, I only watched 3 matches, as at the rest were after midnight, well past my bedtime, on Saturday night, but the best of 'my' bunch was by far, the Crusaders v Bulls in Timaru.
This was a much anticipated match-up (even without Dan Carter) pitting the current champions against the undisputed king's of super rugby (well that's my considered and possibly biased opinion).
The bulls started out well in in the lineout, but this didn't last long as Chris Jack played out of his skin and absolutely took Matfield to school - it was fantastic :)
The Crusaders back line was again in fine form, with, the now usual, miracle offloads and stunning line breaks. There was also some good work going on at the breakdown - the pack just walked over Zane Kirschner after he took a high ball and collected Sean Maitland.
Uncharacteristically, it took Morne Steyn 37 minutes to take a shot at goal (an unsuccessful penalty attempt) and the bulls never managed to score. Crusaders 27, Bulls 0.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Finally, the Rebels force a win on the road
Things were a bit different this week.
For one thing, I'm across the Tasman and away from my beloved IQ, which meant I had to get up at (what I deem to be) a horrendous time on Sunday morning to do things the old fashioned way and watch replays.
For another - I do have the Rugby Channel :) which means rugby anytime I like during the week including old and European games, and for a third - the Rebels finally strung together 2 in a row and claimed their first scalp on the road.
It was one for the record books either way in Perth: the Rebels had never won on the road, and the Force hadn't won at home all season. One of these had to change, and I'm quiet happy about the way things turned out.
Now, I obviously didn't watch the game in Melbourne, but I have it on good authority (he told me himself) that my usually calm and self-possessed boyfriend was yelling at the TV - usually my job - and getting all worked up about the close finish, apparently I've introduced a new of stress ....suck it up princess ....
I can quite understand the sentiment. It was a cracking finish to what started out like any other Rebels game on the road: 12 minutes in - 9 missed tackles, 2 tries conceded and no ball. It looked like the 'good' Rebels forgot to get on the team bus and stayed behind at AAMI Park.
But wait, what happened next? The Rebels scrum dominated, Danny Cipriani slotted a couple, Mark Gerrard got sin binned for a high tackle that wasn't, and the Rebels put together 26 - that's right, count 'em, 26 phases.
The Dr Jekyll Rebels were well and truly in control and put the Mr Hyde Rebels firmly back in their box. Now, if only we can convince them to start a game that way rather than hemorrhaging points in the first quarter.
Hugh Pyle's intercept try, his first in Super Rugby ('this is my try, there are many like it but this one is mine' - I can't help it, every time the commentators mention him my brain goes Full Metal Jacket) was against the run of play and helped lift the Rebels playing away from their vocal support-base.
Gerrard was in fine form - and retains his unbeaten streak in navy (or white), and Cipriani's cheeky cross field kick to Richard Kingi - while the Force camped out under the posts expecting him to kick the penalty - sublime.
The forwards put in another strong performance; notably Somerville, Lipman and Saffy, Nick Phipps had a blinder and Mortlock was all over the park in defence. The Rebels now head into the bye with confidence.
Elsewhere in Super-land:
The Highlanders dispatched the Brumbies in the deep south, with all their tries in Invercargill scored by the front row - Hooker Jason Rutledge scored a double, one on each wing.
Poor discipline should have kept the Brumbies in touch, but Matt Giteau had a shocking night with the boot - he had to score his first points like everyone else, going over the chalk.
The Highlanders competed strongly, and not always legally, at the breakdown and came away with the win.
The Chiefs couldn't take advantage of their best playing conditions in weeks as their handling let them down again in Sydney. Rod Kafer said the Chiefs weren't hungry on defense, I'm going one further to say that in the first half they looked down-right lazy with no one committed to the breakdown.
The Blues should have put up a much more convincing total over the Cheetahs in Whangarei. Fifteen minutes in my Dad asked how the Cheetahs were going and I had to say I couldn't tell - all I'd seen them do was tackle Blues players. The Blues had all the ball in the world, just didn't seem to be able to use it effectively, running all over the park, but struggling to break the advantage line.
They only just hung on as the Cheetahs finished with a strong last quarter (and had 2 tries properly disallowed).
The Hurricanes, oh the Hurricanes. They were back in yellow this week at McLean Park, but it didn't seem to help. The big boots of Morne Steyn and Fourie du Preez kept the Bulls out in front on territory and the score board. The South Africans had 2 penalties and a drop goal before Daniel Kirkpatrick even had his first shot at goal - which fell well short.
The Bulls didn't seem interested in crossing the try line, and the Hurricanes couldn't get near it until the 45th minute when Serge Lilo crashed over.
It was a messy game, and both sides gave away too many penalties, 41 penalties in all; 22 for the Hurricanes and 19 for the Bulls.
For one thing, I'm across the Tasman and away from my beloved IQ, which meant I had to get up at (what I deem to be) a horrendous time on Sunday morning to do things the old fashioned way and watch replays.
For another - I do have the Rugby Channel :) which means rugby anytime I like during the week including old and European games, and for a third - the Rebels finally strung together 2 in a row and claimed their first scalp on the road.
It was one for the record books either way in Perth: the Rebels had never won on the road, and the Force hadn't won at home all season. One of these had to change, and I'm quiet happy about the way things turned out.
Now, I obviously didn't watch the game in Melbourne, but I have it on good authority (he told me himself) that my usually calm and self-possessed boyfriend was yelling at the TV - usually my job - and getting all worked up about the close finish, apparently I've introduced a new of stress ....suck it up princess ....
I can quite understand the sentiment. It was a cracking finish to what started out like any other Rebels game on the road: 12 minutes in - 9 missed tackles, 2 tries conceded and no ball. It looked like the 'good' Rebels forgot to get on the team bus and stayed behind at AAMI Park.
But wait, what happened next? The Rebels scrum dominated, Danny Cipriani slotted a couple, Mark Gerrard got sin binned for a high tackle that wasn't, and the Rebels put together 26 - that's right, count 'em, 26 phases.
The Dr Jekyll Rebels were well and truly in control and put the Mr Hyde Rebels firmly back in their box. Now, if only we can convince them to start a game that way rather than hemorrhaging points in the first quarter.
Hugh Pyle's intercept try, his first in Super Rugby ('this is my try, there are many like it but this one is mine' - I can't help it, every time the commentators mention him my brain goes Full Metal Jacket) was against the run of play and helped lift the Rebels playing away from their vocal support-base.
Gerrard was in fine form - and retains his unbeaten streak in navy (or white), and Cipriani's cheeky cross field kick to Richard Kingi - while the Force camped out under the posts expecting him to kick the penalty - sublime.
The forwards put in another strong performance; notably Somerville, Lipman and Saffy, Nick Phipps had a blinder and Mortlock was all over the park in defence. The Rebels now head into the bye with confidence.
Elsewhere in Super-land:
The Highlanders dispatched the Brumbies in the deep south, with all their tries in Invercargill scored by the front row - Hooker Jason Rutledge scored a double, one on each wing.
Poor discipline should have kept the Brumbies in touch, but Matt Giteau had a shocking night with the boot - he had to score his first points like everyone else, going over the chalk.
The Highlanders competed strongly, and not always legally, at the breakdown and came away with the win.
The Chiefs couldn't take advantage of their best playing conditions in weeks as their handling let them down again in Sydney. Rod Kafer said the Chiefs weren't hungry on defense, I'm going one further to say that in the first half they looked down-right lazy with no one committed to the breakdown.
The Blues should have put up a much more convincing total over the Cheetahs in Whangarei. Fifteen minutes in my Dad asked how the Cheetahs were going and I had to say I couldn't tell - all I'd seen them do was tackle Blues players. The Blues had all the ball in the world, just didn't seem to be able to use it effectively, running all over the park, but struggling to break the advantage line.
They only just hung on as the Cheetahs finished with a strong last quarter (and had 2 tries properly disallowed).
The Hurricanes, oh the Hurricanes. They were back in yellow this week at McLean Park, but it didn't seem to help. The big boots of Morne Steyn and Fourie du Preez kept the Bulls out in front on territory and the score board. The South Africans had 2 penalties and a drop goal before Daniel Kirkpatrick even had his first shot at goal - which fell well short.
The Bulls didn't seem interested in crossing the try line, and the Hurricanes couldn't get near it until the 45th minute when Serge Lilo crashed over.
It was a messy game, and both sides gave away too many penalties, 41 penalties in all; 22 for the Hurricanes and 19 for the Bulls.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Will the real Rebels please stand up?
Forget consistency between matches. This week it was more like split personality disorder at AAMI Park as the ‘bad’ Rebels seemed to take the field only to morph into the bloody great Rebels round about the 20 minute mark.
In the first quarter I thought they’d picked up right where they left off in Brisbane and the (many) Hurricanes fans in the crowd seemed intent on being the first to drown out the vocal – and much lauded – local support. However, I’m glad to say things couldn’t have turned out more differently.
There was no soft penalty to cinch this win. The Hurricanes scored three quick tries (a point a minute for the first 17), and then had to wait an hour for their fourth while the Rebels ran in six of their own.
The early Rebels – the bad ones – fell off a multitude of tackles, or went in too high and allowed strong players like Cory Jane, Victor Vito and Conrad Smith to stand in the tackle and get the pass away.
Fortunately things picked up, although the Rebels backline still seems to lack a bit of direction at times. They still seem to be looking for the elusive spark, and this victory really belongs to the forwards who scored four of their six tries.
I have to say this is the first game I can recall, ever, where the ref did not call a single forward pass.
Not because there weren’t any, because oh boy, there were a few – especially once the players seemed to realise that this ref seemed to be blissfully ignorant of the fact that we were playing RUGBY, which means the ball must be passed BEHIND YOU (must have thought he was at the AFL game across the road).
He was also slightly hazy on the ol’ off side rule. I tried to set him straight – numerous times in fact – but I’m not entirely sure he heard me…
Regarding the Hurricanes, I can only say that it seemed their grey jerseys just sucked the life out of them (I know the Crusaders never play 100% when they’re wearing their hideous grey strip).
They’ve never been the strongest team in the competition, mentally, and it showed. There are units within the side that play very well together, but it never seems to quiet carry across the 15, and I don’t see the ‘canes making the top six this year.
Another team who I think will struggle, the Chiefs, weren’t helped by another shocking night of rain in Hamilton.
The first minute kind of summed it up really. Delany, in his 22, slipped while attempting the clearance. The ball didn’t go far, just to Rene Ranger, who then knocked it on. Chiefs kicked it down field again, where Jared Payne couldn’t tidy it up. Liam Messam slid in for five points.
The Blues were unable to take advantage of very similar circumstances late in the second half, and, having turned down an easy three points, set about initiating a full five minutes of scrum resets … I counted at least six … before opting to go for the posts.
The second half began as the first had ended – with a scrum. Although this one was on halfway after the Chiefs re-start didn’t go the 10. Happened twice during the game and, in those conditions was simply unforgivable.
Now, after the excitement of the Rebels game (the only one I didn’t pick right this week I must add – although I still dropped 6,000 places L), I knew it was greedy of me to keep my high hopes for the Crusaders Sharks battle royale at Twickenham, but I’m glad I did ‘cos it was a CRACKER.
The first game of Super Rugby to be played in the Northern Hemisphere, and although we still had a southern ref, Kiwi come Aussie Steve Walsh who’d been on Six Nations duty the week before, this was the first I’ve heard called by completely neutral commentators (but former Crusader and All Black Justin Marshall did chip in and contribute a little antipodean flavour).
The BSKYB team seemed genuinely excited to be seeing this game live and in person and definitely had their favourites; Bismarck du Plessis, Dan Carter and Sonny Bill Williams. Although the way the game unfolded we certainly heard a lot more about the latter two than poor little Bismarck (I can only say that as I’m hundreds of miles away and he doesn’t know where I live).
The Englishmen described this as ‘gorgeous rugby’, and they weren’t wrong.
Willem Alberts benefited from something I’ve griped about in this blog before – the ‘not held’ vs ‘release the tackler / ball’ conundrum – but this was the first of four tries for the Sharks.
The Crusaders however seemed to be able to break the advantage line at will in the first half. The backs ran fantastic angles, hit the line at pace and, of course, SBW threw his miracle off loads. These were real team tries, Maitland, Carter, Fruean, Guilford, Dagg and Williams were all involved, and often.
It was great to hear the sounds of Dave Dobbyn, Split Endz and Supergroove echoing around the London ground as the Crusaders dotted down their five tries.
All in all, an impressive day at the office. But the Crusaders will feel a little disappointed for letting in Potgieter for a gift five points a minute after their third try (Guilford's) and just before half time. It gave the Sharks a sniff and they came out with the momentum in the second half.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Blackadder's Party Mix
Well the Crusaders may have been churlish enough to spoil the party at Tony Brown’s … but at least they brought the lollies.
Here’s a sample of Blackadder’s Assorted Favourites:
· Sean Maitland – Lemon (yellow)
· Israel Dagg – Cherry Banana (yellow and red)
· Dan Carter – Blackberry and Lime (black and green)
· Robbie Fruean – Raspberry (red)
· Andy Ellis – Strawberries and Cream (red and white)
· Sonny Bill Williams – Apple (green)
· Matt Berquist – Cranberry (red)
· Zac Guilford – Bubblegum and Vanilla (blue and white)
· Kahn Fotuali’i – Peppermint (white)
You figured out where I’m going with this? I’ll give you a hint … there aren’t that many forwards in the list above, why, because they seem to be the more traditional bunch and stick with good old-fashioned liquorice.
That’s it … the boots!
Now I know the Crusaders are far from alone in this arena – I’d hate to even try and come up with decent sounding flavours for some of the multi-coloured offerings from the Hurricanes (Corey Jane – purple and orange … ummmm…) –but they’re the only team I’ve taken the trouble to map out.
Now, some of you might chalk that up to my obsession with sugar, but I’ll leave it with you. The trend is definitely on the rise.
Anyway, it wasn’t candy (real or imaginary) that ruined Tony Brown’s homecoming at the House of Pain – it was rugby, bloody good rugby, and I’d better get back to it to it.
It was good to see an enthusiastic crowd at Carisbrook again – but I think the Crusaders next outing should have that atmosphere beat. The Sharks at Twickenham! Apparently there will be about 55,000 tickets on-sale so the Kiwi and SAFFA ex-pat and backpacker communities should have a field day.
In other news …. the less said about the Rebels v Reds the better. In fact … how about those Irish??? Huh? Huh?
The Sharks v Chiefs was hampered by feral weather. Sky Commentator Scotty Stevenson, who continues his run of Murray-Who-isims, put it best: ‘What should be a champagne game [has turned into] cask wine!’.
The Sharks discipline was incredible in the first half, absorbing massive amounts of pressure.
Both sides came agonisingly close to crossing the line only to knock it on. In the Sharks case, we can blame the weather. For the Chiefs, it just looked like a continuation of their past shocking form on this front.
Cue Scotty: ‘Is Ian Foster’s coaching box padded? …. I’m not suggesting he’s insane, just that he’s be looking to punch something.’
Well that’s me for the week. Apologies if it was slightly less coherent than usual, but I’ve just played my first game of Basketball in almost a decade and it feels like my entire body’s blood supply is still running round my head.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Rugby and Religion
There are a number of ways religion seems to make its way into rugby. All Black great Micheal Jones was renowned for his 'no games on Sunday' stance, a number of players have been known to point skywards after dotting down a try over the years, and for some - no no, I'm not pointing fingers - rugby is a religion.
But this weekend was something totally different. It seemed the entire Super 15 roster, across all conferences, had been to something akin to confession ... surely its the only explanation for the number of Hail Mary's thrown in the 5 games I watched in full.
Otherwise, we were witness to the birth of a new, debilitating condition - I'm calling it Sonny Bill Syndrome.
Trying to emulate the league super convert, too many players are simply throwing the ball away rather than take the tackle. Calling some of these monstrosities 50:50 passes, the commentators were too kind. Not many players have the requisite skill and / or timing to thrown the miracle off load and I wish they'd stop trying.
S.B.S seems to have struck the Hurricanes and Chiefs particularly hard.
The commentators called it 'a game of chess'. I have to disagree. The number of loose passes thrown around in this game would make a $2 hooker blush.
You got the feeling that whichever side managed to actually hold on to the damn ball would win the game. And it went down to the wire.
The Rebels / Sharks at AAMI Park was another close one, but this was much prettier to watch!
Now I made full disclosure at the start of the season about my previous support for the men from Durban, but you'll all be pleased to know I stuck to my guns and threw my support 100% behind my adopted team. True, I did wear a blue wig which made it easier to remember which side of the fence I was perched on, but that's neither here nor there.
The Age made a comment in Sunday's paper that there are in fact 2 Rebels teams, the Bad Rebels (think Waratahs and Chiefs) and the Good Rebels (Brumbies and Sharks); and I couldn't agree more. It's a bit like watching the French, you're not sure what you're going to get until you see them on the day - unless they're playing the All Blacks in a RWC Quarter/Semi Final. This is something the Rebels have to work on.
Otherwise, they played really well. Yoda used the force and had the Beast's number at scrum time, the Rebels pack dissuaded the Sharks from setting up too many of their trademark rolling mauls, and - shock horror - Danny Cipriani showed he can actually run the ball.
The Sharks conceded their first (and second, and third, and fourth) try of the season and the Rebels could hold their head high in front of the 15,000 strong crowd.
It was an impressive turn out considering the smorgasbord of other entertainment on offer in Melbourne on Friday night: The Moomba Festival, AFL NAB cup final, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and ... wait for it ... Neil Diamond concert.
In other news. The Crusaders are looking increasingly comfortable in Nelson where they completely demolished the Brumbies.
I have to say though, as accustomed as I am to Crusaders starting their seasons slowly, I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with the way they are starting games slowly - although with results like these I can't really complain can I?
For the second week in a row the red and black machine had a fairly sloppy first half, but totally shifted gear in the second - doubling their first half score in the first nine minutes of the second.
Kudos must be given to Robbie Fruean for an absolutely stunning tackle. Chasing Adam Ashley Cooper half the length of the field, pulling him down less than a meter from the line and winning the penalty.
Stormers v Highlanders was, how did the commentator describe it 'Abrasive' rugby. These teams were feisty and happy to get physical. It was nice to see Tony Brown popping in for a cameo for the club he started at. But how the Stormers, with Bryan Habana and Gio Aplon on the park, have managed to go 2 weeks without scoring try is beyond me.
I must say, I kinda jinxed the Highlanders. I finally abandoned my 2010 prejudice and picked 'em. Of course they were going to lose.
Cheetahs v Lions. I must admit I cheated - watched it on x6 fast forward ... could almost hear the Benny Hill music ... but the sighting of a rare and endangered species made it all worth while.
I actually saw, with my own eyes. John Mitchell. Smile!!!!
Speaking of endangered species ... I wonder how they managed to get the random fox which invaded the pitch at Twickenham before the England v Scotland 6 Nations match off the field? The ref got carried off, but I doubt the same courtesy was extended to the fox ...
Monday, March 7, 2011
Honour and glory
What do fine dining restaurants and rugby stadiums have in common? On the surface, not a hellofalot, but it's quiet obvious really ... they both (usually) have a very limited selection of beers for you to choose from and you end up with a choice between something you don't really like, and something you know will give your head something to shout about all the next day.
In case you haven't guessed it, I have a confession to make...
I went out this weekend so all my viewing time this week was courtesy of my good buddy IQ (since we are such good friends it probably deserves a name, but I don't want to breach trademark - besides, my GPS is already called Gary and some people look at me funny) - on Sunday arvo, so I haven't seen them all.
Gasp, shock, horror. Ok getting on with it now.
I started with the Crusaders vs the Waratahs in Nelson.
This was a very poignant setting. Relocated from AMI Stadium due to the earthquake, with (as the Crusaders had determined months ago to dedicate their first home game to the victims of the Pike River mining disaster) the team discarding their usual read and black in favour of the West Coast Rugby Union's red and white strip.
The Crusaders less than perfect (probably understatement of the century) preparation showed early on. handling was dodgy and Sonny Bill Williams threw a number of very iffy passes trying to force the offload rather than take the tackle and play the ball.
Last week, Rebels vice captain Gareth Delve was pinged for 'not releasing the ball'. This week, Big Brad Thorn played on - 'not held'- in almost identical circumstances, I think the players and referees are going to need some clarification on that moving forward, or there will be riots in the stands.
Unfortunately for the Waratahs, Daniel Halangahu left his kicking boots in Sydney and the Tahs were unable to turn Canterbury's mistakes into points.
Then, at around the 30 minute mark, the Crusaders changed gear. Robbie Fruean ran in an intercept try from half way and then combined with SBW for a second. Carter's fifth kick from five attempts sailed over the posts, against a gorgeous Nelson sunset and the stage was set for the Canterbury's dominance of the second half.
Waratah's perfect season over.
Then I turned my attention to the Rebels first game away from AAMI Park, and vocal support from the Rebel Army.
I'll be honest, I had - well not exactly high - hopes for the Rebels. I'm not saying I expected a win, but it would have been nice to come close.
I figured they'd have the momentum going in ... coming off a win and with the Chief's Rugby Park hudoo (not having won a game at home all season in 2010). The wet conditions looked like they'd help contain the Chiefs insane back line and the Rebels defense had been key in the win over the Brumbies, I thought they should at least have a shot ... not enough to pick 'em though ....
Umanga showed that the grand daddy of the comp can still mix it with the young fellas and played a very physical game - there was definitely some de-ja-vu watching his dreadlocked head coming up against Mortlock's bald noggin.
Which reminds me ... who needs Murray when we've got commentators like Matthew Cooper talking about all the 'nude nuts' on the park?
The Rebels missed Kevin O'Neil, the lineout was a mess, and league convert Jarrod Saffy seemed to be having trouble getting his head around the breakdown, pinged several times for not rolling away. So, lots to work on before next week's clash against one of the form teams in the competition.
Speaking of the Sharks ... their match-up against the Force was the last game of my personal triple-header ... one word ..... MEDIC ......
The attrition rate in this encounter was phenomenal!!!
Within the first 20 minutes, the two sides had lost four players. Mitch Inman's dislocated elbow made for some squeamish viewing, although the Force were made much more uncomfortable when his replacement, Rory Sidey was red carded shortly after he took the field for a dangerous tackle which saw Sharks winger Odwa Ndungane carried from the field on a stretcher. Star flanker David Pocock also left the field with what looked like a bung knee after being bent the wrong way over a ruck.
In the second half, Sharks flier JP Pietersen hobbled off bringing an end to his interesting battle with 80's glam rock impersonator Nick Cummins (who's own game was cut short in the dying stages due to a late shot on Louis Ludik).
But somewhere in the middle of all that there was some rugby.
The Sharks scored four tries, but crossed the line six times. Poor Mvovo pulled back twice (once after a full 75m sprint) for the whistle. Bismark du Plessis lumbered over for a push over try that is fast becoming Sharks trademark, and personally, I think Pat Lambie won the battle of the 20 year old wunderkinds at Number 10.
In case you haven't guessed it, I have a confession to make...
I went out this weekend so all my viewing time this week was courtesy of my good buddy IQ (since we are such good friends it probably deserves a name, but I don't want to breach trademark - besides, my GPS is already called Gary and some people look at me funny) - on Sunday arvo, so I haven't seen them all.
Gasp, shock, horror. Ok getting on with it now.
I started with the Crusaders vs the Waratahs in Nelson.
This was a very poignant setting. Relocated from AMI Stadium due to the earthquake, with (as the Crusaders had determined months ago to dedicate their first home game to the victims of the Pike River mining disaster) the team discarding their usual read and black in favour of the West Coast Rugby Union's red and white strip.
The Crusaders less than perfect (probably understatement of the century) preparation showed early on. handling was dodgy and Sonny Bill Williams threw a number of very iffy passes trying to force the offload rather than take the tackle and play the ball.
Last week, Rebels vice captain Gareth Delve was pinged for 'not releasing the ball'. This week, Big Brad Thorn played on - 'not held'- in almost identical circumstances, I think the players and referees are going to need some clarification on that moving forward, or there will be riots in the stands.
Unfortunately for the Waratahs, Daniel Halangahu left his kicking boots in Sydney and the Tahs were unable to turn Canterbury's mistakes into points.
Then, at around the 30 minute mark, the Crusaders changed gear. Robbie Fruean ran in an intercept try from half way and then combined with SBW for a second. Carter's fifth kick from five attempts sailed over the posts, against a gorgeous Nelson sunset and the stage was set for the Canterbury's dominance of the second half.
Waratah's perfect season over.
Then I turned my attention to the Rebels first game away from AAMI Park, and vocal support from the Rebel Army.
I'll be honest, I had - well not exactly high - hopes for the Rebels. I'm not saying I expected a win, but it would have been nice to come close.
I figured they'd have the momentum going in ... coming off a win and with the Chief's Rugby Park hudoo (not having won a game at home all season in 2010). The wet conditions looked like they'd help contain the Chiefs insane back line and the Rebels defense had been key in the win over the Brumbies, I thought they should at least have a shot ... not enough to pick 'em though ....
Umanga showed that the grand daddy of the comp can still mix it with the young fellas and played a very physical game - there was definitely some de-ja-vu watching his dreadlocked head coming up against Mortlock's bald noggin.
Which reminds me ... who needs Murray when we've got commentators like Matthew Cooper talking about all the 'nude nuts' on the park?
The Rebels missed Kevin O'Neil, the lineout was a mess, and league convert Jarrod Saffy seemed to be having trouble getting his head around the breakdown, pinged several times for not rolling away. So, lots to work on before next week's clash against one of the form teams in the competition.
Speaking of the Sharks ... their match-up against the Force was the last game of my personal triple-header ... one word ..... MEDIC ......
The attrition rate in this encounter was phenomenal!!!
Within the first 20 minutes, the two sides had lost four players. Mitch Inman's dislocated elbow made for some squeamish viewing, although the Force were made much more uncomfortable when his replacement, Rory Sidey was red carded shortly after he took the field for a dangerous tackle which saw Sharks winger Odwa Ndungane carried from the field on a stretcher. Star flanker David Pocock also left the field with what looked like a bung knee after being bent the wrong way over a ruck.
In the second half, Sharks flier JP Pietersen hobbled off bringing an end to his interesting battle with 80's glam rock impersonator Nick Cummins (who's own game was cut short in the dying stages due to a late shot on Louis Ludik).
But somewhere in the middle of all that there was some rugby.
The Sharks scored four tries, but crossed the line six times. Poor Mvovo pulled back twice (once after a full 75m sprint) for the whistle. Bismark du Plessis lumbered over for a push over try that is fast becoming Sharks trademark, and personally, I think Pat Lambie won the battle of the 20 year old wunderkinds at Number 10.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Singing a song of (not so) angry men
Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Well the crowd at AAMI Park – so far I’m holding out and won’t call it the stockade – were in full song this week, and I can’t say I blame ‘em.
It was a terrific atmosphere and a great occasion.
Let the haters say what they want about the, admittedly, soft penalty in the dying moments. Others might call it justice for some seriously dubious calls from Jonathan Kaplan (and his ‘assistant’ on the right touch line who missed Rebels bad-boy Danny Cipriani getting a slap to the upside of the head).
Cipriani has been lauded in all the Melbourne papers this week – well, in the sports section at least. The social pages still talk about his penchant for nicking vodka and subsequent banning from a completely different night-club. But at some point he is actually going to have to put his defenders onside by actually chasing one of those long punts downfield.
Back to my point, the Rebels team song (appropriated from Les Miserables) seemed particularly apt on Friday night.
The people were most definitely singing, and although over the moon by the result, were mad at Kaplan often enough to fulfil the second line – we were angry, damn angry. And I, personally, think Kaplan looked a bit sheepish himself when he saw the replay of Henry Speight’s try on the big screen.
All-in all, it was a performance by a team which announced that they would not take another 32-0 ass-whooping, would not be slaves again, were going to stand up and be counted in this competition. Yes, points help in this regard.
There was another kind of music, a brutal, savage music coming from the massive hits laid on by Mortlock, Lippman and co. There is no sugar coating this. Defence was the key to the Rebels first win.
They had next to no ball, and the set pieces were a mess. How they managed to win this game with stats like Rucks and Mauls: Brumbies 118, Rebels 29, is beyond me. But with the ball in hand, playing running rugby, they looked great. So there is definitely life in the new boys yet – now let’s back it up and do it again.
Interestingly enough, for the statisticians among us, the Rebels vs Tahs game – although a complete blow out – was the most watched regular season rugby game in Australian TV history; double the regular audience and more viewers than the last Bledisloe match (source superXV.com). I’m guessing nowhere near that number tuned in this time around, and there were 11,000 less people in the stands, but it was undoubtedly a better game of rugby.
I was moved by the minute’s silence observed at all games for the victims of the Christchurch quake (and at the England v France 6 Nations game, which I am watching now – IQ, gotta love it). And my thoughts are with all of you in CHCH, friends and otherwise, here’s hoping things look up for you all soon.
So, with the honours divided equally between the Crusaders and the Hurricanes … what did I think of the others? Well I might just tell you.
Quote of the week has to come from Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph. At half time, when the Chiefs had had 71% of the possession he was asked if he had anything to say … ‘No, not really. We haven’t started to play our game yet.’
Classic. Well, that all changed in the second half and the southern men walked away with the honours. Much to my chagrin I might add as, at the risk of inciting the wrath of a feisty highlanders supporter who shall remain nameless, I’d tipped the Chiefs, and so my picking nightmare began.
The Cheetahs scrum seemed to start where they left off against the Sharks, giving away penalties against the Bulls. But the champions didn’t have it all their own way. Matfield continued his identity crisis, where he seems to think he’s a flyhalf and fancies sending a kick downfield for a winger to chase – or to go out on the full, and they had to fight back for an unconvincing win.
The Waratahs are playing with a lot of confidence and look dangerous from anywhere on the park. The Reds were never in it.
The Sharks did well to contain the Blues (who took 10 minutes to get out of their own half), and the game was the cracker it always promised to be, but – seriously – how is it possible that Patrick Lambie looks even younger than he did last year?
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