posted Sep 16, 2008

I am surprised that nobody reacted to willr1313 posting...Kaplan McCaw axis!
what axis he's talking about mad me feel WWIII had just started and the BAD BOY's this time where NZ and SA.
what a load of nonsons this thread of his is..but I suppose he didn't even watch te match.
Kaplan has been very severe on the AB's and soft to the Wallbies. but it is a matter of opinion. either you like the AB's or you hate'em
great AB's win at Suncorp, good stuff..but Willr1313 had no eye for class! just his own formed opinion right when the Haka started

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posted Sep 18, 2008

Kiwi1979: apologies for taking so long to revert. The thread has moved on, so I hope this isn't too much of a "plop".

"I wonder if it is the same coach you thought would win the tri nations?" Actually, I was always pretty sure that NZ would win - coach notwithstanding. Wasn't going so well until McCaw returned.

"I think GH has done brilliantly to shut up his critics who wrote him off and wroite some nasty things after the Australian loss. What idiots they look like now." Do you really think he has? Had McCaw remained side-lined, would Henry have been enough to contrive a series win? That tiny margin in Brisbane, given the possession available, must say something about NZ, recognising that it also does credit to Aus.

"Williams had a shocker on Saturday and how many times has he blown a try scoring opportunity for us this year? And why he has to attempt to kick they ball instead of being just hitting the ball up is beyond me. Thorn was much better than him." Agree on every charge. Not much for seagull locks myself. Guess I was just caught up in a current vogue which I don't much understand. Perhaps I should have said that Williams is a better seagull than Matfield, anyway.

"Kaino played the best game of his life on Saturday, absolutely smashed the Aussies round the fringes and actually out shone Richie MCcaw." Agree, but like Collins he plays a relatively one-dimensional game. I stand by my long-term prediction about Read coming in, but wouldn't want to take away from Kaino on the day. Guess "okay" was a bit tepid.

"The three we have in the loose now are perfect although we do need someone for backup to McCaw. We miss having Marty Holah there as a back up." Not sure I agree fully. At present, the back row looks like the best available combination, and the combination in defence and recovery of second-phase ball of So'ialo and McCaw is text-book stuff, but with the long run in mind, NZ has to keep looking for someone who is more effective driving off the back, for at least one line-out exponent and for a multi-dimensional blind-sider. NZ can't rely on its tight five's present dominance forever.

"Giteau is a brilliant player and always looked threatening. He is just as good as carter, but has less threats inside and outside him." Yes, and he makes more of them. I really think that NZ's outside backs have been wasted lately while Carter breaks in three directions simultaneously and then either dumps a hospital pass or belts the ball in a random forward direction. I think NZ actually has a problem: Carter could be a great first centre, but there isn't a better fly-half available at the moment. Maybe I'm daft: nobody else seems to be seeing what seems clear to me. Well, sooner or later another side is going to "suss" Carter (as I think the French did at the world cup) and he is going to get bottled up as routinely as Spencer was. If he can make the requisite tactical adjustments then, my lunacy will be a matter of record.

It's all work in progress, of course. I didn't really watch rugby for years after I retired from playing, but since I've joined the couch potatoes I've really enjoyed watching teams develop and adjust. Hope NZ will do just that going into the next world cup. Hope Aus and RSA will, too, and England and France. And Argentina.

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posted Sep 18, 2008

Carter made some great breaks, i think him not being able to continue the play with an off load or something may have more to do with Nonu not being up with the play or him and Conrad being held back by the opposition, which DID happen quite often in this years tri nations. Mauger was great outside carter, carter would make the break and mauger was always there in support, just like umaga, they are far smarter players than Nonu is and this sort of nullifies carters ability a bit.

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posted Sep 18, 2008

segnes agree with most of what you said, but just on GH I think he has silenced his critics. Most thought he was going to be humialated by deans but he kept his cards close and he did his homework and picked generally the best team available. He seems to have learned his lessons which is all anyone can ask and I think its great to still have him and Deans coaching in the tri nations.

I think them and White are the three best coaches in the world.

what a shame it couldn't have been White v Deans v Henry

the tri nations would have been even better and i am convinced SA would have performed better.

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posted Sep 28, 2008

Again with apologies for my late response and thanks for the feedback:

1. Player0: I share your enthusiasm for Mauger, whose brain and organising ability seem to have been seriously missed. Will look out for evidence supporting your view, but retain some misgivings about an argument which excuses the mistakes of a back on the grounds of the shortcomings of another back outside him.

2. Kiwi1979: I certainly agree that Henry did not do so badly as to throw away his team's palpable advantage going into the "Tri-nations", and if there were folk claiming that his ineptitude would bring about a NZ defeat, well, yes, their only comfort will lie in pointing out that things were looking a little hairy until McCaw returned. Where does that put me? On the matter of classy coaches, I draw to your attention Ian McGeechan (coincidentally once a centre much in the Mauger mould) who has in the past achieved good results with pretty average personnel, and who is to cioach the next British Lions outing. I don't know how age will have affected him, but he was a wily bird.

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posted Oct 15, 2008

Okay, I've had a little time to let the dust settle, so here's my veiw of this year's tri nations.

What a yawnathon! I know you guys down under need the cash but playing each other three times in a row is tantamount to the Chinese water torture. I feel sorry for the players. their opinion on these meaningless games are well documented in the media, they can't stand it either!

You look at the dead rubber between SA and Australia and it's obvious the wallabies were simply not interested in playing the game, it was a waste of time. The players knew it. The northern Hemisphere knew it and the southern hemisphere knew it. the only people who wanted the match were the accountants!

2nd up you have to look at the elv's and refereeing. That first match between Australia and NZ... It even had the basket ball rugby enthusiasts shuffling in embarrassment, I don't what you’d call that mess but it wasn't a rugby match! The ref just let the scrums collapse and waited for the ball to come out which either end the no.9 had deliberately fed it towards. I know the ELV's encourage people to opt out of set pieces but what you were left with as a god awful MESS that’s all it can be called. If last season's rugby union was chess and Rugby League is checkers (draughts) then rugby union under the elvs is some kind of chimps tea party. It’s obvious what the NZ coaches thought of that game because they played a strict kicking game the week after and slaughtered an Australian side who had forgotten what tactical acumen is all about!

then you've got the World Champions South Africa, who, lets face it, have had the rug well and truly pulled out from under them. "Sorry Lads I know you have the best set piece game in the world but we've decided that the average punter to too bloody stupid to follow that style of play so we're getting rid of it. You see we've invented a new song and dance style of rugby, which is way more fun for people with attention deficit disorder to watch. Hope ya understand and all. Fact is mate, we broke and we need the gate money."

There were times when SA were touring NZ when you could see the Bok players getting penalties and looking enviously at the corner of the pitch remembering when they could actually score tries from a well executed rolling maul. Goodbye three-dimensional rugby, hello two-dimensional rugby. How is that an improvement? It isn’t, it’s a step down a couple of rungs.

I've watched every game and I came to a conclusion... The Tri Nations isn't fit to lick to boots of the European cup let alone the six nations. It needs sorting out for the better so here's some constructive criticism.

1, Dump every ELV except the 5 m defensive scrum law and the quick throw rules at the line out. The rest are nothing short of a blight on the game. Thankfully you antipodeans are going to get out voted by the Europeans come June, so I think this one is in the bag and John O'Neal can whine, whinge and go jump off a cliff as far I anyone up here cares.

2, for crying out loud go back to the home and away match format, You guys have invented the 30 minute drum solo of rugby! Prog rock was pants in the 70's and your prog rock rugby tournament is just as mind numbingly dull almost 40 years later!

3, you wanna add a bit of colour and fresh air? Then you need new blood! That means Argentina and a pacific lions team. The accountants get their extra games but much more importantly rugby gets new superstars. Sergio Parrise of Italy is massive in Europe and the guy plays for Italy. Winning isn't imperative, the key is attitude and performance and Sergio is a better no.8 than anyone NZ or Australia can boast. Give these kinds of players a stage and they will entertain.

So there you go, The prospect of watching Quantas vs NZ in Japan is about as interesting as watching The English Patient on TV for the forth time in as many months. It ain't going to happen.

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posted Oct 15, 2008

Does that novel come in Hardback or Paperback?

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posted Oct 16, 2008

I'd rather keep it environmentally friendly!

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posted Oct 16, 2008

Well that's not true, you wasted a lot of electricity writing that.

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posted Oct 17, 2008

I used renewble energy. :p

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