Taking on the Boks at Newlands, Cape Town 8th October 2017

As with anything in life, there is always history preceding any event.  And this weekend's match between the all conquering All Blacks and the Springboks in their home arena is bound to be a hummer - even given the form of both sides.

So what about form?  I mentioned earlier that history has a part to play in results at ( and specifically)  Newlands which has plenty (who can forget the 9-8 last minute win by the 1970 AB's??) And if one looks at results from that ground, it's plainly obvious the AB's have never really given the Boks a "hiding".  Far from it.  Ellis Park may be the quintessential home of South African rugby but Newlands is a very close second, if not slightly ahead.

So the history - 1928 saw the first game between the two sides.  Here is the line up of matches and results (Year and AB score first) since:

1928 Aug  13-5
1949  Jul  11-15
1960  Jul  11-3
1970 Aug 9-8
1976  Sep 10-15
1996 Aug 29-18
2001  Jul  12-3
2005 Aug 16-22
2008 Aug 19-0

See what I mean, all matches were hard fought and not a guaranteed win to either side.  Here are some stats:

AB's won 6 Boks 3 (no draws)

Averaging the scores, AB's scored 14 and Boks 10.

In only one match for each team the score exceeded 20 points per side.

It's fair to say that the AB's will be very hard pushed to win and win well given that history.  Personally it would do the game well for the AB's to taste defeat heading into the northern hemisphere and summer rest.  My score is AB's 17-19 Boks.

Latest All Blacks (June 2017) and schools following them.

First Name	Surname	School
Akira	Ioane	Auckland Grammar
Reiko	Ioane	Auckland Grammar
Owen	Franks	Christchurch Boys High School
Anton	Leinert-Brown	Christchurch Boys High School
Brodie	Retallick	Christchurch Boys High School
Luke	Romano	Christchurch Boys High School
Joe	Moody	Christs College
Waisake	Naholo	Cuvu College & Wanganui City College.
Aaron	Smith	Feilding High School
Cody	Taylor	Feilding High School & Horowhenua College.
Samuel	Whitelock	Feilding High School
Scott	Barrett	Francis Douglas Memorial College
Beauden	Barrett	Francis Douglas Memorial College
Jordie	Barrett	Francis Douglas Memorial College
Liam	Coltman	Francis Douglas Memorial College
Tawera	Kerr-Barlow	Hamilton Boys High School
Matt	Todd	Kaiapoi High School & Christchurch Boys High School
Israel	Dagg	Lindisfarne College
TJ	Perenara	Mana College
Ofa	Tu'ungafasi	Mangere College
Jack	Goodhue	Mount Albert Grammar School
Sonny Bill	Williams	Mount Albert Grammar School
Wyatt	Crockett	Nelson College & Otago Boys High Scool
Ben	Smith	Otago Boy's High School
Aaron	Cruden	Palmerston North Boys High School
Ngani	Laumape	Palmerston North Boys High School
Liam	Squires	Palmerston North Boys High School
Charlie	Faumuina	Papatoetoe College
Dane	Coles	Paraparaumu College & Wellington College
Sam	Cane	Reparoa College
Ardie	Savea	Rongotai College
Julian	Savea	Rongotai College
Keiran	Read	Rosehill College
Ryan	Crotty	Shirley Boy's High School
Jerome	Kaino	St Kentigerns
Nathan	Harris	Tauranga Boy's College
Vaea	Fifita	Tonga College & Tamaki College
Lima	Sopoaga	Wellington College

Who is the Greatest AB 7

I'm only going back to the late sixties early seventies here as these are the players I saw and remembered.  There might be argument for others further back to be added (Nathan/Tremain), if so feel free to comment.

My list stars five AB number 7's that I feel served our country very well.  Sorting out who was the best is a difficult task so to make it easier I'm going to do a little summary of those players in order of appearance and then come up with a summary.

That Manawatu dynamo Kevin Everleigh gets the ball rolling.  Though he only played 12 tests he still sticks in my mind as one of the potentially lethal number 7's this country produced.  Often a bloodied battler Everleigh was often shining in a team that wasn't all that good and it was a shame he didn't play more for the top team.  Fast, a scrapper, and a true reflection of a dedicated ball winner.

The Taranaki man that played a lot of winning rugby for the AB's in his reign in the team.  Although not possessed with the speed of Everleigh, his ability around rucks and mauls (remember mauls came about at around his time) were sublime and often AB's won games on his brilliance.  However I never really rated Mourie THAT highly, he was fortunate to have a great team around him.

The Iceman comes into contention simply because he was one of the all time greats in a 7 jersey, heck even in a 6 jersey.  There would be few people writing up a Greatest Ever AB Team that doesn't include Jones.  Yes McCaw should be there, but just on sheer skill and dynamism Jones is way up there.  But like Mourie, Jones served with a great team and very good coaches.  So does that affect his ranking?  We shall see.

Unlike the previous three contestants, Kronfeld arrived on the scene with major changes to the way rugby was played.  Defensive patterns changed, rucking was on the wane, and there became a new way of winning ball at the breakdown.  For all the years Josh played he was THE MOST EFFECTIVE seven in the game internationally.  Often not given plaudits due to his ability to do the job without being too fussy, his ability at the breakdown can only be matched by McCaw (playing under similar laws).  How high do I rate him, heck he's in my top five.

Captain Courageous.  Richie has something all the other four don't have, a very lengthy stay at the top of the game.  Does this make him the best ever?  McCaw is a freak (as Jones was), super fit, super committed and a super ball winner.  Sure he doesn't have the running skills of Everleigh, nor the silky smooth lines of Jones.  But he does have Kronfelds tenacity in spades, and Mourie's abilities as captain.  That makes McCaw probably the greatest ever All Black right (not for me, Shelford still has that mantle).  The greatest of our time?



And there in lies the answer to this poser, who is the best?  Well for their time they were the best.  They played for the country, they lived and fought on a rugby field, and they endeared themselves to our hearts and minds, so trying to sort out who the best 7 was is a mystery based on those summations.  But here I go.  from 5th to first.

5th Mourie  Simply a very good captain with a very good team, but not that dynamic a 7 player.  I don't have any memories of Mourie Magic that turned a game.

4th  Kronfeld  He arrived in a new era, and he proved himself staunchly.  His one failing trait was he went missing in some games and cost us wins.  Good, but not the greatest.

3rd  Everleigh  The Hayburner wasn't named because he burned hay on a farm.  His speed around the traps was explosive and his ball winning capabilities second only to the top two here.  The pity of it all is we didn't see enough of him.

2nd  The Ice Man  Once again played in a different era with great players.  Basically had an armchair ride compared to the top dog here but made the most of every opportunity he had.  fast, dynamic, and potent Michael Jones deservedly fills the 2 spot.

1st  Richie McCaw.  There's more than enough plaudits in Internetland for this big tickered contributor.  He only edges out Michael Jones on one facet, his captaincy.  He is a hugely popular leader, a hugely popular player, and off the field he shows us how it is to be just an ordinary bloke doing extraordinary things.  His longevity in the game (testament to his fitness and dedication) is a telling factor, as is his AB record.  He's had a few coaches over the years but regardless the team continues to perform exceedingly well, a testament to his input into the game and the way the team plays.  As a true leader (like Mourie) he leads by example.  McCaw has it all and is highly deserving of the number one spot.

Putting all that aside, I still get shivers up my spine watching Everleigh play.

Changing of the Guard - AB's NH Tour pre RWC2015

Is it possibly Richie McCaw's final tour as an AB?  This year seems to indicate that he hasn't got the gas in the tank he once had and as an openside is slowly but surely losing touch with the pace of the game.  Yes certainly, he does some very good things, but he's also prone (and consistently) infringing in the breakdown areas and often in point scoring zones.  Are there any better to replace him though, and who?

Well before I touch upon successors I'd like to comment that McCaw goes on the NH tour, purely as the experienced team captain not onfield captain (Read please), and playing blindside, just as an exercise to introduce possible successors on the other side.  One area we are really weak is openside flankers and injuries being injuries, if we don't have one or two up to scratch to step in very big shoes then we can kiss RWC15 goodbye.

So who are the successors.  Cane is obvious as he's there, but I'm not sure he's the best in the country.  Todd continues to show good form and decision making for the Cantabs and should be given a chance.  But a bolter for me would be Callum Gibbins from Manawatu.  A solid workhorse and opportunist, and very big, mobile and fast.  All season he has been a standout for the Turbos and I'm thinking he's putting his hand up at the right time.  My wish is for either of these three, especially Todd, be given the boots in tests to bolster our depth.

Others that could be considered on the outer?  Conrad, like Richie, a long serving and still quite capable player, but is that tooth getting too long, more especially surrounding his concussion issues.  It's fair to say there is backup in the form of Ben Smith, but what about SBW?  Imagine Fekitoa and SBW banging away at oppositions with ball in hand?  Oh did someway say Nonu?  Sorry guys, he's been a great servant but to be honest the past two years have been less than spectacular, sure shines in the odd game, but by and large a journeyman and come RWC15 those kind of players need to be offloaded.

I also admire Kevie's contributions, but once again the tooth is long and speed gone.  Step up Rob Foreman from Manawatu (can you tell I'm a Turbo Fan).  Gutsy honest hardworking footy player and a dab hand with his runs in the ruck area.  Great ball winner too in tackle situation.  And in all the games I watched him play this year I saw one crooked throw and that was his first one on a blustery Boneyard pitch.  But there may be others.  Coles has cemented his place as the number one rake, but I also feel Hansen is bringing him off too early.  Coles is good for 70 minutes.

And what of Hansen?  His last tour or keep him for RWC15?  Yup winning rugby is good rugby and the AB's are winning.  Well not quite.

Versus England, won two very tight games, then a blowout in the third.

Versus Australia, a draw, a blowout, and a just about lost it one.

Versus Springboks a 4 point win and a loss

and versus Argentina a fairly close one considering (19 points) and a blowout.

Points scored 277 against 174 so currently the Hansen AB's are winning games by 28 - 17 against all opposition.  Yes it's fair to say that scoreline in every game would be very nice to achieve, but what those stats don't tell you is that the really tight ones ARE really tight and not a guaranteed 100% win ratio.  And with players getting older in the tooth it's also fair to say there will be more losses and can we tolerate that?

So who is waiting in the wings as coach if Hansen's team fails on it's NH tour?  Why panic, we need him for continuity for the RWC right?  Bollocks I say, If a player doesn't perform to ability he's dropped.  Conversely, if a coach can't get the required results surely he's gone?  Step up Dave Rennie, get ya kit ready for England mate.

Me panic?  Hell no, I'm in the camp that says winning All Black Rugby is the pinnacle.  Like Team New Zealand's defeat, losing is ignominious and I just can't stand The Men in Black losing.  Yes I know it does happen but right now we have a royal chance of a twopeat but that won't happen if the team isn't selected to play that competition and not because they've had a right of passage.  Bring in new talent now so come the RWC we're not trying to get combinations and match fitness set.

Having said all that, I will take the opportunity to thank Maa, Conrad, Richie, and Kevie for their sterling service to NZ and world rugby.  You'll all live long in many peoples minds and memories.  As for Shag, humph!!  Nuff said.

Analyse this?? Rugby Cups/Championships

First there was the Bledisloe Cup, then the William Webb Ellis Cup, then the Super Rugby competition and about the same time, The Tri nations (later rebranded The Rugby Championship).

So what do all these competitions have to do with New Zealand Rugby>  Well the results of the Bledisloe Cup heavily favour New Zealand.  The William Webb Ellis Cup was won for the first time by New Zealand and they also secured the latest victory.  The Rugby Championship is too young to be analysed but New Zealand seems to punch above it's weight.  And the Super Rugby competition has been won more times by New Zealand teams than any other nations teams.

So what is the point of this analysis then?  It's fairly obvious we win our fair share and more but of interest to me is the times we didn't win the WWE.  How did our teams fare during those lean years?  Did NZ teams win all competitions except the WWE for that year only?  Were the teams that did win the WWE from the Southern hemisphere show any form in other competitions?  Below is a table that shows who won what in WWE year and it's fair to say that when New Zealand won either the Bledisloe Cup, the Tri nations, or a New Zealand team won the Super Rugby competition, it's national team failed in it's bid for rugby supremacy.  And oddly, when we lost the Tri Nations, we won the WWE!!  Recipe for success next year perhaps??

Year	WWE Winner	Super Rugby Winner	Bledisloe Cup Winner	Tri Nations winner
1987	New Zealand	Nil	New Zealand	Nil
1991	Australia	Nil	New Zealand	Nil
1995	South Africa	Nil	New Zealand	Nil
1999	Australia	Crusaders	Australia	New Zealand
2003	England	Blues	New Zealand	New Zealand
2007	South Africa	Bulls	New Zealand	New Zealand
2011	New Zealand	Reds	New Zealand	Australia

And in the year SA were the dominant force in Super Rugby but failed in Tri Nations they won the prize!

Anyway glad you had a read.  Time to speculate on Rugby's WWE next year in England.  It's Australia's to lose.

Rugby World Cup 2015 - a look back to 1987 and 1991

It's often bandied about how an aging All Black side, not long out from winning the inaugural William Webb Ellis, stuttered into ignominy in England 4 years later.  Words often used to colour this episode include, aged, inept, poor coaching, poorly lead.  But what is the reality of that side?



Coached by Grizz Wylie and John  Hart as his assistant, and lead by Gary Whetton, the 1991 side did indeed have a fair swagger of 1987 team members in it, but it's debatable that the aging tag should be leveled to place an excuse for their lack or performance.

The following players played both 1987 and 1991 RWC (names followed by their AB tenure)

Andy Earl  1986 - 1992
John Kirwan  1984 - 1994
Gary Whetton  1981 - 1991
Alan Whetton  1984 - 1991
Zinzan Brooke  1987 - 1997
Michael Jones  1987 - 1998
Richard Loe  1986  -  1995
Bernie McCahill  1987  -  1991
Kieran Crowley  1983  1991
Grant Fox  1984  -  1993
Sean Fitzpatrick  1986  -  1997
Steve McDowell  1985 - 1992
Terry Wright  1986  1992

Looking at those statistics it's quite evident apart from the Whettons, Kirwan, Crowley and Fox the rest who played both cups were from the baby Blacks era and therefore still young and fit and by no means aging.


Now if you look at the current crop, whom I have assumed will be around come 2015 RWC you'll see that by comparison this time around the truth is age is a big issue.  Sure we can't compare fitness and styles between 1987 and 1991, and 2011 and 2015, but the point here is that age is indeed a big issue if we want to follow up with a back to back success.  Forget 1991, they were well balanced by youth and experience, whereas this time around maybe too much experience and some long teeth.  Anyway, below is the current players from RWC 2011 and have been picked in 2014, of which I am using as a guide to 2015 selections.

Position                Name                    AB Debut             Years as AB to 2015 RWC

FB           15           Israel Dagg          2010                       5

RW         14           Cory Jane            2008                       7

OC          13           Conrad Smith     2004                       11

IC            12           Ma'a Nonu          2003                       12          

FH           10           Aaron Cruden    2010                       5             

N8          8              Kieran Read        2008                       7

OF          7              Richie McCaw (c) 2001                   14

BF           6              Jerome Kaino    2006                       9

RL           5              Sam Whitelock  2011                       4             

TP           3              Owen Franks     2009                       6

HK          2              Keven Mealamu  2002                   13                          

LP           1              Tony Woodcock  2002                    13

PR           17           Ben Franks          2008                       7

So you see, that onerous tag the 1991 team carries with it is nothing compared to the probable 2015 team.  And in a year when there has been calls for more injection of youth to give cover and experience leading into next year we see old heads either retaining (Meealamu) or returning (Kaino) and where will that revolving door stop turning?

That the RWC pattern returns (1987 Home, 1991 England, 2011 Home, 2015 England) everything points to tough times next year.

Rugby Union in the 21st Century - all about the money.

Back in the early nineties, soon after Manu Samoa's good showing in the RWC, the IRB promised to invest money into the Pacific Island teams to help them become more competitive on the world stage.  It's fair to say very little was done, and with the advent of professional rugby, even less is being put into the Island game by the governing body.

It's all about the money these days.  Prove me wrong? In the second decade of this century, the flagship team of World rugby, The All Blacks, have not played any games in those islands.  To date only a handful of top 20 teams have played in the islands, and even worse, the top six haven't played an Island team for ages, home or away (barring NH tours).

Yet two minnows of world rugby have, in the case of the All Blacks, have had games (or will).  Both Japan and the USA have had the honour to host the best team in the world.  Is this to grow the game in those countries, or is it about chasing the money that could be associated with those teams in the global game in the future?  Interesting question with a simple answer.

The reality is that by playing Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea, the top teams won't grow the game financially.  It seems better for the island teams to be feeder clubs to the likes of Australia, New Zealand and Japan and USA in a lesser capacity.  Yes the game of rugby is now about the money, not the kudos.  Professionalism has a large part to play in this summation and a change of focus in the IRB.

Is it wrong or right for this to happen?  Well yes and no.  Rugby has to fight for all the money it can get, not being a true global game, and to survive it has to offer good money to keep it viable, especially to the teams that make up the top tier.  But in so doing it also hurts the game at the lower level as can be seen by how the Pacific Island nations, and second tier European and Asian teams are treated.  By having the All Blacks playing Japan and USA the game is being exposed to bigger dollars.  By not playing versus the island nations et al the security of the game financially is secured much to the frustration of those lower tiered nations.

So what of the impact on those lower tier nations?  Well, the best move countries looking for better opportunities, be it at club level, professional franchise level, and eventually international level, is to stand firm and demand internationals at their place, and against top 6 teams..  Just look at the make up of the All Blacks, Wallabies and to a lesser extent Japan, abounding with PI players seeking better opportunities.  The boundaries for eligibility are changing and the top tier teams are getting even stronger whilst the minnows suffer.  The reflection is evident especially in RWC competitions.

The USA and Japan are seen by the IRB as the future of the second tier based on the need for them to play the All Blacks at home.  These games are not about getting a full stadium, but exposure to a larger financial future.  And Fiji, Manu Samoa et al suffer further.  Personally I'd like to see the All Blacks, Wallabies and South Africa include one test match per southern season at home to an Island Nation.  Sure it may be a financial loss on the books, but with a lot of island players switching to League the future of the game would be secured globally.  And if the three main island nations can't field a team at a RWC then rugby is the loser.

The Time of The Great Unwashed

A storm in a teacup or a tsunami that will fail to wash ashore?  This surely is a topic that should be on every rugby supporters vision.  It supposedly features Steve Tew, Andy Dalton and Pat Lam (in the least).

This post appeared on Sportsfreak Discussion Forum under the Super Rugby 2012 thread and has some merit to it (or has it - you decide):

"A couple of days ago I was listening to RS with Kent Johns hosting.  A guy called up and sounded totally legit.  I mean yeah, people can be good bullshitters but you can usually pick them, or else their story kinda falls to bits after a while but he said….

That at the start of the season he wrote a letter to Steve Tew asking if JK could be the coach of the Blues and that there was nothing anti-Lam in there.  So anyways, the letter was passed on to Andy Dalton, who in turn passed it on to Pat Lam.  The bloke had his phone number on it and he said he got a highly abusive phone call from Pat Lam in regards to the letter."

Now discussion ensued from this post which can be followed at  http://www.sportsfreak.co.nz/wp/?page_id=4/general-sports-discussion/super-rugby-2012-1/page-8

Which brings me to my summation.  Is Steve Tews handling of this matter correct and the right thing to do?  Personally I think not.  He has erred in the decision making process by not answering the original senders missive, even with a curt and concise reply, or even by getting an administrator to deal with it using a standard reply process.  But to hand the matter on to Andy Dalton, as alleged, he erred also in passing the letter on to someone that has a vested interest in who is coach of the Blues team.  Ok I hear you say, the buck should have stopped there, but no, Dalton also felt obliged to pass it on, and to (I feel) the totally wrong man to deal with it.  If Steve Tew had of known that Dalton would not have dealt with it and had passed it on to Pat Lam, then Steve Tew needs his head read.

The fact that Pat Lam ended up getting the letter is remiss of the NZRU and Blues Board.  But here is where it gets really tricky and/or dirty.  Had the NZRU (Steve Tew) and the Blues Management (Andy Dalton) have known what was to transpire next, would they have made their respective decisions.  For a coach of one of New Zealands professional rugby teams to have then used the supplied phone number and verbally abused the letter's original writer is tantamount to stupidity.  I do blame Pat Lam for his actions, clearly a man under pressure, but surely all of this could have been handled better by Tew (responding personally in the outset) and Dalton (clearly misguided and foolish in handing it on) then this storm in a teacup wouldn't have eventuated.

It is clear to this writer and observer that all three need to stand down from their positions.  Steve Tew firstly for lack of foresight and insight.  A simple response would have brought about a suitable outcome to all involved.  Andy Dalton for his misguided attempt to not deal with it at Board level and for putting Pat Lam in a position he should not have had the opportunity to deal with it.  And as for Pat Lam, the writing has been on the wall for some time.  His recent media coverage is lamentable at best, at worse the sight of a man under extreme pressure.  He (and the others) could do New Zealand Rugby a favour and move on.

The Earthquake that struck New Zealand Rugby was small in comparison to what they get everyday, but the tsunami is coming and those in the firing line will be washed out to sea, IF the country deems that is what is required to save our reputation as a Rugby Giant that actually cares about the game.