The Commitments

One of the most talked about aspects of the past week or so in New Zealand sport has been the notion that certain established All Blacks, regardless of current form, will be picked for the upcoming tests against the French in June. I am, of course, talking about Israel Dagg. Crusaders Coach Todd Blackadder, whose honesty is so refreshing (no John Mitchell quotes come forth from the lips of Mr Blackadder), said Dagg’s form does not warrant a starting position. Simple.

Enter Mr S. Hansen (surely he is related in some way to Grizz Wyllie?) who intimated that he’s not worried, and that these players ‘will come right’. The implication is of course that these players will be picked come June, regardless of form between now and that point.

The step up from Super 15 to test match rugger is immense. Many times have we seen outstanding Super Rugby players make the step up, struggle and quietly disappear. So Messrs Hansen, Foster and McLean have to be sure the players they select are up to the task. And if there are no better players in those positions, then yes, there is a case to select the test incumbent. But if there are others who are performing to a higher standard, then I think they have to be given a chance. Ben Smith is outplaying Dagg and should be selected at fullback for the All Blacks. Simple.

I was interested to read a column on this subject by former All Black Jeff Wilson, who took a slightly different slant in that he questioned the players’ commitment to Super Rugby.  I think this is a little harsh as it implies lack of effort on the part of the players.

Bear with me as I go on a bit of a tangent here; I was never really a fan of former All Black Captain Reuben Thorne. Four things about his career stick in my mind.

1) A remarkable cover tackle he once made against Australia.

2) The Crusaders victory chant of ‘Reuben Thorne, Reuben Thorne Reuben Thooooooorrrrne’.

3) A question he was once asked by ‘That Guy’ in an interview on the programme Sports Café; “80 minutes is a long time. What do you do if you need to go poos?”

4) My most vivid memory of him was his response to yet more criticism of his play in which he said something along the lines of ‘I don’t play badly on purpose you know’.  After that interview I gained a lot of respect for Thorne, whose response really struck a chord with me.

And somewhere in there is my point. Israel Dagg isn’t playing badly on purpose. He didn’t decide to miss five tackles last week because he’s guaranteed a place in the All Blacks regardless. He didn’t drop the ball on several occasions because he thought ‘oh, who cares’. He’s in a slump. It happens. Just like Ma’a Nonu and, up until this weekend anyway, Aaron Smith. And he will (probably) come right.

But if someone else is playing better, he should not be automatically selected come June.

The Big Bash

Further to my comments last week, I’ve just watched the Central Pulse play the Melbourne Vixens in netball’s trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. In New Zealand we play a sport called netball. In that game players are not allowed to physically ‘contact’ the opposition in an aggressive manner. Nor are they allowed to stand in front of their opponent and frantically wave their arms in their opponent’s face.

The game they play in Australia? It’s called netball too but it’s just different. The Aussies come to NZ and moan about being constantly called for contact. Kiwi teams travel to Australia and collect bruises to go with their losses. The powers that be have to get together and establish just how games should be ruled. If they don’t, we’re in danger of netball evolving into two very different sports.

Aw C’mon Ref

I need to get this off my chest.

This weekend I experienced the ugly side of parental support in junior sport. I won’t name the club involved, or even the sport. As coach of the home team, I was asked by the opposing coach to referee the whole game. Even though these duties are generally shared, I agreed. Within five minutes of kick off I had been sworn at, ridiculed and abused by parents who were not willing to actually volunteer for any officiating duties themselves. It’s not the first time I’ve experienced this and unfortunately it won’t be the last.

To the opposing coach’s credit he reigned in the parents at halftime and I did not receive any further abuse in the second half. At the end of the game I was praised for my refereeing performance which made me wonder why I had therefore been criticised so vociferously in the first place. If parents of my team’s players behaved in such a manner I would ask them to either modify their behaviour or no longer attend games.

Mouthy parents – pull your heads in. You weren’t successful on the sports field yourself – just get over it rather than try to live vicariously through your children. You ruin the atmosphere of what are supposed to be fun occasions for kids. And you make coaches like me question whether we actually want to be involved anymore. 

A Question of Sport?

I’d like to finish up on a lighter note with some questions. Just to confirm, these are rhetorical. Please don’t scroll down further searching for the answers!

Is Richard Kahui, who has been the victim of a ludicrous number of injuries, the unluckiest player in NZ rugby?  

Is Rene Ranger actually Tana Umaga MkII?

Isn’t it a shame Jason Eaton shaved off that outstanding crop of facial hair he sported last season?

Should Liam Coltman (Highlanders reserve hooker) be promoted for sporting such an outstanding crop of facial hair?

Should Ross Taylor just move on?

Is the great Keven Mealamu done?

Are the LA Lakers done?

Regardless of whether he delivers an FA Cup win, is Manchester City Manager Roberto Mancini done?

Will Liverpool ever win the Barclays Premier League?

Will Manchester City ever make a profit for its owners?

Will rugby league ever sort out the debacle that is its international eligibility rules?

Will Tiger Woods ever return to the heights he once scaled (on a golf course)?

Will Irene van Dyk play netball for the Silver Ferns for the rest of her natural life?

Is Dave Rennie the All Blacks Coach-in-waiting?

How good has Piri Weepu’s return to form been this year?

How exactly did Aussie McLean become Assistant All Blacks Coach?

Have the Saints assembled one of the best basketball teams New Zealand has ever seen?

Was Sebastien Vettel right to ignore his team’s management when he was ordered to deliberately lose to his team-mate in a recent Formula 1 race?

Is darts actually a sport?

Should darts have a ‘premier league’?

If Major League Baseball holds a World Series, should all-comers be allowed to enter?

Why the heck is poker on ESPN?

OK, starting to ramble, so time to sign off…

Till next time,

SG