On the Net

EPL

This week the biggest news, for me anyway, was Sky Television relinquishing the rights to broadcast English Premier League football. I use the word relinquish because I do question how badly Sky actually wanted to retain the rights. If they’d viewed EPL as an essential ‘keeper’, although nobody seems to be divulging how much the winning bid for the rights actually was, I would’ve thought they could have come up with the cash.

I even wondered whether they could’ve thought a little outside the square and taken a punt by starting a football channel. I think a lot of Sky subscribers would have understood if Sky had said ‘Look, this year we paid x% more for these rights than we did last year. To make this financially viable, we’ll be broadcasting all EPL games on a Football Channel that you’ll have to pay $9 a month for’. But they didn’t, and the result is that us footie fans will have to watch these games on that new-fangled interweb thingy.

I’m a realist, and I always knew the day would come when expensive events or sports would cease to be broadcast via ‘mainstream’ channels. But when the no-more-EPL-on-Sky bombshell was dropped upon us my reaction was the same as when, many years ago, TVNZ announced it could no longer compete with the cash of Sky and that as a result top level rugby would no longer be free-to air.

On both occasions I swiftly worked my way through an array of emotions. Disbelief was followed by anger, then resignation then defiance. Back in the day I swore that no way would I be paying for the right to watch our national sport. I lasted about three weeks from memory before I greeted the Sky-dish installer at my front door with a hearty handshake and a gentle yet firm reminder that the big match was just four hours away. I quickly forgot that I’d sold out and I still have Sky today – actually I now have two decoders.

And I think the 2013 version of that story will end up exactly the same way. My first reaction was that I would not, ever, pay to watch games online. It’s only been a few days since the news broke but I’m already 80% sure that I will sign up to PremierLeaguePass.com. But I have questions. Some I have researched and discovered the answers to while some remain unanswered. The main queries pulsing through my mind were;

1.       How many gigabytes of data will I go through?

Answer: apparently a game uses up about 1 GB. If I watched 10 games a month, this would fit comfortably within my existing data plan which is capped at 30 GB.

2.       How can I change from a 59 inch plasma to a 13 inch laptop screen?

Answer: I won’t have to. Buy an ‘Apple TV’ for about $150 (I think), hook it up to my big screen, and easily link my computer to my TV.

3.       But how can I possibly afford this?

Answer: $149 per annum is the mooted price. I can handle that.

4.       Do I really need this?

Answer: Yes. Yes I do.

5.       What will the picture quality be like?

This is the biggest question mark for me and I don’t know the answer.  From August 1, apparently we can log on and have a look-see. God I hope it’s something close to HD.

So in conclusion if the answer to question five is ‘something close to HD’, it is highly likely I will again sell out and move with the times. I’ll report on my experiences when trying out  PremierLeaguePass.com on August 1.

Aussies Mauled

After losing to the Brumbies in their last game, the British and Irish and Samoan and Tongan and New Zealand Lions played the first test against the Wallabies this weekend. It wasn’t a game I was overly excited about but I did watch most of it. Israel Folau looked phenomenal on the wing for Australia and I hope for the sake of the All Blacks that he goes back to league at the end of the season. Both teams looked good in patches and in big George North, the Lions and Wales have a superstar in the making. In the end the result came down to three serious-looking injuries to Wallabies and Kurtley Beale folding under pressure and missing some pretty straightforward kicks at goal that would’ve won the game for the Aussies. Dare I say it, Quade Cooper probably would’ve slotted those…

Turning Up the Heat

I’ve been wrong on many, many occasions about many, many different things. But just seven days ago I predicted that the Miami Heat would win the NBA Finals Series in seven games. And yes, I was correct. Never mind that I was five seconds away from being wrong; in game six the Heat were five points down with 25 seconds left. LeBron James slotted an unlikely three-pointer to close the gap to two. Then with just five seconds left, with defenders  all over him, Ray Allen produced a remarkable three-pointer to produce an unlikely victory and take the game to a decider. Come game seven and LeBron was on fire as the Heat pulled away to win their second consecutive NBA title. If he can win three or four more titles he’s certainly going to increase the number and intensity of ‘who’s the greatest player ever?’ debates. 

Trois-Zero

Let’s be honest; that was a shabby performance from the AB’s on Saturday night. There were numerous dropped balls, many of which occurred when the ball-carrier was under little or no pressure from the French. There wasn’t a lot of continuity or fluidity in the play and the result was a match that was at times quite difficult to watch. But the sign of a good team is that they can grind out wins when not playing well. More player analysis required.

Wyatt Crockett/Tony Woodcock

These two essentially went halves in the 80 minutes. Crockett was ok once again, but I thought things just looked more solid and assured when Woodcock trundled on. I’d still like to see Afeaki have a run in the number one jersey

Andrew Hore

I thought Hore had a solid if unspectacular night. He’s a warhorse these days and knows all the tricks of the trade. I actually think he’ll make it to the next world cup, but whether he’ll be first or second choice by then is less clear.

Owen Franks

I enjoyed his efforts around the field as he threw around his hefty frame with little regard for his own safety. The scrums were average at best, but I don’t necessarily blame Franks for all of that. See section entitled ‘Luke Romano’.

Luke Romano

When Sir Bradley Thorn was gracing the test arena, it was widely known and equally widely acknowledged that his scrummaging ability was second to none. The All Blacks haven’t even come close replacing him in that regard. On Saturday I saw numerous scrums that highlighted that something on Romano’s side of the scrum was not going well. Maybe Franks was having trouble with his opposite but I think a lot of the time Franks wasn’t getting sufficient support from his mate in the second row. That needs to be addressed at training. Having said that, Romano is a workhorse and does a lot of great work around the paddock.

Sam Whitelock

Jeez, he’s good. He’s always in support, he’s dynamic around the field and magnificent in the air, both at kick-offs and in the lineouts. He’s 24 and has 40 caps – unbelievable. Five kilos of bulk, Sam, and you’ll be the best lock in the world by far, although you probably already are.

Sam Cane

He did his job and that’s about all I can really say about Cane. And the same for Matt Todd. I really hope Ardie Savea is part of the All Black scene by 2015 as backup to Richie.

Victor Vito

I’m such a big fan of Victor. And on Saturday he was such a big disappointment. His performance was very un-Vito-like. He was inaccurate, made mistakes and his running game wasn’t particularly prominent. It was a performance that wouldn’t have caused too much concern to Liam Messam. As an added concern for Vito, Luatua came on and looked like he’s been playing test rugby for years.

Kieran Read

This was probably one of his worst tests. His usual accuracy and devastating running was replaced by errors as he struggled to get into the game at times. But we all know that he’ll be back and will be as good as ever

Piri Weepu/Tawera Kerr-Barlow

Weepu looked flat and that was how he played. His delivery was not as crisp as it usually is and that was partly to blame for the backline struggling so much. When he was strangely substituted in the 42^nd minute (why not just swap them at halftime??), Kerr-Barlow came on and offered more energy. But at times his decision-making was terrible and he was also largely unable to spark the backline. I wonder if TJ Perenara might be given a run at the end of the year.

Dan Carter

He looked a bit rusty from the start but came right as the game progressed. Very specifically, his punting is a concern at times. He mixes superb creative kicks with the occasional shocker that is easily charged down. But he is quality, probably our best ever in the number 10 jersey, and will still be number one number ten in 2015.

Ma’a Nonu

He’s playing well enough, but unfortunately I don’t think he’s the dominant player of two to three years ago. But as long as SBW isn’t around, he’s the best option for the number 12 jersey.

Conrad Smith

Gosh, he’s a good player. His body contorts and bends at unnatural angles, he’s so much faster than he appears to be and he tackles like a man twice his size. He’ll go down as one of the best centres we’ve ever had and is key to our chances of retaining the world cup.

Rene Ranger

Man what a shame he’s leaving our shores shortly. There are few players who can cover centre and both wings as well as he can. I’d like to see Piutau tried as a winger. I think he could be as good as Folau eventually.

Ben Smith

He made a couple of uncharacteristic errors, but scored a courageous try and was excellent again. He’s a champ

Israel Dagg

His tactical kicking was at times sublime and he’s a courageous player. But there’s something not quite clicking this (and last) season. During the Rugby Championship I’d like to see Ben Smith have a go in the number 15 jersey at some stage and perhaps give Piutau a run there too.

So that’s my rundown of Saturday’s test. Not the greatest performance, but they just completed a series whitewash over a French team that was at times dangerous-looking so it certainly wasn’t all bad.

Finally just a quick mention of French captain Thierry Dusatoir. This was almost certainly his last appearance in New Zealand. He is a great (and I don’t use that term lightly) player, a fine leader and a great ambassador for the game. Here’s hoping he goes out with a World Cup runner’s-up medal in 2015.

Till next time,

SG

The Week That Was

It’s been something of a smorgasbord of sporting entertainment over the past seven days. I thought this week I’d pick out a few different aspects of the sporting week that have caught my attention.

How Good Are The Lions?

The British and Irish (and Samoan and Kiwi) Lions are currently working their way through the Australian domestic rugby scene. They’ve put in some good performances and have run up some sizeable scores. But I’m not sure the opposition has been of a particularly high standard. Obviously any Wallaby squad members have been held back and as a result a lot of ‘squad’ players have experienced what could in some instances be the highlight of their careers.

Given the Lions only tour Australia once every twelve years, most of the Australian players facing the Lions this time won’t get another opportunity like this. The true gauge of Warren Gatland’s selection policy and coaching ability will obviously come in the first test against the Wallabies. So what will they come up against?

Well, the Wallabies have picked a pretty good squad. I know that sounds slightly non-committal, but I don’t think it’s a particularly exciting bunch. The biggest mistake Robbie ‘Dingo’ Deans has made is not selecting Quade Cooper. I personally don’t rate Cooper at all. He’s defensively frail, inconsistent and can make some horrendous errors. But he can also produce something out of nothing and definitely has an x-factor about him. And he’s an actual first five/ standoff/ fly-half/ pivot.

As Dingo continues to alienate all and sundry in Australian rugby, he’s now trying to manufacture a first five - James O’Connor. A test series against the Lions isn’t a time to ‘try something new’ and I suspect it may backfire. I suspect the Lions will be too good for the Wallabies. But then again, I thought exactly the same thing in 2001…

State of Origin

I think international rugby league is a shambles. Sure there are good-sized crowds, by all accounts televised games are attracting good viewer numbers and money seems prevalent in the sport.  BUT international eligibility rules are a joke (half the Samoan team of 2013 has played for New Zealand in the past five years) and rule interpretations are different depending on which hemisphere the game is played in (even the in-goal areas are different sizes). It’s almost got to the point where there are two separate codes operating under the same label.

And now the Australian NRL is at it again. State of Origin is an intense series that has in many ways surpassed international league in terms of interest and intensity. In game one of the 2013 series, New South Wales’ Paul Gallen sparked a brawl by deciding to ‘sort out’ Queensland’s Nate Myles. An argument after a tackle escalated into three or four clean punches that dropped Myles to the ground before all and sundry arrived and joined in. If that was an NRL game, Gallen would’ve probably been sent off. But because it was an Origin game, there was uproar at even the mention of Gallen being suspended; indeed some in the Sydney media treated him as a hero amid archaic comments like ‘it’s a man’s game’ or ‘nothing wrong with biffo, mate’.

Origin is still a rugby league game and should be subject to the same rules. What league doesn’t need is another variation within the code. If punching is OK in Origin, then it should be OK in all league games. Or preferably say no punching is allowed in any league games. Apply the rules consistently, that’s all I ask.

Explosive

In a sport where the combatants are often walking advertisements for the gymnasium industry, Joseph ‘Explosive’ Parker doesn’t look like anything special. There’s no six pack of abs, no bulging pecs nor overly massive biceps. But holy moly that boy has got some power.

Admittedly Francois Botha is not just over the hill; he drove (judging by his physique, I don’t think he walked) up the hill quite a few years ago, took in the views from the top and has now probably come all the way down the other side. But he’s gone toe to toe with Tyson et al in his day and is known for his granite chin. Botha also made SBW look like an average pugilist at best a few months back.

But Parker simply destroyed him. He staggered Botha with a single shot, measured him up on the ropes then unleashed a ferocious, and fast, combination of lefts and rights that were reminiscent of Tua in his prime, before the referee rescued a defenceless and barely conscious Botha.  I hope Parker’s guides keep him on the right path. If he continues the development of the past two or three years, this boy could be right up there in the world of heavyweight boxing.

ICC Champions Trophy

It caught my attention. But it rains a lot, apparently someone is cheating and I don’t think I really care who wins. Moving on…

James Spurs on the Heat

It’s been great to see such an even NBA finals series between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. At the time of writing the best-of-seven series is sitting at 2-2. Without wishing to disrespect the rest of the Heat team, it seems that if LeBron James fires, so does the Heat. If he’s contained by the opposition, they struggle. I hereby predict that the Heat will win it in seven. 

Major Disappointment

Tiger Woods and Michael Campbell. On the face of it these two don’t seem to have a great deal in common. Clearly Campbell is not sufficiently fit mentally (or physically for that matter) to appear at this level anymore. Woods appears as physically fit as ever, but he appears mentally shot. Prior to the revelations of 2009, it seemed only a matter of time till Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 wins in Majors (although perhaps not his extraordinary record of 19 second placings) was overhauled by Tiger. But we’ve now reached the fifth anniversary of his last Major win and he doesn’t seem any closer to the next one.

He misses one foot putts, pulls and slices his drives constantly and generally looks miserable. They say a huge percentage of success in golf is down to mental strength. Campbell and Woods are certainly testament to this. In many ways it’s very sad to witness such declines.   

Footy on the Telly

For years NZ Football has had to pay to have their matches shown on TV. This somewhat backward arrangement has contributed to a financially precarious situation at HQ. However new-ish CEO Grant McKavanagh is currently shaking things up big-time including reviewing every little debit from the NZ Football cheque account.

But aside from this, he has negotiated a change so that Sky TV is paying NZ Football to broadcast eight All Whites matches and half a dozen Football Ferns games. That’s such a great step forward for football in this country – you can’t have a major national sporting body having no cash in the coffers. McKavanagh deserves a big pat on the back.

Which One?

I heard on the radio that the Black Sticks have just beaten Ireland in the World League. I also heard that the Black Sticks, on the same day, lost to Germany in the World League.  ‘No wonder they lost the second game’, I thought to myself, ‘they must have been shattered.’ But no, the men beat Ireland and the women lost to Germany. Same name, different teams.

It was a silly idea to duplicate the team name; reporters and journalists always have to follow ‘Black Sticks’ with a gender to correctly identify which team they are referring to. Hockey NZ (or is that NZ Hockey?) dropped the ball when they agreed to this crazy duplication. I could continue and question why we have to give every single national team a catchy name that includes ‘black’ or ‘white’ along with ‘ferns’ or ‘sox’ or ‘caps’ or ‘sticks’ etc etc, but I’ll discuss that another day..

The Phoenix

New Coach Ernie Merrick has arrived in Wellington with a smile, a pedigree and a broom. He’s discarded half a dozen players already, including ‘foundation’ player Tony Lochhead as well as several of Ricki Herbert’s more recent signings such as Dani Sanchez, Alex Smith and Benjamin Totori. So far the high quality Carlos Hernandez, although signed prior to Merrick’s arrival, has come in and the new boss has promised at least three more quality signings.

I’m a big fan of the ‘Nix and I hope Merrick’s arrival is the start of a new era of success. A sneaky tenner at the TAB on the Nix to at least make the playoffs next season might be a good bet I reckon. 

True Warriors

When the Penrith Panthers embarrassed the Warriors by almost 60 points just a few short weeks ago, their season was in danger of becoming a shambles. Matthew Elliot responded by putting his hand up and saying that the performance was a disgrace. He returned to Mt Smart with his troops and proceeded to connect with them and inspire them to turn things around. They’ve now won four in a row including an ‘away’ thrashing of the Brisbane Broncos, and gutsy determined wins over genuine top-four contenders Manly then this week the Roosters.

What Elliot has achieved in the past month is nothing short of astonishing. He now has a team that is, well, a team. They look happy and they’re playing some great league. How amazing it would be if they could continue their run all the way into the playoffs. That would’ve been unthinkable a month ago.

All Blacks

What an improved performance that was. The relatively unexpected tactic of kicking for field position rather than running everything from anywhere as they usually do was a treat to watch for rugby purists.

Dagg was assured at the back.  The Smiths, Ben and Conrad, never seem to have a bad game and didn’t have one on Saturday night either.  Savea was busy, looking for work whenever he could. He scored a try, set up a try and stopped the French from scoring any tries.  Nonu started brilliantly with deft touches with the hands and the boots. Despite seeming to fade a little later into the game, he played very well.

Aaron 9 and Aaron 10 both upped their games this week and both played well. It’s also quite possible that both will lose their places next week as Piri Weepu, who looked pretty good when he came on, and Daniel Carter continue their comebacks.

Kieran Read celebrated his fiftieth test by being big and strong and fast and outstanding. From punishing tackling to towering lineout work to rampaging runs; he did it all.  Sam Cane was a bundle of energy as he involved himself a lot in this game. His desperation in charging down Michelak’s attempted drop goal was absolutely outstanding. But he still doesn’t do it for me as an openside flanker. I do ask myself if I’m simply trying to compare him to the incomparable McCaw. But I don’t think that’s it. It’s more that he has been comprehensively outplayed two weeks in a row at the breakdown. Make no mistake; Thierry Dusatoir is a phenomenal player. But there were numerous occasions on Saturday night when the All Black ball carrier was hopelessly isolated at the ruck, often resulting in a penalty to Les Bleus. That’s not always the openside’s fault of course. But you just don’t see that happen very often when McCaw is on the field. I’m going to start printing ‘Bring Back Tanerau’ t-shirts. I rate Latimer, but it seems few agree with me. Shame.

Liam Messam was good without being outstanding. I thought Vito offered something more, and a bit different, when he came on. I’d like to see Vito wearing a number 6 on his back next week. Sam Whitelock was fantastic, as he always is whenever he plays. Here’s a question though; if he put on another 5 kg of muscle/bulk, would he then become the most complete lock in world rugby? I say yes. Luke Romano did his usual graft in the tight. He performs an important role in this team that allows Whitelock to roam a little more.

Owen Franks was excellent I thought. His tackling was often devastating and he was constantly one of the first forwards to hit rucks. He also performed his core duties well.  Dane Coles was again a solid performer. It feels like he is solidifying his spot in this team for a few years to come. Mr Wyatt Crockett was again mobile around the field and got to a lot of rucks and mauls. He also seemed to be scrummaging a lot straighter this week, the result being a far more solid scrum. I’d still like to see Afeaki there, but Crockett did ok this week (see: I told you I wouldn’t pick on him anymore).

The reserves each get a single word to describe their performance this week. Franks – destructive. Woodcock – solid. Hore – dependable. Thrush – proud. Vito – dynamic. Weepu – suited (to the conditions, I mean). Barrett – versatile. Ranger – beast.

Here’s hoping for a clean sweep of the series next week.

Till next time,

SG

All Blacks v France - first test review

Being a true Kiwi, and long-time rugby fan, this week I am culturally obliged to write a review of the All Blacks first test win over France. So that’s just what I’ll do.

All Blacks by 10

At around 9.15pm on Saturday night the captain was all smiles, the coaches shook hands and didn’t really smile (then again, Steve Hansen never smiles). Some of the crowd smiled and some of the team smiled. So overall everyone seemed happy. And why not? The All Blacks had just beaten a very game French side by ten points. It was a tough, almost old-fashioned test at times and the French somehow combined toughness, determination and flair to make a real game of it. But the All Blacks got into the lead (eventually) and never relinquished it.

But they almost did. What those smiles after the end of the game didn’t convey was that if a couple of Cruden’s Stephen-Donald-esque horribly-struck kicks at goal had wobbled left instead of right and if the French number 8 had held onto an admittedly difficult pass with the tryline begging, this result could so easily have gone the other way.

It wasn’t the worst performance I’ve ever seen from an All Black team; far from it. But it wasn’t great. Time together as a team will help. Let us analyse.

Errors

There were lots. But it was the first test of the season and everyone knows we always start slowly, so we’ll forgive this aspect of the performance a little bit. But that doesn’t excuse dropping the ball so often. Handling has to improve.

The Scrum

I really don’t think some people realise how much of a loss to the All Blacks Brad Thorn has been. His scrummaging power is legendary. But they haven’t even come close to replacing him. The scrum had its good moments but I don’t think it was as good as some people are saying.

Ball-Runners

When he’s in top-form and part of a dominant pack, Kieran Read is a fantastic ball-runner.  On Saturday night he was a bit quiet to be honest and was part of a pack that, although it wasn’t knocked out, probably lost to its opponent in a points-decision. As a result Read wasn’t as prominent a ball-runner as he usually is, and nobody else really stood up in that regard, although Dane Coles was good early on.

But it was apparent, to me anyway, that we were lacking the physically imposing bully (e.g. Kaino or Luatua) or supreme athlete (e.g. Vito) to hit/break through and allow that invaluable quick second phase ball or even better, offloads behind the advantage line. Sam Cane and Liam Messam are fine footballers. But I do think they are lacking size and that has means our tried-and-true game-plan needs to be tweaked.

Captain Mannering

I hope Kieran Read hasn’t received his captaincy diploma from the Simon Mannering School of Leadership. Read and Mannering lead through their actions and are highly respected. And quite rightly so. But the X-factor of captaincy is the innate ability to rally the troops, change the game-plan if it’s not quite working, get in the referee’s ear (without him actually being aware that you’re manipulating him) and make all the right calls. And doing all this while also playing out of your skin. Not easy by any means. But I just didn’t see much of Read being vocal with the team, or the ref. That needs to change.

So let’s go through the team player by player.

Israel Dagg

A much improved performance by Dagg in comparison to his not-so-super Super Rugby form, especially under the high ball. But Ben Smith played like a fullback, set up a try like a fullback and just looked like a fullback, with more than a hint of Conrad Smith’s line-breaking ability thrown in to boot. As fine a footballer as Dagg is when in form, the team looked and played better with Smith at fullback and Ranger on the wing.

Ben Smith

See above. He’s a good winger. But he’s a fantastic fullback. And he would be a very good centre on the end of year tour.

Conrad Smith

A fairly unspectacular but workmanlike performance from King Conrad. He is so dependable and efficient. But he also makes invaluable line-breaks as his body contorts and bends at physically impossible angles allowing him to slip out of the grasp of his opponents. He never seems to have a bad game.

Ma’a Nonu

No player was under more pressure than Nonu heading into this game. I know he hasn’t been in vintage form this season, but to the haters out there; who exactly is his replacement? There is absolutely no way Francis Saili is ready. And I certainly hope Nonu silenced at least some of his critics on Saturday. He was excellent in almost all aspects of his play.

Julian Savea

Was he on the field? No, I’m a fan of The Bus. A couple of nice touches and a couple of big hits, but really there were no clear opportunities for a wing in such a tight test match. He maybe just needs to go hunting for work just a little more when it’s not coming his way.

Aaron Cruden

Sometimes I think he’s a wonderful talent and sometimes I think he looks like the gifted kid from the Under-19 team who gets a shot in the Seniors and then struggles. I thought he was a bit of both against the French. He had some fantastic moments on attack. But his kicking was at times dreadful, and his defence, or lack thereof, on the inside channel is a concern. I do wonder if an in-form Beauden Barrett might be worth a shot next week.

Aaron Smith

..was much, much better than he has been this season. His passing was crisp and his directing of play was generally pretty good, despite perhaps running sideways a bit too often.  But certainly a very good pass mark for Smith. Whether it’s enough to hold out the returning Weepu remains to be seen.

Kieran Read

He was very good without being outstanding. He played a solid loose forward’s game but I’d like to see more from him on attack next week.

Sam Cane

I read a column in Stuff.co.nz in which the author was essentially saying that although McCaw was clearly missed, Sam Cane ‘stepped up to the mark’. The article contained this quote;

‘‘While it would be fair to say the French won the battle at the breakdown, Cane gave everything and didn't let the team down.’’

As much as a prop’s core task is scrummaging, an openside’s key responsibility is controlling the breakdown. If the French won the battle at the breakdown, which I agree they did, then Cane didn’t fulfil his main role for the team. He’s brave and tough as nails but I, and several others I’ve spoken to, think he tended to ‘go missing’. He’s definitely worth another run, but I hope he pulls out some old DVD’s of Richie in action and does some study this week.

Liam Messam

Tough. Dedicated. Strong. Determined. Feisty. Technically proficient. Too small. The All Blacks need a bruising ball-runner in the number six jersey. I’d like to see Vito given a go next week. Messam’s value in my team would be as a benchie who can provide cover for all three loose forward positions.

Brodie Retallick

Another solid performer. He’s a monster of a man. No real complaints, although the locks’ contributions in the scrums was at times questionable.

Luke Romano

Again, not a bad day at the office. He does a lot of the dirty work that’s often not noticed by the crowd but is very much appreciated by team-mates. But he made too many mistakes, especially in contact. I still think he needs more Brad Thorn mongrel about him in the scrums. I’d like to see a second row of Dominic Bird and Sam Whitelock at some stage.

Owen Franks

He scrummaged well and always gets around the field wonderfully for a guy who looks like he should never be able to run around so fast. He did his job well.

Dane Coles

He was dynamic in the loose, especially in the opening stages of the match. Apart from a couple of wobbly lineout throws, he had a very good all-round game. It’ll be interesting to see if Andrew Hore gets a run in the next two weeks; I suspect he may. And good on Coles for shedding a few tears before kick-off. It clearly shows how much representing his country means to him.

Wyatt Crockett

He was all over the park and contributed a lot to the team effort. He’s quick in the loose and obviously very fit for such a big man. Most of his game was very good.

But those scrums. I’ve seen many comments since the test saying how well he scrummaged. I just don’t agree. I think he is a tall prop whose technique is questionable at best, perhaps in some small way due to his height. He illegally angles in on his opposing prop, i.e. doesn’t scrummage ‘straight’ as game laws require him to, more times than he doesn’t and somehow gets away with it much of the time. At one stage Jeff Wilson commented, during a replay of a scrum in which the French tighthead prop had been penalised, that Crockett had ‘held a straight body position’. During the replay, at the moment Wilson made that comment, the scrum was still in progress and Crockett was facing the assistant referee on the sideline. Didn’t look like straight scrummaging to me. I’d quite like to see Franks or Afeaki wear the number one jersey next week. But I’m starting to feel like I’m picking on Wyatt (which is not my intention at all), so I’ll leave it alone from now on. Maybe.

Big Bens

Afeaki and Franks came on and each did a good job. Franks in particular was angry and brutal in contact situations and very solid in the scrums. His ability to play both sides of the front row is invaluable. Afeaki only had six minutes so it was hard to gauge his performance.

Keven Mealamu

Seems to be carving a niche for himself as an impact player. He’ll never let his team-mates down as long as his battered body holds together.

Rene Ranger

What a beast. The backline transformed when he came on. While I understand Steve Hansen likes him as a dynamic impact player, he should be given an opportunity to start next week just to see how he goes.

Tawera Kerr-Barlow

Not many opportunities but did nothing wrong.

Beauden Barrett

Not enough time on the field to judge him.

Overall a good performance by the AB’s.  But there were a lot of mistakes and also evidence of rusty or unfamiliar combinations. They’ll be a lot better next week. But so will France…

Sad

Finally, just a quick reference to what’s so wrong with junior rugby in my opinion; the parents. Just a small percentage of them, but enough to ruin the spectacle some weeks.

I coach a junior team and have had some ‘interesting discussions’ with opposition parents who like to voice their opinions on my refereeing decisions. The language is often unacceptable, especially in front of kids; the tone and body language is aggressive; the comments are often ill-informed.

This weekend this trend stretched to the opposition coach, who was a little chap with a goatee beard and an attitude. He started out friendly but joined in the sideline commentary on several occasions. At halftime, despite my offers to hand over the whistle to him, he declined and advised me, ‘You’re reffing well, keep it up’. Confusing. There was apparently a bit more banter from the same ‘supporters’ in the second half but to be honest I didn’t hear any of it.

But then a member of ‘my’ team was tackled heavily, but fairly, and stayed down. I did hear the next comment, which was ‘Yeah son, you got him good. Look he’s still down.’ These boys are 7, 8 and 9 years old. They shouldn’t be running around trying to hurt other kids. But some of them are, and they’re being egged on by some of the nastier parents.

Some of those parents returned my wave and smile as they left the ground; some didn’t, which didn’t bother me. I won’t be coaching after this season. And I know others who feel exactly the same.

Till next time,

SG