I'm seeing some interesting things in the tea leaves, lately.
Robbie Deans has all the hallmarks of a man who has been recruited by the ARU for a long term plan. Not just to establish ourselves now, for if that were the case, maybe we would have been more desperate to show improvement during the RWC.
Over the last, say, ten weeks or so, Robbie Deans has not looked like a man desperate to win the RWC at all costs.
Indeed, there were some pretty puzzling selections and decisions, made, weren't there?
No Giteau in the RWC squad - no back up no 7, which nearly came a cropper.
Nobody really took Quade Cooper by the coat tails and helped in his "hour of need".
Looking back on it, it's as if Robbie is a protected species, and maybe that't what has happened.
Is it too much to think that the powers that be took the view that we might or might not win the RWC, but that that was not the main game?
As Rugby has now got to find more ways to be profitable on the world stage, moves into Asia, moves into North America, NZRU teaming up with North American franchises, the prospect of Rugby in the Olympics where previously unknowns will start to throw serious money at the game ....well, maybe that frightens the likes of Australia and NZ. One of the opening salvos in that campaign was lobbed during RWC when NZ complained about the cost of mounting a campaign, and the ARU jumped right in behind them, with almost indecent haste. YOu would love to be a fly on the wall in John O'Neill.s office, at least when he is having closed door sessions with Robbie. Not much of this would be minuted, because the ARU would probably leak like a sieve.
So, if my theory is right, I take my hat off to the ARU for bravery. If you think about it, we have been living on borrowed time for years with a squad of brilliant players most years, but not a lot of depth behind them. This smacks of an attempt to build that depth, which is a move designed for the long term.
For instance ...... why has Robbie left it so long to bring James O'Connor into the midfield - his comments today suggest that James, despite his immense talent, still has a lot of development to go through...he suggests that Tapuai is a successor and cover, despite Horne and Faingaa only just beginning to settle into those spots.... a typically evolutionary process, not one driven by panic or pragmatism.
Why has he left it for so long to involve Berrick Barnes in his best position, which, patently, is no 10?
Why did we take three halves to the RWC and we are now talking about Lucas being the back up?
and importantly, when will the ARU start to put the same kind of serious effort into the forwards as they do with the backs?
It all points to another couple of years of development, and the only conclusion is that we are building for evolution and consistency, not winnign cups every four years by taking pot luck.
Just hope we can put down a few markers along the way and not always be evolving.
28 September 2011
18 September 2011
MEMO TO WALLABIES
Get Pocock fixed up, fast!!
Tatafu was rusty, Saia wasn't..
Will Genia - lose the box kick! - all you do is kick it ten metres upfield and give it away - you could have run to that spot in one or two phases.
Why did we need to bring 3 half backs and only one openside flanker?
Please ask for no more Kiwi referees. No criticism of Bryce, but the ability to slot the Wallabies must be at least a little bit tempting.
Aussies are too one dimensional and don't ever seem to think that someone will come up with a creative game plan to nullify the attack. We effectively had 3 no 8's on paddock, last night, couldn't anyone protect Genia - did anyone tell McCalman that he was supposed to do what Pocock does?
Tatafu was rusty, Saia wasn't..
Will Genia - lose the box kick! - all you do is kick it ten metres upfield and give it away - you could have run to that spot in one or two phases.
Why did we need to bring 3 half backs and only one openside flanker?
Please ask for no more Kiwi referees. No criticism of Bryce, but the ability to slot the Wallabies must be at least a little bit tempting.
Aussies are too one dimensional and don't ever seem to think that someone will come up with a creative game plan to nullify the attack. We effectively had 3 no 8's on paddock, last night, couldn't anyone protect Genia - did anyone tell McCalman that he was supposed to do what Pocock does?
14 September 2011
CHECK OUT THE JEDI...!
I'm not usually one to plug anything Kiwi, but if you are bored with the usual suspects on Fox or Channel 9, I can suggest that you turn down the sound and tune into the Jedi (otherwise known as Jed Thian - bit fat Maori bastard, who never has a kind word for anything Aussie) and refers to us as the "West Island" or "the Criminal
Element"
...you should hear what he used to call Stirling Mortlock!! ...mind you he's not too complimentary about the Boks or the Poms, either!
But, his commentary is different, fresh and challenging (if you can ignore his love affair with Richie McCaw!!)
Now, if he just teamed up with Roy and H.G. you would never listen to anything else.
so check it out ...."Rugby, Racin' and Beer!!" at www.arcrugby.co.nz ... (I can't believe I'm doing this!...) ...and we always drink on a tight head, right??!!
....AND NOW FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT!
.... they teach referees to be in the middle of the game, but this is too close to home ....
A game played in Mackay last year, and its fair to say that the ref remembers some of it, but not all of it.
Thanks to www.rugbydump.com
...and look how far the ball flew after the Falcon!!
A game played in Mackay last year, and its fair to say that the ref remembers some of it, but not all of it.
Thanks to www.rugbydump.com
...and look how far the ball flew after the Falcon!!
QUOTE OF THE DAY - 13TH SEPTEMBER
From "The Australian"..
The Irish manager talking about their chances against the Wallabies ..
Asked about Cooper, but really wanted to focus on Genia, who many think is the real brains behind the outfit ..after all Coops just goes out there and does what he does, and even he doesn't what that is until he does it! ..
'quote: .."We've got trouble right across the park!.." Couldn't have said it any better.. and nuff said
Memo to Wallabies - don't be complacent fellas, remember '91!!
The Irish manager talking about their chances against the Wallabies ..
Asked about Cooper, but really wanted to focus on Genia, who many think is the real brains behind the outfit ..after all Coops just goes out there and does what he does, and even he doesn't what that is until he does it! ..
'quote: .."We've got trouble right across the park!.." Couldn't have said it any better.. and nuff said
Memo to Wallabies - don't be complacent fellas, remember '91!!
12 September 2011
ONE OF THE BEST AUSSIE ANTHEMS I'VE HEARD IN A LONG TIME
That was one of the best renditions of Advance Australia Fair that have been done in recent memory..
THE WORLD CUP WALLABIES PROMO
CHECK OUT THIS BRILLIANT COMPILATION .. ONE THAT YOU WILL WANT TO KEEP IN YOUR MEMORIES LIBRARY!
...RANDOM THOUGHTS FROM THE FIRST WEEKEND OF RWC
Some random observations which are neither here nor there!
Australia gave everyone something to think about
Ireland manager can't be serious when he says that Ireland can beat the Wallabies!
Hook's penalty kick looked pretty good to me!!
The English were rubbish and so are their insulting black jerseys .. can't even keep the numbers on .. maybe a ploy by the players to get rid of them .. how embarrassing!
Ioane's absence will not be that bad .. Mitchell should replace him and we won't miss a beat ...and I'll bet USA and Russia breathed a huge sigh of relief! (Did they see how Mitchell played against Canada for the Baa-Baa's though?
Still wish Gits was there!
Springboks showed glimpses!!
Good on the minnows!!
Australia gave everyone something to think about
Ireland manager can't be serious when he says that Ireland can beat the Wallabies!
Hook's penalty kick looked pretty good to me!!
The English were rubbish and so are their insulting black jerseys .. can't even keep the numbers on .. maybe a ploy by the players to get rid of them .. how embarrassing!
Ioane's absence will not be that bad .. Mitchell should replace him and we won't miss a beat ...and I'll bet USA and Russia breathed a huge sigh of relief! (Did they see how Mitchell played against Canada for the Baa-Baa's though?
Still wish Gits was there!
Springboks showed glimpses!!
Good on the minnows!!
3 August 2011
....AS HENRY FORD SAID, YOU CAN HAVE ANY COLOUR, AS LONG AS IT'S BLACK
Remember that bloke Roy G. Biv?
The acronym for kids to learn the colours of the spectrum ...Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet and every colour in between .....black isn't there, because it is not even a colour ...just an absence of light and shade ...and in the case of the RFU an absence of good sense, good taste, good judgment and good humour!!
I mean the English colours are red, white and blue, so why can't their alternative playing strip be red or blue??
What an insult!! What a humourless pack of bastards!!
What a useless wind up? No doubt some smarmy poms had a good snigger - are you over it yet, lads??
I hope you are boo'ed off the park in NZ, lads!! You want to hope that the marketing guys haven't saddled you with a ploy that's going to backfire on you.
Best of British, non-whites!!
The acronym for kids to learn the colours of the spectrum ...Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet and every colour in between .....black isn't there, because it is not even a colour ...just an absence of light and shade ...and in the case of the RFU an absence of good sense, good taste, good judgment and good humour!!
I mean the English colours are red, white and blue, so why can't their alternative playing strip be red or blue??
What an insult!! What a humourless pack of bastards!!
What a useless wind up? No doubt some smarmy poms had a good snigger - are you over it yet, lads??
I hope you are boo'ed off the park in NZ, lads!! You want to hope that the marketing guys haven't saddled you with a ploy that's going to backfire on you.
Best of British, non-whites!!
AUSSIES OVERSEAS AND WELSHMEN HERE!!
Congratulations to Gareth Delve for making the Wales squad out of the Super XV, and what a great surprise to see Adam Byrnes playing for Russia !! I'll bet his nickname will be either Boris or Comrade at the Rebels next year!!
....then again, maybe "Rasputin.."??
....then again, maybe "Rasputin.."??
TV COVERAGE OF RUGBY IN AUSTRALIA
For those of you overseas, we have these rules called "anti-siphoning" which means that nationally important programming, including sports, must be shown on free-to-air TV. I'm sure lots of other places in the world do the same.
Anyway, we have a new Rugby franchise, the Melbourne Rebels, trying to make its way in the fanatical heartland of AFL (Aussie Rules, or "aerial ping pong" or "cross country ballet").
So one of the national broadcasters gets the rights to show Rugby in Melbourne, and promptly shows it at some ridiculous hour in the wee smalls .... bastards!!
So the boys at the Rebel Army, bless their hair shirts, go on a campaign and get the TV stations to show the Rugby live, after all, albeit on one of their satellite stations. A victory!!
...but did they know that for about twenty bucks, you can get a subscription to an internet channel that shows just about any Rugby game in the world, on streaming video?
Anyone interested go to http://www.watchliverugbyworldcup.com
Been using it for about four weeks, on my laptop and it has never let me down!!
Anyway, we have a new Rugby franchise, the Melbourne Rebels, trying to make its way in the fanatical heartland of AFL (Aussie Rules, or "aerial ping pong" or "cross country ballet").
So one of the national broadcasters gets the rights to show Rugby in Melbourne, and promptly shows it at some ridiculous hour in the wee smalls .... bastards!!
So the boys at the Rebel Army, bless their hair shirts, go on a campaign and get the TV stations to show the Rugby live, after all, albeit on one of their satellite stations. A victory!!
...but did they know that for about twenty bucks, you can get a subscription to an internet channel that shows just about any Rugby game in the world, on streaming video?
Anyone interested go to http://www.watchliverugbyworldcup.com
Been using it for about four weeks, on my laptop and it has never let me down!!
RUGBY BUSINESS NETWORK IN WALES
Now that I have made all these nice new friends on Linked In, let's flog their wares...
Angela Lewis has asked me to push her Rugby event in Llanelli, and most happy to do so..good luck with the event, Angela.
Angela Lewis • Hi John can you mention my event on your blog please? see link!http://rugbybusinessnetworkllanelli.eventbrite.com/ I am hoping to have a speaker from Aus and we are going to link via webinar! I don't have full details yet but will let you know
Angela Lewis has asked me to push her Rugby event in Llanelli, and most happy to do so..good luck with the event, Angela.
Angela Lewis • Hi John can you mention my event on your blog please? see link!http://rugbybusinessnetworkllanelli.eventbrite.com/ I am hoping to have a speaker from Aus and we are going to link via webinar! I don't have full details yet but will let you know
31 July 2011
20 June 2011
WHY I'M NOT A GAMBLING MAN!
The reason that I don’t gamble for a living is that I would starve. Here is what I wrote on my blog in mid-January: The Rebels will be a force to be reckoned with and won’t finish in the red. The Brumbies will come home in a canter and the Waratahs will whither on the vine, as usual!
The Reds will play vintage rugby, but not at full bottle; the force will be with someone else and, again, the Brumbies will chase every hurdle!
I couldn’t have got it more wrong.
What a topsy-turvy season it has been; I was sure Rod MacQueen would pull a rabbit out of a hat and I was sure that the Brumbies would finally earn their “Real Madrid” tag. Instead, they became a friendless society.
The Force showed only glimpses and the Reds surpassed all expectations, showing what a canny coach Ewen Mackenzie really is.
I hope that Robbie stays a bit longer with the Wallabies, Link hangs around at the Reds and all will be well with Aussie Rugby.
As for the Wallabies, watch this space for more.
Actually, every RWC, my theme is usually “we’ll slip into Camp quietly, let all the other teams hype it up, and bight the big boys on the bum!!..”
I do think that we can still do that – technically, if you gave the Super 15 teams points for where they finished (eg 15 for 1st place and 1 for last) , despite the Reds and Waratahs finishing strongly, we (the Aussie conference) still came third, I think. But I think that that belies the depth of the Wallaby squad and the fact that Robbie has blooded young guys.
I’d love to be a fly on the wall at the first Wallaby camp, because I reckon the enthusiasm will be infectious.
Whether or not that translates to lasting the distance is another story – because in the RWC, just about every game is a final!!
…so don’t take my word for it, on past experience!!
However, if you want me to put the mockers on someone, I’d say “Go the AB’s”!!
The Reds will play vintage rugby, but not at full bottle; the force will be with someone else and, again, the Brumbies will chase every hurdle!
I couldn’t have got it more wrong.
What a topsy-turvy season it has been; I was sure Rod MacQueen would pull a rabbit out of a hat and I was sure that the Brumbies would finally earn their “Real Madrid” tag. Instead, they became a friendless society.
The Force showed only glimpses and the Reds surpassed all expectations, showing what a canny coach Ewen Mackenzie really is.
I hope that Robbie stays a bit longer with the Wallabies, Link hangs around at the Reds and all will be well with Aussie Rugby.
As for the Wallabies, watch this space for more.
Actually, every RWC, my theme is usually “we’ll slip into Camp quietly, let all the other teams hype it up, and bight the big boys on the bum!!..”
I do think that we can still do that – technically, if you gave the Super 15 teams points for where they finished (eg 15 for 1st place and 1 for last) , despite the Reds and Waratahs finishing strongly, we (the Aussie conference) still came third, I think. But I think that that belies the depth of the Wallaby squad and the fact that Robbie has blooded young guys.
I’d love to be a fly on the wall at the first Wallaby camp, because I reckon the enthusiasm will be infectious.
Whether or not that translates to lasting the distance is another story – because in the RWC, just about every game is a final!!
…so don’t take my word for it, on past experience!!
However, if you want me to put the mockers on someone, I’d say “Go the AB’s”!!
31 January 2011
A GLOBAL RUGBY SEASON WILL BE A REALITY SOONER THAN LATER!!
In ten years time ..I'm predicting that we will finally have a global season, and the competitions in being at that time, will be far different from now.
The insatiable appetite of TV and the fact that year after year, the Southern Hemisphere shows its superiority will finally be too much for the Northern Hemisphere to bear, and they will have to capitulate. What form will it take? Who knows, but let's speculate about it, anyway.
I can see a conference style competition, similar to the new Super 15 format. Players will have to travel more, but facilities and funding will be there for them.
Look how the Cricket world has changed almost overnight with the 20-20 money that has flooded into the market. It's almost impossible to keep up with who is who and who is where! The players must have good managers, or good nannies, to keep up with where they are supposed to be tomorrow and what team they are meant go be playing for, that week.
By then (10 years down the track) USA Rugby will be much stronger and attracting the big TV networks (which they are just starting to do, now, since Rugby went Olympic)..don't laugh, boys and gorillas, the groundswell is there and it is beginning to happen. The sleeping giant of Rugby has just opened an eye and yawned...,..what will be the landscape after the first Olympic Rugby 7's has been and gone ? ...whatever it is, it will be a different one from the one that we now know.
Russia and Georgia are already out there and showing signs of expansion. The interesting thing is that Russian schools only fund sports that are on the Olympic curriculum.. so since Rugby made it onto the curriculum, we can assume a bit of growth.
China is making inroads (albeit slow) but they have some pretty big boys up in the north, and the Chinese Army has adopted Rugby ...watch this space!
I read an article the other day that espoused the growth of South American Rugby. If Argentina becomes stronger, then watch what happens with Uruguay, Paraguay and even Brazil - I'm not suggesting that there will be a Rugby revolution, but there will be strong growth.
Before Rugby made it onto the Olympic calendar there were approximately 235 Olympic Nations, and there were approximately 130 odd Rugby nations (correct me if I am wrong) but that tells me that there might be a lot more by the time that Rugby is played at the Olympics in 2016. For goodness sake, some of the kids who will be playing in that tournament are only 12 to 15 years old, at the moment and who knows what will happen for some of them in the next five years.
We almost have a global season now, if you think about it ... literally the same week that the 6 Nations gets underway, so does the Super 15 and we go on until July or August - this year we have a World Cup .... and the Rugby just goes on and on ... once you begin to factor in closed roof stadiums and artificial turf it's not too much of a stretch to see that the caravan will just roll around the world for most of the year....7's will replace 15's at certain times of the year, 10's will get a look in.. the Test season will expand as more countries lift their standards etc .....pretty damn exciting when you think about it ...I hope I live to see a full global season - a World cup every four years with an Olympics two years later!! Beautiful!!...
No need to worry about going to heaven - we'll already be there!....especially if my beloved Brumbies can keep flying the flag!!
The insatiable appetite of TV and the fact that year after year, the Southern Hemisphere shows its superiority will finally be too much for the Northern Hemisphere to bear, and they will have to capitulate. What form will it take? Who knows, but let's speculate about it, anyway.
I can see a conference style competition, similar to the new Super 15 format. Players will have to travel more, but facilities and funding will be there for them.
Look how the Cricket world has changed almost overnight with the 20-20 money that has flooded into the market. It's almost impossible to keep up with who is who and who is where! The players must have good managers, or good nannies, to keep up with where they are supposed to be tomorrow and what team they are meant go be playing for, that week.
By then (10 years down the track) USA Rugby will be much stronger and attracting the big TV networks (which they are just starting to do, now, since Rugby went Olympic)..don't laugh, boys and gorillas, the groundswell is there and it is beginning to happen. The sleeping giant of Rugby has just opened an eye and yawned...,..what will be the landscape after the first Olympic Rugby 7's has been and gone ? ...whatever it is, it will be a different one from the one that we now know.
Russia and Georgia are already out there and showing signs of expansion. The interesting thing is that Russian schools only fund sports that are on the Olympic curriculum.. so since Rugby made it onto the curriculum, we can assume a bit of growth.
China is making inroads (albeit slow) but they have some pretty big boys up in the north, and the Chinese Army has adopted Rugby ...watch this space!
I read an article the other day that espoused the growth of South American Rugby. If Argentina becomes stronger, then watch what happens with Uruguay, Paraguay and even Brazil - I'm not suggesting that there will be a Rugby revolution, but there will be strong growth.
Before Rugby made it onto the Olympic calendar there were approximately 235 Olympic Nations, and there were approximately 130 odd Rugby nations (correct me if I am wrong) but that tells me that there might be a lot more by the time that Rugby is played at the Olympics in 2016. For goodness sake, some of the kids who will be playing in that tournament are only 12 to 15 years old, at the moment and who knows what will happen for some of them in the next five years.
We almost have a global season now, if you think about it ... literally the same week that the 6 Nations gets underway, so does the Super 15 and we go on until July or August - this year we have a World Cup .... and the Rugby just goes on and on ... once you begin to factor in closed roof stadiums and artificial turf it's not too much of a stretch to see that the caravan will just roll around the world for most of the year....7's will replace 15's at certain times of the year, 10's will get a look in.. the Test season will expand as more countries lift their standards etc .....pretty damn exciting when you think about it ...I hope I live to see a full global season - a World cup every four years with an Olympics two years later!! Beautiful!!...
No need to worry about going to heaven - we'll already be there!....especially if my beloved Brumbies can keep flying the flag!!
20 January 2011
AN EARLY PREDICTION FOR THE SUPER 15
The Rebels will be a Force to be reckoned with, and won’t finish in the Red. The Brumbies will come home in a canter and the Waratahs will whither on the vine, as usual…..!
The Reds will play Vintage Rugby but not at full bottle,,, the Force will be with someone else and, again, the Brumbies will chase every hurdle!!
The Reds will play Vintage Rugby but not at full bottle,,, the Force will be with someone else and, again, the Brumbies will chase every hurdle!!
16 January 2011
THE REBELS GET OFF TO A GOOD START
As usual, Rod MacQueen is playing with his poker face on.
The score line was good, there were apparently flashes of brilliance, sounds like the combinations were not quite there, but who would know. I can't wait to see some analysis and surely someone must have taken a video:
The score line was good, there were apparently flashes of brilliance, sounds like the combinations were not quite there, but who would know. I can't wait to see some analysis and surely someone must have taken a video:
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