Super 14: love it while you can

Something’s bothering me. It’s not the presidential race in America, one half of it between the two biggest and most recently emancipated demographics in the electorate, or the fact that the electorate is too stupid to make such a decision. And it’s not the lead sinker I hit my fishing buddy in the head with on Saturday or the uncharitable names I was called as a result.

No, as usual it’s rugby … but I’ll get to those problems later.

I may have to revise my top four predictions somewhat, after the Stormers’ impressive 35-26 showing against the Chiefs of Friday night. With a pack at the upper end of the size and mobility scale operating smoothly, the Cape Town-based franchise exposed all of the Chiefs’ weaknesses and are now halfway through their Australasian road trip with two wins from two so far.

Their loose forwards played particularly well, especially at the breakdown where they dominated proceedings. Their backs were direct and certain, running onto the ball aggressively and exploiting their possession advantage. If they continue to develop their attacking mindset they will be a handful for any team.

The Chiefs … well, they will knock off the odd side, and prove by doing so that the side in question are NOT top four contenders… they have the talent but not the cohesion to mount anything other than intermittent challenges to the established order.

The Hurricanes also put themselves in position to challenge for the semifinals with their fourth win, a 33-15 thrashing of the Brumbies in Canberra. The Brumbies aren’t one of the sides to measure yourselves against anymore, with youngsters not coming through like they would have if David Nucifora had been allowed to carry on his development program… and with their bench still full of those who prevented it, injured paycheck players past their prime… but in Canberra, and already having strung together some tough results, the Hurricanes looked back to their lethal attacking best.

They survived being reduced to fourteen men at a crucial stage in the first half, and after riding out that storm kicked into gear with a scorching series of counter attacks. With their tails up they are hard to stop. The key to beating them will be not letting them get their tails up in the first place.

The Blues suffered an embarrassing 17-27 loss to the Force at Albany, their dropping off the pace largely what has brought these lesser sides into the equation. They had the making or breaking of the game in their own hands, leading 17-7 for a long period mid-match but failing to turn territory and possession into points.

There was too much razzle dazzle, too many risky passes thrown, too many forwards looking to sidestep and exhibit their handling skills. This is all very well when it comes off, but godawful when it doesn’t.

The Force remained calm under the high-stepping Polynesian cavalry charge, taking their own chances for points whenever they were presented.

They were helped by an injury to Nick Evans. With the five-eighths unleashing attacking weapons wider out, the Blues still had control of the game… even though it looked a little hairy. When the skinny white boy running the Blues backline was taken from the field concussed, the inmates took over the asylum.

The Crusaders restored a little hurt Kiwi pride by towelling the Cheetahs 55-7 in Christchurch later on Saturday night. Not much to surprise here, just a well-oiled machine at its bloody-minded best… needing only half the possession on offer to humiliate the men from Free State.

The Crusaders don’t have many off nights. They could afford to rest a few top line players even, and still grind their opposition into the Lancaster Park dirt.

The Reds surprised everyone with a 40-8 win over the Bulls, coming back from a 92-3 reaming in 2007 against the same side, while the Sharks made it five in a row by beating the Lions 16-8 at Ellis Park in wet conditions. The Highlanders and Waratahs had a bye.

It’s still looking like the Crusaders are way ahead of the chasing bunch, with the Blues, Sharks, Waratahs, Hurricanes, Force and Stormers all fighting it out for the remaining three semifinal spots.

Inky’s New Zealand Form XV so far is dominated by Crusaders and Blues.

15. Leon MacDonald (Crusaders)
14. Anthony Tuitavake (Blues)
13. Casey Laulala (Crusaders)
12. Stephen Brett (Crusaders)
11. Joe Rokocoko (Blues)
10. Dan Carter (Crusaders)
9. Andrew Ellis (Crusaders)
8. Nick Williams (Blues)
7. Richie McCaw (Crusaders)
6. Jerry Collins (Hurricanes)
5. Troy Flavell (Blues)
4. Ali Williams (Crusaders)
3. Greg Somerville (Crusaders)
2. Andrew Hore (Hurricanes)
1. Tony Woodcock (Blues)

If I was picking an All Blacks team I would still have Mils Muliaina at fullback, Sitiveni Sivivatu on the wing, Conrad Smith at centre, Piri Weepu at halfback and Keven Mealamu at hooker, but a Super 14 Form XV is an opportunity to acknowledge those who excel at this particular level. Add young Benson Stanley of the Blues as a back-up midfielder, Nick Evans as Carter’s understudy, Rodney So’oialo, Mose Tuiali’i, Jerome Kaino and Kieran Read as back-up loosies, Brad Thorn and Michael Paterson as reserve second-rowers, then pick your own two reserve props out of John Afoa, Neemia Tialata (my two), Jamie Mackintosh, Wyatt Crockett or John Schwalger… and you’ve still got a fairly formidable 17-13 split All Blacks squad, even after the defections of Carl Hayman, Chris Jack and Aaron Mauger.

You might prefer Jimmy Cowan or Isaia Toeava somewhere in that backline mix, or still rate Chris Masoe for instance, but there can’t be too many more names in serious contention. Injuries, of course, will play a part before June and the first test of the year.

Towards the end of Graham Henry’s previous four year term I had begun to accept his selections without questioning. His record almost demanded it until the wheels fell off in Cardiff.

From now on I will be calling it as I see it. Henry has had quite enough dispensations. He neither needs nor deserves any more blind acquiescence. He doesn’t need three hookers and three halfbacks, World Cup or no World Cup, he doesn’t need four wingers when the attrition rate for flankers is so high, and he doesn’t need any more players in any position who are too dumb to understand how a fifteen-man team works.

He certainly doesn’t need any more of Smithy’s Kool Aid laced with attacksedrine. With the world’s most talented rugby players in his squad, all he needs to find is the balance between full-on offence and common sense points-banking.

It’s not jumping the gun to be thinking this way. Now is the time to study those capabilities in players, to be identifying the smartest and not merely the fastest and strongest.

I can live with losses… I’ve covered the worst of them in the last decade and kept my chin up no matter what, but I’m tired of losing when losses are avoidable. I’m tired of yellow cards in waiting, meatsacks like Luke McAlister and Sione Lauaki being given responsibilities they’re not qualified to shoulder simply because they test the biometric house down and have thighs too big to wear trousers in public.

The danger of the All Black brand being irreparably devalued is becoming more and more present by the day. Dan Carter is currently considering details of big contracts with foreign clubs, and even Richie McCaw is rumoured to be weighing up such offers. The SANZAR contract with News Ltd has less than two years to run, and the Australians are trying to broker a 26-week Super 14 with Japanese involvement, signalling the beginning of the end for province-based franchises. The new experimental laws are creating a rift between the northern and southern hemispheres, and the battle lines are being drawn up with the south on the poor side of the equation.

We may be witnessing the death of the the last great sport built on amateur ethics, just as a new set of laws have almost perfected it.

How quickly it happens… you turn your back for a second, distracted by issues such as the integrity of the spectacle, and the damage is done. In the advent of professionalism we have seen the death of touring, trials, North v South matches and many other worthy traditions. All of those past fixtures and endeavours were killed wholly or partly by wealthy clubs not releasing players, and yet we still listen gullibly to jackals talking of further privatisation… while the tide of young southern players moving to northern clubs has accelerated almost out of control.

NO to the expansion of Super 14 unless the expansion includes Argentina and the Pacific Islands. NO to European clubs poaching any more of our players. NO to any more tests when the existing ones are enough to prevent international players turning out for their local clubs. No no no no no… damn, I wish I had solutions to offer instead of this useless howl of anguish.

I get shouted down as a troglodyte whenever I speak of such things. Association Football has the successful model we should copy, say the Titirangi soccer dads in their anglo-kiwi accents, you have to move with the times.

Like Hell, I answer. Rugby seems to be moving that way without my help. I’ll remain an advocate for slowing the pace of change. Just like selecting a different All Blacks fifteen every week, we needn’t just because we can.

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