The guy is about 80kg soaking wet

But that can’t be true can it? Time fly’s when your having fun with a minor obsession. Which is not the case today when I have had to go and dig the garden for 3 hours.

Roll on 5.30.

My wife still holds a sneaking suspicion that when I proposed to her on the night of the second Bledisloe in 2003 when NZ won it back, that it was just because of the sheer euphoria of the win.

My wife does enjoy watching rugby and is becoming quite knowledgeable about the myriad of laws but doesn’t share my obsession with the game or the countless post match repeat viewings.

Good luck all with your tips for the weekend

I’m sorry but I feel that leading an AFL tipping competition is nothing to boast about.

My wife goes to the rugby with me, understands a fair bit about it and is tolerant of my degree of interest (obsession?) She did however put her foot down and not let me bring a television to our reception which was on the night of the 05 Bledisloe Cup. My father did smuggle in a small radio and discretely provided update scores.

Believe me it’s worse if she is a rugby fan as mine is. She pours scorn on most of my ideas and thinks I am wasting my time talking to you lot presumeably because she knows everything and I should just be talking to her – If I have a problem!

Nice Eh!

That is a very disturbing image.

I know what you mean, my wife thought I had signed up to one of those online dating sites or something because I was spending so much time on the internet and checking email. When I explained to her about the Roar she answered “Oh so you are having an affair then, just with a bunch of other rugbyheads”

In sport in Australia you are only ever one big ballsup away from being a tier 2 sport.

My partner thinks I am turning our house into an old people’s home with internet access, to chat to you blokes about rugby matters that don’t matter, according to her -what would she know I ask quietly.

9: Burgess/Holmes, 10: O’Connor/Beale/Cooper, 12: Giteau/Barnes, 13: Cross/Horne.

But yeah front row????

Good point about depth requirements but could argue with you about order you used for some backline positions. I’m still hoping Mortlock will be around. I could envisage him as a Harry Wells type centre [1950/60's League centre who set Reg Gasnier up for many tries in Tests of that era] who has the strength to off load in the tackle to set us the abundance of speed and talent coming through.

Holmes appears slower in moving the ball this year – hope that is function of Brumbies style requirements previously dictated there by Gregan rather than added [?] bulk slowing him down, as I still believe his vision around the field is excellent. Apart from incident where he was stripped of the ball at base of ruck by the Chiefs for run away try, his 2 try haul close to maul earlier and beautifully timed/positioned pass to put 5/8 in between posts last game was great to see. What I particularly like about both Burgess and Holmes is they have VISION around the field. They will set up many opportunities. What is now required is for other backs/forwards to “sense” these opportunities and move to support them and not “sit” back and cheer them on as so often seems to happen. We need speed to back these moves as far more tries will result. Lachie Turner for one needs to sense these moves much earlier as he will score many more tries when he does.

Beale’s vision last game with his “box” kick for Carter’s try was a gem. He gets better each game no doubt due to better service from Burgess. Hopefully his kicking will get better as well. His style causes a curve in the flight of the ball – especially when on RHS of the field thereby “reducing” angle at the posts. Perhaps he should “copy” Alan Donald’s kicking technique [Chiefs 5/8]. He has almost eliminated the curve in flight and the results show.

I continue to salivate about our prospects for the next 10 years and reason depth of talent across ALL positions is crucial to maintain standards.

9: Burgess/Lucas/Holmes, 10: Giteau/Beale/Cooper, 12: Barnes/Cooper/O’Connor, 13: O’Connor/Horne. And that is just for starters. There are plenty more where they came from: Liliafano; Afiaki; Cummins, Mafi, ++++++. Just need a front row.

What a revelation Luke Burgess has been since selected to Tah’s run on side. If we can bottle that form and he can remain sound [hasn't played much over past few years due injury according to media] then I think we have seen the next Wallaby half. What I specifically like about him has been his vision on the paddock. Rarely takes a wrong option and if he does rectifies same immediately. What further encourages me are reports Deans has an open mind about our emerging talent.

Makes me salivate about the next 4 years of OZ Rugby, possibly 10 years and beyond. Bring it on.

Alot of speed which will impress people but very raw at this stage. He will turn 18 sometime this year but a person that we all should watch out for is Matt Toomua. A prococious talent and has been for some time.

O’Connor is a former league player aswell before making the switch to the 15 man game

I am from Kenya so quite pleased to see the Kenyans getting increasingly succesful in the rugby sevens. The problem I think is usually consistency because the team all either work or study and cannot totally dedicate their full attention to rugby as professional teams of paid career rugby players from other countries do. I spoke to some of the Kenyan players on Sunday night after the tournament and the team they fielded was not full strength as some of the preffered players had to go back to Kenya for work and study commitments after the Hong Kong Sevens or after different stages of the Sevens circuit. With Virgin Atlantics new sponsorship we are at the fringes of beginning real professionalism in rugby in Kenya. I look forward to this unearthing Kenya as a true (or should I say consistent) rugby sevens force. That said, Kenya being 5th on the IRB ladder is not a bad place to be considering the esteemed company of the likes of New Zealand, Fiji and South Africa.

Of course the other point is that the Crusaders had the luxury of having Merhtens as the incumbent 5/8th, whereas the Tahs and the Reds have been desperate for a playmaker i.e. the new Mark Ella/Michael Lynagh.

Agree 100% re Eddie Jones. What a disaster he was for Australian rugby.

The second year is always the hardest if you have talent, the opposition is going to work on you. You have to have the skills to get through this year still in contention not to dominate. That should come in their 3rd year.

I think over the last 7 years we have been too conservative and lost a lot of young talent either overseas or who have given the game away. My dislike for Eddie Jones in this department (and most departments as most guys have heard before) knows no end.

I don’t believe we should just throw them in the deep end and if they can’t swim dump them. We have done a fair bit of that in the past. Pat Howard’s introduction to the Wallabies was a disgrace. One test v NZ at 5/8 in atrocious conditions in Dunedin and then dumped for a fair while. Still managed to get 20 Wallaby starts. Scott Bowen was a talented 5/8 I thought, was also poorly handled and managed only 9 tests.

Robbie Deans does appear to know how to handle young talent and how to blood them properly. It’s the S14 coaches that worry me and they have to get through that before they can make it to the national team. The days of picking a Kearns or a Farr-Jones from 2nd grade club rugby is over unfortunately.

BTW Harry these players would have to play club rugby and that is a very physical game. Basically they have to have the bone structure and hardness to handle this game at the top and if they don’t it’s better they find out earlier than later. There again there is always a Mortlock who proves this theory wrong.

In my opinion Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper for instance should never have played S14 last year or even this year – they would have been far better playing a season of club rugby and the Sevens circuit before going into the S14.

Similarly Lachlan Turner and Josh Holmes are great talent but have been far quieter this year than last year – but both are still only 20 and need nurtuing before playing S14.

Some players – like Steyn and Horan – can go direct from school into test rugby. But the majority, no matter how talented, still need time to develop.

I think we cant be too formulaic. A good coach can tell if a young player can step up or at least is worth a try at that level. We cant just store them in 7′s and come to collect them in 2 years. I don’t believe 7′s isnt a great introduction to the 15 a side game. It should be taken seriously as it is a game in its own right and not just an adjunct to the 15 a side game. Watching the sevens last night you realise that the players dont have to use a lot of strength and it’s there speed and guile that is the main attributes.

Look at how SA has introduced Francois Steyn, they know he is a great talent and as a young man, 20 I believe, they know he will make mistakes but also win games for you. We need to be able to make the most of them and put faith in this amazing bunch of young men, possibly the greatest group Australia has ever had (Sheek comment?) and if Robbie Deans and the rest of the coaches handle them correctly we are facing our best era ever.

Remember we only have them for a maximum of 10 years. Times ticking lets get going.