Forget Lote, let’s move onto the Tri-Nations
Roar Rookie
By jamestheconvict, 4 Jul 2009 jamestheconvict is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- All Blacks, Brett Sheehan, Matt Giteau, Morne Steyne, Rugby Union, Springboks, Tri Nations, wallabies
Related coverage
- Rugby Union news
- Wallabies news
- Tri Nations Tournament news
- New Zealand All Blacks news
- South Africa Springboks news
- 2011 Wallabies squad news
Australia's Brett Sheehan, right, tackles South Africa's Luke Watson, left, during the Tri-Nations rugby match at the ABSA stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday Aug. 23, 2008. Australia beat South Africa 27-15. AP Photo/Themba Hadebe
With the prospect of a cracking Tri Nations coming up, and a Lions series almost wrapped up by a Southern Hemisphere nation for the third time in a row, can we now look towards the world’s premier rugby competition?
There are some interesting clashes coming up.
After “dispatching” of the Lions single-handedly while doing one armed push-ups can the inflated “Beast ” versus everyone act continue, or will the Aussie frontrow be one of the more competitive.
Personally I like the look of the duel between Matt Giteau and Morne Steyne.
They have contrasting styles and both are on a high at the peak of their respective teams good form – Steyne riding high from his own one armed push-ups and Giteau playing like we have all thought he could from the moment he ran out on a rugby field.
The back three of Australia look good. In fact, none of the backlines look as balanced as the Aussies. Africa is a hard place to win matches, and we all know New Zealand will be a different beast come the Tri-Nations.
Will McCaw be as influential in his return as we all know he could be? Will Rocky equal his feats in his own return?
Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.
Do you have what it takes to become a sports writer? Write for the roar
Rugby Union articles
- Will Super Rugby crowds continue their slide? (198)
- Will South African rugby force a Super 21 by 2018? (172)
- Brumbies 2012: New coach, new players, new attitude (128)
- Dan Parks and the unsolved questions of expat rugby (61)
- Pocock set to be named new Force skipper (56)
- Can the ‘Tahs win the battle after losing the Waugh? (51)
- What does the future hold for the Six Nations (50)
- Chiefs continue to wait for SBW
- Nathan Sharpe to retire at end of 2012
- Queensland ready for Super challenge (2)
- Australian teams at Super disadvantage (24)
- Foley excited about Samoan rugby challenge
- Force rugby coach praises his pack
- The real story of how John O’Neill turned Manchester City down (42)
- Wales show Southern Hemisphere how to play running rugby (25)
- What opening matches of Six Nations taught us (16)
- Will Super Rugby crowds continue their slide? (198)
- Clinical Chiefs cost rusty Rebels in Corio (9)
- Six Nations shows rugby is a parochial game at heart (5)
- Goose’s Super Rugby up-and-comer XV for 2012 (29)
- What does the future hold for the Six Nations (50)
- Explore:
- All Blacks, Brett Sheehan, Matt Giteau, Morne Steyne, Rugby Union, Springboks, Tri Nations, wallabies
Darryl SA said | July 4th 2009 @ 1:30am | Report comment
In SA we’re still so disgusted with how the rest of our S14 teams faded when it mattered, including my woeful Sharks, that we’re just going to send the Bulls over to play Tri Nations. Figure if they could best the Chiefs we’ll do ok. And ironically it is their backline that is now playing enterprising rugby. How this happened is beyond me as the rest of us in SA always slept comfortably at night in the knowledge that the Bulls would never know how to run a backline. Whether it has something to do with Pieter Russouw (former Springbok wing) joining as their backline coach I don’t know – I thought the only thing he was good at was running awkwardly.
LeftArmSpinner said | July 4th 2009 @ 9:50am | Report comment
I fully agree!!!!
katzilla said | July 4th 2009 @ 12:17pm | Report comment
Darryl – We used to have to drink during Bok/AB matches whenever Russouw engineered one of his Spin moves, it looked pretty silly then but was reasonably effective. It now seems that every cat and his dog uses the spin to varying degrees of success. Joe Rok uses it quite often.
Im very surprised that alot of people are judging this years 3N as a 2 horse race.
Personally i have a bit of money on Oz @ 3.50
But its far from a 2 Horse race.
NZ will not be a push over regardless of early season trip ups.
Peter K said | July 4th 2009 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
AB’s with most players back will be as hard as ever.
Boks slight favourites then AB’s and then Wallabies. However very close and any team could win.
Darryl SA said | July 4th 2009 @ 6:49pm | Report comment
katzilla,
Personally think this 3N is the least predictable of all I’ve watched so far. SA are elevated by the Bulls winning the S14, but NZ teams were strongest overall, and Aus always show up no matter what, and now they have Deans. Also test rugby is just different to S14. I have no sense of who the strongest is. Feels fairly even across the board right now. I’m generally quite bored with the repetitiveness of the 3N but this year feels a little more interesting due to the uncertainty of it all.
katzilla said | July 4th 2009 @ 7:00pm | Report comment
Indeed. Last year was quite interesting for us because the whole village was waiting outside Henrys door with torches in hand. He scrapped through and here we are again. I think last year had an inevitability about it as soon as McCaw returned for us, after the first game and the impact he had i dont think any Kiwi doubted the title would come our way.
This year is different, can he carry our team without Carter? Or more importantly without a decent first five?
The Boks have had a great warm up with the highest intensity matches you could possibly get pre-3N, and have probably 5-6 players in a form world 15 at this very moment.
And Australia have had the best June test series in recent memory, their form has been excellent and they have the only coach that is unanimously liked in the country he coaches.
All for the good of the game here if this series comes down to the last game which it probably will.
mother teresa said | July 4th 2009 @ 8:37pm | Report comment
deans would have to be the most popular tri nations coach which doesnt say much;probably not too popular with lotes mob which is understandable ;fingerprints?
Bay35Pablo said | July 5th 2009 @ 7:02pm | Report comment
This 3N will be the most cracking and open for a while, but I’m hardly the 1st to say that.
The Boks are looking good, and have a much more rounded game than in previous years. The ABs are looking weaker than for a long time, but when their cattle start coming back from injury the wounded beast will roar. People are writing them off far too early at their peril. The Wallabies are starting to rebuild from some poor years under poor coaches, with Deans being regarded as one of the best coaches around. And we finally have some decent halves who can play a kicking game. Plus the rules changes have everyone in much the same boat of adapting (again).
I’m drooling at this one.
And can I say the Fox Sports ads for the Bledisloe are an absolute cracker. Describing the Kiwis as the “Army of Darkness” and the Wallabies as the Forces of Light, in a bit of a Lord of the Rings piss take, has me in stitches. Love it!!!! Best thing I’ve seen since a Kiwi fan’s sign at a game with a rehash of Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet.
Hemjay said | July 5th 2009 @ 8:19pm | Report comment
A few people are starting to get it about the All Blacks not being as weak as many are making them out to be. The All blacks have being missing a huge chunk of their squad for the entire june test series. The Springboks showed on the weekend that they are just as vulnerable if not more so when a huge portion of their 1st squad is taken out also. The Wallabies will be extremely weakened should Giteau or Mortlock get injured. While improved I don’t think they are as good as some make them out to be. Lets get real here they have not been tested at all yet France was not even a shadow of the team that faced the All Blacks the week before and they could be left wanting in Auckland.
Justin said | July 5th 2009 @ 8:32pm | Report comment
Fair enough Hemjay, although it must be also mentioned that AUS have missed a decent chunk of players also. Palu, Elsom, McMenimen, Dunning, Ioane and probably some others I cant think of…seems to be forgotten, even by AUS supporters.