A poor 2009 rugby season ends on a higher note

Columnist

By Spiro Zavos, 7 Dec 2009 Spiro Zavos is a Roar Expert

Tagged:: All Blacks, Australian rugby, Barbarians, James OConnor, John ONeill, robbie deans, Rugby Union, South Africa, wallabies

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Australia's James O'Connor, center, tries to break through the tackle of New Zealand All Blacks during the Bledisloe Cup rugby test at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009. All Blacks won the test, 32-19. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

61,551 fans saw the All Blacks get beaten by the Barbarians (with 7 South Africans and four Australians giving the side some flair and toughness) by 25 – 18. For all the complaints about ‘what’s wrong with rugby’ this festival match drew a crowd four times bigger than the London rugby league Test between England and Australia in the Four Nations tournament.

You could argue that the second string All Blacks side looked mediocre compared with the brilliant team that trounced France with five tries a week ago at Marseille. Stephen Donald at first five-eighths in the first half once again gave an impression of a puppet that had its strings cut every time he got the ball.

And the commentators, especially Justin Marshall, raved about Jason Leonard at halfback. Perhaps they have the same manager (only facetious, Jason) but it did seem to me that Leonard bombed about three tries, any one of which at the time would have sealed the game for the All Blacks.

Another way of looking at the second string All Blacks is that they came within one converted try of drawing with a terrific side, with Bryan Habana at his magical best. And they did this with a mediocre performance from Donald, Rondey So’aialo, Liam Messam, and without their great players (except for Richie McCaw in the first 40 minutes). This is the attitude that the usually All Blacks-knocking British rugby media has initially taken, anyway.

The All Blacks are ranked the number one team in the world despite the fact that they have had a 10 wins and five losses season.

The claims for the international side of the year, though, lie between the Springboks with their series win over the British and Irish Lions and their emphatic victory in the Tri-Nations tournament, and Ireland who have been unbeaten in 2009 with a Grand Slam (for the first time in 60 years) and defeating the Springboks two weeks ago.

Because I am a romantic as far as rugby is concerned I don’t think that teams that emphasise the football part of rugby football should be held up for admiration. The Springboks simply played too much boring rugby (admittedly winning rugby until they got to Europe and were defeated by France and Ireland) to be put on a pedestal.

Ireland won their Tests (and the draw on time against the Wallabies) by having a complete rugby game.

The forwards were combative and skillful, with the scrum being the only obvious weakness, and the backs were always inclined to run the ball at their opponents.

My man of the season must be Fourie du Preez.

He is, I am sure, the finest South African since Danie Craven (who I’ve only read about) in the 1930s. Du Preez’s attack, his sniping runs, his covering, his kicking, his ability to organise an attack make him the perfect player. So much of the Springboks and the Bulls success revolves around him.

For Australian rugby the season has been for the most part an annus horribilis.

All the Super 14 teams were poor. None of them made the finals.

Worse still, the NSW Waratahs, in particular, played in such a lethargic, brain-dead manner that even the most loyal of supporters felt inclined to give them away.

The Wallabies started the Test season well against Italy and France and then fell into a heap during the Tri-Nations. There was a stand-out victory against the Springboks at Brisbane which was followed by one of the most gutless performances even given by a Wallabies side against the All Blacks at Wellington.

Just as the All Blacks could not defeat the Springboks this season (a pattern maintained by the Boks-led Barbarians), the Wallabies could not defeat the All Blacks, losing four times to them this season.

It has been pointed out that the Wallabies came within a few points of winning a most unlikely Grand Slam on their Spring tour.

There were good victories against England and Wales: a draw against Ireland, after the home side was outplayed for most of the match, and a loss to Scotland when the home side was totally out-played throughout the match.

Like the All Blacks against France, the Wallabies ended their Test season on a high with a splendid victory over Wales, no easy thing at Millennium Stadium.

And for the Barbarians, Matt Giteau played a magnificent game to show that he is worthy (at times) of being mentioned in the same sentence as Daniel Carter.

The emphatic victory over Wales gave the Wallabies some momentum into next year.

Melbourne has won the 5th Australian Super Rugby franchise which gives rugby a footprint across the entire eastern seaboard.

And on Thursday, so I understand, the Super 14 coaches will meet with the ARU’s John O’Neill and Robbie Deans to be told that they have to lift the intensity, performance and entertainment levels of their teams.

All his gives hope for better things for 2010. Play on!

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The Crowd Says (114) | Page 1 of Comments

Sam el Perro said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:07am | Report comment

The rugby league match in London was between Australia and New Zealand, not Australia and England. Don’t let the facts get in the way of an off-topic swipe at another sport, though.

Reply
- Severian said | December 7th 2009 @ 7:33am | Report comment
  
  The Barbarians had a total of zero English players in their side. One game was an exhibition match, the other a full on test between the 2 best teams in the world.
  
  Reply
  - The Link said | December 7th 2009 @ 7:39am | Report comment
    
    Its a tried and true forumla on how to get your articles noticed in Australia and Sydney in particular. If its just a summary of Rugby’s year in 2009 it doesn’t really get anyone’s attention.
    
    Reply
  - Sam el Perro said | December 7th 2009 @ 8:45am | Report comment
    
    Notwithstanding that, it is a bit of a straw man to set up. Rugby union is more popular than rugby league in the south of England? Who would’ve thought it?
    
    That factually incorrect throwaway comment added nothing to the analysis of the year in rugby union and ensured that these comments have turned into yet another humdrum set of code wars comparisons.
    
    Reply
MyGeneration said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:08am | Report comment

There was no London rugby league Test between England and Australia in the Four Nations tournament. A strangely negative way to start an article about Rugby Union, in more ways than one.

Reply
- AGO74 said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:28am | Report comment
  
  I agree MyGeneration – aside from an obvious dig at the mungo’s the point has absolutely no relevance. It’s just hiding the fact that 9 out of 10 rugby tests are boring kick-a-thon’s. Getting the odd entertaining one like Saturday’s (which I’ll take you word on as I did not see) in what is essentially nothing more than an exhibition game doesn’t mean all is rosy. I quote your fellow SMH columnist and rugby nut Peter FitzSimons from Saturday’s SMH:
  
  “Thank Gawd that rugby season is at last over. Let the record show these three things.
  
  1. On average, there were 65 kicks a match in the Six Nations and 68 in the Tri Nations – about one every 75 seconds or so.
  
  2. The people are in revolt and have made it clear that they don’t want to watch rugby like that any more.
  
  3. The challenge, thus, for administrators, coaches and players, is to come up with ways whereby they can play the game the way it was meant to be played … or face the consequences.”
  
  The scrums are also a farce. I clearly remember in the Bledisloe match here in Sydney (I think it was Sydney). The ref put down a scrum 5 times, each of them collapsed and finally gave up and blew a penalty for something the commentators couldn’t determine what. The Wallabies got the ball and ran across the field and had another scrum. Five scrums later another penalty and then they ran back to where they started from!! This whole of two teams crabbing their way across a field and back took about 7 or 8 minutes out of the game!
  
  Oh, but it’s alright because amongst other things a glorified exhibition game drew more than a rugby league test……?!?!
  
  Reply
21st Century said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:15am | Report comment

At least the RL test was between two actual teams, not New Zealand and some antiquated brand name that’s used to rub ex-league stars in Australia’s collective face. I guess the British/Irish All-Stars team was too exclusive for these 11 Wallaboks. I’m sure the devoted fans in Barbaria are thrilled with this victory.

Reply
- Pete said | December 7th 2009 @ 11:43am | Report comment
  
  what is wrong with hybrid teams for an exhibition match? I loved the ABs vs. Barbarians match and I’m looking forward to the RL Indigenous All Stars team next year… and before anyone starts… lets not go down the path of which game will be better. Enjoy them for what they are.
  
  Reply
- Ora said | December 13th 2009 @ 6:52am | Report comment
  
  21st,
  I would go as far as saying this wasn’t even the ABs not even close to it it was a match between second stringers and blokes highly unlikely to get a recall against a team of mostly SH players looking for that final big payday before the summer break.
  
  Reply
Crosscoder said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:16am | Report comment

i agreed with the point about the Barbarians being entertaining,but having attended one in Sydney in the Campo days,the intensity is hardly the factor ,it is more about playing entertaining rugby union.and yes it is a good way to end a season/

However to draw comparisons with a rugby league test,when there was none played in London ,when ru is huge in the UK by comparsions,is just another example of the typical anti rl attitudes that are perpetuated by media people and some (not all) ru fans.It does the author no favours.
I also find the story(‘rugby finishes on a high note”) was a tad premature,maybe Quade Cooper can comment.

Reply
- Colin N said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:20am | Report comment
  
  “was a tad premature,maybe Quade Cooper can comment.”
  
  I think the article would have been written before that came out.
  
  Reply
Colin N said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:18am | Report comment

“And the commentators, especially Justin Marshall, raved about Jason Leonard at halfback.”

Deary, deary me.

BRENDON Leonard was good around the fringes but his pass is so inconsistant.

[Fixed - thanks. Ed.]

Reply
- CraigB said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:58am | Report comment
  
  Poor Jason, first game at 1/2 back, he’s entitled to make a couple of mistakes…. Put Justin Marshall at prop I say.
  
  Reply
  - katzilla said | December 7th 2009 @ 8:52am | Report comment
    
    ‘Jason Leonard at halfback’
    
    Lol having one of the greatest props of all time being that fast with a pass?
    Scary stuff.
    
    Reply
- pothale said | December 7th 2009 @ 9:33am | Report comment
  
  Eh – no it’s not. It still says:
  
  “And the commentators, especially Justin Marshall, raved about Jason Leonard at halfback. Perhaps they have the same manager (only facetious, Jason)”
  
  Reply
Barking Glider said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:20am | Report comment

this festival match drew a crowd four times bigger than the London rugby league Test – big deal! Most AFL games outdrew the Barbarians game every weekend of the year. So what?

I again ask, can a RU writer on the Roar please write a RU article without resorting to a mention of rugby league?

Sadly, it seems impossible.

Reply
- Grandpabhaile said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:25am | Report comment
  
  There are plenty of articles written about rugby without mentioning league.
  
  But it serves as a useful comparitor to the difference in size between rugby and league – and size does matter, no matter what they tell you.
  
  Reply
  - Barking Glider said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:33am | Report comment
    
    Rubbish, Why not compare the try scoring feats between the codes, or the supreme talent of the Kangaroos backline? No, let’s compare the crowd for no particular reason other than to have a shot at league.
    
    Why not compare it to the zero attendance at the England v Australia AFL match in London. It’s just as useable as an example or comparison.
    
    Reply
    - Bay35Pablo said | December 7th 2009 @ 8:24am | Report comment
      
      Keep bigging up league’s internationals and you’ll get that ….
      
      Reply
    - PastHisBest said | December 7th 2009 @ 9:35am | Report comment
      
      “or the supreme talent of the Kangaroos backline?”
      
      I prefer to just call them ‘The Supremes”.
      
      Reply
  - AGO74 said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:33am | Report comment
    
    Oh yeah, can’t wait for that next rugby world cup when we see whether Japan, Portugal, USA, Romania etc get beaten by 60, 70 or 80 points eh? See those sort of blow-outs in a rugby league world cup, and everyone can’t wait to tut-tut at the uncompetitiveness of it all. But in a rugby world cup, its ok, because rugby is a ‘world game’. Blah, blah, blah.
    
    Reply
    - pothale said | December 7th 2009 @ 9:36am | Report comment
      
      But it’s only relevant in Australia, and bits of England – it’s not a serious game anywhere else.
      
      Reply
      - BN said | December 7th 2009 @ 3:23pm | Report comment
        
        And Union is not that relevent in Australia any more (And we have still won two world cups). Besides Wales, New Zealand and maybe S.A. where else is Union really that big. In reality Rugby Union is a minor sport in most of the countries it’s played. Want to compare to the numbers that watch/play Soccor, Basket Ball, Cricket etc. Are they better then Rugby Union? Next you will be trying to tell me that often quoted 3 billion viewers figure for the Union world cup final is real.
        
        If the game in queston was such a good one, why didn’t the writer start off referring to Habbana’s 3 try Hattrick. Why, becasuse this happens relativily often in League and the only way he could score points againts the code was to refer to the crowd numbers and not the game itself.
        
        I also still find it amazing how Union supporters always talk about the crowds and hardly ever about how good the game is.
        
        Then again they can’t, especially when you struggle to get 40 mintues of gameplay in around all the Scrum resets and Kicking. And I’m being kind here, some internationals have had as litttle as 20 mintues of actual play, almost as bad as NFL standards. With the recent talk of giving Union players more protection via NFL style helmets and padding, it won’t be long before you’re there anyway.
        
        It’s really is sad how Union Supporters try to convince themselves the their code is the better game. Less actual play, almost no tries (thought it was the running game?), pedantic referees, cheating (Bloodgate anyone) and fans/writers who refuse to recognise the boring specticle is has become.
        
        Must be pretty boring in heaven if this is the game they play.
        
        Reply
        
        PastHisBest said | December 7th 2009 @ 3:34pm | Report comment
        
        “maybe S.A. where else is Union really that big”
        
        You are kidding right?? Are you a troll in sheep’s clothing or just a dumbass?
        
        “Must be pretty boring in heaven if this is the game they play.”
        
        You’ll never know…
        
        Shahsan said | December 7th 2009 @ 4:04pm | Report comment
        
        “It’s really is sad how Union Supporters try to convince themselves the their code is the better game. Less actual play, almost no tries (thought it was the running game?), pedantic referees, cheating (Bloodgate anyone) and fans/writers who refuse to recognise the boring specticle is has become. ”
        That is utter nonsense. “Better” is subjective, but the reality is, that to real rugby union fans, no matter how bad the game becomes — and i for one think it is something that just good attitude and quality execution will fix, as recent games have shown — it will always be a better game than rugby league.
        Yes there are more tries in RL, but to me, the journey to those tries is extremely boring and unchallenging.
        The beauty of RU is the journey itself: the battle for forward domination, the work at set pieces, the choice of tactics and the decision making involved. It is not just running and crossing the line. If you dont understand that then you wil never understand why we prefer rugby union to rugby league.
        The comparison to us is not whether rugby union is better to watch then rugby league, but whether rugby union can be better than or as good as we know it can be and have seen it.
        
        Ai Rui Sheng said | December 9th 2009 @ 2:46am | Report comment
        
        Sadly I cannot think of a hat trick that did not include three tries, or perhaps, Rex Mossop is alive and blogging. If you had thrown in a malapropism or two to go with the tautology, I would be certain!
        
        Why do so many Australians have to trash other sports. Who cares about your inferiority complexes.
        
        I love to watch Carlton trash Carringbush or Dame Edna’s mob, and anyone trash the Manly ferries. I also love to watch the Jets or the Giants inventing a new way to lose when they have the game won. I really love to watch the Tri_nations rather than the Bi-Nations aka Six Nations. I have a lot of love, don’t you think?
        
        pothale said | December 9th 2009 @ 3:38am | Report comment
        
        “The beauty of RU is the journey itself: the battle for forward domination, the work at set pieces, the choice of tactics and the decision making involved.”
        
        Nicely written, Shahsan, and well put. Shall remember that. Thanks.
      - Woody Warambel said | December 8th 2009 @ 5:19pm | Report comment
        
        & Pothole what countries in the Northern Hemisphere have full time professional lRU competitions?
        
        Two or three?
        
        Reply
        
        pothale said | December 9th 2009 @ 3:55am | Report comment
        
        Eh – Ireland, France, Wales, England, Scotland, Italy – that would be 6 out of the ten tier one countries, and there are plenty more semi-professional teams in Canada, US, Romania, etc.
        
        And your point is?
        
        BN – “besides, Wales, NZ and SA where else is rugby union really that big?”
        
        France and Ireland would be included in that. Even though rugby is the 3rd or 4th sport in Ireland, it has become the fastest growing sport in the last 10 years, and the clubs are oversupplied each season with new kids coming in. In contrast, most people wouldn’t even know what League rugby is, never mind how to play it.
    - rugbyfuture said | December 7th 2009 @ 1:42pm | Report comment
      
      and japan and the states are actually decent
      
      Reply
- CraigB said | December 7th 2009 @ 7:02am | Report comment
  
  “Most AFL games outdrew the Barbarians game every weekend of the year. So what?” FAIL – Average AFL crowd in 2009 was just under 38K. Even Collingwood who have the most blockbuster all vic games etc average 57K.
  
  If your making claims to prove a point, maybe look them up.
  
  Reply
  - Barking Glider said | December 7th 2009 @ 7:40am | Report comment
    
    It’s true! AFL is played in front of 80K crowds every week. I’ve read it over and over on the Roar.
    
    Reply
    - Pippinu said | December 7th 2009 @ 7:48am | Report comment
      
      During the 2009 season, the AFL had 14 home and away games in excess of 61,000, that’s excluding the nine finals.
      
      Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Australian_football_code_crowds
      
      Reply
      - Barking Glider said | December 7th 2009 @ 7:56am | Report comment
        
        See.
        
        AFL is sixteen times a better spectacle and more meaningul than a Barbarians game.
        
        A Barbarians game is 4 times a better spectacle then a London NRL international.
        
        Comparing codes with mathematics is much more precise.
        
        Reply
      - CraigB said | December 7th 2009 @ 8:01am | Report comment
        
        correct 14 out of the 185 played. Hardly considered most…
        
        http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/attendances
        
        Reply
Onceinawhile said | December 7th 2009 @ 6:56am | Report comment

Yeh uneccessary dig Spiro, an article about rugby should remain about rugby, can’t complain about the leaguies if you let them off the chain!

Reply
- oikee said | December 7th 2009 @ 7:18am | Report comment
  
  Dont let the dogs off our chains Spiro. Still think the game of the season was NZ, Kanga’s at the stoop, 12 and half thousand, classic. 12,500 happy customers.
  
  Reply
  - Mr cheese said | December 7th 2009 @ 11:32am | Report comment
    
    Oikster,
    
    a lot of those customers were wearing hats. It was too cold for em.
    
    Il faisait froid !!!
    
    ( as always in England )
    
    Reply
Spiro Zavos said | December 7th 2009 @ 7:21am | Report comment

Brendon Leonard my apologies. This is the second time I’ve put him in the front row. There seems to be something of a lapse of mind when i try to write down his name, although I reckon the long-serving England prop would have made a better job of off-loading for an inevitable New Zealand when the All Blacks halfback tried to run over Bryan Habana.
As for the the rugby league match, mea culpa for getting the teams wrong, they all seem to play the same way way in my mind (only joking!).
My point was directed not to the rugby league supporters but to rugby union people who have deplored like me some of the brain dead rugby we’ve had to see this season, the ‘what’s wrong with rugby’ syndrome. And the point is that predictions about the death of the game are very premature. It still draws huge crowds to big matches in Europe. But hopefully, as I foreshadowed at the end, the Australian Super 14 sides will start playing some real rugby next season.

Reply
- Sam el Perro said | December 7th 2009 @ 8:58am | Report comment
  
  “And the point is that predictions about the death of the game are very premature…”
  
  Indeed they are. Predictions of the death of rugby, league, Aussie Rules, Test cricket, the A-league etc are all premature. So too are predictions of the complete universal domination of rugby, league, Aussie rules etc to the detriment of all other sports.
  
  Rugby is in a bit of a doldrum given the way it is being played. In a couple of years no one will remember the column inches that have been wasted discussing its imminent demise. Last week Test cricket was dead because the Windies were smashed at the Gabba. This week it’s looking alright in Adelaide. Next year the AFL will be boring. Or league. Or something.
  
  Ultimately, however, all of these sports have been around for a long time. And will continue to be. Take them all on their respective merits.
  
  As for comparing crowds, as any reader of forums where the popularity of different sports are discussed, they can be twisted to mean anything you want. League followers could argue that 76,000 watched the Challenge Cup final in London in August while the European Challenge Cup final at the Stoop in May only attracted 9,000. The comparison is completely meaningless and false, naturally, but throwaway stats usualy only serve to inflame, not inform.
  
  Reply
  - King of the Gorganites said | December 7th 2009 @ 9:43am | Report comment
    
    By the European Challenge Cup your referring to the 2nd tier RU European championship? The heinken cup is the pinnancle and finals (and semi’s are palyed infront of packed houses). 80K at the croker to watch munster v leniester in a semi. previous year when Munster played the final in cardiff, 70K of irish men flocked to cardiff (most without tickets).
    
    Reply
    - Sam el Perro said | December 7th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
      
      Yes, I was.
      
      As I said above, “[t]he comparison is completely meaningless and false, naturally, but throwaway stats usualy only serve to inflame, not inform”.
      
      Reply
      - King of the Gorganites said | December 7th 2009 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
        
        it informs when it relates to the populatirty of one code over another
        
        Reply
        
        M1tch said | December 7th 2009 @ 1:53pm | Report comment
        
        hows this a a stat..the 12 Wallabies test matches before the spring tour were outrated by the 3 State of Origin matches..
- Billo said | December 7th 2009 @ 9:19am | Report comment
  
  For those of us who love rugby, but also take an interest in league, there is a serious point that’s worth making.
  When rugby is played by the Barbarians as an exhibition game, it’s always a game with movement and clear examples of artistry. But these days, as often as not, when you have two highly competitive teams playing against each other, the skill and artistry are cancelled out, and the game often becomes a grind.
  This is important, because any sport should show off the skills of its greatest exponents at the very highest level. It happens with most other sports, but not so often with rugby.
  The Four Nations final, for example, had some wonderful skills and brilliant invention.
  Rugby league, despite its critics, seems to be getting it right more often than rugby.
  
  Reply
- rugbyfanatic said | December 7th 2009 @ 9:38am | Report comment
  
  Hi Spiro,
  
  I just wanted to make a comment on your article a few days ago regarding the apparent request of some senior Wallaby players demanding payment for a match playing with Australia A next year. I can’t seem to find it on the website anywhere?
  
  I believe this Australia A match was included for the Waratah’s season pass holders. However, I believe this match was cancelled and the Tahs were trying to replace it with a Possibles v Probables. If they didn’t replace this match, the Waratahs would have had to refund the $50 or so to each season pass holder.
  
  Through the pure greed of the Waratahs, they did not want to refund this money so came up with another rep match to replace it. Hence my point.
  
  Why should any of these Wallabies be expected to play in any match that is simply so the Waratahs don’t lose any revenue?
  
  If this is true, why would you run an article that is way off the mark? Granted, I didn’t read the whole article as I was going to read the rest the following day but the article disapperared. From what I read, I was horrified and disgusted to think any Wallaby would demand money to don the gold jersey. I would have suggested they be suspended from Wallaby duties for a period. Who wants a player in the Wallabies jumper who is only in it for the money?
  
  I hope you can prove me wrong.
  
  p.s I love The Possibles v The Probables match. Another golden nugget from Robbie Deans across the Tasman.
  
  Reply
- Mr cheese said | December 7th 2009 @ 11:26am | Report comment
  
  Sprio,
  
  do you ever read Eddie Butler in The Observer ??
  
  A couple of weeks back, he said that the 6 Nations is “crap, but at least it’s OUR crap”.
  
  As an Englishman, I watch the 6 N every year. Let’s be honest, though: most of the time, the identity of the competition is far stronger than the entertainment on show.
  
  Scotland, as you have pointed out in a previous article, is uninterested in rugby. The Italians don’t quite put it alongside football.
  
  People will watch egg-chasing in much the same way as they watch The Oxford v Cambridge boat race: happily, knowing that it means they’re part of the middle class.
  
  In England, you see, class still matters.
  
  Vive l’ovalie ! Long live rugby !
  
  Reply
- M1tch said | December 7th 2009 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
  
  lol..the four nations final was in Leeds, how many straws are you clutching at these days.
  
  Reply
Temba said | December 7th 2009 @ 8:14am | Report comment

I enjoyed the baa-baas game and I agree that rugby union has been a bit dull but I have a feeling its all going to change in 09. Sorry to league you will have to keep relying on bent stats to make it sound like ground is being made.

Nice work Spiro having a shot at the Saffa’s and League in one article… are you aiming for a record response? I am going to miss your Monday morning stirrup… until feb at least.

Well done, season is over, it’s been a season of mixed emotions, all in all good year for the roar… keep up the good work.

See you guys in 2010 for the last S14 ever… there is something brewing in Melbourne… come the Rebels or what every they are calling them selves. 5 superstar players and a proper coach (maybe Nick Mallet) will see them blow the storm out to sea.

Reply
Bay35Pablo said | December 7th 2009 @ 8:25am | Report comment

“five-eighths”/ Which position is that Spiro? Are you calling Donald a half pint?

Reply
- PastHisBest said | December 7th 2009 @ 9:42am | Report comment
  
  Noice.
  
  To me Donald does seem to have the coordination of a giraffe with Parkinson’s disease. He has definitely made the most of his talent.
  
  Reply