Quade Cooper’s pass
I’ve said before that I could watch Cooper pass the football all day, and nothing’s changed my point of view. Except that I reckon it’s even better than when I first made this observation.
That wide, looping, spiralling pass onto a runner into space is something of beauty, literally a sight to behold. And impossible not to run onto, ask Luke Morahan.
I’d love to see Cooper’s inside pass from the perspective of Digby Ioane. The way I imagine it, when I (in Digby’s body) cut back inside and spot that ball being popped in front of me/him, “we” see blinding aura rays of light and hear the rejoicing of angels as the defenders part like the Red Sea and the proverbial saloon passage to the try line appears on the horizon.
Massive neon freeway billboards proclaim “TRY LINE 50m AHEAD” and applauding elephants and zebras form a guard of honour as I plant the ball under the black dot using Digby’s tattooed arm. And as I launch into the post-try break-dance, Greg Martin starts going off in the Fox Sports box like Bill Lawry after a Merv Hughes hat trick.
OK, so maybe that’s a little fanciful. Where was I…?
Anyway, Spiro has at different times referred to Cooper being both the Panini AND the Picasso of the pass and while that seems a little contradictory (having allowed Google to step in for my appalling lack of art history), it’s actually bang on the money; Cooper’s pass can be both classically beautiful and spectacularly outrageous.
I guess the old adage is true: I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like.
Sonny Bill’s offload
Wow, what a debut season. I don’t mind admitting that after Sonny Bill Williams first switched codes I was initially sceptical as to how well he would take to the 15-man game, and especially with the switch from forwards in league to the backs in rugby.
But having now seen him playing regularly, my early scepticism is long gone. Ducks don’t take to water as well as Williams has taken to rugby. The signs were there in the few ITM Cup games last year, and we got a taste of what was to come during the November internationals, but since he’s come into Super Rugby, he’s gone to another level again.
If anything, I’m now convinced that SBW’s grounding in the forwards in League has prepared him perfectly for the second-phase play in rugby.
His ability to stand in the tackle has literally gone from strength to strength in rugby, but what makes it all the more impressive is what his offloads produce. Whereas in league, an offload might produce an extra few metres as the defence squeezed in around behind, in rugby that second phase ball often catches the defenders either side of the ruck out, with the result being runners making bulk metres up through the middle.
Never mind that Sonny Bill’s running game is already enough to give the All Black selectors a nice little second-five headache, his offload is good enough to build an attack around. Maybe even a certain little gold Cup-winning attack.
The Stormers jersey
In this day and age of flash and bling and graphic design, isn’t it great to see a modern rugby strip that actually looks like a proper rugby strip. Now sure, it’s still all figure-hugging and unflattering for the fuller gent, but the Stormers are this year running around in what I think is the best jersey to ever grace a Super Rugby field.
It’s just the simplicity of it. White stripes on navy blue. And, bloody genius, the away strip is navy blue stripes on white!
Where some jerseys over the years have looked, well “interesting” at best, and some recent Australian charity strips have looked more like supreme pizzas or polka dot bikinis, the Stormers look like a proper rugby team.
And what’s more, being based on the Western Province stripes that date at least back to the 1940s (my very limited research found pictures), it gives the contemporary Stormers a grand sense of tradition.
Stripes are the new black. And everything that’s old is new again.
The Rebel Army
If there’s a better group of supporters in Australian rugby, I’ve not seen them yet. The Army has brought AFL parochialism to rugby, and it’s abundantly clear they have no equal around the country. They also have a guy in a wrestling mask.
When the Rebels get on a roll down at “the Stockade” – and wouldn’t AAMI love that moniker gaining traction – the noise emanating from the crowd is quite unbelievable. My couch 650kms away suddenly feels like I’m in row M and it’s quite obviously an outstanding atmosphere to play rugby in. The Army deserve a lot of credit for making this so, and good on them for getting together to share their passion for rugby in a foreign environment.
But just imagine what they’ll be like when their team is winning…
Afternoon rugby
“What’s new?” my South African readers will comment. And it’s true; they’ve been playing in the afternoon for years. The Reds made a good fist of the late-summer heat in Brisbane on sunny afternoons, and now the Brumbies see it as the best way to combat the Canberra winter next year (“top shelf thinking”, if ever there was).
Life doesn’t get much better than a sunny afternoon of rugby, and quality dry-track rugby at that, in a family-friendly timeslot, and with a pie washed down with your beverage(s) of choice.
There’s probably only one loser in this equation: the TV ratings. Mere detail, thankfully.
Brett McKay
Guest
43/13?!?!? no more than what RugbyHeaven provide on that linked page, I'm afraid, KotGs.. I suppose when you consider byes, cancelled games, injury layoffs and bench time, it's going to up near 4.5 offloads a game, actually.....
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
And SBW has been out for a number of games. Do we have a per game stat?
Brett McKay
Guest
For the stats hounds: Most Offloads 1. Sonny Bill Williams (Crusaders) 43 2. Quade Cooper (Reds) 24 3. Luke Burgess (Waratahs) 22 4. Sarel Pretorius (Cheetahs) 20 5. Jaque Fourie (Stormers) 18 5. Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) 18 5. Rene Ranger (Blues) 18 8. Nasi Manu (Highlanders) 17 9. Digby Ioane (Reds) 16 10. David Smith (Force) 15 10. Sitiveni Sivivatu (Chiefs) 15 http://livescores.smh.com.au/rugby/super15/player-stats.html?refresh=1305767548439
Brett McKay
Guest
Todd, no I'm not, how or why would you think that is the case?? (I am open to offers though, for the record, if any ARU types are reading...)
Brett McKay
Guest
Neville, great to hear from you, and indeed all of you guys in the Army. As I mentioned on Twitter the other day, you guys have brought a whole other element of support to Australian Rugby, and it's just great to see how well the Rebels have fiitted into Melbourne, and indeed, how well Melbourne have taken to the Rebels. If you guys are travelling up to Canberra for the last SR game of the season, I'd very much look forward to meeting up for a celebratory beer. And bring a jacket!!
Derm
Roar Guru
I'm with Ben. Wales have won diddly squat this season, and the Welsh regions were poor in the Magners and H Cup coupled with dwindling attendances and players exiting Ospreylia by the new time. Welsh players have been living off the grand slams of 2006 and '08 and have done nothing since to warrant that they are a competitive team.
Ben S
Roar Guru
The comparison between Welsh rugby and Scottish rugby simply isn't apt on any level. Wales has twice as many registered male amateur players and it also happens to have two times as many Magners franchises as Scotland does. I'm not sure how much European rugby you have watched in recent seasons because there really is no debate - Wales have been on a downward spiral since 2008. If you have watched the national team play then that much is clear. Not sure what your point is about Nike/England?
Kevin
Guest
The last Lions tour has 15 Walsh players on it, 2009 and 2011 they finished joint second on points and the had terrible 6 Nations, their a small country and are currently playing alot better than the likes of Scotland, they have to teams that arn't very hard to play when your the away team. With the Magners league your got to be kidding me about having only one semi finalist? Munster had a bad season in the Heineken Cup but are always up their and Leinster are the form club side in European rugby the last 3 years. I was surprized to see Ulster get in their after their last few season's. But all that goes to show how strong Irish rugby is at the moment. Munster vs Leinster is going to be a great final and i hope Munster can get up. Nike did, well they needed to get the english players in front of a camera just days before the most important game they would have leading into the World Cup, against a Irish team that had been struggling all six nations and they got hammered. I think at the moment English and French rugby, are both great to watch but not doing their National teams any good.
Ben S
Roar Guru
'Ben guessing your a England fan, well at least Wales Ireland and France won grand slams. England got ahead of themselves and made a Nike commerical before they even won it.' What does a Grand Slam have to do with anything? England didn't make a Nike commercial, Nike did. 'Your going to say the Walsh teams arn’t doing well, they are now competive in all aspects of Rugby' No they are not. Wales have had three terrible 6Ns in a row, they have an appalling record in the Heineken Cup, and there was only one Welsh semi-finalist in the Magners League.
Funk
Guest
unless you are a time traveller dwc this - "The Crusders will run home strong and top the Reds on the ladder" is not a highlight, a highlight infers a retospective look. Your first point is more like daydreaming or maybe something you are thinking about during masterbation:)?
Coxinator
Guest
Well said. We teach infant boys to only soil blue nappies in QLD even.
Kevin
Guest
Ben guessing your a England fan, well at least Wales Ireland and France won grand slams. England got ahead of themselves and made a Nike commerical before they even won it. Your going to say the Walsh teams arn't doing well, they are now competive in all aspects of Rugby, I am always worried when the club I follow has to face the Osprays, or love watching internationals from Cardiff where it's extremley hard for the away team.
Nathan
Guest
so basically, we're stuffed in the southern hemisphere then. oh well, i will go and support Man U in soccer or something. one thing you fail to mention is that the All Blacks won't pick any players who are playing outside of NZ, so as long as the lure of an AB's jersey is there, more players will stick around than not. if they softened that stance, the floodgates would open and everyone would piss off to Europe
wannabprop
Guest
Good article Brett, and timely as we head into the pointy end of the season. Re SBW's off loads - given many of us have been complaining of lack of size in the WB's backline, maybe we should resurrect the League recruitment experiment, except look for forwards (with speed) and stick 'em the midfield?
ToddH
Roar Rookie
Brett, are you in the pay of the ARU?
Jo
Guest
Too true Jack, Just like Gloucester Rugby, the 'Shed' is attributed with being the Club's biggest fans but the noise around the rest of the stadium is just as impressive!! However hats off to the Rebel Army with their unstinting work in raising the Rebels profile, I can't wait to be part of it for the final home game in June ; ) Go the Rebels!!!!
Boertjie
Guest
RE WP STRIPED JERSEY: It actually goes back much further than 1940's. Don't have the centenary book with me now, but the date is around 1889.
Ben S
Roar Guru
'England: Need to keep importing from outside England to make their team any good, how many of their starting 15 are actually born in England? (Did work for their Cricket team)' Really? 'Wales: Is the biggest sport and they are doing well.' Really?
Spencer
Guest
That is overpowering!!
IronAwe
Guest
This should help a bit. http://www.bobbrooke.com/WritersCorner/paragraphswhentouse.htm