Rugby Championship 2014: Wallabies to face All Blacks in opener

Chan Wee - just to profer another clarifying opinion. Michael is right and spoke well on several fronts. Without question SA is THE rival and dont let anyone (generational or not) tell you otherwise. history says so. Oz is always a great rivalry and very important but SA are always the measuring stick for us. Take it from the horses mouth. my dad was an all black for many years in the 60's and it was a no contest as to who was most significant. that is also why it kind of feels right in the present day where the SB's are great and threatening to knock us off. what is so great is to be able to play them in this era (and them us) without the taint of apartheid hanging over it all and let the rivalry take center stage. Michael is also right that they have huge respect from us. especially today with HM and JDV who are total class acts and represent SA with such dignity and resolve. and on that note RIP nelson Mandela. on behalf of worldwide rugby fans eternal thanks for your unbridled support and enthusiasm for your boks in 95. a bold and in some circles unexpected move that i understand generated huge strides in the healing process and also just as just one representative of the human race for being an example and guiding light for all of us and for anyone who hasn't seen it ( i presume i am speaking to non SA fans here) the best rugby film document of his time is not invictus but the 30 for 30 espn doc called the 16th man. the one world cup i feel happy and not traitorous to say that i am glad we lost the stakes were so much bigger than our great sport

Happy 50th mate. as a kiwi i have enjoyed your thoughts over the year. Your obvious and enjoyable passion for your team sometimes inevitably conflicting with your desire to provide impartial commentary is something you have handled very well. I have a question if you feel like awnsering. The main reason i feel at least some comfort re staying slightly ahead of the SB's into the medium term is not related to talent and players so much as that i bleieve systematically and adminstratively NZ has got it more right. The national team advantages of central contracts and control, top down, nationally co-ordinated coaching structures, successful retaining of players in country (until now) etc might seem to give NZ an edge in this smallest of margins type equivalence of talent and passion for the jersey. How much does this ring true or worry you? especially as i am taking other previously significant factors out of the equation now (like bad coaching, tactics, retainment of past great but past it players like smit at the end etc) now that you have such a remarkable and admirable high quality coach, captain and quality veteran leadership that is every bit comparable to the all blacks. which leads me to 2 quick observations - did anyone else notice what a SA NZ lovefest that baabaas game was? The mutual admiration and respect was clear and deserved but it was more like they had all found new bff's. Personally i enjoyed it a lot and it somehow further validated rugby for me, but what consequences for them the next time they have to get up and kick the snot out of each other - how much more fun to have HM as a coach than essentially any AB's coach in history? i absolutely love HM. Our AB coaches take a mandatory 6 month course called '' advanced muttering, frowning and dissembling'' before being considered for the job. My irish friends tell me that joe schmidt is future AB's coach. i have tried to explain that he might be great but is far to outgoing, communicative, personalbe and all around nice to ever get that job

i think its actually more of a generational thing

The post from Wallabies No1 that predicts a thrasing of the AB's from the WB's next RC has been widely misunderstood. actually this post makes perfect sense for the sensibily superstitous among us that are evolved enough realise that our own specific actions and choice of lucky game day underwear has a definitive effect on our team. it is the classic double jinx. a singular jinx (my team sucks and has no chance against your team) has historically and provably no effect whatsoever on the all powerful sporting gods when supporting a team that has recently been appreciably worse than the opponent. The only logical move is the double jinx to fake them out (your team is toast because we have only been losing to you as a set up for the hammer blow which is coming the next time we meet) which has been known to work if the sporting gods are slightly drunk and disorientated at the time. It requires and even demands our mockery and approbation which is essential to its success. An excellent gambit which went surprisingly unrecognised. Well played Wallabies No.1. however i shall be using my own cosiderable jinxing skills to counter such cunning moves (up to and including the crucial and selfless act of drinking the last half of the pint of milk that has been saved for 8 months just this purpose from the end of the miraculous escape to conclude the perfect season. I hope the nation of NZ will recognise my sacrifice - or at least subsidise my hospital bills-) so assuming our jinxes cancel each other out i would not predict the aforementioned AB's annihlation. But it must be said even from a kiwi that the WB's were sensational against wales and looked a formidable side . would be churlish not acknowledge that fact

The post from Wallabies No1 that predicts a thrasing of the AB's from the WB's next RC has been widely misunderstood. actually this post makes perfect sense for the sensibily superstitous among us that are evolved enough realise that our own specific actions and choice of lucky game day underwear has a definitive effect on our team. it is the classic double jinx. a singular jinx (my team sucks and has no chance against your team) has historically and provably no effect whatsoever on the all powerful sporting gods when supporting a team that has recently been appreciably worse than the opponent. The only logical move is the double jinx to fake them out (your team is toast because we have only been losing to you as a set up for the hammer blow which is coming the next time we meet) which has been known to work if the sporting gods are slightly drunk and disorientated at the time. It requires and even demands our mockery and approbation which is essential to its success. An excellent gambit which went surprisingly unrecognised. Well played Wallabies No.1. however i shall be using my own cosiderable jinxing skills to counter such cunning moves (up to and including the crucial and selfless act of drinking the last half of the pint of milk that has been saved for 8 months just this purpose from the end of the miraculous escape to conclude the perfect season. I hope the nation of NZ will recognise my sacrifice - or at least subsidise my hospital bills-) so assuming our jinxes cancel each other out i would not predict the aforementioned AB's annihlation. But it must be said even from a kiwi that the WB's were sensational against wales and looked a formidable side . would be churlish not acknowledge that fact

That's an interesting comment Chan Wee. Its something I didn't consider. I think Australians don't take Union that seriously, there are 2 other sideshows here, the NRL and AFL - meaningless sports. As for the Africans I can really relate to them with there passion and pride of the game played in heaven. Hence the great rivalry and respect we have for them.

wii, that is a generational thing. I'm of the 45+ generation but I'm also a bit of an NZ rugby outsider so I can see how the Boks-NZ rivalry could easily reassert itself over the NZ-Aust rivalry. The difference here is that the Boks know what they need to do beat the ABs but can't execute it; the Wallabies know how to execute it but don't know how!!

It's definitely a generational thing. I'm im my early 30s and grew up,watching footy with out the Boks involved and I definitely see Australia as the No#1 foe. Sure the Boks are the traditional rivals to,those in that 45+ bracket pre isolation you may say. However there is a little more on the line when you play Aus. The Ab coaches and Captains have all said it themselves the most important trophy outside the World Cup is the Bledisloe. In all honesty I have no idea what the trophy is that we actually play the Boks for then again is there a trophy?

Cant argue with that logic. Aussies are the favorites to win the Bledisloe next year. I just hope our boys bring there A Game :-)

Rugby need's a Wallaby win in Sydney, reckon our mates across the creek wouldn't mind it either. That would set up a much needed meaningful decider in Brisbane.

ABs by 14+ :)

mid week games are great. Its a shame we don't do them when we tour up north.

I for one belive SA have a good chance to beat NZ at Ellis PArk (with a lot of ifs and buts). they ended the year bettr than NZ for sure. IMO MIB will be weighed down more by mental fatigue than anything else.

Ha, confident, aren't you? :D

You will be a sad person on your 50 tag birthday mabe it's best not to watch the game until the ext day happy 50 the birthday anyway

@ Michael From NZ : that may be the generation who got to know SA after their re-introduction to sports circa 1992 . they were absent for a long time and OZ managed to be the arch enemy :)

at least IRB shud have "best newcomer" award like in cricket. Folau would have had a good chance :)

We will let you have it for a year in 2015, like we let you have the RC in 2011 .. WE have learned from Bitter experience , no one cares if you win all games in a RWC year then choke at the tournament... We stitched you guys up in 2011, still watch that game at least once a week...

They do say that, if you have a crap record..... Good to see people are getting imaginative in their attempt to find ways to dig at The Darkness... Slowly whittling away the historic ones...