Not to mention it being from an offside position….

That clip is everything Burger stands for….

And it is what the parents want too… as a parent who has a son at one of these schools too much time is spent away from school pursuing rep and national duties in too many activities for more of the same to be added to an already congested calendar. My son is not there for sport alone but for a balanced education.

What is broken here is the code administration’s arrogance and idleness. Rugby administrators have not done enough to work with their playing constituency and take too much for granted.

Rugby has been part of the tradition of these schools, and when I was there it was the only winter sport offered. Today rugby competes with a host of team and individual sports. And the boys love the diversity of offering and are proud of the achievements of their peers across different codes. The ARU and NSWRU are the only people who have not woken up to it! Sound familiar – it is because it is the same arrogance and idle complacency that has fans deserting the waratahs.

Ironically some of the watatahs who came through this system were more entertaining when they were at school than they are under Chris Hickey (and I dont include Phil Waugh in that!)

Change school sizes and economics based on rugby and not the wishes of the parents….good luck with that one!

Is this just another example of ABs trying to slow down opposition ball? The ABs were the most penalised team in the 3N yet took away the fewest yellow cards. This was either because they shared around the infringements or at time so many were infringing it was impossible for the refs to rule. Either way it is amusing to see the response when it goes against them…Mealamu may as well board his flight home now…

Ben S – I did not see the Welsh not on the field for the awarding of the Bevan Cup – I was relying on Spiro’s commentary of the event. Regardless it is poor form if indeed that is what happened and it would want to be one bloody good excuse to see beyond it.

The home nations sides were all beaten. Nothing to gloat over for the boks and the wallabies and some big improvement required for the wallabies, but it was three wins from three and I anticipate more of the same from here on in. I may well be wrong – but based on what I saw on the two games I watched the home nations will need to find more if they expect a win.

The hone nations took a battering – largely as expected – despite the 3N lacking experience in genuine test rugby according to our friends. This northern tour season might be a case of who is lucky enough to rack up a win against the 3N teams?

The wallabies game looked very crusader like. The play that resulted in Beale’s try was truly excellent. A kick down field that ricocheted back to the wallabies back three who were all over it like a cheap suit and were burning grass down the field before half the welsh knew what was happening. Sharp thinking, lightning pace and genuine use of skill all from the crusaders play book. The wallabies back three are playing some of the best rugby we have seen for some time. Combine that with a truly excellent halves pairing – magic. All we need now is some finessing of the centres combinations. All on the improve, some way to go but really exciting.

The performance came despite a truly woeful scrum. They just have to get that right and shake the bogey if they want to stand above all comers. We are a long way from the benchmark. And while we might have won the breakdowns and turnovers we also gave up a lot.

Spiro – interesting comments about the Welsh not being on the field for the Bevan Cup. Poor form indeed. Being gracious in defeat is an important part of competition and a key element to good sportsmanship. I guess if they left the roof open they knew deep down they were in for a beating anyway. One wonders whether the gamesmanship (or poor form) actually has a negative impact on their psyche, knowing all the time the need a poor pitch to have a chance. It is one thing leaving the roof open to slow the field it is another when it is so sodden it comes up an acre at a time!

OJ – show me your market – I would like to go short McCaw and long Pocock on steals head to head (whether in play or blown up) between now and RWC close next year? Come on big man show us a market on your hero!

And on that alone the ABs are down two from two!

OJ – you’re so one eyed we’ll find you walking in circles!

Get over it mate. McCaw was off the side of a scrum to receive the ball in Sydney – find me the rule that allows that!

McCaw may be brilliant – but some may call it cheating. Explain to me how taking a blatantly illegal try is any different from shooting a man in the back in war? Both lack honour!

We will only know the significance of the Hong Kong test as the next twelve months unfold. Winning and losing often only turns on small things. Teams often only need a small change to create momentum whether it be a psychological boost in self belief or a confirmation of intent or schedule of work. But just as it may be a myriad of things it may be interpreted in a myriad of different ways as each and every observer will have his or her own view.

What is emerging in interpretation and the stats (the numbers have less emotion) is the following;

1) The wallabies have a much younger team based on having turned over and started more fresh faces in the period under Robbie Deans. Based on this a number of new talents have emerged to have an impact on the game that could not have been foreseen years ago,

2) The AB coaching staff have not adopted the same approach and have seen less turnover and fewer new caps. Most likely because they have not needed to. They have a winning team. It is the best team in world rugby in the period since the last world cup.

3) The ABs have dominated – helped in part by a number of world class players that are indisputably the best in their position. Richie McCaw and Dan Carter serve as examples. Dominant players often leave little room or scope for talent to emerge (at test level) behind them. So dominance of a player often represents risk to a team.

4) The wallabies are developing a different style of play based on recent changes to law interpretations. They are not alone. The wallabies play the ABs more often than they play anyone else. These game stats while exciting must be viewed in isolation as neither team will front up against a NH hemisphere (like England) team with precisely the same tactics.

What happens next year is anyone’s guess. Personally I will favor the team that has the runs on the board, has momentum, is still progressing, has players who have not found their peak, and who as a team are still seeking development of their style. If you think that team is the ABs then be prepared for surprise.

The stats confirm what we know to be the truth in a number of key areas…

The Wallabies scrum while a work in progress still has a long long way to go. The European sides will provide a platform to work against in the weeks ahead. Parity is not the goal but surely the English position where front row dominance comes with a lack of true mobility is not it either. I would expect that 95~100% of our own scrum feed is a minimum? The line-out while having the best stats in the 3N is still far form satisfactory. Security in the line-out is one thing and the stats may hide a predisposition for safety. A dominant line-out means having options at the front, in the middle and at the back and playing a long or short line at will and securing 90+% of your own ball. It also means stealing opposition throws and limiting the options your opponents have when you need to – the stats don’t show that your opponent kept it in hand because they cant counter your line-out!

The breadth in the wallabies game has become a real asset. But it is not breadth in an dof itself that will get them there – it is the threat of breadth when there are so many option inside. Ignore Genia and it will cost. Ignore Cooper and it will cost, and the same goes for the centres no matter what the pairing. It is the breadth of the threats that makes breadth the threat.

The stat on AB penalties is the most interesting and worthy of further investigation. How is it that they carry the most penalties yet the fewest yellow cards? Is it that they are the best at sharing around the infringements? Is it the McCaw factor? Is it just something that will unravel in time or are they doing something better (or worse) than the rest?

Best summed up by looking at the reality. Cooper was in one of his first games at this level and the first against Carter.

Cooper will develop and improve. The glaring weakness is his defense.

Carter is a seasoned veteran. Easy to say the ABs were winning when he left the field and easy to make Donald the victim. But a decision was made to replace Carter – and the scoreline will stand as a loss to the ABs.

But behind Carter there is a void, just as there is a void behind McCaw. Both great players – no doubt about it – but it might be worth pausing for a moment to consider where the ABs would be today without them?

And dont forget the Wallabies still have a number of first string payers who are not on tour. This is as good as it gets for the ABs and the Wallabies have plenty of development and improvement yet to come. Too early yet to be confident and plenty of work to be done – but right now I would take the odds on the Wallabies and go short the ABs.

While I am not a Giteau fan you make a valid point on his organising…

Great game. Wallabies were determined despite lapses and were rewarded with a result.

The set pieces were solid. The lineout especially so – except for one miss by Chisolm- it might have otherwise been without flaw. The scrum had its issues with the calls – but outside of that was solid.

In open play the tight five covered the field well – with excellent clean-out. McCaw was neutralized with excellent aggressive clean-out work. The forward treasure possession and recycled with fervor. Where the Wallabies forwards lifted here they fell in some general defensive lapses and a lack of really big forward hits.

The backs were electric at their best, soft in defense at their worst. Genia and Cooper set an excellent platform and while focused on service showed enough to keep defenses guessing. The outside backs showed Cooper a myriad of options and he took them appropriately on so many occasions. In recent years defenses have become harder and harder to break – but this group of backs are always prepared to back themselves and they just open it all up… Speed, passing skills, angles and the extras – the dummies, the looks, the draw of the man, and the timing make it all happen. And they have counter attack that is lightning quick and threatening from every part of the park.

Still plenty to work on – no doubt about that – but the forwards are showing progress, the backs will only get better and most importantly the Wallabies have their heads in the right place.

Who won the steals between the two sevens – I do think it was Pocock. McCaw was rendered less effective with tight refereeing and excellent clean out by the wallabies forward.

McCaw took a blatant cheap shot on Pocock in an early scrum. And Ma Nonu was lucky he was not carded. Are the ABs beginning to feel some pressure maybe?

It is early days – but maybe Pocock will reign over McCaw in the not too distant future?

Get over it. How about McCaw having a go at Pocock? Sorry I forgot Richie is beyond reproach isn’t he?

Fair comments both – the only thing watch at the games will be the 7s. The rest – if it happens – will just be a side show.

who gives a damn about the haka – sensationalized piece of poo…just lucky the IRB rule respect for it…and exactly how many of them are maori anyway?

If the IRB is to allow the haka that is fine. But every team should be afforded the same opportunity. And where is that written?

To think the IRB have the right to dictate how a team responds to the haka is ridiculous. No one has the right to command how one responds – just laughable. If they want respect they should earn it – it is even laughable to think that the only reason teams line up in front of it is because the rules dictate that they do so. Ultimately the ruling will be its undoing. LOL.

Great to have a discussion of what one code might have that is relevant to another. In Australia we suffer from a smaller draw to both codes based on competing alternatives regardless of the season. If I am not mistaken the wallabies were the first to draw on what could be learnt from RL by drawing on the expertise offered by engaging defensive coaches with a RL back ground. Great. And a smart way of leveraging competitive advantage.

Many modes of defence and attack are shared between the codes. RU will never learn from RL anything about scrums or lineouts, so stick to the common ground. The reality is both codes will continue to exist in this country and for as long as they do they will both have their ebbs and flows in draw, reach and popularity.

LAS – you took the basic a step further by looking at the rule variations in respect of bombs versus grubbers. Interesting.

JVGO – you are quick to engage but offer little to back up your barbs!

So where are the scrums, lineouts, ruck and mauls in RL? Whether in attack or defence both games are equally challenging and technical – but through the complexities (with and without the ball) of engaging players in rucks and mauls and lineouts and (to a lesser degree scrums) RU takes on another added complexity.

So please enlighten us – a genuine plea – with your insights rather than just shoot everything down!

…..from today’s Australia…Even former All Blacks hard man Buck Shelford claimed the Wallabies were robbed when South African referee Mark Lawrence failed to penalise New Zealand captain and openside flanker Richie McCaw for early detachment from a scrum which led to him scoring a crucial try in the second half.

Darwin Stubby – as you suggest it is swings and roundabouts – and that is to be expected when McCaw is as good as he is and gets away with as much as he does. That is not a complaint or a whinge – just a genuine commendation of a great player who in reality gets away with a hell of a lot. And all power to him – in fact the more the better! I wish the wallabies had a player that could emulate that level of performance.
Having said that – I maintain the world will turn for Richie and he will suffer his own swings and roundabouts if only because the refs are human too…and if they go to bed thinking he has robbed them of performance or credibility they will scrutinize him harder and harder, and might even come up with things that are just not there.
Brett – on Rocky as a captain – it is a matter of adjusting interaction with the Refs as the starting point. As you say talk to them and not at them. And I am not sure we need Pocock constantly adding his own view too. Perhaps from time to time as and when needed but not constant banter. Constant interference will more likely draw the ire of Refs where and occassional and pointed query will more likely draw the desired outcome…

Link will provide a few surprises – and probably where it is least expected. Rolling mauls?