Well I am really not appreciating these facts Just Nuisance. They are clouding my image of Erasmus as the scheming Dick Darstardly villain from the deep dessert that swindled the sweets from the poor children. Frankly I think Erasmus has got to you as well. He’s such a cheeky grin he can get away with anything. And that’s not fair either.

He’s a villain Just Nuisance. Well dressed but true. All he needs is a bad tempered cat to stroke and it is obvious.

We should ban him from being invited anywhere. And also from grinning!

If anyone, in fact I think it is you, Harry, who I would like to have a beer with. Perhaps in company of Mr Other Leg for realism and a Chook for buying the beer would be my big day out.

Always love your style sir

A 24% win rate and 20 million debt says it all. They were always on a hiding to nothing from the get-go, with the lack of a local comp to build from at hand and a shortage of quality within Australia to poach. No near miss quality cast off’s like the brumbies had in their time. 5 teams is finally seen as at least one too many at last.

But what are they playing for? Surely not survival. But it seems they are.

But can they do it? The Tongan tug boat has never been a player to build a squad around. He’s capable in spurts but doesn’t bring a fearsome face to the set piece or open field, nor leadership calm to the forwards even. Wasted money from an already bankrupted team to flatter to deceive.

I predict they’ll win a couple of local deries early days but still be in the red by halfway in the season with most of the quality teams to come.

Sadly a slow motion train wreck as finals hopes slide away, which might even be more entertaining than the rugby they play.

Or you could just try and be real and not see it like that

Why don’t you make a list. Shouldn’t be hard for a all black critic like you.

Even just a couple. Bet you can’t!

Care to list any

It was smart. No I say it was cynical.

The glorious Springboks scrum. The scrum that dominated. That represent tough glory.

Was shunted all day by a scrum a man down and couldn’t defend at the end.
Ignominious

He will be. Just read the roar.

Mbongi wasn’t injured. He was warming up later to return. Just pretended to be.

Hello Spiro and always a happy day when you Grace our daily rag.

From the 60s till recently I devoured each AB test. No matter the opponent I leaned into every scrum. Was energised to slow motion reliving live each moment. And moments were eternities.

But this year I had become somewhat sanguine in the lead up. Proud they won through. Optimistic for an expected pessimistic game. Not feeling life or death.
But expecting still a classic display of Springbok/AB glorious thunder.

I was instead left with a turgid and numb gut. A disgust that what I saw was in any way representing the spirit or soul of what we love.

I saw frizzel come through the ruck and fall out a bit sideways. Seen that over and over in games. There was no look of malice shift of weight or shape. It was seen and played on. So accused or deliberate intent of harm but found not to 5 min later. There was zero basis but it cost 6 points. Half their score just gifted by the incompetent or biased officiating.

I leave cane and kolisi alone. I really don’t care.

But when the same TMO broke law going back 5, yes 5 plays to find an error caused by a SA player hands all over catcher he cost NZ 5 -7 points. Now 11 -13 point difference of fact.

Why was etzbeth not cited by post game officiating. Why did Barnes blink last scrum.

No I do not the black deserved it. But they played. They tried. They were courageous. However green absolutely did not deserve it more. Constantly manipulating rules, shutting louder down tempo and generally displaying insularity and negativity I lost all respect for that great Springboks spirit now lost. I lost it most when I saw your very superior but graceless supporters sing we have it in our Kant now.

So have your cup. It no longer means anything to me. I’m not impressed in any way with that as a prize worth holding if a game like that is what win it. Now to look forward I’m looking forward to watching NPC and super and in another twist happy you are not there. Not a game where you neither run nor pass. Slow it to a bore with ancilleries, manipulate reserves, take pantomime dives to cripple opposition, fox in scrums. Then shove your nose in it after. Well go and be you. Love that feeling of whatever and make up that you win it because most your countries people are unemployed. Conflate your own narrative. Just love being you

But don’t dare try argue you actually call what we saw fair contest. Kolisa saint Cane villain. Deserves for McCaw. Winners grinners. Don’t pretend a unbiased TMO or more astute ref wouldn’t see you in tears. Or that all the world love watching you play. This all just leaves me empty numb jaded and sad. And I don’t care what names you call me.

Making it up again Pete’s old washing unwound. NZ played number 1 on an all time roll. Boks didn’t. You were part of the roll. Boks played Scotland and muddled through. We wish we played Scotland and would have pasted them. You played France with their best player just out of hospital. We played France at their peak with the midweek team. And if we want to win it all we must play the number one team AGAIN, while you only have to play number 2.

Understood Bliksem.
But they can also do that and unite a whole nation with other activities. Have they tried ballroom dancing yet. Or better yet karaoke mixed with line dancing international championship. Now that would be some party eh? Meanwhile just leave it safely to us to unite us down here in rugby, in the beer garden after especially.
Curious aside. I have never seen beer growing in a beer garden.

Selfish and totally self centered really the whole lot of them.

If the Boks are doing it for a whole bunch of strangers that were born locally and who personally missed out because they went good enough to be a bok.

And the kiwis are doing it for themselves and especially for those themselves that have already done it

Well then who’s doing it for “the gipper” boys. Someone hands up.

And also………
What about me
It isn’t fair.
I’ve had enough,
now I want my share.
Can’t you see,
I wanna live
And you just……..

Well sincerely I thank you NotKev. I am so glad we can have a decent robust but always respectful gab about our passion. I bet that you, like me, are always generally right. After review especially. Proud to a fault but prepared to ram it up our own if they’re caught short.

And mostly just frantically desperate to get this game started because we love this contest so much.

Apologies if I came over as prissy or worse when we first met. I’m prone to OTT hysteria sometime near finals. I’m happy to be here with you!

Not better by far but were better enough till 77. I was surprised the Boks took so long to reel them in but the conditions were also an equalizer. I thought the Boks tried to play better rugby but had too many errors.

Unfortunately your wings vertically challenged and disadvantaged to the slap back which paid well to the English

I didn’t like the way the Boks played overall but I also know sometimes you just deal with what’s served up and they did that. And I also know the Boks can match kiwi style on their day as well and score points.

What I don’t like is immaterial and not pure rugby so stays put today.

Hoping for a classic. Hope we win but somehow it’s not life or death this year. As long as the winner is gracious that is.

Hi Pete. How are you today? Everything good. Just letting you know I spoke to Pete Samu the Wallaby the other day. And he said to tell you that he thinks you’re a dick.
And also. It must be hard maintaining that rage you have against Black. Why pick on Aaron. He’s a good bloke. Sure he’s shrill but he never done anything to you. I reckon you should put it up Cole’sy. Even us AB fans might agree with you. You would still be a dick tho. Pete said so.

Admit he did miracles with what he had to worj with. They’ve reason to be proud of what they did. I think if Lawes was captain on the day they would have won. I’ve always felt something disagreeable about Farrell, fine play that he is. Farrell gobbling off cost the moments that counted.

True that indeed. He spoke of being sucked in by some tricks the first few scrums.

Which begs the question. If the Bok scrum that good why the need for silly buggers when instead you could go hard and stake out a marker of dominance. I think Kitsoff a weak link. Bongi can be erratic. Locks better in the air than the scrum.

So it will be very interesting to see how it all plays out. I think they will do ok but wouldn’t bet even a dollar on it

Well Brendan. Again I cannot fault your appraisal of where things are at and from whence to where it seems as well. For me the kiwi derby super rugby games have too much hit and intensity and a series of 4 in a row can dent the roster. Advantage the next bloke gets a shot, but it can’t be a good idea over time. It’s a big step up from NPC to super and I would prefer an oppertunity like the northern leaugue has onb offer. More games of less critical worth make the development of individuals, teams, administrators et al far more accessable and i would think larger and more encompassing. Which of course lead to larger footprints > bigger fan base > more money > more teams etc.

I was disappointed when Aki left as he was in the picture for national selection as he was running rampant for my team The Cheifs. And we missed him big time, but I was still startled when he turned green and became Bundy O’Aki as I hoped he might come back. Ireland scored when they caught him. And I was annoyed the James Lowe was never selected for the ABs way before he left. He was one of my favs for his sheer wonder at what he could do next and always with a huge grin. But saw a interview with him by big jim where james said he was apparantly too much the cheecky smart ass but grew up when he came here. 😊
Those kiwis left out of super are expected to go away and get better when not needed if they want to progress, and the NPC is not really a professional income. Travel eager kiwis will roam and rove where they may but the ones that matter seem to stat close enough to home. Did you know 40% of the Aussie NRL we moan take the best players are actually NZ born kiwis. Its by far the biggest drain of resource. But its a good income to live on even though you drop skill and vision never to return. I would hope the American / Japanese comps pay enough to live off but truly have no idea.

He didnt have a flank behind him pushing as he was playing lock. It would have been tough but he still held up pretty well. You are a tough marker for sure, but I am also praying he’s good enough on the day.

I agree with all your points so far Brendan. I agree that Northern coaching or schedules not overbearing and player conditions seem less risky as you descibe. And I think that a good thing. Super rugby is probably more demanding in many ways but these things are almost silly to measure or boast about. Nor is supposition it provides or provided more champions.

The fact is not all thrive best in it but under a different comp do. Look at Aki, Gibson-Parke and many more as well as Skelton thriving under Northern coaches and teams.

Horses for courses Super rugby intensity probably does suit Kiwis most as it was born from there

No they didnt have an easier pool, plus the stats include the semis. We played number 1 on a 17 game roll. You didn’t! We played a dangerous open hard team that have beaten us home and away recently. You played a limited opponent with similar tactics to yourself and fell over the line.

The Boks have never scored like the ABs philosophically. They have differing mindsets, skillsets, players and tactics. It works for them. Not that you never score open and wide, just not commonly is all. And any statistician will prove to you a sample size of six will offer proofs not assumptions.

That would be 7 WCs for south vs 1 north Ouch! About to be 8 – 1 in a few days.

Lomax was sliced open by an oppositions blade boot stud and had to sit out a month. What has he got to do with injury by overplaying. Tongan Thor had still hardly played many minutes at all. Unfit and more a sack of spuds than athlete I wasnt surprised him not up to pace, but that was a gamble Eddie made.

Fiji doing so much better is very much seen as a result of the Drua into super rugby and the exposure of players and administration to that standard. Helped by the fact of quality of competition you must acknowledge i might think.