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Joined August 2020
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Played as a prop, loose forward, wing, utility. Master of none. Regularly beaten by sidesteppers. Coached at high school level. Ran ex-prisoner/ex-gang member rehabilitation home; working as accountant to fund it. For some, rehabilitation involved encouraging them to play rugby, meeting normal working blokes, & being accepted into the team, where their past was irrelevant.
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Yes hard to think he was only 70% at best 80% full fitness. I think every other major rugby team breathed a massive sigh of relief when he was not named for the 2003 RWC.
Zinzan 'Zinny' Brooke: Definitely not a Murray!
Yeah you got me there, Peter 😂 I rate Bradman the greatest of all time as a test batsman, due to his test average. Plus cricket is much more amenable to statistical analysis (though rugby is now catching up a bit in that area). But of course we never really know how well he would go under today’s conditions, with (particularly) fast bowlers using modern weight training, fitness and nutritional knowledge. Not to mention batsmen using helmets, and modern pitch preparation.
Zinzan 'Zinny' Brooke: Definitely not a Murray!
Thanks Peter, another article that brings out some really interesting back ground, which is a feature of your writing. I do ponder the Sky Sport ‘greatest ever’ tags. Lomu possibly the greatest attacking wing of all time, but for almost every other player, I think one can only say he was the best of, or outstanding, in his generation. Mexted, Shelford, Lochore were other AB greats in my view. But pre-1960, there may have been some All Black No.8 that totally dominated the position that I have no knowledge of. In similar vein, Mark Loane was outstanding in his generation, as was Kefu; Tuynman great in the 1986 series; but I would not want to pick one over the other; and of course these players of different generations never oppose one another.
Zinzan 'Zinny' Brooke: Definitely not a Murray!
Hopefully only speculation by the journalist; if not, then would not bode well.
WALLABIES TEAM CONFIRMED: Kerevi injury paves way for Paisami return, Brumbies hooker set for debut
Must confess Big A, until I did the actual figures, I would have thought it would have been closer to 70%; I guess I tend to remember the good years and forget the lean ones, but numerous times since 1988 only dropped one game in a series of 3 or more games vs NH teams: 1988 2 – 1; 1993 2 – 1; 1996 4 – 0; 1997 2 – 1; 2000 2 – 1; 2004 3 – 1; 2006 2 – 1; 2008 3 – 1; 2009 2 – 1; 2010 3 – 1; 2012 3 – 1; 2012 3 – 1; 2013 4 – 1; but then 2014 – 2018 period average was lost more than won.
Mark Loane, yes great player (and Queenslander 😂 ). The early 80’s we had it over the All Blacks a few times, 1986 a pinnacle. The turning point seemed to be the last test in 1978 at Eden Park, great win for the Wallabies, and done with outstanding ball movement & support play.
'A chance to change perception': Successful spring tour would mean more than usual for Wallabies
I think either or both JOC and Cooper could hang around for the next RWC; but some focus needed on finding a back-up big midfielder for Kerevi. The All Blacks have gone for talented but relatively small midfielders since the departure of Nonu and SB Williams, and the tactic hurt them against SA. I notice Manu Tuilagi back in the England squad.
How Dave Rennie’s Wallabies are pushing the limits in contact
I am a rather odd specimen – a prop, who loved scrums, but I also liked going to the library and reading law cases (originally a cunning, but unsuccesful ploy, to meet females 😂 )
The case for and against Erasmus, and the men charged with protecting rugby’s reputation
Since 1988 (excluding World Cups, & excluding games against the All Blacks in Hong Kong), we have won 50 out of 81 games on NH tours, so a 62% average.
The winning ratio of World Cup games against NH teams in Europe is pretty phenominal – 92%; if I include the 2019 RWC in Japan it drops to 79%, but that is still an excellent away record on NH tours.
'A chance to change perception': Successful spring tour would mean more than usual for Wallabies
Yes A, its a pass; but not really progress given the RWC result. Plus historically (approx. 35 years since we first beat the darkness in a series in NZ, plus won a NH tour ‘grand slam’ and could lay legitimate claim to being No.1 in 1986) we have probably averaged about a 60-70% win/loss record on NH tours. (I need to check the actual facts, but I think that has been about our average).
'A chance to change perception': Successful spring tour would mean more than usual for Wallabies
Thanks Peter, apologies was unaware you had raised that already. Your knowledge base of the law is probably greater than mine, I came upon it regarding (& limited to) auditing case law; my ‘learnings’ (initially hated that term, now find myself using it – aaarrrggghhh 😂 ) also a bit dated.
The case for and against Erasmus, and the men charged with protecting rugby’s reputation
Harry, I (think !) I get your drift on proving the leaked or not leaked. But surely another option for the prosecution could be negligence. Even if the prosecution could not prove he leaked it, surely proving negligence in that he did not take sufficient steps to protect it from being leaked, would be easily provable, given the fact that it was leaked. In his position I would think it reasonable to expect him to have a duty of care, and to take the necessary steps, to ensure such a video is not publicly released; which he definitely failed to do. And as others have alluded to, he seemed to be very much aware, even complicit, that it would be ‘leaked’. (As I am writing this, I am hoping it does not get bogged down in detailed legal arguments, as that has the potential to drag on, cost time, and waste resources that would be better spent on developing rugby).
The case for and against Erasmus, and the men charged with protecting rugby’s reputation
Agree – the Kerevi option and size less essential vs Japan given the nature of their game.
Absolutely essential vs England, Scotland & Wales; and probably in that order given past history. 4 out of 4 = pass with distinction; 3 out of 4 (or 2.5 out of 4) = pass; 2 out of 4 = back to the drawing board; less than 2 out of 4 = we are in an alternative incomprehensible universe ????
'A chance to change perception': Successful spring tour would mean more than usual for Wallabies
Yes I was reminded of that try, was verging on the miraculous, I have never ever seen anyone do anything close to that before.
'One of our tallest trees has fallen': All Blacks' heartbreaking tribute after Super Rugby star dies in car crash
Was a bit surprised myself to the extent of his NZ background when I read it on Wiki; never knew he had been an AB trialist; his profile really only started in SA with Super Rugby.
'It's going to be a hell of a game': Everything Rennie said on Japan challenge, Kerevi recovery and Koroibete loss
Plumtree was born and raised in NZ, played all his rugby there (even an All Black trialist) until he left in his mid-twenties for SA.
So although a SA super team coach, not really a total foreigner if he became AB coach.
'It's going to be a hell of a game': Everything Rennie said on Japan challenge, Kerevi recovery and Koroibete loss
I wondered that too. Was outstanding No.8 in Super rugby a few years back, and at 2015 World Cup
Son of Wallabies hero and ex-Schoolboys winger called up as Japan names squad to face Wallabies
Deans was our first-ever kiwi coach as far as I know, plus an ex-All Black, so he had to sort of break the ‘an ex-All Black coaching the Wallabies’ syndrome. Must confess I had major reservations simply because I wondered if he would ever be fully accepted, especially as his first choice appeared to have been coaching the All Blacks, Wallabies his second choice.
(Des Connor had played for the All Blacks & coached the Wallabies back in the 1960’s, but was born in & played for Australia first).
I think now we are a lot further down the path of accepting foreigners coaching teams, with the likes of our own Eddie Jones doing it in a major way.
'We're trying to bring them home': Everything Rennie said on Euro star strategy, brutal youth cull and Kurtley call
Interesting Oliver, especially your picks.
My only quibble would be horses for courses in NH conditions, plus the balance in the back row, which lacks a bit in the lineout.
If Piet S. Du Toit is available, he walks in and fixes that.
De Allende in the midfield with Kerevi – not many chances to shine in the SA vs Lions & early RWC games, but has all the attributes of a great midfielder, plus the option of size if its a boggy wet game; Havili talented but lightweight.
If PSDT not available, a real outside uncapped pick beyond Valetini, would be the Chief’s Sowakula in the loose forward mix, who impressed me as an all-round player, athletic, hard running, good defence work.
Time to 'do a Lions' and pick a Southern Hemisphere All Stars to bring four nations together
Us props have always had to suck it up, while the comb-carrying brylcream backs brigade & loose forwards always got the glory and the girls 😁
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
Thanks Carlos, really interesting background re your father. One of my neighbour’s was Polish & sent to Siberia as a young girl, lost both her parents (shot by the Soviets I think) but made it to Iran/Persia, then eventually to down under.
That generation certainly did it tough, frankly the current COVID stuff is like a family picnic in comparison.
The Thursday rugby two-up: One bio-bubble too many for the ‘Boks and Pumas?
Buck Shelford captained some sort of NZ B team against Australia after being dropped. He was outstanding, and I thought at the time wondered why on earth he had been dropped. Partly as the All Blacks had only just managed to beat Scotland in a series in NZ with Shelford as captain, but that Scottish team was possibly one of the best ever. They had won the grand slam in the 5 nations (won against England in the final, England also a very strong team that made the RWC final in 1991, and probably would have won it had they stuck to their tight forward-dominated game, but threw the ball wide and played right into our hands).
Sean 'Fitzy' Fitzpatrick: Baby Black to rugby icon
Any team in world rugby right now, if offered Kerevi, would be nuts to say no.
MATCH REPORT: Springboks edge All Blacks in one of the GREATEST Tests
Yeah ditto Harry. And they did it without the waterboy, too ! I must admit I enjoyed seeing him get told off.
Its a scary day for world rugby when SA wake up and realise they have a very good all round team, as they did in the weekend.
MATCH REPORT: Springboks edge All Blacks in one of the GREATEST Tests
Interesting Muzzo – I seem to recall they also replaced Christian Cullen also with someone we never heard of again at about that time.
Zinzan 'Zinny' Brooke: Definitely not a Murray!