Roar Guru
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Cantabrian Kiwi living on the glorious Central Coast of New South Wales. Am most happy when the Crusaders and All Blacks are sweeping all before them. I can resist anything but temptation.
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Okay, so the All Blacks have just lost at home.
Some weeks are moving weeks in Super Rugby, but this week was consolidation week. The Crusaders consolidated their spot on the top of the competition by handing the Hurricanes, the only other team challenging them for the overall lead, a lesson in wet weather rugby in Christchurch on Friday night.
Opening the floodgates is a sure-fire way to break a drought. The Waratahs rained in six tries to the Highlanders two at Allianz Stadium last night, to end a two-year and 40-match dry spell for Aussie teams in trans-Tasman fixtures.
It’s hard to know what to make of the Waratahs’ near miss against the all-conquering Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday night.
What are you doing to me Tahs? I’d already gone and half bloody written this post as the drought breaker.
It’s early days, but the Melbourne Rebels look like serious contenders to at least top the Aussie conference in Super Rugby 2018.
It was plenty of mud and guts but all the glory belonged to the Crusaders, winning 17-0 against the Highlanders in a quagmire quarter-final in Christchurch last night.


A Brumbies win over the red-hot Hurricanes in tonight’s first 2017 Super play-off in Canberra would be both a desperately-needed shot in the arm for Australian rugby and a stark reminder of the absurdity of the competition’s format.
I sent a text to my Auckland-based Eden Park season-ticket-holding brother on the Saturday afternoon prior to that epic All Blacks vs Lions second Test saying.
I can’t remember being this excited since the time I discovered my local Sydney supermarket had a Kiwi lollies section.
Poor old Warren Gatland. Just can’t take a trick can he?
Goodness me, that heavyweight bout between the Crusaders and Chiefs was a game of almost absurd quality last night.
Depth. It’s a great quality to have in a human being. It’s a dimension Olympic divers are grateful for in the pools below. And it’s a crucial aspect to the success of a rugby team.
The big cats are out of the bag with the naming of Warren Gatland’s 41-man Lions squad to face the toughest assignment in world rugby, a fully fledged tour of All Black country.
I used to think a contraction of Australian rugby talent from five Super teams to four was the way to go and have commented to that effect on a few Roar threads.
Apart from the Force and their well-deserved win against the Reds on Thursday night, it was a miserable old round for the Aussie Super Rugby teams on the weekend.
It’s not a bad thing when a weekend of rugby begins on a Thursday evening and is still going strong on Monday morning – a bit like a couple of faded rugby stars on the disco dandruff… here’s six observations from the weekend’s action.
The convincing win against the Wallabies at the weekend has left it very black and white who the best two rugby teams in the world are.
With his Grand Slam dream dashed, Michael Cheika reverted to petulant type and wallowed in the blame game in Dublin at the weekend.


Brilliant Geoff. #11 even managed to elicit a gut laugh – an unusual thing for a Monday morning.
Campaign 16: GoFundMe Australia regional manager Nicola Britton, seeking $100 for a reliable time piece to ensure she is no longer so late to act on campaigns that violate GoFundMe’s terms of service… and basic human decency.
But not so early to nip in the bud sprays from former Wallaby TV pundits that provided the pre-match entertainment on Fri night.
The Wrap: Folau initiative sparks plethora of new ‘Go Fund Me’ pages
Good bloke, bad place at a bad time.
Daryl Gibson resigns as Waratahs head coach after dismal season
Big raps to your wrap Geoff. An expert distillation of why there’s just not a whole lotta love for rugby in this country.
The Wrap: Only one Australian finalist a poor Super Rugby return
Ha ha, yes, my bad, sorry 5 from 5, my stat lied too…
Six Nations a personal triumph for Warren Gatland, but not Wales
Ridiculous decision if true. Just as they are coming good on the field and the year after a World Cup in Japan??!! This should be the time to leverage not cut! Means the whole exercise has bee pointless.
Sunwolves reportedly axed from Super Rugby
Lies, damned lies and statistics…
I think the most truthful stat about how Wales is travelling is:
6N 2019
P 6
W 6
Six Nations a personal triumph for Warren Gatland, but not Wales
Indeed a dark weekend Geoff. Heart aching for all those innocent victims and their loved ones and for the end of innocence of my home town and country. Wales getting the job done in such emphatic fashion and Scotland’s astonishing 2nd half come back were bright pinpricks to the gloom.
If the bloke who gets to hold Bill aloft on the 2nd November isn’t Kieran Read then I’d be more than happy for it to be Alun Wyn-Jones. Apart from being a commanding player the man oozes leadership. In sharp contrast to Owen Farrell at the weekend.
The Wrap: Wales shines brightest on dark weekend
Brilliant analysis Nick.
Hope it is read by serial dismisser of all things rugby south of the equator Stephen Jones who was adamant the ABs were largely destroyed up front by his Knights in white satin.
Sir Brodie takes Prince Maro off his high horse at Twickenham
Thanks Carlos, and well done to your boys.
All eyes on Buenos Aires Saturday week, sure to be another belter.
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Ha ha Chook
It was certainly a Test that every man and his dog needed to see…
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Cheers mzilikazi
Return match will be enormous, as will the Spring tour that includes Eng and Ire. Interesting weeks ahead with World Cup now less than a year away…
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Thanks Muzzo. For me last night’s Test right up there with Ellis Park 2013 for sheer drama, but nowhere near it for the end result!
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Thanks Lindsay. Am glad your trip to the shed was so well intentioned! And yes, maybe there is a novelty aspect to this new zen we’re all feeling post AB loss?
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
And that next game is against the Pumas in their backyard Kirky, who will be full of confidence after last night’s win and the fact they blitzed the Boks last time they played them and seem to know how to score tries against the ABs. Time for Hansen and co to adopt a slightly more defensive mindset I think.
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Good points Rich. The problems facing Aussie rugby are many and complex and all have been well documented on this site. In the most crowded footballing market in the world, rugby need its act together more in Oz than in any other top tier nation but sadly the opposite is the case. Even great positives, like Sydney club finals attracting 15,000-strong crowds, only serve to highlight dwindling crowds at Super Rugby and Wallaby level. And the anonymity of the NRC. On a very superficial level, a good start would be to build some momentum into the Wallaby RC season and the way not to do that is with the opening 2 matches against the ABs. The Wallabies started with a hiss and a roar against the Pumas last night but fell away badly as the Argies maintained the rage. It might have been a different story had they still been in contention for the comp But there appear no quick fixes in Oz rugby at the moment and it’s a big worry,
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Good point Highlander. I guess a mitigating factor is he doesn’t have a 35,000 to 60,000 gallery in attendance and millions watching all over the world every time he takes a swing on a golf course.
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Agree Hayden. If the ABs had jagged a win those cracks would not as exposed as they are now.
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Good thoughts CUW. The thing about JB at fullback is that it shifts the best, and best thinking fullback in the world onto the wing. Admittedly Ben Smith then goes on to become virtually the best right wing in the world, but the ABs lose his crucial ability to orchestrate from the back. And it means he’s involved less and more dependent on play going his way than he is on his roving fullback commission. Evidence of that on Sat against the Boks when his involvements dropped off markedly when the ABs needed him most in the 2nd half.
Smith’s the vice captain of the team but he’s the general of the backs and there’s just so much more than he can see and act upon at FB than he can on the wing. For all his undoubted ability, Jordie is not in the same planet as an organiser. And with brother Beauden operating in much reduced time and space than he’s used to, a man with a plan from the back was sorely missed last night. Still, Hansen puts these blokes into these situations to see how they cope. So many learnings from last night, it will be fascinating to see how they are applied in coming weeks.
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Dead right Taylorman. Reality check all round.
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Will it what BF. On the high veldt into the bargin.
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Good points Peter
I think BB was a bit in shock and awe about the lack of space and time the Boks’ defence was affording him to operate in. The scrum had parity at best, certainly not the launch pad the ABs have been able to strike from in the past. Dead right about respect, or lack thereof. Big wake up call.
As a rabid All Blacks fan, why was I okay with this shocking loss?
Well done England. Commiserations the brave Black Caps. Phenomenal theatre on the biggest stage. I know the rules are the rules but surely wickets more value that boundaries. Anyhoo, 3rd time lucky for the kiwis in 2023?
England win World Cup final in thrilling super over finish against New Zealand