Archive for July, 2009
Team Bus launching in Wellington this week
Posted by: | CommentsI don’t normally publish press releases verbatim on here because I think just copy and pasting a prewritten release is lazy journalism, however there are times when I’m willing to make an exception.The NZRU have put together a pretty darn good looking event to promote the Air New Zealand Cup (God knows it needs it), so I’m willing to help them out with some free advertising. (Although press accreditation at internationals would be nice!)
Loyal Wellington rugby fans have the chance to win free tickets and a free ride on a special Team Bus to watch their team defend the Ranfurly Shield against Otago in week one of the Air New Zealand Cup.
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) is this week launching the Team Bus competition, an initiative to reward the grass roots supporters of Air New Zealand Cup rugby across New Zealand for their commitment to their local rugby.
“This is a great opportunity for those loyal grass roots rugby fans who want to come out and support their favourite Air New Zealand Cup team,” said NZRU Commercial Manager Paul Dalton.
“We want to recognise and acknowledge those die-hard supporters who, by stubbornly supporting their favourite team, continue to add the kind of colour and vibrance that makes the Air New Zealand Cup such a dynamic and exciting competition.”
Each week of the series, a feature game will be chosen either from nominations by fans in local communities, or from the pool of matches. For the community that is chosen, 100 local fans will get to go to the game for free.
“This really is a hunt for those die-hard fans who would love the chance to win free game tickets, free transport, and have a great time while supporting their provincial team,” says Mr Dalton.
The fans win tickets and travel to the game on the Team Bus, preceded by a pre-game experience with food, fun and fan oriented activities such as face painting, creating signs and decorating the Bus in their team colours.
Successful fans and their families arrive at a local rugby club an hour and a half before the game, where they will be greeted by a local rugby hero who will spend time with them and ride with them to the game on the Team Bus.
A free BBQ at the clubrooms will give the fans energy to scream for their team with entertainment provided by partner radio station Classic Hits.
The Team Bus for the Wellington vs Otago match will leave from Norths Rugby Club at Cannons Creek, Porirua.
To register to be on the Team Bus, or to nominate your community for the Team Bus experience to come to your area, visit the Team Bus web site www.teambus.co.nz
Honestly, they want to give 100 fans from a local rugby club the chance to get along and support their team in the Air New Zealand Cup in the spirit of fun and rugby and I say bloody good on them.
Another referee quits the game
Posted by: | CommentsThe NZ Herald is carrying a story from NZPA about a premier grade Malborough referee who has quit the game because of sideline abuse.
Premier grade referee Grant Sinclair said he had had enough of constant criticism from players and coaches, some of which had become personal.
Sinclair told the Marlborough Express newspaper he wasn’t prepared to put up with the grief anymore, giving up his free time to be abused.
This has long been a bug bear of mine on the rugby field. People seem to forget two things on the rugby field, firstly that the referees are human and will make mistakes out there and secondly that referees are volunteers who are giving up their own free time to be out there.
Now I’m all for holding players and officials to account for errors they make out on the field, but shouting abuse from the sideline is not the way to go about it. What happens to a player who makes too many errors? He gets dropped, same thing happens to referees. Matt Goddard was stood down for a week in the Super 14 after displaying some awful man management and is perhaps a better referee for it.
“I don’t think the coaches are playing a big enough role in disciplining their players to respect the referee’s decision,” Sinclair said.
Actually I’ve found the players usually aren’t the worst offenders out there, and referees can deal with players either through the captain or directly. It’s generally parents, supporters and sometime coaches who cause the biggest problems for referees, and their behaviour often incites poor on field behaviour from the players.
The New Zealand Rugby Union said referees citing sideline abuse as their main reason for resigning was a rare event.
Bollocks. From what I’ve learned in my time as a referee abuse is the second most common reason for referees giving up behind petty politics within the referees’ association.
NZRU community and provincial union general manager Brent Anderson said there had been about 50 reported cases of referee abuse this year, below the average of 80 such incidents, from 70,000 games of rugby.
Notice the key word in that quote? That’s because most abuse of referees goes unreported, it’s almost accepted by referees as going with the territory, and I’m not talking about groans of “Aw ref!’ from the sideline.
I once had a parent walk onto the field behind me as I watched a lineout and tell me that a player has to be in front of the number eight’s feet to be offside at a scrum, referring to a penalty I had given about 30 seconds earlier. The parent then walked off the field, leaving me absolutely stunned wondering what had just happened. Is this acceptable behaviour? No! Does this sort of thing happen most weekends, yes.
And for the record, the player was a mile offside when I gave that penalty, plus there was no number 8 as the opposing number 8 was in the sin bin.
The other example I would like to offer comes from my first ever final I controlled. About half way through the first half I realised that every time I blew my whistle it was met with cheers from one sideline and disappointment from the other, depending on which team my decision went in favour of. In essence, every decision I made was thought to be wrong by half the supporters and right by the other half based on which way my arm pointed, does any referee really get half the decisions wrong?
So I suppose my impassioned plea is cut the referees some slack out there. And no matter how bad you think their performance is, hurling abuse from the sideline or confronting the referee later, and that does happen, is completely unacceptable.
Air New Zealand Cup Power Rankings
Posted by: | CommentsThings have been a little quiet around here lately, with just the All Blacks playing and not very well. But thankfully the Air New Zealand cup gets underway on Thursday night and will treat us to 13 weeks of the best provincial rugby New Zealand has to offer.
With that in mind, Sports After Dark will be publishing our power rankings for the Air New Zealand Cup, along with an experimental ranking system being prepared for next year’s Super 14. Alongside the power rankings will be the return of the weekly column Inside The Numbers appearing every Wednesday taking a look at various statistics from around the Air New Zealand Cup.
As with the Super 14, week one power rankings will not be published as teams with a 1-0 record end up with a ranking of 67 and those with an 0-1 record end up on 33.
I am also looking at doing a series of audio interviews with Canterbury players, as well as publishing all of the post match press conferences online.
First Bledisloe Cup test in depth preview
Posted by: | CommentsBoth sides have finished up their appetisers and are headed on to the main course of the international rugby season, the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup. Even though both teams are coming off uninspiring wins over Northern Hemisphere opponents, this is a rivalry that goes back 106 years and these two teams always bring out the best in each other.
The All Blacks’ coaching debate, the rebuilding of the Wallabies all bring extra spice to this dish as Sports After Dark takes an in depth look at the teams and how they match up ahead of their first meeting in Auckland on Saturday.
Back three (Fullback and wingers)
Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Drew Mitchell, Lauchie Turner
New Zealand: Mils Muliaina, Corey Jane, Sitiveni Sivivatu
On of the things that immediately catches my eye here is all three New Zealand players are very capable fullbacks so should be very safe if the Australians try to use the high ball. Sivivatu was in wonderful form in the Super 14 before his injury in the semi final and should be back to his elusive try scoring best for this game, while the Aussies have an elusive try scorer of their own in Mitchell.
Overall this area is very close but I have to give the All Blacks a slight edge here due to their experience at this level.
Midfield (Centres)
Australia: Stirling Mortlock, Berrick Barnes
New Zealand: Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu
Again, this is a very even match up with both teams picking centres whose style of play compliments each other. In my view teams should have a centre who can beat the line with speed or skill and a centre who can bust through with power and in this respect both teams have that. Where they differ is Barnes gives the Wallabies a second kicking option in the back line, while Nonu, who is a good kicker, doesn’t like to kick.
Advantage Australia here.
Halves (Fly half and halfback)
Australia: Matt Giteau, Luke Burgess
New Zealand: Stephen Donald, Jimmy Cowan
Without Dan Carter the number 10 jersey has become a massive headache for the All Blacks’ coaching staff with neither Donald or Luke McAlister really claiming the jersey as their own, while Giteau has gone from strength to strength in this position and is arguably the best fly half in the world playing right now. At halfback both teams have a good pass and a threat to run from the base of the ruck, but in this position you would have to give the edge to Cowan provided he keeps his temper under control.
Australia have the better fly half, New Zealand the better half back so it’s a tie here.
Loose forwards
Australia: Wyclif Palu, George Smith, Richard Brown
New Zealand: Rodney So’oialo, Richie McCaw, Jerome Kaino
Here is where the test match could be won and lost. The return of So’oialo and McCaw will greatly boost the All Blacks who have struggled to dominate the breakdown so far this season, while the hard running of Palu and Brown could provide headaches for All Black defenders in midfield. McCaw and Smith once again go head to head in the fetcher role, but provided McCaw lasts 80 minutes he will give his side the edge here as Smith has never really dominated McCaw in past meetings.
New Zealand have a clear edge here if McCaw and So’oialo can last at least 60 minutes.
Locks
Australia: Nathan Sharpe, James Horwill
New Zealand: Brad Thorn, Isaac Ross
An epic collision between man mountains who can not only do the hard yards but can be devastating if they get the ball in a little space. This will not be a test where you will see Ross charging down the sideline like a winger or Horwill busting through the midfield like a centre, this will be trench warfare and all the locks will have their heads down.
Australia with a slight edge only because Sharpe is a proven ball stealer at lineout time, something Thorn does not do often and Ross is yet to do at this level.
Front row (Props and hooker)
Australia: Al Baxter, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson
New Zealand: Neemia Tialata, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock
Much like the locks, the front rowers will have little choice but to dive into the trenches and go to war. While Robinson and Hore can be a threat with ball in hand, don’t expect to see them do it too often. The first scrum will be intense as two skilled front row attempt to see who can gain the ascendency in this good old fashioned forward battle.
Calling this one a draw.
Bench
Australia: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Ben Alexander, Dean Mumm, Phil Waugh, David Pocock, Will Genia, James O’Connor
New Zealand: Keven Mealamu, Owen Franks, Jason Eaton, Kieran Read, Piri Weepu, Luke McAlister, Joe Rokocoko
Here’s where I’m a little confused, why has Robbie Deans picked five forwards on the bench for the Wallabies? I think perhaps his plan is to let Palu run himself ragged for 60 minutes then move Brown to the back of the scrum and Pocock on in a dual openside role with Smith or Waugh when he comes on. However Genia is a specialist halfback leaving O’Connor to cover the rest of the backline, in fact two backline injuries could make life very interesting for the Wallabies’ bench.
The All Blacks have gone with a traditional four forwards, three backs split. The three back reserves, Weepu, McAlister and Rokocoko, cover every position in the back line except fullback, and as mentioned earlier both starting wingers are capable fullbacks. An interesting selection is Owen Franks who only broke into the Super 14 last season, how he plays off the bench could prove pivotal for the All Blacks’ forward effort in the final stages of the game.
Finally there’s some history to be looked at here. Eden Park has been a very happy hunting ground for the All Blacks against the Wallabies, having only lost there four times in over 70 years and their last loss came in 1986. The All Blacks have also won nine of their last eleven meetings with the Wallabies and have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003. The Wallabies will need to win three of their four meetings with the All Blacks this year to reclaim the Bledisloe Cup.
While many fans feel that this could be the Wallabies’ year with Robbie Deans’s influence starting to show through in the team, coupled with the All Blacks’ poor early season form I don’t think it’s all that clear cut. Do the Wallabies have an advantage on paper? Quite possibly, but this is an All Blacks’ team who embarrassed themselves against Italy and France, and will be looking to redeem themselves.
Whichever way this result goes, and my prediction is it will be close, this will an absolute cracker of a game and I for one can’t wait!
How the Boks should have dealt with the Botha suspension
Posted by: | CommentsAfter a few days reflection and viewing the footage of the incident again, I can’t say my opinion on the two week suspension given to Bakkies Botha for a dangerous charge has changed. That said, I think if the Springboks and the SARU had handled the situation better then the players and South African fans wouldn’t feel like they are quite the victims in this situation.
First here’s the footage again.
Now compare this with Jamie Heaslip’s hit from the third test.
Obvious differences are that Heaslip did not come through the gate and Botha joined with his head below his hips, both of which are illegal in addition to not binding onto a ruck as the player hits it.
So why is one worthy of a suspension and one is not? The unfortunate answer to that is the damage done, had Heaslip dislocated someone’s shoulder he would likely be facing some time on the sideline, but he didn’t so he got off lightly.
The fact that the damage caused by foul play is being taken into account for citings is a disturbing trend, perhaps it would be relevant when dishing out a suspension but not simply for the decision to cite a player.
Players joining a ruck without binding is rapidly becoming a blight on the game of rugby and needs to be stamped out before another player suffers a serious injury. This is not a South African thing or even a Northern Hemisphere vs Southern Hemisphere thing, most teams do it and they virtually all get away with it. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s illegal and dangerous.
So Botha sits out two weeks while other such as Heaslip and All Black Adam Thomson incur nothing but a penalty against them. But moaning about it, then donning arm bands like petulant children to express your displeasure is not the way to handle this from a public relations stand point, especially when your coach is all but claiming eye gouging is part of rugby.
Perhaps the first thing the SARU should have done is taken the ban on the chin, Botha missed a dead rubber test against the Lions, which he may not have played anyway given all the changes. Perhaps a press release could have then been issued that reads something like this.
Springbok Bakkies Botha has expressed his regret that his illegal hit on Lion Adam Jones has left the Welsh prop with a dislocated shoulder. Bakkies has already spoken to Adam on the phone and apologised for the act, saying that it was never his intention to cause and injury. Adam accepted Bakkies’ apology saying that it was an unfortunate incident in the heat of battle and he realises that these things can happen in a body contact sport.
However the SARU, in conjunction with the South Africa Rugby Players’ Association (SARPA), will be making a submission to the IRB that this suspension seems to be a case of selective enforcement. Many times during the course of a game players hit rucks in the manner Bakkies did, but without causing injury and are rarely even penalised.
Perhaps it is time for a clear directive from the IRB as to the legality of this type of clean out so that players, referees and fans can have a clearer understanding of our game.
We would also like to take this opportunity to say that South Africa has a long tradition of playing tough, physical but clean rugby. We in no way condone foul play and have accepted the suspensions handed down to two of our players for their action.
So you apologise, point out that you feel your player may have been unfairly singled out and ask the game’s governing body to clear up what could be perceived as a grey area in the laws. Suddenly it’s very hard for even the British press to spout their self righteous indignation from the roof tops because you’re agreeing with them.
I wonder if the Boks are looking for a new PR man…
