Stephen Kearney and the team take a bow...

Because that is awesome! A slice of heaven alright.

Tonight the Kiwis helped to ease the pain left by the loss of last years Rugby world cup with an awesome, emphatic and completely unexpected, win. It was that unexpected that I think even in their own heart of hearts the Kiwis has some doubt as to whether they would every really be able to do it. But they did.

And boy did the do it well.

But while I think that Stephen Kearney has a lot to be proud of, he did after all step up when Kiwi league needed him most, it needs to be said the man who really should take credit is Wayne Bennett.

While he is ironically an Aussie, he was New Zealand's guiding light tonight and for the weeks leading up to this one big moment. The master is still the master.

Tonight the Kiwi's became the world champions and I liked it.

In to the real world

I had my first taste of a real deadline in a daily newspaper today.
I loved the adrenalin it bought but I am in no doubt that there two very different types of jounalists in a newsroom. There are the thrill-seekers that thrive when the blood is pumping and you are up against the clock, the limelight seekers; and then there are those who like to savour the ride, painters who revel in taking the time to carve a story. The hunters and the gatherers.
Both are equal in the dicipline it takes and each skill-set requires a very special commitment. I am in admiration of anyone who can do either well, but even as a very junior reporter I know which catergory I want to be in.
The job itself is nothing like I thought it would be: the highs are unimaginable and the lows are unthinkable. Everday brings something new, something unexpected and exciting. I hear a million different stories; some touch me in ways I can't explain and some I file away for later.
The other morning I almost ended up in tears because I missed the mark massively and received an email from my editor that was acerbic to say the least. It was my mistake and I had to not only suck it up but own it, and while it was bloody hard to do I think I did it.
Because no matter what I know why I got into this game and at the end of the day it is because I want to be a writer. I want to be able to tell a story that moves someone. I want to be able to share with the world things that I am to shy, and more than likely too tongue-tied, to say. I want to be able to change the world in my own little way.
So ends the first week of my new career and while I am glad it is over I can't wait for the next week (just let me have this weekend first).

Come hell or highwater

Deputy leader Bill English was recorded telling National Party delegates: "Winning is fantastic. Nothing beats winning in politics, despite all our highly principled statements. It's fantastic ... do what we need to do to win."

And despite English saying he is not embarrassed by the recording and John Key saying the release to TV3 was "pathetic", it doesn't look good does it?

The pressure was always on following National's announcement that they would give kiwis a $50 dollar a week tax cut if elected to power.

And despite the world's economies crumbling National needed to keep their promise, or as close to it as possible, considering that tax cuts were meant to be their trump card.

So when Michael Cullen opened the Treasury's books on Monday only to show a deficit the rope suddenly tightened around Key's neck.

I mean Key probably already expected the books were going to be in a bad state considering the economy and the recent government acquisitions but I am not sure if he would have predicted that the situation was this dire.

I mean who would - they are after all predicting a decade with of government defecits and perhaps Cullen needs to do a bit of explaining. But still this National party seems to have a win at all costs mentality and well with the pressure mounting Key and English had to deliver on Wednesday when they announced the party's tax package.

It was better than I expected: provided you were a single person or a couple not contributing to Kiwisaver or receiving Working For Families or a high income earner.

So i guess middle income New Zealand with no kids who are not yet thinking about their retirement are the winners at the end of National's day. But oh well they delivered their much promised tax cuts (sort of) didn't they?

But to be fair National had a bit of a dog to work with and considering that they did alright, i guess. But then isn't that what Helen Clark called National's tax package?

So where does all leave us?

Who knows because all it seems to prove to me is Key and English really are willing to sell their souls to win this election and well who could blame them it has been nine years in the wilderness.
But what did surprise me was the media's coverage of the announcement. By Monday night Key was being hailed as some sort of genius because he could afford to give tax cuts even in a tight situation. Nobody seemed to be asking where the money was coming from until the next day.

In accounting these sorts of things have a direct relationship - a push/pull sort of a relationship, if money is going some where it must, obviously, be coming from somewhere else. The question should have been where is that somewhere?

Finally by Tuesday morning the media were starting to click and began to think about answering that question.

It then became obvious that the people that would suffer the most from this package are our low income families who are considerate enough to be thinking about their future by contributing to Kiwisaver.

And aren't these the people that Key says he wants to help the most, remember the wee girl Aroha from Otara who he took to Waitangi last year?

Also wouldn't you be a little peeved if you are the big income earner or business who really gets nothing from this tax package considering National are meant to be your guys. (Although it is a little hard to feel sorry for those who are on a six figure salary that they won't get a few extra pennies in their pockets come next April).

So now it is time to ask the BIG question: Does this promised tax package really deliver - enough to give your vote to Key and National?

Despite all the hype and the much touted polls I think only time will tell, and hopefully we will all know by 9 November but what concerns me is that the Kiwisaver will be seriously undermined if National gets into power.

I am not a Kiwisaver member as I am yet to find employment (although I hope that shall be remedied by this afternoon) but I like the idea that people are not only being encouraged to save for their retirement but they able to do it with the help of the government and their employers.

We are a progressively ageing population with the beginning of the baby boomers generation starting to retire and I am not sure our welfare system can take it if each of us don't at very least start taking some responsibility for our old age and retirement.

I guess now it is a decision between the lesser of two evils.

A packet of chips and a can of lemonade

Last week the great Brian Lochore told more than 1000 fathers at a Parents Inc event that political correctness is destroying New Zealand.

"Yes, I smacked my children, but I've never hit them. Yes, I smacked other people's children, but I never hit them. But we are not allowed to do that any more in this PC world," he said.

Comments that sparked a furor, and saw the line drawn between those who th0ught Lochore was a chauvanistic child abuser and others who thought thank god Brian is someone who is willing to stand up and say that this PC mentality is a load of crap.

I remember as a child being at the rugby clubrooms with my parents. There were plenty of us who spent our weekends barefoot playing in the mud with a packet of chips and a can of lemonade for lunch. Kids, who hung around waiting while Dad swallowed a jug of well-earned beer with his mates and Mum sat in the corner gossiping with the other wives.

I have a hundred different Uncles and Aunties from that time, and the funny thing is that even though these people have no blood relationship to me they still cared enough to make sure that I was safe back then. Even today many still ask after me .

Brian Lochore rejects as "so much bullshit" the suggestion that a macho rugby culture is linked with violence. "It's unbelievable. I don't know any person I played rugby with that ever was involved in family violence because the point of playing rugby is that you get rid of your frustrations on the field because it's a physical game."

He said he and his wife never went to the pub but socialised at rugby clubrooms with other players and their wives and kids. Brian said the pub was only about drinking, the club was aobut friends.

And I have to agree, my Saturdays at the rugby field were all about friends and family. We wernt left at home while dad went and did his thing, we encouraged to join in. In fact on a Saturday morning we used to play netball at our local courts, wait for Mum to play her game and then head to the club rooms to watch Dad.

I remember rushing up to my dad after he came off the field and being lifted up in to his arms. I could smell the mud and sweat on his skin, and I know now that I have never felt more safe and secure.

I had to laugh at Brian Lochore's description of the birth of his children because my father had the same sort of outlook.

"It was always embarrassing, you know how you used to have to look through the glass in those days and they would throw one up in front of you and then throw another one up. There were fathers there gooing over their kid but I just found that whole thing quite embarrassing really. Everyone has got to have the old macho exterior I guess, and that was what it was like in those days. But God I can't understand how I would be without my children. My life would be totally empty. They are all great kids," Brian said.

"For the modern father it's the greatest day of their lives. But I was a farmer and I've probably calved 100 cows and thousands of lambs and the last thing I wanted to be was in that situation."

My dad almost missed my birth but this morning I called him and wished him a happy fathers because at the end of the day he is still my dad and he was and is a fantastic father, even if he is a little old school.

The big business - part 2

We are now officially in a technical economic recession. Although with the rising costs of fuel and food we have all known this for a very long time.


And we all know now that an economic recession is six months worth of negative growth - right? We also know that growth is represented by the change in GDP in the last three months (a quarter) - right? And GDP is usually measured by the equation C+I+G+(X-M), where C is Consumer spending, I is Investment, G is Government spending and the (X-M) is the net exports (ie cost of exports minus the cost of imports) - right?

I mean business reporters seem to have great fun in quoting economic terms like GDP and negative growth and the like, so we all know what these terms mean, right? Yet there are so many people out that are happy to stick their heads in the sand. They say "Why do we need to borrow and invest in our infrastructure? Sure we are in a recession and that means we have had two quarters of negative growth, but we will be fine wont we? I mean we have experienced good times in the last few years and our economy has been thriving. Isnt that enough?"

Well in short no.


If we are spending less, ie our GDP figure is down from six months ago, then that means that businesses are receiving less cash, which means that they will have less cash to pay their bills. And guess what - which business expense is the easiest to cut when hard times hit? Savings made by cutting overheads will limited, because although there are components of overheads that are variable the major costs remain fixed. The lease still stays the same and cutting back phone calls and turning off lights is a long term plan and not to mention a hard road to make the necessary savings. The easiest way to make large savings is by cutting employee numbers.


Take the media industry for example and more specifically the newspaper industry. Businesses have already started to cut back on variable costs and we are seeing a drop in advertising sales. With this decrease in a newspaper's income stream that obviously means that there is less money to put that paper out. And sure they can cut back on mobile phone calls, buying columns, paying for outside photos etc but really these are just stop-gap measures. Eventually the numbers of staff will need to be assessed.


In the last couple of months Fairfax have announced a change the sub-editing department, a cut in staff numbers across the country and a temporary new employment freeze (although apparently this has now come off). This is a recession at work.

So as to the question can we grow our economy is a way that is steady and still remain stable? The easy answer is yes we can but the problem is the economy is like a child, if we do not keep feeding it we will end up going backwards. Imagine if you thought well ive alreay committed five good years to that child I have got some time to cruise here, where do you think that child will end up in comparision to the rest of his/her peers. The economy is just like that if we do not keep investing/spending then we will lose any ground we have made and then if left to continue the economy will spiral downwards until hyper-inflation, high unemployment and negative growth are just a natural part of life. When there is no growth ,businesses push up their prices to make a profit, but then staff demand wage rises to cope with the rising costs which in turn pushes up business's costs effecting the price of goods. It is a dirty horrible cycle with very little way out - just ask the residents of Zimbawe, im sure they are feeling the pinch of 300 per cent inflation. And worse still, so many businesses do not last under these conditions and so they fold under the pressure, making their staff unemployed.

So here we are in a recession, and yes what comes up most come down and surely that means what goes down sure must come back up? But without investment to stimulate growth how do you think we are going to end up climbing back up the economic ladder, that is why they call it 'hyper'-inflation. And if we want tax cuts, which apparently we do because we are all demanding a financial break to cope with the rising food and fuel bills, then where do you think we are going to get the expenditure to stimulate growth - apart from borrowing to invest. Because keep in mind part of the GDP equation is government spending and if consumer spending is down because of the high prices, where do you think that needed stimulation is going to come from?

The big business

This post has nothing to do with rugby, but limiting myself to blogging about one subject has become awfully boring...


I know that many of you who know me and read this will be surprised and perhaps even a little disappointed but I think that National’s policy to fund the needed upgrade in the country’s infrastructure by borrowing is brilliant.

And what’s more I think that many of those who are opposed to the idea simply do not understand the workings of our economy well enough to appreciate it.

It is a concept of basic accounting principles but one that inspires fear in many.

Using debt to finance an asset is a good idea when that asset has future potential to earn a return that would be more than the costs of that debt, whether that profit is financial or a more intangible return, like economic growth.

Those who are scared by this idea are almost always the ones who think blindly that national debt is a four-letter word. It is ironic, however, that these are often the same people who sign themselves to a mountain load of debt for the next 25 years, simply to place their name a piece of paper that says they own a peice of land.

Somehow it is okay for these people to feather their nests while our roads, broadband connections and public systems deteriote further. I just don’t get it because although we will all be responsible for paying back any loans our government takes out, the government can in fact borrow at a much lower price than the private sector would have to pay.

We complain that our economy and resources are under-funded and under-performing and yet, somehow, we think that we should be doing better, in fact we are always trying to measure ourselves against our trans-tasman cousins.

Increasingly people are leaving New Zealand because our country’s economic growth is being held by the reserve bank’s focus of keeping inflation down through a tight money policy and a lack of investment in crucial infrastructure. If our economy is not growing how are we meant to increase wages, job numbers and financial stability.

Too often we hear news reports telling stories of families who have moved to bronzed shores of Australia, chasing the dream of a high standard of living, home ownership and financial freedom. Why, because Australia’s economy is still growing from years of investment, even in these tough times.

We have become a community of keeping up with Jones’ and yet we think that John Key’s proposal to send our country further into debt is a hideously bad idea because it means that we will owe millions of dollars.

People are scared, naievely so because they do not understand. I , however, think the idea is brilliant and forward-thinking.

It is a good idea because if we are do not stimulate our economy so that we can all benefit we will be left to flounder in this no-mans land of mediocre growth, poor wages and our over reliance on agriculture – more specifically the dairy industry.

Sure we are seeing high times and good returns in the dairy industry at the moment but like anything there is always the danger of the downward cycle, in economics what comes up must go down. Do we really what to be so dependent on one industry for our country’s future export earnings?

Simply slipping a few pennies into upgrading our infrastructure when we have the spare cash is no longer cutting it and we are being left behind.

If we do not invest in our infrastructure now our economy will grind to a halt and we will all be left to eke out an existence. It is matter of borrowing to solidify against any future trends, fortifying our individual potential to each earn a reasonable wage and protecting our ability to compete with other growing nations.

In these dark times with our county fast heading towards the expected recession we must fortify against the side effects and hopefully dispel any economic depression.

The credit crunch has taken its toll on economic growth and this is now impacting on the employment market. While we are yet to see figures that will document a decrease in employment, we are all aware that the job market is tightening and if we do not do anything we are destined to spiral downwards.

Investing in our country through debt is a good idea provided because it means that you and I will have the option to stay in New Zealand and bring up our children in a financially stable environment in a land we know and love.

We do not, however, want to just throw money at a black hole, hoping to increase our productivity and growth by chance. We need a well thought-out plan for advancement and a government willing to be courageous in the tough times.

And while I back this policy it does not mean that I will support the National Party come election time, but I happy that one party is thinking about our economic future.

Hell yes

Ok so we lost last weekend, but who cares. It was just one of those games and all things considered I have to agree with Ted and say we did well. Okay Grizz Wylie would have never accepted a loss, but then Grizz didnt coach in the professional age.

We are doing well for a tiny set of islands at the bottom of the pacific considering clubs like Munster, Harlquins and Pepe Leon can offer squillions to lure a promising rugby player to the chill of the Uk and France.

I was impressed with the guts of the All Blacks conidering they were missing their star captain and a number of of other senior players (through injury or non-selection). So give them a break. One loss doesnt mean we have lost the tri-nations, nor does it mean that South Africa deserve to be no. 1 in the IRB rankings. It was just one of those games, South Africa had to step up after the pitiful perfomance the week before and New Zealand was a little green around the edges. A South African win in NZ is as rare as an All Black win in South Africa. And what that all means is that this year the rugby is going to become very very interesting.

Bring on the Graham the great redeemer Henry Vs Robbie the dingo Deans....

Cos I lied...

I know when I started this blog I said it was to improve the rugby knowledge of more stereotypical kiwi sheilas but hey who am I kiding, I mean really who esle is going to enjoy reading this blog? Infact who esle is going to read this full stop. The posts are often long and perhaps a little too indepth. And well if I am truely honest with myself I would know that my classmates are probably the only people who are likely to visit this page anyway, and most of them have lost interest with their own blog so why would they stop in to read my post for the week/month/time...I guess I was kidding myself by thinking I was writing for an audience.

I have finally realised that blog writing is not about trying to inform, it is not about trying to impress, it is simply about providing a place for naieve writers to come and selfishly spiel. So with that said here goes my ramble... And even if I am the only one who is going to read it, I am going to just rant!

After talking to the R.Engineer I got thinking and the question plaguing me on this cold and dreary evening is - when is it that you are really talking rugby and when are you just killing abit of time with a conversation that just happens to be around rugby.

Too often men talk about the latest game, team, player - whatever - and all I hear is old cliches or commentator tripe. And yet these very men are the ones who never even think to ask someone like me my opinion and by someone like me I mean women. Too many people think that women either are too stupid or not interested enough to understand the inner workings of a ruck. Man does that grate me. And the fact that there are people out there like the idiot female columnist from the Sunday Star times who said that rugby players by definition are not hot rugby irritates me because all she is doing is perpetuating the same old silly myth. To that I say what a load of crap - who the hell cares if they are hot or not, can't we just enjoy the players for the athletes they are rather than trying to trivialise it. Why is as woman, many of us feel the need to ridicule something because we do not understand it (even if it is by choice that we do not understand).

And why is that men think they need to cling to that myth because somehow it validates their masculinity. For Gods sake - I often want to sceram that I probably know more than them, the chauvanistic pigs! I have 28 years of being fluent in rugby. My father played when I was young, the R.Engineer played when I met first him and I, myself, even dabbled in the game for awhile. I have spent many afternoons curled up on the couch watching old replays of games just for the fun it and whats more I enjoy it. So you could say that I get more than a little irked when men who barely know the difference between a hooker and a prostitute dismiss me when the subject comes up.

And to the Ms Sunday Star Times columnist - just because the Rugby jock at high school broke your heart do not try and cover up the fact that you are still bitter about it by saying all rugby players are hideous lumbering oafs with cauliflower ears. I mean of course there are hideous oafs playing rugby perhaps with cauliflower ears even, some may even be All Blacks, but somehow I dont think you can label Dan Carter as anything remotely hideous or plenty of others in the game. And whats more there are some woman out there that like cauliflower ears, not this one of couse but I am rather partial to the R.Engineer's battle scars - there's nothing quite like a good bad boy!

Emphatic with an exclamation mark!

God who would have thought. Two posts in the same week. And after I have struggled to stay awake watching the last couple of games. But I have been inspired. Finally! And thank goodness because god knows it feels like it has been an age.

The All Blacks were amazing. Even losing captain fantastic and a number of other senior players our boys stepped up and reclaimed the All Black mantel. Our rookies played well, Adam Thompson and Richard Kahui had dream games. Kahui scored on debut and Thompson was simply everywhere. But it was the old hand at the back that led the ship, and boy didnt our first five shine.

Over two years of waiting for a promise to be fulfulled and finally Dan Carter has stepped back into the form he showed against the Lions in 2005. He is surely Dan the Man. Simply sublime and class above all others.

And well isnt it funny that the change in form comes on the back of Mr Carter being able to announce that his contract negotiations are closed and he is signed on with the NZRU until the next world cup. And the best part: the only thing it is going to cost NZ is a 6 month stint in Toulon. Six months, just a period of time out, a simple sabbatical that doesnt even really impinge on the All Black games. Didnt we come out on top?

So for now the wolves have been fed and although they are still baying at the gates All Black rugby and therefore NZ rugby remain unscarred (for now).

Mr and Mrs

Following my little foray in to the world of daily newspapers I am already wondering about something (while many things actually but for the purpose of this blog I will focus on just this one thing). How is it that when we write articles for the general part of the paper everyone is referred to as Mr , Mrs or even Ms and yet when sports reporters write about sports stars they always just refer to the subjects by surnames only?

I know its not much but its still kind of strange don't you think? I mean a title like Mr or Mrs is used as a sign of respect and yet the person who is simply the recorder of these sometimes great sporting moments chooses to denote the doer of these sublime actions as simply their surname. No title, no honorarium - just Bloggs as in Joe Bloggs.

I mean I get it is a style thing but my question is - why is it that this style differentiation even exists? Are we saying that because our sports stars only play games we think that they do not deserve to be treated with same respect as Mrs Homemaker on the front page or Mr Accountant in the business section? It may be a small thing but somehow it just doesn't seem to fit with me.

Some of my greatest childhood memories have been watching great athletes perform great deeds. I will never forget Zinzan Brooke’s drop goal in the 1995 world cup semi final against England or Jonah Lomu's quartet of tries in the same game; I will always think back to the heartbreak of losing the final to the South Africans and the courage it took for the All Blacks to turn up and play like they did despite the devious acts of dirty old ‘Suzy‘; and I shall always remember getting up to watch those games with my family and feeling that connection with everyone else in the country who sat cheering our boys on.

It is more than just a game.

And it is not just with rugby. There have been great Olympic achievements, world champ victories, track success - the list goes but they are all just simple moments of digging deep and succeeding despite all the odds. And isn't that what this nation is built on? The desire to be the best even though we are just a cluster of Islands at the bottom of the Pacific ocean, not far from the isolation of Antarctica.

So why is it that we label some of our most inspirational people with a simple surname? For commitment alone don't they deserve more than this?

And ......Yay test time and I cant wait to see how Richard Kahui goes against the big burly English this weekend.

Its that time again...

Ok so I lied and I didn't highlight the players that could be vying for positions within the All Black backs and well to be completely honest I wont - but hey you get that on the big jobs dont you? (And well whats a bigger job than being a mother lmao)

I am still desperately scrambling to get everything done so this week my entry will be the people I would either expect to see in the All Blacks or those who I would like to see.

(1) - Tighthead prop: Tony Woodcock
(2) - Hooker: Keven Mealamu
(3) - Loosehead prop: Neemia Tialata
(4) - Lock: Ali Williams
(5) - Lock: Brad Thorn
(6) - Blindside: Jerry Collins (vc)
(7) - Openside: Ritchie McCaw (c)
(8) - No. 8: Jerome Kaino
(9) - Halfback: Piri Weepu
(10) - First-five: Dan Carter
(11) - Wing: Lelia Masanga
(12) - Second-five: Stephen Brett
(13) - Centre: Anthony Tuitavake
(14) - Wing: Sitiveni Sivivatu
(15) - Fullback: Mils Miliaina
Reserves
John Afoa, Andrew Hore, Jason Eaton, Liam Messam, Andy Ellis, Nick Evans, Hosea Gear.

I have already admitted that there are players in my line up that in all reality I do not expect to see when Ted and the rest of selectors announce the first All Black team of 2008 but for me they are the players that have shown enough promise to be marked as the ones to watch in the future. As for Nick Evans, I know that he is leaving at the end of the NPC season, and I almost included Stephen Donald (as he has played well enough this season to warrant selection) instead of Evans but that would leave a gap exposed as Donald does not play fullback. And as previously said Rugby is like chess in that it is all about strategy. So you must ensure that all or your bases are covered from any attacks that you can reasonably predict. The prudent option would be Evans.

So there you have it, if I was selector that would be my team. However I fully expect many hours of debates with the Engineer and therefore I could possibly change my team by the time Ted announces his. And if you dont agree then too bad that is why it is my blog, a place I get to rant - even if I am the only person that gets it :).

Exodus

Ok so its already Saturday afternoon and yet again I have failed to write my blog entry before this weekend’s super 14 games kicked off. It would seem as this year gathers impetus so does our workload and between motherhood and being a student I am finding it more and more difficult to find the time sit down and write purely for my enjoyment. I love learning how to write in the disciplined nature of journalism but I also crave the freedom blog writing offers - it certainly feels liberating to shake off the academic mantel and just spiel. All too often, however, I feel I am playing catch up trying to find the time to write an entry before the weekend starts and then before I know it’s Friday and the7.35pm kick off is almost upon us. So my humblest of apologies for the delay in posts but I am sure that you will all understand.

This week Nick Evans announced that he has signed with the English rugby side, Harlequins and will be leaving at the end of this year’s NPC season. Yet another rugby player selling his soul to the British for cash and so continues the mass exodus of our country’s players. The modern day equivalent of British colonisation within New Zealand. Nah :), but in all seriousness - good on him, he has made the decision knowing that Dan Carter could also be leaving at the end of this year, and has been clear to say that in all likelihood he will not be back to play for the All Blacks in 2011. I respect that and if Evans feels that is he is coming to what I call his years of ’rugby maturity’ and wants to secure financial stability then his future definitely lies overseas where the physical demands on him will be less. I can only wish him all the best because in all reality there is a very good chance that even if Evans did stay and Carter left Evans may still not be the All Black first five at the next world cup, or for that matter he may even fail to still be in the All Blacks. As Rugby becomes a more credible career choice there are so many young and promising players coming through and many of them are fitter and more eager to prove themselves than the latest fringe players or sometimes even the incumbents. And any young player with a viable chance of making the All Black will not be going anywhere, not for a very long time.

And for Evans and many other older players it is also the fact that injuries have taken their toll and while the mind will always be willing it is feared that the bodies would slowly start to crumble beneath the intense pressure of southern hemisphere rugby.

However, even though Evans is going overseas it does not necessarily endow the media’s obvious assumptions, especially those concerning Carter, with any more credibility than was already deserved (and that is nothing), nor does it exonerate the media for perpetuating these assumptions as the inevitable. It merely suggests that an All Black’s career needn’t be over as soon as he knows that his body will no longer take the strain of what is now a very intense competition.

And anyway I believe that Evan’s admittance to his British contract signings could be an indication that Carter may very well hope to stay here in NZ. I mean Carter has not made a decision and that has been clear with his refusal to comment on where his future might lay. Money is a tempting thing, and especially the large amounts that Toulon is offering Carter. And only God and Carter will know just how many more offers there are but I seriously pray that Carter will know that he has yet to reach his greatest moment and that in order to fulfil the promise that his talent alludes to he needs to stay in this country and be the best of the best.

Because we are not only one of the best but a leader in the sport. And it is simply because we have so many players that are so good at what they do. They play with such a raw excitement factor and a level of skill and mental understanding that drives others to be better and more exciting themselves. In recent years our players and coaches' innovation have seen the New Zealand style dictate how many other countries see the game. And even though the French are proponents of the expansive game and it was them that ended our world cup dream last year, they are still a rung or two behind the All Blacks. And so the French media claiming that Carter has a verbal agreement with Toulon may not be telling the full story. It is my guess that Carter has made the condition that Toulon would need to make it into the French top 14 competition before he would even consider seriously looking at the offer. I am willing to put it out there and state that I fully expect to see Carter in the number ten jersey next year, the year after and leading in to the world cup.

But back to the real world...

So now this week is where things get interesting, only one more week of round robin games and we are into the finals of the Super 14 and it is certainly possible for any of several teams to make the top four teams. Money has to be on the Crusaders to take out the competition for a seventh time but as yet no team, including the Crusaders, has stood up and declared themselves as the outright team to beat. The Hurricanes made a good push for the finals after almost annihilating John Mitchell’s Force team in Wellington last night. And if the Chiefs can win convincingly over the Lions, and they have every chance of doing so and hopefully with a bonus point, then they have a good possibility of going all the way. Especially if the Waratahs can get one over the Stormers in Cape town tomorrow morning. Which will set up a very interesting week next weekend for the Blues (providing they can win against the Highlanders with a bonus point) and the Hurricanes. If any team can do a Houdini though and conjure themselves into the top four for the semi finals then it is the Blues. I am a Hurricanes fan myself, but I must say that more than likely the game will see the Blues the victors on Eden park next Friday night.

It will also give the All Black’s selectors a look at what has been the most dominant front row of the competition and the player that is meant to be the solution for the loss of Carl Hayman. Interesting times!

And what’s more is the first test is now less than month away and well following last year’s world cup debacle and Graham Henry’s subsequent re-appointment several positions within the All Black team are well and truly up for grabs:
Props and hooker: The Blues front row have gone well this year and I definitely expect to see Tony Woodcock in the line up, despite the fact that the Aussies claim “he is a myth”. And if John Afoa can have a solid game against the man who is meant to be our new anchor, Neemia Tialata (heres hoping the judiciary doesn’t ruin the party though) next week then he could have a chance of getting the reserve propping duties. However in order to do that he would need to nudge out the ever constant Greg Sommerville. At hooker it would seem Hore is determined to step up and prove that he deserved to play at the world cup instead of the consistent Mealamu. Both men, I think, should deserve a black jersey in June perhaps pushing out Corey Flynn and the unfortunate Tom Willis.
Locks: A couple of years ago it was a case of whether Ali Williams had the necessary nouse and acumen to ever be the senior lock, but now he is simply going from strength to strength and it shall be an interesting battle between him and the big burly South African enforcer, Barkies Botha. The real question is - who are the selectors going to team up with Willliams? I am hoping for a bit of bolter in the chiefs lock, Toby Lynn but many others are pushing for the bruising Brad Thorn. The thing is though Thorn is simply another Reuben Thorne, while he is strong in the tight he is not seen running the ball often enough for me and with that bulk you would still want to maintain mobility and athletic ability and if Ted and the rest of the selectors insist on carrying on with Jerry Collins and Rodney So’oialo then they will need a lock that is both traditional and a runner of the ball. I think that Lynn could offer this.
It is also interesting to note that Jason Eaton may be a little like Solomon and might have lost his strength with his hair as he has failed to show the form that saw him a world cup definite before injuring his knee in last year's Super 14. Against the Force it seemed to me that Eaton was invisible and the young Jeremy Thrush easily outshone. Personally I think that he may have played himself out of the other starting lock position and he will need a superb game next week and then again in the finals to even have a chance. The Engineer, however, thinks that he is stepping into a more senior role for the Hurricanes and perhaps he may doing a lot more tight stuff but in my opinion he is playing Super 14 and the step up to test level will be a giant one this year, and if he is failing to shine in Super 14 then perhaps he will struggle to do so for the All Blacks. And being an All Black means that you must shine when it is the big time, that is why they get huge offers from oversea's clubs. Also a notable mention would have to be Ross Filipo of the Crusaders - strong, consistent and always solid - and although I do not think that he will make it I wouldn't rule him out completely, nor would I necessarily rule out Troy Flavell.
Blindside and No. 8: Jerry Collins is another All Black incumbent at the centre of contract rumours and he is being his ever non-communicative self and neither answering nor denying the media claims that he is wanting out of his NZRFU contract early. After reading a New Zealand Rugby Magazine article on Collins a year or two ago I understand that he is a man of his word, however after being tagged with the bad boy image and the disappoint of losing two world cups there is a possibility that Collins may be considering offers from foreign rugby clubs. Somehow I think the chance to prove that he is in fact the best will be a huge driving force behind his eventual decision. But perhaps the selectors may think that Jerry is old news and go with the youth which means it could well be that Keiran Reid may have a look in, especially seen as though he is the rookie of the year despite the fact that the Engineer thinks that he just isn’t ‘animal’ enough to be an All Black. Personally I would like to see Liam Messam get a chance.
Number eight is a strange old position and even though Rodney So’oialo has been there for a few seasons now he has never managed to cement himself, so it might be time to look around for fresh talent. Chris Masoe proved that he could not adapt to the important role and the technical part of the position was beyond Sione Lauaki so maybe Mosese Tuali’i shoud be given a shot but definitely keep an eye on Victor Vito for the future.
Halfback: It would seem that Piri Weepu is pissed about being dropped last year just before the world cup (no great suprise though is it?)and has a point to prove. Last night Weepu proved that he was a class act, outplaying even the rather impressive Matt 'five million dollar' Giteau of the Force. He shall be a definite provided Ted can admit he was wrong last year and took the wrong halfback. The other All Black halfback will be of course be Andy Ellis. I am rather disappointed but Brendon Leonard showed this season that he isn't of the same calibre as Weepu and Ellis even before he was injured. Another option is always the Highlanders halfback, Jimmy Cowan. And lets not forget the rumours that Justin Marshall may have said that he would like to return to play for the All Blacks - talk about a twilight zone, the young promising players leaving and being replaced by has-beens. I should think that it is just a bit of a laugh, because unfortunately NZ rugby has moved on and I should think that there is no longer a need for Marshall. ANd that there highlights the danger of going overseas, just because you think you can go overseas and return at a 'better time' does not mean that NZ rugby and player will not develope and evolve faster than you.
Next week I will have a run down of the backline positions up for grabs and the potential candidates. Until then, c'mon on the Chiefs!!!

Good men, great men and a bunch of cliches

I have just returned from a holiday in the beautiful Bay of Plenty and I have to say that although I love returning home and feeling the fresh breeze as it whips up off the Pacific ocean I am somewhat glad to be back in the damp and misty Waikato. It has definitely been good to get back to life in a city and more importantly good city coffee.

Don’t get me wrong I love spending time with my family and I feel incredibly refreshed after a very relaxing week spent in the smooth tidal ebb of Whakatane but I have found that this level of ease is not so great for cultivating writing. Ashamedly I must admit that although I did try to write a blog entry for last week I was not disciplined enough to sit down and finish writing my entry. While partaking in the decidedly average coffee sold in the Whakatane’s small town cafes I did, however, do a lot of thinking and I have come to the realisation that despite our friendly image we here in God’s own can be incredibly judgmental when we choose to be. Especially when we have put a person up on a pedestal and then that person fails to meet our expectations.

As the Engineer and I sat in a little retro café in the centre of the Whakatane township, struggling to entertain a toddler while trying to grab a semi-descent (kinda) cup of coffee, we got talking. We spoke of the obvious over development in our beloved Whakatane, the success of the Hamilton 400 and eventually because of the Chiefs surprise victory over the Crusaders we got talking about rugby. Almost immediately we were speaking of Ritchie McCaw and the issue of the media’s recent attack on his captaincy.

I must admit that leading into the world cup last year I had serious doubts about whether McCaw had the necessary communication skills to be All Black captain. And the game against the French seemed to prove the fact that McCaw struggled with re-grouping and guiding his men, and when the team needed someone to keep a clear head and make good decisions McCaw was noticeably absent. But McCaw showed that he has realised that he needed to work on this and he stood up and answered his critics when the Crusaders played the Blues last week. McCaw was commanding, decisive and he excuded control over his men. It was good to see, and what’s more it has been good for the media to see.

The media were like a pack of angry wolves thirsty for blood and when they sensed that there may have been a weakness they attacked en masse. They were vicious, blind and almost unfair. One bad game does not mean that your career is over, just like one good game does not make you an All Black and being a great captain is something you work at. What do they want, for McCaw to lose the captaincy? Then who becomes captain, and more importantly what happens to McCaw? Openside is a position that you need to be confident in yourself and your abilities, things happen there in a split second and you cannot take a moment to doubt yourself - it is all of nothing. And do we really want to ruin McCaw because essentially he isn't ready to be a great captain. Leaders are made they not born and like the old cliché says: all good things take time.

The media’s attack got me thinking though, about how we are so quick to rubbish someone when we think that they have let us down, and then when they are down we put the boot in. McCaw is obviously a man of integrity, he plays with his heart and soul and it is plain to see that his team-mates, coaches and opponents all respect him, so why cant we? Because if he is a man with integrity doesn't this make him one of the good ones? God knows good men are hard to find, and good men have the potential to become great men. Because when a great man falls it is impossible to replace them.

Sir Edmund Hillary was our greatest New Zealander. We admired him, loved him and will forever mourn him. It wasn’t just that Sir Ed was the first to climb the world’s highest mountain, but that he took all that life gave him with honour and dignity. Sir Ed represented everything that was good and true in humanity and did so with a gentleman’s integrity.

And for us in this age of supposed sophistication, integrity is a valuable commodity because genuine integrity is so rare that it is almost impossible to know. It is the ability to remain genuine despite the constant stimulation of life’s shiny baubles. We respect those who endeavour to stay honest but we almost always doubt whether everything they tell us is true. Because we know ourselves and we know that although most of the time we are trying desperately to be honest and truthful all too often we feel the need to weave personal fairytales to appease the inner guilt gnawing in the pits of our stomachs. We smooth over the sharp edges with glossy half-truths to hide the fact we ourselves are often severely lacking in what is one of the most important of human values. Integrity, it is about being honest and genuine. How many of us can say that we are people of integrity because just like being a good captain learning how to be truly honest takes time and mistakes. We will never learn from always being right, and we will never learn how to be genuine until we have truly been humbled.

Game of the week: It has to be the bolters, the Chiefs. Unfortunately it is the start of their travelling this week. The first stop is to Perth on saturday night to play the Force and if they can manage to get up over John Mitchell's side, the former Waikato coach and a true blue Hamiltonian, it will boost their confidence ahead of the 2 weeks in South Africa. It is always difficult to take points off the South African teams at home and good start in Aussie is key.

Brendon Leonard is out with injury and is being left at home, however personally I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing he has being playing averagely lately and I think that most of the Super 14 players are on to him now. He had the unknown factor when he burst onto the scene last year and now he has been worked out. I have also been rather disappointed by his lacklustre attitude on the field. Against the Crusaders he was very ho-hum and lacked the drive that all the other players seemed to have. I am confident that Jamie Nutbrown will do a good job. Also Sione Lauaki is playing his 50th game for the Chiefs, so that will be a great motivator. But the Force will not be a push over, they have been the Aussie performer this year and Mitchell will want bragging rights over his old province.

If the Chiefs wernt the Cinderella-story of the competition the game of the week would have been the Crusaders vs Sharks in Christchurch on Friday night. The two top teams head to head. Should be a good battle and maybe a look at what will be the final. Look for the Crusaders to dominate possession and play long phases.

Rule of the week: Give yourself a break, you have to start somewhere. The game is started by a place kick or a drop kick from the halfway line. If a try, penalty kick or drop goal is scored during the game, play will be restarted with a drop kick from the halfway line by the team that has just conceded the points.

Heaven is full of Boguns...

Hallelujah to the God of all things V8. It is the Hamilton 400 and I have been converted.

We own a V8 and because it is our family car I drive it everyday but until now I have never really got the whole complete love of it. Sure it is a lot of fun out on the open road and I think she is a pretty car (she is in desperate need of a paint job though) but the fuel bill is atrocious, maintenance is expensive and well, I really am mystified that the Engineer is yet to earn a speeding ticket in it. Driving a V8 has not been enough to make a petrol head out of me.

It wasn’t until I spent all day at the race track here in Hamilton that I finally understood this madness that takes over. To many Heaven is a place on earth and for the car nut, this weekend Heaven has come to Hamilton in the form of the V8 Supercars. And finally I see why so many men have a devotion to cars that seems to almost surpass their marriage vows, and why so many women have joined in. The sound of a roaring engine is as beautiful as any whispered phrase of love. The acrid smell of burning rubber combined with man-sweat is more exhilarating than any French perfume. And the sights of Hamilton in party mode is absolutely unbelievable. And finally I get it!

The corner of Queens Ave and Lake Road in Frankton has been transformed into a haven for bogans. Mullets had been carefully pruned for the occasion and many are dressed in their full motor-head regalia; leather vests, black jeans and well worn Metallica t-shirts. It was simply glorious! Beer flowed freely and the smell of the stew slowly cooking on an outside gas-cooker was enough to make even the most conservative of pedestrians yearn to be invited in.

It was only 3pm when we passed by on our way home from the track and the conversations still seemed reasonably tame but I knew that during this weekend the old debate would always be near; Holden vs. Ford. Because that is what the V8 Supercars is all about isn’t it? Holden fans vs Ford fans It’s what buys tickets, merchandise, and the loyalty of a lifetime.

I myself am neither, my father always had Fords when I was young but when the Engnineer and I were looking for a new car the purple Holden Senator stole his heart in the simple revving of an engine. So now I am left to ferry the young fella around in a gas-guzzling, money-eating V8. But today I got it! I saw the rivalry at its peak and could not help but be impressed that each maker’s fans were willing to wear their colours with such loud, vocal and uncompromising pride. And it is this that I think is missing from Rugby.

Sure Rugby has its screaming fans, usually dressed in the latest jerseys, hats, jackets but we seemed to have lost that unconditional pride that a motorsport fan will always have. I heard one of the Holden 400 commentators say today that “motor-racing is sport, everything else is just a game”. And I thought that Rugby fans could learn a lot from that. Motor-sport and V8 racing is a way of life, and these days all rugby seems to be about is the value of the dollar.

Game of the week: Chiefs vs Crusader, here in Hamilton to add to a HUUUUGGEE weekend. The game kicks off in about half and an hour and it will be big ask but it will be fantastic if on the weekend of the Hamilton 400 the Chiefs could pull out an upset. Dan Carter is injured and not playing so now is the time. C'mon on the Chiefs!!! Enough said.

Rule of law: Scoring points. Simple yet crucial, and hopefully the Chiefs will be able to do alot of it.

Try: This happens when a player grounds the ball (applies pressure on the ball) in the opponents in-goal area. This is worth 5 points.
Penalty Try: A Penalty Try is given when an opponent would've scored a try but the opponent commits foul play. This too is worth 5 points.
Conversion Goal: A conversion is kicked when a players team scores a try and has the opportunity to gather 2 extra points.
Penalty: A penalty, worth 3 points, is scored when a player kicks a goal from a penalty kick. A penalty is awarded when an opponent commits a foul.
Dropped Goal: Finally, a drop goal, also worth 3 points, is scored when a player kicks a goal from a drop kick in general play.

An insult to mother rugby

I am a child of the ‘80s and I grew up in a time when life seemed a lot more simple. We didn’t need the latest computer game to feel complete and a millionaire was about as rich as you could get, but now - now NZ has become a land for the money-grubbing and the self-obsessed.

Since when were we so obsessed with money? The average three bedroom house is no longer enough, oh no now we aspire to own huge mansion-like homes decked out in the latest of luxuries that we think are necessities - shiny kitchens, 50 inch plasma screen televisions, refrigerators with ice-dispensers and rumpus rooms.

Life has become more about the material things. And now our rugby players who are still in their 20’s, young men at the peak of their rugby careers, are turning their back on the black jersey and swanning off to Europe to crème the top of a huge pile of money that floods into the game with a scary amount of ease. Since when was a hundred odd thousand per year not enough, I mean for god's sake it used to be that people played rugby for the love of the game not to own a bloody Aston Martin.

I understand that players must set themselves up for life after rugby but to have that level of audacity that allows you to spit on Mother-rugby while you still nuzzle at her breast - well I am simply disgusted. How dare you! She has cradled you, nurtured you, made Gods of you - and you tell her it is not enough. Get over yourselves - our great All blacks came from a time when they played a test match on the Saturday and then they were back on the farm come Monday morning ready for milking.

I am not talking about the players who are unlikely to make the All blacks, or the All Blacks who realise that they are now in their 30s and only have a brief time before their bodies will no longer allow them to play. I am talking about the players who are at their peak and realise that they can go overseas for a brief time earn some serious cash and then think they can just waltz on back to be part of the world cup team. Once again, get over yourselves, you are not that important in the big scheme of things that you cannot be replaced.

But you go, you turn your back on the chance to wear the All black jersey, because do not think that the young wont move to supplant you while you are away. There are hundreds of young talented players just waiting for a chance and if your are conceited enough to allow them to show what they have - then more fool you. And even if you come back just before the next world cup there is no saying that your position will still be open, in fact I count on it not to be. The youth will most likely be faster, fitter, stronger and more hungry to prove themselves. But you leave, put money ahead of the jersey. But just remember even if you return and make it back in the squad do not expect me or any of the other die hard fans to welcome you back with open arms. I am fanatic supporter when it comes to the All Blacks and I will not have the black jersey belittled in such a lame way.

And to those of you calling for the option to allow NZ players who are stationed overseas to be considered for All Blacks, shame on you. Yes we lose players, good players even but it is a price I am willing to pay to keep the value in the jersey and in our unions. How long do you think it will be before our rugby fraternity crumbles if we allow our All blacks to play overseas. There will be nothing to hold our young talent here, no-one to hold up our club teams, our provincial teams, our super 14 teams. It will be the death nail to grass-roots and then eventually to the rest of our rugby.

Game of the week: I know it's already Friday night and the Highlanders have just gone down to the sharks (only just mind you, 19-17) but the game to watch for Kiwis would probably have to be the Blues vs Brumbies tomorrow night at Eden park. It wont be the same spectacle as it has been in past years as the Brumbies are no where near the force they once were but it will still be interesting to see if the Blues can get their campaign back on track against their old foe. Watch for the match up between Stirling Mortlock and Isaia Toeava, the master vs little grasshopper. It should be interesting to see if Toeava has learnt anything since he last tussled with the Aussie superstar. Also watch the front row as Tony Woodcock has copped a lot of flack from his Aussie counterparts, look for him to prove that he is more that a 'myth' against Guy Shepherdson.
The other game to have a look at is between the two Aussie performers, the Force vs the Waratahs in Perth tomorrow night. There will be more than just Super 14 points up for grabs, and bragging rights are an important incentive.

Rule of law: You are only as old as you feel, however there is nothing like the young to make you feel old. No seriously the rule of law this week is a simple one: you cannot pass the ball forward ie a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction of the opposition's try line. Also a deliberate forward pass is cause for a penalty as opposed to a free kick. So the moral of the story is dont try and hurry things a long by taking short cuts as more often than not there will be repercussions to face.

K.I.S.S, heres to the referees

Just like probably every person that played rugby in the 90s ive been told keep it simple stupid! After reading my blog last night the man, otherwise known as the Engnieer, used the old acronym - Keep It Simple Stupid to tell me that my posts were too long and too indepth for women and probably only men who played rugby would understand it and they'd probably disagree with me anyway... Well cheers, nothing like a bit of of constructive criticism to keep the passion in a relationship. And well maybe I should start learning abit about power tools, voltage and all that other stuff that seems to get his engine going, and then I can start sharing my thoughts on how he could do a better job. Nah - he was right after all, I do ramble in these posts and perhaps I do need to scale things back - I just hate admitting he's right.

Anyway I digress this blog is meant to be about rugby isnt it? But perhaps I should take this chance to share my opinions on why I think so many men love the game. Rugby is just like chess, its about strategy and tactics but at the end of the day all its really about is domination and control. And after six years of living with the Engineer, I can tell you there is nothing that a man likes more than to dominate the situation. I am not talking about physical domination, just that 'man of the house' type mentality, you know that 'Ive been at work all day, I want my hot meat and three veg meal on the table when i get home' attitude. Never mind that his woman has been running around like a mad thing all day, the house is a tip because the kid is home and he's demanding mum's attention, it's all about him. And Rugby, unfortunately, is little like that. It is aggresive and demanding, and the 30 men out there romping around the field are trying to gain control. And just like many men I know, and particularlly my own, when things arnt going their way they blame it on the one person that really does have the control, and in real life that is usually you. Out on the rugby field that person it is the referee. I mean think about it - it was referee's fault why we lost that quarter final in France last year and it is always the referee's fault if he doesnt happen to see that guy that's offside or the man at the bottom of the ruck trying gouge out his opponent's eyes. I mean never mind that the referee is only human, men still expect him to be everywhere and see everything - just like they expect us to know where they left their keys last night and that they are grumpy because they had a bad day at work and they're not really yelling at you, they're just letting off steam. Men, they expect omnipotent qualities in the referees and their woman and yet most of them think that they're God anyway.

So heres to the referees because even though most of them are men, for 80 minutes they might just knows how it feels to be a woman. You are always trying to catch up with the play because you've got 50 million things to do and watch, and no bugger thinks about giving you a hand but they sure as hell will let you know when you've got it wrong.

Week eight's Game of the week is recommended by the highly entertaining Mike Fletcher of the JTO and he reckons to watch the Sharks. So the 'Canes Vs Sharks at the cake tin on Saturday night it is. Watch out for the Hurricane's loose trio again, aggressive and confrontational they should have a go at the big South Africans and I fully expect a few fire works. Otherwise the speedsters out the back for both teams should look good if they get that elusive open space. Oh and also keep an eye on Francois Steyn, as he is going to give the All blacks a few headaches come Test time.

And as for the rule of the week, well just remember you're not really allowed to gouge out other people's eyes - even at the bottom of the ruck.

Happy Rugby watching 8-)

All Blacks Best Rugby Tries Ever

"The most brilliant quartet of tries you will ever wish to see"-Keith Quinn, Semi Final World cup 95 about Jonah Lomus for tries against England.

Watchdogs - Super 14: Round 7.

Note: You will find definitions of the rugby terminology used in this entry at bottom of the post. If you should still need clarification please don't hesitate to ask and I will endeavour to provide an answer for you.














Ok so this may be quite cheap but I wanted to highlight the game to watch this weekend and the entry that I wanted to post on the decline of rugby into professionalism isn't quite ready (I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to sharing my writing). So I will just post a few details on this rounds 'Game of the week' and publish my rant at a later date.

The game to watch this weekend is definitely the Hurricanes vs Crusaders on Friday night in Wellington. It should be a good game, but the thing about the Hurricanes is that you never know which team is going to turn up. I'm hoping that they bring a more disciplined approach in defence and employ the powerful, explosive running that they have become known for. I expect that the key to the match, like any other rugby game, lies out at no. 10 (First five) and I am looking forward to seeing how the Hurricanes' loose forwards: Rodney So'oialo, Jerry Collins and Chris Masoe, manage the Crusaders first-five, Dan Carter.

First-five is the most influential position on the field as it is a team's number one attacking weapon. It is the position that makes the key tactical decisions during a game — whether to kick for space or tactical advantage, move the ball to his outside backs, return the ball to his forwards to drive on to or run with the ball himself. In past years it has been the openside flanker's (e.g Chris Masoe) job to target the first-five, however now the loose trio (ie loose forwards) work more as a three-pronged attack, in that the individual roles of the three positions have become interchangeable. And so now it is the job of all the loose forwards to attack the first-five on defence and find the weakness. Once a weakness is established at first-five the oppositions backline will most likely start to fracture and it should be easier to force the opposition into making mistakes. And since Carter is undoubtedly New Zealander's strongest first-five/playmaker then it should only make sense that putting pressure on him will be the key to victory for the Hurricanes.

On the other side I think that the Crusaders' more structured and disciplined style of play is likely to frustrate the Hurricanes' players. The Crusaders have been Super 14 champions multiple times because of their ability to starve the opposition of the ball. The Crusaders retain possession of the ball for long periods of time and their quick phase ball means that they are able to get beyond the advantage line and capitalise on weak defense. The suffocating attacking style coupled with the ability to turn over ball in the tackle repeatedly usually allows the Crusaders to control the match.Against the Hurricanes, the Crusaders biggest advantage will be their ability to take control. The Hurricanes' players thrive in the expansive style of rugby (ie when the ball is spun wide and there is a lot of space to work with), however their inability to play within a structured gameplan is often their downfall, and I am sure that the Crusaders will look to take advantage of this weakness. It will be a matter of the Crusaders dictating the speed of the play, and they will most likely want keep it slow and structured in the first 60 minutes with a lot of rucks and mauls ie a multi-phase gameplane, so that they are able to deprive the Hurricanes of the ability to play free-running rugby. The Crusaders will want to draw the Hurricanes' loose forwards into the rucks and mauls, and try and get the trio tangled up in forward play to limit their strong running bursts and to also keep them away from Carter. It will also break the clear link between the forwards and the Hurricanes traditional try-scorers ie their backs. Ritchie McCaw and Mose Tuiali'i will definitely have their hands full, however they may have found a new comrade to help combat the Hurricane's brutes in their young blindside, Kieran Reid. I am very keen to see how the new loose forward goes against what is essentially the All Black's loose trio (minus McCaw obviously). If, however, the Crusaders' feel as though they have their foot on the Hurricanes' neck I am sure we shall see the Crusaders loosen up a bit and they may start to take a few more risks. For the Hurricanes it will be a matter of capitalising on the opportunities they are given, and trying to create their own without exposing to much of their 'neck' - it will be a fine line but if the right Hurricanes' team turn up we could see a bit of an upset.

Another key match-up to watch are the two half-backs. Piri Weepu will be looking to prove a point against the young Andy Ellis - the player who was selected for the world cup team ahead of Weepu. I am certain that with the strength of the two sides loose forwards the tackle-ball area will be hotly contested and it will be here that the two half-backs will need to gain some sort of advantage over the other. If the Hurricanes' forwards are able to provide a strong platform look for Weepu's strong confrontational styled of running from the rucks and mauls and taking on the opposition's defense (he is almost like a fourth loosie). And I expect Andy Ellis to be more provider, but also watch for his snipping runs to continue the Crusaders impetus and his careful linking in the backline. However if I were Andy Ellis I would watch that channel either side of the ruck very carefully as the Hurricanes have some very menacing watchdog's out on patrol and I am sure he does not want to find out how sharp their teeth are.

With players like Carter though, who can call on an entire arsenal of skills and have the ability to marshall their backline with military efficiency, the Crusaders are always dangerous - no matter what time of the match. Whereas if the Hurricanes do not make a good start they are unlikely to be able to make it back u[. But the Hurricanes do have the home ground advantage (30,000 tickets have been sold) and the the conditions at cake-tin can be as unpredictable as the home team itself. So, I am looking forward to tomorrow nights game and I am glad that I have finally found a bit of excitement for the 2008 Super 14 season.

Oh and better say "C'mon on the chiefs", seen as though I am now a Hamiltonian... They are playing the Highlanders here in Hamilton tomorrow night at 5.30pm. And if I could guarantee that my little 20 month old All-black-in-the-making was able to sit still for the length of the game, we would be toddling down to the stadium with my partner, the Engineer, unfortunately as it is impossible for my son to sit still for any time longer than 5 minutes I may have to wait until Nana comes to visit before I can go to live game. So those of you who are without the joys of children I urge you to go down and support your local team!!!!

For the list of all the other games this weekend please see: http://www.super14.com/fixtures/

Definitions:

First-five (No. 10): Also called first-five eighth or fly half, this position is one of the most influential on the field. It is their job to make the tactical decisions and direct play. An ideal first-five should be a fast and deceptive runner, be able to make decisions quickly, direct the backline on defence and attack, have excellent kicking and handling skills and the ability to cope under pressure. Strong leadership skills are crucial for this position, as well as strong defensive skills. It is often that the first-five is the most important position out on the field.

Halfback (No. 9): also known as scrum-half, form the all important link between the forwards and the backs, and are invariably at the centre of the action. They are neither forward nor back but operate somewhere between, providing the ball from the forwards to the backs usually. A scrum half is normally relatively small but with a high degree of vision, the ability to react to situations very quickly. They will also have good ball-handling skills, as well as the ability to spin the ball with great ease off both hands. They are often (along with the openside flanker) the first tackler in defense and should be behind every scrum, maul or ruck to get the ball out and maintain movement. They put the ball into the scrum and collect it afterwards; they are also allowed to stand further forward than other backs at a line-out to try and catch a knock-down from the jumper. It is also not unusual to have a talkative half-back as he has to communicate to the rest of the team what is happening and what should be happening next. Though technically illegal, most half backs will subtlely (or not so subtlely in some cases) alert the referee to infringements committed by the opposition, Australian Greorge Gregan (aka the creator of the phrase 'four more years') was a master at this.

Loose forwards (loose trio - No's 6,7,8): Are the three position at the back of the scrum, blindside flanker (No. 6), openside flanker (No. 7) and Number 8.
Flankers (blindside & openside): Flanker is a fairly dynamic position with the fewest set of responsibilities during the game, however they are a crucial component in the team. It is their responsibility to clear up messy balls to start a new phase of play, meaning they play a major role in maintaining/gaining possession after handling errors. And also to pressure the first-five and force the mistakes. Tackle-ball is where you will most likely see the flankers influence and thier ability to turn over the ball is critical in the style that New Zealand teams choose to employ. In the scrum, flankers do less pushing than the tight five, but they have to break away quickly and attempt to tackle the opposing halfbacks or first-five if the opposition wins the scrum; and to cover their own half backs if they win the scrum. Due to their role in the scrum,flankers should be fairly heavy whilst still having speed and power.Considering how dynamic this position is, flankers can adapt slightly to their own style of play; for example, they can become big figures in tackling and mauls, or use their speed to run with the backs for tactical manoeuvres.
Number 8: Number eight is the only position that does not have a specific name in English and is simply referred to as 'number eight'. The modern number eight has the physical strength of a tight forward along with the mobility and pace of other loose forwards (he is often the fastest loose forward in the pack). The number eight packs down at the rear of the scrum, controlling the movement of the ball to the half back with his feet. The number 8 is the position where the ball enters the backline from the scrum and, hence, both first-five and second-five take their lead from the number 8 who, as the hindmost player in the scrum, can elect to pick and run with the ball like a back. As a result, the number 8 has similar opportunities to a back to run from set plays.They are normally tall and athletic and used as an option to win the ball from the back of the lineout. Like flankers they do less of the pushing than locks or props, but need to be quick to cover opposition half-backs. A number eight should be a key ball-winner in broken play, and occasionally a 'battering ram' at the front of rucks; he should also be able to break the opposition's line like his blindside flanker counterpart and the centres. Some back-row players are versatile enough to play either of the flanker positions or at number 8.

Scrum: is a means of restarting play after a minor infringement. It involves eight players from each team, known as the pack or forward pack, binding together in three rows and interlocking with the opposing teams forwards. At this point the ball is fed into the gap between the two forward packs and they both compete for the ball to win possession. Teams can be penalised for intentionally causing the scrum to collapse, and for not putting the ball into the scrum correctly. A scrum is most commonly awarded when the ball is knocked forward, or passed forward, or when a ball becomes trapped in a ruck or maul. Due to the physical nature of scrums, injuries can occur, especially in the front row.

Ruck:A ruck is formed when at least one player from each side bind onto each other with the ball on the ground between them. A ruck often ensues following the tackle-ball phase. As soon as at least two players, one from each side, are in physical contact together with the ball on the ground, a ruck has formed.This physical contact, or binding, is generally by locking shoulders while facing each other. Additional players may join the ruck, but must do so from behind the rearmost foot of the hindmost team mate in the ruck; this is often referred to as "coming through the gate". Players must also be on their feet to join the ruck, and must bind onto the ruck with their whole arm around the body of a team mate. In a ruck no player may use his hands to win the ball; instead each side attempts to push the other side back, and players use their feet to hook the ball back towards their own side — an action known as rucking the ball. The team with possession attempts to ruck the ball back towards their own goal-line, where is it picked up by one of their own players. Once the ball is out of the ruck, the ruck is overPlayers in a ruck may not deliberately go to ground themselves, and must try to stay on their feet. Players must also not attempt to ruck the ball near players on the ground as this is dangerous. If a player is on the ground, they must try to move away from the ball and not interfere with the ball in any way. If the ball becomes trapped in a ruck, the referee awards a scrum to the side moving forward.

Maul: occurs when a player carrying the ball is held by one or more opponents, and one or more of the ball carrier's team mates bind on the ball carrier. Once a maul has formed other players may join in but, as in a ruck, they must do so from their own side. If the maul stops moving forward, and the ball is not available to be played, then the referee awards a scrum to the side not in possession when the maul began (unless the maul was formed immediately after a player received a kick other than a kick-off). The tactic of the rolling maul occurs when mauls are set up, and the ball is passed backwards through the players' hands to one at the rear, who rolls off the side to change the direction of the drive. This tactic can be extremely effective in gaining ground and both doing it properly and preventing it takes great skill and technique. It is a tactic most commonly used when the attacking side is inside the defending side's 22-m line. It is illegal, on safety grounds, to pull down a maul, so that players fall to the ground. Referees are aware that many sides will try to stop a maul by deliberately collapsing it and will watch carefully for this illegal tactic. On the other hand, a maul is not properly formed if the ball carrier binds on to a team-mate from the rear, and both of them then drive into one or more opponents - or if the ball-carrier breaks off from the back of the maul, which continues to drive forward. The players in front are either accidentally or deliberately offside and the referee awards either a scrum or a penalty to the opposing side, depending on whether the infringement was viewed as accidental or deliberate. The tactic is sometimes referred to by players, commentators, and referees by the colloquial term "truck and trailer".

Quick phase ball: being able to recylced the ball back to team-mates at the breakdown (ie ruck or maul) efficiently and set up the next phase of play quickly.

Advantage line: The only way to really put pressure on your opponent is to break the advantage line. Every time that your team is in possession of the ball it it imperative to keep the ball moving forward and past it's last position. The advantage line is the imaginery line that the opposition stand on, Rugby is about trying to get beyond this line. As this forces the opposition to turn and fall back, putting them on the back foot. Remember players ahead of the ruck are considered off-side and are in effect useless to defend, so the more you force your team behind the defenders the more pressure you put on your opponents defence.

Watchdogs: Is a colloquial term used to describe the first one or two defensive players on either side of the ruck or maul. Their role is to defend the channel close to the breakdown area and stop the runner that tries to make quick metres. Watch Jerry Collins to see how this is done effectively.

Bloody George Gregan and those three little words...

Ok so, the Chiefs and the Stormers are about to kick off round 5 of the Super 14 Rugby competition and I must be honest and admit that last weekend was the first time this year that I have sat down and watched an entire game. Tragically, it has taken me this long to find any enthusiasm at all for the 2008 rugby season. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it still feels like summer, the sun is shining, the beach is calling and daylight savings is yet to end; or maybe it has more to do with those three little words... “Four more years”.

In 2003 as the whistle blew on the Rugby World Cup semi-final that ever-constant Australian half-back, George Gregan, spat a phrase at Byron Kelleher that ripped open the freshly cut wound and exposed New Zealand’s sunburnt emotions to a splash of hot water that only George could supply. “Four more years”. They were only three little words, a simple fragment of a sentence and yet the torrid of emotions that those words evoked bubbled up with green acidic bile. Fury raged with disappointment, disbelief collided with anger and yet somehow there was a feeling of numbness, of nothingness, complete and utter sadness. I cried, I was heartbroken and I cried all because our national rugby team had lost a simple game of Rugby. I like to think that I am a rational person and in my better moments I know that there are far more important things to cry over; such as wars, death and destruction, but somehow I found myself with tears streaming down my face and the inane urge to pummel the TV screen. And all the time that dark little puk-like face sneered at me while he mouthed the words... "Four more years".

Leading into 2007 we were the best and I am certain of that because in recent times there was no one else that had even come close. Our teams had dominated Super 14, we had locked up the Bledisloe Cup in our trophy cabinet year after year, the Tri-nations had been ours since 2004 and we had easily accounted for the Lions when they toured here in 2005. We were a nation of happy and confident rugby supporters looking forward to October when Richie McCaw would hold the Webb-Ellis Cup aloft. And even when our All Blacks stumbled we still believed that Graham Henry aka Ted and his management team were heading in the right direction, we thought that our team was strong in almost all positions including the bench, and we were definite that we had captain fantastic in Richie. We firmly believed that we were destined to be World Cup champions again – finally after 20 years.

But as the world cup drew ever closer the cracks began to show. Players that could have been key components went down injured in Super 14, Ted continued his rotation policy even as every professional and armchair expert called for him to cement his top 15, and then as the country was beginning get to really excited about the world cup the coaching staff threw us a curve ball with the naming of the team, and there were glaring omissions that even now I am struggling to understand. I am sure the management team had their reasons but it just seems crazy to leave behind guys that you have been developing in order to take players that were outstanding in the Super 14 and the NPC competitions. Good players, but the reality is that Super 14 is a step up from NPC and test level is a whole giant step up from Super 14. The pace is faster, the gaps close sooner, the tackles are harder and every other player out there is as fit and wants it as much as you do. Great players are made in test matches, and it is their mental strength that gives them the edge. Sometimes a player comes along that is good enough to step up but usually that edge is developed over time. Mental strength comes from experience and being the star player at Super 14 level is simply not enough on its own, it is just a starting point.

That day of the quarter final it seemed as though Ted and his lieutenants had under-estimated the French. The coaching staff had been saying all along that it was the French that we had to be weary of and yet he chose a team that did not reflect our strength, players with very little if any game time together. It wasn't our top 15 and it shouldn't have even been the top 15 for the French. There was no cohesion, and there were players out there that were out of position or simply didn’t make the grade because they were in fact too green, and did not have the necessary experience to handle that level of pressure. Once again I sat staring at the TV in disbelief. It was the year that should have been our time for redemption and I couldn’t even bring myself to watch the final ten minutes of the game. We had lost, and we had lost in the quarter finals – our worst performance at a world cup. Yet again we were meant to have had the team, the management, the game plan and we failed...It was “Four more years” repeating.

Obviously I am still reeling about the 2007 world cup and it still breaks my heart to even think about it. It was meant to be the promised year, and in Ted we trusted but now not only does it break my heart to think about it, it has stripped me of the fanaticism I had for the great game of Rugby. I no longer tune in every weekend for the games, I can hardly muster up the enthusiasm to read the sports pages on a Sunday morning, and I don’t even really know who are in the Super 14 teams this year - I mean who is the No. 7 at the Chiefs now that Marty Holah has left?

So as I sit here watching the Chiefs cling to the Stormers I feel nothing. There is no excitement, no fervour - I am simply underwhelmed and I am waiting for something to re-ignite my passion for the game. I am the product of a time when we as a nation would wake at 2am, struggle out of bed wrapped in a duvet and sip a hot cup of milo while we watched our boys take on the rest of the world. I crave those past years, pre "four more years", when Rugby was all about playing for your mates and that comraderie showed out on the park. Bodies got put on the line for your mates and that meant something.

We need to ask ourselves why have we put so much meaning into winning the Rugby World Cup? Because there is something certainly missing and it is more than just the William Webb-Ellis Trophy - it is that indescribable, intangible feeling that comes with the new rugby season. A feeling that is not too dissimiliar to the one that children know the night before Christmas. As we have embraced the need to prove ourselves on the World cup stage it seems to me that we have lost sight of what is really important. All too often we preach about the lack of thought for "grass-roots"rugby and yet what are we doing to support it? It seems as though there are a lot of NPC tickets that go unsold and many local rugby clubs need coaches, players, supporters and members. Do we really care? Because in my opinion it seems that we are only interested in winning the World Cup and proving to the rest of the Rugby world that we are in fact the 'Best'.

Is it that we are still grieving or are we so obsessed with the World Cup that we have lost sight what really counts - enjoying the game. In the age of professionalism have we sold out Mother Rugby to worship at the altar of the Rugby World Cup? Because George Gregan and his four more years - well it shouldnt really matter, should it?


Definitions:
Each blog I will provide a entry of my opinion but will also follow it with practical definitions and explanations that will hopefully in the understanding of modern Rugby.

Phase of play: Tackle: A player may tackle an opposing player who has the ball by holding him while bringing him to ground. The tackle is complete when the ball-carrier is held on the ground (but keep in mind that if the ball-carrier is forced, or falls, to the ground without being held the tackle is not complete and the ball-carrier may get to their feet and continue). Once tackled, a player must immediately release the ball, either by passing to a team mate or placing it on the ground. The tackler must release the tackled player and move away. After the ball has been released by a tackled player — commonly referred to as the tackle-ball — players from either side may play the ball, provided they are on their feet and have approached the breakdown area from the side of their goal-line. However, the tackler and the tackled player can play the ball as soon as on their feet—regardless of what side they are standing.Note: A tackler is defined as a player who goes to ground in the act of making the tackle, not simply any player involved in making the tackle.

Rule of Law: Tacklers cannot tackle above the shoulder (the neck and head are out of bounds), and the tackler has to attempt to wrap his arms around the player being tackled to complete the tackle. It is illegal to push, shoulder-charge, or to trip a player using feet or legs, but hands may be used (this being referred to as a tap-tackle or ankle-tap).

Position: No 7 or better known as Openside flanker.Role: The openside flanker binds onto the side of the scrum furthest from the sideline. Their first priority is to be first to the ball when a breakdown occurs. It is their responsibility to clear up messy balls to start a new phase of play, meaning they play a major role in maintaining and/or gaining possession after handling errors or attacking the tackle-ball situation to strip the ball from a player who is on the ground and not protected by his/her team-mates i.e. a ruck. Provides a strong defensive screen and acts as a linkman between forwards and backs on attack ie joins the backline when needed and also used to take the ball up to the opposing teams defensive line and set up a ruck to act as foundation for the next phase of play.

Current players of note: Richie Mccaw (All blacks, Crusaders, Canterbury), George Smith (Australia, Brumbies), Phil Waugh (Australia, Waratahs), Juan Smith (Springboks, Cheetahs), Schalk Burger (Springboks, Stormers).

Round 6 games to watch: Crusaders v Waratahs, Stormers v Blues.

Rugby Widows: scones or spriggs?

Long gone are the days when a woman's only contribution to rugby was to provide a few scones for the aftermatch. Now we no longer need to lurk unseen in the kitchen but we too can join our men on the sidelines or the couch and barrack noisily for our team. Yes we too can become 'armchair critics', a past-time that has been regarded by many as the realm of the male psyche.

Increasingly woman are starting to infiltrate every facet of the game. Woman have always been amongst the supporters but now we are playing, refereeing, and even coaching rugby. And much to the horror of some of the 'old boys club' many woman can even talk rugby with the boys over an ice cold steinlager (although perhaps it may still be a nicely chilled chardonnay).Such is some women’s knowledge of the game that many no longer have to limit themselves to only commenting on Dan Carters abdominal muscles in the latest underwear ad or going to watch a test match simply to have a 'perv' at grown men prancing about in rather small shorts. (Although appreciating the ‘aesthetics’ of the game is still a highlight for most woman, whether they understand the laws of rugby or not). In fact many woman are now outranking their male counterparts in online rugby supporters games such as Virtual Super 14.

So if you are a self-proclaimed 'rugby widow' or just a 'rugby-virgin' then don’t sit at home all alone, dash on a bit of lippy and join the boys down at the local pub armed with the knowledge I will endeavour to provide for you in this blog.