So it begins this weekend with Australia v New Zealand and South Africa v some team that doesnt belong
The big one is in Sydney where over the last ten tests between the sides it is even at 5-5. That is an incredible record vrs the All Blacks although I fear they will get a good beating this time. Australia are forced into selecting an inexperienced team and are still missing their captain Horwill. NZ have named a really strong team with a wrecking ball centre partnership in SBW and Nonu. Happy to see Gear in the team again, he is a great winger who has demolished England and Ireland in his few test starts already. I expect him to star this year and based on his super rugby form JP Pietersen will also star. Could be a swansong for SBW who is a marmite player but personally I am a fan and will be sad to see he go back to RL.
Australia
Robinson
Polota-Nau
Kepu
Timani
Sharpe
Dennis
Pocock
Higginbotham
Genia
Barnes
Ioane
Fainga'a
Horne
Ashley-Cooper
Beale
NZ
Woodcock
Mealamu
Franks
Romano
Whitelock
Messam
McCaw
Read
Smith
Carter
Gear
SBW
Nonu
Jane
Dagg
I think it will be NZ by 15!
Rugby championship
posted on 17/8/12
Perhaps its just me but i couldn't help noticing that they call it "The Rugby Championship"
Is this some kind of word play? Like a little joke directed at the NH?
posted on 17/8/12
i thought someone had said SBW had gone back to league ?
posted on 17/8/12
sorry, just read the full article. going back at the end of this season is he ?
posted on 17/8/12
Godd call JPB, i read he was off to Japan tho?
This guy is a walking myth hahaha
posted on 18/8/12
All Blacks cant play overseas and he has a "verbal agreement" to go back to RL after his spell in Japan.
posted on 18/8/12
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posted on 18/8/12
All too easy for NZ. They were switching on and off the intensity at will. Pretty impressive. OZ were way off tho. Far to many mistakes. Defense was weak and slow.
VIK
"Also No quade cooper?I personally don't like him,but can't deny his ability on the field."
Don't agree. He divides opinion to be fair. Some think he's quality others think he a liability. I'm firmly in the latter opinion. "his ability on the field" from my point of view is an ability to ÇoÇk something up with such regularity you could bet your house on it. That said he does try so hard to be inventive that he inevitably pulls off some of those elaborate moves from time to time.
When it works he looks awesome but seems to blind people to all the times he doesn't work and how many trys has he cost his team messing about with this flamboyant nonsense... A LOT.
posted on 18/8/12
I'm still watching the Aus v NZ game as I had to record it but so far Australia are being very sloppy.
The kiwi's have been getting away with too much ball slowing but Australia's slow support to rucks has made it even worse.
Other than that, not been that a great a game to be honest. The AB's haven't really needed to get our of third gear to be fair to them.
Ohh and I'm with Ding on the Quade Cooper fence. I always crack up listening to the Aussie commentator's wetting themselves every time he steps or throws a weird pass but at the top level he's just not up to it.
posted on 18/8/12
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posted on 18/8/12
Again VIK im not at all with you. I respect your POV tho. For me the WC did not hurt him at all. It simply highlighted him as not nearly as good as the hype behind him. He was a liability from game one and from my point of view he not only had a swagger but he was quite honestly so bloody arrogant it nearly made me puke. Ireland soon took the wind out of his rather limp sails.
I do however agree that the guy has potential. But his major problem is trying to do the impossible all the time, trying to justify his hype all the time but ignoring the simple bread and butter things that every top player masters first. That why he çoçks things up the whole time. even at 100% fitness and on form he messes things up regularly and ends up looking like a donkey. You would think he would realize but alas he seems oblivious