What a SHOCKING! weekend in the Rugby World Cup. Australia and New Zealand are going home and the Boks are the new favourites closely followed by France. What we all want to know is what happened to Australia and the ABs. Well the only people that can tell you that are the people who were on the field. England were just the hungrier side in game one and the ABs just did not play their game and made too many errors, but credit to France for forcing and capitalising on the errors in game two. This weekend marked a historic moment in New Zealand rugby, it is the first time they have not been able to make the semifinals, and the funny thing is that the class of '07 had been put up there with the greatest All Black side of all time.
Honestly the World Cup -for the ABs- has become like that girl who got away in High School. The one you bump into every now and then and you flirt with her but nothing happens at the end of the day. The Abs have been favourites how many times and flirted with the Trophy for so long but they are still waking up alone. Its one of those things you feel that when it happens it is going to be like a wedding. You finally get the girl and you are together for a long time. The question is when is it going to happen because I really hope it happens in my lifetime.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Thursday, October 4, 2007
France vs New Zealand
Game Two
Lionel Beauxis - Key man for France
As a Frenchmen said earlier this week, they (the organisers) should have made the quarterfinal for France in Paris regardless of whether they come first or second in the group. I agree 100% with that and unfortunately it is not the case. The game being played in Cardiff will be seen as neutral ground although the french support should be greater. This is historically been a battle of two sides that have similar styles of rugby and it is never a game to miss especially at the World Cup. The french with their unpredictability always try something different against New Zealand and in 1999 it worked like a dream using a more kicking game which blind sided the ABs and they came up short. This time around Laporte has gone for the relatively unknown Lionel Beauxis. I personally have never seen him play but he helped the France U21 side lift the World Cup last year. Yes this 22yr has been thrown in the deep end and faces his biggest challenge in rugby to date and he has the opportunity to make his name in one game that is why he is the Key man as he has X-Factor for France.
Richard Hugh 'Richie' McCaw - Key man for New Zealand
Well well well they are back in the driving seat at yet another World Cup, favourites once again and they are up against the unpredictable Frenchmen who can turn it on especially when they are the underdogs. Pressure comes with the territory being when you play for the All Blacks as they are expected to have 100% performances and win every match but its a different kid of pressure when it comes to World Cup time. They are in top condition I would say the fittest side in the tournament they can play at high intensity for the full 80 minutes but some teams slow down coming to the end of the game. They have the ability we all know the high skill level shown by the New Zealanders at all levels and they are groomed with the correct skill set. There is one variable that is the determining factor for the All Blacks, the mind which was discussed in the Teaser with Buck Shelford. That is why my Key man for the ABs is Richie McCaw undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time to don the number 7 for the All Blacks. His influence on the team not only through his play but more importantly off the field and while the game is static will be crucial to the teams performance.
Stats Say: The All Blacks - after an explosive start they have racked up almost double the points, double the amount of tries and conceded less points...only just. Consistently the better side although still to be tested unlike France
History Says: The All Blacks - they have beaten France 2 out of 3 times '87 final and 03 3rd place playoffs ( if you can count that) and lost just the once in the 1999 World Cup.
Dubes Says:The All Blacks - Geez!!! what a game it is going to be. The french are coming into this one having been tested by both Argentina and Ireland so their
speed to the breakdown and sharpness around the field may shock the All Blacks in the first couple of minutes of the game may be might go in ahead at halftime. But as the game develops and the ABs catch up in terms of awareness the tables will turn and the Abs will go through to the semi's to play Australia.
Lionel Beauxis - Key man for France
As a Frenchmen said earlier this week, they (the organisers) should have made the quarterfinal for France in Paris regardless of whether they come first or second in the group. I agree 100% with that and unfortunately it is not the case. The game being played in Cardiff will be seen as neutral ground although the french support should be greater. This is historically been a battle of two sides that have similar styles of rugby and it is never a game to miss especially at the World Cup. The french with their unpredictability always try something different against New Zealand and in 1999 it worked like a dream using a more kicking game which blind sided the ABs and they came up short. This time around Laporte has gone for the relatively unknown Lionel Beauxis. I personally have never seen him play but he helped the France U21 side lift the World Cup last year. Yes this 22yr has been thrown in the deep end and faces his biggest challenge in rugby to date and he has the opportunity to make his name in one game that is why he is the Key man as he has X-Factor for France.
Richard Hugh 'Richie' McCaw - Key man for New Zealand
Well well well they are back in the driving seat at yet another World Cup, favourites once again and they are up against the unpredictable Frenchmen who can turn it on especially when they are the underdogs. Pressure comes with the territory being when you play for the All Blacks as they are expected to have 100% performances and win every match but its a different kid of pressure when it comes to World Cup time. They are in top condition I would say the fittest side in the tournament they can play at high intensity for the full 80 minutes but some teams slow down coming to the end of the game. They have the ability we all know the high skill level shown by the New Zealanders at all levels and they are groomed with the correct skill set. There is one variable that is the determining factor for the All Blacks, the mind which was discussed in the Teaser with Buck Shelford. That is why my Key man for the ABs is Richie McCaw undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time to don the number 7 for the All Blacks. His influence on the team not only through his play but more importantly off the field and while the game is static will be crucial to the teams performance.
Stats Say: The All Blacks - after an explosive start they have racked up almost double the points, double the amount of tries and conceded less points...only just. Consistently the better side although still to be tested unlike France
History Says: The All Blacks - they have beaten France 2 out of 3 times '87 final and 03 3rd place playoffs ( if you can count that) and lost just the once in the 1999 World Cup.
Dubes Says:The All Blacks - Geez!!! what a game it is going to be. The french are coming into this one having been tested by both Argentina and Ireland so their
speed to the breakdown and sharpness around the field may shock the All Blacks in the first couple of minutes of the game may be might go in ahead at halftime. But as the game develops and the ABs catch up in terms of awareness the tables will turn and the Abs will go through to the semi's to play Australia.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Australia vs England
Game One
Chris Latham - Key man for Australia
This game is going to be a lot closer than some may think. All teams playing on Saturday have annouced there teams except Australia.....what are they waiting for. They just do not look the same without key players like Larkham and Mortlock, and the loss of Lyons does not help anything. I am not saying those guys are not playing I am saying that Aus need those guys badly. On the other hand they have the inform Drew Mitchell who is one try away from equally the top trty scoring record and the unpredictable Chris Latham who has a major role in this game as a leader and who can win a game single handedly. When Latham is good he is unstoppable but when he is bad you just don't want to watch. Thats why he is my Key Man vs England.
Andy Farrell - Key man for England
If there was ever a time to use the quote commeth the man commeth the hour, well in this case 80minutes, it is now. I know nothing of this guy and I have never seen him playing Union until the Springbok game a couple of weeks ago but all I can say is that if he plays half as good as his best league game then it is game on. He is the X-factor for England as people on the world scene do not know to much about what he can do.
Stats Say: Australia - they have a better: points difference, defensive record, level of cosistency in the tournament.
History Says: England -they have beaten England twice in the last three World Cups 2003 final and 1995 Quaterfinal.
Dubes Says: Australia - England have been handed a life line after their thumping against the Boks and with Robinson, Wilkinson and Vickery back they will try and get the job done with a kicking game. Farrell is crucial and needs to run the ball and get involve unlike the Bok game but that is what they will do and they will try and keep it tight. Australia have scored 30 tries but conceded 4 and depending on their starting lineup it will either be 12 point win or a 4 point win but they should come through.
Chris Latham - Key man for Australia
This game is going to be a lot closer than some may think. All teams playing on Saturday have annouced there teams except Australia.....what are they waiting for. They just do not look the same without key players like Larkham and Mortlock, and the loss of Lyons does not help anything. I am not saying those guys are not playing I am saying that Aus need those guys badly. On the other hand they have the inform Drew Mitchell who is one try away from equally the top trty scoring record and the unpredictable Chris Latham who has a major role in this game as a leader and who can win a game single handedly. When Latham is good he is unstoppable but when he is bad you just don't want to watch. Thats why he is my Key Man vs England.
Andy Farrell - Key man for England
If there was ever a time to use the quote commeth the man commeth the hour, well in this case 80minutes, it is now. I know nothing of this guy and I have never seen him playing Union until the Springbok game a couple of weeks ago but all I can say is that if he plays half as good as his best league game then it is game on. He is the X-factor for England as people on the world scene do not know to much about what he can do.
Stats Say: Australia - they have a better: points difference, defensive record, level of cosistency in the tournament.
History Says: England -they have beaten England twice in the last three World Cups 2003 final and 1995 Quaterfinal.
Dubes Says: Australia - England have been handed a life line after their thumping against the Boks and with Robinson, Wilkinson and Vickery back they will try and get the job done with a kicking game. Farrell is crucial and needs to run the ball and get involve unlike the Bok game but that is what they will do and they will try and keep it tight. Australia have scored 30 tries but conceded 4 and depending on their starting lineup it will either be 12 point win or a 4 point win but they should come through.
Teaser
The key for Quater-final success....THE MIND.
Buck Shelford - Comments on All Blacks:
"I think they've got the ability and they've shown that they're fit enough to last the 80 minutes. They haven't been tested at all so I think from next week onwards the game has got to be played upstairs. They're physically capable and they have the skills, they just have to manage the mental side of things. That's the same thing for any top sportsperson. It comes down to the athlete or player managing the pressure of the situation"
- source: http://nz.blogs.yahoo.com/buckshelford/94/time-to-spark-things-up-a-bit
Everybody knows its a mind game...or do they? And I think Buck hit the nail on the head with his view and the thing is it does not only apply to the ABs but to all 8 teams. Ability can only take you so far you mind has to kick in and take over. Two perfect examples of this are the '87 winner the ABs and the '95 winners the Springboks. These were two sides playing for divided countries at the time and they pulled through due to strength of mind.
Buck mentions the ability to be fit enough to last 80 minutes and I think that is crucial. yes all the sides can play an 80 minute game but at what level of intensity? The sides that struggle to keep up will be the sides the fade in the dying moments of a tight game unless the mind overcomes the matter. Perfect case was seen in the first round when the minnows (as they have been referred to) have battled well for 20, 30 even the whole first half but fade in the last 30 minutes of the game. Sure it is easy to think that the remaining teams are on the same level but I beg to differ.....to be continued in the Crunch Time Preview.
Buck Shelford - Comments on All Blacks:
"I think they've got the ability and they've shown that they're fit enough to last the 80 minutes. They haven't been tested at all so I think from next week onwards the game has got to be played upstairs. They're physically capable and they have the skills, they just have to manage the mental side of things. That's the same thing for any top sportsperson. It comes down to the athlete or player managing the pressure of the situation"
- source: http://nz.blogs.yahoo.com/buckshelford/94/time-to-spark-things-up-a-bit
Everybody knows its a mind game...or do they? And I think Buck hit the nail on the head with his view and the thing is it does not only apply to the ABs but to all 8 teams. Ability can only take you so far you mind has to kick in and take over. Two perfect examples of this are the '87 winner the ABs and the '95 winners the Springboks. These were two sides playing for divided countries at the time and they pulled through due to strength of mind.
Buck mentions the ability to be fit enough to last 80 minutes and I think that is crucial. yes all the sides can play an 80 minute game but at what level of intensity? The sides that struggle to keep up will be the sides the fade in the dying moments of a tight game unless the mind overcomes the matter. Perfect case was seen in the first round when the minnows (as they have been referred to) have battled well for 20, 30 even the whole first half but fade in the last 30 minutes of the game. Sure it is easy to think that the remaining teams are on the same level but I beg to differ.....to be continued in the Crunch Time Preview.
Crunch Time!!!
Well most of the stories posted on the blog right now are about the Rugby World Cup, well there are only three more weeks of the tournament and we are going to have to wait another four years for it to come around again so keep the stories coming.
Quarter - final time people, and all the bookies are making predictions, analysing each team and each player, comparing stats, identifying consistency from game to game as well as highlighting whose hot and who is not. As all that goes on I will be give you my thoughts on this weekends games. Now I was totally wrong in the Ireland vs Argentina game and St Elmo's Fire was not scared to point that out, so my credibilty is on the line.
Keep an eye out for Saturday's predictions:
FRANCE vs NEW ZEALAND.........coming soon!!
Quarter - final time people, and all the bookies are making predictions, analysing each team and each player, comparing stats, identifying consistency from game to game as well as highlighting whose hot and who is not. As all that goes on I will be give you my thoughts on this weekends games. Now I was totally wrong in the Ireland vs Argentina game and St Elmo's Fire was not scared to point that out, so my credibilty is on the line.
Keep an eye out for Saturday's predictions:
FRANCE vs NEW ZEALAND.........coming soon!!
Monday, October 1, 2007
St Elmo's Fire
Sport has an incredible way of turning unknowns into superstars, heroes into villains, the famous into infamy but once in a while sport does trascend all the virtues of what its meant to achieve excite, elate, sadden, disappoint, and shock, then it goes round all over again. Once in while it becomes the very basis upon which men, women and children are viewed and judged on a political platform. The most disconcerting of all is when sport becomes a powerful tool which splits a country along racial lines.
This has been prevalent for many years in America with the likes of the 1962 Heavyweight Gold Medalist Muhammad Ali originally known by his 'slave name' Cassius Clay, former NFL star and Hall of Famer OJ Sipmson spring to mind.
Down under we have a sporting star simply known as The Man and he has tormentend the hearts of a nation for so long with loud mouth opinionated antics which havent won him any friends at all except those of his colour who have always been protective of their own regardless of their shortcomings. This man has had stellar careers in two very high profile sports which have been heavily dominated by the white majority but he has managed to reach the pinnacle at different times of both sport yet still very proud and constantly acknowledging his heritage.
He was simply the best as a Rugby League star and later became and still is a World Boxing, all this with the full knowledge that very few people wanted or better still beleived he could do it. So he tormented them , told them he was the best and followed that up by proving he was the best in both sports. He talks faster than he can punch and even then its too late for the opponents never see it coming.
He has embraced the under dog tag for so long and yet plenty of times this tag brought victory, recognition and yet even more fury from those who resent who he is and what he stands for.Many have wished the worst but have probably all colluded in bringing the best out of him. At a time when very little of any good is mentioned about the Aboriginal Communities of Australia it is fair to say he is a demi-god in showing the path way upon which many of his creed should follow.He is the ultimate underdog who draws strength from being denied the recognition that he so fully deserves.
His name is Anthony 'The Man' Mundine
This has been prevalent for many years in America with the likes of the 1962 Heavyweight Gold Medalist Muhammad Ali originally known by his 'slave name' Cassius Clay, former NFL star and Hall of Famer OJ Sipmson spring to mind.
Down under we have a sporting star simply known as The Man and he has tormentend the hearts of a nation for so long with loud mouth opinionated antics which havent won him any friends at all except those of his colour who have always been protective of their own regardless of their shortcomings. This man has had stellar careers in two very high profile sports which have been heavily dominated by the white majority but he has managed to reach the pinnacle at different times of both sport yet still very proud and constantly acknowledging his heritage.
He was simply the best as a Rugby League star and later became and still is a World Boxing, all this with the full knowledge that very few people wanted or better still beleived he could do it. So he tormented them , told them he was the best and followed that up by proving he was the best in both sports. He talks faster than he can punch and even then its too late for the opponents never see it coming.
He has embraced the under dog tag for so long and yet plenty of times this tag brought victory, recognition and yet even more fury from those who resent who he is and what he stands for.Many have wished the worst but have probably all colluded in bringing the best out of him. At a time when very little of any good is mentioned about the Aboriginal Communities of Australia it is fair to say he is a demi-god in showing the path way upon which many of his creed should follow.He is the ultimate underdog who draws strength from being denied the recognition that he so fully deserves.
His name is Anthony 'The Man' Mundine
St Elmo's Fire
Buckle up people, the rugby world cup has just woken from a month long stupor! Lets face it there has been a certain predictability in the round robin but now............ throw in a bouyant Fiji team(pronounced FeeJee, Ryan) and those Argentinians and we have ourselves any possibilities. The world cup is alive and kicking now.
First I will start with the Pumas, seeing as my fellow scribe didnt have that much faith in the teams ability , I took it upon myself to get up at 4am this morning to analyse this team and see what potential if any they had. What I found was astounding because I learnt a few things about this team which if not for lack of technical nouse would make them Championship contenders. I learnt two very impressive characteristics which are not always shown even by the mighty ABs. The Pumas are very astute footballers, they know how to protect a lead(i.e they had great commitment in defence) but more importantly when it mattered they knew how to shut those gates on their opposition(see how they made sure the only place Ireland could attack from was within their own half!). Thats clever finals football and I am now positive they will be in the semi final against the Boks so Scotland will be beaten.
Fijians are only to be written off at the Boks peril, for if they sniff any opportunity it will be taken.Pity bout their playmaker Nicky Little being injured though. Aussies should ease into the semis although there is a bit of doubt regarding Stephen Larkham and Stirling Mortlock.
Which brings me to the match up of the 1/4s in Cardiff. Suffice to say the French have robbed us of a dream final whichever way the result ends up tilting. This is it for one of these teams and it will be a sad day in world rugby when either of them bow out. Now this match could and will go either way! Although they are playing at a neutral ground, I wouldnt be surprised at all if there is more support for the ABs. Tension is mounting .........
Lastly , there was a guy out here who put $2000 on Fiji to beat Wales and so walked away with $nz16000 as they were 1:8 favourites to win. Not such a bad return on investment.
However this weekend when the ABs play France if you think the average Kiwi supporter will be tense think about the bloke who has invested $6 000 000 Nz on the ABs to win the world cup! Put yourself in his shoes.................
First I will start with the Pumas, seeing as my fellow scribe didnt have that much faith in the teams ability , I took it upon myself to get up at 4am this morning to analyse this team and see what potential if any they had. What I found was astounding because I learnt a few things about this team which if not for lack of technical nouse would make them Championship contenders. I learnt two very impressive characteristics which are not always shown even by the mighty ABs. The Pumas are very astute footballers, they know how to protect a lead(i.e they had great commitment in defence) but more importantly when it mattered they knew how to shut those gates on their opposition(see how they made sure the only place Ireland could attack from was within their own half!). Thats clever finals football and I am now positive they will be in the semi final against the Boks so Scotland will be beaten.
Fijians are only to be written off at the Boks peril, for if they sniff any opportunity it will be taken.Pity bout their playmaker Nicky Little being injured though. Aussies should ease into the semis although there is a bit of doubt regarding Stephen Larkham and Stirling Mortlock.
Which brings me to the match up of the 1/4s in Cardiff. Suffice to say the French have robbed us of a dream final whichever way the result ends up tilting. This is it for one of these teams and it will be a sad day in world rugby when either of them bow out. Now this match could and will go either way! Although they are playing at a neutral ground, I wouldnt be surprised at all if there is more support for the ABs. Tension is mounting .........
Lastly , there was a guy out here who put $2000 on Fiji to beat Wales and so walked away with $nz16000 as they were 1:8 favourites to win. Not such a bad return on investment.
However this weekend when the ABs play France if you think the average Kiwi supporter will be tense think about the bloke who has invested $6 000 000 Nz on the ABs to win the world cup! Put yourself in his shoes.................
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