I have a lot I want to say about the upcoming Rugby World Cup (RWC) in New Zealand, and specifically about the Tri-Nation teams, I don’t pretend to be an expert on the Northern Hemisphere teams as I do not know their best players, or those fighting to become the first choice.
I’ll start with the obvious favourites New Zealand, Graham Henry has by some margin in world rugby managed to instil a habit of winning in his team, he has advocated changes of the break down laws and implemented them to his advantage and that of his team. What he has also managed to do similar to 2007 is create a group of players with depth in positions that few teams can boast, and then only perhaps in some positions.
The All Blacks have won 2 Tri-Nations tournaments since the last RWC, they have also won 1 Super Rugby tournament during that time and has won 40 Tests out of 48, significantly losing 3 Tests to Australia, 1 Test to France and 5 Tests to South Africa. Three of these Test losses were at home.
Australia during this time has really been the Cinderella team of the three Tri-Nations countries having won no trophies in that period until this year when they won the Super Rugby Competition and now clinched their first Tri-Nations trophy in over a decade. Their record has not been very inspiring indeed when looking at them winning only 28 out of 48 Tests, having lost to New Zealand 11 times, SA 4 times , England twice, Scotland once, Wales once and Samoa once. Significantly only 6 of those losses were at home.
What must be taken into consideration though is that Robbie Deans has started anew, building a squad effectively from scratch. There will only be 8 players from the previous Rugby World Cup squad travelling to New Zealand.
South Africa won two Super Rugby tournament trophies in this time and 1 Tri-Nations Trophy and beat the British and Irish Lions in 2009, but their fortunes can really be looked at as a game of two halves. Since their first match after RWC 2007 until the end of the Tri-Nations 2009, they had 17 wins from 23 Tests. From then on their fortunes dipped, having won only 10 of their last 21 matches, which means they go into this World Cup having won 27 out of 44 Test matches. Losing 7 times to the Wallabies, 6 times to the All Blacks, and once to Ireland, Scotland, France and the British and Irish Lions. Significantly losing 6 Tests at home.
There is much to be said for each of these three teams.
Opinion has it that Peter de Villiers has been the culprit and has not adopted or adapted to the New Law Interpretations after 2009, there is also a thought that injuries of 2009 after the British and Irish Lions series and Tri-Nations of that year had an impact, and the most common excuse amongst South Africans, a lack of motivation and hunger. That still remains the biggest question to be answered at this coming World Cup, with 18 players of the previous World Cup winning squad. How hungry would these players be and would they put everything on the line when faced with a situation of being 10 points down in the last 5 minutes?
South Africa is for me the biggest unknown quantity of the three Tri-Nations teams. On their day and if motivated they will beat anyone, but nobody really knows what is happening in the Springbok camp.
The Wallabies on the other hand, has shown promise and peaked to their potential just in time, where one can almost forget the poor performances of the last few years, whilst Deans was preparing a squad for this World Cup. They have the belief and the backs to win it all, but their forward pack remains their biggest challenge.
The All Blacks as always, have all the right ingredients, the best coach, arguably the best squad, debatable on whether they have the right game plan for finals rugby, but are no doubt the best placed amongst these three teams. The only mistake if you can call it that, was to allow South Africa and Australia to beat them in the last two Tests before the Rugby World Cup. But, and this is a big but, this is perhaps just what they needed to go into a World Cup tournament with their feet on the ground.
Chances are South Africa and New Zealand will meet in one semi final, a hell of a match-up that would be. The perennial finals tactics team vs the most complete team.
Australia should meet either England or France in the other semi final, I would think that they would not deem France as their biggest challenger, but rather those Englishmen from the other side of the world.
O gaats… Puma gaan behoorlik HAKKEL met die goed!
@ grootblousmile:
hoekom lyk joune darem OK.
Wat doen ons anners?
@ grootblousmile:
hoekom lyk joune darem OK.
Wat doen ons anners?
@ superBul:
Tot ene vir jou
lyk my jy moet eers smile en dan post of praat
36@ superBul:
Of jy kan praat en na jy die SMLIE ingesit het, dan delete jy net die ekstra kak!
doen jy dit so
o OK lyk my dit kan werk
dan kan ek seker maar gaan doedoe as almal hulle so skaars hou
@ Blue Bird:
Ja, well probably half the day, I would have left it alone but had two trades running from Friday, so have had to engage in damage control.
I put this on facebook and most of you ahve probably heard it….but anyway.
“Chuck Norris had two balls…..but Heindrich Brussow stole one”
I want an emoticon that shows “langeraadt”!!!
42@ 4man:
LangDRAAD?
These things are cool
@ superBul:
hahaha Thanks Superbul, lekker dag vir julle
dis wat vir my voorle in die World Cup
Honestly, we are gonna need some SUPER magic.
Looking at the talent and playing styles of our main rivals, we have our work cut out for us.
However, we have our gameplan. We will NOT be creative. We will look to smother our opponents, kick for field position, have a STRONG defence, and choke the shiz out of them.
For that gameplan I would play pakslae at starting 8, flankers would be Alberts and Russouw, hooker Du Plessies.
Backline, I would play both Steyns.
We have to FORGET about flash, cause we NEVER developed it.
Yeah
We have flash Drives
NZ has Flash Gordon (Dan Carter)
Wales are flash in the pan.
Ireland Flash (flush) the toilet
Australia has flashes of brilliance
France are like Falshing indicators, then they will, then they won’t
Being english just never has been flash.
NOW, based on the players in the Currie Cup/SA squad these days, and if I were the next coach, this would be the squad I would like to see developed.
15:Frans Steyn (if he plays in SA); Jaco Taute; Riaan Viljoen
14:JPP; Gio Aplon; Deon van Rensburg
13: Juan de Jongh; Johann Sadie; Robert Ebersohn
12: Alwyn Hollenbach; Tim Whitehead
11: Bjorn Basson; Lwazi Mvovo; JJ Engelbrecht
10: Patrick Lambie; Elton Jantjies; Sias Ebersohn
9: Francois Hougaard; ?; ?
8: Duane Vermeulen; Josh Strauss
7: Willem Alberts, Derick Minnie
6: Heinrich Brussouw; Jean Deysel
5: Andries Bekker, Alister Hargreaves
4: Flip vd Merwe; Rynard Elstad;
3: WP Nel; Werner Kruger
2: Bismark Du Plessies, Chilliboy, Adriaan Strauss
1: Coenie Oostehuisen; Dean Greling; JC Kritzinger
Im pretty sure that in the next year or two a lot more players will make their appearence and push through, but if we can get an astute coaching staff, there is a lot to be positive of.
Add any names you would like.
9. Dewald Duvenhage.
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