The fading point

Each session I look for a point at which a team fades and fails to recovery. The best example in the 2010 Super 14 season so far, with 3 games to go, has been the Chiefs.

A top 4 team for 3 games, they have not recovered from their loss at home to the Reds. If anything they have faded further. That's a very early season fade, and their ability to recover with so many games left may have many insiders scratching their head.

The most spectacular fade award historically and perenially would go to NSW. Until Coach McKenzie broke the mould, probably by applying training volumes used by Queensland during the 1990s, which for a very brief period Coach Dwyer used (1994 domestic tests vs. South Africa).

Now it appears Coach McKenzie is using these same methods on the originating team, as coach of the Queensland Reds. At least with the Reds he has a team that has been a winner, unlike NSW who as a provincial team have not won a championship since the introduction of Super Rugby in 1991 - that's nearly 20 years of failing to win the title.

One of the greatest tests of a teams workload and related recovery is their ability to win their first game home after being on the road.  The Brumbies did it but they were playing the low ranked Cats. Queensland did it with a top of the table clash against the Bulls. The Chiefs failed this test, not they they were the only ones to in the 2010 season.

Waratahs scrum smashes the Bulls

I was very impressed with the NSW Waratahs scrum in Round 3 vs the Bulls. Destroyed them. Too early in the competition to judge the Bulls scrum, but traditionally they have been the gold standard. 

The scrum coach Michael Foley deserves the credit for this. In the past members of that pack have been the proud owners of highly used roller skates.

The ernomity of this task was not lost on the Sydney Morning Herald Journalist late last year when he wrote:

The former test hooker leaves the Wallabies coaching team after three seasons, during which he has been instrumental in achieving major gains in Australian forward play - to the extent that a pack which was often laughed at is now accepted as being of international standard.

But that challenge could be in the mini-league compared to getting the Waratahs pack sorted out next year, especially as they will be without three vital players - their lineout leader Dan Vickerman, and back-rowers Rocky Elsom and David Lyons.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/columnists/greg-growden/592444/i-Foley-focused-on-filling-big-gaps-in-Tahs-pack-i

Now all they need to do is become a winning outfit, something they have never been in the 19 odd years of Super Rugby History.

Hope for the Cheetahs

The achilles heel of South African rugby the Cheetahs are looking like they may win a few more games this year, with a 1-2 win loss start.

Sharks 0-3

The Sharks have started poorly. 0-3. They are a better team than that. But so were the Bulls of 2008 who dropped down the ladder.

I didn't predict or expect the Bulls to go from Champions to easy-beats in the 2007 to 2008 transition, so who knows what's happening with the Sharks.