From Round 4 when the Brumbies failed to achieve the 4th try bonus despite spending approx. 7 1/2 mins in the low ranking South African Cats 25 metre zone, it's been apparent that the Brumbies lack the attacking skills of the Brumbies of old. No surprise when you consider the ability of Larkham to get over the advantage line and shred opposing back line defences.
What they have gained in up front set piece power they have lost in back line tactical superiority.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
SA teams to fade out of Top 4 if....
Here's my calls...
* The Stormers may fade out of the Top 4
* If the Blue Bulls lose too many on the Road they will at best make 3 or 4, and from memory no SA team has won the competition from that position, because unless they play on home soil, the travel over here AGAIN to play in the finals is their undoing
* If the SA teams fade as above, that leaves more spaces for AUS and NZ teams.
* If the playoffs occur in AUS or NZ, it raises the chances of the ANZ teams winning compared to if they were being played in SA
* Unlike last year Aust will have 1 if not 2 teams in the Top 4
The next question is - will this translate into a better performance by Aust in the Tri-Nations?
* The Stormers may fade out of the Top 4
* If the Blue Bulls lose too many on the Road they will at best make 3 or 4, and from memory no SA team has won the competition from that position, because unless they play on home soil, the travel over here AGAIN to play in the finals is their undoing
* If the SA teams fade as above, that leaves more spaces for AUS and NZ teams.
* If the playoffs occur in AUS or NZ, it raises the chances of the ANZ teams winning compared to if they were being played in SA
* Unlike last year Aust will have 1 if not 2 teams in the Top 4
The next question is - will this translate into a better performance by Aust in the Tri-Nations?
Private investors
Druing the last week the Queensland newspaper ran an article about how the Queensland Reds were investigating the possibility in future of private equity partners. My understanding is that the 2011 new entrant into Super rugby, the Melbourne Rebels, is the first privatized rugby franchise in Australian rugby.
The Brisbane Broncos showed just how well run and finanically successful a private franchise could be in a competition with the other teams that are not privately run.
I had to laugh at the comment by the Reds administrators. Fifteen years ago I said to a Red player 'The only chance of creating something create in Australian rugby at state level is to have a privately owned team'.
Of course at that time, it was considered inconceiveable by everyone that this could happen. In fact I suspect that the killing of the RWC in 1995 may have had something to do with the fear of the rise of private money in a game run for so long by a board of socially connected and control-oriented people.
The Brisbane Broncos showed just how well run and finanically successful a private franchise could be in a competition with the other teams that are not privately run.
I had to laugh at the comment by the Reds administrators. Fifteen years ago I said to a Red player 'The only chance of creating something create in Australian rugby at state level is to have a privately owned team'.
Of course at that time, it was considered inconceiveable by everyone that this could happen. In fact I suspect that the killing of the RWC in 1995 may have had something to do with the fear of the rise of private money in a game run for so long by a board of socially connected and control-oriented people.
He is the least fit looking....
During the Round 9 game between the NSW Waratahs and the SA provincial team the Cheetahs, one of the commentators described a Cheetahs prop as being the 'least fit looking....' etc etc. This was after a mention of the fact that he has missed no games this year or similar.
Comments about how someone 'looks fit' do not help the cause of physical and athletic preparation. At one time i am sure the commentator (an ex-player) knew better than this, but unforunately he along with the majmority get caught up in the mainstream misconception that you can judge a persons 'fitness' to succeed in sport by their looks.
This only results in mis-guided focus on low body fat and bulging biceps, neither which are in my opinion correlated with success on the scoreboard.
Reminds me of the before and after photos used by the Wallabies conditioner in the lead up to the 1999 world cup. I thought such dumb and misguided interpretations of preparedness for sport were limited to bodybuilding magazines....
Comments about how someone 'looks fit' do not help the cause of physical and athletic preparation. At one time i am sure the commentator (an ex-player) knew better than this, but unforunately he along with the majmority get caught up in the mainstream misconception that you can judge a persons 'fitness' to succeed in sport by their looks.
This only results in mis-guided focus on low body fat and bulging biceps, neither which are in my opinion correlated with success on the scoreboard.
Reminds me of the before and after photos used by the Wallabies conditioner in the lead up to the 1999 world cup. I thought such dumb and misguided interpretations of preparedness for sport were limited to bodybuilding magazines....
But we are so strong in the gym....
The tragic evidence of the adoption of the US sports and cultural mentality...
In a quiet moment of the Round 8 game between the Western Force and the Blue Bulls, a commentator made mention of his conversations prior ot the game with Western Force players proudly sharing that some of the team achieved PBs in the gym that week....
With a 0-7 win loss to that time, and last on the ladder, the last thing anyone interested in the Force's success would want to hear about is anything that has nothing to do with the scoreboard. They may as as well boast about their ability to play marbles....
I don't need any more evidence to support my theory that there is no correlation between the load lifted in the gym and the scoreboard (and I introduced strength training to more rugby players than any other individual in the history of the game) - and sadly, no amount of evidence of the absence of this correlation will help the limited intelelligence (when it comes to training) of so many connected to the game, including those who actually do influence the training....
In a quiet moment of the Round 8 game between the Western Force and the Blue Bulls, a commentator made mention of his conversations prior ot the game with Western Force players proudly sharing that some of the team achieved PBs in the gym that week....
With a 0-7 win loss to that time, and last on the ladder, the last thing anyone interested in the Force's success would want to hear about is anything that has nothing to do with the scoreboard. They may as as well boast about their ability to play marbles....
I don't need any more evidence to support my theory that there is no correlation between the load lifted in the gym and the scoreboard (and I introduced strength training to more rugby players than any other individual in the history of the game) - and sadly, no amount of evidence of the absence of this correlation will help the limited intelelligence (when it comes to training) of so many connected to the game, including those who actually do influence the training....
Friday, March 26, 2010
Reds dream draw continues
If you wanted to win against SA teams from ANZ would you play their strongest teams in SA and their weakest team in Aust? No - you would play their weakest teams in SA and their strongest team in Aust, where SA teams winning is as rare as a LNP winning the state election in Queensland during the last 10 or more years.
The Reds played the Cheetahs first (11th placed out of 14 teams), then the Sharks next (12th placed out of 14 teams), and then the Lions (13th placed out of 14 teams. And the Lions will have just come back from their ANZ road trip, so they will be totally smashed. And possibly winless on the road.
The Super 14 committee could not have given the Reds a better draw to lose that losing feeling and join the middle ranks of the competition from the cellar where they have dwelled for almost a decade.
The Reds played the Cheetahs first (11th placed out of 14 teams), then the Sharks next (12th placed out of 14 teams), and then the Lions (13th placed out of 14 teams. And the Lions will have just come back from their ANZ road trip, so they will be totally smashed. And possibly winless on the road.
The Super 14 committee could not have given the Reds a better draw to lose that losing feeling and join the middle ranks of the competition from the cellar where they have dwelled for almost a decade.
Waratahs v Force - 2 tired teams or tradition?
The Round 6 clash between the Force and the Waratahs was a close, low scoring, flat game. The commentators put it down to tradition, with the last 4 of their games being decided by 5 points or less.
I know another tradition - the Waratahs fading anytime from half-way onwards in the season. Now since Coach McKenzie was the first coach to stifle that tradition after it held for over a decade, they do seem less prone. But I am not convinced it's gone away.
As for the Perth. I have said enough about that - they define fatigue, by their fades, low win rate, and exhausted faces.
I know another tradition - the Waratahs fading anytime from half-way onwards in the season. Now since Coach McKenzie was the first coach to stifle that tradition after it held for over a decade, they do seem less prone. But I am not convinced it's gone away.
As for the Perth. I have said enough about that - they define fatigue, by their fades, low win rate, and exhausted faces.
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