Brownie’s Rugby Bunker

Editor’s Note: Mat Brown’s blog has moved to a new location. To continue reading his reports from the world of rugby, bookmark this page: Brownie’s Column On RugbyZone!

The Tri Nations was put on hold but that certainly didn’t lessen the overall quality of the rugby on offer this weekend as the Currie Cup produced one thrilling upset up north, the Air New Zealand Cup had three matches that were in doubt until the very end, and the international from Johannesburg was a complete tryfest.

For sheer rugby fun I recommend checking out North Harbour vs. Wellington or Blue Bulls vs. Golden Lions.  Both are available on our new 1200Kbps downloads on RugbyZone.  Give both or either a look and let us know what you think of the enhanced resolution by clicking on the Feedback Banner located on the home page.
 
If you’re not already a subscriber, wait until Wednesday and try out our latest feature, Rugby Rewind.  This is an ongoing promotion that provides FREE access to MediaZone Rugby every week from midnight Tuesday to midnight Wednesday, Pacific Time.  Rugby Rewind is totally FREE and you don’t even need a credit card to register to watch outstanding rugby from around the globe.  Rugby Rewind provides unlimited stream and download access to hundreds of Super 14, June Tours, Tri Nations, Air New Zealand Cup, and Currie Cup matches.  Rugby Rewind also lets you watch Rugby TV shows plus weekly Highlights, Laws of the Game controversies, Tries and Hits of the Week, and all other content on MediaZone Rugby.  For more detail and the promotional code you’ll need to access Rugby Rewind this week, click here.

All Laws, Hits, Tries, and Clips of the Week are also at 1200 Kbps for your added viewing enjoyment.

Laws of the Game
There wasn’t anything terribly controversial this weekend so I’ve decided to show you a couple of silly clips involving referees who got more involved in the action than they wanted to!

1. Craig Joubert – He was a bit surprised by Earl Rose’s pass back inside but instead of just letting it go, his reflexes got the better of him and he reached out and snatched the ball out of the air.  Joubert is one of the game’s best referees at the moment and is probably the fittest as well.

2. Steve Walsh – He was caught off guard by Karne Hesketh’s run at him and he had nowhere to go as the Canterbury defenders closed in on the Otago ballcarrier.  Walsh has had some ups and downs in his officiating career but I think he’s found a good balance right now and is back to his best.

Tries of the Week
There were forty-seven tries scored in this weekend’s televised matches, nine in the test between South Africa and Argentina, twelve in the Currie Cup, and twenty-six in the Air New Zealand Cup.  I tried to select this week’s choices thematically, making them all be ones that came from kicks, but Willie Wepener’s passing skills forced me to add the try he helped create in Pretoria to the six others that were boot-initiated.  I’ve also included ten more five pointers on our Clips of the Week page.  Enjoy them all and vote for your favorite.

1. Franco van der Merwe – The Lions nailed a breakout win in Pretoria and this try by the big flanker was one of the best of the year so far.  Check out hooker Willie Wepener’s pair of passes that made it possible.  After a well-documented slow start to the campaign, watch out for the Lions in the second half of the season.

2. Pierre Spies – The Springboks are loaded with backrow talent and Spies is becoming a real threat at the rear of the scrum.  His speed in the open field is phenomenal for a loosie, as evidenced by the way he outpaced everyone to the ball and got it down under pressure from the Pumas.
  
3. JPR Pietersen – The namesake of the great Welshman – I’ve decided to use all three of his initials from now on – is recovering his fine form from 2007 that was inexplicably missing in the 2008 Super 14.  Good on Peter de Villiers for sticking with the pacy winger when other challengers seemingly had a better case for the starting job.
 
4. Toby Morland – Otago had a tough time of it against a resurgent Canterbury side but they mounted a late comeback and this little kick thru by Aaron Bancroft was superbly toed on and dotted down by Morland.
 
5. Zar Lawrence – This was definitely one of those weekends where the advantage went to the kickers as the rugby ball bounced unexpectedly all over the place.  The Steamers are one of only two undefeated sides in the Air New Zealand Cup after two weeks of action.
 
6. Jason Kupa – Matt Berquist got the Magpies off to an appropriate start - in a match that would see eleven tries scored – by hoisting a ball that seemed to have eyes only for the black and white striped jersey of Kupa. 
 
7. Rene Ranger – I think Matt Cooper may have been exaggerating when he claimed that Ranger had indeed been aiming for the post pad when he decided to kick it thru the Hawke’s Bay defensive line, but nevertheless it was an exceptional try in a losing effort.

Hits of the Week                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1. Oli Avei – Tasman lock Alex Ainley definitely came off second best in this head-to-head collision with the Waikato hooker but the Makos had the last laugh as they kept the Mooloos winless in 2008.
 
2. Francis Bryant – The Manawatu midfielder was lucky to not get a worse sanction than just a simple warning from referee Jonathon White for trying to take Southland inside center Jason Kawau’s head off.
 
3. Dave Duley – After registering an historic upset against Auckland, the Steelers of 2007 showed up in Rotorua and got appropriately crushed by Bay of Plenty but it wasn’t through lack of effort from stalwart Duley.
 
4. Rafael Carballo – Close to a spear, sure, but I don’t think it was one.  Good refereeing here by Wayne Barnes as Adrian Jacobs was controlled back to earth and not dumped on his head by the Pumas replacement back.

5. Paul Perez/ Laurence Corlett – This was just one of the serious whacks David Smith took in this physical contest but he kept right on putting himself in harm’s way with ball in hand.

6. Paul Perez – Taranaki never looked like taking the Shield off of the holders but they kept themselves in the hunt to do so until late because of defensive plays like this one. 

7. David Smith – Another example of how a player can be lifted but not speared as David Smith got a little revenge on Perez for denying him the five pointer in the corner a couple of minutes earlier.

Clips of the Week
If you want to see even more rugby footage, click here and check out our Clips of the Week page. Why? Because that’s where I put the best scores that didn’t quite make the cut for Tries of the Week, and a bunch of other entertaining stuff from around the rugby planet like interviews, anthems, and other miscellaneous video. Each week I add at least five new clips for your viewing pleasure, plus you can use the send to a friend feature and let your buddies all over the globe take a look as well!  Here’s what’s on offer this week.

1. Stefan Terblanche – The Sharks fullback took a nice dish from Frederic Michalak to help his team get their first road win over a big province in 2008.
 
2. Zane Kirchner – After relentlessly pounding it towards the line with the forwards, Morne Steyn went to the air to find Zane Kirchner for the Blue Bulls’ first try.
 
3. Willie Wepener – The Lions hooker was instrumental in Franco van der Merwe’s try and he also grounded another one in addition to this effort from out on the wing.

4. Jaco Pretorius – Pretorius’ try just before half was made possible by an abundance of pace and a nose for the tryline.

5. Joe van Niekirk – Talk about making an impact off the bench!  Two tries in less than two minutes was a great way to celebrate his fiftieth cap.

6. Thomas Waldrom – The Lions left it til late before finally using their big backrower to crash over from in close to pull ahead of Harbour.

7. Jongi Nokwe – The Cheetahs flyer made the most of his call-up to the Springbok squad by scoring on debut at Coca-Cola Park.

8. Nafi Tuitavake – Anthony was getting some game time in the ANZC and he did most of the hard work before dishing it off to his brother to score the try.
 
9. Tyson Keats – The Cantab backrowers made the breaks that put their scrumhalf over the line between the sticks.  Great dish by Reid.

10. Daniel Braid – It’s good for Auckland that Richie McCaw is back in the All Blacks because Daniel Braid looks headed for a strong final campaign in the blue and white hoops.

11. Miah Nikora drop – Tasman inched their way forward through multiple phases and eventually gave Nikora the chance to win it, which he did, in spectacular fashion.

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The Tri Nations is taking a short break but that doesn’t mean there’s going to be any let up in the amount of action that MediaZone Rugby brings you this weekend.  The most eagerly anticipated fixture is a rematch of the 2007 Rugby World Cup semifinal, there are two crucial Currie Cup contests on offer, and the Air New Zealand Cup features a full slate of seven games. 

You can either catch all of these matches LIVE or watch them later with our new 1200 K downloads by going to the RugbyZone Beta site.  They are generally available about four hours after the final whistle and the quality is simply awesome.  Give one or more of them a look and then let us know what you think of the improved resolution by clicking on our feedback banner.

Let’s start in the Republic with a couple of provincial matches that are sure to be hotly contested.  Since both of them kick off at the same time on Friday, I’m going to watch the one from Pretoria as it happens and save the Cape Town tussle for later in the day from the download!

Blue Bulls Golden Lions – August 8 at 1:10 pm ET
The Blue Bulls beat the Golden Lions the first time they played in Johannesburg thanks to a hat trick of second half tries from John Mametsa.  This time out the visitors will hope to conquer their problem of fading late when playing the better teams – like they finally did last week against Western Province - and the home side will look to get off to a more dominating start by pounding the opposition with their powerful forwards.  The Blue Bulls are in better form overall but the Lions have superb loosies so this one will be close.  Bulls to take it.

Western Province v Sharks – August 8 at 1:10 pm ET
This is a make-or-break fixture for Western Province because they’re in danger of falling out of the playoff race entirely if they don’t get back to winning ways.  I’m looking forward to watching Joe Pietersen get a run at flyhalf but slotting in a first timer at ten at this level is a big risk, although there aren’t really any better options.  The Sharks haven’t been playing fantastic rugby but they have been winning, which is why they find themselves tied atop the table.  A road win over WP would give them bonus momentum as they go in search of a home semifinal and I think the addition of Ndungane, Pienaar, and Steyn will propel them to victory at Newlands.   

South Africa v Argentina – August 9 at 9:00 am ET
This could very well be a preview of a 2011 Quad Nations Series match which is why I find it disappointing that Argentina isn’t also playing Australia and New Zealand during their Tri Nations bye weeks.  Of course that would be a huge ask for any team but if they want to join this exclusive club they’re going to have to get used to playing the very best week in and week out at this time of year.

I’m hopeful that Argentina is up to the challenge of competing against three of the world’s toughest sides on a regular basis and that their performance at the 2007 Rugby World Cup wasn’t just the high water mark of a very experienced team that had been together for a long time under the same coach.  Unfortunately, I have a gnawing suspicion that that is the case, especially after the Pumas fell to Scotland and Italy at home during the June Test window.

The main problem with the Pumas set-up is that hardly any of their squad are actually playing in Argentina, for the simple reason that there’s no professional rugby in South America.  Yes, most of the Pumas are getting great experience playing in Europe but the style they then tend to adopt is one that’s not particularly suited to playing against the other southern hemisphere powers.  For the Pumas to succeed year in and year out against Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, they’ve got to have a Super Rugby team or two that’s based in Argentina.  Logistically that’s a nightmare though, so ultimately the Pumas may be better off heading north.   Or better yet, why not play in the Six Nations and the Tri Nations?

In any case, this match won’t really tell us all that much about Argentina’s readiness for the big time because Springboks coach Peter de Villiers has decided to name a very good team for the Johannesburg clash, but not his best one.  I agree with the strategy but not necessarily with his selections.  Why he keeps throwing Adrian Jacobs into the starting midfield is a mystery, as is the decision to send Francois Steyn and Ruan Pienaar back to the Sharks - ostensibly so that they could get game time at pivot – when in fact they’ll be wearing thirteen and nine against WP!

South Africa is going to have too much speed for Argentina to deal with defensively, especially if the lineouts are as one-sided as I expect them to be.  If the Pumas couldn’t beat Scotland and Italy at lineout time then the Springboks are going to ruthlessly dominate them in this area.  I figure the Boks will win by at least a couple of tries and maybe more.

The first round of the Air New Zealand Cup produced three major upsets and six contests that were decided by seven points or less.  And then with just about the worst timing possible, the NZRU announced that two teams would be sent down to the Heartland division at the end of this campaign.  The two provinces to be relegated weren’t publicly identified but it’s probably going to be Tasman and somebody else.  What if one of the unions that’s supposed to get chopped makes the playoffs?  How could they eliminate a team that finishes well above ones that are getting to stay at the top level?  I’m not going to worry about it though, I’m just going to watch and enjoy and I suggest you do the same!

North Harbour v Wellington – Thursday, August 7 at 3:05 am ET
These teams both like to throw the ball around so I’m guessing that this’ll be a tryfest that’s won by the side which gets over the line last, preferably with very little time left on the clock.  Wellington by a penalty goal. 

Manawatu v Southland – Friday, August 8 at 3:35 am ET
I’d like to be at this match in Palmerston North on Friday night as the Turbos fans welcome their giant-killing heroes back to FMG Stadium.  I imagine it’s going to be significantly less hospitable for the Stags.  Manawatu by a try.

Waikato v Tasman – Friday, August 8 at 3:35 am ET
The Mooloos stuttered in Whangerei but I believe they’ll get it right back home in Hamilton.  Tasman has to be disheartened by both their close loss in Blenheim and the likelihood that no matter what they do in 2008, they’re headed for not only relegation but probably dissolution as well.  Waikato by twenty points.

Otago v Canterbury – Friday, August 8 at 10:35 pm ET
Otago’s coming off a thrilling win, Canterbury’s still hurting from a stunning upset.  It’s time to make the House of Pain hurt visitors again.  And while Otago’s lineup isn’t loaded with household names, there is enough talent to beat the red and blacks if they stick to coach Steve Martin’s gameplan.  Otago by three points.

Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau – Saturday, August 9 at 1:35 am ET
The odds of these two meeting as undefeated teams in the second week of the season had to be almost astronomical, but here they are.  Both provinces are on the chopping block so every first division win has to be considered precious.  I’m going with the Steelers to remain unbeaten in 2008 but it’ll be close.

Hawke’s Bay v Northland – Saturday, August 9 at 3:35 am ET
Two losses in a row is definitely not how the Magpies want to start their season but beating the Taniwha isn’t going to be easy.  Northland has been mentioned as a surprise team to go down to Heartland so they probably need this win more.  I think the home team will rebound to even their record.

Auckland v Taranaki – Saturday, August 9 at 10:35 pm ET
Last year was a fantastic one for the Ranfurly Shield because it changed hands three times and I’d love to see the same thing happen this season.  Auckland will fight to the bitter end to keep it in their possession so Taranaki is going to need a massive effort and a bunch of luck to get their hands on the Log o’ Wood.  Go Taranaki!

Enjoy the Weekend!

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It’s amazing how much international rugby reality can change in just seven days. Last week the All Blacks were in trouble, the coaching staff was getting savaged in the media, and Robbie Deans was a genius. After this weekend’s Tri Nations result, the men in black are riding high, there’s praise all around for Henry and co., and even the Dingo himself couldn’t break the men in black’s hold on Eden Park.

So what was the difference between last week and this?  Five main things.  A gameplan that repeatedly forced the Wallabies back into their own end, supremacy at the lineout, the return of Richie McCaw, and outstanding individual performances from Jimmy Cowan and Ali Williams.

If you’re an All Blacks fan, download the 700K file and watch them put a hurt on the men in gold.  If you’re an Aussie supporter, my advice is to skip it entirely.  And for the Springbok faithful out there, give it a look and be glad that your boys have two weeks to get ready for what promises to be a humdinger in Cape Town.   

I also suggest that if you have time to do so, download any of the seven Air New Zealand Cup or three Currie Cup matches and you won’t be disappointed.  There was only one fixture in the land of the long white cloud that didn’t produce either a stunning upset or an extremely close contest, while over in the republic the favorites played highly entertaining rugby to beat small union opposition handily and the one clash between top level teams (Lions vs. WP) lived up to its billing as the clash of the round.

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Laws of the Game
Just to make sure everyone is on the same page, below is the relevant part of the law for this week’s clips.  Read and then click here to watch.

Law 22 – In-Goal
1. Grounding the ball – There are two ways a player can ground the ball:
 
(a) Player touches the ground with the ball. A player grounds the ball by holding the ball and touching the ground with it, in in-goal. ‘Holding’ means holding in the hand or hands, or in the arm or arms. No downward pressure is required.

1. Sosene Anesi – I was in total agreement with the commentators, this was obviously a try that should have put Waikato back into the match with seven minutes to play and trailing by no more than three.  Instead though, TMO Ben Skeen claimed that he wasn’t convinced that Anesi was in control of the ball and ordered a scrum.  By my reading of the law he was certainly holding it when it touched the ground and thus I can find no reason why Skeen would make such an idiotic ruling.  If he wasn’t holding it and forcing it down then how could it have bounced up so much after hitting the turf?  In cases like this where an obviously incorrect call has been made, why not stand the referee down for a week and let him think about his mistake like a player would for committing such an egregious error?
  
2. Ma’a Nonu – This may prove to be the most important TMO call of the entire Tri Nations because it gave New Zealand a crucial bonus point that might determine which nation hoists the hardware at the end of the Series.  Nonu’s fingers were still clearly on the ball when it touched the ground, thus he was holding it and the try was legal.  So what if he didn’t have a death grip on the pill, Shaun Veldsman made a courageous and correct call.

Do you agree with this assessment?  If not, weigh in with your comments.

Tries of the Week
There were a total of fifty tries dotted down by forty-one different tryscorers in the fifth week of the Tri Nations, the seventh round of the Currie Cup, and the kickoff weekend of the Air New Zealand Cup so obviously it was a difficult chore to whittle it down to the six you’ll see by clicking here.  And if these six aren’t enough to quench your thirst for five pointers, I’ve included a further ten on our Clips of the Week page.  Enjoy them all and vote for your favorite.

1. Tony Woodcock – I love this tap down move and think that since the maul can now be pulled down, these types of moves will become more prevalent in close.  When’s the last time a prop scored two tries in a Tri Nations match?

2. Jano Vermaak – The Golden Lions are getting on a roll and their sharp scrumhalf play is one of the reasons for their surge.

3. Sarel Pretorius – The Griquas aren’t going to get anywhere near the playoffs in 2008 but they still occasionally produce some terrific tries.
 
4. Leo Taliu – Great start to the campaign by the Taniwha and this try was vital.  Not surprising that the key element was a nifty chip and chase by the evergreen David Holwell.

5. Lucky Mulipola – The Otago midfielder has had some legal troubles lately but he seems to have recovered his poise on the pitch.

6. Shayne Austin – This is just quality footy.  Next week’s Auckland vs. Taranaki Ranfurly Shield challenge is suddenly looking like a cracker

Hits of the Week
The Bledisloe Cup test in Auckland was a tremendously brutal encounter that resulted in plenty of claret being spilt by the participants.  I’ve decided to devote this week’s package entirely to the wide variety of intentional and unintentional hits that highlighted the heightened physicality of the match.  Click here to watch them all.

1. Richie McCaw – I’m sure he didn’t mean to knock Waugh senseless but it was a well-placed shot.

2. James Horwill – If Rodney So’oialo is going to make himself a target while grabbing a Wallaby player, why shouldn’t Horwill have a go?

3. Mils Muliaina – It’s not often that you see George Smith get knocked back like this.

4. George Smith – Conrad Smith tried to duck a little and took a smash in the beak for his trouble.

5. Peter Hynes/Drew Mitchell – This was about the only time they were able to get their hands on Dan Carter all night!

6. Richard Kahui – Maybe this is the reason Graham Henry has been so adamant about getting Kahui game time.

Clips of the Week
If you want to see even more rugby footage, click here and check out our Clips of the Week page. Why? Because that’s where I put the best scores that didn’t quite make the cut for Tries of the Week, and a bunch of other entertaining stuff from around the rugby planet like interviews, anthems, and other miscellaneous video. Each week I add at least five new clips for your viewing pleasure, plus you can use the send to a friend feature and let your buddies all over the globe take a look as well!  Here’s what’s on offer this week.

1. Adam Ashley-Cooper – The one bright spot in an otherwise dreary night for the Wallabies.
 
2. Bjorn Basson – You don’t see too many ninety-five meter tries in the Currie Cup.

3. Deon Carstens – I almost had to include this fantastic dummy in Tries of the Week.

4. Nick Koster – Great pick up off the bootlaces by the big man.

5. Alby Mathewson – The Lions got a modicum of revenge for last year’s stinging defeat in Napier.

6. Ma’a Nonu – A fine dummy, once again made possible by a sloppy Wallaby lineout.

7. Jared Payne – That was a pretty weak tackle by the fullback Sweeney.

8. Paul Perez – Another one that could have made it into Tries of the Week.

9. Riaan Smit – Sometimes the ball just does exactly what you want it to!
 
10. Franco van der Merwe – The Lions are contenders because of their superb loosies.

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I’m not going to mess around with a snappy introduction this week because there’s just too much rugby to talk about and I don’t want to waste the space.  The Tri Nations fixture is obviously a massive contest and will draw the attention of most of the rugby viewing world but in addition to that mega-test, MediaZone Rugby is also offering LIVE access to ten matches from the Currie Cup and the Air New Zealand Cup and I’m going to watch every single one of them and enjoy the weekend immensely!

Let’s start with what promises to be an absolute cracker in Auckland.    

New Zealand v Australia – August 2 at 3:35 am ET
The storylines for the second Bledisloe Cup clash are almost better and more numerous than last week but what concerns me most is who’s in and who’s out for the clash at Eden Park. 

First the good news for New Zealand; Richie McCaw is back!  They’ve certainly missed him, as evidenced by the fact that New Zealand has gotten brutally outplayed at the breakdown in their last two losses.  Having the best opensider on the planet back in the lineup is a definite plus to any gameplan.  McCaw is a game changer plain and simple and if anyone can right the All Black ship, it’s him.  Rodney So’oialo might be a good skipper and a terrific player but I seriously doubt he has anywhere near the same impact on the team’s overall self-belief that McCaw does when he leads them out onto the pitch.   

The only problem I foresee is whether or not he can go the full eighty minutes after not having played for six weeks, especially while he’s being harassed by a pair of relentless fetchers in Phil Waugh and George Smith.  Waugh’s inclusion is a way of making the best out of a bad situation.  Rocky Elsom is out with a foot problem so Robbie Deans has opted to replace him with his next most talented flanker, regardless of natural position.  Elsom has been outstanding of late – particularly in bringing a real physical presence to the Wallabies – but Deans doesn’t have a similar player available, at least one that brings as much experience to the table as Waugh does, so Waugh it is. 

The loss of Elsom does hamper the Wallabies a bit at lineout time but I don’t think it’s worth replacing him with another tall backrower just for this purpose because what Waugh contributes around the park far outweighs his limitations in this one phase of play.

Ryan Cross had a strong match wearing the number thirteen jumper last week but he’s going to have to be content with a place on the bench in Auckland because captain Stirling Mortlock is back and ready for action.  Not only is Mortlock a superb on-field leader and an amazing outside center, but he’s also a well known kiwi killer with a long history of wreaking havoc on the men in black.  The Australians will need his talents in all three areas, especially in the midfield because Graham Henry has decided to go with his best combination of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith after inexplicably inserting Richard Kahui into the mix last time out.

Kahui originally dropped to the bench for Smith but he’s now been inserted onto the wing for Mils Muliaina who’s moved back to fullback after playing there at ANZ Stadium but was switched to the wing earlier in the week so that Leon MacDonald could wear fifteen but then he was ruled out with concussion.  Confused?  I am, and it seems that the All Blacks coaches are as well.  They’ve already admitted to being out-coached by Deans so why not out-selected too?      

The New Zealand coaching trio is also uncertain about who will play halfback and who will pack down at hooker.  Scrumhalves Andy Ellis and Jimmy Cowan are both fighting to be fit in time for kickoff and if neither can go, Piri Weepu will slot back into his old role.  Number nine has been a real problem area for the All Blacks this year and Weepu’s toughness and aggressiveness might be just what they need to get some go forward.  Andrew Hore is also battling injury – a hip problem – but if he can’t go then it’ll be Keven Mealamu who does the throwing and hooking.

So who’s going to win at Eden Park?  I want the Wallabies to beat the All Blacks but I can’t imagine the hosts playing as badly as they did in Sydney now that McCaw is back at the helm so I’m picking New Zealand to earn a close victory – but I really hope I’m wrong!

Not a whole lot of space left for anything but predictions for the rest of the matches so here goes, beginning with the opening round of the Air New Zealand Cup.

Tasman v Bay of Plenty – July 31, at 3:05 am ET
This is going to be a cold, wet, and close contest in Blenheim but I think the Steamers are going to come out on top.  Why? Because they haven’t lost to the Makos yet and they desperately need to get off on the right foot if they want to stay in the first division.

Northland v Waikato – July 31 at 3:05 am ET
Waikato are traditionally slow starters and there’s something about the play of David Holwell and Justin Collins that makes visiting ITM Stadium dangerous at the beginning of the season so I’m going with the Taniwha to record the first major upset of the campaign by beating the Mooloos.

Taranaki v North Harbour – August 1 at 3:35 am ET
Most of the time I don’t think previous win/loss stats are all that relevant in determining a victor but in this case I am going to rely on history to make my pick because the home side has won the last thirteen NPC/ANZC encounters.  Taranaki to take four points in New Plymouth. 

Wellington v Hawke’s Bay – August 1 at 3:35 am ET
Last year the Magpies used this fixture to set the tone for a great run to the semifinals when they pipped the Lions at McLean Park but I think it’s going to be a different story in the Cake Tin and the Lions will open with a reasonable victory.  I hope I’m wrong on this prediction though because it’s fun to watch Hawke’s Bay knock off the big boys.

Canterbury v Manawatu – August 1 at 10:35 pm ET
Canterbury is loaded with talent even with most of their stars away on national team duty.  Manawatu is a gutsy little union that’s putting a lot of heart into trying to stay in the first division.  Gutsiness is usually good for a couple of tries but class from 1 to 22 is worth about a thirty-five point win at home.   

Southland v Otago – August 2 at 1:30 am ET
A lot of these guys play on the same team in the Super 14, so there’s definitely an extra level of competitiveness when these two South Island provinces clash.  And since I forgot to join any online picking games I’m free to back Otago every week without any negative repercussions, which I will do, starting on Saturday in Invercargill.

Counties Manukau v Auckland – August 2 at 10:35 pm ET
Counties Manukau didn’t win a match last year – although they did secure a draw against North Harbour - and Auckland won every single one of theirs on the way to the Air New Zealand Cup title.  It doesn’t take much in the way of prognostication skills to predict that the visitors will continue that reality.

Valke v Blue Bulls – August 1 at 1:10 pm ET
The Valke’s lack of depth is starting to be a serious problem and no amount of good coaching from Rudy Joubert can change that.  The Blue Bulls look like they’re building momentum for a strong charge in the second half so I think they’ll pummel the home team by a significant margin and easily get their bonus point.

Griquas v Sharks – August 2 at 9:00 am ET
The Griquas need a win to stay in the playoff hunt, the Sharks are winning but just barely.  Kimberley is a tough place to get a road victory.  The Sharks can’t afford a loss to a non-Super 14 province and I suspect they’ll eke out a close win.

Golden Lions v Western Province – August 2 at 11:05 am ET
This is the best Currie Cup match of the weekend.  I don’t care who wins it, I just can’t wait to watch the action.  Both sides clearly need the win and the points but I’ll take the Lions even though I can’t immediately come up with a legitimate sounding reason why!

Enjoy the Weekend!

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If you’re a Wallaby fan this weekend’s game was a tremendously exciting one that had to generate intense satisfaction about how the men in gold are playing under Robbie Deans.  If you’re an All Black supporter it was a disappointing Tri Nations performance from a poorly selected side that has to make you question the NZRU’s wisdom in retaining Graham Henry.  And if you happen to be a Springbok devotee, not only does last week’s loss to Australia look a little better now but you also have to be very enthused about the future of the Springboks from seeing the depth of talent on display in the Currie Cup.
 
If watching rugby wasn’t your top priority this weekend – shocking as that may be – I definitely recommend downloading the Australia vs. New Zealand test and giving it your full attention.  And if that thrilling encounter just serves to get you ready for more oval action then follow it up by taking in the Sharks vs. Golden Lions match, a tight battle that went right down to the wire.  And if your calendar is already booked solid and you can’t spare that many hours of rugby viewing, go to our highlights page to see comprehensive coverage encapsulated into 30 minutes and 44 seconds!    

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Laws of the Game
I couldn’t decide on a single call from the first Bledisloe Cup match so I’ve chosen three incidents to highlight this week.  Click here to watch them all.

1. Brad Thorn Yellow – This looked worse live than it did on the replay but it was still a justifiable reach into the pocket by referee Craig Joubert.  If the same play had happened before this season the previously squeaky clean Thorn may have been given the benefit of the doubt but a yellow against England and a suspension for off-the-ball foul play against John Smit thus far in 2008 has raised the powerful lock’s visibility substantially, especially to a South African whistleblower who presumably must have watched the Springbok captain dropping episode numerous times.
 
2. Scrumhalf Subbing – I’m not sure if this is technically cheating or just taking advantage of a sketchy law but it sure didn’t look right.  Andy Ellis was subbed out apparently because he took a knock.  Jimmy Cowan obviously went off because his knee was damaged but the quick thinking kiwi physio indicated a blood bin to the fourth official even though none was visible.  Since then the All Black camp has claimed that Cowan also suffered a broken nose and that he had blood in his mouth, but if no claret was in evidence, why did Cowan need to go to the locker room for an extended period?  To get a serious tape job done to his knee, not to staunch the mysterious blood flow.  Do we have to return to the days when a match doctor certified player movement on and off the field?  If this sort of advantage taking continues then it may become necessary.
  
3. Penalty Try – This was just a blatant missed call by Joubert.  Peter Hynes clearly tackled Sitiveni Sivivatu as the All Black winger dribbled the ball into the tryzone.  Even if the presence of a charging Lote Tuqiri and the uncertainty of a bouncing ball made a penalty try a stretch – which I believe to be the case - at the very least it should have been a penalty.  Maybe it was cosmic justice that the All Blacks fudging of the blood law occupied the officials’ attention right at this time instead of them having a discussion about what had just happened near the tryline!

Tries of the Week
There were twenty-seven tries scored in the fourth round of the Tri Nations and the sixth week of the Currie Cup and as has been the case recently, I had a very difficult time deciding which ones to show you in this section.  The result is the biggest try package in quite a while, with seven five pointers for you to choose from.  I’ve also included a further eight scores on our Clips of the Week page. Click here to watch my top selections and then vote for your favorite.

1. Kabamba Floors – The dyed blonde flanker scored this one but the real credit has to go to Tewis de Bruyn for his amazing tap pass.  The Cheetahs are surging now and should rack up similar wins against the Kavaliers and Griquas in coming weeks.
 
2. Joe Pietersen – The Western Province winger had a big match at Newlands, making the most of his starting opportunity.  WP looks to have shaken off their two consecutive defeats with this big victory in Cape Town.

3. Willem Alberts – He almost scored a beauty in the first half and made no mistake in the second with this fantastic five pointer.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to earn a win for the Golden Lions despite giving them a late lead.

4. Ryan Cross – Filling Stirling Mortlock’s position was a huge ask but Cross came through the assignment with flying colors.  He’ll become a very solid replacement when the Wallaby captain gets back into the action in Auckland. 

5. Peter Hynes – The Reds wing obviously has some talent but this was his biggest performance yet in a Wallaby jersey.  Outings like this by Hynes are going to make it difficult for anyone else to slot in out wide for Australia in the near future.
 
6. Andrew Hore – The All Black hooker is used to scoring lots of tries but they’re usually the front row variety, from lineout drives or bashing over on a pick and go from in close.  He may be in doubt for Auckland with a hip problem.

7. Rocky Elsom – This was a quality effort from Elsom but he owes a lot of it to Sione Lauaki being out of position and not reacting in time to stop the Wallaby backrower.  When Elsom heads off overseas it’s going to be a huge loss for Australia.

Hits of the Week
There was a lot of smashing and bashing this weekend so click here for a few examples from the Currie Cup and the Tri Nations.

1. The Kavaliers – They didn’t stop WP very often on Saturday but they did well against Brian Mujati in this instance.

2. Wylie Human – A true hospital pass and Human made Deon Scholtz pay the price.

3. The Cheetahs – They have one of the best packs around but will miss the stellar play of Heinrich Brussouw who’s likely out for six weeks with an ankle injury.

4. Ryan Kankowski – It doesn’t take much to knock the courageous Earl Rose over.

5. Benn Robinson – The Wallaby prop got a little help from Nathan Sharpe in stopping Greg Somerville cold.

6. Matt Giteau – In the battle of best-in-the-world number tens Giteau had the upper hand in Sydney.

Clips of the Week
If you want to see even more rugby footage, click here and check out our Clips of the Week page. Why? Because that’s where I put the best scores that didn’t quite make the cut for Tries of the Week, and a bunch of other entertaining stuff from around the rugby planet like interviews, anthems, and other miscellaneous video. Each week I add at least five new clips for your viewing pleasure, plus you can use the send to a friend feature and let your buddies all over the globe take a look as well!  Here’s what’s on offer this week.

1. Gcobani Bobo – The captaincy obviously agrees with him.
2. Keegan Daniel – An opportunistic gamewinner.
3. Dylan Des Fountain – Good thing the posts are padded.
4. Wylie Human – Still scoring tries no matter where he plays.
5. Mils Muliaina – Maybe the best All Black on the night.
6. Jongi Nokwe – Speed kills defences.
7. AJ Venter – The itinerant backrower notched another five pointer.
8. Wilton Pietersen – Wonderful two man game with Nokwe.
9. Anthems and Haka – Turn up Waltzing Matilda!

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July has been fantastic for rugby so far and I’m convinced it’s only going to get better on the final weekend of the month. That’s because the Tri Nations rolls on with what promises to be a Bledisloe Cup humdinger and the Currie Cup continues with a trio of intriguing matches that are sure to please fans of oval action from around the world, especially those with roots in the republic who will be forced to keep busy while waiting a fortnight for their Boks to once again don green jerseys.

I love the Tri Nations so it’s hard for me to admit that in the last couple of years it had lost some of its allure as a direct result of kiwi dominance. Even though it still regularly produced quality international entertainment, it didn’t take a genius to figure out that the likely winner was usually going to be New Zealand, which took the suspense out of the competition and turned it into a contest to see who could knock off the All Blacks at least once and finish second. Thankfully, those days are apparently now over.

Yes, the men in black may still win this year’s tourney but they’re going to have to work extremely hard to do so, as South Africa has shown them and Australia is preparing to make doubly clear on Saturday night.

The storylines for the first of four meetings between Australia and New Zealand this year are both interesting and abundant. So where to begin? I know it’s been overdone like crazy but I simply can’t resist getting my two cents in about the Graham Henry and Robbie Deans show. I realize that neither is going to be playing at ANZ Stadium but I’m nonetheless fascinated by the real-life drama of two direct rivals going head-to-head through their surrogates, the players.

I don’t know either of these guys personally but I think I’d rather have a beer with Deans than Henry. Why? Because the All Blacks coach comes across as an arrogant know-it-all schoolmaster who got everything he wanted and then still couldn’t deliver the big prize he was specifically hired to obtain. And then instead of admitting that his policies were at fault, he took the coward’s way out and blamed the referee for his staff’s overall failure.

I certainly don’t begrudge the man the right to re-apply for his job but I do believe that the NZRU saw re-appointing Henry as a way to hide their own inadequacies and avoid answering tough questions when it was clear that Deans had done everything necessary to earn the position of leading the All Blacks into battle after the World Cup debacle that Henry was responsible for. So if it seems like I’ve got a bit of an anti-Kiwi bias lately, it’s definitely there, but it’s directed at Henry and the NZRU, not New Zealanders in general. After all, some of my best friends in the entire world hail from the land of the long white cloud!

From my vantage point it’s pretty clear that Deans was robbed of his rightful position by a group of coaches and administrators who had their chance and came up empty – so what better way for him to rub their noses in it than to beat them, take their favorite trophy, and demonstrate to the entire country what a huge mistake the guardians of their game have made in order to avoid facing the music for their collective blunders.

And it’s not like I’m a huge Deans fan or anything — although I obviously respect what he accomplished with the Crusaders — but I do feel obligated to back him in his efforts to be vindicated, even if he publicly doesn’t claim to see it that way.

I’m hopeful that a disastrous Tri Nations campaign by the All Blacks — finishing third and losing Lord Bledisloe’s gift would qualify — will finally get enough people up in arms about how the NZRU is wrecking rugby in the country (don’t even get me started about the failure of the expanded Air New Zealand Cup) and a palace revolt will take place that will sweep the current rulers out and put the game back in more competent hands.

The first test is going to be the crucial one and if the Wallabies win it, I can’t wait for Henry to front the media and again talk about how this was a great learning experience for his young team. Of course, the exact opposite could happen and the Wallabies could get thrashed and then we’d see the superior, condescending Henry again, the thought of which makes me want to scream, Go You Wallabies!

Australia v New Zealand — July 26 at 6:05 am ET
The coaches are fun to write about but we all know that it’s the players who have to do the business on the pitch and that’s what makes it fun to watch. Both sides will be missing their captain as Stirling Mortlock and Richie McCaw have not recovered from their respective injuries in time to suit up for this clash, although both are expected to be fit for the next meeting in Auckland on August 2. Richie’s roles have been split, with Rodney So’oialo taking over the captaincy and Daniel Braid wearing number seven.This is a good move by Henry because even though So’oialo is a wonderful loosie, he’s out of his element playing on the open side of the scrum. I’m not sure that Braid is the answer to the challenge that the Wallabies pose with George Smith patrolling the breakdown but he’s at least a step in the right direction after a disappointing performance by the All Blacks back row in Dunedin. As far as leading the team, So’oialo is a quiet skipper but besides Kevin Mealamu, the All Blacks aren’t exactly loaded with other candidates to take over the job so he’s probably the right selection.

Mortlock’s duties have also been split, with Smith getting the leadership role and Ryan Cross coming into the midfield. I’m not convinced that Smith should be the captain – why not Nathan Sharpe? – but Cross is a potential gem for the Wallabies. He’s big, strong, and decisive and seems to have re-adapted to union pretty quickly after nearly a decade with the Roosters. It would be asking too much for him to replace everything that Mortlock brings to the table but if he just does his job defensively and displays a bit of power with ball in hand then I’m guessing that Deans will be satisfied with his choice.

So who’s going to win? I want it to be the Wallabies but I still have a hard time picking against the All Blacks no matter how much I don’t like Henry. For me the outcome hinges on the ability of the Wallabies to successfully counterattack when put under pressure and I think they’ll pass that test so I’m going with the men in gold.

Cheetahs v Valke — July 25 at 1:10 pm ET
 The Cheetahs finally scored four tries last week in defeating the Sharks and the Valke beat Western Province in Brakpan so this should at the very least be a tough contest most of the way. Bloemfontein is a difficult place for any visitor to come away with four points though and I can’t see the Valke pulling off the road win after a taxing effort against WP, so I’m taking the home team to open it up late and get another bonus point.

Western Province v Kavaliers — July 26 at 9:00 am ET
Suffering two losses in a row to non-Super 14 base unions was highly embarrassing for Western Province and they’ll want to make up for their collective errors by soundly beating the Kavaliers at Newlands. The return of some Springboks should help but what they really need to do is focus on getting the basics right and actually making some tackles for a change. WP to win by a lot in this Cape affair.

Sharks v Golden Lions — July 26 at 11:05 am ET
 The Sharks have been bolstered by both Springbok and injury returnees. The Golden Lions have been scoring points in bunches while steadily moving up the table after a slow start. The battle for predatory supremacy will be a good one as the Sharks need to break out of their offensive and defensive doldrums early or they’ll find themselves chasing the Lions on the scoreboard, a task which they’re not terribly good at. The Lions have to continue to improve their shaky defense and hope that several players who are questionable with injury can come right in time to not disrupt the functionality of their points scoring machine. Sharks in a close one.

Enjoy the Weekend!

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The most entertaining rugby tournaments are the ones which feature relatively evenly matched teams who can all beat each other on any given day.  Using that criterion, the Tri Nations and the Currie Cup have to be considered as star performers among international and domestic competitions worldwide because almost every match in them is legitimately up for grabs every time the opening whistle blows.  So far in 2008 the Tri Nations has produced three different winners in three contests and the Currie Cup has seen enough upsets to make every coach extremely wary of taking any province lightly. 

If you weren’t able to carve out sufficient time to feed your rugby appetite this weekend, I suggest you download the Australia vs. South Africa test first, and then fully satiate yourself by watching the Valke vs. Western Province battle.  Or if even that modest expenditure of precious hours isn’t going to be possible, go to our highlights page to see comprehensive coverage of all the action in just under thirty-seven minutes!    

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Laws of the Game
I’m not sure why it seems to happen like this but I guess ‘when it rains it pours’ is as good an explanation as any for the trio of lifting/spear tackles in the Valke vs. Western Province match.  Click here to watch all three.

The first one by Ross Skeate on Valke captain Hanno Coetzee was dealt with by giving a yellow card, which was probably appropriate but I wouldn’t have complained too vociferously if it had been a red card.  Just because Skeate didn’t drive Coetzee’s noggin into the turf and instead let him fall to earth head first doesn’t mean that a neck injury wasn’t a distinct possibility.  Skeate is a very tall man and thus the height from which he dropped Coetzee was extremely dangerous.  If there is a genuine desire to remove this type of tackle from the game then referees have to be instructed to deal more harshly with the offenders.  This was similar to the Brad Thorn incident with John Smit, the difference being that Skeate was trying to make a legitimate tackle in the course of the game, not in an off the ball moment of retaliation.

The second incident was the most clear cut.  Johan Swartz – perhaps smarting from the driving tackle put on him in the first half by Brok Harris, see Hits of the Week below – simply lifted the much smaller Gio Aplon off the ground and tried to pile drive him into the pitch.  The red card was fully justified and should probably also earn Swartz a suspension for a minimum of a couple of games.

The third example of foul play came from a tackle by Francois Louw on Reg Muller.  In any other game Louw might have just received a penalty and a warning but in this spear-filled encounter he really had to be sent to the bin even though his was the least dangerous of the three. 

If referees around the world handle dangerous play with the competency that Marius Jonker did, then hopefully spear tackles will become much more of a rarity in the game.  Do you think these infractions were dealt with properly by Jonker and his assistant referees?  Let me know in the comments box.

Tries of the Week
There were thirty-one tries scored in the third round of the Tri Nations and the fifth week of the Currie Cup and believe me, it was a huge task to cut the list down to just four for this section.  Since there were so many excellent candidates for inclusion in this package I decided to go the thematic route, selecting four tries that required a power surge by the scorer to get over the line.  This quartet might not feature the prettiest five pointers of the weekend but they are definitely among the grittiest.  And so as not to deprive you of the more free-flowing scores, I’ve also included nine more on our Clips of the Week page. Click here to watch the four toughest scores from the weekend, complete with replays, and then vote for your favorite.

1. Dewald Pretorius – The Valke winger showed WP that he meant business by taking it hard to the line through some shoddy Western Province defense.  Fantastic win for the Valke and coach Rudy Joubert.

2. Stirling Mortlock – The Wallaby center might be getting up there in years but he’s still at the top of his game as this smashing try demonstrated.  Jean de Villiers was hardly a factor as Mortlock bashed his way to the tryline with a bunch of Boks desperately attempting to keep him out.  I sure hope he’s recovered from his later knock to the head and will be able to play next Saturday in Sydney against the All Blacks.

3. MJ Mentz – The Griquas were betrayed by some poor first half defense and a shocking kicking performance that saw them lose despite scoring five second half tries, including this strong effort from Mentz.
 
4. Bevin Fortuin – The big Cheetahs fullback looks to be getting back to his best form after an injury troubled year.  His team is also improving and after having lots of trouble scoring points early on, notched a four try bonus point against the Sharks in Bloemfontein.

Hits of the Week
There was a whole lot of physicality on display this weekend but these were the most entertaining hits from the five contests.  Three were legal, one involved sideline personnel, and the last would have been more appropriate in a wrestling ring.  Click here to watch and then vote for your favorite.

1. Brok Harris – See, you don’t have to spear a guy to make a great tackle if you just display proper technique and composure.

2. Juan Smith – I’m disappointed there wasn’t a replay of this one because it was a beauty.  I’m also not sure but it’s possible that this was where Schalk Burger hurt himself as he helped Smith crush Nathan Sharpe.

3. Lote Tuqiri – The Wallaby winger made a key tackle in the late going, showing off his commitment and fitness against the Boks.

4. Bevin Fortuin and Henno Mentz – Neither of these two got the better of the other in this mini-scuffle off the ball but they did displace a comfortably ensconced spectator.

5. Herkie Kruger – The Griquas captain claimed he was just going for the ball and that’s partially true but Earl Rose is a slight man and it doesn’t take much to fling him around – once you get your hands on him that is!

Clips of the Week
If you want to see even more rugby footage, click here and check out our Clips of the Week page. Why? Because that’s where I put the best scores that didn’t quite make the cut for Tries of the Week, and a bunch of other entertaining stuff from around the rugby planet like interviews, anthems, and other miscellaneous video. Each week I add at least five new clips for your viewing pleasure, plus you can use the send to a friend feature and let your buddies all over the globe take a look as well!  Here’s what’s on offer this week.

1. Eddie Fredericks – Great vision by Tewis de Bruyn.
2. Louis Ludik – The break by Doppies La Grange made the try.
3. Sarel Pretorius – Quick thinking by the Griquas scrumhalf.
4. Wayne van Heerden – Almost a game changer by the home team.
5. Willie Wepener – This was just one of his two tries in Kimberley.
6. Fabien Juries – Plenty of speed with Floors and Juries motoring out wide.
7. Lote Tuqiri – Big night for Tuqiri in Perth.
8. Ryno Barnes – The hooker knew PJ Vermeulen couldn’t keep him out.
9. Rouan Cloete – One of the best dummies of the year.
10. Australia vs. South Africa – Sing the anthems and then play rugby, what a concept!

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The Tri Nations is alive and well, the Currie Cup is wide open, and we’re headed for another great weekend of action on MediaZone Rugby.  All five matches from Australia and South Africa will be broadcast LIVE on Friday and Saturday and will also be available for downloading at higher resolution about four hours after each final whistle.  And don’t forget to tune in a half an hour before the kickoff of the AUS vs. SA match to catch Brownie’s Rugby Bunker, the internet’s only rugby show where you can join the Bunkerites for a cold one and participate directly in the banter no matter where you are in the world!   

South Africa’s victory over New Zealand last week has breathed new life into a tournament that in recent years has had to endure criticism for being not only too long and too familiar, but also too dominated by the All Blacks.  The Springboks’ thrilling first ever win at Carisbrook has quashed that notion by setting up a fantastic clash in Perth that’ll go a long way towards determining who hoists the trophy at the end of the competition.

Australia vs. South Africa – Saturday, July 19 at 6:05 am ET
If you’ve been following the buildup to this match at all you’ll have noticed that one of the main talking points is the location and how that might affect the outcome.  I’ve never been to Perth but by all reports it’s filled with tens of thousands of expatriate South Africans, which raises the question of whether or not this is a good place for the Australian Rugby Union to schedule a test against the Boks.

Obviously the ARU has a strong interest in making money and filling up Subiaco Oval (capacity 43,500) makes solid commercial sense so why not take advantage of a populace that loves its rugby even if it does skew the crowd a bit in terms of cheering interest?  Australia and South Africa have played four test matches in Perth with the visitors winning in 1998 and 2005, the home side taking the honors in 2004, and the teams sharing the spoils with a draw in 2001.  In fact, South Africa’s only two wins in Australia in the last decade have come at Subiaco.  So is it really beneficial to Australian Rugby to keep scheduling the Boks in this venue?

I have to say yes.  Periodically bringing tests to highly prosperous Western Australia generated considerable enthusiasm for the game there and was thus one of the main reasons that Perth was selected as the base for the fourth Aussie Super 14 team in 2006.  And while that franchise might be experiencing growing pains and have administrative issues, the one thing the Western Force haven’t lacked are enthusiastic crowds. 

In thinking back to the last test in Perth in 2005, it was obvious that the South Africans came out in great numbers to support their countrymen and did give them at least a semblance of home field advantage but that may not be the case when the two countries meet on Saturday in the third Tri Nations fixture.  Why, you may ask, will it be different this time out, just a few years later?  Because of the Force. 

I have no idea how many of the Force’s fans are also South Africans but I’ve got to believe that many of them are Australians who might not have been huge fans of rugby union before the Super 14 came to town. Chances are good that they’ll come out in record numbers to see the Wallabies take on the Boks.  This is especially true now that there are two prominent Force players in the team, Matt Giteau and Nathan Sharpe, and two more on the bench, Ryan Cross and Drew Mitchell.  And maybe even some of the Springbok supporters will have switched allegiance and will be yelling for the gold rather than the green?  Okay, probably not, but perhaps their kids will!

After a limited amount of tinkering during the June Tests, Robbie Deans has named his strongest possible fifteen to take on the visitors this Saturday.  There are no real surprises in the team and Deans has been able to select almost all of the injury victims that were forced to miss the second match against France.  Wycliff Palu, Lote Tuqiri and Sharpe have all proven their fitness and will be expected to be big contributors against the Boks.

Does Deans have the talent to beat the Boks right now?  Up front the answer is no but the higher the numbers go, the better the Wallabies look and the more doubt creeps into what should be a simple prognostication.  Essentially it boils down to the men in gold getting enough possession to tire out South Africa’s defense and then find holes in it.  It will take a massive effort to achieve scrum and lineout parity with the world champs but the Australians are masterful at playing above themselves and springing the upset.  The oddsmakers are favoring the Springboks and they’re probably right but the Aussies won’t go down quietly.

Peter de Villiers went from being harshly criticized for his selections to being the man of the moment after the Boks ended a decade of despair in New Zealand.  Thus there aren’t many who will question his decision to re-jig his backline and slightly alter his pack to meet the threat of the Wallabies head-on in Perth.  And I certainly won’t be among the few because I believe he’s done exactly the right thing by bringing in Francois Steyn to play outside center, restoring Conrad Jantjes to the fullback slot, and inserting the pacy Pierre Spies into the back of the scrum.  Choosing more speed against the Australians may signal a more expansive gameplan from De Villiers but it’s also just good common sense.

The only question I have is in leaving Percy Montgomery out entirely and putting Peter Grant on the bench in a 5-2 forwards/backs split.  I guess that De Villiers has to cover the possibility of both Ricky Januarie and Butch James getting hurt – Ruan Pienaar can replace both but not at the same time – but it seems to me that having Percy’s experience late in the game might be worthwhile.

I want South Africa to win this one, which would then enable them to defend home turf to win the tournament and thus set up some great tests in the republic.  Boks by 7.

Valke v Western Province – July 18 at 1:10 pm ET
Western Province got shocked by the Griquas last week so they’ll be gunning for a big win over the Valke in Brakpan.  The home team might keep it interesting for a half or more but that’s probably all they’re capable of doing.  It’ll no doubt be fun to watch though as the Valke go for broke by running it whenever possible and keeping it entertaining for all who attend or tune in from elsewhere.  Western Province by 20.
 
Kavaliers v Blue Bulls – July 19 at 9:00 am ET
The Kavaliers got thrashed by the Lions and now the Blue Bulls are ready to do the same to them.  Even though they’re not at the top of the table the Blue Bulls are the form team right now and I can’t see them being bothered too much by the Kavaliers, who although they are fun to watch, are not particularly dangerous against a controlled outfit like the Blue Bulls.  Blue Bulls by 30.

Griquas v Golden Lions – July 19 at 9:00 am ET
Can the Griquas pull off the upset two weeks in a row and get back into the playoff race?  Possibly, but it’s going to be much tougher against a Golden Lions team that’s beginning to regain the form that saw them go to last year’s final.  This will be fun to watch to see if the Griquas are actually for real and /or if the Lions are going to be serious playoff contenders.  Lions by 8.

Cheetahs v Sharks – July 19 at 11:05 am ET
This should be the match of the round.  The Cheetahs are faltering because they’re having a helluva time scoring points and the Sharks are struggling because they’re having to do without a whole slew of injured players.  Five competition points separate them, with the Sharks in first and Cheetahs in fifth, but I think this will be a semifinal preview with lots of drama and plenty of aggression from both packs.  Even though I like the fact that Frederic Michalak is starting at flyhalf, there are still too many missing pieces and I can’t pick the Sharks on the road against a team they haven’t beaten in five years.  Cheetahs by 5.

Enjoy the Weekend!

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If this was the weekend that you were forced into doing something other than watching rugby then you’ve got some serious catching up to do. The Tri Nations test was a history making classic and the four Currie Cup fixtures produced a blowout, a major upset, and two reasonably close encounters. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the New Zealand vs. South Africa match is a must watch contest that’s worth denying yourself a couple of hours of sleep if that’s the only way you can squeeze it into your busy schedule. But if sleep deprivation isn’t an option and you do want to stay current on what’s happening both internationally and in the republic, click here to go to our highlights page and get caught up on all five games in just forty minutes and thirty-eight seconds.

If you’re not already a subscriber, wait until Wednesday and try out our latest feature, Rugby Rewind. This is an ongoing promotion that provides FREE access to MediaZone Rugby every week from midnight Tuesday to midnight Wednesday, Pacific Time. Rugby Rewind is totally FREE and you don’t even need a credit card to register to watch outstanding rugby from around the globe. Rugby Rewind provides unlimited stream and download access to hundreds of Super 14, June Tours, Tri Nations, Air New Zealand Cup, and Currie Cup matches. Rugby Rewind also lets you watch Rugby TV shows plus weekly Highlights, Laws of the Game controversies, Tries and Hits of the Week, and all other content on MediaZone Rugby. For more detail and the promotional code you’ll need to access Rugby Rewind this week, click here.

Laws of the Game
Another Tri Nations match, another suspension. Last week it was the light sentence handed down to Brad Thorn for lifting and dumping John Smit that created controversy. This week it’s the three week ban for his replacement in the Bok team - Bismarck du Plessis - that’s already making headlines. Click here to watch the incident.

To be perfectly frank, I’m not sure what Du Plessis was trying to do to All Black flanker Adam Thomson with his closed fist but even though it didn’t look like eye-gouging it wasn’t friendly either. He was found guilty of “coming into contact with the eyes or eye area” but the action was determined by the judicial officer to have been the result of carelessness rather than a deliberate attempt to injure. I have to disagree with Kim Garling on that assessment because even though it wasn’t a super dangerous act, it did look like Du Plessis had every intention of somehow punishing Thomson for trying to steal the ball after he made the tackle.

Which of course brings us to another issue, that it was a questionable call by referee Matt Goddard to ping Thomson for being offside at the tackle. If you watch carefully, Thomson is already playing the ball before the ruck forms, which means he had every right to try to snaffle possession.

The loss of Du Plessis was compounded by the news that Smit will now miss the entire Tri Nations. I understand the need to come down hard on anything to do with the eyes but three weeks seems pretty harsh for this minor display of aggression that didn’t even leave a mark. SARU President Oregan Hoskins has already blasted the decision and has called for more consistency in the citing process. Good luck on that Oregan!

What do you think of the incident and the suspension? Let me know in the comment section.

Tries of the Week
There were twenty-seven tries scored in the second round of the Tri Nations and the fourth week of the Currie Cup. If these four touch downs aren’t enough to satiate your try hunger, I’ve also included nine more on our Clips of the Week page. Click here to watch the five best from the weekend, complete with replays, and then vote for your favorite.

1. Keegan Daniel – Good to see Frederic Michalak back in the swing of things off the bench for the Sharks. The best part of this try was the nice fend at the end by Daniel. The Sharks needed a strong outing against the Valke after their loss to the Blue Bulls in Pretoria and they got it, securing a much needed bonus point ahead of next weekend’s clash with the defending champion Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

2. Jaco van Schalkwyk – The Golden Lions were downright impressive in keeping the ball alive in this sequence. Watching all of the rugby this weekend makes you realize just how much depth South Africa has in backrow talent at the moment. The Lions have a tough match ahead on Saturday against the Griquas in Kimberley.

3. Brok Harris – Any time a prop finishes off a try like this one it’s a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to propel Western Province to victory as the Griquas fought hard to earn their first victory of the campaign.

4. Danie Rossouw – The towering lock started this sequence by taking the lineout ball and rounded it off by getting over the line from down in close. Rossouw may eventually play his way back into a replacement role with the Springboks if he keeps putting in performances like this one.

5. Ricky Januarie – This try is already part of the lore of New Zealand vs. South Africa. Januarie got the game winner in Dunedin because he spotted the hole in the defense and took advantage of it with a chip that couldn’t have bounced any more perfectly.

Hits of the Week
There was plenty of hitting going on this weekend but one particular hit stood out, not necessarily because it was particularly punishing but because of the impact it had on the outcome of the match. Click here to watch it and then let me know how important you thought it was.

1. Schalk Burger and Ali Williams – It was Williams who initiated the contact in this situation and it was he who came off second best as Schalk’s giant head did some damage against Williams’ punier, and apparently softer melon. Losing Williams later in the first half to injuries sustained in this collision had a mammoth effect on the game as the South Africans were able to thoroughly control the lineout at crucial stages. And as to the comment about Schalk not using arms, at least he tried to wrap, which is all he really has to do.

Clips of the Week
If you want to see even more rugby footage, click here and check out our Clips of the Week page. Why? Because that’s where I put the best scores that didn’t quite make the cut for Tries of the Week, and a bunch of other entertaining stuff from around the rugby planet like interviews, anthems, and other miscellaneous video. Each week I add at least five new clips for your viewing pleasure, plus you can use the send to a friend feature and let your buddies all over the globe take a look as well! Here’s what’s on offer this week.

1. Willem Alberts – The Golden Lions number eight had a big match in Johannesburg.

2. Jaques Botes – The Sharks flanker never seems to very far away from the ball.

3. Sione Lauaki – This was an outstanding break by Conrad Smith. Lauaki had a positive outing off the bench,

4. Jongi Nokwe – He got a little help when the Blue Bulls defender couldn’t gather it in but it still took superb concentration to grab these five points.

5. Akona Ndungane – This try was made possible by an excellent dish from Pedrie Wannenberg.

6. JPR Pietersen – It’s been a long time since JPR scored a try but this was a memorable one and much needed by the Boks.

7. Earl Rose – He’s having a solid campaign thus far and this sort of play shows lots more maturity than he’s displayed in the past.

8. James van der Walt – Instead of trying to burrow under, Van der Walt relied on the late maul to get over the line in Kimberley.

9. Dries van Schalkwyk – Bradley Mockford set this one up with a well-anticipated intercept but he didn’t have the wheels to go all the way.

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MediaZone Rugby has five live matches on tap this weekend but two of them stand out as having the potential to be real classics. Obviously the second Tri Nations encounter between the All Blacks and Springboks in Dunedin is going to be another thriller, but the other potential barnburner is a Currie Cup match between the Blue Bulls and Cheetahs in Pretoria. Both of these contests promise to be extremely hard-fought battles and I can’t wait for them to kick off!

Actually it’s kind of a shame that there’s only seven days between the first two Tri Nations tests because I’m thoroughly enjoying the war of words between the respective camps. Let’s take a look at the slanging match and try to figure out what’s going on.

Bok coach Peter de Villiers got the ball rolling by accusing the All Blacks of using illegal tactics at the scrum. Usually when coaches trot out the cheating rhetoric it’s an attempt to influence the next week’s referee but in De Villiers’ case he was also trying to dampen criticism of him from back home for leaving his best tighthead – BJ Botha – in South Africa. Plain and simple, Tony Woodcock beat the crap out of CJ van der Linde a