The Rugby Roundtable

I guess the lesson to be learnt here is that if you want to cheat, for gods’ sake don’t use a Winger.  Dean Richards now has a few years to remember that one.  Secondly don’t take Cocaine and then prance around in public baths, there seems to be a substance abuse problem with the Bath players – they are lacking substance by the look of things.  I know its condemning them as poor role models, but let’s not forget that they are Rugby players, MPs are still getting paid plenty and then promoting their shining moral character so don’t get blinded in the forrest by the trees.

Life as a Kiwi just got a little blacker this week as the Diamond Dan and Quadzilla return to the starting Blackness against the Criminal Element this weekend.  The Crooks will be smarting after the pumping they copped at Newlands and sure to provide a challenge to an Black XV that by normal standards has been operating below par.  I know it seems tough on the All Blacks to say that, but if I can’t be honest then I may as well work for mainstream media.

As for the game?  Read in for Rodney says that he’s clearly the player that is covering more ground at Number 8, the Aussie game plan does a lot of pressure on 8, 10, 15 and 7 as a group and it seeks to deconstruct the All Blacks by running up the fatigue meter on these individual players.  One way out of the ‘negative gain’ trap is to repeat what the Royal Green did and simply kick more accurately, but with the selection of the two Fijians can expect to see sideline to sideline attack?  Or will it be bombs away with the two of them tearing up the field create pressure?

One thing seems certain for the Blacks now however.  McCaw is no longer the biggest threat in world Rugby on the ground, Brussow has taken over as the premier fetcher in the world, some will say Williams from Wales but it depends from set piece where you are thinking about hitting the defensive line and for the Almighty Blackness it appears to be well and truly outside Second Five-Eighth, where McCaw still dominates all in the chase game.  Inside that mark now The King needs to deal with the little bruiser who is a more compact version of Josh Kronfeld, he’s a grappler and his superior sense of spacial awareness has seen him hit the ball carrier, the ground and then his feet in fluid succession, while he’s been able to get those arms around the ball and contest possession.

He looks like he’s been trained by the Gracie family, on the ground he is deadly and it will take some special play to counter his advantage, the upshot of it all has been a resurgent South Africa who are playing the counter-ruck game with incredible intensity.  In the first match of the Tri-Nations this year it came down to a destructive ten minute period after the half time break by the All Blacks to pressure the Crooks and finally win some of the collisions, to that point they were firmly in the game.

So now this weekend Black people the world over wonder if we can set up the win through the forwards.  With the knowledge that Carter and Quadzilla are back in the set up, but relatively green considering where they have been individually the pack will need to really turn up the heat at breakdown and set piece time to give their jewels the time and space to dominate the element.

On the other side Rocky Elsom returns for the Criminals and that might be all they need to spark a much needed revival so late in the piece.  Robbie needs a win, the Crooked nation demands a win, but the biggest winners of a Crooked win will be the FoxSports Commentary team…