Field Theory by Hadyn Green

The Ranfurly Shield came to Berhampore school last week and my son got to lift it and I don't think he's going to wash his hands again. Can't take him to the Cake Tin tonight but will go next week for sure.

I got to pick up the Shield a month or so ago. It does feel pretty cool for some reason.

In the meantime the giant inflatable version decided to crush someone (don't worry they were ok).

No, it's best all round if we forget that Thursday match happened (not that I imagine anyone watched it).

Hey I watched the second half does that count?
Wasn't terribly impressed, but I did watch ...

My Fiancee is hanging out for Otago to take the sheild off Wellington, so Southland can take it off Otago, and Northland gets it's first sheild win in practically forever!
(I think he may be stretching the bounds of likelihood very thin)

Oops ... "I before E" jo...

Firstly we have a chance to win back the Raeburn Shield that we lost to them last week. No I hadn't heard of it either until I was emailed the website by Randall Munro this week.

Wow, that's a really dumb 'shield'.

I want to see handover footage for this non-existent shield:

McCaw: Here you go Smit. Here's your shield. Careful, it's heavy!
Smit: Thank you. We're very proud to have such a non-existent piece of rugby tradition in our trophy cabinet.

Pity the gumbies Scotland that gave it to Romania.

Did you know Otago's mascot is Shaq the Cat? And that he was stolen from the Otago Nuggets basketball team? Crazy.

Which is nowhere near as crazy as the fact that recently-convicted murderer Clayton Weatherston was the person "inside" the Shaq outfit for some years.

As a long-suffering Otago supporter, well, let's just say that history is unfortunately against them winning the shield tonight. But they will win it in my lifetime. They simply must.

Yay a great opener of a game for NPC2009. A come from behind win to hold on to the Sheild. This seems so more satisfying than S14

Which is nowhere near as crazy as the fact that recently-convicted murderer Clayton Weatherston was the person "inside" the Shaq outfit for some years.

The coaches mentioned that, paused, then said "don't put that on the blog". Weatherston though was not the person inside the Shaq outfit who was fired for "using his tail in an inappropriate manner"

Great game last night. You know I really thought Otago would take it out. Photo by Alan here

ZOMG! Hawke's Bay THRASHED Auckland 47-13! And they did by playing rugby, as opposed to whatever variant rugby league it is that Auckland insists on playing. The Magpies are just so jolly well drilled. They play a simple game called "rugby" where you plan to play in the other team's half, and take your opportunities when they present themselves.

Can anyone seriously doubt Peter Russell is rocketing towards contention as a possible Super 14 coaching - even eventually All Black - role? His players seem to have a brain, they play sensibly when sensibleness is the order of the day, and they play expansively when they sense opportunities, and if a little injury needs to be thrown they'll do it - and all the time they seem to be having FUN.

*sigh* I am happy.

ZOMG! Hawke's Bay THRASHED Auckland 47-13! And they did by playing rugby, as opposed to whatever variant rugby league it is that Auckland insists on playing. The Magpies are just so jolly well drilled. They play a simple game called "rugby" where you plan to play in the other team's half, and take your opportunities when they present themselves.

Livivng next to McLean Park means that even for a non rugby fanatic like me it's hard to escape it all and today was a pretty good day for HB rugby. I even watched it on tv. (inbetween reading a Gram Parsons biography and listening to Justin Townes Earle) The HBRFU actually have a good organisation and have worked hard to achieve what they have. The park has had a lot of work done on it and should do the business for the 2 world cup games here. One of them involving France. It's all good even if we do have to put up with the Ian Morris penned , Hammond Gamble sung C'mon The Bay!!! Bring on Wellington next week.

It is a long time between drinks fo fans of teams like Hawkes Bay so one should savour the victories when they come!

Can anyone seriously doubt Peter Russell is rocketing towards contention as a possible Super 14 coaching - even eventually All Black - role? His players seem to have a brain, they play sensibly when sensibleness is the order of the day, and they play expansively when they sense opportunities, and if a little injury needs to be thrown they'll do it - and all the time they seem to be having FUN.

No doubts the NZRU will be sending him oversees very shortly in that case :)

Well, you can't really expect to win when "just hope for the best" is part of the captain's game plan.

No doubts the NZRU will be sending him oversees very shortly in that case :)

Hawkes Bay has the best coach in the competition. Once upon a time, that would have got you the All Black's job automatically. Now, you have to be on the inside with the professional haves in the big smoke as well.

1/ This weekend four of the five Super 14 Franchise teams lost in the National Championship. The one team that won, Wellington, was in a game against another Super 14 franchise holder so at least ONE of the vaunted "big five" HAD to win. I know they were short of their All Blacks, but it was something that was missing. All the other ANZC winners were characteristed by enthusiasm, passion and the sort of unentitled common sense and hard work you see in those other coherent national competitions - the NRL and Currie Cup.

2/ The Hurricanes were also rans again in the Super 14, yet Colin Cooper is not just secure in his job - he is (in some quarters) as a potentially All Black coach. Peter Russell barely gets a mention in the main-centre dominated media, yet he is no flash in the pan. He turned Waiarapa-Bush around. And now he has done the same for Hawkes Bay. Who is to say he couldn't do the same with an even better team?

3/ The All Blacks are facing a crisis, playing just about the stupidest rugby imaginable, display none of the common sense or simple rugby nouse of so-called lesser mortals in the ANZC and the selectors and coaches seem incapable of doing anything about it.

4/ According to everyone we apparently lack depth, with no viable alternatives in numerous postions. Yet two young first five eights - from Southland and Manawatu - were really good on the weekend.

What do all the above have in common? The NZRFU & the Super Unions are a monopoly obsessed with the a top down view of NZ Rugby. A paralysing complacency has set in, and none of the haves are interested in the cold dose of reality the have nots are dishing out to the unearned sense of entitlement that now pervades the Super Unions. My, how they must hate ANZC Cup! No wonder they want to devalue the competition- they've nothing to gain and everything to lose from having a strong National Championship!

We need a bracing dose of real competition brought into NZ Rugby, and pronto.

Uniform question

How come the Warriors does not have the stitching in the same way that the lions jersey does. It has the same panel lay out but not the stitching.

I personally think that this would further enhance what is the best thing about the warriors this season. Their jersey.

Also why weren't Canterbury wearing an alternative strip on Saturday against North Harbour. I almost needed high def to make the two teams out

I've defended the AB coaches here this season, and still disagree with the "anyone but Henry" crowd, but after watching the buffonery on show by the ABs in Durban, I'm starting to wonder...

The All Blacks are facing a crisis, playing just about the stupidest rugby imaginable,

This is just unforgiveable, and looks to be the enduring legacy of Henry et al. Whereas I used to sneer at my Saffa mates and tell them their team was good, but dumb as paint, now that is the defining feature of our side, so I keep schtumm.

Honestly, what is the problem, here? there are still some great players out there, coaches don't get bad overnight (or over the summer). Are we really missing Carter, Hayman, Jack and Williams that much?

And to steal a concept from CiF, I dond Tom's points about the NPC, the mighty (Hawkes) Bay were superb at the weekend, almost enough to make me not care about the ABs result (actually I don't care about the result - the bloated 3N means you can afford two losses on the road, it's the nature of the performance that I care about).

Off topic, but I caught the sports news last night (can't remember if it was 1 or 3), and the theme of the story on the Black Caps leaving for Sri Lanka was basically "guys want to perform well there because it leads to IPL contracts". The coach said it, and a couple of players said it when interviewed.

How far they've come since a few years ago. I don't especially mind them thinking that, but who the hell puts the players and coach in front of a camera and says "yeah we want to do well so we get signed for a big paying IPL team". Could they at least pretend that representing their country actually means something these days?