Nearly ready, just a few final touches...

Photoshopping him to being onside ?

And wee halo on Ross's head

Nearly ready, just a few final touches...

Photoshopping him to being onside ?

Yes. And a friend of mine also did a screen grab that showed Ross wasn't offside before the ball came out either. That was a truly awful decision.

JPGs or it didn't happen.

As for being tough, our forwards were awesome. Tony Woodcock even took out Keven Melalamu.

What ever happened to the grubber?

ha.. they can't even catch it when it's passed into their bread basket, you reckon they'd be able to collect a bobbling ball on the ground on the run ?

Yes. And a friend of mine also did a screen grab that showed Ross…

I thought we were too often slow to the breakdown, or we were knocked off the ball at the breakdown.

Yep, that's where the rot started. And I don't think "not enough mongrel in the pack" is the problem – Richie,Thorn and Hore are no cream puffs. They just weren't…

Yes, we gave the ball away something like 30 times in this match. I thought we were too often slow to the breakdown, or we were knocked off the ball at the breakdown.

This is one of the reasons im wondering if McCaw really is the 7 we need; compare…

Peter we did on defence, it wasn't a lack of physicality that lost us the game... we certainly lost the lineouts but the scrums went our way I thought. Do you mean the ruck/mauls?

Yes, we gave the ball away something like 30 times in this match. I thought we…

Paul, if anyone but you had said that I'd be suing for defamation.

Glad you took it in the spirit it was intended. There was plenty of BS put about that Law School, all of it to do with a misplaced sense of superiority...

rules around the breakdown are so…

I thought the ref made 2-3 pretty costly mistakes against us. The Ross yellow was ridiculous as everyone and their dog could see that that ball was out.

Yes. And a friend of mine also did a screen grab that showed Ross wasn't offside before the ball came out either.…

1. Physicality. We had our arses kicked by an extremely physical Boks side. With guys like Hore, Woodcock, Thorn, Rodney and Richie in the side I would've thought we'd stand up better. We looked lightweight.

2. Leadership. Headless chooks,…

I apologise and withdraw the suggestion that Scott Yorke is a lawyer.

Apology accepted. Wait a minute...

But not from a real law school or anything... (now Scott, you know I can make the joke right?)

Paul, if anyone but you had said that I'd be suing for defamation.

As…

Strikes me that since 2007, Rugby has seen a revival in some areas around the…

Now we're failing before the WC

I know a guy you can see about that.

Boom tish.

I apologise and withdraw the suggestion that Scott Yorke is a lawyer.

But not from a real law school or anything... (now Scott, you know I can make the joke right?)

Now we're failing before the WC

I know a guy you can see about that.

You wouldn't be a lawyer, by any chance?

Oi!!!

cheap shot.

And also, utterly unfair. Not that I'm practising as a lawyer any more but "underhand cheating" was the last thing we did.

Maybe it's the area I practiced, but there was considerable pressure to always play by the rules…

if you try one and it misses then the opposition should be allowed a free kick, not a drop out.

If you punt the ball over the dead ball line does it go to a scrum where you kicked it from? Think it would make sense to do the same…

It's a country where rugby players and physics make any penalty within about 60 metres 3 points

Was any else incredibly impressed by Luke McAllister's long range kick near the end of the game?

To famously quote Graheme Henry, we would rather lose than win by a drop goal

'Fraid…

Who put the Rat in Chris Rattue?

Stephen Jones. The theory is that if you repeat the same one-note hyperbole for long enough you'll become some sort of Rugby Guru, reaping the windfall of syndicated columns and after-dinner speaking engagements.
The reality is that Jones had some sort of talent…

To lose to the…

But surely Wayne Bennett and his like are the exceptions to the rule?

Exceptions have learnt something that the others haven't.

Maybe Graham Henry (if he needs to learn something extra) can't, in which case you're correct.

But I'm dubious about anyone being put out to pasture on the basis…

Give me an ugly underhand cheating win any day. Winners are grinners.

You wouldn't be a lawyer, by any chance?

I salute anyone who can make the Battle of Jutland relevant to a blogpost.

I also think you're right. Give me an ugly underhand cheating win any day. Winners are grinners. The loser never gets the girl.

I don't buy that coaches have an automatic shelf life.

But surely Wayne Bennett and his like are the exceptions to the rule?
But in a general sense, as I alluded to above, the coaches and the All Blacks are showing the signs of a more systemic organisational failure.

After…

It's a country where rugby players and physics make any penalty within about 60 metres 3…

Watching the Boks, it reminded me of us in the Grant Fox era, or – hard as fuck forward…

15-9 to England in 1993. Referee hated us that day too.

I vividly remember that game. Wasn't Wilson handed kicking duties? My wife, prior to us meeting, was at the game... not a fan, just an ex-pat going with mates... I don't think she enjoyed it either.

Oh and gidday…

My mate in England says exactly what you did Hayden, that we're cheating b'stards. It's a very common perception.

Probably true, but I think a perception enthusiastically fed by a bunch of hypocritical british rugby hacks (you know who et al) who have had years of AB beatings to stain…

11-3 to the Boks at Athletic Park in 1998 (and maybe one or two of the other tests that year also).
15-9 to England in 1993. Referee hated us that day too.
Maybe first test v France 1994 -…

Possibly the worst AB performance for some years, and I…

– get Dan Carter back. He's got time for a couple more warmup games for Canterbury. Then select him.

– dump Rococoko. He's woefully out of form.

– dump Weepu. As per Rococoko.

– why is Eaton in the…