Rugby Mad - Review of the Year

As 2008 ends, its time to give a quick review of the year past.

With so much focus on the World Cup these days the first year after a World Cup seems to be a re-building stage for many on the international scene, there are plenty examples of this throughout. The recent Autumn Test series demonstrates the changes in the international game since the end of the last year.

The introduction of the ELVs caused a great deal of a stir amongst everyone in the game. Some of the rules have been understandable and work well, the little changes. Some are still work in progress and I am not sure improve the game.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

In the Super 14, the Crusaders dominated again and Munster were victorious in Europe. As a whole, the domestic game goes from strength to strength, especially in Europe with an influx of south hemisphere talent. Questions still remain over the benefits this will have on the youngsters coming through in Europe. The questions also remain on the domestic front around the scheduling and structure of the EDF and the Magners league.

The Best of the Best 2008

Rugby Moment of the Year

Munster vs. the All Blacks. What real tour rugby is all about.

Team of the Year
Grand Slam......Wales. Beating England at Twickenham and the Irish at Croke Park, an amazing turn around from the team that went out to Fiji in the RWC.

Coach of the Year
For the same reason, Warren Gatland.

Player of the Year
Richard McCaw demonstrated why he is the best in the world yet again, missed so much by the All Blacks when he was injured but came back to show them to victory in the TriNations and a Grand Slam in the Autumn Tests.

What will 2009 bring....

Rugby World Cup Draw - Why so early?

I am a supporter of using the IRB rankings to shape the seedings for the Rugby World Cup, but why so earlier?

Any thing can happening in three years, just look at Wales. One minute they are chucked out of the RWC by Fiji and the next they are Grand Slam champions. We just have to look at England to see the reverse.

I am with Zinzan Brooke, who when speaking to the BBC said - "I'd like to see a situation where the draw is done a year before the World Cup begins. By doing that you will avoid mismatches in the pool stages. "

The only reason I can think of that makes the draw so early is a matter of qualifying, for those who have to do it. I am not sure the logistics of the process but surely it does not take three years to sort out qualifiers.

Even if it does there must be a way round such an early draw.

Do the qualifying in stages, the teams in the lower ends of the world rankings have to start qualifying earlier and the system works its way up until a year before the event.

For Example
Teams ranked - lets say for the sake of argument - 50th (at that point) and below start qualifying 3 years before the RWC.
X number of those teams progress to play teams ranked 25th and below 2 years before RWC.
X number of those teams progress to play teams ranked 13th and below 1 year before.
Who ever comes through, clearly this will have to be regionally divided too, will then be placed in a draw with the top 12 teams (that did not need to go through qualifying, they could at this point be 13th or below in the rankings), and the pools decided with IRB rankings at that point.

Does that make sense? Does that work? Or am I complete wrong and confusing things more?

What happened to the Wallabies?

First of all, well done Wales.

Restored some pride into Northern Hemisphere Rugby.

But my question is, what happened to the Wallabies?

Through out this international series I have been harping on about the strength of Robbie Deans' side. A lot of commentators and fans in the North, who clearly didn't watch the TriNations, have been saying the Aussies are worst of the TriNations sides. That's what the IRB rankings say, but not what the TriNations table says. Looking back on the Wallabies performances over the last couple of weeks compared to the Boks and the All Blacks, clearly I have got it all wrong.

Ok they beat the English and French. The English ran them close compared to their next two games! And if Skerla could kick, the French could have taken that game.

So what has happened to the team that I saw in all but one game of the TriNations, play so much attractive attacking rugby?

They seemed to play a totally different type of rugby unable to advertise to North Hemisphere fans the ability that Robbie Deans has pumped into what looked like a new look Wallabies side.

Are they tired?
The slight change in the rules?
Beating the English was good enough for them?

What has happened?

Pick of the Games this Weekend

Game to Watch:

Wales - Australia (Saturday 29th November 2008, 2.30 pm GMT)

There is an aura of expectation in Wales this weekend. After last weekends fine first half performance by the Grand Slam Champions and the 'winning' of the haka stand off, their seems to be a buzz surround the Welsh squad.

The only unforced change coach, Warren Gatland, has made is the removal of Leigh Halfpenny for Mark Jones. Gatland claimed it was to give the 19 year old a rest while giving the in form, prior to an injury, Jones a chance to show what he can do. I say fair shout.

Welsh fans should hope that if Stephen Jones, at fly-half, is playing as well as he was against the All Blacks, Gatland keeps him on. Hook is out of form and out of touch. I was very impressed by both Lee Byrne and Jason Roberts last weekend, they need to keep firing.

The under estimation of this Wallaby side throughout this tour by the media and fans a like has played into the Aussies hands. The Wallabies under Robbie Deans', baring one or two performances, have been very impressive.

The interesting one for me is George Smith on the bench. Phil Waugh is a valuable replacement, but I would say he is on his way down, while in the TriNations this season Smith was exceptional. I would like to know Deans' reasoning behind that choice.

If Matt Giteau is able to dictate the game and Stirling Mortlock, Ryan Cross and Drew Mitchell & co get a heavy involved in the game, Wales' defence is going to have to be up for it.

Planet Rugby have predicted Wales to win by five.
Green and Gold Rugby have predicted a Wallabies win by ten.
Welsh Rugby Blog are saying Wales 22 - Australia 19.

I find this one very difficult to call, but I am going with a Australia win by 5 pts.


Game One Liners

England - New Zealand: Can't see anything more then a All Blacks win, maybe not as heavy as everyone is predicting.
(Saturday 29th Nov, 2.30pm GMT)

Magners League is back - Remember that one?

This weekend the Magners League returns. The last round of games occurred over a month ago.

So is it back for a bit I hear you ask?

No, just the one week. Then two weekends of European fixtures.

Furthermore, no Welsh Internationals will be involved in the fixtures as they have the small matter of the Wallabies (another issue altogether).

Something is wrong here!

The Magners League is a relatively new set-up, and potentially a real good competition (especially with the introduction of the play-off system next season), however, I feel that this stop and start scheduling is doing it no favours at all.

Prior to the month break we have just had, the competition was gathering a head of stream now it will have to rebuild that all over again, for players and fans alike.

But hold on everyone, we only have one week of it.

Pin-pointing Cipriani. A good decision?

So Cipriani dropped and Kennedy returns. Is that not what I said to do last week Johnno?

Easy for me to say.

Regarding Cipriani. A bold decision by the former England captain, I will give him that. Even more so because of his decision to keep all the other backs in. That, I think, is a poor decision, as it now looks like he is pin-pointing Cipriani. No doubt he is partly to blame for the dire performance by England at the weekend, but he was not the only back off their game. You could argue for the removal of any one of them.

I would not mind seeing Danny Hipkiss in the centre instead of Jamie Noon?

But I say again too all England fans, if give Johnno a chance.

Sir Clive Woodward said he need two years. Lawerance Dallaglio has come out today linking parallels with Woodward's England heavily losing to the Boks in 1997 in one of Woodward's first games and then going on the win the world cup SIX years later.

A Classic Weekend Ahead?

After all the hype surrounding last weekends Ireland - All Blacks game in Dublin, the game failed to deliver. Rugby fans were however compensated with a great game in Limerick in mid-week. Munster's narrow lose to the All Black's midweek team served as a reminder to rugby fans of what rugby tours used to be all about.

This weekends fixtures have the potential to be remembered.

England vs. South Africa - 2.30pm GMT Saturday.

A repeat of the RWC final just over 12 months ago. The Boks have had a mixed time since their triumph in Paris. New coach, Peter de Villiers, is still under the microscope from the rugby world after South Africa's finished 3rd in this years TriNations. His team seem to rise to the occasion when pressure is put on them, the 55 - 8 drubbing of the Wallabies in Jo'burgh earlier this year a good example of this. So after a slow but winning performance at Murreyfield last weekend England should be aware of the Bok.

A lot of talk this week in the England camp, has revolved around the faith Martin Johnson has kept in his starting XV. There are indications that the England camp know that the perfect results will not come overnight. I am still wondering whether, Danny Cipriani should have been given a rest and whether with the Boks lineout dominance Nick Kennedy should have been recalled.

England fans need to remain patient. If they are and the media don't get carried away, the future could be bright for England under Johnson and Brain Smith.

Performance is key for England.

Ireland vs. Argentina - 2.45pm GMT Saturday.

This game is all about IRB rankings, and more so about World Cup seedings. Ireland need to win to ensure they stay in the 2nd tier in the seedings, while The Puma's position in the 1st tier is also threatened.

After the disappointment of last weekends performance, New coach Irish coach, Declan Kidney, will want a big response and Lions fans will want to see Ronan O'Gara put in a good performance.

The Puma's will not give up their 4th spot in the IRB rankings easily though.

Wales vs. New Zealand - 5.15pm GMT Saturday.

The big one of the weekend.

Gatland vs. Henry.

Grand Slam Champs vs. TriNations Champs.

I am trying to rack my brains for reasons why Wales will beat the All Blacks for the 1st time since 1953.

After there last two performances (not including the Munster game), despite good-looking scores, something does not look right in the All Blacks team, not the flowing rugby they often show. Again like all the Southern Hemisphere teams they had mixed performances in this TriNations.

Wales have not looked too convincing in their last two games either, like Ireland, England and Scotland (hence the Lions problem) don't seem to have a dominate 10. Andy Powell has had a great season for the Cardiff Blues, and has continued that in his first two caps for the national team, however, the question is whether he can match the dominance of the All Blacks back row. He seems to be fearless, so why not? Captain Ryan Jones will have to step up a gear though.

Still I think Henry's boys will edge it.

France vs Australia - 9.oopm GMT Saturday.

The Wallabies' reaction on the pitch at Twickenham last weekend demonstrated what it meant to Robbie Deans' side to win at RFU HQ. Could this match prove a hangover for the side at the end of a long season? The French will hope so.

Marc Lievremont's side have their own revenge to remedy after there fateful tour down under earlier this year. They are strong up front and Sebastien Chabel's presence could be match-winning.

This game could have the makings of a classic, if both teams turn up in attack, which I know they can.

Other International Games

Scotland vs. Canada and Italy vs. Pacific Island both building blocks for the European sides in preparation for this years Six Nations, they both should win.