All-Unwanted First 15

Every time an All Black squad is announced (or any international team really) there is a rumbling about who was left out. This is the sign of great depth in your country’s rugby stock. However, it also leads to speculation.

What if…?

Below I have compiled below is the team of those “what ifs”. Players not chosen, for various reasons, who I think would still make a bloody good team.

15 - Sonsene Anesi - Christian Cullen misses out again
14 - Rico Gear - Rico may not have will to play for the province that’s paying him but is still good on the wing
13 - Tana Umaga Anthony Tuitavaki - that would’ve been nice but I’ll settle for the younger gent who is just hitting his straps
12 - Ma’a Nonu - at inside centre where he has less of a chance to drop the ball and his crashing momentum is a real asset
11 - Scott Hamilton - a big lanky white dude on the wing that we can call Scott-rod Hamiltron, choice!
10 - Glen Jackson - British Player of the Year who really deserved a shot at the All Blacks two years ago ahead of Stephen Donald
9 - Piri Weepu - it’d be fairly mean not to say Piri Weepu here (unless Waikato have got another halfback)
8 - Mose Tuiali’i - incumbent #8 a while ago and showed good form in the Super 14
7 - Marty Hollah - still bloody good
6 - Jonno Gibbes (C) - Has recovered from injury to be back to top form
5 - Ross Filipo - the recent internationals have shown that Filipo can hold his own against the big guys
4 - Troy Flavell - one of the people contentiously dropped from the All Blacks and even though I’m not fond of his penalty count, I’d still have him
3 - John Schwalger - owned by Hawkes Bay but only because he didn’t want to get punched
2 - Corey Flynn - a young man being groomed to take over from the old men after the World Cup
1 - John Afoa - a hungry prop is the best kind of prop and John Afoa is hungry like he accidentally skipped lunch

Feel free to disagree with me, discuss my sanity, in the comments.

A response to David Moffett.

The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is "an absolute disgrace" and the Springboks should be kicked out of the Tri-Nations, says David Moffett, one of the chief architects of SANZAR.

[David Moffett] is a loud-mouth who gave us some “absolutely disgraceful” rugby tournaments and should be kicked, says Hadyn Green, one of the chief architects of The Dropkicks.

Moffett, the former head of New Zealand and Wales rugby unions, told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper New Zealand and Australia had to cut South Africa from the next television deal, and instead play more trans-Tasman matches. He claimed that it’s because “the players are just getting killed by all the travel”. But in his column for The Press he reveals his true reason.

“We are led to believe that all three SANZAR countries had agreed to field their strongest teams, and in fact NZ and Australia had sent their best available players to South Africa and filled the stadia and coffers of SARU.

What was the response of our supposed partner? They waited until after the second test and selected a B team.

Selfishness seems to be the order of the day in the professional rugby era and perhaps now is the time for Australia and NZ to play that game."

Wow, so instead of realising that there’s a problem brewing in international test rugby and sitting down with our closest neighbours to discuss what’s to be done, we should instead cut all ties with them. Yeah, let’s get them before they get us!

Instead, and I might just be crazy here, perhaps SANZAR should get together and exert some pressure on the IRB. Let’s see them turn a decent profit without the three southern giants. Moreover we should be embracing Argentina right now. The Argies are #6 at the moment giving us four southern hemisphere teams in the top 6. SAANZAR? SANZAAR? SAAAAR? (if New Zealand becomes Aotearoa)

I mean there is even the possibility that if we don’t throw a tantrum we could figure out a revenue sharing deal within SANZAR.

Finally, Moffett said the Super 14 tournament should be disbanded and replaced by a Super 10 competition with five New Zealand teams and five Australian teams. He told the Morning Herald that when expansion was required, national teams from the Pacific Islands (based in Australia and New Zealand) should be included.

If that doesn’t convince you that Moffett is high I don’t know what will. “When expansion is required”?! Pacific Island teams based in Aussie and New Zealand? The Super 14 needs a whalloping big kick in the bollocks but not like that.

Recent discussions have circulated on a global season. This would, most likely, require the Super 14 to change to being a winter tournament over lapping the Air NZ Cup with the international season being starting in late February.

South Africa has been quite nice to us recently I don’t see kicking them out of SANZAR as being a solution to anything. So please David, you’ve had your chance, now be quiet.

Another All Black team

Keith Robinson has replaced Chris Jack as Ali Williams' locking partner for the All Blacks' second test against France. This possibly just so we've got someone on our team as mad-crazy as the French #8, Sebastien Chabal.




Before the weekend's match Chabal could be seen staring at the Kapa O Pango Haka* like a hungry caveman. He then coughed the ball up three times before laying out Chris Masoe on the turf (best play by a Frenchman on the night).

*Note this is not the one from the weekend

Forwards: Tony Woodcock, Anton Oliver, Carl Hayman, Keith Robinson, Ali Williams, Jerry Collins, Richie McCaw, Rodney So'oialo
Backs: Byron Kelleher, Dan Carter, Luke McAlister, Isaia Toeava, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Josevata Rokococko, Leon MacDonald
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Neemia Tialata, Chris Jack, Chris Masoe, Brendon Leonard, Conrad Smith, Nick Evans

Masoe had a terrible game this week and deserves the bench. Anything else you want to discuss?

Experiment in Rugby

Here are the eight experimental law variations identified by the International Rugby Board and to be trialled in the New Zealand provincial B competition this year:

TOUCH JUDGES

• Can indicate offside at the tackle by raising their flag horizontally in the direction of the offending team. The referee is not obliged to act on the offence.

FLAGS/POSTS

• Corner post and post at corner of touch in goal and dead ball line are moved back 2 metres. This ensures consistency of touch along the entire length of the touch line and touch in goal line.

INSIDE THE 22 METRE LINE

• When a defending player receives the ball outside the 22m line and passes, puts or takes the ball back inside the 22, if the ball is then kicked into touch on the full the lineout is in line with where the ball was kicked.

LINEOUT

• On a quick throw in, the ball can be thrown straight or backwards towards the defenders' goal line
• A player peeling off at the front of the lineout can do so as soon as the ball leaves the thrower's hands.
• The halfback/receiver in a lineout must stand 2m from the lineout.
• The non-throwing hooker does not have to stand between the 5m line and the touch line.
• There is no maximum number of players in the lineout but there is a minimum of two.
• Neither team determines numbers in the lineout.
• Pre-gripping is allowed.
• If a lineout throw is not straight, the option is a lineout or free kick to non-throwing team.

BREAKDOWN

• Players entering the breakdown area must do so through the gate (imaginary 1m area directly behind tackled player).
• Immediately as the tackle occurs there are offside lines.
• The offside lines run parallel to the goal lines through the hindmost part of the hindmost player at the tackle.
• A tackled player must immediately play the ball and may not be prevented from playing the ball by any player who is off their feet.
• Any other player playing the ball at the breakdown must be on their feet.
• If the ball is unplayable at the breakdown, the side that did not take the ball into contact will receive a free kick.
• If the ball is received directly from a kick and a tackle occurs immediately, and the ball becomes unplayable, the free kick is given to the team who received the kick.
• There are only three penalty offences (not including dangerous play) at the breakdown:
  1. Offside for not coming through the gate.
  2. Offside where defenders are in front of the last man on their side of the breakdown (the offside line)
  3. A tackled player must immediately play the ball and may not be prevented from playing the ball by any player who is off their feet
• All free kicks are tap kicks, including a mark and a scrum option is available for all FKs.
• Dangerous play will not be tolerated. Eg. Diving over the breakdown.
• The halfback should not be touched unless he has his hands on the ball.

MAUL

• Defending players can pull down the maul.
• Players joining the maul must do so through the gate.
• If a maul becomes unplayable, the team not in possession at the start of the maul receives a free kick.
• The "truck and trailer" (when the maul breaks in two) is no longer an offence.

SCRUM

• - The offside line for players who are not in the scrum and who are not the halfback, is 5m behind the hindmost foot of the scrum.

SANCTIONS

• For all offences other than offside, not entering through the gate, and foul play, the sanction is a free kick.