Wanted: One highly-competent first-five

Jun 29 3:38 pm

It was one of those tests where the public reaction has proved far more interesting than the game itself.That's why I have waited to file this blog.Commenting on the match immediately afterwards would have been a case of stating the screamingly obvious.... Read more...

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Tew bluster is offensive

Fri, June 26, 2009, 9:40 am EST

When it comes to matters sporting, it's not often I have sympathy for Canterbury's proud and vociferous fans. And proud, they have every reason to be. They have been the powerhouse in both premier rugby and cricket in this country for many a... Read more...

21 user comments

Better, but still not good enough

Mon, June 22, 2009, 7:15 am EST

"Cardiff, Dunedin, Wellington." So went the optimistic banner that some French fans held aloft throughout the test at the Cake Tin. Thankfully, the banner is now redundant and its New Zealand version would surely read "Cardiff,... Read more...

12 user comments

Deja Vu with the All Blacks

Sun, June 14, 2009, 2:24 pm EST

The daggers are drawn again. Inevitably, after such an embarrassing All Blacks loss to a lowly-rated French team, issues were bound to flare up between the Cheerleaders and the Cynics. Embarrasing, it certainly was. When an All Black team is paying... Read more...

32 user comments

Sporting treats... except the Warriors

Mon, June 8, 2009, 2:58 pm EST

Prepare to see a new billboard appear soon. "There's not much top-quality sport on at the moment. Yeah right." What an extraordinary feast we sports lovers have been served up in the last few weeks or so! The Super 14 Finals. The All... Read more...

28 user comments

All Blacks no longer world's best

Tue, June 2, 2009, 3:38 pm EST

Except for the odd worrying exception, we rugby fans in Godzone have substantial reasons to be optimistic about the chances of Richie McCaw lifting the William Webb Ellis trophy aloft on October 23rd, 2011. First, and of real significance, I believe... Read more...

8 user comments

I had a dream

Fri, May 29, 2009, 1:25 pm EST

I had a dream last night. A dream so fanciful, I woke up in a cold sweat terrified that this time, I really had lost my marbles.So that you can empathise with the acute fears I had for my sanity, I feel compelled to let you in on the rambling thoughts... Read more...

4 user comments

O'Neill gets all the presents. Again.

Mon, May 25, 2009, 10:26 am EST

I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if I discovered that when John O'Neill was a kid he got every last Christmas present he ever wished for. Because as an adult, or more specifically a sports administrator, nothing's changed for this masterly... Read more...

20 user comments

Super 14 regular season review

Mon, May 18, 2009, 8:34 am EST

The penultimate, Super 14, round-robin season is over, now that a new, soon-to-be-released Super 15 format will begin in 2011.Here is my snapshot of how and why every franchise finished where they did in 2009.1. BullsFinishing on top, the Bulls showed... Read more...

8 user comments

Time for Hansen to go. . .

Mon, May 11, 2009, 1:13 pm EST

"All for one and one for all." So went the catch-cry of the The Three Musketeers, a catch-cry that could so easily have been applied to the tightness surrounding the All Blacks' coaching triumvirate, Messer's Henry, Hansen and Smith. But... Read more...

16 user comments