What is it with opposing rugby teams coming here and whinging?

First we had eternal bad loser (when it comes to matches against the All Blacks) Brian O'Driscoll moaning about just about everything.

Then we had Rob Andrew griping about forward passes killing his team in the first test at Eden Park.

And finally John Smit dropped his four-day late apoplexy enough to launch a barbed tirade against the All Blacks earlier today.

Let me be upfront and say I have some sympathy for John Smit, the player. The man is a world class hooker and the Tri Nations is a poorer tournament with his absence.

And perhaps Brad Thorn should count himself lucky he only got a one-match ban for his dangerous tackle on Smit.

But having a go at the All Blacks for a decision taken by Australian QC (and SANZAR Judicial Officer) Dennis Wheelahan makes as much sense as sending explicit text messages to a television host (yes, I'm looking at you Scott Styris).

Here's where I can draw on my knowledge of football to offer some comparisons.

I believe the reason for all the whining is because the All Blacks (World Cups aside) are the most successful team in rugby. The team that is held up as the standard to beat. The team everyone strives to beat.

Like Manchester United in English football.

When teams are top of the pile there's always a belief amongst those losing they are being hard done by.

Statistics rarely prove this to be true.

Teams playing at Old Trafford rarely get a penalty. Is this because the referee is biased or influenced by the crowd?

Or is it because, statistically, the opposing team is rarely in the box enough to create the chance of a penalty?

Of course referees, umpires and other officials do make mistakes. But it would be rare for those decisions to not even themselves over the course of a season.

I reckon you could pick just about any sport in the world and you would find a similar reaction to the top teams.

Smit's whinge, to me, is nothing but the rantings of a man who knows his Springbok team won the World Cup but will always wonder whether they were second best to a team they didn't play.

He feels hard-done by because his World Champions were put in their place by a team which is missing two world class players in Richie McCaw and Carl Hayman which would be a huge loss to every other team in the world.

And he has to lash out because he knows if the All Blacks turn up on Saturday night with the same intensity they did last week, his team will lose again.

It's the same with the "illegal scrummaging" rubbish the Springboks have been spouting this week. Tony Woodcock, once again, showed himself as one of the best open-sides in the world and dominated South Africa in the scrum.

If anyone believes for a second the South African scrum wasn't trying to do exactly the same then they're living in cloud cuckoo land. Woodcock succeeded because his opponent just wasn't as good as him.

It'll be interesting to see if the Australians take a similar moaning strategy when they come over here and are despatched as well. I can't wait to find out.

What do you think? Does John Smit have a point? Or is it just the pointless whinging of a losing captain? Is Tony Woodcock a cheat? Or just better than everyone else?

As always, I appreciate your thoughts.