A different twist...
by lucas
Last weekend was a nightmare for any rugby supporter… challenging questions were posed during every half and the answers and results were not
always satisfactory. Obviously spending an entire day on a couch watching test rugby requires the planning skills of a NSA hacker, the logistical
mastery of the “pooveyors” in Cape Town and a constitution of a parliamentarian.
The All Blacks made predictable mincemeat of a young’ish French team with their 3-0 series win. The French teams of old always put the All Blacks
under pressure on their home track and there have been some memorable victories way back then but not this time.
The current crop of All Blacks are playing scintillating rugby with great attacking prowess and as usual will be the odds on favourites for the Super
Rugby crown - heck one can almost guarantee they will win it given their winning percentage in the competition. That’s a few weeks to go still but any
All Black supporter will be loving their team right now.
The match of the year so far and one of the best games this gnarled old supporter has witnessed in a long long time was the first Lion’s test in
Brisbane. Brisbane is not an easy place to score and win (verified from personal experience) and when guys like Vic Matfield, one of the more
distinguished Springboks of all time, mentions that he’s never (check the stats…) won in Brisbane for the Bulls or the Springboks, it puts the Lions’ win
into stark perspective.
Yes, the Wallabies can only blame themselves. With neither of their kickers able to hit the Milky Way with a laser and the stretcher golf buggy leading
the “meters gained” stats they managed to steal defeat from the jaws of victory. For a team who did not have any match play for 3 weeks it was a very
imposing display but alas they will be kicking themselves (if they can hit…) for not going up 1-0 in the series.
What it does bring is a well due opportunity for the great touring team to register a series win for the first time since Matt Dawson dummied Gary
Teichman in ‘97… Gary, apparently is better now - only thinks about it once a day!
The Springbok match was a typical Samoa clash and one can find any old report on matches between the two countries and copy it although there was
a new twist to the ball(s) in this match… Adriaan Strauss, by many backed as a FSC (Future Springbok Captain) reacted in wild fashion as any hot
blooded man would when grabbed in the nuts.
You didn’t have to be an accomplished lip reader to understand the words spewing from his mouth. Stransky, bless him tried to cover up with “woes” but
it was a more of an explosive P that summed up his emotions. The interesting comparison is how did the current skipper react vs a future skipper under
admittedly different acts of foul play but with the same intention to cause harm? You be the judge.
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend of rugby and the 2nd test in Melbourne has a lot to live up to - c’mon Wallabies square the series!
