I'm back in New Zealand, where it is cold

You Auckland softy... ;) It's real freeze-yer-nuts-off here in Dunedin. Snow on the hills and ice everywhere.

I was in Chch over the weekend to hang out with The LEDs (they played Lyttelton on Fri, The Dux on Sat).

Russell, they?

On the other, I thought: I'd be there again like a shot

Ditto – the discomfort of mud and rain forgotten immediately, the memories of being immersed in a 4 day mobile party town timeless, followed by the slow hitch-hike/recovery back to London.

As for the All Blacks, they are?

I was in Chch over the weekend to hang out with The LEDs (they played Lyttelton on Fri, The Dux on Sat).

Russell, they sampled you saying "Christchurch's best kept secret, The LEDs..." in their opening song.

Ha! Nice!

Fittingly enough, I played We Are the LEDs a lot on?

Al Baxter, Matt Dunning? Give me a break.

Good to see So?oialo finally getting the overdue credit he deserves. Not only is this arguably the best loose trio we?ve had (traditionally a strength?

a certain WC semi-final springs to mind

For gods sake, don't mention the war ........ yeah, if I hear over-parochial gits like Stu Wilson blithely and completely dismissing the Wallabies one more time I'll hurl.

Your typical Aussie sportsman likes nothing better than being told that they have no chance,?

Yeah, squatting's the answer...just ask Jerry Collins.

That wasn't squatting. Any ice hockey player will tell you that's "taking a knee". Er, but no one piddles on the ice in ice hockey, you'd never get away with it.

Fisher spent over one million dollars in trying to perfect the ball?

check out how many freaking blogs The Age is currently providing!

meanwhile we have that girl who's probably blonde, and in a bar somewhere. probably.

oh, and go the ABs. and, listen to the dropkicks, you bastards.

listen to the dropkicks, you bastards

I do, I do!

I laugh at the Aussie optimism about their scrum

That is making an observation, not being over-parochial

Paul Rowe, only thing is tat they?ve beaten us before when we?ve totally annihilated them in the scrum; a certain WC semi-final springs to mind

LB the Aussies aren't talking up their chances?

Stu Wilson is a national bloody embarrasment

And on that note, I tip my hat to Richard Irvine for his most recent work at

I do, I do!

oh. carry on then.

[che writes note to self: "Operation Passover. Richard Llewellyn, blood on doorpost, check. NO-GO on pogrom. Check]

Its not cool that the Boks seem to enjoy hating on our captain though. Go the AB's!

oh, and go the ABs. and, listen to the dropkicks, you bastards.

Nice work Che, subtle too.

me too – I remember seeing Julian Cope at one Glatsto he seemed so at home -in that?

RL: that's Sport Review NZ

Ahem, thanks Mr Judd for rescuing the technically inept.

And with no offence to Mssrs Baron and Jones
(pulls fingers and blows raspberry)

"do [Portugal] really want to play New Zealand"
According to their coach they do, which (non-New Zealand) rugby player wouldn't?

I wonder if the four "financial powerhouses" of rugby would do?

1. Re: Stu Wilson – I really enjoy watching RE:Union on Tuesday, but if Stu's on... ugh... It can be funny watching the sideways looks TJ, John Drake etc give him while he rambles on, though.

2. The Australians will still?

Barron's suggestions are ideal, as long as he wants to turn the game into Rugby League (no slur on League, but their international game is meaningless).

Rugby's success in the English clubs was significantly accelerated by England winning the RWC in 2003, without the "shop window"?

I listen to 'dem dropkicks and all...

Crap! We're gonna have to up the game! Who knew people actually listened!?!

Murray Deaker is like a chimp with a machine gun*. Eventually he'll hit the target.

A global season would be good, but how does it work? I suppose it doesn't?

Stu MCs while Bull Allan is blind folded & fondles a celeb – let's say Brook Fraser.
All this to test the power of Bish Brian to defend the faithful from – Bernie Fraser.

It means that Rugby will cease to be a winter game?

Barron's suggestions are ideal, as long as he wants to turn the game into Rugby League (no slur on League, but their international game is meaningless).

More like football, where there's loads of loverly lolley from Russian gansters for the players and directors and the international game is a largely?

Nisbett gets names wrong left right and centre, Mexted is ... well, we all know. And Tony Johnston is?

Quote from their Adsales website: Guardian News and Media are in the fortunate position to be one of the only commercial sponsors of the Glastonbury festival....

So much for that, then.

But the worst thing about the game was the horrendous commentary

Actually, having endured Gordon Bray for over a decade, I can vouch for a more universal malaise in commentary standards.

Its the pandering to the domestic audience by describing the games purely as a function of the local team?

So what's behind this trend then? PJ Monty takes it even further, even if on a more patronising angle.

It really annoys me that the "strategists" behind sporting covering these sports obviously feel your?

Still, I'm mature now (!) and can appreciate the extent to which commentators talk us up and denigrate the refereeing. I think they just get carried away?

And Tony Johnston is a disgrace. he is so one eyed it make me cringe listening to him whinge and moan and never give any credit to the opposition, meanwhile slagging the ref off for not giving the ABs penalties every 60 seconds and for daring to penalise us.

To?

Conquest of paradise for those who want to sign along.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W5adQHGyRA

(1st post?

So the guy I'd never seen before was obviously Reuben Thorne...

But who were the rest?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4095214a4560.html

My lowlight from him came early on when he was squeeling about how their were "three All Black players with their hands on the ball and he's given the scrum to South Africa!!!!".

Umm... Tony. He signalled held up over the line. The entire All Black team could have been?

I agree Yamis. When we scored the two late tries TJ was wanking on about 'This is the conditioning programme, this is the difference the AB mgt wanted that will set the All Blacks apart... etc...'

Jeez Tony, it ain't porno, we can enjoy the game without the love soundtrack?

I've always thought that Ian Smith was by far our best sideline comments man – where has Smithy gone?

Yeah I agree, I think he's part of the next generation. I'd be keen to hear him make the trip up to the box more for rugby games. I've been impressed?

Not so sure about Smith though; seems to be less critical / observant?

Missed his name, but we knew it wasn't Telfer because he knew the rules, the players, managed to remember the score & appeared to be able to read the?

I guess there is space for every type of commentator

except for that screaming and hysterical guy who comments the swimming.

swimming is never so exciting as to warrant wetting your pants while watching it.

much like yachting.

I'ld love to have audio channels that hook up to the same TV shots so you can hear Oscar & Nathan, Smithie, Mex & Stu, the Mighty Quinn, or one of the growing number of women who are far more knowledgeable than I ever was when I played – you're choice.

Agreed.?

swimming is never so exciting as to warrant wetting your pants while watching it.

This is a luxury normally reserved for the participants :)

I quite like Grant Nisbett's commentary. Even Mexted and Deaker have been improving lately. As for TJ, the Boks did have a player sin binned after?

ESPN?s dumb-and-dumber coverage of European Soccerball is enough to put me off the channel for life

Oooh yeah, lets not get started on Tommy Smyth 'wid a Y'.

The absolute zen master of talking complete bollocks – able to pass sweeping – and completely wrong – generalisations about a game?

This is exactly the beef?

ESPN?s dumb-and-dumber coverage of European Soccerball is enough to put me off the channel for life

Oooh yeah, lets not get started on Tommy Smyth 'wid a Y'.

Ah, touche. I never bother with that junk myself (call me when the winner isn't one of three predictable teams).

But c'mon,?

At cricket, I find Ian Smith very, very negative?

He was good; very understated. But it helped when you were bouncing off commentators like Richards and I. Gallaway.

The closest thing going round in radio cricket comments these days is Tony Blain, but it?s not as easy when you?re taking the?

Agreed. Tracey Nelson knows more about rugby than I ever will. She moonlights from her bug-scientist job to be the live stats person for the radio commentary from Jade Stadium, and she's occasionally on Press Box. But still, buffoons like Stu Wilson get the big jobs ...

Well said RB.?

Interestingly she's a long time fan of Ruben Thorn(e)...

Aren't we all?

Oooh yeah, lets not get started on Tommy Smyth 'wid a Y'.

Hear hear Richard. I'm always happy to watch Liverpool and Barca in the Champions League (until West Ham get there that is) and he doesn't half stink the place out.

Aren't we all?

If by 'we' you mean 'inhabitants of the Republic of Canterbury', yes.

I liekd Iam Smith as a commentator; one of the few who seems interested in something resembling a critical approach of what's in front of him, rather than mindless boosterism. And Grant Fox was fantastic?

Especially when you consider he never watches any games....