Field Theory: Things we can learn from Americans
34 Responses
First ←Older Page 1 2 Newer→ Last
-
@Kyle,
Hmm; where did I get Sydney from?
Must be subliminal AB De Villiers tracking going on.
-
Hmm; where did I get Sydney from?
Must be subliminal AB De Villiers tracking going on.
He's on the Gold Coast at the moment.
(to which I have to add: Hamilton vs Gold Coast. Even my nationalistic fury will acknowledge that's not a difficult choice of where to spend a week, though if you're preparing for a rugby game on a NZ rugby field in NZ weather, I'd go with boring old Hamilton and the win).
-
I was meaning the ability to block Hamilton from the mind.
Agree it's a strange decision to stay in Surfers.
Not only will incite an affronted bell-ringing fury from the crowd, but it's shades of All Blacks in the South of France 1999.
-
But then, I suppose when you hold it for such long lengths of time, you get a bit complacent with it...
The coaches and players didn't look complacent when I saw them (Bringing it with you when you go out for coffee isn't complacency but pride I'd say :-) And yes, I did get my photo taken with it too!
A long tenure isn't at all guaranteed, especially given that 8 of the team are in Hamilton - in addition to Slade and Crockett there are six or seven players in the All Blacks (most of the pack) plus Dan Carter and the Otago defence is no automatic win.
I do live in hope though. And, to be fair, if Otago were to win I wouldn't mind quite so much given that they haven't had the log'o'wood in over 50 years.
-
Are the likes of Gear, Ellison etc physically in Sydney? If so, I can understand, although not necessarily agree with, it.
No, Tamati is in Wellington, resting up his torn hamstring.
@Kyle Good point re: the shield, but it may have been that the NZRU saw that as a fixture to push and get a crowd behind. But how to release Canterbury and the Lions' ABs without letting the rest go?
Remember, this is why Jamie Joseph was not going to play his All Blacks, because at the beginning of the season he was told they would not be released all year. All that talk of him 'backing down' was bullshit, because the NZRU shifted the goalposts on him, not vice versa.
-
Yeah, the NZRU and the provinces give the impression that they are making it up all along.
You'd think there would be some simple guidelines which dictate how the All Blacks and provinces relate.
1. All Blacks have a number that they can include in their squad - say 30.
2. They pick 30, have them until they name the team, including possible bracketing for injuries etc.
3. Once they've named the team, the 8 or so that aren't in the team are released. If their provinces want them that weekend, they fly back to whereever the game is the day before. Then after the game they rejoin the all blacks.
4. If the provinces don't want them, they can help carry the drinks for the All Blacks or whatever. -
You'd think there would be some simple guidelines which dictate how the All Blacks and provinces relate.
Ah, but you forget the first rule.
1. What the All Blacks want, the All Blacks get.
-
1. What the All Blacks want, the All Blacks get.
Which, I think, is the way it should be.
Again, the Currie Cup model could be applied here. -
1. What the All Blacks want, the All Blacks get.
I don't mind that, as long as when they want stupid things (ie, players sitting in the stands but not running around on the field) they get told to bugger off.
Post your response…
This topic is closed.