Better Rugby Rules

This is all this current crop of ABs can do, a silly dance before they get hammered.

Quick paragraphs to tell the truth.

Missing a World Class 1st Five: Having Dan Carter in the side hid the truth behind the talent curtain of other ABs. Talent is missing. Some guys are leaders and some are followers. We are seeing the followers play, and they are lost. I wonder if other countries will allow their star 1st five to have a sabbatical ? Thinking, thinking…well done CEO Tew !

Trend of 2009 Season: Donald and Rokocoko are not world class players, more like average Super 14 players. The coaches realised this when they subbed Donald off. Heed what Laurie Mains said on Henry, “…but every team he’s coached, towards the end of his time with them, they’ve dropped away.”

Class of Players: Remember the days if a back dropped the ball or did a bad pass the standards were so high, that player most likely lost his position the next week or was dropped entirely from the squad. Thats missing these days. How to beat the ABs, kick high to an AB back, he cant catch it, apply pressure, win possession, then score.

ABs Coach Tactical Blunder AGAIN: Remember RWC 2007, when the ABs backs are up against the wall the coachs chose tactics that dont suite the abilities of the players they have selected. It happened last night, AGAIN! (Maybe Henry called John Hart for help prior the game) What ever happened to kick for advantageous territory, build pressure and attack when the holes appear. Rather than run from any ware, or useless little kicks that fuel the oppositions possession stakes.

Trend of Bad Selections: Wouldn’t it be better to see players like Howlett (Auck) and Hamilton (Cant) in the side. Henry has selected players that are very good only some of the time, players that switch from good to awful at a drop of hat. A player goes over seas when they get the feeling that they are not on the selection radar. Remember this is coaching mob is the same mob that has been selecting Toeava for years, Howlett would have been a better investment.

Forward Still Playing Under ELVs: Hansen hasn’t gotten it through his head yet that ‘forwards should play a loose’ all of the time, is over. The Boks play a much more traditional forward game (that includes mauling). Lineouts continue to be a lost art, I guess Ali Williams is missing there. You have consistent winning rugby when the forward pack is the better on the field. “The big mean boks bullied us all game, I gonna tell my mum” ..said the ABs forward.

Coachs Failed: Henry for tactics, Hansen for inept forwards display, Smith for player selection in the backs. Thank god they have been selected for the home RWC in NZ, yeah, real good (Tui: Yeah Right !). By now you must see the missed chance of selecting Robbie Deans for ABs coach might just be the biggest blunder leading into RWC 2011. This blog has called for sacking Smith from the start, he should never have been given ABs coaching duties after his wet blanket head coaching display. Thanks Steve Tew. I wonder if Henry has called for the video tape so he can explain to the NZRU board that the Welsh ref cost him the game. AGAIN !

You learn more from the losses than you do on the wins. Some players should not be ABs. But my final conclusion is that the ABs are missing the decision makers at half back and first five. Add to this the wrong advice from the coaches box and you have a team that is like a fish out of water. I remember the days when Zinny said, we not doing that, defied coaches advice, and corrected the ship and went forward. I bet if you turn on the night goggles you would see the wires from the players brains to the coaches boxes, players are mere puppets these days. Leadership on the field is lost to the control freaks sitting in the coaches boxes.

WARNING: THE CALL FOR OVERSEAS PLAYERS. If  you hear this cry from Henry it will because he has stuffed up so badly with his history of selections that he must claw back his bad decisions and get players back. As we have seen with MacAlister years away from the cauldron of international rugby, skills and timing can be lost. So players from overseas wont make any difference.

How to fix it:
1) Sack Henry, Smith, Hansen
2) Select as new coaches: Your grandmother from Gisborne, your Uncle Bob from Wanaka, and Auntie Mary from North land. I bet they would do a better job.