Better Rugby Rules

         The guy with his head in the sand is the NZ rugby loving public.

The good of 2008 for the ABs and NZRU.

1. The winning percentage
2. Andrew Hore, Conrad Smith, R McCaw
3. Jimmy Cowan showed us hes a stroppy little sh*t and wont back down, not ever !
4. NZRU will make a profit with out forex hedging tricks. Even though they have to sell the ABs to Honk Kong punters, and next year to USA punters. Oh well credit crunch and all that.
5. Adidas re signs, neat more German designed soccer/rugby style gear !
6. RWC awarded to NZRU

The not so good

1. Munster showed how fragile some of the second tier players are, well there not All Blacks full stop.
2. Wayne Smith, nice guy, but the ABs back line has never fired to the same level the Aussies did when they beat us with guys like Larkam, Latham, Mortlock, etc ( remember 5 losses in a row).
3. The brains in the back line with out Conrad Smith just are not there, the fiji boys can not have passed to many of the rugby exams, because under pressure they flake (one exception Joe’s try against Munster, maybe he got lucky..will watch 2009 and see).
4. Having forwards in the back line has destroyed more attacks than it has created, many a try has gone missing due to the fatties standing in as first receiver. Maybe a tactic from ELVs, whatever it should be avoided. Rugby is a game of structure, like it or not !
5. The theatre that the haka has become, jes wayne, the ABs should playing on the West End if they carry on with the haka in its current show poney form. Keep it simple !
6. The Water front stadium died, this is one thing Trevor Mallad should have just DONE (dont mention the ACC blowout).

The ABs win all the games in between RWC, and get spanked in the CUP semis if we are lucky, why, cause we believe our own press, performance at RWC must be 50% higher than non RWC years. The boys get fooled by the sub par performance of the international competitions, and when the real show is on it’s a surprise when we loooooose !

See ya in the new year 2009…go the ABs !!

Yellow for hapless untalented England. 4 English yellow cards. Maybe this is the first step to 13 man rugby union. (ha!)

1. Mears (killing the ball)
2. Haskell (elbowing)
3. Flood (high tackle)
4. Rees (killing the ball)

82,000 people paid money to see this international rugby union piece of junk. I should have stayed in bed rather than drag my tired body out at 3.30 am. The first 40 minutes saw 30 penalties, can you believe it! Jimmy Cowan (ABs half back) was screaming for the advantage to be played, but it doesn’t come under the northern breakdown ELVs which require rules to be applied very strictly.

If you want to watch the game, dont, see it on the 2 minute news clip within the late night news, because that’s all the rugby that there was. The IRB rule makers must be rapped with the new ELVs, a whistle blowing musical. If that game was played 30 years ago the players would have sorted the slow ball out with genuine rugby rucking, that’s why we had rucking for team strategies like this. England had no choice but to play it this way, smashed in the press all week after the Aussie game, what else could they do, they only game plan was to niggle and hinder the All Blacks. Bring back rucking.

Cant comment much further, no rugby was played to say much about anything.

Well done ABs, 5 weeks of winning rugby.

NOTE: Please Wayne Smith sign with someone else. The ABs back line needs someone who can get the players to run from depth at pace, and switch between your beloved flat line attack and a deep attack at will. Also maybe get the fatties out of the back line attack, this would also be a great plus !

UPDATE1:The best back line in the last 10 years has been the Aussies (Larkam, Mortlock, Geteau, Latham). This Aussie backline was born from the Brumbies side that consistently out did them selves in the super 14, and out did other international backlines. The passing, tactics, change of attack was fantastic, they could switch from a deep running attack to a flat line attack at will, do any move that existed in back play and defend as good as anyone. In the same time frame ABs best backline line mind was Andrew Merhtens, unfortunately he was playing when Wayne Smith was around and stunted his creativity, so Henry if you want a back coach give either Andrew a call, or call the master mind behind the Brumbies (I think from my research that is Pat Howard).

Or maybe you can see what every one else can, is that you really need to two forward coaches, one for scrums and lineouts and another for forwards running in the backline, in that case I would call Sean Fitzpatrick as your forward back line coach as he spent plenty of time on the wing !

UPDATE2: Bugger ! Smithy stays loyal: I’m sticking with the ABs

Q: One painting is by the famous artist Jackson Pollock, the other is by an elephant, one is claimed as a master piece, the other is not. Which is the master peice? 

A: Here.

The divergence of spin with the view points of these painting is amazing, ranging from the fantastic art performance of Pollock to absolute ridicule for the elephant. To me they both represent what I got sent home for in disgrace as a 6 year old by my art teacher, a FM (Note: FM is defined as f**king mess!). This to me mirrors the same viewpoints of how well rugby union is representing itself as a physical contest game. Cheerleaders out there, mainly TV paid idiots say how great the game is, while those fans that have been watching the game for over 20 years see a deterioration of what was once a great contest of tactics and strategy to a dumbed down ‘run up and bash’ slash ‘force back’ style of oval ball game.

[ Just in case you missed my point: The art world (ie TV paid commentators) look at a Jackson Pollock (ie rugby union) with praise, yet those that know better (ie 20 plus years rugby fan) just see it or what it is, a FM! ]

As a game, I am just not a fan of league, but I could not leave the TV screen as the Kiwis fought to win the world crown (or 3 nations crown). Then some 8 hours latter I watched the ABs vs Wales game, and there are some striking similarities:

• -For a large minute count of the 80 minute game both teams line up againts each other in two horizontal lines.
• -Neither game has real lineouts: a quick pass in by league from one player to another; in union a quick pass in by one player to a small group of players. Both are pretty much the same as a contest, or no contest.
• -Both teams run and bash hoping for the other team to miss a tackle, that usually results in points being scored.
• -Scrums are having less and less importance: either as to there failure of execution or they are less frequent.

However league showed it has a few advantages over union in game structure:

1. The league attacking team seam to form up better for attack, the forwards group together, and the backs spread out wide. In union the backs become forwards at the first ruck, and forwards become backs. Nearly always in union the attacking backline has several tight five member standing in the mix. In defense there is no recognise split between forwards and backs, it just a field wide trench defence.
2. League has less foolish kicking. Union is plagued with the force back game of up and unders to break the field wide trench defense. Or should I say kick and hope.
3. League mainly due to (1) above, have more occurrence of formatted attacking backline moves (loops, dummy runners, overlaps, etc). Remember the great days of back play by the of the Aussie Brumbies, this style of play no longer exists at such frequency in union as backs and forwards are mixed in attack far too often.
4. The backs in league tend to attack from depth with pace (ak Brumbies play), in union as the forwards and backs are mixed, and the slow prop forward just cant make this skill grade.
5. Less wasted time in scrummaging.

This blog is about what rugby used to be like, rugby’s best years from 1985 to 2003 seam to be forgotten, the advent of these ELVs have seen the game morphed into school yard bull rush slash force back style of rugby union. YOU MUST read my foundation posts to understand my argument.

Dont believe me, then ask your self this question: How often do you see pure back vs back contest. Answer: Very infrequently. Classical back play seen in the most recent 20 years has been removed from the game by pure stupid rugby rule setting.

Well done ABs, well done Kiwis. However the best form of the oval ball game was won by league this weekend. Rugby union continues down it’s ‘Jackson Pollock’ phase, a FM !

They may say the game was an ‘tight contest’, and hence the lack of rugby beauty, well bullsh*t comes in many forms, all ABs games this year can be grouped in the above comments.

Dam IRB rule making idiots.

UPDATE1: Having the quick lineout is acceptable, but having short lineouts is getting to be ridiculous, why, it just allows the tight forwards to stand in the back line as possible first receiver for a run and bash. Calling a short lineout hard on attack in the opposition 22 is a great for the defence not the attack as it allows defenders to spread out wide. How does a short lineout make more space out wide, or allow an even one on one contest with the backs (thats center vs center and wing vs wing just in case your have forgotten the good old days), this is a place where the AB backs have consistently beaten there opposite over the years. I don’t think the game would miss short lineouts if we went back to full lineouts only, but if IRB want them, then I insist that the forwards stand within the 15 meters from the touchline and 15 meters from the touchline restart. Otherwise how else can the backs find more space at set piece.

Wayne Barnes Ref All Blacks vs France RWC Quarter finals – France won. Soon to ref the ABs vs Scotland this Saturday.

Dear Mr Barnes,

Are you aware that the All Black coach ‘Mr Henry’ displayed 35 minutes of your referring performance to the NZRU coach appointment committee, allowing him the ultimate excuse for his failed RWC 2007 campaign. A campaign that cost the NZRU $4 million dollars and much embarrassment. The fault was yours not his, Mr Henry proclaimed! This argument ultimately secure his re appointment.

Are you also aware that you were judged harshly, and some feel the touch judges should have been more proactive in providing you more guidance in offsides and forward passes as your were a junior international referee at the time and the modern game has proven to fast for a single referee to make all the correct calls.

And finally, maybe the wrong call of the complete RWC was by Paddy O’Brien to advise the touch judges to be less advisory to the referee in all RWC games. A call that didn’t not recognise the step up in pace from the RWC round robin games to the RWC final games, where more controlled advice to the ref in the middle was absolutely critical. I am sure that you noticed the number of extra calls that were made buy the touch judges after the ABs quarter final. Noticeably the many forward passes made by England (Aussie vs England quarter final) that were called back. One can only conclude that Paddy O’Brien realised his massive f**k up, and fixed it within 24 hours.

But I do hope that you are a little fitter this time around, and the microphone works well between you and your assistant referees (touch judges for those over 40) so we can all have a good game.

God Bless, from one kiwi who thinks there were more New Zealanders involved in the ABs RWC disaster than a single Welshman.

Cheers

BetterRugbyRules

Battle of coaches– A win to Deans. Once again Deans proves his coaching nous is superior to Henry. Deans has a younger side, less talent to choose from, they are getting better, scoring more tries. Ok they didnt win, but it sure looked like it for a while. You must wonder what the ABs Coaching staff actually do, after all there are so many of them.

ELVs and the State of Rugby– This game was one of the worst exponents of ELVs of any form I have ever seen. I said it all before on this blog, I suggest you re read a couple of posts that this game brought back into focus.

1) Post ELVs – ‘The Field Wide Trench Defence’ or ‘FWTD’ (Click it) Here I make the case that the game is being ruined by a field wide line of players that mix skills of forward and backs to result in a boring game of ‘run and bash’. Forwards standing in the back line is destroying attacking play.

QUOTE from post: I would like to go on record stating that the super rugby 2008 ELVs are the source for the continued destruction of classical backline tactics. This is resulting from the lack of opportunity (or space out wide) for the backs to exercise there skill in a pure backs versus backs contest. It has been said that so far in Super 14 Rugby 2008 there have been 50 more tries scored (upto round 11, vs 2007 yr) and this must be a good representation of the 13 ELVs in use. I wonder how many tries were sourced from pure backs versus backs contest, compared to tries where backs and forwards are part of the mix? Maybe the statistics reveal the traditional 2/5 and center skills are no longer required and a more generic loose forward would be better suited in these roles. Is this further evidence of how traditional positional play is being diluted for more action (tries), no matter the quality of the action.

2) Post ELVs – Endangered Species: Maul and Lineout (Click it) – How many mauls did you see, wasnt it fun to see the forwards standing in the backs during a lineout making a real mess of a possible attacking formation. Why do we need specialised centers or 2nd five eights any more, that’s right you dont !

QUOTE from post:  At the moment the scrum and the full lineout are the only occasions between scoring where rugby has forwards and backs completely separated. The need to promote the separation of forwards and backs is critical to the development of the skill of the rugby player to create winning and exciting tactics.

The original intention of the short line out was to open the door for more tactical imagination into this part of the game, yes that did come, but at the expense of creating a stand off in the back line as space for attack diminished.  

With the advent of the ELVs we have see the increase in the ruck to ruck phase play with the by product being the more frequent occurrence of the field wide defensive trench. I have called this non structured play and the pendulum has swung to far this way, which is why I have called for the removal of short lineouts. This would allow forwards to be forwards and backs to be backs at two fundamental restarts (scrum and full lineout).   

3) Post Checkers vs Chess (Rugby League vs Rugby Union) (Click it) . This is what rugby used to be about ! Dam administrator idiots. No matter the ELV version, this post should be the IRB guide line for rugby’s future.

QUOTE from post:  Please note that rugby has been able to live within a fine balance of structured (scrums, malls, kick offs, 22 drop outs, full lineouts) and non structured play (phase play, quick taps, quick lineouts). The operative word is ‘balance’, and all rule changes should be measured on how they keep this very fine balance (see my comments on ELVs) .  Balance is critical, as it allows a fair chance for the rugby player (prop, half back, 2nd 5/8, etc) specialised skill to be exercised within the games many contests (Front row contests, mid field contests, tall timber lineout contests, speedster wing contests, back of the scrum contests). Non structured play reduces the fair chance of these type of contests occurring within a game as the player one on one contest is random and not structured. Just as chess is divided between non structured pieces (the pawn) and other more structured chess pieces (Queen, King, Rook, Castle, Bishop), so in a way is rugby union by way of the nature of mix between structured and non structured play.

4) Re Read Post ELVs – Aerial Ping Pong – Wayne Smith (Click it) . Yes we saw the same old boring game of ‘force back’. Every ELV game has this form of strategy. I think Ian McGeechan got it right when he said

“My concern is that we will end up playing one type of game, that the variety and depth of options which the game has always had will be taken away,” McGeechan told the Daily Mail.

 Post: ELVs – Hail the New Caesar (Ian McGeechan)

But Laurie Mains may have got this wrong (post ELVS – ‘Its like league!’ (Laurie Mains) )

,,”If the aim of these laws was to speed the game up then they’ve succeeded. But the real concern I have is rugby is looking more like league every year.

Sorry Laurie the current game of rugby union in any form of current ELVs is not as good as league, its a fallen into a ramble of ‘run and bash’ mixed with the school yard game of ‘force back’, or in other words crap !

Hong Kong – Here comes the spin.

The All Blacks certainly enjoyed the Hong Kong experience and their performance will set them up for the next five weeks up north. It has given them something to build on.

But Hong Kong is certainly something they won’t forget.

“I think it’s been great for the game. There has been a real buzz, the aircrafts have been full coming from all over Asia. I think they have enjoyed  it. I think it’s important to develop the game in this part of the world and I think there will be more of this sort of thing in the future,” said Henry after 39,682 fans watched the match live at the stunning ground.

Source: Injured Hore’s tour ends to complicate ‘ugly’ AB win – Duncan Johnston

Are you freaking kidding me, home games are losing there mana (or importance), it may be fine for the rugby media and other fat arse donuts who get a free trip to Honk Kong, but stuff the families who want to see the ABs play live. You can conclude very easily that NZRU goes where the money is, and so do the players.

CEO NZRU Steve Tew said on the radio the $NZD return should be $2,000,000 plus to each union (NZRU/ARU). Well you can bet your house that overseas tests has just become a ‘tradition’. I would expect to see 1 to 2 revenue tests a year played in far off lands. There is no way a cash strapped ARU can say no to these high yielding revenue tests. Especially when it’s known that sponsors are wanting to get more bang for their buck in a slow economy. NZ and Aussie fan you are now what they called ‘economy’ class, the NZRU and ARU will now chase the ‘business’ and ‘first’ class high returning (forex) fans with delight !

Players – Dan saved the day again, Richie did heaps, Conrad organised the not so bright back line, Ali went bonkers, Weepu proved useful. All looks good, shame ELVs are being used. On to the north. I am sure the northern press will write heaps about the ELVs, could be a turning point in the future of this once great game.

 Dan Carter believing his press, a big mistake !

Its 2008 Oct, and a top First Five said to the media he decided he would not be available for his province for the NPC final, after his coach expressed that he would like him to play. After speculation that the NZRU/Henry may have decided to rest him. They may have applied gentle pressure to confirm that if Dan made this ‘stand down’ decision that it was ok with them, with no future repercussions, making easier for Dan to ‘pass’ on the NPC final and open his Auckland undies shop, busy lad !

C Meads, T Norton, I Kirkpatrick, S Wilson, G Wylie : Did you guys hear that !

Some of the great men of yesteryear must be wondering what the f**k has happened to the attitudes of the players to the province that brought them up through the ranks. Answer : The EURO !

The ABs tour this summber is 35 players. With a heap of non playing members.

Source: Lots of help at hand as ABs empire expands – Greg Ford

• D Shand – Manager
• G Henry – Head Coach
• W Smith – Back Coach
• M Bryne – Back Coach (Kicking)
• S Hansen – Forward Coach
• N Cron – Forward Coach (Scrum)
• D Robinson – Medical (Doctor)
• P Gallagher – Medical (Physio)
• D Shepherd – Medical (Massage)
• N Gill – Trainer
• G Enoka – Psychologist
• A Rogers – IT
• E Collins – Bags
• J Locke -Media

1. Black – Approved to travel.
2. Red – Not Required to travel, as preparation completed before leaving.
3. Blue – On call, or use locals when required.
4. Pink – Are you freaken kidding me, players can fill this demand.

Plus other types like

• Adidas hangers on
• NZRU managers hangers on

…”By the time they’re all factored in, the team, plus its entourage, swells to more than 50. The logistics of managing a world-class sports team such as the All Blacks is now akin to a company in the army.”…

My Comments: That’s a ratio of 1 playing person to 1.4 non playing person. The NZRU does not understand cost controls, they are fat cat love to spend business model. Dont mention the failed high performance department, and the need for forex hedging to make profits.

Policy Execution 2006 – Selected All Blacks are not to play in NPC.

Policy Execution 2007 – Selected All Blacks are not to play in Super 14, as well the NPC.

Policy Execution 2008 – Selected All Blacks are not to play in NPC (Dan Carter NPC final).

Henry and his mob, is soooo protective of their turf that his law goes, or maybe the NZRU have signed a contract that Carter must play in the Hong Kong game other wise NZRU revenue is reduced. Remember the Beckham deal when he played in Wellington, David had to play 57 minutes or more other wise fees would be adjusted. I wonder does Dan Carter have a Beckham clause ! Is he bigger than the game in NZ, or maybe the money thinks so !

UPDATE1:The NZRU is forecasting $3M profit, there is no way they can allow Dan Carter not to be there, no way they can risk his injury in the NPC final. They also know that the next 12 months will be hard, so is this prudent, or are the NZRU board just cowards. I am sure Dan would love to play for his province.

 Source: ABs drive NZRU towards $3m profit – Marc Hinton

..”The financial squeeze may be on, but the New Zealand Rugby Union is still forecasting a $3 million profit for the year, largely thanks to the big-money generating games the All Blacks are soon to play in Hong Kong and at Twickenham”..

Or did anyone notice that there was actually a NPC on this year, did anyone actually go to a game ?$#!$!??##

Dan Carter is too busy (cotton wool club) to play in the Final, god bless him. The NPC used to be a premier event, now it ranks less than secondary school rugby, as its not the best versus the best by region. I believe that’s why crowds are not what they used to be. (Note: Secondary school rugby is fierce and no quarter is given and a great watch.)

The NPC will be a pure non professional competition running along side more and more super rugby, maybe next year or latter. The Ranfurly shield gets as has much National fever as as the Ellerslie flower show, I mean who really cares.

The NZRU must realise that the rugby fan is intelligent and wants the value competitions with strong match ups by the best in the business (NZ Players). Why, cause that’s what we had before rugby went professional, so we want it back, god dam it !

UPDATE1: Source – Wallabies fit, All Blacks match fit – Duncan Johnstone

..”The All Blacks wider training squad went through two tough sessions on Auckland’s North Shore on Tuesday and face a game against the New Zealand Barbarians in Henderson on Wednesday.”.. [While NPC finals are on]

My Comments: As you can see training runs are more important than NPC games. The money sought from the Honk Kong match for the NZRU is deemed more important than that for NPC final revenues to the regional unions. Henry has said the game in HK is too important to allow his players play in NPC.  So more matches in far off lands, means more diluted competition strength for the local fans, good on ya NZRU, shaft the local fan why don’t you !

[Note: The reader must realise that the revenue earnt by the NZRU in NZD peso is not as attractive as revenue in EURO, USD or POUND. Dear NZ fan, you are just not wealthy enough to get the cream of the sport you love, that will now be sold elsewhere for real cash.]

I remember the great Colin Mead’s saying he played a test on the weekend, club rugby in the middle of the week then a regional game the following Saturday. Why have things changed so much, well its down to: over preparation, over analysis, more control to coaches, less delegated responsibility to leading players. More live action in real game time is more than enough for player fitness and training. This is of course how the massive local fan base in New Zealand started, ever wonder were its going now, not so massive local fan base, that’s what !

…for selecting offshore players for the ALL BLACKS.

Source: Henry favours home-based ABs – for now – Reuters

Eligibility for the All Blacks should continue to be restricted to players based in New Zealand but the situation may change in the future, coach Graham Henry said.

“There may be (a change) in the future because I know that Sanzar are looking to widen Super 14. When that occurs … then that may be a factor but at the moment no, because I think it decreases the value of New Zealand rugby,” Henry said.

My Comments: There is no bloody way I will waste my time watching the Auckland Blues with Aussies in the team, while our Auckland boys are playing for Western Force cause their getting a million bucks. What do rugby administrators understand about tribe versus tribe and not wallet versus wallet. The ELVs have alienated the mature rugby fan with the ‘force back style’ of the game that it produces and add to this the taking the game away from the traditional fan base (playing in Hong Kong, Denver, Tokyo, etc, god knows where else.), and to let the star players importance be worth more than the game is more stupidity.

Capitalism revenue models do not work in professional sport, socialism does (all get equal revenue). Example, UK soccer clubs are in debt upto 3 billion pounds, see how its work there, yeah real good, just wait for the world wide recession to hit and UK soccer clubs will be bankrupt, I guess they will want a government bailout just like the UK banks, thats it Nationalise soccer clubs, each council could own one (ha) ! Henry, Tew and Hobbs are thinking for the now, and not the long term consequences, dam fools !

Why so gloomy.

Imagine a NZ economy where unemployment is over 8%, the housing market has fallen 30% and peoples disposal income as dried up. If you dont think the current credit crunch will get us there, then you havent read the latest RBNZ economic report.

With other rugby markets wanting our players, by paying good money and not the NZD pesos. This saying will rule, “Those that have the gold make the rules !”. Therefore Aussie, Japan, France, and England (maybe USA) clubs will pluck our under 21 talent from our shores the same way the young Brazilian soccer players are pulled from south america to northen hemisphere soccer clubs.

Aussie has already started down this track : Anzac rugby unions shape up for player war

Rugby agents will pluck under kiwi under 21 players from schools and colts, and leave the cubbord dry. The poor agents got to make a dollar, and as they work on a percentage. The biggest deal will only do.

That’s why every agent is insisting the All Blacks must be selected from overseas “for the good of the mana of the All Black jersey”, and better and more frequent agent commissions. Business will boom !

One agents comments reak of self Interest  [a former All Black and now an player agent/blood sucker] – Graig Innes…

[From the same Article linked above.]

Leading player agent Craig Innes, who helped broker Braid’s deal, warned it might be the tip of the iceberg. “The whole landscape is changing. Australia is targeting players at under-20 level even. When the [New Zealand and Australian] school boys played [in New Plymouth on Friday] generally a few league scouts turn up but apparently there were agents everywhere. The player market at all levels is heating up and if Australia gets a fifth super rugby franchise they going to target players from everywhere. There’s major pressure coming on from all sides, including Japan.”

Japanese clubs have expanded their international player quota from two to three although the third import must be eligible to play for Japan. This means emerging players, who have not yet played for the All Blacks, will come under demand.

Innes said: “It’s going to be awfully tempting for them isn’t it. The black jersey still holds sway for most of them but things are changing. It’s going to change the way we think about everything including All Blacks eligibility.

“The [NZRU] is already taking baby steps towards [allowing overseas players to be selected] but things are evolving so fast.

“I don’t think we’re far away from a big change.”

My Comments: P*ss off ! More spin to promote the agent business model.

Source: Bucket tipped on ELVs – Adrian Proszenko

FORMER Wallaby Dick Marks has delivered a damning 10-page critique of the experimental law variations to ARU supremo John O’Neill.

Marks, a Queensland Rugby Union board member, sent the document, titled The Other Side of the Coin, to O’Neill and fellow rugby heavy-hitters David Nucifora, Rod McCall, Peter Cosgrove and Peter McGrath, calling on them to review the way the ELVs have been implemented. He writes that the ELVs have:

■ Made referees a law unto themselves;

■ Turned rugby into a “kickfest”;

■ Increased the number of penalties and free kicks;

■ Almost eliminated “true” ruck and mall contests;

■ Not been universally accepted and not applied uniformly worldwide; and

■ Not enhanced rugby’s entertainment value.

Marks writes: “Sure, there are stats that say the ball is in play more, but that’s not much use when it’s 50 metres up in the air.”

And he has the backing of several influential identities, including former Wallaby Gary Pearse, kicking coach Ben Perkins and veteran Welsh official Malcolm Lewis.

“Most of the people that have publicly supported these laws are part of the extended ARU PR machine,” he wrote. “It’s useless getting comments from players who say the laws are wonderful. No player on $300,000 will get up and say, ‘I hate them’, they’ll be toeing the official ARU line … I want the other side of the coin presented to the public.”

My Comments:Think back to the ELV cheerleaders and the great central rugby union SPIN machine, those idoits love their paycheck more than they love the game. TV Commentators, radio jocks, tossers, thank god for free bloggers and some of the free press out there!

Jock Hobbs – NZRU Chairman of the Board (CEO Strategic Finance)

Source: Hobbs offers provinces Super stake – Greg Ford

Hobbs does not believe rugby is in crisis. “There’s uncertainty around crowd numbers but the essential components of our game are not in crisis and I don’t believe the Air New Zealand cup is sick. There has been strain on provincial finances but if there’s an acceptance of semi-professional then that stress will come off.”

My Comments: This is the same guy who founded Strategic Finance, and didn’t he say the same thing about that company, “We are sound”…then they went BUST !

You know something is in crisis when the Chairman says the opposite, have you seen the games live crowd, nope, cause there are none ! Jock Hobbs is in the same class of forecaster as the economists who said housing was heading for a soft landing, yeah right ! (Tui).

Rugby over the next immediate years will be serverly punished economically, just like everything else from the current credit crunch (the worst financial crisis since the 1930s).

Rugby players may learn a new term like ‘pay cut’ !

Source: Super-sized Super 14 the saviour – Greg Ford

Nichol said the game was at a “crossroads” with rugby needing to expand into new markets to generate new income. He said if New Zealand wasn’t at the vanguard of change it risked losing an opportunity to create the premier rugby competition in the world.

“That’s the goal we need to achieve. If we [NZ] don’t, we risk becoming another Argentina or Pacific Island country, with all our players based overseas. We can’t let that happen. We need to embrace this change. The market for players is becoming more competitive every year so cutting down the amount of opportunities available just didn’t make sense strategically or financially.”

My Comments: Rob Nichol says we need to act or we may become a player feeder nation for other more wealth rugby nations. Tooooo late, New Zealand is a country that exports agriculture and interest rates we do nothing else, you can count the local billionaires on one hand, there is no wealth here. If you create new markets in Japan and USA then forget France as the nation who buys up the local ‘Lomus’, USA and Japan will be making huge offers that would make the french Toulon billionare look like a cheap skate.  A NZ player will be an All Black for a couple of years for CV value, then their gone for foreign exhange revenues, and how can you blame them, poor buggers.

       We need the money !!!

Source: Bledisloe for Twickenham

Australian rugby union officials are reportedly planning to stage a Bledisloe Cup clash in England next year.

“We may even play All Blacks and the Wallabies at Twickenham, that’s not out of the question.”

A Twickenham Test has the potential windfall for all three parties, with gate takings worth an estimated $10 million [AUD]

My Comments: [ Tew / ONeill ] Sorry Aussie and Kiwi fans, we need to ‘whore’ out the national rugby side for foreign currency because we are broke. We were a little naughty with the financial management over the last couple of years, our new rugby fan must be holding Yen, Pounds and US dollars. Dear local kiwi and Aussie fans we will sell this to you as the most recent concept of the new world of professional rugby, and we wont at any point time say ‘sorry we stuffed up with the financial management of the game’.

UPDATE1: Twickers Bledisloe ruled out – Greg Ford

New Zealand rugby officials dismissed suggestions the All Blacks might play a Bledisloe Cup match in London in the near future.

Australian rugby boss and motormouth John O’Neill mooted the idea this week.

Tew told Gifford: “As I think people know, we have had an idea we might play a test in the USA in Denver and there is the possibility we might play on the east coast of America.

“We are looking at all these options but nothing is well advanced and we’re not working on a Twickenham test, or not of late. It’s possible my Australian colleagues have been, but we certainly have not. We have a full programme this year and we’re pretty close to having a full programme next year.”

Fred, Please run the NZRU for us, thanks !

Source: NZRU’s disorganised organisation chronicled – JAMIE MACKAY

Ummm, let’s have a look at some recent cases of its stupidity.

There was the appointment of the clearly ill-qualified John Mitchell in 2001. The youngest coach in All Black history set about getting rid of some of the best players in All Black history, namely Jeff Wilson and Christian Cullen, then proceeded to pick Brad Thorn, who promptly turned his back on the All Black jersey.

Don’t even get me started on the muddled riddle that was Mitch-speak! Messrs Murray McCaw and David Rutherford lost us the co-hosting rights to the 2003 Rugby World Cup and then followed a relative period of sanity when Mitchell was dumped in favour of Graham Henry (who should have got the job in 1999 — rather than the accident-prone Wayne Smith — following John Hart’s ugly demise).

The good ship Henry then sailed through calm waters in 2004-06 before becoming becalmed in 2007 and sinking without trace in Cardiff.

And let’s not even go there — when it comes to the Robbie Deans decision.

There was a welcome break in the bungling when jocular Jock Hobbs managed to score the 2011 World Cup. However, normal transmission was resumed when the NZRU decided to extend the national provincial championship to 12 teams, got 14 applicants, couldn’t make the hard call and finished with a free-for-all.

Then in its infinite wisdom the NZRU decided this year, mid-competition, to go back to the 12-team contest it should have had in the first place. The coup de grace was surely telling Northland and Tasman of their probable fate, only a few games into their campaigns.

Talk about a kick in the guts! Here’s hoping that great rugby nursery, Northland, survives, while the delicious irony of Tasman winning the Ranfurly Shield, albeit an unlikely outcome, is mouth-wateringly tantalising to contemplate.

My Comments: There was also the financial disasters, spending $8m on a “high performance development team” , also the $4m dollar loss in 2007 ( before Forex adjustments). The NZRU runs it self like an expensive bunch of lawyers, there is way too many admin types in the NZRU. Never, ever make a lawyer CEO ever again !

Source: IRB step in to solve Scotland player row

Scottish Rugby lodged an official complaint with the IRB after Premier Rugby (PRL), the umbrella organisation representing Guinness Premiership teams, blocked players attending Monday’s first training session of the season at Murrayfield.

Premier Rugby insist they were within their rights to impose the blanket ban as they are only obliged to release players five days before an agreed quota of Test matches.

My Comments: Yeah, getting players from overseas would be real easy for the the All Blacks ! I think not ! Stupid idea ! Hell, if Scotland cant get its players out of England, what chance have the SRFU, ARU and NZRU have, none !

My Comments: Pulling down the maul and anything goes within lineout numbers are allowed. I hope these two are canned. The ruck and maul laws go back to last years laws, free kick will not be used as it was in the Super 14 2008.  These are the ELVs for the world wide trial starting the Aug 1st 2008. Honk Kong and beyond. In April next year the IRB will vote on these EVLs on a  rule by rule basis.

Source: http://www.irb.com/ELVs/

UPDATE1: Looks like there is a battle going to get SANZAR on the same ELV page.  Source : Boks keen to change ELVs

Source: IRB planning rugby World Series – David Long

The IRB are desperate to add some meaning to the rugby calendar outside the World Cup and have devised the idea of a biennial World Series which would involve the world’s top 10 nations – New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, England, Wales, France, Ireland, Scotland and Italy.

According to UK newspaper, the Daily Mail, the World Series would begin as a round-robin competition, the sides playing each other once, with all Six Nations games and some Tri-Nations results counting towards the World Series

Argentina would play Sanzar nations when they’re not involved in Tri-Nations tests. For example, Argentina would play the All Blacks the same week the Wallabies play the Springboks. Tests between the northern and southern hemisphere nations would take place in the June and November test windows.

At the end of the two-year period the top-placed nations would play each other in a one-off game to claim the title of World Series champions. Wembley Stadium is being eyed as the venue for this game because its 90,000 seats make it the most financially attractive.

My comments: I posted a similar idea on my blog months ago here : International Playing Window with Revenue Sharing [April 2008]. Thank god the IRB reads my blog. I hope it works out.

Possible ideas.

• 1) The playoffs should be 4 teams playing a semi and grand final, just like the current super 14 playoffs. Complete this over two weeks.
• 2) Have two divisions. Division 1 – The top 10 teams mentioned. Division 2 – The teams numbered from 11 to 20 ( Samoa, Tonga, Japan, USA, Canada, Georgia, etc).
• 3) Play the division 2 playoffs as pre match for divison 1 playoffs. So the grand final is two games 1.00pm division 2, 2.30pm division 1. Now wouldnt that pull the world wide audience ratings .
• 4) Division 1 prize money 75%, Division 2 prize money 25% of all total price money available. As I said in (1) with 4 teams in each division making the playoffs, I suggest all teams get some level of prize money for making the playoffs. You cant have teams going to the playoffs and lose money due to travel and living costs. The tournment is about generating cash for teams, so no playoff team should lose financially just for being there !
• 5) Should the ranking be based on how the teams finished in the most recent rugby world cup. Could you imagine Wales or Ireland in division 2. I guess it will be based on commercial clout, rather than recent performance.

NOW thats a good idea !

Spring Time in NZ…

September in NZ is spring time, and the cold bleak dark weather roles away, the arrival of warm sun shine wakens kiwis to outdoor pursuits like fishing, hunting, snow skiing, long black coffees at the cafe. The ABs had three weeks off and that’s what they were doing, so to come back to test match rugby with full engines blasting took 40 minutes of warming up. The second half was where the ABs banked their pay cheque this week. Well done ABs !

Some of the ABs were puffing quite hard, Hore and Nonu looked short of a game especially. But once again Carter, McCaw and Woodcock all proved they are the worlds best ! Carter slotted two very important goals which secured the win, that’s a huge improvement from the RWC 2007.

The Aussies brought their ‘A’ game and it showed, Deans will have this team as serious RWC contenders in 3 years. The players are getting more confident (yes they look better at home). Deans is starting to get the team believing in themselves. They Aussies played with some good smarts, but like any tight game the odd missed tackle decides the outcome.

Onto end of year tour, it will be interesting how we and the Aussies rate up north by Xmas.

Source: ELVs just no good so let’s dump them– Evan Pegden

Southern hemisphere rugby has been sold a pup and it’s time to come clean and ADMIT IT !

The ELVs or at least the ones aimed at solving the perennial problems at the breakdown and speeding the game up are not working.

Yes, the ball is in play more but much of that time is spent watching it sail through the air in a glorified game of forceback the type we played as kids but never envisaged our elite players would turn into a yawn-inspiring art form.

Many of these experimental variations are worthy, such as the quick lineout throw that doesn’t have to be straight, the five metres that backlines have to be back from scrums, and the outlawing of kicking out on the full from within your own 22 if the ball is passed back to you from outside it.

But let’s face it, the free kick-fest that promised to speed the game up with lots of quick taps, while keeping the set pieces important by having lots of scrums when the quick opportunity is lost, is not quite working out the way we thought it would. Instead it has become a kick-fest of a different type.

It hasn’t solved the breakdown problems because it has just made the referee’s job even harder as he tries in a split second to make the correct ruling at the continuing pile-ups, conscious that the onus is on him to keep the game moving.

The result? Even more of a lottery when the individual differences in referees’ rulings are taken into account. Teams have quickly found it is not worth the risk of turnovers, which now happen so easily, or free kicks in their own half so they kick more.

Aerial ping-pong is the result, and the quality of the kicking has not generally been that good, although some are becoming adept at that exciting attacking option, the midfield bomb, with the best hope being a 50-50 chance of regaining possession,

My Comments: After reading an article in the NZ Herald quoting Pat Lam (Auckland Blues Coach) as he slammed some of the ELVs I had a feeling the NZ rugby press had finally woken up. The main reason why the ELVs pulled so much southern support from day one is that you have two desperate CEOS (Tew/O’Neill) wanting change in the hope that it would bring in more revenues. The crack in the NZ media started when Wayne Smith coined the phase ‘aerial ping-pong’, well that started the snow ball down the hill, media all over the rugby world are using this in there negative tone of the ELVs. There are 23 ELVs, 15 being used in Tri Nations, I think you will see about 4 surviving the trials (5 meter behind scrum, quick throw ins changes, no passing behind 22, corner post changes).  Up north Eddie Jones is a good barometer of their train of thought.

Source: Eddie Jones sticks to his guns

        This is what Jones had to say in his column in The Independent on Saturday:

“There are far fewer scrums. We had only five put-ins against Quins and went through the second period without a set piece called in our favour. Speaking as a former hooker, that really hurts.

“And the line-outs? We had 11 on our own throw. As recently as 2003-04, a team could expect the best part of 20 line-outs and at least a dozen scrums. This is a massive change that goes right to the heart of the way a game is plotted and played.

“Under these laws, teams are kicking more. We all thought it would happen, and so it has transpired. If the ball spends longer in the air, it spends less time in the hands.

“If there are fewer passing movements and fewer drives – even the basic pick-and-go routines around the fringes of the rucks look like becoming more scarce because of the way referees are controlling the breakdowns – there will be fewer knock-ons or “unplayable” calls at the tackle, and therefore fewer set pieces.

“Rugby is meant to be a sport for specialists, one for all shapes and sizes. This has always been, and remains, its mission statement – its guiding principle, if you like.

“What price specialists if we continue on this current path? Am I going to pick a prop who is really destructive in the tight but slow around the field if the number of scrums is way down in single figures?

“Ultimately, the answer will be no. Our scrum coach is Cobus Visagie, who also happens to be one of the best tight-head technicians in the game.

“The favourite one-liner at (Saracens) at the moment is: “Hey Cobus, what do you do for a living these days?” The last thing I want to see is these blokes disappear.”

And so say all of us.

My Comments: To be fair what Eddie Jones is seeing is the same trend that happened in Super 14 2008, teams start off playing too loose, then latter on in the season they realise that structure is required to break down field wide defences. So the season starts off with the mad hatter tap and go all the time, and will end with more scrums and lineouts near the business end. Well that’s how it happened downunder. In the end the generic ELV game will be a mirror of the Super 14 2008 final. So if you are a northern rugby coach get the inside oil of how to win an ELV game from this blog ! (ha).

All the downunder ELVs cheerleaders with their word in print on the internet, will look a little stupid soon. The TV commentators in NZ/AUS with their blind puppy love for the new world order of the ELVs will soon tone down there trumpet blowing and follow the more honest swing of mainstreet thinking that these ELVs in their current form must not survive. See my ELV amendments, thanks.

GOD SAVE RUGBY UNION !!!

Source: ELVs force both sides into safe approach – Mark – Geenty

Smith said it was ironic that the ELVs, designed to promote an attacking game, had evolved it into a form of aerial ping-pong.

“The ELVs have created the game where territory’s important where you don’t want to be caught too often behind your gain line or in your own territory. Someone’s going to get a free kick which could create momentum for the other team,” he said [Wayne Smith 2008-09-10].

My Comments: Does anything more need to be said, the ELVs in there current form cant not remain.

Source: Sour taste from half-pie ELVs – Greg Ford

IRB boss Mike Miller has admitted that, “in hindsight”, the global trial of the ELVs has been flawed.

A NZRU spokesman even confirmed no decision had been made on which rules will apply in next year’s Super 14.

Miller: “In hindsight we might have bitten off more than we could chew.

“We looked at a lot of areas in the game we thought we could improve. The trials were not universal in scope. They were trialled at senior level in some countries and not in others, which didn’t help.

…”Perhaps a more simple approach would have been better.”…

My Comments: This blog has seen the ELV faults from the beginning. Stupid ELV cheerleaders have done the game no good. I like the ELVs but with amendments,that has always been my case. Downunder has just learnt where the rugby power base is and that’s up North (England, Ireland and Wales).

Some of the not so bright cheerleaders are (drum roll):

1) CEO of the ARU John O’Neill can be blamed for a lot of the political waves the ELVs have caused. His ‘peacock‘ type stance has done the ELV case no good.

2) Paddy OBrien and the LPG Committee. The management of  the ELV trials did not have a popular following.

3) Rod MacQueen (back room influence) allowed too much of his Aussie rules and rugby league to influence the formation of some of the ELVs.

4) CEO NZRU Steve Tew for having blind puppy love for the ELVs, as staunch rugby man he should have known better.

5) All television rugby commentators that tried to tell the NZ rugby public that pulling down a maul and 8 vs 2 man lineouts was a good thing !

All the above need to read the founding post(s) of this blog

        Sir Brian Lochore

Source: Political correctness destroying New Zealand, says ex-All Black coach

Rugby legend Sir Brian Lochore says political correctness is destroying New Zealand.

Sir Brian, who coached the All Blacks to their 1987 Rugby World Cup victory, urged fathers to let their children take risks – but to lay down rules and impose “consequences” if rules are broken. He was speaking at a breakfast hosted by educators Parents Inc yesterday.

The group’s founder, Ian Grant, told more than 1000 fathers at the event that society was turning fathers into “male mothers” obsessed with safety instead of adventure.

“Our society is trying to turn fathers into male mothers. You ain’t,” he told them.

Sir Brian, who captained the All Blacks from 1966 to 1970, laid the blame on political correctness.

“We are living in a PC world which is destroying us, where you actually can’t put the hard word on people when they have digressed and committed bad blunders,” he said.

“One of the advantages of being a farmer is that I was able to work with my children. You can take them on the back of your motorbike, which you’re not supposed to do any more.

“You can take them on your horse, which you’re not supposed to do any more.He said his daughters went to a rugby game at three weeks old, and later played in the mud while their dad downed a jug in the bar after a game.

“In the evenings we went to the rugby parties with the kids, who slept in the back of the car. We can’t do that any more because we haven’t got rid of the perpetrators that actually destroy our society.”

He said he trusted his friends to discipline his children and they trusted him to discipline theirs.

“My friends were my children’s role models and I was my friends’ children’s role model,” he said.

“The one thing I believe is important in life is respect. They respected authority, they respected teachers, I respected the teachers. We lack a great deal of respect for authority nowadays, there’s always someone protesting.

“Respect and role models are very important in life. You as a father, with the aid of your partner – I can’t say ‘wife’ these days, PC. You are the one who sets the ground rules. And don’t ever tell me that the kids don’t want to know where the line is. They do.”

As a coach, he told the All Blacks they could do anything they liked off the field as long as they didn’t annoy anyone or break anything.

“All I had to say was, ‘Hey boy, I think you’re annoying me,”‘ he said.

“People have to make decisions, and people do make mistakes. But make sure that you take action – that there are consequences, and that you actually follow them through.

“Yes, I smacked my children, but I’ve never hit them. Yes, I smacked other people’s children, but I never hit them. But we are not allowed to do that any more in this PC world.”

My Comments: This blog is not political. But nanny laws have gone nuts. Where the 1% of society is the basis of laws for 99% of society. NZ kids need to experience risk and how to manage it. I would think mountain climbing Helen Clark would even understand that, but maybe not so much some of her nanny cabinet mates do not. (Disclosure: I voted National last election).

Source: Mile High beckons for All Blacks – Greg Ford

The New Zealand Rugby Union has confirmed it was “in dialogue” with the United States Rugby Union and “may” stage one of next year’s Bledisloe Cup matches against Australia in the US.

Although the concept is in its genesis, the old Mile High Stadium site in Denver, Colorado, where the US Rugby headquarters is based, has been designated as the likely venue. The NZRU recently started a formal relationship with the US union as the US is a market it’s keen to tap into.

NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said: “We’re looking at a number of possibilities [for next year’s Bledisloe Cup]. Denver is one of them. But as I said, we’re in the very early stages.

 …”test matches in the US could become a regular part of the landscape”..

NZRU board is pimping out the All Blacks, for cash. Rugby should be between nations, thats tribe vs tribe at either home or away (the other tribes home). Yet a new trend is developing, performance for cash. The NZFU board have miss managed the NRFU finances through the failed RWC campaign and high performance departments that failed. So the ABs must now dance for their supper

This is a shameful trend. Maybe we should live within our means, reduce NZRU staff, cut salaries, and plan the business correctly. I wonder how many coaches out there would coach the ABs at half the pay the current Henry’s mobs is getting, plenty ! And why the need for 3 coaches and all the hangers on, Grizz managed 50 test match wins in a row by himself! The NZRU are spinning a web of bullsh*t to keep their happy well padded lifestyles going.

If it wasn’t for a $4 million forex hedge in the 2007 financial year the NZRU would be in so much red ink, the ABs would have been selling cake and lemonade at the end of your street.

Sure, we have the RWC in 2011, buts that’s a long time away, and a headline for the NZRU to hide behind, so don’t be fooled. The NZRU board and CEO (current and previous) have failed the NZ rugby public.

Before rugby went professional, there was the call to replace the NZRU board with people who new business. Well that has failed, bring back those who know rugby first, business second, find those with a love of NZ rugby more so than idiots with there grand plans of stupidity.