All Blacks Look To Continue European Surge Against Wales

After a scrappy win against the Italians, the All Blacks now move to Cardiff to try and take down the Welsh.
This will prove to be the All Blacks biggest test so far on their northern tour, with the Welsh feeling that they deserved a place in last years World Cup final.
Pre game comments from Wales' defence coach will surely have the All Blacks fired up, but with Steve Hansen revealing his A team for the first time on the northern tour, one would have to think that the All Blacks will again be too strong for this determined Welsh side.

What Wales Will Look To Do:
The Welsh will again look to their defence to try and stop a rampant All Blacks attack which, even though lacks a certain playmaker, will again prove to the be the difference between the two sides. A passionate Welsh side will however bring a lot of physicality up front and look to disrupt the All Blacks pill, as the Italians did last week. The All Blacks will therefore need to provide a lot more protection for Aaron Smith at the breakdown to ensure that he can continue to get quick ball away to Aaron Cruden and the All Black backline. Wales will rate their game up front. They always have, and this is where they believe they can out muscle the All Blacks. What the AB's need to be aware of is this; Wales believe they can win this game. They will go into it with the mindset that if they stick their guns and execute their game plan then they will be able to knock over the All Blacks in front of 80'000 passionate Welsh supporters. The All Blacks will therefore need to step up their game another level from their previous two encounters and execute their game plan with perfection.

5 Who Need Big Games:

Aaron Smith

Aaron Cruden

Andrew Hore

Liam Messam

Richie McCaw

All Blacks Scrape Away With Win In Rome

After a complete demolition of Scotland at Murrayfield, Steve Hansen made 14 changes to his side to face Italy, with Julian Savea the only one backing up from the week before. Whilst that dreaded R word came to everyones minds when the team was announced, the All Blacks managed a comfortable 42-10 win in the end, although it wasn't all that easy, nor was it a very attractive brand of footy.

The Italians brought a new kind of passion to the game in Rome, something we haven't seen from the them in a long time. They really stepped up their game since the last time the two sides met 2 years ago in Milan. This somewhat shocked the All Blacks, as they were slow to get themselves into the game. The Italians targeted the breakdown, and their physicality in that area caused some headaches for the All Blacks forward pack, and also halfback Aaron Smith, who was put under constant pressure by the Italians, therefore resulting in slower ball for the backs to work with. This also meant that the All Black backline was often starting on the back foot, meaning that the Italian backline had more time to come up and put early pressure on Aaron Cruden so he couldn't clear it to the threats out wide.

However, when we did manage to get fast front foot ball, Cruden took it to the line effectively and managed to set up his outsides well. Although they were quiet early on, wingers Hosea Gear and Julian Savea started to assert themselves on the game in the second half, not only scoring tries, but taking the ball to the line off the shoulder of Cruden and Nonu and setting up support players for the tries. Beauden Barret was solid in his first start at fullback, managing to control the early aerial assult from the Italians well. He attacked the line with speed, but found himself nudging the ball through a few too many times. Cory Jane was a standout when he came on at fullback, constantly taking the ball to the line and breaking through the Italian defense. Expect to see him back on the right wing for the test against Wales at Millennium Stadium, as the All Blacks go back to their A team for the last two tests.

The Standouts:

Kieran Read

Tony Woodcock

Julian Savea

Brodie Retallick

Cory Jane

Probable Starting XV for Wales:

1. Tony Woodcock
2. Keven Mealamu
3. Owen Franks
4. Luke Romano
5. Sam Whitelock
6. Liam Messam
7. Richie McCaw (c)
8. Kieran Read

9. Aaron Smith
10. Dan Carter
11. Julian Savea
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Conrad Smith
14. Cory Jane/Hosea gear
15. Israel Dagg/Cory Jane

16. Andrew Hore
17. Wyatt Crockett
18. Ben Franks
19. Brodie Retallick
20. Victor Vito
21. Piri Weepu
22. Aaron Cruden
23. Beauden Barret

All Blacks Look To Start Off Northern Tour With A Win At Murrayfield

The last time we witnessed the All Blacks play this year, they put together a very scrappy 18-18 draw with Australia. Now as they embark into the Northern Hemisphere, Richie McCaw and his men will be looking to not only improve on their well below par performance in Brisbane, but they will be looking to get their Northern Tour underway with a strong win over Scotland at Murrayfield.

What The Scotts Will Bring To The Table:

Scotland will know that they will struggle to match the All Blacks for strength and physicality, so the battle up front won’t be too high on their agenda. The All Blacks are simply too strong at the breakdown, and despite not having the physical presence of Kieran Read and Liam Messam for the opening test, the All Blacks will still target the Scotts in that area and look to continue to produce quick go forward pill for the backline to work with. This means that the Scotts will look to not over commit at the breakdown and have their loose forwards hang off the side of the ruck and look to put constant pressure on Dan Carter and disrupt our back play.

The relatively inexperienced midfield combination of Tamati Ellison and Ben Smith will look to be exploited by the Scottish defence all day, as they are aware that they do not bare the same physical presence of Nonu and Smith the Scotts will look to run heavy traffic their way all day on attack. Scotland has to be confident in their own attacking abilities if they’re to have any chance of putting digits on the board. When they get it right, it can work very well. When they don’t, it’s all over red rover, and its long night on defence for the lads.

5 Who Need Big Games:

Piri Weepu- Again under pressure to perform. What else is new? 

 Ali Williams- Selected on past form. Needs to repay the selectors faith.

Israel Dagg- Expect a somewhat aerial assault early on from the Scotts.

Adam Thompson- Looks to be on the out so needs to show he’s still able to produce something good.

Tawera Kerr-Barlow- On debut and has been talked up. Needs to show that he deserves to be there.

Kick off from Murrayfield is at at 3:25am tomorrow morning live on Sky Sport 1

5 Reasons Why Canterbury Will Beat Auckland In The ITM Cup Final

As the premiership final of the 2012 ITM Cup draws near, Canterbury are looking to clinch their fifth straight title, while Auckland are looking to be the ones to dethrone them.
Being the one eyed cantab that I am, here's 5 reasons why Canterbury will claim their fifth title in a row over their northern rivals:

1. Coaching Staff

The Canterbury coaching line up have a wealth of experience between them, both playing and coaching. Head coach Tabai Matson, although in his first year as head coach, has been the understudy to Rob Penny when Canterbury claimed their last four titles. Therefore he knows how to coach a winning side, he knows how to combat the pressure of finals footy and he knows how to inject a game plan capable of taking out the final, especially against rugby giants Auckland. Matson. Crucial. Enough said.

2. Home Ground Advantage

Whilst playing at home is always said to be an advantage, playing at home in Canterbury is something just a little bit different. Widely regarded as the best fans in the country, and the hardest to play in front of as an opposing team, these Canterbury fans will make it very hard for Auckland to get in the game, and will make full sure that they are behind Canterbury for the full 80, being as vocal as they can. Remember these fans have been missing rugby for a couple of years (earthquakes you see, real shame) so they will ensure that they make their presence known tomorrow night.

3. Canterbury Know How To Win Finals

Remember, Canterbury are gunning for their fifth consecutive title. That means that they have the four previous ITM Cup competitions. Which means they happen to know a thing or two about winning, and how to win finals. With the experience they have in their side going into the final, they will be a very difficult side to put away. They've won finals away from home, they've won finals at home. They know how to do it. Period.

4. Robbie Fruean

I think the picture says it all about this man really. He's a beast. He can rip teams apart and change the game instantly. He will be crucial to Canterbury's attack tomorrow night, we need to get the ball into this mans hands, and when we do he will be a nightmare for opposition. His pure strength and decisiveness on attack has been key to the functioning of the Canterbury backline all year, and this must continue in order for Canterbury to claim their fifth title.

5. Andy Ellis

This guy is in the form of his life at the moment, and how he isn't wearing an All Black jersey I'm not sure. But the way he is controlling the game and dictating Canterbury's attack is second to none, not even Aaron Smith. His kicking game is putting constant pressure on opposition and his speed to the breakdown ensures continuous quick ball for the Canterbury backs. There's no need to ask 'if he fires Canterbury will be unstoppable' because he WILL fire and Canterbury WILL be unstoppable.


Canterbury gun for their fifth title tomorrow night at 7:35 live on SkySport1 from AMI Stadium in Christchurch.

Where To Now For JK And The Blues..?

At the start of the 2012 Super Rugby season, the Blues had 13 All Blacks in their squad and a promising season of rugby ahead. However we know that their 2012 campaign was an absolute disaster, and as the naming of the Super Rugby squads for 2013 draws near, the Blues have a new coach but have now lost several of their key players both overseas and to other New Zealand franchises. So what will John Kirwan be able to conjure up for the 2013 season?

After the recent departure of All Black Ma'a Nonu to the Highlanders, soon after prop Tony Woodcock announced he was also heading south, John Kirwan suddenly faces a real challenge to put together a relatively inexperienced team capable of winning games and hopefully being able to move forward into the playoffs.

So who will he rely on?

Kevin Mealamu:

Mealamu will again handle the leadership duties for the Blues, but will also be heavily relied on to lead the pack from the front. As a senior player in the team, he will need to take it upon himself to provide clean breakdown ball for his backs, and ensure that his forward pack can secure their own pill at the breakdown, and also be competitive for opposition ball.

Anthony Boric:

As another senior player, Boric will be the rock in the Blues lineout in 2013. An area which is becoming increasingly crucial to ensuring ball retention, the Blues cannot afford to have a shaky lineout. The backs will also look to Boric to be a pillar at scrum time, ensuring that the backs are getting clean, front foot ball to be able to unleash what could potentially be quite a dangerous backline.

Piri Weepu:

After a very questionable 2012 season, Weepu will really need to step up and show his class and experience in the Blues backline. At 9, he is one of the most important players on the field, and he will need to provide clean, quick front foot ball for his backline if they want to be able to outplay their opponents. He needs to take control of the game and dictate what is going to happen on the field. He also needs to watch his holiday weight and ensure that he does not have a repeat of what happened in the 2011/12 off season.

JK has included a lot of young talent in his 2013 squad (not that its been released yet, but we still know who majority will be) and this will provide them with a very good chance to step up and prove their worth on a much bigger stage. 2013 will provide chances for these players to get good game time under their belts, and further their own careers.
In what I'm sure will be a very demanding pre season for these players, they need to step up and repay the faith that Kirwan has placed in them. 2013 will certainly be a rebuilding phase for the Blues, but it also provides a very good opportunity for several players to stake their claims for All Blacks duties and further progress as individual players.

The finalised Super Rugby squads for 2013 will be named within the next couple of weeks.

All Blacks Go 6/6 In Rugby Championship

After another slow start to the game, the All Blacks have out muscled the Springbok's in Soweto to win 32-16, and go unbeaten in the inaugural Investic Rugby Championship. The AB's were sluggish in the first 20, making uncharacteristic errors and struggling to turn turnover ball into attack. The referee was also against the All Blacks, penalising us 7 times to the Springbok's 0 in the opening 40.
However when the All Blacks did hit their straps, they were simply unstoppable and this charge was again led up front by captain Richie McCaw who last night won his 100th game in the black jersey.

It took 25 minutes for the All Blacks to draw blood, and again Kieran Read was instrumental in the first try as his positioning and quick hands enabled Sam Whitelock to dot down in the corner after a nice we run down the left touch.
There was much talk in the media this week regarding the form of left wing Hosea Gear, and Gear certainly did everything to silence any critics, having a hand in two of the All Blacks four tries. A strong run down the left side saw Gear in acres of space, and many thought he would go all the way himself but he selflessly offloaded on the inside to halfback Aaron Smith who again ran the perfect support lines to dot down for the AB's second, Smiths fourth try in his debut year for the All Blacks. Gear then ran the first receiver line and offloaded a deep pass to Carter who put Conrad Smith through the perfect hole to give the All Blacks their third try.
For the fourth, who else should be there but Kieran Read. A classy turn of pace from Israel Dagg saw himself in a half gap and he managed to get a netball like offload away to Read who had options either side of him, and as he went down in the tackle he got the offload away to Nonu who well and truly secured it for the All Blacks.

5 Who Stood Out:

Andrew Hore

Richie McCaw

Kieran Read

Hosea Gear

Dan Carter

So after a slow start, the All Blacks well and truly owned the game in Soweto, and with the third Bledisloe Cup test coming up in two weeks in Brisbane, Steve Hansen now has the perfect chance to try out some different combinations and give some younger guys more game time against a very quality opponent , who will not sit down and let the All Blacks continue to dominate as they have done.

Can The Breakers Make It 3 In A Row?

The New Zealand Breakers kick off their 2012/13 NBL season tonight when they take on the Perth Wildcats, the same team that they beat 2-1 in last seasons finals series to clinch their second consecutive title. Can they make it three in a row though?
Of course they can, they have the depth and the skill within their side to claim their third championship in a row, but I have a feeling that certain other teams in the NBL are gana have something to say about this, especially the side they come up against tonight.
We narrowly escaped defeat in last seasons epic game 3 decider in Auckland, downing the Perth Wildcats 79-73, and if we allow sides to get under our skin and fight their way back into the game then they will punish us.

No Gary Wilkinson:

The Breakers influential centre has left the side for the 2012/13 season, as it was probable that if he stayed, he would be benched in favour of Alex Pledger, one of the tallest players in the league. His absence will not only reduce the number of on court brawls, one of Wilkinson's trademarks, but he provided the Breakers core strength in the post, punishing sides when he got the ball down low, and often grabbing the offensive rebounds to continuously put points on the board, and ensuring we got the defensive boards to keep our side out of trouble. While Pledger will offer no less commitment down low, Wilkinson's confidence, knowledge and experience will be greatly missed as the Breakers again look to defend their NBL title.

Three Who Need Another Big Season:

CJ Bruton

Thomas Abercrombie:

Cedric Jackson:

So the New Zealand Breakers can easily make it three titles in a row, but the team can't afford to think that. They must know that every other team in this league is chasing them. They don't want to see the Breakers get 3 in a row, and there are teams who are capable of stopping them. They must again rely on their big three in Bruton, Abercrombie and Jackson to step up and lead this team. Alex Pledger needs a massive season also as he will be filling the boots of Gary Wilkinson, and if he get himself free down low then that will make the job easier for the likes of Bruton and Jackson who will feed him all day and look to him to put away easy buckets.
The Breakers open up their title defense tonight against last seasons runners up and this will be no easy feat. The Wildcats are looking for revenge and will take it to the Breakers with everything they've got.

Breakers vs Wildcats Sky Sport 2 7:30pm

Bowlers Do The Job But Where Were The Batters..?

             





Well that's it, New Zealand's T20 World Cup campaign is over, beaten in yet another super over last night by the West Indies.
Despite an incredibly good bowling performance, which saw Tim Southee end up with 3/21, Dougy Bracewell with 3/31, Ronnie Hira with 1/24 and Nathan McCullum with 2/19, we could not back up this outstanding bowling effort with the bat.

Where We Went Wrong:

New Zealand were only chasing 140 for the win last night, and our bowlers put the side in a very good position to claim the win, and potentially move forward to the semi final stages. Ron Nicol was poor with the bat, going for just 3, stepping across to the offside and trying to paddle one around the corner, he was caught plum lbw.

When McCullum came to the crease, New Zealand were just 8/1 and together with Martin Guptill, had a chance to increase the run rate and put a big score on the board. It looked like things may be heading that way too as McCullum found some rhythm early and put away a couple of good looking boundaries. However he could not continue this momentum, and he was caught on 22 as he tried to send another in the direction of the boundary rope. Guptill went soon after and soon New Zealand were looking very out of sorts.

Enter Ross Taylor who again proved to be the one to punish the West Indies bowlers, gaining a well earned 62 not out. But he was the only who even looked like hitting the ball anywhere near the boundary rope (pretty handy thing to be able to do in T20 cricket), as the next four batsmen fell for just 31 runs between them, and that is just not even close to being good enough in T20 cricket.
However thanks to the knock by Taylor, New Zealand managed to get themselves even with the West Indies after 20 overs, forcing a super over, New Zealand's second of the tournament.

How It Played Out:

New Zealand were batting first and sent McCullum and Taylor to the crease to open things up. Marlon Samuels was the West Indies weapon of choice, and a wide off the first ball may of had them scratching their heads about their decision. No big strokes early on from the New Zealand batsman saw them at 5/0 after four balls. Then Ross Taylor decided to take it upon himself to do the job, sending the ball for a four and then a massive 94m six in consecutive deliveries! They then grabbed a single and that took them 17/0 after their over, a very defendable score!
BUT...
Southee was the obvious choice to bowl the over for the kiwis annnnnnd he got hit for a 6wd off the first ball.....thats seven runs and still six balls remaining....things were already looking bad for the BlackCaps. Some ok bowling saw the Windies trudge along to need 5 off the last ball. Southee decided to give Samuels a low full toss which he then dispatched over the boundary for 6. West Indies are dancing and that is the end of the T20 world cup for New Zealand.

A world cup which New Zealand could've and should've easily done better in. They will be kicking themselves after they blew the chance to chase down a very reachable 140.

Standouts:

Nathan McCullum

Ross Taylor

Ronnie Hira

Doug Bracewell

Quick Review..

Just a quick review of yesterday mornings game in La Plata;

The All Blacks were very rusty early on, and that was clear to see when for about the first time in his career, a player managed to get on the outside of Conrad Smith. This lead to the Argentinian halfback dotting down to give the hosts an early lead.

However to our credit, the All Blacks bounced back, and boy did they do it in style! Our attacking game plan swung into full effect and our backline looked ever so deadly with the ball in hand. The men in black undoubtedly played their best rugby all year, and again looked like the world champions they are! We dominated the breakdown, and strong work from our forwards in that area ensured quick ball for the backs which was again delivered with speed and precision from Smith.
54-15 was an accurate reflection of the way in which the All Blacks dominated Los Pumas yesterday, however the AB's must stay on top of their game if they want to beat a very strong Springbok outfit in South Africa, and go unbeaten in the 2012 Rugby Championship.

The Standouts:

Kieran Read

Dan Carter

Ma'a Nonu

Cory Jane

Aaron Cruden