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

Who Must Step Up In La Plata..

With the All Blacks seeming to be unbeatable at the moment, they now have a very good chance (all be it all the while quite difficult) to take their game to the next level and put a very convincing score on the board.
However, it is also a very good time for some players who have probably had a slowish start to the inaugural Investic Rugby Championship to really take their game to the next level and prove to the coaches and the New Zealand public (who effectively work as a second selection panel with this team) that they truly deserve to be pulling on that black jersey.

The Midfield:

With Sonny Bill shooting offshore earlier on, Ma'a Nonu has had the best chance possible to prove himself as the number one choice second-five. While he hasn't been woeful by any stretch of the imagination, he is yet to display the form which saw him ranked in the top 3 second-fives in the world at the end of last years world cup. His peering with Conrad Smith, who is without a doubt one of the best centres in the world, can be increadibly deadly and unstoppable when they really hit their straps.
Smith is certainly 'the rock' in the All Blacks backline in terms of defense, but I would love to see him use that famous dummy of his and back himself more on attack. He has some of the best outsides in the world outside him so if he should make a break, even a half break, he has plenty of options to offload to with the likes of Dagg and Jane outside him, or the in ball back inside to Nonu.
If these two can show that attacking flare against Los Pumas on Sunday then I think we can expect a somewhat more attacking game plan from the AB's, especially given the return of Dan Carter to the number 10 jersey.

Sam Whitelock:

  
The last time the All Blacks met Argentina in Wellington, Sam Whitelock was dropped to the bench in place of Brodie Retallick. However he did redeem himself the following week under the roof in Dunedin, but I would like to see Whitelock really step up and take ownership of that All Black lineout. At just 23 years old, he has got plenty of time left in the black jersey and has the potential to go down alongside Brad Thorne as one of our greatest ever. In order to do that however, he must firstly improve his work rate around the paddock. He needs to be hitting rucks more consistently, and actually have an impact at the breakdown. Shifting bodies at the breakdown is crucial to gaining quick ball for Carter and the backline, and Whitelock can be more effective in that area by lowering that body position and clearing out the immediate threats to the ball. I would also like to see him carrying the ball around the field a lot more, and take the ball into contact to relay it back for the backs. Ball carrying has been an effective part of other lock Luke Romano's game so far this year, and i think if Whitelock can replicate the work that his older but less experienced counterpart has displayed so far, he will further establish himself as the number one lock in the country.

Sam Cane:

Not that Sam Cane has really had much of a chance so far this year, but when he has pulled on the black jersey he has been hugely impressive! He now has a very good chance to cement his spot as Richie McCaw's backup in the side, and with McCaw opting to take a 6 month sabbatical at the start of next year Cane must look at Sunday's game as his chance to tell Steve Hansen that he's the man to wear the No.7 jersey next year. He doesn't actually need to change much about his game, he just needs to continue to make those tackles around the fringes (100% rate would be good actually Samuel) and become a real threat at the breakdown. It's unlikely that Cane will get much game time, but when or if he does get on it is even more unlikely that it will be a straight replacement at 7 for McCaw. So that will most likely see him on the blindside of the scrum. Although not Cane's preferred position, he can still be incredibly effective at 6 and he will use this as another opportunity to learn from those around him and really put his hand up for more game time with the All Blacks this year.

McCullum Shines In First Up Win

As i previously referred to, the BlackCaps need to step up and start making big totals..well they managed to do that pretty comprehensively last night in their World T20 opener against Bangladesh. Who was the star...well yes it was one of the three that i pointed out as really needing to make a big score...and could he make it any bigger?

123 runs of 58 balls...enough said! And in typical McCullum style, he brought the first up win home for New Zealand as the BlackCaps ended their 20 overs 191/3. McCullum was ruthless at the crease, hitting boundaries all over the ground and continuously tormenting the Bangladesh attack. The onslaught never let up, with McCullum continuing to go on the attack in the last four overs as he cut loose and gathered 63 runs with his captain Ross Taylor who ended on 14 not out.

This form from McCullum must continue throughout the tournament, and needs to be backed up by the other big hitters and Guptill and Taylor. Keep in mind that this overwhelming victory did come at the hands of Bangladesh and not someone like India or Australia so the BlackCaps have to now look to their upcoming game against Pakistan and try to continue this form across the entire tournament. Scores like 191 have to remain consistent if we are to have any chance of winning this world cup.

As we all know, when New Zealand come up against the power houses of world cricket (India, Australia, England etc) we tend to do this thing where our batters decide not to make many runs and get out playing stupid cricket shots you wouldn't even see a young Ollie Ritchie attempt in the nets, and then our fielders and bowlers decide that gifting them boundaries is the way to go about it...this cannot happen or WE WILL GET TROUNCED!

Remember fellas, big scores, no stupid shots (thats trying to cut when the ball is millimeters away from your body or trying the cover drive when its metres away) and give our bowlers and fielders something to defend! Please!

Well done baz, great knock but the show must go on!

BlackCaps vs Pakistan, game 2, Sunday 23rd September. 

Anscombe To Be Axed..?

On the back of one of the worst Super Rugby seasons that the Blues have recorded to date, coach Pat Lam lost his job and was replaced by a very respectable coaching team for the 2013 season, including former All Black and Japan head coach Sir John Kirwan and former All Blacks head coach Sir Graham Henry.
However now 5 rounds into this years ITM Cup and with Auckland playing some decent footy, first five Gareth Anscombe now looks to be the next man to lose his spot with the Blues. It is ALMOST confirmed that Anscombe will not be offered a renewal on his contract for the 2013 season.
With probably some of the best form of his life behind him at the moment, it would seem sensible to keep the young first five and develop him into a potential All Black, especially under the new look coaching team. The 2011 Players' Player of the Year is one of the more in form 10's in the ITM Cup this year, and playing under new management may just of been what this young man needed to really kick start his career after an injury plagued 2012 Super Rugby season.
This then leaves the question to be raised, who else is there?? In 2012 Pat Lam used three first fives regularly between Anscombe, Weepu and Hobbs and with the axing of Anscombe, and Weepu most likely to spend most of the season at 9 with the recent departure of Alby Mathewson, does that leave Michael Hobbs to fill the void left in the number ten jersey? Some hot and cold form in 2012 saw him earn a few starts, but is new coach Sir John Kirwan looking to bring young blood into the line up? With the recent signing of young Southland fullback Marty McKenzie, that may indicate the desire to utilise McKenzie a bit more at first five? I guess that question will be answered when Kirwan finalises his squad for 2013 and we start to see a bit more of how the Blues team will line up.
So that then leaves the question, where to now for Anscombe? Surely if Anscombe is after a genuine starting position (which of course he will be, well why wouldn't he? He's 21!) that leaves the only realistic option being the move south to the Highlanders. Unless he is willing to take a bench spot with most likely the Chiefs or the Hurricanes (which i cannot see happening personally) he may need to consider a move offshore, which would be a real shame to see some real genuine talent go to waste.
I will follow Anscombes decision with great interest and i guess we can only hope he manages to find a contract somewhere, and gets some decent game time in what is shaping to be a very exciting 2013 Super Rugby season already.
*Go Crusaders

BlackCaps...Can they win it?

Leading into the T20 World Cup to be held in the heat of Sri Lanka, BlackCaps spinner Nathan McCullum has made it clear that the team is there to win it. Not just to compete but to actually win it. So that got me thinking, can New Zealand win their first ever international tournament.

Well they may be able to but in order to do that, they must post BIG scores! Not scores in the 120-150 range, but scores that actually make the opposition doubt their ability to reach it. So, in order to that these three players MUST fire!







































If these three men put big totals on the scoreboard, then our fielders and bowlers actually have something to defend..and trust me when I say that we can become a completely different team in the field when we have a big score on the board! We are actually known around the world as being one of the best fielding sides in world cricket, and with athleticism coming from the likes of McCullum, Guptill, Williamson and Taylor we can easily stop other teams from reaching the required total.

The BlackCaps actually have a very good record at world cups, and I am looking forward to see how the team performs this time around. Beat Bangladesh and Pakistan and we're in the quarter finals..more than doable!
Big scores needed (none of the typical NZ style of batting we are used to please) and backed up by the bowlers and the fielders stopping those balls heading the way of the rope.

About time we made a REAL statement to all other international teams. (Pup and the Aussies, you aren't getting this one).

In a test match that was truly the All Blacks to lose on a cold night (although no one knew that, cheers roof) there were two AB's who really stood out. Firstly captain fantastic, again! Within the first few minutes of the match, an All Black turnover saw a real attacking opportunity for the Springboks, as the ball was toed ahead by captain de Villiers, all that the Springbok backs needed to do was simply draw and pass and Habana would've been in in the corner. They did not manage to do that, but the man who managed to get himself from the first breakdown, 15m in from the lefthand touch and 5m away from our line, to the opposite touchline where the ball was fumbled was Richie McCaw. How did he get there so much quicker than the rest?? This athleticism around the rucks, and from breakdown to breakdown was evident all night, and his ruthlessness on defense was second probably only to Kieran Reid. Even when Springboks replacement prop Dean Greyling took to McCaw's face with his elbow (resulting in a 10 minute break for the big man), our skipper continued to lead from the front. Fullback Israel Dagg was certainly the other standout. His 18th minute try was a result of continuous involvement in the All Blacks set plays, his 'goose step' constantly drawing in more than one defender and freeing space for his outsides. His attacking flare was again evident from the back and he proved to be a handful for defenders. After Aaron Cruden's kick had been charged down late in the second half, Dagg stepped up to clear the ball under immense pressure, making some 45m with his kick. These two have been standouts in all of the All Blacks Rugby Championship games to date, and I am looking forward to seeing them continue this form when the team travel to Argentina and South Africa.