2018 Rugby Championship
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In case anyone is interested, here is the text of Walrus’s column:
Rugby Championship: Someone needs to give the All Blacks a game
August 12 2018, 12:01am,
Stephen Jones, Rugby correspondentDominant New Zealand in danger of killing competition
It is impossible not to regard the Rugby Championship, which begins next weekend in Sydney and Durban, as the Second Division of the global game. Some precious dears Down Under can be a little sensitive to criticism of their rugby but this time we have not a shred of circumstantial evidence to back up the claim that their event is inferior. All we have are facts.
In World Rugby’s rankings, the competing teams stand first (New Zealand) but then fifth (Australia), sixth (South Africa) and 10th (Argentina). The Six Nations teams are second (Ireland), third (Wales), fourth (England) and seventh (France) with Italy 14th. Ah well, those southern softies will catch up one day.
Naturally, we must exclude New Zealand from all criticism, as ever, as they are cruising along. The statistics are magnificent if you are Kiwi but not so good if you are trying to market the competition as a fierce event.
The All Blacks have lost just two of the 33 games they have played in the Rugby Championship — which began in 2012 when Argentina joined the old Tri-Nations. They are scoring at about 35 points per game.
On Saturday they go to Sydney to face Australia. Kieran Read, the captain, and Brodie Retallick, the world’s most fawned-over lock, are back after a long injury absence. New Zealand’s problem, if you can call it that, is that they must choose between Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga at fly-half, a problem anybody would love to have. Barrett can be brilliant but can also be led by the nose into trouble, as the Lions found out.
Ronan O’Gara, the former Ireland fly-half who helped coach Crusaders to the Super Rugby title, said last week that Mo’unga, his own player, should start at fly-half with Barrett at full-back. Whether O’Gara was trying to destabilise the All Blacks in Ireland’s favour or, more likely, backing his own man, whoever they pick, they will not be throwing the game away.
This season’s tournament needs proper contests. In six seasons the average attendance has dipped from just under 46,000 to just over 30,000, and if that carries on they will be playing in a phone box inside a decade.
Argentina have won only three of their 33 games, a dreadful return after the momentum they brought with them on being admitted to the tournament. In their recent home games against Wales and Scotland, it looked as if one or two of them were not bothered either way.
They have reacted by bringing in Mario Ledesma as national coach and dragging back Gonzalo Quesada after 19 years in French rugby to coach the Jaguares, that strange, un-Argentine beast that plays in Super Rugby.
If there is to be any sort of upset, it probably must come immediately, in Sydney on Saturday. Australia should be toughened by their series against Ireland but can the word “tough” be used about the Wallabies of the current era? Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale as a midfield combination are as good as anything the All Blacks have, and Matt Toomua is back from Europe to join the midfield triangle. Israel Folau is a genius at full-back.
But there can be a softness. Disastrously, both the massive centres, Samu Kerevi — who is becoming truly world-class — and Tevita Kuridrani are injured for the tournament. And what of the vital engine room in the second row? Adam Coleman and the young giant Izack Rodda are enormous and athletic. But do you need two giraffes against the All Blacks? Australia need a pair of gorillas.
South Africa are improving, as we saw during the series against England in June. Significantly, to the pack of forwards who saw off England, they are adding Malcolm Marx, Eben Etzebeth, Warren Whiteley and Francois Louw. Perhaps even better, they will have Faf de Klerk and Willie Le Roux, both brilliant against England, for most of the tournament. By agreement with Sale and Wasps respectively, De Klerk will play throughout the Championship — though not in the autumn Tests in Europe — and Le Roux will play three games.
The signs are that come Japan 2019, New Zealand will not be the only team in the race but the next month or two must reveal proper contenders, second-ranking event or not.
And a word on the Pumas. Everybody’s favourite second team will have to go some if followers are not to desert them in droves. They were pitiful in their most recent games. The previous regimes decided not to choose from the overseas contingent, at least six of whom would walk into the team. You sense that Ledesma will not field a pack made from wet newspapers.
New Zealand will surely come out ahead but the world needs evidence that the demolishing of the Black machine is on the horizon.
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That's an interesting article. He's sort of changed tack in his trolling. My main problem with this isn't even the wind-up bits.
Brodie Retallick, the world’s most fawned-over lock
is old school trolling, and just light enough to catch a few.
His assessment of the Wallabies is astounding. Not even the most rabid Waratah supporter really believes in Foley at test level. When did Kerevi become world-class again?
But, in Australia's last test, they went within 5 metres of winning the series against the "fawned-over" Irish, and not with fancy backs stuff, but with their pack absolutely rolling through Ireland at will. Those "giraffes" are tough bastards. And their front row are tough bastards as well.
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@mariner4life Could that actually have been a compliment?
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@nepia said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life Could that actually have been a compliment?
which bit?
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@mariner4life said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@nepia said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life Could that actually have been a compliment?
which bit?
About BBBR ... I was wondering if that could be a compliment in the Walrus' addled brain?
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@nepia said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@nepia said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life Could that actually have been a compliment?
which bit?
About BBBR ... I was wondering if that could be a compliment in the Walrus' addled brain?
if i wanted to say someone was over rated without actually saying it, i would call them fawned over. Compare that to some of the language about other players. It's a great wind-up line, i tip my hat.
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@mariner4life said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@nepia said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@nepia said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life Could that actually have been a compliment?
which bit?
About BBBR ... I was wondering if that could be a compliment in the Walrus' addled brain?
if i wanted to say someone was over rated without actually saying it, i would call them fawned over. Compare that to some of the language about other players. It's a great wind-up line, i tip my hat.
Well, I thought he'd be the Walrus' type of player, hard arse like Johnson, although probably displays way too much flair for him.
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Looks like Jones succeeded. Must be ten or so posts discussing his article. Stuff and NZ Herald rigorously scrutinise each article to look for talking points. And Gifford had a go too. The guy never fails.
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@billy-tell only if people click on it, or discuss the discussion in here....
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@billy-tell said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
Looks like Jones succeeded. Must be ten or so posts discussing his article. Stuff and NZ Herald rigorously scrutinise each article to look for talking points. And Gifford had a go too. The guy never fails.
there is fuck all else to talk about. There is a Bledisloe this weekend, and i only knew that because i saw an ad yesterday. There is fucking zero build up. Both teams are in their bullshit "talk down" mode. We may as well have a discussion about that article, or i have to go do work
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@mn5 said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
The fluffybunny didn't even mention Scotland!
I hope he dies horribly....and soon.
Irrelevant team in being irrelevant shocker.
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I still haven't read said article.
I did read this one though:
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@mariner4life said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@mn5 said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
The fluffybunny didn't even mention Scotland!
I hope he dies horribly....and soon.
Irrelevant team in being irrelevant shocker.
Yeah but Italy got mentioned
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Anyone know what sort of crowd they are expecting this week ?
Only monday , but seems like a low key build up
