Final Super 12 2005 Wrap

Crusaders 35 Waratahs 25
The final was played and very predictively won by the Crusaders. They were just too good for the Waratahs. If it was not for the fact that the Crusaders took their foot off the pedal and let in three very soft tries towards the end, this final score would have been very high.

Lets start for the front. The Waratahs pack tried very hard and David Lyons and Phil Waugh did not stand an inch back for the Crusaders pack. The powerful force, led by a ball stealing Richie McCaw, was just too much and the black and reds got so much quality ball, they did not know what to do with it.

Justin Marshall was once again king behind the pack and showed that he has, despite the fact that he is not very popular, still a master behind a good pack. It was however Rico Gear who once again caught the eye. His counter attacking ability reminds one of the Howlett/Mulliaina/Rocokoco combination and his skills and little jabs ahead a bit of Carlos Spencer. Did he not learn his rugby in Auckland? He has definitely made a mark against his name for selection in the All Black jersey. Leon McDonald was another star at the back and he must also have given the selectors a lot of food for thought.

After completion of the Super 12, I hate to admit it, but the SA and Aussie camps should have a fairly clear idea who will be their starting lineups or at least their starting 22. There is probably a position or two that they are thinking about. In the All Black squad I think only Umaga, Carter, Jack and McCaw are sure of their places. The rest are all up for grabs with lots of talent around to fill the gaps. Wanna win the Trinations? The Springboks and Wallabies are going to find it very, very tough.

Other Rugby
Apart from Theunie Lategan, the whole SA rugby board has kissed and made up. Theunie decided to break all ties with rugby. Some of the older readers may remember his father. He was a very good centre named Tjol, who used to partner Ryk van Schoor in midfield, to form one of the best centre combinations the world has ever seen.

Brent Russell ended up as star as he played in the Barbarian team that whipped the England second stringers by 52-39. Russell had the Twickenham crowd on their feet with devastating footwork and breaks to run in two tries and have a hand in a couple of other. Baabaa rugby suits him very well. The other star was the man of the match, Wendell Sailor. The big Wendell, who had a bit of a disastrous Super 12, played a Lomu-type game by breaking tackles with pure power to also score two tries. For England, their winger Paul Sackey looked like a good prospect for the future.

The Final Word
In 1987 the All Blacks of David Kirk were crowned as the first Rugby World cup champions. In 1991 they failed to reach the final when Australia's captain, Nick Farr Jones lifted the trophy. In 1995 South Africa tasted the glory when Francois Pienaar lifted the trophy and Australia had a miserable tournament.

1999 it was turn of John Eales to lift the trophy as South Africa reaches the semi finals only through an amazing five drop-goals from Jannie de Beer. When the 2003 tournament was played, it was the first time that a team, Australia, reached two finals in a row, but they could not make it two titles in a row. England had the opportunity to do the honors.

With the exception of Australia, there is a very common thread through the history of the prestige rugby tournament. You come off one title to be very lucky to make the semi finals in the next. That is something I call the English bubble – only because England is the latest victim.

All rugby teams have this idea that they should build a team for the World Cup. That has often lead to excellent players who unceremoniously get dumped in favour of youth so that the building process can take shape. The selectors and coach will therefore have a team that has some old warlords with about half that only have a handful or so tests behind their names. This has proven to be the success story to winning the cup - Trying share the intelligence and experience of the older hands with the exciting ability of the young generation. It is truly the exception when a Jonah Lomu, Johnny Wilkinson, David Campese, Joost vd Westhuizen, etc make an impact when they are still very young.

So what we have is a team with have experience and let's call the other half raw talent. After the world cup, the first thing that happens is that the experienced players start retiring. That takes a bout a year or two, so after a year or two, the team that had a great combination, is now cut down to size by all the other teams who are now starting to form an experienced core with young raw talent around them.

That is what I call the bubble or in the latest case, the English bubble. You built up to a certain point in time and then you burst and lose all that have kept you together and made you a world champion side. Just like a bubble!

That is my opinion, what is yours?

Futures topics:

• The best player in the world

• The man of the match award

• If you want a short-term job, become a coach in SA!

• Referees and their impact on matches

• The allocation of the new Super 14 franchise in South Africa

• Ex rugby players who play analysts

• International tours

• Bonus points in competitions

• Yellow and red cards in rugby

• The English bubble

• The format of the Rugby World Cup and spreading of the game

• Some of my favourite players through the years

There are many more, but if there is something you would like me to add to the list, please feel free to let me know!

Tips and Predictions for the final

This is now really it! We have reached that final stage in the 2005 Super 12. In fact, we reached the final match in the Super 12. Next year it will be the Super 14 with the inclusion of the Perth Western Force and who know what team from South Africa. With the current turmoil in the South African Rugby Union anything can be expected!

If you said at the beginning of the Super 12 that we would be seeing a final between the Crusaders and the Waratahs, I would have probably called you a liar. I don’t think there is any problem with the Crusaders as they are undoubtedly the best team we have ever seen in the Super 12. but the Waratahs in the final? I did not think it was possible for the Tahs to get this far.

The Crusaders are an exceptional team. I have said it before and need to say it again, I have so much respect for this team. They are so well balanced between back and front. In a number of matches this year, they seemed to play at half pace, just to accelerate when they need to score and then win comfortably. Their tight five has the big Chris Jack leading them to the fight and do not throw the very mobile Gregg Sommerville away. They also have a very well balanced loose trio with the ball-poacher-per-excellance Richie McCaw leading the team. He is supported very well by the ex-captain, Reubens Thorne and Moses Tuiali’I at number 8.

Behind the pack is a very sly Justin Marshall with Dan Carter at number 10. They form the decision making brain of the team and with the vast experience of Justin to help the young star, they are a formidable team. In centre field Aaron Mauger is a little vulnerable on defense, but with his attacking and decision making ability he more than makes up for the little glitches on defense. On the outside is the very experienced Caleb Ralph and Rico Gear with Leon McDonald is covering the back.

The Waratahs do not have the strongest front row, but there is nothing wrong with the two locks, Harrison and Vickerman. I am sure that Harrison will see that the Waratahs get enough ball and will also ensure that there is some fireworks! Phil Waugh will be taking on McCaw in the loose as he is just as good at stealing ball and at the back is the massive nr 8, David Lyons. His driving will have to be closely monitored by the Crusarers.

Chris Whitaker controls the backline from the base and the experienced Nathan Grey is in midfield. On the outside is the talented Peter Hewat who would definitely want to end off his excellent season with a win. Matt Rogers is covering at the back and will be hoping for a better effort than his previous outing. Loti Tiquiri covers the other touchline. I don’t think I have to elaborate.

Where should they play? I think the Crusaders will take the Waratahs on up front and break them down slowly. Carter will chase Rogers all over the park
And it will be important that Hewat and Tiquiri give him some real assistance. Rico Gear and Caleb Ralph is going to chase everything hard and these guys will have to be at their best. The Crusaders should have more possession in the match and that will give them a chance to kick and case a lot. I do not see them going “hand-to-hand” with Nathan Grey and Morgan Turinui.

The Waratahs are going to live off scraps and they will run it up in the backline with either Grey – straight at Mauger – or Lyons to set up the second phase. On number 10 they have Laughlin MacCay and I do not think that he is going to control the match as much as Carter. He is not going to get enough ball and neither is he quite as talented as Carter. This really looks like their weak spot and the Tahs management team will do will to come up with a strategy to plug this possible proverbial hole. If they can get the ball out wide we know what to expect.

Taking all into consideration, I think that it should be a very nice match to watch and the winning team will win by 18 points. The winner, the Crusaders of course!

Semi Final Super 12 2005 Wrap

Crusaders 47 Hurricanes 7
This match was always going to be a mismatch. It would have been a miracle if the Hurricanes won this one. In the final round they played and the Crusaders easily outclassed the Hurricanes, even though the Crusaders rested a number of key players. When players like Dan Carter returned, you knew the Canes were in for a hiding.

In the packs the fight was closer that expected with the Hurricanes’ Jerry Collins showing that he is a handful around the fringes. He was bound to take the Canes over the advantage line on a number of occasions, but the support was not always there to make something from it. Rodney So’oalo played his heart out, but as the game progressed he was forced more and more into the defense. For the Canterbury men, they worked under a blanket and one knew that the power and experience from Chris Jack, Ritchie McCaw, and Reubens Thorn would ultimately take its toll on the Canes pack.

The Crusaders’ backline was awesome. Justin Marshall may have is faults, but he is a true general behind the pack and always seems to make the right decisions. We saw him with his sniping breaks when available and he also strong enough to take the pressure on himself and stand up against the opposition pack when bad ball is delivered. The talent then just increases when the ball goes to the great Dan Carter. This youngster is a true general on flyhalf and can really run, kick and defend and he does every one of those functions excellently. It is around these two where the success of the Crusaders lies and if you cannot cut them down or put them under constant pressure, you will be in trouble. The talent does not stop there as the next player in line is a very under estimated Aaron Mauger. He is one of the more intelligent inside centres in the world and can easily do duty on flyhalf if required. That helps to alleviate the pressure from Dan Carter, as Carter knows Mauger is there to make the right decision. Any one playing outside these three will look good. I also take my hat off to Scott Hamilton. He has been a bit of a “super sub” for the Crusaders. He struggles to make the starting line-up, yet when he gets the chance he always have a storming match, like he did in the semi final to score three tries.

The Hurricanes had a problem at the back as the miss of Conrad Smith had a dramatic impact on the organization of the backline. I did not expect injury to have such a big impact, but they seemed to be directionless when the ball hit the backline. Even Tana Umaga was outclassed by Mauger. That poses the question – that I have heard asked before – who is actually giving the direction in the Hurricanes backline? Umaga or Smith? I do think the young Jimmy Goperth found the last two weekends tough as he once again showed some poor decision making by kicking the ball often down the throat of Leon MacDonald. Something you do not do!

The one Hurricane players who stood out head and shoulders above his other backline players, is the powerful Ma’a Nonu. Nonu will definitely add the headache the All Black selectors will have with another strong performance. Nonu has grown up as a player as looked good – even in an outclassed backline. Something an excellent player like Umaga could not manage.

The final result, a very expected 47-7 win to the Crusaders and like I said from about the second round I the Super 12 – if you want to win the trophy this year, you will first have to beat the Crusaders.

Waratahs 23 Bulls 13
All the South Africans held thumbs for the Bulls when they ran onto the field in Aussie Stadium. For 30 minutes the Bulls controlled the match and the try scored by Johan Roets when he charged a kick from Matt Rogers down, showed the pressure the Bulls exerted on the Tahs. At that stage Matt Rogers was having a nightmare and the Bulls pack threatened to take the Tahs pack out of the competition.

Then suddenly a too familiar thing happened. Something I have written about the last couple of weeks. The Bulls seemed to stop playing. They did it in the last number of outings in SA and I have warned that this was going to bite them. Unfortunately they carried on playing like that and it has now cost them the ultimate prize – a place in the final.

The try by Morgan Turinui was a joke at this level of rugby. He kicked the ball after fielding it covering for Rogers on fullback, the ball bounced between three Bulls players, every Bulls player stood and watched as Turinui fielded the ball from the bounce to run in a 40 meter untouched try. This is primary school stuff! Bryan Habana also had a bit of a nightmare when he beat the defense with his pace, just to knock the ball on trying to pick it up when it bounced away from him. That showed that he may be a very talented player and a try-scoring machine, but he has yet a lot to learn.

At half time, the score was 16-13 to the Waratahs and it was still anyone’s game.

In the second half, we once again saw a very soft try when Nathan Grey bumped off Etienne Botha in the simplest of fashions to crash over for a try off first phase possession. That summed up the performance of the Bulls midfield, which showed a lot of lack in creativity and leaked a bit on defense.
The Bulls pack did what was expected, but it was David Lyons of the Waratahs who deserves the praises. He played outstandingly and was a huge thorn in the flesh of the Bulls. I don’t think there is any doubt who will be the Wallaby number 8! Lyons played his best game of the season.

The Waratahs had Nathan Grey to stabilize the midfield and a sly Chris Whitaker on scrumhalf, but they also have their problems in midfield with Lachlan MacKay not taking command of the match on flyhalf. This may just be their Achilles heal against the Crusaders as you cannot win if your flyhalf gets dominated and outplayed by the opposition flyhalf. Peter Hewat contributed his usual handful of points.

In the final analysis, the Waratahs turned a slender three points lead when they turned at 16 - 13 half time to a convincing 23 – 13 win at full time. They will, however, have to shift up more than a gear to beat the Crusaders in the final.

General Super 12 comments
We have finally reached the final. The Super 12 is an amazing tournament and it has some spectacular rugby in it. It is always sad when these final stages are reached and you realize that although this is the final cherry after a long build-up. This is the time when you start feeling sad for some teams who totally under performed – like the Stormers and happy fro those who totally over performed to taste the top end of the ladder – like the Hurricanes. The final will be a tough affair, regardless of who plays and the winning of the Super 12 can probably beat most test teams if given a chance.

Other Rugby
Nothing to do with rugby, but Arsenal won the FA cup by winning the penalty shoot-out against Manchester United. That after United dominated most of the match and Arsenal was hanging on for at least 90 of the 120 minutes (full plus extra time) played. That is what is so different between rugby and soccer. No rugby team can dominate a match for so long and still lose it!

The Final Word
One of the things that have been introduced into rugby is the concept of yellow and red cards. It is a concept that has been used by soccer for many years, but rugby took a long time before they latched onto the idea.

I don’t, per se, have any problem with the concept that a player is punished for 10 minutes in the cooler when receiving a yellow and off the field when red, but do have some serious concerns regarding the impact the card has on the match and also on the safety of the players. I question the real benefit given two a side when their opposition lose a player for 10 minutes and in the worst case scenarios I have even seen matches have uncontested scrums because one side had a player sin binned or sent off. You tell me the advantage you have when your pack dominates the tight phases only to be “penalized” because your opposition front row was sent off. What is the justice in that outcome? Is the idea to punish a team and not really favour the other?

Looking at how the rules have changed to protect players, I cannot believe that we can sit in a situation where injuries are more likely due to a player sent off, without all the medical experts complaining about it.

Taking all of the above into consideration, I propose the following for yellow and red cards.

1. A yellow card is carried over in a season and after a second yellow to a player an automatic one match suspension is carried for that player
2. When a yellow card is given to a player a match, the player is not sent off, but the team loses two of their substitutes off the bench. Two players who must be nominated there and then by the coach and the two players are not allowed to be a player in the front row. A team’s substitutes will therefore be trimmed down from 7 to 5.
3. A red card carries and immediate two-match suspension and a second red card in a season to a four-match suspension, etc.
4. When a team picks up a red card in a match, that player is immediately substituted and the team also loses four of the remaining six payers left on the bench. The same rule as to yellow cards apply and the players must be nominated and removed immediately and they are not allowed to be a front row player.

The idea of this concept is to ensure that there are always 15 players on the field to prevent serious injury from occurring to any player, but also ensure that the transgressing team is punished for the ill discipline.

That is my opinion, what is yours?

Futures topics:

• The best player in the world

• The man of the match award

• If you want a short-term job, become a coach in SA!

• Referees and their impact on matches

• The allocation of the new Super 14 franchise in South Africa

• Ex rugby players who play analysts

• International tours

• Bonus points in competitions

• Yellow and red cards in rugby

• The format of the Rugby World Cup and spreading of the game

• Some of my favourite players through the years

• The English bubble

There are many more, but if there is something you would like me to add to the list, please feel free to let me know!

Round 12 Super 12 2005 Wrap

Crusaders 40 Hurricanes 20 (My tip = Crusaders by 10)
The Crusaders were always going to win this match and they did what was required. They rested a number of their key players and played the dress rehearsal to the semi final that will take place on the same field. The Hurricanes were never really in the match and the Crusaders seemed to have control for most of the match. The red and black pack took the Canes on and ensured a good steady stream of possession for Andrew Mehrtens, playing for the rested Carter. Mehrtens dictated with his educated boot and he outclassed the young Jimmy Gopperth.

They are to me still the team to beat if you want to win this year’s Su