Tony Johnson
Before we start treating an All Blacks victory in Brisbane as a fait accompli its worth considering a few things.
It is true that the Wallabies are in a state of disarray, and must be vulnerable.
Their legacy of player power has come back to bite them, and it is extraordinary that their captain should be publically defending a repeat offending player ahead of the team unit, and by extension the coach.
Ewen McKenzie has tried to take a firm line in the past, but despite his strong actions on the end of year tour last year has been unable to instil a sense of no nonsense in the team.
Sky Sports
From this distance it’s hard to tell whether it’s a case of him losing the support of his team, or whether the team is split with some for and others against.
He not only has to deal with that, but also a media contingent that pushed his case relentlessly during the Deans era but appears already to be clearing a path for his replacement by Waratahs coach Michael Cheika.
Yes, it looks like a very dysfunctional family right now, and one can only imagine there are two possible outcomes in Brisbane. Either they fire in defiance and cause the All Blacks all manner of bother, even win the game, or they continue to implode and cop a hiding.
You would suspect the chaos in the Wallaby ranks might have the All Blacks licking their chops at the prospect of an easy kill, but I rather suspect the state of affairs will have the coaching staff a little uneasy.
They’re expected to win, and if they don’t it will be damaging. Back to back losses right now would not be a good thing a year out from the World Cup.
They will have to be very careful to manage what cricket coach David Trist used to refer to as “arousal issues”.
This game is sandwiched rather awkwardly between an energy sapping, gut busting, rapid fire round the world trip to Argentina and South Africa and an end of year tour that starts enticingly in Chicago.
Already this year they have produced a sub-par effort in Australia and it cost them a win. They will need to be well up for this, regardless of the perceived state of the Wallabies.
On another matter there has been much talk since the Johannesburg test about the TMO call against Liam Messam and the role of the TV director in bringing the incident to the attention of the crowd, the players and the referee via a succession of replays on the big screen.
In the end it was a fair penalty, but the danger is in ensuring that incidents are treated consistently.
The case that leaps to mind is that of the Millennium Stadium and All Black tests in 2009 and 2010.
In 2009 Dan Carter made a desperate try scoring tackle that was shown at least 6 times on the big screen. It was high without being life threatening, and worthy of a penalty, which did not happen at the time. However passions were so inflamed after the repeat screenings that the citing commissioner was leaned on heavily to cite Carter and he was duly banned for a game.
And yet a year later, when at the very same stadium, in a game covered by exactly the same TV company, Andy Powell swung a full blooded roundhouse, closed fist, into Richie McCaw’s face near the end of the game, in the guise of a “tackle”, it was neither replayed on the big screen, nor acted upon, despite being a far more injurious act than that committed by Carter.
My point is if such incidents are to be treated in the same inconsistent and clearly parochial manner as seen in the Cardiff tests in particular, then we will have a new type of bush justice.
It might be best that replays on the big screen for anything controversial should only be aired at the request of the ref, his assistants, or the TMO.
It is their job to run the game, not the crowd, and not someone in a TV van.
@ nortie:
Well, you were planning to add credence to your stance by riding along on Tony’s coat tails … but then thought better of it.
Deleting your posts is NEVER a good idea (it is a matter of principle, imo: ex post editing is undesirable) – rather think twice before you post.
And with that I’m off the topic.
18 & 26 @ grootblousmile:
24 @ gunther:
gunther was indeed simply translating my comment… i’m the one you should censure…! 😈
40 @ nortie:
cool norts…
but just cause people respond to (y)our comments… doesn’t necessarily mean anyone is cha-grinned…!! 😉
Angostura wrote:
That’s why I (for the most part these days) keep my opinions on most matters to myself.
@ Scrumdown:
No, I wasn’t commenting about RT, nor casting any aspersions upon RT – the fellow I was in particular thinking of was a US based hedge fund manager.
32 @ grootblousmile:
cool idea…
grootblousmile wrote:
88
Great!
There are different types of Plugins for adding Pictures or Files.. and I found an interesting one where one could actually also attach a Word document (.doc or .docx) or a PDF file… or even things like MP3 player files… ect
Will have a closer look later if it is customisable to my liking…
Some of the pure Picture in Comments Plugins do indeed have settings where you can specify max width and lenght… ect.
And on Tony Johnston, he is bringing up incidents that happened in in 2009
But fails to mention how far we have progressed, this incident happened 3 years ago, and we have already moved forward since.
@ nortie:
Pay back the money.
Scrumdown wrote:
That’s not right SD… Say your piece.
@ Scrumdown:43
i think that change of shape at the end of the trajectory is due to the weight of the ball/gravity taking over as the velocity decreases.
it is amazingly accurate.
it was great in the ryder cup on that short hole.
Angostura wrote:
His article was placed today, I said the same thing last week already.
It’s not as if I was latching onto his coat tails and taking his view is it?
The reason I took it off was simply because I wasn’t in the mood for this very type of argument again, not that it made a difference.
You have your view, I have mine.
Scrumdown wrote:
Yep, the way to go, think three times before deciding not to say anything 😀
i would think that it is not only cane and tj who are peeved about messam being found out by the tv producer.
the whole kiwi nation are pissed off – it is probably the first time that they have had to face an “injustice”.
i shudder to think what foul mood black pantie was in on sunday morning – does he have pets?
hope not.
72 @ nortie:
I really wouldn’t worry too much about Angrystirra’s comments…after all he’s a Tjark & then a Kinks supporter so he’s got enough problems as it is.
70 @ MacroBlouBul:
73 @ nortie:
Some subjects just get my blood boiling and I know that if I “speak my mind” there will be fallout.
That’s essentially one of the reasons I won’t work in corporative SA. If a top manager is running his business like a cnut I tell him so. If I work for him as well it’s problematic.
On the other hand, If I run my little concern like cnut, I expect friends, family and clients to tell me so. I won’t fire them.
@ Scrumdown:
That’s fair, I get what your saying.
71 @ Charo:
You’re probably right.
Just can’t understand why “my gravity” pulls the “pimply faced” little white ball further into the shyte every time I hit one more than 0,5mm off centre of the fairway
BrumbiesBoy wrote:
Add Argentina to that list as well 😆
But they and the Kings managed to win their one game for the season, so all is well in the world
Gents, time to head off down the R21 to Valke / Lions territory.
Phew, another day of survival in the big concrete (Blue) Bull ring with out getting moered by guy with a hard hat with horns attached and a ring through his nose.
If I have time I’ll pop in for “pub night” tonight, but have a meeting at 19h00 so may only get away late.
Cheer all.
78 @ Scrumdown:
Is there any truth to the rumour that your nickname on the golf course is “Startrek”?
Because when you hit the ball “it goes where no ball has ever gone before”.
81 @ BrumbiesBoy:
Loooooow blow
@ Scrumdown:
That’s not gravity that’s a shank.
😆
@ Charo:
I’m sure Blackpooch got a kicking.
@ Charo:
71 Well done.Nobody seems aware of what you are doing.
Always enjoy a RC win by Europeans.American team collectively
arrogant.And after latest loss turned on their captain
like a pack of hyenas.
How are you pal?”
Regards Rye.
83 @ gunther:
Shank you very much for the compliment!
81 @ BrumbiesBoy:
I play Startrek golf… also known as “Moer and soek”
Pity there is no “Beam me up Scotty” sometimes when I play!
I always end up with all sorts of Clingons on my golf balls.
I make the ordinary look rough and the rough look ordinary!
@ grootblousmile:
“Moer & soek”
@ BrumbiesBoy:
I don’t have that problem because when I “moer” I just have to look down afterwards & there she sits…right where I left her!
@ ryecatcher:85
hanging in…….you too i hope.
mcilroy was unplayable in the singles – felt a little sorry for ricky fowler but he took it like a gentleman.
can’t say the same for a few of the other septics – especially that short fat shiit reid/read who waged a one-man war against the crowd even though he was a rookie.
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