It’s the Lions they should be taming!

Deans has enough on his plate without his own players going wild, says Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net…

There will be some late nights spent by Robbie Deans and his fellow selectors as they plot the downfall of the British and Irish Lions, with the make-up of their team depending hugely on the style of play the Wallabies aim to take, and the selection criteria they employ to determine who will wear the green and gold jersey.

There is plenty of talent floating round in the various backlines of the five Australian Super XV franchises, and the fact that many of them can cover a number of different positions makes the selection process that much tougher. The fact of the matter is that these decisions will be based not only on how talented and capable the individuals are, but also on how their personalities contribute to the culture of the team, with some of Australia's most gifted players also being a bit loose in the head!

Of course I'm talking about Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale. Cooper famously fell out with Deans last year, and I'm sure any bridges that have been built in recent months are pretty wobbly ones. To earn selection for the Lions' tour Cooper's form would need to be thoroughly compelling, and he just hasn't achieved that yet.

Beale is similarly volatile. Unquestionably talented and a very real threat on attack, Beale is a close friend of Mr Brain-Explosion, and Deans may well feel he's better off without him in his squad. The Lions will pose such a challenging proposition for the Wallabies that they will need a squad which plays for each other, rather than a team made up of individual stars, and I'm inclined to think that will cost both Cooper and Beale their spots in the side. It will be interesting to see how Deans balances experience with the exciting new stars emerging in the midfield and outside backs. Is their room for veterans like Drew Mitchell and Berrick Barnes and relatively conservative but oh-do-solid players like Mike Harris, or will he look to inject youth and enthusiasm in to his backline in the shape of Christian Lealifano, Nick Cummins and Jesse Mogg?

Israel Folau is the other big name in the mix. A player who undoubtedly possesses X-factor, but will he find his feet in Rugby Union in time to make the cut? Having said that, even playing slightly below par he's managing to make an impression on the Super XV competition, and personally I think Deans has to include him.

In the loose there are a number of quality players battling for positions, with much hinging on whether the ARU is able to secure the services of George Smith through until the middle of the year. Young opensides Liam Gill and Michael Hooper will be hoping the ARU can't come to terms with Suntory, as they're the next cabs off the rank, while seasoned campaigners Scott Higginbotham and Dave Dennis are both likely to miss the cut, such is the depth in this area. In the tight-forwards there is little depth, to say the least, and the set-pieces are an area of the game the Lions will expect to dominate and will look to exploit.

James Horwill's return will be a welcome one, and the impressive form of fellow-lock Sitaleki Timani should consign Rob Simmons to the bench, but Deans will be sweating any injuries to those three. Stephen Moore has returned to his best, and is demanding the starting role at hooker, with the likes of Tatafu Polota-Nau and Saia Fainga’a fighting for the other spot. Australia will never dominate the Lions at scrum time, so Deans will be looking for props who can stop the Wallabies going backwards, rather than make genuine inroads.

It says much about their depth in the front-row that Benn Robinson is still about as good as it gets in Aussie, although Ben Alexander on the other side is half decent. I'm not convinced Deans has enough consistent performers across the park to genuinely challenge the Lions, but he does have some true game breakers, and if he can get the mix right then that never-say-die Aussie attitude will mean they're always an outside chance.

For what it's worth, here's my line up to take on the Lions - 1. Benn Robinson 2. Stephen Moore 3. Ben Alexander 4. James Horwill 5. Sitaleki Timani 6. Ben Mowen 7. George Smith 8. Wycliff Palu 9. Will Genia 10. James O'Connor 11.Nick Cummins 12. Ben Tapuai 13.Adam Ashley-Cooper 14.Digby Ioane 15. Israel Folau Reserves - 16. Tatafu Polota-Nau 17.James Slipper 18.Rob Simmons 19.Liam Gill 20. Nic White 21.Christian Lealifano 22. Jesse Mogg

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

This is Tim’s last regular blog for HoR2 for the time being.  His first contribution was back in July 2012 – Friday the 13th no less – but his weekly posts have brought the site anything BUT bad luck!  We wish him  well in his future ventures and hope to hear from him again before too long.  Thanks mate, and best wishes also to the Crusaders & All Blacks for the rest of the season down there! JLP

The long way to the top

Canterbury fan Tim Cronin was happy to see his old mate Ricky Lutton making his first senior appearance for Ulster…

In an era when players are making their first class debuts sooner and being rushed through the system quicker than ever before, 27 seems relatively old to earn one's first run-on start. Nowadays talent is recognised at a very early age and it's easy to assume that those who haven't 'made it' by the time they reach their early-20s never will, but prop Ricky Lutton, who won his first starting cap in the Ulster shirt against Leinster on the weekend, has bucked that trend, proving there is still a place in the modern game for dogged determination and a will to succeed.

I first met Lutton when he joined my club side in Christchurch, New Zealand, in early 2011 following a season in Australia. Despite being solidly built he'd spent very little time in the weights room prior to arriving on our doorstep, but in the space of a year he developed both his game, and his physical presence, dramatically.

A former Oxford University student there's no question Lutton is an intelligent man. Once he found his feet in the gym he went about systematically learning and developing his technique, and his understanding of the exercises which would benefit him in his specific role on the field. By the time he left he held a number of lifting records at our club.

On the field he approached his game with a similarly analytical mindset, quickly adjusting to the different style of play in New Zealand, and catching the eye of Canterbury Rugby officials early on in his stay. That's not to say his game was all brains and no brawn though; in fact quite the opposite. The single-mindedness with which he undertook his work in the gym was evident on the field as well. Regardless of the task ahead Lutton refused to take a backwards step, and I'm sure a bit of age and some life experience played a part in his self-belief, his understanding of what could be achieved with some blood, sweat and tears, and his refusal to give up.

It's encouraging to see that, even though there's a flood of young players at the highest level of the game, there's still a place for the hard-headed campaigners as well. However gifted you may be there are certain things that can only be learned on the bottom of a ruck or when your team ends up on the wrong side of a towelling, and I was stoked to see my 'old' mate bring those experiences in to play on the weekend.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Introducing Metro Rugby

Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net tells us all about one of the world’s most competitive amateur rugby tournaments

With Canterbury's premier amateur club competition set to begin in just under a fortnight I thought readers in the Northern Hemisphere might be interested in getting a little insight in to what happens on the ground in a city at the bottom of the world, with a population of around 400,000 people, which in recent times has produced the likes of Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Kieran Read, Justin Marshall and Andrew Merhtens, and is home to the most successful Super Rugby franchise in the competition's history.

The Christchurch Metropolitan competition is contested by 12 clubs. To be eligible to represent either the Crusaders or the Canterbury ITM Cup side players must be registered to a club in the Canterbury province, the best of which compete in the Metro competition. While the truly elite All Blacks like Carter, McCaw and Read rarely see club footy anymore almost all of the other players in both the Crusaders and the Canterbury side will step back in to the amateur arena at least once a season, and most of them have a considerable amount of contact with their respective clubs, attending training sessions and imparting their knowledge and experience, as well as acting as figureheads for the individual clubs and no doubt inspiring the next generation of young rugby players. Players often return when their professional careers are over too, with former All Black skipper Rueben Thorne notching up his 100^th appearance for his club side, High School Old Boys, last year, and even Justin Marshall making the odd appearance for my side, the Sumner Wave.

The competition is also used to give key players returning from injury valuable game time, while the players in the 'wider training squad' for the Crusaders, who are there or thereabouts in terms of Super XV ability, play week in, week out in the club competition until called into action for the 'Saders.

Players from all over the globe head to Christchurch, which makes the club competition one of, if not the, most competitive amateur competitions anywhere in the world. This year my club alone has a Japanese prop with 14 test caps under his belt, an Argentinian Under-20 representative, two current New Zealand Sevens players and a number of exceptionally gifted youngsters who have moved to Christchurch from around the country, in addition to a host of promising home-grown players, while in recent year's we've enjoyed the services of the likes of Saracen's winger James Short, Ulster prop Ricky Lutton and Exeter front-rower Alex Brown. Our list of accomplished players pales in comparison with some of the bigger clubs, who consistently attract exceptionally well-credentialled players to their organisations.

But the fact that aspiring players in the Canterbury club competition get the opportunity to play with and against some of the Southern Hemisphere's finest players isn't in itself the key to the region's phenomenal ability to churn out talented footballers. That comes down, I believe, to the way the resources are openly shared around the rugby community.

There is a general progression through the ranks for coaches in Canterbury, with Crusaders' assistants Aaron Mauger and Tabai Matson, and ITM Cup Head Coach Scott Robertson all having coached club sides in the competition in the last couple of years. Former All Black assistant coach Peter Sloane is currently back coaching a club side for the 2013 season, and there are a number of up-and-coming coaches, who will eventually end up in the Crusaders system, who are still working closely with their club sides. A fortnight ago my club side had current All Blacks' assistant coach Aussie MacLean at training for an hour, while two years ago the Christchurch club, one of the oldest clubs in New Zealand, went on a pre-season trip to Spain (a massive undertaking in itself from this side of the world), and took Steve Hansen as their guest! Needless to say Christchurch won the competition that year, with Crusaders' openside Matt Todd playing almost every game in the months directly before he exploded on to the National scene.

In addition, the likes of All Black Scrum Coach Mike Cron is frequently scene at club trainings, while all coaches employed by the Canterbury Rugby Union, including Mauger, Matson and Robertson, are obligated to help develop and grow club rugby as part of their daily responsibilities. Between them these esteemed coaches will have involvement, to varying degrees, with each and every one of the 12 teams competing in the senior competition.

This isn't necessarily about generating game plans and strategies – if it were then all 12 teams would end up playing exactly the same way the Crusaders do. But the biggest benefit is the skills that these coaches impart. From Mike Cron setting up a teams' scrum at the start of the season to Tabai Matson given some invaluable insights in to the philosophies behind a backlines' attacking and defensive strategies, young players in Canterbury are frequently exposed to some of the most knowledgeable and accomplished coaches the world over.

This interaction has a huge benefit for the Union itself too. I'm convinced that fewer players slip through the net in Christchurch than in any other region in the country. Coaches like Robbie Deans and Rob Penney have left a legacy of talent spotting in the region, and Canterbury's ability to recognise talent, and nurture that potential, is second to none. From a young age players are learning fundamental skills from the very best in the business, and by the time they come of age and are ready to pursue a career as professional rugby players those skills are inherent and ingrained.

While the club competition in Christchurch is full of rivalry and passion, the overall picture is of an organisation which interacts well and freely shares information and knowledge. While there might be less than half a million people living in Christchurch the city lives and breathes rugby, and I see no reason why we won't continue to see some of the world's finest players emerge from our schools and clubs in the coming years.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Fifteen still to find their stride

No real Super Rugby title contenders have emerged yet, says Crusaders fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net

After five rounds of this year's Super XV we still have surprisingly little idea about who the real title-contenders will be, with almost every team having struggled for consistency to date.

It was an interesting week for us here in Christchurch; we got press passes for the staff at  our own website and with those in hand we were present at Crusaders training as they prepared for their clash against the Bulls, facing increasing pressure to get their campaign underway whilst dealing with the continued fall-out from Zac Guildford's battle with the bottle.

Having seen the intensity with which they operated with during the week it was no surprise to see them perform against the Bulls, and were it not for a nervous first 20 they could have won by an even bigger margin than the 41-19 final scoreline. But despite that compelling performance there remain plenty of questions about the champion red and black side, and whether their consistent, dependable squad have enough flair and x-factor to go all the way this year.

The Chiefs have been the best of the New Zealand sides to date, and did well on the weekend to bounce back from their loss against the Stormers to snare some valuable points from their African tour. The Blues started with a hiss and a roar but were beaten up by the Bulls in their last outing, and it will be interesting to see whether their young side can bounce back from that, or whether the memory of Pierre Spies and his brutish mates man-handling them will haunt them for the rest of the season.

The Highlanders have been disappointing to say the least. Amidst much fan-fare regarding the signing of prominent All Blacks like Ma'a Nonu, Tony Woodcock and Brad Thorn the Dunedin-based side sit winless on the bottom of the table, with their lack of depth having been exposed early on. The Hurricanes are having an uninspiring season as well, displaying signs of genuine potential in the midst of woefully ho-hum performances.

Across the ditch the Brumbies top the table and are the competition's only unbeaten side. Jake White has create a cohesive, hard-working team, but I wonder whether they have the depth and experience to carry this form over for the entire season.

The Reds are hot and cold, leaning heavily towards cold on the weekend just been when they lost to the Force, while the Waratahs have failed to live up to their pre-season hype. I've said it before and I'll say again – the Force and the Rebels are rubbish and really aren't worth mentioning.

Things couldn't be more different in Africa, where their sides, for the most part, have all performed encouragingly. The Bulls looked head and shoulders better than anyone else in the competition when they dominated the Blues at Eden Park, only to be ripped apart by the Crusaders, but I'm sure they will bounce back and feature at the business end of the season. The Sharks and the Stormers have enjoyed up and down form, but have the personnel to ensure they'll be there or there-abouts at the end of the year too.

The real surprise package is the Cheetahs. They showed plenty of heart last year without displaying the ability to sneak over the finish line, but this year their fortunes have changed. They schooled the Highlanders the week before last, and made it two-in-a-row on the road with a one-point win over the other 'Tahs in Sydney this weekend, suggesting that this side which has promised a lot in recent years may well be coming of age.

The final South African side is the Southern Kings, who have played with courage and passion in their first year in the Super XV. They'll lose more than they win this year, of that there is no question, but if they're the worst that South Africa has to offer the game is in good shape in the Republic.

So all in all no-one has really dominated the early stages of the Super XV. The New Zealand sides have, in general, been good without being great; the Brumbies are the best of the Aussies but have question marks over the depth in their squad, while the Africans look solid but have yet to achieve consistency. The only thing that can be said with any real assurance is that this year's competition looks set to be a tightly fought, evenly matched one.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Lions whitewash on the cards?

If I didn’t know he was an All Black fan I’d say Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net was trying to jinx the Lions against the Wallabies…

The British & Irish Lions secured a series white-wash of the Wallabies on the weekend, despite the team not having left the northern hemisphere, or for that matter been named.

The Lions haven't won in Australia since 1989, but an injury to the Wallabies’ finest player on the weekend means that is all set to change. That's how important I think David Pocock is to the Wallabies, and if he is in fact out for the Lions tour, as early speculation suggests following the injury he sustained against the Waratahs on the weekend, I'm happy to completely write-off Robbie Deans' men.

In all reality I thought Wales should have won their series 3-0 in Australia last year, rather than ending up on the wrong side of that same score. Sure, the Welsh lacked the experience and killer instinct to turn solid performances in to test match victories in those three matches, but there's no denying how good David Pocock was. In fact, he was so good during that tour that I believe, to put it simply, he won the series for Australia, and without him they would have lost.

I've often said there's essentially no depth in Australian rugby. They managed to rectify that somewhat last year when, due to a horrific string of injuries they were forced to blood new talent. But realistically they only have two world-class players –halfback Will Genia and Pocock.

When these two combine with a number of other very good players, like James O'Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Scott Higginbotham the Wallabies can be quite formidable. Indeed, they are one of the very best sides in the world. But take any of those top players out and things very quickly start looking shaky. Take Pocock or Genia out and they immediately fall apart.

As hard as it is for a Kiwi to admit that someone even comes close to the great Richie McCaw there's no denying that David Pocock is simply phenomenal at the breakdown. Physically he's an absolute brute, a virtual 'immovable object', and his ability to turn over possession is almost unstoppable.

In Michael Hooper and Liam Gill the Wallabies have two fantastic young flankers in their ranks. But have no doubt, there is still a vast gulf in ability between these two rising stars and the dominant force which Pocock represents. Like Sam Cane to the All Blacks, Gill and Hooper are promising players who can hold their own at test level. But like Cane they are yet to display the ability to single-handedly determine the outcome of a match, as the truly great flankers frequently do.

Whoever they field against the Lions the Wallabies will put up a decent fight – they are too proud as a sporting nation to do anything but. However, if Pocock does miss the series I think any chance they may have had, however slim, of overcoming the Lions, will vanish. They simply don't have enough top-quality talent to counter the loss of such an influential player, and Robbie Deans is set for some sleepless nights in the coming weeks as the full extent of his star loosie's injury becomes apparent.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Raking it in

Adidas are winning rugby’s battle of the boot these days, writes Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net

As Puma set about drastically down-scaling their involvement in Northern Hemisphere rugby we're starting to see the individual contracts of key players expiring, with Jamie Heaslip the first to break all ties with the German apparel manufacturer.

Heaslip was one of the companies' marquee names, having been the poster-boy for the Puma EvoSpeeds when they were released. Along with Tommy Bowe and Luke Fitzgerald, Heaslip's individual deal with Puma reportedly stretched to five figures.

The marketability of Heaslip was reiterated last month when he was the first rugby player to sport a new colourway of the Nike Vapor IX. While a number of prominent backs had sported the flamboyant 'Fireberry' and 'Sunset' versions of this boot it was Heaslip that Nike chose as the first to introduce the more subtle 'Platinum' colourway to the world, hinting at a significant deal with the Irish loose-forward.

While both Fitzgerald and Bowe are still wearing their Pumas it will be interesting to see which companies court them when their deal ends, and where the other European nations' stars head when their Puma deals wrap up.

It's almost as if the default boot of world rugby at the moment is adidas, and if a player is not specifically target by another major company they end up accepting a place in adidas' bulging ranks. Even Manu Tuilagi has moved to adidas, sporting the latest 'speed boot', the RS7 III, in the Six Nations this year.

In the Southern Hemisphere the adidas dominance is perhaps even wider reaching. While a few prominent players are signed to Nike, and even fewer to Mizuno, Asics and the rest, the vast majority of players in this year's Super XV are sporting three stripes on their boots. In New Zealand this has much to do with adidas' deal with the NZRFU, which forces all players without individual boot deals with other companies to wear adidas boots when representing any of the five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises, and also when playing in the ITM Cup, the counties' provincial championship.

In this year's Super XV the outside backs are primarily wearing the RS7 III, including Israel Dagg, JP Pietersen and Digby Ioane, while almost all the key inside backs, such as Dan Carter, Aaron Cruden, Will Genia and Patrick Lambie are seen in the adidas Predator Incurza.

In the forwards adidas have just released the FF80, a boot specifically designed for loosies, and this will be a highly popular choice in the coming months. Easily the most common boot for tight forwards at the moment is another adidas boot, the Kakari, which is already worn by Richie Grey and Rory Best, along with the entire All Black tight-five.

Puma had a large market presence in the UK, and their withdrawal will mean a host of players will soon be clamouring for the limited number of lucrative individual sponsorship deals on offer, with the rest almost certainly likely to follow the flock and join Team adidas.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Super Rugby–early doors

Crusaders fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net has a look at the early Super Rugby form…

After the first full round of Super Rugby for 2013 we've now had a chance to see every team except the Crusaders in action, so here are my initial opinions on each of the sides.

The Blues got new coach Sir John Kirwan's tenure off to the best possible start with an away win against the Hurricanes, and look to be a genuine force to be reckoned with. Pre-season the expectation was that Kirwan's young side would struggle, but it now looks as though there could be five quality sides battling for position in the New Zealand conference.

The Brumbies are the early pace setters in the Australian conference, with Jake White having created a near-impenetrable defensive structure. New signing David Pocock has already been prominent for the Canberra-based side, and they must surely be considered the early-favourites to top the Aussie conference.

Commentators were suggesting the Bulls' ageing squad may have run out of steam, particularly given their lacklustre finish to last season, but a resounding defeat of the highly-fancied Stormers on the weekend put those theories to bed. The Springbok-laden Bulls were back to their formidable-best, and will be contenders when the business end of the season rolls around.

The Cheetahs were competitive against the Sharks, although a late rally did make the narrow margin a little deceptive. A team that won't win many, but will earn plenty of bonus points along the way, and will tip over one or two of the top dogs before the season ends.

Can the Chiefs defend their title without Sonny Bill Williams? If Friday night is anything to go by the answer is yes. A stacked Highlanders team was favoured to win in Dunedin, but the Chiefs slipped straight back in to the captivating, expansive style of play which won them their first title last season, and they look set for another highly-competitive campaign.

The Force are terrible.

Despite having recruited heavily over the off-season, Jamie Joseph's Highlanders still lack depth in a number of positions, and this was exposed in their very first outing. In addition, the introduction of so many new players means the side will take some time to gel, with their midfield combination, complete with All Black star Ma'a Nonu, looking lost at times. A disappointing start for a much-hyped team.

The Hurricanes should really have won on the weekend. They had an inexperienced Blues side on the ropes, but failed to put them away. Plenty of X-factor out there, but Saturday's performance showed they might still lack the ability to finish opponents off. Another side who will be disappointed by their first hit-out.

The Kings rode a wave of emotion on the weekend to win their first game of Super XV rugby. Playing an expansive, free-flowing style of play the got up over the Force, but then again the Force are terrible.

The Rebels are terrible too, just slightly less-so than the Force.

The Reds bounced back from their first round loss to the Brumbies to beat traditional rivals the Waratahs and kick-start their campaign. Quade Cooper is controlling the game reasonably well, and with Will Genia to come back the Reds will be there or thereabouts when the Playoffs begin.

The Sharks were ho-hum against the Cheetahs, outclassing their compatriots but failing to really put them to the sword. They'll be better for the hit out though, and I still think they'll be serious contenders for the title this year.

The Stormers were the big losers on the weekend, suffering a heavy defeat in the most talked about game of the round, and looking poor in doing so. Their famous defence only leaked one try, but their ill-discipline allowed Morne Steyn to punish them time and time again, and despite scoring two tries of their own they offered little to excite fans of running rugby, and may have to rely on grinding out wins this year.

New recruit Israel Folau was impressive on the weekend but failed to inspire his Waratahs side to victory as the New South Welshmen went down to the Reds, thanks in no small part to a scoring blitz early in the first half. It was a reasonably tepid display from the 'Tahs, and while they'll battle away with the Reds and the Brumbies for honours in the Australian conference they look unlikely to challenge the big guns from New Zealand and South Africa for the overall title.

With all that said, it's early days, and plenty more questions will be answered in the next few weeks. In Round 3 the most notable match-ups include the Crusaders kicking off their campaign away to the young, exciting Blues, and the Stormers travelling to Durban to meet the Sharks in another mouth watering clash in the Republic.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Aussie talent thinly spread

Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net reckons the Wallabies’ Super Rugby talent is spread thinner than vegemite on a wafer…

Aspiring Wallabies' players looking to make the squad to face the British and Irish Lions this year began their bid for selection on the weekend, as the Super XV kicked off with an all-Australian round. With no warm-up test matches the Super XV is the sole proving ground for those hunting a green and gold jersey, and coach Robbie Deans will be looking on intently, hoping his top players can reach form quickly and remain injury free.

The build-ups couldn't be more different – while the Northern Hemisphere players are testing themselves at the highest level at the moment, facing quality opposition week in, week out in the Six Nations, the Wallabies' players will have to get match-fit and match-hardened playing Super Rugby, a task made all the more challenging by the fact the Australian conference is unquestionably the weakest of the three Southern Hemisphere groups.

Sure, Warren Gatland's men may be spread around four different teams, but at least the Lions will have assembled on the back of some decent quality football, and will have some time to generate combinations and experience playing with each other when they face the Barbarians in Hong Kong followed by five warm-up games in Australia prior to the first test in Brisbane.

Deans, on the other hand, has a finite amount of talent spread all-too thinly across five sides, of whom realistically only three will play any decent rugby in the coming months. Deans has said he will be looking to expose some of his key players to the Lions in the touring sides' warm-up games, but in reality how many of them will he be prepared to risk?

The Lions' first game on Australian soil is against the Force, a side that will struggle to have more than 1 or 2 players in the mix for test selection. The Reds play the tourists a fortnight out from the first test, which is Deans' best chance to expose some key players to top-level competition, and may, depending on form (and his personal relationship with a certain fly-half) give him a chance to pit his inside halves combination against the visitors. Other than that, its hard to imagine him letting any of his top 22 players take the field for the Waratahs a week out from the Brisbane test, or for the Brumbies mid-week leading up to the first encounter, meaning players like David Pocock, Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor, and Berrick Barnes could all be short of a trot.

In recent years the Australians have been slow to start when the International calendar opens, losing their first tests in in 2011 and 2012 (to Samoa and Scotland respectively), and Deans will be all too aware that his side can't afford a sluggish start to the three-match series this year. It will be a fine balancing act for a coach who knows he has little depth to work with, and it will be interesting indeed to see how Deans manages his key players in the coming months.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

XX Words on the Super XV

Crusaders fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net looks ahead to the new Super Rugby campaign…

With the Super XV about to kick off and rugby set to get in to full-swing in the Southern Hemisphere I thought I'd take a look at each of the sides and the chances they have in 2013.

As always at the start of a new season there are plenty of questions awaiting answers - Can a young Blues side bounce back from their franchise's worst ever year? Can the Crusaders, who have lost in the playoffs for four years on the trot finally add another trophy to their cabinet? Can the experienced campaigners that the Highlanders have added get them to the Semis, or will a lack of depth trip them up at the business end of the competition again? Will the Hurricanes continue to build on a positive year in 2012 in which their culture returned, and can the Chiefs defend their crown despite the loss of some key personnel?

Across the ditch can the brilliant David Pocock help take Jake White's already impressive Brumbies to the next level? Does Quade Cooper have anything left to offer the Reds, or were the handful of Touch Rugby tricks he pulled out a couple of years ago the best he had to offer? Is this the year of the 'Tahs, with marquee signing Israel Folau looking sharp already? Can the Rebels get some consistency into their game, and will the Force offer any resistance at all?

In the Republic the usual suspects will shine again, but can the Sharks carry on from their barn-storming finish last year? Can the Stormers take their dominant performances in recent years to the next level? Can Morne Steyn remember how to play and help the Bulls to the playoffs, or is a great career stumbling to an end? Can the Cheetahs offer anything other than the odd upset win, and can the Kings really be competitive in their first year?

To offer some insights in to these questions here are 20 words, no less, no more, on each of the 15 sides.

Blues – Talent to burn but lacking experience. Will struggle - at best will trip up one or two of the big boys.

Brumbies – Hard working side looking to build on last year, where they overacheived. Good coach in White, great flanker in Pocock.

Bulls – May have made the playoffs last year but the writing was on the wall. The great Bulls era is ending.

Cheetahs – Play with courage and passion, but lack the genuine talent to be truly competitive. Will cause an upset or two.

Chiefs – Defending their title without go-forwad men Sonny Bill and Sona Taumalolo will be a huge ask for Dave Rennie's men.

Crusaders – Four years in the playoffs without a title. Crusaders simply must win if Todd Blackadder is to retain his job.

Force – The time spent travelling is the hardest part of a game in Perth, with the Force themselves offering little. Cellar-dwellers.

Highlanders – Packed full of expereince and exciting new talent, but lacking depth. Could struggle at the business end of the season.

Hurricanes – After a year where cohesion returned to the Hurricanes they must capitalise this season and make the playoffs. Outside contenders.

Kings – Without doubt will struggle, with the Cheetahs their only real hope of avoiding the wooden spoon in the African conference.

Rebels – Mix of some of Australia's top players and a bunch of mediocre campaigners. At best a stumbling block for others.

Reds – Will be one of the better Australian sides again, but does that really say much? Will Quade fire or fail?

Sharks – Finished hard last year with a gutsy display despite having to travel. Great work ethic and plenty of talent. Contenders.

Stormers – Schalk Burger will have a huge influence. Great defence, but can they attack? Guaranteed to be one of the best.

Waratahs – New coaches, exciting backs and hard working forwards. Odds-on to win the Australian conference, although the overall title a stretch.

For weekly previews and breaking news visit us at www.RugbyShirts.net.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Best dressed

All Blacks fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net looks at the companies who could be vying for the Irish jersey in the wake of Puma ending their deal…

Interesting times lie ahead for the powers-that-be at Ireland Rugby as they look to establish a new apparel sponsorship, with the marketplace full of companies looking to align themselves with the globe's biggest brands.

Puma, who are spread around a diverse array of sports that encompasses everything from Formula One to Athletics, are currently embarking on their biggest restructuring in 20 years, and have left themselves without a major player on the International scene. With that said there are rumours they may look to build on the relationship they have with the Bulls and the Cheetahs by making a move for the Springboks.

If Puma did grab the 'Boks that would free up some money at CCC, but it's unlikely they would look to re-establish themselves with Ireland, with England acting as their marquee side in Europe at the moment, and a long list of Heineken Cup sides, including Leinster and the Tigers, further draining their cash reserves.

Nike are another major player who have let their involvement in Rugby at the top level slide somewhat of late, with Argentina the only national side of note to wear the 'Swoosh', and Saracens and Toulouse the only club sides worthy of a mention.

Kooga, and it's subsidiary brand BLK, which is being phased-out, could well be interested in the Irish deal. Already established in the Southern Hemisphere with a large presence in Australia and the Pacific Islands, Kooga currently looks after the Ospreys and Worcester, and may well be looking for a Northern Hemisphere test side to add to its list of clients.

Then there are a host of new names on the scene, including Scotland's new sponsor Macron. The deal with Italian company Macron, who also count football sides Leeds United and Aston Villa as clients, encompasses the countries' two professional clubs, Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well.

Under Armour are a rapidly expanding company, with football side Tottenham Hotspur recently joining Welsh rugby as the organisations' most significant sponsorship deals, while Kukri, who manufacture kits for Ulster and Wasps, are quickly becoming a significant player in the Rugby arena.

Of interest also will be the boot deals, with a number of Ireland's front-line players currently sporting Puma boots, the most significant of whom is probably Jamie Heaslip, who was a figurehead for Puma's EvoSPEED boots when they were released last year.

The options have never been more abundant, and whoever they end up with, Irish Rugby will no doubt be face with a number of enticing offers and some difficult decisions to make in the coming months.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Stop the wagon, Zac's fallen off again!

Crusaders & All Blacks fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net examines Guildford’s fall further from grace

Zac Guildford's decision to remove himself from the Crusaders set-up after yet another run-in with alcohol has refuelled the debate about professional rugby players and their relationship with booze, and to be honest, I'm a bit conflicted about where I stand on the whole thing.

In one corner of the argument is the thought that these players are still young guys; that they need the space to enjoy their youth just a little bit, and that surely the odd pint here or there is not the end of the world. I feel for some of these young guys who are forced to hold press conferences and admit to having 'problems with alcohol' when the reality was they probably just had one too many with their mates down at the pub and became involved in a minor incident which, had that person not been in the public eye wouldn't have caused anyone to bat an eyelid.

On the other side of the equation is the idea that their window of opportunity to be a professional sportsperson is relatively short, and surely they can focus for a handful of years and reap the rewards of a career as a top level rugby player, then cut loose when they retire.

Personally, sharing a beer with your mates after a game of footy, telling tale tales about the 100m+ try you just scored or that huge hit that you put on, is part and parcel of rugby, and that camaraderie

is a huge reason why many of us love the sport so much.

But the fact of the matter is, at the top level the game has moved on from there. The idea that you can achieve the levels of fitness and physical prowess required to play at Super Rugby or International level whilst juggling the odd hangover is now redundant. Then there is also the issue of public perception, and the fact that, whether we agree with it or not, rugby players are considered role models. One stray video from someone's cell phone of an All Black stumbling round the streets intoxicated and every politically correct 'defender or our moral well-being' is writing to the press.

But that's the way things are nowadays, and players like Guildford can either accept it and commit to life as a professional rugby player in the new millennium, or start looking for a 'real' job.

Guildford is obviously an extreme case. I'm sure no-one would begrudge Dan Carter the chance to head out for a beer or three every now and again. But Guildford obviously can't go out and have a few without getting a tad messy, and he was already well and truly on his last warning.

If players like Zac Guildford are to have long-lasting and lucrative careers as professional rugby players they must understand that they'll need to make certain sacrifices along the way, and they'll need to ensure that they've got friends and support people around them who also understand this, and can help these young guys make good decisions.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

The Year Ahead...

Crusaders & All Blacks fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net looks at what’s at stake in 2013.

For my first post of 2013 I thought I’d do a spot of crystal ball gazing, and look ahead to what the year might hold in store for the Southern Hemisphere sides.

The first chance we get to see the Southern Hemisphere’s stars in action will be the Super XV, and there are a number of sides with a lot of pressure on their shoulders ahead of this season’s tournament.

The Crusaders have made the play-offs for the last four years in a row without converting any of them in to titles, and, after throwing Backs Coach Darryl Gibson under the bus last year, Todd Blackadder’s will be the head to roll in 2013 if the red and blacks fall short of the mark again.

In Waikato, the reigning champion Chiefs have a big task ahead of them to retain their title, particularly without their superstar midfielder, Sonny Bill Williams. Like rockstars who bolt to the top of the charts on the back of one sensational hit the Chiefs took the competition by storm last year with their captivating brand of football, but I think they’ll struggle to live up to the hype in 2013.

At the other end of the scale are the Blues. You might think that John Kirwan has nothing to lose given their dismal showing last year, but I tend to think the Blues franchise could write off one year as an aberration, but two poor year’s in a row would be verging on a crisis. Unfortunately for Kirwan I just don’t think they have the personnel, and they’ll be the worst of the Kiwi sides for another year at least.

In South Africa the status quo will remain, with three of their teams, the Sharks, the Bulls and the Stormers all being title contenders, and the other two battling for the wooden spoon.

In Australia things will be much the same as in Africa in terms of the status quo prevailing, with the Reds, Waratahs, Brumbies, Force and Rebels all being rubbish.

The biggest talking point in world rugby this year will of course be the Lions’ tour of Australia. When the Wallabies struggled on home-soil against the Welsh 6 months ago I thought the time was ripe for the Lions to sweep the Aussies, but I’ve done an about-turn on this one. While they might be mediocre at best in the Super XV arena, when they get their dozen-odd decent players together the Wallabies are a formidable force, and I can’t help thinking how hungry their stars like Will Genia and David Pocock will be after a season ravaged by injury in 2012.

The dreadful injury run they had gave them opportunities last season which will also benefit them in the long term. Australian rugby has always lacked depth, and when the senior players started dropping mid-season that depth was exposed. But Robbie Deans’ men rallied, and while the season was full of mixed results it gave the ARU the chance to blood some new talent and expose some young up-and-comers to the international stage, and the Wallabies will be a far stronger entity for that experience. Personally I think the Wallabies will beat the Lions.

It’s a big year for the All Blacks, with some monumental questions in front of the powers-that-be. In 1987 the All Blacks were a class above anyone else in the world; In 1991 they traveled to the UK with a team of aging heroes and were shown up by a Wallabies side full of youth and flair. Players like Grant Fox, the Whettons and John Kirwan were just a year or two past their best when the 1991 tournament rolled around, and that could well be an issue for Steve Hansen and his pals come 2015.

The big question is: will McCaw, Carter, Woodcock, Mealamu, Hore, Nonu and Smith still be amongst the very best in the world come the World Cup in 2015? If not they must start introducing new blood now.

All Black supporters must be prepared to loose some games this year. I think it’s inevitable that the gap will close, particularly with McCaw sitting out the season. Personally, I believe the selectors should be brave and give some of the exciting talent which is bubbling away in New Zealand at the moment the opportunity to step up and prove themselves. It’s time to discard Weepu and Williams for instance – long term they offer the All Blacks very little, so why not cut them loose now and start the search for the next big thing,

The clash between New Zealand and England late in the year will be highly anticipated following England’s stunning romp over the world champions in November. The All Blacks will be dwelling on that loss, but already I can see that’s going to be a huge mountain to climb at Twickenham.

All in all, I couldn’t be more excited about the year of rugby ahead. I think the top sides are getting irresistibly close to each other in ability, and that makes the year ahead an intriguing one to say the least.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Top 5 Moments of 2012

All Black fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net clicks into 2012 review mode…

As the end of the year draws near, and with little rugby being played in the Southern Hemisphere at the moment, it seems like an appropriate time to reflect on some of the key moments from the year, from a one-eyed Kiwi perspective.

So here are the 5 moments which I found particularly significant this year –

#5 – Blues Hit All-Time Low : Despite the Crusaders’ unparalleled record, the Blues still hold a place in New Zealand Rugby fans’ minds as the real trail-blazers of Super Rugby; a team that for the first few years of the competition seemed unbeatable, and who were the first team, possibly anywhere in the world, to really embrace professionalism.

There have been ups and downs for them over the last couple of decades, but 2012 was a new low, with the Blues slumping to their worst finish in Super Rugby history. There have been years when they underperformed before, but this felt different – in previous years when they have struggled they’ve still had the personnel to suggest a change in fortunes is just around the corner. This year, regardless of the fact they represent New Zealand’s biggest city and have an enormous catchment area compared to any other Kiwi franchise, they had no depth, none of the remarkable young talent we’ve come to associate with Auckland Rugby, and, most significantly, very little resolve.

John Kirwan’s squad for 2013, selected on the back of a number of key players leaving the area in search of greener pastures, features a host of inexperienced players, and for the first time in their history the Blues are starring down the barrel of a challenge which doesn’t look to have an easy fix.

#4 – Crusaders Fall Short…Again : Sure, compared to almost every side in the Super XV we Crusaders fans have little to complain about, but for the 4^th consecutive year Todd Blackadder’s men managed to qualify for the business-end of the season but fail to convert it in to another title.

Like a race driver that regularly qualifies on pole position but continually fails to win a race, the Crusaders have displayed a strange inability in recent years to get over the finishing line. It’s not as though they are grossly underperforming like the Blues, but the patience of the powers-that-be must be starting to wear pretty thin with Blackadder’s sides’ ‘so-near-but-so-far’ performances, and I can’t help but think heads will roll if the same occurs in 2013.

#3 – Wallabies Woes A Blessing in Disguise? : It was a tumultuous year for Australian Rugby, with Robbie Deans constantly eyeing up the unemployment queue as calls for his head grew louder and louder, fuelled by several senior members of his side. His cause wasn’t helped by an almost unprecedented string of injuries to critical members of his side.

But there was without doubt a silver lining to be had – Australian rugby is notorious for lacking depth, but this year Deans was forced to blood new talent and expose young, promising players to International rugby much earlier than he normally would have. The upshot will be a much more well-rounded squad in the future, and if the Wallabies can manage to finish second in the Rugby Championship and win 3 from 4 on a European tour when injury ravaged and with dissention in the camp, imagine what they can do when their stars return and the team actually gels. They will be a force to be reckoned with in 2015.

#2 – Canterbury Establish a Genuine Dynasty: The Canterbury ITM Cup side truly came out of the shadow of the great Auckland sides of the 80s and 90s this year by becoming the first side ever to claim 5 consecutive National Provincial Championships.

Despite the loss of Head Coach Rob Penney the introduction of new coaches Tabai Matson and Scott Robertson was a seamless one and the red and blacks continued to play a brand of rugby which was innovative, skilful, and simply too slick for anyone else in New Zealand rugby. Their record-making win in this year’s ITM Cup should erase any doubts whatsoever that Canterbury are doing something special, and the culture they’ve created is still the driving force behind New Zealand rugby.

#1 – England Come of Age! : Yes, it was only one game; yes, the English failed to beat South Africa and Australia in the weeks leading up to their clash with the All Blacks, and no, the world didn’t end in New Zealand with our loss at Twickenham.

But I can’t help but think that game was a huge turning point for the English, whose young side holds so much promise and potential. Single results can be all the catalyst that is needed to instil self-belief and confidence in a team, and those feelings will be over-flowing at English Rugby head-quarters at the moment.

In the history books it will be a match that means little, but in terms of momentum it could well spark something magnificent in English rugby in the next 2-3 years, and, should they prevail in the 2015 World Cup I wouldn’t be surprised if they credit that win against the ABs with creating the impetus they needed to conquer the world.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

The Curse Of The French

All Black fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net isn’t happy looking ahead to the RWC2015 pools and is already pondering the quarterfinal opposition…

Following the initial World Cup Pool draw last week there was much discussion about the ‘Pool of Death’, and, to be fair, All Blacks’ fans couldn’t really complain about the group we’d been given. But one thing did strike fear in to the most ardent supporter of the men in black, and that’s the possibility of a date with the French in the Quarter Finals.

Most rugby fans around the globe know that the French have foiled the All Blacks on more than one occasion at the World Cup, but I don’t know if those outside New Zealand really appreciate the emotional baggage those defeats have left us with. I also don’t know if rugby followers from outside Aotearoa understand what’s really behind this inherent dread of the French Rugby team, so I’m going to relay a story to you which isn’t widely known.

In 1987 David Kirk led his young All Blacks side to victory in the inaugural World Cup, beating the French in the final at Eden Park. In true French tradition they had played their final the week before, sensationally upsetting the Wallabies in Australia, and, while the final was an intense affair, they never really looked like lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy.

A few weeks later, when the dust had settled and the French had returned home, several key players had a very important, very secret meeting. In the seedy area of Saint Denis, (where the Stade De France now appropriately sits), Serge Blanco, Philippe Sella and Pierre Berbizier meet on a dark, rainy Parisian night.

Joining them was a strange figure hailing from Bugarach, a small town in the South-West of France renowned for its claim that it will be the only location in the world left standing following the impending apocalypse. This cloaked figure was a witch-doctor of sorts, carrying a worn leather bag in his gnarled hands and dragging an iron cauldron with him.

Speaking in hushed tones (as I’m writing this I’m using those ‘Allo ‘Allo accents in my head, for those of you who want to really paint the picture as I’m relaying this tale) they explained to the Witch Doctor that they wanted to put a curse on the All Blacks, making it virtually impossible for them to defeat the French in the World Cup.

Reaching in to his bag he selected an array of bottles and jars, and began pouring ingredients in to his cauldron until a bubbly, frothing mass was boiling away. But, just as the concoction was nearly finished Pierre Berbizier interrupted proceedings. “Wait”, he said, again strangely employing the voice of Rene from ‘Allo ‘Allo. “One more thing, which will make it all the more painful for those swines in Black… in all our matches leading up to our meeting with New Zealand we shall exhibit no skill or form whatsoever. We will perform so poorly in our lead-up matches, and look so out of touch in group play, that they will be lulled in to a false sense of security each and every time they play us!”

As rapturous, cackling laughter engulfed the darkened alley in which they stood the Witch Doctor finished the spell, adding the necessary potions which would make Berbizier’s dastardly final touch a reality, and the rest, as they say, is history. No matter how poor the French look leading up to a World Cup, or how badly they perform in their group games, they grow another leg when they play the All Blacks in the knock-out rounds, and for some reason, each and every time we struggle against them, we are left stunned and bewildered.

As the clock ticked down at Eden Park in last year’s World Cup final a horrible hush settled around the bar where I was watching the match, surrounded by 100-odd friends, all clad in black. With ten minutes to go, leading by just a point and with the French pouring endless pressure on us, all of a sudden those around me came to the realisation that we might, in fact, quite probably would, be foiled yet again by a side which had battled to even make this date with us.

Indeed, I believe there came a point where the majority of those around me were resigned to the fact that the French would score in the dying seconds and thwart us yet again. The spell is unquestionably a powerful one. We might have prevailed last year, but we still essentially choked, and were it not for a gutsy, brave performance we would have again lost to the French, as we did in ’99 and ’07.

France will inevitably be poor during Pool play in 2015. The Irish have every chance of beating them and winning the pool, and even if the French do come out on top in that clash they’re likely to get tipped over by Italy! Taking an unabashed ‘glass is half empty’ view on things I think Ireland will win the group, and the All Blacks will indeed face the French in the first round of knock-out matches, the very thought of which will have this small, rugby-mad nation biting its finger nails for months before the tournament even begins!

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

A Black Day!

All Black fan Tim Cronin from RugbyBoots.net “throws up” some reasons for what happened at Twickers…

Battling an illness that had swept through the team and feeling the effects of an arduous season, the All Blacks nonetheless fought bravely at Twickenham before eventually … just kidding. On behalf of all New Zealand rugby fans I admit we were thumped by the English. There are no excuses to be made, and we must take it on the chin.

In a match preview I wrote last week I said ‘I think New Zealand will win, but I won’t fall off my seat if there is an upset’. But when push came to shove I was stunned by the result.

Not because we lost to an opponent that has traditionally been incredibly tough for us to beat, but for two main reasons. Firstly, I’d thought all along that this would be by far the most challenging game for the ABs, but I thought if we did lose it would be a 12-9-type game, where England smothered us, played a superior tactical game, and drop-kicked their way to a tightly contested win. Obviously that’s not how it panned out.

Secondly, at 15-nil up early in the second half thanks in no small part to the inspired performance of young fly-half Owen Farrell, who certainly had his kicking boots on, the English were on fire. But then the All Blacks came screaming back in to contention with two converted tries. In the space of a handful of minutes the English saw their hard-fought lead evaporate, and their young side should really have capitulated. Throughout their tour, the All Blacks have put opponents away with similar bursts of intensity, but the English, rather than rolling over and whimpering their way to defeat at the hands of the World Champions, answered in kind, and a famous victory ensued.

It will be a bitter pill to swallow for the senior players in the All Black camp, who know all too well how long the summer break can be when it comes on the heels of a loss. But there is a process involved here, which I mentioned last week in my post about the Welsh. Firstly, one must accept the loss, then one must set about learning the lessons that loss threw up.

New Zealand were outplayed, purely and simply. Yes, they’ve had a long season, but England had also just battled with Australia and South Africa, so the physical demands throughout November were on par.

Was their arrogance in the black camp? Probably. I believe that core members of the squad like McCaw, Mealamu and Read bring an attitude which, while appearing like arrogance, is much more like the steely, hard-nosed attitude legendary All Blacks like Sean Fitzpatrick and Zinzan Brooke had – an unyielding drive to be better, to be the best, and the confidence that if they worked hard and pushed themselves to new limits every time they would prevail.

But for the young All Blacks I can see how a feeling of superiority could easily evolve. Not a sense that if they train as hard, run as fast and tackle as hard as they can possibly push themselves they will prevail, but a sense that by pulling on the famous black jersey and running on to the field beside Dan Carter and Richie McCaw that victory is a foregone conclusion.

Perhaps that is a positive the All Blacks can take out of their pounding at Twickenham – perhaps it will serve as a wake-up call to a group of emerging talent who had, until that point, enjoyed a dream run in the black machine.

But, unlike the Welsh, who proclaimed they were proud with the way they fought the week before, the All Blacks will be gutted. They will not only feel disappointed, but they will also feel embarrassed and humiliated. And so they should.

Their style of play doesn’t need to be revamped. A game plan which had previously swept aside all-comers didn’t become ineffective in the space of 80 minutes. But they do need to have a long hard look at themselves.

Losses like this eat away at All Blacks. You only have to rifle through a selection of autobiographies to see numerous examples from retired All Blacks about the motivation they gained from being beaten up in Paris, or the anger they felt as England performed a lap of honour in Manchester after a draw, and how those instances chewed away at them until they had the chance to seek revenge.

It will be a long wait for All Black fans, and will seem like an even longer one for McCaw and his men, but personally, my mouth is already watering in anticipation of the next New Zealand v England clash.

For now though, hats off to the Poms!

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Poor Wales, or Wales just poor?

All Black fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net reckons Andrew Hore will get what he deserves, but with the match result, so did Wales…

While I was contemplating how to open my article this week I stumbled across a post on Facebook from a friend, a fellow Kiwi living in the UK, which pretty much summed up what I was thinking.

Said Hayden – “OK, Hore is a moron and should be suspended, but that doesn’t change the fact that Wales were [rubbish]”.

Andrew Hore did New Zealand a huge disservice on the weekend. As is always the way when you dominate a sport, the rest of the rugby world has for some time now been throwing accusations at the Kiwis about the tactics of their captain, the attitude of officials towards the men in black, and, in general, a perceived idea that the All Blacks in some way ‘cheat’.

I accept that those barbs are just part and parcel of being the number one ranked side in the world, and it’s never bothered me personally. While some countries have a history of eye gouging, biting and testicle grabbing, the All Blacks have never been a dirty team, and I don’t think they are now. But Andrew Hore was out of line, and his timing could not have been worse.

With that said, Hore’s act of foul play didn’t cost the Welsh the game, nor did any of the refereeing decisions. The referee wasn’t the one who was incapable of tackling Julian Savea or failed to scramble on defence, and the referee wasn’t the one who couldn’t catch when try scoring opportunities presented themselves or who kicked it dead from a penalty.

The attitude from the Welsh players as they narrowed the losing margin to just 23 points was telling. The crowd who went in to raptures, the players who celebrated that last try, and the coach afterwards, who said he was proud of his players, signalled to me that the Welsh believe they are just a ‘middle-of-the-road side. None of the top 4 or 5 nations would find anything whatsoever to be happy about in a 33-10 loss. The All Blacks, along with the Australians, the South Africans, the English, and probably the French, would be disgusted at themselves for being blown off the park in such resounding fashion, but that’s because they set high standards and expectations for themselves.

Wales clearly lack any self-belief or confidence at the moment, which was in evidence early in the match. Their decision to kick for touch, instead of taking the points when they were on offer, smacked of desperation. The idea of ‘taking it to the All Blacks’ is an admirable one, but you still need to be intelligent enough to make the right decisions at the right time; to rip in to all-out attack when the opportunity presents itself, but to collect points and play with tactical nous when the time calls for a more solid approach.

That decision early in the game reminded me of a cricketer who has determined which shot they will play before the ball is bowled. It was like they had made a commitment prior to stepping out on the field that when they received their first penalty, no matter where it might be, they’d have a crack. Wales traditionally employ a good balance of relatively conservative, tactical rugby combined with an ability to attack with flair given the right opening, and I’m sure those chances would have presented themselves as the match unfolded. But such is their lack of confidence at the moment they felt it necessary to try to re-invent the wheel, an interesting option when you’re facing the world champions on rampant form, having yourselves lost your last five tests in a row!

The Welsh can make up as many excuses as they want, but they were still thumped 33-10 by a team that ‘buttoned off’ for the last quarter. As New Zealanders we all agree that Hore was out of line, but we’d have a lot more respect if Welsh fans, players and media could simply say ‘sure, the Hore incident was poor, but on the day we were outplayed’.

At the end of the day, any loss falls on the shoulders of the players. Sides that are successful recognise this, and use it as a tool to learn from and improve. Teams that fail to recognise this and constantly play the ‘victim card’ stay where they are, in the middle-of-the-road.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

Self-fulfilling Prophecies

All Black fan Tim Cronin from RugbyShirts.net has some advice for the Welsh before they face the World Champions

Following the weekend’s tests, the ‘phrase self-fulfilling prophecy’ springs to mind!

There was an undeniable sense of inevitability about the Welsh loss to Samoa.

When interim coach Rob Howley reacted to the disappointing loss to Argentina by dropping the team’s captain, and best player, Sam Warbuton, the writing was on the wall. That, coupled with the local media’s incessant talk about Samoa being Wales’ ‘bogey-team’ contributed to a feeling that the home side were almost destined to experience defeat on the weekend.

Wales is a proud Rugby nation, and of course expectations would be high following their successful Six Nations campaign.

But they performed well in Australia despite the 3-nil whitewash and were in with a shot in all three of the tests there, and while they would have hoped to beat Argentina, the Pumas are riding high on a wave of emotion at the moment, and have made huge leaps in ability since the start of the year.

So I have to say that dropping their captain seemed like a pretty harsh, knee-jerk reaction to what was a disappointing, but not diabolical run of form.

Nothing undermines the confidence of a team more than the knowledge that the coaching staff don’t have faith in the team leaders. The most successful teams in recent history have retained their captains through the good times and the bad, safe in the knowledge they picked the best man for the job, and taking heart from the fact that those individuals will grow as leaders as a result of weathering the odd loss here or there.

By panicking and dropping Warburton, the Welsh management allowed the media to smell their fear, and they attacked like the hungry dogs journalists are! Yes, Wales have suffered defeat at the hands of the men in the Samoan jerseys previously, but there really was no reason it should have happened on this occasion. But on the weight of media speculation and scare-mongering about the health of Welsh rugby, combined with their coaching staff’s inability to keep their cool when the heat came on, Wales capitulated, and now face the daunting task of having to defeat either the Wallabies or the All Blacks to halt their losing streak.

But Wales weren’t the only ones to kickoff an international with the stench of failure already permeating their changing shed this weekend.

Realistically, Italy were never really a chance against the All Blacks, but the scenes I saw in Rome prior to the opening whistle suggested the players themselves had completely accepted that fact.

The pre-match Haka, in front of a packed Olimpico Stadium in Rome was a stirring event, made even more impressive by the silence of the crowd. Everyone in that stadium, including the Italian players themselves, looked awe-struck by the very fact the World Champions were in their backyard.

Don’t get me wrong – respecting the Haka is a great thing. But you can respect the Haka without looking as star-struck as the Italians did. There is a big difference between standing arm in arm in front of the Haka, staring it down with a ‘bring it on’ attitude, and what the Italians did on Saturday in Rome. You could almost see them thinking ‘wow, how cool is this, the All Blacks are doing the Haka right there in front of us!’, and that almost reverential respect would have only helped the All Blacks’ already sky-high confidence to soar even further.

I thought both the All Blacks, and the Italians, played well in Rome. I thought the All Blacks stepped it up a notch from their performance in Scotland the week before, and given that improvement, the Italians did well to stay in touch for so long. But their lack of self-belief was glaringly obvious in the dying moments – when the All Blacks began piling on the points the Italians threw the towel in.

Now, like I said earlier, realistically the Italians were the slimmest of chances to actually beat the All Blacks, but as a top-ten international side there’s nothing wrong with dreaming, with aspiring to topple the best of the best.

In both games the home sides bought in to the pre-match theatre. Wales let their emotions snow-ball over the course of the week following their loss to Argentina, while the Italians acted like they’d been granted a private meeting with the Pope when the All Blacks strode on to the pitch. But while the Italians can take a number of positives from their performance, the beleaguered Welsh now face an incredibly tough battle to change both the public’s opinion, and their player’s self-belief, ahead of two challenging matches over the next fortnight.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.

The Fundamentals

All Black fan Tim Cronin from RugbyBoots.net looks at their win in Murrayfield

It was a strange Test Match between Scotland and New Zealand on the weekend, and one that underlined to me the importance of fundamental skills. Despite notching up 22 points against a side they have often struggled to score a single try against, the Scots will be frustrated by many aspects of their performance, while the World Champions will certainly have plenty of 'work-ons' ahead of their three remaining games on tour. Both teams would do well to focus on the basics of the game as they regroup.

Scotland's chances of success against the All Blacks, no matter how slim they may have been, relied on them getting everything right on the day, as well as getting a bit of luck. They got that piece of luck early on, when Matt Scott intercepted a Dan Carter pass and sent Tim Visser away for the encounter's first try, but the home side let themselves down when it came to the fundamentals of the game.

The task ahead of the brave Scotsmen was a big enough one as it was, without misjudging two kickoffs, under-performing in the scrum, and missing one on one tackles. Sure, the All Blacks can be tough to tackle at the best of times, but these were instances where the defenders got to the player and put themselves in a position to shut down the move, only to fail in the execution of the tackle. On more than one occasion this led directly to tries.

The Scots also showed that they have a long way to go developing well rounded players, a fact emphasised in the 24th minute when, with an overlap out wide and a blatant try-scoring opportunity in the offering, prop Geoff Cross opted to straighten and go in to contact. In this day and age, no matter how low the number on the back of your shirt may be, you need to be able to recognise opportunities when they arise, and possess the basic skills to allow your side to capitalise on those opportunities. The All Blacks went on to show how beneficial it can be when forwards also possess the ability to pass the ball, scoring a flood of points just before the half-time buzzer, many of which relied on tight-forwards shovelling the ball quickly along the line.

But the All Blacks were by no means perfect when it came to execution of the basics either. Despite the fact that their blistering start and their commitment to attacking rugby paid off, effectively dispatching the Scots before the first half was over, I can't help but wonder whether that approach to this game helps them at all moving forward, with sterner opposition on the horizon.

Sure, they showed flair and x-factor, but I would have liked to see the All Blacks crush the Scots tactically first, as they will invariably be required to do against both England and Wales later in the tour. It would have been nice to see them look to control territory a little before cutting lose, kicking for position and exerting some dominance in the set pieces. Of course, they simply didn't need to do that on this occasion, but a sound kicking game around the park and the ability to win their own lineouts and dominate in the scrums will be crucial as the tour unfolds. The fact is, they didn't plan on doing this. Dan Carter's boot was on fine form, and he was back to his very best conducting the side, so they had the necessary tools to dicate terms anyway they wanted. That they chose to throw the ball around from the opening moments suggests they never genuinely respected the challenge the Scots posed.

But the visitors did put on a clinic when it came to one core skill, and that was 'catching and passing'. The bulk of the AB's tries came not through unstoppable individual brilliance, but simply by creating space out wide, and relying on the skills of players 1-15 to quickly transfer the ball and put players in to space. In fact, due to flawless execution by the tourists, many of their tries were made to look ridiculously easy, yet at the heart of almost all of them were attributes players begin working on when they're 6 years old.

Sure, the teams that succeed at international level possess that special something; that x-factor, that game-breaking player, that ability to turn a game in a single moment. But there still has to be a solid foundation, based on core skills such as catching, passing and kicking, as well as a sound set piece. Until teams like Scotland can front in the big games, keep their composure and get the basics right, not to mention produce players who are fluent in all aspects of the game regardless of the position they play, they'll struggle to foot it when the big boys come to town.

As for the All Blacks, I have no doubt that they continually revise their core skills, and those endless handling drills are really starting to pay off. They just need to be mindful that sometimes, against some sides, they may need to be a little more conservative, at least initially, until they wear their opposition down. Fortunately for them, it didn't really matter this time.

Tim Cronin is a Rugby fan and full time writer based in the rubble of the Canterbury Crusaders’ home town, Christchurch. Tim is a part of the Pukeko Sportsteam, where his role is watching, writing, and complaining about all things rugby.