On fire: Craig Gilroy - Chilly: Wales
It is time for our weekly wrap up of who has their name in lights at the moment...and who is making the headlines for the wrong reasons.
They're on fire!
Free-running France: After smashing Australia and thumping Argentina, Philippe Saint-André's Bleus are the talk of November. Complacency is now a danger against Samoa this weekend. No need to remind French fans what Samoa's neighbours Tonga did to them at the last World Cup.
Giant-slaying Samoa: After years of bleating about how Argentina deserved a place in a big annual tournament, perhaps it's time we turned our attention to the South Pacific.
Streetwise Australia: Written off in every newsroom and pub from Brighton to Manchester before kick-off at Twickenham, the Wallabies showed why they are ranked in the world's top three. Kudos to Robbie Deans and his boys for making limited resources go a long way.
All-conquering All Blacks: Even when they have a bad day, no one in the northern hemisphere can live with New Zealand for 80 minutes. Last week they turned it on at the perfect time in Rome.
Craig Gilroy: A great prospect for Irish rugby. The 21-year-old's reward for scoring a hat-trick against Fiji? A three-year contract extension with Ulster and a starting berth in Ireland's Test side. Bravo!
First-half Italy: The result wasn't forthcoming, but the Azzurri sure gave the All Blacks a run for their money for about an hour. Jacques Brunel promised that his side would start playing attractive rugby and while Rome wasn't built in a day, some decent foundations have been laid.
Tonga and Canada: The IRB's mini-tournament in Wales has been welcomed by all concerned - even if a few big-name players have been conspicuous by their absence. Well done to Tonga and Canada for bouncing back from defeat a week earlier to win last Friday.
Springboks defence: No secrets about where the Boks are focussing their attention. The green and gold wall is higher and harder than than ever.
Bbbrrrr... Someone turn up the heater!
Springboks attack: With only a try from a rolling maul against a disorganised Scottish defence and an intercept by a hooker to show for their efforts in Edinburgh, the Boks aren't winning any creativity awards. Heyneke Meyer said it best: "Attack puts bums in seats but defence wins trophies." At this rate by the time the Springboks win a trophy, there will be no one left to see it.
Overlapping fixtures: So you hope to watch a whole a bunch of Tests this weekend? Too bad for you! The games in Florence, Dublin, London and Edinburgh all overlap, as do the clashes in Paris and Cardiff. Someone buy the bureaucrats a &$%@#! calendar and a phone!!!!
Wales: The longest losing streak in a decade was not what we were expecting after last year's Grand Slam. With the All Blacks and Wallabies next on the menu, the light at the end of the tunnel seems very far away.
Six Nations Disciplinary Committee: To call last week's disciplinary hearing verdicts inconsistent would be an understatement. Even the bosses at the IRB think so.
Rose-tinted press: Certain sectors of the English press have a habit of getting ahead of themselves. Just expecting England to rumble over the Aussie scrum was a little short sighted considering how steady the Wallaby set-piece was during the Rugby Championship.
Hipster November bandwagoners: Growing a moustache during Movember? Cool! If you're doing just to be hip, not-so-cool. It's supposed to be for a good cause.
By Ross Hastie
Comments
APV1 says...
@ carpelone - perhaps we could agree that both teams were a little mediocre, eh?
@ BokAvenger - as your lover, I can confirm how hot you are. Especially in your barbed-wire g-string, baby!
;-)
@ dezz - Cricket is another sport we've invented & exported and now find ourselves slipping gradually down the world rankings..!
Posted 11:03 23rd November 2012
startledwombat says...
Hi Stellenbosched
being from melbourne, where the locals have their own provincial code and get confused between the 13-player and 15-versions of rugby, we genuinely appreciate all the support we can get.
Some depth in the local S15 Conference would be nice too.
Posted 10:18 23rd November 2012
celticspirit says...
Definitely agree with al the points - including no NH team being able to live with the ABs for 90mins. Even in the SH they couldnt really, except for AUS on their best day in a year and being lucky enough to have Dan Carter miss a drop goal he might well have made.
And as for the schedule: How hard can it be to get this done right? I mean, one clash would be normal, but having 3 games clash last week and then a non-cap waltz-over internationl between IRL and Fiji 2 hours later? How is that convenent for anyone?
@kynone: I am one of those that would go to the stadium and then still want to see the other games. Which is what real fans do at least in Scotland.
Never mind people like myself right now spending time in international Rugby wilderness (like Norway right now) desperate for a weekly fix of as much top-class Rugby as possible...
Posted 09:40 23rd November 2012
tokyojb says...
I think Japan should be in with a shout in 'hot' section - they've beaten Romania and Georgia (the same Georgia that were pretty handy in the 2011 RWC) on successive weekends which I believe are their first international wins on European soil.
Right now I'd love to see them playing Wales...
Posted 09:07 23rd November 2012
nzmaoriboy says...
@kybone...Agreed about the France comment! when they are "HOT" they play some pretty unbelievable ruggers....Problem is...when they are CRAP which as you know happens every so often...they loose to average teams! However GOOD teams manage to win even when they are below par...AKA Oz,SA,NZ..And you cant knock the way SA play! its pretty amazing when you think every team can pretty much tell how SA will play (physical) & you still cant do jack shiz about it ha ha..they are a few injured players short of getting that extra attacking edge..& at the end of the day they are WINNING & thats what counts!
@stellenbosched2- It is true that SA provide the lions share of the Funding due to their massive population base as far is TV screening is concerned..isn't it ironic you actually provide us a LEG up to beat you guys..ha ha.
Posted 08:51 23rd November 2012
Stellenbosched2 says...
Hi PR,
I have another 'not hot' item for you (please bear with me, it is rugby related).
A fellow ex-Jeppe friend of mine gave me a programme from the 1977 play the school put on. Being a boys-only school all the female parts where played by the younger boys dressed in drag, with the 'prettier' ones playing two roles sometimes. Anyway, the play was The Student Prince, and there was a name known to many playing the part of a 'lady of the court' and a 'girl'. Yep, you guessed it. Jake White.
Posted 05:24 23rd November 2012
Stellenbosched2 says...
Hi startledwombat,
Ja you can have a go at the way the Boks play rugby. Funny thing is that PR sees fit to knock it as well and link the style of rugby to a lack of support eventually. Actually the opposite is true. The Boks fill stadiums at home and away. The Wallabies can't. Also please always remember that SA donates millions of dollars a year to both Aus and NZ through the warped Sanzar strusture. So carry on playing your 'flash' rugby and we will carry on bailing you out.
Posted 05:16 23rd November 2012
Stellenbosched2 says...
I hope Italy start using their backs more. I used to think that the 7 hills of Rome refered to the Italian back line- moved at the same pace.....
Posted 05:08 23rd November 2012
startledwombat says...
Hi chubbylugs
There's a few others here beside me, it's not a case of "next to no one" picked a wallaby win. (Go back to the PR Match Preview thread to see the discussion, there was quite a number of supposedly lone voices).
Hi PR
>After years of bleating about how Argentina deserved a place ....
Decades, mate. Not years, it's decades. In fact the talk about Argentina and the Pacific Islands started last millennium.
Loved the comment about the Springbok play. Mind you the truth of it is they do have attacking options besides Brian Habana (even though no-one can quite remember the numbers of the moves to call, the names of the players who would be involved, nor what to do anyway if an attacking move was called).
Posted 03:40 23rd November 2012
Sasquatch says...
carpelone says...
Once again, there is something against the Boks. Not that we are brilliant in attack, but surely we were far better than England. If we were cold, England had to be the most similar thing to polar bears.
No. PR are absolutely right on this. AB's run the Scot's ragged; we spend the 2nd half defending. Heyneke and Jean are thrilled with the defensive effort. Would Steve Hansen be happy if that was the AB's? Not a chance.
Posted 22:24 22nd November 2012
Sasquatch says...
BokAvenger says...
@PR - you forgot to include me under the "Hot" section
That's the best thing you've said in a looooooooooooooooooooong time boet!!!
Posted 22:19 22nd November 2012
JayStarr says...
Good article... Pretty fair.
@ Carpelone - The Springbok outside backs and Juan de Jongh did not get the ball ONCE in that game from a backline move... and they only touched the ball about two or three times in the entire game. Their attack deserves to be on the NOT list. The writer was nice to put their defense on HOT, because they were only playing against Scotland...
Posted 21:59 22nd November 2012
Internationalxv says...
@ kybone - Agree with the France comment.
Completely disagree with the rest. A "proper fan" as you put it would want to take in as much quality rugby as they can. I for one want to be able to watch most, if not all, of the Autumn test matches. There has been incredibly poor scheduling.
Posted 21:56 22nd November 2012
Ben7 says...
@carpelone as a bok supporter I still disagree with you. England's backline is more exciting than ours. Stop being an English hater all the time
Posted 21:17 22nd November 2012
dezz says...
@ Apv1. Agree with the scheduling but F1 is dull and you need to get out more. Who exactly are the Indians mauling at this cricket thing? As far as I know we don't play cricket.
Posted 21:03 22nd November 2012
kybone says...
Ross Hastie - Ill tell you a NH team that could live with NZ for 80 mins...........France!
Im also a little confused by the overlapping fixtures point. I mean, i've heard of fans complaining that fixtures are moved to suit the TV schedule, but i've never heard a proper fan complain that fixtures haven't been moved for the TV. I can't be the only one who thinks that games should be played at a time convenient to the locals, not arranged so that all the couch potatoes can sit at home and watch 4 games back to back.
Posted 20:03 22nd November 2012
BokAvenger says...
@PR - you forgot to include me under the "Hot" section
Posted 19:45 22nd November 2012
carpelone says...
Once again, there is something against the Boks. Not that we are brilliant in attack, but surely we were far better than England. If we were cold, England had to be the most similar thing to polar bears.
Posted 18:42 22nd November 2012
Lucasrg says...
Knowing well the british media we could expect the PR runt! :-)
Good observation from PR on the Saturday's schedule. An unfortunate one.
...and yes, Samoa in rhe RC...and, please, call it FIve Nations!
Posted 18:10 22nd November 2012
LondonWasp says...
"Rose-tinted press: Certain sectors of the English press have a habit of getting ahead of themselves. Just expecting England to rumble over the Aussie scrum was a little short sighted considering how steady the Wallaby set-piece was during the Rugby Championship
Written off in every newsroom and pub from Brighton to Manchester before kick-off at Twickenham,"
THIS WAS NOT THE CASE!!!!
as far as i know, all the media (bbc sport etc) kept highlighting that Australia wasn't going to be the same animal that played France. BBC sport website even had a article with Lancaster saying this. NO ONE in england was expecting a walk over. England knew Australia were going to play well.
it was just infuriating to watch england fumble when they had try scoring opportunities...
Posted 16:30 22nd November 2012