Rosbif says...

@kitch. you sound reasonable. but then I saw your post in response to the new French adidas kit a few weeks back: "is that the cowardly eye gouger from the rwc final!.. shame on addidas for allowing him to be a poster boy for french rugby"

which is fine. no-one condones gougers. and one can forgive the occasional troll (we all get bored from time to time) even if you couldn't in fact identify the french players in the picture. but you see where I'm headed...

you now say: "people are carrying on as if henry is beginning a witch hunt or something!!.... at least he and the captain didnt go whinging to the media at the time". hmmm... witch hunts... getting the media involved... sound familiar?

(don't worry, you're not alone, indeed you're in good company, or should that be safe hands...)

Posted 17:09 31st July 2012

BokAvenger says...

@new_j4a: you poor, self-loathing bum creeper. Since you think I'm being one eyed in my assessment of antipodean referees, allow me to refresh your memory:

1. Bryce Lawrence - banned by the IRB for blatant bias.

2. Paul Honis - tells John Smit to talk to his players and when his back is turned and Boks in a huddle he tells Ireland play on., who score and go on to win.

3. Stu Dickinson - watches Brad Thorn spear tackle John Smit after whistle has blown and then claims he didn't see it. Next day sunday times publishes pic showing wide eyed Stu watch the whole thing.

3. Paddy O'Brien - sends Jannes Labuschagne off the field for daring to run into Johny Wilkinson. Boks suffer worst defeat ever. Funnily enough, SBW today gets away with shoulder charges every week, but he's a tatooed kiwi you see. good for marketing.

4. Remember the 2007 world cup and how the aussie citing commissioner tried to get Schalk Burger banned? Then they accused a 20-yr old Frans Steyn of biting a Tongan player who later admitted that he lied to the ref. Of course nothing happened to the Tongan chap.

5. Then look at the 2011 world cup game against Samoa. Samoans went out deliberately to maim Bok players yet nothing happened to them. Do I even need to get into the discretions of Matt Goddard, George Ayoub and the rest of the Aussie, Kiwi super rugby reffing contingent?

Posted 16:03 31st July 2012

Ramage says...

@ColinR Thankyou for such a sane post and a timely reminder to suck it in and not explode when some statements are made I take on board all that you say and thank you sincerely for your post.

Posted 15:13 31st July 2012

Ramage says...

Dont these people with the name of bok in their title take the prize for being the most hypocrtical posters on this site. The poison that spews from their pens would fill all the meals Suzie has ever dished up. Ever since the RWC these hypocrites have bagged Lawrence talked about conspiracies and how the referees including their own countrymen are all corrupt and NZ has been given the rub of the green etc etc etc. Yes all their opinions ok fair enough. However out comes Graham Henry makes some observations about how he felt about the result of this game but here he gave a number of analytical statistics about what happened in the game which would be interesting to hear Wayne Barnes defend. So if there is a conspiracy and it happens then surely all the Bok guys on here would support Henry as all referees are corrupt and work in favour of a team. Oh hang on a minute the only ones who are ever given this corrupt help is NZ . If there is a problem and a conspiracy then surely these guys if they believe it would want to ask the IRB why there is nothing in place to stop it. No they dont all they want to do is bag NZ after all as they have said it is not a game it is WAR. With that mentality you can see they are nothing but hypocrites of the highest order. Thank God they are not typical of the average Bok rugby supporter but a blast from the past.

Bob Francis who along with Paddy O'Brien appointed Barnes to the job has come out bagging Henry . This is laughable as a former failed mayor of Masterton he was one of the appointees of a guy they thought was up to the task before his time and blew it immensely. Would be interesting for Francis to sit alongside of Henry and analyse as Henry explains what causes him concern.one of the assistants. Is it self interest Bob Francis and self protection on promoting a guy before he was ready?

Posted 13:40 31st July 2012

5Lock4ward says...

I have mixed emotions about Henry's comments. Yes the officials were awful but the AB's have been the beneficiaries of missed forwards passes too so the forward pass isn't the worst thing on Earth however the unbalanced penalty count in the face of all the evidence is tough to take. All that said the All Black's selectors are the ones who really let them down on that day and for that entire tournament to be honest. They brought a bunch of people like Reuben Thorne and Anton Oliver to that tournament thinking it'd be a walk through and hoping to let those players get back some of what they'd lost at the 2003 event. Had they selected on form instead of sentimentality they'd have probably had a different outcome.

Posted 12:42 31st July 2012

new_j4a says...

@all, anyone out their wanting to study extreme national bias in its purest and most puerile form? As a Saffa I offer you a home grown example. Take BokAvenger who says "We also hate the way your referees and citing officials are just so blatantly biased that they demonise any act of foul play by Saffas - and indeed blatantly target our players while whitewashing any misdemeanor by their own. "

I challenge any Kiwi of Shackledragger to come up with their own home grown, but more pathetic example of one-eyedness. We Saffas win this one, I think.

Posted 12:07 31st July 2012

kitch says...

alot of people need to grow up and see henries comment for what it is.. its a book about his rugby career, and an honest answer to a question re his thoughts on what happened in rwc 2007!!..if you cant see that then i think its you that has the age old problem of jealousy towarrds the mighty incomparable ABs.. people are carrying on as if henry is beginning a witch hunt or something!!

i rather think it more a case of incompetance and ego as opposed to match fixing

atleast he and the captain didnt go whinging to the media at the time(unlike other certain nations who run to the media with conspiracy theories every time they lose !!), rather, at the time he went through the appropriate channels and followed the wishes of his employer and said nothing.. and it was for his humble and respectful handling of the situation that henry recieved a special irb award!..clearly the irb saw that the ABs were hard done by!!.. did the saffas get any such recognition for the way they conducted themselves after 2011??

in an interview kaplan actually acknowledges he thought they didnt do a very good job and admitted hes not a very good touch judge because he finds it hard to concentrate!

to compare him to hansen is unfair to both, as hansen is still employed by the nzru and he cant exactly say what he wants

Posted 11:44 31st July 2012

powerplay says...

@safehands

I agree too that there can be some "Haters" out there against the kiwis. But I have to disagree based on facts about the boks! Indeed, the boks, are the traditional Allblack foes! The wallabies-in all due respect to the auz supporters-but the truth is, auz have just recently come good in the last 20 years or so. Starting around 1991 with the great legendary Nick Far Jones coming in to fine form, leading the side well. But, a part from that, history points out that australia were the constant "wipping boys" of the ABS, but not only that, from the testimony of many England and European touring sides, they would often come to Australia to "warm up" before crossing the ditch to NZ, where it would get "serious" Through out the 30's 40's 50's right up to the 80's, Aus were always thought of in this way, and the record books agree. As well as many European memoir letters from players back then, displayed in Rugby Biography books. I think because Australia were best at Rugby League and the fact that maybe Rugby was a "private boys schools" sport that they werent that good then. However, when it come to South Africa, it is a very, very different story! South Africa and NZ go far back, when it comes to "Competitive" rugby, also, the ABs have only just won a series in SA in 96 i think, with a Fistzy lead side. There were times when SA would beat NZ more than NZ would beat South Africa, but this was never the case with Auz, pre-90's! So traditionally, when it comes to Rugby, Yes, South Africa are indeed the Old foes of the Abs!! Hoh, and also, to date, SA, have the smallest losing margin to the Abs then any other country.

Posted 10:58 31st July 2012

BokAvenger says...

@safehands: let's clarify a few things. Firstly, Saffas do not hate New Zealanders or the All Blacks. Have you ever seen how the ABs get mobbed and treated like movie stars when they visit SA? The ABs are highly respected in SA and are rightly acknowledged as the best rugby team to ever play the game, as you stated. However, when we step on to the rugby field it's war, just like when we step on to the rugby field with any nation. The difference is that because we respect NZ so much we put in that little bit extra when we play your men in black.

If there is one thing we do hate about NZ - and antipodeans in general - is your hypocritical view of yourselves as the epitome of fairplay and sportsmanship when in actual fact you guys will often stoop to horrible levels to secure a win, the aussies in all sports and the Kiwis in rugby. We also hate the way your referees and citing officials are just so blatantly biased that they demonise any act of foul play by Saffas - and indeed blatantly target our players while whitewashing any misdemeanor by their own.

As for the Aussies, well I'll accept we do kind of hate them but not just at cricket. At everything. yes, partly it's because they are so good at sport in general but mainly it's just because we think they're a nation of arrogant clowns who think the sun shines out of their proverbials. Oh and as for NZ thinking Aussies are bigger rivals, well that's just because you feel inferior to big brother in everything. In rugby, go compare your record against Oz to your record against SA.

Posted 09:14 31st July 2012

uglea says...

Note to MRS APV1 - it seems you have an xmas order already.

I would also suggest Nick Farr Jones book (particularly about playing the Boks), anything written in the 1970s in regards to the Welsh national team and Peter Fitzsimmons book "The Rugby War" about how we came professional.

Not sure if others have rugby books they enjoy

Posted 06:26 31st July 2012