On fire: Matt Giteau - Frosty: Andries Bekker
It is time for Planet Rugby's weekly wrap of who has their name in lights right now...and who is making the headlines for the wrong reasons...
They're smokin'!
The All Blacks: No one can deny that New Zealand are streets ahead of everyone else on the international scene at the moment. Izzy Dagg was brilliant (again) at Eden Park. Sonny Bill, why have you forsaken us?
Pumas leaders: One of the best performances by Argentina since their heroics of 2007 was spearheaded by skipper Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe while veteran campaigner Rodrigo Roncero not only tackled like a machine but used all his years of experience to truly get the Springboks rattled.
Matt Giteau: The sunshine in Toulon and playing outside Jonny Wilkinson obviously suits the former Wallaby playmaker, who heads the early season try-scoring charts in France after bagging a double this weekend. Toulon are two-from-two, with both victories coming on the road. A third success in Mont-de-Marsan is likely.
Louis Fouchč : The young fly-half landed all his shots at goal at Loftus to rack up 27 points and help the Bulls to victory over the Sharks.
Cardiff Double Header: After the annual success of the spectacles in London, the boys in Wales are following suit and we reckon it's a grand idea. A few pints and two Welsh derbies at the Millennium Stadium? Yes, please.
Wellington: Two games, two wins. The Lions are leading the way in the ITM Cup.
Get these guys a cup of warm soup!
Outdated Bok tactics: You can't expect to bully anyone at Test level these days. Wake me up when someone in a green shirt at least tries to beat his man rather just run over him.
Andries Bekker: It's no good being a foot taller than everyone else if you can't bend down to tackle them. Bekker missed more tackles than he made in Mendoza, prompting question marks over the state of his troublesome back.
Wallabies: Nilled in Auckland...You can't say you didn't see it coming. Will Genia's yellow card was a game changer and the back row isn't up to scratch. Dave Dennis has been anonymous in consecutive Tests.
Pedrie Wannenburg: Castres's new loose forward managed to earn two yellow cards in the space of eight minutes against Grenoble, which ultimately cost his side a bonus point.
Perpignan: The Catalans have yet to cross the whitewash in 160 minutes of rugby this season with a penalty try against Bordeaux-Begles their only reward so far. After two losses in as many starts the situation is set to get even worse away to Clermont on Saturday.
Hawkes Bay: Two games, two losses = a poor start in the new ITM Cup.
Comments
fattysock says...
Can someone explain to me how the yellow card to Genia was "a game changer".
1) NZ were already (slightly) ahead when the card was given. We'd weathered the early storm and had started to impress. It's not as though Aus were winning and the momentum of the game all turned around.
2) NZ finished the 10mins of a man advantage only slightly further ahead. Just like point 1, it's not like we put on 20+ points and the game was out of sight while Genia was in the bin.
3) There was no scoring in the last 25-odd minutes of the game.. so you also can't claim that the extra energy used up by the Wallabies during the sin bin took it's toll in the long run (i.e. with the ABs finishing strongly).
4) Finally, it was a totally legit card. Genia intentionally swatted the ball away while we had a good chance of a try. So it's not as if the ref ruined the match or anything.
All in all, the yellow was well deserved, but did little more than improve the ABs position on the scoreboard moderately. The momentum and score was already with the ABs... so it hardly change the game at all!
Posted 14:36 03rd September 2012
ben7 says...
@jonesy2
You say England are the worst team in the world yet australia lose to them more than they beat them
Posted 23:43 01st September 2012
Rosbif says...
@Toulousain. with the greatest respect, it might be best to lighten up a little, lest you stir the Celts unnecessarily? i think everyone has had the chance to discuss the HCup issues on the other threads. it is, as i think i said, something of an impasse - let's leave it to the politicians/sponsors etc to negotiate. Bon courage mon ami!
Posted 12:04 01st September 2012
7ton says...
Carpelone
Time for you to have some of your own medicine
You say "Its frustrating to be a SA wing"
So is that why they are usually offside when your kickers stick those high balls up in the air?
Yes and they get away with it loads of times don't they.
Posted 20:13 31st August 2012
kybone says...
What did Wannenburg do to get two yellows in eight minutes? Bearing in mind that he must surely have been off for 10 minutes after the first one!
jonesy2- You're remarkably confident considering Australia have lost AT HOME to both Samoa and Scotland in the past 12 months.
Posted 14:45 31st August 2012
JayStarr says...
Michalak played far better at 10 for the Sharks this season than he did at 9... And he played far better at 10 than Johnny Wilkinson has for some time. So on current form he should be 10. Giteau used to play at 9 remember - why not try that again in one game just to confuse the opposition?
Posted 13:27 31st August 2012
Carpelone says...
ruckingkiwi
Spot on, especially with NZ, with all the offences permitted and left unpunished within your 5 m.
Posted 13:15 31st August 2012
Toulousain says...
......and APV1, melkdave, Rosbif, Carpelone (sorry to have picked you out individually and apologies also to all the others I may have missed) and others who think Pro12 needs reforming - they're all trolls too?.....
....and Leinster would beat the All Blacks...
yawn
Posted 11:34 31st August 2012
Toulousain says...
@leinster_goy
maybe you haven't met crunchfit?
Posted 11:28 31st August 2012
APV1 says...
@ Ed - "...Bastareaud..." "...is probably the easiest centre to step around in the whole of France!" - his advantage, I suppose, is that it's a very long way round!
Posted 11:03 31st August 2012
Bones7 says...
@ Ed, big fan of that backline. What's the deal with Bastareaud though? Surely he can't carry on playing in the centres when he's that big, it's disgraceful how overweight he is for a professional sportsman. Obviously he's a big bloke but his pace is really suffering from being so fat! Bekker looked alright when he didn't actually have to bend down, unfortunately when you're 6'10 though it happens on a regular basis
The editor says.... Agreed about Bastareaud. He looks like he ate a pie factory and is totally not interested in tackling. He's great with ball in hand but is probably the easiest centre to step around in the whole of France!
Posted 10:26 31st August 2012
any1buttheABs says...
@ Porridge_time.....Oz beating SA............you do like your jokes don't you ;-)
Not as much of a joke as Australia though.
Posted 08:52 31st August 2012
leinster_goy says...
@Toulousain
hi troll
Posted 08:32 31st August 2012
StunTheMullet says...
Giteau won't be back as he won't submit to overlord Dingo's masterplan.
Posted 08:26 31st August 2012
jonesy2 says...
listen to this guy who wrote this. nilled in auckland and "you cant say it wasnt coming".no one saw it coming. and again the remarkable mediocrity of the boks gets overlooked and labelled as bad tactics. i wonder what the excuse will be when the wallabies smash them.
Carpelone -- you not nothing of what you are saying. they drew to england, the worst team in the world bar nobody you twit
cant believe gits has been gone for a year. good to see him having a good time and im sure his domination is partly due to wilkinson (not).
Posted 06:21 31st August 2012
nefari says...
On the bok tactics, sure it didn't work, but the way the boks played on saturday I doubt they could have done better with the best most modern most greatest game plan in the world, if they can't tackle then south africa can't possibly win.
Posted 05:55 31st August 2012
Lucasrg says...
I guess is too lat for the Aussies to call back Giteau, it would be also a terrible morale blow for few good ozzy back.,...after all they got the talent, they just dont have quality balls from their forwards, or even a proper game plan. He should definitely be at 12 or 13.
Posted 22:18 30th August 2012
ruckingkiwi says...
Depends who you're playing Carpelone, if it's anyone decent then about the same amount of tries you're scoring now, or possibly less.
Posted 21:43 30th August 2012
porridge_time says...
Oz beating SA in Perth when they contest the battle of the 'Headless Chickens' next weekend, with the Boks not scoring another try until they return to the Republic. ABs finally click against a spirited Argentina and registering a four try bonus point victory.
Posted 21:39 30th August 2012
Toulousain says...
Feel for Pedrie. After his time in Pro12, i guess he's not used to being match fit at this time of year.... or playing against clubs with 1st XV players on the field who care about the result......hehehehe.......
Posted 20:57 30th August 2012