KiwiLad says...

Trinats, re your question about when a Kiwi side last won the Superrugby tournament?

THIS YEAR

When was the last time the Wobblies won the Bledisloe???

Where you in nappies??

Posted 02:34 04th August 2012

APV1 says...

To those who disagree with isthatrightref's perspective, you are just shooting the messenger. Whether we want the game to be profesional and, as such, players to make decisions to better their prospects (financially, particularly), it is. Our rugby-tinted specs may hark back to a bygone era, when the players were amateurs and the game was "better", but we have to accept reality. If you were offered a better job, with a better remuneration package, would you turn it down to remain loyal to your current company? I probably wouldn't. And he's achieved all he can in Union - he's a RWC Medal holder - so now he wants to take new opportunities and experience new things, whilst he's still young enough to appreciate them.

@ ruckingkiwi - the other difference is that most other teams are in a position that we have to look at building the squad and team for 2015 RWC. NZ just need to maintain their current level and will be as competative as ever.

That's why we had to try "unusual" combinations and players chopping and changing in SA. Combine that with the usual issues of form and injury - which all teams have all the time - and you'll see why we had to do it differently. Our tour of SA, including the midweek games, gave us some great insight into the future. Add in those who shone in the U20s and so on and we're building for the Home RWC.

NZ are just, as Monty Python would say, "Lucky, lucky ba$tards!"

Posted 10:08 03rd August 2012

pagra says...

@isthatrightref :

Spoken like a true mercenary.

Posted 23:55 02nd August 2012

ruckingkiwi says...

I like it that Steve Hansen is only interested in winning, we can leave the building for the world cup nonsense for other nations who don't want to win every game.

Nonu is a lot more experienced now so will probably move out to 13 with Carter 10, SBW 12 and Cruden on the bench with Ellison. Who starts on the wing and back-up lock is more debatable than this, lock especially, which is why Hansen won't want rookies all over the park.

Posted 01:13 02nd August 2012

Trinats2 says...

eddie:

I meant the Rebels (without their star players) beat the Crusaders !! And when was the last time a Kiwi team won a super rugby title ? 2008 ? where you born ?

Posted 23:21 01st August 2012

isthatrightref says...

@ pagra... so who would you pick instead? Sorry, but your "for the love of the jersey alone" sentimentality is about 40 years out of date, todays top-level players would no more play for nothing than you or I would put in a weeks work for nothing & nor should they.

@ fattysock... or maybe it's "may has well have been suspended for 2 games v NZ as he did p1ss all in either of them" ... the master baiter himself doesn't seem to know what he's thinking so what chance do the rest of us have?

Posted 21:05 01st August 2012

pagra says...

I feel sorry for the guy that misses wearing a black jersey just because Sonny Boy decides to grace the ABs with his presence. To some it is still a sacred honor and they would gladly forgo payment to play for their nation. That may be a parochial attitude to some but not to me.

Posted 18:09 01st August 2012

eddie says...

Oh you mean the Rebels who went nowhere near the finals and were consistently beaten in this years comp Trinats? "Clutching" and "straws" are words that come to mind my friend ( :

Posted 15:19 01st August 2012

Trinats2 says...

fattysock:

Knee ? I thought McCaw kicked Cooper and not a knee !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkDTkXuxr7Q

Posted 12:38 01st August 2012

fattysock says...

@isthatrightref

All Trinats2 is doing is admitting that Cooper SHOULD have been suspended for that pathetic knee to the face of a prone McCaw, that he was unbelievably cleared of just so the RWC could have another "star" playing.

Posted 10:38 01st August 2012