Sad News for Brumbies Young Gun

After week off in Honkers for the 7s, I have gone another week with next to no rugby.
 A sad week for rugby, I have just read the shocking news that Shawn Mackay has died in a Durban hospital after fighting for his life all week in a coma.  He was hit by an armed response vehicle in [...]

Save the Cheerleader, Save the world – Bulls

Bulls take on the Hurricanes this weekend.  The only team remaining that hasnt been beaten this season.   Hell never mind this tournament.  They havnt been beaten in the last Eight games they’ve played for the tournament!  Looking good.  My money’s still on the Canes by a margin of nothing. 

Red Faced Steyn

What a weekend of rugby, but started off on the worst foot.
The Cheetahs shouldn’t even be in this competition.  Watching them against the Blues was painful and embarrassing.  The Blues should hang their heads that they only won by 34 points.
At least the Cheetahs can win at one thing, and that’s taking the mantle off [...]

Reeg’s Rant – “Man Perm”

Well another weekend I still haven’t seen much ruggers.  Only caught the glimpses of the Tah’s match and was pretty pissed by the time I saw the Force match, so cant really add much light on that game.  It was all a blur of Cameron Shepherd and Nick “Man-Perm” Cummings.
The weekend started with an upset, [...]

Super 14 – Week Negative 1

Well I know I can get excited about the game, but thought I would start early with a quick review of week negative 1.
The missus is o/s on secondment in Hong Kong, which means I can dedicate more of my time to the game. You have to feel sorry for our new puppy though, the [...]

Super Trials and Kangaroo Courts

Last year I was taking in the results of the Trial games into my calculations for the Super 14 games-proper. Which I think judging by this years trial games is a mistake. Stormers beat Saracens 43-33 which tells us what? That northern hemisphere rugby is still really second division. Revelation? [...]

Coaches in the ropes

Never mind recruiting and retrieving errant players this pre-season has seen coach moving as THE big preparation plan.
Sharks have hired Andrew Johns, the Aussie League evil-genius to help, in the words of PlanetRugby “with kicking, catching and a few other specifics”
I don’t know what they paid him or for how long he’s gonna be there but [...]

Super 14 – Round 14 – Part 2

Crusaders take on kiwi bottom of the table team.  Everyone’s predicting a drumming, but against reasonable teams, the Crusaders have been relatively quiet.  Reckon they’ll be nervous about injuries again and will be playing conservatively, whereas the Dunedin crew has nothing to loose.  On that basis the 3.40-1, odds on Crusaders by less than 12.5 [...]

Super 14 – Round 13 – Part 1

I like the fact that advertisers have tried to change the name of Loftus Versveld stacks of times and none of them have stuck.  It’s been Minolta Loftus and Securicor Loftus but everyone still refers to it as Loftus.   Jade stadium could take a few hints, after they’ve changed their name more times than Frank [...]

Super 14 week 12 – Part 2

The less said about the Lions playing in Wellington the better. Last year the Lions won by 23, expect the Hurricanes to return the favour. Hurricanes by 23.
 
Now onto the tough stuff.
 
Waratahs travel to Loftus to make it 4 out of 4 against for the Saffer teams. Their only defeats have come from Kiwi teams [...]

Round 10 – Rugboracle Picks – Part 2

God, what a distasterous start.   Crusaders smashed by the Chiefs and now the Reds on fire to beat the spent force.
Brumbies get out the silver service for the Sharks at Canberra Stadium tomorrow and by all accounts it bound to be a close affair.  Sharks have seemingly limped across the line each week and soon [...]

The Great Fanzone Wallpaper massacre – Part 1

Been poking my nose into super 14 sites and checking out their fanzone Wallpapers. These are some of my fav’s from the Saffer sites. Kiwi-zone tomorrow.
First off the sharks desktop which is possibly some attempt at a premonition of them playing the final at Jade (or whatever its called now) stadium, nuclear smog included. JP [...]