The Man In The Stand

England losers on and off the field

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:19:15 -0800

Two inevitabilities from that torrid tussle at Twickenham came to pass.

First, the All Blacks won the game convincingly which was followed not long after by a predictable put-down of the performance from that Pommy twit, Stephen Jones.

Poor old, grumpy Stephen.

This is a man who must surely take away the Guinness Book's Record for the Bitterest Loser on this Planet. ...

Pick the score - All Blacks v England

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:28:26 -0800

Over my time as a fervent follower, I've been blessed to have watched our men in black take the fields in seven countries outside of New Zealand.

These sporting sojourns have included being part of huge crowds at two tests at Twickenham.

And it's these two tests that have undoubtedly produced in me the most stirring feelings of pride, loyalty and a burning desire to win compared to every other test I’ve been present at. ...

Dull rugby overshadowed for once

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:03:08 -0800

What a telling contrast.

A joyous, electric display of football in a country where rugby dominates sharply contrasted with yet another rugby bore-fest in a country where football dominates.

The magical All Whites/Bahrain encounter and all the passion that went with it thrilled Wellingtonians while another typically boorish example of what rugby has become in 2009 must have had 80,000 Italians wondering why they bothered turning up. ...

Pick the score and win - All Blacks v Italy

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:10:38 -0800

A massacre in Milan? I don't think so.

If you believe it's of any assistance to you in the Pick the Score competition for this test against Italy, I'm picking a margin of no more than 20 to 25 points in the All Blacks favour at the stunning San Siro Stadium.

Yes, this is your chance again to win another Lone Star Cafe and Bar $300 voucher. ...

Carter must cop it on the chin

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:33:25 -0800

It wasn't difficult to foresee. In fact, the test against Wales went exactly as I predicted in my last blog.

It was an adrenalin-filled performance from Wales eventually quashed by a resolute All Blacks outfit, hell-bent on coming home from this tour with a six to zip score sheet.

Brad Thorn led a grinding forward display and Wales showed that Warren Gatland has instilled some real self-belief. ...

Pick the score and win - All Blacks v Wales

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:56:53 -0800

If you're experiencing a strong sense of deja vu in the lead-up to the upcoming test against Wales, you're not alone.

To me, it's been a blueprint of pre-match routine from last year.

This similar scenario sees the Welsh, from coach Warren Gatland to their media, talking up their chances and the All Blacks camp reacting with their oh-so familiar refusal to take the bait but choose to put the emphasis on showing the "Red Dragons" total respect. ...

Wallabies are going backwards

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:23:14 -0800

Another Bledisloe Cup chapter finishes. The 2009 saga is now complete.

And after the zillions of words spoken and written in total, by the millions of critics and fans regarding the four Bledisloe encounters this year, it all comes down to whatever of these two short sentences you prefer.

"The All Blacks are too good for the Wallabies," or "the Wallabies simply aren't good enough. ...

Pick the score - All Blacks v Wallabies

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:07:10 -0800

Here's another chance to win a fabulous $300 voucher from the Lone Star Cafe and Bar.

Alongside the Caption of the Week competition, Yahoo!Xtra certainly knows how to keep you creative and knowledgeable sports fans busy.

Again, it's simple. ...

Moles shouldn't be the only casualty...

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:45:23 -0800

There was no alternative. The split was a mile wide.

From the minute the gulf between senior Black Caps and coach Andy Moles was revealed in totality for all to see, it was inevitable that the trap-door would have to be released as rapidly as possible.

And any thoughts that somehow, Moles could stay coach for the five-match tour of Abu Dhabi and Dubai were absurd and would have required each party taking on Oscar-winning acting roles. ...

Bizarre All Blacks selections continue

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:47:59 -0800

The three appointed wise men speaketh and the inevitable raft of reactions follows.

Acute disappointment for some players, joy for others and a million plus judgements from the million plus number of amateur selectors like myself.

Here are my thoughts and I welcome yours to follow.

CERTAINTIES THAT MOST OF US WON'T QUIBBLE WITH. ...