Pre Game THREE Comments

So this weekend it’s all on the line: Bledisloe and Tri Nations cups.

Mel told me yesterday that some drongo in Christchurch is giving her boss a 15 point start! He's pushing for 20 points and will probably get it. Giving him some slack for being a South Islander, I still think this is a very bold bet.

Aussies always play well against NZ and they will naturally be smarting after the bollocking they got at the hands of an equally miffed Boks side last week.

I didn’t get to see the Boks vs. Aussies game live but I heard from a disconsolate missus that the game was a shocker; I think she called it “humiliating” and “a disgrace” and “they should all just be sacked”. Later, when she sobered up, she was unrepentant. Of course when she’s like that you don’t join in and add to the pain by pointing out how the ABs are going to dick the Aussies this weekend “just like that”, it would be counter-productive even if I did believe it....which I don’t.

To say that I would like the game to be close and a good contest would be a lie – that’s for the purists. I’m not, I want the MABs to win and how I win is not that important as long as my side wins. The bigger the margin the better and the more obnoxious I become. I would love nothing more that seeing us dick them royally just like the Boks did but unfortunately that ain’t going to happen.

Remember, the Boks had to win as it was their last test at home before the end of season tours. They played up in Boer country – did you see that larger-loving Yarpies in the crowd? That was worth 15 points. They played on the high veldt, which was worth a few points too. The Aussies didn’t have to win, that was worth a few points. Lote “Have a Tequila” was playing, that’s worth a few points to any opposition.

Mel kindly saved the game on the telly (which I would have understood completely if she’d deleted it) so I was able to watch it and formulate an opinion of my own. I did not see the all out mess and disgrace that Mel saw. I saw a team that wasn’t really into it like the Boks were. I saw Bok 50/50 passes come off and the Aussie ones didn’t. Then I saw the Aussies give up 20 minutes from the end and start playing dumb football. I recall it was only a month or so ago we played Islander Rugby so we’re not squeaky clean on this front either.

It won’t be like this in Brisbane. It will be a composed side again. The Brisbane crowd are a partisan bunch to put it nicely. They’ll be roaring for the home side like they’ve never cheered before. Look these people live in Brisbane for a reason, its not chocker full of rocket scientists up there but the sun shines a lot so you don’t need much of an income to pay for heating bills and gas is cheaper than the rest of Australia. But these people can sure make a noise. The sort of noise that puts your lineout thrower off when there’s 5 minutes to go and you’re behind 7 points and you are in the oppositions 22. You know you should get this and score but you can’t hear the calls and you worry the ref will blow cause you’re wasting time and you just throw it in to where you think it is and of course….it’s a shocker. Then you panic and throw it around and they get an intercept and...well we know the rest.

Anyone taking a sure bet against the Wallabies is risking it. Don’t give any starts. Better to keep your money. Go for no start or a less than 5 start if under extreme pressure and you need desperately to make the bet to shut an Aussie up.

My pick: Aussies 19, MABs 27

As luck would have it we got some free tickets from Mel’s boss who couldn’t make it to the game so we are heading up there on Friday to join Ian. We’ll be staying at Annie Wade’s house in south Brisbane. I will give you the match report on Monday.

On another subject: England

I was in the UK last week and happened to be in the vicinity of the hallowed turf of Rugby School. In fact I went there and stood on the ground and viewed the various plaques about William Webb Ellis. One thing I noted was that the ground has like a golf green – not a fairway – a green. It was perfect. I will be posting some photos shortly.