I used to get up in the middle of the night to watch Sid Going, Grant Batty and Andy Haden play the poms in the 70’s. They were great spectacles. I drank coffee to stay awake. Sometimes, being just a young fella, I would start to drift off, but then I would force myself to stay awake and see the whole game. The thought of missing any of it was tantamount to treason. You see, this was before Foxtel IQ, PVRs and replays. We’d only just got a colour telly a year or so earlier as I recall. But in those days these tests were worth getting up for, worth capturing the moment in the memory banks for all time.
Sunday morning I got up - as always - but this was one night I should have just stayed in bed. As I get older I realise my time is more valuable. Getting up in the middle of the night means I lose the morning the next day as I catch up on lost sleep. My weekends are a short time to enjoy life before its back to the daily grind of working for the man. So why did I waste my time getting up on Sunday morning? Why indeed did I waste my time staying for the second half? Hope? Blind faith? Loyalty? Idiocy? All of the above.
I do not think I have ever seen such an inept performance in 35 years of watching the All Blacks live. It was embarrassing. It was a disgrace. It was positively un-All Black.
I watched an interview with Andy Haden yesterday and he pretty much summed up my issues with the players and the coaches. Now, everyone knows I am not a fan of Henry, but I did warn you! How long ago did they re-sign Henry? Just a few weeks ago. I said at the time to put that contract in the bottom drawer until the end of the year to see whether Henry can change and adapt. The reality is that Henry is not learning anything and the players are in dire need of a good clean out (perhaps a spanking is in order now, that the referendum will allow it). That sort of performance simply must not go unpunished.
The Boks were good but not that good. Hell, their game is based on kick and chase and forcing errors which Steyn kicks for 3 points a pop. It’s really simple and highly predictable. It’s not like they had to think long and hard to figure out what he Boks would do? So Henry decided to play attacking running rugby and it failed. Henry, you were wrong. Listen really carefully…you were WRONG. Ah but the headmaster simply can’t be wrong even if he is wrong as I recall having been in front of the headmaster quite a few times as a lad.
The players need to take 50% of the blame too for the outrageous error rate and the brain explosions. Clearly “Jumping” Joe Rokocoko has been watching too much league because he thinks he had to run the ball out of his in-goal area to avoid a line drop out. Joe, mate, in Rugby you restart from the 22 line when the opposition sends it into your goal – there is no “line drop out”. Learn the rules numb nuts or go play league. I don’t think we have to worry about Joe because if Henry keeps him in the team for Sydney I think there will be riots in the streets in NZ.
Which brings me to the topic of Dan “the man” Carter. I do not want Dan back just yet for two reasons. 1) Achilles injuries take a long while to heal and the incidence of re-injury is high. 2) Dan might just save this team and these coaches. We need to clear the decks if only to shake the entire All Black machine up and get these blokes back hungry enough to be in the black jersey and earning the spectacular incomes so that they play BASIC rugby without so many dumb errors.
The Wallybees will have a good chance at beating the South Africans too if only because they can hold on to the ball better and might have a chance at beating the kick and chase game. They also have a functioning lineout. The Wallybees should be able to beat them.
And as for Sydney, I can tell you that the criminals are salivating at the thought of having another crack at the All Blacks especially given their superb record at ANZ Stadium. I just hope that we turn up for the game.
