NZ champs plays like chumps
22 Jan 2006
The Highlanders stole a 21-19 win against the Crusaders and the rubble Reds were rampant against the Blues in Vodacom Super 14 friendlies. Does this mean a change of guard in 2006? Forget it.
New Zealand’s two championship teams played like chumps in losing their pre-season openers, but they were the real deal in name only. When you glance at the team line-ups, very few of the influential players were on show. No team likes to lose but the scoreline would be of little consequence to either Robbie Deans, coach of the Crusaders or David Nucifora, coach of the Blues, given the nature of the trial matches. Nucifora gave 10 players their Blues debut against the Reds in the 29-14 defeat in Brisbane and rested all his All Blacks. He will introduce six of them against the Waratahs later this week.
Deans was equally conservative with his All Blacks, playing very few of the stars from the 2005 international and Super 12 season. The Highlanders and Crusaders meet in the first round of the competition and neither coach was prepared to give too much insight into their respective starting XVs.
Australia’s team experienced a mixed bag in the friendlies, with the Waratahs and Reds winners, but the Force and Brumbies comfortably beaten by the Cheetahs and Waratahs respectively.
The competition first round is February 10
39 Comments
22 Jan 2006, 21:51 pm
Crusaders still the team to beat
23 Jan 2006, 02:49 am
Agree Keo, somehow we never learn to much from these pre season games.
23 Jan 2006, 03:46 am
Like what you’ve done with the site mate.
Hopefully an end to typekey kak.
Cheers
23 Jan 2006, 08:12 am
Agree, Crusaders still the team to beat.
Hopefully better than typekey, but what don’t like is that I can only see the time of the comment and not the date. Now I don’t know whether you posted 2day or some time ago.
Cheers
23 Jan 2006, 08:40 am
kwv – point noted will see if i can add it in !
23 Jan 2006, 08:42 am
ig – thanx, y site so quiet?
all the regulars at ruggaworld or what?
23 Jan 2006, 08:51 am
no KWV,
just opbviously still registering etc.
i reckon the blues will be the team to beat this year.
crusaders will en up in the top 4.
23 Jan 2006, 08:51 am
Nah KWV – everybody is still registering ect ect….and the S14 starts in two weeks !
23 Jan 2006, 08:53 am
KWV – the date on the comments should be there !
23 Jan 2006, 09:13 am
Ig – Thanx
wtf is Gus still playing 4 the Stormers?
23 Jan 2006, 09:55 am
The Crusaders’ All Blacks only joined them for training the first time today – now that’s a much better rest than any of the Springboks got. That’s also probably one of the reasons that the Saders often start slow and peaks at the right end of the tournament.
23 Jan 2006, 10:07 am
MysticBoer,
As opposed to the wrong end of the competition?
Crusaders must be the team to beat, even if only because of that man Dan.
PissAnt,
Who’s @ 10 4 the Blues?
23 Jan 2006, 10:12 am
No 10 at the Blues will probably be Luke McAlister with Tesesa Levea (spelling?) also quite good as backup
23 Jan 2006, 10:17 am
luke mcalister is in the squad kwv.
here is the full squad, really impressive.
John Afoa (Auckland), Ben Atiga (Auckland), Anthony Boric (North Harbour), Daniel Braid (Auckland), Justin Collins (Auckland), Steve Devine (Auckland), Tim Dow (Northland), Troy Flavell (Auckland), David Gibson (Auckland), Kurtis Haiu (Auckland), Doug Howlett (Auckland), Tasesa Lavea (Auckland), Angus Macdonald (Auckland), Luke McAlister (North Harbour), Keven Mealamu (Auckland), Isa Nacewa (Auckland), Mike Noble (North Harbour), George Pisi (North Harbour), Greg Rawlinson (North Harbour), Joe Rokocoko (Auckland), Saimone Taumoepeau (Auckland), Rua Tipoki (North Harbour), Anthony Tuitavake (North Harbour), Vili Waqaseduadua (North Harbour), Brent Ward (Auckland), Ali Williams (Auckland), Nick Williams (North Harbour), Tony Woodcock (North Harbour).
23 Jan 2006, 10:31 am
Looks like a great squad, have a feeling it might be the Blues this year
23 Jan 2006, 10:38 am
me too zero,
crusaders lost a couple of old players – they might find it a bit tough, but is still good enough to end up in the top 4.
but i believe it will be the blues this year.
hey at least a team in blue will win it, should make my cousins from pta happy, someone must just tell them it aint the bulls.
23 Jan 2006, 10:45 am
Blues gona be real contenders : Good players – see squad above – and a very good coach (he took the Brumbies to the top when he was in charge)
Blues best effort from NZ
Bulls – best effort from SA
Tahs – best effort from Ozz
23 Jan 2006, 10:48 am
have to agree on that rugga.
force to surprise everyone in aus and end second of all aus team behind the tahs.
followed by brumbies and reds.
23 Jan 2006, 10:51 am
Does the powers that be have any news on a Fantasy league game like last year?
Times are few…
23 Jan 2006, 11:02 am
For the rugga lovers out there, Sportmans Warehouse have the new replica S14 gear in, the new ones with correct sponsors. Must admit that the Cheetah one is a real looker.
Need to save R2000 to get me one of each
Gota love this game.
23 Jan 2006, 11:10 am
Ruggaman – we are waiting for them to finish building the leagues – i will announce as soon as they are ready !
23 Jan 2006, 11:28 am
4got about McAlister, but who’s taking over @ fullback now that Mils Muliaina has gone to the Chiefs?
The Blues back-3 were one of their great strenghts.
23 Jan 2006, 11:33 am
Crusaders rarely win trials. their next one is in melbourne this week against the Force
23 Jan 2006, 11:38 am
no surprises really except that the crusaders lost so narrowly. they normally get thumped in the warm-ups.
23 Jan 2006, 11:39 am
This article reeks of double standards! The Cheetah’s win against the Force is lauded, while the Reds win against the Blues is ridiculed! Considering the Force fielded a second team, the Cheetah’s win is hardly worth mentioning. In fact, at least, it’s no better than the Reds win over the Blues!
Having watched warm up games in previous years, the one thing I can confidently say is the results means didly squat. Last year the Reds won all but one of their warm-up games and we all know what happened!
The real comp starts in just over two weeks and then we’ll see the real deal. Whatever you do, don’t underestimate the Force, nor the Reds for that matter. I also have a sneaking suspicion that the Sharks are going to pull a few surprises!
Can’t wait for the start of the comp!
23 Jan 2006, 11:39 am
Ruggaman – http://www.fantasyrugby.com – but its still too early
23 Jan 2006, 11:44 am
KWV,
they have ward and apparently this pisi guy is also very good accoring to some NZ supporters
23 Jan 2006, 11:45 am
Thanks munkiboy,
It will be my 4th season playing, Ig have direct contact with the admins on that side and to avoid the confusion as last year when StP Bok got a rare brainflash and created his own league
and half the peeps got signed up in the wrong league.
23 Jan 2006, 13:15 pm
Ian – you must be new to this site then…
23 Jan 2006, 13:39 pm
Like the new site Ig.
Thanks
23 Jan 2006, 13:40 pm
PissAnt,
Is this Pisi guy related to you … or Monty?
23 Jan 2006, 13:42 pm
Ig,
Looks like we can call you Smiley now. Did you actually take leave in Dec or did you go on a course?
23 Jan 2006, 13:47 pm
Ok, so where is my Surname? I’m Mr…I’am a Lion, not just grrrr!!
23 Jan 2006, 13:48 pm
There we go, much better!!! Thanks Ig!!!
23 Jan 2006, 14:15 pm
hi all
g’day sheilas
ba-a-aahh to all you lovely kiwi babes..
its good to be back – for those of us who did not go on holiday, twas a lonely banishment to rugby wilderness…
23 Jan 2006, 15:23 pm
Voted Best – Joke of the Year in Australia!
A Kiwi walks into his bedroom with a sheep under his arm and says:
“Darling, this is the pig I have *** with when you have a headache.”
His girlfriend is lying in bed and replies:
“I think you’ll find that’s a sheep, you idiot.”
The man says: ” I think you’ll find I wasn’t talking to you.”
24 Jan 2006, 09:28 am
Is Ruggaman really Rip van Winkel? Those stale old jokes have been clonking around for at least 25 years already!
24 Jan 2006, 16:32 pm
The Blues are going to win it this year, followes by the Crusaders, followed by the Bulls. I have the Brumbies pencilled in fourth if Larkham recovers fully from his injury. If not, the ‘Tahs or the Canes to take spot number 4. I think it should look something like this:
1)Blues
2)Crusaders
3)Bulls
4)Brumbies
5)Hurricanes
6)Waratahs
7)Stormers
8)Chiefs
9)Cheetahs
10)Highlanders
11)Force
12)Cats
13)Sharks
14)Reds
25 Jan 2006, 02:18 am
I’m pretty certain the Blues insides will definitely be Lavea (10) and McAlister (12).
Lavea will be an excellent foil for McAlister as he stands deep in the pocket, and this will give McAlister heaps and heaps of very good options.
The problem the Coach has is who will be 13 as he has the Harbour hotshot and Atiga from Auckland to choose from. Both are very good but different.
It should also be Carter at 10 and McAlister at 12 in the AB’s,
Patrick.
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