McCaw running scared
3 May 2006
The Bulls can already claim a moral victory over the Crusaders after the defending champions left captain Richie McCaw out of the match 22 altogether.
McCaw does not have fond memories of Loftus Versfeld, or perhaps much memory of it at all after he was smacked unconcious in the opening minutes of the corresponding fixture last year by prop Richard Bands. The Bulls went on to record an emphatic 35-20 win.
Coach Robbie Deans goes into the must-win – for both teams – match with something of a second-string pack, which could prove suicidal against the vaunted Bulls forwards.
The Crusaders camp confirmed McCaw had no serious health issues other than Deans describing him as still being “flat”. But the Bulls will be forgiven for thinking that McCaw – one of the outstanding looseforwards in the world – is just scared of what awaits him in the rarefied atmosphere at Loftus.
Australian players voted Loftus the worst place to visit, and it would be surprising if the New Zealanders actually found a trip to Pretoria appealing. McCaw certainly seems content to sit on the sidelines and avoid any nasty clashes with the big Bulls pack.
One wonders just how he is going to cope when he returns for the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations with the match also set to take place at Fortress Loftus. The second Tri-Nations Test between the two is also at altitude, with the Boks and All Blacks clashing at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium a week later.
Deans, however, believed McCaw would be ready to front the Brumbies in Christchurch next weekend where there was a need to have fresh players.
It’s a huge gamble with the Crusaders’ playoffs chances on the line over the final two weeks of round-robin action.
Crusaders team: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Caleb Ralph, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andrew Ellis; 8 Mose Tuiali’i, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Johnny Leo’o, 5 Reuben Thorne (c), 4 Chris Jack, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Wyatt Crockett. Replacements: 16 Tone Kopelani, 17 Campbell Johnstone, 18 Craig Clarke, 19 Brad Mika, 20 Kevin Senio, 21 Cameron McIntyre, 22 Stephen Brett/Scott Hamilton.
By Andrew Hollely
573 Comments
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3 May 2006, 13:28 pm
We need more ninjas in rugby
3 May 2006, 13:29 pm
Bluebarb,lol
3 May 2006, 13:29 pm
Can’t ever have too many ninjas.
3 May 2006, 13:30 pm
Loafer: rugby didn’t lose on Friday. It couldn’t have….
’cause they didn’t play rugby!!!
3 May 2006, 13:31 pm
Spook, yep. I watched him play a few weeks back in Paris (my girlfriend was thrilled!) and he was far and away the most influentional player on the field.
3 May 2006, 13:31 pm
Chuck Norris is pretty close to being a ninja. The Bulls should offer him a fat contract. Then the Crusaders won’t even bother coming to SA at all…
3 May 2006, 13:32 pm
richie 7
dont try and get everybody to buy into your ideas, peophol. show some balls man!
Loafer,
I’, a proud SA supporter, but have to grudgingly admit that the Force deserved to win that game.
they wuz robbed.
3 May 2006, 13:32 pm
Is Chuck Norris a ninja?
3 May 2006, 13:32 pm
There were many ninjas once.
Now there is only Chuck.
3 May 2006, 13:33 pm
Frazer, you beat me to it (Chuck). I’m sure he must be a ninja though.
3 May 2006, 13:33 pm
No, but he drives an Isuzu.
3 May 2006, 13:33 pm
The Bulls don’t need Chuck. They’ve got Bakkies. But I’m sure there’s room for him with the Spares.
3 May 2006, 13:34 pm
LOL @ Ant…
Londonshark – I believe he is an honourary ninja of the Loftus dojo
3 May 2006, 13:34 pm
Chuck doesn’t play rugby.
He only allows lesser mortals to.
3 May 2006, 13:34 pm
chuck norris was a ninja when he was a baby.
3 May 2006, 13:36 pm
ah, that’s Spears…. don’t hurt their ego anymore…
3 May 2006, 13:36 pm
Loafer – I love it – the Spares. hehehehe
3 May 2006, 13:37 pm
Do you know why Bakkies always gets subbed after 60 mins? It’s so he can finish all the Bulls babes that he didn’t get to at half-time and still see the end of the game.
3 May 2006, 13:37 pm
Chuck Norris used to play rugby when men were men and the ball was a 6 week old baby.
3 May 2006, 13:38 pm
The Spares must draft Chuck Norris forthwith and without further delay…
3 May 2006, 13:39 pm
Still laughing at the Spares… Classic
3 May 2006, 13:40 pm
Chuck Norris cannot be bought, for everything else, there’s mastercard.
3 May 2006, 13:40 pm
Agreed Frazer
On a more serious note, you actually touched on a draft system there. Don’t you think we could use something like the NFL has in SA Rugby?
3 May 2006, 13:40 pm
Loftus uses Chuck to keep their field in good condition… He’s cheaper than the other guys.
They don’t need to cut the grass… Chuck just stares it down…
3 May 2006, 13:40 pm
Richie – you’ve gone awfully quiet there mate, all this ninja talk getting to you?
3 May 2006, 13:40 pm
Frazer
Nobody drafts Chuck…. ever!!!!!
3 May 2006, 13:42 pm
Bakkies has mastered the ancient oriental art of the “koesplap” in fact he has his seventh dan in it. (or is that Danville?)
3 May 2006, 13:43 pm
Loafer – I don’t know. As things stand, our administration couldn’t organize a pissup at SAB. I don’t know if you’ve ever played Madden NFL before, but fark, is that draft system a mission…
Seriously though, yes I do think a draft would be good for our rugby. It would only be effective if the CC was strength versus strength though.
3 May 2006, 13:44 pm
Bluebarb,lol. Man I haven’t heard ‘Danville’ in a while. Lovely place, we used to play cricket there (we used to leave with far less than we came with).
3 May 2006, 13:44 pm
Ant – excuse my impudence…
3 May 2006, 13:46 pm
I agree on your point regarding our rubbish admin hamperring the process.
For the sake of clarity. What would you consider the ideal number of teams for a strength versus strength CC to be?
3 May 2006, 13:46 pm
Loafer,
the draft system is great in principle, but entenched provincialism will kill that idea before it is born. too much money invested by the decision makers.
3 May 2006, 13:46 pm
Bluebarb – excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is the art of the “koesplap”?
3 May 2006, 13:47 pm
LOL @ bluebarb
3 May 2006, 13:49 pm
I was laughing at the “koesplap” thing.
You’ve got a point with the provincialism-thing. There will never be a level playing field there.
3 May 2006, 13:50 pm
intentional typo. it seems i misplaced the P and K. it should read Klap. the first bit you could figure out.-trying to keep Ig happy.
3 May 2006, 13:50 pm
Bluebarb -you’re probably right.
Loafer – I reckon an ideal CC would be contested between:
Free State
The Bulls
The Sharks
Province
The Lions
The Spares (for the sake of transformation and strengthening the EC)
and the two top Vodacom Cup finishers (not including the above unions)
3 May 2006, 13:52 pm
Bluebarb – Fark, I’m dense today – you may have had a point earlier on…
3 May 2006, 13:53 pm
london,
never played there, but had the misfortune of playing against Langlaagte Tech in a Police rugby day in ’92. I played 8. I have never been handed such a varied and creative beating in my life, before or after, as i did for those eighty minutes.
3 May 2006, 13:53 pm
So Loafer – 8 teams contesting the CC would be much better for the quality of the comp.. What do you think?
3 May 2006, 13:54 pm
Well, the truth is that the Saders has a real chance of not making the semis anymore!!!
They have just drew against the worst team in the competition, and got thrashed by the 4th (Ok 3rd) rated SA team,
about to face the Bulls at Loftus, who klapped them last year, sending them back without a point, and then off to face the Brumbies – another tough adversary, just as they get of the plane.
There is a very real chance that they can walk away from both matches without a single point, which mean they can still be overtook by the Bulls, also a very real chance, looking at history, and the upswinging form of the Bulls, the Bulls should be favourites for the next two games.
Thus it is most interesting that they are not choosing the best available team, and I think the writer rightfully makes the point that Mcaw, or his coach could be running scared, Bands might not be there, but Bakkies (Was it Jeremy Pauls scalp he took?) and Matfield (Kelleher can now barely say his name, even after intensive therapy)
Just imagine the look on Tackler’s face if his favourite team does not make it!!!!
3 May 2006, 13:56 pm
Frazer
Taking your line-up, and assuming the Vodacom Cup qualifiers will most likely be either the Valke (valke?), Pumas, Griquas, or Boland.
What do the remaining teams do while the CC is being played?
3 May 2006, 13:57 pm
Jak – the look on Tackle Bags’ face never changes. It’s in a constant state of sourness…
3 May 2006, 13:57 pm
My bugbear is the rules. Esp the breakdown laws. At any given ruck or maul there are usually three or more punishable offences taking place. The ref basically has to decide which to blow. its too much responsibility for them. they are not getting it right. sometimes my team benefits, sometimes they dont, but it is a huge problem.
3 May 2006, 14:03 pm
Loafer – They should be integrated into a club competition, including teams from Argentina and the Pacific Islands, the top clubs in the country and the small unions.
They will be afforded the opportunity to play in the CC if they qualify the following year. Basically, every year, two get promoted, and two get relegated. It’s full of holes, but something like this needs to be done.
3 May 2006, 14:05 pm
bluebarb – too right. Like H.Meyer said, the ref could stand with his back to every ruck and blow a penalty and get it right 9 times out of 10.
It’s a total lottery in there. The rules have to be simplified.
3 May 2006, 14:06 pm
What about two more franchises?
Another in the WC and another in the old Transvaal area? Just a thought.
3 May 2006, 14:08 pm
Loafer – why 2 more?
The talent then gets diluted again. I reckon 8 teams would suffice.
3 May 2006, 14:23 pm
Two more franchises for the CC. How would that dilute the talent? If we take the best of the rest it would only make these teams stronger and the competition more competitive. Well at least in theory it would.
3 May 2006, 14:39 pm
Yip, he’s scared
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