Kiwi wrap (Tues)
20 Jan 2009
Keo.co.za brings you the latest news from New Zealand’s Super 14 franchises.
MacDonald set for return
Crusaders fullback Leon MacDonald claims he is finally over his concussion issues and expects to play his first competitive match in over six months this Friday.
MacDonald, who has not played a game since suffering a concussion in the Tri-Nations encounter against the Springboks on 12 July last year, is expected to be named at fullback for the Crusaders’ pre-season clash against the Western Force in Perth.
“I feel 100 % fine. I have been looking forward to it,” MacDonald said. “It has been a long time out of the game, so I am looking forward to getting back out there and getting stuck in.”
Following his set back last year, MacDonald returned to training but was unable to shake off the effects of the concussion and played no competitive rugby for the remainder of 2008.
“I probably just tried to push myself back into it too soon, too early and I was training full-on when I should not have been really.
“It was probably just more of myself being my own worst enemy and refusing to take the advice to sort of have complete rest. I suppose once I learned that lesson and gave myself a proper rest, it was fine.
“Once I started taking the proper rest and recovering properly I knew it wasn’t going to be a long-term issue and I was going to be fine.”
Cowan to lead Highlanders
Controversial All Blacks scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan has been named captain of the Highlanders for this year’s Super 14 campaign.
Cowan’s selection caps a remarkable turnaround in the player’s career following some well-publicised alcohol-fuelled incidents which landed him in trouble with the law and saw him ordered to stop drinking by the NZRU.
“It’s been through a lot of hard work and grit. That was 2008, though, and now it’s 2009; it’s a new year. I’ve got to start again,” said Cowan. “It is a huge honour and something I’m very proud of,” Cowan told The Southland Times.
Cowan replaces Craig Newby who joined English Premiership outfit, the Leicester Tigers last year.
This thread will be updated throughout the day.
15 Comments
20 Jan 2009, 08:01 am
Zamalekkiwi
20 Jan 2009, 10:57 am
MacDonald should retire, he has had one too many bumps to the head. He will regret this in later life.
20 Jan 2009, 12:03 pm
#2 Loosehead: I agree. He is as hard as they come though. I remember a tackle he made on Lukas van Biljon back in the early 2000′s in a tri-nations test. He and Mehrtens switched places when the All Blacks were on defense. Van Biljon was the next big thing, in his mind at least, trying to run over everyone, untill he met Macdonald in channel 1 that day. He tackled him on the chest, causing van Biljon’s legs to end up higher in the air than his head.
20 Jan 2009, 12:44 pm
#3 Tjorra Nagel: Lukas Van Biljon, whatever happened to him? Now there is someone with a huge drinking problem.
20 Jan 2009, 15:50 pm
macdonald is a never-was
20 Jan 2009, 16:16 pm
#5 Big Hit:
MacDonald was great last year. He has always been a great fullback for Canterbury and the Crusaders.
You as usual are biased and full of ****
20 Jan 2009, 21:09 pm
Yeah as usual any NZ player is ****, god this guy has a great life just writing negative comments about NZ, I wonder if he has ever played the game
I have recently moved to the UK from NZ for a few years and while I have watched a few close games with plenty of spirit the skills on hand are very average and | can now see why there was a massive gulf in the autumn international, and don’t worry its going to get bigger judging by the standard of play I have seen. The art of being a back and being able to draw and pass is non existent it’s all crash bash slow rugby. The teams are also littered with past there date Kiwi, Aussie and SA players bar a few, half these guys would struggle to make NPC teams e.g. Willie walker,
Don’t worry the six nations starts soon and all the Northern fans can applaud mediocre rugby and not have to worry about the thrashings they get from there southern counterparts. They go on about the game is booming because they get big crowds but as Peter Bills ( rugby writer for the independent) you would get 70000 to twickers if you had fifteen cardboard cut outs standing on the field.
20 Jan 2009, 21:21 pm
#5 Big Hit: Oh c’mon BH that’s an exaggeration even for you
I think he’s making a mistake coming back. There are some long term health issues involved here. Not sure the right medical advice is being given or it’s being ignored
20 Jan 2009, 21:47 pm
#8 JimT: I’ve never been impressed by MacDonald, even in the summer he coughed up the ball for Topsy Ojo to score his second try and then in the second test he illegally pushed Varndell into touch without attempting a tackle.
#7 hawkes: if you don’t like it, don’t watch it but all that great NPC rugby couldn’t help your team past the QF when it matterd so perhaps you might learn how to win other than by trying to change the rules of the game
20 Jan 2009, 21:49 pm
#7 hawkes: its funny how the SH barbarian team didn’t draw a 70,000 crowd, no, the Twickenham fans know good rugby when they see it and they’re not basketball fans so NZ rugby need not apply
20 Jan 2009, 22:50 pm
#9 Big Hit:
Yeah Big HIt,any person who drops one ball and pushes a man over the sideline in useless………………lol.Wilkinson misses 2 kicks one day in a game,he never impressed me either.
Big Hit
Have you noticed that we have no problems beating you guys,so why would we change the rules?? Lets go back to the old rules then,it dosnt matter,England will never be in the same class as NZ.You always revert back to the RWC that you lost as well but we have played England,SA,OZ,Ireland,Scotland,Wales and have beaten all these teams,even with our so called weakest team in years,some people like you must just hate this and it shows with your constant complaining on these threads
20 Jan 2009, 23:44 pm
Sorry bighit i thought the objective of rugby is to score tries, something the english team managed to do once against the tri nations teams last autumn { pitiful) I would flock to see a team playing that style of rugby. By your logic any team that gets a lot of tries is basketball rugby and thats why you lot in the UK flock to sign these basketball players up at the end of the there careers.
I didnt say I disliked the games been played in the UK the atmosphere and tight games have been enjoyable I just thought the standard was average. With 5/6 world cups been won by southern hemisphere teams I dont think the rules need to change at all, the super 14 contributes to some rather good national teams
20 Jan 2009, 23:55 pm
Also just another few questions just curious?
Have you ever played the game?
Whats with your utter dislike of NZ rugby?
Have you ever got out of your glasshouse and been to NZ and watched some rugby there?
If there are a few ‘no’ answers that would explain a lot of things.
21 Jan 2009, 07:58 am
#12 hawkes: the objective of rugby is to win games. How many cups won by NZ? I rest my case.
#11 Hurricane: you beat weakened teams, well done – at full strength you lost at home. We have injury issues (usually 10 before every series/tournament including this 6 Nations!).
21 Jan 2009, 11:01 am
#14 Big Hit:
Big Hit are you saying that SA played a weakened team last year,did OZ play a weakened team,how about Wales?You are correct about one thing,England was and is a weak team no matter how you look at it.
SA beat us at home,first time in a decade and that was the only time according to you SA had a full strength team?? You are looking like a real egg on here,even the South Africans must be thinking,what the hell is this pom on about,calling our team weakened
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