A cool ad by Adidas:

As if my latest selection needed any further justification, I thought some of you might enjoy this:

A Kiwi journalist recently wrote: “Sebastien Chabal is not your typical French rugby player.
There is something about Sebastien Chabal.
He’s the thick-bearded 29-year-old with the the long, dark grey-streaked hair and the hunched muscular shoulders.
He’s also the French flanker who plays his rugby like Jerry Collins, more primal power than Gallic flair, and bounced All Blacks […]

I’ll be honest here (let’s step away from the gamesmanship for a second, shall we?) and admit that I was going to pick Paul O’Connell.
The difference is that I was going to pick him as my number 5 lock.  My ‘loose’ lock as some like to call it. Dave has picked him - and he […]

The Munster and Ireland lock was one of the nominee’s for the IRB Player of the Year award - which eventually went to Richie McCaw (see number 6…insert evil laugh!)
The other three nominess included: Fourie du Preez (see number 9) and Chris Latham (see number 15). The only nominee I don’t have is Dan Carter […]

Here’s the video of Brian O’Driscoll that I was talking about…
Keep talking Dave!

Sticking with the theme of picking the world’s hardest players I’m going to pick Jerry Collins on the blindside flank.  I used to have my doubts about Collins - I felt he was a little one dimensional in the early part of his career - but he keeps improving and growing as a world class […]

UK rugby journalist Stephen Jones - writing for the Times online - gives his take on the brewing Bok race row.
Jones is often very anti-South African in his commentary, but still worth a read (with a pinch of salt):
“South Africa remain on course to take New Zealand to the wire in Durban on Saturday, in […]

Just a reminder about what the Boks are facing on Saturday:

Gareth - thought you might like a little reminder as to why Richie McCaw was my first pick…and ultimate match winner:

What what what!