The Sinbin

So the MTN Super 12 starts this weekend and it looks set to be a ripper tournament. Even if you’ve had your head in the sand the last month or two, you’ve no doubt heard the prevailing expert opinion:

“The Sharks are looking shit hot. There’s an impressive mix of players, with youthful exuberance, valuable experience and Dick Muir. This team will surprise many and could well finish in the top 2”. 

I’d go one step further and say that they WILL win the Super 16.

Hell, I reckon they could even take the World Cup. Forget the hype about the All Blacks… I would even go so far as to say that their second string side would shit all over the All Blacks. I can see Keegan “The Keegster” McDaniel, Bradley “The Bradmeister” McBarrit and Ady “The Killer” Jacobs running all over McCaw and the boys and upsetting the favourites to take the Webb Ellis trophy.  

Which would be their first trophy since, what, 1994.

Have we not learnt by now?

I’d really love the Sharks to do well. No really. But getting it together after 10 lean years is still a big ask. I don’t want to piss on anybody’s grill here, but I think people are getting alittle too excited about their prospects. It’s like when somebody uses the word “quintessence”. It’s stoopid. It’s unnecessary.Why would you do that? Just keep quiet and let it unfold.

Boring Bulls Rugby (I like to call it Bulls-shit) is the order of the day in the Super 10. Unless you are a Kiwi team, and consequently have the ability to tick both boxes, namely:

a)      Play attractive, running rugby, and

b)      In so doing… WIN 

My Sharks towel will never be good for anything but cleaning my golf clubs. and / or vomit. That said, all they need is about 6^th place to take out this years Stormers team.

Regardless, I can’t wait for the Super 14. I hope I’m proven wrong. 

Fire up the Weber! 

A recent article on sarugby.com highlighted some proposed rule changes which are being implemented in the Australian Club leagues to improve the game. Here are the changes listed below, and my views on them.
1.      Downgrading most penalty offences to free-kicks
2.      Backs must be 5m behind rear foot at scrum
3.      Ball cannot be passed back into 22 and kicked out on the full
1.    I don’t think this will work. You will end up with more deliberate infringements and this will slow down the game. All of a sudden players will not be giving away a guaranteed 3 points by infringing. I know I would deliberately commit an offence if it meant that the game would come to a stop, my teams defensive lines could be re-arranged, and I would not end up giving away 3 points (from a penalty). I think this will end up with the game having more of a stop start feel, much like rugby league, which I think should be avoided.
2.    This may very well work, it will give the backs an extra second to get over the gain line, and create space. A full second at the highest level is an eternity, and will hopefully lead to more creative play.
3.    I think this may lead to players passing the ball back into the 22m, forming a ruck and then simply booting it out. The result? An initial loss of ground (very negative) which then leads to a lineout. We may find that this also leads to more aimless kicking, with a reliance on a kicker with a booming boot and accuracy. The intention would be to kick the ball as far down field and into the corners as possible. There is no way the defending team will then run it back when the rest of the side is still upfield. The ball will be kicked out, net result, another lineout.
I know I have only pointed out the possibilities of what may transpire should these rules come into play, and have not offered any solutions. Anyone out there have any other ideas to improve the game? Let us know.
Tukkers out.

Does anybody else think the decision to make Andre Pretorius captain of the Cats the other day is ridiculous? I would give good odds on the chances of him getting injured during the season.