SUPER 14 THE LAST TWO WEEKS

Friday 18/04/2008.  Back a week from sunny Perth,  and thought it time to write something.  My hasn't there been some stuff going on.  Personally I was like a kid in a candy shop,  when the Waratahs turned up for three days at the Burswood at the end of my time over there.  Not only were they at the hotel,  it was me and the Waratahs pretty much on the 5th floor.  Super 14 latest here.

ADDED FRIDAY 18/04/2008

Two weeks and I have not seen much Super 14 footy.  I attended the Force vs the Bulls game a couple of weeks back in Perth,  and thought it was terrible.  Not sure how I went on the tipping over the two weeks,  haven't checked what I wrote down.

Waratahs vs Auckland looked pretty good in the bits I saw,  but the Reds didn't look so fancy in a game I tipped them to win.

I only saw 10 minutes of a highlights package of the Waratahs and Force game,  it was on just down the road but I had a function to attend,  this boy Robbie Horne sure looks the goods,  and for all the talk of him being slight,  he is a much bigger lad than you think when you walk past him in the motel lobby.  I note Michael O'Connor is calling for him to be a Wallaby this year,  is he the next Tim Horan?  It's a long time since we have had a Wallaby straight out of school.  I know he is extremely highly rated by all that have come into contact with him.  If there is a year when someone is going to make their Wallaby debut straight out of school,  this is sure it,  with guns everywhere in that Aussie Schools side,  Horne,  To'omua,  Taumoupeau and now the little bloke makes his super 14 debut tonight,  one James O'Connor.  Of course Rabbit has already played for the Aussie sevens side a couple of weeks ago.

I note also that O'Connor will not be allowed to play for the Aussie Under 20 side as he is too young.  I have never been in favour of this two year window rubbish,  if he is old enough to play Super 14,  how can he be not old enough to play Under 20?  In fact I don't favour the whole Under 20 concept,  there will be plenty of people head off to league because they can't get a game of rugby.

The wheels were wobbly and have now fallen off the Blues Super 14 campaign,  and they have some work to do to get it back on the rails.  They looked good early,  but are falling in a big heap now in the run home.

The Crusaders are still looking good,  as are the Sharks.  Still two finals spots up for grabs for mine.

So this week,  round 10 the Crusaders should get the Chiefs,  the Force I think will be too good for the Reds in Brisbane,  the Waratahs in their current streak should account for the Lions,  with the Sharks,  the Highlanders and the Hurricanes to round out the winners in round 10.

We have coaches getting moved on everywhere,  who would have that job for any money?  Seemingly you don't have to do anything wrong,  and you are gone.  Can you blame the head coaches of Super 14 sides for the entire system not delivering and developing enough depth of player talent to cover four super 14 sides?  Therein lies the problem,  not the coaches themselves.  You just have to feel for guys being publicly moved on,  mid season,  it's a tough gig.

The Waratahs boys in Perth were great.  I became a serial pest,  and I am sure they were pretty happy to see the last of me.  Certainly a bunch of well mannered,  and most approachable guys,  whatever you hear in the press.  I know that their team doctor,  Dr Sharon Flahive was very impressed that I even knew who she was. TV doesn't show how big these guys really are,  Sekope Kepu and Wycliff Palu are genuine monsters,  as is Brett Sheehan,  for one that plays number 9.  I mentioned to him that he was built more like a tight head,  and he smiled and said,  that's not much of a compliment.  I assured him that in my house it was,  he smiled again and was hopefully happy.

The Waratahs team and management did something very nice for me on match day,  and they deserve public thanks for that.  I didn't expect they would do it,  and was very appreciative of the fact that they did,  a big thanks to all those guys.  Withstanding though,  we don't think Al Baxter is a good scrummager, and I am still unconvinced as to Tuqiri's worth as an instinctive rugby player,  although his last two games have been special,  probably the best I have seen him play.  He is a great athlete,  magnificently proportioned,  that cannot be denied.

I'm off to the Force vs the Reds game tonight,  so hopefully that one is a decent one, but games I attend live seem to be dour,  mistake riddled affairs.

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