Long Over Due.

Ok, you got me; I’ve been a lazy b@5tard over the last couple of weeks and haven’t managed to cast an eye over the sporting world.  BUT, I’m back folks and some might even say badder than ever!

Where to begin after a couple of weeks of all sorts of different bits and pieces going on?  Unfortunately the first item on the agenda to be discussed is just how crap the Black Caps really are.  I’ve been thinking about this over the last couple of weeks as I try my best to stay awake during the small hours of the morning watching the cricket on some anonymous website.  The answer, well I’m pretty sure that it has two parts, yes the Black Caps are crap, even to the point where I am thinking I should try my best to find the old White Woolen Vest, warm the shoulder up and trundle a few down, I’m pretty sure I could have a crack, I mean they couldn’t get any worse could they?  Secondly the Proteas really are a damn good side.  Just in case there were any doubters, this bunch have proved all summer that they can beat anyone whenever they want, and generally by a bloody big margin.  I’d suggest they would be looking forward to the T20 World Cup later in the year with a lot more excitement than any other country in the world.  We all must take our hats off to these guys, a collection of the best bowlers in the world and a stack of the best batsmen too, no wonder NZ was made mince meat of, was there anything else we really expected?

Whilst we are on cricket we must save a few words for Chris Cairns.  The former NZ Cricketer has spent the last two and a bit weeks fighting against the man who used to be able to boast the tag, ‘The most powerful man in cricket’.  His libel case against Lalit Modi has just finished and Cairns won.  Clearing his name against unsubstantiated claims that he was involved in match fixing which Modi has posted on his Twitter account.  Cairns won not only a clear slate for his name and reputation but a tidy sum of £90 000 for his trouble.  The former boss of the IPL, before he was forced to stand down after a number of accounting irregularities, has suggested that he may appeal the decision, but let’s hope sanity prevails and he learns to keep his mouth shut rather that make accusations against players who have done nothing but serve the game to the highest level.

Aaaaaahhhhhh, the shortest men in sport with the biggest ego’s ever have started chasing each other around in circles in their crazy fast, not to mention loud, cars again in the circus that is known as Formula 1.  Now I can’t claim to be impartial at all here, so I won’t be.  What a glorious victory on the weekend for Fernando Alonso and more importantly team Ferrari.  What a delight it was to see the Prancing Horse back atop the podium.  Unfortunately it’s probably not going to be long lasting as their car is terribly slow compared to, well, everybody else’s basically.  Let everyone just cross your fingers and hope that it rains every second or third Sunday for the rest of the summer so that they stand a chance of gaining a few more victories.

Of course we have to touch on the rugby from the weekend, and there are more than a few interesting things that came from Super Rugby 2012 Edition 5.  The Hurricanes, against the odds, tipped up the Blues with the slightest of winning margins, only for the Rebels to do the same to the Force with a sneaky one point win also.  Something I definitely did not see coming, but hey, well done Rebels you have your first victory of the year and fourth ever so congrats.  The Crusaders, playing at home for the first time in 23 months managed to make it the perfect homecoming with a victory over the Cheetahs.  After having looked like the Crusaders were going to run away with it, the Cheetahs decided they had had enough of being bullied around and played some brilliant rugby to level the scores only for the Crusaders to do what they do so well and win the critical moments when they counted.  The Brumbies outmuscled and outplayed the Highlanders pretty much everywhere.  They played more accurately and with far greater intensity.  A special mention has to go out to Colin Slade who has to be the unluckiest player in professional sport at the moment.  7 games in two years, 2 broken jaws, a bung groin, a hernia operation and now a broken tib and fib to throw into the mix.  Thoughts have to with Slade at the moment as he faces the best part of 12 months of rehab before he can comeback from injury again.  All this just as he was starting to show some of the form and class that has led him to an All Blacks jumper too.  The Bulls pumped the Reds in a slightly unexpected result.  I thought the Bulls would win comfortably but not by 53 points!  Surely a game that the Reds will try their best to right off immediately as ‘one of those days’.  Yes they are down to their 4^th choice first five but that doesn’t mean you instantly play like a bunch of 12 year old girls against some of the biggest men in the game.  And finally the poor old Lions.  Again they hung in there and never let the Stormers get too far away but they just lacked the composure that allows you to win the tight ones and lack a true game breaker at the moment, particularly with Elton Jantjies out injured.  Another win or two will not be far away for the boys from altitude. 

Jerome Kaino says Sayonara to New Zealand Rugby.

I’m not angry but damn I’m disappointed!  News was confirmed over the weekend that Jerome Kaino has played his last game in New Zealand.  He has signed a two year deal with Japanese club Toyota.  This is a shame, not only for Kaino but for NZ rugby fans.  Kaino, over the last couple of seasons in particular had made himself an automatic selection for the All Blacks.  He is obviously a World Cup winner, was unlucky to miss out on International Player of the Year last year but was still awarded the NZ Player of the Year, he has amassed 48 Test Caps, 86 Blues Caps and 49 Auckland Caps in a career that was beginning to have the mouldings of that of a legend.  Unfortunately, legend status will no longer be available to Kaino has he has decided to chase the cash a bit too soon.  It’s hard to be critical about chasing the money, after all I’d probably do it.  But I’m sure Kaino would’ve been on one of the biggest NZRU contracts and there would have been plenty of flexibility in his contract had it been extended.  But now he will just be remembered as a good All Black and not the “Great” he would’ve been seen as had he remained in NZ to build his legacy, look no further than ‘Captain Fantastic’ (Richie McCaw) to see how that can work out for you.  And talk of him returning to the All Blacks after two years in Japan, “Tell him he’s dreamin” to quote and Aussie classic.  How did that work out for one L McAllister, or C Jack?  It’s just not going to happen, New Zealand’s production line of quality players is too good to stand still for two years.  There are likely to be a number of senior All Blacks who come off contract over the next year or so and quite a few will no doubt head offshore, let’s hope none of them decide to do while still at the peak of their powers, like Jerome. 

Last but not least a massive congrats must go out to Canada, Spain and Portugal.  These three countries have just qualified to join the 12 core teams on the IRB World 7’s Series from next year.  They beat out 9 other competitors, including rugby stalwarts such as Tonga and Japan for the spots which will no doubt be a massive boost for Rugby in these countries, especially with 7’s now being in the Olympics from 2016.

I know it’s a bit longer than normal but I half to make up for a couple slack weeks, sorry people.

Signing Off………..

P.s, feel free to leave a comment, the more banter the better.

Oh yeah, and keep going balls to the wall.