Thats fair comment.

I think anyone with any Aus Nz experience will know that the Kiwis and the Aussies relish any oppertunity to stick it up eachother whenever they can, and that there is no kissing cousin aliance or buddy system in place. In spite of what some may think.

In short, and correct me if I am wrong; they bloody hate eachother…

But dont feel left out SA, they hate you too with equal passion (probably not quite as much as you hate them).

Thats why there are borders, and sport is the modern day war!

G10, the compliment is most generously returned.

To be so embittered towards a nation on the back of your oft-repeated gripe about Charlie Dempsey is somewhat contrite but also completely misappropriated.

The NZ Soccer Assoc sent Dempsey to the FIFA vote with a Board-approved Mandate to vote for SA. That Dempsey as an individual chose to go against that Mandate without the NZSAs knowledge or approval is what made it in to World news headlines. Dempsey was immediately fired when he got back to NZ, political apologies immed from Wellington to Pretoria. Dempsey, remember was a senile 80yr old Glaswegian who had spent most of his life in Scotland.

But go on, have your little rugby voodoo doll fun if it amuses you so. Didnt you get your World Cup in the end anyway ?

Personally i feel more at home with europeans than the kissing cousins.

Charles Dempsey….bloody wanker!

On the contrary I respect your opinions, always have. Lets not get all PMS over this, its only footy after all.

To be fair, I am but just 1 of a handful of Kiwi bloggers here. If I had a penny for every sweeping disingenuous nonsense about Kiwis from Safas here, Id be richer than Luis Loot. Check out how many times G10 slags anything NZ, and puts not any, but all, decisions down to conspiracies betw NZ-Aus as if it is fact. Thats not only naive, but insulting. He is but 1 of many, very many, who sing the same tune. So if you have 1 or 2 fish who happen to swim against the tide, then rest assured they are the strong ones.

I most certainly dont ‘paint’ all Safas with 1 paintbrush either. Ive hired 4 of the b@st@rds here and 1 other is a best mate and Godfather of 1 of my kids. But I dont take any nonsense from them either. They can get nasty when the subject of footy arises, rest assured.

And in summary, may I refer to yours ? “We all know the ABs arent choirboys”. Yes, well, quite. The difference is, tho, that the ABs and their fans arent saying that they are.

I had a very interesting chat on silver fern with the bloggers there about how the citing system could be constructively addressed…must say it was refreshing to see that most kiwi bloggers are quite pleasant and actually willing to have civil, two-way conversations without always degenerating into tired old accusations and rants.

And of course we all know the AB’s are choirboys who would NEVER dream of trying to get away with anything illegal…on the contrary, I often see NZ players owning up to their own illegal actions.

Thats also why noone likes the Aussie cricket team.

Which is to miss the point.

‘disingenuous nonsense’ is also wearing armbands on to the field to protest the ‘victim’ Bakkies in the same week a player got off lightly for eye-gouging. How can you be ‘disgusted’ by 1 player – who was allowed back on the field, a fact explicit in the last-min Test & Series victory – in the same breath as preaching the ‘we are persecuted’ line to the World ?

check out the rubbish spewed forth by UFO @ 56 – “researching data……citing examples” of SA persecution, a line repeated ad nauseum here by a plentiude of bloggers as if it were fact.

SAs attitude in footy seems to mimic that of the Aussie cricketers, tas if to say that youre ‘only out if the Ump says so’ ie you never walk, on the premise that you sometimes get out when youre not.

Quit the persecution BS. Sometimes its better to walk.

this from the guy saying that I “go on and on about it” ?

UFO, return to your own solar system immediately, we’ve already got enough weirdo obsessed ones here to worry about thanks. So pull the curtains, lock the door and wait for the little men in their white coats to turn up and escort you off the planet.

Hey, and ‘dont take yourself so farken seriously’ when you arrive home. They might not reject you this time.

OK, Mr Serious Transformation Man, its now official that you were born without an ulnar nerve in your humerus (aka ‘funny bone’). Seek professional help.

Yes, DC is supreme. Or, as Chris Rattue (NZHeralds own Stephen Jones-esque prime sh*tstirrer and Henry-hater) said yest:-

“Carter’s tackle was magnificent in its intent, but ultimately poorly executed and illegal. The NZRU may be overbearing and unbearable, and the Henry regime so smug it makes the skin crawl, yet it is an enthralling honour to witness the careers of Carter and Richie McCaw, whose skill in understanding and dealing with what rugby has become is keeping this team in the hunt.

Carter was immaculate in Cardiff, but of course he always is.

He doesn’t have the razor-sharp sidestep of Phil Bennett, or the extreme wizardry of Mark Ella, or even maybe the ways of Australia’s hooded, silent assassin, Stephen Larkham. (As rugby plods from one breakdown or bomb to the next, I find myself dreaming of the days of Larkham, and wondering if the game will ever return to a state that allows such a talent.)

As a goalkicker, Carter is superb, but lacks extreme distance. In every other way though, including defence, he is a supreme No 10.

If you had to pick your all-time team, then Ella or Larkham and a good few European candidates would more than do at first five-eighths, with Ella perhaps the favourite, especially on entertainment value. A couple of Argentines would be candidates.

South Africans would rightly have their choices, although they never attacked with the genius of Ella, Bennett and Co.

Me though? I’d have Dan Carter, the all-round supremo, running the show.”

BTW – Rattue wrote this article 24hrs BEFORE the Judgement on DC and Rattue, fair to the bitter core, said:-

“Carter, a brave but normally clinical rather than ferocious tackler, had clearly decided that this was not a moment for taking prisoners.

He aimed a ferocious blow at the area in which Roberts was carrying the ball in an effort to dislodge it. And once you pull the trigger with that sort of intent there ain’t no room for readjustment.

Roberts did fall slightly, making it more likely that Carter would clout him in the head, but players at this level must know that if they go ahead with this sort of tackle, there is a good chance it will end up being high.

He is guilty, and it would be a travesty if the judiciary ruled otherwise overnight.”.

whats lower than the ‘bottom of the barrel’ when scraping is not enough ?

keep scraping, BH.

I understand the lineup gets announced at 3pm Italy.

Wow, ifs that the case then the ABs will have a match on their hands. The Azzurri have really toughened up, considerably, in the pack and will have Gouger II, Parisse, avail and also (?) the Argentinian behemoth, Castrogiovani, who singelhandedly destroyed the Springboks last week playing for Leicester C.

Must say, its honourably ballsy call by the 3 Blind Mice to select so many debutants/fringers. Delany still strikes me as a tidy-but-limited player but Im happy to trial anything at 10 if The Duck is the only alternative.

Havent seen enough of Ellison. Im wondering if he is related to Rhys Ellison of Otago/Waikato fame circa mid-80′s, crash-tackling 12/13. Was probably the best tackler in NZ at the time, absolutely lethal.

McAlister is an awesome player, he just needs gametime. Not sure if ‘steadying influence’ inside/outside 2 x AB debutants is something you can say of Cool Hand Luke, but he puts it about and has all the skills req’d at this level. His huge boot also comes in handy when the heat is on.

Will we see Tarzan moved to his favoured 15 jersey or will Ben ‘Who ?’ Smith get a run ? Experience is vital at FB when running out with a few debutants with nerves.

I would love to see Messam and Boric getting runs, but just presumed these would be bench roles and then perhaps starting vs BaaBaas. Boric was looking really good for Harbour prior to selection.

Anyway, considering the Azzurri did very well against a strong AB lineup IN NZ, then this sounds a bit too risky to me with a packed 80,000+ at the San Siro. Wonderful if it comes off and 2-3 of the new players star, but horribly damaging on any career that would be involved in an upset, players & Management incl.

Forza Nero !!!

The kick on Leonard’s head was terrible, when compared with Colin Meads air swing in Edinburgh. The number of professional fouls that were ignored beggars belief, particularly Jones playing half back for the All Blacks and the spoil on the All Blacks try.

The TMO has become a total joke and the All Blacks have one from five on this tour.

Maybe. Maybe not. Wales looked completely toothless in the 2nd half bar last gasp activities, besides, how about their own pals being sent to the bin for their own professional fouls? In that case, Wales would have starind down the barrel of another 20+ hiding.

Anyway, the game is over, DC escaped and so did a bunch of Welsh. 57 years go on. There always is a next time to try again.

LOL! Good start of the day.

Okay Waka… Let’s try one more time…

Firstly… the other day I posted that I thought Carter should not have been cited or banned… I was agreeing with you… I never mentioned a South African players of any reffing with regard to a South African player… you responded to me, by name, castigating me about Burger and Botha…

So yes… you do go on and on about it and bring it up even when others like me never mentioned it at all… you just can’t help yourself and can’t get beyond it…

Secondly… most SA supporters were shocked and repulsed by Burger’s actions and I can’t recall anyone saying he should not have been red-carded or subsequently banned…
But that doesn’t mean we have to keep on and on about it every time his name is mentioned either…

Thirdly… Take just one of those incidents… Botha’s… No sooner had he driven into Jones’ shoulder… the Lion’s hooker drove head-first into Botha’s ribs in pretty much the same way, some woud say with more intent… yet was not penalised… If you’re going to go on about dirty play you should be consistent…

Fourthly… when researching trends in any data you need to actually look at all the available data… the guys who go on about anti-SA reffing can cite examples until the cows come home… you keep harping on about the same two examples over and over… The pattern is established by the overwhelming weight of the data… one or two exceptions are just that… exceptions… they don’t disprove the pattern…

Fifthly… you generalise across the board like most bigots do. You are so wrapped up in your anti-South African emotions that you can’t look rationally at the problem… You come on Keo and address “saffas” all the time instead of mentioning the individuals who made the alleged comments by name… generalisation is one of the favourite tools of bigots…

And… finally… your use of non sequiturs just demonstrates your intellectual inability to argue each topic on its own merits…

Sheesh man… lighten up… don’t take yourself so farking seriously… you may be a big deal to New Zealand rugby… but in cyberspace you’re just another nickname…

If you’re into this “I’m an importaant person/blogger and my opinion is more important than every South African opinion” BS… go and blog on a New Zealand rugby site where they will cow-tow to you…