Back in Black

New Zealand may be the only rugby super-power where fans get nervous with the success of the All Blacks.

In 1998, 2002, and 2006, the All Blacks won the Tri-Nations Trophy-the Holy Grail of Southern Hemisphere Rugby...only to lose to France in an epic semi-final in the 1999 Rugby World Cup, Australia in the Semi-finals in 2003 and Franc again in the Quarterfinals of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Kiwi fans expect only the best from their men in black...yet, there seems to be lingering doubts of bad mojo in this pre-World Cup Year of 2010, with the Rugby World Cup to be played in the All Blacks back yard next year.

The All Blacks have looked really good in their previous matches. They really needed to avoid getting blown out this past Saturday in Soweto against the Springboks.

The Springboks played their best match of this year's Tri-Nations campaign...and yet that still was not enough to keep the All Blacks from scoring two tries in the last 3 minutes from Richie McCaw and Isreal Dagg to eek out a thrilling win to regain the Tri-Nations trophy 29-22-spoiling Springbok captain John Smit's 100th cap for South Africa.

The only bad news for New Zealand is that fly-half Dan Carter is going to miss at least 8 weeks of play with ankle surgery after the gritty win in Soweto.(Did anybody in South Africa ever imagine a rugby match being played in Soweto 20 years ago?)


13 months out from the beginning of Rugby World Cup 2011, the All Blacks once again look like the team to beat. The Springboks played their best match of this Tri-Nations season, and that was not enough to keep Tony Woodcock (who did us props proud by poaching a nice try) and his mates from lifting the Tri-Nations trophy on South African soil.

The only bad news for New Zealand is that their fly-half and heart-throb of my daughter, Daniel Carter is going to need ankle surgery. But with the Tri Nations well in hand and the Super 15 season months away, it's a perfect time for the Kiwi #10 to get his ankle fixed.

You have to give the Kiwis credit. From their June International matches to the Tri-Nations matches, Graham Henry's men have looked formidable, to say the least. All Black Full back Mils Muliaina has found the fountain of youth and has been an MVP candidate for the All Blacks. Even wing Joe Rokocoko-who looked out of it last year for New Zealand, has found new life with inspired play this season for the All Blacks.

So, if you are an All Black fan, enjoy the Tri Nations triumph...but a part of you has to be waiting for the other shoe to drop next year in New Zealand. Time will tell.

Boks Left All Black and Blue in Auckland...

This year's Tri-Nations competition kicked off on Saturday at Eden Park in Auckland, with the holders South Africa taking on the All Blacks, in what on paper looked to be a mouth-watering appetizer to kick off the new season with next year's Rugby World Cup-also to be played in Kiwi-Land now looming on the horizon.

The  All-Blacks looked the better of the two sides from the get-go, and won 32-12 in a match that was not even that close. New Zealand played with an intensity that had the Springboks on the back foot for most of the game. What really impressed me was the All  Black scrum, who had a very, very strong game from their front row. The All Black dominance even carried over to the line-outs, where the Sprinboks and their all-world second row, Victor Matfield usually reign supreme.

It would be the Springboks  other second row, Bakkies Botha, who would figure in a big way in this game-and his impact would be negative for the South Africans. The match referee, Alan Lewis missed Botha's head-butt on Jimmy Cowan, but was yellow-carded minutes later for a professional foul. Playing a man down, the Boks conceded a try by Conrad Smith-the first of four tries for the All Blacks, who earned the bonus point win with some sublime, hard-charging rugby. Center,Ma'a Nonu and Fullback Mulaina played really well with their physical runs. Dan Carter at fly-half was his usual self for the All Blacks in a great opener for Graham Henry's men.

Adding to the Springbok woes was finding out that Bakkies Botha will be suspended for 9 weeks-the rest of the Tri-Nations season for his head-butt on Cowan. The severity of the sanction is no doubt due to long rap sheet that the Blue Bulls second row has, including  this year's Super 14 play-offs, after being suspended for a month on a reckless charge, and he received a two-week ban for the same offence against the British & Irish Lions last year. Going even further back, Botha was also forced to

miss three weeks of last year's Super 14 for striking and in 2003 he was suspended for eight weeks after spitting at, biting and eye-gouging Australian hooker Brendan Cannon. 

The Springboks have a week to get their act together before taking on the All Blacks in Wellington, next Saturday. It cannot come soon enough for the South Africans to get the bad after taste out of their mouths from a very poor opening at Edcn Park.