Tri Nations Rugby

A new breed of coach?

2011-10-12T06:26:00.004+01:00

The outgoing Springbok coach, Peter de Villiers, has been a controversial figure during the four years of his tenure. He's been villified in certain quarters as much for his media gaffes as his lack of experience as a top-level coach. Many die-hard Springbok supporters have expressed the opinion that, given a more accomplished coach, the "golden generation" of players he had at his disposal should have been far more dominant on the world stage. Most of the aforementioned supporters will be glad his reign appears to be coming to an end at the end of the 2011 world cup.

Player support

Yet many of the players have repeatedly come out in support of De Villiers. Perhaps not surprising when their places in the team have depended on it; but more surprising that they (notably John Smit and Victor Matfield) haven't changed their tune since retiring and are now beyond his reach. From what they've said, it seems De Villiers genuinely managed to create a happy environment for the players, one in which they felt supported and able to contribute to the Springbok cause behind the scenes as well as on the field. And even (shock and horror) with regards to having an influence on the playing style adopted by the team.

This is all wrong, say the critics. The coach's job is to lay down the law, and the players should carry out his plan to the best of their ability - even blindly. And let's face it, this is pretty much the traditional role of a coach, particularly in an autocratic society like South Africa.

Agile rugby teams

But maybe Peter de Villiers is on to something. The fact is, he leaves the job with results on a par with far more celebrated South African coaches like Jake White and Nick Mallett, so he must have done something right, right? Wrong! say the critics - any success the team has had is purely down to the players, not the coach at all. Well, er, yes - my point exactly. I'm willing to consider the possibility that De Villiers has been astute enough to create an environment in which the players could function effectively, and secure enough to then step out of their way so they could get on with it.

This is nothing new in the business world where there is a definite trend towards agile, self-organising teams making decisions themselves about how best to achieve a desired outcome. In this model, the manager's role is not to tell the team how to go about achieving the goal, but to remove obstacles that stand in their way and shield them from outside influences that distract them from the goal. This has proven to be a very successful approach in industries like software development, yielding far better results than more traditional methods.

Innovation in rugby

Rugby is still very much about tradition, but that does not mean it has to be traditional in its approach. To stay ahead of the competition teams have to constantly innovate, and this does not have to be restricted only to what happens on the field, but just as much about what happens behind the scenes - perhaps more so. Heart-rate monitors, GPS tracking, peripheral vision training, use of cryogenic chambers... just some of the recent innovations that have been applied in an attempt to push the boundaries of the sport.

Peter de Villiers may not have been the most technical coach, but I believe he deserves far more credit than he has been given. Who knows, he may just have provided the blueprint for a revolution in the management of teams: a new breed of coach to take the game to the next level. Let's see if anyone's been paying attention.

Round 2 result: All Blacks 31-17 Springboks

2010-07-19T18:40:00.004+01:00

The All Blacks underlined their recent excellent form with another emphatic win over the Springboks on Saturday. They came out and continued from where they left off in the previous match, playing with confidence, enthusiasm and an intensity that the Springboks just couldn't contain at times.

The Springboks were better than last week, but weren't helped when lock Danie Rossouw was sent to the sin bin within the first five minutes for an innocuous tap on the head of Richie McCaw for killing the ball at a ruck. The ref was obviously keen to stamp his authority on the match early on, but the South Africans were clearly unsettled by the event and conceded two tries in the subsequent ten minutes. They can be grateful Dan Carter left his kicking boots at home or the score would have been far worse. As it is they started to come back into the game just before half time, but it was always an uphill battle.

As it was, if anyone deserved to spend some time in the sin bin it was McCaw himself, for repeated infringements at the ruck. At one point he was given an official warning, but the ref failed to back up his threat when McCaw infringed again just a few minutes later. No doubt he's still one of the best open-siders around, but he does seem to get away with a lot.

Although they'll be disappointed with another loss to the All Blacks, the Springboks will take heart from their second half performance. They looked a lot more fluent and threatening, particularly when Ruan Pienaar replaced Ricky Januarie at scrum half - with his snappy service and better kicking game he definitely deserves a start in the next match. But it must be at scrum half, which is his best position - not flyhalf or fullback.

The All Blacks now have a week off, while the Springboks prepare themselves for a must-win encounter with the Wallabies in Brisbane.

Tri Nations Round 2 preview: All Blacks vs Springboks

2010-07-16T17:35:00.001+01:00

After last week's lackluster showing by the Springboks in going down 32-12 to the All Blacks, they'll need a much improved performance to get their 2010 campaign on track. And what's more, they'll have to do it without hard man Bakkies Botha who can surely have no complaints about his 9 week ban for blatantly headbutting Jimmy Cowan. His replacement Danie Rossouw has had a great year so far mind you, so they won't lose much in the physicality stakes there.

The All Blacks meanwhile will be quietly confident after comprehensively winning the physical battle at the contact area against their much vaunted opponents. They were dominant both on attack and defence, not giving the Boks any time or space to play with the ball, and forcing them into kicking from where the Kiwis could launch their devastating counter-attack. Whether the Blacks can reproduce the intensity that won them the match last weekend remains to be seen, but they must be firm favourites going into tomorrow's game.

Here are the team lineups:

All Blacks

15. Mils Muliaina
14. Cory Jane
13. Conrad Smith
12. Ma'a Nonu
11. Rene Ranger
10. Daniel Carter
9. Piri Weepu
8. Kieran Read
7. Richie McCaw (captain)
6. Jerome Kaino
5. Tom Donnelly
4. Brad Thorn
3. Owen Franks
2. Keven Mealamu
1. Tony Woodcock

Replacements: Corey Flynn, Ben Franks, Sam Whitelock, Liam Messam, Jimmy Cowan, Aaron Cruden, Israel Dagg

Springboks

15. Zane Kirchner
14. Jean de Villiers
13. Jaque Fourie
12. Wynand Oliver
11. Bryan Habana
10. Morné Steyn
9. Ricky Januarie
8. Pierre Spies
7. Francois Louw
6. Schalk Burger
5. Victor Matfield
4. Danie Rossouw
3. CJ van der Linde
2. John Smit (captain)
1. Gurthrö Steenkamp

Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, BJ Botha, Andries Bekker, Ryan Kankowski, Ruan Pienaar, Butch James, Gio Aplon

Kickoff is at 07:35 GMT. See you there.

Teams for Tri Nations opener: All Blacks vs Springboks

2010-07-09T06:58:00.002+01:00

Here are the teams for the Tri Nations clash between the All Blacks and Springboks in Auckland on 10th July 2010.

All Black team

The All Blacks have opted to go with experience over youth for this important match, hoping to end their run of three straight defeats against the Springboks.

15. Mils Muliaina
14. Cory Jane
13. Conrad Smith
12. Ma'a Nonu
11. Joe Rokocoko
10. Dan Carter
9. Jimmy Cowan
8. Kieran Read
7. Richie McCaw (captain)
6. Jerome Kaino
5. Tom Donnelly
4. Brad Thorn
3. Owen Franks
2. Keven Mealamu
1.Tony Woodcock

Replacements: Corey Flynn, Ben Franks, Samuel Whitelock, Liam Messam, Piri Weepu, Aaron Cruden, Richard Kahui

Springbok team

The Springboks also have a very settled look about them, with just a couple of relatively inexperienced players in Zane Kirchner and Francois Louw.

15. Zane Kirchner
14. Jean de Villiers
13. Jaque Fourie
12. Wynand Olivier
11. Bryan Habana
10. Morné Steyn
9. Ricky Januarie
8. Pierre Spies
7. Francois Louw
6. Schalk Burger
5. Victor Matfield
4. Bakkies Botha
3. Jannie du Plessis
2. John Smit (captain)
1. Gurthro Steenkamp.

Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, BJ Botha, Andries Bekker, Danie Rossouw, Ruan Pienaar, Butch James, Gio Aplon

Match Preview

It's always difficult to know what to expect in the first match of a tournament. Both teams have reasserted their dominance over their northern hemisphere opponents in the summer internationals, but expect the intensity to go up a gear on Saturday.

It's an important match for both teams to set the tone for each's Tri Nations campaign, but also in the jostling for pyschological ascendancy in the run-up to next year's World Cup. The Springboks in particular need to build on last year's wins on New Zealand soil to convince themselves that they really can win down there; another loss for the All Blacks though and the pressure from their public will really start to escalate.

Kickoff is at 07:35 GMT. See you there!

Tri Nations 2010 Fixtures

2010-06-25T06:58:00.000+01:00

Well, with the Super 14 out of the way for another year and the mid-year south versus north matches almost finished, it's time to start focussing on tri nations 2010. The Springboks, All Blacks and Wallabies have once again confirmed their positions as the top three teams in world rugby, and we can look forward to some hard-fought tussles as the teams continue their preparations for next year's world cup.

Here is the 2010 tri nations fixture list:

Date	Fixture	Venue
10th July	NZ vs SA	Auckland
17th July	NZ vs SA	Wellington
24th July	Aus vs SA	Brisbane
31st July	Aus vs NZ	Melbourne
7th August	NZ vs Aus	Christchurch
21st August	SA vs NZ	Johannesburg
28th August	SA vs Aus	Pretoria
4th September	SA vs Aus	Bloemfontein
11th September	Aus vs NZ	Sydney

After all the thrilling action of 0-0 draws in the football, I for one am looking forward to some decent sporting entertainment again!

(PS: Vuvuzelas are not required, although I suspect they just might make their tri nations debut on the return leg of the competition...)

2009 Tri Nations wrap-up

2009-09-30T06:27:00.004+01:00

Well, last weekend's 33-6 trouncing of the Wallabies by the All Blacks wrapped up this year's Tri Nations tournament. It was a great one for the Springboks, who won it for only the third time, underlining their deserved spot as World Champions and at the top of the IRB rankings. For the All Blacks and Wallabies it was obviously less satisfying, particularly for the Wallabies - at the beginning of the tournament, some thought they may be the team to watch. But unfortunately, in spite of playing brilliantly in patches, they just couldn't put it together consistently enough to threaten for the title. Still, they remain a dangerous team, and I expect them to continue to improve, as long as they don't do anything stupid (like axing Robbie Deans).

So in the end the points table looks like this:

Team	P	W	L	D	Bon	Pts
South Africa	6	5	1	0	1	21
New Zealand	6	3	3	0	1	13
Australia	6	1	5	0	3	7

And here's a reminder of the results of each game:

All Blacks 22 - 16 Wallabies
Springboks 28 - 19 All Blacks
Springboks 31 - 19 All Blacks
Springboks 29 - 17 Wallabies
Wallabies 18 - 19 All Blacks
Wallabies 25 - 32 Springboks
Wallabies 21 - 6 Springboks
All Blacks 29 - 32 Springboks
All Blacks 33 - 6 Wallabies

Autumn Internationals

The tri nations teams now have a few weeks break from internationals before the annual north versus south series known as the rugby autumn internationals kicks off. No doubt the players will be released back to their clubs to participate in their domestic competitions, while the coaching staff frantically plan ahead for the upcoming matches.

Springboks clinch 2009 Tri Nations

2009-09-15T21:49:00.005+01:00

The Springboks squeezed out another win over the All Blacks on Saturday in an "epic" (in the words of John Smit) test match in Hamilton, to clinch the 2009 Tri Nations tournament, only the third time in the tournament's history that they've managed to win it. It was a must-win game for the All Blacks to have any chance of an unlikely come-from-behind steal of the cup, but they had to win and prevent the Springboks from getting any points on the log to stand a chance. Satisfyingly for Springbok fans, their team went out with real belief and commitment to not just defend their position on the points table, but to win the game - which they did by 32 points to 29.

Springbok brilliance

The Springbok victory was built on their usual pressure game, coupled with a few moments of individual brilliance to score:

Francois "bazooka" Steyn: we've come to expect long-range kicks from the audacious fullback, but three 50m-plus kicks in a match? Must be some kind of record! And he missed an equally long drop-goal attempt in the second half - but not by all that much!

Fourie "sniper" du Preez: his try was brilliant. First he put up the kick, then challenged for the catch, doing enough to disrupt Rokocoko's catch. Bakkies Botha then carried strongly to within a couple metres of the line, only for Du Preez to once again get his hands on the ball for a quick snipe to claim the try.

Jean "interceptor" de Villiers: As he's done so often in the past, he read the All Blacks move to perfection for an easy steal and run in to score under the posts.

Apart from the significance of the match in the context of this year's Tri Nations tournament, it was also a special moment for a couple of other reasons:

It was the third Springbok victory in a row over the All Blacks - when last did that happen?

As long as he's been playing for the Springboks, this was John Smit's first win over the All Blacks in New Zealand! Lately there's been a lot of hype about how the Springboks are the world's best team yadda yadda, but let's not forget the All Blacks have had the edge over them in the last few years, particularly in the Tri Nations.

All Blacks not too shabby

Although the All Blacks couldn't quite do enough to win the match, they played their part in a gripping encounter, looking particularly dangerous with the ball in hand. They had a fair amount of success spreading it wide to outflank the Springbok defence (which, it must be said, was awesome on the day), and won the second half. Unfortunately they were once again let down by a misfiring lineout which took away a lot of their momentum, or the result could have been different. Although at the moment they're not quite the force they have been for so long, this is still an awesome team that'll beat most teams any day of the week.

Australia 25 - 32 South Africa: Tri Nations Round 6 Result

2009-09-02T17:50:00.004+01:00

The Springboks continued their unbeaten run in Tri Nations 2009 with an impressive win over the Wallabies at the Subiaco Oval in Perth on Saturday, to snuff out any chance they may have had of making a late bid for the trophy. In the process the Springboks put away the pattern which has been so successful for them up to now and instead dusted off their running game to score the tournament's first four-try bonus point.

Springbok tries

Two of the Springbok tries were a direct result of their normal pressure game: the first came as scrumhalf Fourie du Preez seized on a momentary lapse in concentration from the Wallaby defence to take a quick tap and crash over for a close-range individual effort. The second came as Wallaby wing Lachie Turner was unable to control a high catch and knocked the ball straight into the waiting arms of opposite number Bryan Habana who cruised over for an easy touchdown.

The other two Springbok tries were simple set-piece moves which were executed extremely well, to see first Jacque Fourie and then Bryan Habana run through the Wallaby defence without a hand on them. After all the recent criticism about the Springboks' "boring" style of play, it was thrilling to see them running the ball and scoring some excellent tries, and I'm sure the guys enjoyed it too!

Wallabies come back

At 6-22 down at half-time, the Wallabies looked completely out of the game. They'd been outplayed by the red-hot Boks, and their own mistakes had kept them on the back foot for most of the half. However, that all changed after the break and they ran out with renewed intensity and were rewarded shortly with the first of two Matt Giteau tries. After that they waited until the last five minutes of the game for a quick two-try blitz to gain their third losing bonus point for finishing within seven points of the opposition.

That they got so close is a testament to the Wallabies fighting spirit. The fact is they won the half 19-10, and while some of that may be attributed to the Springboks taking their foot off the gas, the Wallabies played very well in patches, as they've done throughout this Tri Nations. They've been regularly winning the first half of their matches - perhaps they're overdue for a game where they win both halves?

Wallaby scrumhalf problems

Scrumhalf Luke Burgess did not have a good game - his passing was imprecise, laboured and inconsistent, and one feels this had a lot to do with the Wallabies' lack of momentum in the first half. Flyhalf Matt Giteau had a poor first half too; without making excuses for him, one wonders how much of this was due to the service he was getting from Burgess? I wouldn't be surprised to see a different player starting at number 9 next week - Will Genia has looked good whenever he's come on, so perhaps he has earned a chance? With the Wallabies' chances in this Tri Nations now gone, they surely don't have a lot to lose, and should focus on using the remaining matches to build some momentum going into the second half of the season.

Springbok scrum problems

The Springboks didn't have things all their own way either. They were again outscrummed by the Wallabies, and conceded numerous penalties in this area of the game. There are still lingering doubts about John Smit's ability at prop, and this is something of a dilemma for the coaching staff. There is no doubting Smit's value as captain of the team, but you can't have a player on the field who's not on top of his own game. For now the situation is still under control, but if the scrum becomes an area of weakness that other teams can target, it will undermine the rest of the Springbok game, as it did to an extent on Saturday, and something will have to be done. Either Smit will have to move back to hooker, or perhaps the captaincy could be handed over to another player while Smit plays himself out in the first 50 to 60 minutes, to allow an impact player on in the closing stages.

State of the tournament

It's now hard to see the Springboks not winning this tournament. The All Blacks will have to win their remaining two matches with bonus points, and also rely on the Springboks losing their remaining two. Of course, this is not at all outside the realms of possibility, but with the way the Boks are playing at the moment, you'd have to back them to at least pick up a couple of bonus points, which will be enough to see them home. To be honest though, I believe they're aiming for far more than that, and will not be satisfied with less than at least one more win, if not a clean sweep.

IRB Threatens Springbok World Cup Ban

2009-08-26T21:31:00.003+01:00

The IRB has at long last published the findings of the independent review of the Bakkies Botha "Justice 4" incident which took place in the third British Lions test a few weeks ago. The Springboks wore armbands in a show of solidarity with their star lock who was cited and subsequently banned for two weeks for clearing out a player at a ruck, an action which is seen as a standard part of the game by most, happens in virtually every match, and rarely results in a penalty let alone a ban.

The review found the South African Rugby Union and Springbok team guilty of bringing the game of rugby into disrepute by daring to question the ban and subsequent rejection of their appeal. However it appears the sanctions imposed by the committee are not punitive enough for the IRB and they are hinting that they may pursue the matter further, even going so far as to ban the Springboks from the 2011 World Cup!

Quite frankly I find it ridiculous that the IRB could even make such a statement. I very much doubt that they would be able to follow through on the threat even if they wanted to, but in my opinion it is the IRB which has really brought rugby into disrepute. The IRB act as if they own the game, but seem to forget that without the players there wouldn't be anything to administer.

I truly hope this doesn't affect the Springboks' preparations for what promises to be another cracking game against the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday. Because if the threat of exclusion from the World Cup has any substance, the Springboks' best defence is to keep playing winning rugby. It would be a lot harder to exclude the world's number one team than say the third or fourth best.

And the IRB should cut out the power plays (leave that to the players!) and concentrate on sorting out the apparent inconsistencies in the disciplinary process. That, in my view, is the only way for them to regain the trust and respect of the players and sporting public, and restore their image which has suffered immensely due to the authoritarian manner in which they have handled this entire episode.

Australia 18 - 19 New Zealand: Tri Nations round 5

2009-08-25T21:45:00.002+01:00

Saturday's Tri Nations encounter between the Wallabies and All Blacks in Sydney was every bit as entertaining as we could have hoped. Both teams played with ambition and intensity, but the All Blacks broke Australian hearts by edging it in the last few minutes to keep hold of the Bledisloe Cup for another year, and more importantly, to keep alive their chances of winning the 2009 Tri Nations.

Backline play

It was refreshing to see both teams try to bring their backlines into the game, in contrast to the effective but rather boring tactics we've seen from the Springboks in the tournament so far. Dan Carter had a clear impact on the game in respect of moving the ball out wide and bringing his outside backs into the action, and while neither backline really fired on all cylinders, the teams are to be commended for their efforts.

Defensive pressure

The fact that we only saw a single try in the game is testament to the commitment of both teams' defence. It was positively ferocious at times, a fact underlined by the amount of blood lost by players from both sides! In fairness the All Blacks could have scored several tries in the second half, but were let down by minor infringements at the last moment each time.

New Zealand had all the territory, possession and momentum in the second half, and probably deserved their victory in the end. But by now the Wallabies must be wondering what they have to do to get a win in this competition. They didn't play badly at all, and showed clear improvement in some of the areas that have let them down in previous matches. So far this year they've been starting well, but have proved unable to keep hold of their lead for the full 80 minutes.

State of the competition

Things are nicely poised going into round 6. All teams still have a chance of winning the tournament, although Australia must beat South Africa in the next match to stay in it. The Springboks have the "luxury" of being able to afford a couple of losses and still win the tournament, and although I'm sure they will want to nail it down at the first opportunity, that knowledge in the back of their minds may be their undoing on Saturday. One thing's for sure, you can never write off a side like Australia while they still have a fighting chance.

Teams for Tri Nations round 5: Wallabies vs All Blacks

2009-08-21T06:58:00.004+01:00

Having reached the half-way point in the 2009 Tri Nations, we return on Saturday with the Wallabies hosting the All Blacks in a crucial match in Sydney. This Bledisloe Cup match is a must-win for both teams, as whoever loses can kiss their chances in the tournament goodbye. Both sides have a point to prove after unconvincing starts to the Tri Nations, and even their respective Prime Ministers have gotten into the act with a friendly bet on the outcome of the match: the loser has agreed to wear the official tie of the opposition on Monday!

Wallabies team

The Wallabies will be without talismanic captain Stirling Mortlock who was injured in their last game against the Springboks. But James O'Connor is a tremendously exciting prospect and seems very comfortable in the test environment. The team is also bolstered by the timely return of Rocky Elsom, who will no doubt make his presence felt around the pitch.

15. James O'Connor
14. Lachie Turner
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
12. Berrick Barnes
11. Drew Mitchell
10. Matt Giteau
9. Luke Burgess
8. Richard Brown
7. George Smith (captain)
6. Rocky Elsom
5. Nathan Sharpe
4. James Horwill
3. Al Baxter
2. Stephen Moore
1. Benn Robinson

Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Alexander, Dean Mumm, David Pocock, Will Genia, Ryan Cross, Peter Hynes.

All Blacks team

The All Blacks welcome Dan Carter back at flyhalf, and will be hoping he can put them back on the front foot. It's a lot to ask from one player, but if anyone can deliver, he can!

15. Mils Muliaina
14. Joe Rokocoko
13. Conrad Smith
12. Luke McAlister
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu
10. Dan Carter
9. Jimmy Cowan
8. Kieran Read
7. Richie McCaw (captain)
6. Jerome Kaino
5. Isaac Ross
4. Brad Thorn
3. Owen Franks
2. Andrew Hore
1. Tony Woodcock

Replacements: Aled de Malmanche, John Afoa, Jason Eaton, Rodney So'oialo, Brendon Leonard, Stephen Donald, Ma'a Nonu.

Kick-off is at 8pm Australian time (11am GMT).

Springboks 29 - 17 Wallabies: Tri Nations round 4

2009-08-11T17:28:00.002+01:00

The Springboks completed a clean sweep of home games on Saturday with a deserved 29-17 victory over the Wallabies at Newlands in Cape Town. The Wallabies got off to a great start, scoring in the corner from a set move in the 2nd minute of the game. But it was all South Africa thereafter, their pressure game once again squeezing the life out of the opposition.

Wallabies lineout woes

The Wallabies had a dismal day in the lineout, conceding numerous turnovers on their own throw, while not managing to put any pressure on the Springbok lineout. To be fair, the Springboks didn't have too many throw-ins, because the Wallabies refused to kick for touch. One has got to give credit to the Boks here for their dominance though - the Wallabies are generally regarded as having one of the better lineouts in the game, but Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha were all over them on Saturday. And added to the way they performed against the All Blacks in the last couple of games, one has to admit this is the best lineout around at the moment.

Wallabies ill-discipline

The Australians were also guilty of giving away too many penalties, mostly in kickable positions. Once again the reliable boot of Springbok flyhalf Morne Steyn kept the scoreboard moving for the Springboks - he ended the match with a personal tally of 24 for the day. The frustration began to tell towards the end of the first half, which the Wallabies ended with only 13 men on the field: Matt Giteau was given a yellow card for a dangerous aerial challenge on Fourie du Preez (and was fortunate not to be cited after the match), and Richard Brown followed barely a minute later for a professional foul. George Smith also picked up a yellow in the last couple of minutes of the game for a similar professional foul, but the match was sealed by then.

By contrast, the Springboks kept their discipline throughout the match, and when they did concede penalties, they were mostly not in kickable positions. Obviously it's easier to keep your composure when things are going your way, and so far this season the Springboks have had most things their way.

Springbok backline?

Even though the game was won in convincing fashion, the Springboks once again failed to show much on attack via the backs. Sure, they were good on defence and putting pressure on the opposition, but one can't help feeling they are not living up to the potential they have. It's hard to criticise a winning strategy, and in fact it would be foolish to suggest the team abandon what is working so well for them at the moment, but one hopes they have a few moves up their sleeve in case they need to resort to Plan B one of these days...

State of play

The Springboks are currently in a strong position on the table ahead of their overseas leg. But let's not forget they are not the best of travellers. The other thing to bear in mind is that there have still not been any away wins this year; if that trend continues it will be a tight finish and will come down to bonus points or points-difference to seperate the teams. And so far the only team to have a bonus point are the Wallabies.

With the way they've been playing one should back the Boks to register at least one away win, which should see them win the tournament for only the third time - especially if the All Blacks and Wallabies split the rest of their matches. But there's still everything to play for when the tournament resumes on 22nd August.

Teams for Tri Nations round 4: Springboks vs Wallabies

2009-08-08T08:56:00.003+01:00

Here are the teams for the Tri Nations clash between the Springboks and Wallabies in Cape Town on 8th August 2009.

Springbok team

The only change to the Springbok team is that fit-again Ruan Pienaar comes back into the squad for Wynand Olivier, having recovered from an injury sustained in round 2. Morne Steyn has been rewarded for an excellent game last week by retaining his place in the starting lineup.

15. Frans Steyn
14. JP Pietersen
13. Jaque Fourie
12. Jean de Villiers
11. Bryan Habana
10. Morné Steyn
9. Fourie du Preez
8. Pierre Spies
7. Juan Smith
6. Heinrich Brüssow
5. Victor Matfield
4. Bakkies Botha
3. John Smit (captain)
2. Bismarck du Plessis
1. Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira

Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis, Andries Bekker, Danie Rossouw, Ricky Januarie, Ruan Pienaar, Adi Jacobs

Wallabies team

The Wallabies also retain the same starting lineup from their previous match, with one change on the bench: Peter Hynes in for Phil Waugh. To be honest, with the way Heinrich Brussow has been playing at the breakdown, I'm a bit surprised they've left Waugh out - he could have provided cover in case George Smith gets injured (or as part of a fetcher "double team" which they've employed in the past).

15. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Lachie Turner
13. Stirling Mortlock (captain)
12. Berrick Barnes
11. Drew Mitchell
10. Matt Giteau
9. Luke Burgess
8. Wycliff Palu
7. George Smith
6. Richard Brown
5. Nathan Sharpe
4. James Horwill
3. Al Baxter
2. Stephen Moore
1. Benn Robinson

Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Ben Alexander, Dean Mumm, David Pocock, Will Genia, Peter Hynes, James O'Connor

Match Preview

This should be another fascinating clash. The Springboks deservedly start as favourites after back-to-back wins over the All Blacks, but despite the Wallabies poor record playing in South Africa, they are a serious threat. I thought they had the beating of the All Blacks in the opening game, even though they ended up losing, and I expect they'll be very competitive again today. The Springbok backline defence has looked a bit fragile this season, and if anyone can exploit that, this Australian team can. Of course, a lot depends on the quality and quantity of ball their forwards can provide, and the Springboks look to have the advantage in this area.

The Boks will also have to be spot-on if they employ their kick-and-chase game again - the Wallabies are very good in the air and can be dangerous on counter-attack.

Kick-off is at 4pm GMT (5pm SA time).

Tri Nations round 3: Springboks 31 - 19 All Blacks

2009-08-02T11:00:00.003+01:00

The All Blacks were once again comprehensively outplayed in yesterday's round three Tri Nations encounter with the Springboks in Durban. While the Kiwis looked dangerous with the ball in hand, they were once again let down by indiscipline and numerous basic errors which robbed them of any momentum. The Springboks' superior tactical game also meant the majority of the game was played in the All Blacks half, so even when they did get their hands on the ball, the Springboks were able to scramble their defence and neutralise the attack.

Springbok records

In contrast to the All Black woes, it was a game of records for the Springboks. John Smit became the most-capped test captain of all time after leading his team for the 60th time, and is fast approaching the status of a legend of the game. His influence has undoubtedly had a lot to do with all that the Springboks have achieved over the last few seasons.

Another player who wrote his way into the record books was Morne Steyn, who scored all his team's points, and in so doing became the highest individual points scorer in a Tri Nations match. Not bad for a player who many critics have been saying is one dimensional! Steyn was once again impeccable with his goal-kicking, missing only one of ten attempts. But he was also good on attack and solid in defence - in fact, apart from one kickoff which went directly into touch, I don't think he put a foot wrong all day. After an excellent Super 14, he has successfully broken into test rugby and shown that he can cut it at the highest level.

Also worth a mention is new boy Heinrich Brussouw, who has been particularly impressive since making his international debut for the Emerging Springboks against the British Lions a few weeks ago. He has had a lot to do with South Africa's dominance at the breakdown, and is going to make it very difficult for the coach to leave him out when Schalk Burger becomes available to play again.

All Blacks not out of it

The All Blacks will be disappointed with their performances in South Africa, and will have to face the inevitable media frenzy when they get back home. But it's too soon to write them off in the competition - the points table is still "on serve", as it were, and the Springboks and Wallabies still have their main overseas leg to come. The other advantage the All Blacks have is a three week break until their next match on 22nd August, then another three weeks before the next on 12th September - time for them to regroup, review their game plan, and possibly bring in some fresh blood (Dan Carter, anyone?). And in between they have South Africa and Australia knocking the stuffing out of each other.

Still anyone's tournament

The Springboks are in pole position to take the tournament at the moment, but in my opinion, the All Blacks' "ordinariness" simply opens up the tournament, meaning it could come down to bonus points in the final analysis, depending how the chips fall. The Wallabies are certainly in with a good chance themselves - remember they dominated the first half of their match against the All Blacks.

I for one am expecting this tournament to go right down to the wire.

Teams for Tri Nations Round 3: Springboks vs All Blacks

2009-07-31T16:25:00.004+01:00

The Springboks will start as firm favourites in their round three Tri Nations encounter against the All Blacks in Durban on Saturday 1st August 2009. After the dominant performance they put in last weekend in Bloemfontein, the Springboks surpassed the All Blacks as officially the world's best rugby union team.

Nevertheless, they will be well advised to bring their A game on Saturday, as the All Blacks are sure to be far more competitive. Any complacency from the Springboks is likely to lead to their downfall. But though they've been guilty of this in the past, the magnitude of the occasion is likely to dispel any over-confidence.

Springbok Team

The only change to the Springbok starting lineup is at flyhalf, where Morne Steyn comes in for the injured Ruan Pienaar. There has been a lot of debate lately about the relative merits of these two players - essentially Pienaar is more of an attacking, running player (in a scrum-half kind of way, which is not surprising since that's been his preferred position over the years), whereas Steyn is a more traditional kicking flyhalf. There's no doubt the Boks missed the services of a reliable kicker in the first half last week, but the question is - what do they give up for that luxury? The Boks lost the only other time Steyn started - in the third test against the British Lions, but let's not necessarily lay that at Morne's door. He's been very successful for the Blue Bulls - let's see if he can carry that over to the Springboks.

It's also an historic occasion for John Smit who becomes the most capped test captain ever, and both Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers will play in their 50th test.

15. Frans Steyn
14. JP Pietersen
13. Jaque Fourie
12. Jean de Villiers
11. Bryan Habana
10. Morné Steyn
9. Fourie du Preez
8. Pierre Spies
7. Juan Smith
6. Heinrich Brüssow
5. Victor Matfield
4. Bakkies Botha
3. John Smit (captain)
2. Bismarck du Plessis
1. Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira

Reserves: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis, Andries Bekker, Danie Rossouw, Ricky Januarie, Adi Jacobs, Wynand Olivier

All Black Team

For the All Blacks, Jimmy Cowan returns at scrumhalf after being overlooked in favour of Brendon Leonard last week, and the injured Neemia Tialata is replaced by Owen Franks at tighthead prop. There's been some speculation lately that Luke McAlister should be given a run at inside centre in place of Nonu, who has been solid but unspectacular. The feeling is that McAlister will provide more of a creative spark in the midfield to create space for the outside backs. I for one wouldn't be surprised to see him on earlier rather than later in the second half.

Perhaps surprisingly, Graham Henry has once again elected to start with Andrew Hore at hooker, despite his problems throwing into the lineout in the last two games. It's an area New Zealand desperately needs to work for them this week if they are to apply any pressure to the Springboks.

15. Mils Muliaina
14. Joe Rokocoko
13. Conrad Smith
12. Ma’a Nonu
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu
10. Stephen Donald
9. Jimmy Cowan
8. Rodney So’oialo
7. Richie McCaw (captain)
6. Jerome Kaino
5. Isaac Ross
4. Brad Thorn
3. Owen Franks
2. Andrew Hore
1. Tony Woodcock,

Reserves: Keven Mealamu, John Afoa, Jason Eaton, Kieran Read, Piri Weepu, Luke McAlister, Cory Jane

Can the Springboks make it two in a row against the old foe? Perhaps, but methinks it'll be a close match. Kick-off is at 4pm GMT (5pm South African time).

Tri Nations round 2: Springboks 28-19 All Blacks

2009-07-26T08:01:00.001+01:00

The Springboks put in a strong performance in Bloemfontein yesterday to beat the All Blacks 28-19 in round 2 of the 2009 Tri Nations. Admittedly they were favourites to win, but victory against the All Blacks is never guaranteed until the final whistle.

As it was, the Springboks completely dominated the first half, having the lion's share of territory and possession, and could be said to have been quite unlucky to have only been up 14-3 at half time. This was thanks to flyhalf Ruan Pienaar having an off day with the boot, missing three kickable penalties, a conversion and an attempted drop-goal. Consolation for Pienaar was his try in the left hand corner, which resulted from a long period of sustained pressure on the All Black line.

As well as the Springboks played in the first half, the All Blacks were their own worst enemy: the lineout continued from where it started against the Wallabies, with an overthrow to the back resulting in a turnover on the first All Black lineout. For New Zealand the half was characterised by mistakes and a string of penalties and free kicks which robbed them of any momentum and forced them to defend almost continuously - credit to them that they at least did that well and only conceded one try in the half.

Whatever Graeme Henry said to his team at half-time certainly worked, because they came out after the break and played with a lot more intensity and commitment, especially at the breakdown. They were rewarded with a superb solo try by Conrad Smith in the 48th minute, which was aided by some weak defence by the Springboks. Throughout the half the All Blacks were the ones pushing forward, but as so often happens they were a little unlucky to concede a late breakout try by Jaque Fourie after some excellent midfield work by Pierre Spies and Juan Smith - which basically sealed the match.

Actually this was one of several interceptions by the Springboks, although the only one to result in points. And Brian Habana was not involved in any of them! Actually he didn't see much of the ball - his role in the match was mainly to chase high kicks from scrumhalf Fourie du Preez onto the All Black wings, which he did very well as he forced several mistakes from the catchers. The other tactic the Springboks employed to good effect was the rolling maul - all in all they played fairly typical Springbok "ten-man" rugby. There's no disputing they do it well and it's effective, but it would be nice to see a bit more from the backline on attack - all very exciting players.

The All Blacks will undoubtedly be more than a bit unhappy with their performance, even though they managed to pick it up in the second half. The lineout remains an area of concern for them, which they will have to address before next week. In fairness though, it was always going to be difficult for them, coming to play in South Africa at altitude with so little time to acclimatise. Stephen Donald and Mils Muliaina will be starting to develop a complex, as a similar thing happened in the final of the Super 14, where the Chiefs were solidly thrashed by the Bulls after having to travel to the highveld to play that one too! Fortunately they have a chance to redeem themselves in Durban next week - should be an interesting one to watch!

Teams for Tri Nations Round 2: Springboks vs All Blacks

2009-07-24T06:37:00.002+01:00

As was to be expected, both South Africa and New Zealand have named strong lineups for their first meeting of the 2009 Tri Nations, to be played in Bloemfontein on Saturday 25th July 2009. The All Blacks are fresh off a fighting 22-16 win over the spirited Australians last week; the Springboks have had a three week layoff since their defeat to the British Lions in the 3rd test.

The Springboks have been installed as favourites going into this match against a "weak" All Blacks side - although we saw last week what a load of nonsense that is! Still, the Boks played well enough against a strong and motivated British Lions team to clinch the series, and that, together with home ground advantage should be enough to see them home. But make no mistake, it's going to be an uncompromising and hard-fought encounter, as matches between these traditional rivals always are.

All Black Team

The side shows only two changes from last week - Brendon Leonard in at scrumhalf and Joe Rokocoko on the right wing. By the coach's own admission, neither Jimmy Cowan nor Cory Jane played badly last week, so I guess this is proof that Graham Henry is still persisting with his squad rotation policy - forgive me, but I thought that'd been demonstrated to be a failure in the 2007 World Cup!

15. Mils Muliaina
14. Joe Rokocoko
13. Conrad Smith
12. Ma’a Nonu
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu
10. Stephen Donald
9. Brendon Leonard
8. Rodney So’oialo
7. Richie McCaw (captain)
6. Jerome Kaino
5. Isaac Ross
4. Brad Thorn
3. Neemia Tialata
2. Andrew Hore
1. Tony Woodcock

Reserves:Keven Mealamu, Owen Franks, Jason Eaton, Kieran Reid, Piri Weepu, Luke McAlister, Cory Jane

Springbok Team

Coach Peter de Villiers has reverted to what looks like his first-choice side after his own (failed?) squad rotation experiment in the last test against the British Lions. It'll be the first time in a couple of years that we see Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie together in the centre - which was a very successful combination ahead of the 2007 World Cup. The coach has also preferred Ruan Pienaar to Morne Steyn at flyhalf - perhaps an indication that he wants to play a more open game. It does however mean the Springboks are a bit light in the kicking department - Pienaar is good, but lacks consistency.

15. Frans Steyn
14. JP Pietersen
13. Jaque Fourie
12. Jean de Villiers
11. Bryan Habana
10. Ruan Pienaar
9. Fourie du Preez
8. Pierre Spies
7. Juan Smith
6. Heinrich Brüssow
5. Victor Matfield
4. Bakkies Botha
3. John Smit (captain)
2. Bismarck du Plessis
1. Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira

Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis, Danie Rossouw, Ryan Kankowski, Ricky Januarie, Morné Steyn, Wynand Olivier

Kick-off is at 4pm GMT (5pm South African time). Enjoy the match!

Tri Nations Results

2009-07-10T17:48:00.004+01:00

Here is a summary of Tri Nations results between 1996 and 2008. As they say in financial circles, "past performance is no guarantee of future results" - but it sure helps!

Year	Winner	Played	Matches won	Bonus points
1996	All Blacks	4	4	1
1997	All Blacks	4	4	2
1998	Springboks	4	4	1
1999	All Blacks	4	3	0
2000	Wallabies	4	3	2
2001	Wallabies	4	2	1
2002	All Blacks	4	3	3
2003	All Blacks	4	4	2
2004	Springboks	4	2	3
2005	All Blacks	4	3	3
2006	All Blacks	6	5	3
2007	All Blacks	4	3	1
2008	All Blacks	6	4	3

In summary, New Zealand have won the Tri Nations nine times, South Africa twice, and Australia twice. Statistically, the All Blacks have won 39 of their 56 games (70%), followed by the Wallabies with 23 wins (41%) and a draw, and the Springboks with 21 wins (38%) and a draw.

From this it's obvious that the tournament has been dominated by one team: the All Blacks. Notwithstanding their consistently poor performance in World Cups, these results - against what are widely regarded as the world's other two best teams - clearly demonstrate their position at the top of the tree in world rugby.

What it takes to win

To win the tournament teams generally need to win at least one more than half their games (in other words four wins in a six-match format; three in a four-match format). Draws and bonus points (for scoring four or more tries in a game, or losing by seven points or less) also make a difference though, and it's possible to win the tournament having only won 50% of matches - the Springboks and Wallabies have both managed this feat. No team has yet managed to win the tournament with less than a 50% win ratio, although it's probably mathematically possible.

Home ground advantage

Looking back at all Tri Nations results between 1996 and 2008, we see that almost 70% of matches are won by the home team. No doubt this has something to do with travel arrangements, but also that teams, knowing they have to win at least half their matches, target these home fixtures as must-win games.

Results for Tri Nations 2009?

One wonders how the 2009 tournament will pan out. The Wallabies are looking strong under coach Robbie Deans; the Springboks will be confident after a series win over the British Lions, but as usual are mired in controversy; the All Blacks are in a rebuilding phase and struggled against a touring French team recently. Any one of the teams is capable of winning it, but the smart money has got to be on New Zealand to make it five in a row.

Tri Nations Travel: what's the deal?

2009-06-23T06:30:00.012+01:00

Hardly a season goes by without us hearing about how South African teams are at a disadvantage in the Super 14 and Tri Nations rugby tournaments because of travel arrangements. But why should this be? After all, both competitions feature a mixture of home and away matches, so at first glance it would appear all even. But this is such a constant refrain that I have to check it out myself, once and for all.

The argument seems to centre on two factors: length of tour and jet lag. (Interestingly, when it comes to matters of unfair advantage, South Africa never seem to complain about matches played on the Highveld - at altitude - which supposedly favours them! But since that isn't strictly about travel arrangements, let's ignore it for now). Also, since this site is concerned with the Tri Nations competition, I'll ignore the Super 14 in the analysis. But presumably the same conclusions apply to both competitions.

Jet lag

Jet lag is defined as the cumulative physiological and psychological effects of rapid air travel across multiple time zones. This disruption of an individual's "body clock" results in the following symptoms:

changes in blood pressure and heart rate

fatigue

insomnia

headache

indigestion

drowsiness

losses in reaction time and coordination

disorientation

mood swings

irritability

It's not hard to see how many of these factors can have a detrimental effect on the performance of rugby players! Generally, travelling from west to east is considered worse because you effectively lose time, whereas you gain time going in the opposite direction. And it normally takes a day per time zone to fully recover from the effects of jet lag. So when you consider that all of South Africa is on GMT time, Australia is GMT+10, but is so big that the west coast is 2 hours earlier, and New Zealand is GMT+12, it is clear that jet lag is going to have an effect when teams usually have a week or less to acclimatise.

Length of tours

Touring takes a toll on players due to a number of factors:

away from family and friends

out of normal routine

very regimented living, due to security arrangements

constant close proximity to team mates

pressure to win

little local support

Some of these factors (for example, pressure to win) are present whether on tour or not, but they tend to become magnified in a tour environment because it's impossible to escape. The hypothesis is that they take a greater toll on the players the longer the tour goes on.

Analysis

To see if one team is affected more than others, let's assign some numbers to these factors, with the 2009 Tri Nations fixtures in mind:

-1 for every time zone crossed

+1 for each potential recovery day, up to a maximum of a week if no previous fixture dictates when a team travels

-1 for the first week on tour, -2 for the second week, and so on

The team with the lowest cumulative score is the one at the biggest disadvantage.

Conclusion

Perhaps this analysis is too simplistic (for instance my model doesn't differentiate between the direction of travel), or I've assigned the wrong weightings to the different factors, but interestingly no team seems to be disadvantaged more than the others; although if anything the All Blacks have it slightly easier than the other two. I suspect that the same analysis done for previous years' fixtures will reveal similar results.

Perhaps having longer tours is not the disadvantage it's made out to be. After all, it gives the players longer to acclimatise!

Whatever the reality though, as long as the players believe they're at a disadvantage, they probably are! This is where the intangible mental aspects of team performance come into play, which is one of the things that makes following the Tri Nations (or any other rugby competition for that matter) so interesting!

Tri Nations 2009 Fixtures

2009-06-21T16:20:00.001+01:00

The 2009 Tri Nations rugby tournament kicks off in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th July, and finishes on 19th September in Wellington, New Zealand. The full fixture list is as follows:

Date	Fixture	Venue
18th July	NZ vs Aus	Auckland
25th July	SA vs NZ	Bloemfontein
1st August	SA vs NZ	Durban
8th August	SA vs Aus	Cape Town
22nd August	Aus vs NZ	Sydney
29th August	Aus vs SA	Perth
5th September	Aus vs SA	Brisbane
12th September	NZ vs SA	Hamilton
19th September	NZ vs Aus	Wellington

Tri Nations Rugby

2009-06-21T16:19:00.000+01:00

The Tri Nations is an annual rugby union tournament played between the southern hemisphere heavyweights of the South African Springboks, Australian Wallabies and New Zealand All Blacks. Given that these three teams have dominated the world rankings since the official ranking system was introduced in 2003 (and prior to that, unofficially), the tri nations rugby tournament may well qualify as the toughest international rugby competition in the world!

Tri Nations Rugby: competition format

The Tri Nations competition, which was launched in 1996, is played in a round-robin format, with each team playing the others on a home and away basis during the southern hemisphere season. Originally each team played each of the others twice, but in 2006 this was expanded to three times (with the exception of 2007 in which the competition reverted to a four-match format to allow teams more preparation time for the world cup).

There has been much speculation in recent years about the possible inclusion of the Argentina Pumas or even a Pacific Island team in an expanded southern hemisphere competition, which supporters feel will re-invigorate the tournament; however to date there is still no clear indication of anything of this nature taking place.

Tri Nations scoring system

The Tri Nations scoring system is the same as most other tournaments these days: teams are awarded four points on the table for a win, two for a draw, and none for a loss. In addition, teams are awarded bonus points for scoring four or more tries in a match, and for losing by seven points or less. From this, it is obvious that consistency is very important, as long as it's not consistently losing!

Tri Nations past winners

The Tri Nations rugby tournament has been dominated by the New Zealand All Blacks since its inception - they have won it nine times, while South Africa and Australia have each won it twice (South Africa in 1998 and 2004 and Australia in 2000 and 2001).

Tri Nations 2009

The 2009 Tri Nations kicks off on 18 July, with New Zealand hosting the Wallabies in Auckland. Both the Wallabies and Springboks will be desperate to try and dislodge the All Blacks as reigning champions. Can they do it? Follow all the action on the unofficial Tri Nations Rugby blog!

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2009-06-21T16:15:00.001+01:00

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