Being an arm chair selector has in advantages. The Springbok team that you select will probably never end up playing together and you never have to justify yourself like Pieter De Villiers.

Selecting my team to play the British Lions got me thinking about 2011. All the talk right now is about the British Lions tour and rightly so. This is only their third visit to the shores of South Africa in the past 29 years with the other tours being in 1980 (won by the Springboks) and 1997 (won by the Lions).

Nobody can really think past 2010 Soccer World Cup and it is an honour for South Africa to be the host nation. But rugby people seem to be forgetting that 2009 marks the half way mark in the reign of the Springboks, the current rugby World Champions.

 In 1997, the last time the Springboks faced the British Lions, we were also two years off the 95 World Cup victory and South African rugby was in disarray. Kitch Christie, the world cup winning coach was gone, as was his successor Andre Markgraaf. Carel Du Plessis, who coached the Boks during the last Lions series, also got the boot before the 99 Rugby World Cup. 

 Are the Springboks that well prepared this time round, in their second defense of their crown? We felt let down by Nick Mallet in 1999 when the Boks last tried to defend their title and the question has to be asked whether history will repeat itself. Part of the problem at the 1999 World Cup was the issue of captaincy.

After Gary Teichman was dropped as skipper of the Boks, an uneasy vibe developed in a highly successful team. Players started feeling that if the skipper could be dropped, then everyone else was vulnerable as well.

By 2005 Jake White had a fair idea of who was going to be in his squad for the 07 World Cup and his faith was in John Smit as skipper. Victor Matfield, Os du Rand, Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Fourie Du Preez and Percy Montgomery were all seasoned campaigners by the time Jake got his team to France.

Will John Smit be our captain in 2011? If he isn’t, then I suggest that we are already in trouble come crunch time in New Zealand.

There is little doubt that, barring injury or an alarming loss of form, Richie McCaw will be leading the All Blacks in a World Cup they will be desperate to win on home soil.

Smit’s position in the team may even be in doubt in 2009, let alone in two years time. He is already being played out of position and is not the world’s best tight head prop, although it must be said he has not done a bad job either.

Looking past Smit, who could possibly be the skipper for the Boks in 2011? Victor Matfield has been the stand in skipper when Smit has not been around but seems to play better for the Boks when he can just concentrate on his own game. He is also being pushed by a hungry Andries Bekker who may sense that he could force himself into the Boks starting line up over the next 2 seasons.

Jean De Villiers is a great player but has been injury prone over the years. The focus will be on whether De Villiers can last until 2011 and it will be a bonus for the Boks if he does. Building a team around De Villiers as captain would be a mistake however.

The Lions and the Sharks are both captained by players who are not part of the Bok set up. Cobus Grobbelaar and Johan Muller will probably not be part of the plans during the next three seasons and can probably be discounted.

That leaves Juan Smith, the tough as nails flanker from the Cheetahs, who is playing some fine rugby in the Super 14 as a possible Rugby World Cup 2011 captain. Smith will be turning 30 in 2011 and will be at the peak of his powers. Duane Vermeulen will also be knocking at the door and Smith will not have it all his own way.

 However, should he be selected as captain, then he must be backed by the coach, with Vermeulen being selected as part of the squad, based on his form in 2011.

One cannot write off John Smith either. He will be 33 at the next World Cup and could be aiming to make 2011 his swansong. Either way, the calls need to made now and the decisions backed by all the role players. The Boks have a title to defend.

.. turn the effing lights on at North Harbour.

What an embarassment for rugby in NZ and with the scary prospect that we’re only a couple of years for the next Rugby World Cup.

Talk about passing the buck (funny that, with Buck being North Harbour and all!):

North Harbour Stadium chief executive Brendan O’Connor said the company would be talking to Vector about future supply. “It doesn’t scare me but it is a timely reminder to all of us involved with the Rugby World Cup that there are things out of our control and the need to have good backup.”

North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams said he was not surprised to hear of the outage. “There has been so little investment by the utility companies into North Shore’s infrastructure that our system is so fragile just one limb on the line can bring down the power.”

Perhaps the Stadium should have a backup plan like a generator?

On second thought, anyone else think it was an outraged Blues fan who pulled the plug?

I was thinking about rugby tonight and I realised that my readers would never come across this song if they didn’t watch rugby. So, here is World in Union.

[Francesco Ragazzi photographer] 

 Ho passato una splendida settimana come Trottola Europea: da Parigi a Londra, Da Londra a Bruxelles e poi di nuovo a Parigi. Una settimana di vagabondaggio nel vecchio continente alla ricerca di me stesso e soprattutto a godermi uno straordinario evento sportivo: la Coppa del Mondo di Rugby 2007. Avevo infatti i biglietti per le due semifinali e per la finale. Esperienza incredibile, davvero. Il retaggio di un passato che mi appartiene ma che per molte cose è lontano, è tornato a galla e le emozioni sono state davvero forti.

Prima di ogni altra cosa ringrazio chi con pazienza e simpatia ha deciso di ospitarmi (grazie di cuore davvero a Marco, Giorgio, Massimo e Luca), senza di loro il mio vagabondare sarebbe stato molto più caro e molto meno divertente.   La vacanza: mi sono diviso tra Londra, Parigi e Bruxelles. Mentre Bruxelles la posso tranquillamente definire la mia seconda casa e il luogo perfetto dove vivere, sono rimasto davvero innamorato delle altre due città, e sono giunto a questa equazione: Milano sta a Londra come Roma sta a Parigi. Nonostante a Milano ci si diverta, Roma è sempre Roma. 

Il rugby: spettacolo incredibile. Tifo meraviglioso, ho visto cosa è sportività e cosa vuole dire andare allo stadio per vedere una partita e tifare la propria squadra senza insultare gli altri e rispettare i valori condivisi dello sport.I padri possono portare i propri figli senza aver paura di manganellate, gas lacrimonegi o pazzi malati che ti insultano. Dopo la sconfitta i vinti stringono la mano ai vincitori applaudono e bevono una birra insieme (sto parlando di sconosciuti non di amici); e questo durante una finale mondiale non durante una partita di bambini (forse però la forza del rugby, anche questo rugby che è ormai un sport professionistico è che lo spirito di una partita tra bambini e una finale mondiale sia identico). 

Per quanto riguarda la finale in sé non è stata una “bella” partita. Non fraintendiamo, era una finale con tutto quello che c’è in ballo e nonostante non fossi né un sudafricano né un inglese mi sono commosso durante gli inni perchè lo spettacolo.Il Sudafrica ha fatto una partita perfetta e ha fatto ciò che voleva: reso il possesso palla degli inglesi sterile ed ha aspettato gli errori degli inglesi. Nessuna meta durante la partita, peccato. Quella inglese di Moody secondo me si poteva convalidare, sarebbe stata un’altra partita. Prestazioni singole incredibili di Matfield e Montgomery, bellissima sfida tra i due centri Tait (classe 1986) e  il sudafricano Steyn (1987), il futuro di questo sport. Ha vinto lo sport, io ne ho guadagnato di spirito e di amore per il rugby. Quella volta a Carezza, il mio amico Giancarlo aveva ragione. Ho deciso di portarlo con me alla partita perchè era giusto così. Grazie vecchio   

Editor’s Note:For current commentary and analysis, visit Mat Brown’s blog at this location:
http://blogs.mediazone.com/BrowniesRugbyBunker/

The Springboks are the new holders of the Webb Ellis Cup which means that for the next four years they will carry the title of world champions everywhere they go.  South Africa had a fantastic tourney and fully deserved their win over England on Saturday night at the Stade de France. 

The Final itself was a pretty stodgy affair with tight defense and endless kicking dominating the match.  No tries were scored in eighty minutes at Saint Denis – England’s Mark Cueto came close but was denied by the TMO – and it was the boot of Percy Montgomery that provided the winners with their relatively slim margin of victory.This is the first Rugby World Cup that I’ve covered from start to finish in the host country and what follows are a few of my most memorable moments.Quarterfinal Weekend – Watching England stun Australia in Marseille would probably have been sufficiently spectacular but it was followed up by France upsetting New Zealand later that evening, which sent the town into a partying frenzy.  It’s unlikely that we’ll every have two such huge upsets on the same day ever again at a RWC and it was extremely fun to get to experience it firsthand.

Canadian Disappointment – Canada came oh so close to beating both Fiji and Japan but in the end had to settle for a loss and a draw.  Losing at the world cup is always tough but losing when winning is right there in front of you has to be even harder to stomach.  Hopefully Ric Suggitt will get to keep his job and will continue the good work he’s done over the years.

Opening Match – The atmosphere before the tournament’s first game was incredible and the contest didn’t disappoint as Argentina vanquished hosts France to set the stage for six weeks of surprising results.  Los Pumas proved to be a serious contender and ended up finishing third overall.

Meeting the Maggots – I toured with the Maggots to the World Cups in 1999 and 2003 and was looking forward to doing so again in 2007 before work intervened.  I did manage to catch up with them in Carcassone for a night and had a magnificent time in an Irish pub watching the Argentina vs. Georgia match.  The adventure of getting to the USA vs. Tonga match the next day in Montpellier was typically Maggoty and wouldn’t have been possible without Tex’s GPS!

Interviews – I got the chance to interview a large number of former players, broadcasters, and rugby luminaries over the last six weeks but my favorite had to be Super Sport’s Kobus Wiese, a massive man and a really good guy.

People – I ran into a lot of old friends at various venues in France, Wales, and Scotland – some slightly planned and others totally out of the blue.  After a while I began to expect that I’d randomly meet somebody everywhere I went and was hardly ever disappointed.

And if you still need to watch more rugby, don’t forget that this Saturday at 10:30 am ET is the Currie Cup Final featuring a battle for feline predatory supremacy as the Cheetahs host the Lions at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein.

!!!
 
 

Editor’s Note: Mat Brown’s blog will be moving to a new platform in 2008. Please bookmark the following url so that you can continue to enjoy his entries for MediaZone Rugby.
http://blogs.mediazone.com/BrowniesRugbyBunker/

The third place match – this year dubbed the Bronze Final – at all Rugby World Cups is a difficult one for the teams to get ready to play because after dreaming of hoisting the Webb Ellis trophy a week before, they’re now shattered to be playing in a meaningless encounter.

So this weekend is choc full of stuff. I bought tickets to go to the Salon du Chocolat, which pretty much sounds like heaven on earth. It’s a big chocolate festival where all the chocolatiers in Paris come out to show what’s the newest and best in chocolate. FREE SAMPLES are what I’m looking for here. There’s also the famous chocolate fashion show, where the clothes are made out of chocolate. How the designers keep the clothes from melting is beyond me. There will also be singing and dancing and other stuff because, really, the French can’t have a festival, not even a marathon, without big singing and dancing shows. It’s a little weird and uncomfortable for me at some of the events, but in the case of the chocolate festival I don’t think it will be awkward.

Moving on…then we have the Rugby World Cup final between South Africa and England. SO exciting! I’m a bit bummed though because now what will I do? I’ve spent nearly every weekend here sitting in bars watching the rugby. I suppose I can still spend my weekends sitting in bars, but I think I’ll look a bit more like an alcoholic if I don’t have the rugby excuse…

But, and here’s the sad part, it’s going to be a pain to get to these lovely events. Why? Because, SURPRISE!, France is on strike. Maybe some of you don’t know about this, so I’ll tell you: French people love to go on strike. I’m fairly convinced that strikes are staged here as a way to get additional vacation days (even though the French already get 8 weeks paid vacation every year). So anyway, it’s all of the public transit workers who are on strike, which means no metro for me It also means way more traffic so if I take my car then I won’t be able to find parking and it may take hours to get there

Oh, and what I love about the strike is that they scheduled it. They were announcing it on TV and radio for about a week before saying, “Public transit workers will be going on strike beginning Wednesday night at 8 p.m.” Um, couldn’t they have worked out some kind of agreement prior to the strike if they knew the exact time and date of the strike? I’m so confused by this. And this is also why I’m convinced it’s just a ploy to get extra days off.

Anywho, what are you guys up to this weekend???

Editor’s Note: Mat Brown’s blog will be moving to a new platform in 2008. Please bookmark the following url so that you can continue to enjoy his entries for MediaZone Rugby.
http://blogs.mediazone.com/BrowniesRugbyBunker/

Less than a month ago it looked like England might not even make it to the knockout stage but now after a hard fought win over France they’re going to get a shot at defending their title next Saturday night in Saint Denis. 

All loyal rugby fans should know by now – I’m not one, if you’re curious - that the New Zealand All Blacks are out of the Rugby World Cup, having narrowly losing out to France. 

London Boss, despite the monicker, is a true blue Kiwi hailing from Christchurch, New Zealand. A fiercely loyal chap and indubitably, one of the All Blacks’ biggest fans. (If you’ve read the HK post, you’d realise that from his US$7000 investment in the All Blacks jersey autographed by the entire team – what he deemed as “hot property” the night of the fated match).

The following Monday morning, I arrived in the office to a delightful warning from Office Boss, telling me to “tread carefully when speaking to Martin this morning.” Not a good sign. I followed the sagely advice, but Colleague was unlucky enough to get the PMS treatment, saying that London Boss has been ignoring all his emails.  

It is already Thursday, and the sombre mood continues.

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
Hi Martin

Martin says:
Greetings

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
I got your email and I’ve just done what you instructed

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
the story’s in cms now

Martin says:
thankee

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
have not given it any proper heading

Martin says:
try “Kiwis driven to vodka after All Blacks crash out of World Cup”

Martin says:
“Publisher found slumped in alleyway with booze bottle saying ‘Where did it all go wrong?’”

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
hahahah

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
for a tiny tiny moment there i thought you were serious

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
… or are you?

Martin says:
yes i am

Martin says:
but I will come right soon

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
yes, you’ll pick yourself up i’m positive!

Martin says:
in 4 years time…

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
oh it will go by in a flash *pat pat*

Martin says:

 i hope

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
i will be hoping with you, for you

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:
we can’t let you go through another bout of depression

Martin says:
no we cannot

Martin says:
it has been every 4 years for 20 years now

m e l o d y lola stars and stripes says:

have one on me

Martin says:

thank you

Editor’s Note: Mat Brown’s blog will be moving to a new platform in 2008. Please bookmark the following url so that you can continue to enjoy his entries for MediaZone Rugby.
http://blogs.mediazone.com/BrowniesRugbyBunker/

So I’m in Madrid.  Not sure exactly why but I’m glad I came because it’s a fantastic city.  Basically just wanted to get out of Paris for a couple of days and have always wanted to see the Spanish capital, so a twelve hour train ride seemed the right course of action.  I wish I could stay longer but duty calls back in France so I’ll get back on the train shortly.

Editor’s Note: Mat Brown’s blog will be moving to a new platform in 2008. Please bookmark the following url so that you can continue to enjoy his entries for MediaZone Rugby.
http://blogs.mediazone.com/BrowniesRugbyBunker/

Let me start off by saying that Saturday was the most amazing Rugby World Cup day I’ve ever experienced.  England and France beating Australia and New Zealand on the same day was as incredibly exciting as it was unexpected, a true double stunner that has thrown the chase for the Webb Ellis Cup wide open.

Anche gli dei non sono infallibili. Una squadra che tutti avevano dato per stra-favorita alla vittoria del mondiale di rugby in corso alla fine esce ai quarti battuta da una Francia tosta in difesa e che ha saputo aspettare e crescere durante il match (aiutata anche un pò dall’arbitro inglese). Comunque  una partita splendida, manifesto del rugby.

Devo dire che sono molto rammaricato  per questo risultato: per prima cosa speravo di andare a vedere gli all-blacks in semifinale perchè erano la squadra che in questi due anni aveva espresso il più bel rugby, e poi il mio campanilismo italiano mi porta ad essere sempre e comunque anti-francese.

Bisogna però attribuire gran merito a questi francesi che con caparbietà e una difesa incredibile sono riusciti a portare a casa (la partita è stata giocata in Galles) una vittoria importantissima nell’ottica di una possibile vittoria finale. Ora giocheranno una semifinale con il morale altissimo e nello stadio di casa sabato prossimo.

Mi resta da dire solo una cosa: Go England Go… swing low, sweet chariot!

It’s been awhile since I’ve written, mostly because I haven’t had anything positive to write and I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer when I’m living in Paris. BUT today I have lots of great things to say. It really bothers me that every weekend here is the best weekend EVER and then every weekday sucks balls. I guess that’s what having a real job is always like.

Um, so the non-Debbie Downer stuff:

With all of the odds against them, both England and France won their places in the semi-finals yesterday. I’ve been watching these two teams throughout the Rugby World Cup and they haven’t played spectacularly, but last night the stars were aligned in their favor because they beat out New Zealand and Australia who were the two favorites for making it to the finals. Now the Rugby World Cup is getting really exciting because with two of the top teams out of the running it’s anybody’s games.

And the poor Aussies. They had two penalty kicks in the last ten minutes of the match. Had they made even one of those kicks it would have sealed them in as the winners of the match. Their kicker is not a popular guy this morning. Final score England v. Australia 12-10. Final score France v. New Zealand 20-18. I mean really, these guys pulled out a win by the skin of their teeth.

The most exciting part was the celebration afterward. Everybody was dancing in the streets and singing and cheering and waving French flags well into the early morning. I loved the atmosphere.

Other news….I woke up this morning with a hang over from the Rugby excitement last night and ran a 10K. I think I actually did pretty well too, especially considering the night before. I think my time was something like 75 minutes, although I haven’t gotten the exact time back yet.

I finally have a comforter for my bed! It’s so warm and cozy and makes me feel a million times better. Something about a cozy bed makes home feel much better.

Oh and some pics for you guys. These are pretty much my favorite people in Paris:

(Remi, me, Anthony)

(Me, Daniel)

Super lots of fun. There would have been more pictures but a couple of people are camera shy around here.

Editor’s Note: Mat Brown’s blog will be moving to a new platform in 2008. Please bookmark the following url so that you can continue to enjoy his entries for MediaZone Rugby.
http://blogs.mediazone.com/BrowniesRugbyBunker/

One of the best things about attending matches at the Rugby World Cup is that you never know who you’re going to run into.  I’ve been here in France for about a month now and almost every game I’ve gone to, I’ve seen someone I know from my rugby past.  And I’m not talking about pre-arranged meetings with definite times and places, these are the kind that just happen.

Editor’s Note: Mat Brown’s blog will be moving to a new platform in 2008. Please bookmark the following url so that you can continue to enjoy his entries for MediaZone Rugby.
http://blogs.mediazone.com/BrowniesRugbyBunker/

Now the fun really begins!  Eight teams have qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament which begins next Saturday.  There were some exciting contests in the final weekend of pool play but only one real upset as Fiji toppled Wales to earn their first ever quarterfinal berth.  Italy came close to beating Scotland but missed a crucial kick that would have given them the victory.  Here’s how the quarters shape up.

The first quarterfinal takes place in Marseille and features Pool B winners Australia taking on Pool A runners-up England in a rematch of the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final.  The bad news for the Wallabies is that they’re going to have to make do without flyhalf Stephen Larkham whose knee problems continue to sideline him.  I can’t see England winning this match even with youngster Berrick Barnes wearing number ten.  Australia’s defense is too tight for England to crack and the Wallabies’ backline should be able to slice up the defending champions. 

The second quarterfinal will be played in Cardiff and pits New Zealand against France.  This match-up wasn’t supposed to happen this early but since the French didn’t win their pool, they have to make the trip to Wales to take on the tourney favorites.  The All Blacks have yet to be seriously challenged so it’s going to be a huge step up in intensity when they meet the Tricolors at Millennium Stadium on Saturday night.  This is a battle that is going to leave one very disappointed loser.  If it’s the All Blacks, New Zealand will go into prolonged mourning.  If it’s Les Bleus, all France will suffer a notable letdown in enthusiasm for the tournament.  I think this one will go to the All Blacks.

The third quarterfinal is on Sunday in Marseille and it features South Africa and Fiji.  The Fijians shocked Wales in Nantes on Saturday but in the process they lost their field general – flyhalf Nicky Little – to a leg injury.  It’s going to be very difficult for the Fijians to find as many holes in South Africa’s defense as they did in Wales’ and I imagine their task will be made even harder because they won’t get nearly as much ball to work with.  It’s a great accomplishment for Fiji to make it this far but they won’t be going any farther because the Springboks are simply a much better overall side.   

The last quarterfinal was supposed to have France playing at home in front of a packed house but instead it will be Argentina taking on Scotland at Stade de France.  Scotland might be the weakest of the eight teams in the quarters and I just don’t see how they’re going to stop the Pumas from advancing to the semis.  Scotland played just well enough to win against the Italians but will find the going significantly more difficult on Sunday night against Argentina.  The Pumas’ defensive work has been outstanding so far in the tourney and I expect them to easily throttle the Scots.

I’d love to be in Cardiff next weekend but I made the decision before the world cup began to travel to Marseille to catch those two quarters instead.

!!!

I resign as an Ireland fan – it’s official.

Out of the World Cup, a madman manager who is secure for the next 4 years, an out half who is finished (no smoke without fire ?) and a back row about as effective as that laxative I took last night after a feed of my mother’s famous spuds au gratin.

Not that anyone gives a sh*t. Much like the rugby team who played with all the passion and fortitude of a geriatric accountant’s daily enema.

Editor’s Note: Mat Brown’s blog will be moving to a new platform in 2008. Please bookmark the following url so that you can continue to enjoy his entries for MediaZone Rugby.
http://blogs.mediazone.com/BrowniesRugbyBunker/

I just got back from Parc des Princes where England overpowered Tonga by a score of 36-20 in the final pool match for both teams.  Tonga got off to an outstanding start but couldn’t sustain their early accuracy against a determined and very physical England.

It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Ikale Tahi to overcome the men in white with a berth in the knockout stage on the line and the defending champions were up to the task.  Tonga needed to play almost perfect footy to get the win and they just couldn’t pull it off despite strong matches from the likes of Hale T-Pole, Nili Latu, and Finau Maka.

Tonga put in a good showing at this world cup and the fact that they were even considered to be serious contenders to get into the top eight shows just how far they’ve come since before the tourney began.  What killed them tonight was falling asleep on the first Sackey try, untimely and unforced handling errors, and an inability to stop England from mauling at will.

England’s victory sets up an intriguing quarterfinal down in Marseille next weekend as they take on Australia in a rematch of the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final.  I don’t think that England has much chance of beating the Wallabies but there are several things beginning to work in their favor. 

First, England will have bolstered their self-belief quite a bit by delivering two decent efforts in a row against Samoa and Tonga.  A tight win over either after a sluggish outing against the USA and a pitiful performance against South Africa would have seen them limp into the first elimination round.  Sure, beating these sides should have been easier for them but wins are wins and confidence is a funny thing in sport, often having to do far less with reality than narrow perception.

Second, Stephen Larkham is out indefinitely with a knee infection that was caused by his most recent round of arthroscopic surgery on that troublesome joint.  Berrick Barnes stepped in and filled the void well against Wales and Fiji but facing an old rival like England is a step up in intensity.  I like Barnes and know he’s Australia’s flyhalf of the future but Larkham is such a big game player that anyone trying to fill his place is going to struggle to perform at his level.   

That being said, I’m certainly not rushing out to put any wagers on England beating Australia because I think the Wallabies are going to do the business next weekend and move on to the semifinals.

Tomorrow I’m going to watch four matches at a variety of Irish pubs in town but the two biggest are Fiji vs. Wales and Scotland vs. Italy in virtual quarterfinals.  Once again I’m hoping that the Fijians can work some magic and upset the established order a bit but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Wales has as easy a time getting through to the last eight tomorrow as England did tonight! 

!!!