Three questions. Is there something just wrong with a guy
kicking a 60m penalty goal?.
2. Did Stephen Donald kiss goodbye his chances of ever
getting on the All Black bench?
3. Piri Weepu - an outcast less than two years ago, now the
waterboy. Has there ever been a faster promotion?
So United States President Barack Obama thinks he has got a
job on his hands reforming health care.
Try being the All Blacks' line-out coach.
Can it be that hard? Throw a ball to someone else to catch.
Apparently so.
But the line-out, like the whole All Black picture, is a work
in progress.
And there are some signs of hope.
The All Blacks may have lost the Tri-Nations trophy to the
Springboks in Hamilton on Saturday but looking at the bigger
picture, in particular that tournament in two years' time, it
is not all doom and gloom.
There is promise on the horizon.
Coming back over yonder is lock Ali Williams, who, hopefully,
will be back to full fitness next year after writing this
season off because of injuries.
Williams is a key man for the All Blacks, both on and off the
field.
Think back to 2007 in the World Cup and he was outstanding.
If he comes back firing on all cylinders next year then the
All Blacks will be markedly improved, particularly at
line-out time.
His replacement, Isaac Ross, has done well in patches, but he
is still coming to terms with international rugby.
The final 20 minutes of the Hamilton test was also a positive
for this team, as it finally decided to play rugby.
It was refreshing to see backs running with the ball, and
forwards actually hitting rucks.
The less we see of props such as Neemia Tialata and Tony
Woodcock taking the ball off the halfback and then creating
another ruck, the better.
Dan Carter, or whoever is playing first five-eighth, should
always take the ball from the halfback.
He then should decide who gets the ball.
Talk to any tight forward these days and they all say how
they want to get their hands on the ball more.
Well, not everyone can have their hands on the ball all of
the time.
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