Weekend’s S15 matches

Posted on June 29, 2012 by mclook

This weekend it’s back to the S15. I must admit it’s for me a bit of a come-down after the excitement of seeing 3 test match series tours again. Everyone I’ve chatted with enjoyed the 3 test match format we’ve been exposed to over the last 3 weeks.

The series concept and few tour matches made every test match just that bit more exciting and I sincerely hope that the IRB will stick with this concept for the next couple of years.

A few matches stand out for me this weekend. The one that I am most excited about is the clash between the Highlanders and Chiefs. Continue reading →

Chess at the collisions is the name of the modern game

Posted on June 24, 2012 by mclook

Brian O’Driscoll said after the New Zealand/Ireland match that speed at the ruck is what matters most and that the scoreboard reflects (60-0 for the All Blacks) what happened in that particular test match at the breakdowns.

McCaw on questioned what did the AB’s rectify, after the second test, to produce the marked improvement in the All Blacks game said: “We kept our line better and were better able to create forward momentum at the rucks”.

What both of them are saying is that tactics and counter measures at the tackle ball are what the modern game is all about. These statements (by McCaw and O’Driscoll) summarises, for me, the last three weeks of test rugby. Here in brief are my thoughts on the test matches played so far this year in the Southern hemisphere. Continue reading →