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Are Fans Still Thirsty for Heineken Cup Action?Mark Reason wonders how many people will watch the first weekend of the Heineken Cup and would bet his mortgage on the average attendance not being close to the crowds who turn out for Aussie Rules.
Finding the Natural WeaknessPeople have been kind enough to say that the All Blacks scored a few tries at this World Cup through analysing and exploiting weaknesses. Maybe that is true but, so long as coaches realise that rugby is a simple game and don’t try to complicate things, we can all share in these successes.
Rugby’s Core ValuesWhile winning the Webb Ellis Cup was the goal of every player who participated in RWC 2011, for many this may have been unrealistic and for most it was unrealized. Having had time to consider the tournament, below are listed a number of individuals who deserve recognition for the manner in which they conducted themselves, often in the face of adversity. They each demonstrated an intrinsic understanding and embodiment of rugby’s core values…
Why were England so bad? ask Sir CliveEngland stank out the World Cup like rotting fish. But if you want to know the cause of the stench, look no further than the English clubs.
World Cup XVA collection of The Rugby Site contributors give their RWC2011 World XV picks:# Jake White – World Cup winning South African Coach# Mark Reason – Sports Journalist: The voice of reason# Eddie Jones – ex. Australia & South Africa Coach# Brendon Ratcliffe – The Rugby Sites waterboy# JG – Our undercover man inside the game
Cheers TedAs Graham Henry today announced publicly that he is stepping down from the All Blacks head coach role, here at The Rugby Site we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge his contribution to the game.
Eddies RWC Final ReviewEddie Jones analyses the All Blacks’ first World Cup win in 24 years and where they edged France.Historically, World Cup finals have one or two tries in them, and this was no different. I’m sure many supporters were optimistic of a convincing attacking display from New Zealand, but that was never going to be true to history.
Thorb's Referee Rankings: FinalsPeter Thorborn’s weekly ranking of referee performance during the Rugby World Cup. Finals week and the last of his assessments, looking at Barnes performance in the Bronze Medal Play-Offs and Joubert in the epic Final between New Zealand and France.
All Blacks Victory ParadeAll Blacks Rugby World Cup 2011 Victory Parade in Wellington.
My most important lessonPeople ask me what is the most important lesson I have learned as a coach. After a World Cup win, 143 test matches and 37 consecutive years in charge of a team, you would hope that I have an answer by now… I do.
RWC 2011 FinalMany congratulations to the All Blacks on their thrilling victory over France in the RWC 2011 Final. Despite ridiculous odds from bookmakers predicting a convincing All Black victory, RWC history suggested that a tight game was always likely. However, few would have anticipated the titanic battle which took place at Eden Park.
The All Blacks are not to be deniedIts unimaginable that the Men in Black can fail, but not because they are overconfident. There are many more important factors at play: are the home nation, suffering in the adversity of the Christchurch earthquake, without a RWC since 1987, clearly the best side on form, young and hungry and above all they owe the French a hiding.
