One, two, Tri-nations...

We said we would say naught about rugby until now since October last year. Apparently zero was not a true reflection since we have had plenty to say. Hence it would be out of character to not write something about this weekend, as yes you better believe it, the Tri-Nations kicks off.
The 3 month tournament must have some sort of challenge to the title of the toughest rugby competition available. When 3 of the greatest rugby nations go head-to-head week in and out you are bound to see some fantastic rugby and the watermark of the competition has always been the spectacular type of rugby played. This year will be no different. Here is why:


- We are back to the bumper edition where you play each side thrice as opposed to only home and away. The extended version was introduced in 2006 but dropped last year as it was a RWC year.

- The ELVs. Discussion continues to rage over the introduction of the laws meant to shake the game up a bit. To be honest, the ELVs for the 3Ns are slightly different from the ones used in the Super 14, and I am not totally briefed on the changes in detail. The revised laws for the 3Ns mainly pertain to numbers at the lineout and I stand corrected, collapsing the rolling maul. Thankfully they also discarded the offsides line at a tackle, although it made theoretical sense it was tricky to enforce so refs let sides get away with it. Disregarding the nuances of the changes ELVs the point is this is the highest platform they will have been used on so far, ie: the first test match. They livened up the Super 14 considerably and have a bright future if they succeed at test level in getting the slow European attitude of the game to change away from their bore fest.

Naked? Yes. Virgin? To me at least...

- The 3rd crucial reason that 2008 has us standing above the naked loins of what promises to be a worthwhile weekend companion is that it is, and here we depart from the naked virgin analogy, anyones game:

The Springboks are World Champions. They are number one in the world and still basking in the glory of France 07. However, they didn't beat either Australia or New Zealand to get there! Losing now will put a big smile on the faces of these two nations. Everyone likes a moral victory. There is more beyond the Aussies and All Blacks trying to take John Smit´s trophy away from him. The Boks have the new and controversial coach Pieter De Villiers who has limited experience beyond u21 coaching. And by limited I mean zero. He hasn't coached a big province and hasn't coached a Super 14 franchise. He sure as fack hasn't toured the antipodeans. Tough challenge. Plus he has shown in his pre-season write off games against weak opposition a penchant for controversial selection. He would commit career suicide if he continues to pursue his selection whims instead of just picking Jake´s troopers, sitting back and enjoying a sly sluck of Old Brown sherry down under..! Another important point is the Boks have lost Eddie Jones. He was the brains behind Whites school teacher speeches and Dick Muir is his equivalent behind Pieter De Villiers moustache. No real equivalent there.


Australia were disappointing in France 07. They went into France with many warhorses hoping to end their lengthy careers on a high. The balance wasn't right and the youth coming through weren´t ready. The old boys were crocked and the young guns weren't ripe. They have moved on clearing out the shed and only retaining those battle ready. More importantly they have the weapon of mass destruction in Robbie Deans. The Crusaders coach without question is the most successful coach in the world at the level below International, and the level of Super rugby isn't too far off Test match. He is an astute mind of the game with massive vision. If anyone can mold this unestablished Aussie outfit into trophy winners it is him. In one season though? Probably not. They will challenge this year but if they win it you can bet your sheila on Robbie Deans being the reason. He asked to take over the All Blacks from Graham Henry and didn't get the job so jumped the channel to take the Wallabies. We reckon the NZRFU only sent him there on a spying mission and will have him back by 2011 to take the All Blacks but cant prove this at this stage.



The greatest All Black side to go into a World Cup left without making the final 4, the worst exit ever. However, it was only like the 5th game Graham Henry had lost in 4 years, and he kept his job. But he didn't keep the faith of the nations and more importantly his players. The exodus of the poorly paid All Blacks to Europe was greater in volume and speed than Stormers fan from Newlands when the clock hits 74min of play. He has a couple of top players left but not nearly the depth he would like, so they are also building. Plus they are without captain Ritchie McCaw for the first 4 weeks. This may not count against them, but is a huge psychological boost for the other two sides.

For all these reasons the sides stand on a pretty even keel, and the trophy could easily go anywhere. But, there has been one consistent factor throughout the entire history of the 3Ns. Home ground advantage. You lose at home, and you bow out of the title race. Win away and you are basically guaranteed the trophy. This is why these are so important:

2008 TRI-NATIONS FIXTURES:
July 5: New Zealand v South Africa, Wellington
July 12: New Zealand v South Africa, Dunedin
July 19: Australia v South Africa, Perth July
26: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney
August 2: New Zealand v Australia, Auckland
August 16: South Africa v New Zealand, Cape Town
August 23: South Africa v Australia, Durban
August 30: South Africa v Australia, Johannesburg
September 13: Australia v New Zealand, Brisbane

The All Blacks have cited themselves as underdogs and rated the Springboks number 1 to take the trophy, yet the ABs play them twice at home and once away. However, the Boks after playing back to back Test in New Zealand then travel to Perth to face a fresh Aussie side. They will go into that game with injuries and possibly a little down if things in NZ don't go to plan. They might be out the tournament by the time they get home for 3 home games, unless they win all three tests at home and neither of Aussie or the All Blacks manage to win away from home.

Assuming every side wins 3 and loses 3, which is highly likely we move to bonus points, so watch out for those close losses and big wins. The Boks have the best pack and will have the best line out but Butch and Percy´s boots aren´t enough, they will need Habana tries. The Aussies have Giteau but no front row culture, expect Robbie Deans to show his influence on defense though. The All Blacks have been hit, and will struggle to get back on their feet, but then again Dan Carter can carry any side.

F a c k this is going to be exciting...