The Man In The Stand

Kiwis screaming on the world stage

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:35:53 -0800

New Zealand didn't shout on August 16th, 2008. We screamed. And the echo reverberated around the sporting world.

Because on that fateful day, no other country per capita, achieved so much in the world's sports arena.

The almighty Valerie Vili and the golden Evers-Swindell twins spearheaded a medal shower while arguably, quite possibly, the greatest All Black ever, namely Richie McCaw inspired a Tri-Nations-winning performance in Cape Town. ...

You couldn't ask for a better weekend

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:51:00 -0800

What a definitive weekend we have coming up for New Zealand sport.

A make or break period for both our men in black and our athletes at the Beijing Olympics.

I believe the test at Cape Town will be critical to whether the All Blacks have a ho-hum year or set themselves up to win yet another Tri-Nations tournament.

I know every test is important but there is a unique combination of defining factors involved in this particular clash. ...

My best friends: the couch and the telly remote

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:29:51 -0800

There is no other time on the sporting calendar for me when the couch and the television remote become such close friends of mine.

The Olympics rules big-time of course but that's not to say I haven't found time for some test cricket, the PGA and some NRL. ...

How can London top that?

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:05:08 -0800

It's no surprise that the Olympics dominate the sporting planet at the moment and will continue to do so.

In a nutshell, the Chinese have surged to the front. They are clear leaders. Of that, there is no doubt.

The competition I refer to is which country to have ever hosted the Olympics can lay claim to the most lavish opening ceremony of all time.

Last night's opening extravaganza was incredible in the truest sense of the word. ...

Celebration, but no gloating

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:52:57 -0800

We all have something to learn from that 100 carat plus display that the All Blacks dealt out on Saturday night.

Amidst all the jubilation and relief that our heroes finally fired all cylinders, I believe everybody involved in All Blacks Inc, including both the coaching panel and fans alike, need to dwell on certain key indicators that emerged from such this overwhelming conquest. ...

Celebration, but no gloating

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:47:24 -0800

Why both teams can win on Saturday

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:30:17 -0800

It is said that the real test of a lawyer's competence is the ability to be able to argue both sides of any argument with equal effectiveness.

I believe that this maxim can also apply to sports journalism.

On those occasions where there's only one team with any chance, it's obviously a futile exercise. ...

The Sydney aftermath continues. . .

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:49:22 -0800

It was my dear old, recently departed Dad who told me that on occasion, because nobody else will, you need to blow your own trumpet.

So, without the merest shred of an apology, I point you all to my last blog where I stated that the difference between the All Blacks and the Wallabies in the first Bledisloe clash of 2008 will probably come from the brains and discipline category.

How right I was. ...

It's all about what's upstairs

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:17:30 -0800

The smarts, grey matter, nous, the top four inches. However you or I want to refer to brains, I'm certain the team that uses their collective capacity to think the best is almost certain to win the first Bledisloe clash of the year.

And putting bias and loyalty aside for a moment, I'd have to say that history also shows that when the All Blacks have lost a Bledisloe test, it's usually dumb selections, tactics or decisions have cost us, not skills. ...

Let's wind down the anti-Wallabies nonsense

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:22:55 -0800

I so hope the arrogance towards the Wallabies that has already started to emanate from many media commentators who should know better, doesn't have any connect whatsoever to the All Blacks' attitude towards their rivals in Sydney this weekend.

Undermining the Wallabies' win in Perth with nonsense like the South Africans "weren't really up for it" or "were thinking of home" is typical of this dangerous condescension towards the Aussies. ...