|
Semis - For the All Blacks |
|
|
|
Written by Phooey
|
|
Monday, 07 May 2007 |
Some people are saying that the layout of the
semis is Graham Henry's worst nightmare, with All Blacks having to travel some
distance to play in the space of a week. But I reckon he won't mind too
much, sure he doesn't want anybody picking up an injury after the draining
flight, but if he wants to see how players perform under pressure, then he's got
two great games that will demonstrate this for him. Playing sudden death
football at the end of a tournament, when you're not as fresh as you hoped, and
things haven't been going your way the past week with the pressure of hope and
expectation from home added to playing a tough opponent on a roll, fired up and
at home in front of a vociferous crowd? Sounds like something we may
encounter in 6 months time in France, these games will tell Henry more about the
men he'll put in Black than the same games with the venues reversed.
The Crusaders don't fear Loftus and don't fear the
Bulls, have beaten them 3 times on the trot, but going against us is our recent
form and the travel factor. The altitude won't be an issue, it very rarely
is. We'll want to play the game fast and controlled, but it's our control
that's been letting us down in the past couple of weeks, accuracy at the
breakdown and being able to control and win the "collisions" (a recent addition
to the rugby lexicon, somewhat thanks to Mr Deans). The Bulls will be
fired up, but so will the Crusaders, if you can't get up for this game then you
can't get up for a Test match. I expect Crockett to start, Thorne to play
lock and Read to play on the flank as part of a game plan to be more mobile.
Crusaders by 14.
The Blues have themselves to blame for their situation as much as the
Crusaders do for their own. Like the Crusaders they had their destiny in
their own hands only 3 weeks ago, but blinked. They owe the Sharks a bit
and will be looking forward to playing them in dry conditions where their
continuity game is easier to play and more effective. They need a damn
sight more leadership on and off the field than they have been getting for the
past month. They need to play their All Blacks and they need their All
Blacks to step up. Flavell has to start being a captain's arsehole because
recently he hasn't been. They need to play finals rugby, which means
scoring more points than the opposition (or conceding less) and it doesn't
matter if those points are garnered from the boot.
Next weekend's games are all about clichés for the Godzone teams: when the
going gets tough, the tough get going; cometh the hour cometh the man; etc etc.
I don't think it will be an all Booke final and I won't be hugely shocked if the
Big One's played back at Jade.
|
![550med[1].jpg](http://www.thesilverfern.com/images/abs_157/550med[1].jpg)
