biffon
09-07-2007, 02:25 AM
PETITION - click here <------- (http://www.petitiononline.com/bonegreg/petition.html)
For all you Aussie rugby fans out there. Rise up and protest against the ridiculous articles spewed out by Greg Growden the Chief Rugby Correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald..
Moses has organised a petition to present to the Sydney Morning Herald
please sign it if you agree with us.
if you need to do a bit of home work first here are some of the more infamous articles he has written.
==========================
All Blacks deliver shellacking
July 27 2003
By Greg Growden
Sydney
The All Blacks smashed records, put a tight grip on the Bledisloe Cup and showed why they are raging favourites for the World Cup when they brushed aside the Wallabies with ridiculous ease in last night's lopsided Tri- Nations Test.
While New Zealand now has to win the return Bledisloe Cup match in Auckland on August 16 to secure the silverware for the first time since 1997, the Wallabies once more showed, this time before an 82,000 crowd, they are a team in serious decline.
Losing their third straight Test for the first time since 1995, the Wallabies were out-paced, out-classed, out-muscled and out-manoeuvred by one of the best All Blacks teams seen on this side of the Tasman for some years, finishing with seven tries to three.
Adding to the Wallaby despair, NZ finished with its highest score over Australia 50-21, but one small consolation is that it was not the All Blacks biggest winning margin over the Wallabies - that remaining the 43-6 triumph in Wellington in 1996. But it was also the highest number of points conceded by Australia in a Test on home soil.
No wonder a shell-shocked Eddie Jones, who now has a record of 12 wins and a draw in 23 Tests, last night described it as the worst loss he had suffered in his two years as Wallaby coach.
"I don't think they get much worse than this. I hope not anyway," Jones said. "The scoreboard properly indicated where both teams are at the moment."
Wallaby captain George Gregan, meanwhile, described the shellacking as the by-product of being "in a bit of a rut."
The rut is cavernous. It was not entirely a case of Australia playing abysmally, but more that the Wallabies had no idea how to keep at bay the most exhilarating, rollicking and exciting attacking units.
The marauding men in black came from every angleand every direction, with runner after runner easily finding sizeable gaps in an Australian defensive line, which simply could not rally quickly enough to stop the next wave of attackers. Tackles were missed, but so many tries came from the All Blacks being the most clinical of attacking units.
And then, in the final minutes, the All Blacks rubbed their noses right in it, by smashing the Wallaby scrum.
The most successful All Black was winger Joe Rokocoko, who, in his opening international season, has been a try-scoring phenomenon. Rokocoko toyed with the Wallabies, finishing with three runaway tries, which tool his tally to 10 in only five internationals. Last night's hat-trick by Rokocoko follows two tries against Wales, three against France and a pair against South Africa.
But he was not the only All Black to repeatedly break through, with their other winger Doug Howlett, centre Aaron Mauger and full-back Mils Muliaina also enjoying moments when they made their Australian opponents look silly.
They knew exactly where to target, focusing on spots where lumbering Australian forwards were standing in the defensive line, while they took so many opportunities from broken field play.
After that spectacular performance, the All Blacks have every reason to believe the World Cup is heading their way for the first time since 1987.
On the other hand, Australia looks a long way from even being a threat in the October-November tournament.
There were many defining moments - none more than Wendell Sailor's sinbinning in the 23rd minute, which was a major blow tothe Australians, as during that 10-minute period the All Blacks scored twice.
An over-enthusiastic Sailor lost the plot when he charged Mils Miliaina while the All Black full-back was in the air trying to take the high ball near his own quarter line.
For most of the 10 minutes, it appeared as if the Wallaby midfield defence would save Sailor from embarrassment. But just before Sailor was about to return, the Wallaby outer defence disintegrated and was unable to rally quickly enough to stop surge after surge of enthusiastic New Zealand attackers. After being ahead 8-5, Australia was suddenly 20-8 in arrears, and that was it for the Wallabies.
Jones was not enthused by Sailor's blunder. "He made a poor error of judgement and you can't afford to do things like that," Jones said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wallabies' lack of stars will hurt at the World Cup
By Greg Growden
August 19, 2003
The big question. How many Australian players would make the All Blacks team? Maybe George Smith. The next big question. How many Australian players would make a world XV? Zero. And therein lies the problem.
In the grim aftermath of the Bledisloe Cup, the Wallaby team management yesterday continued on about how their World Cup defence was "moving in the right direction". But the reality is that not enough players are performing well enough for Australia to be considered a World Cup power, especially as it has only one win from its past five Tests.
Former Wallaby coach Bob Dwyer got it right some years ago when he explained that the best gauge of how good an international team actually is revolved around how many of the squad would make a world XV. At the 1991 World Cup, there were at least six or seven, headed by David Campese. Ditto the 1999 World Cup, with such class performers as John Eales and Tim Horan. But now there are no standouts. (That sounds familiar - I'm sure that has been regurgitated quite recently)
Adding to the uncertainty is that Australia is not instinctive enough, especially in attack.
The problem starts from the scrum-base, where George Gregan is struggling, and there's uncertainty over when the ball leaves the area. A crucial moment was when All Black No. 8 Jerry Collins merrily picked the ball up from the other side of the ruck right in front of the Wallaby skipper to instigate the second New Zealand try.
That was an enormous psychological blow, as were the four All Black tackles in the 69th minute, where in succession Smith, Matthew Burke, Gregan and Chris Latham were pummelled.
It is not all doom and gloom. To be in in with a chance until the final seconds was a big plus, especially after Australia had been gutted in the Sydney Bledisloe Cup match. The spirit, at least, is there. And Eden Park did provide several selection answers.
Until Saturday night, NSW prop Al Baxter wasn't exactly rated top of the scrummaging class by the Wallaby team management, but that view would now have changed.
If Baxter doesn't hold on to the Test tighthead spot ahead of Patricio Noriega during the World Cup pool stage, then there is something amiss with the Australian selection process.
The same goes if Nathan Sharpe remains on the bench as the second-row back-up. He was another to make an impact in the second half, coming close to scoring twice when used off the bench.
As pleasing is that five-eighth Stephen Larkham is again prepared to go for a run, while the use of two openside flankers in George Smith and Phil Waugh is going reasonably well. But the man in between Smith and Waugh, No. 8 Toutai Kefu, is not firing on all cylinders, and that could easily be because he is suffering from a multitude of ailments. A lengthy break before the World Cup is what Kefu really needs.
One must again ponder whether the Test selectors gave NSW centre Morgan Turinui enough of an opportunity to prove himself. Turinui was involved in the early domestic Tests, received nothing at outside centre, and then was farewelled. He deserved better, as his bulk and vast attacking skills could have been an asset at Eden Park.
As expected, the NZ media were in hysterics over the victory. The Sunday Star Times headlined its front page: "Bring on the world." Another headline read: "It doesn't get better than stuffing Ockers."
As far as their media was concerned, it was a case of Australia struggling from bad communication, outclassed forwards, backs who lacked cohesion and an erratic captain.
But the euphoria didn't cross to the All Black team management of coach John Mitchell, assistant coach Robbie Deans and captain Reuben Thorne. They walked into the press conference their usual mournful self. Who would have thought they had just won the Bledisloe Cup? Instead, it was if they had all been handed parking tickets. How would they react if someone told them they'd won Lotto? Probably head-butt them.
================================================== ====
Please note that Greg is also the instigator of the "Giteau is moving back to the Brumbies" article and also the main instigator behind the investigations into improper payments made by the Western Force in contracting their players.
For all you Aussie rugby fans out there. Rise up and protest against the ridiculous articles spewed out by Greg Growden the Chief Rugby Correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald..
Moses has organised a petition to present to the Sydney Morning Herald
please sign it if you agree with us.
if you need to do a bit of home work first here are some of the more infamous articles he has written.
==========================
All Blacks deliver shellacking
July 27 2003
By Greg Growden
Sydney
The All Blacks smashed records, put a tight grip on the Bledisloe Cup and showed why they are raging favourites for the World Cup when they brushed aside the Wallabies with ridiculous ease in last night's lopsided Tri- Nations Test.
While New Zealand now has to win the return Bledisloe Cup match in Auckland on August 16 to secure the silverware for the first time since 1997, the Wallabies once more showed, this time before an 82,000 crowd, they are a team in serious decline.
Losing their third straight Test for the first time since 1995, the Wallabies were out-paced, out-classed, out-muscled and out-manoeuvred by one of the best All Blacks teams seen on this side of the Tasman for some years, finishing with seven tries to three.
Adding to the Wallaby despair, NZ finished with its highest score over Australia 50-21, but one small consolation is that it was not the All Blacks biggest winning margin over the Wallabies - that remaining the 43-6 triumph in Wellington in 1996. But it was also the highest number of points conceded by Australia in a Test on home soil.
No wonder a shell-shocked Eddie Jones, who now has a record of 12 wins and a draw in 23 Tests, last night described it as the worst loss he had suffered in his two years as Wallaby coach.
"I don't think they get much worse than this. I hope not anyway," Jones said. "The scoreboard properly indicated where both teams are at the moment."
Wallaby captain George Gregan, meanwhile, described the shellacking as the by-product of being "in a bit of a rut."
The rut is cavernous. It was not entirely a case of Australia playing abysmally, but more that the Wallabies had no idea how to keep at bay the most exhilarating, rollicking and exciting attacking units.
The marauding men in black came from every angleand every direction, with runner after runner easily finding sizeable gaps in an Australian defensive line, which simply could not rally quickly enough to stop the next wave of attackers. Tackles were missed, but so many tries came from the All Blacks being the most clinical of attacking units.
And then, in the final minutes, the All Blacks rubbed their noses right in it, by smashing the Wallaby scrum.
The most successful All Black was winger Joe Rokocoko, who, in his opening international season, has been a try-scoring phenomenon. Rokocoko toyed with the Wallabies, finishing with three runaway tries, which tool his tally to 10 in only five internationals. Last night's hat-trick by Rokocoko follows two tries against Wales, three against France and a pair against South Africa.
But he was not the only All Black to repeatedly break through, with their other winger Doug Howlett, centre Aaron Mauger and full-back Mils Muliaina also enjoying moments when they made their Australian opponents look silly.
They knew exactly where to target, focusing on spots where lumbering Australian forwards were standing in the defensive line, while they took so many opportunities from broken field play.
After that spectacular performance, the All Blacks have every reason to believe the World Cup is heading their way for the first time since 1987.
On the other hand, Australia looks a long way from even being a threat in the October-November tournament.
There were many defining moments - none more than Wendell Sailor's sinbinning in the 23rd minute, which was a major blow tothe Australians, as during that 10-minute period the All Blacks scored twice.
An over-enthusiastic Sailor lost the plot when he charged Mils Miliaina while the All Black full-back was in the air trying to take the high ball near his own quarter line.
For most of the 10 minutes, it appeared as if the Wallaby midfield defence would save Sailor from embarrassment. But just before Sailor was about to return, the Wallaby outer defence disintegrated and was unable to rally quickly enough to stop surge after surge of enthusiastic New Zealand attackers. After being ahead 8-5, Australia was suddenly 20-8 in arrears, and that was it for the Wallabies.
Jones was not enthused by Sailor's blunder. "He made a poor error of judgement and you can't afford to do things like that," Jones said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Wallabies' lack of stars will hurt at the World Cup
By Greg Growden
August 19, 2003
The big question. How many Australian players would make the All Blacks team? Maybe George Smith. The next big question. How many Australian players would make a world XV? Zero. And therein lies the problem.
In the grim aftermath of the Bledisloe Cup, the Wallaby team management yesterday continued on about how their World Cup defence was "moving in the right direction". But the reality is that not enough players are performing well enough for Australia to be considered a World Cup power, especially as it has only one win from its past five Tests.
Former Wallaby coach Bob Dwyer got it right some years ago when he explained that the best gauge of how good an international team actually is revolved around how many of the squad would make a world XV. At the 1991 World Cup, there were at least six or seven, headed by David Campese. Ditto the 1999 World Cup, with such class performers as John Eales and Tim Horan. But now there are no standouts. (That sounds familiar - I'm sure that has been regurgitated quite recently)
Adding to the uncertainty is that Australia is not instinctive enough, especially in attack.
The problem starts from the scrum-base, where George Gregan is struggling, and there's uncertainty over when the ball leaves the area. A crucial moment was when All Black No. 8 Jerry Collins merrily picked the ball up from the other side of the ruck right in front of the Wallaby skipper to instigate the second New Zealand try.
That was an enormous psychological blow, as were the four All Black tackles in the 69th minute, where in succession Smith, Matthew Burke, Gregan and Chris Latham were pummelled.
It is not all doom and gloom. To be in in with a chance until the final seconds was a big plus, especially after Australia had been gutted in the Sydney Bledisloe Cup match. The spirit, at least, is there. And Eden Park did provide several selection answers.
Until Saturday night, NSW prop Al Baxter wasn't exactly rated top of the scrummaging class by the Wallaby team management, but that view would now have changed.
If Baxter doesn't hold on to the Test tighthead spot ahead of Patricio Noriega during the World Cup pool stage, then there is something amiss with the Australian selection process.
The same goes if Nathan Sharpe remains on the bench as the second-row back-up. He was another to make an impact in the second half, coming close to scoring twice when used off the bench.
As pleasing is that five-eighth Stephen Larkham is again prepared to go for a run, while the use of two openside flankers in George Smith and Phil Waugh is going reasonably well. But the man in between Smith and Waugh, No. 8 Toutai Kefu, is not firing on all cylinders, and that could easily be because he is suffering from a multitude of ailments. A lengthy break before the World Cup is what Kefu really needs.
One must again ponder whether the Test selectors gave NSW centre Morgan Turinui enough of an opportunity to prove himself. Turinui was involved in the early domestic Tests, received nothing at outside centre, and then was farewelled. He deserved better, as his bulk and vast attacking skills could have been an asset at Eden Park.
As expected, the NZ media were in hysterics over the victory. The Sunday Star Times headlined its front page: "Bring on the world." Another headline read: "It doesn't get better than stuffing Ockers."
As far as their media was concerned, it was a case of Australia struggling from bad communication, outclassed forwards, backs who lacked cohesion and an erratic captain.
But the euphoria didn't cross to the All Black team management of coach John Mitchell, assistant coach Robbie Deans and captain Reuben Thorne. They walked into the press conference their usual mournful self. Who would have thought they had just won the Bledisloe Cup? Instead, it was if they had all been handed parking tickets. How would they react if someone told them they'd won Lotto? Probably head-butt them.
================================================== ====
Please note that Greg is also the instigator of the "Giteau is moving back to the Brumbies" article and also the main instigator behind the investigations into improper payments made by the Western Force in contracting their players.