Crouch, touch and … engage! Bring on the 5th of July

The line-up for Saturday’s global rugby fixtures are: New Zealand vs England, Australia vs Ireland, and on home turf in Pretoria — at 5 000 feet — it’s South Africa vs Wales.

Appetisers of two portions of Wales and one of Italy, before the main course in the home of the All Blacks on the 5th of July is what this is all about. That is the moment when Peter de Villiers becomes master chef and international head coach of note … if he wins.

All this hand wringing of team selection, best player-for-the-best position, transformation, conspiracies, training and conditioning, injuries and the endless chit-chat of strengths and weaknesses all counts for naught except the 36 minutes when ball is in play in New Zealand.

It is amazing that of 80 minutes of “rugby” and all the attendant hoopla on TV and in the press and over the internet, the ball is in play for just over 35 minutes under the ELV’s, while under the old laws it was in play for 34 minutes.

The All Blacks have their detractors and they’re trying to win back the public as their own coach has been vilified and castigated for their World Cup loss when, in their view, they should be defending champions in 2011 in New Zealand.

Instead they are at their most challenged and vulnerable, with an iffy coach in Henry, tainted with defeat from last year and trying to salvage their reputation. Their pathway to meeting the Springboks is Ireland and England, who are also middleweight teams to be served up as appetisers for the main game against the Springboks.

Peter de Villiers is a tough guy and will be under fire, daily, from now until what we will all bill as, The Rugby World Cup final that never was.

Well, it can now be played on the 5th of July and we’ll see who is the best. Anything in between is mere preparation for the 36 minutes.
New Zealand South Africa
Played 72 72
Won 40 29
Drew 3 3
Last won at home 14-Jul-2007 02-Sep-2006
Last won away 23-Jun-2007 04-Nov-1999 (Ouch! A nine-year drought)