S5, P3: New Zealand vs. England - Completed

Edited.

 

Preview

The bookies make England out to be overwhelming favourites here away to the All Blacks (first time for everything, some might say) but the reality is that these teams are much more closely match than the odds suggest.

That said, there are two areas where the England team look vastly superior to their opponents here. The first area has to be the front rows of the respective packs where Morris - Gbagbo - Dafter should see off the challenge of Ritchie - Izett - Smith. How the NZ selector must be hoping for some new front rower to emerge from somewhere as Ritchie in particular has looked woefully out of his depth this season. It is thankful in some ways that he faces down Dafter who has been very lucky to hold on to his Sharks berth ahead of the improving Niru Gurupur.

The other area of clear superiority is at first-five. Matthew Scoble is no Joshua Ritchie in the fail-stakes, but neither can he hold a candle to English pivot Ed Ames - a regular fixture in the SRC Test line-up. Ames will not rely on receiving good ball from Ben Hornby, though this would obviously help the English. Scoble's pairing with Sam Bakkum is tried and tested and could, perversly be considered as a strength of the New Zealand team.

Another weakness for New Zealand here is Dexter Astele in the backrow. That said, the veteran player of Nelson Bays origin puts in better performances in the black than he does in the blue of the Sharks. Here we also see Jake Howe a schizophrenic rugby player who can't decide whether he should play in the centres as a crash ball merchant or to house himself in the back row. As always, we can't really be sure which Jake Howe will turn up. Mercurial should be his middle name. Or something.

Prediction: Narrow victory for the English 18 - 20

 

This season I've been consistently gun. Even that one match where I was injured, when I still had the wherewithal to come through for the team with a hearty sea shanty in the crowd.

 

I'm going to rip Force a new one here. Put the rookie in his place. It's about time someone did.

 

Great previews Heef

 

Starts tonight at 9pm.

 

Underway!

 

Ref's been more whistle happy than usual. Keeping the cheating ABs on their toes nicely