Lacrosse.
I got hit with the ball and it fucken hurt.

Stupid all blacks! My grandma plays better rugby!

//why sack mitch?

two words: Graham Henry.

Proven at the top level (unlike Mitch). More qualified, more mature. Way overdue. I've been waiting for him for since he left Auckland to go to Wales.

But anyway what rugby are you talking about? I dont know of any rugby on at the moment...

the whole thing is so hopelessly stacked in favour of england that it's ridiculous .. .
having an english referee on a semifinal between new zealand (who england want to avoid playing at all costs) and australia (who have a pretty shit record against the poms) was crap .. . from the first minute he was obviously favouring australia ..
new zealand was struggling to run the ball because the australians were constantly offside, then as soon as we infringed, there goes the whistle and 3 points to aussie...
would be nice if the world cup was actually a fair contest, and the IRB weren't such a pack of useless corrupt bastards...
anyway, enough about rugby .. . . i'm over that shit now

//why sack mitch?

two words: Graham Henry.

Graham henery has always had his auckland teams made before he has taken over, back in the 80's, stars like zinny, fits and fox were already picked... all he had to do was step in and keep things ticking over, same this time around.

Mitch took a crap english team and coached there forwards into what was for some time a tight five eating monster... but now they are showing some age.

"""And it's stupid to blame McDonald, he's not a fucking kicker"""

actually he is a kicker, hes got the highest average in canturburry in resent times, better than blair or merts. End of the day a lot of hopes and pressure went down on him and I don't think he could handle it in that part of his game.

will be interesting to see the changes next year, I like carlos, but hes not going to be there in four years, so scrape him. aron for first five anyone? or leave him at second and use carter at first, I think he will develop into something very special. Centre is open for me at the moment (I wish marsh, but that can't happen for several reasons... so I'll just have to take up rugby again and fill that role thankyou :p). Rocko, mills and dougy should remain as for as I can tell.. providing they keep there level of skill up and keep developing. Byron has to be used a lot more than he is, it would be a waste to let a player like that slip through the cracks.

I played Croquet for my high school sport. It was excellent.

hmm, just because we are pained by the all blacks loss does not mean we don't feel bad or care for the civilians killed in terrorist attacks.

But what can we say about terrorism, its bad, way out of our control, we have no way to comprehend it.. and most of us are quite frankly sick of it and don;t know enough about it. Maybe you should start a topic about it?

oh, and not all rugby/sport fans are jocks. I love rugby and am not a jock by any means... jock is more an attitude, and from my experience, most jocks don't seem to know much about rugby other than they think they're the men if they claim too.

I think I love you, DisasterRadio.

I agree in terms of the rebuilding of that nation and the coming together of whites and blacks on a even playing field and things.

But from a purely rugby angle, that was NZs best chance to win since 87, and they were the best team... just ashame merts cracked under the overtime pressure and half the team were throwing up on the side line.

hehe, my mad passion for been anti english forces me to support France :)

They've come along way since thier Kick - ruck -kick - ruck - kick - ruck days of the 80's and early 90's.

//show a bit of history

I've said on more than one occassion since leaving godzone that NZ is the greatest rugby playing nation in the world. Now, I honestly believed that to be fact, partly because of the ALL blacks history in the game, which is as much a part of rugby's history as rugby is part of NZ's. Mostly however I've said its due to the highest level of provincial/annual competition available anywhere. NPC, Super 12, tri-nations etc... now Im begining to wonder if I've been wrong for the past 8 years, thoughts?

I agree, but I think the issue is now more centred around when professionalism hit. It's my opinion that the AB's and NZRU have been the worst team/union to deal with professionalism. Closely followed by South Africa.

Only those countries that understand competing at the highest level of world class PAID sport have evolved well. The leaders in this era are Australia, France and England.

I believe the reason for this is that within those societies there is a level of understanding of competing on a global stage. Its a collective knowledge and confidence that is stable, has been present for some time, and is an steady influence from all sport, business, and entertainment sectors.

The second factor I need to purge is media: NZ rugby media, especially newspaper journo's are terrible. In some ways I agree with LSam that this isn't a nation 'in mourning' as the crappy sports edotors would like to have you believe. I don't know what it is but its not that, and its such predictable cack that for me is continual evidence of how we may have the best players in the world but the worst hacks commenting on it (and therefore creating a bad division between the fans and the team/union/sport).

On that note: big ups to the TV One team for making the big play of bringing in Fox and Hart. Stunning move and what a team to have calling the plays - NOW thats bringing some intellect into the one facit of the media and educating the public. It can't make up for Keith Quinn but what could?

And finally, did anyone notice how about 4 weeks after Henry's return to Auckland (albeit a very quiet return) the Auckland rugby empire began to rebuild? Now look at them.

// the one shining light maybe the net ball world cup,

oh, I dunno...

4th at the last basketball world champs ain't too bad (for what is a *real* global game, and a professional one, at that).

and we've still got a few petrol-heads flying the flag (scott dixon and greg murphy being the obvious examples)

and if there was the equivalent of a bledisloe cup for league, NZ would have it for the moment.

as a nation, we pretty much punch above our weight in most sports. it's just a pity we live across a sea from another nation that performs at a similar level, but has a population about five times bigger.

//and if there was the equivalent of a bledisloe cup for league, NZ would have it for the moment.

It was still only one test win each between NZ and Aussie this year ... so a drawn series. Not that I can blame anyone for erasing the mid-year test from their memories!

murph and dixon have done well... and wasn't the basket ball last year?

but over all I'm coming from the perspective of what really mattered to the majority of people on a sporting stage... and you will find the americas cup and rugby world cup would be way out in front. The others were nice icings on the cake, but there was no cake to place it on.

//what would suck worse...
Nah, not really, eh man. They didn't get it done when it mattered so now it just doesn't matter.

I do support them! but they lost, Im gutted and all the fucking bridges in the world won't change that.

Yes the world turns, but stuff happens on the world while it turns that affects people in different ways. Some people have a passion for rugby and would like to discuss it. Get over it.