We're currently working on some pretty major renovations here in the Attic. We're stripping back the old wallpaper, ripping up the old carpet, and knocking out some walls to bring in some much needed light.

We've almost finished the work, and pretty soon you're going to see a dramatically different, refreshed site, with plenty more sporting goodness for you to peruse.

Check back soon - we know you're gonna love it!

Israel and Chris.

We're less than a week away from the start of the 2009 Super 14, and although it doesn't seem that long ago since we were celebrating the success of the All Blacks Grand Slam tour in November, we can't wait for the rugby season to begin.

The question on everybody's lips whether or not the Canterbury Crusaders can continue to dominate the competition without Robbie Deans as coach, and without the likes of Dan Carter and long-time servants Ruben Thorn and Caleb Ralph. The Crusaders will be on every one's hit list, but as far as we're concerned they should still be the front runners come semi-final time.

There biggest challenge within New Zealand should come from the Hurricanes, who head into the competition with undoubtedly the strongest side in the Super 14. Unfortunately for Hurricanes fans, the Wellington franchise has been the biggest underachievers in the competition, and they'll have to ramp up their game to have any chance of claiming their first Super 14 title.

The Highlanders have struggled in years gone by, and 2009 will definitely be a tough year for them - especially if they get off to a slow start. They have a solid side available, but if they pick up a few injuries they could find 2009 heading in the same direction as 2008. Despite this, we feel they have the talent to surprise a few, and if they can rebuild their once proud home record, they may just be in the hunt come semi-finals time.

The Chiefs have always been slow starters, which has cost them big-time later in the season. For them to have a successful Super 14 campaign they will need to start the year with a bang - and with wins over the Blues and Highlanders in the pre-season, they're showing good signs early on. They have speed to burn in the backs, and will be looking to Stephen Donald to lead them to success in 2009.

The Blues are always a danger of beating anyone on their day, but in recent years they've fallen off the pace in the back end of the competition. They don't have a solid first-five, and so Jimmy Goppeth and Tasesa Lavea will have all the weight placed squarely on their shoulders. We feel it will prove too heavy for them, and the Blues could be looking at another disappointing year. Blues fans will be hoping we're a long way off the mark, but we're just not sure...

In Australia, the team to keep an eye on will be the Western Force. While they've had their problems off the field (a reported player revolt against coach John Mitchell), they've continued to improve since their inception into the competition. They are a strong home side, but will need to improve their efforts away from home.

The Warratahs are the strongest of the Aussie teams, and will provide Australia with their best chance for success in 2009. Their only downfall is that they tend to choke when the pressure is on, and against teams like the Crusaders you just can't afford to be off your game. Look for them to be in the hunt late in the competition.

The Brumbies and the Reds have been the whipping boys of Australian rugby in the past few years, and we don't expect much to change in 2009. The Brumbies were once one of the strongest sides in the Super 12/14, but have suffered since losing players like Gregan and Larkham. The Reds always promise so much, but never seem to deliver.

The biggest challenge to the Crusader's tight grip on the trophy could come from a South African team. The Sharks, the Stormers and the Bulls have all played good footy in the past few years, and are always a constant threat - especially when playing at home. They will all need to learn to win away from home, or they could find themselves narrowly missing out on a semi-final spot - so close is the competition that you just can't afford to drop so many away games.

As for the Cheetahs and the Lions, well..the less said about them the better. They're yet to make an impact on the Super 14, and will more than likely be fighting it out at the bottom of the table.

This year will certainly be an interesting one, with new laws (a rejig of the ELV's), and the introduction of new referee laws meaning we'll all have to readjust to the new competition. And who knows? Maybe this will be the last Super 14, with rumours that yet another team will be added to the competition in either 2010 or 2011. The Australian's want to add a Japanese or Pacific Island team, which we think would be a great idea - it would help the growth of the game in the region, and it would mean even more rugby. How bad can that be?

Get ready, sports fans - this Friday it's all underway.

The Black Caps have struck the first blow in the Chappell-Hadlee series, winning a thrilling match off the last ball of the game.

The win has been somewhat overshadowed by an incident involving Australian wicket-keeper, Brad Haddin, who appeared to strike the wickets with his keeping gloves, thus making it appear as though Michael Clarke had bowled Neil Broom. Replays have shown that the ball missed the top of the stumps, and the bails were removed by Haddin's gloves.

Daniel Vettori has called out Haddin, claiming that he must have known Broom had not been bowled, and that his expression at the dismissal proves it so.

The incident happened at a vital time in the Black Caps run chase, when Broom and Ross Taylor were beginning to cruise towards Australia's modest total of 181. It would certainly be hard to prove whether or not Haddin intentionally "cheated", but if he is found guilty he must face a lengthy ban, as that kind of behaviour goes against everything cricket is about.

We'll await more news over the controversy...

The game itself was an edge-of-the-seat type of game, as the Black Caps looked to have blown an easy victory. It took until the very last ball before Vettori hit the winning runs.

The Black Cap bowlers did a fantastic job in limiting the Aussie onslaught - Kyle Mills led the way with four wickets, while Ian O'Brian claimed the vital wickets of Michael Hussey and James Hope, who proved to be the last hope (no pun intended) for the Aussies.

The bowlers were backed up by some fantastic fielding, which led to the crucial run outs of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke.

While limiting the Aussies to 181 was a fantastic job, the batsmen certainly made hard work of chasing down the total.

McCullum was dismissed off the second ball of the innings, after being given out in what would prove to be the wrong call by the umpire after replays showed McCullum clearly getting bat on ball before it hit his pads. It was unfortunate, but it does happen - as it did to David Hussey in the first innings, when he was given out caught behind when the ball didn't appear to hit his bat.

If it wasn't for Taylor, Broom, and Kyle Mills it would have been an embarrassing loss, but at the end of the day the Black Caps tour has got off to the best possible start. And what's even better is that the Australians horrible run continues.

It's still too early to say the Black Caps will run away with the series, but if the Aussies don't start to improve soon their Summer is going to get a lot worse very quickly - not that we would mind that too much.

The second ODI is on Friday.