It's that time of the week, and this week we're looking at the Top 5 reasons why cricket is a more difficult sport to play than baseball.

In both baseball and cricket, the batsmen has to physically run to score (home runs and boundaries aside). The fundamental difference, though, is that the cricketer has to do HIS running with the weight from all of his pads. We're talking leg pads, thigh guard, helmet, arm guard, gloves, box (that's a cup, to all you Americans), and, of course, the bat itself - all of which make running a difficult task.
In baseball, the batsman just hits the ball and makes a mad dash for first base - usually only wearing his helmet and box. And his uniform, of course. The maximum number of times a batter would have to run off one hit in baseball is four times - from home plate - home plate. In cricket, the batsman keeps batting (and running) until he's out - and that could be one run, or 300 - all the while carrying the weight of his protective gear.

Trust us, it ain't easy going.

There are twice as many ways to get out in cricket than there are in baseball, which means a batsman has to be constantly on guard.
In baseball, there are five ways to get a batter out - a strikeout, groundout (running a batter out), forceout (when a batter is attempting to steal base), flyout (getting caught) and tagout (tagging a batter between bases). That means there are only five things a batter has to be aware of when he's stepping up to the plate.
In cricket, there are ten ways a batsman can be dismissed. Getting bowled, caught, LBW (getting struck on the pads in front of the wickets), stumped by the wicket-keeper, hit wicket (accidentally striking the wickets with your bat), hitting the ball twice, obstructing the path of a fielder, handling the ball, or being timed out (taking too long to get out to bat). The batsmen need to keep all of this in mind while trying to score as many runs as possible.

Try doing that when you've got someone bowling at you at 96mph (154kph).



Not only do cricketer's have to contend with the rules of the game, they also have to contend with different playing conditions that can have a dramatic affect on the game. An overcast day, for example, can change the way a game will be played by giving the ball more 'swing' through the air, making life tough for the batsman. Playing all day in the hot sun can drain a player, especially if he's out batting all day. A lot of cricket is played in the Sub-Continent, where temperatures during games regularly soar into the 40s (around 110 deg. F). Remember all that gear from point 5? Yeah - it makes us sweat, too.
But it's not only the weather that can have an effect - the pitch conditions also have a major impact on a game. The groundsmen can prepare a pitch to be fast, slow, offer something to the swing bowlers, or give the pitch some turn, which helps out the spin bowlers.
And then there's the outfield. If it's dry and fast, the batsmen won't have to run as much - but the fielders will. If it's damp and slow, the batsmen have a long day of running ahead of them.

The conditions don't play nearly as big a part in baseball as they do in cricket - just ask a cricket side that's had to field for 3 straight days in India.


Why do baseballer's wear catching mitts? Is it that hard to catch a baseball in your bare hands?
We don't think so, especially given that a cricket ball is heavier than a baseball. A standard cricket ball weighs between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces (155.9 and 163 grams), while a standard baseball weighs in at 5.25 ounces (142 and 149 grams).
A cricket ball is also smaller (22.4 -22.9 cm circumference) than a baseball (22.9 - 23.5 cm circumference), which means cricketer's are catching a smaller and heavier ball, without the use of gloves - and they still make incredible diving catches.
If they can do it without the use of gloves, why can't baseballer's?



We've already mentioned the fact that batsmen have to run with pads. But, they also have to deal with batting for (if all goes well) extremely long periods of time, varying pitch conditions (which, during a 5 day Test, can change every day), and facing up to world class bowlers.
A batsman in cricket can't just walk out and smash the ball - if you try, you'll be out in a second. And then it's the long (trust us - it's looong) walk back to the pavilion. Also, batters in baseball bat once per innings, just as they do in cricket - but they don't face nearly as many deliveries as a cricketer does. Oh, and they can be walked to first base, too. How nice.
And the bowlers - they don't have the luxury of standing in one spot to deliver the ball. Fast bowlers run in, on average, 25 yards (22m) every delivery. In a day where a bowler sends down 15 overs (with 6 balls in each over), they've run 2250 yards (1980m). And it's not just a jog, either - every ounce of energy the bowler has goes into each delivery. Need we mention the 5 days in the Indian sun, again?


Both batting and bowling require a lot of patience, perseverance, guts, and a huge amount of skill - and for that reason, we believe that cricket is a much, much harder game to play than baseball.

These two videos show cricket from two perspectives. The first clip shows the effort, passion and intensity that goes into every single action in a cricket match. The second clip shows the speed and skill required to catch a cricket ball - without a glove.

(Apologies for the extra-long intro to the first clip - feel free to skip it.)

The NRL is celebrating it's centenary season this year, and so far the on-field action has been fantastic, with the Top 8 once again going down to the wire.

We had another tough State of Origin campaign, with Queensland taking the spoils over their arch rivals for yet another year, and the rugby league World Cup is just around the corner - which promises to be very exciting.

While the on-field action is great, it's the off-field action from a few individual players that is tarnishing the game - and it's time the NRL bosses crack down to wipe these issues out.

Just this week, Cronulla superstar Greg Bird has got himself into a whole heap of trouble after allegedly smashing a glass into the face of his girlfriend, Katie Milligan. Milligan is still in hospital, and will have to undergo surgery to repair the damage to her face.

This is about as serious as it gets, and the Cronulla Sharks have done the right thing by standing him down - as of immediately.

They have stopped short of tearing up his contract until investigations into the incident are complete, but at this stage the career of Greg Bird looks to be all but over.

It's a real shame, too - he's such a fantastic player, and one who had a long career ahead of him. But this kind of abuse is unacceptable, and he deserves whatever punishment he receives - which may include jail time if found guilty.

Bird will reappear in court on October 8.

It's just yet another major incident the NRL has had to deal with this year. Only a few weeks ago, Todd Carney was sacked by the Canberra Raiders after a string of alcohol related incidents, which included allegedly urinating on a man in a Canberra nightclub.

It's the same old story - players get on the booze, and get themselves into situations that they would normally avoid.

If players can't keep their behaviour in check when drinking, then the answer is simple - clubs should have a complete alcohol ban during the season. It may be tough on those who don't go out and cause problems, but if it puts a stop to players acting like idiots then it's a small price to pay.

Players need to make a choice - do they want to play in the NRL, or do they rate drinking alcohol of higher importance?

It's not a hard one to answer.

This isn't about the players being role models - it's about the players knowing that, like everyone else, they have to play by the rules. And when they don't, they face the same consequences as you or I.

Until the NRL can stamp out these alcohol-induced incidents, the problem isn't going to go away - and it will only be a matter of time before something much worse happens.

It's time to act - either ban the booze, or accept that these issues are here to stay.

Next week the All Blacks take on Samoa in a one-off Test in New Plymouth.

While the All Blacks should have no problem against the Samoans, the one-off Test will be a great opportunity for guys like Stephen Donald, Adam Thomson and Anthony Boric to get a decent run.

It's fantastic to see the NZRU taking Test rugby back to the provinces - it makes the All Blacks accessible to people who normally wouldn't get to see them play live.

What isn't so fantastic is the fact that the Samoan team will most likely be understrength, due to the European clubs refusing to grant the players leave.

This is a serious problem for international rugby, and has been so for a long time now. The clubs pay the players salary's, and therefore feel they have the right to stop them from playing international rugby when it interferes with club duties.

We can understand that the clubs have invested in these players, but playing for your country is the ultimate honour in any sport - and should always take precedence over club rugby.

The IRB needs to stamp it's authority on the matter, rather than sitting back and allowing clubs to control who can and cannot play for their countries.

If clubs refuse to release their international players, they should do so at their own expense by having to pay a heavy fine to the affected country(s). A system like this would certainly make club officials think twice before stopping a player from representing their country.

There are too many Tests being played nowadays with understrength sides, including the likes of England and France, who think sending a B or C side on a tour is acceptable.

Well, it's not acceptable - and it's ruining Test rugby.

Fans don't want to watch a full strength All Blacks side play England's B team. Tests are supposed to be the toughest form of the game, but at the moment what we're getting is anything but tough.

We feel for Samoa, Tonga and Fiji, who constantly have to struggle to put together sides. If the IRB doesn't crack down on the clubs, then there's no way these countries can improve.

We hope you're listening, IRB - something needs to be done.

Now.


*A quick update - Joe Rokocoko may be back in time to face the Wallabies in Brisbane, which is good news for the All Blacks. Rokocoko has been injured since the Super 14, and it would be great to see him back in the black jersey. His return will certainly put a lot of pressure on the under performing Sivivatu, who needs a good shake up.*

The Warriors have always been their own worst enemy, and on Sunday they showed us why.

The Dragons are never easy to beat, and the Warrior's history at Wollongong is terrible at best, but with wins over the Storm, Broncos and Sharks in recent weeks, they should have been able to slay the Dragons.

Instead, the Warriors got handed a 34-6 thrashing, which has seen them drop out of the Top eight - although they sit on 26 points, which is the same amount as the Knights, who are in eighth spot.

They will need to beat both the Panthers (home) and the Eels (away) if they want to play finals footy - they can't afford to drop either game, especially with the Eels, Knights, Tigers and Panthers all still in the hunt for the eighth spot.

The Warriors have what it takes to make the eight, but still struggle to win away from home - which could count against them this year.

It's a very serious problem for the club, and unless they can find a way to win in Australia, they'll always struggle to compete for the Premiership.

There's no reason why they can't win on the road - about half of our players are from Australia, and have played a lot of footy for Australian clubs. There really shouldn't be any excuses.

This week we face the wounded Panthers, who we should beat - although the Panthers have been our bogey side for the past few seasons. They're also coming off some heavy defeats, and will be looking to stop the rot and get their season back on track.

The fact that we're at home this week, though, gives us a lot more confidence.

But with only two games to go, the stakes are incredibly high for the Warriors. Win, and move on to the finals. Lose, and it's all over.

No pressure, boys.

Well, the Olympics have come to an end.

And, as the dust settles over Beijing (or should we say, smog...), we can now get back to normality - although the beauty of 24 hour sports channels means the life of a sports blogger is never normal.

No, we're not complaining.

There have been plenty of memorable moments at the Beijing games, and despite the odd controversial moment, we think China can be extremely proud of their moment in the sporting sun.

Obviously, the efforts of Michael Phelps have dominated the headlines - and rightly so. His eight Gold medal haul ranks him among the greatest Olympians of all time, if not the greatest.

On the track, the hero of these games definitely has to be the Jamaican Usain Bolt, who dominated the 100m and 200m. He not only won Gold in both events, but destroyed the World Records at the same time. He's the worlds fastest man, and one heck of a dancer...

For us New Zealander's these games have been truly fantastic, with a medal haul of nine (three Gold, one Silver, and five Bronze).

The highlight was definitely Georgina and Caroline Ever-Swindell's race, which kept us glued to our TV's, and perched on the edge of our seats. To win by only one-one hundredth of a second is an amazing achievement - not to mention defending their Athens win.

Valerie Vili was incredible in the shot put, with a winning throw on her first attempt, and Tom Ashley did us all proud winning Gold in the men's board sailing.

We here in the Attic are extremely proud of all our athletes efforts - we now can't wait for the 2012 London games, where some of our young athletes will be even better for their experience in Beijing.

The world now switches it's focus to London for the next Summer Olympics, and they're going to have to pull something very special out of the bag if they're to beat (or even match) China's display.

Next stop - London.

Round Four of the Air New Zealand Cup is done and dusted, and this week we finally got some expected results. Not an upset in sight - although some of the games were hardly exciting to watch.

Otago began the round with a 22-8 win over the struggling Counties-Manukau side, who have failed to fire any shots since defeating Auckland in Round One. Once again, the Otago lads will be disappointed that they didn't come away with a lot more points, but the win does move them into fourth place on the competition ladder.

Friday night saw Bay of Plenty and Wellington continue their unbeaten runs. The Bay beat Northland 15-10, while Wellington had to defend for their life to hold out Southland - and only ran away with the game in the final ten minutes. The final score was 26-7, and keeps Wellington sitting comfortably at the top of the ladder.

Auckland managed to get back to the winners circle with a 25-3 win over Manawatu on Saturday afternoon. Luckily for Auckland they had some of their All Blacks back, and get to hold on to the Ranfurly Shield for a little while longer. Next to challenge for the Shield - Southland.

Hawkes Bay were too strong for the Tasman Makos, outscoring them 41-6. The win puts Hawkes Bay into fifth place, while Tasman currently sit in seventh.

The final Saturday game truly was one of the most boring games we've seen in a long time. Canterbury managed to beat Taranaki by 14 points to nil, but as far as this one goes - the less said about it, the better.

Waikato and North Harbour finished off the round with both sides hoping to pick up their first win of the season. Unfortunately for Waikato fans, they'll have to wait another week for that elusive win as North Harbour held on for a 15-10 win. Both teams have been disappointing so far this year, which has certainly come as a huge surprise to us here in the Attic.

Watch out for the top of the table clash between Wellington and Bay of Plenty next Saturday - should be a great game.

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It's Top 5 time again, and with the Olympics heading into the home stretch we thought we'd give you our Top 5 'Weirdest Olympic Sports'.

There are a lot of different sporting events at the Beijing games, and some of them are slightly odd.

Well, 'slightly' is a bad word - really, they're borderline as to whether or not they should even be at the games.

So, here's our Top 5 'Weirdest Olympic Sports':

As an artistic display, it's amazing what these girls can do. But let's be honest - it's slightly bizarre, and almost humorous. It's dancing under water, right? And while we're not doubting their skill, we can't get over the fact that, well...it's dancing under water.
Next thing you know, there'll be ballroom dancing, and possibly even break-dancing, at the Olympic games. As far as Olympic sports go, this one is just plain weird.

This is the one where the rider makes the horse walk funny, right? It's kind of like synchronised swimming, but with a horse. And no water.
The horse struts around the field for a few minutes, lifting it's legs in various, slightly awkward looking ways. Kind of like it's walking on hot coals, really.
Like synchronised swimming, it probably takes an awful lot of talent from the rider. But for the spectator, it's like watching a horse walk around a paddock with pins in it's feet.
Is it really a sport? We're not sure - but we are sure it's weird.



When we originally watched a highlights package of handball, it actually looked like a lot of fun. And then we watched an entire game.
Weird? Oh yes. There doesn't seem to be any structure to it - the players run down one end, try to throw the ball into the goal, and then run back down to defend, without even bothering to try and get the ball off the opposition. It's just so (too..?) chaotic.
If anyone can explain the rules of handball to us, please do - but until then, handball's staying in the weird column.


At what point did walking become a sporting event? And then, even more mind-boggling, an Olympic event? And walking the way they do - you know what we mean, right...?
We've never seen anyone walk that way down the street, so why do they call it walking at the Olympics? It's not walking - it's trotting, or something.
Further more, at what point does someone decide they want to be an Olympic walker? 'Mum, look - I discovered I have the most amazing talent today!'
It's quite possibly the most unflattering sport out there - and indeed, one of the weirdest.




We have to put this at number one, purely for the fact that even having a trampoline at the Olympics is weird - let-a-lone people jumping on it as an event...
Trampolining is something that kids do when their parents tell them to go and play outside. Granted, the 'athletes' do some pretty amazing flips (and other things, too, but we're not that familiar with the trampolining lingo) - but it would be better suited to a circus show than the Olympics.
Still, kids the world over can rejoice in the fact that if they fail at rugby or soccer, they can always take up bouncing on a trampoline. You never know - they might even reach the top of the athletics world.

And our Top 5 Weirdest Olympic Sports list, too.

New Zealand's golden run at the Beijing Olympics has continued overnight, with board sailor Tom Ashley winning our third Gold medal so far.

Ashley went into the final race sitting tied for second with Great Britain, and only a couple of points behind France.

All he had to do was beat the French and British sailor's, and the Gold was his.

And that's exactly what he did.

Ashley finished the race in third place, behind Hong Kong and Israel, but was two places in front of the French guy - who had to settle for the Silver. The Israeli sailor managed to gain enough points to take out the Bronze medal, leaving the Brit to wonder what could have been.

It's another fantastic result for New Zealand, who haven't won a Gold medal in sailing since Barbara Kendall in 1992. She, incidentally, finished sixth overall in the women's board sailing.

New Zealand has also picked up three Bronze medals since 'Super Saturday'.

Haydon Roulston, Sam Bewley, Marc Ryan and Jesse Sergeant took out the Cycling team pursuit, beating the Aussie boys by 1.23 seconds. The great news for our cyclists is that they are still very young, and will be a real threat to the British team in 2012.

Bevan Docherty won the Bronze in the triathlon, sticking with the leaders for the entire run - and when the time came to sprint for the finish line, only the German and Canadian bolted ahead of him.

It's a great result for Docherty, in what is one of the most grueling events at the Olympic games.

Nick Willis won the Bronze in the men's 1500m, in what was an absolutely incredible race. When you consider that we haven't won a medal in that event since John Walker, Willis' Bronze is an absolutely fantastic result.

So now New Zealand has nine medals, in what is undoubtedly our greatest Olympics ever - and we still have a chance in the BMX racing, with Sarah Walker standing a great chance to win Gold, as is Marc Willers.

It would be great to win a couple more medals before the games finish up, but if we finish on nine we can still be extremely proud of our teams performances.

Well done guys!

The Sonny Bill Williams saga is finally over, with the Bulldogs club and Williams' management coming to an agreement that will allow Williams to pursue his rugby aspirations.

Sonny's close friend and former St George star, Anthony Mundine, has come forward to pay the Bulldogs club around $750,000 of his own money to buy out Sonny's contract.

Now Sonny can focus on playing for Toulon for the next couple of years, and if all goes well an All Blacks jersey may be on the horizon.

If his first game for Toulon is anything to go by, he could become a very dominant figure in rugby union - although he may want to stop shoulder charging.

The NZRU have said that they will be interested in talking to anyone playing overseas when their contracts expire, and that includes Sonny Bill.

If that's the case, Sonny could be playing in the Super 14 by 2010.

Unfortunately for league fans, Sonny's league playing days are over - at least until 2012, which is part of the deal made by his management team and the Bulldogs CEO's.

But according to Sonny, he no longer wants to play league, and his entire focus is on making the All Blacks.

It's great that everything has been resolved, although it doesn't seem like Sonny will have learned anything from the whole ordeal - in which case, what will stop him from walking out on another contract if he's not happy?

Especially when you've got rich friends who will bail you out...

If he's serious about playing for the All Blacks, he really needs to be playing in New Zealand as soon as possible - because we play a completely different style of rugby than the French.

For now, though, it's great to know that everything has been sorted out.

Thanks, Anthony Mundine.

We'll leave you with a tribute to Sonny, playing for his old Bulldogs club - enjoy.

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The All Blacks have a few weeks off before their final Tri Nations clash against the Wallabies in Brisbane, so we thought we'd take a look back at how the players have performed so far this year.

There have certainly been some who have been outstanding - and a few who haven't lived up to expectations.

So, let's review:

Tony Woodcock - 8/10
Woodcock has stood out as the number one prop in the country, and has caused problems for the opposition front rows. His best game to date was the second Test against the Wallabies, where he bagged himself two trys.

Greg Somerville - 6/10
'Yoda' has combined well with Hore and Woodcock in the front row, but is coming under some heavy pressure from John Afoa for the starting position. He's been rested a couple of times, which suggests he's struggling to keep up with the new pace of the game.

John Afoa - 7/10
Afoa has looked strong in the game time he's had this year. Despite his knee injury at the beginning of the Test season, he's bounced back well.

Neemia Tialata - 6/10
Played really well in the early games, and showed he is a strong scrummager. Still has a way to go before he will get regular game time, but has been reliable when needed.

Andrew Hore - 8/10
Hore has had a standout season so far, and looks to be relishing in his role as the number one hooker. His lineout throws are consistent, and his work rate around the field is exceptional - he's having his best season to date.

Kevin Mealamu - 6/10
Mealamu has yet to start a Test, but is performing well as an impact player off the bench. However, his lineout throws have been anything but good, and he really needs to improve that facet of his game if he wants to start.

Ali Williams - 7/10
Ali always plays his best rugby in the black jersey, and this year is no different. He has been getting himself involved all over the field (including the odd kick), and is now stepping into his role as a senior player. He's also shown incredible strength to play through several niggling injuries.

Brad Thorn - 7/10
Very solid work rate as usual, both on attack and defence. Has shown he can be used at lineout time as well, which a lot of people doubted.

Anthony Boric - 6/10
Very limited game time, but has stepped up when called upon. Will no doubt be better off for the experience, especially in his one start against the 'Boks at Carisbrook.

Kevin O'Neill - 5/10
Played about 35 minutes against South Africa, but didn't disappoint. Like Boric, he'll only get better with the experience of being part of the All Black's camp.

Jerome Kaino - 6/10
An up and down year, really. Has showed he can handle playing at Test level with some good performances, but let's himself down every now and then by being invisible on the field. Just needs to get himself involved more often, and back his abilities on attack.

Adam Thomson - 6/10
Limited game time, but shows incredible energy when on the field. Will improve immensely with more time on the field - he just needs more experience at Test level.

Sione Luaki - 4/10
Dear oh dear - not the best year for Luaki, to be honest. His handling has been appalling, and his running game needs work. Surely he can only improve...

Richie McCaw - 10/10 Brilliant. Has shown in the last two games why the All Blacks need him fit. We look a much stronger side when he's around, and his work rate is second to none.

"Richie McCaw" Originally uploaded by djbwhizz

Daniel Braid - 5/10
Played one game, but failed to have an impact. Definitely a country mile between him and McCaw.

Andy Ellis - 6/10
Good without being great. Needs to work on delivering the ball a lot quicker, and on his general kicking game. There's a massive difference between his game and Cowan's, that's for sure.

Jimmy Cowan - 8/10
Why he didn't start earlier, we'll never know - but he's shown that he's our best halfback at the moment. Strong defence and a great kicking game.

Piri Weepu - 7/10
Limited game time, but played well against the 'Boks the other night. Always dangerous with the ball in hand, he may have done enough to keep his place in the team.

Dan Carter - 9/10
Has been brilliant on attack this year, due to having Nonu outside him. Also has a strong defencive game, which goes largely unnoticed. Not the greatest year with the boot, but still a standout player.

Stephen Donald - 5/10
Very limited game time, but with Carter playing well it's no surprise. Should get a start against Samoa.

Ma'a Nonu - 8/10 His best year to date, that's for sure. Nonu is relishing the regular game time, and keeps the opposition on their toes. Has scored some fantastic trys, and is passing the ball a lot - good to see.

Ma'a Nonu Originally uploaded by djbwhizz

Conrad Smith - 7/10
Another player enjoying regular game time, and is looking better for it. Is showing he has pace, which everyone said he lacked. Great on defence, and causing head aches for the opposition on attack.

Richard Kahui - 7/10
Had a great debut, and is looking like he'll be around for a long time. Has played well on the wing, too - a very dynamic player.

Sitivini Sivivatu - 6/10
A lot like Kaino - has tons of talent, but at times has looked quite ordinary. He needs to attack the ball with pace, rather than the jogging run he often does. We expected more out of him.

Rudi Wulf - 6/10
Wulf's shown some promise, and looks to get himself involved, which is positive. Needs more game time before we'll see the best out of him - one to watch, though.

Anthony Tuitavake - 5/10
A little bit disappointing for a guy with a lot of ability. Defends well, but has shown little on attack, which he'll need to change quickly - especially with Kahui playing well on the wing.

Isaia Toeava - 6/10
Played well on the weekend, and showed he's grown as a player. If he can keep it up, he'll play more Tests this year.

Leon McDonald - 6/10
An injury plagued season again, which has severely limited his game time. Not sure if he'll be around much longer if his concussion problems continue.

Mils Muliaina - 9/10
Mils looks to be in fantastic form, especially on attack where he seems to have fired up immensely. Currently the best fullback in the world.

So there you have it - our player review so far this year.

Head to the forum for some discussion!

The upsets keep coming in the Air New Zealand Cup, as round three got under way over the weekend.

For a competition that's been called stale over the past few seasons, this year is producing some exciting rugby.

If you haven't been following it so far, it's about time you started.

Waikato and Manawatu started off round three in spectacular fashion - at least for Manawatu, anyway. Waikato should have won this game by some margin, and looked to be doing so for most of the match. But Manawatu finished the game strongly, played some great attacking footy, and by full time had managed to level the scores at 38-all.

It's the third week in row without a win for Waikato - not good.

Manawatu will be confident going into their Ranfurly Shield clash this weekend.

Friday night saw Wellington absolutely smash Counties 64-7 at the Cake Tin. The win keeps them at the top of the ladder with a maximum 15 points. Watch out for Victor Vito - he's a cross between Jonah Lomu and Jerry Collins, and should be a scary thought for non-Wellingtonians.

The other Friday game saw Otago scrape in a 23-18 win against Northland, who came out fired up after being axed from the competition earlier in the week - Fetu Vainakolo, in particular, had a strong game for the Taniwhas. The Otago boys wouldn't have been happy with their performance, but we're sure they'll take the win.

Saturday's games were overshadowed due to the fantastic events at Beijing, but there were some great games to watch.

Bay of Plenty beat North Harbour 38-31, giving the Bay their third straight win, and North Harbour their third straight loss.

Southland managed to hold off Hawkes Bay by four points, winning 20-16. It's Southland's second win, but they will need to step up their game if they want to beat some of the better sides.

Canterbury destroyed Auckland 34-3 in Christchurch, and after their early loss to Manawatu, they're starting to play some good rugby. Auckland, on the other hand, look ordinary at best.

The last game of the weekend saw Tasman go up against Taranaki, and after being cut from the competition for next year, they had something to prove.

And prove they did, beating Taranaki 33-23.

If they can continue their winning ways, they might just make the NZRU regret their decision.

So there you have it for round three - watch out for the Shield clash, as Manawatu are a real chance of lifting the Shield from Auckland.

What a day to be a Kiwi!

Five medals (including two Golds) at the Olympic Games, a victory to the All Blacks in South Africa, and the Warriors keeping their Top 8 hopes alive with a win over the Cronulla Sharks.

In terms of a weekend's sporting results, it really doesn't get much better than that.

Mahe Drysdale opened the evening with a Bronze medal finish in his final. Drysdale had been suffering from a flu, went into the race severely dehydrated and under strength, and spent 20 minutes after the race receiving medical assistance. To finish third in the Olympics is good, but under those physical conditions as well - well, that's just amazing.

George Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle also finished third in their final, giving New Zealand a second Bronze medal.

It looked as though we might struggle to win Gold in the rowing finals - that was, before Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell ("The Golden Girls") stepped up.

It was truly one of the most exciting races we've ever seen, and with only one-one hundredth of a second between them and the German crew, it was definitely one of the closest races ever.

After a not-so-great year, they peaked at exactly the right time, and defended their title at Athens.

From five rowing finals, we won three medals - which we think is a fantastic effort.

New Zealand's night at the Olympics, though, wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

Kiwi cyclist Hayden Roulsten won the silver medal in the 4000m individual pursuit, going down to the British rider by only a few seconds. Not bad for a guy who only a couple of years ago was told he shouldn't race due to a heart condition.

The night was then rounded off nicely with Valerie Vili completely dominating the women's shot put final - and it only took her first throw, with no-one coming close to her throw of 20.56m.

Two Gold, one Silver, and two Bronze, in what was New Zealand's greatest day at an Olympics - and there could be more medals to come.

Seeing our athletes doing so well against the best in the world makes us extremely proud to be New Zealander's.

And, the All Blacks and Warriors winning really topped off a fantastic day in New Zealand sporting history.

It's great to be a Kiwi!

It's that time again, sports fans - our weekly Top 5, and this week we've decided to give you our Top 5 reasons to watch the Olympics.

So far, the Beijing games have been a fantastic spectacle - and they're only going to get better when the track and field events start.

So, here are our Top 5 reasons to watch the games:

It's not every day you get to watch the greatest athletes from around the world compete at one sporting event - in fact, it only happens every four years. For that reason alone, it's worth watching.
For the brief time the Olympics are on, the world seems to stand still (with the exception of the Russians...) to watch their country's finest try to win Gold.
Four years is a long time to wait, so make the most of the Olympics while they're on, we say.

Ok, so this one is mainly for our New Zealand readers. But we Kiwis take our sport very seriously, and although we don't win as many medals as we'd all like, we take great pride in supporting our New Zealand athletes.
This year we have a great chance of winning a few medals as well - five of our rowing teams have made their finals, Valerie Vili is going into the shotput with a real chance of winning gold, and don't be surprised if a few other teams make their mark on the games.


The great thing about the Olympics is that there are a whole range of sports to watch, that we don't usually get to see. Although admittedly we wouldn't usually even bother watching half of them, there's something about the Olympics that makes us want to watch these different sports. We're talking about things like synchronised diving, gymnastic events, volleyball and handball (which we think is a great sport, by the way), plus a whole range of different sports - we don't have enough time in the month to list them all...


One of the greatest events at the Olympics (and one of the shortest, too), the 100m Final is one of the most talked about, and watched, events.
It's crazy to think that athletes prepare for four years to race in an event that last around ten seconds, but what a ten seconds they are!
This year's race is shaping up to be one of the best yet, with the current World Record holder, Usain Bolt of Jamaica (9.76 sec), going up against Tyson Gay of the United States, who has a fastest time of 9.77 seconds. If both these men can make it through the heats, which they should, then the final will definitely be worth watching.


The "Baltimore Bullet" is arguably the greatest Olympian of all time, and definitely one of the most exciting athletes to watch. So far at these games he's won five golds (400m individual medley, 4x 100m freestyle relay, 200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 4x 200m freestyle relay), all under the World record time. He still has three events to go (200m individual medley, 100m butterfly, 4x 100 medley relay), and if he can win Gold in all three he will surpass Mark Spitz's record of seven golds at an Olympic games. Phelps has also become the record holder for the most Golds ever won in Olympic history, with eleven.
At this stage, we cant see anyone beating him in his last three events - or even coming close, for that matter.
If you only watch one competitor at the Beijing games, then make it Michael Phelps.













So - there are our Top 5 reasons to watch the Olympic games. But to be honest, there are hundreds of reasons to watch. Let us know what you think of the Games so far, and head to our forum for some in depth talk about the Olympics.

See you there!

Before the Beijing Games began, I have to admit I wasn't that fussed about watching the Olympics.

I thought that I'd probably watch the Kiwi rowers, and that would be about it. Little did I know, that from Day one - I would be hooked.

For some reason (don't ask me why), I find myself watching all manner of sports - from rowing and swimming, to archery and synchronised diving. Sports that, to be honest, I usually wouldn't bother sitting down to watch.

And the more I watch, the more I become hooked.

From a Kiwi perspective the rowing has been fantastic, with five out of the seven teams making it into the finals - although some of the semi's were a little too close for my liking. Saturday night should be an exciting night for sports lovers, and hopefully New Zealand can win a few medals.

Moss Burmester's final was an exciting race, and although he ended up fourth, the fact that he kept up with Michael Phelps for most of the race is incredible. Not to mention setting a new Commonwealth record for the 200m Butterfly.

Without a doubt, Phelps has been the main attraction at the games so far. He's won five Gold medals, and is right on cue to win a record eight.

He has also taken his total tally to eleven, which is a Olympic record - making him the greatest Olympic athlete of all time.

All eyes are now on his last three events, and whether he can get to the magic eight Golds.

And the games are only just warming up, too, with the athletic events due to begin over the next couple of days.

It really is the greatest sporting event in the world.

- Chris.

The All Blacks are gearing up for their one off Test in South Africa, as they look to continue that good form they rediscovered in Auckland.

The same team has been named to take on the Springboks, which speaks volumes for the way they played in the second Bledisloe Cup match.

The only change comes on the bench, where Anthony Tuitavake has been replaced by Isaia Toeava - and that gives cover to fullback and the centers. Toeava has had a mixed bag in his short All Black career so far, with some real moments of skill being overshadowed by some less-than-impressive displays. Hopefully his time away from the black jersey has given him time to find the maturity needed for the top level.

The All Blacks will need to produce a similar performance to that in Auckland if they want to beat the Boks on their home soil. They do have a good record in Cape Town, though, winning five of their last eight there.

The Springboks have made a few changes due to injury, after playing against the Argentinians last weekend. Bakkies Botha and Jaque Fourie will both miss the Test, which is great news for the All Blacks.

Veteran fullback Percy Montgomery will play in his 100th Test for the Springboks. Montgomery has been a fantastic asset for the Boks over the past decade, and rates among their best players ever. Congratulations Percy, but unfortunately we hope it's not a successful 100th Test.

Here are the teams:

All Blacks: Mils Muliaina, Richard Kahui, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Sitivini Sivivatu, Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Rodney So'oialo, Richie McCaw (c), Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Greg Somerville, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock.

Reserves: John Afoa, Kevin Mealamu, Anthony Boric, Adam Thomson, Piri Weepu, Stephen Donald, Isaia Toeava.

South Africa: Percy Montgomery, JP Pietersen, Jean de Villiers, Adrian Jacobs, Bryan Habana, Butch James, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield (c), Andries Bekker, CJ Van de Linde, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira.

Reserves: Adriaan Strauss, Brian Mujati, Danie Rossouw, Luke Watson, Ricky Januarie, Frans Steyn, Conrad Jantjes.

It's a grim day for Northland and Tasman fans, as they face the reality of no longer having a team to support in the Air New Zealand Cup.

Yesterday, the NZRU announced that the two provinces have been cut from the competition, and from the end of this year will no longer have teams competing.

The announcement has come as somewhat of a surprise to us - especially with regards to Northland, who have been playing at the top level of provincial rugby for some time now.

Tasman, too, have been surprised by their axing, which comes only days after their amazing last-minute win over Waikato.

And didn't Northland beat Waikato in the opening round?

Hmmm - our conspiracy theory minds have jumped into overdrive.

Players from both regions will now be on the hunt for new clubs, which could bode well for teams like Counties-Manukau and Manawatu, or even Otago, who always seem to struggle to lure players down this way.

Fetu'u Vainakolo would be a great asset for both Otago and the Highlanders...

We would have liked to have seen one of either North Harbour or Counties-Manukau get the chop, simply because both are based in the Auckland region, giving the area three clubs. The axed club could easily have merged with the other two clubs.

Bu,t we're just going to have to get used to the Air New Zealand Cup without the Makos and the Taniwha's.

Expect a few fiery performances out of them before they hit the scrap heap.

The Tasman Makos have produced another major upset in this years Air New Zealand Cup, after they beat Waikato 16-14 on Friday night.

It's Waikato's second loss in a row, and our prediction for a fourth place finish is starting to look a little shaky...

The rest of Round Two went pretty much according to plan, with only Counties-Manukau failing to put up a fight against Bay of Plenty.

Friday night saw the Wellington Lions beat North Harbour 30-27, although Habour were certainly in control for most of the game. The Lions sit at the top of the table on ten points, after securing another four try bonus point.

North Harbour remain winless after the first two rounds.

Southland picked up their first win, beating Manawatu 18-5.

Although losing, Manawatu are showing why they deserve to be in the competition. Nobody thought they could compete, let alone win against the top-tier sides.

Canterbury also got their campaign underway with a 20-13 win over Otago at Carisbrook. Otago gave Canterbury a run for their money in the last twenty minutes, but it was too little too late.

Bay of Plenty racked up 45 points against Counties, who could only manage three points. After last weeks win against Auckland, it's disappointing to see them slump like that.

Hawkes Bay defeated Northland in a high scoring 43-31 display. It was a great game to watch, as both sides looked to play some good, attacking footy.

Taranaki traveled to Auckland to battle for the Ranfurly Shield, but couldn't match it with an Auckland side looking to erase their shock loss to Counties the week before. The final score there was 22-6.

Auckland's next Shield defence will be against Manawatu in Round four.

We think it's been a great start to the Air New Zealand Cup for 2008 - looking forward to the weeks ahead.

The Warriors have kept their season hopes alive, with another hard fought win on Saturday night.

The Broncos came to town looking to move into the top four, but found a Warriors side desperate to keep their good form going - and in the end, the Warriors managed to scrape through with a 16-12 win.

The Broncos arrived in Auckland without Justin Hodges, Sam Thaiday, Toni Carroll and David Stagg, but with the likes of Darren Lockyer, Karmichael Hunt and Peter Wallace on the field, they'll be disappointed not to come away with the win.

The Warriors, on the other hand, welcomed backed Wade McKinnon - who managed to play eighty minutes, and score a try on his long awaited return. Wade ran for over 150m in an impressive performance, and will only get better over the next few weeks.

Michael Witt also had an impressive return to first grade, and although his usually reliable goal kicking was off target, he tackled well and gave the Warriors good field position with his general kicking.

Ben Matulino and Witt scored the other two trys for the Warriors, while Ben Hannant and Denan Kemp scored for the Broncos.

It was great to get a look at Kemp, and to see what he'll bring to the Warriors next year. He's an exciting young player with a gift for hunting out the try line, and he certainly has the potential to make a great Warrior in the years to come.

The Warriors have to face the Sharks next week, which will be even tougher. The Sharks are sitting in the top four, and are a real chance of winning the Premiership this year.

It's do or die for the Warriors, but if they can continue their form from Auckland, there's no reason they can't beat the Sharks.

With the Warriors already picking up wins against the Storm and Broncos over the last few weeks, they have another chance to pick up top scalp.

We can't wait.

It's Top 5 time again, and this week we thought we'd continue along the lines of Rugby vs. American Football.

We know this will probably create some controversy, but we want to give you our Top 5 reasons why we think rugby and rugby league beat American football - hands down.

Of course, that may not be the case at all - but this is what we think, based on the research we've done on the topic lately.

Let the debating begin!

In American football, there are separate teams to handle the offence and defence, and even a 'special team' to take care of the goal kicking. Seems like a lot of people doing the same job that fifteen players (or thirteen in league) do in rugby!
In rugby, everyone plays offence and defence - from the biggest guy on the field to the smallest, no one can avoid making a tackle. Because of this, all players have to be ready to run with the ball, which means everyone needs to have a certain level of fitness - there's no room for 300 pound guys who can't run.
There's no one in rugby (or league) who can just stand there and block, like American footballers. You do that in rugby, and you're going to find yourself sitting on the bench real quick.

Rugby and rugby league have a far greater following around the world, and aren't confined to (virtually) one country like American football is. Further more, the two forms of rugby are growing internationally, which means a lot more people are watching and playing rugby than ever before.
American football is predominantly centered in the United States, and although it's played throughout Europe, it doesn't really have the following that rugby has in that region.
We don't deny the fact that in the States it dominates the sporting calender, but outside of USA - well, it hardly exists.

There can be no argument on this one - when it comes to goal kicking, rugby and league kickers are far more skillful than their American football counterparts. When a touchdown is scored in American football, the goal kicker lines up his shot at goal from right out in front of the posts - it doesn't matter where the touchdown was scored. Ok, so we understand that the kicker has to contend with the opposition trying to block him - but in the end, all he has to do is kick it straight.
In rugby, the goal kicker takes the shot at goal in line from wherever the try was scored - it doesn't matter if it's out in front, or from right out on the side lines. Therefore, it's not just a case of kicking it straight - they have to contend with the wind, and the angle of the kick, and they still have the opposition trying to charge down their kicks.

This one's pretty self explanatory as well - there ain't no pads in rugby or league.
We know that pads are a necessity in American football, based on the way they tackle - and that without them, there would be a lot of serious head injuries. But in rugby, and especially league, they don't wear massive shoulder pads or helmets, and yet they can still get tackled (and tackle) just as hard. Not only that, but they have to contend with rucks and mauls (and getting rucked off the ball), and they don't have the pads to protect them.

We're not talking about who tackles harder, because we can't deny the fact that American footballers hit extremely hard, and that some of their tackles are damn impressive. What we're talking about is the fact that in rugby, there is much more to tackling than just stopping the opposition dead in their tracks - the tackle is only the beginning of the battle. Once the tackle is made, you have to contend with the opposition trying to secure the ball, while trying to turn it over for your team. You've got players from both sides driving in trying to get the ball back on their side, and we won't even start on rucking.
It's such a vital part of rugby, and it keeps the game flowing from one phase to the other - rather than stopping every time to reset for the next play, like they do in American football.
While they may say they hit harder, at least they get to stop and catch their breath after every tackle.

There's no such luck in rugby.


Now, we don't want people to think we have some vendetta against American football - that's not the case at all. In fact, we actually love watching the NFL!

We're just trying to show you why we think, after looking into it fairly thoroughly, rugby is a greater, more skillful game.

Of course, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the debate! Head over to our forum, and say your bit.

We here in the Attic are proud to announce the next step in our blog's life - a forum dedicated to sports talk, debate, comment, results - and you having your say!

You hear our thoughts every day - now, you can tell us how it is.

So - head over to the Sports Fan Attic Forum by clicking here, or just click on the Forum tab at the top-right.

We'll see you there soon!

There's nothing that gets us more fired up for an All Blacks Test than the Haka.

Whether it's the traditional 'Ka Mate', or the new 'Kapa O Pango', watching the boys lay down the challenge to their opponents sends chills up our spines.

The same can be said for the Kiwi league team, although if we had to choose the better, we'd go with the All Blacks - hands down.

But there's a problem with New Zealand sportsmen, and that's that they feel the need to pull out the Haka every time they win something - namely, at the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games.

The Haka is a challenge - that's why the All Blacks and Kiwis do it before the game starts, not after.

Why would you challenge someone after you've beaten them?? Yeah, we're not sure either.

Quite frankly, it's embarrassing when New Zealander's perform the Haka outside of rugby and league.

There's nothing intimidating about our swimmers (decked out in budgie smugglers) or rowers (wearing something similar) doing the Haka. Or any athletes, for that matter - whatever they're dressed in.

You don't see the Black Caps doing the Haka before they play. And thank goodness for that, because it would be a joke. No offence, Martin.

Next thing you know, the Silver Ferns will be doing the Haka. In their budgie smugglers.

Just because you can do the Haka, doesn't mean that you should.

So - let's just keep the Haka for the All Blacks and Kiwis. Really, they're the only teams that do it with pride.

Here's another clip - this one is a montage of one of this year's State of Origin games.

For our American readers, State of Origin is a rugby league competition played between two Australian teams (although a number of Kiwi's play in this competition).

Rugby league is a fairly different game to rugby union, but the idea is the same -

Tackle the guy with the ball, and do it without pads.

More broken ribs, anyone?

It's official - Sonny Bill Williams has signed a one year deal with Toulon, and could be playing his first game of rugby as early as this Saturday.

That is, if the Bulldogs aren't successful in blocking him with a court injuncture.

But, all the dramas aside, we want to hear from Williams himself as to why he quit the NRL - because, quite frankly, we're sick of hearing why from everyone else. No one seems to be giving us the facts, and all the fans want to know is WHY he left.

The time has come for Williams to man up and speak for himself, rather than getting people to talk for him.

If indeed Williams does want to play for the All Blacks, then why the hell did he sign with a French club?

It doesn't make sense.

To play for the All Blacks, you have to play in New Zealand - not France.

There would have been plenty of New Zealand clubs happy to sign a guy like Williams...

Therefore, we can only conclude that he has gone to France because of the money. If an All Black jersey means that much to him, he'd have signed with the NZRU.

But, to be fair to Williams, we believe that he is probably under a great deal of pressure - and probably not getting the best advice from those around him.

His managers make more money when he makes more money, so they would have been more than happy to see him leave for France.

Whatever the outcome of this saga is, we fell that it could have all been avoided had Williams taken the proper measures to leave the Bulldogs, rather than just up-and-leaving like he did.

What he did to his Bulldogs team mates is not right - for everything they've been through together, the Bulldogs deserved better.

So come on Sonny - time to speak up, and tell your fans why. We just want to know why.

And, we hope some good can come out of all of this drama.

Great news for Warriors fans - Wade McKinnon is making his long awaited return after sitting out most of the season with a knee injury.

McKinnon was the Warriors best buy last year, and also proved to be our best attacking weapon.

His return has come at a crucial stage in the season, with the Warriors on the verge of making the top eight. While their loss to the Rabbitohs didn't help their cause, they can still make the playoffs - but they really can't afford to drop another game.

Lance Hohia has done an outstanding job filling in for McKinnon at fullback, but with McKinnon fit and ready to play, you just can't leave him on the sidelines. Hohia drops to the bench, where he can cover the halves, hooker and fullback.

Also returning to first grade is Michael Witt, who has been playing with the Auckland Vulcans for the past few weeks. Witt will play at halfback, which means Grant Rovelli drops out of the side.

This week the Warriors take on the Brisbane Broncos at Mt Smart, and if recent clashes between the two sides are anything to go by, then this one should be a classic.

This will be the first time that new Warrior Brent Tate will face off against his old club - he'll be looking to show his old team mates a thing or two.

It's also an opportunity for Warriors fans to check out Denan Kemp, who will be joining the club next year. The other Warriors signing, Joel Moon, will travel with the Broncos as the eighteenth man.

Aidan Kirk is ruled out of the game due to the injury he suffered against Souths. Kirk has been in fine form since making his debut earlier in the year, but with big Manu Vatuvei back, the Warriors are fielding a near full-strength side.

Malo Solamona will come back into the side in place of Kirk.

The Warriors are currently sitting in 12th position, but can leap into the top eight with a win this Saturday.

Go, lads!

Last week, we chose the fifteen greatest All Blacks from our generation - and so this week, we thought we'd select the greatest rugby players from around the world, excluding the All Blacks.

Although, let's be honest - without any All Blacks, how great can the team be??

Remember, again, that these players are the guys we've grown up watching:


1. Os du Randt: A mountain of a man. Os, which translates as Ox in Afrikaans, is without a doubt one of South Africa's greatest forwards. Os played in eighty Tests for the Springboks, including the 1995 and 2007 World Cup finals won by South Africa. He retired at the end of 2007, which is a huge loss for the Springboks.

2. Keith Wood: While not the most technically sound hooker in the game, "The Raging Potato" was a great leader and a fierce competitor, best known for his strong running game. Wood played 58 Tests for Ireland, and 5 caps for the British Lions. In 2001, Wood was named the IRB's International Player of the Year. He also holds the record for the most Test trys by a hooker - 15.

3. Jason Leonard: Jason Leonard makes the side purely on the fact that he played in 114 Tests for England from 1990-2004, which is a phenomenal effort for a prop. He also represented the British Lions on 24 occasions (including 5 caps). Leonard went to four World Cups, and was finally a part of a winning side in 2003, in his fourth World Cup appearance.

4. John Eales: A fantastic captain, and a world class lock. Eales could do it all - including kicking goals. He played 86 Tests for the Wallabies, and played in two winning World Cup sides (1991 and 1999) - he was captain in 1999. Eales set the benchmark for locks, not only in Australia but around the world.

5. Victor Matfield: One of the finest locks in the game today. Matfield is a strong competitor, and uses his size and strength well around the field. Not always known for his fair play, but you can't argue with his skills - and he always gives every ounce of strength he has. A great example of how Springbok forwards play the game.

6. Olivier Magne: A key member of the French side throughout the late 90's and through to 2006. Magne was a versatile loosey known for his speed around the field, and his skills at the breakdown. Magne played 89 Tests for France, including the 1999 World Cup match against the All Blacks (sigh).

7. George Smith: Not the most popular Australian on our side of the Tasman, but when it comes to the breakdown there aren't many who can match him. Smith is a key weapon in this area, and his abilities at turning over the ball are truely world class. He's been a thorn in the side of the All Blacks on many occasions.

8. Lawrence Dallaglio: Dallaglio is one of the toughest players to come out of England, and played for England until the age of 35 - when he finally retired after the 2007 World Cup. There has often been controversy surrounding Dallaglio's selection in the English side, but he has never failed to bring his best to the field.

9. George Gregan: The guy you love to hate. One of the greatest halfbacks to play the game, and one of the most competitive. As a captain, he was always in the refs ear, yapping away like a good captain should. Gregan holds the world record for Tests, with an incredible haul of 139. Love him or hate him, Gregan is all class.

10. Johnny Wilkinson: When not injured, Johnny is one of the finest players to ever play rugby. He has played 70 Tests for England, but that number would be a lot higher if he wasn't so injury prone. He helped guide the English to the 2003 World Cup, and slotted the winning drop goal to beat the Wallabies. He has scored 1032 points for England.

11. Rory Underwood: A speed machine, Underwood played for England from 1984-1996, in which time he chalked up 85 Tests and 49 trys. Underwood played in three World Cups (1987, 1991, 1995), and went on two tours with the British Lions, where he made 6 caps.

12. Tim Horan: Horan was a fantastic inside center, who had speed and strength. He was instrumental in helping the Wallabies win the 1999 World Cup, when he turned on a fantastic performance against the Boks in the semi-final, despite the fact he had severe food poisoning the day before. Horan played in 80 Tests for Australia, and was a part of the winning World Cup sides in 1991 and 1999.

13. Brian Lima: "The Chiropractor". Best known for his brutal defence, which would send the opposition crashing to the ground. He has played for Samoa 70 times between 1990 and 2007, and is one of the only players we have ever seen smash Jonah Lomu in a tackle.

14. David Campese: In his prime, he was near unstoppable on attack - his famous "goose step" would leave the opposition lying on the ground as he sped away. He held the record for trys scored in Tests (64), until 2006 when Daisuke Ohata (a Japanese winger) overtook him. Campese is without a doubt one of the greatest wingers of all time.

15. Chris Latham: Another player whose career has been disrupted due to injury - but when Latham plays, he's devastating. His attacking play can be amongst the best in the world, as can be his defence. Latham is one of those guys that can do anything, and can pull out the match winning play from nowhere.

Reserves: Pieter de Villiers, Phil Kearns, Fabien Pelous, Schalk Burger, Joost van der Westhuizen, Daniel Herbert, Gavin Hastings.

The next installment in the series is a fairly lengthy clip - about 8 minutes - but, if you're interested in this debate, it's very much worth the watch.

It's American football vs. rugby from a scientific perspective, and measures tackles from both a rugby player and a padded American football player.

The conclusion they come to is certainly interesting, but we're not sure that we entirely agree. Watch it through (it's not until the final few seconds that they actually make the comparison, so skip to the end if you're really impatient), and then think about this:

Would you prefer less poundage in the tackle, and a broken rib? Or more poundage, but dispersed so that your ribs stay intact?

And, would you prefer 20 broken ribs from 20 tackles during a game? Or about 10 tackles during a game, where none of your ribs break?

You'll have to watch the whole clip to know what we mean by this.

And, before we leave you to it, there's one more point:

For the experiment, they use an American football player and a rugby player who are both from America. What would change if the experiment was staged with an American football player from New Zealand, and a New Zealand rugby player?

Just a thought.

What a start to the 2008 Air New Zealand Cup!

Seven hard fought games, and three (yes, three) upset victory's.

Thursday night saw Tasman go down to Bay of Plenty 7-8 in some pretty atrocious conditions, thanks to the flooding New Zealand has been experiencing as of late.

The other Thursday night game saw Northland pick up an 18-10 win over Waikato, in similar conditions to the Tasman - BOP game. Northland have always struggled to beat the top sides in the competition, and beating Waikato is a fantastic start to their 2008 campaign.

On Friday night, Wellington and Taranaki got the cash over Hawkes Bay and North Harbour respectively.

Wellington ran away with the game, outscoring the Magpies 30-6 - and in doing so jump to the top of the competition ladder.

Taranaki beat North Harbour 20-13 in New Plymouth.

Two great results for the Hurricanes region!

Saturday saw Otago clash with Southland in the southern derby. Otago picked up a 25-23 victory, with a penalty in the dying minutes.

The biggest news from Saturday (other than the All Blacks, of course) was the massive 25-24 upset win for Manawatu over the highly favoured Canterbury side. Canterbury had a good chance to win the game with a penalty on fulltime, but it wasn't to be - and Manawatu scored their biggest win in a long (oh, so long) time.

Well done lads.

The final game of the first round saw another local derby, as Auckland took on the Counties-Manukau Steelers. Auckland were odds-on favourites to win, and it's no surprise seeing that Counties didn't win at all last year.

But this was the round of upsets, and Counties got in on the action by outscoring Auckland 17-6.

Next year the competition is getting cut by two sides, and possibly up to four sides could get the chop. But with the way things have started this season, we think the NZRU would be stupid to trim the Air New Zealand Cup down.

New Zealand rugby needs these sides playing - it keeps our player depth healthy, and in the end, that's what matters.

Just ask the All Blacks.

The performance by the All Blacks on Saturday night was by far and away one of their best efforts in recent years, and will have gone a long way to silencing some of their critics.

They completely dominated the game, and played the Wallabies right out of it.

Everything they did wrong in Sydney, they got right in Auckland - and then some.

The most impressive thing about their display was the accuracy of their kicking game. Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan and Mils Muliaina were all on target with their kicks, and rather than kicking to the midfield, they drilled the ball down to the Wallabies 22 - which really put the Wallabies off their game.

We were doing to them what they traditionally do to us, and it was about time.

Tony Woodcock scored the game's first try, and to the surprise of many was on hand again to score his second of the night. His second came off a well worked lineout move, which (from the look on Graham Henry's face) you could tell was something they had been practicing.

The Wallabies bounced back to score before halftime, with Adam Ashley-Cooper scoring off the back off a strong Mortlock run. It was a rare mistake by the All Blacks, but fortunately it was the only one they'd make.

At halftime, the score was 21-10 to the All Blacks.

The All Blacks came out fired up in the second half, and from that point on the Wallabies weren't in the game.

Ma'a Nonu scored early on, which was really the last nail in the Wallabies coffin.

He score again in the final seconds of the match, giving the All Blacks a convincing 39-10 victory over the near-invisible Wallabies. It was the perfect performance to make up for their efforts the week before.

It was great to see them attacking, and winning, the lineouts, and impressively they won eight of the Wallabies throws. Didn't we say they needed to put some faith in their lineout capabilities?

I think we did, you know...

Jimmy Cowan showed why we think he is the number one halfback in the country - his kicking game was perfect, as was his passing, which was quick and accurate. He even pulled out the old dive pass.

With that one performance, he should have leapfrogged Andy Ellis as the number 9 starter.

The All Black forwards relished having Richie back. Our work around the ruck was impressive, we got numbers to the breakdown, and we drove the Wallaby forwards off the ball. Richie always leads from the front, and it obviously motivates the others to get stuck in.

What can we say about the Wallabies? Nothing really, because they weren't even given an opportunity to get into the game. The All Blacks kept the pressure on, and the Wallabies got thrown off their game plan.

When the Wallabies beat us last week, it was because we were terrible - not because they were brilliant.

We've shown that when we play well, they can't keep up with us - and Saturday was an excellent example of that.

The next stop for both sides is the difficult task of South Africa. The Springboks are a real chance of taking out the Tri Nations, with three home games still to play.

The All Blacks need to win in Cape Town if they want to hold onto the Tri Nations for another year. It won't be easy, but if they play like they did on Saturday they stand every chance of winning.

The Wallabies play two games in South Africa, and despite beating the Boks earlier on, they face a very difficult task ahead of them.

The Tri Nations, sports fans, is heating up.

Part 4, and this clip is a mix of American football and rugby - a great way (we think) to compare the sports side-by-side.

So - which one is rougher?

You be the judge.

Part 3 of our American Football vs Rugby section has two more videos for your viewing pleasure.

There's another video with yet more examples of the apparent 'softness' of rugby (ha, yeah right...), which we hope will show all you Americans that tackles in rugby hurt.

They really, really hurt.

Last Saturday Nick Farr Jones was inducted into the Australian Rugby Union's Hall of Fame.

Jones thoroughly deserves the recognition - he was one of Australia's greatest halfbacks, and was captain when they won the 1991 World Cup.

A Hall of Fame is a fantastic way to honour the greats of the game, and we can't understand why New Zealand doesn't have a Hall of Fame for our players.

Doesn't make sense, does it? We are, after all, the greatest rugby playing nation of all time, and we have a long history of true rugby greats.

We think it's time the NZRU set up a Hall of Fame to honour our best players, and here's who we think should be the first five players inducted.

Dave Gallaher is best known for captaining "The Originals" on the first tour to Britain, France and North America in 1905. In a total of 35 games, including 5 Tests, "The Originals" only lost the one game - a 3-0 defeat to Wales. Gallaher led from the front, playing in 26 (including 4 Tests) of the 35 matches. He was an extraordinary leader, and had a great eye for the game.
Gallaher went on to fight in the First World War, despite being exempt from service due to his age. Apparently, he altered his date of birth so that he could volunteer. He died during the battle at Passchendale, and is today honoured by New Zealand and France, who play for the Dave Gallaher Trophy. Gallaher is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame.

Lochore was named captain of the All Blacks after playing in only six games, including four Tests. He would remain captain until his retirement in 1970, although he did come back to play a one off Test in 1971. After his playing days were over, he moved into coaching, and was the coach of the All Blacks in 1987 when they won the inaugural World Cup. He has also been a manager of the All Blacks, and is currently a selector.
In 1999, Lochore was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, and in the same year was knighted for his services to rugby.

Sean Fitzpatrick is one of rugby's greatest ever players, and his haul of 92 Tests is still a New Zealand record. In 1992 Fiztpatrick was named captain of the All Blacks, and remained so until his retirement in 1997. Fitzpatrick was a part of the Auckland provincial side that dominated New Zealand rugby during the 1990s, and was a member of the Blues during the first two years of the Super 12. Fitzpatrick set the benchmark for captains all over the world, but honestly - there are none who come close. Fiztpatrick is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame, and the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Lomu is without a doubt rugby's biggest superstar. He was elevated to fame for his efforts in the 1995 World Cup, where he scored seven trys in five games, including running down Mike Catt in the semi-final to score one of his four trys that day. From that moment on, he was the biggest name in the game.
Lomu's love for the All Blacks kept him fighting through his kidney disease, and although he never returned to the All Blacks after his transplant in 2004, the fact that he went on to play for North Harbour and the Cardiff Blues is incredible.
He scored 43 trys for the All Blacks, 15 at the 1995 and 1999 World Cups (a record), won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 (sevens), and in 2007 was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
Simply put, the guy is a legend.


They don't come any tougher than Pinetree, that's for sure. Meads has come to represent what being an All Black is all about - or, at least, what it should be about. His feats on the field are legendary. There wasn't an ounce of weakness in his body - he even finished a game with a broken arm. His response after that game sums him up - "At least we won the bloody game"
Meads was named the New Zealand Player of the Century in 1999, and is a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame.
The All Blacks could certainly do with a few more players like Pinetree...



These are only five of New Zealand's greatest All Blacks - we could go on and on if we wanted to. The point is, it's about time the NZRU started our own Hall of Fame.

Then again, there aren't too many All Blacks who wouldn't make the list.