The All Blacks thumped the Spring Boks for the second time in two weeks on Saturday. New Zealand is playing well, which does a lot to explain the poor showing by several Boks. The early yellow card to Danie Rossouw for tousling Richie McCaw’s hair didn’t help either. Condescension isn’t a cardable offense. Still, there seems to be no case to make for Ricky Januarie holding onto the #9 shirt. The Boks got better in attack when Ruan Pienaar came onto the field if only because then there was actually likely to be a scrum half at the breakdown. From the tv broadcast, it isn’t clear what was holding Januarie up, but it is clear he was absent far too many times. It is also clear the Jean deVilliers is being poorly used. Playing center for Munster is a different thing from wing in the Tri Nations. He isn’t wearing 14 based on any great form, so why is he wearing it at all? If he had been going head-to-head with other centers in the Super 14, it is hard to believe he would be passed over in the center position now. South African rugby is smart, I think, to let guys go make money in Europe and remain eligible for the Spring Boks. However, it does complicate things.
For American fans, looking at Brad Thorn is a lot like looking at Mark McGwire. Mark McGwire was a guy known for his strength and pock-marked face. Brad Thorn has been a beast well beyond normal beast years, playing both league and union. That sounds an awful lot like an accusation, since we now know McGwire was on steroids. I do wonder every time there is a close-up on Thorn…
The other notable development in this game was Justin Marshall not being a total ass as a commentator. My sense is that he is probably bummed that he gets so much less camera time in the commentary booth as compared to when he is on the field. Still, he wasn’t bad.
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