MERRY CHRISTMAS MR STONEFISH

I thought it was about time to update my website as it is the New Year and the Rugby World Cup is well and truly over. I did not update the site after the RWC Final because like most people I was shattered and wanted to forget about Rugby for a few months. After the Wallabies poor form in the preceding 18 months I was surprised like everyone to see them make the final and do so well, congratulations to Eddie Jones and the team. 

George Gregan came out firing in the press after the Final, having a shot at all the ex-players and officials who had bagged the Wallabies before and during the World Cup. Fair enough,  George is entitled to have a go at those he believes has slighted the team. The very cold hard fact that George should not forget is that he started his Captaincy with a full Trophy cabinet, it is not so full these days. 

How about the poor old Kiwis, their press and public tore them to pieces after the loss to the Wallabies. The CHOKER headlines gleefully shown over and over again by Roy and HG must have hurt John Mitchell and the All Blacks. John Mitchell paid the price for losing a game the whole of New Zealand thought could not be lost. Graham Henry replaces him and a new era for the All Blacks begins. As you can see in my previous articles I also thought that the All Blacks could not lose this game, I was very happy to eat humble pie after the remarkable Wallaby victory.

Congratulations to England the new World Champions, a thoroughly deserved win. The way they have played the game over the last few years has really enforced an evaluation of the coaching and style of play in New Zealand and Australia. The scrum and lineout are again supreme, they must be worked on at training not given ad hoc time as has been the case since the introduction of the Super 12. If club coaches in New Zealand and Australia start giving some serious time to lineouts, scrums and mauling hopefully Henry and Jones will not have to spend 6 months with their national teams trying to get them right.

A new addition to Broadside is the Coaching Downloads, the first being a paper on mauling. The next paper will be on scrummaging and will be ready in a months time.
Feel free to hand them out to your team or a group of coaches you are involved with. Make sure you keep my name on the paper or I will find you and use you for rucking practice. I value your feedback so drop me a line with your ideas.

The Ugliest Man in the Universe Competition will be wrapping up soon so get your votes in. Of course the  Stonefish will win so make sure you vote for him, if you want your house haunted he is available for hire. Hello to all the gang in Coffs Harbour especially Stormin Norman, John and Matt. I had a great Christmas break in Coffs the Kava flowed and I swam everyday. The rumour that Greenpeace tried to tow me out to sea is of course untrue and just idle gossip started by Stormin Norman.

Regards
Matt (Bubba) Ryan
bubbaemu@hotmail.com