Is the Tri-Nations FIXED for a Wallabies win?

Yes the same people decided to award the Rugby World cup to South Africa last year. This kind of thing happens all the time.

OK... so SANZAR gifted the Webby to the Boks ! Hmmm, ok I'll go with that MAYBE (prolly in exchange for a guarantee the AB's can dominate rugby for 10 years(and host the RWC a 2nd time and the Aussies take the Tri Nations and a control of rugby media Down Under)BUT...what do the 6 Nations get out of it and how did SANZAR get round them ? Oh, but the Aussies and the Kiwi's control the IRB... NOW I'm getting it.... yes, yes... silly me !

You said it Greg!

Hehehaha...sorry greg just read it again, had to make sure i was reading it correctly, but please write more. The kids i coach are really inspired by your articles to become All Blacks - they now understand the nature of the Zimbok fan of our once worthy opponent. They understand how to deal with the 5 stages of grief played out beatifully in your pieces, they also love your tongue-in-cheek comments which make them giggle out loud. Its incredible, no longer do they hate your articles - they actually embrace them! They say they feel sorry for you having to go through such inner pain after last year's euphoria. Call it schadenfreude if you like - i call it a triumph for male rugby fans that someone as staunch and one-eyed as yourself can finally accept his place on this planet.

Greg - Now that SA are out of the tri-nations I think it's time you cut your losses and get yourselves a kiwi coach. If it's good enough for the Aussies then it's good enough for you.

Yes the same people decided to award the Rugby World cup to South Africa last year. This kind of thing happens all the time.

As a "Japie" living in Oz for some years now, I find I must concur with young Keith as I have observered systematic biased reffing against SA teams since readmission. Irrespective of whether you agree or not, a detailed review of past games will show a definite cumulative bias against all SA teams, from super 14 up. Then of course there are some SA refs who are not quite sure which game they are playing........ The overall standard of reffing is abysmal. Chas Holmes

But, but - I did'nt know we had to give the Webby back if we lost the quad (referee panel) -nations ! I thought we could play with it for a full four years, and gloat amidst the same old spitterness from down south, about us not being the real champions ! That's not being very sporting - where's all the fun now ? Sorry - what's that ? Pardon ? Oh, we DON'T have to give it back ? Oh, ok then ! Anyone for cricket, whilst the pitbulls prepare to murder each other for the scraps ? Phillip 'Tie-me-Springbok-down-sport'.

Heard you the first time Phillis! LMAO

Biased refs you bok fans are little girls you won the wc last year cool now your team is crap move on.. our team was crap last year but craps all over yours this year dont hear us gloating about beating you in your own country first time since 2000.

Now there’s the thing, Brad. 16-9 and 27-15 is not exactly “crapping” all over us, especially given the fact that the ref made sure that you could do what you liked to get the ball away from us, in both matches. Can’t play without the ball, is the old adage! It’s easy to say move on when all the decisions are going your way, but you guys would be squealing like stuck pigs if it were reversed. Trouble is that you have got so used to it, it seems normal to you now.

Hey, Blackness. Tell me something. If we are now the “Zimboks” (I assume because we, once again, have a few Zimbabweans in our ranks - remember Ray Mordt, Ian Robertson, David Smith, to name just a few from the past), then, by the same standard, what should we call the modern All Blacks teams? I recommend the South Pacific Islands invitation XV, given the number of Fijians, Samoans and other non-NZ born & bred players in your team! Have you checked out a map of the world recently? Whereas Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) used to play in our Currie Cup competition as a province (we share a border with them, as you may know), Fiji and Samoa are almost in another time zone, compared to you! If RSA applied the same scale, then we could rightfully recruit players from Europe! As far as you classifying us as a “once worthy opponent” is concerned, you will eat those words!

I agree with Chas regarding the poor standard of refereeing in both the Super 14 and the Tri-nations competitions. It wasn’t that hot at the 2007 RWC either! I wouldn’t single RSA refs out, though, because they have this old fashioned idea that they are meant to impartial. When they screw up, they tend to screw up in both directions, whereas the Ocker and Kiwi refs only “screw up” in the Boks direction, whenever we play either the All Pacific Islands or the Wannabies. It’s the same with our commentators, they try to be so careful not to appear to be biased in any one direction, whereas the Ocker commentators in particular (the Kiwis to a lesser extent, Murray Mexted is very fair) try to be as biased and insulting as possible! I have said before that SARU should refuse to participate in either the Super 14 or the Tri-nations any longer, unless we have impartial refs from the northern hemisphere. If not, then the Ockers and Kiwis can play with each other again! The like doing that, it seems!

The Mighty All Blacks will reign supreme once again. The Wallabies will come second with our hand-me-down coach.

Justifiably won the world cup again ? They were lucky both times. --- Ask yourself this - Was South Africa the best team in rugby in 1995 or 2007. The answer is a resounding NO.

how do you win a worldcup by luck rugbyman? get a grip you muppet

Rugbyman, are you suggesting, then, that the All Blacks were the best team on show in both the 1995 and 2007 world cups? Why, then, could they not beat either South Africa in the 1995 final, or France in the 2007 semi-final? Cricket scores against minnows, in the run-up, means bugger-all, if you can’t finish. In the 1995 final, you all thought that the freak Jona Lomu would run all over us like he did against England, but he was stopped in is tracks, head-on, by the mighty Boks! If it were not for the ref disallowing a perfectly legitimate try by Ruben Kruger, during normal time, extra time would not have been needed! No luck in it, my friend. The trouble with you Kiwis is that you believe your own publicity!

Brad? Hullo Brad? Where are you? You seem to have gone a little quiet! Are you being a little girl, because if the cricket score? Now 53-8 is most certainly getting crapped all over, even if your country rates rugby union below cricket, footy and rugby league. See what happens when the ref blows both sides equally?

Greg, you called it! It looks like you were right on the button in regards "the powers that be" allowing us the consolation win in Johannesburg. It certainly looks to me that the referee dogs were called off for this game, allowing the Boks to express themselves at last. See what happens when the playing field is even? No one can tell me that the ref was biased against Australia, or that Australia didn’t care if they got thrashed, as long as they might win the Tri-Nations!

Keith - the match was a dead rubber. Take what enjoyment you can from it. I'd be more concerned at losing the opportunity to sack PDV. Brian Ashton had similar success at the RWC and the poor poms had to put up with him longer.

It doesnt worry me to much the scoreline knowing the players were already on the plane... The only little girls are the south african fans blaming everything on the ref but you cant seem to admit that your team were just outplayed in all there losses and the only 2 wins they got was against an aussie side trying to avoid injury and against the all blacks your half back provided a bit of magic in the last few minutes but the funny thing is he couldnt get a run for the rest of the series because south african rugby is so screwed up they had the retard startin who is useless. Best thing south africa can do is not pick there players who arent playing super 14 (Butch James, Matfield) as they were crap right through the series. Ill be at suncorp enjoying Aussie vs NZ playing for the TRI NATIONS and BLEDISLOE. Enjoy your great victory.