Thursday, January 10, 2008

Wishes for 2008

Gillian from Cape Town, South Africa

It shapes to be another packed rugby calendar; I have been fortunate to watch some European rugby and am enjoying it bar the inclement weather of course lol. The Super 14 is around the corner and it will be interesting to see how the teams do this year – if SA can show they weren’t lucky to win the cup last year or if the NZ teams will prove to be winners again.
The Tri Nations will be the true test as Robbie Deans squares off against Graham Henry. I am a big fan of Robbie and I think appointing him the Wallabies coach was a masterstroke by the ARU. Throw South Africa in wanting to prove their world cup triumph wasn’t a fluke, will make it a very interesting and hopefully competitive series.
Hopefully 2008 sees the Pumas finding a home in the Tri Nations or Six Nations and the Islanders being looked after better by the IRB.

Marni from Otago, New Zealand

I think I will start like TED as a clean state and say nothing about this rugby year.
2008 – It has to be better than 2007

Maud from South of France

I Hope it will be more dense than 2007.
I Hope the All Blacks will still be the best.
I hope that Lièvremont will do something good with the French team.
I hope that we'll have nice test match in November, with the european tour of the All Blacks.
and I just want to be surprised by all these talented players who are in the All Blacks team.

Caroline from Brittany, France

Iwish the best for the all blacks and first wish that a NZ squad can win the super 14 and that they can win the tri-nation and all their matchs (or most of them). I just i hope this year can be better than 2007!
Just GO ALL BLACKS!

Izzy from Christchurch, New Zealand

All I want for 2008.....
* to see RMC injury free during the year and back to his dazzling best (oh and to finally meet him would be fantastic!)
* For a NZ team to win the Super 14 final, preferably the Crusaders to send off Robbie with style
* to see "Razzle" (aka Ali Williams) play in a Red & Black Crusaders jersey, to play well and rub the Blues nose in it
* for all the bitching and back-stabbing to stop over the coaching role (i.e. Henry vs Deans), lets just get on with the game (we can moan at the end of next season if we didn’t like how it went)
* for Graham Henry to finally settle on a player for the centre position
* the end of rotation in the AB’s
* to see the battle for the halfback position unfold between Andy Ellis & Brendan Leonard (and Piri Weepu?)
* the new rules for the Super 14 to work, and do some good for the game
* to see some of the AB’s turn out for their province
* to see bigger crowds at the game, lower tickets prices would be good!
* the end of the squabbling over the Eden Park re-development for the 2011 RWC (to see them actaully make a start would be really good!)
* DC to sign on with the NZRU for at least another year when his contract expires, and not head offshore (the end of any more offshore signings would be good thing)
* no sensational headlines of AB’s going on drunken binges, assaulting people or getting up to other unmentionable antics
* no more debacles over the Black jersey (the Scottish game jersey issue at the RWC was a joke)
* I have to say it (for various reasons), respect to be shown for the Haka by the opposition team
None of these things are in any particular order, except the first!

Sorry if this is a little NZ orientated but it's the best I could come up with. As for 2007, for everyone's sake let's just leave it alone and move on, I think enough has been said, argued and written about it. End of story.

Siska from Singapore

And now 2008 is here. Super14 starts in about a month and I cannot wait. It has been a long off season. A lot of the ol' kiwi boys are playing rugby in the Northern hemisphere and I will miss them, but new guys are lining up to show off their talent. It is going to be super exciting. Richard Kahui is now finally healthy, yay! Ali Williams is joining the 13th Crusade along with Captain Fantastic and DC as his vice captain. I can't wait to chant, Reuben Thorne, Reuben Thorne, Reuben Thorne…… Reuben Thorne! come May this year.
This year's Tri Nations is going to be weird though with Coach Deans siding with the Wallabies. I am just going to wait and see. I wish him the best but my All Blacks are going to give him a tough fight, as always! Lots of silverware to defend this year.
What is going to be the most exciting part this year is having the RGs around (well, around the world but together in the rugby universe) to share the rugby action and passion. I did not come from a rugby nation (I should have been J I think) so I did not have a lot of buddies who enjoy the game. Now I do!
Cheers to an exciting 2008 rugby season.

Melissa from New South Wales, Australia

What i am hoping for in 2008 is rugby once again focusing on the up & coming game, no future planning, waiting for next year or the end of the year. Back to teams putting out the best team possible for the team they are about to be playing, all players trying to win their spots and more consistency with selections not experimenting or resting players for a future event. It will be good to have rugby get back to concentrating on each tournament they play & have each tournament mean something again not just a rehearsal or build up to the every 4yr one like it has been the past couple of years.

I now thanks to new friends have interests in other tournaments besides the southern ones, even though i don't get to see the games i enjoy everyone keeping me updated & i like having i guess you could say my rugby knowledge expanded and yes of course you all know me....my eyes opened to new players!!!

I too like the rest of you am looking forward to the S14 to re-commence, the break from rugby for us southerners has been good but i am starting to have withdrawls & look forward to seeing who will be on top in May. I of course have my fav's i am loyal to my home team and the one we all follow, where they end up will be interesting.

Unlike alot of people i am happy the wallabies have secured Robbie Deans, i dont expect him to waltz in & our opposition to be annihilated but i look forward to seeing how he sculpts and moulds the wallabies into his own coaching style & look forward to them in 2009 but then again he may be able to achieve all this immediately so i look forward to watching their progression this year and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

MaryL from France

*Robbie Deans to get the Super14 title for his last Crusaders...
*AS Clermont Auvergne to (finally) get the national title (Rumours about Vern Cotter joining Robbie in the staff of the Wallabies are growing)
* some great rugby during all the tournaments.
* Scotland to win one game & get back on their rugby feet.
* Rugby values to be spread to other sports : coz 2008 is an olympic year & rugby is NOT an Olympic sport! Yet its values must be taught to the world...

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