Sunday, July 10, 2005
Weekend
James’s rugby season’s recommenced Saturday, a home game against Brothers, which was duly won in a scrappy game, with a better second half. James once more made it on the score board. This makes us W9, D3 and L1 in the season. Next week is the crunch game, against another Brothers side which thrashed us 40-20 earlier this season.

The Wallabies saw off South Africa in a pretty dominating display. Possession dried up a little in the second half as the Springbok pack got on top in the set piece, but once again, it was explosive support play, rather than intricate backline moves, which scored the four tries for Aus.

Sadly it appeared to turn into something of a boxing match. Whilst I am sure that the Wallabies were not totally innocent, more than a few times there appeared to be a few acts of revenge. Sharpe physically lifted Berger (no mean feat) up and out the top of a maul to throw him down again amongst the cleaning down feet of the Wallaby pack and once again Larkham ran in from 15 yards away to tear into a South African, seemingly up to no good.

Both finished the match with bruised faces. Of course, Eddie Jones will not say anything, but the referee might have to do some serious study of the video to pick up the mischief that he missed first time.

The Wallabies will be happy to have finished the game with a clean (try) sheet; late pressure was relieved by an intercept by Rogers (cracking game) and try by Mitchell of Qld Reds. That old Red, Wendell Sailor, after months of criticism (of being crap) is now on fire; even out-shining Lote Tuquiri.

In two weeks the Wallabies travel to SA for two games. First up is the decider for the Mandela shield then the real business of the 3Nations starts up. SA will be a much tougher foe away from home.

Prediction is still, down to points, all teams winning their home games

B&ILs lost again, but at least with some dignity this time. And they did do the rest of the world a favour too and proved that the All Blacks – contrary to recent popular belief – are still mere mortals.

While some people are panicking over the cricket and England are relishing this summer as their best chance to win back the Ashes in ages, Australia’s calmly thumped England at Lords. It feels like it has been a disastrous tour for the Australian’s so far, but I guess the facts are this:

In the ODI Tri-Series against Bangladesh and England, they shared the trophy after the final slipped through their fingers and overall on tour, against England, in ODIs they have W2, L2 and T1.

That this could be deemed a disaster, says much for the team. The batsmen are now slowly finding form and it is really only Gillespie who is now struggling. But Kasprowitz and Lee are now in the best form for a while and McGrath and Warne are still two of the best in the business.

The weather

Saturday afternoon was spent in shorts and tee shirts in the forest at Mount Coot-tha with Debbie and Ady having a BBQ. It was a glorious winter’s day: warm and dry.

Sunday, out working at a community consultation event, it was biting cold. The sun may have been shining, but a fresh wind was blasting in from the South West, off the Darling Downs.

Kids were wondering around in coats, hats and scarves. It could have been November in Northern Europe. Call this sub-tropical living???

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