Alternate All Blacks XV for June Internationals

Imagine if you weren't able to pick the likes of Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu or any of last year's Rugby World Cup winning squad for June's internationals. What would the All Blacks look like?

Perhaps the picture isn't quite frightening - for All Blacks fans - with plenty of young stars who have impressed in this year's Super Rugby.







Here's my team:
1.Jamie Mackintosh, Highlanders
2.Hika Elliott, Chiefs
3.Ben Tameifuna, Chiefs
4.Brodie Retallick, Chiefs
5.Luke Romano, Crusaders
6.Liam Messam, Chiefs
7.Sam Cane, Chiefs
8.Brad Shields, Hurricanes
9.Aaron Smith, Highlanders
10.Beauden Barrett, Hurricanes
11.Julian Savea, Hurricanes
12.Tamati Ellison, Highlanders
13.Robbie Fruean, Crusaders
14.Ben Smith, Highlanders
15.Andre Taylor, Hurricanes

SUBS:
16.Dane Coles, Hurricanes
17.Toby Smith, Chiefs
18.Jarrad Hoeata, Highlanders
19.Matt Todd, Crusaders
20.TJ Perenara, Hurricanes
21.Tom Taylor, Crusaders
22.Shaun Treeby, Highlanders

2 Minutes - 29 April 2012

The last 2 Minutes in New Zealand for a while... lots to talk about..

2 Minutes will continue to be done in Malaysia until I head to Europe so stay tuned..

2011-12 npower Championship Report Card

So another thrilling season of second division English football has concluded just as we head into the last part of spring. Of course, for West Ham, Birmingham, Blackpool and Cardiff, there are at least 2 more games to go in the season and at least an extra week of the season left but for everyone else, the off-season began at around quarter past 2 on Saturday.

I won't review every single team as that would take far too long and would be quite mundane so I'll just group the teams with a grade.

A+ for Reading and Southampton
Undoubtedly the two best teams of the season - Southampton consistently good for all of the season, Reading outstanding in the 2nd half of the season. Both ultimately deserved promotion to the Premier League in the end, both could look good to stay up in the Premier League. Organization and lots of firepower up front enabled both former Premier League clubs to make their returns to the promised land automatically this season.

A for West Ham, Birmingham, Blackpool and Cardiff
These were the 4 teams who were always in the driver's seat for promotion. West Ham missed out on a plus on their stuttering form at the end of the season which probably cost them automatic promotion. Birmingham, Blackpool and Cardiff all had their bright moments throughout the season but weren't consistent enough to be promoted automatically.

A- for Middlesbrough, Hull City, Leicester & Brighton
4 teams who had bright starts to the season and were in the top 6 at some stage in the season but didn't quite have the consistency and finesse to finish off the job. Pretenders, yes? Contenders, not quite. Not that that's a criticism of newly promoted Brighton in their swanky new stadium and Hull City under local boy Nick Barmby. The same can't quite be said about big-spending Boro and Leicester.

B for Watford, Derby, Burnley, Leeds & Ipswich Town
These former Premier League clubs had claims for at least a playoff spot but lacked the firepower to sustain a decent challenge for promotion - or had too much change at the club like Leeds. They could be contenders in the future but for now they're definitely Championship material.




C+ for Millwall, Crystal Palace, Peterborough
These "smaller" clubs did what they needed to do - stay in the Championship - and they did it fairly comfortably with Palace starting brightly and never looking like they would face the relegation battle they have faced in the last 2 seasons. Peterborough entertained everyone with their goal scoring exploits and but their leaky defence cost them any chance of challenging for anything other than a mid-table spot.

C- for Nottingham Forest, Bristol City & Barnsley
Disappointing. Forest should have been pushing for promotion but instead were fighting for their Championship lives. Bristol City had talent but flattered to deceive. Barnsley were where they expected to be - but at least they stayed up.

D for Portsmouth
Pompey don't deserve a minus simply because the circumstances at the club meant that this season was always going to be a struggle. In fact, if it weren't for the 10 point deduction, Portsmouth would have stayed up. However, the future doesn't look at all bright for the South Coast's other big club with future points deductions still likely and the players who helped them perform this season will probably end up elsewhere.

D- for Coventry City & Doncaster
These teams deserve a minus for having such dire seasons. Doncaster tried to buy their way out of relegation but failed miserably and when Billy Sharp left halfway through the season for Southampton, their fate was pretty much sealed. Coventry City were equally bad and never looked like surviving. Perhaps a season in League One could help rebuild this once respectable Premier League club.

The Road to the Premier League

So we now know which 4 clubs will be fighting for a place in the Premier League next month. West Ham, Birmingham, Blackpool and Cardiff City will be taking part in the playoffs to decide the final promotion spot in the Premier League.

It's a bit of a lottery the playoffs meaning that even if you finished 3rd, 10 points clear of the 4th placed team, you're not necessarily the favourites to go through. Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Sheffield United amongst many comfortable 3rd placed teams to have suffered disappointment in the playoffs.

Cardiff and Blackpool will host West Ham and Birmingham respectively first on 3/4 May and those fixtures are reversed for 7/9 May. The million dollar final will be played on 19 May, the day after the Champions League final in Munich.

On paper - which really is irrelevant to say but is worth saying nevertheless - West Ham and Birmingham are the strongest teams in the playoffs but Blackpool and Cardiff have the ability to surprise and will be tough to beat away from home.

West Ham did finish 10 points clear of Birmingham in the league but their form up until their win against Leicester was patchy to say the least. Having said that, Allardyce's men might have found form at the right end of the season and Big Sam does have experience at this level.

So does Ian Holloway too who of course took Blackpool to the Premier League in 2010 via the playoffs. The Tangerines have remained as entertaining and elusive as they were in the Premier League and shouldn't be taken lightly. However, they still do have their worries at the back, made up by that irresistible attack force.

So my tip for the play-off final at Wembley? West Ham v Blackpool with the Hammers winning on penalties.

Congratulations Southampton!

After 7 years in the wilderness, Southampton have made a triumphant return to the Premier League.

It marks the end of a journey which saw the Saints relegated in 2005 from the Premier League following a 2-1 loss to Manchester United at the end of the season, then struggle in the Championship for several seasons before being relegated to League One after being placed in administration.

Markus Liebherr: Saints' late owner

After struggling further in League One, they were taken over by their late owner, Marcus Liebherr, whose trust ensured the Saints were financially strong and able to strengthen their squad even in his passing, purchasing the likes of Rickie Lambert and Billy Sharp who have scored many of their goals this season.

They gained promotion last season from League One and have done what Norwich did last season, and earn back to back promotions, culminating in a return to the big time. The Saints' march to the Premier League seemed straightforward at first but Reading's form at the end of the season and a bit of stage fright delayed the Saints' promotion to the big time, but they clinched a deserved place with a result that their season deserved, 4-0 against already relegated Coventry City.

So can the Saints stay up in the Premier League next season? I think they have a great chance and could emulate what Norwich, Swansea & Stoke have done in the past. Southampton have great strikers in Lambert and Sharp who are eager for their chance to shine in the Premier League and they've got a pretty decent squad. Plus they have a great manager who will definitely sign more players to strengthen their squad. Their form at home has been good which will need to continue into next season as it'll be a key ingredient to their survival chances - it's the reason why QPR are still very much alive and kicking in their race to survive in the Premier League.

It makes the Premier League in the bottom half of the table all the more intriguing next season - with Norwich and Swansea in danger of facing second-season-failure syndrome and the likes of Reading in the mix too.

And will there be another club to do back-to-back promotions next season? Maybe time to keep an eye on Charlton Athletic who blew all asunder in League One and were once a Premier League club.

But for now, well done to the Saints who have ensured the Premier League's presence on the sunny South Coast.

RIP Fred Allen 1920 - 2012

One of our greatest All Blacks coaches and probably one of the last surviving All Blacks from the generation that fought in World War II has died. Sir Fred Allen, or the Needle as he was fondly known has died at the age of 92.

Allen coached the great All Blacks team of the 60s that included the likes of Colin Meads and Brian Lochore and just missed out on winning the Grand Slam.

Allen will forever be remembered for his venerability and longevity.

RIP Sir Fred Allen 1920 - 2012.

NFL Draft! My Attempt at a Mock Draft

It's that time of the year again! The day when all 32 teams of the NFL gather together in New York and players fresh out of college are walked past like paintings and auctioned to the best bidder - or rather in this case, the earliest in the draft.

Andrew Luck

The most obvious tip and foregone conclusion is Andrew Luck being the very first draft pick of 2012 by the Indianapolis Colts. But there are a few intriguing situations to look out for and not just in the first round.

Will Robert Griffin III go to the Washington Redskins? Probably to be honest as the Redskins are really just one quarterback away from winning the ever tough NFC East.

Anyway here's my attempt at a mock first round draft.

1 - Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford) to Indianapolis Colts
2 - Robert Griffin III, QB (Baylor) to Washington Redskins (traded from St Louis Rams)
3 - Matt Kalil, OT (USC) to Minnesota Vikings
4 - Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama) to Cleveland Browns
5 - Morris Claiborne, CB (LSU) to Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6 - Justin Blackmon, WR (Oklahoma State) to St Louis Rams

One of those for FedEx Field please!

7 - Stephen Gilmore, CB (South Carolina) to Jacksonville Jaguars
8 - Melvin Ingram, DE (South Carolina) to Miami Dolphins
9 - Luke Kuechly, ILB (Boston) to Carolina Panthers
10 - Chandler Jones, DE (Syracuse) to Buffalo Bills
11 - David DeCastro, G (Stanford) to Kansas City Chiefs
12 - Ryan Tannehill, QB (Texas A&M) to Seattle Seahawks
13 - Riley Reiff, OT (Iowa) to Arizona Cardinals
14 - Michael Brockers, DT (LSU) to Dallas Cowboys
15 - Fletcher Cox, DT (Miss State) to Philadelphia Eagles
16 - Cordy Glenn, G (Georgia) to New York Jets
17 - Quinton Coples, DE (North Carolina) to Cincinnati Bengals
18 - Mark Barron, S (Alabama) to San Diego Chargers
19 - Shea McClellin, OLB (Boise) to Chicago Bears
20 - Dontari Poe, DT (Memphis) to Tennessee Titans
21 - Shea McClellin, OLB (Boise State) to Cincinnati Bengals
22 - Stephen Hill, WR (Georgia Tech) to Cleveland Browns
23 - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Alabama) to Detroit Lions
24 - Janoris Jenkins, CB (Alabama) to Pittsburgh Steelers
25 - Jerel Worthy, DT (Michigan State) to Denver Broncos
26 - Michael Floyd, WR (Notre Dame) to Houston Texans
27 - Dont'a Hightower, ILB (Alabama) to New England Patriots
28 - Andre Branch, DE (North Carolina) to Green Bay Packers
29 - Mike Adams, OT (Ohio State) to Baltimore Ravens
30 - Kendall Wright, WR (Baylor) to San Francisco 49ers
31 - Courtney Upshaw, DE (Alabama) to New England Patriots
32 - Harrison Smith, S (Notre Dame) to New York Giants

SO HOW DID I GO? 

Hightower: the new Teddy Bruschi?

Well actually not very well at all! To be fair, I think a lot of punters would not have gotten the likes of Bruce Irvin to Seattle or Doug Martin to Tampa Bay Bucs. Nor would they have thought that the likes of Dallas and New England would trade to go up - in fact, the Patriots who haven't traded up in the 1st round since 2003, traded up twice.

But to good effect as it was all clear to see that the Patriots were conducting open bypass surgery on their leaky 31st-ranked-in-2011 defence signing the likes of Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower, two very highly rated defensive prospects.

Jones: Richard Seymour anyone?

And Dont'a Hightower along with Shea McClellin to Chicago and Luke Keuchly to Carolina were the only 3 picks I got correct - but not in the right order - after the more expected picks of Luck, RG3, Kalil and Richardson were selected.

So 7 out of 32. Obviously I'm not going to be a fortune teller in another life.

2 Minutes from May to August

Hello readers,

Thanks for following me for the last couple of months or so - it's been brilliant seeing the number of hits I have received!

Some of you might know that I'm about to embark on a 3 month round the world trip beginning in May.

Are we going to see similar scenes in Munich later in May?

I will be in Malaysia/Singapore from 6 till 25 May so I may still be quite prolific especially with the football season closing around the time I'm there - and I'm pleased that I'll be able to watch the last weekend of the Premier League at a sane hour for the first time in nearly 10 years!

Can Andy Schleck win a Tour de France properly this time?

However, after that, it is likely I won't be as prolific as I have been with this blog. Nevertheless, I will post stories of my sporting experiences abroad especially with the big events like the Tour de France, Olympics and European football championships which I will be able to witness briefly.

I will keep you posted then! But until then, enjoy the winter/summer wherever you are!

Also if you want to follow my travels abroad, you can go to: http://davidlimroundtheworld2012.blogspot.com

Dave

Last Man Standing - Chelsea v Bayern Munich for European Cup Final!

So it will be the Final everyone wasn't quite expecting - Chelsea and Bayern Munich pretty much upset everyone's tips and expectations to make the Final at the expense of Real Madrid and Barcelona, who were apparently odds-on favourites to meet in an El Classico of a final.

And in the most unlikely twist of them all, both stars, top-scorers in La Liga and shoe-ins for the European Golden Boot, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo missed critical kicks from the penalty spot just over 24 hours of each other. It was reminiscent of Dan Carter missing a kick at goal right in front of the posts. Oh well, one of Messi and Ronaldo will have that Golden Boot to console themselves with.

Meanwhile, Manuel Neuer might have become the new Ollie Kahn at Bayern Munich after his heroics from the spot. In fact, Alonso's penalty really shouldn't have counted as he placed the ball off the mark - so Real Madrid did not score a single legitimate penalty kick in the shootout.

The interesting thing now is that both Chelsea and Bayern are sporting wounds from their brutal and heroic slayings of the Spanish giants. Chelsea will be without Ivanovic, Terry, Meireles and Ramirez for the Final while Bayern will be without Alaba, Badstuber and Gustavo.

You could say both teams will be missing quite a bit of their backline and midfield especially if Cahill's injury is a bit more serious than expected - we may see Paulo Ferreira or a midfielder like Michael Essien or John Obi Mikel play as a makeshift centre back.

So in what is set to be the Final with the Last Man Standing, what sort of teams will Chelsea and Bayern play in Munich?

Chelsea -
Cech(GK); Bosingwa, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Mikel; Kalou, Lampard, Mata; Drogba

Bayern Munich -
Neuer (GK); Rafinha, Boateng, van Buyten, Lahm(c); Schweinsteiger, Kroos, Muller; Ribery, Robben; Gomez

By the way I actually really don't know who to cheer on in this game. 

Has Chelsea Shown Us How to Beat Barcelona - and Spain?

It wasn't pretty but it was effective - and contrary to those critics who said it was otherwise, it was football and Chelsea deserved to win the tie for playing to their strengths, playing to the conditions, and playing the right tactics.

For that, di Matteo deserves credit and the best reward of them all - a contract as permanent manager at Chelsea from Roman Abramovich.

The one masterstroke for me was sticking with playing a forward even when they were down to 10 men. Ok there was an element of luck when Messi blasted his penalty against the cross-bar early in the 2nd half after Drogba brought Messi down with a rash tackle but you have to credit di Matteo for sticking with the positive approach after that when he could have so easily taken off Drogba and got on a more defensive minded player.

Mind you he was also not helped by the fact that Bosingwa had to already come on for an injury Gary Cahill. However, Drogba did come off for Torres even with the tie delicately poised - and it paid off nicely as the forward was there to pounce on a ball that was in more space than a Japanese capsule hotel and with only Valdes to beat, score the goal that would confirm a highly unlikely Final place for Chelsea.
 

But that was just one aspect of a highly impressive defensive display by Chelsea and Roberto di Matteo who along with Mourinho and Real Madrid may have shown the world over the last week or so how to beat the previously unbeatable Barcelona - a compact midfield with quick, athletic players who can run up and down the pitch to cover the space and then hit Barca on the counter-attack quickly, exposing a key weakness that is the Barca defence.

Perhaps, they may have shown the world how to beat Spain - after all the European and world champions are comprised mostly of Barcelona players who have brought the Barcelona passing game to the national team. In fact, England's 1-0 friendly win over Spain may have been a sneak preview to what Chelsea and Real Madrid have done to Barcelona in their last 2 games.

So Germany and the Netherlands may have to ditch their fast passing games and play the anti-Spain to beat them. Really they may have to play like Real Madrid and Chelsea have to win EURO 2012. I note that Ireland and Italy are the sides you'd expect to play the dour, park-the-bus-in-front-of-the-goal game but they don't quite have the calibre of players capable of matching Spain's incredible midfield.

Mind you, I'd be sad when Spain lose as they have been a treat to watch in the last 5 years. But of course, it's good when a side steps up to beat the champions.

Has Basketball Overtaken Netball in New Zealand?

New Zealand has always been a country that has liked to do things differently to the rest of the world. Until March, the car coming from the right had the right of way on the road.

Rugby union is the number 1 sport in New Zealand unlike most other places where football (soccer) is number 1.

And for a while, netball was number 1 over basketball in this country.

But in recent times, netball's dominance has been eroded away by its American-born rival - yes basketball is possibly the USA's biggest contribution to world sport having been invented in US colleges as a way to get people fit in the winter.

The success of the Tall Blacks on the world stage in the 2002 World Champs and the recent success of the New Zealand Breakers coupled with some lacklustre results for New Zealand netball sides, as well as the fact we get a heck lot more coverage of the NBA than we ever did, means that basketball quite possibly has the momentum over its IMO more antiquated and outdated rival.

Both games have their strengths. Netball is all about stringing passes together, while basketball is more than just passes but actually creating stuff with your feet and dribbling the ball, making it a heck lot more exciting than netball - and well, basketball was originally predominantly a men's game while netball was for the women. Of course, now we have the likes of Lauren Jackson, one of the biggest names in women's basketball and I do know men who play netball especially in New Zealand.

Jeremy Lin - instant millionaire

Mind you everyone has their tastes, but for me I think New Zealand should focus on basketball - same applies with baseball over softball - as basketball is a far bigger global sport than netball (which really is a bit like league, only Australia, England and New Zealand play it, with Jamaica occasionally flexing their muscles). If New Zealand became great at basketball, the company would be great - Spain, Greece, USA, Germany, Serbia, China, Australia, Argentina, etc., the company is a lot better than with netball.

Basketball is also a far more lucrative sport professionally and players who make it all the way could become multi-millionaires. Netball doesn't quite offer the same rewards financially even if it is making in-roads - Irene van Dyk's salary is probably the same as LeBron James' weekly grocery bill.

Anyway basketball for me, but perhaps it hasn't quite overtaken netball yet in NZ as long as people still play it during the winter - although if New Zealand's growing migrant population especially from the USA and Asia is anything to go by, basketball could easily catch up soon just as soccer has already (the Chinese and Europeans are more familiar with basketball than netball just as they are with soccer than rugby). And when the Silver Ferns play Australia, perhaps order will be restored in New Zealand. But for now, basketball fans in NZ should savour every moment now that their game has a higher standing here than at any time in its history in NZ.

Thanks to dannews, New Zealand's newshound, for bringing this question up on twitter by the way. Go to http://www.dannews.co.nz

New Zealand Breakers are Champions!

After one of the most thrilling best-of-3 finals series ever witnessed in any sport, the New Zealand Breakers overcame a highly competitive and tough Perth Wildcats team to win their 2nd ANBL title in a row.

Undoubtedly, home ground advantage helped big time although you have to say the Breakers should have clinched the title in game 2 in Perth.

So nearly 9 years after the Breakers were first established to compete in the ANBL, they are champions not only once but twice now, and are undoubtedly the mother of all New Zealand teams competing in exclusively trans-Tasman professional sports leagues - we don't count Super Rugby here as South African teams play in that as well.

The Warriors took 16 years to win a Grand Final title and even then it was the Junior team that did it, back to back. The Wellington Phoenix have made the playoffs but don't quite look like a Grand Final winning team - perhaps to the relief of the whole Asian Football Confederation.

So hats off to the Breakers. Sure it's not the NBA or Euroleague but they did the best they could in the league they were in and as Perth showed, there is more than 1 good team in the ANBL. And give some credit to Australian and New Zealand basketball - both have stood tall in recent times against the more fancied European teams and the mighty and wealthy USA.

Furthermore, winning the championship in back to back years is always a difficult feat in any sport whatever the standard. The opposition is usually an improvement on last season and they're always up for beating the champions. Ask Barcelona too as they aim to become the first team in the Champions League era to win back-to-back titles - who knows this might be a good omen for the Catalans?

All New Zealanders should savour this result and hopefully the Breakers' domination can continue for a while yet helping to establish basketball as a sport to be reckoned with in this country. Look what the All Blacks domination did to rugby and Brazil to football.

So well done and congratulations to the SkyCity New Zealand Breakers! Double champions back to back...

And it feels good.

Not the Premier League XI

Yes, it's the team of players who have impressed in the Premier League this season but are sort of no-names compared to the Rooneys and Tevez's. This is a team of surprise packages and could be in demand by the bigger clubs in the summer..

GK - Michel Vorm, Swansea

DF - Ashley Williams, Swansea
DF - Gareth McAuley, West Brom
DF - Johnny Heitinga, Everton
DF - Seamus Coleman, Everton

MF - Scott Sinclair, Swansea
MF - Yohan Cabaye, Newcastle
MF - Clint Dempsey, Fulham
MF - Victor Moses, Wigan

FW - Papiss Cisse, Newcastle
FW - Grant Holt, Norwich

Subs:
GK - Adam Bogdan, Bolton
DF - Breda Hangeland, Fulham
MF - James McClean, Sunderland
FW - Nikica Jelavic, Everton

What do you think?

Birthday Special!

Yes, I don't want to blow my own trumpet, but it is my birthday on today, the 23rd of April.

Naturally, I wonder which famous people I share a birthday with. Quite a few actually! Here they are..


Undoubtedly the most famous person, I share a birthday with is that great poet and writer, William Shakespeare (born 1564, died 1616).

The most famous New Zealander I share a birthday with is the legendary crime writer and director, Dame Ngaio Marsh (born 1895, died 1982) - mind you there are a few question marks over her actual birth date.

Shirley Temple (born 1928) is probably one of the world's most famous child actress and was the Dakota Fanning or Saoirse Ronan of the 1930s. After retiring from films in her 20s, she became one of her country's ambassador and a well-known philantrophist.
 

You'll recognise Dev Patel (born 1990) from the hit TV show, Skins and the hit Academy Award winning film, Slumdog Millionaire.


But as this is a sports blog, we must have our sportspersons.. And I must say I'm quite pleased I share my birthday with these stars..

Daniela Hantuchova (b 1983), tennis star

Nicole Vaidisova (b 1989), former tennis star

Maybe not so much with this Everton star..

Victor Anichebe (b 1988)

Just kidding, Victor, well done on that 4-all draw at Old Trafford by the way.. It gives me something to look forward to in the Premier League given that Liverpool are nowhere in the league and Wolves got relegated.

Oh yes and Happy St George's Day to all you Englishmen out there!