Quick rant about the All-Blacks test tomorrow afternoon. I'm usually a big fan of afternoon rugby but having the last home test of the season coinciding with the start of the Heartland championship seems like an egregious oversight by the powers at be.
Surely an organization so keen to prove that they support grassroots rugby would be more conscious about making me choose between my beloved Steelformers and the AB's.
Even having the game start at 4/4.30 would have kept the afternoon feel and would've allowed those of us trying to support the grassroots game an easier choice, unless of course there was another factor behind the 2.30 time slot.
I'll put my pitchfork away now but seems like some hypocrisy that should be getting more coverage (the fact it's not proves how little the media etc. seem to care about the lower levels of the game).
On the basis of the last couple of hours, if Richie M got injured for a crunch match, you’d start BB at 10 before DMc. I usually enjoy watching DMc play but that was hard work.
Hi Dylan, I couldn’t resist answering these questions you threw out there:
Did Bazball…
A. Cost England the urn?
B. Propel England to a drawn series against a superior side?
C. Emasculate Australia?
D. Bring test cricket back to the people?
E. Get too close to becoming an FBI-monitored cult?
F. All of the above?
It could be A, on the basis brainless Bazball cost them the first two tests. It can’t be B, England looked the superior side as the series went on. C, yes sometimes, it did emasculate Oz at times, in others it gifted them back into the game. D, yes, I’d have to reluctantly admit at some level it did. E would be an overstatement, but it certainly took on an almost religious tone - listening to Jonathan Agnew ask the English boys rhetorical questions designed to ingrain the religion made me feel almost nauseous at times....but for whatever reason it was a series that captured my imagination as much as any going right back to 2005. It doesn’t quite pip that series though, only because that one involved an English team going toe to toe and knocking off one of the best teams of all time.
Bazball is the reason why my love for test cricket has been re-born. Long may its two major exponents continue in their roles for some time to come. Go England, and I am a Kiwi!
Another great read Dylan.
Quick rant about the All-Blacks test tomorrow afternoon. I'm usually a big fan of afternoon rugby but having the last home test of the season coinciding with the start of the Heartland championship seems like an egregious oversight by the powers at be.
Surely an organization so keen to prove that they support grassroots rugby would be more conscious about making me choose between my beloved Steelformers and the AB's.
Even having the game start at 4/4.30 would have kept the afternoon feel and would've allowed those of us trying to support the grassroots game an easier choice, unless of course there was another factor behind the 2.30 time slot.
I'll put my pitchfork away now but seems like some hypocrisy that should be getting more coverage (the fact it's not proves how little the media etc. seem to care about the lower levels of the game).
Heartland Championship doesn’t start for another week, so there’s no clash.
Andy, you're right. It was originally meant to start the 5th of August, obviously changed and I didn't notice 🤦♂️
Situation averted.
Well I think we know who our starting first five will be.
On the basis of the last couple of hours, if Richie M got injured for a crunch match, you’d start BB at 10 before DMc. I usually enjoy watching DMc play but that was hard work.
It was manic and not in a good way
Absolutely agree. He got run over the top of, kicked the ball away, lost it in contact and isolated himself away from his team mates.
Hi Dylan, I couldn’t resist answering these questions you threw out there:
Did Bazball…
A. Cost England the urn?
B. Propel England to a drawn series against a superior side?
C. Emasculate Australia?
D. Bring test cricket back to the people?
E. Get too close to becoming an FBI-monitored cult?
F. All of the above?
It could be A, on the basis brainless Bazball cost them the first two tests. It can’t be B, England looked the superior side as the series went on. C, yes sometimes, it did emasculate Oz at times, in others it gifted them back into the game. D, yes, I’d have to reluctantly admit at some level it did. E would be an overstatement, but it certainly took on an almost religious tone - listening to Jonathan Agnew ask the English boys rhetorical questions designed to ingrain the religion made me feel almost nauseous at times....but for whatever reason it was a series that captured my imagination as much as any going right back to 2005. It doesn’t quite pip that series though, only because that one involved an English team going toe to toe and knocking off one of the best teams of all time.
The Ashes: F All of the above, but especially D!
Bazball is the reason why my love for test cricket has been re-born. Long may its two major exponents continue in their roles for some time to come. Go England, and I am a Kiwi!