Good debate this one. I agree about Hansen’s convenient reference to 2019 - I felt it was a flattering year to choose for himself and others. Personally I’m not a huge fan of Hansen, I felt he inherited a great team in great shape and completely failed to succession plan and bring players through. He was always also very pig headed about certain things - his comments about Charles Piatau spring to mind. However….he did have success and it’s unlike him to turn on his own, something I’m sure he learned in the police force! Maybe he does have a few points and heaven knows the ABs and NZRU are not projecting the image of a tidy shop right now. I wonder if part of the problem is the focus on image…“getting the ABs back to Winning with Mana”…coming from someone who’s worked her whole life in media and probably doesn’t know the ABs from her elbow…pass me the bucket. Alistair Campbell tried to spin the Lions to a series win back in 2005, didn’t work then either.
Enjoyed the link to the earlier column - thanks for that steer Dylan. Re Shag’s public spray. Perhaps he could reflect on his previously stated thinking - they have’nt built any statues of critics or wannabe’s yet! Sounds to me like some score settling - the usual fallout after a highly charged high performance environment is broken up and people feel free to ahhh, speak freely?? I suspect the two Steve’s and Brent are not too different - driven high achievers and use to getting their own way; something we fans have benefited from with on the field performance over last 15 years as well as financial performance - remarkable given the small player and financial base.
Just woke up to see we’ve wiped the floor of Scotland (again and as predicted) in the second T20. Bracewell has again made a good contribution and opened the bowling. There was a lot of criticism of playing him ahead of Patel in the England tests, and rightly so, but looking at things objectively it seems the team management see something in him and they could well be right. Albeit they’re currently beating up on lower tier teams led a frankly miraculous comeback to win this first T20 against the Irish and has backed it up with runs and wickets ever since. He looks like the kind of guy who just loves his cricket. I’ve been keeping a lazy eye on him ever since he came out of the age group system and into domestic cricket, and had thought he’d never get a chance now he’s in his 30s. Any thoughts on what happened Dylan? A late bloomer or someone who should have been in the BCs earlier?
Bloomed early then faded badly before re-blooming ;-). He was never a bowler early on (in fact was an occasional keeper-batsman if I recall correctly), so was only judged on runs. He had a really good start to his first-class career and then when he should have been entering his peak years fell away badly. I don't think he scored a first-class century between 2016-20, or something like that. He came back big time in the 2020-21 season. I see him as a decent limited overs option but am sceptical about his test credentials. Happy to be proved wrong though because he is universally regarded as one of the best blokes to have ever strapped on pads.
Black Sabbath? Nah. Deep Purple - https://youtu.be/rZXhZ6Wejqc
I see your Ian Gillan and raise you peak OZZY! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqjify__PWw
Way to early in your tenure to start tipping the Warriors. Every true fan knows you never tip the Warriors. Ever.
Robbed again!!
Good debate this one. I agree about Hansen’s convenient reference to 2019 - I felt it was a flattering year to choose for himself and others. Personally I’m not a huge fan of Hansen, I felt he inherited a great team in great shape and completely failed to succession plan and bring players through. He was always also very pig headed about certain things - his comments about Charles Piatau spring to mind. However….he did have success and it’s unlike him to turn on his own, something I’m sure he learned in the police force! Maybe he does have a few points and heaven knows the ABs and NZRU are not projecting the image of a tidy shop right now. I wonder if part of the problem is the focus on image…“getting the ABs back to Winning with Mana”…coming from someone who’s worked her whole life in media and probably doesn’t know the ABs from her elbow…pass me the bucket. Alistair Campbell tried to spin the Lions to a series win back in 2005, didn’t work then either.
Enjoyed the link to the earlier column - thanks for that steer Dylan. Re Shag’s public spray. Perhaps he could reflect on his previously stated thinking - they have’nt built any statues of critics or wannabe’s yet! Sounds to me like some score settling - the usual fallout after a highly charged high performance environment is broken up and people feel free to ahhh, speak freely?? I suspect the two Steve’s and Brent are not too different - driven high achievers and use to getting their own way; something we fans have benefited from with on the field performance over last 15 years as well as financial performance - remarkable given the small player and financial base.
Just woke up to see we’ve wiped the floor of Scotland (again and as predicted) in the second T20. Bracewell has again made a good contribution and opened the bowling. There was a lot of criticism of playing him ahead of Patel in the England tests, and rightly so, but looking at things objectively it seems the team management see something in him and they could well be right. Albeit they’re currently beating up on lower tier teams led a frankly miraculous comeback to win this first T20 against the Irish and has backed it up with runs and wickets ever since. He looks like the kind of guy who just loves his cricket. I’ve been keeping a lazy eye on him ever since he came out of the age group system and into domestic cricket, and had thought he’d never get a chance now he’s in his 30s. Any thoughts on what happened Dylan? A late bloomer or someone who should have been in the BCs earlier?
Bloomed early then faded badly before re-blooming ;-). He was never a bowler early on (in fact was an occasional keeper-batsman if I recall correctly), so was only judged on runs. He had a really good start to his first-class career and then when he should have been entering his peak years fell away badly. I don't think he scored a first-class century between 2016-20, or something like that. He came back big time in the 2020-21 season. I see him as a decent limited overs option but am sceptical about his test credentials. Happy to be proved wrong though because he is universally regarded as one of the best blokes to have ever strapped on pads.
Good background thanks Dylan