Author: Bob Dwyer

Next week I’ll be back with my views on one of the current elite matches, with the start of this season’s Heineken Cup, but for today I want to talk a little about the importance of accurate communication in the coaching role. Come to think of it, accurate communication is just as important in the commentator’s role, given the influence that ‘expert’ commentary has over fans, players and even coaches. It’s vital, in the first instance, that both/all parties take the same meaning from terms used in any conversation. This sounds quite simple, indeed obvious, but it is frequently. The…

I’ve just got through another weekend of the rugby season. For me, like lots of others I guess, that means watching quite a few games, live or on the telly, and that’s generally loads of enjoyment. This past weekend, however, gave me lots more than just the simple pleasure of the games, and showed me yet again, what a great game, OUR game truly is! The weekend began early, because I was invited to speak at a Friday lunch, along with Robbie Deans, Nick Farr-Jones, rugby telecast legend (in Australia) Gordon Bray, and young Wallaby hooker, Tatafu Poloto-Nau. The lunch…

The TriNations Championship is over for 2010. It is appropriate for us to take a look and see what lessons we can learn. For the first time, one team, New Zealand, were undefeated, with Australia winning twice and South Africa finishing last, with only one win from six matches. Nine international matches, between the top three ranked teams in world rugby, have been played over the last three months or so, and the style of play and the tactics employed by many teams around the world in the new season, will be influenced by what we have seen. What are…

Another cliff-hanger finish, with a victory to the New Zealand All Blacks, marked the conclusion of this year’s Tri-Nations Championship and an historic clean sweep to the victors. The victory was marred somewhat however, as the referee, Mark Lawrence, incredibly missed an illegal play by New Zealand captain, Richie McCaw, in the immediate lead up to his try. This try put the All Blacks to within striking distance of the desperately unlucky Wallabies, who had led for virtually the entire match. In an apparently rehearsed play – what team actually practises illegal plays – McCaw detached early, while the ball…

I’m sure that Robbie Deans could not have wished for a better birthday present than the one delivered to him by his Wallabies team in Bloemfontein yesterday. The Wallabies won the match, 41 points to 39, scoring five tries to three by the Springboks, and became the first Wallaby team to win on the high veldt since 1963. The match was highly entertaining, with the visitors dominant in the first half and the home team controlling most of the second. Then, although reduced to fourteen men, courtesy of Sai Faainga’s yellow card, the Wallabies produced a stunning comeback to score…

In a thrilling match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, South Africa won for the first time in this year’s Tri-Nations Championship, by 44 points to the Wallabies 31. The match was in doubt right to the final minute, with the Wallabies attacking frantically to bridge the six point margin. A ball turnover in the tackle gave the Springboks their opportunity to seal the match and they did just that, with a try on the final whistle by right-wing JP Pietersen. The Boks had been able to field their best team of this year’s tournament, with de Villiers and Fourie together at…

The New Zealand All Blacks played outstanding rugby in an outstanding match, before a huge crowd of 94,000 people, to defeat South Africa’s Springboks by 29 points to 22, yesterday in Johannesburg. In doing so, they totally reversed last year’s Tri-Nations series between the two great rugby nations – from 0-3 last year to 3-0 this year. New Zealand have come a long way in that 12 months. They are leaner, fitter and clearly more agile – and, perhaps most importantly, they are more skilful and more accurate in everything that they do. For me “true champions are usually not…

Over the past few weeks, there has been plenty written and spoken about the New Zealand All Blacks performances so far this season. In the most demanding Tri-Nations tournament, they have, to date, played four and won four, with three bonus points. This is a most formidable start for them and, indeed, they have been in scintillating form. Whilst there has been much praise for their performances, there has also been much criticism, with some aspects of their play being described as illegal. This criticism, I hasten to add, has not been entirely restricted to their opponents, nor to their…