Al Baxter's Blog

[Moses]

Good read
http://www.alastairbaxter.com/2010/07/working-playing-in-two-worlds/

 

[Ruggo]

That is a very good read. Cheers for posting it up moses.

 

[daz]

Nice one Fuse. Respect.

 

[RugbyFuture]

read it before, best thing to come out was the fact that he was involved in the aami park design. interesting.

he's a good writer and stephen fry is following him now.

 

[Moses]

How'd you read it before, I thought it launched today?

Sent from my HTC Dream using Tapatalk

 

[RugbyFuture]

it was up yesterday and posted on his twitter, it appears he then took that post down.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Respect, Moses, that was good stuff. Reading it merely confirms my long held belief that rugby is the thinking mans game.

 

[daz]

Reading it merely confirms my long held belief that rugby is the thinking mans game.

Reading it reminded me of my long held belief that Baxter should design stadiums and not play in them anymore....

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

He's still pretty useful at S14 level, Daz. I think we've moved on as far as the Wallaby setup goes, however.

 

[Scarfman]

Nice blog. And I disagree with the above: I think he should be playing this w/e.

He was really just starting to be good when he ran into a couple of Kiwi refs who had it in for him. Deserves to earn back his status.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

The test in Auckland last year was some of the more disgraceful scrum reffing I've yet seen. He was very harshly dealt with. However, with Robinson and Alexander (when fit), we've got a good pair of props and the punt on guys like Slipper is a good one. I'd take Al over Ma'afu though.

 

[Lindommer]

Baxter may be the best of the rest THPs but Deans has, rightly, reckoned refs have his card marked before the game starts. There's no doubt Al has improved as a prop the last few years, as props should when they approach 30. But watching the Tahs at home games even I notice how many times the front row collapses when Al's on the paddock. I'm a ref but know bugger all about the dark arts of the front row, all I see is the Tahs' front row going down time and again. And then refs reach for the whistle.

Deans has got this right.

 

[RedsHappy]

Nice blog. And I disagree with the above: I think he should be playing this w/e. He was really just starting to be good when he ran into a couple of Kiwi refs who had it in for him. Deserves to earn back his status.

Also, even if in the reserves and thus in the squad, he would have added immeasurably to the mentoring of the new blokes. I guess come 10pm Saturday we can reassess how much, if at all, we miss him.

 

[fatprop]

Baxter may be the best of the rest THPs but Deans has, rightly, reckoned refs have his card marked before the game starts. There's no doubt Al has improved as a prop the last few years, as props should when they approach 30. But watching the Tahs at home games even I notice how many times the front row collapses when Al's on the paddock. I'm a ref but know bugger all about the dark arts of the front row, all I see is the Tahs' front row going down time and again. And then refs reach for the whistle.

Deans has got this right.

Interesting dilemma, if Baxter was at THP with Daley, we would have been just as shit, Baxter and Fairbrother and they would have been near parity at times with a few penalties for collapses. Because Baxter will collapse if he doesn't get the hit the way he wants to.

But there wouldn't have been a scrum on roller-skates.

 

[DPK]

Interesting dilemma, if Baxter was at THP with Daley, we would have been just as shit, Baxter and Fairbrother and they would have been near parity at times with a few penalties for collapses. Because Baxter will collapse if he doesn't get the hit the way he wants to.

But there wouldn't have been a scrum on roller-skates.

I wrote before that it didn't look like the front rowers Deans blooded in atrocious fashion in the June tests had shown any improvement or benefit from the experience. However, seeing Ma'afu's progress, I think that the horrid performances against the English followed by weeks of elite level training have really developed him into a quality player.

Basically, I think Ma'afu has earned his starting spot instead of simply being selected.

 

[fatprop]

I wrote before that it didn't look like the front rowers Deans blooded in atrocious fashion in the June tests had shown any improvement or benefit from the experience. However, seeing Ma'afu's progress, I think that the horrid performances against the English followed by weeks of elite level training have really developed him into a quality player.

Basically, I think Ma'afu has earned his starting spot instead of simply being selected.

Ma'afu has improved his workrate in one game, not his scrummaging. Expect carnage on Saturday, Robinson struggled against Franks in the S14 (who is bloody good), Ma'afu has no chance against Woodcock (but neither does Baxter)

 

[DPK]

Ma'afu has improved his workrate in one game, not his scrummaging. Expect carnage on Saturday, Robinson struggled against Franks in the S14 (who is bloody good), Ma'afu has no chance against Woodcock (but neither does Baxter)

Good response, I love being resigned to expecting defeat. :fishing

Parity. Thats all they need. Genia's playing well; get the ball in and out as fast as you can. If the 2nd rowers and the backrow (to a lesser extent) can stop the scrum moving backwards too much, all the front row needs to do is give 100% to negating the scrum, not trying to dominate.

To use a lame historic reference, be "Brave Little Belgium". Don't let 'em pass.

 

[fatprop]

Good response, I love being resigned to expecting defeat. :fishing

Parity. Thats all they need. Genia's playing well; get the ball in and out as fast as you can. If the 2nd rowers and the backrow (to a lesser extent) can stop the scrum moving backwards too much, all the front row needs to do is give 100% to negating the scrum, not trying to dominate.

To use a lame historic reference, be "Brave Little Belgium". Don't let 'em pass.

I expect history to continue, we will be close until about the 60th minute and then they will pull away. The All Blacks are a 70 minute team, we are about a 50 minute team.

 

[daz]

He's still pretty useful at S14 level, Daz. I think we've moved on as far as the Wallaby setup goes, however.

I stand corrected. I should have said that he should not play in them anymore wearing a Wallaby jersey.

I did like the bit where he described the thoughts that run through his head while playing, though.

 

[Newb]

hmmmm al's very interesting blog turns into the old argument about his scrummaging ability......

i'm just happy he's smart enough to expand his life outside the pitch