The IRB and the Sausage Sizzle

IRB: Some say it stands for International Rugby Board. Others might think it stands for Ignorant Rugby B%$^*'s.

Samoa - one player accidentally wears a branded mouthguard (which most wouldn't be able to see anyway) and get fined $10,000.

England - They cheat and get let off with a slap on the wrist and a touchline ban for a couple of low-ranking team officials after illegally switching the ball for two conversion attempts in their game against Romania. I notice that the player - Jonny Wilkinson - doesn't suffer.

What a bunch of pricks. Maybe they should just stay in their ivory towers up in the climes of Pommyland.

When news of the fine hit the media reaction to the IRB's treatment of the cash-strapped Samoan team was immediate - anger and crys of injustice.

"So England swap the ball for conversions and the IRB does nothing. Samoa wear the wrong brand of mouthguard and get fined 10k. Incredible," wrote John Campbell of TV3 show Campbell Live. Now TV3 are running a 'Sausage Sizzle' to raise money for Samoa. I think that is a brilliant idea - it would embarrass most but it won't even register with the IRB.

At a time when the IRB is under fire for its inequitable distribution of massive World Cup profits and its unwillingness to provide financial tournament support for some of the lower-ranked nations, this move will no doubt draw criticism.

What was it Will Carling said about the RFU - a bunch of Old Farts.

What can one say about the IRB?

Still Rugby

Is there anything else: Well actually there is as the world economic situation is awful, still people are being murdered, kids abused and all of the other terrible things. Plus our Quiz team is still crap. I suppose on the good side is the weather which isn't too bad.
Visitors: Graeme (Joe's brother) and his wife Susie and 9 month old Mungo stayed with us - unfortunately only a couple of days - as they traipse around the country doing a bit of sightseeing, seeing friends and of course Rugby.

Two great men - Jock and Richie

Rugby: Results as expected except Japan again failed as they drew (as they did in the last RWC) with Canada. The NZRU have pointed out it costs NZ about $13 million in lost revenue to attend every RWC and have suggested they may not attend the next unless the revenue model is changed (maybe to the same as Soccer).

Naturally the Northern Hemisphere (ie the British) blame us - we wanted professionalism (no it was the players who were going to leave) and a World Cup (yes - but they were against as they were frightened of losing $ but instead they have made squillions and we thought the revenue model would be arranged fairly). They are just pathetic.

Johah: In hospital and doesn't look too good.

Skype: Skyped S & J & M & K on Tuesday when they had their system hooked into a large screen TV. Audio was a bit dicey but otherwise not too bad. Who pays? Who cares!

RWC

Firstly Australia -USA: From the game Angela and I attended.



Me in my USA cap












We had great seats - right on the halfway line just below the TV cameras


Bundled up against the cold - but luckily it was a nice fine night.

All Blacks - France: Basically all one way but with France you never can tell as was this their A team? Who knows.

The wonderful Jock Hobbs presenting Richie with a Silver Cap in recognition of his 100 games.

Going to the game tonight

USA- Australia: At the Stadium tonight.

Today I got to thinking about how the commentators are so bland as they toady up to the the IRB, the NZRU and SKY TV. When Murray Mexted had some harsh words to say he was basically sidelined for about 12 months.

Also there is a lack of criticism of the referees, except Sean Fitzpatrick saying you couldn't judge the scrums as Ref Clancy hadn't a clue. Then in last nights game we hear that Clancy is an IRD Official in Ireland. He is not even a professional. No wonder he is out of his depth. I remember an interview with South African Andre Watson (one of the best ever) he not only had his own fitness trainer and game analysis person but even his own psychologist!!

And what about all the PR mouthpiece bits all the coaches say. Graham Henry saying how hard it was to drop Mils for Dagg. The correct answer really was; it was easy.

Dagg is playing better at the moment. Emotion doesn't enter into it. As for the disaster about Guilford it seems the AB's only came clean because it was all over the Net about his off field drinking problems.

Probably the hard one is what of 3 relatively slow halfbacks you pick although with Cowans poor form it is between two plus Weepu gives you first five and kicking options. Another weakness about the selections now showing up is the lack of loose forward cover.

RWC

RWC: This continues with the Tonga - Japan game on in the background while we did the quiz. The ease of the win to Tonga surprised me and it was Tonga's first defeat of Japan in 5 years which would have upset coach Kirwan. The AB's have been named and probably the stongest (bar injury to Reid) we could field. The surprise to me is not so much Weepu ahead of Cowan (as he has been awful) but Ellis moving into the 22. Also no Toeava - good grief; maybe at long last (and far too late) ther love affair is over. He is not the worst AB ever but I would have had Gear ahead of him and Guilford.

Starting XV: (Caps)

1. Tony Woodcock (78)
2. Keven Mealamu (87)
3. Owen Franks (26)
4. Brad Thorn (54)
5. Sam Whitelock (20)
6. Jerome Kaino (43)
7. Richie McCaw – captain (99)
8. Adam Thomson (23)
9. Piri Weepu (51)
10. Daniel Carter (84)
11. Richard Kahui (14)
12. Ma’a Nonu (62)
13. Conrad Smith (50)
14. Cory Jane (28)
15. Israel Dagg (8)

Reserves:

16. Andrew Hore (57) 17. Ben Franks (12) 18. Ali Williams (68)
19. Anthony Boric (22) 20. Andy Ellis (22) 21. Colin Slade (7) 22. Sonny Bill Williams (9)

On the way to the Quiz we saw that the Hutt Rec has had barriers put up to shield the Scottish team from the public view when they go about their training. At about what seemed to be metre fifty high I don't think they will hide much. Then again who would want to spy on Scotland!

Quiz: Joined by two friends last night - Colin & Jan and the helped us into 5th place out of 10. Still our best hope is the bonus as the winner was about 15 points or more ahead.

Jokes

More Silence

Silence: Michael Laws and I agree on the right to silence.

From his splendid article in the Sunday Star Times -

"Simon Power will be remembered for his inability to rid this nation of the evil anachronism that is an individual's right to silence when they are linked to a major crime.

And really nasty crimes like child abuse and child murder. The legal familiars have done their job – sown enough doubt in the minds of gullible MPs that bad people will walk free because politicians lacked the balls to challenge the legal profession front-on.

Indeed, the legal system is a joke in this country and many other similar western countries. Instead of seeking to discover the truth that surrounds a crime, presenting and providing all the known facts and allowing all the relevant individuals to be openly questioned, the justice system sets up a court room confrontation.

This has the natural effect of parties exaggerating or diminishing the facts to suit their pre-determination. As a consequence, police and prosecutors will often overstep the mark, defence teams will deliberately play ignorant and the judge is reduced to the role of referee.

The right to silence should form no role, ever, in any transparent justice system. It has the presumption that no man nor woman should be required to incriminate themselves.

Why not? If they are suspected of the crime, why should they not answer reasonable questions posed of them by either the investigative police or the prosecution? Why should there not be an onus upon them to establish their innocence?

Worse still is that this right to silence is always the first refuge of the really guilty. Everyone knows this, including defence lawyers.

But the current law states that this cannot be held against the person either under investigation or charged with the crime. In fact, exactly the reverse should apply: it should most definitely be held against a defendant that they refused to co-operate with investigating authorities.

Power wanted to shift this archaic burden. Although the Kahui twins murder investigation – and subsequent trial of their father – is widely credited with Power's policy imperative, the truth is that this has been a burr for many justice reformers for a long time.

Indeed it was entirely revealing that the subsequent coronial investigation – that did have the ability to cross-examine Chris Kahui, and the King/Kahui whanau – revealed far more than the criminal trial.

Had the jury access to the same information and impressions, I'd be wagering that a different verdict would have been returned.

Silence is a court tactic used daily throughout the country – the police stonewalled by smartass ferals and their smarter lawyers.

Just because something has been around forever does not make it right. Power knew this. The ordinary public knows this. Cross-examining defendants should be the absolute right of the state as it seeks to discover the truth and to protect its citizens. The politicians who resist this continue to imperil us all."

He said it much better than I could.

RWC: Canada weren't too bad, but against France, who only seem to put in the effort they want, you can't really tell. England beat Georgia easily on the scoreboard but were awful. They, England, don't seem to know the rules of the game. As for Samoa it was close but I expected Wales to win as they are more structured. A pity but it looks as if Samoa will be out.

On the night of the Ireland win I immediately looked how the draw should - but might not - pan out. To get an easier run through maybe we should throw the games against France (Justin Marshall has written along the same lines) but being NZ we won't, although France could. In cricket we have 'jacked' our run rate more than once to ensure a better draw. It would be strange to see two teams in Rugby trying to lose a game.

Irish Eyes are smiling

Ireland 15 Australia 6: Wow - what a game. No tries but the Irish scrum was incredible. Probably the only game they have in them but we shall see.

It upsets the draw as it looks as if the Pools now split into Northern/Southern. It depends on some further results but if we can get through it may be NZ - England. But a couple of problems lay in wait - the Boks who demolished Fiji - not so much the scoreline but the dynamic open play - and Australia. Also lying in wait of course is our usual bête noire - France.

Boks - Fiji

Smith scores against Japan.The USA - Russia game

Angela and I will be at the USA - Australia game on Friday. I have printed up some stuff to wear supporting the USA and will also wear my T Shirt that says I support NZ and any team playing Australia. It will be fun.

Awful joke: The Chinese comedian Raybon Kan told an awful joke and has been abused - but as he says he is a comedian and it is his job to upset people.

" Adidas is the All Blacks sponsor so maybe they should take over running Auckland transport as being German they have had a lot of knowledge about using trains shipping people in cattle truck conditions"

Japan buried

RWC: Japan slaughtered by 83 - 7. We now find our second best 5/8 is Weepu. As I have always said they are better coaches than selectors. I still think they don't know what their best team is.

Anyway it is a fine day today and 3 good games with the Oz - Ireland clash looking to be a likely contest although Australia should - should - push them aside quite easily. We shall see.

Cost of Living: When you are on a fixed income and with low interest rates this is of importance. So here are the Stats Departments figures over the past 5 years -

Cigarettes and tobacco — up 42.5 per cent (Good!!)

· Hospital services — up 31.2 per cent

· Household energy — up 31.1 per cent

· Primary and secondary education — up 28.9 per cent

· Food — up 27.1 per cent

· Postal services — up 24.9 per cent

· Tertiary and post-school education — up 24.1 per cent

· Average weekly wage — up 21.2 per cent - but if your income is fixed !!

· Outpatient services — up 19.7 per cent

· Home ownership costs — up 18.2 per cent

· Alcohol — up 17 per cent (good)

· Rent — up 11.1 per cent up

· Vehicle purchase — up 6.5 per cent

· Telecommunication services — down 1.7 per cent

· Early childhood education — down 22.5 per cent

· Audiovisual and computing equipment — down 50.4 per cent (strong NZ $)

· Telecommunication and equipment — down 61.9 per cent

Flag

FLAG

Thought I would get an AB's flag for the car but you can't get one for love or money (a re-order is in to China).

Anyway I then decided to put our one up on the fence. Don't know how long, with our wind, it will last.

In Whangarei a motor camp owner has a1928 Rugby car with about 71,000 miles on the clock and he has been taking his campers to the games in it. They of course can't believe it.

Our problem of course - bums on seats.

Silence

The right to: The Government were looking to take away (under certain circumstances) the right to silence in Court. But it seems they couldn't get the numbers in Parliament.

I believe it has had its day but it looks like it will take another 50 years to do away with it.The weird thing is that the Act Party who are supposed to be strong on Law and Order are against taking away the right but of course it conflicts with their desire that people are not ordered about by Government.

The UK ended it about a decade ago and the most recent cases here were

- the Kahu twins debacle where Chris Kahui just sat there (in a nice suit and tie) and said nothing while his partner had to go on the stand and was ripped apart

- David Bain went on the stand in his first trial and lost - didn't say a word in his second and won.

Much opposition to its abolition is out of a misconception that a right to silence would force people to give evidence. It would not. An accused could say nothing but the jury would draw it own conclusions on the silence and lack of cross-examination. Why, we should always ask, won't the defendant expose himself/herself to questioning.

The simple fact is that the defendant knows what went on at the crime, and is the best person to question about it but can't be called. Yet, as we saw in the Kahui case, his lawyer can hound others who must go on the stand. Crazy. The days of silence are long gone.

RWC: I said the Scotland Georgia game would be the one to watch. I meant in the sense it could be close. And it was. Luckily we just watched it on the background at the Quiz (moving up - 13 teams and 5th to last) as it was typical Northern Hemisphere stuff - all penalties and one drop goal with little skill - although the weather didn't seem to help. Basically rubbish - rubbish that would make Stephen Jones my 'favourite" scribe salivate.

The game of the day was Canada - Tonga. I thought Tonga would have been the stronger but if Tonga had won it would have been their first win over the Canuks in a World Cup. So they didn't improve; losing 25-20. It was a great game.

Now looking forward to Wales - Samoa which may be the game of that Pool.

More than Rugby

But First Rugby: Its Wednesday so it is all on again. Three games today and I think Georgia - Scotland will be the one to see. We will be at the Quiz so will have to keep track on the big screen. The Herald team of the week is a real mixture - with even Romania & Japan featuring.

A hobbyhorse: Copyright. Yeah right!

It took three years of doing, but the music industry has finally won its European battle to extend copyright on sound recordings for another 20 years.

So who now cares. The recording industry probably had a party to celebrate their 20 year out of date business model. The companies (not the artists) who think they will make the $$$ will of course extend it again in about 15 years.

What planet are these people living on?

This is a farcical attitude towards a law that was originally designed to protect the creators of artistic and creative works for a fixed and finite period of time. It seems now that legislators are happy to extend that fixed and finite period whenever lobbyists want.

There's a very good reason that copyright and patent protection is only supposed to offer a fixed, finite term of protection.When that protection expires, it enables others to build on those works, for the betterment of mankind -- either by way of derivative creative works or improved technologies. An example is West Side Story. This was based on Romeo & Juliet. If copyright had been in place we would have lost the fabulous production that came about.

Now, at least in theory, that objective has been shot down by the seemingly limitless extensions to copyright protection terms that have recently appeared in the USA and EU.

However, it's all totally academic anyway.

While the recording studios and copyright holders might think they've retained their license to print money -- they're being awfully myopic and naive.

You see, no matter what the legislators try to do, the copyright cat is already out of the bag -- thanks to the relentless march of technology.

No Plan B

Transport chaos on the opening night of the RWC. My first question was 'what was the back up plan?"

It seems almost unbelievable but according to Head of Auckland Transport Committee Mike Lee the transport company had no real Plan B.

The city-wide failure saw thousands of fans stranded in trains, and about 2000 ticket holders miss the opening ceremony and kick-off of the All Blacks-Tonga game, or in some cases the whole event.

Some were stranded on Auckland's North Shore as ferries were shut down due to large crowds swamping the terminal at Queen's Wharf which was overloaded as an estimated 200,000 partied in the central city.

Mayor Brown said the turnout on Friday exceeded estimates, with 200,000 people packing the downtown area and 90,000 taking public transport to Eden Park "when we thought we'd have about 30 or 40,000".

He said: "We asked people to come to the game, we asked them to come downtown. We said 'come to the party, party central, this is the place where it's going to be a fabulous opening ceremony. Come downtown or go to the game' So they did - in huge numbers."

Brown said he has asked for a "no holds barred" report from Auckland Transport, and then decisions will be made about compensation and to "make sure that we do our very best to deliver a seamless experience from this point on."

Brown had already promised things will be fixed in time for this Saturday's game at Eden Park.

But they were told 18 months ago about the expected numbers. Just thick!!

Some great games

Watched all 4 games - and everyone was a beauty.

Romania (or is it Rumania, or even Roumania) gave Scotland a fright, France took their foot of the Japanese and had to put it back down,hard, to come away, Fiji - Namibia was a try fest with Namibia showing they had the goods once they got over their kicking habit - and as for the Argies England!

If the Argies had converted just 50% of their kicks they would have won easily. Really lookning forwrd to the 4 Nations next year. What about adding in a combined Pacific/Japanese team?

Some pictures below with England in their black jerseys. Also I see the French played in white against the Japanese. The IRB (who are useless) should takea stand on the jersy colours but they lack guts. Also I think the firms want constant change so they can sell more.

We are underway - RWC 2011

All RWC

We are underway - well sort of on the field. A stuttering 41 - 10 win by the AB's over Tonga. Kahui (who I like) was in good form He is an incredible size - the same weight as Colin Meads and only about 5cms shorter. Tonga was much better than I thought they would be - or were the AB's worse? The opening cermony was great and some pics are above.