Hot: McCaw... Not: Goosen
It is time for Planet Rugby's weekly wrap of who has their name in lights right now...and who is making the headlines for the wrong reasons...
They're smokin'!
Richie McCaw: Winning 100 Tests is something which must rank as one of the greatest individual achievements in the history of the game. This feat has started a debate in some quarters whether the All Blacks captain is the greatest player of all time. And rightly so, we say.
Mike Harris: Despite playing out of position at full-back, in front of a hostile crowd, the Reds man led the charge with 20 points in the Wallabies' win over Argentina in Rosario.
Charlie Hodgson: The veteran pivot showed there was still plenty of fuel left in his tank as he notched all 28 points in Saracens' Premiership victory over London Welsh last weekend.
Waikato: The Mooloos ended Taranaki's lengthy stint as Ranfurly Shield holders in style with a convincing win at the Amber and Blacks' home ground.
Griquas: The Currie Cup's most unfancied team continued with their giant-killing act when they beat the high-riding Golden Lions in Kimberley. The win over the defending champions shows that previous wins over the Sharks and Blue Bulls was no fluke.
Get these guys a cup of warm soup!
South African Rugby Union and Australain Rugby Union: The mother bodies of the Springboks and Wallabies will have to do serious introspection regarding their decision not to follow the lead of the New Zealand Rugby Union by using the central contracting system. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has described it as one of the main reasons why his team completed the Rugby Championship with hardly any injuries. The Springboks and Wallabies, however, were decimated by casualties. Enough said.
Mont de Marsan: The Top 14 newbies have found the going tough and only have one point to show after eight matches. They have already conceded a staggering 240 points at an average of 30 points per game.
Zebre: Like Mont de Marsan the Italian outfit have struggled in their new surroundings. Still winless after five matches, Zebre boast a single point in the PRO12 standings, conceding 164 points at an average of 32 points per match.
Heyneke Meyer and Johan Goosen: Both should take the blame for allowing Goosen to stay on the field for about five minutes when he was clearly injured. During that time, Goosen missed the crucial tackle which allowed All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock to cross the whitewash.
By David Skippers
Comments
jmanngod says...
What debate? Who is or was a greater player?
Posted 12:04 10th October 2012