Super 14 drawing near and near...

Super 14 rugby pre-season has started this week with the easy win of the Stormers over the Boland Cavaliers by 72-10. For the next three weeks we will have plenty of oportunities to see the new faces of all teams in their way to the start of the Super 14 2008 season.

Meanwhile, Blues coach David Nucifora has given his views on the new laws and their effect on the game.

As Nucifora sees things (and he's one to be listened to) the most affected area will be the tackle. Here are some excerpts of his opinions:

"It will be very, very quick around that tackle area in some instances".
"You are going to have players out of the game a lot quicker because the offside line is being drawn a lot quicker".
"From what we've seen from other games, the ball will be in play for longer".

Blues coach has an immense task ahead within these four weeks prior to the kick off of the new season. Besides from usual tasks of getting the players fit and trying the new schemes, selecting a starting 15 and choosing the best combination of backs (Evans, Nacewa, Toeava... are all very versatile players) will require an extra effort for the Blues coach.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

How long will it take the Auckland Blues, players to realize they know more than David Nucifora. What David Nucifora knows about the ELVS and their effect on today's game was explained slowly and deliberately over the last twelve months. When the term ELVS came into journalistic lingo, David Nucifora started talking about Christmas and Team Santa.Only after that embarrasment did he come to the realization that ELVS were the new law changes and not small rugby players. If David Nucifora outcoaches Laurie Fisher and Robbie Deans, I'll go record as saying that it was I and not Nucifora who thought the ELVS were a new Christmas decoration.

sesenta y cuatro said...

Hey, miff!!!

Welcome and thanks for the comment!

Funny, I didn't know that one about Nucifora.

But I don't quite agree with you; I think no one can get to coach the Auckland Blues being a complete zero.

Nucifora may make mistakes, may be not the best coach in the world, but I am sure he's a great coach. Look at the Brumbies under his rule in the 2002-2004. Can anyone win the Super 14 and reach three consecutive finals without an outstanding coach?

However, this season is going to be really challenging for him. Everyone expects a lot of these new Auckland and Hawke's Bay players and his task won't be easy.
Either he gathers a sound success or his job may dislike many an Auckland supporter. Let's wait and see ;-)

Anonymous said...

Oh! I suppose David Nucifora isn't a bad guy or coach but he, like Eddie Jones, is such an annoyance.