Matt Giteau, Rocky Elsom to the Brumbies

Have you paid a close look to the back row of the Brumbies for the upcoming season?

Elsom, Smith, Hoiles. Nothing less.

Have you paid attention to the halfback-five eight-center combination?

Valentine, Giteau, O'Connor, Mortlock.

So, Bulls, here's your first enemy to win a second Super 14 tournament in a row.

The question is, what can be expected from the drained (e.g. Western Force) franchises? With the Waratahs model already stuck, is Australia putting all the eggs in one single bag?

New-look, same mistakes.

It cannot be. It simply cannot be.

When you are in a come-back like the one the Highlanders did against the Brumbies earlier today, you cannot let them slip away with a last-gasp drop-goal.

2 points are not enough for this game. 5 tries are not enough, losing by two is not enough! It's the winning mood the one that must be targeted. Play will come afterwards. It is a matter of realising your chances. The Highlanders may not have many; they should be clinical. Clinical, clinical, clinical.

If they lose after a good play, what will happen when they don't play so well?

Highlanders 31 - Brumbies 33

Julian Huxley

News at last from planet Julian Huxley.

You will surely remember that the Brumbies player he had a brain tumor diagnosed.

Although he won't be able to play again, he will join the Brumbies coaching stuff as is said here.

Best of lucks for Julian Huxley!!!

Julian Huxley has a (probably benign) brain tumor

We saw him faint during the Brumbies match against the Reds attempting a front-on tackle on a Reds player.

He was taken to a hospital.

Best of lucks for the Brumbies fullback.

Forth, Julian!

Online score: Crusaders vs Brumbies:

34 - 3 (full time)

Mose Tuiali'i (2 tries) Brad Thorn (1 try)
Dan Carter (1 try, 4 conversions, 2 penalties)	Julian Huxley (penalty)

Congratulations to the Crusaders supporters: 5 points and a nice start of the season. Only 12 games remain to finish on top of the table.

Three, two, one ... Go!!

So, less than 7 hours and we're on it.

Today's matches will see the Crusaders at Christchurch against the Brumbies. I expect a clear win for the Crusaders, with Dan Carter on command. It could be of interest how the brand-new midfield performs but I don't really expect much of a Brumbies side that could perfectly be regretting Fisher's words more than anything.

The other game of the day will feature the Reds and the Highlanders. On my mind there's the Highlanders performance of last weekend, when the Otago franchise beat the Blues in a superb second time.

Shall we have a clear opinion on the ELV's after this first round?

Laurie Fischer does not want to help Deans.

Yesterday we were surprised at Robbie Deans' proposal of a plan for all 4 Australian Super 14 sides coaches to be involved in Wallabies players selection.

Today, Brumbies coach, Laurie Fischer has been very harsh on Deans proposal. Apparently Laurie Fischer does not have anything against helping the Wallabies, but he does have it against helping the Crusaders coach.

"I certainly won't be discussing the relative strengths and weaknesses of my players until he has finished up with the Crusaders in the Super 14. You are talking about two sides here who could be in the Super 14 final."

Laurie Fischer was among the candidates for the Wallabies coach role when NZRU selection of Graham Henry left Robbie Deans "available" although he still had a one-year contract with the Crusaders. The ARU immediately added Robbie Deans to the list of candidates and eventually he got the job. NZRU allowed Deans to keep his Crusaders coaching job until the end of the present season and perhaps Fischer thinks Deans is going too far away

This arises some question as if retaining the Crusaders job was a good idea for Deans. I think Deans should have resigned perhaps even before the outcome of the Rugby World Cup, at the end of Super 14 2007 season. I don't doubt he can still do a wonderful job for the Crusaders but, won't everything be easier for him as Wallabies coach when he is not bound to the Crusaders?