Empirical evidence would place your prediction correct Firko,however given its here in Sheep Country,and the momentum we are building, I think a small wager is in order.How about a bottle of Central Otago Pinot Noir on the AB's winning the RWC next year??
Done, you've got a bet my friend, as long as we both share it with some lovely King Island cheese
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I have a strong feeling in my gizzards that the 'Baby Wallabies' are slowly growing into maturity. Remember that at the moment we're running with the third string hooker third and fourth string props, second string scrum half, and that three of our regular backs (Turner, Burgess and Cross) are absent doing the Sevens Series to qualify for the Commonwealth Games. The average age of the Wallabies is 23 while the average age of the All Blacks is 29. The old fart Springboks average out at 31. The Wallabies have used different combinations in nearly every test this year, trying out the youngsters in different positions. They're using players who haven't even started a Super 14 game yet, adding to the depth of test experienced players. There is only one starting lineup player from the last World Cup, Nathan Sharpe and one bench player,Rocky Elsom. The rest have all evolved since then.
On the other side of the Tasman we see a mass of the same old faces, four years later. Sure they're playing great Rugby but the age factor has to kick in at some stage. It did with our former Wallabies and is kicking in with the Springboks right now. Great player and hard worker that he is, how much longer can 'Aussie Brad' Thorn run around for? Surely NZ can find a younger lock than a 35 year old? Watching 28 year old Daniel Carter fail to catch 20 year Kurtley Beal was a telling sign.
A year or two ago, he would have run him down and flattened him. ...........How do you say "choke" with a Kiwi accent?
t's becoming a familliar pattern here Mark.....9 loses in a row.....9 years without the Bledisloe cup....6 years without the State of Oirigin.....time you moved to QLD Mark....suns shining today.....again....23 degrees....it's a hard life.....your not to old to learn new tricks...."Gold Coast Firko"...has a ring about it doesnt it?.
At the risk of starting yet another political shitstorm, the Queensland Thought Police would have to drag me out of my bed in the still of the night, handcuff me, throw a bag over my head and transport me over the Queensland border in the boot of a beige Camry to get me to set up digs in the state that gave Australia such laughable clowns as Joh and Flo Bjelke Petersen, Pauline Hansen, Russ Hinze and Steve Irwin. I'd never be able to sleep at night knowing I was surrounded by people who voted for and praise Joh and Pauline. Sure we're pretty hopeless at State of Origin Rugby League but that same sun that's shining over Queensland as we speak is shining in my face as I type this, and I'm pretty happy here in my humble hacienda in the golden west, surrounded by 'my people'. Queensland is a great holiday destination but so is Fiji and who'd want to actually live there?
