What were you thinking?

Graham Henry is not a bad coach and has been reasonable successful all things considered. However, he is his own worst enemy at times.

Why?

- He way overthinks things and second guesses himself. He often ignores logic and is too controlling. Relax man. Just pick the best players in their respected positions and get on with it.

- He is guilty of selecting "utility" players over specialists.

- What the? Why were players like Hosea Gear, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Rene Ranger and possibly Sean Maitland overlooked for the World Cup? He selected 5 fullbacks and only 1 specialist wing. Ridiculous. Robbie Fruen and Wyatt Crockett could possibly count themselves unlucky too. No back up to Richie McCaw a schoolboy error also. Adam Thompson ain't no back up Mr Henry.

- SBW. Enough said.

Another WC approaching and the wheels are falling off. Mind you, the nuts and bolts were coming loose some time ago.

Please ignore if the All Blacks win the 2011, Rugby World Cup.

The Rugby World Cup is overrated

The Rugby World Cup is overrated. The fact that the All Blacks’s have only won it once says more about the farcical nature of the cup than it does about them. They have consistently been the best team in the world since Rugby began.

Unlike every other team, they always want to win regardless and this has contributed to their downfall in previous World Cups. Many people call it ‘peaking’ but they are simply hell bent on winning.

Other teams tend to drop off between World Cups but not the All Blacks and why should they? Many other teams use the time between World Cup to rebuild or experiment and don’t mind losing the odd game if it helps their World Cup chances.

Too many losses between World Cups are now simply a case of 'not wanting to peak too soon' or 'we are building nicely' etc. It's become farcical and the fact that someone like Robbie Deans can keep his job because of it proves my point.

Crystal Ball Gazing 2011 Rugby World Cup

Its early days but I can't help sense that the All Blacks are making the same mistakes all over again leading into next year's World Cup. Here are a couple of reasons why...

First it was the signing of Sonny Bill Williams because although it doesn't guarantee his inclusion in the World Cup Squad not selecting him would be an expensive mistake.

Secondly, Graham Henry's selections are still erratic at best and he just can't seem to make up his mind. The rotation policy was supposed to be dead and buried but it appears to be rearing its ugly head again.

Thirdly, their experiment with converting players into unfamiliar positions is a strange one indeed.

Fourthly, the NZRFU has just announced a huge bonus for all players involved in winning the World Cup. Just what they need, some added pressure!

Last but not least the All Blacks starting XV isn't that strong. Sure they appear to have plenty of depth and there is probably little difference between their 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams ranked teams but they have few truly world class players and the timing of the World Cup for some players is not favourable. Players like Tony Woodcock, Kevin Mealamu, Brad Thorn, Ali Williams, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Joe Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Conrad Smith and Mils Muliaina are a handful of players that might be past their best by the time of the World Cup. Unfortunately, they make up a core group of players deemed necessary to win the World Cup. An interesting dilemma for the coaching panel nonetheless.

Prediction: South Africa v France in the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final. Remember, you heard it here first.

Thank you Mr Lomu!

If you are familiar with Rugby Union then it's a safe bet you are familiar with Jonah Lomu.

A big call but he was perhaps regarded the greatest ever athlete to play the game, if not the greatest player. He was Rugby Union's first ever global star and his rise was synonymous with the sport going professional.

He was fast and he was big. He was about 1.96cm (6'5) tall, weighed 120kg's (18.3st) and reportedly ran the 100m in about 10.8 seconds. Basically, he had the pace of a winger and the size of a forward. He was devastating at times and often left defenders sprawling in his wake (click on the title 'Thank you Mr Lomu!').

He has retired from the game but has been asked to play an ambassador type role at next year's World Cup. Despite all the accolades he has remained humble.

I have been fortunate to 'Tweet' with him on Twitter (@JonahLomu11) recently and I'm sure he would appreciate the follow. Also, thank you for the endorsement regarding my blog...'Interesting/Good Reading' - Jonah Lomu.

What's happened to running?

Rugby teams and/or players for that matter don't seem to go on road runs like they used to.

Why has it fallen out of favour?

On the Clint Eastwood produced movie, Invictus, it was interesting to see the Springbok side going for regular team runs and perhaps it was no coincidence they eventually won the World Cup.

There seems to be trend for high intensity type training, rigorous gym sessions, multi skilled training sessions etc to sharpen skills and build muscle but at what cost? These sessions are often divisive because each player has to train according to their specialist role in the team but the opportunity cost is that they don't get to train together.

Good old fashion road running for example helps build stamina and endurance. It helps you focus and the onus falls back on the players to pace themselves like you would in a game. Doing it with your team mates can help build morale also that is sometimes lacking in other training methods.