s-boo180909a.mp3

s-boo180909a.mp3

Is the writing on the wall for Robbie Deans?

There may still be time for Robbie Deans to redeem himself but just get the feeling he is biding his time now and appears to be going through the motions.

The turning point dated back to 13th September, 2008 when the Wallabies lost to the All Blacks 24-28. Had the Wallabies won this game, it would have proven to the ARU they had made the right choice. Self belief would have skyrocketed and their decision somewhat justified. However, they fell short and have never been the same since.

I hate to draw parallels but it's hard to go past the recent happenings to a certain former Prime Minister. For example, calling Robbie Deans 'Dingo Deans' reminded me of Kevin Rudd being called 'Kevin 07' when he was elected and we all know what happened to him.

This kind of hyperbole is an illusion in some ways and disguises or masks reality. Both politics and Rugby needed some sort of saviour and both Rudd and Deans were unfairly held in that regard. Kevin Rudd's undoing was that he failed to realise he won an election, not a popularity contest. Not sure the same could be said for Deans but despite numerous bungles, back flips etc they both still managed to last 3 years in power.

Some will say it Rudd's exit was sudden but you get the feeling the rest of the party saw the writing on the wall sometime ago and it was just a matter of when.

One gets the feeling that Deans is in a similar situation but that doesn't necessarily please the fans and nor should it. Things can turn around pretty quickly and has a habit of making us look foolish but there are too many signs that would suggest the Wallabies are far from ok.

What's happened too running?

I have always been a fan of running and unless there is a medical reason why you can't, then it should be part of your exercise regime.

While training a client this morning in Sydney's Centennial Park I noticed Michelle Bridges run past with Labour's opposition deputy leader, Julie Bishop and it got me thinking, why has it become less popular in recent years?

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?

Good old fashion road running helps build stamina and endurance. It helps you focus and keeps your mind on the job. You have to pace yourself to make sure you finish strong and doing it with your team mates can help build morale also. Darren Lockyer is one player that still believes in it and it doesn't seem to have done him any harm. Just not sure why others don't follow his lead?

All Blacks 59 d Ireland 28

This was a game of 2 halves. The All Blacks started well and were quite dominant early on but all this changed when Jamie Heaslip was sent off for attempting to knee the head of an opposition player. Not only did Ireland need to be at full strength to win this one they also needed to have all fifteen men on the field!

Combined with O'Gara's sin binning, which reduced the Irish to thirteen men for ten minutes, the floodgates opened and by the time O'Gara came back on they were behind 38 points to nil. To their credit the men in green fought back strongly and actually finished with 4 converted tries but arguably much of this could be contributed to the fact that the All Blacks emptied their bench to give everyone a run.

The game actually became very messy toward the end and one can only wonder what the benefit is in giving everyone a run in such unstructured Rugby. In the end it started to resemble a trial more than a test match and became almost farcical. The All Black jumper is becoming cheapened by the day. How many players are they going to use before they settle on their best XV? Yes, supposedly they have great depth and their best team wouldn't be much different then their 3rd or 4th ranked team but that's where the problem lies.

In days gone by their was daylight between the best side and even the 2nd but that's when the All Blacks were at their best. When almost all their starting players would make any side in the world. Now, with the possible exception of Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Conrad Smith no one else would feature. That's a travesty in my book and the current administration of Graham Henry and co have got it all wrong. They are making the same mistakes all over again. All time effort and energy should be spent on developing the best possible side and if you don't make it, too bad. In the past, when a player got dropped it was a big deal but not anymore. There are too many All Blacks on the scrapheap to even mention here. What is their obsession with rotating and experimenting with players each and every game?

Just pick a side and be done with it already! You guys have lost the plot. Pick players in their specialist postions and get on with it. Take time to nurture them and watch them grow. Out of all the players new to the All Blacks last night the 1 that stood out was Benson Stanley. He was chosen in his specialist postition and just did the basics well. He even made Conrad Smith look good. Too often Ma'a Nonu's game has overshadowed Smith's and even the wingers to some extent. In the words of Wayne Shelford, the All blacks are at their best when everyone does their job ie 14 men helping to put the 15th man over the line. GET BACK TO THE BASICS!

Shouldn't their aim be to beat the Springboks by 1 point than Ireland by 31? At this rate they won't. Although they appear to be going forward they are actually going backward. It's an illusion that will be tested by the Wallabies and shown upo against the Springboks this year. You heard it here first.

Day 85, 86, 87, 88, 89 & 90

Tough last week but managed to complete an abs session on Monday night, cardio session on Tuesday night, free weights session on Wednesday night, same again on Thursday night and finished with a cardio session on Friday night. Saturday was day 90 and celebrated with some much needed R&R...really felt good and was on a high all day. Has definately been worth it and realise that I need to set goals to help me stay disciplined. Have posted my final 'after' pic and although Icould have done better it's an improvement on my 'before' pic. Just deciding if when I should do it again. Having a week or 2 off to contemplate but will keep you posted.

Day 83 & 84

Cardio session last night and another free weights session planned for tonight. Only 6 days to go!

Day 81 & 82

Free weights session last night and cardio session planned for this afternoon. Rest and cheat day tomorrow. Just over a week to go and still on track! Wished I could have done better and have waivered a bit at times but can't have any regrets now. Just have to learn from what worked and what didn't. I feel I am mentally a lot stronger now than I was in the beginning ie I'm not giving into temptation like I was in the beginning and also enjoying my workouts more now. Took longer than I thought it would for this to happen. I thought I could do it from day 1! However, still definately worth it and look forward to keeping it up once I have finished. Will post final picture next Sunday.

Day 78, 79 & 80

Free weights session Monday, light workout last night and a cardio session planned for later today...only 11 days to go! Final picture posted then. I am obviously eating less often but portion size has decreased also.

Day 75, 76 & 77

Long walk on Friday, rest and cheat day yesterday and long walk planned for tonight. Have been feeling a little bit 'fluey' in past couple of days, which has restricted my training, but will soldier on!

Day 72, 73 & 74

Wow, the days are flying by! Only 16 days to go and I would have completed 90 days of healthy eating and regular exercise. Hopefully, transforming my body shape in the process. Energy levels are sky high and look forward to maintaining it after the 90 days are up...it's just the beginning! Body weight workout Tuesday, cardio session last night and free weights session planned for tonight.