Rugby Union - Tri Nations Preview

The Waratah's put on a brave face but it was always going to be a mountain that was nearly impossible to climb. The Crusaders were deserved champions and it sometimes nice to see the team that deserved to win do the job.
The Waratah's have announced their new coach Chris Hickey and it looks a daunting task for a man taking over from a popular coach that took his side 1 win away from the title this year. Hickey not surprisingly is upbeat saying;
"There are politics in sport full stop. I don't think it is any different at the Waratahs than it is at the Reds or the Brumbies, or particularly in Perth at the moment. That doesn't faze me at all. I wouldn't say I'm a political animal, but perception is not necessarily reality."
These are strong words but I would hate to be in his position if his team starts to falter early next year. I am not convinced the Tah's can get much better and this year they found themselves on the right side of some very close matches and were emotionally fueled by the axing of McKenzie. Good luck Mr Hickey it could be a long hard year.
Now on to the Tri Nations. I think the All Blacks are morals to win the Tri Nations this year. They have no World Cup pressure for a few years and they have plenty to prove after yet another debacle when it mattered. The South Africans are the World Champions and will bring that passion to the field which make them a clear second pick. The Wallabies will be better coached and more professional but they have lost most of their experience and a competitive campaign will put them in good stead for the future.
Sportsbet.com.au has the All Blacks very short at $1.60 but I still think this is good value. The South Africans at $5.00 is a good price and the Australians should be a lot longer than the $4.00 on offer.

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