Before the Cricket kicked off [tipped off? Bowled off? Hit off?] this week, the fellows over at Sportsfreak were focused on the All Blacks' end of year tour, and the lack of tries in their games. The print media also seem to have chosen this as their lead angle ahead of this weekend's match (exhibit a, b, c, d... need I go on?) against France.

You can see my original response over there, where I gave some stats about the tries the All Blacks have scored and conceded in the NH over the past 11 years, but it sparked something in me. At school, I didn't really pay much attention in Maths. If it was something that captured my attention (like graphs and shit) I'd do it, but as soon as I got to sixth form I dropped it. It's never been a problem in day to day life, but this week I've felt completely incompetent. I've been trying to come up with all kinds of mathmatical stats and graphs for this post, and I'm extremely lucky to have Hadyn's patient tutelage to help me. If it hadn't been for him, you'd have all kinds of data here, and it would be presented on an unreadable line graph.

Something I didn't need help for was gathering the data for this. And it's actually a new feature of the Dropkicks. You can see it here. Currently it features all international test matches from 2006-today, but I may backdate it eventually if I see the need, and I may use it for a post about the Rugby World Cup and whether the 'minnow' teams are becoming more competitive.

The first table to have a look at, because I know you want to see the stuff revolving around the All Blacks, is the 6 Nations. [if this was TV that would be a hook - You would have no choice but to stick with me to find out. But this is a blog, so it doesn't work as well... Fuck.]

Enough Shenanigans, let me see it!

Date	Teams	Try Ratio
6 Nations
Sat, 04 Feb 2006	IRE v ITA	2:1
Sat, 04 Feb 2006	ENG v WAL	6:1
Sun, 05 Feb 2006	SCO v FRA	2:2
Sat, 11 Feb 2006	FRA v IRE	6:4
Sat, 11 Feb 2006	ITA v ENG	1:4
Sun, 12 Feb 2006	WAL v SCO	4:2
Sat, 25 Feb 2006	FRA v ITA	5:0
Sat, 25 Feb 2006	SCO v ENG	0:0
Sun, 26 Feb 2006	IRE v WAL	3:1
Sat, 11 Mar 2006	WAL v ITA	2:2
Sat, 11 Mar 2006	IRE v SCO	0:0
Sun, 12 Mar 2006	FRA v ENG	3:0
Sat, 18 Mar 2006	ITA v SCO	1:1
Sat, 18 Mar 2006	WAL v FRA	1:2
Sat, 18 Mar 2006	ENG v IRE	2:3
Southern tour
Sat, 10 Jun 2006	SAF v SCO	4:1
Sat, 10 Jun 2006	NZL v IRE	3:2
Sun, 11 Jun 2006	JAP v ITA	0:7
Sun, 11 Jun 2006	ARG v WAL	3:3
Sun, 11 Jun 2006	AUS v ENG	3:0
Sat, 17 Jun 2006	FIJ v ITA	4:2
Sat, 17 Jun 2006	SAF v SCO	1:2
Sat, 17 Jun 2006	ARG v WAL	3:3
Sat, 17 Jun 2006	NZL v IRE	3:2
Sat, 17 Jun 2006	AUS v ENG	6:2
Sat, 24 Jun 2006	SAF v FRA	1:4
Sat, 24 Jun 2006	AUS v IRE	5:2
Tri-Nations
Sat, 08 Jul 2006	NZL v AUS	4:2
Sat, 15 Jul 2006	AUS v SAF	6:0
Sat, 22 Jul 2006	NZL v SAF	2:2
Sat, 29 Jul 2006	AUS v NZL	0:1
Sat, 05 Aug 2006	AUS v SAF	2:2
Sat, 19 Aug 2006	NZL v AUS	3:3
Sat, 26 Aug 2006	SAF v NZL	3:5
Sat, 02 Sep 2006	SAF v NZL	2:2
Sat, 09 Sep 2006	SAF v AUS	2:1
Northern Tour
Sat, 04 Nov 2006	WAL v AUS	2:4
Sun, 05 Nov 2006	ENG v NZL	3:4
Sat, 11 Nov 2006	WAL v PAC	5:3
Sat, 11 Nov 2006	ENG v ARG	2:1
Sat, 11 Nov 2006	ITA v AUS	0:3
Sat, 11 Nov 2006	IRE v SAF	4:2
Sat, 11 Nov 2006	FRA v NZL	0:7
Sat, 18 Nov 2006	SCO v PAC	4:4
Sat, 18 Nov 2006	ENG v SAF	2:2
Sat, 18 Nov 2006	ITA v ARG	1:2
Sat, 18 Nov 2006	FRA v NZL	1:2
Sun, 19 Nov 2006	IRE v AUS	2:0
Sat, 25 Nov 2006	ENG v SAF	1:1
Sat, 25 Nov 2006	SCO v AUS	2:5
Sat, 25 Nov 2006	WAL v NZL	1:5
Sat, 25 Nov 2006	FRA v ARG	3:2
Sun, 26 Nov 2006	IRE v PAC	8:3
Other Internationals
Sat, 17 Jun 2006	ROM v FRA	1:9
Sat, 24 Jun 2006	ARG v NZL	1:3
Sat, 01 Jul 2006	CHL v ARG	1:10
Sat, 01 Jul 2006	TON v SAM	0:5
Sat, 08 Jul 2006	ARG v URU	2:0
Sat, 07 Oct 2006	ITA v POR	13:0
Sat, 14 Oct 2006	RUS v ITA	1:9
Sat, 11 Nov 2006	SCO v ROM	7:0
Fri, 17 Nov 2006	WAL v CAN	9:2
Sat, 25 Nov 2006	ITA v CAN	5:0

Date	Teams	Try Ratio
6 Nations
Sat, 03 Feb 2007	ITA v FRA	0:5
Sat, 03 Feb 2007	ENG v SCO	4:2
Sun, 04 Feb 2007	WAL v IRE	0:3
Sat, 10 Feb 2007	ENG v ITA	1:1
Sat, 10 Feb 2007	SCO v WAL	0:0
Sun, 11 Feb 2007	IRE v FRA	1:2
Sat, 24 Feb 2007	SCO v ITA	2:4
Sat, 24 Feb 2007	IRE v ENG	4:1
Sat, 24 Feb 2007	FRA v WAL	2:3
Sat, 10 Mar 2007	SCO v IRE	0:1
Sat, 10 Mar 2007	ITA v WAL	2:2
Sun, 11 Mar 2007	ENG v FRA	2:0
Sat, 17 Mar 2007	ITA v IRE	2:8
Sat, 17 Mar 2007	FRA v SCO	6:3
Sat, 17 Mar 2007	WAL v ENG	2:2
Southern Tour
Sat, 26 May 2007	ARG v IRE	1:2
Sat, 26 May 2007	SAF v ENG	7:1
Sat, 26 May 2007	AUS v WAL	4:2
Sat, 02 Jun 2007	ARG v IRE	1:0
Sat, 02 Jun 2007	URU v ITA	1:4
Sat, 02 Jun 2007	SAF v ENG	8:1
Sat, 02 Jun 2007	NZL v FRA	5:1
Sat, 02 Jun 2007	AUS v WAL	3:0
Sat, 09 Jun 2007	ARG v ITA	2:0
Sat, 09 Jun 2007	NZL v FRA	9:1
Sat, 16 Jun 2007	NZL v CAN	10:1
Sat, 23 Jun 2007	SAM v TON	7:0
Tri-Nations
Sat, 23 Jun 2007	SAF v NZL	2:2
Sat, 16 Jun 2007	SAF v AUS	1:1
Sat, 30 Jun 2007	AUS v NZL	2:2
Sat, 07 Jul 2007	AUS v SAF	3:2
Sat, 14 Jul 2007	NZL v SAF	3:0
Sat, 21 Jul 2007	NZL v AUS	1:0
Other Internationals
Sat, 09 Jun 2007	SAF v SAM	5:1
Sat, 09 Jun 2007	AUS v FIJ	9:0
Sat, 04 Aug 2007	ARG v CHL	10:2
Sat, 04 Aug 2007	ENG v WAL	9:1
Sat, 11 Aug 2007	SCO v IRE	5:2
Sat, 11 Aug 2007	ENG v FRA	0:2
Wed, 15 Aug 2007	SAF v NAM	15:1
Sat, 18 Aug 2007	ITA v JAP	5:2
Sat, 18 Aug 2007	WAL v ARG	3:2
Sat, 18 Aug 2007	FRA v ENG	1:0
Fri, 24 Aug 2007	IRE v ITA	2:2
Sat, 25 Aug 2007	SCO v SAF	0:3
Sun, 26 Aug 2007	WAL v FRA	1:4
Sat, 24 Nov 2007	WAL v SAF	2:5
Rugby World Cup
Fri, 07 Sep 2007	FRA v ARG	0:1
Sat, 08 Sep 2007	NZL v ITA	11:2
Sat, 08 Sep 2007	AUS v JAP	13:0
Sat, 08 Sep 2007	ENG v USA	3:1
Sun, 09 Sep 2007	WAL v CAN	5:3
Sun, 09 Sep 2007	SAF v SAM	8:1
Sun, 09 Sep 2007	SCO v POR	8:1
Sun, 09 Sep 2007	IRE v NAM	5:2
Tue, 11 Sep 2007	ARG v GEO	4:0
Wed, 12 Sep 2007	USA v TON	2:3
Wed, 12 Sep 2007	FIJ v JAP	4:3
Wed, 12 Sep 2007	ITA v ROM	2:2
Fri, 14 Sep 2007	ENG v SAF	0:3
Sat, 15 Sep 2007	NZL v POR	16:1
Sat, 15 Sep 2007	WAL v AUS	2:4
Sat, 15 Sep 2007 I	RE v GEO	2:1
Sun, 16 Sep 2007	FIJ v CAN	4:1
Sun, 16 Sep 2007	SAM v TON	0:1
Sun, 16 Sep 2007	FRA v NAM	13:1
Tue, 18 Sep 2007	SCO v ROM	6:0
Wed, 19 Sep 2007	ITA v POR	3:1
Thu, 20 Sep 2007	WAL v JAP	11:2
Fri, 21 Sep 2007	FRA v IRE	2:0
Sat, 22 Sep 2007	SAF v TON	4:3
Sat, 22 Sep 2007	ENG v SAM	4:1
Sat, 22 Sep 2007	ARG v NAM	9:0
Sun, 23 Sep 2007	AUS v FIJ	7:2
Sun, 23 Sep 2007	SCO v NZL	0:6
Tue, 25 Sep 2007	CAN v JAP	2:2
Tue, 25 Sep 2007	ROM v POR	2:1
Wed, 26 Sep 2007	GEO v NAM	3:0
Wed, 26 Sep 2007	USA v SAM	2:3
Fri, 28 Sep 2007	ENG v TON	4:2
Sat, 29 Sep 2007	NZL v ROM	13:1
Sat, 29 Sep 2007	AUS v CAN	6:0
Sat, 29 Sep 2007	WAL v FIJ	5:4
Sat, 29 Sep 2007	SCO v ITA	0:1
Sun, 30 Sep 2007	FRA v GEO	9:1
Sun, 30 Sep 2007	IRE v ARG	2:2
Sun, 30 Sep 2007	SAF v USA	9:2
Rugby World Cup [Finals]
Sat, 06 Oct 2007	AUS v ENG	1:0
Sat, 06 Oct 2007	NZL v FRA	2:2
Sun, 07 Oct 2007	SAF v FIJ	5:2
Sun, 07 Oct 2007	ARG v SCO	1:1
Sat, 13 Oct 2007	FRA v ENG	0:1
Sun, 14 Oct 2007	SAF v ARG	4:1
Fri, 19 Oct 2007	FRA v ARG	1:5
Sat, 20 Oct 2007	SAF v ENG	0:0

Date	Teams	Try Ratio
6 Nations
Sat, 02 Feb 2008	ENG v WAL	1:2
Sun, 03 Feb 2008	SCO v FRA	0:3
Sat, 09 Feb 2008	WAL v SCO	3:0
Sat, 09 Feb 2008	FRA v IRE	4:2
Sun, 10 Feb 2008	ITA v ENG	1:2
Sat, 23 Feb 2008	WAL v ITA	5:1
Sat, 23 Feb 2008	IRE v SCO	5:1
Sat, 23 Feb 2008	FRA v ENG	1:2
Sat, 08 Mar 2008	SCO v ENG	0:0
Sat, 08 Mar 2008	IRE v WAL	0:1
Sun, 09 Mar 2008	FRA v ITA	3:1
Sat, 15 Mar 2008	ITA v SCO	2:2
Sat, 15 Mar 2008	ENG v IRE	3:1
Sat, 15 Mar 2008	WAL v FRA	2:0
Southern Tour
Sat, 07 Jun 2008	ARG v SCO	2:0
Sat, 07 Jun 2008	SAF v WAL	4:2
Sat, 07 Jun 2008	NZL v IRE	2:1
Sat, 14 Jun 2008	ARG v SCO	2:2
Sat, 14 Jun 2008	AUS v IRE	2:2
Sat, 14 Jun 2008	SAF v WAL	4:2
Sat, 14 Jun 2008	NZL v ENG	4:2
Sat, 21 Jun 2008	SAF v ITA	4:0
Sat, 21 Jun 2008	NZL v ENG	5:2
Sat, 28 Jun 2008	AUS v FRA	4:1
Sat, 28 Jun 2008	ARG v ITA	0:1
Sat, 05 Jul 2008	AUS v FRA	4:1
Tri-Nations
Sat, 05 Jul 2008	NZL v SAF	1:1
Sat, 12 Jul 2008	NZL v SAF	1:2
Sat, 19 Jul 2008	AUS v SAF	2:0
Sat, 26 Jul 2008	AUS v NZL	4:3
Sat, 02 Aug 2008	NZL v AUS	4:1
Sat, 16 Aug 2008	SAF v NZL	0:3
Sat, 23 Aug 2008	SAF v AUS	2:3
Sat, 30 Aug 2008	SAF v AUS	8:1
Sat, 13 Sep 2008	AUS v NZL	3:4
Northern Tour
Sat, 08 Nov 2008	WAL v SAF	0:2
Sat, 08 Nov 2008	ITA v AUS	1:2
Sat, 08 Nov 2008	SCO v NZL	0:4
Sat, 08 Nov 2008	FRA v ARG	0:0
Fri, 14 Nov 2008	WAL v CAN	4:1
Sat, 15 Nov 2008	IRE v NZL	0:3
Sat, 15 Nov 2008	SCO v SAF	1:1
Sat, 15 Nov 2008	ENG v AUS	1:1
Sat, 15 Nov 2008	FRA v PAC	5:1
Sat, 15 Nov 2008	ITA v ARG	1:1
Sat, 22 Nov 2008	WAL v NZL	0:2
Sat, 22 Nov 2008	SCO v CAN	6:0
Sat, 22 Nov 2008	IRE v ARG	1:0
Sat, 22 Nov 2008	ENG v SAF	0:5
Sat, 22 Nov 2008	ITA v PAC	2:3
Sat, 22 Nov 2008	FRA v AUS	1:2
Sat, 29 Nov 2008	ENG v NZL	0:3
Sat, 29 Nov 2008	WAL v AUS	2:2
Other Internationals
Sat, 09 Aug 2008	SAF v ARG	9:0
Wed, 03 Sep 2008	NZL v SAM	15:2
Sat, 01 Nov 2008	NZL v AUS	2:2
Sat, 08 Nov 2008	IRE v CAN	8:0
Sat, 08 Nov 2008	ENG v PAC	5:1

Date	Teams	Try Ratio
6 Nations
Sat, 07 Feb 2009	ENG v ITA	5:1
Sat, 07 Feb 2009	IRE v FRA	3:2
Sun, 08 Feb 2009	SCO v WAL	1:4
Sat, 14 Feb 2009	FRA v SCO	1:1
Sat, 14 Feb 2009	WAL v ENG	1:2
Sun, 15 Feb 2009	ITA v IRE	0:5
Fri, 27 Feb 2009	FRA v WAL	2:1
Sat, 28 Feb 2009	SCO v ITA	2:0
Sat, 28 Feb 2009	IRE v ENG	1:1
Sat, 14 Mar 2009	ITA v WAL	0:2
Sat, 14 Mar 2009	SCO v IRE	0:1
Sun, 15 Mar 2009	ENG v FRA	5:2
Sat, 21 Mar 2009	ITA v FRA	1:7
Sat, 21 Mar 2009	ENG v SCO	3:0
Sat, 21 Mar 2009	WAL v IRE	0:2
Southern Tour
Sat, 13 Jun 2009	ARG v ENG	2:1
Sat, 13 Jun 2009	AUS v ITA	5:1
Sat, 13 Jun 2009	NZL v FRA	2:3
Sat, 20 Jun 2009	NZL v FRA	1:1
Sat, 20 Jun 2009	AUS v ITA	5:0
Sat, 27 Jun 2009	NZL v ITA	3:0
Sat, 27 Jun 2009	AUS v FRA	1:0
Tri-Nations
Sat, 18 Jul 2009	NZL v AUS	1:1
Sat, 25 Jul 2009	SAF v NZL	2:1
Sat, 01 Aug 2009	SAF v NZL	1:1
Sat, 08 Aug 2009	SAF v AUS	1:2
Sat, 22 Aug 2009	AUS v NZL	0:1
Sat, 29 Aug 2009	AUS v SAF	3:4
Sat, 05 Sep 2009	AUS v SAF	2:0
Sat, 12 Sep 2009	NZL v SAF	2:2
Sat, 19 Sep 2009	NZL v AUS	3:0
Northern Tour
Sat, 07 Nov 2009	ENG v AUS	0:2
Sat, 07 Nov 2009	WAL v NZL	0:1
Fri, 13 Nov 2009	WAL v SAM	1:1
Fri, 13 Nov 2009	FRA v SAF	1:1
Sat, 14 Nov 2009	ENG v ARG	1:0
Sat, 14 Nov 2009	SCO v FIJ	2:1
Sat, 14 Nov 2009	ITA v NZL	0:1
Sun, 15 Nov 2009	IRE v AUS	2:2
Sat, 21 Nov 2009	SCO v AUS	0:1
Sat, 21 Nov 2009	ENG v NZL	0:1
Sat, 21 Nov 2009	WAL v ARG	3:1
Sat, 21 Nov 2009	ITA v SAF	1:4
Sat, 21 Nov 2009	FRA v SAM	7:1
Sat, 21 Nov 2009	IRE v FIJ	5:0
British and Irish Lions Tour
Sat, 20 Jun 2009	SAF v LIO	2:3
Sat, 27 Jun 2009	SAF v LIO	3:1
Sat, 04 Jul 2009	SAF v LIO	0:3
Other Internationals
Sat, 23 May 2009	CAN v IRE	0:3
Sat, 30 May 2009	CAN v WAL	2:2
Sun, 31 May 2009	USA v IRE	1:4
Sat, 06 Jun 2009	ENG v ARG	3:0
Sat, 06 Jun 2009	USA v WAL	2:6
Sat, 04 Jul 2009	USA v CAN	0:0
Sat, 11 Jul 2009	CAN v USA	6:2
Sat, 31 Oct 2009	NZL v AUS	2:1

We all know that the All Blacks beat the Wallabies on Saturday, 33-6. This meant the All Blacks' had pulled off a clean sweep of Australia this season, a week after being swept themselves by the Springboks. This was the biggest winning margin by the Blacks over Australia since last year's Eden Park test on August 02, where they won 39-10.

The biggest similarities between those two matches were the resurgence of the forward pack in protecting the ruck. This enabled Jimmy Cowan to quickly get the ball and spread it to Dan Carter. This in turn allowed Carter the time to get the ball out wide or tuck it in and run it.

We won by 27 fucking points! After what happened when we lost by 3 last week, imagine the outcry if we'd lost by 27! And yet there have been no celebrations other than along the lines of 'oh yes, good show, but there's still many problems what what'. Well screw that. Great job All Blacks, and Graham Henry.

Because the team looked confident, organised and happy on Saturday. Whether Henry was in charge or the players, we won. By 27 points. And we swept the Wallabies. And we kept the Bledisloe. And the score in Henry-Deansgate is now Henry: 6, Deans: 1. Great work.

The All Blacks named their team to play the Wallabies yesterday, bringing in uncapped Tom Donnelly. Donnelly is one of a raft of players brought in by the coaching panel of Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith over the past year, including the likes of Adam Thomson who has also been named as a starter.

Meanwhile Robbie Deans has named an unchanged Australian side, with the most capped player being the highly experienced and valuable George Smith, who will make his 105th start.

Read the article

I joined up on twitter a couple of weeks ago, and made my first 'tweet' tonight. It was about rugby. Seems I'm not the only one tweeting about the game: check the trending topics, half an hour after the end of the first Tri-Nations game of 2009...

More popular than Spongebob?! Nice.

I've got nothing today. I can't say anything about what has happened in Pakistan without repeating what's already been said, and I can't write-up about the S14 expansion at work. So here's my Richard Irvine impersonation:

For the real deal, visit sportreview.net.nz

From the Guardian...

The Six Nations countries drew a blank in the first full year of professionalism, 1996, but the majority of those fixtures were played in the southern hemisphere and none involved England. They have all had a crack this year but, unless England provide the biggest upset of the decade against New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday, or Wales pick up a third win over a Tri-Nations side in the professional era at Australia's expense on the same afternoon at the Millennium Stadium, it will be, barring a draw, 20-0 to the southern hemisphere.

Comments on this one are good. According to some Northern rugby fans...

Most people in the north accept that the south is ahead in terms of skill and quality, but they also believe (rightly) that the north is streets ahead when it comes to passion, excitement and putting bums on seats. The technique is of higher quality in the south, but the spectacle is of infinitely higher quality in the north.

Gregor Paul latched onto this very point last week. Essentially, he argued that rugby in New Zealand is devoid of passion and elan. It is obsessive (to a degree that is almost psychotic) and thus thoroughly one-dimensional.

Most Englishmen wouldn't swap the passionate, ever-changing European scene for the tedious, repetitive SANZAR scene no matter how many 40 point shellackings we take at Twickers.

I suppose ultimately it depends on whether one takes the mature, civilised, old continent outlook of treating sport as a glorious irrelevance or the gauche, crass, new world outlook of treating sport as some sort of measure of national virility.

Gauche! Crass! Moi!?

The All Blacks win their fourth consecutive Tri-Nations title, and retain the Bledisloe Cup (theirs since 2003), with a nail-biting 28-24 win over Australia in Brisbane on Saturday night.

­­The Dropkicks analyse the All Blacks rugby victory over the South Africans at Cape Town; take a look at Australia's chances of doing the same; and have a squizz at how this year's Air NZ Cup is shaping up.

Download Episode 31 [the Rugby­ bit]

Subscribe to the Dropkicks Podcast (iTunes users click here).