Why the kiwis lost the RWC semi final
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And this article from the brits in July
S for Sensational - "the best Olympics ever" - is how the world remembers the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, with Australian sport having continued to glow in the radiance long after.
But all that may be about to change, and change radically. Sporting Matilda could be preparing for its last waltz.
Sydney was a model Olympics and, although Australia has never had an empire, the 2000 Games will be looked back on as the two and a bit weeks which cemented, and in some cases launched, its dominance in world sport.
Australian sport at every level was in complete harmony, with its various centres of excellence producing men and women of the highest class both at team and individual level.
It was the sporting template for the world. Australian triumphalism abounded.
In Sydney they won a total of 58 medals, including 16 golds. Only the three super powers - the United States, Russia and China - finished ahead, while outside the five rings Australians were dominant in cricket and rugby.
Furthermore their coaches, like their wine-makers, were in heavy demand with tennis's Andre Agassi shocking those in the US by bringing in Adelaide's Darren Cahill to replace Brad Gilbert. Was there no end?
The Socceroos failing to qualify for the World Cup was a minor blemish but the first seismic shock, albeit not on the sporting field, came when Shane Warne tested positive to the banned drugs hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride, both diuretics. Short of this happening to Ian Thorpe, there could have been no greater blow to the Australian sporting psyche. It was greeted with disbelief, and still continues to be brushed off by many in the cities and the bush as a dreadful injustice.
Any chortles in Britain were quickly stifled when Australia won cricket's version of the World Cup and continued to dominate the game at Test level.
But the cracks began to widen with England's rugby union victories, first at Twickenham and then in Australia.
Here, finally, was proof positive (other than Warne's) that the decline and fall of Australian sport was finally under way.
And this was most gloriously underlined last week by the relatively modest showing by the Aussie swimmers in Spain - only six golds compared to 13 at the last world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in 2001 - coupled with the All Blacks' 50-21 drubbing of the Wallabies at the weekend.
A touch disappointingly, the Australian swimming chief, Scott Volkers, failed to blow his top, but there was altogether better news from the rugby field where the former Wallabies coach Alan Jones launched a wonderfully encouraging attack on the current occupant Eddie Jones, whom he accused of "betraying" the country's talent.
Now this was more like it.
For too long now, Australian sport has been woefully short on blame culture, which has, of course, made Britain what it is.
Not Alan Jones, though. "Sometimes it's better to be not coached than badly coached," he declared.
"The real tragedy is that Eddie Jones, the unsuccessful coach, has the permeating influence right throughout Australian rugby.
"God only knows how the players work out what he means... I have no idea."
Don't stop there, Alan. Let's hear it for the rest of Australian sport.
All this time we've been living under the false assumption that an Australian accent guaranteed success and was a cure-all for everybody else's troubles. Clearly we were all deluded.
Now there is blood in the water and, if the world champions fail to beat South Africa in Brisbane on Saturday night, it will be the first time the Wallabies have lost four consecutive matches for 21 years.
And it won't stop there. Clive's boys will triumph in the rugby World Cup, British swimmers will win more medals in the Athens Olympic pool, assuming it holds water, than Thorpedo and his chums, while the Ashes are as good as back.
Australia the fair? Australia the failures.
There, don't you feel better already.
But all that may be about to change, and change radically. Sporting Matilda could be preparing for its last waltz.
Sydney was a model Olympics and, although Australia has never had an empire, the 2000 Games will be looked back on as the two and a bit weeks which cemented, and in some cases launched, its dominance in world sport.
Australian sport at every level was in complete harmony, with its various centres of excellence producing men and women of the highest class both at team and individual level.
It was the sporting template for the world. Australian triumphalism abounded.
In Sydney they won a total of 58 medals, including 16 golds. Only the three super powers - the United States, Russia and China - finished ahead, while outside the five rings Australians were dominant in cricket and rugby.
Furthermore their coaches, like their wine-makers, were in heavy demand with tennis's Andre Agassi shocking those in the US by bringing in Adelaide's Darren Cahill to replace Brad Gilbert. Was there no end?
The Socceroos failing to qualify for the World Cup was a minor blemish but the first seismic shock, albeit not on the sporting field, came when Shane Warne tested positive to the banned drugs hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride, both diuretics. Short of this happening to Ian Thorpe, there could have been no greater blow to the Australian sporting psyche. It was greeted with disbelief, and still continues to be brushed off by many in the cities and the bush as a dreadful injustice.
Any chortles in Britain were quickly stifled when Australia won cricket's version of the World Cup and continued to dominate the game at Test level.
But the cracks began to widen with England's rugby union victories, first at Twickenham and then in Australia.
Here, finally, was proof positive (other than Warne's) that the decline and fall of Australian sport was finally under way.
And this was most gloriously underlined last week by the relatively modest showing by the Aussie swimmers in Spain - only six golds compared to 13 at the last world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in 2001 - coupled with the All Blacks' 50-21 drubbing of the Wallabies at the weekend.
A touch disappointingly, the Australian swimming chief, Scott Volkers, failed to blow his top, but there was altogether better news from the rugby field where the former Wallabies coach Alan Jones launched a wonderfully encouraging attack on the current occupant Eddie Jones, whom he accused of "betraying" the country's talent.
Now this was more like it.
For too long now, Australian sport has been woefully short on blame culture, which has, of course, made Britain what it is.
Not Alan Jones, though. "Sometimes it's better to be not coached than badly coached," he declared.
"The real tragedy is that Eddie Jones, the unsuccessful coach, has the permeating influence right throughout Australian rugby.
"God only knows how the players work out what he means... I have no idea."
Don't stop there, Alan. Let's hear it for the rest of Australian sport.
All this time we've been living under the false assumption that an Australian accent guaranteed success and was a cure-all for everybody else's troubles. Clearly we were all deluded.
Now there is blood in the water and, if the world champions fail to beat South Africa in Brisbane on Saturday night, it will be the first time the Wallabies have lost four consecutive matches for 21 years.
And it won't stop there. Clive's boys will triumph in the rugby World Cup, British swimmers will win more medals in the Athens Olympic pool, assuming it holds water, than Thorpedo and his chums, while the Ashes are as good as back.
Australia the fair? Australia the failures.
There, don't you feel better already.
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Squire, you sound like you're describing the end of the world.......
I don't think this supposed 'downfall' has started yet, we've lost a few events but we can't win everything. If you're comparing our current sporting prowess to the incredible medal haul of the late 90's early 00's then yes the trophy cabinet is a little less full, but to say;
"Australia the fair? Australia the failures."
is rediculous! If Australian sporting success can be descibed as a failure then British sporting success will have to be descibed as pathetic- or even worse- insignificant.
Clive and the english team did well in the world cup, but don't forget my friend we've done it twice before so you might want to bide your time before making future predictions.
And the Ashes are as good as back??!! My, where do I start........
I don't think this supposed 'downfall' has started yet, we've lost a few events but we can't win everything. If you're comparing our current sporting prowess to the incredible medal haul of the late 90's early 00's then yes the trophy cabinet is a little less full, but to say;
"Australia the fair? Australia the failures."
is rediculous! If Australian sporting success can be descibed as a failure then British sporting success will have to be descibed as pathetic- or even worse- insignificant.
Clive and the english team did well in the world cup, but don't forget my friend we've done it twice before so you might want to bide your time before making future predictions.
And the Ashes are as good as back??!! My, where do I start........
bahaha! You're good.....no really I mean it.
Join Date: Dec 2003
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WTF? 
Do you read what you wright coolguy?
I hope for both our sakes that you have a serious mental condition that will prevent you from stepping into an aeroplane.
Just out of interest, how old are you and how many toes do you have?
Do you read what you wright coolguy?
I hope for both our sakes that you have a serious mental condition that will prevent you from stepping into an aeroplane.
Just out of interest, how old are you and how many toes do you have?
