Weekly Ramble

My first in a long time.  My Muse had deserted me and so had my mojo.  Saw a random comment on website that maybe we have been compromised.  Maybe I have.  Maybe I see nothing, hear nothing, hence say nothing.  Maybe I'm just tired.  Beating a drum makes a difference if someone is dancing.  If people are just watching it becomes tiresome.  The same people who criticised us for having no locus standi to point fingers at them, are now asking us to point fingers at the newbies!  Irony, isn't it.  Have we suddenly become credible or is our noise now palatable since it is not directed at them.  I came across this phrase online and I wish I was more widely read as I would have used it a long time ago.

Protections for anonymous speech are vital to democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical minority views . . . Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. . . . It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation . . . at the hand of an intolerant society.  

That was not really my topic for today.  I digress as usual.  A new old look Sevens team has been named for the next two legs of the HSBC IRB Sevens Rugby Circuit for Wellington and Las Vegas.  Excitement is rife that this team may finally give us what we have been craving.  My question is how will they do that?  These are the same players we were so sick of last year that we asked for a complete overhaul of the team.  We sang praises of the new team and were full of hope for the new young talent.  Whereas it was clear to any observer that we did not have the players to replace the old crop especially after Mwamba looked better than them at the Safaricom Sevens, we somehow had hope.  Sometimes our patriotism dims our senses and we get lulled.  I know it happens to me.  So why would we now expect the team to perform better?  Are they fitter, stronger?  Most people are just happy familiar names are on the team.  Have they trained harder, more consistently?  Why then all this hope?

To me it is simple.  The technical team have showed the players they can do without them.  And that alone will make them play much harder, and hopefully much better.  I'm not looking for a podium finish in these two legs as fundamentally, nothing has changed.  I am however hopeful of a bowl final appearance in Wellington and a plate semi final finish in Las Vegas. 

Do have a good week and let us support the boys to the hilt.