Scotty Stevenson: Canterbury's win proves universe in alignment

Sure as eggs ... you can count on George Whitelock and the Cantabs. Photo / Getty Images

I'm uncomfortable with change at the best of times. I have in my wardrobe two pairs of jeans and seven T-shirts, which adhere strictly to a late nineties fashion aesthetic. My sock drawer has not been replenished since 2010, or maybe 2008. Most of my music is still on CD. I barely understand how to download an app on my phone and I can't understand why all the text messages I receive come from email addresses, or why some of them are blue and some of them are green. A menu change at my local cafe will flummox me for weeks, and I'm pretty sure my TV is not HD.

Having kids has pretty much ensured change has been forced on me, but I'm fighting back. Unlike other, more permissive parents, I am trying to ensure my children conform to my way of thinking. Thou shalt listen to Soundgarden and like it, now let's watch Thunderbirds! It's all a bit sad really. I almost feel sorry for them. Until I remember they are just very young flatmates who don't pay rent. Then I'm fine with it again.

No, I don't like change. Maybe that's why I may be the only rugby fan in the country (well, outside Canterbury) who is actually pleased for Canterbury. I like the way Canterbury plays rugby. Boring? How can you ever level that charge against a team that has, once again, put up the best offensive statistics in the competition? Cheats? Please - if teams haven't learned to mitigate the effectiveness of the likes of George Whitelock at the breakdown then they only have themselves to blame. He has been playing the same way for years. He's bloody good at it. He's about to get married to a hockey international too, so there will no doubt be more Whitelock super babies in the not-too-distant future.

The Whitelocks could be the best thing to come out of Feilding since - actually, ever. Unless you count Anna Guy, and then only if you're a women's magazine editor.

One prominent New Zealand rugby coach once mentioned his distaste for what he thought was a peculiarly New Zealand characteristic: we seem only to be able to build ourselves up by bringing others down. I'm not entirely sure this is a purely Kiwi thing, but his point has relevance in terms of Canterbury rugby. You can snipe them and smear them as much as you like, but it will do you no good. The only way you'll beat them is by being better than them.

Canterbury's win just proves the universe remains in alignment, and I am fine with that.

Over in Japan though, change is afoot. Diehard changists would have to concede that there is something altogether frightening about an All Blacks side that bears such little resemblance to the one that walked off Eden Park two years ago with one Wiremu Webb Ellis.

That team should be sending shivers up the spines of sticklers for tradition everywhere, and yet, not a peep. Consider this for a second and take a deep breath: of the run-on XV tomorrow, only Richie McCaw started in the final in 2011. Only two others lining up against Japan - Ben Franks and Andrew Hore - were in that match-day 22 against France on that wonderful night two years ago. I'm no mathematician, but that's a 20-man turnover in national colours.

The next thing you know, Shag Hansen will be breakdancing on the halfway line of Prince Chichibu Stadium and Marty Banks will be kicking the winning goal in Rugby World Cup 2015.

This change has crept up on me. What happened to the wailing and the whining and the fears of the player exodus and the forecasts of form slumps and rebuilding? Are you telling me I'm going to have to rethink this whole change thing now? This will be the end of me. But what the hell, if the All Blacks can reinvent their squad within two seasons while losing just one test, I'll have to give it a go.

So I'm going out to buy some new socks, and maybe some new T-shirts. And okay, I will try the quinoa salad with a side of kale chips and a craft beer thanks. But you will not take my CDs. Especially my Soundgarden.

And, seriously, what is Tinder?

Fins up, Cantabs down

After another whirlwind ITM Cup season, a Sky Sport Re:Union poll this week found that more than 80 per cent of respondents believed the rise of the Tasman Makos and their unearthing of a truffle-load of new talent was the single best thing about the provincial competition. Eighty per cent! Just goes to show what Tasman has been able to do with a team headlined for much of the season by the Reefton Kid Mark II, Marty Banks. Counties Manukau's Shield success and Canterbury's sixth straight title barely rated a mention by the viewers.

Heartland and soulfood

There's nothing your correspondent enjoys more than a trip to the Heartland Finals, and Sunday in Timaru was no exception. The South Canterbury lads deserved their Lochore Cup win, coming as it did on the back of some fine performances from Kali Latu and Sam Vea, and the ginger duo of captain Andrew Scarlett and locking partner Hayden Mitchell. Buller's Lee Nelmes said it best in his halftime interview when summing up the first 40 minutes: "A couple of their Island boys and red heads are coming at us." Best halftime interview ever. Oh, and thanks go to Buller for the whitebait, crayfish and scallops. Tough gig, this.

Super exciting

If Nemani Nadolo does not have Crusaders fans excited then there is something wrong with them. In a departure from what has been a conservative selection policy for years, the sight of the hulking great Fijian winger on the Crusaders roster should have them breaking out the kava bowls and celebrating. Search Nadolo v Rico Gear on the net and you'll get a glimpse of what makes him special. Speaking of special, we don't often talk up wider training groups, but I'm rapt for Brad Weber, the young Hawkes Bay kid who plays rugby in Dunedin and who slots into the Chiefs squad after his season for Waikato. Just reward for one of the game's good men.