Israel Dagg's drop to the bench for today's match between the Crusaders and Brumbies speaks to a bigger, wider problem worrying a lot of rugby folk lately: the poor form of many All Blacks.

Paul Lewis believes one of the startling responses to the appointment of Dame Susan Devoy as race relations conciliator has been the intellectual snobbery displayed towards sportspeople.

Jason Collins, an NBA basketball player, didn't only come out as gay. He also confirmed that he was black.

Hopefully New Zealand loses the Super 15 title this season - a likely scenario - and misses out the next year, and the year after that, writes Chris Rattue.

Andrew Alderson says New Zealanders are too quick to create sporting heroes and demand they conform as role models.

Finding solace in defeat has never been so easy for the Blues. They lost in Brisbane last night, yet, strangely, did more than enough to establish themselves as a genuine title contender.

"Are we looking at smoke signals or a smoke screen when it comes to Matt Elliott and the Warriors?" asks Chris Rattue.

When Bob Beamon soared through the thin Mexico City air 45 years ago he sent the long jump world record to unimagined lengths.

One of the cruellest elements in sport is one of the smallest - the asterisk.

The other day it was revealed, in a vaguely shock, horror fashion, that Robbie Deans and Tim Sheens had put their heads together over a couple of trim flat whites in a Sydney cafe.

The Super 15 took another smack to the chops and this time it was delivered by the greatest of All Blacks, Richie McCaw, who has extended his Super holiday.

Hika Elliot won't be the first contemporary All Black to be dropped by his province, writes Paul Lewis.

The IRB has been notoriously reluctant to grant commonsense victories in the past.

I can see some sort of logic in Robbie Deans' decision to leave Quade Cooper out of his 30-man preliminary squad to face the Lions.

Over the course of my 16-year C grade celebrity tenure (1997-) I've seen many late night situations which could have easily turned ugly, writes Jeremy Wells.

The players appear to have awoken from a confusing slumber, writes Chris Rattue. A thriller at Mt Smart Stadium, a close loss for the Warriors, and to draw a longish bow, a couple of questions.

The only reason Mark Richardson can come up with regarding the motivation for John Parker and Co to go public with their document on the Taylor affair is fear.

Paul Lewis writes: The Ross Taylor captaincy saga seems to have descended into a farce.

The Warriors got over a sizeable hurdle with their win over the Cowboys on Monday but it doesn't get any easier and the key will be approaching Sunday's matchup with the Rabbitohs with the same attitude.

The Warriors got the monkey off their back when they broke a long losing streak against the Cowboys. But a gorilla of a problem just won't go away, writes Chris Rattue.

I understand it's not easy being a tattooed cricketer, writes Jeremy Wells. Cricket supporters in New Zealand are a conservative bunch.

Two rain-affected no-results and a down-to-the-wire draw in the test series against England suggest the New Zealand cricket team is on the improve and things look promising for the tour to England.

That's what happens when you sweep something under the carpet. It rarely disappears; it just gets bigger and bigger until you trip over it.

"Two Metre" Peter Fulton is a cricketer who, as it turned out, is easy to root for, writes Chris Rattue. We've stumbled upon an unlikely sporting hero, a forgotten man no more.

Zac Guildford has probably turned a corner. The national rugby union certainly has, writes Chris Rattue.