Police are searching for two men after a gun was held to a woman in an armed robbery at a service station near the Victory-NSW border.
One man went into the service station on Moorefield Park Drive in West Wodonga just after 9.15pm on Monday, while the other stood guard at the doorway, according to police.
Inside the store, the man was caught on CCTV holding a gun to a female staff member as he demanded cash.
The thief took cash out of the cash register tray while holding a gun. (Nine)One man entered the store while the other stayed at the door. (Nine)
The employee then took the tray out of the cash register and the man removed cash out of it.
He and the other man then walked away from the store.
Police have released the CCTV in the hope someone recognizes them and can provide information on their whereabouts.
Police are searching for two men after an armed robbery in West Wodonga. (Nine)
One man was perceived to be Caucasian and was dressed in a peaked cap, a black and white hooded jumper, blue jeans and gray runner/boots.
The second man was perceived to be Caucasian and dressed in a dark-coloured ‘Everlast’ cap, a black and red flannelette shirt, blue jeans and blue runners.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dashcam footage or any information is urged to contact police.
Hosts of the Fox News roundtable show TheFive were dismissive of reports that threats have been made against the federal judge in Florida who approved the search warrant that resulted in the FBI raiding former President Donald Trump’s home in Palm Beach.
Following the Monday raid, right-wing extremists have threatened the judge in online posts, with some sharing what looks to be his home address, phone numbers, and relatives’ names. Accordingly, the judge’s profile was removed from the court’s website. Commentators on the right like TheFive‘s Jesse Watters have also worked to link the judge to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, since the judge was at one point a defense attorney for Epstein’s pilots and a scheduler.
When Jessica Tarlov, TheFive‘s resident left-of-center co-host, noted the threats against the judge, some of which were antisemetic, the subject was immediately changed to threats against Supreme Court justices.
“This judge, by the way — who donated to President Obama and to Jeb Bush — now he had to have his information scrubbed from the internet,” Tarlov recapped. “He and his family have been threatened.”
“So have Supreme Court justices,” Judge Jeanine Pirro interjected, likely referring to backlash against the court’s conservative wing after it overturned Roe v. Wade.
Tarlov replied that she was “shocked,” given Pirro’s stint as judge in New York in the early 1990s. She then took aim at her other colleagues from her as well.
“All I hear about at this table, by the way, is that it is only Democrats that are crazy, unhinged violent types. We have evidence that this has happened in a day, that this man has to go into hiding,” Tarlov said, after which Pirro let out an exasperated sigh.
Later in the segment, co-host Greg Gutfeld addressed the threats briefly before bizarrely suggesting that the press is turning them into a story in order to move on from the “actual injustice” of the raid.
“I think that as legitimate as those threats might be, you are seeing the pivot from, ‘It’s not about the raid; it’s about the pouncing of the right.’” Gutfeld claimed. “This always happens when something [like this] happens. ‘The right is now pouncing!’ That’s their way of pivoting away from the actual injustice.”
Since news of the raid broke Monday night, several Fox hosts and guests have been making a complaint after a complaint about its supposed unfairness. A baseless narrative has also been perpetuated by the likes of Watters, Trump’s lawyers and Trump himself that the FBI possibly planted evidence.
Buying ASX shares can be very fruitful in the long run, but it’s demonstrably difficult to do better than average (“the market”).
If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
So if you’re not happy with the performance of your portfolio, especially in a turbulent year like 2022, you may need to pause and assess.
After all, “Am I doing this right?” is a wise question one can ask oneself in any endeavor in life.
To help answer this self-critique, the team at Marcus Today put forward two types of amateur portfolios that should ring alarm bells:
Just buy ETFs rather than own a ‘moron portfolio’
The first red flag is if your portfolio consists entirely of well-known S&P/ASX100 (ASX: XTO) companies.
“A lot of you probably do this by default. This is where most of you get trapped. Holding around 20, mostly big, mostly obvious stocks,” the Marcus Today blog post read.
“You trust them by virtue of their size and brand but don’t know them in detail.”
One might think holding such massive companies is “safe” but this is deceptive because it can provide a false sense of security and encourage laziness.
“This is often a more risky approach than it looks because of your lack of research and engagement.”
Many people who possess this mix of ASX shares are voluntarily “stuck” because they are too afraid of the potential tax bill after years of holding.
“You can get trapped into this approach by capital gains (‘I can’t sell’), which is understandable but not ideal,” read the blog post.
“It may seem normal and sensible, but the truth is that if you’re going to do this ‘moron portfolio’ thing, you’d be better saving yourself from a lot of admin, activity and lost evenings and weekends by just buying market ETFs.”
The Marcus Today team admits people who ended up with such a portfolio from an inheritance — or from shares provided at an initial public offering, such as Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) or Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX: IAG) in the 1990s and 2000s — are not at fault.
But even they might want to consider mixing up the investments.
“Just don’t pretend it’s ‘clever’. It’s lazy.”
Trading anything and everything
Perhaps the opposite of just holding a bunch of ASX 100 names is stock picking anything and everything.
For the Marcus Today team, this should also ring alarm bells.
“Now we get to a place [that] a lot of beginners get trapped without knowing it’s not normal,” read the blog post.
“It involves tips and it invites a lot of volatility, risk and reward. It is for people who don’t have a heart condition.”
The amount of volatility and risk involved in such a portfolio means a lot of time and energy required to keep one’s head above water.
“This is riding the stormy seas. It’s about timing fads, finding diamonds in the rough, spotting change.
“It’s for those of you with the time and energy and risk profile to attempt transformation.”
The trouble with this approach, other than the heightened risk, is that it only really works during bull markets. Years like 2022 would have slaughtered such a portfolio.
Stocks with no earnings die in the cold. Trading loses money when it goes cold. Trading is an activity to do when the sun comes out.”
Batteries suck, which has become even more of an issue over the past few decades as the battery-dependent mobile devices we’ve become addicted to now demand more power than ever. But as long as you’ve got a source of light — be it the sun or soul-crushing office fluorescents — Urbanista’s new wireless earbuds will keep charging all day long.
It’s an idea the company introduced last year with its Urbanista Los Angeles wireless headphones. Integrated into the headband was Exeger’s Powerfoyle solar cell material, which was be screen-printed onto flexible materials, allowing the Los Angeles headphones’ headband to still flex and bend without damaging the solar cells. The other advantage to Exeger’s tech is that it can harness energy from both direct sunlight as well as less indoor intense light sources, which allowed the headphones to recover a charge even when used at night next to a lamp.
Although most reviewers found the solar cells worked best in bright sunlight, charging the headphones’ battery faster than it was being drained even while listening to music, it was a clever idea, and one that Urbanista is now bringing to its wireless earbuds. But for the $US149 ($207) Phoenix buds, which will be available later this year, Exeger’s Powerfoyle solar cells aren’t included on the buds themselves, but on the charging case. Given earbud charging cases are usually kept in pockets or deep in bags, that makes recharging these headphones a little harder than the Los Angeles, which expose the solar cells all the time while in use. But Urbanista promises that for every hour the case is left out in the sun, enough charge should be collected for an additional hour of powering the buds.
Battery life is rated at eight hours with the buds alone, plus an additional 24 hours with the charging case, assuming you’re trapped on the dark side of the moon without access to any light. The case can also be charged with a USB-C cable, and the buds feature ANC, multi-device connectivity, and IPX4 water resistance for shrugging off sweat and occasional splashes. As for colorways, you’re limited to a choice of either black or pink, and we’d probably recommend the latter if these are going to be sitting out in the sun for hours at a time.
Kangaroos great Wayne Carey has hit out at reports suggesting he and Anthony Stevens almost came to blows during an argument, calling it a “firm conversation.”
The AFL world was shocked earlier this week when SEN’s Sam Edmund reported a run-in between Carey and Stevens, whose relationship was infamously fractured when Carey had an affair with Stevens’ wife while the pair were teammates in 2002.
However, Carey downplayed the incident, saying it had been “blown into something it wasn’t.”
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“The first story said came to blows and that’s factually incorrect. There were no blows,” Carey told Triple M.
“There was a firm conversation – altercation I think is even too firm to say that occurred.
Wayne Carey has suggested that there was no major altercation between him and Anthony Stevens (Getty)
“I wanted to have a conversation about Stevo, I was worried about him. I said, ‘I’m worried about you’, and he obviously took a little bit of umbrage to say I was worried about him.
“I said I’m worried about (him), I want him to look after himself like people want me to look after myself.
“To say that it was a massive altercation and it came to blows and then we left there and everyone was upset with everyone and it was a big thing is totally incorrect – that’s the disappointing thing about it.”
Carey revealed that he and Stevens ended the night on decent terms, despite what reports had suggested.
“What (the journalist) did leave out was at the end of the night or the evening or late afternoon or whatever it was, Stevo and I actually had a couple of beers together and left together,” he said.
Carey (C) pictured with Kangaroos premiership coach Denis Pagan (L) and teammate Wayne Schwass (R) (Getty)
“We were standing out the front both waiting for our respective Ubers to leave the particular venue. He left that out.”
Stevens was absent from the motorcade of the 1996 premiership team which took place prior to the Kangaroos’ clash against Adelaide at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, with Edmund’s report suggesting he was “shattered” by the run-in with Carey.
“I don’t know whether Stevo was upset the next day or not, and that’s why he didn’t come to the motorcade,” Carey said.
“What I do know about that, and my understanding and I’ve spoken to Arch (Glenn Archer) and I’ve spoken to Kingy (David King) and I’ve spoken to heaps of other players that are close with Stevo and some of those players I’m close with and Stevo wasn’t well.
Wayne Carey and Anthony Stevens clash during a 2003 match-up (Getty)
“He’d had a reasonable night. It would be fair to say. We all had a reasonable day. Stevo maybe bigger than others so he didn’t attend the Sunday.”
The 51-year-old, who is widely considered to be the Kangaroos’ greatest ever player, said the most hurtful part of the story was the impact it has on both he and Stevens’ loved ones.
“What he doesn’t realize is it affects Stevo’s daughters, my daughters – not my son because he’s really young. It affects family members and everyone else. That’s what these types of things do.
“Who cares if Stevo and I had a firm conversation together? How is that an actual story?”
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The backstories and controversies that have ignited feuds involving athletes
The number 51 in the monetary request holds special significance for the group because it is the number of victims in the Christchurch massacre.
Jimeone Roberts drinking at The Irish Times Pub with distinctive black sun tattoo.
On The Irish Times Pub Facebook page, Parashar apologized to Roberts, Eracleous, known neo-Nazis Neil Erikson and Thomas Sewell, and their friend. The Age is not aware of any evidence that Roberts, Erikson, Sewell or their friend were involved in making the demand for money. The pub also sacked the two staff members involved.
“The Irish Times Management team strongly disapproves of the ex-employee’s unprofessional conduct by spitting into the patron’s drink as a consequence of a discussion with the patron over a political topic,” the message said.
In the 10 days since the incident, the pub has received a litany of one-star Google reviews written about its service, many referencing the incident. The campaign was amplified by social media channels with far-right activists co-ordinating across borders to ruin the reputation of the pub.
An audio memo posted to a secret channel and obtained by The Age also suggested using complaints to regulators to apply pressure to Parashar, who was overseas at the time of the incident.
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The audio memo said they were considering making reports to Consumer Affairs Victoria, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, taking legal action in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and reporting the pub to the Melbourne City Council.
“I think we should get the ball rolling, get everything in motion, so when [the owner] does come back from overseas [he] is confronted with emails and f—ing complaints from Melbourne Council, Consumer Affairs, VCAT,” the voice said.
“He’ll be like ‘what the f—, I don’t want to deal with this shit’.”
Police said they were notified of the incident.
“It’s believed a number of men became involved in an altercation with a staff member and have subsequently made a number of demands from the business. As the matter is currently being assessed, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time,” a police spokeswoman said.
Eracleous pictured in a recent online discussion with other neo-Nazis.
Eracleous, a former Young Liberal member turned neo-Nazi from Victoria, was responsible for a January 19 propaganda video depicting three masked men burning an Aboriginal flag, reciting a white supremacist manifesto and criticizing Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe.
Erikson, a far-right nationalist, has previously been convicted of inciting serious contempt for Muslims by making offensive remarks in a LGBTQI church service. He maintains his innocence of him and is currently appealing his conviction and jail term.
Though not in attendance at the pub but mentioned in the apology request, Thomas Sewell, leader of the Australian nationalist socialist movement, is currently on bail as he awaits trial on allegations he attacked and robbed a group of hikers in regional Victoria. Sewell has pleaded not guilty.
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Parashar says he now feels sandwiched between two groups: the neo-Nazis that insisted on the sacking of the staff, and people who think it was wrong to sack the employee who spat in his beer.
“We’re still recovering from the impacts of COVID and the next thing we’re getting dragged into this,” he said.
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BEIJING (AP) — China on Wednesday repeated military threats against Taiwan while appearing to wind down wargames near the self-governing island it claims as its own territory that have raised tensions between the two sides to their highest level in years.
The message in a lengthy policy statement issued by the Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office and its news department followed almost a week of missile firings and incursions into Taiwanese waters and airspace by Chinese warships and air force plans.
The actions disrupted flights and shipping in a region crucial to global supply chains, prompting strong condemnation from the US, Japan and others.
An English-language version of the Chinese statement said Beijing would “work with the greatest sincerity and exert our utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification.”
“But we will not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures. This is to guard against external interference and all separatist activities,” it said.
“We will always be ready to respond with the use of force or other necessary means to interference by external forces or radical action by separatist elements. Our ultimate goal is to ensure the prospects of China’s peaceful reunification and advance this process,” it said.
China says its threatening moves were prompted by a visit to Taiwan last week by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but Taiwan says such visits are routine and that China used her trip merely as a pretext to up its threats.
In an additional response to Pelosi’s visit, China said it was cutting off dialogue on issues from maritime security to climate change with the US, Taiwan’s chief military and political backer.
Taiwan’s foreign minister warned Tuesday that the Chinese military drills reflect ambitions to control large swaths of the western Pacific, while Taipei conducted its own exercises to underscore its readiness to defend itself.
Beijing’s strategy would include controlling the East and South China seas via the Taiwan Strait and imposing a blockade to prevent the US and its allies from aiding Taiwan in the event of an attack, Joseph Wu told a news conference in Taipei.
Beijing extended the ongoing exercises without announcing when they would end, although they appeared to have run their course for the time being.
China’s Defense Ministry and its Eastern Theater Command both issued statements saying the exercises had achieved their targets of sending a warning to those favoring Taiwan’s formal independence and their foreign backers.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party administration are “pushing Taiwan into the abyss of disaster and sooner or later will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame!” Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Tan Kefei was quoted as saying in a statement on the ministry’s website.
Troops taking part in the exercises had “effectively tested integrated joint combat capabilities,” the Eastern Theater Command said on its Twitter-like Weixin microblog.
“The theater troops will monitor changes in the situation in the Taiwan Strait, continue to conduct military training and preparations, organize regular combat readiness patrols in the Taiwan Strait, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” spokesperson Col. Shi Yi was quoted as saying.
Taiwan split with the mainland amid civil war in 1949, and its 23 million people overwhelmingly oppose political unification with China while preferring to maintain close economic links and de facto independence.
Through its maneuvers, China has pushed closer to Taiwan’s borders and may be seeking to establish a new normal in which it could eventually control access to the island’s ports and airspace.
Along with lobbing missiles into the Taiwan Straitthe nearly week-long drills saw Chinese ships and planes crossing the center line in the strait that has long been seen as a buffer against outright conflict.
The US, Taipei’s main backer, has also shown itself to be willing to face down China’s threats. Washington has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in deference to Beijing, but is legally bound to ensure the island can defend itself and to treat all threats against it as matters of grave concern.
That leaves open the question of whether Washington would dispatch forces if China attacked Taiwan. US President Joe Biden has said repeatedly the US is bound to do so — but staff members have quickly walked back those comments.
Beyond the geopolitical risks, an extended crisis in the Taiwan Strait — a significant thoroughfare for global trade — could have major implications for international supply chains at a time when the world is already facing disruptions and uncertainty in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
In particular, Taiwan is a crucial provider of computer chips for the global economy, including China’s high-tech sector.
In response to the drills, Taiwan has put its forces on alert, but has so far refrained from taking active countermeasures.
On Tuesday, its military held live-fire artillery drills in Pingtung County on its southeastern coast.
Australia’s recent change of government is a chance to “reset” its troubled relationship with China, but the new administration must “handle the Taiwan question with caution,” a Chinese shipment said Wednesday.
China has brushed aside foreign criticism of its actions, and its ambassador to Australia said he was “surprised” that Australia had signed a statement with the United States and Japan that condemned China’s firing of missiles into Japanese waters in response to Pelosi’s visit.
Xiao Qian told the National Press Club that China wanted to resolve the situation peacefully, but “we can never rule out the option to use other means.”
“So when necessary, when compelled, we are ready to use all necessary means,” Xiao said. “As to what does it mean by ‘all necessary means?’ You can use your imagination.”
In London, the British government summoned Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang to the Foreign Office on Wednesday to demand an explanation of ”Beijing’s aggressive and wide-ranging escalation against Taiwan” following Pelosi’s visit.
“We have seen increasingly aggressive behavior and rhetoric from Beijing in recent months, which threaten peace and stability in the region,” said Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. “The United Kingdom urges China to resolve any differences by peaceful means, without the threat or use of force or coercion.”
___
Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
It was 1992 when Azlan Ang opened his first box of trading cards.
He was eight years old, sitting in a hotel room in Singapore with his older brother while on a family holiday, with a big box of 1991 Upper Deck basketball cards.
“I remember smelling the cards because they had a really distinct smell,” Mr Ang laughed.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.
“I got a few good cards because there was a Scottie Pippen, and I was also trying to go for a (Michael) Jordan.
“It was a blast because as a kid, a big box of cards was really expensive but so exciting.
Mr Ang with his set. Credit: Supplied
“And at the time the concept of selling cards didn’t even exist; it was all about collecting.”
Mr Ang has since spent more than a quarter of a million dollars on trading cards.
He says his collection, which includes NBA, Pokemon, Fortnite Series 1, Magic: The Gathering and Marvel, is valued at $300,000, funded by his full-time employment as a contractor.
Azlan Ang’s card collection includes NBA and Pokemon. Credit: Supplied
Mr Ang said his collecting kicked off last year when he bought a rookie Michael Jordan card for $400.
“And then the docuseries ‘The Last Dance’ came out on Netflix, which follows the story of Jordan,” he said.
“And suddenly the Jordan card exploded to $900 and I remember thinking ‘oh my God, this is a legit thing’ and started analyzing the trends.
“Now the Jordan rookie card is worth so much more.
“But it’s not just about that — it’s also about what cards mean to people.
“They can remind them of things like their first kiss or first memories. When my friend’s father died he wanted to buy Marvel trading cards because they reminded him of his dad. ”
Mr Ang said he found it therapeutic spending hours collecting and arranging his collections in binders for display.
One of Azlan Ang’s most prized cards is a rookie Michael Jordan card. Credit: Supplied
“I’m a perfectionist, and it sounds weird but what I like the most is sitting in my room, putting cards in the sleeves in the right order and then having that sense of completion and accomplishment in what I’ve done,” he said.
“The simple thing about cards is that they’re fun to collect, unlike gold or bonds or shares which I find boring.
“They’re accessible, fun, tangible, infinite, plus you can smell them.
“My advice to anyone wanting to get into trading cards is to find a card you like and then do at least five hours of research into that set.
“And also set yourself a budget because it can be a black hole — I started with $1000 and I’ve now spent $300,000.”
At the time of writing Mr Ang was three cards away from completing a Marvel trading card set which has so far cost him $100,000.
When completed, he said he would be the first person in Australia to have a Professional Sports Authenticator 10-graded set, the highest grade achievable with trading cards.
Most of his collection is in a vault in the United States.
Mr Ang also has a YouTube channel where he opens packs of trading cards and does giveaways, as well as the occasional comedy skit.
The conservationist’s husband went on to thank his mother-in-law Terri Irwin, 58, for taking care of the couple’s 16-month-old daughter Grace Warrior Powell.
Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell are in the hospital. Credit: Twitter
“Also, thank you Bunny (my awesome mum-in-law) for taking care of Grace while we’ve been in the hospital & I’ve been recovering,” he wrote.
Bindi, 24, was quick to reply to her husband’s message, commenting, “The greatest husband. Most amazing Bunny. Love you beyond words @chandlerpowell9 & @TerriIrwin.
“Go team… tonsils?” she said.
Alongside Bindi, other comments wished the father-of-one a “speedy recovery” and that he “heals quickly and painlessly.”
Chandler, Bindi and Grace. Credit: Instagram / bindisueirwin
Relationship timeline
Bindi and Chandler, who is originally from the US, met when he went to Australia Zoo while in Australia for a wakeboarding competition.
It so happened that Bindi was giving the tours that day.
Bindi went on to post about their meeting at the time, writing on Instagram: “Legendary wakeboarder Chandler Powell and his beautiful family came into @AustraliaZoo yesterday. Wonderful Wildlife Warriors!”
After years of a long-distance relationship, Powell moved to Australia in 2018 and proposed to Bindi the following year.
They married in March 2020 at Australia Zoo and welcomed Grace exactly a year later.
‘sweetest, kindest’
Powell’s tonsillectomy comes a week after the family farewelled its beloved pet echidna, a “family member of 38 years”.
Bindi announced the news on Instagram with a series of photos of the Irwin family and the echidna, which was part of the family before she and her brother Robert were born.
“Saying goodbye to our beautiful family member of 38 years,” she said on Thursday.
“The sweetest, kindest, most wonderful echidna you ever did meet. Rest In Peace, angel.”
The echidna can be seen in the first photo taken of Bindi and Chandler in 2013.
Soon after Bindi shared the news, Robert, 18, reposted the photos with a broken heart emoji.
bindi turns 24
Meanwhile, Bindi has celebrated her 24th birthday with her family, sharing photos on Instagram.
Her caption began: “24, the last year has been filled with enormous growth, unpredictable/ challenging times, and above all, love beyond my wildest dreams.
“Without them realizing, my sweet family has given me the greatest gifts this year through their extraordinary actions each and every day.
“My in-laws, the gift of no distance standing in the way of family bonds,” she said at the time.
The Irwin family. Credit: Instagram
Chandler moved away from his parents Chris and Shannon to marry Bindi in Queensland.
Due to COVID restrictions, his parents were unable to make the 2020 wedding and much of Grace’s first year.
Bindi continued, “My mum, the gift of perseverance, strength, and a shoulder to lean on. My brother, the gift of enthusiasm for life and remembering not to sweat the little things.
“My husband, the gift of steady support and infinite kindness.
Bindi and Chandler Powell with their daughter. Credit: bindisueirwin/Instagram
“My darling daughter, the gift of finding beauty in all things and running towards happiness (and bubbles, which are the same thing to her) with an open heart,” she continued.
“I’m grateful for another trip around the sun and another year to do my best making difference in this world,” Bindi said.
“Thank you to everyone who is part of my journey, I’m tremendously grateful for you.”
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Awkward moment sheriffs serve eviction notice to wrong house.
Awkward moment sheriffs serve eviction notice to wrong house.
The All Blacks show thr disappointment of a fifth loss in their last six tests.
Call it sympathy or understanding, maybe a bit of everyone, but the Springboks have a feel for where the All Blacks are at.
Having lost five of their last six tests, New Zealand are in crisis mode ahead of their sequel with the Springboks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Sunday (NZT).
The Boks have experience of this themselves, dipping alarmingly in the last World Cup cycle, only to turn things around in the final year and win the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan.
ALL BLACKS
All Blacks No 10 opens up on his horrific spill in the opening test against the Springboks in Mbombela.
Duane Vermeulen, the bustling No 8 returning to their lineup this weekend and a key member of that 2019 World Cup triumph, believes things can improve for the All Blacks, and New Zealand won’t lack motivation to do that this weekend.
“It hurts, it’s difficult to be down like that. But those downs need to happen for the ups to return,” Vermeulan said at the Springboks’ latest media session.
“It’s like a heartbeat. If you flatline, you’re dead. I’d rather have a weak heartbeat than none at all. The All Blacks will be up for it, we’ll have to be at our best.
“It’s the first time in New Zealand’s history that they’re ranked as low as fifth in the world rankings.
“That will push them to be better and reach a different level on Saturday.”
Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber reinforced his earlier thoughts around the immense pressures being placed on his All Blacks opposite Ian Foster.
Christiaan Kotze/Photosport
The pressure continues to build on All Blacks coach Ian Foster and his captain Sam Cane.
“As coaches, we’ll always have sympathy for each other,” Nienaber said.
“It’s a pressure environment, we’re all under it. If you’re a coach in countries where rugby is such a big sport like New Zealand and South Africa – places with massive history – then you’re going to have a difficult job at times.
“But it’s not only the coaches. The players are also under massive pressure. We all know if you have lost three in a row, for example, you’re under the microscope because of the expectations. It is what it is.”
He also felt it was only a matter of time before the All Blacks returned to their winning ways.
“If you look at the All Blacks, I’m sure they’ll get it right. Our job is just to make sure they don’t get it right against us,” he said.
“They’ve got such a good coaching team with massive experience, they have centurions in their squad and great players. There’s a good structure and organization back home.
“It’s a matter of time. They pushed us hard in Nelspruit, we only scored our second try in the last minute. We’re looking at this current issue with a fair dose of reality. It was tough and could’ve gone either way in certain periods of that match.”
