All-new Adidas ball gets the red card

By WYNNE GRAY

The All Black camp had one familiar problem after their season opener on Saturday night - the adidas ball.

The ball provided by their $180 million sponsor was ditched last season when it performed poorly in the opening games.

It has since been refined for its test recall this season.

But after its reintroduction against Samoa, the verdict was still unflattering. Five-eighths Tony Brown twice threw the ball away in disgust, and called for a replacement as he lined up shots at goal.

"It was out of shape and sliding off the tee," Brown, who scored 30 points in the All Blacks' 50-6 win, said yesterday.

He was reluctant to criticise the ball again after he and others complained last season.

Halfback Justin Marshall was critical of the ball's aerodynamics and handling after the All Blacks' 48-14 victory against Scotland last year.

"It gets very slippery in the wet, and it floats and drifts when you are passing it in the wind," he said.

All Black kicking maestro Grant Fox came out in support of Brown, Marshall, and another critic - Andrew Mehrtens - last year, claiming the ball was flawed for spiral punting.

The adidas ball replaced the Gilbert model, which was easier to grip in rain and gave kickers few problems.

But there were consistent criticisms that the adidas ball faded when punted or passed and became very greasy in the wet.

Tony Brown said the new model kicked better and had been improved.

But it was clear from talking to others that it still does not compare with other balls on the market.

Apparently the seam on several adidas balls went crooked in the damp conditions at Albany, making it difficult to kick. Passing was better than last year, although the ball still curved a little in flight.

Several said the stipple did not seem as adhesive as other makes and, even taking account of the conditions, the ball was slippery.

Adidas managing director Craig Lawson said the feedback he had about the ball changes was "very, very good."

"We have done a lot of work in developing the new ball range, and the characteristics are right up there," he said.

"We have consulted the NZRFU and players, and all we have got is positive feedback."

The adidas balls are used for the Tri-nations games in this country, although South Africa and Australia have deals to use other brands.

The New Zealand Rugby Union and adidas held talks last year, and players were urged not to pass comments on the ball supplied by their sponsor.

However, no problems with the adidas ball were reported after Argentina's 70-26 thrashing of Counties Manukau at Pukekohe yesterday.

Players said the ball performed well as long as it had been used previously, not fresh out of the box.

* The 1000th All Black is 21-year-old Otago prop Carl Hayman.

He and midfielder Mark Ranby took the field as substitutes in the 62nd minute against Samoa, but the honour of being the 1000th player to wear the black jersey went to the 120kg (18 stone) Hayman by alphabetical order.