Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

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LdiC, I saw extended highlights of the first outing against the Argies and thought your boys could easily have won it. They just got a bit over-ambitious towards the end.

The most dire of matches, kOc, but, frankly, England could and should have won and might have had Flood stayed on the field. Flood, BTW, is in danger of becoming a perma-crock. The utterly useless Farrell killed any chance England had. From the second half kick-off, I started monitoring his contribution. First six touches, six kicks, straight down the middle of the field, straight to the oppo. I gave up the monitoring. Just too depressing. Steyn, of course, was doing the same thing, and the look on his face was priceless when the Bok fans started booing him. Manu used solely as a battering ram, I don't think Joseph even touched the ball, Ashton - working very very hard - seemed to be playing a flanker's role. Good Boks last week, Boks at their worst and most limited this week, and very beatable. Just a shame England didn't have the skill or mindset at the nerve centre to do anything about it.

[kittenOFchaos]

I really don't understand the player ratings given in the Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rug...h-ratings.html

Danny Care, Dan Cole (he has had a really good tour, but still gets himself penalised far too often) and Goode really stood out yesterday, but Farrell, Joseph and Haskell were poor. That doesn't really go far enough. Haskell was a complete penis (as usual) and should have been given a yellow card. Joseph was invisible. Farrell kicked possession away and missed the final kick - they simply didn't have the patience of Munster to get it setup properly. Farrell is no Wilkinson and is not the answer at 10. Flood has never been the answer either, but is certainly a better option than Farrell. Whilst Tuilgali had his moments on attack, he even danced his way into the 22, but his defence was as reckless as ever. Several times he went charging in only to miss his man. That creates gaps and usually a SH team would take advantage of this - SA were really off their game. The England lineout was, poor and SA picked them off a number of times whilst England didn't interrupt SA.

The fact is both SA and Australia were there for the taking and both England and Wales failed to capitalise. In some regards the Irish did better than expected by getting within 3 of NZ last week and they suffered from lack of depth. Losing Ferris, Darcy, Heaslip, O'Connell and Bowe from their ranks showed that up really badly by the 3rd test.

Scotland did the business, but should be doing better with the quality of player we currently possess. I honestly believe our current crop is superior to anything we've had since the early 1990s except at 9 as Blair and Cusiter are past it.

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It's Ackford doing the ratings. Clueless.

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I watched the kissball last night. England committed, rubbish in midfield, kicking away possession at every opportunity. Sound familiar?

[Berzerker]

finbar and horsey, brings back memories of civ 2

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Hey Mr B! I remember gifting you lots of techs in a game. Dear old Civ 2, still the greatest of them all. Mac left it behind a long time ago, unfortunately, when Classic disappeared. Still, I found a very clever clone adapted by someone for Intel Macs. I still beat up the AI when I get the urge.

[Havak]

Oh the time I sank into Civ 2. No subsequent version grabbed me anything like as much. In fact I have still only launched Civ 5 the once. I've recently popped back to Napoleon Total War and having dominated the world as Britain am now unleashing my inner Prussian.

Yes the kissball had certain parallels with the rugger. Endeavour alone is not enough - some skill and intelligent decision making is needed too. Still at least the rugger side doesn't have anyone as woefully off the international pace as Ashley Young?

Perhaps the Boks were there for the taking but I cannot help but think they would have beaten us comfortably if they had a goal kicker on the pitch.

So the summer tours belong to SANZAR and the Scots - very well done the latter. Good news for the 6N too - it keeps turnip in place and every other 6N side will relish that?

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I always played England in Civ 2. That way, if I lost, I didn't care. Sometimes, if I felt more than usually perverse, I'd commit Civ 2 suicide just to watch England lose.

The Bok thing is academic anyway. Flood is now officially made of glass and Farrell is the man. Look forward to more mindless kicking straight to the oppo's back three. You know that Aaron Cruden is the same height as George Ford and less than half a stone heavier? In either NZ or Australia, Ford would be sniffing around the national team. Instead, he's farmed out to a lower grade club or warming the bench for his club. James O'Connor had his first Wallaby start a year younger than Ford is now. QED.

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Ho ho. Chortle. Wheeze. Giggle. Farrell Snr back into the England set up as defense and backs coach. I wonder if that means Catt is out on his tail. It will give him paws for thought.

[kittenOFchaos]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/18651050

Falcons out, Welshists in

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Yup. The system works. Or not. Newcastle are probably going to appeal.

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No, they're not.

In the absence of anything of interest related to rugby* - curses on you, summer, just go away - I read that the railway line to the East Midlands is to be electrified. Does that mean the East Midlands has existed without electricity? Gas-fuelled street lighting? Wood stoves? Ice chests?

*I take that back. London Welsh sign Gav. In an unfortunate choice of words, the coach describes him as "unplayable". Buy a Thesaurus, Mr Jones.

[MOBIUS]

Apparently they want to play him at 10 and have moved to Oxford. Interesting times!

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Leicester resign Brett Deacon. Fair enough. Patrick Phibbs, though, is pretty average, even as injury cover.

[Havak]

The salary cap in action I suspect. One cannot find above average at the right price a lot of the time. Leicester can often tease the best out of players if those players can buy into to the "Tigers way".

I'm sat here ruminating on my lack of patriotism. Both Boris and Dave from the evil party have suggested anyone who is cynical about the Olypmics is "un-British" but I found the Danny Boyle cermony overblown and pretentious, the way politicans (like Boris and Dave) are trying to bask in other peoples hard work as sickening as normal and the London centric focus of the media and games simply massively irritiating.

Thanks god now the actual sport has started.

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We turned off after about an hour and a half. It did look overblown, et al, but the problem with any sort of spectacle on that scale is that it's hard to capture it for television. I did hear that Mr Boyle was at loggerheads with the organisers over the television coverage. He wanted a director - and, almost more importantly, a crew - experienced in drama coverage, not a team experienced in sport coverage. I don't know how things ended up on that front but we found the coverage was piecemeal, lacking context, defeating whatever story Boyle was telling.

Anyway, Italy has started the medal count well. I can't see it getting any better, though.

[kittenOFchaos]

I enjoyed most of the Opening Ceremony whilst trapped in France apart from 'Hey Jude'. They should have ended with Muse, J'adore Muse

Chiefs Vs Sharks in the final of the Super 15 - quite a surprise to the pundit at http://www.superxv.com/ but then I'm coming to believe that his advice is designed to lose punters money (clever!).

My father-in-law from Canada is visiting in August and my wife has got us tickets to see Saracens Vs Stade Francais. Perhaps after an afternoon cheering on Saracens I'll become one

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No, after an afternoon cheering on Sarries you'll be red carded from this thread!

I actually tipped the S15 card last weekend. I can't see the Chiefs losing it from here. Apart from recruiting well on-field this season, they have a very fine coaching team in place. And with SBW producing some vintage efforts, it's a tragedy that his idiot of a manager has negotiated him back to L***** for a season.

I thought Australian sporting commentators were jingoistic morons. Some of the British commentary I've heard at the Games, particularly at the gymnastics last night, re the Japanese protest, makes the Australian commentators sound scrupulously fair and even-handed.

[kittenOFchaos]

makes the Australian commentators sound scrupulously fair and even-handed.

Now you're just being silly.

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I thought I might get that response. The coverage in English here is via Eurosport. Sky Italy has about 25 dedicated Olympic channels but all in Italian. So it's the Eurosport commentators who embarrassed themselves at the gymnastics. Not in the swimming coverage, I have to say. Their swimming commentators are excellent. They take an obviously keen interest in the GB swimmers but in no way at the expense of others.

[Havak]

It's a fair charge in many events. The BBC team for the men's tennis final was Andrew Castle and Tim Henman. Fair and impartial are not words that fit that comentary well.

But you overplayed your hand with the comparison to Australian commentators.

[finbar]

Overplay? Moi?

[Havak]

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Matt Stevens retires. Curse, dang and boo-hoo. Now I'll have to work up a whole new set of cheap jokes for someone else.

[Havak]

Still it is good to have to stir the creative juices every so often?

I think he saw the writing on the wall - was never the same player after the ban and I do wonder if he had an EPS future anyway.

So what is all this SMH business about Team Oceania then Finbar? I would have thought the Aussies would be better off having a pop at how meaningless some GB gold medals are - horse dancing for example is hardly a sport.

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Team Oceania? I had to look it up. There was an article written about a week ago after the Oz swimming mob had flopped spectacularly. Richard Hinds, the journo, thinks himself something of a humorist. I'm not sure what he has to say now that the gold pile has increased.

Tickled last night that a 34 year-old Italian took bronze in the triple jump behind the God-bothering Americans. He looked about 54. Too much dolce vita.

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Mmmmm. Sale have signed Cameron Shepherd after Saints signed then passed on him. Bit of a sad story is Cameron Shepherd. Very talented player, winger or full back, who always managed to injure himself when the chance of Wallaby selection arose. Broke a leg and an ankle in a Test three or four years ago. Subsequent leg problems in addition have robbed him of his pace. Saints passed on him because of his injury history and a doctor's report that said his long-term fitness was doubtful. I hope he can prove them wrong with Sale.

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Cripes, what a dire Wallaby effort yesterday. How the scoreboard flattered them. Abysmal handling skills, some shocking defensive lapses including a howler from Kurtley Beale, handing control of the breakdown to the ABs with forwards AWOL, slow ball, apparently trying to play a running game but with a defensively-inclined midfield, Berrick Barnes standing deeper than the Atlantic Ocean at 10 ... the list is endless. Far from a vintage AB effort, they just shut the Wallabies down with defensive pressure. Three wins on the trot over Wales rendered meaningless. Wales aren't the ABs anyway, obviously, but yesterday's effort was close to embarrassing. Where to from here for Robbie Deans?

The Argies looked like they hadn't played together for a while which is always going to be their problem. They weren't embarrassed by the Boks, unlike the Wallabies yesterday.

[Havak]

I did watch the green young British lad beat the grizzled Milanese policeman in the Super Heavyweight. The Italian coaches reaction was very theatrical.

The start of the Championship has caught me off guard - did not see a single minute of it.

And Sale it would seem are continuing to take risks on the off chance they might just pay off?

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I wouldn't go seeking any Championship - stupid name, I'm going to call it the 4N - highlights.

You've summed up the Sale agenda perfectly.