Rugby - Advantage!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
Tamerlin, I understand some people want the Stade Toulousain to stumble, but, IMO, they already stumbled last year and that's enough for me.

I agree with you, that's also enough for me.

Biarritz made a beautiful champion.

True, though its season was really disappointing, to the point I think the Biarrots have been somewhat lucky to reach the semi-finals this year as many of their matches were won against the flow of the game.

Toulouse should win.

I admire your optimism though I also think they can make it. I am nonetheless really worried by our first raw and its capacity to resist the Stade Français one.

But you can never tell what will happen during a final which is always a peculiar game.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak


Such a good riposte that I will leave it alone – at least until after tomorrow.

Mmmm. At the moment, we have an incredibly select group of players - a.k.a the only ones available.

Similar things do happen here. There’s a move to protect certain varieties of pork pie in the same way.

Which is only as it should be. Otherwise rubbish is passed off as the real thing. It happens here too.

It would have to be very filling indeed to make me feel full up.

It can be very very filling. As you will discover.

The Maori have picked someone called Flavell - that names rings a bell with me - is he a bad boy?

Yes, Troy Flavell. Carded and suspended earlier this season for stomping an opponent's head. We discussed it at the time. It was a perfect example of the fine line I referred to in our discussion about rucking. He well and truly crossed the fine line. The opponent fell in a maul, Flavell was after his head before he even hit the ground.

Oh they've picked Cullen too - 1/64 a Maori good enough it seems?

That puzzled me too. What are the qualifications to be picked for the Maori?

Edit. I just found this on a Kiwi website:

"The Sunday News revealed that Cullen, known for his Samoan-German background, came up with the right whakapapa two years ago. It emerged his grandfather belonged to the Ngai Tahu tribe that controls most of the South Island.

Saturday's New Zealand Herald joined the debate with the revelation that a Maori All Black captain of the 1950s, Alan "Kiwi" Blake, was really an African American.

Blake told the paper that he took part in the All Black trials in 1948 and would have made it to the team to tour apartheid South Africa but was told he could not go because of the colour of his skin.

"When they told me that I said all right, I'll take a nomination for the Maori team," Blake, 80, told the paper.

"I didn't care who I played for."

He played for Wairarapa province as a flanker and said everybody in the area knew he wasn't Maori, but said nothing.

Rugby union officials say they ensure that only people with Maori whakapapa play and claim informal checks are made with kaumatua or elders.

But former Maori All Black Bill Bush told the newspaper the selection of people like Cullen made a mockery of the side.

"I think there's three or four that aren't Maoris that are playing for the Maori All Blacks. If you're going to have a New Zealand Maori team you've got to be Maori to play for it."

But the side's couch, Matt Te Pou, has no doubts.

"They're all Maori, the whole lot," he told the Herald.

"I've got a couple of guys in the team that are Fijian and Maori, and European and Maori, Irish, German, it's just the type of life we're in at the moment."

***

I like the Alan Blake bit.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
the little tadpole

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Havak

Oh they've picked Cullen too - 1/64 a Maori good enough it seems?

I think I've commented on this before ... We are all Maori and can invoke such at any convenient moment.

I like the Alan Blake bit.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak
Are France playing the Maoris too Caligastia?

I don't think so...

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
That puzzled me too. What are the qualifications to be picked for the Maori?

Edit. I just found this on a Kiwi website:

"The Sunday News revealed that Cullen, known for his Samoan-German background, came up with the right whakapapa two years ago. It emerged his grandfather belonged to the Ngai Tahu tribe that controls most of the South Island.

Saturday's New Zealand Herald joined the debate with the revelation that a Maori All Black captain of the 1950s, Alan "Kiwi" Blake, was really an African American.

Blake told the paper that he took part in the All Black trials in 1948 and would have made it to the team to tour apartheid South Africa but was told he could not go because of the colour of his skin.

"When they told me that I said all right, I'll take a nomination for the Maori team," Blake, 80, told the paper.

"I didn't care who I played for."

He played for Wairarapa province as a flanker and said everybody in the area knew he wasn't Maori, but said nothing.

Rugby union officials say they ensure that only people with Maori whakapapa play and claim informal checks are made with kaumatua or elders.

But former Maori All Black Bill Bush told the newspaper the selection of people like Cullen made a mockery of the side.

"I think there's three or four that aren't Maoris that are playing for the Maori All Blacks. If you're going to have a New Zealand Maori team you've got to be Maori to play for it."

But the side's couch, Matt Te Pou, has no doubts.

"They're all Maori, the whole lot," he told the Herald.

"I've got a couple of guys in the team that are Fijian and Maori, and European and Maori, Irish, German, it's just the type of life we're in at the moment."

***

I like the Alan Blake bit.

Interesting stuff...

Really, when you think about it, it's a bit silly to have a team based on race when the race they claim to represent is probably only present in the team in some miniscule amount.

Still, there's something to be said about a game between the ABs and Japan...

poor buggers

[Hydey]

46-15 Go aussies

[Tamerlin]

Recipe of the Cassoulet

Here is the famous Cabirol version of the Cassoulet

The indications are rather vague though my mother told me you should be able to make it if you are a good cooker, that which I believe you actually are.

- Slices of Carrots
- Celery and parsley (in little quantities)
- One garlic head

While the haricot beans are being cooked add bits of sheep's ribs, chicken's giblets, a paquet of skins (couenne in french).

When the haricot beans are cooked, add the conserve of goose, a slice of liver's sausage, some slices of...

I will post the other half of the recipe if the Stade Toulousain wins the final which will be the obvious proof of your lack of support...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Recipe of the Cassoulet

Here is the famous Cabirol version of the Cassoulet

Presumably a version of the Toulouse interpretation.

The indications are rather vague though my mother told me you should be able to make it if you are a good cooker, that which I believe you actually are.

- Slices of Carrots
- Celery and parsley (in little quantities)
- One garlic head

While the haricot beans are being cooked add bits of sheep's ribs, chicken's giblets, a paquet of skins (couenne in french).

When the haricot beans are cooked, add the conserve of goose, a slice of liver's sausage, some slices of...

I will post the other half of the recipe if the Stade Toulousain wins the final which will be the obvious proof of your lack of support...

Go you good things Toulouse!

And we rolled the Irish.

[finbar]

Wallabies 45 -d- Ireland 16

I'll take it for a start to the Test season with so many first choice players missing. George Gregan turned back the clock to his early days of using his vision and taking whichever option was appropriate - running, passing, whatever. If that's how he intends to play over the next five months - good to see.

Also good to see young Steve Kefu showing what he can do at #12 when gaps started to open in the Irish defence in the second half. He's a promising talent whom Eddie was very keen to take on the NH last November until injury intervened.

Wendell Sailor had barely a touch. He's just not a natural rugby player. He only needs to watch a true natural - Joe Roff - to watch how a winger can put himself into the play.

And as for the Welsh referee ... I don't think I've ever seen a sillier penalty try given. And precisely what he was doing with the scrums was anybody's guess. Neither front row seemed to have a clue.

[LDiCesare]

Surprise, surprise, finbar wasn't asrounded by Sailor's play...

[Caligastia]

Nice one Aussies...I found the SA v Scotland game more exciting though. It was a reall thriller at the end. Did anyone else get to see it?

[LDiCesare]

I didn't see SA Scotland, but it was shown shortly on TV. Looks like it was tense indeed.

Now a sad news for Tamerlin: The Stade Francais is now France champion. 32-18 for Stade Francais vs. Toulouse. Galthié scord the try which let Paris break out (they were 6 points behind, then they went ahead and were never joined). Paris played a good game, with only one real occasion for them in the first half, while Toulouse dominated. The second half was a very good defense from Paris, after a beautifuk try. It was a nice game. I must confess I was happy to see Galthié score his try and am really happy he won the championship.

[Tamerlin]

You knew the deal before Finbar...

Well, the Stade Français is the new champion, the Stade Toulousain was not able to score when it dominated and thus did not deserve to win, but the game was tighter than the result would indicate it.

I won't talk about Galthié's try as the number of fouls commited by the Parisians on this single action is rather impressive...

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
Surprise, surprise, finbar wasn't asrounded by Sailor's play...

As I said quite a while ago, he'll be back playing L***** in the not too distant future.