Rugby - Advantage!

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Originally posted by Havak
Tut Tut Tamerlin – trying to set Finbar off on a rant again?

Tamerlin's my straight man.

I’d totally forgotten this!!!

So has he. Thus his relentless pious moralising about personal standards ranks up there with the great hypocrisies.

It’s fair enough. He does come across as arrogant in person even. He is very self assured. His saving grace was he is a very talented player. But then he suddenly convinced himself he could be Wilko and ruined his career. If he plays again I hope he has the sense to go back to scrummy.

If he goes, who would take him on?

Trifecta’s now Finbar? An expression much loved of the Morning Herald I recall – who like Aussie sporting successes to come in threes and will often ignore failures totally so as not to ruin the trifecta ambience.

In which case, it's not, by definition, a trifecta.

he is a hell of a nice guy, was a great player and has had huge success as a coach. But he’s never been tested like this season. So I’m open minded. I don’t think it’s arrogance (it simply does not match his personality – and yes I have talked to him on several occasions). But I think he has allowed positional errors this season. Not least Austin returning from injury at Fly.

As you say, he hasn't been tested like this before. Good players playing well - with good onfield leadership - can make a coach look good. We shall see.

What you want to do is drop by our club messageboard. There’s a core of Ostriches there who will pounce on you and try to rip you to shreds for even vaguely criticising Dean. Apparently he and the coaches are beyond all criticism because they have won stuff before. The poor fools would be easy meat for you.

Mmmm. My nostrils quiver as I scent blood. What's the URL?

The injury that sidelined Tim up here was knee again. Little was his sidekick? He wasted his time up here too – they both did in fact. Little joined Glaws and then left before Melville arrived and turned them into a Championship team. He went to Bristol just as their owner started throwing his rattle out the pram about how much cash he was losing. I believe he is back home now and fully retired?

Yes, Jason Little eventually came home saying he'd had enough of the terrible weather. In fact, he's now on the panel to select the new Waratahs coach. I have no doubt the primary motive for their moves to the NH was money, on top of which Tim Horan just loved playing rugby. Couldn't get enough of it.

More injury doom and gloom in the Brumbie and Wallaby worlds. Matt Giteau, to replace injured Steve Larkham at #10 against the Blues on the weekend as a try out for the same spot with the Wallabies, has two knee fractures. Winger Andrew Walker will also miss with a wrenched knee.

Thus #10 against the Blues is said to be spare-parts winger Mark Bartholomeusz because there's no one else available. Pat Howard will start in the centres. I would hope, though, that Howard will play #10, with Batholomeusz in the centres. Regardless, it simply makes their job against the Blues even harder.

For the Wallabies, though, it means Elton Flatley will line up at #10 in the trial tests because there's no one else. Flatley has obviously played there before and is solid but nothing more.

Check out this list of injuries with none of them guaranteed to be fit for the trial tests: Steve Larkham, Chris Latham, Stirling Mortlock, Matt Rogers and Ben Tune.

[Havak]

This is more of an alchemy than anything else... and a damn difficult one to master.

Very true Tamerlin. And you certainly named some class players there

The problem is one needs to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water. There are some areas where we don’t need huge changes – the forwards are still doing the job. Okay the new SH rucking interpretations are causing us problems – “don’t put your feet anywhere near the poor little lad who accidentally got himself the wrong side” yeah right – but we still achieve majority possession. I can only recall two games this season where we didn’t – and one of those was the game where Glaws cheated so much it was embarrassing. Then again I did mention at the start of the season that the arrival of Dean Ryan to Glaws would turn the forwards into cheats and thugs – and hey presto.

In conclusion – some augmenting at the coalface and a hooker who throws a bit better is all we might need there.

What we need is a better ten – and Pez looks the answer there – and maybe one more scrummy. But the gaping hole in quality is in the centres – and unless a world class man can be singed there I think we will have young men having to make a huge step up there next season. He can’t persist with Tuilagi and Lloyd (please!).

IMO, the fact that Deano has played with some of the players he must push out of the A team does not help...

I remain reluctant to really get in and criticise Deano – but I ‘ve heard it said he has persisted with the easy choices – retaining players that even I can see are out of sorts – simply because of their history and potential.

As you say the acid test is coming. I’ll forgive him a bad season if he shows me he has the coaching nounce to start the recovery.

Tamerlin's my straight man.

Now there is an expression that could cause problems in the second language interpretation.

Thus his relentless pious moralising about personal standards ranks up there with the great hypocrisies.

Isn’t it strange how this happens. It’s born again syndrome (and I don’t mean purely religious) like those who used to smoke being utterly vitriolic to those who still do and how those who were conservative now claim to have always been new labour. Oh no that’s slightly different isn’t it? Still it let me get a cheap shot in on party hoppers.

By the way I never did mention how funny it was watching Howard trying to make small talk with Her Maj when the news about the Wessex freeloaders baby broke.

If he goes, who would take him on?

You’d be surprised. I suspect he would prefer Sale (it’s the only top club ‘near’ his ‘home’ area of the Wirral). This is England – we have an endless stream of petulant difficult idiotic s***** players and someone else always pays stupid money for them before finding out that yes all the rumours were true after all.

In which case, it's not, by definition, a trifecta.

Tirfecta is a perfect triple right? I have got that right?

Tell your media the definition. I’ve seen first hand how they totally ignore bad sporting news. Don’t they call it accentuating the positive?

Mmmm. My nostrils quiver as I scent blood. What's the URL?

www.tigers.co.uk and choose the message board. It’s easy to register and suicidally not moderated.

I have no doubt the primary motive for their moves to the NH was money, on top of which Tim Horan just loved playing rugby. Couldn't get enough of it.

Surely not the money but rather the challenge of playing to the laws. Tim adapted better in that way.

The weather can be a huge shock for Aussies. Kiwis it doesn’t bother as much (and then again why would it). Pat Howard was amazed at the condition we played in when he arrived. By his last winter he was out running with full pack in a blizzard.

I’m very sorry to hear about Giteau – so he and Larkham will both not be available for the England test. Wilko re-iterated yesterday that he wants to play a full role in the SH tour but Woodward has not commented. Lets face it we all wanted to see Wilko-Larkham and Wilko-Mehrts though I do wonder if it may be Wilko-Spencer now?

Has Walker been forgiven for his various walk outs then? I didn’t realise he was back in Wallaby contention? I like the guy – the memory of Jason Robinson skinning him for the Lions will live as long in my memory as that of Flatley returning the favour. Typically Aussie of course returning the favour to England rather than the other Lions nations.

Interesting to see Pat getting a start maybe. The French club Montferand is claiming that he has all but signed for them for next season – do you know if there is any truth in that Finbar? If he does sign for them there is a real chance we could court him away like we did McMullen – yes I’m being selfish again.

That is some butchers bill in the back line. To be honest we have no idea who will be going but it could be a full strength side because the squad they have named for the North American trip is tertiary – 15 uncapped players included.

And of course why have warm up games if you don’t play your RWC team – what do they tell you otherwise? Still that’s probably too logical for rugby.

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Havak

Tirfecta is a perfect triple right? I have got that right?

Careful Havak. He'll be down on that like a ton of heavy brick-shaped things.

On topic: Go blues!

[Havak]

Thanks for that Ravagon - it's sage advice.

I did of course mean Trifecta.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
I’ll forgive him a bad season if he shows me he has the coaching nounce to start the recovery.

That's what it boils down to. As I said, a team containing good players, with strong onfield leadership, doesn't really need coaching, per se. It's more guidance and fine-tuning. Which is a bit different to what's required when a team lacks one or other of the above.

Now there is an expression that could cause problems in the second language interpretation.

Yes, particularly contained in the same post as references to A. Jones.

Isn’t it strange how this happens. It’s born again syndrome (and I don’t mean purely religious) like those who used to smoke being utterly vitriolic to those who still do

I prefer to think of it as rank hypocrisy.

and how those who were conservative now claim to have always been new labour. Oh no that’s slightly different isn’t it? Still it let me get a cheap shot in on party hoppers.

Have you ever been able to understand the notion of the "swinging voter"? I haven't.

By the way I never did mention how funny it was watching Howard trying to make small talk with Her Maj when the news about the Wessex freeloaders baby broke.

I didn't see it. Pity. I hope the miserable little sodding toad catches a fatal dose of SARS.

Tirfecta is a perfect triple right? I have got that right?

I notice the Transplanted Kiwi got in ahead of me. It's Friday. He must be back with his El Cheapo Friday Only ISP. A trifecta is three in a row.

www.tigers.co.uk and choose the message board. It’s easy to register and suicidally not moderated.

Mmmmmm. I must check it out. See if I can start an International Incident.

I’m very sorry to hear about Giteau – so he and Larkham will both not be available for the England test.

That's right. It will be Flatley, unless someone comes from the clouds, but, frankly, there isn't anyone. Poor old Steve Larkham has had an ordinary season. I think he's battle-weary. The risk you take when you've got the frame he has and play the game he does.

Wilko re-iterated yesterday that he wants to play a full role in the SH tour but Woodward has not commented. Lets face it we all wanted to see Wilko-Larkham and Wilko-Mehrts though I do wonder if it may be Wilko-Spencer now?

Mehrtens sat on the bench for the Crusaders -v- the Hurricanes S12 semi-final tonight - BTW, won comfortably by the Crusaders. The Hurricanes went off the boil two weeks ago and never recaptured what they had. Mehrtens has had a couple of weeks out with injury. If Carlos keeps up the form, it will be hard for the AB selectors to go past him. But, as someone pointed out in the media today, there's a big difference between S12 and Test rugby. Still, he deserves a shot at it.

Has Walker been forgiven for his various walk outs then? I didn’t realise he was back in Wallaby contention?

I was only talking about the Brumbies missing him for tomorrow night. He's in fine form, a regular try scorer, but he's primarily a winger and the Wallabies aren't short of wingers. Although he can play full back and, with Latham and Rogers both injuried, I suppose he could be a candidate there. In fact, he's got a very good brain and good skills - I wonder whether he might be worth a try at #10. It's hard to know where he stands with Eddie Jones now after his, um, problems - which are, unfortunately, a combination of alcohol and culture. Eddie was his coach at the Brumbies so he knows him well.

Interesting to see Pat getting a start maybe. The French club Montferand is claiming that he has all but signed for them for next season – do you know if there is any truth in that Finbar?

Haven't heard a word about it. Not even a rumor. And that sort of information spreads pretty quickly. I'll inquire. But if your mail about his return being spouse-related was right, it's hard to believe he would go back. Unless some agreement has been reached.

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon
Careful Havak. He'll be down on that like a ton of heavy brick-shaped things.

"A ton of clay-based building materials" would have been a better line.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Yes, particularly contained in the same post as references to A. Jones.

The great advantage of being French and thus of English not being my native language is that I can always claim I don't understand what you are writing.

[Frozzy]

Mehrtens sat on the bench for the Crusaders -v- the Hurricanes S12 semi-final tonight - BTW, won comfortably by the Crusaders. The Hurricanes went off the boil two weeks ago and never recaptured what they had. Mehrtens has had a couple of weeks out with injury. If Carlos keeps up the form, it will be hard for the AB selectors to go past him. But, as someone pointed out in the media today, there's a big difference between S12 and Test rugby. Still, he deserves a shot at it.

John Mitchell has said that the ABs for the first warm-ups will be selected on Super 12 form. IOW Spencer will be at 1st 5/8s for the first few games at least. I think Daniel Carter for the Crusaders, in his first S12 season, has really come of age and deserves at least a place in the ABs.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Frozzy
John Mitchell has said that the ABs for the first warm-ups will be selected on Super 12 form. IOW Spencer will be at 1st 5/8s for the first few games at least.

I agree. The interesting question is who will partner him at scrum half.

I think Daniel Carter for the Crusaders, in his first S12 season, has really come of age and deserves at least a place in the ABs.

Yes, he's one of a number of promising young players. The Kiwis have produced quite a few this season.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


The great advantage of being French and thus of English not being my native language is that I can always claim I don't understand what you are writing.

And vice versa!

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Frozzy


John Mitchell has said that the ABs for the first warm-ups will be selected on Super 12 form. IOW Spencer will be at 1st 5/8s for the first few games at least. I think Daniel Carter for the Crusaders, in his first S12 season, has really come of age and deserves at least a place in the ABs.

Definitely

I normally like the way Peter Marshall referees, but he was a bit pedantic this time...I guess he must be getting jumpy with thoughts of the RWC in the back of his mind.

As for the final...if the Brumbies beat the Blues I reckon they will definitely lose to the Crusaders in the final. Only the Blues firing on all cylinders can beat the Crusaders now.

[Caligastia]

Oh, I heard an interesting statistic from the commentator - no NZ super 12 team has ever lost a home semi-final - GO BLUES!!!

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Halftime:

Blues 22
Brumbies 0

Interesting match. A relatively even first 20 minutes with the Brumbies more than competitive, but the next 15 minutes saw the Blues stack on the points. The last 5 minutes were, again, relatively even. The Brumbies have flubbed a couple of opportunities with misunderstandings between Howard and Batholomeusz at first and second receiver, but they've never played together in those positions before. One gets the feeling, though, that the Blues could explode at any time.

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Final score:

Blues 42 -d- Brumbies 21

The Blues didn't explode. The Brumbies matched - and arguably outplayed them - in the second half. The Brumbies coordinated better in mid-field, applied enormous pressure, and the passes stuck. But you can't give away a 22 points start and hope to win a match. Blues scrum half Steve Devine was carried off on a stretcher after a head clash in the closing minutes. He had a fine game. Pity about his completely unnecessary actions throughout - pushing Gregan into the fence with the ball out of play, throwing the ball at an opponent's head after he'd scored a try.

George Smith had an outstanding all-round game for the Brumbies and must be just about a certainty for the Wallaby openside position.

[NeoStar]

Afraid I've lost track lately. Are the Waratahs in the picture now?