Rugby - Advantage!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
By the way Finbar, supporting the Stade Français is considered as the most supreme heresy everywere in France, except in Paris of course where the inhabitants have suddenly discovered there is a Rugby team in their city because they are qualified for the final...

Mmmmm. And Paris isn't one of my favourite cities in the world. Still, it's up to you and your Mum and her recipe index, isn't it?

[Havak]

And I thought you were for my part...

I am! You didn’t expect me to support the Parisian side did you? Last time I saw them they offered nothing to the game but Dominguez’s boot.

IMO, there is IMO an "IMO" too many in my original sentence... IMO of course.

It does help to be in the field of play at the time.

You mean like your fullback wasn’t?

Just to save you lookin her up.

Many thanks.

Actually, it was the New York-resident Kiwi.

Well if it makes Cal feel better it could easily have been one of mine.

Of course I hadn’t accounted for the fact that we seem to play 12 month rugby these days – and the RFU seriously expects us to win world cups against players that do six months max?

In which case I shall increase the pressure on Tamerlin for his Mum's Cassoulet recipe.

Have you noticed how your continued broad hints are falling on deaf ears?

Depends if he has more than nostril hair up his nose.

He claims to be clean – I’ve heard nothing to the contrary. Of course he is a huge friend of Jonno – but then you’ll face that whatever Pom club you choose.

[Havak]

It appears that Saturday may be very interesting indeed Finbar - Ireland also have huge injury problems in the backs. Serious enough in fact that Tiger Geordan Murphy starts at centre - and even in the depths of our clubs centre crisis we never played him there.

Their forwards are largely intact however, and it's a powerful pack.

Better yet the 5pm kick off is 9am here I think so I might well get to see it.

I also chanced across this whilst looking for news of Healey by the way. It's old but it explains the events of 2001 from a far more objective perspective than I suspect you ever got with the Australian.

the Lip

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
I am! You didn’t expect me to support the Parisian side did you? Last time I saw them they offered nothing to the game but Dominguez’s boot.

Unfortunately they have something more to offer at this stage of the season...

But this will not be enough...

Well if it makes Cal feel better it could easily have been one of mine.

Could make him worse...

Of course I hadn’t accounted for the fact that we seem to play 12 month rugby these days – and the RFU seriously expects us to win world cups against players that do six months max?

"Idleness is the mother of all vices", that might explain the heretic ways of the SH...

Have you noticed how your continued broad hints are falling on deaf ears?

No way, this is a family secret and I am not prone to blackmail... at least through the Internet.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Have you noticed how your continued broad hints are falling on deaf ears?

Yes, and he knows the price he's going to pay for having me on the Toulouse bandwagon.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
It appears that Saturday may be very interesting indeed Finbar - Ireland also have huge injury problems in the backs. Serious enough in fact that Tiger Geordan Murphy starts at centre - and even in the depths of our clubs centre crisis we never played him there.

Their forwards are largely intact however, and it's a powerful pack.

Yes, and we've just lost a centre to injury warming up before practice. With the A Team off in Japan, so no ready replacement available, Matt Rogers has been drafted into the team, first up after a broken foot kept him out of the last 3 or 4 S12 matches of the season. I cannot believe this run of injuries. Has Eddie killed a litter of black kittens?

I also chanced across this whilst looking for news of Healey by the way. It's old but it explains the events of 2001 from a far more objective perspective than I suspect you ever got with the Australian.

I only had time for a quick read. A couple of observations - most people know that most sportsmen's newspaper columns are ghosted. The point, though, is that if you're willing to put your name to the column, and, more importantly, take the money, you must wear the responsibility. I have read bits and pieces of the story before, or heard about it. Frankly, it reads like a lot of arse-saving.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin

No way, this is a family secret and I am not prone to blackmail... at least through the Internet.

See two posts above.

[Havak]

But this will not be enough...

Isn’t it getting interesting though Tamerlin? If you beat them you go into Pool One in the European Cup next season. Guess which side from England you then draw in the Pool?

Could make him worse...

"Idleness is the mother of all vices", that might explain the heretic ways of the SH...

Eleven games in Super 12, two more if you are in the play offs. Maybe ten tests a year? Aussies don’t play a lot of representative rugby that’s for sure. The Kiwis are different of course – once the routine of the Super 12 and Tri nations is done with they settle to the serious business of NPC I believe. I bet some of them play nearly 30 games a year.

That’s why I like the November tests so much – at that stage of being two months into our season and right at the end of the SH one the players have played similar numbers of games.

Yes, and he knows the price he's going to pay for having me on the Toulouse bandwagon.

Can you jump on it after they win the Championship and in time for Tigers meeting them in the autumn?

I cannot believe this run of injuries. Has Eddie killed a litter of black kittens?

Try stopping him whining about laws to the IRB for a whole year and see if the injuries clear up?

Frankly, it reads like a lot of arse-saving.

Oh bits of it are retrospective damage limitation that is for sure. But on the whole it is reasonable – Austin isn’t Satan and Justin sure as hell was not a Saint.

How amusing that on the same day we take on the Kiwis Eddie has given you a training run against Wales. I’d be very interested in your opinion of both Ireland and Wales actually Finbar. Wales in particular look very weak to me – but they do have that lock I’ve mentioned before – Sidoli. He looks promising.

And where are France as the Poms, Kiwis and Wallabies duke it out – in Argentina of course. That makes sense?

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
Isn’t it getting interesting though Tamerlin? If you beat them you go into Pool One in the European Cup next season. Guess which side from England you then draw in the Pool?

It is getting very interesting indeed, the Frog & Rosbiff is waiting for us...

This final is very open, the Parisians are in great shape led by a pair of halves in great shape (Fabien Galthié and Diego Dominguez) and a very experienced scrum. On the other side the Stade Toulousain's scrum has been very weak against the Sporting Union Agenais and was largely dominated while Yann Delaigue (half-fly) and Frédéric Michalck (half-scrum) are also in great shape. The Toulousain's line-out is very performing and has stolen many balls to its opponents, it is actually a real launching pad... The two clubs have the best defences and the Stade Toulousain's backs are able to light a devastating fire at every moment. The key of the game seems to be the scrum and the capacity of the Stade Toulousain's one to resist the pressure of the Stade Français. But a final is always a special event as some players are able to transcend themselves, the game is thus really unpredictable. I remember the final against the Association Sportive Montferrandaise when the young talents like Michalack, Poitrenaud, Jeanjean, Bouillhou and Gerard readily hatched and harassed the Montferrandais. But in the same time I vividly remember the semi-final lost 39-3 by the Stade Toulousain against the Stade Français in Brive (like the Biarritz Olympique last friday).

Eleven games in Super 12, two more if you are in the play offs. Maybe ten tests a year? Aussies don’t play a lot of representative rugby that’s for sure. The Kiwis are different of course – once the routine of the Super 12 and Tri nations is done with they settle to the serious business of NPC I believe. I bet some of them play nearly 30 games a year.

LAZYBONES...

Can you jump on it after they win the Championship and in time for Tigers meeting them in the autumn?

Do you realize you are asking Finbar to support a Pom's team?

And where are France as the Poms, Kiwis and Wallabies duke it out – in Argentina of course. That makes sense?

Be patient little Havak, the other SH teams are coming next...

[Caligastia]

Hey, as long as Havak and Finbar are around this thread will always be alive and kicking!

So...is anyone the least bit excited about SA v Scotland or Australia v Ireland? Those are the two I'll get to see this weekend. I don't expect either NH side to win, but I'll be cheering for Ireland

Scotland probably have their best chance in a long time of beating SA, what with SA rugby being down and out at the moment. They will probably still lose though..

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Be patient little Havak, the other SH teams are coming next...

Yep, France plays NZ on the 28th. They will be hoping for a calm, still day of course.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Caligastia
They will be hoping for a calm, still day of course.

No, only for a referee who understands that scrums are made to be pushed...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Oh bits of it are retrospective damage limitation that is for sure. But on the whole it is reasonable – Austin isn’t Satan and Justin sure as hell was not a Saint.

Austin is proved to be an even bigger idiot for letting such bilge be printed under his name and Justin can be just as big an idiot for different reasons.

How amusing that on the same day we take on the Kiwis Eddie has given you a training run against Wales. I’d be very interested in your opinion of both Ireland and Wales actually Finbar. Wales in particular look very weak to me – but they do have that lock I’ve mentioned before – Sidoli. He looks promising.

This is my whole point about the value of these Tests. Ireland is injury-ridden, as are the Wallabies. I won't say "decimated" by injury, because mis-use of the word "decimated" is my latest hobby horse. "Decimated" means, literally, one in ten killed (in the military context). "Decimated" does not mean virtually wiped out, which is the meaning commonly applied to the word. In fact, it means quite the opposite. Anyway, I don't know whether Wales has injury problems, but they're obviously going to be less-than-strong even without injuries. I shall watch the matches, though, with great interest - mainly to see how the tyro Wallabies perform.

And where are France as the Poms, Kiwis and Wallabies duke it out – in Argentina of course. That makes sense?

The Pumas in Puma Land can, as we know, be a handful.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Can you jump on it after they win the Championship and in time for Tigers meeting them in the autumn?

The point is, I'm currently on it. All you want is for me to stay on it. Which, in the absence of a Cassoulet recipe, is what's going to happen. And when the history of French rugby is finally written, it will be revealed that the destruction of a once fine French rugby club was the result of a simple act of culinary xenophobia.

[Caligastia]

Forgotten me already?