Rugby - Advantage!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
He goes on the say he thinks Jones may be gone by the RWC.

Truly? Are you sure this is a Different Dill?

And the most ironic thing? He is a ref at amateur level.

Tell him from me to card himself for persistent silliness.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


A little written agreement and...

Okay, try this:

I, finbar, hereby warrant to dismount with my lightning rod from any bandwagon associated with any rugby team supported by Tamerlin in return for the second half of his Mum's Cassoulet recipe with the proviso that if said recipe fails to succeed through no fault of finbar's said aforementioned bandwagons shall be remounted with a vengeance complete with aforementioned lightning rod.

Satisfied?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


This is exactly what I am saying since last year Finbar, and your quote is especially true in France to the exception of Joël Dumé (though he is missing a game from time to time). Unfortunately, the IRB does not seem to have the least of an interest in this problem, all goes well is the best of worlds...

What has struck me over the last year or so is the age of the refs. With a few exceptions, they all seem to be 40-plus. Where are the younger refs?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Yeah, NZ choked. There is no excuse for not scoring against a 13 man team. During that 10 minutes it was nervous knock-on after nervous knock-on.

It was actually more like about 6 minutes of playing time after various England players found various ways and means to run down the clock. This was, of course, pointed out to Havak a page or so back - on the basis that he claims it a uniquely SH habit - but he seemed to miss the mention. Too busy emailing Dills, presumably.

[finbar]

Gee, guys, this is post 484. We're scorching towards 500.

Given the title of this thread, presumably the next one, logically, should be called -

Rugby - Advantage Over!

Or, given the nature of our recent discussions about refs -

Rugby - Get A Seeing Eye Dog, You Blind Idiot!

[MikeH]

Just have to come in and laugh at the kiwis.

That's two wins in a row now without us playing well in either game.

Oh and that 8 mins with 13 men on the pitch was really impressive by us I think. We kept the ball for the vast majority of the 8 minutes and managed to get a score with 2 men down.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
I, finbar, hereby warrant to dismount with my lightning rod from any bandwagon associated with any rugby team supported by Tamerlin in return for the second half of his Mum's Cassoulet recipe with the proviso that if said recipe fails to succeed through no fault of finbar's said aforementioned bandwagons shall be remounted with a vengeance complete with aforementioned lightning rod.

Cassoulet à la Cabirol: Part 2

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

Bake the Cassoulet for one hour at medium temperature.

15 mn before the end of the cooking, Dredge with breadcrumbs (mix two or three times during the said 15 mn to avoid a crust forming over the mixture).



Et voilà! Isn't what a bit of good will can do marvellous?

[Havak]

What?! No mention of the horrendous refereeing? Even your man Jonno was ready to spit the dummy!

I didn’t think it would be gracious to pick on Dickinson – he has enough on his plate from your countrymen. But yes he was poor. I should also note it is not unusual for Jonno to berate, even hassle, referees like that.

I can't be too hard on him, however, because he was instrumental in creating the opportunity for the try.

Be hard on him. The try should have been disallowed for that blatant head start Doug took.

No way! He was just quick off the mark

Sorry but it’s quite true. Watch it again - he was at least 2 metres offside as the ball touched Spencer’s boot. Blatant offside. And he knew it as it was clearly a practiced move.

Perhaps you need to conceed that the ref blew too many ridiculous penalties - therefore stifling the game into a kicking match between Wilkinson and Spencer.

Far too many to make the game fluent, yes. What can I say – with that many penalties to the bad we should never have won.

I doubt he saw them

I’ve not seen him since the end of May. I will give him this – if Sharpe has played well he is prepared to admit his mistakes – he will say so.

I know Eddie thinks they can because he's seen them and said so. Pity more of us don't get free trips to the 6 Nations.

Very true.

Maybe a slight problem in terminology. Running rugby to me isn’t S12 backs obsessed continuity stuff. It’s more spinning in wide and having a burl through the backs when appropriate. It isn’t always appropriate. Yes the backs were disconnected against both yourselves and the ABs but the backs played a little; nice stuff even so – it certainly wasn’t just up your jumper rugby.

If however you want to see England throw it wide at the earliest opportunity you are unlikely to see it. They will keep it tight initially and try to draw in your defenders then whip it out when the suction has worked. If, by some miracle, they open up a big lead then they might get expansive. If they do, and get it right, it will end the debate. Eddie if I recall saw them in Dublin so yes he will have seen what they can achieve when it works.

Fingers crossed though.

Here too – but with opposite intent.

As I said - in what other game?

Can’t think of any.

Yes, I know. I've long since learned to remind you that, in most points you make, the opposite is also usually the case.

I find such things are very subjective depending on which side of the equator one stands.

See above.

This being an especially intriguing case as the Williams-Jack combination didn’t float my boat at all. In the clash of locks even the ‘thug’ came from a blindside option for all of us I’m sure?

Ah yes the Dark Science quote – it deserves the pre-eminence you give it all right.

he's in danger of losing the main calling job because David Leckie - the ex-Packer 9 Network supremo now in charge at 7 - thinks he's an "egg-head".

I can see why this gentlemen does not endear himself to you!

I've never seen so many re-sets of scrums and penalties that leave both packs bewildered. Yet another IRB dictum, obviously.

Which is strange in itself because by the very nature of it this slows games down badly in a year where rugby wants to take centre stage to the great unconverted masses and draw them in.

Tell him from me to card himself for persistent silliness.

He’s actually a nice and very bright guy. But I’ll card him anyway. Never did like refs.

What I might have successfully hid from you all this time is that, unlike myself, the majority of English supporters really dislike Eddie.

He is seen as a self important little man – ungracious both in victory and defeat. They find it weird when, like today, he talks of ‘encouraging’ McHugh to be strict in certain areas – as if he has some direct influence over that rather than the fact he is actually talking about the pre-match talk with the ref at which McHugh will tell him what will be policed.

It creates a false impression of the cunning little hooker – and my friends view is not unusual even from an easy going type like him.

Where are the younger refs?

There’s a few. Jutge is younger I think. Who is that Kiwi – Walsh?

This was, of course, pointed out to Havak a page or so back - on the basis that he claims it a uniquely SH habit - but he seemed to miss the mention

I honestly did miss it!

But sheesh – show me a test side that doesn’t time waste in such situations? As oft mentioned the Wallabies take it in turns to fall over every time the opposition win set piece for starters.

Look at it this way. The SH has led us to where we are now. We have had to copy you to compete. To complain about that is, well, hypocritical??

You picked six minutes out the air by the way – it was more like eight by my reckoning.

But MikeH can fight the rest of it himself – I couldn’t possibly take part in gloating.

If it makes the SH contingent feel better about it how about Rugby – only England cheat!

[MikeH]

Is the basic argument "England should stop playing tight defensive rugby and winning and start playing more expansive rugby and losing"? Er... no. Personally I found England's defensive performance on Saturday really absorbing. Not pretty but interesting. Too many penalties though. That was getting frustrating.

We don't have the players for an expansive attacking game when playing against The All Blacks and Australia, they are too good. We can't take too many risks because we know they'll punish us. Against Ireland and South Africa this year though once we got a bit of a lead we could really go for it and cut loose.

[Tamerlin]

England... and France

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


Cassoulet à la Cabirol: Part 2

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

Bake the Cassoulet for one hour at medium temperature.

15 mn before the end of the cooking, Dredge with breadcrumbs (mix two or three times during the said 15 mn to avoid a crust forming over the mixture).

Now I just have to cut and paste and I'm away!

Et voilà! Isn't what a bit of good will can do marvellous?

Goodwill? I'd call it blackmail!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak

Maybe a slight problem in terminology. Running rugby to me isn’t S12 backs obsessed continuity stuff. It’s more spinning in wide and having a burl through the backs when appropriate.

There was no problem with terminology. I understand that England God would strike down whomever threw it wide at the first opportunity.

I find such things are very subjective depending on which side of the equator one stands.

Yes, and I wonder which way one would side if one stood on the equator. Presumably one wouldn't have a clue on the basis that one's brain had been fried by the sun. I cite Queenslanders as perfect examples and they're not even on the equator which speaks volumes for them.

Which is strange in itself because by the very nature of it this slows games down badly in a year where rugby wants to take centre stage to the great unconverted masses and draw them in.

It's odd how the international administrators of the two most interesting games - rugby and cricket - are utterly incompetent. There must be some sort of Law responsible for it.

He’s actually a nice and very bright guy.

Then he doesn't belong reffing.

What I might have successfully hid from you all this time is that, unlike myself, the majority of English supporters really dislike Eddie.

Fear not, Clive Woodward is rapidly being recognised down here as a goose. See below.

He is seen as a self important little man – ungracious both in victory and defeat. They find it weird when, like today, he talks of ‘encouraging’ McHugh to be strict in certain areas – as if he has some direct influence over that rather than the fact he is actually talking about the pre-match talk with the ref at which McHugh will tell him what will be policed.

Woodward started banging on the other day - with obvious reference to Eddie - about coaches using the media to influence refs. This from the man who set up a Light & Sound show for the media with the sole purpose of telling a ref to watch out for dummy runners. I say no more.

Well, I will. Woodward always gives me the impression that he constantly lives in fear of losing his job. I think I've mentioned it before. His body language screams it.

There’s a few. Jutge is younger I think. Who is that Kiwi – Walsh?

Is it Walsh? Anyway, yes he's young. Not bad either. So there are a few. But not enough, particularly when the senior ones consistently show themselves to be incompetent.

I honestly did miss it!

Fair enough, I ... miss ... some of your more astute observations, too.

But sheesh – show me a test side that doesn’t time waste in such situations? As oft mentioned the Wallabies take it in turns to fall over every time the opposition win set piece for starters.

Look at it this way. The SH has led us to where we are now. We have had to copy you to compete. To complain about that is, well, hypocritical??

Mmmm. Okay. You're happy to indulge in it but reserve the right to complain when you think others do it. Goodoh.

You picked six minutes out the air by the way – it was more like eight by my reckoning.

You, of course, have daylight savings at the moment.

But MikeH can fight the rest of it himself – I couldn’t possibly take part in gloating.

Particularly not if Wilkinson had had a hand broken when he was blatantly wrapping his hands around the ball in a ruck.

If it makes the SH contingent feel better about it how about Rugby – only England cheat!

Sorry, we prefer to avoid ugly reality in our thread titles.

[finbar]

Stupid Double Post! Stupid server that hangs for about 10 minutes after I post a message before it tells it me it's busy, that preference is given to people who are registered, and to try again later!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Goodwill? I'd call it blackmail!

By the way, welcome MikeH...

Havak told us that the whole world hated England and was against England, so you must be an English gentleman as you are defending the English players. But as you are hoisting up the European Community flag I must admit I have a little doubt...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Havak told us that the whole world hated England and was against England

It's just England's national lack of self esteem manifesting itself. Havak understands this and is seeking treatment at his local.