Rugby - Advantage Over!

[Frozzy]

Also, the mysterious AB full-back is Mils Muliaina (sp?), Blues in Super 12 as a winger. He played for the NZ Colts in the Youth World Cup a couple of weeks back.

[Havak]

So is his name Maori - or north NZ (Fiji)?

[Tamerlin]

I am back...

I don't think I will take the time to catch up with the thread from July the 2nd to now as the sheer amount of rants have caused a serious inflation of the number of pages.

Moreover I already know the main information, Australia beaten by the Boks...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Yes I agree with you. But for me it doesn’t compensate his habit of occasionally trying to serious injure fellow Professionals.

True. The effort against you was the last time he did it, I think. I've pointed out before that I've rarely seen him do anything like it in S12. He'll mix it if he's taken on, and fair enough, but he doesn't deliver the cheap shots. I hope he overcomes it, because he's a terrific competitor. Of course, we don't know how many of his, um, tendencies have been encouraged by the coach. More than a few, I suspect.

He’ll be back I’m sure.

Unless he dozed off on his Li-Lo in the shallows and he's now drifting somewhere off the Maldives.

You raise a good point. I’d like to expand on it by asking when did you last see a ref, NH or SH, police offside well? I think we are dealing with a flavour of the season thing here – the same factor was evident in the six nations as we are now seeing in the tri nations and it’s too big a coincidence?

I think you're right. I haven't seen any ref policing it this season, outrageous instances aside. I can't imagine that there's been an directive - official or unofficial - about it because it doesn't add anything to the game.

BTW, on a similar line, can you tell me why refs, from time to time, ping players for being across the halfway line - in front of the kicker - before a kick off? I mean, I know why they do it, because it's illegal. But it happens at just about every kick off and is, 98% of the time, ignored. Suddenly, the ref will ping it. Very odd.

Very much built around him now – and that will not have been lost on Eddie. I’m expecting some big hits on Carlos early doors. Maybe from Waughy (who Planet Rugby have flattering likened to an Uruk Hai this week).

There's very strong talk that Eddie's going to play both Waugh and Smith. One or other of them should catch up with Carlos at some point.

He did yes. Is he Fijian?

I think I've already recycled all the Pope/Polish/Parkinson's Disease and Bears/Defacating/Timbered Areas lines.

[Tamerlin]

I was not there for two weeks and you are still writing about the SH refs strange ways of policing the game...

Good job Havak!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Frozzy


Ben Blair kicked 31 points for Canturbury against Hawkes' Bay in the NPC Pre-Season. Canturbury won 70-odd 10.

Mmmm. The boy can kick, all right. But how does he rate as a fullback? He played against England at Twickers last time, didn't he?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
I am back...

A-ha! So you didn't drift to the Maldives?

Moreover I already know the main information, Australia beaten by the Boks...

I hope the sun turned you into a beetroot!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
I was not there for two weeks and you are still writing about the SH refs strange ways of policing the game...

Good job Havak!

In this case, the very strange ways of a NH ref who ignored the most blatant offside play ever seen on a rugby field.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
A-ha! So you didn't drift to the Maldives?

I went to Collioure and though I expected the trip to be boring (no Role Playing Games, no PC, no Rugby, a seven and a half years old kid to occupy all day long...) it was OK and fun.

I hope the sun turned you into a beetroot!

No, my skin is just more tanned now...

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
In this case, the very strange ways of a NH ref who ignored the most blatant offside play ever seen on a rugby field.

Some NH refs are as bad as the SH ones, but the SH refs have elevated "unrefereeing" to an artform.

I am back...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
So is his name Maori - or north NZ (Fiji)?

I checked. Muliaina - pronounced Mool-e-eye-eena - is Maori.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


I went to Collioure and though I expected the trip to be boring (no Role Playing Games, no PC, no Rugby, a seven and a half years old kid to occupy all day long...) it was OK and fun.

I think we know what you got up to after the le têtard got booted off to bed!

No, my skin is just more tanned now...

Okay. Swarthy, huh?

[Havak]

Moreover I already know the main information, Australia beaten by the Boks...

Welcome back Tamerlin – and already straight back onto the offensive.

I cannot claim to have done a good job – most of the observation on refereeing in your absence has actually come from Finbar. I’ve just fired a few random shots off on the old favourites - NZ player naturalisation and Eddie Jones popularity in the world game.

Of course, we don't know how many of his, um, tendencies have been encouraged by the coach. More than a few, I suspect.

Quite. It will be interesting to see the approach taken for their away games now.

Suddenly, the ref will ping it. Very odd.

Yes I spotted the time he picked on this last Saturday. I can see no logic to why he picked on that restart to be honest – and it was extremely marginal even for a nit picker like myself. I wonder if they take calls from the line on it?

One or other of them should catch up with Carlos at some point.

And that is a tasty prospect. I’d like to see him playing under pressure away from home like that. Both those boys should test him nicely.

I think I've already recycled all the Pope/Polish/Parkinson's Disease and Bears/Defacating/Timbered Areas lines.

At least the lad being Maori saves you the trouble.

Mmmm. The boy can kick, all right. But how does he rate as a fullback? He played against England at Twickers last time, didn't he?

And had a good game as I recall. Linked well with the redoubtable Mr Howlett. Took a huge hit from Moody late on and lived (just) so he must be a strong chap for a girlie too.

So Andrew Walker has finally taken his ball home and nicked of back to…I can hardly bring myself to say it… L***** then?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak


Welcome back Tamerlin – and already straight back onto the offensive.

In every sense of the word, as always.

I cannot claim to have done a good job – most of the observation on refereeing in your absence has actually come from Finbar. I’ve just fired a few random shots off on the old favourites - NZ player naturalisation and Eddie Jones popularity in the world game.

With the England team sunning their porcine selves in whichever cheap Spanish resort they could persuade to let them in, at least we've had a break from the usual.

Yes I spotted the time he picked on this last Saturday. I can see no logic to why he picked on that restart to be honest – and it was extremely marginal even for a nit picker like myself. I wonder if they take calls from the line on it?

It happened at least once during the S12 season. I now watch every time there's a kick off. There is always someone at least marginally across the line before the ball is kicked. Often more than marginally. Keep an eye on it, you'll see what I mean. And the offender is often in front of the ref - by which I mean, not on his blind side. I suppose they do get calls, but that only means the assistant refs aren't watching - or don't care - for the rest of the time.

And had a good game as I recall. Linked well with the redoubtable Mr Howlett. Took a huge hit from Moody late on and lived (just) so he must be a strong chap for a girlie too.

Oh well, if Mitchell needs him to kick, he can hold down a spot on his merits.

So Andrew Walker has finally taken his ball home and nicked of back to…I can hardly bring myself to say it… L***** then?

Yes, probably inevitable, unfortunately. Very gifted, very troubled chap, in the sense that he seemed to be constantly pulled in two different directions by the two very different cultures. There are many more aborigines in L**** than rugby, and it's a very different environment, so he might well feel more comfortable there. I'll miss his silky skills. As, of course, will the Brumbies, who have now lost 3 key players, with possibly more to come. Or go.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
In every sense of the word, as always.

Nuclear Escalation...

With the England team sunning their porcine selves in whichever cheap Spanish resort they could persuade to let them in, at least we've had a break from the usual.

If you were not talking about my english friends I would have laughed to tears.

It happened at least once during the S12 season. I now watch every time there's a kick off. There is always someone at least marginally across the line before the ball is kicked. Often more than marginally. Keep an eye on it, you'll see what I mean. And the offender is often in front of the ref - by which I mean, not on his blind side. I suppose they do get calls, but that only means the assistant refs aren't watching - or don't care - for the rest of the time.

Strangely enough this is the kind of fouls that is closely watched at in the French championship and the French referees signal them, and they are right to do so.