A Temporary Rugby Thread

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
You mean the Poms haven't got the internet yet? Gee, they've been going backwards since they lost the colonies.

Heh, well the wee wifey was so busy dragging me around to every possible tourist attraction in London I had to spend all the rest of my time recuperating over pints of bitter.

Fullers Summer Ale was particularly refreshing.

I think you've hit the nail right on the very, very thick cranium.

[Caligastia]

As for the Bledisloe clincher game we should pick up the Kiwi commentary for the return leg which should at least spare me the Channel 7 "go you good men go" nonsense. yes even in the defeat the summariser uttered this as they scored their last try.

Actually it's "Go you good thing." - for me possibly the most irritating cliche uttered by an aussie commentator.

[Caligastia]

Made worse, I might add, by his voice cracking with excitement as he says it. They must be hard up for decent commentators in Oz.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia


Heh, well the wee wifey was so busy dragging me around to every possible tourist attraction in London I had to spend all the rest of my time recuperating over pints of bitter.

I think you got the procedure arse-about.

[Havak]

As Kiwi as they come - but left in an instant when offered prestige Professorships here of course.

Did you enjoy the big city? Not my favourite place in the world I have to say.

Nice change of sig - but if it was refering to the Aussie-AB game he couldn't be more wrong. Contested suggests a two way effective competition - by sixty minutes the AB forwards were simply shunting the Wattle clad lads off the ball.

[Havak]

No - they do also utter "Go you good men go" as well as "go you good thing". Both in fact were used in the huge defeat to the ABs.

Both are amongst the most stupid things I have heard any commentator ever say - well maybe second only to "the Wallabies have really answered their critics" uttered by an over excited Budda last weekend.

Fullers Summer Ale is like all summer ales - light weight lager imitating pop. Did you try London Pride from the same outfit?

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Havak
As an Englishman I wouldn’t dream of this of course. In fact for all those poor souls who no longer qualify for you after the changes I think we should offer them all fast track English citizenship instead.

If I were English I would probably trot out the phrase "smarmy git" right about now.

[ Blithely ignores the fact that if he were English he'd probably agree with said sentiment. ]

I take your point about immigration per capita – but this isn’t a country with a static population either – we have continued and extensive immigration and the ethnics balance of the country is changing over time. Rugby hasn’t touched the hearts of certain minorities yet but I’m sure it will.

IIRC, this very topic came up rather recently somewhere. Can't for the life of me remember why.
Apparently the largest minority population emigrating to England of late consistes of Indians/Pakistanis? - ie: From countries not particularly prominent in the international rugby arena.
Of course if the ICC has similar restrictions preventing any such from playing international cricket you may see a state of armed insurrection before too long.

It must be time to trot out an outrageous statement then. We gave the sport to the world, I think we should set the laws – lets get rid of the IRB and appoint the RFU to the job – and then god help you all.

On the plus side you would soon then realise why English rugby took so long to get organised and competitive despite it’s (comparatively) huge resource base.

Props are running the English RFU?



Something that may amuse - Quantas rolled out a new ad campaign last weekend.

Apparently, a couple of hundred years ago England sent all of their meanest and toughest here and now they're doing it again.

*Cut to a picture of Jonno standing against a backdrop of the Australian outback looking very stern and unyielding while a Quantas plane flies over (without any bits falling off in mid-flight either I might add. Wonder how many takes they needed to get that shot).

What they didn't mention was that both of these groups were relatively mild and even-tempered before the trip down-under. Two hundred years ago they were locked up and given bread and water - today they get Quantas air service. Six of one and a half-dozen of the other really.

Of course, if England were to actually win then I'm not quite so sure said airline will continue trumpeting the act of bringing them over.

] Originally posted by Andydog
I remember years ago a Richard Lowe incident - he broke Paul CArozza's nose after he scored a try, and then got suspended for 2 weeks.

Now there's a name I haven't heard in quite some time, thankfully.
Not exactly one of our most shining moments.



Regarding the utterly vital matter of SA-NZ on Saturday, lest it lapse again, I propose a 15-point start for the Boks?

[Andydog]

Ah, the infamous Richard Loe. One of the all-time great thugs. If I recall, he also copped something like a year for eye-gouging a fellow AB in an NPC final and an even longer sentence for stomping a Wallaby head.

He did get into more hot water after the Carozza incident - he was suspended for 6 months later in the season for eye gouging in Waikato's championship victory. Because it was six months he missed out on the 1993 Lions series.

He won his place back in 1994 and played in six tests that season, including a rematch against Australia and all three Tests in the South Africa series which New Zealand won 2-0, the final Test resulting in a 18-18 draw.

I can't remember him ever stomping a wallaby head - but it wouldn't surprise me if he had done.

Fullers Summer Ale is like all summer ales - light weight lager imitating pop. Did you try London Pride from the same outfit?

This is an ESB light in my opinion and not as outstanding as it's label states. I think the ESB makes a better session beer, and I know this from spending hours throwing darts and throwing down hand pulled pints at Ye Old Swiss Cottage.

[Havak]

If I were English I would probably trot out the phrase "smarmy git" right about now.

[ Blithely ignores the fact that if he were English he'd probably agree with said sentiment.]

Smarmy Git goes with the job description for being English – as does over use of sarcastic and ironic humour.

Of course if the ICC has similar restrictions preventing any such from playing international cricket you may see a state of armed insurrection before too long.

Actually you have strayed onto a subject that is a huge bone of contention here. Most of the minority you cite, even if third generation, actively support Pakistan or India. Not all by any means but certainly the majority. Very few would aspire to represent England.

I did appreciate the irony of the armed insurrection line as I work in Leicester – probably the most multi-cultural city in the UK with large Sikh, Hindu and Muslim populations – and the City where the first post 9/11 UK arrests of Al Queda suspects took place of course. The city has a reputation as a base for minority radical muslim groups.

Props are running the English RFU?

Good lord no – props are on the whole far too intelligent to join the committee.

Six of one and a half-dozen of the other really.

Of course, if England were to actually win then I'm not quite so sure said airline will continue trumpeting the act of bringing them over.

Great line.

Frankly I’m amazed they would use this approach to domestic advertising – has the impossible happened and June’s game has finally convinced Aussie’s that Martin is the stature of player I’ve been trying to tell everyone he is for years now? Is there pork with wings in the commercial too?

The big question is was the plane or Martin the CGI part of the piece?

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak
Did you enjoy the big city? Not my favourite place in the world I have to say.

Coming from NYC it seems more like an oversized town.

Nice change of sig - but if it was refering to the Aussie-AB game he couldn't be more wrong. Contested suggests a two way effective competition - by sixty minutes the AB forwards were simply shunting the Wattle clad lads off the ball.

Originally posted by Havak
No - they do also utter "Go you good men go" as well as "go you good thing". Both in fact were used in the huge defeat to the ABs.

Both equally annoying.

Fullers Summer Ale is like all summer ales - light weight lager imitating pop.

Yes, but very refreshing after wandering around in the sun all day.;0

Did you try London Pride from the same outfit?

Yes, that was another good one. My favorite was probably Directors from the Courage brewery. Didn't like Tetleys all that much.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar


I think you got the procedure arse-about.

We did so much sightseeing that I didn't get a chance to have more than 3 pints at a time. Thankfully there were no hangovers to nurse while walking through the 526th old church/chapel/cathedral.

[Havak]

Coming from NYC it seems more like an oversized town.

Interesting – I thought the populations were fairly comparable – and Londoners can be almost as surly as New Yorkers. It should have been home from home - is it the lack of huge towers everywhere that does it?

Both equally annoying.

Absolutely cringe-makingly annoying. Alongside the fan classic of ‘Go Wallabies’ it’s enough to make my blood boil.

Yes, but very refreshing after wandering around in the sun all day

Don’t get me wrong – given the choice between it and lager you aced the decision.

Yes, that was another good one. My favorite was probably Directors from the Courage brewery. Didn't like Tetleys all that much.

Yes Directors is a good pint – and it has maintained it’s quality through the decade of brewery consolidation. Tetley’s is tricky – it can be okay but I’ve seldom found a pint worth drinking south of Sheffield.

Thankfully there were no hangovers to nurse while walking through the 526th old church/chapel/cathedral.

I feel for you – I really do.

[finbar]

This temporary thread might well end up locked with a new one - with a proper title - started. Caligastia is PMing Ming about it. If it happens, we're going with Frozzy's nice suggestion: Rugby - See You In Ten!.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak

The big question is was the plane or Martin the CGI part of the piece?

Both. The image of J**** is remarkably similar to the other Qantas ad where he's posed in London. As someone has pointed out, that ad is offensive to the poor old Canadians. The other nations are all represented by a player who is named. The Canadians are represented by three players with the caption: "The Canadians".

[Havak]

Arms folded at a slight sideways angle to the camera? If so thats his stock publicity pose for TV promos.

I can name several Canadian players - but I don't know any that an Australian could be expected to recognise.