Rugby World Cup 2003 - Crunch Time!

[Caligastia]

Only a month to go before the opening match!! I can't wait!

[Caligastia]

To make things easier I thought it might be helpful if I posted a link to the old thread.

[academia]

Yep! i like the name of the new thread

[finbar]

Yep. Good title.

I see McCrae has grown up - his move to Gloucester has been delayed for at least another month after he was sent off playing for Sydney club Randwick. He called the touch judge a cheat.

It happened in club rugby on the weekend. I saw it. He was yellow carded by the ref for knocking the ball from an opponent's hands from an offside position. The decision was dodgy to say the least, but his response was immature to say the very least. He walked off the ground past the touchy, pointed at him and called him a cheat. The touchy immediately reported it to the ref, who called McCrae back and red carded him. Just to ice the cake, he got into an exchange of abuse with some oppo supporters as he walked along the fence to the dressing room.

Aside from the idiocy and irresponsibility, he could cost Randwick a club premiership. They're joint favourites for the title with the major preliminary and grand final matches left to play. Randwick have already lost a number of players to the Wallaby Cup squad and they couldn't afford to lose McCrae, which they now have.

It will barely interfere with his Gloucester appointment. He had another two weeks of finals matches here anyway.

[Caligastia]

What an arse!

[finbar]

It is, unfortunately, not a surprise. Gifted player, proven to be lacking in grey matter. Still, he will soon give Havak someone to hate at close quarters.

[Caligastia]

Jolly good, Havak needs more of those...

[Tamerlin]

Sorry, mon ami, every scrum on Saturday night was contested. True, they didn't crouch locked like a couple of copulating dogs for forty minutes, but then there was rugby to be played. - finbar

And they dare saying I am biased.

[finbar]

An outrageous accusation! The thought never crossed our minds!

And here's another one because we know you can't get enough of them:



And another one:

[Havak]

I see FFR has appeared under Tamerlin.

My dislike of Duncan McCrae is well founded - I've never seen anything like his assault on Ronan O'Gara in 2001 - a combination of 11 punches whilst he held the guys head to the ground with his other hand. And he then winked to the camera as he was dismissed from the field - what on earth was going through his mind?

But it goes back further than that - in his last abortive foray into our League with Saracens he was caught holding a player back by the shirt (as in a Warner brothers cartoon exagerated way) by Mr Johnson and cleared away by the same man. He then claimed his rib had been broken in the incident and that he would be out the game for 4-6 months. The very day after Mr Johnsons appeal against a four week suspension had been turned down, he ran back on the ptich for Saracens. It was somewhat less than 4 months. I don't think it was even one.

So no broken rib - and a fellow Professional is banned. And he got away with it!

So no loss at all to Australian rugby - just a shame he is being foisted on us. It will really help Gloucester clean their game up I don't think!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
The very day after Mr Johnsons appeal against a four week suspension had been turned down, he ran back on the ptich for Saracens. It was somewhat less than 4 months. I don't think it was even one.

Gee, you've been taking objectivity lessons from Tamerlin.

So no loss at all to Australian rugby - just a shame he is being foisted on us.

All part of a grand plan ... I shall say no more.

[flipside]

The problem here is that this guy has no respect for the "spirit" of the game. Callling officials "cheats", trying to get other players suspended............ Jeez.
I love the grey area of rugby, of trying to disrupt the oppposition , to impose your game on them, that is all part of the game. This is wrong.

[finbar]

Yep. And he's soon winging his way to play in England.

[Havak]

..again.

And I was being objective.

I was tempted to suggest he deliberately got a fellow player banned by faking an injury.

*Edit* I see Farr-Jones is tipping England. Thats torn it!

[Andydog]

Farr-Jones, conveniently stirring up the poo-pot at his book launch.

He says it's the "enormous pressure" that will choke the AB's. Well, the AB's have always been under enormous pressure to win the world cup. The difference is that this year we're putting in the most talented team we've had for a long long time. I’d say there’s more pressure on the England team to win this cup, judging from what their media are saying.