Rugby World Cup 2003 - Crunch Time!

[Tamerlin]

Just to irk him profusely.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Just to irk him profusely.

Why should today be different?

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare

A nice little bourrage de crâne in case he didn't get your point?

No, he just ran out of ideas.

[Tamerlin]

Pension Tamerlin is closed...

[finbar]

But I have une clé!

[Frozzy]

[finbar]

Okay, I'll have a copy cut for you!

[Frozzy]

Quelle suprise!

[Andydog]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
When I am saying that your forwards will get "slaughtered" I am speaking about the scrums and mauls and this is at the same time a feeling and a wish as I would like the whole SH to be reminded that scrums are meant to be pushed and are a very important phase of the game, and that the game is not limited to running everywhere at the fastest speed.

Fair enough. I hereby agree that if NZ try to take it to England in the scrum we'll struggle.

They wil be slaughtered...

They wil be slaughtered... They wil be slaughtered... They wil be slaughtered... They wil be slaughtered... They wil be slaughtered... They wil be slaughtered... They wil be slaughtered...

Even in Tamerlin's dreams that broken record gets stuck!

[Tamerlin]

I will not tell you what I have dreamt of tonight... you would be horrified.

[Caligastia]

I was watching the Canterbury/Wellington Ranfurly Shield match and started to get bored about 15 minutes before the game was due to end because Wellington were playing like crap and were down 38-10. Suddenly, they exploded with a plethora of tries, and ended up drawing with Canterbury 38 all!

Definitely one of the most amazing comebacks I've ever seen. Pity it didn't win the the shield.

[Havak]

“The truth is, we don't know how to run a railway. Thank you.”

Now on this we can probably agree. I’d love them to be that honest. Public transport in the UK is absolutely awful. Don’t forget as your train was over twenty minutes late arriving you can claim half the fare back. Bet it will make you feel better?

All I'm saying is that ours aren't the walkovers that you and Tamerlin make them out to be.

Now don’t tell anyone this will you – but there’s an element of pure mischief in my doing that.

Perhaps if I’m clearer – when I talk in terms of your forwards not impressing me (beyond certain named individuals like McCaw and Jack) the frame of reference I have to use is our forwards. I’m not comparing them to Havaks over 35 Vets side. They are clearly all talented players – but the direct comparison is sometimes tough. Similarly your point about Thompson is fair – he couldn’t hit a barn door sometimes and that holds back how highly one can rate him as a hooker. He is a barnstorming player around the paddock however – very much in the mold you are rating Mealamu.

As for Sydney – well we have to get their first. But the age and fitness of our pack may surprise you. Flatman, Vickery, Thompson and Moody are all young guys…and only Thompson figured in NZ in June.

As good as Robinson and Cohen are, against us they ain't going to have the luxury of the gaps that the French gave them!

I never thought they would.

Both guys are super finishers never the less – you can’t let your guard down. And Lewsey is faster than either of them.

Our weakness remains the centres for me – Greenwood can be mercurial at times but Tindall is very one dimensional indeed. I have no doubt this is where the Abs would target us to stifle ball reaching the quick guys.

it irks me that everyone here seems to think that yours will "slaughter" ours, as Tamerlin puts it. They won't.

Tamerlin sometimes lets his passion run away with him.

Do I seriously expect to put the ABs away by fifty (my definition of slaughter) – of course not. I expect a closely contested and hopefully excellent game of rugby. I want England to be victorious of course – I’m not budging on that one!

The dynamic remains fascinating – pack versus backs, unpredicatable talent (Carlos) versus total reliability (Wilko)…really hope it comes down to the final we might be expecting.

We need to stop you punching holes if we can, and we need to win and get that pill out quick smart.

The former is a challenge – the latter is perhaps the most interesting point of all as the old master (Backy) fights with the young buck (McCaw). I like McCaw – he has the best points of a combined Backy and Moody. But then Moodys job will be to clear McCaw out…again it’s something to really look forward to.

Go into a pub and start talking, then watch the kiwis flock to you and your accent whose bothered to fly all that way to visit them. You'll love it!

It’s on my list for sure – Lions 2005 was a possibility until it was pointed out to me it’s in your winter, your winters are apparently not nice, and that the country didn’t have a very big ‘pub per head of pop’ ratio and may not be best geared for 20000 brits on the lamb at one go. Have I been misinformed?

And the big, old men are going to suffer even more.

Half the pack will be mid twenties hopefully – and Jonno is beyond mere mortal concerns like fatigue surely?

And maybe it is time for that hoary old chestnut too…

Interesting to see Caligastia reporting that huge comeback. I have one to relate myself. At 40 minutes on Friday night Tigers were trailing Newcastle 18-3 and I was not a happy man at all. We managed to scrape a scrappy try via the Italian lad pez and went in at 18-10 – but without me having much hope as the Falcons had done us up front and exposed the fan defence badly on several occasions. Imagine my surpise then that in the fsecond half we scored 15 points before any reply from them and the game ended up 28-21 to Tigers as late penalties were traded.

The key to it? We scored a pushover try shortly after the break (so were still behind at that point) and Mark Andrews totally lost his discipline and got himself rapidly carded. He was quickly followed by another of their players as their team discipline went out the window (followed by various rattles). It was truly bizarre – but quite good fun in way as Rob Andrew was visibly furious!

[finbar]

Phew. Gloucester finally won a game, too. Although I might have to transfer my allegiance to a certain other club as soon as a certain feisty ex-Waratah fly half gets there.

Oh, and for Havak's benefit, in addition to the forthcoming World Conker Champsionships in Northampton, bound to be won by a Pom, the World Black Pudding Throwing Championship has just been staged in Manchester. Won, of course, by a Pom, against competition from Turkey, Australia, New Zealand and Mongolia. So, Havak, just to save you the time and trouble:

[Havak]

It was Saracens that Gloucester buried in the rout you refer to - so my advice is keep your money where it is. Particularly as McCrae is arriving only as back up to the incumbent (Andy Goode - formerly of Tigers).

Actually Finbar you should like Andy Goode - he bailed on Tigers after the Mouth decided he wanted to play Fly Half.

Black pudding - food of the gods. But then it's not exclusively English - try getting an Irish breakfast without it (or indeed the rather stranger white pudding).

So the Argies have landed - what price they win their opening game?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak

Actually Finbar you should like Andy Goode - he bailed on Tigers after the Mouth decided he wanted to play Fly Half.

Arise Sir Andy Goode!

Black pudding - food of the gods. But then it's not exclusively English - try getting an Irish breakfast without it (or indeed the rather stranger white pudding).

My grandmother used to eat Black Pudding! Hideous stuff!

So the Argies have landed - what price they win their opening game?

Mmmmm. It wouldn't surprise me in the least.

The Scots arrived today. Half of them seem to be Australian. Well, mild exaggeration. It was reported they've been training in a glasshouse to try to acclimatise themselves. Presumably they weren't practising their passing.

Oh, and I resisted the urge to craft something along the lines of living in them and stone throwing.