Rugby World Cup 2003 - The Rugby Widows Weep!

[Havak]

It is indeed.

I'm not a fan of it myself - give me a fine Brandy or a decent Islay or Speyside Malt anyday.

*edit* For Finbar when he starts his Wednesday. BBC reporter Jim Stokes had this to say about Luger-gate today. A bit pot and kettle to use the phrase arrogant if the Aussie press really did?

The Sydney press is going great guns on the Dan Luger incident.

So much so that they are convinced "arrogant England" should be severely punished for showing the contempt.

It has been even suggested they should be stripped of the points. Stir crazy that one.

Of course, Eddie Jones was quick off the mark as usual, never one to miss an opportunity to have a pop at opponents.

Poor Dan Luger. He was only told, or should I say, shoved onto the field by one of the England assistant coaches.

Maybe it should be him getting it in the neck.

[finbar]

Mr Abbott and M'sieur Costello, de nouveau.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
At least that was semi logical?

Truck and trailer is perfectly logical. In fact, given the size of the buggers doing the shepherding, it's probably the perfect image.

It’s an aspect of play that was so evidently missing in that NPC game I saw – and yet it is a fundamental of the game. The difference between hemispheres continues to astound me on this one

They're just different heritages. It astounded SH people for a very long time that England rarely ran with the ball. Until, of course, we realised they were neither fit nor imaginative enough.

But then you should be asleep now so I can tag Tamerlin in – he will no doubt still be awake when you next scan the thread.

Yes. Les cafards usually wait till it's nice and dark and quiet before they emerge to wreak their havoc. (Pun intended!)

The ultimate irony is surely though that Australia don’t use them simply because they can’t?

I prefer to think of it as the Wallabies preferring individual thought to mob mentality.

The last try ever scored from a maul by a Wallaby?

Even if it were, it sank you!

God that game plagues me – will no one rid me of those damn Australians of 91?

You had your chances! They were coughing it up all over the place. In fact, you had a glorious try opportunity with about a minute to go. Some England player with dark hair charged off with the ball, got himself isolated, to be dragged down from behind by John Eales. Turnover!

Mission for all other countries left in the mix – don’t let the buggers get into another final and steal it – it will haunt you for decades however many times you whip them between cups!

The only thing we have going for us is that we're underdogs, and that's when we perform best. OTOH, I honestly believe Eddie is going to make some fundamental selection errors via his inherent conservatism, in keeping with his obvious preference for the style of play that won the trophy in '99. The game has moved on since '99, and that style is now very easily stoppable.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


Replace "Australia" with "the Southern Hemisphere" (or "the heretics" for the sake of variety) and this is what I am hammering since several months.

And your charpenterie skills have improved out of sight.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
The urge to tease Havak is so strong that Finbar even goes out of his bed when he is looking a Rugby game just to post a few acrid sentences.

I have a simple motto - Never let the enemy die wondering.

[Tamerlin]

Hi Finbar, already up?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
You can take the man out of Australia - but you can't take Australia out of the man.

Re the latter - stop rubbing it in!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Hi Finbar, already up?

Bugger! It's M'sieur Costello! Still, at least he's going to have to work solo.

[Tamerlin]

Watch your words, I am the watchdog on duty tonight.

[finbar]

*edit* For Finbar when he starts his Wednesday. BBC reporter Jim Stokes had this to say about Luger-gate today. A bit pot and kettle to use the phrase arrogant if the Aussie press really did?

quote:
The Sydney press is going great guns on the Dan Luger incident.

So much so that they are convinced "arrogant England" should be severely punished for showing the contempt.

It has been even suggested they should be stripped of the points. Stir crazy that one.

Of course, Eddie Jones was quick off the mark as usual, never one to miss an opportunity to have a pop at opponents.

Poor Dan Luger. He was only told, or should I say, shoved onto the field by one of the England assistant coaches.

Maybe it should be him getting it in the neck.

Well, as I said, there is next to no concern about it in the media of which I take any notice. Check the Sydney Morning Herald's Rugby Heaven website. There was a small article in yesterday's paper reporting that the matter was being investigated. There was an article in this morning's paper quoting Clive saying they'd made a mistake and he had no idea how serious (or otherwise) it was. There hasn't been any editorialising.

Eddie Jones made only one comment. He was asked about it the next day, before anyone knew what exactly had happened. Which is basically what he said - he didn't know whether it was an official error or a management error, but every coach wants a replacement on the field ASAP and accidents can happen.

The only mention of it on Channel 7's nightly low-brow Rugby Clubhouse, which I've already reported, called it a trivial matter warranting a reprimand. Maybe something is being made of it in Murdoch's Telegraph, I don't know, I don't read it.

Frankly, I think Jim Stokes is doing some beating up himself for the benefit of an audience far removed from what is actually going on.

It's really very simple. It seems someone on the England bench told Luger to disobey the sideline official and go onto the field. If so, it obviously can't go unpunished. What that punishment might be is up to the IRB.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Watch your words, I am the watchdog on duty tonight.

M-hm. You're straight off to the vet for a minor but crucial bit of surgery around the aine region.

[finbar]

Mmmmm. Pretty fierce watchdog. One mention of a trip to the vet for the operation and he scarpered with his tail between his legs.

[Havak]

Yes, well the British Bulldog woke up eventually.

Sosene Anesi. Samoan by both parentage and birth. Turned down a call from Michael Jones earlier this week to represent his country ‘because he had already talked to the NZ Union’. Jones said he was disappointed but as ‘Education seemed to be part of the deal’ he could understand the players decision. He then re-iterated his request to the IRB to help smaller nations without understanding the irony that his wearing the black hastened the situation the Islands now face.

Now I can sit back and expect more defence of the indefensible?

Okay Finbar – everything you wrote about the Luger incident was sensible. But let me point you to part of the media you may have missed and give you the words of wisdom of an ‘Aussie’ player, Toutai Kefu.

”The World Cup organisers need to show courage over England's extra-man scandal and strip the Poms of their points, It makes no difference that the English sent out Dan Luger at the tail-end of the game when the result was already decided. The bottom line is that rules are rules. Even worse, England defied a tournament official. That's the key issue here. The English are always arrogant. Go back in history, look at the English Army. Who goes to war wearing red coats? To suggest nothing should be done is a joke.”

Said to the Sydney Daily Telegraph apparently. This really isn’t helpful Finbar – and its overtly racist as well. Had it been written by Austin about Aussies your nation would want blood. Well I want blood here – we Poms are totally ****** off with your coaches and players opening their mouths at will and spouting racist ****. Lets hope for once the ARU has the courage to distance itself from this crap?

Should the IRB decide to deduct points we’ll have to live with it – but no Aussie player is going to dictate it.

Hell I know it’s not your fault Finbar – but Kefu really has annoyed me here. I roundly condemned the more extreme views Austin offered two years ago – and he was disciplined quite severely by the Lions authorities for them too. At the same time Burke and Gregan wer not even spoken to by the ARU for comments that ranked on a similar level. I want to see some sense that Australia are prepared to stamp on this kind of thing too. A futile hope sadly?

They're just different heritages

Who invented the game? The only heritage that counts is right there surely!

I prefer to think of it as the Wallabies preferring individual thought to mob mentality.

Yes but we both know the truth don’t we?

Even if it were, it sank you!

June 2000. Last time you beat us. Just for reference.

Some England player with dark hair charged off with the ball, got himself isolated, to be dragged down from behind by John Eales. Turnover!

I think that may have been the great Rory Underwoood – best amateur player ever – but what chance did he have against the consummate Professional ‘Nobody’.

I still like John Eales – anaylsis on Neil Back aside – great player and usually diplomatic with the use of his mouth. Plus he is a mate of Jonno. I’ll allow him one led by the nose transgression on Aussie TV.

Now lets talk 95 and a shambolic Aussie side that could not beat the worst England side ever to go into an RWC. Rob Andrew kicked you out the tournament for god’s sake!

The only thing we have going for us is that we're underdogs, and that's when we perform best

Anyone would be a fool to write off Australia. I for one would not be surprised to see you derail NZ and I sure don’t fancy you in the final.

Of course we may meet NZ first after IRB Commissioner Kefu says that an onfield penalty offence should now result in a reversal of the points from the game. It wouldn’t hurt to see proof that as well as demanding blood you can discipline your own gobby players. Tell Toutai not to pack his bags for here anytime soon – he isn’t welcome. And my opinion on that is the least extreme of the reaction I’ve seen so far this morning.

Re the latter - stop rubbing it in!

It’s my last ditch recourse against you!

*edit* Apparently the same paper has an article claiming the Irish are going to 'surrender' to Australia. It's your equivalent of The Sun isn't it - i.e. toilet paper?

You may beat Ireland, you may thrash them - but no Ireland team will ever 'surrender' to you.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Mmmmm. Pretty fierce watchdog. One mention of a trip to the vet for the operation and he scarpered with his tail between his legs.

A very interesting article about the battle of Stalingrad deterred me from my duty before I fell asleep.

[Havak]

Okay the results are in. 100% of English respondents to my survey say Kefu should be shot at dawn by men in red coats.

An on field penalty offence by the laws - and we now face possible deduction of points. You can tell it's England in the dock not Australia or NZ.