Rugby World Cup 2003 - The Rugby Widows Weep!

[Caligastia]

Could someone do me a favor and PM me the current pool table for the RWC? I would get it myself, but I don't want to see results that will spoil the next few games I'm watching. I'll wait a few days to look at what you send me, of course.

Thanks.

[Havak]

Not sure exactly what you are asking for Caligastia - it's pretty easy to go to Planet Rugby, click RWC2003 and the 'Pools' tab to see latest standings without seeing any results...

[FrustratedPoet]

PM him Havak. He's not reading this thread, remember?

[Havak]

Ah well we all make mistakes - guess that was my 16th man on the field...

[Caligastia]

I see you sent me a PM Havak, thanks.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
But it is Wales Tamerlin. You can’t make me support Wales?

I thought that for the English the ultimate villains were the scottish!

Is it me – or does Finbar keep signing off for the day only to sally back with something he forgot?

He is studying his "petit ophrys".

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Hmmmm, not exactly... I don't have the time to find the French colloquialism (as I am going out to play Tennis)

A-ha! So this is where Yannick Noah retired to!

[Tamerlin]

Sh**, I don't need a pseudo anymore...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Luger rapped over the knuckles for being stupid – the guilty member of coaching staff sent home on the next flight. The team fined. Anything more is OTT.

I think probably fines all round for the actual infringement. But I suspect the fitness adviser could be in bigger trouble. See below.

It was the fitness coach Dave Reddin apparently – who doubles as the replacement official for us. It’s hard to see what happened but apparently after the game there was huge argument between him, the fourth official (Kiwi Steve Walsh) and the IRB touchline monitor for the game (Brett Bowden).

Apparently it became physical, with Reddin laying hands on Steve Walsh, who had been in charge of the Samoan bench. Reports suggest that Walsh told Reddin either that he didn't know the laws, or that he should learn the laws. Reddin got physical. It could be curtains for Mr Reddin.

Oh, I have it on very good authority that the incident would have gone totally unnoticed except for Totai Kefu happening to be loitering in the tunnel listening to the fourth race at Dapto Greyhounds. He immediately got onto his direct line to the IRB and dobbed in Mr Reddin. The IRB, grateful to Totai, having already only acted on the 16th Man matter after reading his comments in The Telegraph, rewarded Totai with an English-Japanese dictionary.

They played very poorly – but I’m not sure I’d call it surrender as such.

By Irish standards, it was surrender.

And Ireland with Keith Wood is a different prospect – they miss him like we miss Jonno.

Yes, and if Blamey had had 1,000,000 more troops he wouldn't have surrendered Singapore to the Japanese.

Foxsports have an “ancient sporting history” channel?

No, I think they just have a programmer with a sense of humour. And speaking of which, J**** showed up his coach for the humourless obsessive that he is in this morning's press. Clive was rueing that 99.9% of Australians were fantastic but that one or two idiots ruin it, and the English had to understand that Australians really did like Englishmen. J**** did a quick mental calculation, working out that .1% of the Australian population represented about 20,000 people, so Clive, in fact, thought there were 20,000 idiots ruining it. J**** then went on to nail the fundamental point that Clive misses. It's a cultural thing. Australians don't beat around the bush. They say what's on their mind, whereas the English, in J****'s words, "pussyfoot around", indicating that he actually liked the Australian approach. "We're always going to cop a lot of flak, we're Australia and England, aren't we? It seems to go with the territory."

Whether or not he really does like the Australian approach, or whether or not he was simply cleaning up after his coach, is neither here not there. At least he grasps the fundamental cultural difference which his coach obviously doesn't. Behind that single solitary eyebrow lurks a brain.

It wouldn’t be France if the team didn’t pause for ten minutes in a half to have a cigarette and a glass of wine.

Will you stop rubbing it in that I'm trapped here!

I do over use Sarcasm at times. I think I was trying to highlight the irony of an Aussie sportsman calling the English arrogant too.

Um. Were you? You might like to have another shot at it.

Is it me – or does Finbar keep signing off for the day only to sally back with something he forgot?

I came back last night only because FoxSports weren't showing England yet again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Sh**, I don't need a pseudo anymore...

So, Yannick, how's petit Henri Leconte these days?

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
So, Yannick, how's petit Henri Leconte these days?

Not so bad for someone who barely has the IQ necessary for breathing.

I really wonder how this bastard managed to marry such a charming lady.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


Not so bad for someone who barely has the IQ necessary for breathing.

I was asking about petit Henri Leconte, not Austin Healey.

*penny drops*

Oh! So petit Henri's as brainless as Austin? Good grief. Let's hope they don't breed.

I really wonder how this bastard managed to marry such a charming lady.

I gather she thought very highly of you, but in the end, she opted for his petiteness. Oh, and his money.

*itching to get his mitts on his Petit Ophrys*

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Havak
Now I can sit back and expect more defence of the indefensible?

Mais oui, bien sur.

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.”

I laughed out loud at that. Thankfully I'd just put my coffee down.
You might be joke about double digit IQ's but I rather suspect he'd be lucky to make it that high.



OTOH of course, it could've been regarded a great deal more seriously - IIRC a similar situation in last years soccer WC cost a team the full points allocation for the match (although I can't for the life of me remember which game it was. ).
I think it was probably the Samoans ambivalent attitude towards the whole incident that helped. News coverage showed a few of them at the airport the next day. They knew exactly how well they'd played.

Hmm.. check, check, check and check – yep beaten all them last time out.

And last time out is where it counts of, course.

Apparently it became physical, with Reddin laying hands on Steve Walsh, who had been in charge of the Samoan bench. Reports suggest that Walsh told Reddin either that he didn't know the laws, or that he should learn the laws. Reddin got physical. It could be curtains for Mr Reddin.

I hadn't heard anything that serious. If "laying hands" means a poke in the chest or somesuch then the guy might be back I suppose. Probably not otherwise. After that incident with a Bok fan in SA last year there's almost no way they'd go easy on anybody getting physical. Team members least of all.

[NeoStar]

Dear oh dear.

That last England game didn't look good for Wilkinson - his first few misses reminded me quite vividly of the final Lions v Wallabies game. Anyone remember him in that?

Of course that means it looks good for Australia - and to think I'd been worried we weren't up to scratch coming into the cup

Can't wait for South Africa and Samoa to play...anyone brave enough to bet on you-know-who? It could be repeat of the first WC we had this year...

[Havak]

I thought that for the English the ultimate villains were the scottish!

Not in Rugby – though you may be right in terms of historical conflict. Seems like they were over the borders every five minutes then blaming the English for everything going wrong. No change there then.

Mind you France didn’t respect the ‘Auld Alliance’ with Scotland much last weekend did they?

Reddin got physical. It could be curtains for Mr Reddin.

If this is true it has to be – and rightfully so. I have no problem with it. I may utter a little prayer that Walsh gets booted for retaliation too – he won’t be missed for his ‘great’ refereeing that’s for sure.

Frankly though I don’t trust Bowden at all. His neutrality in the incident is hugely in doubt.

The IRB, grateful to Totai, having already only acted on the 16th Man matter after reading his comments in The Telegraph, rewarded Totai with an English-Japanese dictionary.

Creative writers eh? What should we do with them?

By Irish standards, it was surrender.

They are completely out matched against you – and you have the ammunition of the rankings to spur the boys on. But you know what – I still sneakily fancy their chances.

No, I think they just have a programmer with a sense of humour

An Australian sense of humour as in not actually funny to anyone else at all?

Behind that single solitary eyebrow lurks a brain.

I have been saying this for some time.

I’m sure he does like the Aussie way of speaking – it matches his preference if you watch him on the field and in interviews.

The fact remains what you paint as a huge strength – straight talking – is also frequently tactless and rude – significant weaknesses. I am sure you realise it holds your politicians back on the world stage as they don’t conform to the expected niceties (remember the royal shoulder squeezer)? I loved having banter with straight talking Aussies out there – but there’s a sizeable proportion who give but cannot themselves take such straight talking. You should have sent the fight when I suggested John Eales was not in fact the second coming.

Will you stop rubbing it in that I'm trapped here!

Plenty of chances around the world for script work surely?

You might like to have another shot at it.

Really? Okay. It is hugely hypocritical for the country than imposed Campo and Gregan and Burke (amongst numerous others) on the world to call any other Rugby playing side ‘arrogant’.

I came back last night only because FoxSports weren't showing England yet again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

Well rest easy – it is starting to look like the points deduction is being seriously considered. The entire SH should be ashamed of itself if it has to defeat teams off the field like this.

England commit an on field penalty offence and the result of the pool is proposed to be artificially changed. It so ludicrous it would be laughable if it wasn’t true.

I think it was probably the Samoans ambivalent attitude towards the whole incident that helped

They were extremely sporting all around – and a hugely physical game was very ‘clean’. I suspect they may be invited to tour here fairly soon – and assisted to do so probably.

But the fundamental point remains an on field penalty offence cannot reverse the result of a game in disciplinary committee – it makes a mockery of the game of Rugby. Consider a final where NZ have won by two clear tries but do the same – and on appeal France are awarded the final – how ludicrous is it?

The other thing that bother me is I have watched it again and at no point are XVI men on the field on play. It’s a technical infringement – Tindall is outside the touchlines receiving treatment, Luger comes on and immediately gives away a penalty for entering a ruck from the side. The penalty has not been taken, Tindall walks back on, Luger gets sent packing. The more you see it the more suspicious of Bowden you have to be – is he Eddie Jones Brother in Law?

And last time out is where it counts of, course.

I wouldn’t say that – but it’s hard to know what else to use as a guide?

After that incident with a Bok fan in SA last year there's almost no way they'd go easy on anybody getting physical

Can I remind you then that the punishment that moron received was hardly extreme.

his first few misses reminded me quite vividly of the final Lions v Wallabies game. Anyone remember him in that?

No – the ARU made damn sure we were too far away from the pitch to recognise individuals. Except Plank.

Of course that means it looks good for Australia

It always did! Home advantage, poor form, agents everywhere trying to screw the other big side – everything is tailor made for them to win.

Must grab my red coat and head home now, so toodle pip and chocks away old boys.