Rugby World Cup 2003 - The Rugby Widows Weep!

[Havak]

My source was impeccable - the BBC. For all it's faults I trust it to quote accurately.

Interestingly Collins wears one of the few shirts where I would rate the Welsh incumbent as probably the better player - bit I suspect one out of 22 may not be enough?

*Edit* You know what I got that wrong - Sidoli in the second row is more than a match for Mr Williams. 2 out of 22. Nice odds.

[Tamerlin]

No one talked about Canada - Tonga, has someone seen the game?

[Andydog]

Originally posted by Havak
My source was impeccable - the BBC. For all it's faults I trust it to quote accurately.

Interesting that. Ever heard of David Long? He's a respected NZ Journalist. Now I've already had my fix of pommy bashing for one day, but this is what he had to say about the pommy Journos in his 'World Cup Diary’ column:

English players and coaches are often accused of being arrogant, but I've come to the conclusion that it's not them who are the arrogant ones, but the journalists who follow them.

English rugby journalists are a very tight knit group who rarely socialise with media from other countries.

They are all, without exception, middle class and probably public school educated and take great enjoyment out of asking 'clever' questions to the players.

They also help build up the siege mentality in the England players by picking up any minor criticism of the England team, multiplying it and asking questions like "how do you cope with the constant attacks from Australasian journalists?"

Another question that got up my goat was when Jason Robinson was asked, "how many tries would England have scored if South Africa didn't keep using illegal tactics."

I considered asking, "how many tries would the Springboks have scored if England players didn't tackle South African players without the ball?" But I decided not to in the end.

See Havak? No wonder you get so wound up by the BBC.

[Havak]

Actually I think he illustrates beautifully why I trust the BBC more than Australasian journos. Pure conjecture and unattributed accusations were all I saw there - did you think I was meant to be blown away by the 'substance' of his allegations?

A piece like that needs Names to the quotes dear boy - identifiers if you like! Without them it's nothing but meaningless hearsay.

Oh and please define the parameters too - what is 'middle class' and how stupid is it to say 'probably' all public school educated? I absolutely guarantee to you that he is substantially wrong on both counts (our tabloids are out there in force after all as witnessed by the question he related).

What kind of educated journalistic says 'got up my goat' incidentally? And ultimately what kind of decent journalistic chokes and doesn't ask his end question - any self respecting Brit would have.

He puts your own team under the spotlight as well does he? Asks Doug how many tries he would have scored if England were not slowing down ball illegally? To which a disgruntled Brit journalist would ask how many fewer tries would Doug score if he received ball whilst actually onside.

Great fun - keep 'em coming.

[LDiCesare]

I didn't see Canada-Tonga (obviously, Tamerlin), but read that the Tongans wer outclassed and a bit brutal. Charron was hurt, and they got at least one yellow card.

On a sidenote, Romania crushed Namibia 37-7 (32-0 at half time). Poor Namibians.

I'll be watching France tomorrow fearing that Yachvili might be able to get us a loss. He's not alone, though, but the team never played together, and may suffer too many fades for our own good. (this won't make a good workday for me but well...)

Havak, it's totally impossible to support the Welsh against NZ unless you're Welsh. They'll be totally crushed.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
No one talked about Canada - Tonga, has someone seen the game?

Yes, I saw quite a bit of the first half and the last 20 minutes. Good contest. I have to disagree about the Tongans being outclassed. They had enough of the ball in good attacking situations, but they were hopeless in the finishing department. The Canadian defence also stood up well. Ultimately, the Canadians were simply fitter than the Tongans and finished the game too strongly.

Skipper Al Chiron was carried off in a bad way after he was hit with a shoulder in the face. He took the ball, turned, ducked, and ran straight into the Tongan #10's shoulder. It was all such a flurry of movement that it was hard to tell, even in slow motion replay, whether it was a shoulder charge. I suspect it probably was. The Tongan didn't look like he planned using his arms in the tackle. Another Tongan was yellow carded for a very late shoulder charge on one of the Canadian players after he'd disposed of the ball. Those incidents aside, it was a relatively clean game.

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare

On a sidenote, Romania crushed Namibia 37-7 (32-0 at half time). Poor Namibians.

Yes, I watched the hour highlights package. The Namibians were never in the race. Romania was too big, too strong, and - relatively speaking - had too much skill. Still, at least the Namibian player who had represented his country at the Cricket World Cup took the field in the second half, meaning he has now represented his country in two sports.

The match was played in Tasmania, where there is only a very small local rugby comp, but a capacity crowd - 18,000 - turned out to watch the game. It was very well promoted.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Great fun - keep 'em coming.

Okay.

Hair-brained scheme

England coach Clive Woodward is an odd-bod. His latest brain twister is not letting photographers shoot from behind him at media conferences. At some press conferences, he actually ropes off the area behind him. Why? A bald spot at the back of his head? Worried about being back stabbed in the back? A visual awareness exercise? No-one in the UK media knows. We'll continue our investigation.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
If you have seen the game you also know Argentina could have won and that it couldn't have been considered as a theft.

My point, exactly. I saw the whole game.

You like to live dangerously.

So I can tell my step daughter you're 185cm, 95kg, with the looks of a young Jean Paul Belmondo?

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
So I can tell my step daughter you're 185cm, 95kg, with the looks of a young Jean Paul Belmondo?

You can always tell her so... but if you tell her that I am 180cm, 60kg, not so good looking as Jean-Paul Belmondo (though I am much younger than him) and that I am currently unemployed you would be closer to the truth.


Though it is closer to the truth I think that the above sentence also makes me an immediate candidate for a move backwards to the second division of would be step son-in-law.

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Havak

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 I heard this morning that they're facing a 25k dollar fine and a 2 match suspension for the guy responsible. No points penalty.
I was still half though so I may be mistaken.


[Edit: As has been pointed out already. Should have read the rest of the thread more carefully. ]

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?

I disagree here. Imagine if England were playing a SH team with 16 players on the field for a significant portion of the match?
(And before you ask whether a SH ref counts - no he doesn't!)
The player doesn't need to score or do anything in particular, but he may still be marked whereas another player who happens to score isn't.
It'd be a completely unfair advantage with no way out but to impose a penalty off-field.
Given this you need to draw a line somewhere. ie: What period of play constitutes significant?
Englands relatively minor breach probably shouldn't have reversed a result but then it was a pretty close game...

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

True, but then he was a fan and the IRB was rather limited in what they could impose. A ban on Officials/players who did the same would have a far far greater effect.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin

Though it is closer to the truth I think that the above sentence also makes me an immediate candidate for a move backwards to the second division of would be step son-in-law.

On the contrary, a marriage of convenience is looking more and more on the cards!

[Tamerlin]

If I tell you I am 36 years old and that I am still playing Role Playing Games or Wargames (you know the games in which you push little counters on a map) I hope it discredits me enough.

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
If I tell you I am 36 years old and that I am still playing Role Playing Games or Wargames (you know the games in which you push little counters on a map)

If only I still had the time ...

[Tamerlin]

You can't have a job, have a girlfriend and keep playing RPG and Wargames... it's like wanting the butter, the money of the butter and to f*** the dairywomen.

To feel secure I have renounced both.