Rugby World Cup 2003 - The Rugby Widows Weep!

[Mickeyj]

Originally posted by ravagon


Bok, Kiwi and Aussie immigrants want to play for England?
Sounds like you've take a poll with all of the participants consisting of inebriated Southern hemisphere backpackers in lieu of immigrants ...

Hic!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by ravagon
* ravagon makes another blatantly obvious effort to pull Tamerlin into the fray *

[Havak]

As far as I am concerned I think this is a shame they have changed to numbers as they have thrown away a century old tradition to satisfy those that are striving to standardize everything.

TV. Southern Hemisphere. Take your pick. It was done because it was felt Joe Q Public would be confused unless he consistently saw 1-15 on shirts. As you say a long tradition for both ourselves and Bristol swept away in the name of growing the sport – a sacrifice we had to reluctantly accept. Jonno is still the D shirt to me however.

You're a very slow learner, J****.

If you read what he is saying he is absolutely right – it was yourself who specifically brought hands in the ruck into the equation. He knows he would get pinged up here for that. He’s talking about the Maul killing crap like ‘truck and trailer’ – and frankly only the SH could come up with such a lame name for anything. Kaplan got this one wrong – totally wrong – and was clearly reffing the game to Eddie Jones instructions.

What a powerful little coach you have when he is dictating to referees? And well as they played are you trying to tell me there were no hands in the ruck from Samoa? When he bothered looking towards blue even Kaplan issued one or two warnings that way.

Regardless, the consensus here is that it will probably only result in a reprimand. The Samoans don't want the matter taken any further.

It wouldn’t matter to me if they did – it’s not a points docking offence. Storm in a bleeding tea cup – wouldn’t even be an investigation were it a SANZAR nation I bet. Strange isn’t it that Samoa and England have come out of this with mutual respect and it is the Aussie media that is apparently behaving disgracefully – it’s being widely reported here that the Aussie media has gone rabid – any truth in that?

Who was it yesterday who said Clive didn’t praise Samoa post game? Quite wrong – I watched his post match interview again last night and he praised them to the hilt. It’s easy to see how the wrong impression can become so easily entrenched.

Wonderful, good humoured atmosphere, apparently.

Absolute proof that the Wallabies are not involved then.

(sorry – could not resist that!)

before retiring to a backroom and changing all of the respondees 'preferred country' answers to "England", cackling inanely all the while

You know that’s not a bad account of what happened. Except I didn’t need to change the responses too radically.

I'm glad to hear it. Provided of course that those who weren't 'English born-and-bred' aren't excluded because of it.

And the circle turns back to the start.

It did, of course, occur to you that having a single English parent meant also having a non-English parent?

Never assume anything – I could have a double figure IQ for all you know.

Yes the parental wriggle cuts both ways. But I’m fairly sure the Samoan brothers have not used this method anyway.

Note: Certain English pundits have a tendency to interpret this latter choice as the player in question 'not being good enough to wear the white'

Oh guilty as charged. But it seems to rather mirror the attitude to kilted/pasta/shamrock/camombert kiwis I think?

Okay now you can wipe all the sarcasm off your screen.

Heck no – it was beautifully done and worth preserving.

I’ve always wondered what you thought of the deserter who went the other way – that promising but unfulfilled young hooker (Paul?).

The difference is that there are large Island communities in NZ. Mayhaps those Islanders playing for NZ are playing for them when they play for the AB's?

Come again? I was not claiming Islanders were not nationalistic. But what difference again – there are almost as many Irish nationals in the Home counties as in Dublin!

MJ briefly refers to the dangle of the black shirt in his face in one of his books – the one after the Lions tour of 2001 I think.

And could you please stop using Wilko in your arguments – cut him through the middle and you will find the red rose just like his brother. Use an example I wouldn’t care about losing. Mark Regan for example – or ‘Bath Reject’ as I prefer to call him. I’d pay you to discover he was Scottish.

ravagon makes another blatantly obvious effort to pull Tamerlin into the fray[

I think he is largely on your side on this one anyway. Of course the French squad is not bad – perhaps as many as 27 of them were born French?

And if you need motivation - picture how unbearable he's going to be if they get their act together and win the bloody thing!

Priceless stuff!

But I think you are safe at the moment. Ask me after the weekend. If Wales beat NZ then I’m going to get worried.

I may sidestep – but when tackled firmly and fairly I put my hands up. The parental wriggle cuts both ways – that’s a fair cop. Clearly anyone not choosing England is ‘not good enough to wear the white’. Or doesn’t like bitter.

I wonder if you would run through the Italian line up for me Finbar – I spotted at least two pasta Kiwi’s and a couple of Argentinians (including the fly half) when they played Wales. And I think Stoica the centre is Romanian. They might be the most ethnically diverse side in the cup?

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
I think he is largely on your side on this one anyway. Of course the French squad is not bad – perhaps as many as 27 of them were born French?

They are all playing in the French Championship and thus for the color of the Fédération Française de Rugby.

[Havak]

A nice simple answer. And one that if applied to England lets us instantly pick Kronfeld and Gibson.

Hmm - it may have some merit.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
A nice simple answer. And one that if applied to England lets us instantly pick Kronfeld and Gibson.

Hmm - it may have some merit.

You can take Castaignède if you want...

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
A nice simple answer. And one that if applied to England lets us instantly pick Kronfeld...

Is Kronfeld playing for the RFU for more than three years?

Hasn't Josh Kronfled played for the AB?

Even if you are playing for your current federation you must respect the basic rules...

[Havak]

Just coming up to three years - and unless you have worn the white why should previous shirts come into it. He clearly only played for them becuase he had not realised he was really English at that time?

Who is this following gentleman btw Tamerlin? He keeps cropping up!

France's assistant coach Jacques Brunel said: "Apart from Jason Robinson, England lack real speed on the burst. They are just like a diesel car or a tractor. Watching them lose their composure against Samoa was good news for all the other teams in the World Cup.”

Has he never watched Balshaw and Lewsey then – or even the loose forward Moody. tractors indeed!
He certainly lacks the class shown by Will Greenwood when the press boys asked him to respond to it.

"I guess it's time for us to put on the tin hats again and battle on. We may not be the flashiest team in world rugby but we are consistent and unbeaten so far. If this bloke thinks we are tractors, then we are tractors. We decided before we got here to concentrate on the rugby. If other people choose to wage a World Cup in print and over the airways that's up to them."

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
France's assistant coach Jacques Brunel said: "Apart from Jason Robinson, England lack real speed on the burst. They are just like a diesel car or a tractor. Watching them lose their composure against Samoa was good news for all the other teams in the World Cup.”

Jacques Brunel seems to be part of the people that have brainfades when they are in front of a microphone... IMO Will Greenwood's answer is very classical and very propaganda like.

Nothing to worry about, united we stand against the heretics.

[Tamerlin]

There is only one game broadcasted in France before Friday... Canada - Tonga.

[Havak]

Solidarity against the heretics is going to be important I feel - poor Uruguay just got done for 'truck and trailer' too. The taint of the SH is ever growing...

[finbar]

Uruguay 24 -d- Georgia 12

In front of 28,500 at the Sydney Football Stadium. Not far short of capacity. Uruguay just too strong and marginally more skilled. Strange that they don't seem to have any backs. Or if they do, they're rarely sighted. Some very ugly rucking from a couple of the Uruguayans that is bound to tickle the judiciary's fancy. There's also a rumor that the Uruguayans are changing their names to have lots of i's and apostrophes in them on the basis that England struggles against names they can't pronounce.

On a semi-related matter, two Argentinian props have been cited out of the Ireland game. One, I think, for having a crack at Mr Potato's eyes. Now there's a gag for the vegetable growers amongst you.

[FrustratedPoet]

Originally posted by finbar
Uruguay 24 -d- Georgia 12

In front of 28,500 at the Sydney Football Stadium.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Solidarity against the heretics is going to be important I feel - poor Uruguay just got done for 'truck and trailer' too. The taint of the SH is ever growing...

Oddly enough, it's in the Laws under Obstruction.

It is a form of obstruction. The front player deliberately runs interference ahead of the ball-carrier, shielding the ball-carrier.

This usually happens when a maul splinters.

This is not a scrum but a penalty kick for obstruction.

I've scrolled through tonight's posts. I need to go and have a strong G&T before I attempt another run through. I couldn't take the run of Mr Abbott and M'sieur Costello sober.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
There is only one game broadcasted in France before Friday... Canada - Tonga.

It's all you deserve! Anyway, there are bound to be a couple of grenouille-speakers amongst the Maple Leaves!