Rugby World Cup 2003 - Finals!

[LDiCesare]

Back on Apolyton after a busy week...
BAck to my claim: about the French playing with 14 players only, it was an injury replacement of a lock, therefore the game should have been stopped. This is still no excuse for Ibanez's silly move.

I agree with Tamerlin about math being given too much importance, though it played to my advantage. For me the problem is that too many people at work write sentences with grammatical errors instead of words. Most people don't seem to understand how much this can get on my nerves, but those people are writing software, and unable to speak in their native language. How can you expect them to write in a foreign, artificial (computer) language and not commit bugs? Or, worse, get themselves understood when they ask someone to do something? And then, we often get powerpoint slides written in English by people who aren't even able to write French, and these are reminiscent of the performance of the wallaby front row in a scrum.

[Myrddin]

powerpoint slides written in English by people who aren't even able to write French, and these are reminiscent of the performance of the wallaby front row in a scrum

Quote of the season

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Partly true for sure. Here at least it is also partly tribal identity – areas define themselves through their interpretation of our language. I have had to translate for both Geordies and Scots in Sydney –it’s not just accent a lot of the words and phrases are unique variations.

That's a bit different. Dialect differences are fine. In fact, they're wonderful, and must be preserved, I think.

It’s wisely acknowledged here that the entire Aussie nation is behind them. It doesn’t really matter that they have made a good impression – the Aussies would have backed them anyway.

True. But they've also performed admirably off the field. Friendly, cooperative, no trumpet blowing.

The ABs were based in Melbourne which was probably a bit of a blessing for them in some ways. A non-rugby city, they were allowed to go about their business pretty much unhindered. There is, though, some criticism that, bunkered down, they made absolutely no effort to promote the game down there. They, of course, would argue that it wasn't part of the job description.

Remember me mentioning John Inverdale, the BBC anchor down there? He did a walkabout in Sydney on Thursday blagging Kiwis and Aussies and asking them one simple question “If X beat you in the semi and it’s England in the final who will you back?” Naturally 100% of Australians answered “the Kiwis” even if some hesitated briefly. What surprised him was despite some soul searching every single Kiwi went for the Aussies too. It is good to be so popular he concluded!

Absolutely unsurprising. England is the Old Enemy, regardless of the event.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
I know it's a shame but there is no way to change it now, my french teachers were so stupid that they have instilled into me a disgust of classical books.

It's never too late.

Finbar, your English teacher is the kind of teachers everybody would dream to have.

Yes, I was very lucky. I was lucky with my French teacher, too. He was actually Russian. Born Vladamir Solohduin, he changed his name to John Collins. He spoke fluent French with a Russian accent. But, again, he was able to make learning enjoyable. For my last two years, there were only three of us in the class, and it was more of a very small, private club than a school class. We would ask him all the rude words in French and he would tell us. I remember vividly that I only passed the mid-year French exam in Year 11 because, as he said, "of your French essay. The French was terrible, but it showed imagination!"

BTW, our music teacher tried to teach us how to play flute when we were listening at AC/DC and Van Halen at home. If this is not trying to pee into a violin I don't know what it is.

I learned the piano for eight years while listening to the Beatles. Well, not from the outset, obviously, because they didn't appear until about three years into my piano learning. I was the first kid in school to buy the Beatles' first single, "She Loves You", and I took it to school and played it for the class on the music room's record player. The teacher, yet another progressive, was perfectly happy with that. Even if he thought the music was a din and that the Beatles had absolutely no future.

Havak, "le sieur" is synonymous with mister though it is nowadays seldom used. You will sometimes hear it in old French black and white movies like "Quai des orfèvres". It generally has a formal or sarcastic meaning.

And patronising, too, I'd've thought.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Hey Finbar, I know you watch your rugby on Fox, so I was wondering if they were pushing Russell Crowe's new one "Master and Commander" in the ad breaks at half time down there. Here they are showing this ad that shows how Crowe got the actors who were to be his crew in the movie in shape by getting them to play rugby. He is asked which countries' team he supports considering that he was brought up in NZ and Australia and he says "Well, I follow the fortunes of the Wallabies, but the blood that runs through these veins is all black".

The film is a 20th Century Fox production, so Fox is going to cross-promote it as much as they can. But we're not getting the ads with the rugby here. Instead, we're getting some very inventive and amusing ads from the RWC sponsors - Heineken, Peugeot, etc.

I've seen references to Mr Crowe - nasty, boorish person that he is - and his rugby on the set in various interviews.

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare

How can you expect them to write in a foreign, artificial (computer) language and not commit bugs?

And text-messaging should be banned for anyone under 25! It has created a whole generation of complete and utter illiterates!

And then, we often get powerpoint slides written in English by people who aren't even able to write French, and these are reminiscent of the performance of the wallaby front row in a scrum.

I have to say, LDiCesare, that I'm shocked and disappointed. I thought the cheap shot was exclusively the province of Mr !

[Tamerlin]

I promise to stop mocking the way the SH nations are playing the day they will stop playing this Rugby League pudding with 15 players. Winning the World Cup is not enough in itself and as the said cup will be won by either France or England it won't happen this year.

[finbar]

I posted yesterday that 36C - daytime - was forecast for the area where the matches are to be played. I'm on the coast, cooler than the west, and it's already in the low 30s here at midday. Good luck tonight and tomorrow night, guys.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


I promise to stop mocking the way the SH nations are playing the day they will stop playing this Rugby League pudding with 15 players. Winning the World Cup is not enough in itself and as the said cup will be won by either France or England it won't happen this year.

I also vividly remember from my school days that my French teacher warned me that I would encounter grenouilles, irritating grenouilles, very irritating grenouilles, and grenouilles who should have been strangled at birth. The man has finally been proved right on all counts!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
It's never too late.

The one who will convince me to read a classical book is:

a) Not yet born
b) Is getting up very early (which means before I go to bed)
c) Has a mind control device

The French was terrible, but it showed imagination!"

Even if he thought the music was a din and that the Beatles had absolutely no future.

And patronising, too, I'd've thought.

You are right, it can also be patronising.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
I also vividly remember from my school days that my French teacher warned me that I would encounter grenouilles, irritating grenouilles, very irritating grenouilles, and grenouilles who should have been strangled at birth. The man has finally been proved right on all counts!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
I also vividly remember from my school days that my French teacher warned me that I would encounter grenouilles, irritating grenouilles, very irritating grenouilles, and grenouilles who should have been strangled at birth. The man has finally been proved right on all counts!

Don't talk like this about my son!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


Don't talk like this about my son!

But at least he was born in a decent country!

[LDiCesare]

Rugby League pudding with 15 players.

Tamerlin, you saw the half final in preview?
Australia 22 - 10 New Zealand.

Australia defended well. New Zealand forgot how to play rugby.
The good news for Australia is that Mortlock and Tuqiri will play the final (or Eddie Jones will be assassinated) and they managed to get some balls in the lineouts.
The bad news is they are still pitiful in mauls and scrums.

The All Blacks really played an unintelligent game. Spencer running laterally before sending a long pass was really asking Mortlock to intercept the ball. Not doing more than 2 mauls was a strategic mistake.
The biggest difference between the teams was that the Australian forwards ran before they were given the ball, and penetrated the defense, while the kiwis just stood, waiting for wallaby forwards to stroll toward them in order to make a maul-like thing or a ruck 5 meters behind the previous one.
And I still don't get why they played McDonald instead of Carter. Carter had very good kicks at goal during all the cup. Scoring those two penalties could have made a big difference, as it would have forced the Wallabies to react.

The NH tactics next week should be lineout/scrum/maul, else they'll just fall to penaties and the strength of Tuqiri, Mortlock and Sailor.

[Havak]

I am off to Tigers in just a few minutes but I had to drop in to say what a remarkable game. Well done the Wallabies – a performance well beyond anything shown so far in the tournament. A rock solid defence, looseys in total control (freezing McCaw out of the game), Larkham looking like he was two years ago and as for Mortlock – I think he was possessed?

Will the telegraph have a big picture of Flatley on their front page tomorrow saying “this is all we have” though?

As for the opponents – the first time they were put under sustained pressure by a team that could defend multiple phases they failed the exam. I can only imagine what the Kiwi boys are feeling. Sadly Carlos was found wanting on the back foot.

And now we face the prospect of a repeat of the last final. I just hope our boys can get their heads together and upset the apple cart as I really want a crack at the Aussies in their own back yard for the big prize.

As it is XV men of England or France will find themselves facing the whole Australian nation and inevitably in this coming week whichever of us wins through will grow horns in the eyes of the Aussie media.

Here’s the question though Finbar – what has that taken out of the boys? There looked to be some troubling injuries?

Anyway must go – so I’ll pop by tomorrow when we know if the worlds other favourite chokers have done so again.