Rugby - The Lull After The Storm

[finbar]

What's the problem between Thomas Castaignede and Laport? Or is Castaignede simply not good enough? I was reading this morning that Castaignede says he's not picked because Laport has some sort of problem with him.

[Tamerlin]

I think that Thomas Castaignede and Bernard Laporte have an old problem to solve that is dating back two Tournaments ago.

When Thomas Castaignede came back from his grievious injury, I think that Bernard Laporte was more or less ordered by the French Federation of Rugby to take Thomas Castaignede in the French squad in order to calm him down as Thomas Castaignede was asking a huge amount of money to the FFR through his lawyers.

Bernard Laporte being an authoritarian coach has certainly not appreciated being forced to select a player he did not wished in his squad and casted him out at the first opportunity.

To Bernard Laporte's defence Thomas Castaignede has not been good with the French team though he was playing very well in the English Championship. I think that Thomas Castaignede is a bit bitter because Bernard Laporte has not really given him a second chance when he started again to play very well in England.

[finbar]

Goodoh. Thanks for that. A common story. And I gather Laport has another letter on the end of it.

[Havak]

A heavy rain fell over Toulouse for two consecutive days, without the hard work of the voluntaries the game would have been cancelled.

My favourite sight pre-match was the poor volunteer emptying an industrial ‘wet’ vacuum into a green plastic skip on the pitch – then accidentally spilling said skip right back onto the pitch. Heart breaking drama.

This has nothing to do with luck, sir! :uttercontemptiblelook:

No we must be honest here Tamerlin – NS Ospreys are a poor poor side.

they are mainly lacking the habit to play together as the Ospreys are a newly formed "provincial" club.

That’s no excuse – the province is only two club sides – Neath and Swansea – and they should have settled by now?

I see the Ulster minority are getting a bit carried away – plenty of posts on Tigers board about how they would win the Zurich Premiership. Sad fools – they might sit one place above Tigers (not hard this season) but that is about it!

She was great.

Something we should know here?

Thomas Castaignede

Where on earth did you get the idea he has played well for Saracens? A handful of semi-decent showings in over three seasons is no great record for the lad.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak

My favourite sight pre-match was the poor volunteer emptying an industrial ‘wet’ vacuum into a green plastic skip on the pitch – then accidentally spilling said skip right back onto the pitch. Heart breaking drama.

Rather classical I guess...

No we must be honest here Tamerlin – NS Ospreys are a poor poor side.

They are certainly not a great team, the weakest of the pool, but I won't say they are a poor, poor side... limited, yes they are.

I see the Ulster minority are getting a bit carried away – plenty of posts on Tigers board about how they would win the Zurich Premiership. Sad fools – they might sit one place above Tigers (not hard this season) but that is about it!

Do you mean they are gloating all over the Internet?

Something we should know here?

One Australian writer who owns a sheep dog (though it sometimes appears like the contrary) and grows tomatoes in his garden still remains to be convinced that she is a great player.

Where on earth did you get the idea he has played well for Saracens? A handful of semi-decent showings in over three seasons is no great record for the lad.

I read some after game reports and heard some comments that let me think he was a good player of the English Championship.

As far as I am concerned he is no more the great player he was since he left the Stade Toulousain and does not deserve to play in the French Team.

[flipside]

Originally posted by Havak

(isn’t flipside an Ulster boy)

Yeah.
I am from Coleraine, a small town on the Derry/Antrim border.
I now live in the South of England in Bournemouth.
I have heard that the most disappointing thing about the Tigers(fluffy kittens?)performance was the failure of the forwards to set up any sort of platform and the lack of defensive pattern in midfield.
I was surprised, as the Tiger's have always been the most professional team, and this is basic passion and organisation.
Oh, and I certainly do not think we would win the premiership.
I would be very angry as a Leics. fan, however.

[finbar]

Fear not, he is.

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar
Fear not, he is.

You mean the stories about a crazed, wild eyed individual threatening to throw red and white paint over Dean Richards whilst boasting about his friends in the french mafia are true?

[flipside]

Originally posted by Havak

I see the Ulster minority are getting a bit carried away – plenty of posts on Tigers board about how they would win the Zurich Premiership. Sad fools – they might sit one place above Tigers (not hard this season) but that is about it!

Notice the Aussie twang to this boasting?
Umm.....
You know that Finbar's impersonation of the Ulster accent is almost perfect?

[finbar]

You mean this one?

"Be-gorrah be-gorrah be-gorrah!"

[flipside]

Aye, that's dead on.
What's the craic?
Are we still taunting the wee fecker?

EDIT: Deleted the last line .
It was meant to take the mickey out of 'comedy Irishness'and did not work.Sorry.

[finbar]

Mmmm. There was a feature made here a couple of years ago called "The Craic". The work of an Irish-born comedian now resident here, Jimoein. His act is sort of "professional Irishman" dealing in whimsy and observation. Crap film, because he can't tell a story, in the filmic sense, but it made some money on the basis of his popularity on television. You would never have heard of him. He took up comedy after working on building sites.

There's an obvious additional line that I shall refrain from using.

[Havak]

They are certainly not a great team, the weakest of the pool, but I won't say they are a poor, poor side... limited, yes they are.

Leaving it to me to pick on the Welsh then are you?

Do you mean they are gloating all over the Internet?

Indeed they are. They deserve to enjoy the victory – but some of them are taking it too far.

One Australian writer who owns a sheep dog (though it sometimes appears like the contrary) and grows tomatoes in his garden still remains to be convinced that she is a great player.

I suspect he knows really. Any player in the European Cup holders would walk into an Aussie S12 franchise if they didn’t have a closed shop policy.

I read some after game reports and heard some comments that let me think he was a good player of the English Championship.

I have always found him unpredictable. Very similar I am afraid to Mr Healey. Capable of winning games single handed – and capable of losing them the same way. Of course he had a very lengthy injury and few players come back as good as they previously were in such cases?

I would be very angry as a Leics. fan, however.

Don’t worry, I am. The clubs attitude is starting to really annoy me too – it is essentially “problem, what problem.” It’s just bad luck and injury apparently.

It wasn’t so much the lack of a platform – the forwards won plenty of ball, probably slightly more than Ulster did. It was simply never retained. I’ve never seen so many schoolboy handling errors or a Fly Half so uncomfortable on the ball.

I don’t know what the solution is – but I do know it’s not to do nothing which is all that is currently being offered.

As an aside Daryl Gibson, who went of after a few minutes with yet another hamstring problem, was caught on the terrace after the game by an upset lady fan. He apparently was smiling and that somehow touched the ladies fuse – she then proceeded to rip into him for his casual attitude to a ‘gutless’ display and told him to tell the boys it wasn’t good enough. He was shocked apparently – wish I had seen it.

I really like Dean Richards by the way – I have spoken to him several times and he is a genuinely really nice bloke. The problem is that in all this I have to think of the club – and I seriously think it may be better for Dean and the club if he moves further upstairs. He is not a team builder like Bob Dwyer – though he is better at using an established squad than Bob was – so maybe a Lions role or an England supporting role might suit him – where someone else is assembling the talent?
And Finbar – drop the Ulster accent as the posts on Tigers board are really annoying me now.

I’ve seen Leinster beat us at home, I’ve seen Munster beat us at home, and I may soon have seen Ulster do the same. Do Connacht still exist? We could be the first English side to get the full set!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
And Finbar – drop the Ulster accent as the posts on Tigers board are really annoying me now.

"When Oi-rish Oys are Smiling!"

I’ve seen Leinster beat us at home, I’ve seen Munster beat us at home, and I may soon have seen Ulster do the same. Do Connacht still exist?

Dunno, but I gather the East Dublin Primary School 3rd XV are putting their hands up to be next cab off the rank.

[Havak]

We can't handle opponents of that stature these days.