Rugby - The Lull After The Storm

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
It's interesting that the South African Union has a different policy on foreign S12 players to the Australian policy. Here, you can only play S12 if you're available to play for the Wallabies. The South Africans are less choosy. The Kiwis allow foreign S12 players too, I think.

Very interesting policy indeed, we are much more tolerant in France you don't have to know how to play Rugby to play in the French Championship.




Stade Toulousain 24 - Union Sportive des Harlequins de Perpignan 16



Good game of Rugby with the only good referee of the French Championship at the helm (Mister Joël Dumé). Toulouse's forwards made a very good game (especially Mam'zelle Labit) and we saw some good attacks from the back lines. Both sides defended very well...

Manu Edmonds advantageously replaced Perpignan's Fly Half in the last thirty minutes.

Though his kicks was not very good, Frédéric Michalack made a good game alongside Jean-Baptiste Ellissalde. I really don't understand why Bernard Laporte is not selecting these two players together as they are both able to play Fly-Half and Half-Scrum and thus able to disorganize the opponent's defence.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


But what are you doing here at this time of the night?

He posted that while having his hot cocoa before going to bed. Where any decent, self-respecting Frenchman should be at this time of night!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


Very interesting policy indeed, we are much more tolerant in France you don't have to know how to play Rugby to play in the French Championship.

Sounds a bit like Havak's team are adopting the French policy these days!

Pity the bugger's not around to duck and dodge all these withering bon mots!

Manu Edmonds advantageously replaced Perpignan's Fly Half in the last thirty minutes.

You mean came off the bench to replace him? Or moved across from half back? The latter, I assume. Have Dan Herbert, Luger and that Kiwi started with Perpignan yet?

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
You mean came off the bench to replace him? Or moved across from half back? The latter, I assume. Have Dan Herbert, Luger and that Kiwi started with Perpignan yet?

Yes Manu Edmonds was on the bench...

Herbert and Luger started the game and were quite good but Perpignan's backs are not yet used to play together as many players were in Australia for the RWC. IMO, the USAP will be a stronger opponent in a few months or next year if they can keep the players.

He posted that while having his hot cocoa before going to bed. Where any decent, self-respecting Frenchman should be at this time of night!

I am not respectable...

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar
Gee, the quality of the posting has dropped since Havak went on hols.

Sorry.
I like it here though.
I would like to wish you all a happy new year.

[flipside]

Originally posted by LDiCesare I am afraid Scottish rugby is in bad shape, on both sports and money sides, because their teams don't seem to carry much identity, the way Irish provinces or Welsh/French/English clubs do.

In my opinion, one of the main reasons for this is the artificial change to a province structure in both Scotland and Wales.Here in Ireland we use that structure for all of our sports and so it only really strengthend what we already felt, whereas in both Wales and Scotland people tended to associate with their clubs rather than a 'fictional' regional team.
The two powerhouses, both economically and rugby-wise, England and France, have stuck to their traditional structure.
EDIT: Except football.For the obvious reason that it is a heathen game that up to the 1970's would see you banned FOR LIFE from any Irish sport.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


Yes Manu Edmonds was on the bench...

Good grief. Why? He's their key playmaker.

Herbert and Luger started the game and were quite good but Perpignan's backs are not yet used to play together as many players were in Australia for the RWC. IMO, the USAP will be a stronger opponent in a few months or next year if they can keep the players.

I remember seeing Perpignan in the HC last season. Then, they hadn't caught up with Manny Edmonds' style of quick hands and rapid switching of the lines of attack. Now they've gained a couple more very talented foreign players so more assimilation will be needed. If they can all get their acts together, Perpignan could be very strong. Unfortunately, as history shows, a team with great players isn't always a great team.

I am not respectable...

You dealer in the obvious, you.

[finbar]

Originally posted by flipside
Sorry.
I like it here though.

I was actually referring to the drop in quality of Mr 's posts. Obviously his failure to blow away the Fat Bastard In The Red Suit has affected him more than anyone realised.

I would like to wish you all a happy new year.

Hopefully Tamerlin's resolutions were to (a) get a garden; (b) get a job; and (c) as a result of acquiring (a) and (b), acquire respectability.

[finbar]

Originally posted by flipside
In my opinion, one of the main reasons for this is the artificial change to a province structure in both Scotland and Wales.Here in Ireland we use that structure for all of our sports and so it only really strengthend what we already felt, whereas in both Wales and Scotland people tended to associate with their clubs rather than a 'fictional' regional team.

But weren't the switch to franchises brought about by economic necessity? A case of modern rugby's "professionalism" - which is to say, the increasing cost of competing - putting potentially fatal pressure on an already creaky structure?

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar


I was actually referring to the drop in quality of Mr 's posts. Obviously his failure to blow away the Fat Bastard In The Red Suit has affected him more than anyone realised.

Maybe his failure to destroy the over-commercialised nature of christmas has been one defeat too many?

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar


But weren't the switch to franchises brought about by economic necessity? A case of modern rugby's "professionalism" - which is to say, the increasing cost of competing - putting potentially fatal pressure on an already creaky structure?

Umm, three different answers to this.
Welsh-Yes, by their own financial mismanagement and their love of the NZ structure.The fact remains though that, other than NZ, Wales is about the only place where Rugby is the national game.They have lost this sense of identity.
Ire-Nup, It made sense to do it here as it was what has always been done in ALL sports, including rugby, for as long as anyone can remember.It merely formalised what everyone already felt.
Scotland-A bastard hybrid moulded to fit into some kind of Celtic league fantasy, whereas, in reality there are only small regions of Scotland that play Rugby.
Scotland and Wales have always been club based and with correct management would have remained so.

[finbar]

Originally posted by flipside

Maybe his failure to destroy the over-commercialised nature of christmas has been one defeat too many?

Yeah, The Fat Bastard In The Red Suit was Tamerlin's Wellington, and the hearth in front of the fireplace his Waterloo.

[finbar]

Originally posted by flipside

Umm, three different answers to this.
Welsh-Yes, by their own financial mismanagement and their love of the NZ structure.The fact remains though that, other than NZ, Wales is about the only place where Rugby is the national game.They have lost this sense of identity.
Ire-Nup, It made sense to do it here as it was what has always been done in ALL sports, including rugby, for as long as anyone can remember.It merely formalised what everyone already felt.
Scotland-A bastard hybrid moulded to fit into some kind of Celtic league fantasy, whereas, in reality there are only small regions of Scotland that play Rugby.
Scotland and Wales have always been club based and with correct management would have remained so.

Yes, I see. As it happens, I was talking more about Scotland and Wales than Ireland.

Presumably rugby's competition in Scotland is s*****? England, with its big player base, along with some solid admin, obviously copes against the competition. It's a real pity about Wales.

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar


Yeah, The Fat Bastard In The Red Suit was Tamerlin's Wellington, and the hearth in front of the fireplace his Waterloo.

*flipside worries in case the weaponary used in the failed assassination attempt may be traced back to the supplier.*
* in particular the hardly noticeable, and in any case barely relevant, amount of semtex that Mr. had secreted about his person, that ,OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT USED AS DIRECTED!*

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar


Yes, I see. As it happens, I was talking more about Scotland and Wales than Ireland.

Presumably rugby's competition in Scotland is s*****? England, with its big player base, along with some solid admin, obviously copes against the competition. It's a real pity about Wales.

Mainly Rugby is played in the borders and Edinborough in Scotland. It was always based on local communities identifying with their local clubs like Hawick (Bill McLaren's home town).
It is a pity about Wales at the moment, but there is hope in that there is an underlying love for the game and innate flair that will hopefully survive the currrent problems.
The funniest thing was when the Welsh clubs knew they would all go bust and still barely voted to adopt a regional format because of self interest as to which clubs would merge.