Rugby - We need a proper Title! (temp)

[flipside]

Originally posted by Havak
Interesting selection.
England: I Balshaw (Bath); J Lewsey (Wasps), W Greenwood (Harlequins), J Robinson (Sale Sharks), B Cohen (Northampton); P Grayson (Northampton), A Gomarsall (Gloucester); T Woodman (Gloucester), S Thompson (Northampton), P Vickery (Gloucester), D Grewcock (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), J Worsley (Wasps), R Hill (Saracens), L Dallaglio (Wasps, captain).

Replacements: M Regan (Leeds), J Leonard (Harlequins), S Borthwick (Bath), C Jones (Sale Sharks), M Dawson (Northampton), O Barkley (Bath), H Paul (Gloucester).

Potentially a very dangerous backline. But Robbo is no centre - and the bench looks rather weak if things go badly up front. It's very possible they will lose this one.

Oh, I agree. It is obviously an attempt to see how the strike running is going.
On what I have seen Alex King would have been worth a look at in this fixture.
In the big fixtures this year, I think that the experiment will be the 10/12 rotating system that worked in the WC later stages in the second half against Wales and against France.
There is a lot of talk about how Wilkinson needs to be protected and about Charlie Hodgsons ability.
If they both were fit, I would expect that England will look at playing two 10's and rotating and see how, and in what situations , this is superior to the current back system.
Henry Paul's selection is a look at the midfield balance as well, .

[flipside]

Originally posted by ravagon
So who exactly is this Paul Grayson lad who's leaping into the breach to boldy go where Wilco went before ... yadda yadda yadda?
I don't recall his name coming up before.
More to the point, is he class enough to take the role of centrepiece about which the rest of the team revolves, or are they going to have to change their gameplan to compensate?

He is the England 10 from before Wilkinson.
Decent player, passes ok, tackles ok, kicks as well as anyone tactically, average with the ball in hand at test level.
An old school English 10, basically.
In this team to do the kicking as a safety valve, really.

[Tamerlin]

Paul Grayson is efficient though not creative, this is at least the way I remember him...

As far as I remember, England's games under his leadership were rather unimaginative.

[Havak]

And nothing else when they didn't work. That's one of the problems with such highly structured play.

More than that Finbar Mr Henry apparently had several tantrums when players took ‘improvised’ options in games instead of obeying his ‘structures’.

But of course. If J**** thinks something, it must be so.

I trust his opinions of events on the rugby field. He is a far more astute reader of the game than most pundits ever give him credit for. If he says the Wallabies sussed the calls then they sussed the calls. If on the other hand he says he thinks that is because Aussie TV tried every trick in the book to film the Lions training that’s just an opinion I give consideration to. And then find it extremely likely indeed.

Have you watched the IRBs RWC 03 official review Video/DVD? It’s worth watching – I’d been blessed with ITV commentary for the live event so getting to hear the Aussie commentary on games was very amusing indeed. As my welcher mate said when lending it to me – “watch it with the sound off”.

Obviously highly unlikely against Italy. We just have to wait to see whether these experiments continue against the stronger teams.

There may be a clue in Clive’s words from yesterday afternoon: “I don’t think we have seen the last of Neil’s England career yet”.

I'll be sure to do that…It goes without saying, of course, that you won't see me for dust if it doesn't happen.

I’d be disappointed if you reacted any other way to either result.

So who exactly is this Paul Grayson lad who's leaping into the breach to boldy go where Wilco went before ... yadda yadda yadda?

As Flipside says he was the incumbent for the 99 RWC. Spent three years without a cap and is now on a second wind. Definitely old school.

Plays for Northampton but apart from that he is quite a nice lad. Kicking game is very solid – distribution can be suspect (sorry to disagree on that Flipside). Game plan will need to adapt I suspect. We shall see.

Henry Paul's selection is a look at the midfield balance as well, .

I would really have liked to see the Greenwood-Smith option tried in midfield. Paul has been playing well, and deserves a chance, but Smith is a far classier act.

Notice the lack of loose forward cover on the bench? Jones can cover back three but he is really a lock…what do we do when Hill goes off hurt?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
I trust his opinions of events on the rugby field. He is a far more astute reader of the game than most pundits ever give him credit for. If he says the Wallabies sussed the calls then they sussed the calls. If on the other hand he says he thinks that is because Aussie TV tried every trick in the book to film the Lions training that’s just an opinion I give consideration to. And then find it extremely likely indeed.

But of course. And if he said Mr Blair is God and Mr Hoon His son, you'd be on your knees in front of the telly news every night.

As my welcher mate said when lending it to me – “watch it with the sound off”.

Don't give it back to him. On my behalf.

[flipside]

Originally posted by Havak
Notice the lack of loose forward cover on the bench? Jones can cover back three but he is really a lock…what do we do when Hill goes off hurt?

Judging by the last lions tour, lose and then moan about dirty play, the coaching, media intrusion, line out calls, the current selection policy and the utter unfairness of it all.

[Havak]

I've complained about all those and more in relation to that tour. And I'm right too.

[finbar]

FoxSports isn't showing the 6 Nations here! Not even replays! Yet we get month-old replays of the Heineken Cup!

Who has the 6 Nations broadcast rights over there?

Edit. The BBC has the domestic rights. So who is "Setanta"? The Crusaders - Kiwi S12 outfit - have negotiated with broadcast rights-holders Setanta to show the 6 Nations broadcast live at their club venue. Presumably Setanta hold the international distribution rights. If the Crusaders can purchase the rights, why can't FoxSports!

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar
So who is "Setanta"?

The hound will always beat the fox.
Finbar, do you genuinely not know who "Setanta" is?

It is a VERY famous name in Ulster mythology.

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar
FoxSports isn't showing the 6 Nations here! Not even replays! Yet we get month-old replays of the Heineken Cup!

Who has the 6 Nations broadcast rights over there?

Edit. The BBC has the domestic rights. So who is "Setanta"? The Crusaders - Kiwi S12 outfit - have negotiated with broadcast rights-holders Setanta to show the 6 Nations broadcast live at their club venue. Presumably Setanta hold the international distribution rights. If the Crusaders can purchase the rights, why can't FoxSports!

*flipside has a serous moment*

In Ulster mythology "Setanta" is the nephew of King Conor MacNeasa, ummm............. ends up being called "Cuchulainn."
It also is the name of an Irish company that distributes sports to the pubs and clubs of the U.S and Australia.

[flipside]

I've just checked the website and apparantly all Australian users need to check with their Sydney office why they are not covering the 6N.
If you wish to see the games, I'm sure that Havak or Tamerlin will record them and send the tapes to you.
If this is not possible, I would happily send them them to you if you wish.

I work on a Saturday anyway and will be recording them to watch on Sunday.

*Serious mode disabled*

[finbar]

Originally posted by flipside
It is a VERY famous name in Ulster mythology.

Ergo, of absolutely no interest to anyone outside Ulster.

[finbar]

Originally posted by flipside
In Ulster mythology "Setanta" is the nephew of King Conor MacNeasa, ummm............. ends up being called "Cuchulainn."

Fair enough. I'll wait till Peter Jackson makes a $897 million eleven-part movie about him.

It also is the name of an Irish company that distributes sports to the pubs and clubs of the U.S and Australia.

Goodoh. That explains how the Crusaders acquired the rights.

[finbar]

Originally posted by flipside
I've just checked the website and apparantly all Australian users need to check with their Sydney office why they are not covering the 6N.

You mean a mass protest? Fair enough.

If you wish to see the games, I'm sure that Havak or Tamerlin will record them and send the tapes to you.

I can imagine getting tapes of England matches from Havak. Lots of clumsy DIY editing resulting in J**** miraculously appearing in the games. And Tamerlin's tapes of France matches? He'll have gone through the tapes and hand-coloured Mam'zelle Lab1tch's hair with his coloured Textas!

If this is not possible, I would happily send them them to you if you wish.

You're probably the only I could trust. Thanks all the same, but I'd know the results and it wouldn't be the same. I think I'll bombard FoxSports with emails.

[flipside]

Originally posted by finbar


Ergo, of absolutely no interest to anyone outside Ulster.

Yep. True.
That was what made me laugh so much.
The fact that you were asking why Setanta = Cuchulainn = "The hound of Culainn" could beat "Foxtel."

I thought that you may be doing so deliberately.