Rugby - Ball's Out!

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
Beware, Tamerlin has already picked Yachvili.

Yes, I know. Rest assured, I'll be choosing another Toulouse player. Mam'zelle Labit can't be the only Toulouse player who dies her hair, I'm sure.

Wasn't that supposed to be the other way around?

You'd think so. It looked very funny. The Plank was juggling the ball, trying to control it, but lost it. Carlos had already lined him up and had his head down for the charge before The Plank lost the ball. Crash! The Plank went down, milking it for all it was worth. Carlos got a yellow card. His parting word to the ref was: "Bullsh*t!". Several times. It was one of the silliest yellow cards I've seen.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Yes, I know. Rest assured, I'll be choosing another Toulouse player. Mam'zelle Labit can't be the only Toulouse player who dies her hair, I'm sure.

If Cédric Heymans comes back in the French team, you have your chance.

[finbar]

I'll keep an eye out for her.

[Havak]

And it's p*ssing off the French wine industry in a huge way.

It’s rested on it’s laurels for far too long – but with the Entente Cordiale now 100 years old I should leave it there.

Fiddling in the East Midlands while England burns. Fine by me.

Strangely I am not all that sad about it myself. We remain undefeated since Martin regained the club captaincy.

A 25 all draw with Newcastle at their place yesterday. One of their Kiwi’s did a Dominici on the line to deny them the win.

Some guy called Mayerhofler? Never heard of him myself.

Ergo, his only opportunity to increase his income is to play in the NH. Which is what he will do. It's not a matter of if or when, it's a matter of with whom. Newcastle seem to have got in first. What were Leicester doing?

Sitting on their arse and missing the opportunity as usual.

The problem is when you mention SH players I switch off in the same way you do when Jonno gets mentioned.

Good to see the young Bok doing well for his mercenary country of choice.

About Harinordoquy's try, that combo is called 'Angleterre' because it's inspired from English play.

Cohen does it better.

It was one of the silliest yellow cards I've seen.

Should have been red – we musn’t allow that kind of disrespect for refs onto the field.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Strangely I am not all that sad about it myself. We remain undefeated since Martin regained the club captaincy.

Club before country? Fair enough too.

Some guy called Mayerhofler? Never heard of him myself.

Is there any rugby played in Germany? He could probably represent them in the run up to the next World Cup.

Sitting on their arse and missing the opportunity as usual.

But I wonder who tipped off Newcastle?

Good to see the young Bok doing well for his mercenary country of choice.

That aside, I've been amazed by his development over six or seven weeks. He's starting to produce some very classy work. Shades - dare I say it? - of a young Timmy Horan. Quick thinker, fast and strong, a knack for the devastating angles. Of course it doesn't hurt having Gregan, Larkham, Mortlock, et al, inside him.

Cohen does it better.

But not very often.

Should have been red – we musn’t allow that kind of disrespect for refs onto the field.

I could only have laughed louder if it had been VD. That aside, too, there has been some pitiful reffing this season. There's obviously some sort of edict out on high tackles. Tackles around the biceps are being penalised.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
Crusaders 47 -d- Brumbies 28

The Crusaders of old. Mighty effort. In fact, they resembled the Blues of last season. Mehrtens didn't take his place. The Brumbies didn't play all that badly - they scored 4 tries for a bonus point - but the Crusaders wouldn't let them get the ball. I have to say, though, that young Rathbone showed some real touches of class. Talented kid. Looks like the Crusaders are back in town. Good thing.

Jeez, and didn't the game start off at about 500 Mph? Three tries in 10 minutes! The Crusaders forwards were awesome! The Brumbies only looked like closing the gap on the scoreboard for about 2 minutes of the whole game.

With the Crusaders now going to SA their place in the top 4 looks pretty secure.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
Mmmmm. Thanks for that. So I'm going to have to find someone else to pick on.

Blues 22 -d- Waratahs 17

Abysmal first half of rugby full of handling errors and neither team seeming to have any idea what they were doing. In fact, the highlight of the first half was Carlos being yellow carded for a late shoulder charge on The Plank. Howlett and Rokococo fired in the second half for the Blues and did the damage. The Blues showed brief snatches of their old form but they're still relying on individual efforts. The Waratahs are simply lost without Matt Rogers' speed and creativity. He was driving the train when they strung together the early wins. Without him, they will finish mid-table.

Didn't get to see it, so I'm glad it was dull. I'm also glad the Blues won, but it's probably too late for them to get into the top 4. Then again, they are going to SA for the next four games...

Speaking of yellow cards and penalties...did you see the Chiefs v Highlanders? The Chiefs got a penalty try because their man was taken out early just as he was about to toe the ball over the line and score. The guilty Highlanders player was also sent off for 10. How many times can you penalize the same offence?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
The Chiefs got a penalty try because their man was taken out early just as he was about to toe the ball over the line and score. The guilty Highlanders player was also sent off for 10. How many times can you penalize the same offence?

The same question was asked by one of the commentators.

Here's the relevant law:

10.2 UNFAIR PLAY
(a) Intentionally Offending. A player must not intentionally infringe any Law of the Game, or play unfairly.

Penalty: Penalty Kick

A penalty try must be awarded if the offence prevents a try that would probably otherwise have been scored. The player who intentionally offends must be either admonished, or cautioned that a send off will result if the offence or a similar offence is committed, or sent-off. After a caution a player is temporarily suspended from the match for a period of ten minutes playing time. After a caution, if the player commits the same or similar offence, the player must be sent-off.

So, in the first instance, the ref has two options: (1) admonish; or (2) caution and yellow card. It was a deliberate foul of the most cynical kind, so I have no problems with the ref taking option (2).

[Caligastia]

Yeah, fair enough.

[Havak]

Club before country? Fair enough too.

My club did more than any other towards winning the RWC – and suffered badly for it. So hell yes – it’s time for a little club before country sentiment.

But I wonder who tipped off Newcastle?

They have Islanders on their books…maybe this helps shed some light?

Quick thinker, fast and strong, a knack for the devastating angles. Of course it doesn't hurt having Gregan, Larkham, Mortlock, et al, inside him.

Certainly can’t hurt the learning curve.

But not very often.

Quality rather than quantity.

There's obviously some sort of edict out on high tackles. Tackles around the biceps are being penalised.

I think you are right – it is this years ‘minding the gap’.

Your friend VD is fit again incidentally – he may tour with England this June to say hello to all his Australian buddies.

European quarter finals this weekend – no interesting teams involved in it really of course.

I’m backing Wasps against Gloucester (better of two evils stuff) amd I think I have to back the Scots franchise too – if only because they are huge underdogs to Tamerlin’s mob.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak

European quarter finals this weekend – no interesting teams involved in it really of course.

I’m backing Wasps against Gloucester (better of two evils stuff) amd I think I have to back the Scots franchise too – if only because they are huge underdogs to Tamerlin’s mob.

I am becoming a bit worried, what promised to be a formality is threatening to turn into vinegar. Jean-Baptiste Ellissalde is still wounded and Frédéric Michalack injured himself against the Racing Club de Narbonne. This means that Yann Delaigue will play fly-half and "who knows who" will play scrum half.

[Havak]

I can understand your concern - but it is only Edinburgh.

This is a team skippered by Chris Patterson (the Scotland captain) and with such a thin squad there is talk of Blackadder getting an emergency call (he retired from them when he took the Scottish coaching role). There is nothing there to trouble Toulouse on their home patch.

[Tamerlin]

Since I am supporting the Stade Toulousain I have always heard that the worst opponent of the Stade Toulousain is the Stade Toulousain itself.

[Havak]

There's some truth in that - I recall you visiting us for the semi final in 1997 and it was such a bitter winter day your boys clearly didn't want to be on the pitch - they simply never started playing.

At the time I thought the same thing could never happen to us but then I saw our away leg at Ulster this year...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Quality rather than quantity.

Fair enough. That should guarantee you third spot in the 6 Nations next year too.

Your friend VD is fit again incidentally – he may tour with England this June to say hello to all his Australian buddies.

Goodoh. Carlos can word him up on how to late shoulder charge the Plank.