Rugby - Ball's Out!

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
Tamerlin, you can pop up on any rugby field in the world (except professional grounds of course) and say "I want to play hooker". I can guarantee you will get a match immediately, even though you may be tall, thin and missing one leg. Mud is easily found, too.

There you are, Tamerlin, from the mouth - well, okay, the typing fingers - of an expert. So get on with it!

I actually looked the web for translations of the word piment. I couldn't think of anything better than pepper, and, horror, there's nothing better! Piments, poivre, reduced to a single word in English. Argh.

Not necessarily so. Depends where in the English-speaking world you are. Poivre does mean pepper, as in the seasoning often paired with salt, and that's universal. But piments are called everything from peppers to pimento to capsicums.

Now this made me realise I have no paprika left home, only Cayenne, which is obviously far stronger (would make a good alternative to Espelette, by teh way, except it's stronger).

Yes, cayenne would be in a different league. Still, I propose that you and Tamerlin get together - he can teach you how to shop for the pantry, and you can teach him how to play hooker and love mud.

Slightly more on-topic

Oh, okay. I'll leave that to Havak.

[flipside]

Originally posted by Havak

Context is a killer.

I'm still alive.

[Havak]

Frame it, put it in neon lights, quote it often as possible.

Even though it will largely be out of context when I do?

The only match being played in the Australian heat is the Brumbies -v- Blues in Canberra on Saturday night. It won't be as hot as Sydney or Brisbane, but it's still going to be pretty warm.

What a terrific opening fixture for a club in crisis! They had best hope Blues cannot handle the temperature?

Nice new second row, though. Vickerman and Plank.

Don’t you think the jury is back out on Vickerman after the RWC?

Someone else has already suggested that.

Did they? My apologies to them.

What, anyway, would a retired tighthead possibly have to offer in a conversation about electric stoves -v- gas stoves, Basque pepper substitutes, mud, and the finer points of hooking?

A little, nothing, a lot and bug’rall in that order.

Hookers are usually psychotic which is why LDiCesares reasoned tone and depth of knowledge scare me even more.

Connors only got a week by the way – he didn’t even floor his opponent. Handbags stuff but the citing official was clearly in a bad mood.

I would guess from the news about the French half backs that we will get the rare site of a scrummie taking all the shots at goal for France then – Elissalde?

[flipside]

Originally posted by Havak
Hookers are usually psychotic which is why LDiCesares reasoned tone and depth of knowledge scare me even more.

*flipside realises that he and Brian Moore have a lot to answer for.*

[flipside]

Originally posted by Havak
Yes Italy head to Cardiff for their last game. Wales expect that to be for the Grand Slam. You have to admire their optimism – they are still basically a poor side that has had some success swinging the ball wide recently.

I reckon, that their game against us will be the biggest test of their progress.
They will not beat England, and France would have to start picking teams for the next WC to lose .
They could well beat us, though, as well, we could well beat them.
That , the decider in France, and the Scotland/Italy game will be the most interesting games.

[LDiCesare]

I would guess from the news about the French half backs that we will get the rare site of a scrummie taking all the shots at goal for France then – Elissalde?

I think so. Yachvili kicks in Biarritz, so Peyrelongue will not be kicking. I doubt Traille will kick, though he could.

And I am not psychotic. I just behave differently on the field and outside. A former coach of mine said, 'leave your brain on the bench before you enter the pitch.' This can be pretty useful when you're going to face old front rowers who will see every foul you make and more, while superbly ignoring every one they themselves do.

[flipside]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
And I am not psychotic. I just behave differently on the field and outside. A former coach of mine said, 'leave your brain on the bench before you enter the pitch.' This can be pretty useful when you're going to face old front rowers who will see every foul you make and more, while superbly ignoring every one they themselves do.

Just like this thread .
"Check your brain in by the door, and commment on what you know."

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak


This has been framed and will be ruthlessly used out of context!

Is it this weekend the S12 starts for real? I'm keen to catch a few matches again. I'm interested to see what happens to ACT with half the squad moved on and the other half hating the coach.

All baiting aside however it is unfortunate for a UK based fan that S12 overlaps with the six nations - with the best will in the world no club competition is as intense as watching full on internationals every week.

Unfortunately there is still no 6 nations coverage here so I'm definitely looking forward to the opening games of the Super 12. Blues v Brumbies should be particularly interesting. I still think the Brumbies will be a good first test for the Blues despite all the changes. Also, the Brumbies still have Gregan, so that will be motivation for the Blues to stamp his head in.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar

Yes. Starts Friday night. The Reds -v- Highlanders in Invercargill. That's the last bit of NZ before you get to Antarctica. I have three matches back-to-back to watch on Saturday afternoon and night. The only match being played in the Australian heat is the Brumbies -v- Blues in Canberra on Saturday night. It won't be as hot as Sydney or Brisbane, but it's still going to be pretty warm.

EDIT. I just heard the forecast. It's going to be 36C in Canberra on Saturday, so it should be down to about 26C on Saturday night.

I'll be able to see Brumbies v Blues and Crusaders v Waratahs. The other two won't be shown over here.

I reckon the Waratahs might give the Crusaders a bit of a suprise. Perhaps they'll avenge that 70-odd point thrashing they got a couple of years ago.

[LDiCesare]

Unfortunately there is still no 6 nations coverage here

What are you still doing in such a backwater country? One would hope that, with the many people of Irish origin and the British that must be living out there they could show some of it.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
There you are, Tamerlin, from the mouth - well, okay, the typing fingers - of an expert. So get on with it!

I am sure that he would direct me towards the back lines if he had seen me before. I can run very quickly thanks to my light build and I think that the idea of being caught by a forward and his mates are an encouragement to run faster than usual.

Still, I propose that you and Tamerlin get together - he can teach you how to shop for the pantry, and you can teach him how to play hooker and love mud.

I don't worry for the pantry of a Rugby player in France, they all love what is good, believe me.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Even though it will largely be out of context when I do?

Look, the best - or worst - you'll manage will be to extrapolate it into something anti-SH rugby. In which case, as always, it will be water off a buck's dacks.

What a terrific opening fixture for a club in crisis! They had best hope Blues cannot handle the temperature?

I suppose the Brumbies will be glad it's a home match. It's actually a choice opening round of matches, with the Waratahs -v- Crusaders on Saturday.

Oh, and the ex-Bok U21 skipper is starting his first match for the Brumbies on the wing.

Don’t you think the jury is back out on Vickerman after the RWC?

I don't think it was all his fault. Our lineout was sh*t for a lot of the time with and/or without him. And he's still relatively young. Still, I suppose just about exactly the same could be said about your Mr Kaye after his RWC performance.

Hookers are usually psychotic which is why LDiCesares reasoned tone and depth of knowledge scare me even more.

Yes, the same thing occurred to me. I suspect LDiCesares pops into a phone box outside the ground as LDiCesares and pops out again as a hooker with a mud fetish.

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
And I am not psychotic. I just behave differently on the field and outside. A former coach of mine said, 'leave your brain on the bench before you enter the pitch.'

Or in the phone box outside the ground.

[finbar]

Originally posted by flipside



Just like this thread .
"Check your brain in by the door, and commment on what you know."

Vis à vis, the latter - wrong thread.

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
What are you still doing in such a backwater country? One would hope that, with the many people of Irish origin and the British that must be living out there they could show some of it.

I think you'll find the problem is that rugby - and a lot of other fine games - don't get a look in behind three of the most over-rated and uninteresting games ever invented: gridiron, baseball and basketball.