Rugby - Swinging Handbags!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Is that perchance the Fat Cow Motel heading for movie status?

No, the children's series called "Snobs" that I did for Channel 9 here and Channel 5 over there. It ended up Channel 5's highest ever rating children's series. Thus they wanted to make a feature based on it. We had a false start that had me working over Christmas and New Year to produce a first draft. I told them before I started that the story was totally wrong but they insisted. Now they've decided they agree with me and want to start all over again.

Curry houses he is spot on with – including some of the best Thali (vegetarian) houses too.

I wouldn't be troubling them. Any decent Italian?

Surrounding countryside – heck yes – I particularly recommend NE Leicestershire – fields, farms, hills and cracking public houses.

Pots of money in the countryside, he said.

The S***** team got relegated from the top flight this year – good news for Tigers as it means less Friday games for us next year (reason being the lower divs play more Sunday and mid-week games than the top flight and the City police no longer let both sides play at home at the same time).

Yes, he was telling me how those three soccer players charged with sexual assault in Spain had been set up by prostitutes. I think he lives somewhere in the stockbroker belt outside London, I forgot to ask which team he follows.

As with VD Dan Luger has not troubled either England squad this summer either. The game has him correctly listed with USAP – but I haven’t played them yet.

Test him out under the high ball. See how accurately they have programmed abject fear.

Whilst some big name players have been given fairly good skins some are way off – I’ll have a look for Labit but wouldn’t be surpised to find he has a LaCroix hairstyle.

You might have trouble spotting Labit. I don't think computer monitors are yet capable of registering his hair colour.

What do you mean “learn to spot sarcasm”?

I’ll consider acquiring some Chopin – but fear it may result in my being fined extensively by my touring party for unnecessary ‘culture’.

He wrote the Polonaises as anthems - for want of a better term - to stir the people back home. They're stunning. But you really can't go wrong with any of Chopin's work. Have a listen. It's very accessible. Even his "Funeral March", the one that everyone recognises. It's actually one of his Preludes.

It also looks like he will start the Super 12 final? That utility back heading to Sarries is on the bench too.

The report finally appeared on the Sydney Morning Herald's website this arvo. It will be in tomorrow morning's paper. Yes, he's playing. His NH club should cross its fingers there's no injury. You should check him out if you get a chance if it's televised there. Bartholomeusz is also coming off the bench. Pretty much his permanent role.

The BBC is making much of Brumbies poor record against Crusaders – how would you call this one?

Brumbies have lost more finals to them than they've won. But, in those games, the Crusaders were a much better team than they currently are. Their defence used to be impenetrable, tying up the Brumbies' playmakers. The Brumbies also made some crucial tactical errors. This Crusaders defence is leaky by comparison and their structure has tended to fall apart. If current form prevails, the Brumbies should win. They're superb and merciless exploiters of weaknesses. But they will miss Mortlock. Who knows? Boilovers have happened before.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
And surely you mean that when they are playing well no team can resist except TIGERS.

No. If he'd meant that he would have said it.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar


No. If he'd meant that he would have said it.

True!

[Havak]

Now they've decided they agree with me and want to start all over again.

Tssh – some people just will not do anything unless they can make it sound like their own idea.

I wouldn't be troubling them. Any decent Italian?

At least one very well rated one – a place called Antibo’s (on London road just up from the train station).

Pots of money in the countryside, he said.

An awful lot of it yes. It’s the heart of Hunt territory for starters. Buying property in the villages in the North of the county is not for the faint hearted.

I think he lives somewhere in the stockbroker belt outside London, I forgot to ask which team he follows.

Almost certainly Chelsea given the above.

I think “allegedly set up by German girls chancing making a fast buck” would have been safer – there is no suggestion here they are Prossies. Of course the charges were dropped yesterday.

Test him out under the high ball. See how accurately they have programmed abject fear.

I agree with you that it is one of the memories of the entire tournament. Well along with Plank crying after the final anyway.

As for the game –even Coventry have a fullback solid under the high ball!

His NH club should cross its fingers there's no injury. You should check him out if you get a chance if it's televised there.

He has until pre-season training in late July to get right again if he does get crocked. It is on Sky here – but it is one of your very rare 3pm kick offs isn’t it? I’ll have to watch the repeat!! And the European Shield kicks off at Noon.

If current form prevails, the Brumbies should win. They're superb and merciless exploiters of weaknesses. But they will miss Mortlock. Who knows? Boilovers have happened before.

It is going to be fun – not least with red-rage Finny taking the helm?

True!

I see. You were clearly wrong then.

The Wasps fans have been practicing a new chant:

Allez Wasps! Allez Wasps! Allez Allez Allez, Wasps Wasps Wasps!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak

I see. You were clearly wrong then.

The Wasps fans have been practicing a new chant:

Allez Wasps! Allez Wasps! Allez Allez Allez, Wasps Wasps Wasps!

I am so used to the team that I can usually tell you if the Stade Toulousain is in good shape in the first minute of the game. The first scrum is usually the barometer of the Toulousains.

[LDiCesare]

Now we know the truth. Tamerlin only watches the first minute of the matches.
Now everyone beware, Beethoven's Ode to joy may be overheard before the matches of the 6 nations.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
At least one very well rated one – a place called Antibo’s (on London road just up from the train station).

Have you been there? If not, why not? Went to Sydney's best Italian place again last night. Lashed out on a stunning Italian red - Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. A 1999. Ridiculously expensive but I'd read about it for years and finally decided to lash out and try it. It was absolutely totally blissful. You could have bought about 100 pints of your llama p*ss for the price of it. And you'd probably prefer your llama p*ss!

It’s the heart of Hunt territory for starters.

Yes, I forgot that he mentioned that too. They should be strung up, those hunting types.

He has until pre-season training in late July to get right again if he does get crocked. It is on Sky here – but it is one of your very rare 3pm kick offs isn’t it? I’ll have to watch the repeat!! And the European Shield kicks off at Noon.

No, it's 7.40pm kick off, 10.40am your time. Hopefully you'll discover that before you get this on Monday.

It is going to be fun – not least with red-rage Finny taking the helm?

After some exemplary disciplined rugby, he has resorted to giving away stupid penalities in the last couple of matches.

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
Now we know the truth. Tamerlin only watches the first minute of the matches.

Now everyone beware, Beethoven's Ode to joy may be overheard before the matches of the 6 nations.

Finally! Someone else with some culture!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar

Finally! Someone else with some culture!

You are Australian, you don't have the right to use the word culture.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


You are Australian, you don't have the right to use the word culture.

At least I care about Beethoven having ripped off your composers! You don't!

[LDiCesare]

I must warn finbar however that my musical culture is very limited. I almost never listen to music. This having to do with my mother who couldn't do anything when listening to music, so I didn't listen much in my youth and didn't see the point of listening to music later on. So I know a bit of Beethoven, Ravel, Wagner, St Saens, and then we go to lyric things like 'La Pitchouli' or 'Il est un coin de France', which I believe Tamerlin has already heard.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
... and then we go to lyric things like 'La Pitchouli' or 'Il est un coin de France', which I believe Tamerlin has already heard.

Though this can hardly be considered as culture I have already heard these songs.

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
So I know a bit of Beethoven, Ravel, Wagner, St Saens

At least you're familiar with three fine composers and a plagiarist. Though I'll concede that Beethoven was fine when he wasn't plagiarising. Still, that's four more composers than Tamerlin has heard of. He thinks Grand Funk Railroad constitutes culture! Pity about Wagner's politics, I think he's one of the great storytellers in music.

[Caligastia]

Brumbies 47 - Crusaders 38

20 minutes into the game the Brumbies were ahead 33-0. At that point I decided on beer for breakfast..

The Crusaders fought back valiantly, but they had left themselves with far too great a scoreline to crawl back from. Ben Blair is to blame for two of the Brumbie tries.

Interestingly Robbie Deans brought on Mehrtens when the Crusaders were down 33-0. It just goes to show that the only reason he hadn't played him in previous matches was because of personal animosity. When the heat was on he trusted Mehrtens' ability and experience.

[finbar]

I doubt that I've seen many more bizarre rugby matches. It was pretty much 7s rugby from beginning to end. Yes, Ben Blair had an absolute shocker, but he wasn't the only Crusader who went missing in the first 20 minutes. That said, the Crusaders' second-half fightback was admirable. The Brumbies stuck to their 7s game and it nearly cost them.

Good to see Joe Roff breaking "Bottle" Cullen's S12 try scoring record in his last match.

And nice to see Radiki Samo produce one out of the hat in his last match for the Brumbies. His one-handed steal from the Crusaders' lock in the lineout, turning an apparently safe Crusaders' lineout win from their own throw into a turnover, had to be seen to be believed.

And exactly how David Nucifora managed to behave with the class and dignity he did under the circumstances is beyond me. Since his sacking more than a month ago, he has presented himself impeccably. A sign of real class. Just a pity the same can't be said for the players who engineered his sacking, none of whom are prepared to acknowledge their roles. The list of culprits apparently includes Bill Young, Jeremy Paul and Stirling Mortlock. I gather George Gregan wasn't part of the sacking gang.

So Joe Roff is off to Oxford Uni to study, with David Giffin probably going too. I wonder which English clubs will be making phone calls? Jeremy Paul is also apparently contemplating heading overseas, as is Scott Fava. With Samo and Bartholomeusz already going, there are going to be some gaps to fill next season.