Rugby - Swinging Handbags!

[Havak]

C'est l'hôpital qui se moque de la charité (this is hospital mocking charity).

Ah – I think you are confusing English clubs with ‘Team England’ there. Our clubs have strict salary caps – French ones do not. Why do you think the Welsh RFU has complained directly to the FFR about player poaching? They are taking it to the IRB next.

Not only that, Toulouse has a climate to offer its players. England player contracts come complete with a stipulation for dank grey mist.

Perfect rugby weather - you see we think of everything for the lads.

Can Corne spit that high?

He tends to wait until Martin has been tackled before launching a cheap shot.

I prefer to see it as English rugby going further down the path of English cricket as a sporting United Nations, weakening itself in the process.

Strange – I prefer to think of it as SAINTS doing that.

The English can take us the H-Cup (though that remains to be demonstrated

Toulouse are a good side – but new gears will be needed at the end of May or the yellow and black will win through. Your best hope is they are likely to be involved in the Premiership play off final the week after and may lack complete focus.

Soleil on the other hand is over rated if it has to come with weak continental beer. Give me mist, rain and BITTER and day.

We have our new coaching team – and for the core fans it is a dream ticket!!



Leicester have appointed long-time Tigers servant John Wells as their new head coach.

The ex-flanker, previously Leicester forwards coach, has been in charge of team affairs since director of rugby Dean Richards left earlier this year.

Leicester have also announced that former players Pat Howard and Richard Cockerill are rejoining the club.

Howard is the Tigers' new backs coach while Cockerill becomes assistant forwards coach.

So there you go Finbar – we got our man Howard – will the second coming be as happy for him?

[Havak]

So only England players would threaten to strike - and maybe Aussies?



so what about this?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
He tends to wait until Martin has been tackled before launching a cheap shot.

And A.J. Venter too? I hear he's also copped 8 weeks for headbutting last weekend playing for the Sharks. I saw the incident tonight on TV. Identical to Krige's - two head butts in a ruck situation.

We have our new coaching team – and for the core fans it is a dream ticket!!

Leicester have appointed long-time Tigers servant John Wells as their new head coach.

The ex-flanker, previously Leicester forwards coach, has been in charge of team affairs since director of rugby Dean Richards left earlier this year.

Another old boy. When will they ever learn?

So there you go Finbar – we got our man Howard – will the second coming be as happy for him?

We shall see.

So what's this all about?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
So only England players would threaten to strike - and maybe Aussies?



so what about this?

Nuh. We sorted everything out last year prior to the World Cup. Hence the even worse blood between O'Neill and Gregan.

[Havak]

I saw the incident tonight on TV. Identical to Krige's - two head butts in a ruck situation.

And it had looked so much like they were leaving this phase behind in RSA rugby.

Another old boy. When will they ever learn?

Seemingly never. If ACT are a clique then Tigers are the proverbial Old Boys Club – literally.

As for your link – Sarel van De Walt is another of those journalists who believe the truth should never get in the way of a good story clearly. A number of the English clubs are struggling financially? Well in the top flight this simply isn’t true – pure and simple. Most of them are probably as healthy as the S12 franchises in fact. They all receive a slice of RFU TV money these days as we have discussed before…

And where the hell did this person get the silly idea Bobby has the ear of the RFU or can in anyway influence this silly team joining the top flight. Bobby may be listened to by the WRFU where he is plying his trade but he holds no influence at HQ.

Would you like to know the facts as they stand? Johann Rupert has approached a National League club. That club is Orrell who stand second in National One – but who will not be promoted this season as Worcester already have been. Orrell have flatly refused to speak to him. This makes sense when you think Orrell lies between Liverpool and Wigan and Rupert intends to move the club to London.

Orrell are perhaps financially vulnerable – but the idea the RFU will wear this plan is laughable. Rupert cannot buy his way into the Premiership that way – he needs to target an incumbent – and he will get short shrift there too.

A silly article for a silly idea?

Nuh. We sorted everything out last year prior to the World Cup. Hence the even worse blood between O'Neill and Gregan.

But they did threaten as I recall? So in that way they join England as prima donnas?

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
so what about this?

This is an old problem and the illness of the French Rugby since a few years, the article is summing up the situation rather accurately.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
And it had looked so much like they were leaving this phase behind in RSA rugby.

Yep. Bizarre, isn't it? Identical sins, same weekend. And up until last weekend, the Bok teams - Butch James' tackling aside - had been focused pretty much on rugby and not argie bargie. That they'd prospered for it can't be a coincidence. And now Stormers and Sharks are missing key players just when they most need them.

Seemingly never. If ACT are a clique then Tigers are the proverbial Old Boys Club – literally.

Age old question - at what point does a fresh eye become necessary? But at least the players aren't running the show at Tigers. The fundamental Brumbies' problem manifested itself on the weekend against the Waratahs - they were being stifled tactically as much as outplayed. How does a team that coaches itself deal with that? They couldn't and didn't.

A silly article for a silly idea?

Sounds like it. It's actually the sort of story that gets an outing in the off-season when there's nothing else to write about.

But they did threaten as I recall? So in that way they join England as prima donnas?

There were threats of court action. But it was resolved a damn sight quicker than what's going on over there.

Qantas are the new naming-rights sponsor for the Wallabies. $15 million over three years. Interesting that Emirates Airlines were the front runners offering the same amount, but, reading between the lines, it seems Emirates weren't being offered the naming rights. Presumably the powers didn't think it appropriate that the Australian rugby team should run around plastered with Arab signage. Still, now they can rewrite the Qantas advertising refrain (courtesy of Peter Allen): "I Still Call The Short Side Home". Cue a from Tamerlin!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin

This is an old problem and the illness of the French Rugby since a few years,

That, and dark hair roots!

[Caligastia]

[Havak]

And now Stormers and Sharks are missing key players just when they most need them.

Oh well – Bok teams are not supposed to win S12 after all.

But at least the players aren't running the show at Tigers

True – only ex-players run the show. Although I think Lantern jaw has a little influence.

Sounds like it. It's actually the sort of story that gets an outing in the off-season when there's nothing else to write about.

It wasn’t entirely without foundation but it was spun incorrectly – the only interest in it thus far is from the consortium proposing it. Skinstad has been trying to explain – they just want to buy a place in Division One (the bought club would be allowed to retain it’s own name, ground and ‘fan base’ – DOH! - but have to re-enter the leagues much further down). The bought franchise would be renamed London Tribe and moved to the capital where it would be filled with Tri-nations never weres and pensioners and go for promotion to the Premiership. The idea, and get this, is to fill a ground with all the young Boks, Aussies and kiwis tending bar in the capital (okay I added the tending bar bit – Skins said ‘working’).

Silly season all right – but he seems very earnest. Then again I remember him being the ‘saviour’ of Bok rugby and now still in his twenties he is wasting away in Wales?

There were threats of court action. But it was resolved a damn sight quicker than what's going on over there.

What is going on? Rugby Heaven covers it far more than anything here does. Why is that?

Our magnificent Bledisloe Cup winning Quantas Wallabies sponsored by Bundaberg rum? I can’t wait for the PA at your next match.



Far more seriously the Tigers season ticket price escalator continues – only 19% dearer if I renew by 1st June. Bargain then!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
What is going on? Rugby Heaven covers it far more than anything here does. Why is that?

Because it's the only interesting thing about English rugby.

Our magnificent Bledisloe Cup winning Quantas Wallabies sponsored by Bundaberg rum? I can’t wait for the PA at your next match.

At least you got the "Bledisloe Cup winning" bit right. Oh, and there's no "u" in Qantas. It's an acronym - Queensland And Northern Territory Air Service. That's how they started out.

Far more seriously the Tigers season ticket price escalator continues – only 19% dearer if I renew by 1st June. Bargain then!

And presumably it will be like everything else these days - paying more for less.

[Havak]

Because it's the only interesting thing about English rugby.

At least having one interesting thing places us above Australian Rugby in the ‘interesting’ league table then?

Oh, and there's no "u" in Qantas. It's an acronym - Queensland And Northern Territory Air Service. That's how they started out.

I’m sorry – I thought it meant “Quaint Australians”

And presumably it will be like everything else these days - paying more for less.

That depends on whether they snatch a Heineken cup place. Having read the renewal letter more carefully the standard price for my terrace ticket is up 19% - but the ‘special’ renewal price is only 6.3% higher. What a bargain to see the World Cup winning captain every game then?

There’s a real buzz about the club again. I don’t think we will win the League next year but we will be a more prominent force again. I don’t think it is going to take us as long to rebuild and challenge in Europe again as it took Toulouse for example.

[Havak]

That's it from me until Tuesday - by which time the S12 semi's will be decided? But far more importantly the Premiership play offs should be falling into place as well.

keep the Pom bashing flowing in my absence chaps. To assist the cause the Premiership clubs are now in dispute with the Lions - the Lions fly out next year three days before the Premiership finals/play offs and the clubs have said "our selected players will join you later then".

[Tamerlin]

Have a nice long week-end Havak, I will keep an eye on the writings of the two posters from the other sides of the world but you know that it will be difficult to prevent at least one of them to get wild...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
I’m sorry – I thought it meant “Quaint Australians”

On that basis, the acronym would be QUAINTAR*EHOLES.

That depends on whether they snatch a Heineken cup place. Having read the renewal letter more carefully the standard price for my terrace ticket is up 19% - but the ‘special’ renewal price is only 6.3% higher. What a bargain to see the World Cup winning captain every game then?

Yes, I suppose paying 6.3% more to watch a has-been is value. But what's a "special" renewal price? How does it differ? Why is it less?

I don’t think it is going to take us as long to rebuild and challenge in Europe again as it took Toulouse for example.

That's what we like to see - division in the NH ranks! As it happens, I was watching a doco on the Battle of Trafalgar the other night. God bless Les Grenouilles. One of the reasons their navy was trumped was that a lot of the officers had been guillotined a few years earlier. Army officers were manning the guns on the ships! And they had black roots in their hair.