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[Havak]

Leave me alone you cruel devils.

Classy satire Finbar. I wish you had mentioned the A side – the one ray of light in a dark dark weekend.

You catch a whole nation in mourning here today – sadly only because of the overpaid ballet dancers in our soccer side losing to Tamerlins mob who scored two goals in injury time to steal the game. FInbar watched it - I would not out of principle (the principle that I hate soccer).

On more important matters I have to admit some of the passages of play from the Kiwis on Saturday was as good as I have ever seen in the game – respect where it is due. It didn’t help them of course – Thorpe and Giles sealing a 3-0 series whitewash yesterday afternoon.

What you thought I was going to talk about Rugby?

Well okay – the All Blacks were pretty impressive I have to admit. That first half blew me away along with the muppets masquerading as England players. What should worry Clive most is the way the AB forwards out muscled the “strongest pack he has ever fielded”. It hasn’t fundamentally changed how I feel about Kiwi forwards – but it has made me revise what I think of Clive’s current incumbents. I am intrigued what that Kiwi pack will do to the Wallabies now.

Never send a Tiger-deficient side to do a mans job. And never let Dallaglio captain a side again – where was the on field leadership FFS?

SOS Jonno indeed. He could not have changed the result but the abject surrender in the first half would not have occurred under him. He needs to be involved somewhere in the setup to get some passion back in our game.

It is no comfort to me that I spotted some of the weak links. Did I say Simpson-Daniel was suspect in defence? I meant to say AWOL obviously! Hill at openside has finally been exposed for the stupid idea it is – and Jones proved he is not up to this level. Hodgson was a totally let down – he is better than that so I can only assume he got stage fright. And it all happens again next weekend. What can Clive do given he took a strange squad anyway? Well Barkley at Fly – he is young and green but he is not the rabbit Charlie made of himself. Corry at blindside I think so at least there is one man in the back row. And at openside it has to be the only natural number 7 in the squad – just a shame that he is actually Australian. Yes indeed, I think he should play Lipman.

How do you turn around a team after a defeat like that? Clive thinks he knows how – you point out how bad Kaplan is. Is anyone surprised he picked on the ref?

A bad weekend for the NH. The Wales game was bizarre – a tale of zero defences. Ireland at times looked world class but a surprisingly mobile young Bok team managed to outplay them fairly comfortably. BOD continues to impress however – I think he may be Lions skipper next year (although at the moment its hard to see many Englishmen making that squad). And Wallabies-Scotland was routine stuff – rusty Australians still proving a class above industrious Scots.

The only glimmer of hope – England A comfortably beat Canada (I have it taped to watch later as it was a 1am kick off BST) and the Tigers boys did good apparently. I wonder if Clive is tempted to call Brown and Deacon south after the diabolical showing from Grewcock and Borthwick?

In one of the great ironies of life the A side now face the Maori in the Churchill cup final next weekend. How much would the Kiwis love it if both their sides beat Poms on the same weekend?

If I can briefly return to the cricket – I think England are starting to look an okay side Finbar. That lad Harmison is the best bowler we have had in a generation and the batting lineup finally has a middle order that can stick around a bit. They will not beat the Aussies over a series – but they may take a test or two.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Leave me alone you cruel devils.

Oh. Okay.

[finbar]

There you go, 30 seconds of peace.

Originally posted by Havak

Classy satire Finbar. I wish you had mentioned the A side – the one ray of light in a dark dark weekend.

I was going to mention it till I realised what the A side had beaten - a mob of fur seals.

You catch a whole nation in mourning here today – sadly only because of the overpaid ballet dancers in our soccer side losing to Tamerlins mob who scored two goals in injury time to steal the game. FInbar watched it - I would not out of principle (the principle that I hate soccer).

I'm glad I woke at 5am and couldn't go back to sleep. From the little I know of soccer, England seemed to shut up shop with their 1-0 lead, content to defend it. I gather from reading some bits and pieces that it's a tactic employed in the English Premier League. Only it doesn't work against a team as talented as les grenouilles. All I can honestly say is that I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed watching those gloating England supporters' faces turn ashen. At once stage, while 1-0 up, they were singing "God Save The Queen"! Twayts!

On more important matters I have to admit some of the passages of play from the Kiwis on Saturday was as good as I have ever seen in the game – respect where it is due. It didn’t help them of course – Thorpe and Giles sealing a 3-0 series whitewash yesterday afternoon.

What you thought I was going to talk about Rugby?

We'll give you that one. Only on account of your grief.

What should worry Clive most is the way the AB forwards out muscled the “strongest pack he has ever fielded”.

I assume his first appraisal of England's problem as "we fell off some tackles in the first 30 minutes" was wry understatement.

SOS Jonno indeed. He could not have changed the result but the abject surrender in the first half would not have occurred under him. He needs to be involved somewhere in the setup to get some passion back in our game.

Somewhere. Somehow. They were absolutely totally leaderless.

It is no comfort to me that I spotted some of the weak links. Did I say Simpson-Daniel was suspect in defence? I meant to say AWOL obviously! Hill at openside has finally been exposed for the stupid idea it is – and Jones proved he is not up to this level. Hodgson was a totally let down – he is better than that so I can only assume he got stage fright. And it all happens again next weekend. What can Clive do given he took a strange squad anyway? Well Barkley at Fly – he is young and green but he is not the rabbit Charlie made of himself. Corry at blindside I think so at least there is one man in the back row. And at openside it has to be the only natural number 7 in the squad – just a shame that he is actually Australian. Yes indeed, I think he should play Lipman.

How do you turn around a team after a defeat like that? Clive thinks he knows how – you point out how bad Kaplan is. Is anyone surprised he picked on the ref?

Someone should point out to Clive that his defence was offside (probably) 75% of the match. If Kaplan had policed offside, the ABs might have scored half a dozen more tries.

I don't think you can turn a team around after a defeat like that. It's up to them. They know they played like ****e. They're all professional rugby players. They have to rediscover their pride. In terms of changes, do you toss in a novice like Barkley against McCaw and Co? Or Lipman? Call it re-building? [I haven't seen much of Hodgson so I don't what he's capable of, but he seemed to be flinching whenever he got the ball (usually poorly from Dawson) as if expecting to be smashed] And what of Dawson? He was slow motion.

BOD continues to impress however – I think he may be Lions skipper next year

He did some terrific stuff in the first half that I saw.

And Wallabies-Scotland was routine stuff – rusty Australians still proving a class above industrious Scots.

Notice the ref's phobia about the gap in the lineout? That mysteriously vanished later in the match?

In one of the great ironies of life the A side now face the Maori in the Churchill cup final next weekend. How much would the Kiwis love it if both their sides beat Poms on the same weekend?

I checked out the Maori line up. I recognised only a couple of names. Mainly NPC chaps.

If I can briefly return to the cricket – I think England are starting to look an okay side Finbar. That lad Harmison is the best bowler we have had in a generation and the batting lineup finally has a middle order that can stick around a bit. They will not beat the Aussies over a series – but they may take a test or two.

Yes, Harmison went from the depths to some good heights out here. He's big and quick. But against top class batting he has to be accurate, too. Our top 7 slaughter anything not right on the spot. Has that big quick Jones come back yet? He seriously injured a knee or leg out here. He looked to have potential too. As to your batting - Thorpe and Vaughn are still your only top class players, I think, and that's when Thorpe's head is right and Vaughn isn't bothered by the captaincy. Trescothic, unless he acquires footwork from somewhere, will always struggle against quality bowling, and Butcher will fail more often than he makes big scores. But, as I've said, our bowling isn't as potent as it was, so it might boil down to a battle of batting lineups.

[Tamerlin]

Could you please stop writing about s*****? There is already an information overload here in France as people have started to organise their life around the various games broadcasted on the TV. A friend of mine, at least a former one now, even refused to come with us to watch at the last brother Cohen's movie Ladykillers because of this damn s***** game you are talking about.

Finbar, get out of your lair and go to the cinema. You won't regret it... the world outside is not that dangerous you know.

[Havak]

And a nice 30 seconds it was too.

Soccer supporters – what can I say. There was trouble around the country last night after the game. Chemical neutering may be the only answer.

I assume his first appraisal of England's problem as "we fell off some tackles in the first 30 minutes" was wry understatement.

I suspect so – he has been unusually honest, to whit “It was a thumping. I can't think of any positives to come out of the game.”

Somewhere. Somehow. They were absolutely totally leaderless.

It’s a rudderless ship – with no new rudders in view.

In terms of changes, do you toss in a novice like Barkley against McCaw and Co? Or Lipman? Call it re-building?

In all honesty Finbar what can it hurt? NZ have their tails up now and in all likelihood another thrashing is on the way – blood the youngsters and hope this tour does what the 98 one did in the long run. Certainly the Hill experiment at 7 has to end – how many tests do we need to lose for Clive to get that one into his thick skull?

Dawson looked what he was – a man who had not played in anger in over three months.

Notice the ref's phobia about the gap in the lineout? That mysteriously vanished later in the match?

I only caught the later part of the second half as the Scots wilted…

I checked out the Maori line up. I recognised only a couple of names. Mainly NPC chaps.

Apparently the Canadian backline was young and fast and caused our defence some grief – seems to be a national problem then?

All the tigers lads got game time which cheers me up slightly.

Has that big quick Jones come back yet? He seriously injured a knee or leg out here.

Played in the first test without really finding form then injured his foot and missed the last two. Still has plenty of potential – but worryingly injury prone. Strauss came back down to earth in this test with two poor innings.

There is one player who seems to have his start firmly rising –Geraint Jones (it is the English and Welsh cricket board after all). Apparently born in Bok land, raised in Queensland and matured in England. You can tell he spent time in Australia – oozes confidence.

Tamerlin I would very much like to stop talking about S*****. Finbar needs to stop watching it!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
Finbar needs to stop watching it!

That must be the natural tendency of Australians to revert back to uneducated ways.

[Havak]

More a sign of the natural Aussie addiction to sport - whatever the flavour - I suspect?

*edit*

The RFU has always had a sense of ironic timing. As the current England skipper plumbs new depths they chose to announce this morning that Jonno has been granted privileged member status of the RFU.

For those not up on the way our Union is steeped in snobbery this is an unprecedented honour for someone still playing the game.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Could you please stop writing about s*****?

Obviously I only wrote about it because England were well and truly stuffed in the cruellest possible way! Making it three times in one weekend!

A friend of mine, at least a former one now, even refused to come with us to watch at the last brother Cohen's movie Ladykillers

A friend of mine saw it at the Cannes Festival and said it was sh*t.

Finbar, get out of your lair and go to the cinema. You won't regret it... the world outside is not that dangerous you know.

Bring the movies to me in my lair!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak

Soccer supporters – what can I say. There was trouble around the country last night after the game. Chemical neutering may be the only answer.

Save some of those chemicals for Tamerlin! And I don't mean the mind altering ones!

I suspect so – he has been unusually honest, to whit “It was a thumping. I can't think of any positives to come out of the game.”

Well, I suppose something of this sort had to be on the cards. The real strength of the World Cup winning team - one person aside - was its veterans. Remove that strength in one hit and you're immensely vulnerable. And when one of the strengths literally carried - as we all know he did - the team on his shoulders ...
The thing is, no one has yet publicly admitted that. They probably won't either.

In all honesty Finbar what can it hurt? NZ have their tails up now and in all likelihood another thrashing is on the way – blood the youngsters and hope this tour does what the 98 one did in the long run. Certainly the Hill experiment at 7 has to end – how many tests do we need to lose for Clive to get that one into his thick skull?

It's probably too much (for England) to hope the ABs had a day out. Well, they did, but they're capable of doing it again. Providing it doesn't go to their heads. I'm sure G. Henry will be working against that. Yes, I suppose the bullet might as well be bitten. You have to start rebuilding sometime, somewhere. Whether the player options available on this tour are genuine longer term possibilities might be another matter? Which gets back to tour selections. Anyway, you can rest assured we won't give you anything like the hard time the ABs are giving you. By which I mean, the Wallabies will obviously be trying like stink, there's revenge to be had, but we obviously don't have the pack to upset the apple cart as the ABs did. We'll test you elsewhere, and maybe your pack will be able to set up something. History shows we always take at least three or four matches to run into form.

I only caught the later part of the second half as the Scots wilted…

Oh well, by that stage Honiss had forgotten his earlier lineout tunnel pedantry. You saw us at our, um, best for the day. Very scratchy stuff. Did you see that poor Scotland winger try to chip over Wendell? When he only really had Wendell between him and the try line? Thanks very much, said Wendell, catching the ball and strolling away for a try.

Apparently the Canadian backline was young and fast and caused our defence some grief – seems to be a national problem then?

Mmmm. The Maori might be largely NPCers, but there's a vague chance they're probably young and even quicker and more skilful than the fur seals!

Played in the first test without really finding form then injured his foot and missed the last two. Still has plenty of potential – but worryingly injury prone. Strauss came back down to earth in this test with two poor innings.

Pity he's injury prone. He put the wind up some of our batsmen out here before he hurt himself. And Strauss? Well, I recall Goochie's first couple of test innings.

There is one player who seems to have his start firmly rising –Geraint Jones (it is the English and Welsh cricket board after all). Apparently born in Bok land, raised in Queensland and matured in England. You can tell he spent time in Australia – oozes confidence.

Can he tackle? When does the next Air NZ flight leave?

Tamerlin I would very much like to stop talking about S*****. Finbar needs to stop watching it!

There was nothing else on at 5am! As Tamerlin would well know!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


That must be the natural tendency of Australians to revert back to uneducated ways.

No, it just means I can afford every cable channel available in this neck of the backwoods!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
More a sign of the natural Aussie addiction to sport - whatever the flavour - I suspect?

I very rarely watch s*****. I never watch basketball. I never ever watch L*****!

The RFU has always had a sense of ironic timing. As the current England skipper plumbs new depths they chose to announce this morning that Jonno has been granted privileged member status of the RFU.

For those not up on the way our Union is steeped in snobbery this is an unprecedented honour for someone still playing the game.

A penny for J****'s thoughts watching the Dunedin debacle.

[Havak]

We can find that out in a milder example of NZ press pieces

[Caligastia]

The facial expression says it all...

[Havak]

Keeping in mind that is him walking through the arrival gate after a 27 hour journey and being instantly set upon by a frenzy of gloating Kiwi hacks?

[Caligastia]

It must be tough flying 1st class...