Rugby - Truck and Trailer!

[Havak]

A fascinating day in Rugby. It rather seems that the ARU has compensated Falcons – though I doubt you will get either to admit it. Falcons have publically acquiesced to Samo re-signing to ACT today (not NSW!) but only after an ARU rep flew up to meet them apparently.

Murray came head on, launched himself and shouldered Lyons in the face.

Accidental after all then?

Oh well, he'll be more than serviceable at full back. Handy back up kicker, too.

Spilt for choice – Wilko, Walder and Burke can all kick!

Big, quick wingers from North Auckland aren't exactly hens' teeth.

Great line.

Possibly that he peaked in 2003? Never to rise again?

The best club side in the world just signed him – so he hasn’t peaked yet.

*Havak's coffee mug goes flying*

Not quite yet. I’m sticking to my story that Julian White (Tigers) was the best player from our side last week by miles. And will be again tomorrow.

One things for sure when that young Bok from Bath came on for him our scrum started spinning like a Catherine wheel.

[Caligastia]

Are we still doing the civ gold betting thing? I think I owe you 10 for the super 12 final Finbar. What kind of margin should we be giving England this weekend?

[Havak]

33 Points?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
A fascinating day in Rugby. It rather seems that the ARU has compensated Falcons – though I doubt you will get either to admit it. Falcons have publically acquiesced to Samo re-signing to ACT today (not NSW!) but only after an ARU rep flew up to meet them apparently.

I didn't know. Oh well, that's why they grabbed Burke.

The best club side in the world just signed him – so he hasn’t peaked yet.

Ah, but he'll catch the England disease. Peak when he's 34 and retire the next day.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Are we still doing the civ gold betting thing? I think I owe you 10 for the super 12 final Finbar. What kind of margin should we be giving England this weekend?

It occurred to me a while ago that we should resurrect it. Typically, I forgot. I still have the bank balances on my HD. I'll dig them up tomorrow. England margin? Dunno. They will improve. Howlett's out. I'd say 15.

I'll say one thing for this tour. Havak doesn't have to launch his usual pre-emptive excuses, talking down their chances. The team's performance does it for him.

[Havak]

I'm terribly offended by that slur on my impeccably honest nature.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar


It occurred to me a while ago that we should resurrect it. Typically, I forgot. I still have the bank balances on my HD. I'll dig them up tomorrow. England margin? Dunno. They will improve. Howlett's out. I'd say 15.

Sounds about right. 20 on NZ.

I'll say one thing for this tour. Havak doesn't have to launch his usual pre-emptive excuses, talking down their chances. The team's performance does it for him.

[Tamerlin]

Aren't we supposed to bet on the important games only?

By the way gentlemen, you are wasting too much time on the Internet... especially at work. Do you realise the billions of dollars and pounds lost for nothing because of your childish irresponsibility.






10 on England (I am kind of fascinated with lost causes)...

[MrWhereItsAt]

Dear God.

England. Where can I start? A much better performance than last week. But why in the f*** did he knee that player? Except for that moment Eng was going very well. It's no surprise there was a Rokocoko hat trick after then. This game could have been so much closer....

The NZ news reported that the Eng coach said that their team was 'too controlled' last week. They were OUT of control this time around. Watching this in an NZ bar it got BORING in the second half.

A game that could have been SO much better....

[Havak]

Well that certainly proves you cannot read forward play – the team taking in the niggle to the contact was the ABs. England were very controlled and would have prospered if the ABs kept swinging punches as they were . Then came that sending off – the worst decision of the year by a country mile…and the Abs no longer need to make it a boxing match.

After last week where I could only be full of admiration for the ABs what a contrast that was. The game was an utter disgrace – and if NZ want to play the game that way they should forget ever accusing any other side of cynicism again.

Robinson should have walked when he attempted to punch out Worseley’s lights on 8 minutes. Punching is not a finger wagging offence (someone tell the Welsh idiot with the whistle). Two minutes later the same tosser is lying on the wrong side of a ruck preventing English supporting players engaging and thanks to an engineered flair up by Carlos the ABs got a fellow Professional sent off for absolutely nothing. Deliberate use of knee my arse!!!

To that point England were fronting up well – after it the game was of course all over. You cannot play with 14 men for 70 minutes at that level.

I actually find myself supporting Clive in what he said after the game. Virtually no contact – would have been surprised if it got yellow anywhere else – touch judge intimidated by crowd and ABs. Yep – seems to sum it up for once. And it must be embarrassing if Graham is also admitting he wouldn’t expect one of his boys to walk for that kind of situation.

Whatever way you spin that situation (and I am sure you Kiwi lads will try) if Shaw received red in that situation why didn’t Carlos too? He is not allowed to punch players simply because he thinks he has seen wrong doing. If Jonno had done that you same lads would be baying for him to see red.

Pathetic. Pointless. I have to borrow from Tamerlin over the whole test.

And what do I think of AB forwards now? For cynical play you are now up with the 99 Wallabies and 03 England sides. Congratulation, if indeed it is something that should be congratulated.

Tri-nations? Go Wallabies! And that is whatever happens next week.

[finbar]

Oh spare me, Clive. Please! He not only connected with the knee, he connected twice. It was foul play. Foul play earns a red card. You thought you could win with 15 on the field? Oh, for crying out loud.

Damn link doesn't work!

Now I'll have to go back and read Havak's diatribe too!

EDIT. It's a long diatribe. I have to go and watch Ireland -v- Boks. I'll deal with the marginally coloured diatribe in the morning.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak
Robinson should have walked when he attempted to punch out Worseley’s lights on 8 minutes. Punching is not a finger wagging offence (someone tell the Welsh idiot with the whistle).

I just reviewed the tape, and I can tell you that Robinson most certainly did not try to punch anyone's lights out. The English players tried to take the law into their own hands at the lineout and Robinson reacted to it with an open-handed shove to Worseley's face - no big deal and certainly nothing to be sent off for.

Two minutes later the same tosser is lying on the wrong side of a ruck preventing English supporting players engaging and thanks to an engineered flair up by Carlos the ABs got a fellow Professional sent off for absolutely nothing. Deliberate use of knee my arse!!!

Your recollection of the incident is totally off. Yes, Robinson was lying on the wrong side of the ruck, but just as the referee was putting his arm up to give England the penalty Shaw decided to get stuck in with the knee. Don't tell me he didn't, everyone saw it and if you didn't then you need glasses.

Whatever way you spin that situation (and I am sure you Kiwi lads will try)

I've carefully reviewed both incidents on tape, and it's you who's doing the spinning.

if Shaw received red in that situation why didn’t Carlos too?

Carlos did nothing to warrant being sent off.

He is not allowed to punch players simply because he thinks he has seen wrong doing.

Yet another example of your false recollection. Carlos punched no-one. When he spotted Shaw using his knee on Robinson he pushed Shaw and was then tackled to the ground by another England player.

And what do I think of AB forwards now? For cynical play you are now up with the 99 Wallabies and 03 England sides. Congratulation, if indeed it is something that should be congratulated.

Tri-nations? Go Wallabies! And that is whatever happens next week.

It's your own players you should be angry at. They weren't prepared to let the referee do his job. They took matters into their own hands. For that they were punished. Boo hoo.

[Tamerlin]

Don't worry Havak, there is still some true Rugby here.

First semi-final of the French championship:

Club Sportif de Bourgoin-Jailleu 21 - Stade Français 31

Damn! Those Parisians made it again...

Though the Parisians were better than the Berjaliens (it hurts to say that but it is true ) the referee has not helped Bourgoin, struck as he was by a kind of selective blindness in favor of Paris. Before the last try of the Parisians, for example, he thus ignored a late tackle and a contact from the Parisians and sent Péclier to the sin bin for a late tackle on Dominici in the same action.

The first half was rather good and saw Bourgoin leading 15 - 13, but the Parisians gradually took hold of the game... with a little help from the referee.

[ravagon]

Thanks to the Channel 7 resurrecting the art of delayed coverage I caught it too - thought the send off might have been a little harsh but it was hardly unwarranted ...

I also thought the English dealt with it rather well up until the last 20 minutes or so. At 24-12 when they were pressing on the AB's tryline I still had doubts about the final outcome.
They did actually show up to play this week at the very least.

Other than the sending off it was the passing and ball handling in general that decided it - After a fairly even start NZ improved throughout the match (as so often happens when things are going your way) and England went backwards.

Hope Lewsey doesn't do himself an injury kicking himself today - although after yesterday he could probably kick himself till the cows come home without doing any damage. Out on the full 3 times? Ouch.
When's the last time that happened to Wilco ...

Tri-nations? Go Wallabies! And that is whatever happens next week.

Beware. Every single time I've though about supporting Australia against anybody else somebody, generally some pompous arrogant overblown windbag (Er, some pompous arrogant overblown Australian windbag ) or other comes along to change my mind.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Well that certainly proves you cannot read forward play – the team taking in the niggle to the contact was the ABs. England were very controlled and would have prospered if the ABs kept swinging punches as they were . Then came that sending off – the worst decision of the year by a country mile…and the Abs no longer need to make it a boxing match.

After last week where I could only be full of admiration for the ABs what a contrast that was. The game was an utter disgrace – and if NZ want to play the game that way they should forget ever accusing any other side of cynicism again.

Robinson should have walked when he attempted to punch out Worseley’s lights on 8 minutes. Punching is not a finger wagging offence (someone tell the Welsh idiot with the whistle). Two minutes later the same tosser is lying on the wrong side of a ruck preventing English supporting players engaging and thanks to an engineered flair up by Carlos the ABs got a fellow Professional sent off for absolutely nothing. Deliberate use of knee my arse!!!

To that point England were fronting up well – after it the game was of course all over. You cannot play with 14 men for 70 minutes at that level.

I actually find myself supporting Clive in what he said after the game. Virtually no contact – would have been surprised if it got yellow anywhere else – touch judge intimidated by crowd and ABs. Yep – seems to sum it up for once. And it must be embarrassing if Graham is also admitting he wouldn’t expect one of his boys to walk for that kind of situation.

Whatever way you spin that situation (and I am sure you Kiwi lads will try) if Shaw received red in that situation why didn’t Carlos too? He is not allowed to punch players simply because he thinks he has seen wrong doing. If Jonno had done that you same lads would be baying for him to see red.

Pathetic. Pointless. I have to borrow from Tamerlin over the whole test.

And what do I think of AB forwards now? For cynical play you are now up with the 99 Wallabies and 03 England sides. Congratulation, if indeed it is something that should be congratulated.

Tri-nations? Go Wallabies! And that is whatever happens next week.

I had a blissfully scatching response to this pile of doggy-doo all typed out ... and my cable connection dropped out! I lost the lot! I blame Clive!

So I'll just summarise it:

If the North Sea trawlers had dangled bait as stinky as this, the North Sea fish stocks wouldn't be as desperately low as they are!