Rugby - Truck and Trailer!

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Havak

Dally announced his international retirement this morning. Jumping before being pushed methinks.

Originally posted by finbar

I would've thought it would've been Havak doing the

while finbar would've been ?

...

I mean this is good news for England after all, is it not?


[Edit: Crikey. Tis yet again almost time for a new thread. Suggestions?]

[Havak]

How nice to see the old Aussie-Kiwi interplay return to the thread. We need much more of this now England are at the start of a long rebuild (and are therefore a ducks in barrel target)

I wonder if Blades wishes he was back with the Falcons? Why the ARU ever thought being forwards coach there prepared him for such a big step I will never get. I recall the frequent discussions of how player power bumped Nocifora – so how safe can any new coach ever feel. Win the S12, get booted. Sad that he is totally lost to Aussie rugger for now.

It's just that, for me, Greenwood sort of represents everything girlie in backs.

I know what you mean. Larkham had the same effect on me with half backs for years – seems a little tougher now.

Oh well, if you've been to the Otago area, you'd understand that he'll have little trouble adjusting to the East Midlands.

I suspect comparatively he is coming to the ‘big city’. In terms of numbers the East Mids must have over half the population of the whole of NZ at least.

Grow your own!

You have seen how well that works! Looking forwards to seeing Rogers back for the tour. We need to beat your best side after all.

Definitely jumping before he was pushed. Now you need a skipper. I gather Mark Thatcher is looking for greener pastures.

He seems to prefer former colonies. I am sure Australia will welcome him?

Ravagon is right of course – his departure is good news for England. It allows a more through rebuild at an earlier stage aiming towards 2007.

Dallaglio caught everybody out with the speed of his decision – the press conference was called very late indeed – only 12 hours notice. He has had some very sensible things to say – given the difficulty linking to some sites I’ll reproduce it here:
[starts]
"I'm unsure whether we have the right structure to allow our players to be successful," said Dallaglio.
"The World Cup was a little bit of a one-off."
He added: "Clive fought so hard to get the necessary working days and the timing of the tournament was perfect."
"Playing internationals while trying to run a domestic competition and the way the season runs until May before some players then have to go on tour are not conducive to career longevity.
"We are already seeing a number of injuries to high-profile players as a result of the number of games they are playing.
"It's an issue that needs to be addressed.
"We all want to play for our club and countries but the ferocity and intensity of the game in this part of the world is such now that people must take a serious look at the fixture list.
"Mentally and physically it is very demanding. Unless you're managed properly you end up staying on the treadmill until you decide to jump off."
[ends]

Its not surprising that he doesn’t acknowledge the RWC was down to having a much better skipper than him – he never has after all – but he has a very good point about the demands we make on our players.

I suspect Clive is laying the groundwork for an early departure. He has, finally, realised that it's one thing to be carried to a WRC title on the coat tails of one of the great rugby players, but another thing actually to have to build and coach a team.

We will know by the end of today. He is meeting his boss this morning. The Soccer rumours are actually very serious (Southampton of all places – with a view to England in the future). Even if he does stay with the rugby until 2007 on his current contract he seems likely to jump sports then. He has spoken about his desire to try his coaching methods in different sports.

What more proof do we need that the ego is totally out of control? Time for a change I think.

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon





I would've thought it would've been Havak doing the

while finbar would've been ?

...

I mean this is good news for England after all, is it not?


[Edit: Crikey. Tis yet again almost time for a new thread. Suggestions?]

Who showed you how to use the smilies!?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
How nice to see the old Aussie-Kiwi interplay return to the thread.

He's discovered smilies! Like a kid with a new toy! Or even G. Henry with a new 5/8!

We need much more of this now England are at the start of a long rebuild (and are therefore a ducks in barrel target)

Lord, let the water remain still and the ducks be paralysed!

I wonder if Blades wishes he was back with the Falcons?

I bet he does. He has quit the Wallabies "to pursue business opportunities".

Win the S12, get booted. Sad that he is totally lost to Aussie rugger for now.

The problem with the Brumbies is that you can never tell what influence Nucifora had. They've played exactly the same game since they first arrived. Moulded by Rod Macqueen, developed by Eddie. The senior players were there at the outset and now basically run the show. The team's real test will come when those senior players retire. That's when they're going to need guidance.

I suspect comparatively he is coming to the ‘big city’. In terms of numbers the East Mids must have over half the population of the whole of NZ at least.

He's going to New York by comparison! New Zealand's population, as of today, is 4,067,564. Well, 4,067, 564 1/2, on account of ravagon's heart being there if not his size 12s.

He seems to prefer former colonies. I am sure Australia will welcome him?

The Prime Minister might. He, of course, worships the chap's dear old, now addled Mum.

Dallaglio caught everybody out with the speed of his decision – the press conference was called very late indeed – only 12 hours notice.

I'd love to know what went on behind the scenes to bring this about. Smells a bit odd to me. Particularly juxtaposed with the stories about Clive.

but he has a very good point about the demands we make on our players.

Absolutely.

We will know by the end of today. He is meeting his boss this morning. The Soccer rumours are actually very serious (Southampton of all places – with a view to England in the future).

What exactly is the purpose of the meeting? Who called it? I find this meeting oddest of all. I suspect that he really does want out. He won his WRC. The road in front of him is a long and potentially painful one. Maybe too long and too potentially painful.

[Havak]

RFU chief executive Francis Baron 'invited' him in for a meeting today Finbar.

He may have brought the game into disrepute with some of the things he has said to the media. Some of them were certainly ill advised.

Try this for size:

"I love football and I go to as many games as I possibly can. I never had that passion for rugby I have for football. I never got into rugby in the same way."

"I was forced into playing rugby, because that's the only game the school played. And I hated it. I ran away a couple of times because of football. I didn't mind being at boarding school. I just hated not playing football."

Sounds like a man wanting to be released to me? You cant have a national rugby coach saying he likes (or perhaps liked?) a lame sport* played by overpaid wimps more than our beloved Union.

* Insert League or Soccer as appropriate

[finbar]

It's exactly what it sounds like to me. What a truly bizarre collection of things for a national team coach to say.