Rugby - Running Out of Titles

[Havak]

A Knighted Pom no less. Perhaps he should know better?

Better news - Wasps have been thrown out of the Powergen Cup after beating Bristol last weekend. They managed to play a cup tied player somehow.

[finbar]

Yes, I heard that overnight on the World Service. I was half-asleep at the time and thought I heard they'd been thrown out of the League.

[Tamerlin]

I am as interested in this bridge that I am in Xmas.

Yesterday , has been played the first "return" games of the French Championship. Thanks to the home victory of the Club Sportif de Bourgoin-Jailleu against the Union Sportive des Arlequins de Perpignan and the victory of the Stade Toulousain against the Section Paloise (38-0), the Toulousains have taken the lead of the French Championship before a succession of tough games to come.

Cédric Heymans has scored two tries.

[LDiCesare]

Tamerlin, I managed to see Castres-Agen yesterday (my parents have Sport +, so Xmas has good sides when you get to go to your parents so children can get presents, I get to watch rugby). Delaigue is still as good as he used to be (a few nice drop-goals and generally better play than his vis-a-vis).
Pau's fate is saddening however. This used to be a good club , though never top-notch. Their scoring zero point is certainly gratifying for the Toulousains but then it really looks silly to have 16 clubs competing when we see scores like that. And let's not talk about Auch. What's the point of playing that many games in the season when you know the winner of most of them in advance?

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
Tamerlin, I managed to see Castres-Agen yesterday (my parents have Sport +, so Xmas has good sides when you get to go to your parents so children can get presents, I get to watch rugby). Delaigue is still as good as he used to be (a few nice drop-goals and generally better play than his vis-a-vis).

I did not see the game but I have been told that it was a good game. For what I have seen this year, Yann Delaigue is proving that he is still very good... and that the Toulousains should have done the necessary to keep him. As I said when he played his last game for the Stade Toulousain at Ernest Wallon: "we are going to miss him".

Pau's fate is saddening however. This used to be a good club , though never top-notch. Their scoring zero point is certainly gratifying for the Toulousains but then it really looks silly to have 16 clubs competing when we see scores like that. And let's not talk about Auch. What's the point of playing that many games in the season when you know the winner of most of them in advance?

I agree with, this is fortunately the last year with so many clubs, their number should be reduced to 14 next year though, IMO, 12 would have been better. What is really bothering me is that historical clubs will fade into the shadows of history and oblivion. Who will remember the exploits of the Football Club de Lourdes or of the Union Sportive Dacquoise? But, IMO, that is a price to pay if we want our game to survive to the professional era. Of course, I agree that it is easier to profess that twelve teams would be enough when you are sure to be a part of the chosen ones

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


Cédric Heymans has scored two tries.

How many of the opposition players did he manage to kick in the process?

Oh well, back to the holiday ...

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar


How many of the opposition players did he manage to kick in the process?

Oh well, back to the holiday ...

It's alright Finbar, have some rest... be happy! It's Xmas!

[finbar]

Went up the coast to a friend's place for the week between Bah Humbug and the other event. The house is right on the beach. It was cold and windy the whole week. I could have sat here at home for a week being miserable!

Anyway, whomever or whatever the French newspaper L'Equipe might be, they selected a World XV for 2004. Lawrence Dallaglio? They obviously felt obliged to select a Pom and Nose's name came out of the hat. L'Equipe is obviously what we might call the next best thing to dunny paper.

The team:

Mils Muliaina (NZ); Joe Rokocoko (NZ), Brian O'Driscoll (Ire), Matt Giteau (Aus), Lote Tuqiri (Aus); Ronan O'Gara (Ire), George Gregan (Aus); Os du Randt (SA), William Servat (Fra), Sylvain Marconnet (Fra), Victor Matfield (SA), Paul O'Connell (Ire), Schalk Burger (SA), George Smith (Aus), Lawrence Dallaglio (Eng).

[LDiCesare]

L'Equipe is the daily sports magazine in France. They are less reliable than the Midi Olympique as far as rugby is concerned (Midi Olympique, or Midol, is weekly and dedicated solely to rugby - though you may see some corrida stuff on the last page at the right season).
Indeed looks like they looked for Englishman to put in the list.

[finbar]

Thanks for that. I assume Italy doesn't have a rugby magazine of any description.

I've just finished watching a replay of the Leicester -v- Wasps return HC match. Yes, that's how backward and behind the times this country is. Gee, Leicester really let Wasps into the match with the idiotic pass that was intercepted by Abbott. And there was almost another one a couple of minutes later. Wasps hadn't had a sniff prior to the interception and it lifted them. Still, Leicester were superior on the day, playing some terrific rugby mixed in with some rubbish.

Harry Ellis looks like a very good player. Why he isn't in an England jersey, I have no idea. He's got George Gregan's cheek, nerve and aggression. And fine skills, too. Corry was a bit of a revelation with his mobility. He didn't show it against us. OTOH, I suppose Wasps didn't have a George Smith or Phil Waugh to make him look like a statue. Kay looks to be returning to some form, fullback Murphy is class from top to toe, and it was a pleasure to see J**** reffing a match again.

I was heartened, though, to see VD's limp version of a tackle on Hoadley that allowed him to offload for one of the Wasps' props to score a try. He was hanging onto Hoadley's hand like he was asking him out for a date. And probably was. Havak will probably counter with a mention of VD's contribution to the hooker's try down the sideline. Except that it patently obviously wasn't a try. The laws of physics say so. Obviously J**** had given the touchie The Stare.

[Havak]

The Chuter try against Wasps? I’m at the far end of the ground from where he scored and even I didn’t think that was a try. Definitely a Jonno stare as you say.

Two more league results over the holiday:

Tiger 50 Worcester 7
Gloucester 13 Tigers 28

And there was almost another one a couple of minutes later

I thought that the first interception was Gibson trying to chip Abbott and getting it spectacularly wrong? Or was that the second faux pas?

Harry Ellis looks like a very good player

He is quite some player. As his coach says he has the courage of a forward and the skills of a girlie. Hard to see how anything but injury can keep him out the 6N now as he absolutely bossed Gomersall last Sunday.

Corry was a bit of a revelation with his mobility. He didn't show it against us.

Lets be fair and say it was Smith and Waugh who contained him (though both would find him a handful in the loose I suspect). That was his most muted performance for 12 months so you have to suspect the oppo had a huge hand in that fact.

Bad news however is that he dislocated his elbow at Glaws on Sunday and it looked evil. At least six weeks out which is good news for Wales and France – not to mention Biarritz this Sunday.

Kay looks to be returning to some form

He is getting more like his 2003 self. He should make a fine partner for Deacon when you know who hangs the boots up (and becomes a full time referee).

Murphy looks like a Lions fullback to me – see if you can catch his solo try against Worcester – and the one he made for Ellis too (a cheaky chip through).

VD you will be pleased to hear has strained his hammy again. It seems likely he will be released at the end of the season to me. A shame but you can’t live on past glory forever.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
The Chuter try against Wasps? I’m at the far end of the ground from where he scored and even I didn’t think that was a try. Definitely a Jonno stare as you say.

But I'm sure you still celebrated it!

Two more league results over the holiday:

Tiger 50 Worcester 7
Gloucester 13 Tigers 28

Sorry, didn't notice. But I did notice that Worcester hauled themselves off the bottom of the table. What would happen if, say, Quins finished bottom? Would they go down? Or would the Old Boys' Club save them?

I thought that the first interception was Gibson trying to chip Abbott and getting it spectacularly wrong? Or was that the second faux pas?

Yes, it was the intercepted chip that led to the try. There was almost an intercepted pass not much later, almost as idiotic as the attempted chip.

Lets be fair and say it was Smith and Waugh who contained him (though both would find him a handful in the loose I suspect). That was his most muted performance for 12 months so you have to suspect the oppo had a huge hand in that fact.

They didn't give him time or space to spit. In the loose might be a different matter, as you say.

Bad news however is that he dislocated his elbow at Glaws on Sunday and it looked evil. At least six weeks out which is good news for Wales and France – not to mention Biarritz this Sunday.

It's bad luck. Even more so if Nose ends up putting his hand up for the job.

He is getting more like his 2003 self. He should make a fine partner for Deacon when you know who hangs the boots up (and becomes a full time referee).

I liked the way he quietly and efficiently clipped Lewsey on the chin on his way to tell the ref he'd made an outrageous mistake giving a penalty to Wasps. If you were at the opposite end to the non-try, it must have been somewhere near you.

Murphy looks like a Lions fullback to me – see if you can catch his solo try against Worcester – and the one he made for Ellis too (a cheaky chip through).

I can't imagine him not being the Lions fullback on the effort I saw. He's a bona fide fullback, I don't think Robinson is. Robinson can take the wing.

VD you will be pleased to hear has strained his hammy again. It seems likely he will be released at the end of the season to me. A shame but you can’t live on past glory forever.

Goodoh. So the pins I've been sticking in the VD doll have worked. If you see him doubled over clutching his nuts, blame the pins.

[ravagon]

Mmm. Morning all.
Oh for want of a NH Xmas ... Snow, snow everywhere and the closest I come to it is when I open my freezer (which, admittedly has been rather a lot given the infernal weather but that's hardly the point) ... *sigh*

Next time I make a disparaging remark about anything relating to the north you can all remind me of the wonders of snow ...

Noticed an interesting article from a week or so ago about England preparation for their 6N game against Wales in a months time.

http://www.planetrugby.com/Teams/England/story_40700.shtml

Preparation for a 'major' test playing RL ???
Surely this isn't a good idea?

I can understand some of the good points - yes, it can be useful to take players out of a 'comfort zone' but surely switching codes is a little on the drastic side?
I mean if you really want to get them away from rugby then throw them in a soccer match or perhaps that Irish version of AFL, whatever it's called, but not into something quite so closely related.
Some of their comments made me think of Clive in his little meltdown last year - are the rest of the English coaching staff heading the same way?

League is a great sport
our players will learn from it
when you strip it all down it's still rugby - union or league.

[finbar]

We batted that around a couple of months ago. Too many of the England rugby management have links to L*****.

I'll email you some Italian snow next Christmas.

[Havak]

Or would the Old Boys' Club save them?

This is a very interesting question. What follows is my opinion only. Quins used to be, as with Bath, darlings of the RFU. A decade ago the old boy club would have made sure they were okay. But the current Chief Exec, Mark Evans, has alledgedly alienated most of the committee (I’m unsure how other than that he was determined to make the club Professional – maybe it was simply that). It’s possible Quins might be allowed to go.

It’s going to be quite a tussle between then and Worcester anyway – both teams put in the effort but simply lack the class that would make it pay. I think for my money if Quins did finish bottom that English Rugby Premiership would find some technicality on which Bristol could not come up from the lower division. It’s shameful but it’s regrettably been done before (Leeds are in the top flight only because Rotherham were denied promotion for 02/03 – strangely Bath were bottom until literally almost the last day of the season).

There was almost an intercepted pass not much later, almost as idiotic as the attempted chip.

It’s Patty Howard I think – he has them playing fifteen man rugby with conviction even in situations where sticking it up the jersey is better warranted.

They didn't give him time or space to spit

It’s a terrific combination. I was hugely sceptical about Eddie playing two natural opensides but I would say it is paying off.

It's bad luck. Even more so if Nose ends up putting his hand up for the job.

Oh it’s even worse than that. I suspect Worseley will fill in. A very different type of number 8 is Joe. Johnny O’Connor (Wasps) or Andy Hazell (Glaws) may take the 7 shirt with Moody switching to blindside.

If you were at the opposite end to the non-try, it must have been somewhere near you.

Ah yes – when Lewsey threw himself into the advertising hording after getting the mildest of shoves and then used Am Dram to swing a penalty for them – I think Jonno was just saying well acted to the lad.

Robinson can take the wing.

Seems sensible to me. The other wing will be interesting. Cueto has a chance I suspect – but given they will not figure much it will probably go to one of the Welsh whippets.

What bothers me most with the Lions right now is I cannot see a single Scot figuring on merit – unless Simon Taylor can get fit and into form in time (he’s a classy number 8 – went home early last time after getting injured in Perth).

So the pins I've been sticking in the VD doll have worked

Working all too well. Poor old Austin.

Training with League? No comment.