Rugby - Running Out of Titles

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
I certainly loved the powerful argument he puts forward - "I am 23 so I don't need to use steroids".

Searing Front row brain power at work there.

The most interesting part of the report for me was the reference to the possibility that the substance could be a food supplement. And the news was carried in the newspaper called Die Burger.

*edit* Just seen Finny joins next season (when he will be rising 33). Clearly Falcons are building for the future?

After this S12 season anyway. I hope they haven't paid him anything up front. He's a bit injury-prone these days.

EDIT. I notice you can watch highlights of the France -v- England match on the BBC website. Must be the shortest .mpg in the history of the internet.

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon
I shall nobly ignore the aspersions cast on my character, coming as they do from an Australian.

I notice your cricket selectors have called up Jeff Wilson for the one day series against us. Who next? Zinzan Broooke?

[Havak]

Food Supplement. Burger.

By George I think I get it!

I have managed to confirm it was Fran Cotton I heard this morning - big wig with the RFU so there is really no such thing as a personal comment from him on player access.

Choice quote from the piece? "No one better than Andy Robinson for the job".

If that is really true then we are about to enter a new dark age of English rugby that is for sure

[flipside]

Originally posted by Havak "No one better than Andy Robinson for the job".

True. Good luck at Lansdowne, Havak. Oh, and I'm alive.Child born. Extremely happy. Looking forward to the last three games, worried that if we blow it this year, that this group of players will not ever be able to show how good they really are.

[Havak]

Hello there. And congrats.

There will never be a better chance I suspect to cement this sides reputation as a great one.

Italy was stuttering but against the Scots the backline started to look quite awesome (without the first choice centres!). And O'Connell in the pack looks like he deserves the accolade the 'Irish Martin Johnson'.

Cardiff is the stumbling block I think - you should blow England and France away at home. And frankly Wales aren't that good either but if that game is a Slam decider it will boil down to who handles the occassion better. I would tip Wales to totally bottle it myself - but that is not an impartial viewpoint.

Of course if France beat Wales then Ireland should secure the Slam just by then beating France.

And as for me - I'll have to live for some time on memories of a Drunken weekend in Dublin in 2003 when we won the Slam. It may be the last for a long long time.

[MOBIUS]

And now a word from our sponsors...

Sorry, not adding anything constructive - just having a laugh at England's expense...

Yours, a gloating Taff...

[Havak]

Plenty of mileage left in the O2 gag I see.

Bonne chance vers la France contre le Pays de Gales. Battez-les bien.

At least England don't need reminders of the game plan written on their chest like Wales do.

"BRAINS"

Does it mean they should use them during the game - or more likely eat the oppositions from my experience of games in Wales!?

Suddenly I feel the need for a case of Brains SA. Do they deliver to Civilisation (England)?

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Havak
At least England don't need reminders of the game plan written on their chest like Wales do.

"BRAINS"

Does it mean they should use them during the game - or more likely eat the oppositions from my experience of games in Wales!?

Ah the irony, so says the man whose team clearly weren't using theirs...

Speaking of Brains, here's hoping...

[Havak]

Keep 'em coming.

[ravagon]

Originally posted by finbar

I notice your cricket selectors have called up Jeff Wilson for the one day series against us. Who next? Zinzan Broooke?

Actually, IIRC, Wilson is one of those rare specimens who has represented his country in both cricket and rugby. I wasn't aware that he kept playing cricket sfter packing in his rugby career though. It's been a while now, seemingly ...

Originally posted by Havak
You know as time goes on I get more and more convinced the RFU will only be run correctly if Tigers take it over. Or me perhaps. In which case Robinson can pack his bags before I arrive.

Well, I'm not sure if that'd be to Englands benefit or not but it'd certainly benefit this thread.


Oh, and welcome back Monsieur flipside.

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon


Actually, IIRC, Wilson is one of those rare specimens who has represented his country in both cricket and rugby. I wasn't aware that he kept playing cricket sfter packing in his rugby career though. It's been a while now, seemingly ...

He returned to domestic cricket a couple of years ago. He played for the Kiwis against the World XI in the tsunami fund-raiser one-dayers a couple of weeks ago.

[Havak]

"It surprises me that all that depth of talent in England hasn't come through onto the international scene. Against the French they should have won by 20 points, but didn't do the business kicking, but they were certainly the better side."

Graham Henry, of all people.

Is it just possible that this could be because my selection calls are superior to Robinson's - and that I wouldn't have superb young talent languishing in the A side?

I like to think so.

Still I spent an amusing evening counting how many European cups Welsh sides had won - and how many 5/6 nations they have won in the last decade. The number involved didn't tax my front row brain too much.

I like the look of our team for Saturday:

Leicester Tigers team to face Newcastle Falcons:

15 Sam Vesty
14 Leon Lloyd
13 Ollie Smith
12 Daryl Gibson
11 Austin Healey
10 Andy Goode
9 Scott Bemand
1 Graham Rowntree
2 George Chuter
3 Darren Morris
4 Martin Johnson (captain)
5 Louis Deacon
6 Henry Tuilagi
7 Neil Back
8 Martin Corry

Replacements:

16 James Buckland
17 John Rawson
18 Will Johnson
19 Lewis Moody
20 Harry Ellis
21 Seru Rabeni
22 Geordan Murphy

That's one heck of a bench. Kay is being rested. One thing the game offers is a chance to see Smith versus Tait. Lets hope Smith can make the most of it.

James Buckland is a very young Hooker - looks like he has the potential to wear the rose eventually. And yes I would play him over Thommo already.

It's also great to see Rabeni fit again.

[Havak]

I wonder if the Kiwis really found McGrath's under arm 'homage' in the 20/20 game amusing?

[finbar]

The whole match was a bit of a giggle. The Kiwis wore the beige uniforms of all those years ago, they'd grown facial hair for the occasion as players in those days wore it, a lot of them - and not just bowlers - wore Dennis Lillee-style headbands. It was a retro/tribute night to all those years ago.

Oh, and when I was reading your rugby post, I was speed-reading. I read down the team sheet and thought it was the England team. I thought you'd finally had your way.

[Havak]

Sadly I'm still working on that one.

I am pretty confident that this side would have beaten Wales and France though.

More good news for Tigers