Should South Africa have racial quotas for rugby?

[Havak]

Yeah but look at the bright side, at least Brumbies wimped out of the proposed World Club Championship this year. How embarassing would it be to have the reigning Super-12 Champions handed their tushes by Tigers?

In all seriosuness it fell apart because of the extreme logistics of the travel either way and the traditional north-south arguments about refs.

I note by the way that Super-12 refs are still extremely reluctant to apply the laws of the game, and that when they do the Brumbies complain anyway?

(how about that for a troll?)

[finbar]

The World Club Championship thing was always a fantasy. It was never logistically possible.

The rest of your post, Havak, I will treat with the utter contempt it deserves.

[Havak]

Shucks, I was sure that would get a rise.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar


And isn't that now a distant memory?

Thank God!

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak
I note by the way that Super-12 refs are still extremely reluctant to apply the laws of the game, and that when they do the Brumbies complain anyway?

That was classic when the ref told Gregan to bugger off. Gregan gets on my nerves, hes such an arrogant little ****. Damn good player though.

Matt Burke is probably the player I hate the most. I will never forgive him for punching Frank Bunce all those years ago.

Which players really get on your nerves guys?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia


That was classic when the ref told Gregan to bugger off. Gregan gets on my nerves, hes such an arrogant little ****. Damn good player though.

Matt Burke is probably the player I hate the most. I will never forgive him for punching Frank Bunce all those years ago.

One shudders to think what Frank did to deserve it.

Which players really get on your nerves guys?

That South African 5/8th who consistently tackles illegally with shoulder charges. One day he's going to kill someone. Him aside, frankly, the All Blacks side of years gone by - not anymore - used to get on my nerves. They got on the nerves of their opponents, too. That was a large part of their success. That's what the current mob have to get back to.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Shucks, I was sure that would get a rise.

You'll have to get up earlier than that, boyo.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar


One shudders to think what Frank did to deserve it.

Do you remember the incident? I dont remember Frank doing anything physical to provoke him, so it was probably just words. Matt punched Frank about 10 times as Frank was running with the ball. That kind of conduct is inexcusable IMO.

[finbar]

I honestly don't remember it. Still, Matt Burke is one of the least likely players to go the knuckle without provocation. Something must have happened. And why not? They were great rugby days.

[Havak]

That kind of conduct is inexcusable IMO

It is. Spooky coincidence that over ten punches were thrown. Kind of reminds me of another Australian currnetly having a great season with Dwyer's boys?

Matt Burke has a reputation here as being unsufferably arrogant, and I know most of the Lions squad from last year dislike him because of some ill judged media comments (of the kind you would hang Healey for, but it seems we Brits are expected to take it on the chin?).

There are some players that 'get my goat' however, and I think you will find this is a fairly balanced list.

Owen Finegan - sorry Finbar but he is the word you used earlier in the thread for Johnson - a total thug. he should never have played rugby again after the attempt to cripple Richard Hill in Melbourne last year.

Matt Dawson - his is just so mouthy and yaps at refs so much he drives me nuts.

Craig Quinell - a sometimes Welsh lock but always a total animal - excessively violent and not a patch on his brother as a player.

Richard Arnold - veteran Kiwi flanker playing for Newcastle here but very much from the Finegan mould - far too handy with his fists.

Justin Marshall - no denying he is a great player but he seems to have something in his head about England - he just can't stop being rude about them, and that shows a definite lack of class to my mind?

Don't read anything into the 3/5 being tri-nations players, it's just the names of most of the celts and frogs on my list would mean nothing to you both.

Martin Johnson of course is whiter than white in my eyes.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak

Matt Burke has a reputation here as being unsufferably arrogant,

Yeah, thats another reason I dont like him. I cant even stand to look at him - especially just after he slots a kick or scores a try.

Justin Marshall - no denying he is a great player but he seems to have something in his head about England - he just can't stop being rude about them, and that shows a definite lack of class to my mind?

Never noticed this about him, but Ill take your word for it. My main beef with him is that he can be an inconsistent player sometimes. Lately he seems to have remedied that though.

Martin Johnson of course is whiter than white in my eyes.

Okay, while we are waiting for the next game to discuss we need another trivial rugby topic....hmmmmm



Which rugby players hair do you love/hate?

I used to like Tana Umaga's and Goerge Smith's dreadlocks, but they seem to be the worse for wear lately. They must have had a few ripped out while playing.

Jonah still has that ridiculous tuft, thank God it was bandaged over at the beginning of the Hurricanes/Waratahs game.

Justin Marshall seems to have gone for the ****gy blond look...get a haircut ya hippy!!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak

Matt Burke has a reputation here as being unsufferably arrogant, and I know most of the Lions squad from last year dislike him because of some ill judged media comments (of the kind you would hang Healey for, but it seems we Brits are expected to take it on the chin?).

I don't think arrogant is a hanging offence. For crying out loud, look at Sean Fitzpatrick. I loved him. Even when he was carving us up. There's nothing wrong with arrogant in my book - providing you've got something with which to back it up. That's why I don't mind Georgie Gregan. I'll worry more about him if he costs the Wallabies with his hissy fits.

Owen Finegan - sorry Finbar but he is the word you used earlier in the thread for Johnson - a total thug. he should never have played rugby again after the attempt to cripple Richard Hill in Melbourne last year.

For an intelligent man, Owen can be an utter idiot.

I'll take your word for the rest.

Martin Johnson of course is whiter than white in my eyes.

Mmmm. Thus everything that precedes this comment is rendered meaningless.

[Havak]

Austin Healey's has to be seen to be believed - he has had some sort of hair weave and now advertises for the company concerned. It's a bit sad really.

Jonno himself had been cultivating a wild man mane but had a nice sensible crew cut before the last game.

Freddie Tuilagi is a good one - bigger locks than Tana and George but recently he has been tying them back presumably for the same reasons.

Hmm most of the players I know don't actually have that much hair come to think of it

*edited - my spelling really sucks these days*

[Havak]

I don't think arrogant is a hanging offence. For crying out loud, look at Sean Fitzpatrick. I loved him. Even when he was carving us up. There's nothing wrong with arrogant in my book - providing you've got something with which to back it up.

I really want to ask you here why Healey annoyed you so much last year then - his taken-out-of-context jibes at the Aussie are almost identical to Burke's taken-out-of-context jibes at the Brits but for some reason your countrymen really did want to hang him!

Arrogant he sure is, but he does have the ability behind it to be so.

I've gone on record before as saying Jonno is handicapped by his red mist factor. He just does not take backward steps and it is the flaw in his game. The only small defence here is that his violent foul play tends to be reactionary rather than pre-emptive.

He is still a colossal lock however, I really do rate him up there with Eales as the best to have played the game in the last decade (with an honourary mention to Jones).

[finbar]

Oh, Havak, old friend, old chum, old mate, old cobber! There's no comparison between Matt Burke's and Austin Healey's mouths. Or, in Austin's case, his pen. Though he seems, off and on, to claim that he didn't actually write any of it. He's claimed more than once that he put his name to a column someone else wrote.

Be that as it may - Healey went on and on and on. Stupidly. To the extent that even his own management said he was working against the team's interests by firing up the opposition. There was nothing to take out of context. It was a poultice of idiocy and it was relentless.

Burke said a couple of stupid things. Which he later happily conceded were stupid.

You should see the stuff that's flying backwards and forwards this week between the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds leading up to Sunday's match. Some of it's very funny, most of it is incredibly offensive. There's a long, long history of antagonism between them. If you get a chance to watch the match, grab it. Should be great fun!