Rugby - The beautiful game

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar

South Africa
finbar 20

Against your religion to bet on the All Blacks?

Whats with the Italian flag??



After tomorrow I will be away for a bit as my wife and I found a cheap airfare to Las Vegas, so we will be visiting her brothers there this weekend. I wont be able to watch the game until we get back on Monday, so I wont be looking in here until I watch it.

Her brother Joe just bought himself a brand new Trans-am which he will let me take for a spin...yeeeeeehaaaaa!!!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
I totally agree with you about the history of our clubs being important. The province idea is often mooted here but my club was formed in 1886 and is fiercely proud of it’s history.

I’m not sure Finbar and Caligastia would agree though – after all the premier competition in their hemisphere and the teams that play in it are a mere seven years old. The S-12 teams, even if they ripped names from existing clubs, are totally artificial constructs right guys?

Actually, no. The Australian S12 teams - two of them, anyway - have existed for eons. The Waratahs and Reds are just the NSW and Queensland teams. They have as existed - and have competed against each other - as long as rugby has existed in this country. They still play their interstate matches outside the S12 format. The Brumbies, obviously, were created. There's always been a strong Canberra and district comp - it bred Campo, for its sins - and Canberra and district has always supported rugby so that's where the S12 team was located.

The bottom line is that Australia is, via its constitution, a federation of states. That's why we have state teams in every sport.

You're talking about your club system. Our clubs have existed since rugby first started and continue to exist. The only difference between your and our club systems is the size of the comps, which is mainly a matter of population and resources. Whenever there's talk of merger or anything that threatens a local club's history, there's hell to pay.

It’s tricky – I accept the game must move forward – but the past is important too. And then there is irrational emotion – there are many Tigers fans who would not support a province that included Northampton (our nearest rivals) – that would be like asking a Waratahs fan to cheer on the reds.

I can't imagine why anyone over there would seriously suggest a province system. People with too much spare time on their hands, obviously.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Perhaps also because you don’t play the nations that live and breath singing with the game. I think we Poms are just as reserved on the display of emotions but we have to thwart the singing of the other side.

I think that's probably what it is. The singing would have been contagious. With our nearest neighbours being Kiwis, all we risk is picking up a whole lot of mangled vowels.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia


Against your religion to bet on the All Blacks?

Not at all. I've backed them in the past. I even have an AB jersey. Not the current one, an earlier edition. I was wearing it today, in fact. No, it was actually a tactical bet. I was hoping everyone else would take the - I think - very generous AB margin. Thus leaving me with the pool to myself. I hadn't counted on Tamerlin.

Whats with the Italian flag??

It's where I'd rather be. Call it my spiritual home.

After tomorrow I will be away for a bit as my wife and I found a cheap airfare to Las Vegas, so we will be visiting her brothers there this weekend. I wont be able to watch the game until we get back on Monday, so I wont be looking in here until I watch it.

Good grief! SuperSneak - who doesn't post in here, thank God, but who posts just about everywhere else - is getting married in LV sometime around now or this weekend!

Anyway, I'll text message you the result. You cannot escape having your anticipation ruined.

Her brother Joe just bought himself a brand new Trans-am which he will let me take for a spin...yeeeeeehaaaaa!!!

Be off to a basketball thread!

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
Be off to a basketball thread!

[Tamerlin]

Havak : Franck Tournaire has not been very good this year, the Stade Toulousain let him go away easily. He has even lost his cap in the French team. I think he can come back if he really wants. One thing for sure, he will cost his team some points as he will be charged some penalties through the season. He is a bit hot tempered and his opponents know it too well.

Finbar : thanks for having updated the bets, remember I have said since the beginning the score will be very tight (at least I think so... ) no more than ten points in favor of the AB.

I think that's probably what it is. The singing would have been contagious. With our nearest neighbours being Kiwis, all we risk is picking up a whole lot of mangled vowels.

Caligastia : have a nice trip and don't read any post in this thread until you have had a chance to look at the match you recorded.

[academia]

Ok. i´m betting 20 on the All Blacks.
One more time, they´ll teach SA how to play rugby.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia

It was a reference to your exclamation of "Yeeeeeeehaaaaa!". Which struck me as rather basketball-ish. I thought a more appropriate rugby-ish exclamation might be: "I'm rather looking forward to it, by golly!".

[finbar]

Originally posted by academia
Ok. i´m betting 20 on the All Blacks.
One more time, they´ll teach SA how to play rugby.

Done!

[finbar]

Betting Update #3

academia 102-20 = 82

Andydog 104-34 = 70

Caligastia 107-20 = 87

finbar 80-20 = 60

Havak 100-30 = 70

LDiCesares 102

Tamerlin 105-20 = 85

The bets placed break down as follows:

All Blacks
academia 20
Andydog 34
Caligastia 20
Havak 30


South Africa
finbar 20
Tamerlin 20

Now, thanks to Andydog's preference for something other than a round figure, I'll just pop out and buy an abacus to calculate the potential winnings.

[finbar]

Update on the NZRFU inquiry into the loss of the WRC co-hosting rights. A usually very reliable media source here suggests that: (1) one high-ranking NZRFU official will have no option but to resign; (2) another, who comes out badly, is expected to fight on; and (3) a third official comes out of the fiasco squeaky clean.

[ravagon]

ie: The NZRFU has come to pretty much the same conclusion that every other inquest ever held has reached ...


I know I'm a little late up to the plate but could I put 30 on the AB's too? Leave me out if you've already given the old abacus the workout though ...

The singing would have been contagious. With our nearest neighbours being Kiwis, all we risk is picking up a whole lot of mangled vowels.

If you'd heard heard my singing voice before posting that I would consider myself extremely fortunate for getting off very lightly.

[Andydog]

Now, thanks to Andydog's preference for something other than a round figure, I'll just pop out and buy an abacus to calculate the potential winnings.

Heh heh heh. We like to keep you on your toes you know Finbar. Mind you account for every decimal place now.

No, it was actually a tactical bet. I was hoping everyone else would take the - I think - very generous AB margin. Thus leaving me with the pool to myself. I hadn't counted on Tamerlin.

I'm sure that Mickeyj will be along shortly to put a wad of gold on the boks. If not, I'll be sure to remind him! (He & I spent most of yesterday playing Civ3 in fact - gotta love these London tube strikes!).

Don't get confused please - the singing at UK Rugby games is far removed from the tribal aggro crap that spews forth at Soccer games. The singing at rugger can be truly moving as opposed to thoroughly frightening.

mmm. Well, I've seen the AB's play England, at Twiggers, and the only song that the English fans sung was 'Sweet Chariot'. (To which the Kiwis sang 'you can stick your f*cking chariot up your arse' - charming isn't it!). I haven't seen the AB's play any of the Celt sides though to be fair.

On a different note, I've noticed that quite a few on this thread are half expecting the conditions in Wellington on Saturday to be cold, wet, and generally crappy. O ye of little faith! NZ weather is not always miserable during the winter you know (unlike London's weather). I drove through Leicester once and the hail was bouncing 6 inches off the pavements. Anyway, the forecast for the Cake Tin on Saturday is for fine weather with warm winds, so we can all look forward to less kicking and more running!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Andydog

Heh heh heh. We like to keep you on your toes you know Finbar. Mind you account for every decimal place now.

Obviously an accountant.

I'm sure that Mickeyj will be along shortly to put a wad of gold on the boks. If not, I'll be sure to remind him!

Just what I need. Conspirators manipulating the odds.

mmm. Well, I've seen the AB's play England, at Twiggers, and the only song that the English fans sung was 'Sweet Chariot'. (To which the Kiwis sang 'you can stick your f*cking chariot up your arse' - charming isn't it!).

I thought only Australians were capable of such ... creativity.

On a different note, I've noticed that quite a few on this thread are half expecting the conditions in Wellington on Saturday to be cold, wet, and generally crappy. O ye of little faith! NZ weather is not always miserable during the winter you know (unlike London's weather).

I've been there in winter.

Anyway, the forecast for the Cake Tin on Saturday is for fine weather with warm winds, so we can all look forward to less kicking and more running!

I suspect you picked up a Wellington newspaper dated December or January. Anyway, if the weather's anything like you predict, it makes the 12 points even more luxurious for you AB backers, methinks.

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon
ie: The NZRFU has come to pretty much the same conclusion that every other inquest ever held has reached ...

I know I'm a little late up to the plate but could I put 30 on the AB's too? Leave me out if you've already given the old abacus the workout though ...

Never too late, ravagon. I'll attend to it now. The shop was out of abacuses (or whatever the plural of abacus might be) so I'm resorting to a dart and a dartboard.