Rugby - The beautiful game

[finbar]

Originally posted by academia

Yes Finbar, go on dreaming!!!!
Come on Wallabies!!!! I defy you to come to Argentina, play in a crowded stadium, the entire crowd cheering against you, and defeat THE PUMAS!!!!!

Say it aussies!!!! YOU ARE AFRAID!!!!
Your sissy players won´t support the pressure!!!!!
Don´t you remember that you´ve already lost many times against us

I'm going to forward this post to former Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen. It will bring back nightmares for him.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia

Do you play civ or were you referred to the rugby thread by a friend?

Your erstwhile Kiwi colleague Andydog said he had a Bok mate he was going to bring into the loop. I suspect Mickeyj's the man. That, or the planets have been somehow aligned.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
With Academia it seems every SH major nation is now represented.

Not to mention that rugby minnow that Havak supports.

About the next Saturday match, I think the score will be tighter than Finbar, Caligastia and Andydog think. As far as I can remember most of the NZ-SA games in the Tri-nations have been tight ones though I must admit I don't remember last year scores.

If the conditions are anything like they were in Christchurch on Saturday night, tries will be very hard to come by for both sides. In fact, the weather conditions - unknown at this stage - are going to make calculating the margins (for our betting purposes) a bit of a nightmare.

their S12 teams have not been very good (am I wrong ?).

Their S12 teams really struggled this season. A lot of the top Bok players have headed off to play in Europe.

[finbar]

Interesting reports out of South Africa this morning. The Boks' Tri-Nations and S12 contracts expire in, I think, 2005. They are making preliminary noises about the possibility of transferring their commitments to the NH competitions. One argument is that they are in the same time zone as the NH countries and their time zone makes SH travel a real burden. The argument seems to overlook the fact that they would have to turn rugby into a summer sport in order to fit in with the NH schedule.

I suspect it's all just an early feint in what will be another typically protracted Tri-Nations and S12 contract negotiation.

[academia]

I'm going to forward this post to former Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen. It will bring back nightmares for him.

mmm...mmmmm......mmmmmmm........

I´m having a vision.......

mmmmm......mmmmmm......

10 October....
World Cup 2003....
Beggining of the tournament....

mmmmm........

Australia 22
Argentina 23

[academia]

Do you play civ or were you referred to the rugby thread by a friend?

I´m actually playing a couple of PBEM at Civfanatics website

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Interesting reports out of South Africa this morning... they are making preliminary noises about the possibility of transferring their commitments to the NH competitions.

Come on Havak, come back, you have to react !

Though I must admit it would be very interesting, what would you think of a SH tournament called the Bi-Nations.

I suspect it's all just an early feint in what will be another typically protracted Tri-Nations and S12 contract negotiation.

I suspect it's a joke !

[finbar]

Originally posted by academia


mmm...mmmmm......mmmmmmm........

I´m having a vision.......

mmmmm......mmmmmm......

10 October....
World Cup 2003....
Beggining of the tournament....

mmmmm........

Australia 22
Argentina 23

mmm...mmmmm...mmmmmmm........

I'm just recollecting......

The Pumas couldn't even beat the Boks A side a couple of weeks ago!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin

Come on Havak, come back, you have to react !

Havak seems to have disappeared on us, Tamerlin. You're a bit closer than I am - Could you pop across the Channel to Leicester and see if he's all right? Thanks.

I suspect it's a joke !

The only South African rugby joke I know of is Butch James' tackling.

[academia]

The Pumas couldn't even beat the Boks A side a couple of weeks ago!

Yes, i remember that game. But let me point out that we played against 16 players (15 Boks A + Referee)
And how many minutes of extra time? 8?
That´s a joke!!! please!!!

If the superpowers behave like that when they are losing a match against a minor nation, how the hell will we improve? We have to make superhuman efforts to beat them!!!

Anyway, i´m not an idiot and i know that you are better than us!!!! YOU ARE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!

But we (minor countries) only want respect. Fair referees. That´s all. Give us the same chances to win a game.

[finbar]

Originally posted by academia
If the superpowers behave like that when they are losing a match against a minor nation, how the hell will we improve? We have to make superhuman efforts to beat them!!!

I didn't see the Pumas-Boks A match, but I saw some of the Test match. It seems to me, seriously, that the Pumas playing at home are a different proposition to when they play away. It's understandable, too, because your support at home is legendary. The Wallabies - in fact, most teams - say that playing the Pumas at home is a terrifying experience. Part of the problem with the Pumas, it seems to me, is that you don't play enough internationals - particularly away from home. I think there's a very strong case for bringing you into the Tri-Nations, making it a Four Nations tournament. I know it's been talked about, but it's about time something was done about it. I also certainly wouldn't call the Pumas a minor rugby nation. I would apply that term to some of the European outfits - Romania, etc.

Anyway, i´m not an idiot and i know that you are better than us!!!! YOU ARE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!

Well, currently. After last Saturday night, I'm very glad there won't be any WRC matches in the South Island of NZ at night. Even if the tournament is being played later in the year.

But we (minor countries) only want respect. Fair referees. That´s all. Give us the same chances to win a game.

As I said above, I think it's more a case of playing many more matches - particularly away from home - against strong opposition.

BTW, who is coaching the Pumas at the moment?

[academia]

As I said above, I think it's more a case of playing many more matches - particularly away from home - against strong opposition.

I couldn´t agree more. That´s our main problem. We don´t have serious competition in souht america; and USA and Canada play the Pacific Rim Championship. So, what´s left? TriNations? Mmm... that´s gonna be hard.
But as you said it´ll be really tough for the trinations countries to win here (remember SA and NZ last visits. won by 4 points only)

Personally, we´ll love to join that tournament. And economically speaking, it will only give us profits. I don´t know if you saw that 2 games (NZ and SA). But Argentina played in River Plate Stadium (football team. best stadium in our country) and it was crowded. Everybody talking about the match.
And the most important thing, it will help us to gain experience, improve our skills.
YES!!!! We want to join the TriNations!!!!!

BTW, who is coaching the Pumas at the moment?

Loffreda.

I also certainly wouldn't call the Pumas a minor rugby nation. I would apply that term to some of the European outfits - Romania, etc.

In some way I said minor nations because we don´t fit in the "historical" denomitation of the 8 "rugby countries" : TriNations+5Nations (yes, no Italy)

[ravagon]

Ooorahh! A win for the good guys.
Well, a reasonably interesting match methought - in spite of pretty poor conditions and no tries scored. Both sides did make the attempt anyway.
The portion I did manage to catch (neatly placed between strategically-positioned ad breaks ) gave me the impression that both sides were inconvenienced more-or-less equally. I'm a little curious about the gloves though. Do any of the NH matches - sometimes played in the middle of a blizzard by all appearances - involve gloves (or maybe baseball mitts )?
I did think the (lack thereof) of an Australian penalty try quite nicely counterbalanced the ref penalizing the AB's for time-wasting on the Wallaby line a few minutes previous.
Should make for an interesting return match anyway.
Was going to try and get in on the betting thing but finbars mathematics made my head explode (Well, that and my net access being out for a bit - blasted parrots ). Anybody think to check what he did with that decimal point?
Just in case retro-active bets are allowed I'll back the ... hmm, tough one ... um, AB's with, oh, lets say everything.

Originally posted by Caligastia

As for the Bledisloe cup, I dont get these two test series. It always seems like the team to win the second game gets the cup, so doesnt that make the first game essentially meaningless?

The bit that I never really understood was how NZ managed to still lose last time when they won at home and drew in Oz. 1-0 in a 2-match series is generally a win for the side that won the match with the result.
That and how many of the BC matches also seem to be other matches as well ...

I think there's a very strong case for bringing you into the Tri-Nations, making it a Four Nations tournament. I know it's been talked about, but it's about time something was done about it.

I like that thought. A case of the more the merrier really. ie: More matches.

[Patashu]

what's rugby? is it related to cheese?

[finbar]

Originally posted by academia

I couldn´t agree more. That´s our main problem. We don´t have serious competition in souht america; and USA and Canada play the Pacific Rim Championship. So, what´s left? TriNations? Mmm... that´s gonna be hard.
But as you said it´ll be really tough for the trinations countries to win here (remember SA and NZ last visits. won by 4 points only)

Did you see my earlier post about the Boks heading for the NH? I really can't see it happening, but if it were to ... there's an immediate place in the Tri-Nations for the Pumas.

In some way I said minor nations because we don´t fit in the "historical" denomitation of the 8 "rugby countries" : TriNations+5Nations (yes, no Italy)

I take your point, but I think rugby officialdom - Australia included - applies the term "minor nations" a bit too loosely in their thinking.