Rugby - Who? Me, Sir? Offside?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin

The location of the Live Role Playing Game was between Rodez and Millau a few kilometers away from "Severac Le Chateau" (actually in the "Aveyron" and not in the "Gers" as I told it earlier).

And these places are just up the road from you! They're a 20-hour plane flight and thousands of dollars away from me!

Perhaps you can tell me, Tamerlin, why are there so many towns called Puy - well, towns with Puy in the name, like Puybrun for example - a bit further north?

How lucky they are, Toulouse is a wonderful town with a great history, of course I'am a bit biased.

You have every right to be.

[finbar]

Hey Havak! Looking for part-time work?

And you could catch up with Tamerlin for a pint of bitter!

[Havak]

It told me the page didn't exist but from the URL I guess it's a bar job in one of that chain of pubs?

No one (with an interest in their profits) would let me behind their bar.

but their real test will be the harder pitches out here with much more bounce in them. Not to mention a couple of handy quicks barging in at them

Heck yes. No one is denying that. It's still probably the most capable side we have fielded in an Ashes series for a while - we may even only lose 4.5-0.5 if we get lucky.

Cricket is the reverse of Rugby - you have the strength in depth. We pick the best of what we have. And as you say when Flintoff gets in thats show what we have.

Nasser was taken to task by the media (and a certain Mr Botham) for his negative tactics in the last test.

Only in rugby indeed - the ABs risking all for tradition. Mind you I recall in 2000 we made a detour from our South African tour to play a one off test against you to mark the centenary of our fixtures? I still don't understand why they didn't make you come to us for it (so we could win).

As for the Frog and Roast Beef salutations between English and French I am fairly sure it does go back to the Napoleonic wars (maybe earlier) and is a prime example of the "you are what you eat" way of labeling nationalities - so the Aussies might be "Shrimps" and the New Zealanders "Sheep".

Hmm hold on that doesn't sound quite right...

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Perhaps you can tell me, Tamerlin, why are there so many towns called Puy - well, towns with Puy in the name, like Puybrun for example - a bit further north?

I suppose, after a look in the dictionnary, that the prefix "Puy" is linked to "Mountain". Actually, the name "Puy" is a moutain in "Auvergne". Locations like "Puybrun", "Puycelsi" are certainly situated on top of a hill or on a mountain dominating a valley, hence the prefix.

I will try to gather more informations on this topic.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
It told me the page didn't exist but from the URL I guess it's a bar job in one of that chain of pubs?

Bugger! I found the website this morning. It was a page offering jobs in the "Frog and Rosbeef" place in Toulouse that Tamerlin was talking about. I'll see if I can find it again.

Edit. Another try: http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/frogrosbif_t.html

No one (with an interest in their profits) would let me behind their bar.

Well, your reputation would have travelled ahead of you. They'd've had you slaughtering the beef.

Cricket is the reverse of Rugby - you have the strength in depth. We pick the best of what we have.

The difference here being that cricket is played absolutely everywhere from a very, very young age.

And as you say when Flintoff gets in thats show what we have.

I have, for my sins, seen a lot of England on FoxSports over the last 12 months. I've seen a lot of Flintoff. I've never understood why he's being picked. He's not up to it with either bat or ball.

so the Aussies might be "Shrimps"

Make that prawns. Shrimp is the American version. I've never taken to them, m'self.

[Havak]

They'd've had you slaughtering the beef.

Which is fair enough. The trouble would come if I was asked to slaughter Frogs. There could be some cultural misunderstandings there.

cricket is played absolutely everywhere from a very, very young age.

Too ture. And it's hardly played here at all as you know. The grass roots game is dying and state schools long since started ignoring it.

Unfortunately I can't get too worked up about that - if Rugby used to be socially exclusive here then Cricket defined the meaning of the expression in the first place.

The way I see Flintoffs selection is...blind hope. Ever since Beefy retired they have been searching for the mythical all rounder for England. Yes, definitely hope over experience.

Prawn? Okay. So it's "throw another Prawn on the barby"? A whole generation of English sketch writers will need to take note there!

Back on topic I see Roff has signed for ACT again.

And the Irish coach has been savaging his boys after they beat Romania 39-8. Remember they have set their sights on being England's closest home nation rival and England tucked Romania away 134-0 last November in the middle autumn game.

A similar score to us in the middle game this year is unlikely - however many senior players you leave at home.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Too ture. And it's hardly played here at all as you know. The grass roots game is dying and state schools long since started ignoring it.

Very sad. I can't imagine why.

Prawn? Okay. So it's "throw another Prawn on the barby"? A whole generation of English sketch writers will need to take note there!

The "shrimp on the barby" thing grew out of an ad campaign by the Tourist Commission aimed at the American market. Yet another myth built up a head of steam.

Back on topic I see Roff has signed for ACT again.

Always was. Claims he's refreshed and ready to roll. If Ben Tune can stay fit, and if Roff hasn't lost too much, I like our look out wide. Back to RL with you, Wendell.

And the Irish coach has been savaging his boys after they beat Romania 39-8. Remember they have set their sights on being England's closest home nation rival and England tucked Romania away 134-0 last November in the middle autumn game.

What's wrong with the Irish? And I'm not joking.

Here's that link for your part-time job. It works because I tried it. I re-posted it back in the earlier post, but who goes back over old posts in this thread?

http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/frogrosbif_t.html

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar


Oh, per-leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze!

One Tigers supporter is enough eh Finbar?

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
I just had a look at the Tri-Nations draw. On paper, it favours the Wallabies and disadvantages the All Blacks. They start against the Boks at altitude over there, then play us here in Sydney one week later. That's an ask. We have a week off between matches. Apparently the All Blacks wanted the draw coreographed that way in order for the Bledisloe return match to be played in Auckland on the 100th anniversary of Tests between New Zealand and Australia.

So perhaps the draw favors NZ to win back the Bledisloe. Will winning the Tri-nations still be less important to you than winning the Bledisloe next year?

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak
And the Irish coach has been savaging his boys after they beat Romania 39-8. Remember they have set their sights on being England's closest home nation rival and England tucked Romania away 134-0 last November in the middle autumn game.

It really is a shame what has become of Romanian rugby. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union their team was right up there with the very best.

The Irish have been improving a lot lately, but I think they are still below England and France.

[Havak]

Very sad. I can't imagine why.

For the schools it because the curriculum is being crammed with nonsense that takes all the time up.

Yet another myth built up a head of steam.

Neatly demonstrates the power of advertising though eh? Well that and red coats on Santa Claus thanks to Coca Cola.

If Ben Tune can stay fit, and if Roff hasn't lost too much, I like our look out wide

The best compliment I can pay both men is that I would be happier if neither faced England.

What's wrong with the Irish? And I'm not joking.

I think they have had such success – the National team playing so well and the province system working and giving them more European progress – that they are on a natural downward phase. It will recover.

Caligastia is right – you cannot rank them up with England or France as the consistency is not there. You can never write them off at home at least (which is where I will watch us play them in March). I felt they met the ABs at the wrong time – had it been last October it would have been a better tour for them.

but who goes back over old posts in this thread?

Actually I did.

I think my better half might have something to say about the radical pay cut.

One Tigers fan is never enough – so keep annoying Finbar please Caligastia.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak

One Tigers fan is never enough – so keep annoying Finbar please Caligastia.

For me, annoying Finbar comes naturally.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
So perhaps the draw favors NZ to win back the Bledisloe. Will winning the Tri-nations still be less important to you than winning the Bledisloe next year?

Here's the draw:

July 12 - SA -v- Australia (Cape Town)

July 19 - SA -v- NZ (Pretoria)

July 26 - Australia -v- NZ (Sydney)

August 2 - Australia -v- SA (Perth)

August 9 - NZ -v- SA (Dunedin)

August 16 - NZ -v- Australia (Auckland)

In terms of the Tri-Nations, Australia is probably favoured. NZ and SA both have to do a lot of travelling and playing within a week - NZ between July 19 and 26, and SA between August 2 and 9 (it's a bloody long way from Perth to Dunedin, though both cities, luckily, are firmly rooted in 1973 so there shouldn't be any culture shock).

But an advantage only exists if one subscribes to the theory that travelling long distance and playing within a week is a handicap.

In terms of the Bledisloe, given the proviso above, Australia is probably also favoured. NZ only has one week off after July 19. That would have to be weighed against the fact that the Bledisloe return match is played in NZ with all the psychological benefit that brings.

Ultimately, who knows? These things have been speculated about before with mixed results.

In answer to your question, Cal, I suspect most Wallaby - and, for that matter, All Black - supporters put the Bledisloe in front of the Tri-Nations. History is on the Bledisloe's side.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
For the schools it because the curriculum is being crammed with nonsense that takes all the time up.

How much rugby is played in schools? Or has sport, as a whole, gone by the board in favour of instruction in the modern arts of greed, selfishness and intolerance?

The best compliment I can pay both men is that I would be happier if neither faced England.

I'll pass that on!

I think they have had such success – the National team playing so well and the province system working and giving them more European progress – that they are on a natural downward phase. It will recover.

Fair enough, but tossing Scotland and Wales into the equation, it's odd that. given the background and resources, the lows can be so low over there.

I think my better half might have something to say about the radical pay cut.

But you fail to factor in the unquestionable benefits of Tamerlin's presence.

One Tigers fan is never enough – so keep annoying Finbar please Caligastia.

There's an old saying - "Empty jugs make the most sound". Now I know why the plural.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia


For me, annoying Finbar comes naturally.

(see above)