Rugby - The Ball's Out!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
...Gloucesters forwards seem spot on - even without the red card their discipline was shocking...

The game between the Stade Toulousain and Agen has also been marked by a general fight between the players, it was a real derby, a tough game.

[Havak]

No doubt Havak will suddenly discover he has "things to do" around the house, and we wont see him for a couple of months.

Havak already has this thanks – after the freak winds in the UK yesterday took down one of his back garden walls.

Something similar may happen is the unthinkable happens and an SH side beats us in RWC – as thoroughly unliklely as that has to be.

"Lift", of course, being a well-known euphemism for "thieve". And the only way J**** will get his mitts on it.

Wheres the challenge for him in that? If little George is lifting it Martin could take it any time he liked anyway.

I'm still wondering what Mrs Havak's response was when the ambos stretchered him in after the 1991 WRC suds marathon.

The current Mrs Havak was thankfully not around at that time.

Though she has witnessed a few repeat performances (in response to Tamerlin’s question “again?”)

Wasps 23 -d- Gloucester 16. Bummer. A red card in the third or fourth minute didn't help the cause. How stupid, how unprofessional.

Very silly of them. It cost them the game as they still dominated the first half but once the 14 men tired Wasps ground them down.

I will say now Gloucester still look the class of the league at this stage but I am worried about their discipline. They had two yellows in the second half to add to red and yellow in the first! The last man to walk, their number 5, very clearly threatened serious harm to a Wasps player as he left the field (certain things can be lip read very easily). If the RFU citing official at the game does not act on that I will be very surprised.
The thing is they don’t need the naughty stuff – they are playing some great rugby.

Dallaglio for Wasps also got binned though I missed the incident – but I have no doubt he is available for the England games still.

I can only hope for poor Mrs Havak's sake that it was back in his gay bachelor days.

Could you drop the ‘gay’ please? I wasn’t actually that ‘happy’ back then.

Anyone care to suggest some margins?

Pumas by 5-7?

It’s actually great to see Tamerlin naming the sides correctly – here that result was reported as Agen 27 – Toulouse 19. We tend to abbreviate team names.
The punch-up didn’t make the news however.

Tigers beat Saracens at their place yesterday by the way by 26 points to 18. I think we can now safely assume therefore that Finbar is a fully committed Glaws fan?

The season is not over yet…

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
Results of interest to the thread:

Auckland 40 -d- Waikato 28

Just too good on the day. Though we certainly saw the best and worst of Carlos Spencer. Gee, when he takes a bad option he takes a really bad option.

Yeah, thats always been the problem with Carlos. He just isnt consistent. That kick back from the tryline was a shocker wasnt it?

So I presume you watched the whole game. What did you think? Regan King seems to have a lot of potential.
I was a bit suprised that Waikato were so dominated, they had great form all season and made it to the top of the table.

Originally posted by finbar
I suppose the next match for our betting consideration will be the Wallabies -v- Pumas next Saturday. Anyone care to suggest some margins?

I would give the Pumas a 20 1/2 point start. What d'ya reckon?

Originally posted by finbar
Hmm... Carlos Spencer certainly won't.

Looks like you guessed wrong on that one. He did make a couple of shocking decisions in the NPC final, but overall he has had a great season.

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Thanks to the Blues I can breathe a little, my Golds are feeling less alone now even if my purse is far from being full.

Actually the Blues are Auckland's Super 12 team, this was Auckland's NPC (National Provincial Championship) team.

Originally posted by redbull
Lomu in the ABs for the Euro tour! Whatever next! Surely John Mitchell hasn't gone insane

Mitchell says Lomu was the only one who was not selected on form. I think this is a mistake. All players should be selected on form.

Originally posted by redbull
Deon Muir, Waikato No. 8, is off to Japan. IMHO, if he had been staying, he'd have made the squad.

I actually would have preferred him as captain over Taine Randell.

Originally posted by Havak
Something similar may happen is the unthinkable happens and an SH side beats us in RWC – as thoroughly unliklely as that has to be.

Oh yes, incredibly unlikely.
But perhaps lightning will strike for the 5th time in a row.

[Havak]

Ah but crucially we are a much better side now.

And just as crucially neither yourselves or Finbars lot are the titans of years gone by either.

Personally I back France to make the final against us (blatant attempt to counter the SH mafia here)

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak
Ah but crucially we are a much better side now.

And just as crucially neither yourselves or Finbars lot are the titans of years gone by either.

Personally I back France to make the final against us (blatant attempt to counter the SH mafia here)

We shall see. The November games are almost here! After them we will have more fuel for our wild speculations.

[Havak]

And hopefully another stick to beat the Wallabies with.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Actually the Blues are Auckland's Super 12 team, this was Auckland's NPC (National Provincial Championship) team.

Ooops ! I should read again the note you posted here on this subjects two threads ago.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
Personally I back France to make the final against us...

Needless to say it, it's obvious !

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
This betting system seems flawed - when i win everyone is backing my horse so i get b***** all money!

An old saying about sheep springs to mind.

Got a big job on this week gents but will try to drop in in detail later.

Get your priorities right! These threads have just about bankrupted me! And I don't mean the betting.

Some things do need discussion after the English League weekend but I'll leave Finbar this taster - my fear that Dean Ryan would affect Gloucesters forwards seem spot on - even without the red card their discipline was shocking...

Damn misguided, incompetent English coaches.

[finbar]

Originally posted by redbull
I find it amazing that Steve Devine, after having a great NPC season and making it into the ABs, is still being rejected by the NZ S12 franchises. A rumour is circulating that an Aussie franchise is after him.

He's Australian - a New South Welshman - anyway.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Havak already has this thanks – after the freak winds in the UK yesterday took down one of his back garden walls.

How many walls do you have around your back garden?

The current Mrs Havak was thankfully not around at that time.

Though she has witnessed a few repeat performances (in response to Tamerlin’s question “again?”)

You, presumably, bring something to the relationship that balances out the suds sagas.

The thing is they don’t need the naughty stuff – they are playing some great rugby.

See my comment in the earlier post.

Could you drop the ‘gay’ please? I wasn’t actually that ‘happy’ back then.

Obviously I was employing the term in its original, old-fashioned meaning - carefree. I'm an old-fashioned kind of guy.

Pumas by 5-7?

As long as you bet your entire fortune on that result.

I think we can now safely assume therefore that Finbar is a fully committed Glaws fan?

As much as I can be given that I see nothing of them, know of them only what I can glean from the Zurich website, having to settle for listening to a match via the BBC website.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Yeah, thats always been the problem with Carlos. He just isnt consistent. That kick back from the tryline was a shocker wasnt it?

Schoolboy stuff. He seems to have brain fades.

So I presume you watched the whole game. What did you think? Regan King seems to have a lot of potential.
I was a bit suprised that Waikato were so dominated, they had great form all season and made it to the top of the table.

I watched all bar the last 10 minutes. There was some good talent on show. Obviously I knew little about either team, but it seemed to me Waikato only really looked dangerous counter-attacking. Auckland seemed to have the better structure.

I would give the Pumas a 20 1/2 point start. What d'ya reckon?

That's three converted tries. I think it's way too much. The Pumas can be very strong at home in front of their own crowd. They've beaten us there before - as Rod McQueen would remember from his very first match as Wallaby coach - and they have absolutely nothing to lose. Bear in mind, also, that 95% of the Wallaby squad haven't played since the Tri-Nations well over 2 months ago. Frankly, under all the circumstances, I think 11 1/2 would be reasonable (and probably still generous) - a try and a converted try.

But perhaps lightning will strike for the 5th time in a row.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Ah but crucially we are a much better side now.

Evidence, m'Lud? Evidence?

[Frozzy]

Can I ask how the point margin betting works?

[finbar]

It's mainly designed for games where one team is a pronounced favourite - in other words, where a win/lose bet becomes meaningless.

Whichever team we decide - by consensus - is the favourite is given a "points handicap" which amounts to the margin we think they should win by. Take this week's Wallabies -v- Pumas match, for example. I think the Wallabies should win by 11 1/2 points. (Tamerlin suggested 15 1/2, Caligastia suggested 20 1/2)

If, for the sake of this explanation, the margin was set at 11 1/2, that becomes the Wallabies' "points handicap". If I were to back the Wallabies to win, they would have to win by 12 points or more for me to collect. (The half point in the "points handicap" is there to avoid teams winning by the exact "points handicap" meaning, technically, it should be money back)

Conversely, in this example, if the agreed "points handicap" for the Wallabies were to be 11 1/2, that translates as an 11 1/2 points "start" for the Pumas. Which means you can back the Pumas to lose by fewer than 11 points. If they lose by, say, 9 points, you win the bet. But if they lose by more than 11 1/2 points, you lose your bet. (If they draw the match - or win outright - you also win the bet)

Even though it really is designed for games where there's a pronounced favourite, we use it for all matches because it adds a bit of spice to the betting situation.

Any of the above make sense?