Rugby - The Ball's Out!

[Caligastia]

Great summary there Redbull. I just finished watching, and I have to say that the final score does flatter Otago somewhat. Great effort from both teams though.

Originally posted by finbar


How different are these teams - in personnel - from the Blues and Chiefs S12 teams?

Pretty different, the s12 teams get the pick of the best players from at least 4 or 5 NPC teams. They havent always been the same ones over the years, for example the Chiefs used to get the pick of players from North Harbour, and Auckland would get Counties/Manukau, but now its the other way around. Dont ask me why this is.

[Frozzy]

Heh... speaking of Counties Manukau, they put up a great fight versus Hawkes Bay, but Hawkes Bay won by a comfortably margin.

Thus Hawkes Bay will play the BOP (Bay of Plenty) in the Promotion-Relegation battle for the NPC division 1 spot.

Heh... expect a better summary for Waikato vs. Auckland. Planning to go

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Gloucester 83 -d- Viadana 28

Leicester 63 -d- Calvisano 0

With those sorts of scores, I now understand why some have questioned the value of aspects of this competition.

The problem is the same as in the six nations tournament...

Tamerlin, if Northampton were an Australian team, they would be called the Saints because they were the exact opposite - a pack of villains.

Tamerlin's famous neutrality takes a hit while he bursts out laughing.

Edit. Here's the real reason why they're called the Saints...

Thanks, I supposed this had something to do with its creation by a clergyman or a religious school but I like to know the true story behind things. Thanks again...

The club mascot is also a St Bernard dog. I'm a dog person. Maybe I picked the wrong team to support.

No, right choice, a dog is no match to a tiger...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Thanks, I supposed this had something to do with its creation by a clergyman or a religious school but I like to know the true story behind things.

Gives new meaning to the expression "a converted try", though.

No, right choice, a dog is no match to a tiger...

Well, yes, but Gloucester's nickname relates to a small stone fruit. Still, I suppose a cherry stone could lodge in a tiger's gullet and choke it.

Wallaby touring squad injury list update:

Wendell Sailor is fit and will tour.

Chris Latham rolled his ankle on some stairs playing with his daughter and is in huge doubt. Damn health-hazard children! Interestingly, Waratah winger Scott Staniforth has been placed on standby for Latham. A winger on standby to replace a full back. I suspect that reveals the planning for the tour - Matt Rogers at full back, with Matt Burke to cover the position.

BTW, I was reading the Heineken Cup results in the paper this morning - yes, we get the scores and even the half-time scores and attendance figures - and I noticed the European Challenge Cup scores as well. What competition's that? For teams who didn't qualify for the Heineken? Sounds like an awful awful lot of dodgy rugby matches to me.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Gives new meaning to the expression "a converted try", though.

I noticed the European Challenge Cup scores as well. What competition's that? For teams who didn't qualify for the Heineken?

Exactly, it would be considered a kind of shame for havak and I teams to be "qualified" for this underrated European Cup. We call it the "European Shield" in France. As the top european teams are not playing in this Cup the games are largely ignored by the french TV which seems to acknowledge its existence when the competition reaches the semi-finals or final... provided a french club is playing in one of them.

[Havak]

Still, they're - literally - one up on the front rowers who struggle to put two coherent words together because, in their case, the thought pops into their head, feels lonely, and hangs around in a long, fruitless wait for a friend.

A terrific line as ever. For the benefit of any backs reading this it is of course totally the wrong way around. All the brains is contained in the forwards and half backs and it’s the girlies out back who struggle to muster the brain cells for complex thought – as in “me got ball, me run now”.

We have to get past appearances – they can give the wrong impression (one of the best hookers I ever played with was a QC for example).

I wont write them off just yet...

The sign of a wise man.

Remember Havak and I think you are wrong as you will loose two games this november...

..and the second wise man.

The third wise man … must be me!? And I say the ‘Poms’ will get three good victories in November. I also say ‘Vive la France’!
Euro-solidarity

As usual the english players proved solid and exhibited a strong fighting spirit

And, for Finbar, Mr Connors scored the opening try with a charge down.

Havak, do you know why Northampton's players are called the "Saints" ?

I may be wrong – it is a little like my asking yourself to comment on the history of Stade Francais – but I believe it is because the club was founded by a local clergyman. Just looked it up – the Reverend Samuel Wathan Wigg in fact.

Oh shug – I missed that Finbar had already answered it!!

The best thing about it is that their veteran side are called “Latter day Saints”

With those sorts of scores, I now understand why some have questioned the value of aspects of this competition.

It shows the gulf between Italian rugby and the French/English equivalents sure – but they are improving by being in the tournament trust me.
The one that worried me was the Saracens score – Rumanian clubs have entered for the first time this year and they shouldn’t have been allowed to – they are risking serious injury. 151-0 the final score there. Ludicrous.

For some reason, Australians nickname things and people the exact opposite of what they are

So following the logic Austin Healey is quite spoken and couteous? Gregan is modest and respectful? England are a poor side?

No, right choice, a dog is no match to a tiger...

Ah but we play Saints away the weekend of the ‘England beating Australia’ game and we lose a lot more players to call ups than they do – it could be a toothless tiger that day.

Still, I suppose a cherry stone could lodge in a tiger's gullet and choke it.

We play them the night before the NZ game – same deal as above.

They are called the ‘cherry and whites’ after their club colours of course. The rest of the league calls them ‘tractor boys’ or ‘bumpkins’.

For all their attacking brilliance the Glaws defensive pattern fell apart several times Friday. It gives the other English clubs hope. The team Glaws destroyed are weaker than Calvisano.

I have to say Calvisano played quite well – they put together some great phases of play but they couldn’t break the organisation of our defence. They tackled manfully but the holes appeared. A big big plus Murphy looks close to being back to his best and Booth (wing) had a stormer.

Wendell Sailor is fit and will tour

Excellent news!!!

As for the shield – like Tamerlin said but it’s an elimination competition – no pool stage. Only the semi and final make TV ‘live’ here, and they prefer English clubs to be there.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
We have to get past appearances – they can give the wrong impression (one of the best hookers I ever played with was a QC for example).

Speaking of which, several of Sydney's best QCs have been struck for income tax avoidance. They "forgot" to file returns over the last 10 years. Sounds like the mindset of a hooker to me.

Oh shug – I missed that Finbar had already answered it!!

That's because Tamerlin is wide awake and posting at unGodly hours of his night and morning coinciding with my daytime. Why aren't you?

So following the logic Austin Healey is quite spoken and couteous? Gregan is modest and respectful?

No, we're just talking nicknames. Someone with black hair would be called "Snowy".

England are a poor side?

If you say so.

BTW, where are those two Italian club sides from? Whereabouts in Italy?

[Caligastia]

Is it ok if we get another 100 gold each (added to our totals) for this round of betting? I dont think I have enough to get out of the hole I'm in..

[Sloth]

Originally posted by finbar



BTW, where are those two Italian club sides from? Whereabouts in Italy?

Treviso-Castres 33-17
At least we won one

Calvisano and Viadana are two small villagen in Lombardia, in the north. Calvisano is near Brescia, Viadana is near Mantova. Do you remember the Don Camillo caracter?

[Tamerlin]

Welcome Sloth !

[Sloth]

thanks...
btw thanks also for a2...the only chance to watch some rugby....really a good game on saturday...

[Caligastia]

Welcome Sloth! Where are you from?

[Sloth]

I accept the welcome but...I'am not really new. We even discussed some rugby last year. I asked opinions on Italy play in the 6 nations. Naturally I don't blame anyone for not remembering me...I've been away from rugby for a while
Maybe finbar remembers me....we laughed a lot for his mistakes in the lingua di Dante!!!

[Caligastia]

Ah, well good to see you back then.

[Havak]

They "forgot" to file returns over the last 10 years. Sounds like the mindset of a hooker to me.

Sounds more like the mindset of people who erroneously believe themselves more intelligent than the rest of the population.

Why aren't you?

I need my beauty sleep.

Someone with black hair would be called "Snowy".

Ah right - so Sailor would be called ‘Kicker’? That kind of thing?

If you say so.

You can’t beat selective quotation, my sigs rely on it after all.

BTW, where are those two Italian club sides from? Whereabouts in Italy?

The main strength of Italiano rugger is in the very north – and Sloth has given you more accurate locations than I ever could.

I dont think I have enough to get out of the hole I'm in..

Me too. I also plan to keep betting with my heart – I could have won a fortune had I bet with my head last time around.

Btw the Heineken cup now pauses until December so any ‘warm-up’ betting will need to be NPC final based or Premiership/French league stuff.