Rugby - One game to rule them all

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Where would he rank in France? Is he a national team player?

It's rather difficult to answer as I haven't seen him playing since he left for England, I think he has progressed and is close to the national team level.

Good Half-Fly are scarce in France, Merceron is one of them, Yann Delaigue has proved today he can be one of the greatest and has often played with France A, Gelez is lacking some experience and is not yet ready...

The problem is even more critical for the Half-Scrums, after Galthié the sits are empty. Frédéric Michalack has been very good today but is still lacking some experience (in my own opinion he should rather play Half-Fly), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (former Half-Fly and also playing for the Stade Toulousain) is tested as a Half-Scrum and has already produced some very good performances. Wait and see...

hope FoxSports show the return Gloucester-Perpignan match next week.

It was the return match, Gloucester won at Perpignan 33-16 and Ludovic Mercier was quoted as one of the best players of the game.

From the reports I've read, Gloucester really only made an impression on the scoreboard very late in the game. Manny Edmonds, when his mind is on the job, can be a fly half of real quality. His problem here was that he didn't ever really produce the goods when given the opportunity. For example, he starred for Australia A against the French this season, but, on other occasions, hardly featured. It might be that the responsibility he will carry at Perpignan will bring out the best in him. If it does, and if his teammates can get used to his creative style, they will be a dangerous team in attack.

I have never seen this player, I will have a look at the comments in the Midi Olympique.

[Tamerlin]

Welcome aboard Mandarin, Finbar has already summed up the situation, you know where you are walking.

Originally posted by mandarin
1. Northern hemisphere rugby has never been so strong. England is certainly a serious contender for the world cup!

It's always a pleasure to hear that though the reputation of England is largely overestimated or will be considered this way until the Six Nations Tournament and the England-France game at Twickenham.

3. In defense of SA rugby.....the current manager Rudolph Strauli is a typical moronic dutchmen who still believes in the old style play and cant decide from match to match on who to pick and who to leave in!
We have some brilliant players that were injured/left out i.e Mark Andrews albeit hes getting on a bit.
Im not making excuses but when half the bok team have left SA and are playing overseas...

We all agree here that the main problem of the Springboks is their Coaching Staff and the lack of discipline. We all hope South African Rugby will recover from what seems to be a significant crisis.

Still a while to the next world cup...perhaps things may change. DOnt underestimate SA...u do so at your peril....

Well, if SA Rugby had to recover from its crisis I would prefer it to take place after the World Cup.

On another note....the level of match violence and referreing is a rather more worrying factor. TV replays often clearly show the result but the ref swings the reverse!

The trouble is that, beyond the referees' decisions, those violences are not a recent problem, I remember Mark Andrews and Butch James as "killers" since a few years now (at least for the first one), the problem will be difficult to cure but the recovery of South Africa is at this price.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


It's rather difficult to answer as I haven't seen him playing since he left for England, I think he has progressed and is close to the national team level.

Does France pick players who are playing with foreign clubs?

It was the return match, Gloucester won at Perpignan 33-16 and Ludovic Mercier was quoted as one of the best players of the game.

No, the match I saw on Foxtel was played on 8/12 at Gloucester and Gloucester beat Perpignan 33-16. This weekend just gone, 14/12, in the return match at Perpignan, Gloucester lost 23-31. Manny Edmonds scored at least one try for Perpignan and kicked a lot of points.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Does France pick players who are playing with foreign clubs?

Yes, hence the return of the "Petit Prince", Thomas Castaignede, in the French team.

No, the match I saw on Foxtel was played on 8/12 at Gloucester and Gloucester beat Perpignan 33-16. This weekend just gone, 14/12, in the return match at Perpignan, Gloucester lost 23-31. Manny Edmonds scored at least one try for Perpignan and kicked a lot of points.

Your channels are broadcasting the foreign games after some delay... with the posters here giving the results there must be a lack of suspense.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Your channels are broadcasting the foreign games after some delay... with the posters here giving the results there must be a lack of suspense.

Yeah, but at least they're showing them only a week late. Last season they showed only the Heineken final and about a month after it had been played! Even though I knew the result of the match I was watching, my real interest was in seeing (a) Gloucester play for the first time (and, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed by what I saw); and (b) Manny Edmonds play for Perpignan.

[Havak]

...and what is this mythical offside line you keep referring to

Dang – I was really hoping to get you on the hook I set up there. Well done for avoiding it totally and in good spirit.

[Havak]

OTOH, it was an Australian - Manny Edmonds - who sank them!

A marvellous irony for me there. When the loss was announced on our tannoy it got almost the biggest cheer of the game. We are a friendly bunch at Welford road.

The name Luger springs to mind. A scoreline is a scoreline, you've argued before, I believe, with the means by which the scoreline has been achieved absolutely irrelevant.

Let me turn that one back on you. A loss is a loss is a loss. Regardless of margin. To witness the way the Kiwis have celebrated it almost as a world cup win is pretty weird n’est pas?

That dang self-esteem problem rears its head again!

It’s more I am conscious of the reality – our record against them is not good at all. So to have them take the wind out our achievement is turning them over is a bit of a downer.

... Dan Luger ... Dan Luger ...

Where’s the parallel? He was onside when he set off on the run ending in that superb try.

Classic revisionism.

What can I say – god help you when you get a Northern referee if you think that was wrong.

Who has claimed "with them we would have beaten you"?

Did I finger anyone on this thread as having done so? My rant was aimed on the Nongs but frankly they are largely beyond my help – you guys are not.

I can't say I'd like to be an oppo supporter trapped in The Shed.

It’s unique even amongst English grounds.

Phil Vickery was left bemused more than once

Nothing new there then!

I've never seen Maurice Garvey before, Havak, but he's certainly got some potential for a 19 year old! He's like a turbo-charged cannon ball!

The lad has massive potential – you described him very accurately. With Simpson-Daniel on the other wing the TBs are very potent indeed.

Here we call these stadiums : "stades à l'anglaise" and they are very appreciated. The public being closed to the field, the atmosphere is often very hot.

For example I was close enough Saturday to throw into the line outs. The Crumbie terrace is as close to the field as the Shed for example.
Out of time again – damned work. Later gentlemen.

[Sloth]

Originally posted by Havak

By the way did the Romans or Etruscans play Rugby? I bet if they did they played to NH interpretations.

I think they did...they played a game called harpastum , if I remember well...it was played with a ball that could be touched with the hands....

[finbar]

Originally posted by Sloth


I think they did...they played a game called harpastum , if I remember well...it was played with a ball that could be touched with the hands....

Being of the NH, of course, they would never have been offside either.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
A marvellous irony for me there. When the loss was announced on our tannoy it got almost the biggest cheer of the game. We are a friendly bunch at Welford road.

I'm hoping to see a Leicester match in FoxSport's coverage of the Heineken series. I'm dying to see this Welford Road set-up. I'm also dying to see an ample, retired tighthead prop with a receding hairline clutching a couple of pints in each beefy mitt in the crowd.

Let me turn that one back on you.

The oldest standby in the book when there's no way off the hook.

Where’s the parallel? He was onside when he set off on the run ending in that superb try.

Another bullet unsuccessfully and unsubtly dodged.

The lad has massive potential – you described him very accurately. With Simpson-Daniel on the other wing the TBs are very potent indeed.

But they looked pretty scrappy elsewhere, particularly in the set pieces. Maybe it was just an off day, though they popped over to Perpignan the next week and got rolled. Henry Paul did next to nothing in the match I saw. Mercier almost carried them at times. He looks like a very useful player.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
What can I say – god help you when you get a Northern referee if you think that was wrong.

Praying God won't be enough, it is far more easier to change the laws of the game.

[mandarin]

Hi fin....ty for the welcome.Dang i just posted an entire compendium of replies....i submit and "forum is forkin down" message"

Suffice to say yip gotta agree with the likes of Butch,Mulder + Fleck (im no fan of his i c thru his agreessive style play ) and wonderboys like skinstad,montgomery we really will be takin to the cleaners?

The rising stars never get a chance...its the same old ***** in the backline....

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Sloth
I think they did...they played a game called harpastum , if I remember well...it was played with a ball that could be touched with the hands....

Hi Sloth, I have never heard of this harpastum, do you know where we can find more informations on the subject ?

Other sports using a ball you can touch with the hands have been played throughout history. In the medieval era a game called "la soule" was played between neighbouring towns or villages. The goal of the game was to bring a "ball" to the center of the other village and the end justified the means. The game that led to Rugby and later to S***** was certainly a more formalized version of this older game.

[Sloth]

hi, Tamerlin
try this...

http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/w/x/wxk116/romeball.html

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Sloth
hi, Tamerlin
try this...
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/w/.../romeball.html

Thanks Sloth, I will have a look at this tonight.