Rugby - Crouch and Hold!

[Havak]

Playing as a hooker with a prop who doesn't hold you well is... urgh...

It’s very true – the hooker has to rely on the props to look after him entirely. It’s a very vulnerable position.

Now you've managed to get e raving for a drink and there is no tap Guinness at least 70kms around me

In which case I apologise unreservedly!

It’s not a recent addiction – just one that steps up a gear every time I visit Ireland. The London brewed stuff is not quite as good as the Dublin stuff so I tend to switch back to Ale quite quickly when I return home. I still drink Guiness in bars where I don’t like the Ale.

Come on, Havak, time to freight some Emergency Rations across the channel!

With myself as courier do you think it would survive the journey?

Anyway last time I was driving the Havak beer van down there the Police pulled me over and tried to steal my booze. Long story.

The south of France is one of the few places I’ve been where Guiness is hard to find – it’s a Lager strong hold and there is this other drink they are quite into – I think it’s called Wine?

Tigers versus Munster on Sunday – 4pm BST and live on BBC TV. Finbar will be tucked up in bed but I have no doubt he’ll be dreaming ‘Molly Malone’.

Just don’t tell Mrs Finbar that, given Molly’s reputation.

[Havak]

By the way congratulations to France on being awarded RWC 07 - I look forward to England lifting the trophy in Paris.

It's worth checking out the Planet Rugby feedback on this - the polls and mailbox tend to be SH dominated so there is some real classic Pom hating tripe on offer.

Saddest though is the Irishman who ignores the subject at hand and continues to rant about the mind games Jonno failed to bow to in Dublin - talk about a sad loser.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
By the way congratulations to France on being awarded RWC 07 - I look forward to England lifting the trophy in Paris.

We are organizing this world cup for US!

Hopefully some games will be played in Toulouse as the Stadiums converted for the 1998's S***** world cup have weighed the balance in favor of France.

[Bearcat]

Preview of Eastside vs. Lincoln

We're playing the Lincoln High School team tomorrow at Bloomington Park and bad weather is in the forecast. The last time we played at Bloomington it was a soggy mud-bog and it might turn that way tomorrow. If it does, that should be a point in our favor as our pack is larger than Lincoln's and we should be able to push them around a bit if it comes to that. If not, we will let our backs see plenty of ball and they should prove dangerous to Lincoln as well. Our flyhalf, and captain is back from vacation so that should fix any problems with the link between the forwards and the backs and will free up our centres and fullback who were playing flyhalf in his absence to return to their normal and more comfortable positions.

Lincoln beat us at the pre-season tournament, but we have our full side now and we are keen for revenge. We started to pick it up during the last part of practice on Thursday and put some passion into our play, something we have been lacking this year. If we play like that on Saturday I don't think that Lincoln will stand a chance against us.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak

With myself as courier do you think it would survive the journey?

Short of a hasty conversion to Mormonism, probably not.

Anyway last time I was driving the Havak beer van down there the Police pulled me over and tried to steal my booze. Long story.

The likeliest scenario:

SCENE: A FRENCH ROAD
CAST: HAVAK, A FRENCH COPPER

A FRENCH COPPER pulls over a VAN with an usual REGISTRATION PLATE. The REGISTRATION NUMBER is "J****". HAVAK is behind the wheel:

FRENCH COPPER: Bonjour.

HAVAK: What?

FRENCH COPPER: Vous avez un numéro d'immatriculation obscène, M'sieur.

HAVAK: No, you can't have my beer! Bugger off!

Tigers versus Munster on Sunday ? 4pm BST and live on BBC TV. Finbar will be tucked up in bed but I have no doubt he?ll be dreaming ?Molly Malone?.

Just don?t tell Mrs Finbar that, given Molly?s reputation.

Go You Good Paddy Things!

I have a soft spot for Munster, anyway, because Jim Williams is there. He might have been getting on a bit and somewhat injury-prone, but the Brumbies still miss him behind the pack.

[finbar]

Hurricanes 42 -d- Waratahs 26

Mmmm. Apart from 10 good minutes, back to boiled lollies for the Waratahs - falling off tackles, soft defence, no structure or organisation in attack. Everything they did right last week against the Crusaders was forgotten again. Questions are being asked about Bob Dwyer's coaching. But this is to take nothing away from the Hurricanes. They're in a purple patch of rugby at the moment. They've built a very, very useful pack and they've found a centre - can't remember his name - to partner Umaga who can be just as devastating. The Hurricanes could go a long way in the comp this season.

BTW, the All Blacks tried - and failed - to enlist the devastating Fijian Blues' winger Ropeni Caucau. The IRB said no because he has already represented Fiji. Thank God.

[Bearcat]

Eastside vs. Lincoln Post-Game

A very well played game for us, not so much so for Lincoln. We had a good showing of players for our side, and Lincoln could only field 13, so we sent 4 of our players over to play for them. Our returned flyhalf played at outside center today for reasons beyond me but did pretty well in the midfield. I got to start at openside flanker, so I was in a good mood We came out swinging, just smashing into their defense and charging upfield. Our blindside flanker smashed over the line to make it 5-0 very quickly. Lincoln kicked off and we drove forward again, driving up to thier goalline. Our blindside flanker took it up and got tackled at about 7 metres out and our hooker picked the ball and ran it in to make it 10-0.

We never really let them get on the offensive. They had their hands on the ball some, but never really set up phases and never let their backline have a nice, good run. We got up to their goalline again and our tighthead prop grabbed the ball and ran it in to make it 15-0. Our blindside put in his second try and we converted to make it 22-0. Our scrumhalf ran another one in to make it 27-0 going into the half. At half we switched up and sent some of our starters to Lincoln, to get our subs some playing time in our jersey. We sent them our hooker, lock, and loosehead. We had to switch our flyhalf to scrumhalf and bring our outside centre into flyhalf, because our scrumhalf had left the game injured.

We played well througout the second half too but we didn't put any more on the board. Neither did they. Basically our backline ran some more and our forwards ran some more and they ran some but no one touched down. Throughout the game they had problems with high tackles, with the ref pointing out to them at one point that he had already called five high tackles on them. During the second half our scrums and lineouts had problems, as we were using our backup hooker and they had our starter. The loosehead we brought in to replace our starter sucked too, and I had to get on his case to push and at one point he collapsed the scrum

I got to run with the ball some and came close to scoring a couple times. I also had an interesting moment, where I tackled one of their runners and got up to see another runner coming at me so I tackled him All in all it was a good game for us, to wipe away the bitter taste of last week's debacle.

Final Score:
Eastside - 27
Lincoln - 0

[Tamerlin]

Leinster 18 - Biarritz Olympique 13

Llanelli 19 - Perpignan (USAP) 26

Stade Toulousain 32 - Northampton 16



The Northampton's players have not been very dangerous, and have indeed not showed anything in the first half, to the exeption of a good quarter of an hour in the second half when the Stade Toulousain exhibited a very strong defense. The only try scored by Northampton followed a quickly played penalty and a careless mistake of the players looking at the referee instead of repositionning themeselves...

The Stade Toulousain stayed in full control of the match all along the game and have muzzled Dawson, Ben Cohen and the Saints' attack as a whole (btw, the behavior of some Northampton players barely fits the name "Saintsman" printed on the back of their shirts )...

Great game from Christian Labit (as we say in France: he has been "au four et au moulin"), Trevor Brennan, the pack as a whole, Frédéric Michalack, Emile Ntamack and Xavier Garbajosa. The Stade's back line would be perfect without Cédric Desbrosses who has once again proven he is unable to handle a ball adequately (as far as he previously managed to catch it) after having cleared through the defense...

The referee: well, Mr Lewis must be credited with an appaling performance, how can such a referee be nominated to helm a game of this importance remains a mystery... appaling!

Another good news: the Stade Toulousain should play its H-Cup semi-final at Toulouse against the winner of the... Munster-Leicester game.

[Tamerlin]

Go Eastside, go!

Congratulations Bearcat, it seems your team is on its way to the top this year...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Bearcat
Eastside vs. Lincoln Post-Game


Final Score:
Eastside - 27
Lincoln - 0

Jeepers, Bearcat, you'll have Havak jumping on your bandwagon soon. He'd love to support a team that can win away from home.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin

Llanelli 19 - Perpignan (USAP) 26

Only because Manny Edmonds is playing for them.

Stade Toulousain 32 - Northampton 16

As you say, Tamerlin,

The Northampton's players have not been very dangerous

From my observation, given the talent in their team, the Saints seem to be under-achievers.

Trevor Brennan

Obviously from fine French stock.

The referee: well, Mr Lewis must be credited with an appaling performance, how can such a referee be nominated to helm a game of this importance remains a mystery... appaling!

Tamerlin, I have to say that I'm detecting a pattern in your assessment of referees. If the guy doesn't reek of Gauloise, you bag him!

[Bearcat]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Go Eastside, go!

Congratulations Bearcat, it seems your team is on its way to the top this year...

Yeah, we're in second or third place in our division and still undefeated, although last Saturday's game was a shambles.

Jeepers, Bearcat, you'll have Havak jumping on your bandwagon soon. He'd love to support a team that can win away from home.

We'd be glad to have Havak on the band wagon, even though we were technically the home team. It suck because we have to wait for the other team to eat first

[finbar]

Originally posted by Bearcat
We'd be glad to have Havak on the band wagon, even though we were technically the home team. It suck because we have to wait for the other team to eat first

Whoops! Having to wait for the other team to eat first? I can see Havak leaping off the bandwagon.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
Hurricanes 42 -d- Waratahs 26

Mmmm. Apart from 10 good minutes, back to boiled lollies for the Waratahs - falling off tackles, soft defence, no structure or organisation in attack. Everything they did right last week against the Crusaders was forgotten again. Questions are being asked about Bob Dwyer's coaching. But this is to take nothing away from the Hurricanes. They're in a purple patch of rugby at the moment. They've built a very, very useful pack and they've found a centre - can't remember his name - to partner Umaga who can be just as devastating. The Hurricanes could go a long way in the comp this season.

That other guy with the dreads?

BTW, the All Blacks tried - and failed - to enlist the devastating Fijian Blues' winger Ropeni Caucau. The IRB said no because he has already represented Fiji. Thank God.

Fair enough.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia


That other guy with the dreads?

That's him. I found his name - Ma'a Nonu. Much stockier than Umaga, only 20 or 21 years old, but quick, strong and skilled. He's keeping Alatini out of the team.