Rugby - Crouch and Hold!

[Tamerlin]

GO, BEARCAT, GO!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
It does look rather like they were relying on a single device yes ? and it shows how important good backups are. Imagine of the pearls of wisdom in the OT were lost forever.

The dread thought occurred to me. To the Pulitzer Prize judges too, I gather.

I find franchise hopping very bizarre ? though it happens routinely in some sports. I do recall hearing something about the Swans whilst down there. If they are following the practice you describe it does rather sound like they will always be the bridesmaids at best.

The Swans aren't so much a franchise as a transplanted team. As the AFL drove the game further and further into business rather than sport mode, and as the costs duly increased, it was realised that Melbourne's population of (approx.) 2.5 million people couldn't support 12 teams as it once did. Tribalism - suburb -v- suburb - which was what Australian Rules was in Melbourne, can't survive when the costs escalate.

Thus South Melbourne was relocated to Sydney, and another very old, established Melbourne club called Fitzroy was transplanted to Brisbane. Of course only the names were transplanted. You can't transplant 80 years of tradition, history and culture. And even then the names that survived were only the nicknames rather than the real names because the real names were the suburbs from which the teams sprang. Even the original colours survive only in some sort of post-modern version.

The two relocated teams' approaches have been markedly different. The Bisbane outfit bit the bullet and started from scratch. They attracted supporters as they developed over the years. They've now won two premierships in a row, look like winning this year again, and have a fanatical Brisbane following which has grown with them. The Swans, as I said earlier, lack the courage and the brains to bite the bullet.

All in all, though, I find it terribly sad. I grew up in Melbourne on Australian Rules. The tribalism - suburb-v-suburb - was a wonderful, fascinating thing. The game was a game, not a business. Now that's all gone. And Australian Rules isn't unique - it has happened to a lot of games all over the world. Very, very sad.

USAP are already a force ? although Leinster should be too much for them.

If Dan Herbert does end up at Perpignan, at least it will give Manny Edmonds someone to talk to in his native tongue. Though with Dan being a Queenslander and Manny a New South Welsman, they will struggle with each other's vowels. Or lack of same.

It?s a shame ? Pat should not be settling for shining wood with his butt

It will be interesting to see whether they start him on the bench in the vital last two matches. They have to win against the Hurricanes and the Crusaders to make the finals.

and if they are playing Giteau in front of him were I him I would leave anyway. Remember we only saw a few mins of that young man up here and he was not exactly impressive.

He was terrible on that occasion but understandably. He played for the Wallabies before he'd played S12 and his nerves got to him. I think it was silly for Jones to send him on at the time he did with the game in the position it was. And the kid came away feeling very embarrassed. But he was picked for that tour on potential and he's now playing to that potential. He's quick, can read the game in a fashion similar to Steve Larkham, he has beautiful hands and a terrific step. I'm positive he will feature in a Wallaby jersey in at least the lead-up matches.

Best scrummy in the world when he fires on all four. The test for him, and indeed the Wallabies now, is that so many positions in the national side can no longer say that.

Yes, when he fires, and when the pack isn't going backwards. My biggest worry - amongst many - is that our front row is going to have to be chosen from the same old faces. The same old faces who have been found wanting at top level in the past. We just don't produce front rowers any more.

Ooh is it time to think about another World XV? I have some suggestions ? the second row is totally English with Chris Jack on the bench. Scrummy is Gregan, Stand Off I think has to be Wilko? Flankers ? pick from Smith, Back, McCaw? Were Moody fit he is a shoe in for Blindside I suspect (with Betson having had a weak six nations) ? explosive talent. Number 8 the young man from France with the long confusing name (the lad who famously criticised all things English the week before the sides met ? nice motivational grist for the English boys in hind sight).

Front row ? well for me it has to be a combination of Rosbiffs and Frogs.

But the girlies I throw to the thread ? I suspect a mix of Kiwis, Aussies, Irish, French and a token Englishman. Anyone who leaves O?Driscoll out is making a mistake I would suggest. Similarly Robinson ? for all his (Flatley chasing) faults he is a game breaker.

Frankly, apart from probably George Gregan, I can't see any Australians making it at the moment. Most of them are playing either inconsistently or badly in S12. There are a couple of exceptions - Joe Roff has come back very powerfully, Chris Latham was having a terrific season till his injury.

Oh, and the word is that Eddie Jones is going to try to turn Nathan Sharp into a blindside flanker. Our two best flankers - Waugh and Smith - are opensides, Owen Finnegan's future is dubious, and there isn't another genuine blindside on the horizon. There was even talk of playing both Waugh and Smith as left and right rather than blindside and openside, but that would have left us undermanned in lineouts. Sharp has all the necessary attributes to be a top blindside. It's a matter of whether we can spare him out of the second row.

Oh and clearly Healey on the Wing.

Oh well, it is - or was - Friday.

Also - Victory to the Stade Toulousain!!!

Mmmm. I suspect you're right. I'm not that fond of Jim Williams.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
GO, BEARCAT, GO!

Ditto.

[Bearcat]

Oh, and the word is that Eddie Jones is going to try to turn Nathan Sharp into a blindside flanker. Our two best flankers - Waugh and Smith - are opensides, Owen Finnegan's future is dubious, and there isn't another genuine blindside on the horizon.

What about Rocky Elsom? From what I've read he's done a pretty good job at the blindside in his debut season.

It?s a shame ? Pat should not be settling for shining wood with his butt

Here in the US we call that "riding pine"

[finbar]

Originally posted by Bearcat

What about Rocky Elsom? From what I've read he's done a pretty good job at the blindside in his debut season.

Yes, he's very promising for the Waratahs, and his name has been tossed around as an outside possibility for the Wallabies. Another one of Bob Dwyer's amazing discoveries. But this is, literally, his first season of rugby, so he's very short on experience, and there are some very tough, very experienced, very talented flankers around the world. He might get a run off the bench in one of the trial matches to see where he stands in the scheme of things.

Here in the US we call that "riding pine"

It's really only called "bench warming" here.

[finbar]

Results of interest to the thread:

Gloucester 29 -d- Harlequins 11

Leicester 18 -d- Leeds Tykes 17

Presumably a bit too close for Havak's liking.

Toulouse 13 -d- Munster 12

Ditto for Tamerlin!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Toulouse 13 -d- Munster 12

Ditto for Tamerlin!

It was not a great game but it was a tense one with a lot of suspense.

The first half was largely dominated by the Munster Branch who occupied the Stade Toulousain's side thanks to the very good kicks of their fly half O'Gara. The players of Toulouse commited a lot of handling errors and were struggling in the scrums and mauls. Moreover the Stade Toulousain missed a 4 against 2 that should have lead to a try. The score at the end of the first half was 6-3 in favor of the Munster Branch and it could have been worse if O'Gara had not missed two other penalties.

Needless to say mister White sank the Stade Toulousain each time they tried to breathe.

The second half was another matter, the Stade Toulousain managed to reverse the pressure and to occupy the Irish side. The scrums and mauls progressively turned into the favor of the Toulousains while the Irish players were thoroughly defending their try line.

The Munster Branch then tried the Bordeaux Coup once again. After each scrum, maul or attack an Irish player stayed on the ground and healers entered the field to break the rythm. Jean-Baptiste Ellissalde (half-scrum) then replaced Yann Delaigue (fly-half), William Servat replaced Yannick Bru (hooker) while Frédéric Michalack shifted from scrum-half to fly-half position, from this moment the Munster Branch struggled to hold the repetitive attacks of the Toulousains. The first alert came from a refused try by Xavier Garbajosa (and rightly so). Time was passing and the Stade Toulousain was still provoking an impressive Irish defense. The decisive action came right before the end of the regular time with a try by Frédéric Michalack. The Transformation allowed the Stade Toulousain to lead 13-12 with 7 minutes extra time left.

A solid defense of the Toulousains held the Irish players (curiously enough, no Irish player was staying on the ground after a scrum or maul anymore) far from the French try line and O'Gara missed two drop goals. The first one was very, very close while the second one was a desperate kick that fell largely away from its target. :nerve-wracking:

Mr White finally took one of its few good decisions of the day and whistled the end of the game relieving Toulouse's crowd.

The crowd (both Irish and French) stayed a long time in the Stadium to acclaim their players and both the Irish and the French sportively acclaimed their opponent of the day. The Toulousains sang "Munster... Munster..." when the irish players went round the Stadium and the Irish crowd acclaimed the players of the Stade Toulousain when they did the same.

The atmosphere of the game was great and I would like to thank the Irish crowd for its beautiful songs. On Toulouse's side, the crowd was more boisterous while the drums rythmed the game and reached an incredible intensity as the Stade Toulousain was pushing the Munster Branch out of its last entranchments.

Frédéric Michalack was elected man of the match though I think Christian Labit should have earned the title...

It was certainly not one of the most spectacular games I have seen but it was indeed a great afternoon of Rugby...

[Bearcat]

A better afternoon for the Toulousains than for us. We never seemed to get a rhythym going and McMinnville pinned us in our half and managed to hold us there for most of the game. We never in the whole game got a good look at their in-goal or 22 and we never got good phases going. A dissapointing afternoon which saw us fall 8-0 to McMinnville, putting paid any hopes of going on to the PNRFU playoffs.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Needless to say mister White sank the Stade Toulousain each time they tried to breathe.

Tamerlin never misses an opportunity, does he? Imagine if they'd lost!

The Munster Branch then tried the Bordeaux Coup once again.

More NH propaganda!

Mr White finally took one of its few good decisions of the day and whistled the end of the game relieving Toulouse's crowd.

It was certainly not one of the most spectacular games I have seen but it was indeed a great afternoon of Rugby...

Which only goes to prove what I've always thought - rugby is one of the few games where it doesn't have to be spectacular to be great.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Bearcat
A better afternoon for the Toulousains than for us. We never seemed to get a rhythym going and McMinnville pinned us in our half and managed to hold us there for most of the game. We never in the whole game got a good look at their in-goal or 22 and we never got good phases going. A dissapointing afternoon which saw us fall 8-0 to McMinnville, putting paid any hopes of going on to the PNRFU playoffs.

Bummer!

Where did you play? Blindside?

[Bearcat]

Yeah.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Tamerlin never misses an opportunity, does he? Imagine if they'd lost!

"Never miss an opportunity" is my motto along with "never give an inch"...

About a loss, I have more than imagined it for almost 80 minutes yesterday until Frédéric Michalack scored its try.

More NH propaganda!

It is a NH internal affair... :haughty:

Which only goes to prove what I've always thought - rugby is one of the few games where it doesn't have to be spectacular to be great.

True... the problem is that those that can appreciate Rugby when it is not spectacular are comparatively few. The vast majority ot the public in front of the TV needs something spectacular to focus its attention on, and the sponsors are ready to alter the game in order to make it more spectacular and thus more profitable...

[Havak]

In actual fact Chris White was the best referee I've seen this weekend.

He kept the Toulouse scrum honest and whilst I can see that Tamerlin may not have liked that he was still absolutely right to do so. A strangely nervous performance from the French lads but they were eventually just that little but too strong. In fact without the awful execution they showed it should have been a much more try filled game - they dropped the ball more than Tigers do these days.

Ashley Rowden helmed the Tigers game and was awful - anything off the ball misses his attention. Fortunately Leeds constant cynical play didn't work and they lost the game.

I also caught the Blues-Sharks game and there was the worst referee this weekend - Peter Marshall I believe. I have to ask yet again do any S12 teams or SH refs have any understanding of any of the offside laws? No one on that pitch did.

Still Blues look a decent outfit and Spencer would make a good buy after the RWC - I'm sure he will be part of the mass exodus?

And as I write poor Nigel Williams is helming an awful game between Leinster and USAP - it's 11 all as I write this and anyones game with 12 mins left. Toulouse will murder either of these sides on this showing.

Catch you guys tomorrow.

[Tamerlin]

Leinster 14 - Perpignan 21



May the 24th will be an H-Cup final with two french clubs ( )... in Dublin.

Tell us about a bad referee, Mr Williams has beaten them all...

In actual fact Chris White was the best referee I've seen this weekend.

You must have seen some truly appalling ones this week-end...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Bearcat
Yeah.

Then, Bearcat, it's your duty to start a whispering campaign to get the coach sacked. He's clearly playing you out of position and the team's loss is all his fault. Don't forget - it's a fine rugby tradition for players to undermine their coaches. We expect you to uphold the tradition.