Rugby - Crouch and Hold!

[Havak]

so it looks like Irish.

Add “To be sure” to the repertoire and you could be a native.

Does it only cover League matches? If so, it sounds a bit steep.

The 11 Leagues games and the three home European ties in whatever Euro competition you qualify for. I still fear we may appear in the Parker Pen shield next season. We need to beat Glaws away a week on Saturday to secure fourth place and a Heinekin spot(or H spot as the French would have it).

Congrats to Glaws by the way who secured first place last Saturday – they really have been the class of the season and are champions in fact whatever play offs might produce. Of course the down side of that is their fans will be even more objectionable next season.

Must be a mate. Silly, because he loses credibility.

He didn’t have much up here. Knuckles if I have him right is the man sacked by Stade Francais and Swansea in consecutive seasons. Being sacked by a Welsh side does not improve ones credibility. And talking of failed coaches what is Graham Henry doing these days? Bet he wishes he never left Blues?!

The S12 comp, ladder-based rather than knock-out, rewards the higher-placed of the two finalists with the home match.

Only the final rotates and that is so the game gets played in decent stadiums. You are spoilt down there in that regard in that all the franchises play in good venues. You couldn’t have a final at Kingsholm for example (12000 after a new stand has been built).

The quarters and semis work on a seeding system – that’s why Toulouse played at home last Saturday as well as the Saturday before. Tamerlin is likely to find the Irish get behind Perignan as they will be the underdogs (Toulouse are loaded with Internationals – USAPs caps are mainly with their foreign lads).

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak


Add ?To be sure? to the repertoire and you could be a native.

To be sure, to be sure!

The 11 Leagues games and the three home European ties in whatever Euro competition you qualify for.

Cripes! $440 for 14 matches for standing room. That's ... um ... $30-something a pop for standing room. That's expensive by our standards. What do they charge for a seat?

I still fear we may appear in the Parker Pen shield next season. We need to beat Glaws away a week on Saturday to secure fourth place and a Heinekin spot(or H spot as the French would have it).

Look, frankly, a spell away from all that is what your team needs, IMHO. Nothing like a sojourn in a comp named after a writing implement to drive home the reality to a few people.

Of course the down side of that is their fans will be even more objectionable next season.

I shall do my utmost!

He didn?t have much up here. Knuckles if I have him right is the man sacked by Stade Francais and Swansea in consecutive seasons. Being sacked by a Welsh side does not improve ones credibility.

Stade Francais, was it? I knew it was one of the French teams. Tamerlin obviously doesn't know or he'd've been in like the proverbial.

And talking of failed coaches what is Graham Henry doing these days?

Was that rhetorical or otherwise? What is he up to?

Only the final rotates and that is so the game gets played in decent stadiums.

How very sensible. Must be a pain in the arse, though, for both sides' supporters to have to travel.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
Tamerlin is likely to find the Irish get behind Perignan as they will be the underdogs (Toulouse are loaded with Internationals – USAPs caps are mainly with their foreign lads).

This is a condition the supporter from Toulouse is used to... the Stade Toulousain is often considered as the evil team that does not let the others have a share of the prize when the opponent is the kind team that would like to but can not because of the evil Stade Toulousain. The fact the "kind" opponent would stomp the Toulousains if they could does not seem to have any effects over the "kindness" as it is perceived by the crowd.

Out of the stadium "de la Mosson" in Montpellier, after a semi-final won by the Stade Toulousain, a demoralized supporter from Bourgoin told me: "vous pourriez nous en laisser un peu quand même..." (you could let us a bit of it).

[Tamerlin]

BTW Havak, what about your Call to Power 2 experience?

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar
Stade Francais, was it? I knew it was one of the French teams. Tamerlin obviously doesn't know or he'd've been in like the proverbial.

You are right, the name of David Connolly sounds familiar but I can't remember if he has coached the Stade Français or the Association Sportive Montferrandaise... I don't think it is the Biarritz Olympique though.

How very sensible. Must be a pain in the arse, though, for both sides' supporters to have to travel.

Yes it is... when you don't have the money to make the trip.

Le chapeau, le chapeau, le chapeau...

[finbar]

Get on with your turn!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


You are right, the name of David Connolly sounds familiar

I hope you mean John Connolly? His nickname is "Knuckles". I think it was one of the Stade teams.

[finbar]

Mmmmm. Perpignan have picked up Dan Luger - though 'Quins deny it's a done deal - and Dan Herbert and AB Scott Robertson after the WRC. It's going to make them a potent force. Don't they have salary caps in French rugby?

Oh, and if they do get Luger, Perpignan can count on winning close matches unfairly with tries that aren't really tries.

[Havak]

*Must ignore bait*

Hugely busy so I am not able to catch up properly with the thread but I just wanted to confirm that there are no salary caps in the French top flight. The top clubs here are furious about it as Luger may be the tip of the Iceberg with regards to players heading for France.

[Tamerlin]

Right there is no salary cap in France though the clubs are watched over by the DNACG, Direction Nationale d'Aide au Contrôle de Gestion, this organism is examining the accounts of the clubs of the Top 16 and the Pro D2 (second division). Basically, a healthy and wealthy club will not have any salary cap while a club in debt will have a salary cap and could even be relegated to an inferior division if its financial situation can not be restored quickly enough.


John... David.... it's the same! :shrug:

[Havak]

That's expensive by our standards. What do they charge for a seat?

Ah this is England remember. There are different classes of seat – unreserved, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond – depending on where you are in the stadium. Unreserved are only about £20 more than standing but Diamond are well over £350 I think. I’ll check tonight and get back if I’m wrong.

I tend only to look at my own price and I prefer standing – if you have an LCD idiot near you when standing you can always move.

Look, frankly, a spell away from all that is what your team needs, IMHO

In a way, but it would be so hard to swallow. I’d therefore rather we avoided having to.

I shall do my utmost!

I believe you.

A good early bet for next season would be Wasps. They have amazed me by sticking with my picks of Sale and Gloucester. It’s all down hill for Glaws next season – their financial woes are well documented and too many players are jumping ship. Add to that that they will send almost as many forwards to RWC as Tigers do (Vickery, Woodman and Forester seem likely to make the trip) and it will be hard work for them to defend the crown. Shame.

Tamerlin obviously doesn't know or he'd've been in like the proverbial.

Stade Francais for sure. He coached them when we beat them in the final.

Was that rhetorical or otherwise? What is he up to?

Otherwise actually. I had heard he was back in Kiwi Land but also that he was the poison pill now? Tainted by Wales AND failure both.

How very sensible. Must be a pain in the arse, though, for both sides' supporters to have to travel.

I have never found it so myself. It’s a great excuse to have a weekend away in pleasant cities.

the Stade Toulousain is often considered as the evil team that does not let the others have a share of the prize when the opponent is the kind team that would like to but can not because of the evil Stade Toulousain

Toulouse are the French version of Tigers as I’ve said before.
This is the NH and success tends to be resented by the unsuccessful. Many of the Munster lads after the QF told us they have been nervous about coming because we were “generally reviled because of all the success we had had” but that that impression was hopelessly wrong and they had in fact found true kindred rugby lovers. They were particularly impressed that we stuck around and drank with them as they thought only the Irish did that – they didn’t know taking it on the chin is the Tigers way.
The moral of the story is – to make your own mind up.

BTW Havak, what about your Call to Power 2 experience?

I got as far as putting the files on my hard drive then got distracted by a few things – Freelancer and Raven Shield to name two…

As for salary caps I’m intrigued how USAP can afford to buy in the talent they are? What is their average home crowd? The RFU in it’s wisdom uses salary caps to stop teams buying the League. A laudable aim but with a few flaws – including that no allowance is made for players away on RWC duty for instance.

One day the RFU and English rugby will get it all right – and on that day Pork-on-the-hoof Airlines will be flying us to the games.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Ah this is England remember. There are different classes of seat ? unreserved, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond ? depending on where you are in the stadium. Unreserved are only about £20 more than standing but Diamond are well over £350 I think. I?ll check tonight and get back if I?m wrong.

I tend only to look at my own price and I prefer standing ? if you have an LCD idiot near you when standing you can always move.

Of course the tree-trunk legs of a retired tighthead can take all that standing. Presumably the Diamente seats are for the retired wingers. I must check what the equivalents are here for club rugby. At a lot of the grounds, you can still park the car on the boundary fence and watch from the warmth of the driver's seat.

In a way, but it would be so hard to swallow. I?d therefore rather we avoided having to.

Naturally. But for the greater good ...

A good early bet for next season would be Wasps. They have amazed me by sticking with my picks of Sale and Gloucester. It?s all down hill for Glaws next season ? their financial woes are well documented and too many players are jumping ship. Add to that that they will send almost as many forwards to RWC as Tigers do (Vickery, Woodman and Forester seem likely to make the trip) and it will be hard work for them to defend the crown. Shame.

Wasps, you say? Goodoh. I was thinking of jumping ship to Bath.

I have never found it so myself. It?s a great excuse to have a weekend away in pleasant cities.

Yes, but you have the means. A lot wouldn't.

As for salary caps I?m intrigued how USAP can afford to buy in the talent they are? What is their average home crowd?

That's what I'd like to know. Manny Edmonds wouldn't have been bargain basement, and the mind boggles at what the combined cost of Luger, Herbert and Robertson would be - even if Herbert is signing for less than he would have got in England.

The RFU in it?s wisdom uses salary caps to stop teams buying the League. A laudable aim but with a few flaws ? including that no allowance is made for players away on RWC duty for instance.

The salary cap's about the only means of stopping the few rich teams turning a comp into a joke. It's used here in all the codes. The latest sneaky way around it - in the AFL - is for the clubs to purchase the rights to the players' likeness for the club websites. Footballers and intellectual property - what strange bedfellows.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
As for salary caps I’m intrigued how USAP can afford to buy in the talent they are? What is their average home crowd?

I don't know the size of the average home crowd but I can say that USAP's fans are a faithful crowd and that they are numerous to travel away from home.

The latest sneaky way around it - in the AFL - is for the clubs to purchase the rights to the players' likeness for the club websites. Footballers and intellectual property - what strange bedfellows.

Many top players in France have negociated their "right of image" and there would be hidden contracts of this sort to go beyond the limit of 55% of the total budget of a club that can actually be allocated to the salaries of the players.

[Caligastia]

I didn't realize the server was back up again till just now. I had to re-create my bookmark.

Finbar, did you see any of the Crusaders/Cats game? It was a real thriller! Although I want NZ teams to do the best they can, I don't mind conceding this one for two reasons:

1 - The Cats are a South African team, and the South Africans need all the encouragement they can get.

2 - It will make no difference to NZ's chances of winning another Super 12.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Many top players in France have negociated their "right of image" and there would be hidden contracts of this sort

That's only one of the variations. There are lots of them - for example, the club contracts an outside firm to perform some sort of meaningless duty, pays the firm, and the player is an "employee" of the firm.

to go beyond the limit of 55% of the total budget of a club that can actually be allocated to the salaries of the players.

So there is a salary cap, but it's tied to the club's budget, which is, theoretically, limitless, which defeats the whole purpose. How odd.