Rugby - Crouch and Hold!

[Caligastia]

ooo Finbar's on at the same time as me!

G'day mate!

[Caligastia]

Huh! Very briefly it appears.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia

Finbar, did you see any of the Crusaders/Cats game? It was a real thriller!

Crusaders -v- Cats? Or Bulls? Last weekend? I saw about 20 minutes of the second half. The Crusaders wouldn't have lost it last season. They've slipped.

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

The current 4 top teams deserve to be there. The Blues rely too much on Carlos Spencer, IMHO, so my money's on the Hurricanes.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Huh! Very briefly it appears.

I pop in and out when I'm bored with my work.

[finbar]

Originally posted by finbar
I must check what the equivalents are here for club rugby.

Sorry to quote myself, but it comes naturally.

The Gordon club, one of Sydney's oldest, charges $OZ80 a year for adult membership. That includes membership of the Social Club. It's probably about $5 extra to sit in the grandstand.

[Bearcat]

Originally posted by finbar
Crusaders -v- Cats? Or Bulls? Last weekend? I saw about 20 minutes of the second half. The Crusaders wouldn't have lost it last season. They've slipped.

Are you sure the Crusaders have slipped or have the Bulls improved?

The current 4 top teams deserve to be there. The Blues rely too much on Carlos Spencer, IMHO, so my money's on the Hurricanes.

Technically, the Blues rely too much on their back-line. But than what team doesn't?

*mutters*
Lazy, good for nothings....

[finbar]

Originally posted by Bearcat

Are you sure the Crusaders have slipped or have the Bulls improved?

Good point. I think it's a case of both. I've seen the Crusaders a couple of times this season and they're nowhere near the machine they were last season. The Bulls have added something to their game other than a gargantuan pack.

Technically, the Blues rely too much on their back-line. But than what team doesn't?

Actually, IMHO, I think they rely too much on Carlos Spencer to connect to their backline. They don't seem to have very many other options.

*mutters*
Lazy, good for nothings....

[Havak]

Of course the tree-trunk legs of a retired tighthead can take all that standing.

It causes me no problems at all as you say. The former stand off that goes to games with the Havak jolly boys was agitating to sit down next year – until he saw the price hike.

Presumably the Diamente seats are for the retired wingers

Strangely they are largely occupied by older married couples none of whom seem to have ever played the game. These seats are directly opposite the player tunnel and the presentation steps (not that they will be used this year of course).

I was wrong by the way – we have won a trophy this year. I forgot that we won the Orange Cup in August (contested between the French and English Champions). A small consolation at least.

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.

You can pretty much do this from some clubs in the second flight - and then also all the way down through the leagues.

Naturally. But for the greater good ...

Yes I understand the logic – but rugger is all about emotions too.

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

They might do very well in the second flight. There is also talk that the league will be ring fenced next season so they might never come back up if they do go down.

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

Yes that’s fair enough I guess.

Still ERC Ltd refused to move the final from Paris when a Parisian team made it, or from wickers when Saints made it – so I guess it almost makes sense they would leave it in Ireland when only French sides are involved.

I’m not a big fan of ERC Ltd – they are the only ones who make money from the tournament, the prize money sucks and travelling expenses are not even re-imbursed. Tigers only profited from European success through increased bums on seats and merchandising.

That's what I'd like to know

There must be a sponsor bank rolling it in the background I suspect. That is one thing the salary cap helps to prevent.

Footballers and intellectual property - what strange bedfellows.

Quite. The England Players went on strike a while back about their image being used in RFY merchandising with no recompense – and club contracts have to strike a deal between player and club over image rights. Nightmare stuff.

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.

I’m glad that you noticed Tamerlin sort of contradicted his previous post with this. Good on ya for pointing out the consultancy wriggle they use for players wages too.

The current 4 top teams deserve to be there. The Blues rely too much on Carlos Spencer, IMHO, so my money's on the Hurricanes.

Spencer seems Healeyesque – a real talent but very inconsistent with it.

By the way the lad Craig McMullen did okay at Fly Half last weekend. He may get another start this weekend – the problems were all outside him in the centres. I try not to think about it too much as it’s depressing.

The Gordon club, one of Sydney's oldest, charges $OZ80 a year for adult membership. That includes membership of the Social Club. It's probably about $5 extra to sit in the grandstand.

How I miss those amateur days. Let me think – in 1994 a Tigers season ticket cost £45 I think – and you could sit anywhere in the ground for that. The game going Professional has raised the standard of English rugby hugely but it’s had it’s down side too.

*mutters*
Lazy, good for nothings....

Bearcat you are indeed a forward. Healthy attitude towards the girlies there.
Okay I have saved this for last for Tamerlin. It explains why the guy has missed the last few games
Leicester Tigers have confirmed that Franck Tournaire will be leaving the club at the end of this week.

Director of Rugby Dean Richards explained that Tournaire’s departure was not rugby related:

“He has domestic problems in France which I don’t want to go into,” said Richards. “I have sat down with Franck and his agent and we agreed that it’s in Franck’s and his family’s best interests that he returns to France.”

So our incumbent tight head is now 37 and expected to retire this month leaving only one specialist senior tight head on the books – Ricky Nebbitt – and I’ve not seen him feature all season. Sheesh.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
It causes me no problems at all as you say. The former stand off that goes to games with the Havak jolly boys was agitating to sit down next year ? until he saw the price hike.

The Havak Jolly Boys? Sounds like a pub fiddle band!

Strangely they are largely occupied by older married couples none of whom seem to have ever played the game.

So we can expect to see you and Mrs Havak there in about 15 years?

They might do very well in the second flight. There is also talk that the league will be ring fenced next season so they might never come back up if they do go down.

Who's coming up next season?

Still ERC Ltd refused to move the final from Paris when a Parisian team made it, or from wickers when Saints made it ? so I guess it almost makes sense they would leave it in Ireland when only French sides are involved.

I can't see the sense in playing a final so far away from both teams' supporters. If there were a problem with home advantage, I could see the point. Surely they would sell out the Paris stadium for this match.

Spencer seems Healeyesque ? a real talent but very inconsistent with it.

Probably has been in the past. He's been more consistent this season, but in the early rounds, when they were blitzing teams, he was playing outstanding football. But no one can keep up that sort of standard, and the Blues aren't blitzing them anymore. They're still a good team, much improved from last season. They just need him really firing to play at their best. He drives them.

How I miss those amateur days.

Which only goes to prove how amateur our rugby is - beneath the Wallabies and S12 teams. I think I said once before, Randwick - home club of the Campese, the Ellas, etc - still have a lot of players who play for little but expenses. Obviously the rep players have their incomes, but the non-rep players don't.

Bearcat you are indeed a forward. Healthy attitude towards the girlies there.

We'll instill into Bearcat everything that's unpleasant about rugby yet!

Okay I have saved this for last for Tamerlin. It explains why the guy has missed the last few games
Leicester Tigers have confirmed that Franck Tournaire will be leaving the club at the end of this week.

Director of Rugby Dean Richards explained that Tournaire?s departure was not rugby related:

?He has domestic problems in France which I don?t want to go into,? said Richards. ?I have sat down with Franck and his agent and we agreed that it?s in Franck?s and his family?s best interests that he returns to France.?

This is the guy with the discipline problem? Presumably Mrs Tournaire told him she wanted to go home or she'd headbutt him.

So our incumbent tight head is now 37 and expected to retire this month leaving only one specialist senior tight head on the books ? Ricky Nebbitt ? and I?ve not seen him feature all season. Sheesh.

Dig the boots out of the bottom of your broom cupboard, for crying out loud!

[Bearcat]

Originally posted by finbar
Good point. I think it's a case of both. I've seen the Crusaders a couple of times this season and they're nowhere near the machine they were last season. The Bulls have added something to their game other than a gargantuan pack.

They seem to have been bitten by the injury bug pretty hard this year. First Mehrtens and Mauger, than MacDonald and now McCaw.

Actually, IMHO, I think they rely too much on Carlos Spencer to connect to their backline. They don't seem to have very many other options.

You couldd be right, but than that's the fatal flaw of having a good flyhalf I would suppose.

Bearcat you are indeed a forward. Healthy attitude towards the girlies there.

Damn straight. They let us do all the running and smashing and than when we don't win them the ball, just the way they want it, we hear about it

We'll instill into Bearcat everything that's unpleasant about rugby yet!

You might be a little late.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
I’m glad that you noticed Tamerlin sort of contradicted his previous post with this. Good on ya for pointing out the consultancy wriggle they use for players wages too.

The overall salary limit being a percentile of the budget of a club it is not really a salary cap.

Okay I have saved this for last for Tamerlin. It explains why the guy has missed the last few games
Leicester Tigers have confirmed that Franck Tournaire will be leaving the club at the end of this week.

I knew that Franck Tournaire was coming back in France, as Christian Califano who is heading to the Castres Olympique, I know nothing about the reasons behind this choice though. I will certainly learn more about it in the future editions of the Midi Olympique.

The case of Christian Califano is interesting as far as hidden payrolls are concerned. As Finbar suggested it in one of its previous posts some companies can attract some players. The Castres Olympiques is heavily financed by the Fabre Laboratories and Christian Califano has been promised a future succesfull career in the said company.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Bearcat

They seem to have been bitten by the injury bug pretty hard this year. First Mehrtens and Mauger, than MacDonald and now McCaw.

True. Maybe it's their turn. They had a golden run last year.

Damn straight. They let us do all the running and smashing and than when we don't win them the ball, just the way they want it, we hear about it

A graduate from the Havak College of Onfield Diplomacy!

You might be a little late.

Obviously!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
The overall salary limit being a percentile of the budget of a club it is not really a salary cap.

Any limit on player spending is a salary cap! You know that! You have what we would call a Claytons' Salary Cap - the salary cap you have when you're not having a salary cap! And don't ask the origins of the Claytons thing ...

[Tamerlin]

What are the origins of the Claytons thing?

[finbar]

Look it up in your trusty Petit Orphys!