Rugby - Hands Off White!

[Havak]

Tana insisted he did nothing wrong. This means that as far as he is concerned, he has nothing to apologise for.

It’s not about right or wrong - he broke the guys collar bone and he has nothing to apologise for? No the lack of the word ‘sorry’ is somewhat ill considered regardless of rights and wrongs of the tackle itself

Saying the words ‘sorry mate’ is not an admission of foul play – it means sorry I hurt you mate. Or is someone arguing Tana did not hurt O’Driscoll?

And the circle continues…

We don’t b!tch about it thru the media. To us that only makes the b!tching team look like sore losers. So why should we suddenly be drawn into a cat-fight now?

*cough* RWC semi and Wellington 2003 (they were killing ball Sir! Please sir have pity!). Don’t talk to me about sore losers.

And the RFU investigates possible foul play thoroughly. In England Tana would certainly have at least been called to a disciplinary committee to justify his opinion ‘he did nothing wrong’. We don’t really ***** all that much about foul play amongst our domestic games – in fact it only ever becomes an issue when playing the SH big three because the general perception is (right or wrong) that the SH do not police their players appropriately (you only have to look at how long NZ rugby tolerated Troy Flavell and the Boks total failure to ever do anything about their various biffers).

And this constant tirade that Umaga did nothing wrong is ****** annoying – he and Keven caused the injury. Whether the tackle was legal or not is another matter. Causing serious injury is ‘wrong’ regardless and the word sorry would not have been out of place at all - on the pitch at the time preferably!

Grewcock will rightly face an internal Lions disciplinary committee after the tour (for bringing it into disrepute) to impose punishment beyond the IRB ban. England is likely to dump him like a hot potato. In the past Tigers and other clubs have punished players in addition to the terms RFU bans. When was the last time that happened in NZ? Williams is still an All Black and he likes to stand on peoples heads with alarming regularity.

If the NH little girls can’t handle the way rugby is played in the SH then they should stick to their NH club rug-bish.

Which draws more TV and sponsorship money than S12 can even dream of (and lets not even look at NPC). Ever thought there might be a reason for that?

I still recall our ‘girl’ of a skipper and five of his mates constantly pushing back eight black shirted tough guys in 2003.

Kiwi humour eh? Almost as funny at that of the Welsh. The truly funny thing about that tag line is that it’s one of the reasons he really doesn’t care what is said about him in the SH. He (or rather Jonno?) won an emphatic Slam, tours to NZ and Aus and a World Cup in the same year – how many Kiwi coaches under the bridge since 1987?

And don’t get me wrong Turnip will definitely not win the RWC. I don’t think Henry will either though.

[Frozzy]

Waahhh!!!11 Food poisoning!!!11 Wahh!!!!111

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Thanks for the congrats guys...the little fella is due on August 24th. Yep, he'll be born American, but he will definitely know the ways of his father's people.

Belated congrats, Cal. As long as he doesn't grow up to play that idiotic slow-motion procession of over-padded buffoons they call gridiron.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
I think the worst culprit you have now, my thoughts on Williams aside, is a chap called Troy Flavell? I guess Grewcock takes that role for England? For the Aussies McCrae remains the dirtiest player I have ever seen from those shores. Boks? Their former captain Krige for Novemebr 2002 alone.

Richard Loe makes Troy Flavell look sane, rational, sensible and very fair, too. Loe was a strange character. Farmer, trained on his own, quietly spoken. On the paddock, he was a marauding monster. Players like Troy Flavell "lose it". They have brain fades. Loe didn't. As soon as the game started, he was dangerous. I remember he was suspended for a very long time for either biting or stomping or gouging one of his AB teammates in a provincial match. I saw him break a Wallaby winger's jaw with a premeditated swinging forearm. The winger was near the end of quite a long, jigging run with the ball. Loe stalked him, and hit him. Richard Loe was psychotic.

[Havak]

I see from the BBC tour blog that the general attitude in NZ seems to be the fans are immaculately behaved and most welcome but could Clive please rack off. He is a popular guy isn't he? Good job he won a world cup (did he ever mention that?) or he might let it all get to him.

*edit* He certainly sounds psychotic Finbar

[Andydog]

he he he

Havak go back and read my post. I said that Tana did commiserate with BOD, which is saying "sorry it happened mate". But he isn't going to say "sorry I did your shoulder in" because he didn't. The fall did that when Tana and Kevin let him go.

..and round and round we go.. I'm stepping off now before I get dizzy!

Good luck for tomorrow anyway. I think this Lions team actually has some claws. It’ll be quite a day for me, first the test, then Live8 in Hyde Park!

And before I forget yet again, congratulations Caligastia, well done to you and your wife.

[Havak]

He phoned him - but the word 'sorry' was never used. Vague empathy noises about 'being injured' were as far as it went.

And now we both have motion sickness.

Fingers crossed for an incident free game tomorrow. Personally I'm going to have a few beers whilst watching to calm the nerves.

English power, Welsh flair, Irish guile (um and Scottish Whisky?) - I'd be more optimistic if this was round one.

Still I have seen Clive's excuse sheet for Sunday: "It was numbers - they had XV on the pitch all the time".

You lucky devil (on the Live8 front)

[Havak]

In all this commotion there has been little talk of Australia-France.

France have looked out of sorts to me ever since the NZ game (lets face it they only beat England with a Victoire a l'anglais).

Heh Finbar have you heards Rod McQueens after dinner tale of when he phoned George Smith to tell him he was picked for the Lions series?

*edit* I've also just seen the Auckland squad for next Tuesday and boy is that going to be some game. Kaino and Rokocoko for starters.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar


Belated congrats, Cal. As long as he doesn't grow up to play that idiotic slow-motion procession of over-padded buffoons they call gridiron.

Hopefully not...hmmmm...how can I make sure he'll play rugby?

[LDiCesare]

Congrats Cali.

It's not part of rugby to be taken out off the ball. It's dangerous, the guy's not expecting it. It shouldn't be part of rugby,

This is something I kind of agree with. I remember when GRenoble in France was the first club playing that way, and everyone thought they were just brutes and nothing more. The following year they were champions... I think in the rucks and mauls players should focus on the ball and pushing. Of course, it means the ball would be harder to get if you can't throw people out of it the way it's currently done, and the ball would take more time to get out, but frankly the rules today are more and more about preventing players to contest the ball in rucks and allowing to clear them away by pushing them out of the way then saying "Ruck!" and it's over you can't fight anymore. The single fact that we now have rules that say you have to stop fighting for the ball, even by pushing, is a shame. Give me our old rucks and mauls back!
...Just let me grab the ball in a ruck without being penalised...

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia


Hopefully not...hmmmm...how can I make sure he'll play rugby?

Don't feed him steroids.

[child of Thor]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4640369.stm

ouch!

oh well, i thought we might have a chance - obviously not!

Still it was a much better performance from the Lions.......ha isn't that a sad thing to say after another heavy defeat points wise

[finbar]

It reads - my only access to the match! - like the Lions were better but the ABs are just too good. Clive said afterwards that he was proud of the team, but I suppose that's standard stuff. Oh, and I heard yet another reference from him to the lineout problems of the week before. He said the Lions were "mugged" in the lineouts and the ref "didn't let them play".

Wallabies 37 -d- France 31

Again, no access to this match! Reads like it was a very entertaining display of full-on attack from both sides. Bit close for comfort, though. Matt Giteau missing his last six straight kicks for goal didn't help the Wallaby scoreline.

[LDiCesare]

Finbar, I couldn't see the match either, but I agree that, it looked (read) like a nice match. TV rights ...

[finbar]

I was reading on an Australian rugby website that the first half of the match got a bit silly - both teams were almost playing touch football or Sevens, passing the ball with wild abandon regardless of where they were. Still, very entertaining, apparently. But the Wallabies finished up with injuries. Stirling Mortlock did his hamstring and will certainly miss next week against the Boks. Gregan, with a back injury, and Nathan Sharpe are also in doubt for next week.