Rugby - Hands Off White!

[Havak]

Dayglo is daft to rake over tired old coals I think.

We simply need to hope for natural justice - in essence a(nother) third place finish in the tri-nations would do.

Same old Australia in many ways Finbar - always back them when they are underdogs - but put your money else where when they are favourites.

Very annoyed about the cricket. I can put up with a lot of verbal rubbish from the Aussies because they are damn good but I cannot for the life of me excuse utter disrespect to opponents - what do you make of certain post match comments from the 'confident' camp Finbar?

[Havak]

A little game of guess the origin:

"Generally speaking, New Zealanders are pretty arrogant about their feelings about the All Blacks and think they're the best team in the world. That's not the case, especially since the game has gone professional. We also have to give credit to other rugby nations around the world. They can play the game and it's not something New Zealanders acknowledge very often."

[ravagon]

Originally posted by finbar
The jinx continues!

Boks 33 -d- Wallabies 20 in Jo'burg. So we still haven't won there since 1963. Played like absolute crap, apparently, with the Boks racking up two of their three tries from intercepts from crap passes. It's truly bizarre how the Wallabies can beat the Boks with ease in Sydney two weeks ago and fall in a hole two weeks later.

Careful finbar. Somebody might mistake you for an Australian if you carry on like that.

The Boks were apparently playing what almost amounted to a second XV too with all the changes. Mr White throwing a tantrum and dropping 9 starting players seemed to work wonders. It might make for a good 3N opener...

"Generally speaking, New Zealanders are pretty arrogant about their feelings about the All Blacks and think they're the best team in the world. That's not the case, especially since the game has gone professional. We also have to give credit to other rugby nations around the world. They can play the game and it's not something New Zealanders acknowledge very often."

Well I'd agree with the first sentence completely. We are arrogant about it and do think they're the best in the world.
The second sentence is complete and utter rubbish (see previous sentence ).
Afterall who's spent the most time at the top of the world rankings over the past decade or so (I don't recall when rugby went pro exactly)?
Who almost always goes in as the bookies favourite (Bookies afterall actually have an interest in getting it right as opposed to the armchair punter spouting off nationalistic jingoism seen through sheer n-coloured goggles. )?
I do think we actually rate many of the 'other' rugby-playing nations too.
We mightn't give them the respect they probably feel they deserve but, well, that might come one day if they can actually beat us at home a few times and are able to make a bit of a habit of it ... talk being cheap and all ... ?

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Same old Australia in many ways Finbar - always back them when they are underdogs - but put your money else where when they are favourites.

I can't disagree with you, which makes me even ier!

Very annoyed about the cricket. I can put up with a lot of verbal rubbish from the Aussies because they are damn good but I cannot for the life of me excuse utter disrespect to opponents - what do you make of certain post match comments from the 'confident' camp Finbar?

I haven't read anything disrespectful. If you're talking about the comments about Vaughan, they're acknowledging how important he is, and how important it is to get on top of him.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
A little game of guess the origin:

"Generally speaking, New Zealanders are pretty arrogant about their feelings about the All Blacks and think they're the best team in the world. That's not the case, especially since the game has gone professional. We also have to give credit to other rugby nations around the world. They can play the game and it's not something New Zealanders acknowledge very often."

I'm glad I've never heard an Englishman say England is the best team in the world.

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon


Careful finbar. Somebody might mistake you for an Australian if you carry on like that.

If Italy had a better rugby team, I wouldn't give a stuff about what goes in the SH. Apart, of course, when they're playing England.

The Boks were apparently playing what almost amounted to a second XV too with all the changes.

On the contrary, the Bok outfit beaten easily in Sydney was the 2nd XV. Last weekend's team was much stronger.

Well I'd agree with the first sentence completely. We are arrogant about it and do think they're the best in the world.
The second sentence is complete and utter rubbish (see previous sentence ).
Afterall who's spent the most time at the top of the world rankings over the past decade or so (I don't recall when rugby went pro exactly)?
Who almost always goes in as the bookies favourite (Bookies afterall actually have an interest in getting it right as opposed to the armchair punter spouting off nationalistic jingoism seen through sheer n-coloured goggles. )?
I do think we actually rate many of the 'other' rugby-playing nations too.
We mightn't give them the respect they probably feel they deserve but, well, that might come one day if they can actually beat us at home a few times and are able to make a bit of a habit of it ... talk being cheap and all ... ?

It was stinky bait. You were always on a hiding to nothing responding.

[Havak]

But Gentlemen the quote was not from me - or any other Englishman. Nor was it an Aussie, a Bok or a Celt. It was a great kiwi hero of the moment though - and THAT is why I posted it (why would the boys care what a pom says?).

And the only Englishman I recall making such claims on a regular basis is now at a s***** club and good riddance too!

Verbals after the victory Finbar - McGrath talking excitedly about just needing to "work out Pietersen" and then "5-0 will definitely be ours". Ponting and the boys are very careful when the Adrenalin is not in their system but rash verbals when it is are still one way this classy side lets itself down sometimes.

Apart from obvious problems some players have away from the game that is.

Having said that Hoggard shot his mouth off last week and that was perhaps even more disappointing as Hussein and then Vaughan have tried to weed out such silliness from the approach.

If anyone feels inclined to invade the next League thread please point out that London Broncos are having to be bought out by Harlequins RFC just to survive (having already been in administration) - the code hangs on south of Lancashire and Yorkshire by it's finger tips only...what price now claims of ever increasing popularity?

[Havak]

That said Finbar I did smile at this quip from Mathew Hayden:

"I love his aggression and the way he plays his cricket. He plays like a true South African."



I heard an awful rumour at the weekend that two of the Australian squad are qualified as Scottish? One apparently actually born there as his parents were visiting rellies? Didn't get any names though so perhaps I was being wound up?

[Andydog]

Originally posted by finbar
It was stinky bait. You were always on a hiding to nothing responding.

But it was still a good response Ravagon all the same.

I didn't see the SA Aussie game last weekend but apparently the Boks were all over the Aussies. Their combinations clicked and they outplayed their vastly more experienced opponents in every facet of the game except the scrum, which Jake White claims was nullified only because the Aussies cheated.

Planet Rugby:
Many observers have for some time claimed that the Wallabies use deliberate stalling tactics when their scrum is under pressure, often delaying the put-in or going down only at the very last minute, thus causing the scrums to collapse and to be reset time and again.

It is worth noting that on the occasions when the Boks were penalised at the weekend Australian scrum-half George Gregan delayed the feed - even though it was clear he could have put the ball in immediately - and then when the scrum to started moving he would appeal to referee Steve Walsh to penalise the South Africans.

[Havak]

Eh? Australia have been playing that way at the scrum for years!

Good response? Who to? They were not my words in the first place! Look towards some newly canonised Kiwi for the origin!

I personally think that on current form the ABs are by far the best team in the World. They are also the incumbent third place finishers in the tri-nations of course. You boys had better hope they storm this years competition or no mercy will be shown.

[child of Thor]

Originally posted by finbar


I don't cop that sort of abuse from a ... a ... a ... POM*! ... like you!

(* = worst insult I can hurl at anyone)

Ah - yes sorry your an aussie then - well done on the cricket, our south african wasn't enough to win the day(s)

What does POM actualy mean - i think its to do with not washing enough in the hotter climate of downunder, but dont know what it means?

didnt SA beat france recently as well in rugby(it was their home advantage though i think?). Does this mean we are seeing another SA emergence in comparison to the other soutern hemisphere teams - they always traditionaly had strong club sides, but it seems on the international scene they suffer from a lack of consistancey?

EDIT: and a big for the cartoon posted by Andydog - it reminds me a little of a piss-take british comic from up north

[Andydog]

Originally posted by Havak
Good response? Who to? They were not my words in the first place! Look towards some newly canonised Kiwi for the origin!

I realise that but I thought it was a good response to the quote, whoever it came from (Mitchell perhaps?). I'd be interested to see the context of it.

[Havak]

The context I cannot assist with really - but the words were uttered by...Graham Henry.

It was part of an Interview he gave to Radio New Zealand in the last few days apparently.

*edit* There are a few common interpretations of the origin of 'Poms'.

Two that were bandied about on the Lions tour:

POHMIE - Prisoners of His/Her Majesty In England (the favoured version I encountered with Aussies).

POHMIE - Prisoners of His/Her Majesty In Exile (the one that I think is far more likely to be true - and ironically originally applied to new arrivals in OZ rather than the entire British race).

Finbar is more Pom than we are if the latter holds any truth (and won't that please him!)

[LDiCesare]

didnt SA beat france recently as well in rugby(it was their home advantage though i think?). Does this mean we are seeing another SA emergence in comparison to the other soutern hemisphere teams - they always traditionaly had strong club sides, but it seems on the international scene they suffer from a lack of consistancey?

Yes, France played 2 matches in SA, one draw and one SA victory. Mind you, in both games both coaches experimented quite a bit. I'd say France and SA are roughly the same strength but SA had home ground advantage, and they were fresh (whereas the French had their whole lengthy season in the legs and not physically as fit).

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Verbals after the victory Finbar - McGrath talking excitedly about just needing to "work out Pietersen" and then "5-0 will definitely be ours". Ponting and the boys are very careful when the Adrenalin is not in their system but rash verbals when it is are still one way this classy side lets itself down sometimes.

In this case, I'd've thought truth was the fairly obvious defence.

Having said that Hoggard shot his mouth off last week and that was perhaps even more disappointing as Hussein and then Vaughan have tried to weed out such silliness from the approach.

Yes, not only did Mr Hoggard get it spectacularly wrong, he went on, in the match, to confirm my long-held belief that, if the ball isn't swinging, he is, as they say, fruit for the sideboard.