Rugby - Hands Off White!

[Havak]

Yes he has kept the same front row – and that has to be our big opportunity to get and stay on the front foot.

Jutge is not a great ref IMO - however he does have a French understanding of the scrum meaning full on scrummaging should be the order of the day.

The young lock starts as well as you say – I might even spot him given your excellent description.

I have some problems with Eddie as you know – but I do admire his “good enough = old enough” selection policy. Giteau would only just be being considered now by turnip – McMeniman would have no chance. And Turnip drops Smith and has Barkely on the bench – Eddie would never have made that call as it picks a third backup kicking option (and a defensive centre covering already defensive centres) over real attacking flair.

Turnip is something of a twit - lets hope it is not a fatal factor for tomorrow.

[Havak]

"We will now look carefully at the behaviour of British teams we face."

Thats Stade Francais chairman Max Guazzini after his head butting eye gouging hooker was inexplicably cleared of the headbutt on Lewis Moody. .Thats right the lad got away with it.

I can't imagine the guy is too popular in France given the way Stade has simply bought an awesome squad and done pretty much nothing for rugby development in the country - but it is rank stupidity to say this when they still have to visit Welford Road in January.

Monsieur Guazzini I can assure you WE will be watching the behaviour of your team too.

*edit* not least because fellow eye gouger Roncero also got off scot free.

[Caligastia]

I suppose we should be coming up with a new thread title soon...do you guys really want me to continue starting the threads? I just don't think I contribute enough to the discussion these days...I'm not worthy!

[Caligastia]

BTW...I read this interesting article:

http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Rugby/0,,2-9-838_1830549,00.html

It appears that the death of SA Rugby is at hand. They will no doubt be crushed by countries where talent is valued over race.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Caligastia
I suppose we should be coming up with a new thread title soon...do you guys really want me to continue starting the threads? I just don't think I contribute enough to the discussion these days...I'm not worthy!

It's a tradition, Cal, in keeping with the traditions of the game.

I think we have to keep our Hands Off (INSERT COLOR)! theme going. We just need to come up with another team/colour to malign. We've done the Wallabies and England, how about Red for Wales next? Or Blue for France? But don't Scotland play in blue, too? Mmmm. Hang on, Scotland never gets their hands on the ball in order to be told to take them off again.

[Caligastia]

Naturally Black is out of the question.

Are SA ever referred to as Green?

[LDiCesare]

I can't imagine the guy is too popular in France given the way Stade has simply bought an awesome squad and done pretty much nothing for rugby development in the country - but it is rank stupidity to say this when they still have to visit Welford Road in January.

I'm not sure. The Stade Francais did something to help develop rugby, or at least make it more popular, around Paris. Paris is, after all, the region where rugby is played most (just because there are so many people here, including students, people coming from the southwest and the occasional British). He may not be developping young players but he certainly attracted people in the region towards rugby.

As for hookers, we have many besides Szarszewski (or however you spell that). The lad didn't play very well imo, being particularly bad on lineouts (but it was his first match so you can't expect him to throw well with little work with his jumpers). We have other players, like Bruno and even (coming back) Ibanez, who will play the next matches, and there are many more very good players in the championship (including a young player in Paris, Kayser, who may mature into an international in a few years if he can play enough).

[LDiCesare]

Personally I have got Civ4 but just cannot bring myself to play it yet in case it proves as disappointing to me as Civ 3 did.

Guess why I posted at 2AM. What might I have been doing just before? Much better than civ3 imo. At the very least, religion adds more than culture added to civ2, and they took a few good ideas from ctp2 ("Mansa Musa is the first to citcumnavigate the globe").

Looking forwards to seeing the French play bad against Canada..

[finbar]

Well, I listened to the last half of the first half and all of the second half. The Wallaby front row was demonstrably laughable. That with such massive forward superiority England let the Wallabies draw level in the second half - well, one has to wonder how England will handle the ABs next week. Presumably the England coach will be satisfied. I suspect the ABs will explain the facts of life to him next week. And the Wallabies? It sounded like they made the absolute most of some very rare scraps. In fact, one of the Five Live commentators suggested that combining England's forward strength with the Wallabies' capacity for maximising opportunities would produce a pretty good team.

Where to now, Eddie?

[LDiCesare]

Eddie might try to establiash an unbreakabke record by losign more games next?
France thumped Canada as expected. A good game by Castaignede. Martin is also showing lots of skills. Bruno and Ibanez were both superior to what Szarzewski showed last week, even though the opposition was way weaker. Very nice scrums and mauls. Heymans would make Tamerlin proud too: This winger is really very good.

[finbar]

Eddie has the Paddys next week. From what I heard during the live crosses to the Paddys-ABs match yesterday, the Paddys were very ordinary. Or were made to look very ordinary. It should be breathing space for Eddie, but that, in itself, will be meaningless. The problem is with the bigger picture.

[LDiCesare]

Looking at the Wallabies against France, I was less than impressed myself. I don't know how the Irish played, but they were facing the All Blacks which sound much more serious opposition right now than the aussies, so I think it's going to be quite open.

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Havak
Nope - just thought it interesting you would (albeit gently) imply the Welsh were remiss for something totally outside of their control (losing key players to French and English club sides was suggesting they were taking the Fijians lightly?) when the NZ side has chosen to make wholesale changes for ‘squad rotation’ purposes.

I was indeed implying just as much. The article I read stated that they 'released' said players. It left out the bit about the Welsh RU having no choice in the matter.
I'm guessing from the scoreline that it may be a somewhat frazzled (albeit relieved) CoT that next puts in an appearance ...

Troy Flavell? The man who almost blinded Richard Hill and perhaps the most dangerous rugby player not yet permanently banned from the game? Where did you get the impression he plays in the ZP? Apart from an appearance is that silly Lomu-Jonno challenge game Troy isn’t with any English or UK club side – he was playing in Bokland but has actually just resigned for Auckland Blues for next year.

Don't know what to say. Before I went on holiday I could've sworn that he was in negotiations with the Saints or Saracens or somesuch and was expected to head over there. He's been in Japan for the last season (not Bokland) but I may've mixed him up with an actual Bok (Krige) who supposedly is heading for the ZP.


Was that really a NZ ref in charge during the AB-Irish game? ...
I don't think anything was made of it but it doesn't look too good on paper.

Apparently Eddie is 'up for review' regarding his performance lately when he returns to Aus, but this was decided before the game against England.

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon

Was that really a NZ ref in charge during the AB-Irish game? ...
I don't think anything was made of it but it doesn't look too good on paper.

J. Kaplan? A famously pedantic Bok.

Apparently Eddie is 'up for review' regarding his performance lately when he returns to Aus, but this was decided before the game against England.

No he's not. His contract is till the next World Cup. There's no review process prior to that unless the ARU decide to instigate one.

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon
but I may've mixed him up with an actual Bok (Krige) who supposedly is heading for the ZP.

You are confused. Krige is with, from memory, Saints. I think this is his second year.