Rugby - Hands Off Black!

[finbar]

You!? I thought you'd've changed your name, donned a disguise and kept the lowest of profiles after the Blues' abysmal performance on the weekend!



EDIT. Just found this:

French rugby union chief Bernard Lapasset has criticised coach Bernard Laporte for his comments about the home crowd on Saturday.

An angry Laporte said the Parisian crowd were "bourgeois" after France's nervy 43-31 win against Ireland.

I love the guy! Imagine any other rugby coach of any other country even knowing what it meant let alone being able to say the word? God bless les grenouilles!

[Havak]

Looks like Brendan is a happier morning person than I am Caligastia.

Laporte is great - he was unhappy that the crowd were booing when France were still 40 points ahead. But to use a word so carefully calculated to cause maximum offence - I wonder if he is secretly Welsh?

He had a serious point - he wants French crowds in the Stade de France to show some sporting passion at times other than when they are winning easily. And I agree with him - when I went they were great winners, no so great when the win was under threat.

So the Welsh coach has 'resigned' due to 'family reasons'. That old chestnut eh? Pushed obviously - I wonder why?

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by finbar
You!? I thought you'd've changed your name, donned a disguise and kept the lowest of profiles after the Blues' abysmal performance on the weekend!

Yeah, it was pretty lame. I saw the highlights at mediazone. Is that site of any help to you? I remember you had mentioned having problems seeing certain rugby games a while back.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak
Looks like Brendan is a happier morning person than I am Caligastia.

He's happy once he gets his milk.

Here's a Valentines pic my wife dressed him up for. I'll get it out one day when he brings his first girlfriend home.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Laporte is great - he was unhappy that the crowd were booing when France were still 40 points ahead. But to use a word so carefully calculated to cause maximum offence - I wonder if he is secretly Welsh?

With his vocabulary, how on earth does Laporte manage to communicate with his forwards?

So the Welsh coach has 'resigned' due to 'family reasons'. That old chestnut eh? Pushed obviously - I wonder why?

Very strange. Do you reckon he was pushed? Hard to imagine why. Maybe the old chestnut could be the truth ...

In other news, Chris Whitaker is off to Leinster. Now that I know Michael Cheika is the Leinster coach, the move is no surprise. Whitaker plays his club rugby in Sydney with Randwick, Cheika coached Randwick very successfully for a number of years before going to Leinster.

[Havak]

One day Brendan is definitely going to be embarassed by that then.

Finbar - I would guess Laporte simply says 'Allez' to the pack. Given the two halves last weekend he clearly forgot to tell them to change direction in the second half though.

Personally yes I do believe Ruddock was pushed as there are too many rumours about a rift with Scott Johnson for there to be no flames behind the smoke. I suspect several senior players aligned with Scott against Ruddock in the camp and his position became untenable. The incident with Henson's ghost writer at that press conference seemed to polarise the welsh camp into 'Ruddock v everyone else'

So there you go - orange Gav, whose girlfriend was on a chat show last night explaining why she is writing her second autobiography at just 19, may have brought down Ruddock indirectly.

I think Wales may come to regret this move - Johnson is a fantastic skills and fitness coach - but he does not like sitting in the stands (and the IRB doesn't let head coaches prowl the touchline the way Scott does). And in any case we don't know if the ARU have already signed him post June?

If Johnson goes the whiny Jenkins from Llanelli is a shoe in. It would rapidly make Wales the most reviled team in the world as he moaned and whined and gave no credit to opposition sides (still it would be nice to see someone take that 'most hated' crown from England every now and then?).

[finbar]

Everyone - in Oz anyway - seems to be expecting Johnson to be announced as a Knuckles offsider, although it's entirely feasible that the hold up in the announcement might have been related in some way to this upheaval. Maybe Johnson has played it cool, waiting for the upheaval to happen, fancying his chances in the top job. If, on the other hand, he goes to the Wallabies, what has been achieved? No Ruddock, no Johnson. Lose-lose situation. Mmmm. But, then, it is Wales.

[finbar]

Looks like you were right about the Ruddock business. Why do I ever doubt you!? The players thought he was old-fashioned, they wanted to concentrate on razzle dazzle in lieu of, at least, a balance with strong forward foundations. Obviously no one has pointed out to the players that last year's 6N was, in context, a very ordinary year.

G Jenkins doesn't want the job apparently. You have to wonder where Johnson will finish up. Presumably coaching a national team is preferable to assisting someone else. Maybe the ARU will miss out.

[Havak]

Why do I ever doubt you!?

Precisely because it is me?

they wanted to concentrate on razzle dazzle in lieu of, at least, a balance with strong forward foundations

Yes, did you watch them against England? They threw it around all right – and also were soundly overpowered in the set pieces and at the breakdown and put on the back foot all game.

Ruddock wanted a more balanced side than he inherited – and to his credit he did make their pack more solid (it helped him that Gethin Jenkins hit super form at the right time). It is clear that at times the players went well off gameplan on the field (the ABs game where they suicidally kept the ball live at every opportunity).

Obviously no one has pointed out to the players that last year's 6N was, in context, a very ordinary year.

This is a red rag to the welsh bull I can assure you.

Such a shame CoT has gone.

But it was an ordinary tournament as you say. Any tournament where both France and England misfire is not going to be of the highest quality. That said you can only beat what trots out in front of you – and the win against France made the Slam a worthy one from my POV (it showed real character).

The autumn was funnier, destroyed by the ABs, lucky against islanders and then a narrow win over an Aussie side in utter disarray. From the quotes after beating Aus you would have thought they were RWC winners in waiting again!

G Jenkins doesn't want the job apparently

Not quite – if you read what he says he does want the job but only if the entire executive that snubbed him and appointed Ruddock steps down first.

Typically petulant and childish of the man. I hope they appoint him ASAP as I think he will take Wales right down the plug hole.

You have to wonder where Johnson will finish up

He constantly refers to it being a ‘family decision’ when asked where he will go. He makes no bones that he personally loves the Province – but reading between the lines I would suggest his wife has not settled well in Wales?

[finbar]

CoT struck me as a bit more of a realist than the average Welsh fan. And I agree, the performance against the French justified their title, even if there was a question mark over how much the French contributed to their own demise. Evidenced by last week's near re-run of last year's match. Still, a win is a win, regardless of the circumstances, a credo you've *cough* sworn by over the last couple of years.

Anyway, if the Welsh journey down the razzle dazzle road, they're going to suffer. There are too many other teams who can do the same thing, perhaps better, as well as having strengths in other, basic areas. You have to get the ball before you can razzle dazzle. Otherwise it's just counter-attack when the opportunity arises.

Oh well, if Mrs Johnson wants to return home, that's the end of it, isn't it.

[LDiCesare]

Havak mentioned the Italian wingers. Let's talk about one of them then: Nitoglia (or however that's spelled). He's probably quite fast, but not that much, not big, an average defender, but he is very talented in one area: Never give the ball to a teammate. Under any circumstance, ever. That may be the reason why he plays winger. I knew some players who started center, played flanker, and ended wingers because they would always fumble the ball. He reminds me of these guys.
As for Laporte talking to his forwards: Coaches don't talk to their forwards. They yell. And Laporte is quite good at that, too. An example from tuesday's training session:
Lineout (against me). Ball flies to the first jumper. The ball is sent forward from his hands towards the thigh of my flanker. It rebounds there, and I pick it up and charge. "SCRUM! KNOCK-ON! YOU, LAURENT". Oh yes, coaches glare too. Of course, I then said yessir and promised to myself to discuss the point with the other forwards later to understand what made him think I could do a knock on without the ball leaving my hands...

As for the XV de France, they are faithful to their image of being erratic. In times past, you would never know, when facing France, if they wer going to play a poor rugby or a flamboyant one. Now, they can do both in the same match. That's what we Frenchmen call consistency.

[finbar]

I hope one of the books you've written, yet to be published, is about the travails of an amateur club rugby player. If not, I'm going to trawl back through your posts, find all the anecdotes, and start writing!

Oh, and Havak - much as it pains me, you were right again. Eddie must have been drunk when he signed on with Saracens. Some of the stuff they came up with yesterday was embarrassing.

[LDiCesare]

No, my books were fantasy. So you can start working on your book by collecting my anecdotes. That way Mrs finbar will be unable to find anything wrong wiht your reading of rugby posts.

[finbar]

Fantasy, hm? I suppose I could turn my version of your rugby exploits into fantasy. I could have you scoring 10 tries in your club's premiership win.

[Havak]

I've been right twice in the space of a fortnight? Not sure my heart can take much more of it.

Saracens remain an enigma - big club, well financed, lots of good players and yet they never manage to string a consistent run together. They click in the odd game - but it is the odd game. Eddie should have phoned Pat for the lowdown before signing anything with them.

Tigers were poor on Friday as they fell over the line against Worcester. Of the returning internationals only Moody played well (or even looked like he wanted to be there!). Falcons away this Friday where Wilko has suffered yet another groin injury taking him out of action. Wilko's dream of pulling on the red rose again seems almost as remote as Jonah's dream these days

That's what we Frenchmen call consistency.

I have a feeling things will click against Italy so that France are high on confidence when England arrive.

Your coach (incorrectly) called a knock on in a training session? Now that is evil.