Rugby - Hands Off Green!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak


Not exactly – if i understand correctly then the criteria under which the TMO can be referred to has been altered so that it is not looking for positives but instead looking for negatives. He therefore no longer has to see the grounding to award a try – but he has to see some proof of non-grounding in order not to. It’s a clear move to favour the attacking side – although I doubt they would admit that so overtly.

Semantics! Proof of non-grounding? That he didn't see it grounded!

That young hooker would be Stephen Moore (Reds)? The ARU website makes it nice and easy to browse your ‘spring tour’ squad.

No, Tatafu Polota-Nau from the Waratahs. Said to have terrific all-round skills but a big problem with his throwing. S. Moore has been around the fringes for a while and not really up to it. McIsaac leapfrogged him, which probably says it all.

That’s the new criteria – it’s a try unless you SEE evidence otherwise.

QED! It's a try unless the evidence the TMO sees is that the player didn't ground the ball!

They’ve also trialing a ‘no tolerance’ policy as well by the way. Can’t see Georgy Gregan coping with that too well?

Methinks George might have played his last Test anyway. Knuckles had planned to replace him with Sam Cordingley. Now M. Giteau has probably knocked George down into third place.

[Caligastia]

You would think that in this day and age they would have enough camera angles to be able to conclusively determine whether a try was scored in a situation such as this. Yes, there will be times when it is impossible from any angle, but in this case all that was needed was an extra camera behind the dead ball line.

[finbar]

There could have been 150,000 cameras on the moment. Havak, who has never shown the slightest shred of bias in any of the dozens of rugby threads in which we've participated, says it was a try. So it was a try.

[Caligastia]

Well, I did get to see the replay a few times, and there is no way of knowing for sure whether the ball was properly touched down or not. It seems likely, but only the participants themselves can be certain...

[kittenOFchaos]

Stop playing devil's advocate before you get a virtual smack

It was a try to everyone but one Frenchman.

[Caligastia]

I must admit, I thought it was a try.















But I didn't see the ball grounded...

[finbar]

Originally posted by kittenOFchaos
Stop playing devil's advocate before you get a virtual smack

It was a try to everyone but one Frenchman.

Obviously Vichy.

[Havak]

But semantics is one of mine – and the IRBs – well known traits Finbar.

I can also admire a good Aussie name like Polota-Nau.

It's a try unless the evidence the TMO sees is that the player didn't ground the ball!

You are twisting the logic – the TMO in question has admitted he didn’t see anything at all (blind perhaps?). Therefore under the operating criteria a try should have been awarded. Don’t blame me – I just point out the stupidity.

Does Gregan know he is done I wonder?

Havak, who has never shown the slightest shred of bias in any of the dozens of rugby threads in which we've participated, says it was a try. So it was a try.

My impartiality is the rock upon which my character is founded. That and beer anyway.

But Caligastia nailed it – only the participants know for sure – well them and me of course. But if you are asking me to take Nonu’s word over Noons you are asking the impossible – Nonu was clearly not telling the truth (his lips were moving and he wore a black shirt!)

Obviously Vichy.

Reminds me of my tour to the south of France a few years back. We stand in a small village looking at a war memorial and the veteran lock amongst us asks at the top of his voice why there were so many names on it from WWI and so few from WWII (just 3 IIRC - they were more from Indochina on it). The old chaps playing boules behind us dropped them in shock.

It’s still very much a taboo subject over there.

[finbar]

And here too. The fascista -v- partigiano schism remains alive and well.

[Havak]

Now I do find that fascinating. It's not a dynamic I have ever tasted of over there.

Although thinking about it I had noticed from my various visits that Italians do enjoy shouting at other Italians a lot (and if a motor vehicle is involved so much the better).

An on topic snippet - in his second match of his latest injury comeback Wilkinson injured his kidneys (I'm not making that up!) and is out for another four weeks.

The lads body simply isn't up to top class rugby anymore.

Also I'm wondering if the following side is actually up to stopping the ABs? Vermuelen - wasn't he tried and disgarded years ago? Jauzion looks a star if the wind blows the right way though.

Any thoughts LDiCesare?

France: Laharrague; Dominici, Jauzion, Fritz, Rougerie; Traille, Yachvili; Marconnet, Szarzewski, de Villiers, Pelous (capt), Pape, Dusautoir, Bonnaire, Vermeulen.
Replacements: Ibanez, Milloud, Nallet, Martin, Elissalde, Marty, Heymans.

[finbar]

Oh, it's still around, but as an undercurrent. Most of the schisms in this country remain undercurrents. The raised voices, we've realised, rarely mean arguments. That's just their voluble way here. A lot of the fascisti are dead now, but the family name can carry the taint. The fascista -v- communista schism lives on, too. There's a wealthy chap who lives up the street from us. On about our second meeting, he unloaded at great length to us about the ****** communists who live next door to him. We think we'd probably prefer their company.

I read about W'son. Time he gave it away.

Oh, and I fully expected to see LdiC's name at hooker in the rana squad.

[LDiCesare]

Unfortunately I am not selected. Changing jobs made me lose the opportunity to go to the training sessions, which probably explains it all.

Vermeulen was indeed tried and dropped 3 years ago, but he eems to be playing well with Clermont this season. Considering that his team is currently second in the championship, it makes some sense that 2 of them are selected. Although considering the enormous performances of the Stade Francais, ne might think there'd be more than the front row and one winger from this team (well, one replacement flanker too).
The team is interesting, but I think we may be weak in the econd and thir row. Pelous may not last the whole match, and although Papé is good, I think Thion, who is injured, is our best lock. As for the back row, it's a bit special. Players who never played together, and two among three have very little international experience. Time will tell.
Jauzion is indeed a marvelous player. We will see howTraille plays at 10 against McCaw's team and their never being offline. If he play as well as he did against South Africa, we may well win the match?

[finbar]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Still, it reads like the Wallabies played like cr*ap again, too.

[kittenOFchaos]

Scotland - win comfortably against Romania.
Wales - win comfortably against the Pacific Islanders.

England. Oh my...

The positives: Balshaw did great a big step up from last week and a terrific try, Sackey continued to be excellent and scored a terrific try and Ben Cohen and Shooter were very good too.

The negatives: Error prone, a 7-8 selection debacle and a failure by the forwards to win ball and the ball-carriers to present it well. When Tobey flood was on the sidelines getting brought on he looked all of 12 years of age and malnourished at that.

Quite simply England are a team lacking confidence, that aren't picking solid no-nonsense players but aiming for the Moon and missing.

The solution? Decide what we're aiming at and start again. We should probably best just get the most experienced players we have and face-up best we can for the World Cup or go all out with a fresh, young team and try to use this time as development. Either way, this Head Coach is at best unlucky and worst crap and has to go, Corry for the sake of my patience during post-match interviews and that he isn't a leader (too apologetic, looks beaten) should not be captain.

Time for a change.


Good luck Ireland and so far, so good

[Solly]

at England