Rugby - Hands Off Green!

[Havak]

What a remarkable spin to place on figures that actually show the reverse of what the quotes are claiming (i.e. that the vast majority are sexually active). I smell a right wing Christian con job having been perpetrated on the SMH there – it would be nice to see a proper breakdown of the ONS survey.

The UK has the highest incidence of teenage pregnancies in the EU. Not that we should be proud of that necessarily.

Anyway onto more important stuff:

Backs: I Balshaw (Gloucester), O Morgan (Gloucester), J Lewsey (Wasps), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), P Sackey (Wasps), B Cohen (Northampton), M Tait (Newcastle), A Allen (Gloucester), J Noon (Newcastle), T Flood (Newcastle), C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), A Goode (Leicester), P Richards (Gloucester), S Perry (Bristol).
Forwards: A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), P Freshwater (Perpignan), J White (Leicester), S Turner (Sale Sharks), G Chuter (Leicester), L Mears (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), D Grewcock (Bath), T Palmer (Wasps), C Jones (Sale Sharks), P Sanderson (Worcester), L Moody (Leicester), T Rees (Wasps), M Lund (Sale Sharks), M Corry (Leicester), J Forrester (Gloucester).


The good:

The youngsters like Morgan, Allen, Flood, Tait. Shaun Perry the scrum half gets a call, Tom Rees from Wasps (hell of a player). All the Tigers forwards with a special mention to Chuter the hooker.

The absence of Vickery, Dayglo, Thompson and Tindall who are fit but not selected due to form. The absence of Borthwick (out through injury but it will force turnip to avoid a Bath second row combination.


The bad:

Meers (why?), Noon, Cueto, Cohen. Not one in any kind of form.

Plus he will drop the youngsters when he trims to 22 on Monday.


Still on balance it is one of the most forward looking thirty man squads I can remember in a long time. I still can’t see them turning over the ABs but it is a move in the right direction.

I’ve also heard a rumour – not that I believe it for a second – that the ABs might possible pick a New Zealander in the starting XV. Any truth to this scandalous accusation?

(just a joke guys – we all know you always have one or two native kiwis selected as well as the "if he is good enough he is kiwi enough" contingent!)

[finbar]

I see D. Grewcock's name on the list. There's one certain red card.

[Havak]

Probably - because knowing ultra conservative turnip he will play Kay and Grewcock (Jones and Palmer are brave picks and turnip is hardly brave).

We will have to hope Ali Williams gets picked ahead of Robinson for the ABs (the former gets himself sent off whilst the latter uses gamesmanship to get opposition players sent off of course).

Flavell didn't make the AB squad right? That man has red mist on tap.

[finbar]

Leicester fell over the line, Wasps didn't. One result away from a perfect weekend for me.

[Alexander's Horse]

hey fin, hope all is well, got your kitchen done? Pm me

[Havak]

Without the redoubtable talents of Alun Lewis (referee) and with just a little more concentration Tigers would have sprinted over that line.

Stade Francais beat Ospreys (Hensons team - he played fly half), Toulouse looked a totally different side to last week in beating the exiles (Jauzion played at fly half and looked quite good there). Edingburgh beat Leinster (which was a shock), Munster stuffed Bourgoin (no shock there) and best of all Gloucester lost at home to Agen!!

An enjoyable weekend of rugby all round - shame about next weekends line up.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
hey fin, hope all is well, got your kitchen done? Pm me

I left an ICQ message for you last week. Yes, got the kitchen done, half the place is heated with the other half to be done this week. Not that we need it yet. This is one of the balmiest autumns on record. It's still in the 20s most days. This time last year it was freezing cold and wet. And, finally, we have a landline and the internet!

I'll PM you.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Without the redoubtable talents of Alun Lewis (referee) and with just a little more concentration Tigers would have sprinted over that line.

Stade Francais beat Ospreys (Hensons team - he played fly half), Toulouse looked a totally different side to last week in beating the exiles (Jauzion played at fly half and looked quite good there). Edingburgh beat Leinster (which was a shock), Munster stuffed Bourgoin (no shock there) and best of all Gloucester lost at home to Agen!!

An enjoyable weekend of rugby all round - shame about next weekends line up.

What's with Edinburgh? What's a mouldy mob of Scots doing beating Munster and Leinster? Did I also see that Ulster were rolled?

[Havak]

Yes Ulster lost to Llanelli but that isn't a huge surpise - Scarlets have a great record at home.

To be honest Edingburgh beating Munster at Thomond park in the Celtic league was a huge shock - more so than them pipping Leinster at home.

I see Smithy has got the armband for the tour game against Ospreys. Now that is a tricky game for me - can't stand Ospreys or their coach but it is Australia they are playing...no score draw perhaps?

[finbar]

It's not as if I ever hope for a Leicester loss or anything ...

[Havak]

Of course not.

Well it is a typical Robinson selection - some conservative (and frankly poor) selections and one token youngster thrown to the wolves.

Why on earth would you pair an exciting runner like Allen with the stolid Noon?

I give up on the man - I really do.

[finbar]

Look on the bright side - heaps more humiliation = a new coach.

But you still haven't explained how a mob of mouldy old Scots can roll a couple of decent Irish teams.

[Havak]

Mainly because I cannot explain it.

Who knows - perhaps Scotland will be the biggest threat to the ABs next year?

Have you noticed the junior code is embroiled in a Great-Grannygate scandal. Apparently some Aussie decided than a Kiwi ancestor three generations ago is enough to make you a New Zealander. Still that would be good enough for the All Blacks I suspect...

[finbar]

I saw that. The L***** rules covering who can represent whom make the ABs rules on the same thing look, um, whiter than white. There's a long history of L***** players deciding whom they want to represent. Particularly when it comes to what they laughingly call their World Cup. I remember a couple of Australian L***** players representing Lebanon. Because, I suspect, they once walked past a kebab shop.

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Havak
Mainly because I cannot explain it.

Who knows - perhaps Scotland will be the biggest threat to the ABs next year?

Well, the biggest threat from the British Isles anyway ...

Have you noticed the junior code is embroiled in a Great-Grannygate scandal. Apparently some Aussie decided than a Kiwi ancestor three generations ago is enough to make you a New Zealander. Still that would be good enough for the All Blacks I suspect...

It might be at that.
Of course, you least of all don't want to dismiss such things out of hand ...
Afterall, 3 generations worth of leeway would probably give most of NZ the option to represent England.
Just think of it, after all's said and done you might be able to field a real team!


In reality though, although it may seem a little silly being able to represent a county on the basis of one grandparent, there are limits to how stringent they can be in their qualification rights.
If they used residency standards for example, many of the NZers may not be eligible at all as the Australian domestic competition is really their only option.
Or at least this was the case up till a few years ago.