Rugby - Hands Off Green!

[Havak]

But in Union residency doesn't over write your place of birth - it simply adds a new option if you have not yet been capped by any side.

i.e a 21 year old kiwi who has lived in Wales three years (poor devil) but not been capped by anyone can play for NZ or Wales at that point.

Or is League different on that score?

Afterall, 3 generations worth of leeway would probably give most of NZ the option to represent England.

I’d have thought one generation would do it for you colonial types. You are all the Queens subjects (whether you like it or not).

I’ve stated before that I think the mother country has a far greater call on Fiji than NZ does for example. Make the world England I say.

Just think of it, after all's said and done you might be able to field a real team!

I dream of the day believe me. What we get right now is a patchwork of good players and silly Turnip choices.

But I won’t bore you with it here. Oh okay I will then.

Our hopes rest on the same key players for all teams – 2, 9, 10 and 15. Our hooker is in superb form and should do well. The scrummy they have chosen (Bristol’s Perry) is in storming form this season so high hopes there. Hodgson plays at Ten (so it depends what head he has on Sunday – his own or the chicken one) and it’s Balshaw at 15 after Lewsey got injured (and I can only say “Eek” to that choice).

We have some players in excellent form – Chuter, Kay, White, Perry, Moody, Cozza and Allen. And some very familiar mistakes (playing Moody and Sanderson the wrong way around, Chris Jones covering 4-8 from the bench, JAMIE NOON full stop, and a winger in Cohen that is in no kind of form at all.)

I fear the worst – but I hope against hope that the ABs mess up of course.

Because, I suspect, they once walked past a kebab shop.

Wasn’t it more than a couple? And wasn’t it just because they had heard kebab shops existed.

[Havak]

So Ravagon did Oliver fancy a rest? By blowing his mouth off he almost forced Graham Henry to 'rest' him on Sunday.

He does have a point about some of the fans who go to twickers (though you might remind him the vast majority do not get corporate freebies there!!!) but he went a bit far when he extended his rant to the entire English fan base.

I think what he fails to realise is that the ABs suffer exactly the same problem - a significant minority of the Kiwi fan base here suffers exactly the same arrogance he accuses English fans of.

Cast not the first stone and all that...

Most of the fans there on Sunday will be disappointed if we lose - they may even lash out verbally at perceived (or even real) injustice until they reconcile the loss in their minds. What I'm not clear about here is how that makes us any different to any other fans?

[finbar]

You eat pork pies and drink cat p*ss.

EDIT. Just found this:

England coach Andy Robinson has insisted the reigning world champions will not make the same mistake as many other sides and be beaten before they start against New Zealand at Twickenham on Sunday.

You mean he won't be selecting the team?

[Caligastia]

The mediazone.com rugby channel won't be showing the England/NZ game, but Setanta Sport now has a broadband service that will allow me to watch it for 10 bucks.

[finbar]

They should be paying you ten bucks to watch a dismal England performance.

[ravagon]

Errmm. Well I probably won't be the first to claim that Ollie isn't usually picked for his intelligence, thankfully.
Unfortunately it's a bit of a human tendency to judge others by the lowest common denominator.
Now in doing so he's probably embarrassed the AB's in the same way that he accuses the English fans of doing the same to the English team.

It sounds as though much of it stemmed from English newspapers the last time he played there though. They do have a bit of a reputation for extremism that'd make Atilla the Hun flinch but that works both ways. When they lay into the Team for it's poor performances they're just as scathing.
NZ papers just don't tend towards the same extremes.

[Reading through the whole thing I'm not entirely sure I like him lumping NZ fans in with their Australian counterparts either. ]

[Havak]

You eat pork pies and drink cat p*ss.

Point of order your honour, I do NOT drink Lager!

You mean he won't be selecting the team?

If only this were the case!

The ABs have picked an under strength side knowing full well they should still win. It’s a terrible state for English rugby to be in.

but Setanta Sport now has a broadband service that will allow me to watch it for 10 bucks.

It is live on BBC here – won’t BBC America air it? Can you get that?

They should be paying you ten bucks to watch a dismal England performance.

Paying ME to watch it surely? It hurts me more than it hurts any of you.

Mind you I have never suffered the pain of seeing my national side lose to Ospreys (and an Ospreys side missing 13 first teamers too).

NZ papers just don't tend towards the same extremes.

Our papers are truly in a (low) league of their own Ravagon. I’d agree with him all the way if he stuck to lambasting them. Should England manage a showing where they lose narrowly on Sunday the papers will call for wholesale hangings (wheras I would settle for just hanging the coach!)

I think the mistake he made was to project their opinions, and those of the corporate prawn minority inside the ground, onto the wider fan base. He’d get a better idea of fans by visiting club grounds – and he is welcome to do so (but then he might well sign for Saracens for his ‘retirement’?)

One of my friends (a Saints fan but all right despite that) did point out that Anton trying to lump NZ and Aussie fans together did smack of desperation for an attempted WUMing. My recollection of 2001 is that the Kiwis I encountered were all supporting the Lions.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak

Mind you I have never suffered the pain of seeing my national side lose to Ospreys (and an Ospreys side missing 13 first teamers too).

The midweek team, anyway. Reads like poor discipline cost them as much as anything. But the real worry out of the match is the neck injury to H. McMenamin. He's needed for the Test team.

[Havak]

I suspect you don't appreciate that by losing to a Welsh region (mid week side though it was) you have just condemned the rest of the UK to months of Welsh triumphalism.

It doesn't matter now if the Wallabies thump Wales at the weekend - because Ospreys beat Australia boyo and that is clear and obvious proof that the Welsh are better than the English you see...

You have to get into the Welsh mind set.

I am hoping the Wallabies can do me a favour on Saturday - that being showing Henson up for the over rated prima donna that I believe him to be.

*edit* Sounds like the injury wasn't too serious - though I think he got scanned as a precaution.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
I suspect you don't appreciate that by losing to a Welsh region (mid week side though it was) you have just condemned the rest of the UK to months of Welsh triumphalism.

Well, it's about time you - personally - paid a price for being an EU citizen, hence able to live in Italy without the need for ridiculous visas!

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Havak
It is live on BBC here – won’t BBC America air it? Can you get that?

I don't think I have BBC America any more, but they never showed live rugby matches anyway. For some strange reason it costs extra to see any game being played in Europe. The mediazone site plays just about everything else.

[Caligastia]

Actually, mediazone are showing everything except any games with France or England.

[MOBIUS]

Definitely hoping to see the Wales team continue where the Ospreys left off, here in Cardiff on Saturday...

Been seeing some great games lately - Wasps, Leicester etc.

[Caligastia]

I doubt they'll beat Australia, but GO WALES!

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Havak

It doesn't matter now if the Wallabies thump Wales at the weekend - because Ospreys beat Australia boyo and that is clear and obvious proof that the Welsh are better than the English you see...

You have to get into the Welsh mind set.

Mmmm? How's this for an attempt to get into theEnglish mindset ...

It doesn't matter if the Wallabies beat England at any point in the future because Australia lost to a Welsh club side and this is clear and obvious proof that England are better than Australia you see ...