Rugby - Laissez la balle, Bleus!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Joe Kick Ass

C. Cullen had one of the great nicknames. He was known in Kiwi rugby circles as "Bottle". Nothing above the neck.

[Havak]

I gave up on England around the time they lost to Wales in the 2005 Six Nations Caligastia. Getting out of the pool stage will be an achievement for them at this stage of the rebuilding process.

The docked point – when Tigers had 15 squad men missing on international duty in the autumn our third fly half Ian Humphries was out on loan in National One getting game time at Bedford. Burke got injured whilst Goode was on his ill fated England call up and Tigers recalled Ian to play him in a premiership fixture on the international weekend. The paperwork however was not properly completed in time and he was therefore technically still on loan. We then had the bizarre situation of being fined for playing one of our own players.

Tigers should have been a point clear of Glaws at the top of the table. As it stands justice was done by a very handy performance in the play off final.

Even if the first try was the TMO joke of all time

I’ve seen worse – the Bok TMO who gave VD Westhuyzen a try in one of the 2000 tests against England because he reached his hands into a mess of bodies and claimed to have grounded the ball when no camera angle whatsoever showed any such grounding.

Oh and there was that Luger try against the Aussies too.

Murphy clearly dropped the ball – it is fortunate that the decision had no bearing on the result.

Too many of the strengths are ineligible.

It’s not quite as bad as it first appears. The starting wingers are ineligible (but only as they have already been capped by other countries otherwise we could have naturalised both by now).

Six of the starting pack are English. The stand off is English. All the Centres were English. The replacement winger was English. The scrummy would have been English if either Ellis or Bemand were fit. The Youngs (ha ha) lad who came on at scrummy is not only the son of a former Tiger but is also English.

I won’t cite the replacement hooker who is English but is also leaving the club.

In fact five of the seven on the bench were English if only nine of the starting fifteen were.

Guys like Jordan Crane and Tom Croft are waiting in the wings of course.

And Danny Hipkiss is a gift for a strong pack – staying on his feet and presenting a target for them to drive him onwards.

Then again we just signed Mefin Davies for reasons I cannot fathom – a 34 year old hooker so it must be as RWC period cover.

As an interesting observation the BBC match report has the wrong team listed – the starting XV was changed from the early named side they are still listing as having played! Cullen didn’t start – White and Smith did. Ben Youngs was on the bench and Humphries didn’t figure (Vesty was cover). Not hugely important but it does show how sloppy Aunty Beeb is getting sometimes.

If anything can be drawn from the matches in terms of the All Blacks, Eddie Jones' 2003 World Cup strategy against them still holds true.

Pressuring them with a rush defence and not giving them time on the ball wasn’t it?

I caught some of the sharks game in the first half but it was a fairly tedious period where they just exchanged penalties. An All Bok final then?

And it is worth mentioning that Ospreys clinched the Celtic league despite Blues heroics on Friday.

Now it seems Mr McCaw is starting to have disciplinary problems – Could you Kiwi lads put in a word for him to move to Tigers – we will sort him out (Backy can teach him how to get away with it more).

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
It’s not quite as bad as it first appears. The starting wingers are ineligible (but only as they have already been capped by other countries otherwise we could have naturalised both by now).

If D. Carter had been born an Englishman he'd be playing for England. If wishes were currency, we'd all be billionaires.

I know T. Croft wasn't there, I just wish that such an outstanding club team had more to offer English rugby when it needs something.

Pressuring them with a rush defence and not giving them time on the ball wasn’t it?

Highly disciplined, very aggressive defence. By the end, the Bulls turned the Crusaders backline into a disorganised rabble running in circles. Despite the tryless scoreline, the Bulls-Crusaders match was the better game. The Bulls' pressure was scary.

I don't know whether the Bok S14 superiority can transfer to the national team. It will depend on selections, and they're always dodgy in South Africa. But, at least, the potential is there. The Bulls and Sharks have both managed to pull together massive strength, good skills, and potent backlines.

Now it seems Mr McCaw is starting to have disciplinary problems – Could you Kiwi lads put in a word for him to move to Tigers – we will sort him out (Backy can teach him how to get away with it more).

I think someone has issued a directive to target him. That's twice in a few weeks he's been pinged.

[Joe Kick Ass]

Jiffy on Friday: "Leicester haven't got the best team".

[Havak]

Jiffy?

I'm not sure I get the point Finbar - along with Wasps few teams provide more personnel to England. I'm not sure we can be criticised too heavily because we aren't providing enough in some positions (fly half and wingers the most noteable?).

But looking at your comment more holistically you have a good point - the successful English clubs sides are cosmopolitan so whilst they are formidable that is not tranlating directly to England.

But then Wasps won three titles in a row fielding fifteen to seventeen Englishmen in their average match day 22 and that didn't help England either.

I still think the volume of rugby - Saturday was Tigers 38th game of the season - is causing England more problems.

[Joe Kick Ass]

Originally posted by Havak
Jiffy?

Jiffy Davies, sorry.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Joe Kick Ass
Jiffy on Friday: "Leicester haven't got the best team".

So who has? Leaving aside the obvious fact that Jiffy is a dolt.

But looking at your comment more holistically you have a good point - the successful English clubs sides are cosmopolitan so whilst they are formidable that is not tranlating directly to England.

It goes back to the old chestnut about club -v- country. Clubs' priorities are to satisfy sponsors, members, et al. Add 38 games a season, meaningless cup competitions, and so on.

Still, look on the bright side. England hangs onto their players, the All Blacks can't. Now L. McAlister looks to be heading off to France for a staggering amount of money. That's their two best #12s gone.

[Havak]

Ah, that is Jiffy is it.

Well he commentated on the other code on Saturday so I'm inclined to ignore his gaff here as he has suffered enough for one week.

It's a problem for the kiwis all right Finbar. And it's money again. S14 remuneration cannot compete with the deals English and French clubs can offer - particularly the latter who are not fettered with a hard salary cap at all. They will have to look to their youth system to churn out replacements?

England hold onto their players - for where else would they want to play? S14 is closed to them and in any case the salaries are not attractive. Some few venture to Wales on occassion, and fewer still to France. Irish provinces want Irish and SANZAR only now it seems - so England it is for most English players. Lucky us.

[finbar]

S. Larkham off to Edinburgh. Nice town. Nice, quiet life.

Ironically, given what was being discussed above, one of the Sydney Morning Herald's rugby writers says that Leicester's great form augers well for England's World Cup chances. He's a dill.

[Caligastia]

So for the first time we will have a saffie S14/12 winner. Coincidentally, it is a RWC year.

[Havak]

Edinburgh? You jest surely? Has no one told him that come February his fingers will be dropping off. It gets rather chilly up there – I got so cold at Murrayfield once I had to have a whole series of stiff malts after leaving the ground.

And whilst we are talking Dills:

"In terms of all the nations over in Europe, I think Scottish rugby probably has the most potential to grow."

Shame on you Larkers – have you never heard of Italy? Italian clubs have far more potential to grow IMO.

one of the Sydney Morning Herald's rugby writers says that Leicester's great form augers well for England's World Cup chances

Quite.

Had he written England will field a powerful pack with a core of Tigers players that would have been much safer (as it does not comment on chances). Ashton isn’t ready to call up the Cranes and the Crofts this time around so the Tigers who go will be the lads from the six nations and the less successful autumn series. Minus Ellis of course – but possibly plus Hipkiss.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
Edinburgh? You jest surely? Has no one told him that come February his fingers will be dropping off.

You've never lived in Canberra in the depths of winter like he has. Makes Edinburgh feel like the tropics.

It gets rather chilly up there – I got so cold at Murrayfield once I had to have a whole series of stiff malts after leaving the ground.

A good reason to go to Murrayfield in winter.

And whilst we are talking Dills:

"In terms of all the nations over in Europe, I think Scottish rugby probably has the most potential to grow."

Shame on you Larkers – have you never heard of Italy? Italian clubs have far more potential to grow IMO.

I think he was saying, politely, that Scottish rugby, currently, is complete and utter cr*p. Which isn't far wrong.

He's a v. intelligent guy. He undoubtedly could have earned more elsewhere. He's made a lifestyle decision.

Had he written England will field a powerful pack with a core of Tigers players that would have been much safer (as it does not comment on chances). Ashton isn’t ready to call up the Cranes and the Crofts this time around so the Tigers who go will be the lads from the six nations and the less successful autumn series. Minus Ellis of course – but possibly plus Hipkiss.

That's the truth and the reality. The writer in question doesn't follow NH rugby much more than superficially. It's actually difficult to get a real handle on NH rugby from that far away. Coverage is minimal. Moving here has given me much greater access.

[Joe Kick Ass]

Originally posted by Havak
Ah, that is Jiffy is it.

Well he commentated on the other code on Saturday so I'm inclined to ignore his gaff here as he has suffered enough for one week.

wtf were you watching that stuff for??

I actually caught a couple of minutes of it while flicking through, and tried my best to make something of it, but I genuinely can't understand how anybody enjoys that rubbish...

[Havak]

Watching it? Hardly. I just caught the man saying "thats what makes this game so great" when I had the misfortune to walk into a room where the inferior code was on tv. And that disqualifies any opinion he ever offers about Union.

Finbar why has Paul signed to be Gloucesters third string hooker? Azam and Titterall are likely between them to make his first team chances minimal.

The discerning rugger fan in the UK can see as much SH rugby as he chooses to via Sky though printed analysis is far rarer. But you know my views on Aussie fandom anyway - they want what they are served by their TV i.e. the blinkered "Aussies are best" presentation.

[finbar]

I have absolutely no idea why J. Paul has gone to Gloucester. Maybe one of the other two is looking elsewhere. He has missed the cut for the Tests against Wales and Fiji. He might miss the World Cup altogether.

The discerning rugby fan in Australia - there are many, not all are blinkered - doesn't even get the 6 Nations. He - or she - gets an occasional replay of an English club game about a fortnight after the event on Sky. Here, I had the 6 Nations on Italian free-to-air, and Sky serves up at least one English club game a weekend, sometimes two. Of course, for my sins, I also get unlimited Italian club rugby.