Rugby World Cup: And the Winner is...

[Havak]

It's an interesting point though - some French clubs are already massive commercial enterprises and a few of the English clubs are not far behind.

I'm not sure Central Contracts are the answer in England - but a better balance than the Long Form agreement is certainly needed.

It's virtually impossible for it to happen in Australia and NZ. The structures are in place.

Did he perhaps mean that the Aus and NZ sides would lose their players north to these super clubs?

[finbar]

On a third reading, perhaps that's what he meant. It's been a couple of good days for misinterpretation.

Have you taken to sleeping at your desk?

[Andydog]

Yes, that's what he meant. NZ, Aus & SA will loose their players to the super clubs. He'd explain that if you asked him.

Originally posted by Finbar
Have you taken to sleeping at your desk?

Who is he talking to?

[ravagon]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7045336.stm

Thanks Bernie.
If you've ever said anything bad about us you're forgiven.

OTOH of course he might be eyeing Graham's job ...


I have much upon which to catch ...

[Havak]

Could be talking to either of us. I've been dabbling with the thread from my 'home office' recently.

I didn't need to ask you m'lud - I understood for once. Was just highlighting that interpretation for Finbar.

You are safe Ravagon - Bernie is moving into politics. And given he is nutty as a fruitcake that is the best place for him.

[LDiCesare]

Yes, Bernie going out may not be a bad thing.

Who has played any rugby? The only ones are the All Blacks

So why didn't he have his team play rugby? And didn't he watch South Africa or the Fiji to speak only about quarter finalists?
Several players (Michalak and Jauzion for sure) are unhappy with the way they played the semi, as they were asked to play that way. I think Michalak should have taken responsibility on the field and played there rather than followed instructions he believed to be silly, but he says "when a player's told to kick the ball, he kicks the ball".
Anyway, Michalak will be leaving one of the richest French clubs to play in South Africa after the world cup, so it's still possible to have players move this way, but there are indeed many southerners going north.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Andydog
Yes, that's what he meant. NZ, Aus & SA will loose their players to the super clubs. He'd explain that if you asked him.

I was giving Havak a chance to correct a misinterpretation after I had to correct his the other day. Fair's fair.

Just a pity no one has corrected R. Andrew's misinterpretation of England's arrival in the final. I suppose an horrendous next Six Nations will probably do the job.

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7045336.stm

Thanks Bernie.
If you've ever said anything bad about us you're forgiven.

OTOH of course he might be eyeing Graham's job ...


I have much upon which to catch ...

Cripes, where have you been? Thought you must have seceded. Or been spending too many hours with Ben Cousins.

[Andydog]

I was wondering, who out of the boers and the poms do you all want to win? The bitter drinker's choice is obvious but how about the rest of you?

I must confess, part of me wants England to take it. I admire what England has done, to come back from 4 years of dross to be in the final again, and sure, they might have got a little lucky in that the Wobblies were woeful and the French proved yet again that they can't front up two weeks in a row, but you can only play what's in front of you.

But the thing is.. an English win would be a perfect demonstration of the silly aspects of a World Cup tournament. It would demonstrate that the better team on the day is not always the better team, and sometimes all you need to win a World Cup is to be the better team during the knock-out stages. It would be bloody hard to argue that England are the best team in the world - if they were to play Aussie 10 times with the current squads for example, you'd back the Aussies to win at least 7 of them. So it does make a bit of a mockery of 'best in the world', which is what you think of when it comes to a World Cup.

So I have to go for the saffas. Hopefully it will have a similar positive effect on the political climate in South Africa as the 95 cup did. It brought the country together during a very tense time. Also, Jake White has had to put up with a great deal of ****e and had to endure many kickings being coach of South Africa. How he and his team have arrived at this point is a minor miracle of its own. They've been the best team of the tournament and deserve the cup imho.

[Dauphin]

I win $100 if SA win. So I want SA to win.

It would be bloody hard to argue that England are the best team in the world - if they were to play Aussie 10 times with the current squads for example, you'd back the Aussies to win at least 7 of them.

Some teams play the biggest games better than others because they are not pressured or have a different mentality. You could have two teams play a best of ten and have one side win 7-8 because they are the better team. If you had the same teams playing ten world cup finals or semi-finals I think the distribution could well start to skew away from the better team.

Look at NZ. They win loads of games and then choke at the big one with surprising regularity.

[Andydog]

NZ does not 'choke'. I get sick of people using this bull**** term to describe our world cup performances.

In 99 it came down to a lucky bounce of the ball. In 03 it was an Aussie game plan that outsmarted our own. This time it was some wrong selections and some bad luck with the ref. Did we go ever go out onto the paddock shivering in our boots? No.

[finbar]

Choke is such an emotive word. I'd suggest that they haven't handled pressure situations as well as they should have. Partly because the ABs get next to no practice in those situations. You can't coach for pressure situations. You can't train for them. You need experience. The reality against France was that, despite the forward pass, despite their crap tactics in the first half, they had every opportunity to win the match. Engineering a drop goal didn't seem to occur to anyone. Of course it didn't help that D. Carter was missing, but R. McCaw - or someone - should have ordered the option. Poor selection didn't help the cause either.

I also happen to agree with Pazzo Laporte. They remain the best team in the world. Losing one match doesn't impact on that.

Which brings me to the whole World Cup myth. I said it about four years ago and I'll say it again. It's a meaningless title, a marketing - moneymaking - exercise. It's a glorified - in its latter stage - knockout competition which has no relationship to best - or otherwise - in the world. The real tragedy, to me, is that the World Cup has taken on such mythical proportions to the utter detriment of Test rugby. These days, particularly closer to the tournament, Tests have become secondary, trial and error events. I wish the World Cup had never been conceived.

I favour the Boks on the weekend. I think I explained my rationale the other day.

[Havak]

All very rational reasons to go against England. May I express my hope that you are all backing the wrong horse.

However I offer further proof that Ashton has been a very lucky gambler as opposed to a man with a plan as he has picked Cueto to replace the injured Lewsey.

Yes that Cueto. The one that looked ******* clueless against USA and South Africa. When every rugby fan in the country is screaming to pick Hipkiss and move Tait to the wing Mr Ashton throws us another curve ball and picks the out of form (and much slower) man as a direct wing replacement.

Fortune favours the brave - and fate condemns fools?

By the way I find it best to ignore it when people use words about your team that you don't like or feel are inaccurate...

What a ****house English rugby team.

*edit* I didn't like it, which is not to say that I felt it was inaccurate.

[finbar]

All very rational reasons to go against England.

Except rational thought hasn't got anyone very far picking winners in this overblown event.

What a truly truly bizarre decision is Cueto. Havak, just think yourself lucky that A. Farrell is crocked.

I didn't like it, which is not to say that I felt it was inaccurate.

Top line. I might have to borrow it one day. With attribution, of course.

[Krill]

What are teh odds on England winning the Final again?