Rugby World Cup: And the Winner is...

[kittenOFchaos]

The idea of Argentina joining the 6 Nations was a non-starter as that tournament already takes a considerable amount of time in an already busy fixture list.

The Tri-Nations can more easily accept another nation and Argentina are up to the task.

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
I don't really understand what the IRB has to do with the Tri Nations, but there's probably something.

Nuh. The IRB has no control over SANZAR - who run the Tri-Nations and S14 - and no control over the 6 Nations for that matter. As I suggested once before, whether the Argies join the Tri-Nations will ultimately be up to Murdoch's Sky Corp, because SANZAR are beholden to them for funding. The expansion from S12 to S14 only went ahead after much financial bickering between SANZAR and Sky.

[Havak]

He was answering my question – so blame me for the Politics. Finbar is quite right – rugby is the glue that binds us but I like to stray wherever my thoughts take me at times.

Thanks for the info Finbar. UKIP are essentially old guard Tories with the added (and arguably only) policy of leaving the EU. They were making good progress until Robert Kilroy-Silk started an internal power struggle that nearly tore them apart. The EU is fertile ground for politicians at the moment

Mind you whilst the UK electorate is becoming more susceptible to anti-immigration messages from our political parties we aren’t quite as ruthless as your adoptive country Finbar. The forced repatriation of Romanians from Italy even made the news here, particularly the paramilitary squads that have been sweeping the banks of the Tiber to clear the shanty towns. The problem with what Italy is doing is that both they are Romania are in the EU – Italy should actually be supporting homeless Romanians rather than deporting them.

Oh and before I do move onto rugby I can recommend Civ 4 – I found it much more enjoyable than Civ 3 as it brought the fun back into the game. It still didn’t hook me the way Civ 2 did but I do still fire it up for the occasional game.

*darn it – I hadn’t noticed that LDiCesare had already put it more eloquently than I can*

If he can manage it, so can you.

In my era, and with my level of ability, drinking on the spot was all that was expected of a front row.

The Barbarians game was great fun, although in fairness it wasn’t a full strength Bok side and it was a very strong baa-baas line up (except for the skipper – who has probably now lost his club spot for several weeks btw).

A shame that Quins couldn’t score in a brothel and thus allowed Ospreys to sneak into the semi finals of the Anglo-Welsh. My own side – I’ll not name them after the barracking – have drawn Wasps in the semis just like last year.

And just how desperate is Henson to make himself look like the young Ray Gravell? Sadly looking like the man doesn’t put him in anywhere near the same league as a player.

Now the Sale game was interesting. Conditions were quite appalling in the first half (I couldn’t keep my pint dry). I’d like to talk about Mr McAllister. The boy certainly has talent – but he is very Jekyl and Hyde with it. He tried to chip over Andy Goode in our 22, Goode caught it and popped the ball to Varndell who ran the length of the pitch to score. The kiwi lad then scored Sale’s consolation try, but subsequently he threw a wild pass inside his own 22 that a certain Tom Croft read, intercepted and ran in. Somehow I feel that Sale’s coach (PSA) will want the boy to score more tries for them than the opposition n’est pas?

Our new coach seems to have decided that the time is right for Croft and Crane incidentally – both have featured in all the 22s that he has selected since arriving.

[finbar]

You need to be aware of the distinction between Romanian and Rom. Both are from Romania, but the latter are, for want of a better term, gypsies. The Rom carry Romanian passports. It's the Rom who are under the hammer rather than Romanians. They arrive in Italy, as they're entitled to, and they set up shanty towns here and there. That, along with unemployment and a tendency to crime, is the problem.

The latest crackdown is the result of a particularly nasty rape and murder of an Italian woman near Rome. It's certainly a knee-jerk reaction, and Prodi's law is, to all intents and purposes, against EU law. An EU citizen can be deported to his/her home country but only under very specific circumstances. A rape and murder, as heinous as the crime is, doesn't fit those circumstances. We're all waiting to see what Brussels has to say on the matter of Prodi's new law.

On the whole, though, the Italians have a very benevolent attitude to regugees - boat people, whatever you want to call them. They are well looked after. In fact, under the Italian constitution, every child - even of "illegal immigrants" - is entitled and encouraged to go to school and enjoy health care under the national system.

What you describe of L. McAlister is exactly what I saw so often in S14. Very talented, but a loose cannon, with often suspect judgement. I would go as far as to say that he's not exactly a team player. His first priority, too often, seems to be his own contribution. I still maintain that they'd have had much more chance of beating France with A. Mauger in his place.

Just to conclude the Liberal Party thing - in Australia, Liberal translates as Conservative. The Australian version of your old Liberal Party - now Lib Dem - would have been a party called the Democrats. Until they imploded. There's now no version of your Lib Dems.

Oh, and good on M. Regan for playing on the weekend. A. Sheridan was denied by his club, who promptly rested him from the relevant club fixture.

[finbar]

Phew. They'll be trialling some but not all of the Stellenbosch laws in S14 this coming season.

In:

1) Backlines must be five metres back from the scrum

2) Lineouts - quick throw-in can now go backward toward own goal line

3) For all offences other than offside and foul play, sanction is a free kick rather than a penalty.

Out:

Being allowed to pull down a maul, hands allowed in the ruck, unlimited lineout numbers, etc.

Could have been much much worse.

[Havak]

It could have been far worse – they sound liveable with?

You need to be aware of the distinction between Romanian and Rom

Romantically referred to as ‘Roma’ here I am aware of this gypsie demographic. Some towns in the home counties have had a massive influx of very young ‘Roma’ – Slough for example now has several hundred ‘Roma’ children (young teenagers - very few adults travelled over with them) and it is causing social problems.

On the whole, though, the Italians have a very benevolent attitude to regugees

A credit to them. But what exactly are regugees? I flag it simple because you make so few typos.

An honourary mention for the UK as well – we are currently housing, educating and giving health care to the next generation of Polish (all of them it would seem).

A. Sheridan was denied by his club, who promptly rested him from the relevant club fixture.

I’m no fan of Regan – but I’m no fan of clubs not releasing players to the baa-baas either. Particularly when they then rest them. It displays the worst side of the English rugby ‘business’

I had heard that Mr Mauger has now arrived at the club – a shame that it wasn’t in time to face McAllister to give us that direct contrast.

Back to back fixtures coming up against Toulouse now – if Mauger has arrived I suspect he must figure in these. Such a shame Tamerlin bailed on the thread (to go permanently tomming?) – he could have given the inside track on the French aristocrats. No disrespect to LdiC who views on Toulouse are most welcome too.

[finbar]

Mmmmm. A tyop.

Must have been my excitement at my new favourite team's continued success. And looking forward to thumping TTWSRN in the semi-final.

I always feared that Tamerlin wandered into one of the Airbus construction hangers, finished up sealed inside some fuselage and now spends his days jetting the world. But then I'm a romantic.

[Havak]

Could never happen - would have required French workers to have actually finished a job.

Actually your new team tend to lose to us in semi-finals, pool games and league fixtures. They only beat us in the finals. The swines!

[Havak]

Syd Millar is apparently very worried about the All Blacks. Sadly he knows he is powerless to do anything about his concerns of players moving to Europe.

The problem you see is that European Clubs are simply too financially viable? So the European club game is too successful?

[Joe Kick Ass]

European = English & French, of course.

[Joe Kick Ass]

Okay, so I just saw this quote...

"You have the example of the English soccer team. It's a huge problem and we've got to be very careful."

The guy is honestly just a complete f*cking moron.

[Havak]

By directly comparing Rugby to Football what could have been a valid point lost it's credibility (and as you say made him look rather stupid).

The money in rugby isn't, and never will be, quite so ridiculous. And I do not believe the percentage of foreign players in the top flight is anything like footballs (nearly) 70%.

He glosses over that some of these players heading north are going into the Celtic sides which with the best will in the world are not as affluent as some of the French and English clubs (though I fully accept that for the latter many are affluent only because of their understanding owners).

I'm sure money is driving some of these moves, but lets not forget the likes of Hayman are signing deals that will earn them in a year what John Terry pockets in a fortnight. It's hardly winning the lottery.

[finbar]

Bottom line remains the same: more foreign players, fewer England-eligible players coming through. Or Wales- or Scotland-eligible for that matter. His base argument is sound, his detail isn't.

[kittenOFchaos]

Henry reappointed as coach of New Zealand. A good decision, he'll be an even better coach having seen his team choke and will hopefully have a plan to respond to it.

Good luck anyone winning against them for the foreseeable future!

[finbar]

Yes, a very good thing. In fact, almost a sign of some maturity from the Kiwi powers-that-be. For once, they haven't overreacted and thrown out the proverbial bambino with the acqua di bagno. No one else was going to coach the ABs any better than Henry had and he shouldn't have had to carry the can for his senior players' onfield lack of simple common sense in the QF. The World Cup obsession has given way to common sense.

What this probably means, of course, is that R. Deans will head to the Wallabies. The selection process for the Wallaby coaching spot has been stalled after the interview process ostensibly because of J. O'Neill's hospitalisation for minor surgery. Hogwash. The ARU wanted to delay their decision till after the ABs' coaching role was decided, thus determining R. Deans' availability. Apparently the financial package available for Deans is massive, two or three times what those interviewed would have received in the job.

If the ARU doesn't secure Deans, they're going to be bitterly bitterly disappointed. And whomever does finish up with the job is certainly going to feel second best.