Rugby - New Year, New Coaches, New Laws

[Havak]

Definitely not an Italian thing.

And an uncapped player from Bristol is called up ffs.

Ashton is beyond being clueless now.

What is the selection policy - find the lowest placed side in the league table and call a player up from it? Suprised Pat Sanderson did not get a recall (but of course Lipman is from Brians old club).

Lipman was born an Australian btw - many thanks for shipping him over here but keeping (the far superior) Smith and Waugh Finbar. But then I forget you are an Italian these days.

[finbar]

You're welcome to any or all of the fourth-rate Kiwis and North Aucklanders littering Italian club rugby.

[Andydog]

Why are North Aucklanders not Kiwis?

[Havak]

Because they are like Rupert Moon, Chris Horsman and Brett Cockbain - who are not really Welsh but donned the kethcup jersey anyway.

Or did you think he really meant players who had lived in North Auckland?

[finbar]

North Auckland is our collective euphemism for the Pacific island nations that have, from time to time, on the odd occasion, provided some relatively talented All Blacks.

[LDiCesare]

Nick Mallett said the following, talking about Masi:

"I don't intend to give him too much responsibility immediately, but I know that he can kick very well.

"When the team have developed more certainty, he will also be able to play with his feet when the moment calls for it.

"Travagli played in a simple way, he did good things but he also made a few wrong decisions especially when kicking."

So it's a deliberate choice to have a 10 who doesn't kick.
Mind you, I think many stand offs kick too often, but this one is getting really far.
There will be an opposition of styles when he faces Wilko...
A 9 who kicks badly, a 10 who doesn't kick at all, according to the coach. I wonder whether the opponents might see a little weakness there.

[finbar]

Yet Masi kicked last week. Just not very well. I think Mallett is making excuses.

Given that Wilko is currently kicking like a donkey, it should make for a fascinating, if inept, kicking contest on Sunday.

[Andydog]

How on earth can Rupert Moon not be Welsh? He grew up in Wales, learnt to play rugby in Wales, earned 20 odd caps for Wales, is now a Welsh TV presenter, and works for the WRU. I suppose it was because he was born in Birmingham? Lame.

Not sure if this North Auckland euphemism is meant to be bait or not. In any case, I suspect it will be difficult to have a meaningful discussion here on what constitutes one's nationality, so I don’t think I’ll bother.

[Havak]

Trust me, I don't have the energy either.

Did you Google that on Moon btw? You are ever so slightly wrong despite your confident pronouncement of "lame".

Moon is English and I believe he qualified for Wales through residency after joining Welsh clubs. He chose to do so as far as I am aware after not breaking through to full England honours (he spent his youth in England sides). He is of course well known for having fallen in love with the place hence his WRFU job and translation gig on Welsh TV I would assume.

Lets have a quick look....ah yes:

Rupert Henry St. John Barker Moon.

Born in Birmingham. Educated at Grammar school in Birmingham.

Honours: England Students / England U19 / England U21 / England B / Wales B / Wales.

This 'dyed in the wool Welshman' even had to learn Welsh for his 2003 wedding to a Welsh girl.

It's fine that you hold different views on selection criteria to me but lets face it you were wrong on the facts here (where did you say he went to school again?)

I bet you think Colin Charvis is Welsh too? Let me save you time - his background is Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham and Walsall.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Andydog
Not sure if this North Auckland euphemism is meant to be bait or not. In any case, I suspect it will be difficult to have a meaningful discussion here on what constitutes one's nationality, so I don’t think I’ll bother.

We've used it for so long that it has transcended bait. I suppose, in truth, it's now taken on mystical status, the stuff of legends passed from grandfather to grandson (or, indeed, from grandmother to granddaughter) in keeping with such things as Taffys somehow once winning the 6 Nations.

[Havak]

It's not bait on my part - he holds different views on selection to me and thats fine.

But I loved this:

He grew up in Wales, learnt to play rugby in Wales

Hell of a way to start a sentence meant to prove your point - with two incorrect facts. Unless Birmingham slipped over the border in the seventies without telling us?

[Joe Kick Ass]

I think people need to review that Flood/Henson play.

Notably, who put in the sh*t up and under that gave Wales possession, who made the break of the English line and put in the kick that brought play into the English 22, who was first to recover defensive position, and who was covering the 10 channel when Flood made the break.

I'd be pissed too if I were left to try and implement an aggressive defence like that with only a 20st prop as the inside support; dog-leg pretty inevitable to be fair.

Henson was the first back to re-organise the line once England regained possession, much as he was the only decent chaser on Hook's awful kick that led to the Strettle break. Are we really blaming him for those instances, 'cos he didn't enforce some impregnable one man defence? Either way, it hardly seems lazy to be the first man up.

I suppose we should also ignore his regaining of possession following the Haskell turnover on Shane; and his tackle on Vickery that led England into the backward play that gave us our fourth kicked penalty?

Do we also ignore the fact that only one English player (Sheridan) had more carries than Henson? That not once was he hit backward or turned over?

Best was his break (in phase play no less) in the second half though. Notice how unlike Flood he actually managed to hand off the tackler and still offload to his (only) support...

(In case you couldn't be arsed to watch again, it was Flood who gave away the possession that actually put him in pressure in his 22 in the first place.)

but yeah, Henson's a witch. Burn him.

[Havak]

And they say I have rose tinted glasses.

[LDiCesare]

but yeah, Henson's a witch. Burn him.

I say let's put him on scales and see whether he's heavier than a duck!

As for Wilko kicking badly, I thought I saw him kick a ball caught by his winger and leading to Flood's try? He passed like, well, a prop?, in the second half, though.

[Joe Kick Ass]

7 carries/2 linebreaks.

I'm a heretic.