Rugby - New Year, New Coaches, New Laws

[finbar]

I think you're right about the siege mentality. It's the World Cup redux. Which is so sad. Nothing has been learned.

The positive out of the match is that Nick Mallett is teaching his team organisation and structure. As he commented after the match, Italian teams of old would have folded after the start they made. The frustration is the sheer lack of penetration in attack. The refugee Kiwi on the wing is only of any use if he's handed the ball on a platter in a ton of space, and I actually have no idea who the other winger is.

Also nice to see that the Bok has embraced Italian culture. He kissed a lot of his players after the match. Must have been the time he spent in that other cultured country, France.

My moment of the match: the Italian skipper utterly bluffing Paul Sackey on the side line.

[Havak]

Sackey being another player whose presence in the side I find hard to understand anyway.

Paris will be interesting if the coach really believes this 22 should be given another go.

*Ironically the Saxons, even weakened as they were by club recalls, beat Italy A at a canter.

[LDiCesare]

My moment of the match: the Italian skipper utterly bluffing Paul Sackey on the side line.

Yes, that was a nice move. Parisse is a great player.

France may very well lose to England considering the hard time we have in the tight five. If England doesn't kick the ball away but sticks to rucks and pick and go's, it will be hard for France. Now, it's not clear who Lièvremont will pick, Brugnault is likely to go and maybe Marconnet to come back in the team. He probably can't play a whole match yet, however.

[finbar]

Bear in mind that the English forwards fall in a heap in the second half.

Mmmm.

So do the French forwards.

Should be an interesting second half ...

[Havak]

If England doesn't kick the ball away but sticks to rucks and pick and go's, it will be hard for France

So if they don't do what they have done in the two games so far?

[LDiCesare]

Yes, if they play sensibly, they should win. From this point of view, things look good for France.

[finbar]

Nothing more dangerous than a grenouille with a rapier. Especially working in a second language.

[Andydog]

Originally posted by 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.

I didn't google it, my knowledge of Moon comes from a short documentary style programme that showed during a build up to a test. They made him out to be Welsh thru and thru. I stand corrected, and note the delight that you took in providing the erratum.

In any case, if he wants to be Welsh, if he lives with the Welsh, and if the Welsh want him to be Welsh, then why can't he be Welsh?

I enjoyed the cricket this morning. NZ 165/0. Shove that one in your pipe and smoke it, Mr Havak!

[finbar]

Cricket doesn't pull his chain, AD. I've tried countless times over the years. He's the first in the queue to slag the flannelled fools. You're on much more rewarding ground with rugby. Except, at the moment, he's happy - relatively speaking - for them to play like crap as long as it sees the demise of the coach. In fact, it's very frustrating when he slags the England team more than I can, as hard as I try.

[Havak]

And he delights in that frustration, much as he delighted in providing the erratum regarding Mr Moon.

Now all he needs to do is look up what 'erratum' means.

If you want more fertile ground for getting me in the keep net your best line of attack would currently be English club rugby. Specifically you might try praising Wasps.

I won't help you too much but there are former players out there who won England honours but are actually of, shall we say, Welsh 'extraction'.

Well done NZ for the cricket by the way. Having heard Collingwood spouting very Ashton like positivity after the first thumping one day loss let's hope this second humiliation produces a more considered response.

[finbar]

You mean something along the lines of:

Wasps embody rugby - modesty, civility, fair play, grace in victory, generosity in defeat (on the very rare occasion that they lose).

[Andydog]

I took my 2 young boys (3 & 6) to their first club rugby game a few weeks ago. Bath vs Saracens at Vicarage Road. Chris Jack wasn't playing unfortunately but is now back in training.

The 3 of us have decided that we'll support Saracens from now on, Saracens being a clean team with plenty of promise. Unlike the cheating Tigers.

[finbar]

That's better. Wasps would have been a better choice than Saracens but I appreciate the sacrifice that would've involved. Support Sarries long enough and you'll get to watch Andy Farrell, his son and grandson lining up in the same team.

[Andydog]

I can't possibly support Wasps. The next time they are without many of their first choice players, someone will conveniently forget to switch on the under soil heating, resulting in a wasted trip for me & my boys.

I'd happily support them against Tigers, however.

[Havak]

*Thats a reference to their soccer landlords having let the pitch freeze last weekend Finbar*

Yes you chaps are really getting into the swing of it now.

The 'Cheat' card for tigers should reap nice dividends in time.

I particularly love the fact that Andydog has chosen what must be the least English of the English Premiership sides. Even the Exiles are more English these days. It's almost like you did it deliberately.