Rugby - New Year, New Coaches, New Laws

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
were I writing

The subjunctive tense! Sadly, its use is dying out of the English language. Glad to see a retired prop doing his best to keep it alive!

That aside, the selection truly is bizarre. I wrote that Ashton wouldn't have the courage to drop Wilko. He did have the courage. But there were others who should have gone before Wilko (who should have gone anyway). It's almost as though the coach - or his puppet master - is rationed to one change per match.

That also aside, why on earth pick a creative (well, as far as we know) #10 but play an oaf like Noon outside him?

I don't expect an answer. There is none.

The trouble is, Ireland, like Scotland did, are going to lift for this match. The Irish have mixed up two or three magical moments with a lot of dross. Even without BOD, who they're not going to miss much anyway because his contributions have been virtually zero - he has looked overweight and unfit to me - they could conjure enough magic to do the job. Not that it will take much.

Go the Paddys!

And, yes, welcome to you, classical-hero. I fled Sydney for Italy, hence I have some lingering sentiment for the useless Waratahs. I suspect Ewen McKenzie talks the talk but walking the walk seems beyond him. The Force-Crusaders match was replayed on Sky Italy, not live. I only caught about ten minutes of the first half. As someone in the Sydney media observed, the Force seem to be the only Australian team who have worked out the new trial laws.

[LDiCesare]

the Force seem to be the only Australian team who have worked out the new trial laws.

Which means? How do they play?
By the way, among the new laws, is the one where you can put your hands in a ruck tried?
There's been quite a few ruck/pick&go sequences late game when a team was winning by a few points recently. So I thought maybe this law could alter that 'strategy'.

[finbar]

No, they're not using the "hands allowed in the ruck" law. I doubt that it will ever happen. The major impact is coming from the law that converts some penalty offences into either free kicks or scrums. The Force - and the Crusaders, too - are simply utilising the free kicks as a springboard to counter-attack. A lot of the other teams are just hoofing the ball down field.

The important thing to note is that, under the new law, the team can choose between a free kick and a scrum. Hence the number of scrums aren't reduced as some of the NH doom-mongers are saying. In fact, the Crusaders, with a strong pack, opt for scrums as often as free kicks.

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Havak
Interesting spin you put on things Mobius. Found it quite amusing given you quote comments that never occured.

Merely guilty of a little liberal paraphrasing...

Gatland seems more realistic.

I know, France are actually taking this game seriously by selecting their best players, as opposed to the game against England...

No, there's definitely a good chance Wales will lose, but if we do lose I doubt it will be by much...

Allez les bleues.

There's only three playing, you're better off saying allez les ospraies - or however you say osprey in French...

[LDiCesare]

under the new law, the team can choose between a free kick and a scrum.

This actually isn't new. All free kicks and penalties can be replaced by scrums if you like.

[Havak]

The little dig against England's win in Paris was even better than the previous post.

Three Cardiff Blues in the squad? I bet the Ospreys fans are up in arms about that.

A Welsh slam and a shambolic ex Bath coach in charge of England and refusing to answer questions about his practically unchanged selection. It's like someone drilled into my nightmares and made them real.

Subjunctive tense Finbar? I'm actually feeling quite relaxed thank you....

[finbar]

This actually isn't new. All free kicks and penalties can be replaced by scrums if you like.

Yes, I know. Sorry, it was my poor English. My command of English has deteriorated since I've been immersed in Italian. My point was only that, contrary to what the NH doom-mongers are saying, the experimental laws don't reduce the number of scrums.

The rumors about Jake White replacing Ashton are bubbling again with a vengeance. Amongst the best of the rumors:

The Times also weighed into the debate, suggesting that Ashton's continued employment as England coach was causing major rifts among players.

"The atmosphere of frustration and unrest in the England dressing-room is such that some players, from at least two clubs, are considering making themselves unavailable to play for their country next year," wrote Owen Slot.

Obviously not Bath or Wasps chaps. Leicester anyone?

The subjunctive is a glorious tense, Havak. You should Google it. It has almost disappeared from English mainly because of laziness. It features strongly in Italian, and probably, also, in French. LdiC will correct me if I'm wrong. Its only problem, in Italian anyway, is mastering the very particular times it's used. My Italian neighbour, a retired teacher, has told me not to worry about it. He says it's too hard for a lot of Italians so they don't bother. And of those who do use it, many use it wrongly. Fool that I am, I'm going to attempt to master it.

[Havak]

Good luck.

I would guess those clubs are Tigers and Sale myself.

Some Bath, Wasps, Glaws and Falcons must be delighted to be getting pay days when they shouldn't even be being selected.

[LDiCesare]

Subjunctive is alive and well in French. At least in hte present tense. Past subjunctive is mostly obsolete, but you may find a few of these in litterature or on some blogs.
Spanish makes slightly more use of subjunctive, including in the imperfect tense.

[finbar]

Alive and well in French? Good to hear. French is a real language. As is Italian. As, clearly, is Spanish. English is a lazy language.

The imperfect subjunctive? Mmmm. I'm having enough trouble with the present subjunctive. The infuriating thing is that the conjugation itself isn't hard to learn. It's when and when not to use it!

[Havak]

Some things in life are more important than rugby.

4p on a pint by the latest intellectual inadequate occupying number 11 Downing Street.

By the time the breweries and public house owning chains get their hands on that it translates to at least 20p at point of sale. Disgraceful - lets do away with our tri-partite system and go for benevolent Dictatorship. Havak for El Presidente?

(I think it was 14p on wine as well Finbar - heathens)

[finbar]

Move to Italy. The place is an economic basket case, it's fiscally rooted, it always will be, but life will roll along as it always has. I buy very good quaffing red for €2.20 a bottle.

How much is a pint these days?

[MOBIUS]

More than that!

Actually, here in Cardiff it can often be comfortably under £2. London I shudder to think!

[ravagon]

Originally posted by Havak
Some things in life are more important than rugby.

Hark! Surely an out-of-form, away loss, even to a bunch of skirt-wearing claymore-wielding maniacs, can't have reduced our Havak to such a sorry state of affairs?
What on earth could possibly have led to such an appalling conclusion?

4p on a pint

Aaaahhh. That'd be it alright.


Was going to dredge up a comment I made several threads back, when first M'sieur Ashton stepped up to the stage, about how it may one day come to pass that our English friend has cause to look back upon the 'Good old Andy Robinson years' ...

Sadly though - am now too thoroughly depressed about the number that Anderson chap did on our top order. Bah humbug.

Blues lost in Durban too ...


Won't be around too much after this as I'll (hopefully) be transferring to a boat at the end of the month (Yay! ).

[finbar]

I'm exhausted. Five rugby matches digested today - two S14 matches in the morning, three 6 Nations this afternoon and tonight. From 7.30am till 7.45pm. Luckily Mrs finbar took herself off to Florence for the day.

Ireland were dreadful, France were worse, if that's possible, and Scotland are so mediocre that they can't even beat Italy who virtually played without a half back for most of the match. Still, seeing big burly Bok Nick Mallett in tears after the match, hugging and kissing his players, made the long day worthwhile.

Congrats to Wales, but heck, if the 6 Nations is the cream of NH rugby, the SH isn't losing a lot of sleep.