Rugby - Tours Tours Everywhere!

[Havak]

I suspected you might, on that basis of course.

What a nice image Finbar - Wallabies being penalised that is, as opposed to Mr Strettles stamina.

Brive have announced the signing of Goode on a two year deal. Tigers have yet to confirm his departure. His leaving makes our Fly Half roster a bit interesting - Flood and Mauger are the only ones I recognise and both have been specialists in the 12 shirt for some time. Vesty used to be a fly half but converted quite successfully to fullback. I think we need another fly half toute suite.

[finbar]

I could probably find Duncan McRae's phone number for you.

[Havak]

The referee whistles that blatant low blow from the naturalised Italian.

[finbar]

Great contest. The Bok forwards reappeared, the ABs' thinness in the locking ranks is going to be an ongoing problem. Still, if the ABs had won, it would have been one of their better wins under the circumstances. It took a moment of one-out brilliance to beat them. Pity the Wallabies next week. Not that anyone will. The question is, will Victor Matfield be playing a part next week? According to the commentator, it was Mr Matfield giving the AB the nasty eye massage.

[finbar]

Not Mr Matfield after all, but Mr Hooker. His fist accidentally came in contact with Thomson's lower cheek? Bilge. He was at the eyes. We await another John Smit diatribe about foul play.

[Havak]

Thats why we love rugby of course - the tri-nations briefly discovered it's own unpredicatability this weekend.

The Prussian you refer to above has been banned for three weeks Finbar.

Apparently Goode - who had a year left on his contract - was allowed to go because Meyer has brought in Derick Hougaard (from the Bulls). His record looks solid - but how good can he be if Butch James get picked ahead of him?

[finbar]

I have to tell you, I've seen an awful lot of Derick Hougaard, and I also have to tell you that, unfortunately, he's another Andy Goode - solid, workmanlike, very good goal kicker, probably a more consistent goal kicker than Goode, but primarily a tactical field kicker (albeit a good one) with zilch imagination. He's played a handful of Tests but never really been in serious contention for the Boks because he's - well, too pedestrian. Sorry.

EDIT. And only three weeks for the Prussian's eye massage is ridiculous. The replay evidence proves his defence to be utter crap.

[Havak]

Thanks for that Finbar. Unfortunately it is about what I expected.

Maybe playing alongside Mauger will improve him? (Clutches at straws).

[finbar]

Um, no. He's probably back up for Flood. I imagine they let Goode go because he might not have appreciated stepping aside for Flood. Just a pity they swapped like for like instead of someone more enterprising. I could be wrong, but I don't think he even started regularly for the Bulls this season.

[Havak]

I suppose the best I can do is give him the benfit of the doubt until I actually see him play. I tend to agree that bringing in like for like is not a good move.

I see the Boks have a hooker crisis now?

[finbar]

Yes, and I see that the English, Irish and Welsh RUs have changed their minds and refused to trial any of the ELVs in any of their comps. What a sad, sad bunch. The question is, how much gumption does the IRB have? History suggests not much.

[Havak]

Where did you see that reported Finbar?

Devil's advocate time - I have mixed feelings about it. The current ELVs aren't really needed in my opinion. Perhaps it was time someone stood up to the IRBs constant neutering of the game?

[finbar]

It was reported in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...887540242.html

I'm of the view that certain of the ELVs - free kicks in lieu of penalties, no kicking out from inside the 22 if the ball has been passed back - are well worth further trialling. The NH phobias about neutering scrums and turning the game into L***** were well and truly proved false by the two AB-Bok Tests. They were hard, fast, brutal rugby matches.

[Andydog]

Agreed. It's a pity that the introduction of the ELVs has been so mismanaged. The ELVs trialled in the S14 are different to the ones trialled in the Currie Cup, which are different the Tri-Nations ELVs, which are different again to the ones proposed for the NH. They should have been trialled in lower leagues, one at a time in order to better assess whether they work or not, and in order to secure the buy-in needed from the NH. This is a seriously missed opportunity to improve the game that failed only because of the incompetence of those that were charged with introducing the new laws.

The NZ SA test was a cracker. The Januarie try was a brilliant piece of play, sealing it for the Boks, but I'm not too bummed about the loss. If an AB side lacking experience and losing a key player early on in the test can hold the World Champions to within 3 points, the future of this AB side is bright.

Edit - grammar

[finbar]

Agreed on all counts.

Havak - UK inflation is up to 3.8%. What's that doing to your drinking budget?