Rugby - Tours Tours Everywhere!

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I've seen the #12 with the girlie ribbons in his hair do that before. I've also seen him shut down and frustrated by better teams than the Haggis Munchers. That's when his limitations are exposed. As will Donald's limitations be exposed. That said, even for a B team, I thought they were a class above the Haggis Munchers, even if they mainly fed off HM mistakes. I was glad to see Kahui playing in a position that actually suits him. Unlike the wing.

And your thoughts on Jamie Mackintosh?

[Andydog]

Young Mr Mackintosh is a work in progress. The opposing tighthead prop made a meal of him during scrum time, but I think Mackintosh is a real prospect for the future. He is very young for a AB Prop, but he's got the frame, mental attitude and does his job around the paddock bloody well. He will take a alot out of this Test match.

Did anyone see England -v- PI?

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Goodoh. I'll call Matt Dunning and Al Baxter works-in-progress, too.

I only saw snippets of Wasps -v- PI. I was busy watching the Taffys' mental frailties being exposed by a team of pros. But, thankfully, one of the snippets I did catch involved the over-hyped Cipriani costing them a try when his too slow, poorly judged clearance was charged down. All Cipriani needs now is orange skin and a bit more gel in his hair.

[Andydog]

I've noticed that Al Baxter has been improving. I'd be delighted if he was able to cause Sheridan some problems this weekend. The Pom pack isn't the beast it was a year ago, and has a touch of green in it, so hopefully the Wallaby fatties won't feel overawed and might even fancy their chances in the forward battle.

Deans will look to take it to he Poms via their backs. The Poms green tinge in this department is closer to an overgrown hedge. Most are unproven at international level. Keep the pressure on Cipriani, and he'll continue to gift tries. Problem is, I suspect that the Wallabies are likely to persist with the bomb to test the English back three.

[Andydog]

double post

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The Wallaby fatties have improved, there's no doubt. They more than coped against Italy, even if wasn't the best Italian front row. I think much of it has to do with Stephen Moore, the hooker. Not only has he improved his technique, he's leading his front row now, driving them. The strange thing about Baxter is that when he tries - which is to say, doesn't go straight to ground at the first opportunity - he can compete. His problem, if he plays, will be mental. Memories of what happened on the last couple of occasions against England.

There's talk of tossing young Ben Alexander into the deep end. He started his first professional match against Italy and coped very very well. Bench at most, I think.

I, too, fear there will be bombs galore. Good, well-placed bombs, fine, as long as it's done for variety. With Berrick Barnes gone from the tour, they will have to stick with Mortlock and Cross in the centres, first tried against the ABs. Not a bad thing against Cipriani. They're big, quick, very strong chaps who will hunt him down.

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Vickery and Palmer for Stevens and Kennedy. J**** winding back the clock in Vickery's case and swapping skill for a lump in Palmer's case. The moves have a negative* feel about them.

*Read defensive.

No surprises amongst the Wallabies:

Adam Ashley-Cooper; Peter Hynes, Ryan Cross, Stirling Mortlock (C), Drew Mitchell; Matt Giteau, Luke Burgess; Richard Brown, George Smith, Hugh McMeniman, Nathan Sharpe, Mark Chisholm, Al Baxter, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson.

Reserves: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Matt Dunning, Dean Mumm, Wycliff Palu, Sam Cordingley, Quade Cooper, Digby Ioane.

Muscular midfield, and they know how to tackle. Below par in the locking department minus Vickerman, Horwell, etc, though the incumbents can handle Borthwick and Palmer. Shame the hooking department is let down by the back up who can't throw to save himself. No Phil Waugh on the bench, with two big, mobile back rowers instead.

[Andydog]

Magic Martin has gone for a bit more grunt in the fatties over fattie mobility. He couldn't lose Borthers so Kennedy took the fall, otherwise why have Shaw on the bench and not Kennedy? The Pom back row fatties look strong.

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Nick Easter is a plodder with middling handling.

[Andydog]

Henry rolls out the big guns for the paddies:

15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock. Reserves: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 John Afoa, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Kieran Read, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Isaia Toeava.

I think it is fairly safe to anticipate that those lads will soundly spank the paddies, and will do so in front of 82,000 more paddies. I feel a little sorry for the man who could have died.

Sivivatu will have to pull out something special in this game. Joe's rocking back into form and both Gear & Tuitavaki look sharper to me. A little over-eager in defence, perhaps, but really looking to create something on the few occasions they've had the ball.

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Yes, I look forward to seeing the A team in action again. Odd that Sivivatu amd Tuitavaki have both had very mixed seasons. I prefer them both to Gear at this stage. Next year, or the year after, perhaps a different story. I think Jimmy Cowan is the weakness in class terms, but I doubt the Paddys are going to be able to exploit it.

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Jeez, Wales B were crap last night. An unstructured rabble who played right into the hands of the helter-skelter Canadians who never gave up. And a flattering scoreboard thanks to two penalty tries one of which wasn't but probably would have been anyway in another minute or so but that's not the point.

Worcester would probably have beaten them. As it was, Worcester had to settle for beating Sale. Good on Worcester. Should seal their place in the Premiership.

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J****, J****, J****. I genuinely, honestly feel sorry for you. You, one of the great players, one of the great leaders, one of the most intelligent (in rugby terms) chaps to set foot on a rugby field, not to mention probably the mentally toughest.

Now you find yourself coaching a collection of mentally soft intellectual pygmies. How did you stop yourself vaulting the fence onto the field and showing them how to do it? You, as skipper yesterday, would have banged heads together until they bled. Your actual on-field skipper didn't. He doesn't have it in him. Nice chap, I'm sure, but he's a waste of space in the captaincy department let alone the locking department. When a chronic under-achiever in Nathan Sharp plays you off the park, your position has to be in doubt.

In fact, it struck me yesterday that tough, battle-scarred old Stirling Mortlock was doing for the Wallabies what J**** was once so good at, and England had no response.

All the Wallabies did was play tough professional rugby and let England sink themselves with idiotic penalties - where did Paul Sackey learn to stroll around three or four yards in front of the breakdown? - non-existent ball retention, lumbering forwards at first and second receiver and very little strategy once the ball actually made it to a back.

It wasn't one of Matt Giteau's great games - not helped by a very nervous, jittery effort from Luke Burgess - but his sheer professionalism made Cipriani look the novice he is. There's no doubt Cipriani has talent. I'm not sure that Test rugby is where he should be having to learn his trade.

Nice to see the All Blacks A team have an outing, even if it wasn't their finest effort, but Ireland were outclassed. Ireland, though, might have found a talent in Fitzgerald at #12. Naughty Mils, though, either not seeing or ignoring a couple of blatant try opportunities.

Saw none of the Haggis Munchers -v- Luke Watson's Facebook Friends because of the - yet again - ridiculous clash with the Wallabies -v- England. Apparently the Haggis Munchers scored their first try since the Bronze Age. Sounds like they were taken too lightly. Pity. It will only give their followers further (mis)belief that they're a decent rugby team.

My fingers are cramping from typing so I'll leave the Leicester -v- Bath result for another day.

[LDiCesare]

France vs. PI was more entertaining than France vs. Argentina but not really comforting for French supporters.
France won, but due to Nalaga's stupid aggression of Elissalde, the Islanders were only 14 on the field. Of course, one knows they tend to tackle high, but late tackling a kicker in the head and knocking him unconscious isn't a thing to do.
French kicking was as bad quality as last week but at least they passed the ball too, resulting in some nice moves and tries. I hadn't seen Tillous-Bordes before, he looks like another interesting option at scrum half.

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Shame about Elissalde. But that's those fun-lovin' PIs for you. He's going to miss this week against the Wallabies, replaced by Julien Tomas, whom I don't know.