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[finbar]

Strange reasoning. So they picked the 'exciting' Ojo not to be involved perhaps?

Quite, to quote you. That's why I think there's more to Varndell's absence. Unless he was justifying not taking Ojo and Varndell. But I don't think so.

[Havak]

Well Finbar you do hear rumours of attitude issues - not sure if there is any truth to them.

But do you ignore such a big talent for such a poor reason - how would Matt Burke or Luke McAllister ever have been capped if Aussies and kiwis thought like that?

I personally think he is having a gauntlet thrown at him of the the "go to USA and prove me wrong about you" type.

Time for him to grasp the nettle and prove why he has scored more tries than any other Premiership player for two seasons - but do so on a bigger stage.

There is no doubt his encounter with Tuquiri two years ago shook his confidence - in a way I'm glad he won't be subjected to the beasting we will get in NZ.

[finbar]

Maybe J**** saw, as I did, his utter petulance immediately after the hooter in the Ospreys match. Stormed off the field, grabbed his gear from the bench and scarpered into the change room while his teammates were shaking hands with the oppo. Arguably he should have been in the team from the outset, he certainly should have been on much earlier, but still. He's a professional. Not.

The All Blacks wings aren't going to be their usual menacing selves. Rokocoko will be missing with his broken wrist and Sivivatu hasn't done - by his usual standards - very much in S14.

[Havak]

Perhaps he was feeling poorly?

Even given the situation with those wingers I don't have very high hopes for the two tests. That said I am interested to see what kind of side we end up facing - it will be radically different to the RWC side. In particular the replacements for Hayman and Jack have big shoes to fill? Also I have no idea who now possesses the 12 shirt?

[finbar]

Stephen Brett will play #12 outside Crusaders teammate Carter. Doesn't have Carter's absolute class or polish but a very fine player. One of the reasons the Crusaders have sagged lately is that they lost both at the same time to injury.

No idea about the props, but Jack's replacement could be Jason Eaton from the Hurricanes. Dipped a bit in form lately but I saw him do some excellent work earlier in the S14 season. Very sure in the lineout, gets well involved around the park. You'd have to assume Ali Williams is now the senior lock. Good grief.

With whom are they confusing Irish's Brian Smith in the reports about J**** wanting him as backs coach? They're claiming him to be ex-Brumbies and ex-Waratahs coach Brian Smith. Very strange.

[Havak]

The details seem to have come straight from Wikipedia.

Which Brian Smith is he then?

[LDiCesare]

I'll be having a match tomorrow. Wish me good luck. A funny thing is we should be 22 players, but that's 9 forwards and 13 backs...
(ok, this post is written just to mark the thread to find it more easily when next time I have something to say).

[Havak]

Good luck.

Still hooking?

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
I'll be having a match tomorrow. Wish me good luck. A funny thing is we should be 22 players, but that's 9 forwards and 13 backs...
(ok, this post is written just to mark the thread to find it more easily when next time I have something to say).

1. Buona fortuna.

2. Why wait till you have something to say? No one else does.

[LDiCesare]

Still hooking. We managed to win although at 3 tries each in the second half when rain started falling, it was quite tense. I'm quite happy at managing to steal the ball from an opponent on our line with my prop.
And then, there was "La Soirée" of the local feminine rugby club right by the pitch thereafter
I had to sleep through most if saturday as a result.

[finbar]

Originally posted by LDiCesare
We managed to win

Congrats!

I'm quite happy at managing to steal the ball from an opponent on our line with my prop.

Hands in the ruck again?

And then, there was "La Soirée" of the local feminine rugby club right by the pitch thereafter I had to sleep through most if saturday as a result.

As a husband and father, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Wasps certainly know how to play the occasion. Just a shame about Cipriani's injury. Even if I'm coming to think that he's overrated. At least in terms of the ridiculous messiah figure he's been turned into. There are at least two #10s in Australia as talented, both younger than him. Not that I care anymore. I wish they were here in Italy.

Leicester tried to commit penalty suicide and needed a piece of patented Balshaw stupidity under his own posts to get home. Still, when the chips were down, they looked mentally tougher than Glos. Glos' big problem is between their ears. I wouldn't be sacking the Argie coach just yet. I'd certainly be asking questions of the forwards and defence coaches. They're falling down on the job. The Leicester scrum, in particular, was embarrassing at times relative to what they have been.

How Andy Goode won MOTM is beyond me. Giordan Murphy was it for me. He was the only Tiger firing for a lot of the match. And in inspiring fashion.

Having watched Aaron Mauger a couple of times now, I think he's on a hiding to nothing at Leicester, at least in the current situation. Whatever the game plan is beyond the half back, if there is one, there's no room for him. Unless they drop in a much better #10 inside him, he's wasting his time.

[Havak]

The main thing to take from yesterday is that we now have the chance to ruin the Nose's retirement party. I pray that we do so.

Wonderful reporting from the BBC (not).

"Wasps power through to final" - rubbish. They closed Bath down with their tedious blitz defence.

"Last gasp Tigers beat Gloucester" - a terrible headline for a game that was more open and interesting than the one involving the the London based medias beloved 'London' Wasps.

Mauger is hugely experienced - if he needs a better fly half inside him then he should be telling the coaches that surely? We will certainly need another fly half - Humphries has gone and Burke is retiring. It is just a case of who that will be now and whether they become number 1 choice.

The scary thing now is Goode may travel to NZ!

[finbar]

I would be surprised. I'd imagine Ryan Lamb would probably be selected. I've hardly seen him - apart from yesterday - so I have no idea of his overall ability.

Aaron Mauger shouldn't need to tell the coaching staff that he's currently wasting his time. It's obvious. He's not seeing the ball in any usable - for him - fashion. He's not a hit-up merchant. He's the classic Kiwi second five-eighth.

[Havak]

Loffreda is currently pulling double duty as backs coach - something for him to address with the Mauger situation there?

Lamb and Jarvis (Quins) are currently in the Saxons squad - I suspect you are correct that Lamb will join the senior squad.

For me Lamb is like Sinbad (JSD) - bags of talent but it tends to go glaringly awol too often (witness the box kick yesterday).

Goode isn't in either squad - but if Lamb moves up will probably join the Saxons (the other English options are mainly injured).

*edit* I forgot to say that Charlie Hodgson will now be favourite to start in NZ. I really wish I was joking there!

[finbar]

Funny about that. I also forgot to mention the unthinkable - that Hodgson might become the likely starter in New Zealand. Out of mind, out of sight.

Simple solution for Laffredi. Find a #10 with an ounce of vision and creativity. Same old story. Heck, Mauger himself has played #10 and successfully. He'd be more value to the team there at the moment.

I hope this link works. It's Laurie Mains and Frank Bunce trying to pick the All Blacks team. Very interesting stuff:

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/news/legends-pick-their-abs-team/2008/05/18/1211049025325.html