Rugby - Tours Tours Everywhere!

[finbar]

Yes, but when some of the older players are past it? Or not good enough anyway?

[Havak]

Sorry chaps - have we suddenly switched to talking about the Wallaby coalface again?

[finbar]

The ways things have been going up front for England lately - pots and kettles.

[LDiCesare]

Since I actually only have one figure to post, I thought I would give you all a small exercise in French. Try to translate the following, and guess who we're talking about:

six mois en fin d’année mais son « année sabbatique » devrait lui rapporter gros. Annoncé à Toulon mais finalement recruté par Perpignan, le Néo-Zélandais touchera 700 000 euros.

In order to keep things simple, I translate a few words which are essential for a correct understanding:

six = six
mois = months
Perpignan = Perpignan
Néo-Zélandais = New Zealander
700 000 = a lot

So who are we talking about?

[finbar]

Hopefully he's taxed in France and New Zealand. And hopefully France's taxes are higher than Italy's, though that's probably impossible.

[Havak]

It's an insane amount of cash - about 560K sterling at current exchange rates.

No UK club could compete with that (we are salary capped in England anyway). And poor old NZ has no chance of getting anywhere close.

I don't blame Carter - I blame Perpignan. The club are the ones letting him take the p*** out of them.

[Havak]

Although I remain disappointed at how the Duracell four conducted themselves I kind of hope they sue the lawyer acting for the girl at the centre of the issue for saying this:

"We can advise that the victim remains of the view that she will not make a formal complaint to the New Zealand Police."

No criminal charges means no victim under law - so this lawyer is continuing to drag these players reputation through the mud by choosing deliberately emotive language.

[finbar]

Sue? And take the whole grubby business into court? I don't think so.

I wonder if Duracell have approached Mr Chettle about sponsorship?

[Havak]

Now there is an idea - what is the current tagline for the rock climbing bunny adds? "Down, Down they go. Up, up he goes". Well quite.

They definitely won't sue Finbar - for exactly the reasons you state.

I just thought I'd like to point out my view that many lawyers rate below pond life on my own personal scale of net worth to society.

[finbar]

Sublime Matt Giteau effort against, it has to be said, abysmal opposition. France looked exhausted to add to their inexperience and lack of cohesion. Kindergarten stuff, though, compared to what's in store when the Wallabies face the ABs, whose forwards should do an utter demolition job.

Quick, intense, ferocious stuff between the ABs and Boks. The Bok forwards aren't the menace they once were - and haven't been for a while. Dan Carter showed up Butch James as the limited player he is and, typically, Butch's mission seemed to be take off Carter's head. I think the Wallabies can beat the Boks.

[LDiCesare]

I only had a glimpse of the end of the Australia-France test. Probably better that way.
The French players have been continusously playing for one year. Nallet, for instance, has played 53 matches this season.
So there's little surprise the players looked exhausted.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like things will change. Next year tour is likely to be as silly as this year's, without the French best players.
Between championship (26 matches + final phases), the 6 nations (5 matches, some of which overlap with the tournament), and the European Cups (6 matches + final phases), that's a minimum of 37 matches next year before the tour. When you add some silly stuff like challenges, there's no doubt the French players are hurt and exhausted.

[finbar]

Yes, better you saw only the end of the match. Any more and you would have been embarrassed. Particularly when Harinordoquy, under no real pressure, apparently couldn't be bothered reaching down to pick up the ball and kicked it off the ground in the direction of his half back. Still, Harinordoquy and Boyoud were both suspended for three weeks for almost breaking James Horvill's eye socket. They admitted guilt and expressed remorse, saving themselves longer suspensions.

And it reads like next year's tour will be an even bigger waste of time.

Brad Thorn copped a suspension for his idiotic throw of Smit. Fair enough. The ABs will miss him. While he looked out of his depth in his first stint with the ABs a few years ago, he has turned himself into a very effective (if not top class) lock. Handy in lineouts and very strong in the loose.

[Havak]

James Horvill was ugly before they whacked his eye socket. He could have starred in a George Rmoero movie afterwards. The big Anglophobe farm boy has always had a suspect temperament - perhaps he mistook Horvill for an Englishman?

The Wallabies can look mighty impressive when no opposition turns up. It is somewhat unforgiveable that France lost that scrum against the head on 75 mins. Against the Wallaby scrum. Strewth.

The ABs are currently a class apart again - someone has to pull a rabbit out the hat to stop them now.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
James Horvill was ugly before they whacked his eye socket. He could have starred in a George Rmoero movie afterwards. The big Anglophobe farm boy has always had a suspect temperament - perhaps he mistook Horvill for an Englishman?

Did you see his lazy kick off the ground? Summed up the French effort, really.

The Wallabies can look mighty impressive when no opposition turns up. It is somewhat unforgiveable that France lost that scrum against the head on 75 mins. Against the Wallaby scrum. Strewth.

Quite.

The ABs are currently a class apart again - someone has to pull a rabbit out the hat to stop them now.

Quite. The Boks no longer have the forward power to threaten them and, while the Boks have dangerous backs, Butch James isn't Dan Carter. Far from it. The excellent Wallaby defence will tie up the ABs for a while but that's about it. I haven't see such ferocity from the ABs for a long time.

[Havak]

They truly are a side that seem to peak in between World Cups. For the entire period between World Cups. Bizarrely it perhaps does them no real favours - they are put on the back foot so seldom that when it does happen there is often no plan B. I still think back to that game in Cardiff against France and wonder why McCaw didn't call the drop goal option in that last ten minutes. Lock jaw would have for sure.

Effort isn't really word that fits for that French showing - it was apparent no one wanted to be there. That said some of the Wallaby scores were sublime. I was rather expecting you to flag that the disintegrating scrum had our Tiger Mr Kayser at it's heart.