Rugby - Six Nations, S14, Lions, Can't Wait

[LDiCesare]

Indeed. I read the following:

France centre Mathieu Bastareaud has admitted to lying when he claimed he had been attacked by up to five people as he returned to the team hotel early last Sunday following a 14-10 loss to New Zealand in Wellington.

"I just talked to Mathieu. He came back to his hotel under the influence of alcohol, he stumbled and fell," said Max Guazzin, the president of his club Stade Français.

"In the morning, he got scared of the consequences it could have with the team's management."

He's really a total stupid fool to have lied about that. I mean, it's RUGBY. Getting drunk after a match is not a criminal offense. I remember a French prop who died for overdrinking during a tourney some 20 years ago...
He's really a young ****.

[finbar]

I call on Havak to refute this wicked allegation that props have been known to have the odd drink from time to time.

Apart from that, it seems Bastareaud only came clean after the Kiwi police put it to him - and the French management - that they knew his story was rubbish. You also have to wonder how many on the tour knew the story was rubbish. Certainly the players with him. And the sending home now could be seen in the context of discipline. All very unpleasant for French rugby. Still, it's probably going to stop Michael Jackson's family claiming he was bashed near a taxi rank in Wellington.

Lions? Simon Shaw was an obvious choice. At his age, it doesn't say much for the quality and depth of Home Nations locks, though. I'm happy to see Fitzgerald given a chance. He'll do more than Ugo in general play and surely won't leave gaping defensive holes when he charges out of the line like a lunatic. Rees for Mears is just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic and Kearney, while lacking Byrne's class, should be solid. I really wish, though, that M. Williams were starting. The Boks don't have a scavenger and the Lions need all the help they can get at the breakdown.

[LDiCesare]

Bastareaud may even not jut have fallen drunk but there may have been some fight with team members for all we know. Really sucks.
Lions don't select M. Williams? I'd like to know why. This guy's a poison and a really good flanker, I don't see many players who influence a game as much as he does.

[LDiCesare]

I'd say the Wallabies had a slightly above average match and the French a poor one. French lineout is definitely bad, but the discipline was the worst problem. I'm not sure the referee was very good in certain cases, but the French shouldn't leak penalties like they did, and Beauxis had a shocker. Considering the amount of wounded players at the end of the tour, there's little denying that the French season, plus the tour, was far too long.

[finbar]

Couldn't agree more. The French played like they needed a holiday. Some of them like they were already on holiday with those blatant penalties. The Wallabies were, at best, professional. Outstanding defence, average field kicking (by the standards of Giteau and Barnes) and limited in attack. Not, I think, that they were overly concerned with attacking rugby. They were nervous about the match, knowing the French were capable of nearly anything. Unfortunately for the French it was about three Tests too many this year. The ref had a poor night, particularly at the breakdown. It was interesting, though, to see the Wallabies with three opensides on the pitch for the last 15 minutes. Has to be a record.

The ABs had a shocker against Italy with a flattering scoreline. So much unstructured rugby. A couple of moments aside, McAlister did nothing to solve the #10 problem. He's too loose and error-prone. In fact, Mils Muliaina spent a lot of the match up in the line trying to get things organised. The shining light was Isaac Ross. Great effort. Craig Gower looks better and better - relatively speaking - for Italy at #10.

[Havak]

I refute it. The drinks are not at all odd.

They clearly feel Williams cannot match the Boks physically? I feel it's a mistake - though not on the same scale as picking Rees (who wouldn't even make the Saxons or Ireland A XXII).

There are better locks in England (at least) not getting a look in. I'd again name Skivington from Wasps and Blaze at Tigers - but there are others. Remember the Lions management is hugely Celticly (made up word) biased.

The Young French centre may have ended his career. Given how sensitive Kiwis are to any criticism that he lied about something so serious is quite unbelievable. I expect the Kiwi PM to have already been on TV demanding an apology from the entire French nation? Next you know someone will accuse their Union of completely ignoring highly dangerous double dump tackles or something?

Other than that what did the French tour tell us? They are capable of one off exceptional perfomances. They are a bogey side for NZ. But we already knew that?

It looks to me unless certain players can return that NZ have to be favourite for the wooden spoon in the tri-nations? Australia look quite promising. The Boks are physically formidable but play very little rugby. Could be an interesting tri-series.

[finbar]

Unless certain players return, the ABs are seriously going to struggle. It's been said before, but, on the other hand, they haven't been so depleted before.

The other thing I forgot to mention in the Italy match was the astonishing sight of Sergio Parisse seeming to be going at (I think) Isaac Ross' eye with his fingers. I was gobsmacked. So gobsmacked that I forgot to mention it.

In the meantime, go the Boks! Leaving Williams on the bench when the Boks lack a scavenger is ridiculous.

[finbar]

Great contest. The Boks finally stopped mindlessly kicking the ball away and played some rugby, and the Lions couldn't play 80 minutes, not helped by injury. Poor old ROG will never be the same again - dreadful defence followed by a clumsy penalty. Brussow proved what an idiotic idea it was to bench him and Steyn should have been on much earlier for Pienaar who contributed little. If the Boks had kicked straight, it wouldn't have been close. If Berger had been red-carded, who knows?

[LDiCesare]

Other than that what did the French tour tell us?

I'll try to sum up the lessons:
The ABs should try to give some play time to their youth in case of injuries. Note the French did exactly that, and managed to win in NZ despite a few wounded players themselves (and the team which bet NZ had less total caps than NZ).
Barcella is an excellent prop.
French rugby season is too long (not really a news).
Heymans, Traille and Medard in the French backs are worth more than what most people thought. I personally think using Traille as 10 would be a good idea, because I haven't been convinced by Beauxis today and because Trinh-Duc doesn't have a good boot.
I also think it may be a good idea to keep Dusautoir as captain, considering Nallet has been hurt or diminished for a long time this year and there are other options in the second row.

EDIT - And we learnt that Bastareaud needs to mature or to get a brain.

[kittenOFchaos]

I think it is time that gougers got more abuse.

Seriously, Quinlan got such an easy ride in the press and Burger has been going around wounding people for pretty much all his career.

I think lifetime bans should be considered for repeat offenders and really stamp out this practice which seems pretty widespread.

Interviewers should have the balls to directly ask them:

"Do you think it is cowardly to put your fingers in another players' eyes?"

Or "what penalty do you think there should be for those found guilty of gouging" and just keep at it.


On another topic, Basteraud...what a low-life to make up an assault story and make New Zealanders appear to be complete douche bags.

Grrr!!


I only got to see half the Lions game, my girlfriend couldn't stand, standing for another hour so I too mercy and took her to a Greek restaurant...I'm hoping this act will pay dividens later tonight

Was a particularly enjoyable first half, though some really clumsy passing, there were numerous interceptions...apart from that the balance of power really looked to be with the Lions. Reading online it seems that the Boks came back to the second half with real fire and that O'Gara was a disaster.

[duke o' york]

I listened to the game on the radio (mostly because it was on before the tennis - I don't even like rugby), and had to laugh at Matt Dawson's retraction of his ire after watching the replay of the penalty given which gave SA the game. During the game he was apoplectic, but afterwards was a totally different story.

Whether the 'boks would have won with only 14 men for 75 minutes is a different matter, and questions have to be asked of the ref after the linesman said specifically that he saw gouging. I'd be amazed if he referees at international level ever again.

[finbar]

Sergio Parisse has copped 8 weeks for the incident with Isaac Ross. I had the game recorded and I've watched the incident again a couple of times. Parisse's primary aim seemed to be to pull Ross around the head and off balance. You've learned a hard lesson, Sergio. Don't go near the head.

The ABs should try to give some play time to their youth in case of injuries. Note the French did exactly that, and managed to win in NZ despite a few wounded players themselves (and the team which bet NZ had less total caps than NZ).

The ABs were giving game time to their youth. Yesterday they started three players with no more than a couple of Tests each, with three debutants on the bench. The stats are misleading because a handful of the ABs have a massive number of Tests between them.

EDIT. Just seen the Fruit Loop coach's comments on the Burger yellow card. The man is seriously, seriously, very seriously demented.

[Havak]

I've seen the incident half a dozen times and you are spot on. I think Mr Burger is facing a very long lay off indeed. Botha's shoulder charge on Jones was also bone crunching - and he too may well miss a few months.

Very enjoyable game, the Lions simply ran out of able bodies. You expect a physical challenge in RSA but the Boks do have a tendency to think the sport is some kind of ultimate fighting tournament at times.

So I got my French referee - and after a promising start his antipodean support corrupted him nicely.

Something I cannot get my head around is how you can score a try whilst in touch? Mr Lawrence stood over the offending leg and did nothing, and the chief anti-Pom A lister (since Walsh slunk off to dry out) Mr Dickinson watched it in slow motion and also did nothing. Truly Bizarre for a series to be decided by such poor refereeing once again.

Highlight of the match? Matfield being an intimidating **** and the much smaller BOD slapping him one. I don't condone violence but good on BOD in this one instance.

so a dead rubber next week and I have a suspicion it may be the Lions swansong. The original idea of promoting the game and financially supporting colonial Unions is long redundant and all the tours serve to do now is injure the cream of UK talent (well normally, this time just Celts really) ahead of our new season.

Let's have the next Lions series at home (so UK rugby gets all the cash generated except the Aussies appearance fee).

[finbar]

Burger aside, it was fierce, monstrously tough rugby. Like the old days. Sheridan punched Bakkies in the nuts and got away with it, BOD was a mile off-side and made no attempt to use his arms when he concussed himself and Rossouw, so I don't think there can be too many overall complaints. As there are on the BBC forum. Whingers. In fact, BOD lead the way in the provocation stakes all day. Such cheek from an old man. What I still can't get my head around is what possessed Burger. He's a very hard, tough player but I've never seen him do anything like that. I'd love to know what goes on inside players' heads sometimes.

There was no evidence that Fourie was in touch. Saying that he must have been because the Laws of Physics mean he must have been doesn't wash.

Yes, the Lions ran out of fit bodies, but the intensity had already dropped. I don't know how they could have maintained it anyway. The Boks played into the Lions' paws with that stupid kicking game and the scenario was always going to change if - and/or when - the Boks started playing rugby. POC got it pretty right. In neither game did they play enough rugby.

That said, overall, it was a great effort from the Lions under pressure. I think they were let down by an over-reliance on Roberts - it didn't take much for the Boks to work him out and they were waiting for him yesterday - and wingers (finishers, call them what you will) nowhere near the class of the Bok pair. It would be a shame to see the Lions concept disappear. It's a grand part of rugby tradition.

[finbar]

Oh, and the Lions were also outclassed in the hooking department. But then we knew that from the outset.

It's looking increasingly like M'sieur Bastareaud was D&D and at least one of his teammates decided to knock some sense into him. That he was immediately sent home suggests management knew the truth from the outset. Discipline starts at the top.