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

[Havak]

Whilst on the face of it the new IRB views on replacments seems a good thing I can't but help thinking back to the second Lions test and wondering if they have been fully thought through?

As the Boks injured both Lions props in quick succession with what I would at best describe as careless play under these new replacment laws the Lions would have been penalised for being assaulted and been reduced to fourteen men. We will need stronger refereeing to make sure violent sides do not prosper (then again the Boks have long confused rugby with murder ball at times).

On the plus side one of the Wallabies favourite tactics is now closed to them and one of the features of RU that made it look pathetically like League at times will now be far less common.

[kittenOFchaos]

I agree there's inconsistency. But I'd rather see deliberate, dangerous acts more heavily penalised than they are. Still, the curious thing remains the tribunal's finding that Deano had a history of this sort of thing. What history? It obviously contributed to the severity of the sentence.

Dean Richards told the inquiry that he had used this tactic on four previous occasions...hence 'history'.

[LDiCesare]

Whilst on the face of it the new IRB views on replacments seems a good thing I can't but help thinking back to the second Lions test and wondering if they have been fully thought through?

They've been tested in France this year, where they reached their goal: There have been almost no uncontested scrum in the championship.
There will always be side effects of course, but even then the rules require a full first row on the bench, so even losign your front row you can still play. The only problem would be if you get both hookers hurt (but hookers tend to be hard to hurt -except when a *** falls upon their ankle 3 meters away from the nearest ruck and with no ball in sight that is - ).

[finbar]

The Wallabies blow yet another opportunity. In fact, they were lucky. One forward pass away from being really opened up. Not to mention the try disallowed for obstruction, and a fair enough decision, I thought. They just couldn't compete at the breakdown in the second half. Despite Rocky's heroics. First game for many months and he never stopped trying. The ABs looked significantly better with Carter in situ. Ragged handling, but at least they had options that Donald couldn't provide in a million years.

Hopefully that's the last we see of Al Baxter, replaced in the first half because he wasn't good enough. About 50 Tests too late.

[Havak]

That was a very specific example of how hookers can get hurt. Do I detect a personal example?

Not a good weekend for Australia Finbar. It is scary how much difference Carter makes to the ABs.

I wonder if the public lynching for Punter has already been arranged?

[finbar]

Carter's a quality player, and he provided exactly what Stephen Donald couldn't - game management.

Punter's very safe. It's the selectors who will cop it, and rightly so. First, they selected a problematic and unbalanced squad.

1. Two quicks with known injury concerns prior to the start of the tour: Lee and Clark.

2. The only batting cover in the entire squad was Watson, a would-be all-rounder with a patchy record.

3. They abandoned the young opener after Harmison found a weakness (in the only decent spell he bowled for the year) and Flintoff exploited it (in one spell). He coped against better bowling in South Africa. And they replaced him with Watson, who, while he scored a couple of 50s, was never going to score any more than that. He's not good enough. The selectors have an unhealthy obsession with Watson, determined to try to find another Flintoff. Watson will never be Flintoff.

4. Not selecting Hauritz for the Oval was just bizarre. It was patently obviously a dry wicket that would deteriorate.

Still, I'm yet again enjoying England's triumphalism. Australia handed them the series with two or three bad sessions out of five Tests. England actually had more bad sessions but at less crucial times.

[LDiCesare]

That was a very specific example of how hookers can get hurt. Do I detect a personal example?

Indeed. I still can't run properly... Not that I ever ran well, but now I cannot even fake it decently.

[Havak]

Wishing you a good recovery in your faking prowess.

Do you know anything about Nicolas Jeanjean - Tigers picked him on the wing in beating Cardiff last friday. I missed the fact we had signed another French player.

I dislike the triumphalism Finbar, and apologise on my nations behalf. The squad that played at headingly have no right to triumphalism in the first place, and the wider population muppets you might have seen are no doubt from the Soccer demographic.

That said as an Englishman there is a distateful upturn to either side of my mouth whenever an Australian side loses. Shockingly bad form from me there old boy.

[LDiCesare]

Jeanjean is a good former Toulouse and then Stade Français player. He's a full back or winger. I think he has a few caps. He was very good with Toulouse back then, won a French championship final with them if I remember well, but then he got hurt and had trouble coming back. He didn't play much in Toulouse, left for Paris where his health didn't help him much either.
If he doesn't hurt himself, he's a really good player.

[Havak]

Thank you. I'll let you know when I have seen him play myself.

[Havak]

"The committee featured two legal experts in Retired Honourable Justice John Hansen (New Zealand) and Judge Guillermo Tragant (Argentina) plus former Australia captain John Eales."

And you suspect the IRB has learnt never again to let all SH panels look at issues involving SH sides? The IRB do not sound like happy bunnies?

[kittenOFchaos]

Williams - seemingly a nice enough kid - bites through a movie blood capsule and gets twelve months.

Richards - top man - presumably as the buck has to stop at the top (and chief exec Evans was never going to take the wrap) gets a worldwide three year ban for not stopping a doctor take a scalpel to Williams.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/simonaustin/2009/08/richards_reputation_hits_new_l.html

I more I read about this, the more apt the sanctions appear and the harder it is to think of him as a 'top man'.



What I'm more interested about however is if anyone can see any hope for the Aussies against South Africa?

[finbar]

Nup. And how the Wallabies are missing Lote. How they're missing him.

[Havak]

I can only go on personal impressions, and having spoken to him on many occassions he remains a top bloke to me.

Which does not mean I condone any of his behaviour in and after this incident.

If the young player was bullied by an overbearing DoR and did something he didn't want to - why the silly wink when leaving the field? At the least he needs to grow a pair.

And the answer to your question is No. I think the Boks are far too solid for them.

By the way does anyone see the irony in this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugb...sh/8219075.stm

Given historical allegations regarding his private life cost him the England armband and Wasps under his captaincy exploited front row replacements extensively as well as many other aspects of gamesmanship.

I guess it is the "poacher turned gamekeeper" theory?

[kittenOFchaos]

I guess it is the "poacher turned gamekeeper" theory?

Absolutely. Between Dawson and Dallagio, referees had no chance...being able to talk to the referee effectively is such a major advantage if you've got the gift of the gab.

I love looking at Dallagio, he has such a strong jaw and such a 'Mr Universe' body...it is fascinating.

Better behave, my girlfriend/partner will get jealous...she already accuses me of loving Jonny Wilkinson.