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

[LDiCesare]

McLean is usually a full back. He played 10 because there's noone at 10 out there (Marcato was hurt, and Marcato is better at 15 anyway). Hopefully, if he plays 10 more often, Mallett will teach him out of giving the ball back to the opposition.

[finbar]

Yes, he played full back for one of the franchises in the short-lived Australian national competition last year or the year before. I've also seen him playing at full back for his club here. That's how sad my life is, I watch Italian club rugby. I don't think he's quick enough for full back though his defence is stronger than Marcato's. I'd leave Marcato at full back and get some coaching into McLean because there's certainly no one else on the horizon.

[Havak]

A lot of pundits are suggesting two opensides to counter the Boks - Williams and Wallace. I think they must find room for Croft - though I'm not neutral. O'Connell and Kennedy would be an interesting lock combination.

And I wonder if the uncapped player might be Eaves, England U20 skipper and a talented prospect in the centres. Ellis has the 9 shirt unless Phillips steps up massively from Ospreys humiliation by Gloucester.

Terrible loss for Tigers on friday - to Falcons of all teams. That said Falcons have two 18 year old English fly halves that look very promising we should sign one.

And Wasps - in a flattering 10th place in the table - can still make the play offs. Why did we adopt this ludicrous system?

[finbar]

I don't think it matters how many opensides they pick. If they're not huge, quick and violent, they're going to be eaten alive. Croft has to be in the team, regardless, for his speed, skills, and. most importantly, his lineout work. O'Connell, Kennedy and Croft would have the potential to upset the Matfield-Botha nexus.

I watched Sarries-Wasps yesterday. Entertaining in the second half with all the broken play from turnovers, but they were both poor in the overall scheme of things. Cipriani looked good with his quick hands, speed of foot, et al, but Jackson's game management was light years ahead. That's what Cipriani has to learn.

[finbar]

Good news comes in pairs:

1. Wasps lost again;

2. Mauls will return to the game.

Hard to know which is the better news.

[kittenOFchaos]

Going to be an interesting end to the Premiership this year and I can only hope that Sale can scrape into the playoffs (very unlikely!).

Will be interesting to see if Bristol can do the nigh on impossible and claw themselves past Worcester who seem to be going to pieces atm.


In other news, no more Hadden for Scotland, which leaves us with...who? Hopefully they don't opt for a foreign coach as personally I think that defeats the point of having National sides.

Good news comes in pairs:

1. Wasps lost again;

2. Mauls will return to the game.

Hard to know which is the better news.

[LDiCesare]

2. Mauls will return to the game.

[LDiCesare]

The French have decided to change theTop14 (championship) a bit.
Some things I think are... well, silly:

The final phases instead of being semi-finals between the first four clubs will be something between the first six clubs. So the sicth will play the third, and if wins, reach the semi-final.
This means 1 more match in the season for players who already play too much, and that the best clubs are less guaranteed to win. Stupid, but almost everyone voted for (I guess all the clubs but the good ones).

Other news are more interesting: Progressively, clubs will be forced to have at most 50% and 30% the following year of their players who were not trained in France (spent 3 to 5 years in French rugby clubs before the age of 21). So this should hopefully limit the number of foreigners while respecting the law wrt Eurpean workers. Also a salary cap. This goes the same way and I think Havak will be happy to see it here.

[finbar]

In other news, no more Hadden for Scotland, which leaves us with...who? Hopefully they don't opt for a foreign coach as personally I think that defeats the point of having National sides.

I think a Union is duty-bound to appoint the best possible coach. Otherwise why bother? Scottish rugby under Frank Hadden was years of wasted opportunity and talent. If there isn't a local coach of sufficient quality, you have to look elsewhere. The ARU appointed Robbie Deans and it was the best thing that's happened to Australian rugby. The advantage an outsider brings is a clear perspective, untainted by local politics and prejudices. The key, though, is that the coach has to be up to the job.

Which is why I'm staggered that anyone in Scotland is entertaining the thought of Andy Robinson. His record with England suggests that he's a skills coach out of his depth in the key role.

Originally Posted by finbar View Post
2. Mauls will return to the game.
:Part y:

You always were the master of the understatement.

The final phases instead of being semi-finals between the first four clubs will be something between the first six clubs. So the sicth will play the third, and if wins, reach the semi-final.
This means 1 more match in the season for players who already play too much, and that the best clubs are less guaranteed to win. Stupid, but almost everyone voted for (I guess all the clubs but the good ones).

They've been trying to introduce this system to S14. It's used in Australian Rules football in Australia, only with the top eight instead of the top six. It's essentially an income-generating exercise. More matches between the top teams = more gate receipts. That it extends the season, increasing the player workload, is irrelevant to the accountants.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, Sale managed to lose to a 14 man Leicester.

I missed the game as our stupid local Fitness First gym don't have Sky Sports 2 despite saying they have it. Waah!

[finbar]

Serves you right for going to a gym instead of parking yourself on the couch with a keg of beer and a plate of pork pies. It was - as the Brits say - a cracking game. Big Leicester effort under the circumstances, best I've seen them play for a few years. They were simply too tough, too strong-willed, too determined for Sale, who can produce some blissful backline play but just don't have the hard-headedness required at the top level. Shame, because Charlie Hodgson put on one of the finest displays of passing you'll ever see. One of Cueto's tries involving Hodgson and Matthew Tait was rugby poetry. Leicester's forwards lifted to cover White's absence, particularly at the breakdown, Castrogiovani was monstrous - more than he ever was for Italy this season, the bas*ard - and Sam Vesty was a stand out.

Julian White? Proved yet again what an idiot he really is. I'm sure his boot size outstrips his IQ.

[Havak]

Yes he is a liability. Though I do expect Sheridan to be cited - the fact a punch misses makes little difference. White was an idiot to retaliate. Though part of me admired the execution putting the big useless Manx lump on his backside.

Sheridan was also truly stupid to go over to the Crumbie and wind up the Crowd.

I still dislike Cueto as a person - juvenile crowd baiting doesn't sit well with me - but he has turned into a fine player in his old age.

I wonder was it game plan by Sale that the hooker kept cropping up in the centres? It worked once but was disasterous for them defensively on several other occassions.

Hamilton lacks any real speed but he folows the play very intelligently - what a shame Varndell couldn't learn some of that nounce.

Vesty was tried at stand off as a very young man - before VD Westhuyzens brief arrival and the disasterous Pez signing. He is a different player now - much improved and in some ways more effective than Flood (because he always looks to keep the ball live). I think he has a chance for the Argentina Tests.

[finbar]

I haven't seen enough of Sale to know, but I couldn't work out their hooker situation. They seem to have two. One, who throws in, playing as flanker; the other, doing the hooking.

Hamilton is a typical Crusaders product. At least of the Robbie Deans generation. Reads the game very well, doesn't need to be told or shown what to do. He was never good enough to be an AB, in fact he wasn't always first choice at the Crusaders. Just a very solid, skilled contributor. Every team needs them.

I liked Vesty. As you say, he doesn't charge blindly into the defence as often as Flood does and stop the attack dead in its tracks. His kicking from hand is also much better. For me, Toby is shaping as another James Hook. For all their skills, where do they belong on the field?

[kittenOFchaos]

Saw the punching incident...need it slowed down to see what exactly prompted it all. One thing is clear, White nailed Sheridan in a fair fight and perhaps a red was OTT as it wasn't dangerous play and both were as bad as each other.

As for Cueto, he has always been a lethal winger when fit and scores regualarly, but his best trait is his defense which is solid. During the 6 Nations he did so much work to support Armitage when he was dealing with numerous high balls.

I really doubt Sale will get to the play-offs, they really needed to have won that game.


In other news, Lewsey is calling it a day...at only 32, such a waste.

[finbar]

A punch as deliberate as White's is always red card material. As Havak noted, Sheridan's missed punch, which started the duel, if not the entire incident, should be examined by the judiciary.

I think Cueto has developed his game enormously. Once pretty much a tram line specialist, he now goes looking for the ball, creating his own opportunities. Something the Sackeys and Varndells of the world can't see to manage. And, apart from one vital mistake yesterday, his defence has improved a lot.