Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

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Farrell Snr quits Sarries for England. I rubs me hands together with glee.

[Havak]

Is there a danger you might start to enjoy that just a little bit too much?

I also wanted to say that I wish London Welsh the best of luck in their legal challenge to the closed shop.

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I'd love to know what's behind Farrell Snr's change of mind. From wanting to finish a job at Sarries to wanting out.

I also wish LW the best of luck. You'd have to think they'd have some sort of case based on several of the incumbents not meeting the conditions they're required to meet.

[Havak]

Money often changes peoples opinions in my experience.

If it is a court of law I would say LW have a strong chance. Initially of course they are appealing within the RFU processes. And the RFU often feels no compunction to be fair and/or reasonable.

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Mike Catt must be shifting uneasily in his seat.

I expect LW will take it beyond the RFU if need be.

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Wales choof off to Oz with a win over the Baa-Baas under their belt. If the Baa-Baas had chosen to kick for goal, as most teams would in a normal game, they would have won. Renders the win sort of meaningless. But that's Baa-Baas rugby.

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Some odd selections from the new Bok coach. No room for Brussow? He has to be joking. Bulls players selected at the expense of other, better choices.

[kittenOFchaos]

Shark players manage to lose to the Lions and help ruin my weekend - screw them.

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Couldn't agree more. That must be the Lions' first win for the season or close to. Some coach John Mitchell, eh.

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Scotland pip Wallaby A+ (that's a team a bit better than an A team) in arctic conditions - including massive winds - in Newcastle. Scotland started with the wind and seemed to have flubbed it at half time only 6-3 up having enjoyed massive possession. Lo and behold, the Wallabies made even more of a meal of it in the second half. Ordinary stuff from Genia who just kept feeding his forwards, running them into the excellent Scotland defence.

Not the start to the season Robbie Deans would have wanted. And a number of tonight's Wallabies have to back up in four days time against Wales after this marathon slog in dire conditions. Whoever thought it was a good idea to play Tests four days apart might be having another think.

[Havak]

A four day turnaround is ridiculous, and I say that as someone with no great love for the Wallabies.

This result though, heavily defined by the weather as it no doubt was, is why I love rugby. Before this match I would have said I couldn't even see Scotland winning a tenner on the lottery. And then they delight in proving me wrong. Well done the Scots.

And now lets have a Wallaby rebound to lower the colours of the taffs.

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Well, half of yesterday's team had already played S15 two or three days earlier, and two-thirds of yesterday's 22 will make up the 22 against Wales in three days' time. I have no high hopes. The programming was just idiotic, and, regardless of the Wallabies' tactical dumbness yesterday, the ARU has a lot to answer for. If you get a chance to look at some highlights or replay, you should. The goal posts were more than swaying in the the wind, they were waggling fit to snap. Box kicks into it were abandoned after the first couple virtually blew back behind the kicker. Kicking out of defence was pointless so you had to try to run it. In rain - more like sleet, actually - driven by the wind.

[Havak]

I caught maybe ten minutes of it on a repeat yesterday. Knowing the result it was not a game to entice a full watch through. Why on earth was it played in Newcastle?

As for the scheduling well the IRB wanted the June tours back - so season weary NH sides travel to play SH sides still involved in other competitions at the same time. The English disease of cramming too much rugby into a calendar?

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It was played in Newcastle to take rugby to the masses. Newcastle and surrounds - the Hunter Valley, basically - is pretty much a L***** stronghold but has always had interest in rugby. They pulled 20,000 in those utterly dire conditions so it's considered a huge success in those terms.

I'm all for June tours and proper Test series. Wales was it for Australia. Including Scotland, scheduling two Tests four days apart in the midst of S15, was just insanity. The ARU wanted to make money and it burned them.

[kittenOFchaos]

I'm just back from Prague so I haven't seen the Australia Vs Scotland game, but I'm delighted for them all the same. The 6 Nations was punishing as they didn't deserve to lose every game.