Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[Havak]

Do you have someone following me?

[finbar]

Rumour has it that Richard III died of boredom waiting for you to shout before they built a car park on top of him.

[Havak]

As is so often the case I was just about to shout when he went and expired. It is always just bad timing by others you see.

Tiger have unveiled their new European kit (or 'fan fleecer'). It's better looking than either the standard home or away strips - but then that really is not saying much.

[kittenOFchaos]

There is only one question on my mind this weekend. Will Sale win?

[finbar]

I haven't tipped them. Hence expect them to win.

[Havak]

Even now the Rec is not an easy place to take a win. I suspect Bath will take the four points.

[kittenOFchaos]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/9576612/Bath-31-Sale-10-match-report.html

No bonus point for Bath, but a solid victory. Pleased to read that our players showed much greater commitment to the cause, perhaps we can start turning things around. I get to see Sale live on Sky next weekend and live over the half-term holiday (against London Irish, so who knows maybe I'll see our first win of the season!) in Manchester.

A barren weekend in terms of my betting - many very one-sided scorelines.

[finbar]

Sale might well have enough fit players to field a team. After yesterday's mauling at the hands of the Saffers, the Wallabies can add Berrick Barnes (punctured lung) and AAC (severe concussion) to the casualty ward. Plus severe doubts about Samo, TPN and Ioane for next week against the Argies. They're going to try to fly in replacements but visa issues mean any replacements will be lucky to get one training run. Still, the injuries weren't to blame for the beasting yesterday. From the outset, the Saffers steamrolled the breakdowns turning over Wallaby ball at will.

[Havak]

Good grief that is a fair butchers bills from a single game?

kOc did not mention the Sale game he gets to see next friday is against Tigers. At least Sale should get their win for him at last?

*Edit* U-S-Aaaarrggh?

Not my favourite sport but I have always hated the jingoistic chanting from the US golf supporters - wish I had stayed up to watch them eat crow.

[finbar]

I stayed up. 'Twas excellent. Having sat through two days of under-performing Euros against (admittedly) some very fine American golf, the reversal was extraordinary. The Euros needed a lot of lot of luck and got it - four chip-ins from off the green, a couple of impossible monster putts - and the Americans' putting touch deserted them. Interestingly, the crowd that had motivated the American players for two days became a massive pressure on them as the final day slipped away. Worth it just to see the boorish American crowd silenced.

[Havak]

I think that most of them probably don't realise it is boorish, nor I suspect would many American posters on here realise why such enjoyment is gained from seeing them silenced.

One man's patriot is another man's boorish lout?

Back on topic I am trying to figure out how I feel about the Sale game. We've had a try drought, they have not been stellar but the NW is a hard area to visit. Still new home, new starts and all that. Tigers by a slim margin?

[Havak]

Good to see Andy Powell buckling down at Sale and avoiding any further controversy. After all flipping the bird at the opposition crowd is all part of a Professionals code of practice these days?

[finbar]

A dim lad. To be generous to him.

[finbar]

Wilko wants another Lions tour. Yes please!

[Havak]

Well it was utterly disgraceful what the Wallabies set out to do to him in Melbourne last time so he must be mad. There is no doubt in my mind that they set out to cripple him and darn near managed to.

And do you remember the injury to Larkham in the same test? Appalling tackling technique saw him slip down the leg (Was it Cohen?) and get a mouth full of studs - boy he was a mess.

But my main memory of what was then the Colonial stadium was the yellow nazis. A tiny section of the crowd but the Channel 7 coverage (production) tried to make it look like they were the whole stadium. Pathetic insecure nonsense all too common from the Aussie media.

Old ground I know Finbar but the media in your country of origin left a lasting impression on me. They made the Sun look like quality journalism and Sky's Rugby coverage seem totally unbiased in comparison.