Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

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A win is a win is a win, to paraphrase Gertrude Stein. I posted a few weeks ago about Dan Braid. A quality player in his own right but he leads and inspires. Just the sort of player Sale needed. Just short of Test class in ABs terms but excellent for the Queensland Reds in his stint there and he'll be the same at Sale. Cameron Shepherd at FB, too, is another good signing. Skilled and a wise old head.

I was looking at the draw last night. Sale have Quins and Tigers coming up but Irish have equally tough matches. Irish -v- Sale on Easter Sunday will probably be the decider.

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Ryan Lamb to Tigers next season. Good grief.

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And they're signing David Mele from Perpignan as another 9. Is that the end for Micky Young? Or Harrison?

[kittenOFchaos]

Ryan Lamb to Tigers next season. Good grief.

Ryan Lamb...rugby's littlest hobo.

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[Havak]

I think Micky Youngs is in the last year of his contract, but then again it could be that both he and Harrison move on. The latters development has stalled in the last two seasons.

So what exactly did Parisse call the referee then Finbar?

I don't need to say what a huge loss he is for Italy do I? It could even be the difference to give Wales the victory. Whilst Welsh fans are revelling in beating an abject France the truth is they still played a very limited game. I would imagine Wales will only peak in time for England as usual.

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Sergio was alleged to have called the ref a lady's front bottom. In French. Conne. Sergio seems to have claimed he said con fini which I think sort of amounts to complete idiot. Regardless, I gather the ref has since between stood down for his reffing performance in the match. I can still see Italy holding Wales in Rome. They won in Paris because they were marginally less rubbish than the French.

Speaking of the French, PSA seems finally to have come to his senses and selected a team capable of good rugby. Whether it's forthcoming is another matter.

[Havak]

I would much rather he hadn't bothered.

Three interesting fixture in this round I think. Scotland v Ireland could be a cracker?

If he used the alleged word he was guilty of poor judgement at the least. We have to defend even poor officials lest we go the way of kissball and have refs constantly mobbed by players shouting profanities?

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I've no doubt he used the alleged word. Sergio isn't known for a lack of ego.

I think it's a great weekend of rugby. All three could go either way.

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Shame Cipriani's missed penalties cost Sale a LBP. It would have come in handy.

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If there were ever any doubt that PSA is a paid English saboteur in the French camp, yesterday proved it. With the right players playing in their right positions for the first time in the tournament, the French looked dangerous. On top in the scrum, Parra running their game giving them shape for the first time, and T-D, while doing nothing outstanding, not having Michalak moments. So, between the 53rd and 65th minutes, PSA hooks Parra, T-D, Mas, Kayser and Nyanga. And France reverted pretty much to the rabble they've been.

I heard yesterday that Conor O'Shea, commenting on the French situation, said PSA has already lost the dressing room and the starting team yesterday wasn't his doing. If true, how very French. And, if true, you could be forgiven for thinking PSA wanted his own version of the team on the field. Hence the mindless subs.

Anyway, England survived. Manu's try shouldn't have been with the ball kicked into his teammate in an offside position but too late now. I've no idea why Farrell Jnr was being so bad-tempered and obnoxious from the kick off. Maybe he over-pumped himself for the occasion, but it didn't help his game. It's time to spell Ashton. His defence is becoming a liability and his twattishness an embarrassment. France's first half was the best opposition they have met - and will meet in the tournament - and England struggled to cope. Still, it's a young team, and Lancaster has done a very good job.

Wales v Italy was one of the worst matches you could ever see. The Welsh will be glowing, talking of corners turned, et al, but they were little better than they were against France. Italy were just terrible. Barring PSA joining the England camp, England have a GS in their pockets.

[Havak]

You can rest assured some Welsh fans have them as World Champions elect again by now. Though not those who contribute here I am sure.

It was a bizarre experience watching the Italy game on BBC as the play-by-play commentator went ill right at the start (travellers tummy) so the BBC drafted pitchside numpty Shame Williams in to do colour whilst Davies switched to play by play. All Shane wanted to do was praise his mates. Thankfully for the second half the Beeb found another taff who could actually call play-by-play and let Davies revert to colour. It was therefore a much calmer second half for the viewer.

Undeniably accidental offside in the Manu try. The assistant referee should have called that one? Lucky - but then perhaps fortune favours the brave?

I wanted to discuss the insane substitutions - take off your most effective players at a critical point - but as always you have done a thorough job of it and leave me nothing to add.

Did you notice Tigers blew it against Saracens? In fact they rather blew us away in a fantastic second half display.

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I noticed that Leicester bottled it. Cost my tipping dearly. I was switching between Italian and BBC commentary on the Rome match. Poor old Shane didn't have a clue. Nor does Jiffy when he's covering a Wales game. Just insanely biased drivel. He's better when covering non-Wales games.

No, fortune didn't favour the brave. They got away with it, that's all.

Watching Irish -v- Wasps. Looking like an Irish win. Pity for Sale.

[LDiCesare]

Might be a good thing I got a nicely poached eye on Friday. I saw France play only with one eye. Maybe it made it less painful.
Manu's try invalid, but France played an awful second half. THREE interceptions? Michalak shouldn't be selected if he keeps playing like that. Clerc didn't get much ball but his long pass was not needed either.
The scrum was solid until he got Kayser and Domingo out. That's a real pity. Domingo was a marvel to watch, and Mas is always great. Replacing an excellent front row with a set of players who proved inferior to Wales against England. The coaching was silly indeed. The only exception might be Fritz (the penalty he leaked was another bout of bad refereeing, as he was standing on his feet, but at that point it hardly mattered) who brought something when he came in.
Actually the closed eye didn't make it less painful...

[Havak]

On this occassion I will take getting away with it.

I hope you spared yourself the Scotland-Ireland match. Fascinating as it was it certainlty was not the cracker I hoped for. Ireland should have been out of sight in the first half, but Scotland defended well and actually finished much the better side when the see finally sawed.