Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[finbar]

So LW go down. They would have anyway regardless of the points deduction. Tigers very powerful yesterday. Not Toby Flood's finest game.

[Havak]

I think as a Sale fan I'd be quite angry at that actually - I'd be asking why they had been so much less than the sum of their parts all season up to that point.

And I see Lyn Jones is whining once again. I would imagine being caught breaking the rules does hamper club morale a bit but the moral is clear - hide it better if you do so. Ask the Bok franchise for advice.

Such a shame too to see Wasps continue to struggle on and off the field. Yet another new owner coming in.

[finbar]

Phaw. Duck for cover. He's firing this morning.

[Havak]

And missing it seems?

Yes for my sins I work in IT - jack of all trades (Distributed Systems Support). And contrary to the allegation I can work with MacOS, I simply prefer working with real computers.

All flavours of windows, LINUX, MacOS, Android, iOS - all just a means to an end. I even dabble with more niche OS's at times - even Windows phone and it doesn't get more niche than that.

I actually love my little Lumia 800 running Windows phone 7.8. I know -weird eh?

[Havak]

So Rory Clegg is returning to Newcastle after four years spent shining the Pine at Quins - a good move for the lad methinks?

[finbar]

I actually love my little Lumia 800 running Windows phone 7.8. I know -weird eh?

I have no idea what it is but I'm sure it qualifies for nerd status.

Clegg became entirely redundant when Botica turned up. He had to go somewhere. What a waste of a couple of vital years in his career. What stood out originally, at Newcastle, was his maturity for his age. What we never got to see was whether he had anything more than solid skills beyond that. Newcastle seem set to return to the Premiership providing they don't fall in the playoffs - they seem to be about 1000 points ahead of second place in Championship - so we might get to see what he has to offer next season.

[Havak]

Unless Leeds/Bristol do a London Welsh?

[finbar]

Well, yes. That play-off system is nonsensical.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, yes. That play-off system is nonsensical.

It does keep things interesting...otherwise things would have been wrapped up months ago.

[finbar]

If one team is that much better over the season, as Newcastle clearly have been, they should be promoted. Otherwise second (or even third) best is being promoted. What good is that to anyone?

[kittenOFchaos]

If one team is that much better over the season, as Newcastle clearly have been, they should be promoted. Otherwise second (or even third) best is being promoted. What good is that to anyone?

It is good news to the viewer - drama and a finale to the season.

Not such a good day for Saracens or Leicester and consequently my accumulators...

Nor for Sale, 65 minutes in and it doesn't look like Sale will get a point. It is 35 points to 0 atm and Northampton look capable of plenty more.

Edit: Final score at Franklin Gardens, Northampton 47 and Sale Sharks 7 (Gaskell scoring with the last move of the game). The fact is we had a team with many inexperienced players and a very young front row and given London Welsh were destroyed earlier, it didn't matter.

[finbar]

Well, good news to the viewer but what of the bigger rugby picture? A second- or third-best Championship team promoted to the Premiership and out of its depth. What good does that do anyone? Or rugby? A classic case of the marketing cart put before the horse. There's so much of that these days.

Bath were surprisingly good yesterday even if S. Donald wasn't. They wanted it more than Leicester who really need to do something about their breakdown work.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, good news to the viewer but what of the bigger rugby picture?

London Welsh didn't do badly until that points deduction knocked the stuffing out of them along with a Sale revival since New Year.

Bristol have managed to throw it away twice...even with a points advantage...and Bristol certainly don't look like the business this season. I'm sure Newcastle won't have much trouble spanking the opposition on their way to promotion.

[Havak]

I like the old fashioned League system even though it would mean Saracens being crowned champions a week on saturday instead of at a pseudo final in late May.

Kissball has retained first past the post in their top flight and no sport knows more about fleecing fans (or "making the game interesting for the viewer" if you prefer) than kissball.

Bath wanted it more at the Rec - as they should given their huge fall from grace the last fifteen years. Bustards.

You would assume Tigers will roll Irish at Welford Road but as Finbar says they will need to sort of the breakdown to then overcome Quins in the semi.

[Havak]

Something in the water at Sale again I see - Powell effectively retiring from rugby altogether and Cipriani falling under a bus? It would appear his relationship with alcohol may still be a robust one?