Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[kittenOFchaos]

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?

The publicity may sell a few more season tickets for us.

Bath appear to be buying...everybody.

[kittenOFchaos]

I had Clermont to win first half, then Munster to win at 14 - 1.

Feel abit robbed. Munster had at least 2 cracking opportunities to score...and had Nigel Owens correctly called that last pass by POC...who knows. Clermont were definitely hanging on, Munster were in the ascendancy. Boo!

PaddyPower did a matching bet. So £5 on the Munster game gave me another £5 bet on Saracens Vs Toulon. Sarries to win by 6-10 at 5-1. Were I to do it again I would have put it on Toulon to get a red (with Bakkies and Delon, it is a certainty). Edit: Couldn't resist...we've £2 on Toulon to get a red

Sure...I waste money betting. But, I waste money on alot of things. Cat decided to cost £330 on x-rays, anti-biotics and the removal of an infected claw. Good thing he is such an awesome cat.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, at half-time not enough rugby has been played to get anyone fired up enough for a red-card.

The atmosphere is dismal compared to yesterday.

[kittenOFchaos]

Saracens 12 - Toulon 24

Saracens squandered two fantastic try scoring positions with poor passing. Well beaten in the end by the boot of Wilkinson.

I thought Charlie looked very sharp once he came on. Farrell, shouldn't be going to Australia with the Lions on the basis of this game.

In my opinion, very few Saracen players raised their game today...the exceptions were players such as Borthwick and Brown, the rest looked pretty lethargic.

[Havak]

I didn't catch any of the rugby but that is for being a cat man. I have two insane examples myself.

[finbar]

I'm a dog man. That aside, our neighbour has let feral cats breed on his property and they invade my vegie garden, digging up stuff, peeing and crapping everywhere. I'm about to erect a version of electric fencing designed to keep cats out. A couple of jolts and they won't come back in a hurry.

Didn't see yesterday's game. Sounds like Sarries' limited game was exposed. The Lions 10 shirt is pretty much a raffle. It's ridiculous that Jonny, at his age, should be a serious contender. I like him a lot, think he's a quality person and has been a great player, but Test rugby is a huge step up from the rugby he has been playing. I would take Sexton in front of Farrell Jnr only because he's capable of so much more than the flat-capped, ferret-wielding lad. He's produced it more often for Leinster than Ireland but some of that has to be down to the rubbish Ireland set-up with OAP O'Gara forever hanging over Sexton's head like a Sword of Damocles. Farrell Jnr is very young still and plays by rote, by numbers. No sign of much instinct. I don't think he has it in him.

Munster were brave against Clermont who seemed to suffer from an attack of nerves.

[Havak]

I’m both – I love dogs as much as cats but with my work commitments it wouldn’t be fair to have a mutt. Cats you can leave alone for lengthy periods.

And even domestic cats can be very destructive with gardens – it doesn’t bother me but I do recognise it is a problem for gardeners. Mine are trained to use a tray – and do so – but will still dig up or eat my plants as it seems instinctive behaviour.

Feral cats – well they are a handful. Forgive me for saying but I consider your neighbour an idiot for allowing it. He has done neither yourself nor the cats any favours at all allowing a colony to establish.

Sonic deterrents work well with cats too btw. Though I think electric fences are likely to send a clear message too.

Ah the Lions – I have no idea who will get the ten shirt but I still fear a Welsh dominated, and therefore fatally flawed, squad. We will find out tomorrow.

[kittenOFchaos]

On the basis of this weekend, you'd take Wilkinson and leave Farrell at home.

I'd take Sexton, Wilkinson, Biggar and in that order.

[finbar]

Feral cats – well they are a handful. Forgive me for saying but I consider your neighbour an idiot for allowing it. He has done neither yourself nor the cats any favours at all allowing a colony to establish.

Sonic deterrents work well with cats too btw. Though I think electric fences are likely to send a clear message too.

He is an idiot. He has a pathological hatred/fear of birds. He believes they carry diseases. Some, like pigeons, certainly can, but he won't be told that cats - particularly feral ones - can carry even more and worse diseases. Like Toxoplasmosis. Mrs finbar likes to encourage birds like Red Breasts, etc, into our garden and he does his best to stop them with the feral cats. D1ck.

I've looked at those sonic cat deterrents. Do you know for sure that they work? They seem to get mixed reviews. Our garden is terraced, rising about 30' from bottom to top, making fencing very difficult. The sonic things aren't cheap - about £40 each - but they would be easier.

Back to rugby. I caught up with a replay of Sarries-Toulon last night. Farrell, particularly in the second half, just lost the plot completely. After at least one temperamentally suspect effort in the 6N, and a couple during Premiership matches, his relative youth is underlined. I still can't see Fatland not taking him though. I suspect that Wilko's availability, etc, will count against him.

[finbar]

As I thought. Anyway, some even more bizarre selections than even I anticipated. Matt Stevens? *stifles a giggle* Only two 10s? Apparently, extraordinarily, Fatland has said Hogg will be the 10 cover. He hasn't played a moment of professional rugby at 10. I gather Wilko will be on stand-by from the time he finishes his Top-14 commitments.

The back row situation looks odd. Lydiate, a good player, but has barely played after injury and hasn't been much chop since he's returned. Croft? Fatland obviously wants mobility. Heaslip? Only shows the lack of decent available 8s. Not at all surprised that Robshaw didn't make it. A very dedicated hard worker and that's it.

Centres? BOD, ageing but still skilled, surrounded by a lot of bosh.

Murray and Phillips are peas in a pod and won't cause the Wallabies the slightest trouble. Youngs will. But I can't see Fatland starting him.

Glad to see Maitland make it. Quality player, very good reader of the game in both attack and defence. Bowe is a fine player, too, but has played very little rugby.

A very odd squad.

[kittenOFchaos]

I wouldn't have selected Gethin Jenkins (dreadfully out of form) or Matt Stevens for that matter. If he wanted a wildcard in the front row he should have selected Julian White

With the hookers, there is a real dearth of talent. As long as he didn't pick Ross Ford no-one would complain.

Locks...Richie Gray has had a very poor season and is really lucky to be going. Geoff Parling? Who? Good in the line-out? Compared to what? If you want the best line-out specialist in these Isles you want Borthwick

The back-row is pretty strong and we're lucky that Pocock is broken. I approve of the selections.

Scrum-halves...Genia is better than all three rolled into one.

Flyhalf...Quade Cooper is superior to our options. Sexton is coming back from injury and Farrell has suffered a dip in form. I'd take Biggar over Farrell given that we must make use of the quality of our backline. Personally, I'd have selected Sexton, Biggar and Charlie Hodgson.

CH? He plays flat and is still awesome at getting the backline moving. In terms of place-kicking, we've got Half-Penny. Hogg at fly-half...madness.

Centers...easy to select. No surprises, these guys are the business.

Wings...excellent selections. Cuthbert and North to start.

Full-backs...really pleased that Stuart Hogg got short-listed. It'll be a battle between Hogg and Kearney as to who replaces Half-Penny when he knocks himself out. It is certain that Half-Penny will start.

[finbar]

Keep an eye on Nic White, from the Brumbies, Will Genia's back up. He would have started last season after Genia's injury but for a shoulder op. I'd take White, inexperienced as he is, in front of the Irishman and the Welshman. Ben Youngs, for all his ups and downs, is Fatland's best chance against the Wallabies. He always bothers them. But Fatland won't start him.

Centres? One 12 and three 13s? Presumably they will be looking at someone like Farrell or Sexton to cover 12. Bring it on, would say the Wallabies.

[Havak]

Borthwick over Parling – that is bait tailor made for me I think? Geoff is one of those unheralded players – unfussy and effective. He is a fantastic line out captain. However Fatland will play Wyn-Jones and POC anyway so no point debating Geoff – mid week player.
Fatland is also very likely to select the utterly predictable and deeply unimpressive Phillips for his test nine, though Youngs should be the bench option so there is hope there. Youngs sparks off high quality opposition so Genia and White should tease the best out of him.

But then you know my views – I would say fifteen Welshmen is about five too many. And Warburton is the skipper who led Wales to their record eight game losing streak isn’t he? He gets injured, they start winning so Warren gives him the armband? I’d much rather have seen POC or BOD get it, veterans though they are. I actually felt it was quite important for squad unity that a welshman didn’t get it but of course I did expect the Welsh coach to pick a Welshman.

I stand by my prediction that the Wallabies have an easy series whitewash coming up. They proved last year they can handle a rampant and confident Wales comfortably. I’ll further predict serious dissent in the camp over Fatlands Test selections. I feel an equivalent of 2001’s “Dai’s driftwood” (Dai Young’s mid-week side with no hope of test selection by Henry) may be the way it goes.

On the other question Finbar I should not claim to be an expert – sonic deterrents work well on my pair but they are fairly meek neutered domestic females. Feral toms might be a lot more resistant. I think there are some plants that cats detest the smell of and avoid too – might be worth looking at that. Dogs are a fantastic deterrent but is yours a big loveable lunk lacking the instinct for such work?

[finbar]

Sadly the big loveable lunk isn't with us anymore. We lost him last July. He was 12 1/2, a mighty age for his breed, but his overall health was failing and his back legs finally gave out. Skeletal problems are what usually do for the large breeds. Unfortunately this cat problem arose after his depature. He hated cats with a passion. If he were still around, and a few years younger, we wouldn't have the current problem.

The feral cats are more easily scared by sudden noises than the domestic ones. They bolt as soon as they hear me open the back door. The supposed weakness with the sonic things is older cats with hearing problems. They don't register the high-frequency blast.

Seems to me that Fatland has, predictably, picked personal favourites and, more, that he'd made up his mind quite a while ago. And, even more, there's not a lot of balance within the squad. Predicting a whitewash assumes that Dingo sends the Wallabies out with a game plan, something that's been lacking for a lot of his time in charge.

[finbar]

No probs, old son, you remember him well. Wonderful dog, and a big hit here with the locals in our little Tuscan town. Scared of his own shadow except when it came to cats. Hated them, would always chase them. Never successfully, but it was the thought that counted.