Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[Havak]

That's my boys.

We are an old club, I never realised quite how old.

[Havak]

I see that Rob Andrew's role might be 'redefined' as part of the recommendations the new RFU Chief Executive is due to unveil today. About time.

Of course for every ying there must be a yang - and in this case in seems Sir Clive is set to return in some role.

Totally off topic I see the piccies of the Aussie PM swanning about Sydney and find that she rather looks like a human goose. Still better than looking like a babies a*** the way our PM does eh Finbar? Or a smug g** like our deputy PM (aka David's fall guy).

[finbar]

I was just reading about Teflon Andrew's repositioning. I can't see SCW dipping a toe back into those fetid waters in the short term what with his Olympics job and people like Teflon still in the building. I don't even know whether he's the right man for the job. I see Jake White and Eddie Jones are putting their metaphorical hands up.

Julia Gillard is Welsh. Daughter of ten quid immigrants. She's a walking shame. Apart from her horrendous nasal Strine voice, she once had passion about her. She once believed in things. She might even have had vision. She's now yet another captive of modern Labor's soulless, focus group-driven pursuit of the Lowest Common Denominator, where the primary aim is not to scare the horses - the horses, in this case, being a stableful of deeply conservative, selfish, self-absorbed, smug racists. The only consolation is that Julia's mob are marginally less appalling than the alternative.

If this all sounds familiar, New Labour was actually invented in Australia around 20 years ago only in a less odious form. Blair took the idea, gave it a label, ba*tardised it, and returned it to Australia.

[Havak]

It sounds terribly familiar. Although your definition of the horses sounds rather like our current ConDem-Nation administration too.

I think both Jake and Eddie could do a good job at the RFU. I can perhaps see SCW dipping back in if he thinks it is part of the process that will drive teflon out. No love lost there.

*edit* I don't even believe SCW ruling himself out actually rules it out. Have you chaps seen the nonsense about the Wasps-Quins game being held abroad? And Dayglo talking of building Wasps as a global brand. Dreaming larry, dreaming!

[finbar]

I suspect SCW might have some role to play post-2012, which ain't that far away.

Building Wasps as a global brand via Abu Dhabi? I think they opened an atlas, closed their eyes and poked a finger at a page. Still, there's always the duty-free shopping.

A judiciary finally caught up with Dave Attwood. Good thing too. Though this is troubling:

The Welshman ruled Attwood's stamp was in the top-end range for the level of seriousness and ordered an 18-week ban. But after considering Attwood's guilty plea and the player's "exemplary conduct", Williams halved the suspension to nine weeks.

They overlooked his history. Even if it didn't land him before the beak only thanks to an administrative c*ck-up.

[Havak]

How does being well turned out and polite at the hearing affect the length of the ban? I assume that is what "exemplary conduct" means in this context? Disciplinary panels are still getting it wrong world wide.

Attwood is a talented player - but unless he reigns in the excesses that he indulges in he may face more than a disciplinary panel sooner rather than later.

SCW will dip his toe back in at some point - a healthy ego has that man. His autobiography is well worth reading for an insight into the man. One thing he did do was drag the RFU into the Professional era (albeit kicking and screaming all the way). And the RFU remains a reasonable financial success in the pro era - time for the team to match that success on the field again. No 6N title since 2003 is not acceptable - particularly when resource starved Wales have slammed twice in the meantime. And boy don't they remind us.

Of course England have a secret weapon for the 6N - Gavin Henson. He helps us every time he opens his mouth about Wales. I wonder what Hook and Roberts make of Gav's touting for a Wales shirt?

[Havak]

And one cannot let today go without pointing out that one would very much like to be in Sydney right now.

[finbar]

Can't imagine why. It's warm, wet and humid. Foul weather.

[finbar]

Cracking old game 'tween Leicester and Saints with what I thought was always a predictable result. I've seen quite a lot of Saints and never been entirely convinced by them. The ingredients are there - great scrum, forwards strong in the loose, excellent counter-rucking, talented backs - but it doesn't gel often enough. They lack a ruthless, hard-headed professionalism and mental discipline. They lack what Leicester has in spades. Obviously injuries hurt them yesterday - Lawes, in particular, in terms of the lineout - but I reckon their problem starts at the top. Their skipper is a petulant child who provides no control, no direction, no discipline, no professionalism. His priority is the cheap shot and he was at it again yesterday. Saints won't take the next big step with an idiot as a skipper. Shame, because the team has talent to burn.

Leicester overcame their ongoing scrum difficulties - I suspect the ageing George Chuter is one of the main problems, he's popped up much too easily - by destroying Saints' lineout. It wasn't all down to Hartley's ordinary throwing, it was lineout science on Leicester's part. Beyond that, it was Leicester's commitment and mental toughness and, for once, discipline, that did the job. They're greater than the sum of their parts, Saints the exact opposite.

First time I've seen Thomas Waldrom in action in that shirt. I don't know what they put in the water at Leicester but he's ten times as mobile as he ever was in the SH.

[Havak]

I think it is fair to say Thomas is enjoying his time at the club. They worked on his conditioning - and his weight - when he arrived. He seems to thrive in the shirt. Like all our Canterbury signings he also has a good rugby brain.

Enjoyable game all round - no quarter given. Even when not looking for the cheap shot Hartley is always yawping in opposition ears - something is clearly wired wrong with him and I tend to agree with you that they need a different skipper - Wood or Foden maybe. Both speak well and work hard.

And yes Chuter has 'gone over' as they say - it happens to the best of them. Rob Hawkins is the coming man for us at hooker. Highly rated within the club but I've seen too little of him myself to form a judgement yet. Came from Bath in the close season I believe (so swam against the tide there).

Some of Saints counter rucking was pretty awesome. They are really moving in the right direction. And they will grow the hard nosed pragmatism of Tigers if they keep on in the direction they are going.

[finbar]

Their counter-rucking was astonishing. Individually, there wouldn't be a more talented outfit in the premiership - except for Myler, good kicker that he is, but whose limitations gum up the likes of Ashton and Foden. What they need is a culture, and not the one Hartley practises. They will never develop hard-nosed pragmatism while he's at the wheel, or at least till he grows a brain.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, Sale managed to draw with Newcastle and it has also been confirmed that Charlie Hodgson is leaving for Saracens.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/sale/9352005.stm

The only positive from this is that it forces the management at the club to face up to the reality of the situation.

I'm seriously tempted to support Saracens given CH is from my school and that I could actually get to more Saracens games given I live in London. I does however mean supporting Saracens...and I don't know if I could ever do that

[finbar]

Even contemplate supporting Sarries and you'll be red-carded from this thread forevermore!

[Havak]

Sarries are moving grounds at the end of the season - do we know where to?

My problem with Sarries is with the clubs executive - they have the self declared aim of "pushing the boundaries on and off the field" and I personally believe that the spirit and traditions of Union should be observed. For that reason I would support a red card against you for following them.

It's a real shame becasue the original fez boys were a cracking good laugh to have visit. Many of them were lost with the move to Watford. I recall reading that Sarries expect a completely different fanbase when they move (i.e they don't care if existing fans can no longer make the new ground). What with Wasps and Exiles already having ditched their original homes there is a worrying move toward US style mobile franchises. What next, MK Tykes?

[finbar]

Weren't there problems with some of those grounds? Size and sharing?

I notice the England Girls' skipper has stepped down. Led to them a lot more success than any of the blokes' team has had. And she's a #8. And better looking than Nick Easter. And couldn't be less mobile.