Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[Havak]

Thye have been quite successful - just couldn't beat NZ in the big games when it mattered. They dominate the ladies 6N.

But thank for pointing out the lack of success for the fellas again.

And yes size of ground and freehold issues with both Wasps and Exiles - never the less coming from Tigers where we value our traditions and origins very highly I still find the move of franchises into football grounds (nowhere near their actual place of origin) rather sad. You see Reading is not actually London - so London Irish is now a misnoma. And Wycombe Wasps is even more bizarre.

[Havak]

Lawes has now joined Croft in missing the 6N. The pack has lost a lot of mobility there.

[finbar]

Indeed. And Deacon is a great club player but short of top class; Charlie H is Charlie H; and Joe Simpson, from what I've seen, is quick, has skills, but is seriously lightweight.

[Havak]

Right now in fact my view is that Ben Youngs is as critical to England as Dan Carter is to NZ. We have a lot of fairly good scrummies - but he is streets ahead.

Yep Deacon is playing really well - but he is a Palmer-esque lock (physical presence and graft) and had never been as comfortable in an England shirt as he is in a Tigers one. He is good - and fifteen years ago would have been stand out good - but Lawes is the modern mould for a lock and the enforcer/atheletic combo is becoming popular?

I wonder if you have noticed that yesterday Geragthy was quietly dropped from the Saxons squad (following his demotion from the EPS last autumn)? It's gone very wrong for him since he moved to Saints - he can't get first XV time there either.

[finbar]

Shane Geraghty's career is an indictment of English rugby. He's the missing link at Saints. Myler can kick goals but can't connect with the threatening backline because he hasn't got a clue how. But he's the safe option because he kicks goals. J**** picked him for England at 12 and ordered a kicking game. Complete waste of time and talent. He's the closest thing England have to Quade Cooper and I've seen him perform in that vein against class opposition. Shame, English rugby, shame.

[finbar]

Unfortunate news about G. Murphy. The chap's jinxed. Always seemed like a pleasant cove, too.

[kittenOFchaos]

Sale manage to keep Sheridan.

[finbar]

It can only be good for Sale that he's staying. They need some stability. I read somewhere that he priced himself out of contracts elsewhere.

[Havak]

He is no spring chicken either - but pleased Sale are keeping someone. I still see them as relegation favourites next season - Worcester have deeper pockets.

Not the first shame Finbar for English rugby, nor will it be the last.

Geordan is indeed a really nice bloke and his loyalty to our club has always been Irelands loss. Until Kearney arrived on the scene Geordan was the best player that Ireland never picked - and as a young man he was a match for Kearney anyway. Of course now both are injured so Ireland have full back problems for the 6N.

[finbar]

Pity Scarlets didn't have much more than good hands and a willingness to run the ball from anywhere. They butchered a couple of tries but Leicester were always going to apply the screws. Yet more bouts of stupid indiscipline from Leicester - you're turning into a mug, Castro - and I can do without seeing Ben Youngs - a brilliant young talent - winding up the oppo crowd. Tuilagi's wing was a defensive black hole, too. He was lucky it wasn't more costly.

Biarritz were rubbish against Ulster. When - oh when - will it be accepted that Traille isn't a #10?

[finbar]

Cripes, Munster were even more rubbish against Toulon. Though Toulon played well, doing everything Munster couldn't, like getting across the gain line on a regular basis instead of constantly running sideways and diagonally. The Munster scrum was as poor as usual, their discipline little better, and the defence that allowed the Sackey try was dire. The scoreline flattered Munster, with Wallace scoring a consolation try, somehow running around Contepomi. Felipe won't want that on his highlights reel.

Paul Sackey looks more like Janet Jackson every day. I only kept watching in the hope of a wardrobe malfunction.

[Havak]

Dark times for Munster - failing to leave the Pool stage for the first time in thirteen years I think.

I don't like the winding up crowds thing and am not defending Ben - but unless you have been an Englishman playing a Welsh side in Wales you simply have no idea what the atmosphere is like. Tigers clearly fed on it a little too much in their motivation. Did you notice the Scarlet fans boo opposition scores and fail to observe silence for the kicks (as the best British Isles sides do)?

You are quite right of course - he is too talented to indulge in crowd baiting. Say it on the pitch via your actions.

What did you make iof the Sky commentary - Irish commentator, Ieuan Evans (Captain Cymru) on 'colour', Scott Quinnell (long time Llanelli number eight) on the 'front row' analysis. Even in the closing minutes with Scarlets on the wrong end of a good score if you were only listening you would have thought Llanelli were romping it.

It probably was a ruck when tanky popped that pass by the way - but on repeated viewing it is clear Mr Rolland never called it. I understand Scarlets feeling aggrieved but you play to the whistle I am afraid.

[finbar]

I think you said a couple of weeks ago that Munster were rebuilding. That's the problem. They should have been but haven't. The scrum has been poor for several seasons. And I think they're losing Paul Warwick.

Ah, commentators. Is there an unbiased one? I still think the best pair, despite their hyperbole, are Harrison and Barnes on Sky. I don't get Sky's "Frontline" analysis here. I get the description but no pictures. I also frequently don't get pictures of replay analysis. Sky Italy obviously takes the signal feed straight from the ground rather than relayed from Sky UK.

Very good article on Serge Betsen in the Guardian. Sounds like a great bloke.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jan/18/serge-betsen-interview-wasps

[Havak]

Sounds like an utter doofus. Likes Wasps, implies he would have been unhappy at Leicester. Yes, a total doofus I would say.

[finbar]

implies he would have been unhappy at Leicester.

Ah! I couldn't quite put my finger on what I liked about him!

Lewis Moody goes missing. Time for a Steffon Armitage recall.