Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[finbar]

Well, yes. The best team in world rugby won so justice was finally done. Beyond that, it was a wobbly old tournament.

Maybe it did say more about Sale, but Leicester's returning "WC crew" stood up, as I thought they would. They're quality in the Premiership context.

[kittenOFchaos]

I know it's considered poor form to quote yourself, especially just to say "I told you so".

This is aimed at me isn't it?

I've had a chance to watch the whole NZ - France game. Very entertaining with some very memorable moments.

Have to say that Trinh-Duc can't be the best option France had for 10 - far too erratic. As much good play as bad/useless.

Kaino was definitely lucky not to be penalised...apart from that the referee did pretty well I thought.

[LDiCesare]

Trinh-Duc may not be the best 10 in France, but he's the only one to have been tried by Lièvremont.
There are many foreign fly halves in the France championship, however, so we don't have that many options.
Still, other options included Skrela (hurt), Michalak, Wisniewski, Beauxis. Boyet might have been tried in the past, Talès would be worth seeing. But apart from Wisniewski and maybe Talès, there aren't many other options. Maybe Doussain and Bézy from Toulouse, but Doussain plays 9 and Bézy has to compete with McAllister and Beauxis.
Overall, we don't have many fly halves, and none of them is outsanding.

[finbar]

T-D can be very good on his day but he mixes it up a bit. He was poor early in the WC but who knows how much that had to do with what was going on behind the scenes. I read somewhere that he wasn't popular within the squad. I have no idea if it's true. Anyway, I thought he got better. His tactical kicking became a handy weapon, especially against England.

But beyond Dan Carter, there's a shortage of top quality 10s in world rugby at the moment, and certainly a lack of depth.

[Havak]

Of course we are all hoping the recipient of the IRB Young player of the year award is about to alleviate that shortage a little.

Or is that just me?

And I would be most grateful Finbar if you could get your address book out and give Mr Henry a quick call. He has expressed interest in working for the RFU. Someone needs to warn the poor soul what that means in reality.

[finbar]

He said this morning that he's staying in NZ in some sort of coaching mentor capacity. Anyway, the latest story has it that J**** will stay with a "freshened up" coaching team. J****, being the loyal - to the point of blindness - soul that he is, might choose to go with the coaches. Who knows?

Don't get your hopes up. Gavin Henson was IRB YPOTY exactly 10 years ago.

[Havak]

Way to crush a man Finbar.

I have no idea what J will do. My instinct however says he is no quitter. I also tend to think many of those sub-coaches should go - much as I admire the ex-Tigers amongst them (as the players they were not for the coaching) some of them have been in place through the whole period since 2004. And it has been pretty catastrophic on the whole.

[finbar]

An England rugby supporter getting his hopes up is akin to anyone accepting a cheque drawn on a Greek bank: bound to end in tears.

[Havak]

In my defence I was getting my hopes up more for Tigers than England. However if history is an indication to future probability we may well lose both Flood and Ford to the England match day squads.

[finbar]

Just watched an utterly bizarre Leicester-Irish game. How can Leicester have a non-try to thank for drawing a game they should have won by two streets? Because, 1-8, they're in fine shape. 9-15, with one or two exceptions, they're very very very average. That's obviously down to a cruel glut of injuries, but, still, that was a poor last quarter response to an - at best - gutsy Irish effort.

[finbar]

I've since noticed that Cockers agrees.

[kittenOFchaos]

Finally an awesome signing for Sale Sharks!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/15634513.stm

[finbar]

Very promising young lock with great potential. Dynamic around the park but not yet strong in the scrum. In fact, that pack Diamond is putting together is seriously dodgy in terms of scrummaging. Buckley is a giant but soft, Dickinson just soft. I'd be interested to know why Gray chose Sale in front of other, stronger opportunities. He won't be playing HC and the likelihood is that he won't be anytime soon.

[Havak]

Sadly I've been swamped at work. Too swamped to react to the way we threw away the full four points last weekend.

But honestly I suppose I must ask what can we expect when we had two wingers playing in the centre?

Gray is a fine signing for Sale but I echo the surprise at where he has chosen to go. He must simply have wanted out from Glasgow come what may perhaps?

And I see Sarries have signed a supposedly big name League player (I've never heard of him but then that code puts me to sleep within a minute). I'll go on record here as saying that I do not believe Sarries can be complying with the salary cap. I'd quite like to see them investigated (actually along with the for sale Wasps I'd really like to see then go under). If only there was a reputable Professional body in England that could investigate them.

[kittenOFchaos]

What happens if Tindall refuses to pay the obnoxious £25,000 fine he has been given for a bit of drinking and taking a kiss to the fore-head.

Currently the IRB and RFU appear intent on becoming more and more like FIFA (an organisation England should boycott - set up our own Federation).