Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

[finbar]

Four weeks for the hair-pulling? Ridiculously disproportionate, I would have thought, given that, for example, Manu got five weeks for punching Ashton. One week, fair enough; possibly two. I read, too, that a stiffer penalty was demanded. Yet the punch throwers who weren't carded weren't even cited. The RFU judiciary continues to baffle.

[finbar]

No. Apparently the punch throwers - Argie winger, Murphy and Lawes - were awarded retrospective yellow cards. For punching. It gets sillier and sillier.

[Havak]

Well I would like to see the actual judgement but four weeks seems reasonable - the act directly caused a twenty man brawl so it seems fair that the idiot who perpetrated the act carries the can for that.

The yellows (level one citings) however are ridiculous. Punching is NOT a yellow card offence. And you might have mentioned Lawes has also received this.

Saints Dowson has also been banned for a rather stupid tackle on Goode the week before. Saints are starting to show signs of disciplinary trouble? And I say that in the knowledge that Tigers players have been punished for acts of retaliation which whilst still not acceptable is not quite as stupid as dargging someone off the field by their locks in the first place!

[finbar]

I did mention Lawes. I wouldn't have thought that an act that starts a brawl carries an extra penalty for the fact that it started a brawl. I think it's just the judiciary c*cking it up. They have a history.

[Havak]

Good lord - I can no longer read the English language. Apologies for that!

I regret I cannot be impartial on the disciplinary. To me the evil Saint that dishonoured the noble Tiger has got his just deserts.

[kittenOFchaos]

Citings...

Had Ashton been caught by the referee (or the blindest of the blind - the linesman), he would have conceded a penalty and may have received a yellow card. If he had been spotted and then a huge fight erupted, then the referee may have opted for a red.

What Ashton did was no more than a yellow card offense - he is getting punished because of the reaction by the Leceister players.

Brian O'Driscoll tackled George Smith by the dreadlocks and brought him down. George Smith quickly got up (legend) and got back into the game - no other player reacted. When the move broke down the referee awarded a penalty.

Ashton should have been criticised publically for his actions, but given it was only a yellow card offense it shouldn't go further. That said, hopefully it will get through to Ashton that he needs to be less of a ****. Northampton should also look to get OJ's lawyer for his appeal.

[Havak]

It's an interesting example certainly but that was just a fouled up tackle by BOD whilst the ball was in play. Should not have done it but very little malice of intent there and he hardly dragged George by the hair whilst he was down?

I dont see how we could represent what Ashton did as a similar tackle using the hair - a tackle had been made, he failed to hold the player in that tackle so he grabbed his hair and hauled a prone player out of play over the touchline. It is at the least conduct that is somewhat unbecoming for a Pro.

I actually don't particularly care if he was banned for it or not (the old fashioned part of me wishes he had his clock cleaned for it at the time and that would have been job done). My main concern is he gets these demons out his head before he does that in an England shirt. Could not care less if he loses games for Saints due to stupidity - but I do care if he loses games for England

[finbar]

The BOD incident is very different. It was a fouled-up tackle, BOD let go straight away and even apologised. The fat little pie-eater could perhaps argue that the initial hair-grab was part of a fouled-up tackle but, from what I saw, once he had his man on the ground, with one hand on the hair, he quite deliberately grabbed the hair with his other hand - now two hands - and dragged him.

EDIT. I remember hearing once that one team - possibly the Welsh - had competitions between themselves to see who could come away with a lock of George's hair.

[Havak]

Mind you that is what I call multi-tasking done the right way Finbar.

I recall a similar thing regarding Wales own "hair bears" in the coal face back in the day - bonus points for the blond and brunette set. Which all goes to show the game has not left it's amateur roots totally behind (in the UK at least).

Saints and mallinder are defending the Splash - as one would expect. I did find it amusing that the thrust of mallinders defence was that Chris "just wants to play rugby" and that Tuilagi takes some stopping (though he admitted it was probably done illegally - gracious of him). Perhaps Ashton can use it as a learning experience in that regard - it is in his own hands not to get cited after all.

[kittenOFchaos]

So, predictions for the weekend...

Any games you think could be drawn? Predict two drawn games and £5 turns to over £2000 :desire:

[Havak]

Nottingham and London Welsh look fairly evenly matched.

Racing metro and Exiles (both in poor form)

In terms of games that pique the interest well Quins v Toulouse and Sarries v Ospreys look tasty fixtures?

[finbar]

I'd go Racing and Irish the draw, too. I finished up tipping Racing but probably should have gone the draw.

My other tips were Ulster, Blues (not sure why), Toulouse (Quins scrum is rubbish), Glaws, Treviso, Saints, Scarlets (with Munster missing their back three), Sarries, Leinster, Glasgow (again not sure why) and Leicester (why I will never know). I fully expect to be 0/12 on Sunday night.

[Havak]

You back Tigers because they do have a good record against Clermont (though the big wins have all been at Welford Road)

What is the mood in Italy Finbar? Personally I am still smiling from reading a poster this morning who described Mr Sarkozy as "Merkel's attack Poodle".

[finbar]

In general terms there's decent goodwill here towards Mr Monti, the new technocrat PM, but whether anything will be achieved is another matter. The problem with raising taxes to overcome the deficit will be getting anyone to pay them. IVA - our version of VAT - is to be increased, but few pay it now. The cash-in-hand black economy is enormous. Wipe that out and the deficit would disappear, but old habits die very very hard around here. He also has plans to restructure the economy, strip back the bureaucracy, reform the workplace - all desperately needed - but, again, old habits. And the vested interests will always be in the background working against him. He's Italian, he knows what he's in for, but he's a decent, solid, principled chap and will give it a ago. I think the average Italian probably gives him a 20% chance of success.

[finbar]

So I'm 3/3. Still, another two days for me to end up 3/12. I thought Toulouse would burst the Quins bubble. Quins have been winning but not against this sort of oppo. Wasps smashed them in the first half last week but they recovered, saying as much about Wasps' weaknesses as anything. That Quins front 5 were never in the hunt and it all flowed from there. Marler, for his age, is a bright prospect in the loose. His scrummaging is poor. Shades of Cian Healy of a couple of years ago. Ireland have an excellent scrum coach, hopefully Marler can find someone as good. Robshaw tried very very hard against quality opponents. Hopefully the England management clean-out will see him given a chance at the higher level. I still don't fancy McAlister at 10. He's a 12 if anything, but with the platform he had last night he'd have found it hard to go wrong. Luke Burgess hasn't yet been seriously pressured at 9 so I'm reserving judgement. His energy and sniping and running has always been his forte, wayward passing under pressure his huge weakness. Maybe, behind that pack, he will never be under serious pressure. We shall see.