Rugby - The Game They Play In Heaven II

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Fine player. Pulled off a couple of the best tackles of the last 6N. He hadn't scored a try for eons, but that's in keeping with Scotland's approach to rugby. Perish the thought for Scotland that this opens the door for Hugo Southwell at FB, Mr McAccident Prone.

[Havak]

Rory Lamont is back to full fitness - he makes a better fb option perhaps?

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You would make a better FB option for Scotland than McStuffup McSouthwell. One would hope, for the sake of Scotland supporters, either Lamont or young S. Hogg.

[kittenOFchaos]

Paterson - one of the greatest Scottish players. A superb tackler given his slight build, a very good attacking runner at his best and a goal kicker who knew his limitations and so when he went for the posts he was typically successful. Like Wilkinson he is also a superb role model.

However, Scotland won't miss him much to be honest - his best days were behind him and goal kicking is an aspect of the game we're strong at. Dan Parks is also a very good kicker with a much greater range than Paterson. On his day Dan Parks is amazing with the boot - but he quite regularly has a mare. The younger Scottish no. 10's also seem to be pretty good with the boot - thank goodness we'll never have to opt for Godman again (that was a dark time).

I really hope Rory Lamont can stay fit and hit abit of form. Both Lamonts are amazing physical specimens that haven't really lived up to expectation - I really hope Rory gets the chance to shine he has had a miserable time with injuries.

What Scotland need is a better and bigger front-row (rather than occasionally good) and to select some genuine pace players in the backs - players that can beat a player one on one and keep going (we have precious few of those). Can't wait for Visser to pull on a Scotland jersey - the man is a try machine atm.

I think Scotland could be looking pretty good by England 2015 - by then I think we'll have an excellent squad and alot of those players with considerable experience.

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His best tackling days weren't behind him in the last 6N. Pulled off a couple of try-saving corkers.

Wells and Ford have finally parted ways with the RFU. Good thing. Wells in particular. He never quite fathomed that it was 2011. Or 2010. Or 2009. Or anything beyond 2003, really. The game changed and left him behind.

[kittenOFchaos]

I hate Aironi and Treviso, that is all this weekend

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I hate them too. Cripes, Bath are dire. Injuries, certainly, but they looked as clueless against Saints as they did against Leinster. The billionaire owner must be wondering what he bought with Stephen Donald. Many could have told him - a journeyman 10, guileless, a shovel-it-on-down-the-line type whose tactical kicking is erratic at best, dire at worst. The only mystery is why Graham Henry persisted with him for so long. Bath looked marginally better in the second half, but only because it was Saints' turn to play some rubbish rugby. It was Saints of old for 30 minutes of the first half - fast, powerful, always dangerous. Ryan Lamb was on song. After half-time, the reverse. Lamb is as flaky as ever. You also have to wonder about Mallinder's tacitcal nouse. Three tries till half time, the bonus-point try beckoning. With 20-25 minutes left, and no closer to the bonus-point try, he subbed his best players. No bonus point. Bizarre.

That aside, auguri a tutti!

[kittenOFchaos]

It was a very odd game, I don't know what Stuart Lancaster would have learnt from it. Perhaps not to bother with Ryan Lamb, hopefully to never, ever consider Barkley in any way shape or form.

Bath's inability to take advantage of 2 men in the bin was a testament to how useless they were. Northampton's refusal to go for the 4 tries (they were happy enough to put it out to end the game despite the fact that even if Bath got another score, they'd only get a losing bonus point which wouldn't have hurt Northampton one iota) was abit dodgy to be honest.

Right, off to Edgeley Park to watch Sale Vs Newcastle

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Sale -v- Newcastle. You glutton for punishment, you.

Saints had the entire second half to score the fourth try. They lost concentration and cohesion, overplaying their hands, as if the fourth try would come as a matter of right. It didn't, and, in the process, they only managed to make Bath look better than they were. A better skipper than Hartley would have tried to get them back on track. Instead, despite several warnings by the ref to both sides for poor discipline, Hartley was to be seen on the ground elbowing the oppo lock's head. No surprise that Saints copped two yellow cards. Hartley truly is a prat.

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Saw some of the Sale-Newcastle highlights last night. Looked like a couple of nicely worked Sale tries. I'd tipped a draw. Dang!

Wasps are rivalling Bath in the Clueless Stakes. Glaws took them apart aided by 40-odd missed Wasps tackles. Interestingly, HRH Tindall sat the game out and the Glaws midfield looked so much better. The Samoan chappie who Twitters too much paired with Trinder was an outstanding combination - quick, powerful, mighty skilful. Trinder, especially, showed touches of class. Glaws also cleverly countered the danger of the young wee Wasps winger by exploiting his lack of height. Wasps look to have more actual talent than Bath, they create opportunities for themselves, but flub them with terrible decision-making and dire handling.

[Havak]

And what a terrible terrible shame that is.

Seasons greetings gentlemen - just popping by to say I enjoyed Tigers win at Worcester today. I am sure you both backed them anyway?

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The entire Apolyton site was down yesterday. Presumably a protest against Leicester's win. I watched it on ESPN via the internet. It's a shame that VD is such a prat because he's actually a pretty good analyst when he puts his mind to it. Ben Kay less so, and their bickering double-act is tiresome. Also a pity that Ben's Tiger loyalties blind him - praising Stankovich to the heavens for his scrummaging while the prop had his paw on the ground at nearly every scrum. Worcester are triers, nothing more.

Quins wore silly jerseys - trying to out-Stade Francais Stade Francais - and came unstuck with poor tactics and terrible discipline in the first half. Their rubbish scrum is always going to be a problem for them, though W. Barnes made life even harder for them by letting the Sarries openside bore in sideways at nearly every scrum. Andy Saul ruled the breakdowns but not always on his feet. Danny Care needs to stop appealing to the ref all the time and dig the ball out of rucks. He cost a couple of turnovers. Stringer gave him a lesson in doing the hard, no-nonsense work. Sarries' rugby is machine-like but mighty effective. I don't think the Quins bubble has burst, but, like everyone else, they have to do the basics right first. That's what they didn't do and it cost them.

Scott Johnson leaving the Os for Scotland. I have no idea why Robinson would be interested in him. Much talk, little result, has been the story of Scott's coaching career.

[kittenOFchaos]

And what a terrible terrible shame that is.

Seasons greetings gentlemen - just popping by to say I enjoyed Tigers win at Worcester today. I am sure you both backed them anyway?

Yup, I got that result and the Saracens one correct - allowed me to cancel out the accumulator losses.

Looking forward to Leceister Vs Sale on Monday.

[kittenOFchaos]

Well, a weekend full of rugby.

Predictions gentlemen?

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Meh, for what it's worth:

THE CELTIC STUFF: Scarlets, Ulster, Treviso, Leinster, Edinburgh, Ospreys.

THE OTHER STUFF: Saints, Quins, Irish, Wasps, Sarries, Leicester.

Tip: back everyone I've tipped to lose. You'll be rich beyond your wildest dreams.