OUCH!
Whats gone wrong at france then? reckon they got the aussie backlash?

Even at half pace with a very biased ref Wales still managed to get well beaten.Other than pride and a ref on there side they look like worrying no one in the future.Even with sonme of the most blattant off the ball dealing to Richie they still couldnt contain the best football player of him generation,and the rest is sour grapes

I think we’ve learned this Autumn that the only team capable of playing to the ABs level is Australia.

The Aussies ran in 49 unanswered points in the last 30 mins against a French side who had dominated up front in the first half – earning one penalty try and one yellow card at scrum time.

I don’t subscribe to this theory of Scotland having a world beating pack. They’re improved, for sure, but where were they against the ABs? (or Samoa).

SA can out muscle most sides apart from the ones with enough guile to negate their power.

France are still the flakiest yet are the only other side who could defeat the ABs (on their day).

England have the best RWC chance of the home nations IMHO but they’re still too stilted in their approach to be real contenders although in the knockout environment of the latter stages of the RWC one-dimensional obduracy can get you far.

Coasting – Member
Even at half pace with a very biased ref Wales still managed to get well beaten.Other than pride and a ref on there side they look like worrying no one in the future.Even with sonme of the most blattant off the ball dealing to Richie they still couldnt contain the best football player of him generation,and the rest is sour grapes

Maybe you should look up the meaning of ‘sour grapes’ because there aren’t any that I can see in this discussion?

As far as off the ball dealing to Richie, that’s not part of rugby anymore, but NZ aren’t exactly innocent in that respect are they?

one-dimensional obduracy can get you far.

dunno what you mean we got the final and won the 2003 WC using one-dimensional obduracy.

toys19 – Member

one-dimensional obduracy can get you far.
dunno what you mean we got the final and won the 2003 WC using one-dimensional obduracy.

That’s what namastebuzz meant isn’t it? A backhanded compliment?

That’s what namastebuzz meant isn’t it? A backhanded compliment?

Yeah maybe. I wasn’t being disagreeable, I was trying to be funny..

Do you remember some Aussie Newspaper had an online poll during the 2003 WC about england something like:

boring and dull performance

or scintillating and brilliant.

At first the results were boring and dull but when the power of email spread it round the UK we bombed them with scintillating and brilliant.
Oh how I laughed.

Aah, trying to be funny!

I’m too cold to spot humour, sarcasm, or irony today…

Don’t worry I’m too miserable to be funny despite trying…

A random-ish question:

Why do penalty tries always result in a kick from in front of the posts as opposed to where the penalty took place?

IdleJon – Member
A random-ish question:

Why do penalty tries always result in a kick from in front of the posts as opposed to where the penalty took place?

Much the same as in Wendyball football..

Even with sonme of the most blattant off the ball dealing to Richie

As opposed to Kaino punching Byrne or Whitelock holding Phillips in a head lock whilst Thorne came into his face with his elbow (did you see the BBC half time coverage?) or Thornes high tackle on Hook? MCaw got a good shoeing early on from gethin jenkins as he lay on the wrong side of a maul, All-Blacks invesnted that sort of thing, I didnt see much else off the ball for him especially. Mongo’s high hit should have been a yellow but seeing how the ref bottled a yeloow for Thornes hit on Hook in the first half he seemed to ignore it.

Any team that has Mealamu in the team so soon following his flying head butt on a prone player should probabaly avoid throwing stones about foul play.

Mongos high hit should have been a red. Another reason not to select him. He should get a citing and a ban IMO.

not sure it should have been a red in terms of what seems to go these days but agree in principle, saying that though thorne’s on hook in the first half would have had to be a yellow. Thorne should be cited for his elbow into the face of Phillips too, but he wont, never mind. Citing system is a farce anyway Mealamu’s two weeks is a **** disgrace.

7.5Mb image replaced with link to 7.5Mb image [mod]

8Mb image replaced with link to 8Mb image [mod]

Come on arguing about what about this and that is pointless, Mongo will get cited but having an enforcer or a bit of biff is needed in the game. Don’t want head butting, gouging or biting but if 2 forwards want to go at it so be it.

Mike Phillips can dish it and can take it as well.

Come on Backhander you hunk of burning love you know how it works 🙂

doubt he’ll be cited tbh, ref saw it and didnt seem to care, isnt the citing route only open to incidents the officials miss or is that not right?

Yeah, I do pigface and have no problem with handbags or a bit of skullduggery but that high tackle was dangerous and had intent IMO. I dislike high tackles no matter what, the saffas are the worst for it. Thornes elbow was a bit girly and he was never really going to hurt spikey with that one. Also looks like byrne got a slap for elbowing Kaino in the face on the way down. Go back and look at mongos tackle, there’s no excuse for that IMO.

havent said there is an excuse but I fail to see how its much worse than Thornes on Hook in the first half, and then those gifs just point out to the precious Kiwi coasting that the all blacks are no angels either.

I don’t remember the thorn/hook interface, sorry. There are no angels in rugby and it is a part of the game but a little argy bargy is one thing, felling someone by the neck is quite another IMO. I wouldn’t want to be in powells boots for the next AB game, they don’t forget.

I don’t remember the thorn/hook interface, sorry.

but you can still be outraged by the one you did?

I dont know about the revenge thing in pro era rugby Mcrae didnt get a beating when Gloucester played O’Garas mob in the Heineken a few years ago and if anything warranted revenge that attack did.

Go back and look at the possibly career or life ending spear tackle performed by the sainted New Zealand captain and the “decent player” who is their hooker, there’s no excuse for that IMO.

One high tackle, it happens. One potentially lethal spear tackle. Much less of an acceptable “mistake”, IMO.

One high tackle, it happens. One potentially lethal spear tackle. Much less of an acceptable “mistake”, IMO.

and one headbutt to a prone player

One high tackle, it happens. One potentially lethal spear tackle. Much less of an acceptable “mistake”, IMO.

I disagree and see them as bad as each other. There’s no place in rugby for either.

but you can still be outraged by the one you did?

I either didn’t see it or don’t remember it so in answer to your question; yes.

I disagree and see them as bad as each other.

Then you are wrong. A high tackle can be a spur of the moment accidental act. A two man spear tackle driving a man in to the ground by his head cannot.

Then you are wrong.

In your opinion. Mine is equally valid.

Indeed, it is.
Still wrong though! 😉

(that’s what I love about rugby! One can argue happily until blue in the face, but it’s never full of that horrid vitriol of another popular sport…)

Yes indeed. BTW, I’m interested in reading about the history of the british lions (proper history and funny stories, legends ets). Can anyone recommend me a book please?

Clem Thomas – Great rugby writer.

Cheers flashy.
Think I might get this one too http://www.amazon.co.uk/Once-Were-Lions-Players-Stories/dp/0007241526/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1291060918&sr=1-1

Not read that one, would be interested to hear what it’s like!

Make sure you also check out lots of footage from ’74! Legendary tour!

Anyway, back to good old Premiership rugby now…….

😀

All this talk of high tackles, punches and citings – tssssk!

It’s a man’s game.

I bet if we’d had multiple angle video replays of everything that went on in the ’74 Lions tour then most of the players would’ve been banned.

Whilst modern TV coverage gives us fantastic views of all the goings on it also picks up all the previously unseen indiscretions.

I’m not in favour of dirty play and cheap shots but I think too many players get penalised for high tackles when they’re either round the shoulders or the tackler ducks into it. I also dislike the penalties where the tackler gets done for not using his arms even when he’s tried to wrap up the man but the hit with the shoulder was so good that the guy has bounced off before being wrapped up.

With you on that Scamper.
C’mon you Saints!

Guscott 😆

My World XV would look something like this:

15. Kurtley Beale 14. Chris Ashton 13. Conrad Smith 12. Sonny Bill Williams 11. Hosea Gear 10. Dan Carter 9. Ben Youngs 8. Kieran Read 7. Richie McCaw 6. Jerome Kaino 5. Victor Matfield 4. Courtney Lawes 3. Dan Cole 2. Bismarck du Plessis 1. Andrew Sheridan.

Lawes > Bakkies Botha, thats delusional, 3 of the front five that got torn a new one by SA last week

Must be room for one or two of the scots forwards in there. Better than the SA lot anyway 😉

Lawes might become worthy of a world 15 place but not yet. Ritchie Grey is the same. He was immense against SA but he is still young and learning