Well, the Wallabies brought out their “secret weapon” : Quade Cooper!
NZ countered with Lienert-Brown… hmm, which had the biggest impact?

You must be welsh given the ability to focus on the 10 when the team is being utterly destroyed up front.
Having that little 10 outside Quade didnt help either. He did manage one brilliant pass to Folau near the end, it was about the only time he got front foot ball with anyone running angles off him. Felt sorry for the guy.

Yeah Cooper is a great player but with the pack going backwards and virtually no ball even Barry John would’ve looked poor. Their lineout was destroyed for the 2nd week running.

They needed to get Folau into space with ball in hand but didn’t manage it until the 78th minute.

Yeah, a_a you’re right, but Australia need more dramatic changes- to me, Cooper plays like he’s scared.

Cooper is a fantastic rugby player, had he gone with his homeland, he would definitely have got AB caps. If you don’t win up front, you don’t win.

Big Gav & @DannyCipriani87 share same pitch today. Bristol hasn’t seen so many hunks since the @Chippendales came to @FleeceBristol in 1995!

Friendly at Clifton RFC today, whose bridge, prior’s to Big Gav’s arrival, was the most impressive physical structure in all of Bristol.

I love this twitter account.

Just bought tickets for Eng v Argentina in the Autumn internationals…..upper tier behind the posts! Scale of 1-10, how bad is the view going to be? Will we need sherpas and a climbing guide?

Someone is (or bloody well should be) in a lot of trouble…
[video]https://youtu.be/0SOmTJBiwfY[/video]
Disgusting.

That is absolutely **** awful!!!! Had two or three attempts at it, deliberate and for no apparent reason (not that there’s even a justification, but seemed to be about as standard a maul as there can be?)

Hopefully as minimum 6 month ban will be on it’s way in the post.

My guess though is 10 weeks actually served.

Tom, there are no bad seats in the Stadium (except possibly low down in the corners on a rainy day). Up high and central is pretty good as you can see the game unfold, width on overlaps and the kicks – yeah or nay.

I’m not sure there is as much as we think in that gouge. Its careless and should see 8-10 weeks but the aussie lock doesnt throw his head back like he would if someone was having a proper go at his eyes. I guess a lot will depend on what he says.

Franks did look like he was having a good go at the eyes, but the Aussie didnt react at all and it was right in front of the ref. Needed another angle.

Thought as much Jamba….been in the corner on a dry day before, and behind the posts lower tier a few times too. Never been to an international though let alone England, so me and my old man will have a top day out I’m sure (even if it does mean venturing to the hell whole that is London!)

He had no reason whatsoever to have his hands anywhere near the other players face. Spiteful and intentional IMO.

He had no reason whatsoever to have his hands anywhere near the other players face.

Pulling him out of the way. Its careless and his made contact with the eye area. A ban will rightly follow. I dont think he’s tried to gouge him though the locks reaction isnt one of someone being gouged.

Tom Twickenham is the suburbs 😉 Think row upon row of 1930’s semis ! Depending on where you are coming from we can make some recommendations for travel and eating / drinking options also dependent upon how far you and your Dad want to walk.

Yeah I know it’s not quite London London! ……am I right in thinking some of the surrounding areas are a bit rough? Last time we went we drove down and saw a couple of scrotes breaking into a house in broad daylight!

We’ll be getting the train down from Stoke I’d guess. How far away from the ground will we need to get to find somewhere to sit down for food afterwards?

Pulling him out of the way.

You’d think that as a professional, he’d know that he’s not allowed to pull anyone out of the way by their face. That’s not some little naughty law written somewhere near the end, it’s a BIG ASS no-no!

Tom. Never found it rough at all although as I am coming from South/south West we are in that part of Twickenham which is very leafy and solidly middle class.

Train from Stoke. You’ll need to get to Waterloo then on a Twickenham special. Stadium is about 15-20 min amble from the station. Plenty of places to eat in the town but you should book something – typical form is to arrive and have lunch then game and a beer after before heading home but you can do match/dinner if that suits. You can have a beer at the stadium and/or in the town. Other STWers may have different advice.

You’d think that as a professional, he’d know that he’s not allowed to pull anyone out of the way by their face.

I am sure Coles knew that using a forearm to clear out a maul was illegal too but it happend. He’ll get a ban for “making contact with the eye area” I dont think he’ll have the book thrown at him for gouging. Mind you he is an All Black so he will most likely get nothing!!

Franks: Very odd. He knows that’s not allowed but his hands spend a lot of time around the Ozzies face and all in full view of the Ref. Maybe that will be his savioir, ref saw it and took no action.

You’d think that as a professional, he’d know that he’s not allowed to pull anyone out of the way by their face. That’s not some little naughty law written somewhere near the end, it’s a BIG ASS no-no!

Agreed. No excuses. None.

Dont want to labour the point as we clearly dont agree (again!!!) But have a look at this from 18mins. Look at how close the ref is and he even shouts to Franks, look at how the Aussie lock runs off without even touching his face or looking to lamp someone. The game had plenty of niggle so had this been a gouge I’m pretty sure a scuffle would have broken out…its an odd one.

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8wrkCmoHDOA[/video]

Argentina beat the Boks

No action against Franks

No action against Franks

New Zealand biscuits must be excellent.

😐

I think the ref saw what was going on and dealt with it at the time. Shame that doesn’t happen more often.

That SA no.7 though – how the hell did he make it to the end of the game? Dangerous and dirty bastard.
Argentina well deserving of the win.

Off to find some highlights of Argentina / SA, thanks

This whole thing stinks!!!
Look at this angle;

This whole thing stinks!!!
Look at this angle;

No. Nothing wrong there. Nothing at all. New Zealand don’t do nasty cheap shots, do they? So it can’t be. Can it?

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7tM9xpo5lo[/video]
1:16 or so.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsXJyDHFKn0[/video]

No. We can’t besmirch the all powerful brand, can we?

It annoys the shit out of me. Such a great rugby team, but so often such cheating ****.

You can get you knickers in a twist all you like but the ref was right there looking at it and the Aussie didnt even blink so he may have, you know, not gouged him.

AA, the laws of the game are clear. They outlaw;

“contact with eyes or the eye area of an opponent”

Feel free to keep defending if you like.

Both England and Wales had to accept player bans for less than that one fairly recently, in Ashton and Francis.

Yes, no such thing as gouging in the rules now I don’t think. A_a may well be right that there was no gouging or that the contact was very light, but within the rules as set out, and as per punishment received by others for far less he should still face a ban (and a pretty long one at that)
I don’t think the AB’s cheat any more than any other team (certainly not the boks) but they do seem to get away with some pretty clear cut stuff.

within the rules as set out, and as per punishment received by others for far less, he should still face a ban.
I don’t think the AB’s cheat any more than any other team (certainly not the boks) but they do seem to get away with some pretty clear cut stuff.

Yep. Agreed in full.

I have said from the start he should have got a ban for making contact with the eye area just dont think it was a bad case as the Aussue didnt react. At the very least he should have been cited and asked to explain himself and the Aussie asked his view. But the citing process is as bent as they come and a complete **** farce we all know that. Had that happend in the six nations a ban would have been handed out.

Agreed. Remember what Tom Francis got an 8 week ban for?

I just wish other “accidents” like booting people in the head because its within the same post code as the ball was taken as seriously.

As “seriously” as this has been?

I watched it again after this thread came up, watching the Australian player. He didn’t move his head when Franks was “groping” his face, the ref moved round saw Franks and shouted something, which ended whatever was going on. The Ozzie, didn’t even check who was behind him as the maul was breaking up, so my theory is it was a gentle loving touch and we can all let it lie.
Anyone got highlights of the SA no.7’s high tackle count? 😆

Page 6 and Flash is slating the Kiwis, TJ is back, I have a warm glow that everything is going to be ok 😆

😀

As “seriously” as this has been?

No, as seriously as accidental contact in the air or accidental tip tackles.