You keep comparing a_a...whereas, I haven't anywhere.
Meh...I really didn't see anything to impress from the NH sides in the autumn internationals.
Ireland are ageing, especially in the pack, and have no scrum or lineout (a massive stength and match-winner over the last few years) without O'Connell (who despite being back in a week or two, can only have a couple or a few seasons of international rugby left). Next year's world cup will be yet another disappointment
TJ probably still hasn't cleaned his undercrackers after Scotland's win on a shitty wet cold day in Murrayfield over a second string South African side. But their annihilation by NZ showed their fragility and was frankly, embarrassing.
England...disappointing against SA. I agree with you that they have most potential.
Wales...I have nothing to add over the criticism that you guys have levelled at them, but they ain't nowhere near as good as you guys think. But, that's nothing new from Welsh fans. Their eternal optimism is a credit to the nation 
France
Ireland
Scotland
England
Wales
Italy
😆
I suspect you might have to drop Ireland a few spots. France and England to battle out for 1st/2nd.
Oh Oh saucer of cream for DD please
Same SA team that gave England, Ireland and Wales a lesson 🙂
no genuinely hard forwards anymore.
Wales have more genuinely hard forwards now than they ever have certainly in my living memory. Bradley Davis, Gethin Jenkins and Sam Warbaton are a match for anyone when it comes to physicality. The front five has played exceptionaly well in the autumn games, standing toe to toe with all comers. The SA pack blew England off the park yet got little change from Wales. Wales front five stood up to New Zealand well and demolished the australian pack. Forwards aint the problem, physicality aint the problem. However without Shane a player outside Jones with a brain is the problem.
Oh Oh saucer of cream for DD please
Reality pill for TJ 😉
What's it gonna be TeeJ? The red one or the blue one?
Funny really, I used to support any NH side against a SH team (and wales particularly) before I learnt thier attitudes on this forum.
Scotland bossed the springboks pack, springboks bossed the english pack. The Scotland pack is a great unit. More than the sum of its parts.
Unfortunately this logic doesnt fly does it, for example, australia beat the all blacks in hong kong 8 weeks ago, and we beat australia, so are we better than the all blacks? No because the AB's beat us. So as usual your nursey logic is fatally flawed. Like backhander says, see you in March.
darcey where have I said wales are worldbeaters? They are at there normal level behind The tri-nations, France, England and Ireland, but still capable of beating the last 3 on a good day. Could have beaten australia and SA with a bit more composure and gave the All-Blacks a game, I'm happy with that.
AWJ lacks physical prescence and hasn't developed his game to the point where he can be called world class.
true he's not world class but he can compete against the very best and hold his head above water
Scotland cant be that good they had Nikki Walker on the wing and he's beyond shit.
France lost 59-16 to Australia, anyone see it?
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 [b]the rest is sour grapes[/b]
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 [i]off the ball dealing to Richie[/i], that's not part of rugby anymore, but NZ aren't exactly innocent in that respect are they?
dunno what you mean we got the final and won the 2003 WC using one-dimensional obduracy.one-dimensional obduracy can get you far.
toys19 - Memberone-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 [s]Wendyball [/s]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 ****in disgrace.
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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 [i]can be[/i] 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?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-British-Irish-Lions-Mainstream/dp/1840184981
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!
