Rugby World Cup 3rd XV

[UlsterRugby1999]

[quote]Christ, yes, you MUST get French tv. Toulon/Racing Metro on FR3 this afternoon. [:D][/quote]

aye for sure and the time to watch it. If you have a load of free time, and can get yourself up this far north, then my To Do List could do with a trimming. [;-)][;-)]

The kick in the rear was nothing but I believe Quinlan made a meal of it but Pelous knows that he went into the yellow zone as far as the rules go especially on the TV and even more so in the Heiny final. Its a pity cause I still rate him as a great work horse and a great 2nd rower.

http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/12_10395.php

He clearly knew what he had done as he states in this article.

[raindog]

Game over and Toulon are through to the Top14 - can't wait to see how they do next season. Mehrtens, Regan and Dan Luger in the team + what looks like half the Pacific Island's players. One of the best games I've ever watched.

[UlsterRugby1999]

So raindog me auld mucker if I become a French TV fan (not likely) and a Toulon fan (possible) - is there space in your house for father & son to see the odd home game [;-)]

[plod]

I was concerned for the fate of my local club, Albi, next year with the arrival of Toulon with their bottomless pit of cash. However, as they've been demoted for "financial irregularities" the occasion will not arrive.

I predicted that Munster would beat Toulouse, as I have watched the French a few times this season and knew they had weaknesses, particularly forward ones. I do think Munster were lucky to have had Nigel Owens reffing them. He reffed two of their pool games and quarter final! 

[UlsterRugby1999]

No arguments there plod although even the greatest amongst us need the luck too. From an Irish perspective, it'll really lift the spirits as they head South and knowing that Kidney has been given the job as coach. I just hope that the players take some responsibility for their on field actions too and play as well as we know they can.

We live in hope

[plod]

You don't share Brian Smith's (I think) view that Kidney is not the right man as he has been overseeing a Munster team which plays "limited" rugby. There's a lot of sourness down here about the "pick and go" tactics of Munster, but as long as it is within the laws then there's not much you can do. It is getting more common this "running the clock down". If you've got control of the ball then I suppose, in theory, you can do it for a long time. One French correspondent says that rugby is a fight for the ball but in the case of the everlasting ruck the defending side cannot get hold of it without infringing. Views please.

[UlsterRugby1999]

I'm not sure - but I think Brian Smith didnt put himself up for the Irish job. Were the Munster tactics the right one - well to win the game yes. For the reasons of financing and so on then yes but if you were a Toulouse player or supporter then clearly no. That said, I rarely hear a losing team compliment the team who beat them for their tactics etc.

As for Kidney, he wouldnt have been my 1st choice but you cannot take away from him his results over the past few years with Munster. He is a strong willed individual and has already had heavy run ins with the inept IRFU. Will he play to the same game structure with the international team - I cant see it. It wouldnt survive at international level. Plus, Slinger, ROBOT O'Gara and O'Connel are just around the corner from retirement. O'Callaghan is a better 2nd rower when O'Connell is off the field. So Kidney will have a very different squad and he'll rebuild them into a force worth playing against.

As for the views of the French journo - he/she's right but in the Pro era and, of greater importance to some, the financiers and sponsorship era you play to make money and you only have to look at Toulouse Biarritz and Stade Francais for that. Does it require rule changes to allow the oppo to attack a ruck in a legal and fruitful manner - of course.

Had Toulouse played the pick and go game and won would we have heard them bleating. Doubt it.

[plod]

I understand that there is sour grapes involved, of course. Has Ireland got any depth of players? I saw an A international against England a year or two ago and the Irish looked very poor. Is there, for instance, a fly-half coming through? A replacement for Hayes? Geordan Murphy is getting on a bit too.

[UlsterRugby1999]

Mmmmmmmmm - interesting points plod - out/fly half has long been a worry for some of us. O'Comical pinned his hopes on 1 trick O'Gara and the expense of the more versatile Humphreys. Geordan Murphy, IMHO, has failed to deliver and isnt the player he is when wearing a Tigers shirt. Hayes was always going to be a problem to replace. The man is immense.

All that said, there are some youngsters starting to shown through. Ian Humphreys is showing signs of having a similar head to his brother, the front row is in reasonable shape although the Rory Best Jerry Flannery issue will need serious work from Kidney. There are worries about our centres and wingers which I am more concerned about. O'Sullivan ignored Bowe and Tommy has indicated his lack of joy over that. I believe Kidney will use him a lot and may even give Trimble a better chance to show himself than O'Sullivan did.

Its hard to say. There are also a few signings from SH teams coming to the Emerald Isle and most of them are Irish qualified so its in the air really. Should be fun watching it anyway.

[plod]

We might have to wait a year or two to see if you are right. There is, it seems to me, a nucleus of good English players about at the moment. Hartley at hooker, Wood to prop, plenty of challengers at back-row. Second-row a problem although Nick Kennedy should be given an opportunity. Good options in the back-row also. Having said that I don't expect great things in NZ. It looks as if Jerry Collins is coming to the North now. 

I'm not surprised Wasps beat Leicester. They had a terrific run to get to the Final although they made a lot of their international call-ups. I think Glaws lost a lot of players too, but we still managed to top the table 21 weeks out of 22. I see we will have the top three premiership players next year - Simpson-Daniel, Barkley and Qera! Let's hope for silverware then.

[plod]

I'll have to talk to myself again I suppose; perhaps if I use my wife's log-in you'll get a bit more excited! I thought Ireland might have an outside chance of beating NZ but it wasn't to be. It will be interesting to see how England get on. I don't really fancy their chances but NZ are re-building. I'm not discussing Wales as the highlights are on S4C this evening and I don't want to know the result.

[UlsterRugby1999]

Mmmmmmmmm plod I was thinking along the same lines. Even that auld hound raindog has gone quiet [:D]

O'Driscolls awful missed tackle set up the AB's first try but the Irish try was a fine try and came from good pack driving (setting aside David Wallaces attempt to gift it away at the back of the ruck) and had some decent running from our backs to open up the immense AB defence.

Marcus Horan proved what many of us believe and that is that he is a liability and his slap was one reason the game turned and fell away from us. That said, it was a pretty good performance from Ireland and they kept it tight until the 50/55 minute mark.

Indiscipline is one of our big damn killers.

Anyway, nice to know you are still here plod

[plod]

I didn't see the game - watched the highlights of Wales v. SA and thought for a side coached by Edwards and Gatland and playing a very inexperienced SA side they were poor even allowing for two dubious tries. Second matches in a series are usually closer but I doubt they can win.

[UlsterRugby1999]

Mmmmmm - another error strewn performance from Ireland. Missed tackles, insufficient grunt and a period after 40 minutes when we seemed to be asleep. Perhaps the next time eh? [+o(] [B] [+o(]

[raindog]

When Cipriani or Wilko are unavailable is Hodgson really our only choice? [:(]

[UlsterRugby1999]

Its always an issue of personal opinion raindog but hasnt Barkley been in pretty good form at club level this season.

With the new changes in management surely (same for the Irish too of course) its time to start looking at some of the younger and more hungrier guys for a future out half

[plod]

Been back to Blighty where, as son has Sky, was able to watch the game. They started well but after Strettle missed that try - surely he should have scored - they seemed to fade. It is a pity Cipriani is injured, he always brings something to a game, and I don't imagine Hodgson will wear an England shirt again. Damage limitation for the second game I guess. Stephen Jones (Times) wants to bring on bigger players like Worsley and Varndell as if size was the only difference between these teams. When England beat NZ in NZ in the 70s John Watkins was flanker and he was about 5 10.

[raindog]

[quote user="plod"] Stephen Jones (Times) wants to bring on bigger players like Worsley and Varndell as if size was the only difference between these teams. When England beat NZ in NZ in the 70s John Watkins was flanker and he was about 5 10.[/quote]

SJ is obsessed with brute force and muscle.

I see that Danny Care will start at scrum half and Flood will replace Hodgson.

Did either of you two notice the headlines in the Times for the England and Wales games? Both games finished on identical scores and the headline for the England game was something like England Crushed By All Blacks and for Wales it was something like Wales Regain Pride Against Boks. WTF?

I didn't see any matches but it sounds as if Ireland put up the best show for the NH.

[plod]

I did notice that Wales got better press than England despite similar scorelines. Ireland have missed an opportunity I think.

Prediction for Saturday NZ 30 England 11

[raindog]

     "John O'Neill, the chief executive of the Australian Rugby Union is predicting

the demise of one of the sports codes in Australia or at best a scenario

where league and union combine. O'Neill, who graciously said the whole world

hated England during the World Cup believes Australian rugby is finding it

hard to survive in a crowded sports market place, with the AFL and soccer

making significant inroads into traditional territories.

His statement perhaps goes some way to explaining why the Aussies are pushing

so hard for the introduction of the much-derided ELVs in a misguided attempt

to make union more 'entertaining' for their TV paymasters and thus more

attractive to viewers.

Quite why Aussie self-interest should jeopardise the state of the global game,

which in the northern hemisphere, and England and France in particular, is

in rude health, is another matter. After all weren't we told after RWC 2003

the Aussies had banked a profit of Aus$ 90 million which would help to

safeguard the sport's future? If that has been frittered away by poor

management and the establishment of non-viable domestic tournaments, that is

not the world's problem. The IRB should sit up and take notice if O'Neill is

signalling the start of a campaign for the codes to unify".

(from the Times)

[UlsterRugby1999]

God saves us plod - Ireland always miss an opportunity - its our bloody nature.

[plod]

I don't want to watch rugby league or even a watered-down version of union. There could always be a breakaway I suppose!

[raindog]

Can't really see this ever happening though. New Zealand would, presumably, have to follow suite, and then what about the Pacific Islands? It would throw world rugby into disarray. Strange how these threats and rumours only seem to be coming from Aus - no smoke without fire perhaps.

[plod]

Part of the problem for Oz is that league is more popular than union.

Not too late for a prediction. Where are the others?

[raindog]

Dan Carter's signed for USAP for next season!

blimey......