04-01-2004 01:29									#301
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quote: Were you a player at that level? At that time?

At that level, unfortunately, no. My uni team went on a tour to Ireland in 1993 (I think, maybe '92), and we were supposed to play colleges teams but the Irish Colleges Rugby Union was looking for a sparing partner for their team in order to prepare the next match of the 5 nations. So our best team played them (I was in the second XV), and got crushed. But since then, I've got a nice tie. The best we did was forwards play, where our scrum managed to push the Irish and gain some terrain. Our backs however were inexistant, so the Irish just sent the ball behind and we took about seventy points. I played winger at the time. Afterwards, I played scrum half and ended hooker...

	04-01-2004 03:14									#302
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You would please Bernard Laporte as he is looking for polyvalent players...

By the way, I have seen two French Championship games this afternoon and I can only tell you that the poor quality of our Championship will not prepare our national team to play at the highest level.

The first game saw the defeat of the Stade Toulousain against the Biarritz Olympique playing at home (37 - 20). Beyond the result, and the usual abysmal performance of a referee named Didier Méné, I was amazed by the weak level of Rugby played by both teams. Knock-ons, stupid fouls, crumbled mauls and rucks... all this makes me think that it is not the best team that won but the least bad. A Stade Toulousain that had not planned to win today has thus been beaten by a Biarritz Olympique that did not show much skill though its players made a lesser number of fouls than the Toulousain. The kicks are really the weakest spot of the Toulousains...

The second game was so poor I did not look at the second half-time, poor quality and players quarelling while the referee (Mister Gastou) was on the verge to lose the control of the game.

A sad day for Rugby...

	04-01-2004 04:07									#303
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quote: Originally posted by flipside A hard knowledge to obtain and one worthy of further research, although not by me, I have given up for this year .

I gave up - at that level - years ago. I once spent a couple of weeks staying in London with the European Correspondent for Sydney's broadsheet newspaper. I remember he nicked off to Romania to cover Caucescu's downfall. But while he was around, all I can say is ... good grief.

	04-01-2004 04:09									#304
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quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin A sad day for Rugby...

Remember this: if les poules bleues don't beat England in the 6 Nations, I'm holding you personally responsible!

	04-01-2004 04:26									#305
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quote: Originally posted by finbar Remember this: if les poules bleues don't beat England in the 6 Nations, I'm holding you personally responsible!

Poor bugger.

	04-01-2004 04:29									#306
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I may be wrong Tamerlin, but I am under the impression that your natural sincerity is seen as a mischievous attempt of intoxication.

	04-01-2004 05:12									#307
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quote: Originally posted by flipside Poor bugger.

Nothing more or less than he deserves for raising my hopes for his poules bleues so many times only for them to crushed. My hopes, that is. Along with his poules bleues.

	04-01-2004 05:13									#308
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quote: Originally posted by DAVOUT I may be wrong Tamerlin, but I am under the impression that your natural sincerity is seen as a mischievous attempt of intoxication.

DAVOUT, hang around here long enough and you'll realise, as we've all realised, that Tamerlin is Rasputin with a new engine and a fresh coat of paint.

	04-01-2004 05:38									#309
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quote: Originally posted by finbar DAVOUT, hang around here long enough and you'll realise, as we've all realised, that Tamerlin is Rasputin with a new engine and a fresh coat of paint.

Oh Christ.
Finbar is now invoking demons from the Australian threads.
*flipside hurriedly crosses himself*

	04-01-2004 06:47									#310
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quote: Originally posted by DAVOUT I may be wrong Tamerlin, but I am under the impression that your natural sincerity is seen as a mischievous attempt of intoxication.

Unfortunately I am not trying to deceive my unfortunate little comrades... at least I am not today.

I know that France can beat England at the Stade de France but I fear that we will see the French team reproduce the sad things I can see in the French Championship since the 2002-2003 season... :cryallthetearsofmybody:

	04-01-2004 06:49									#311
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quote: Originally posted by finbar DAVOUT, hang around here long enough and you'll realise, as we've all realised, that Tamerlin is Rasputin with a new engine and a fresh coat of paint.

Never give an inch!

	04-01-2004 06:51									#312
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quote: Originally posted by finbar Remember this: if les poules bleues don't beat England in the 6 Nations, I'm holding you personally responsible!

Remember this: I still have an elephant gun charged with .600 nitro rounds and a load of semtex...

	04-01-2004 06:56									#313
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Yes, but as you proved on Christmas Eve, you haven't got a clue what to do with them!

	05-01-2004 14:11									#314
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Good morning Gentlemen. I see you did well enough without me.

quote: I'm flexible these day. On December 27th, I'll be a Leeds supporter. On January 3rd, I'll be a Glaws supporter!

So you were happy once then? All I have left to look forward to is next season and the prospect of more freedom to move on the terrace.

Sadly Glaws were crap but even that is good enough to beat Tigers at the moment. Rochards is unphased saying we can still finish top three if other clubs help us.

Get real Dean – do the honourable thing and fall on your sword!

quote: So Havak has the Prussians to thank for saving his arse. Not to mention the Scots - the Scots' Greys and the Gordon Highlanders were major players for his team.

After Toulouse the veteran Army of the Peninsula was de-mobbed. Wellington went into Waterloo the next year at the head of a totally ‘green’ allied force that included a large amount of Dutch. The Dutch nearly broke if I recall. Yes the Prussians were an important factor but there was something else in play – Napoleon met a better General. He deployed the old guard late, and he advanced them in his favourite column formation against English Infantry. No French column ever broke an English infantry line in the entire Napoleonic wars that I can recall – why Nap thought he could do so we can only guess?

Good point about Deano being forced to abdicate though.

Jason Leonard could drink David Boon under the table any day.

quote: No Wilko, no Tindall. Now all we need is for J****'s jaw to develop dry rot and Tamerlin's mob of poules could be in with a chance.

Tindall is no huge loss as Ollie Smith is on fire right now – and a much more multi-dimensional player than Tinders.

Wilkinson is fine – he just doesn’t want to play club rugby I suspect. And Jonno looks as keen as ever even if he has only won one game since the RWC final.

quote: Havak, tell the Sieur Finbar we are not talking about poules but about Coqs... there are big differences.

Take the high ground Tamerlin – Finbar was fishing deliberately with this…

Paris in march will be a huge game whoever we have missing I suspect.

quote: I agree. The French made it much easier for England than they should have.

Ditto the English for the Aussies in the final.

quote: Pity the bugger's not around to duck and dodge all these withering bon mots!

There have been far too many to duck and dodge to be honest. Bon Mot fatigue has set in.

If a coach wins a world cup in England he gets knighted. Even luckily fluking a European cup win in Soccer can get a SCOT knighted.

More importantly it is now Martion Johnson CBE.

England's most successful year ever is behind us now. Who will make the running in 2004? Can Graham Henry confound critics everywhere and prove he is not a useless chump? Will Clive stick around if England lose the six nations? Can Eddie keep his job now O’Neil has gone? The answers to all these and more in due course…

	05-01-2004 14:43									#315
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Welcome back Havak, I can already see Finbar preparing is fishing rod...

	05-01-2004 14:59									#316
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quote: Originally posted by Havak Good morning Gentlemen.

Oh good. Finally, the return of some quality posting.

	05-01-2004 15:05									#317
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And now that I've stopped sniggering ...

quote: After Toulouse the veteran Army of the Peninsula was de-mobbed. Wellington went into Waterloo the next year at the head of a totally ‘green’ allied force that included a large amount of Dutch. The Dutch nearly broke if I recall. Yes the Prussians were an important factor but there was something else in play – Napoleon met a better General. He deployed the old guard late, and he advanced them in his favourite column formation against English Infantry. No French column ever broke an English infantry line in the entire Napoleonic wars that I can recall – why Nap thought he could do so we can only guess?

Anyone else notice how he overlooks the Scots saving his arse?

quote: Can Eddie keep his job now O’Neil has gone?

More likely to keep his job now that O'Neill has gone. Anyway, there are no alternatives either on the horizon or beyond the horizon.

And I told you Australia wouldn't win the series against the Indians. The Australian cricket fan has been given a very rude taste of Australian cricket post-Warne and post-McGrath.

	05-01-2004 15:07									#318
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quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin Welcome back Havak, I can already see Finbar preparing is fishing rod...

No, the elephant gun will suffice. Pass it over, you firearms incompetent.

	06-01-2004 02:53									#319
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I can't believe it, Havak is back and not a single post from Finbar or Havak for almost twelve hours...

	06-01-2004 03:48									#320
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I was ready and waiting. He posted once and obviously couldn't hack the pressure.

BTW, there was a nice article in this morning's paper about the locals' response to the Poms buying up all the apartments in Chamonix, setting up businesses and generally acting like they own the place. The locals have taken to writing Putain les Anglais on walls around the town.

A phrase that could come in handy in our threads, methinks.

	06-01-2004 05:28									#321
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Not much rugby on is there?

Happy New Year everyone.

	06-01-2004 05:53									#322
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quote: Originally posted by Caligastia Not much rugby on is there?

Not much good rugby being played around Leicester anyway.

	06-01-2004 07:55									#323
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quote: Originally posted by Havak – Napoleon met a better General. He deployed the old guard late, and he advanced them in his favourite column formation against English Infantry. No French column ever broke an English infantry line in the entire Napoleonic wars that I can recall – why Nap thought he could do so we can only guess?

Ironic isn't it? Wellington receives on a silver platter a situation that Nelson (and pretty much every other admiral throughout history) spends his entire life striving to achieve. If Nappy had ever boarded a boat in his life he might've been a little more circumspect about letting somebody cross the T on him.

quote: More importantly it is now Martion Johnson CBE.

Lordy! They're just giving them out to every Tom, **** and Havak these days aren't they?

quote: Originally posted by finbar And I told you Australia wouldn't win the series against the Indians. The Australian cricket fan has been given a very rude taste of Australian cricket post-Warne and post-McGrath.

It's not quite all over yet. They've been scoring at a fair clip this morning. They might still win it as long as they don't throw away too may wickets.

quote: Not much good rugby being played around Leicester anyway.

Wasn't that where Gloucester was playing a few days ago? Apparently they played quite well against somebody, although this may well be damnation by rather faint praise.

	06-01-2004 14:30									#324
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A special Havak smilie:

Last edited by finbar on 06-01-2004 at 14:39

	06-01-2004 14:30									#325
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quote: Welcome back Havak, I can already see Finbar preparing is fishing rod...

And his Bon Mot cannon as well Tamerlin.

Did I see that you had some concerns about the current performance of mighty Toulouse whilst I was missing?

quote: Anyone else notice how he overlooks the Scots saving his arse?

Worse than that I said ‘English’ when I should have said ‘British’ Infantry. The Scots regiments almost without exception have superb reputations. At the time we are discussing they were led almost exclusively by English officers as well. There were more English regiments of foot in the field at Waterloo than Scots IIRC (go dig up the order of battle and check?). You can’t freeze the English out of this one.

quote: More likely to keep his job now that O'Neill has gone. Anyway, there are no alternatives either on the horizon or beyond the horizon.

When Jack Rowell bowed to pressure in 1997 many said there were no alternatives. There are always alternatives – they simply need to come forward. Pat Howard has several years of backs coaching behind him now – maybe he might take the job?

quote: And I told you Australia wouldn't win the series against the Indians

Nice attempt to wiggle – but you actually said India would win it – whereas I said Australia would. We were both wrong so the bet is void.

quote: I was ready and waiting. He posted once and obviously couldn't hack the pressure.

First day back guys – the pressure got to me all right. By 3pm I wanted a drink.

quote: A phrase that could come in handy in our threads, methinks.

Really? Would anyone here avail themselves of such services do you think? Not me that’s for sure!

quote: Not much rugby on is there?

Loftily ignoring Finbar’s response our domestic season is in full swing – and Europe resumes on Saturday. Basically Tamerlin, LDiCesare and I are very happy with the amount of rugby we have available to watch right now, with the six nations only a few weeks away too.

And as for Tigers – Bath and Wasps may be laughing now but we’ll be back at the top soon. Time is after all relative.

quote: Lordy! They're just giving them out to every Tom, **** and Havak these days aren't they?

My name was on the refusenik list leaked in December – anything less than a Dukedom is insulting to a man like myself who has done so much for the Leisure (brewing) Industry.

quote: Wasn't that where Gloucester was playing a few days ago? Apparently they played quite well against somebody, although this may well be damnation by rather faint praise.

They didn’t play well. They are not the dominant force they were last season by a long way. All three tries came from stupid defensive errors by us. Two seasons ago that consistency of defensive lapse was unthinkable for us. The reality is now that whilst Glaws are generally a poor side Tigers are currently a completely inept defensive outfit with a back line bereft of attacking ideas – not a good combination. The 'Prodigal Son' Andy Goode kept kicking the pill away last Saturday and as Finbar will remind us that does not win games.

The entrance and exits doors will be propped open at Welford Road in the summer I suspect.

Oh yes - side note - the reason Goode returned to us from Saracens is rumoured to be that S.Larkham has signed for Saracens - but Goode is apparently under a gagging order on the issue as part of the move deal!

I was mildly amused by the Gloucester fan on the BBC Rugby boards yesterday who suggested it was time to sweep away the dead wood like JOHNSON at Tigers. Sadly such clueless chumps are fairly typical of the worst part of the Kingsholm faithful – if there was a decent soccer team down that way they would fit right in.

Okay we have discussed Tigers malaise enough I think – can we go back to a favourite target like, just for example, the Australians?

	06-01-2004 14:53									#326
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quote: Originally posted by Havak And his Bon Mot cannon as well Tamerlin.

You've come back punning!

quote: Did I see that you had some concerns about the current performance of mighty Toulouse whilst I was missing?

If he doesn't travel to away matches, he's not a true supporter, therefore he's disqualified from an opinion!

quote: You can’t freeze the English out of this one.

I can freeze them out harder than you can shoehorn them in.

quote: There are always alternatives – they simply need to come forward.

Nucifora is on thin ice at the Brumbies, Jeff Miller starts this season with the Reds, as does Ewen McKenzie with the Waratahs. There's no one else around.

quote: Pat Howard has several years of backs coaching behind him now – maybe he might take the job?

Frankly, I think you need to worry about your own (domestic) coaching problems before you worry about others'.

quote: Nice attempt to wiggle – but you actually said India would win it – whereas I said Australia would. We were both wrong so the bet is void.

I'll go back and check. I recall predicting an Australian loss or a draw. Anyway, it was basically a series between two strong batting line ups. Neither side had the firepower to dismiss the other twice unless the other's batting line up stuffed up. We did in Adelaide, they did in Melbourne.

quote: First day back guys – the pressure got to me all right. By 3pm I wanted a drink.

	06-01-2004 15:04									#327
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quote: Originally posted by Havak Nice attempt to wiggle – but you actually said India would win it – whereas I said Australia would. We were both wrong so the bet is void.

Nice attempt to wriggle. You've spent too long with your welching mate!

I checked. I posted as follows:

quote: Double or nothing on that 50 Civ Gold I owe you? (That I'm not sure I have in my account anyway! ) I'll bet that we don't win the series, it will be either a draw or an Indian win.

I dont owe you 50 Civ Gold anymore!

	06-01-2004 16:12									#328
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Damn it Finbar will you please stop checking up on the facts - it undermines all my best lines of argument when you do that!

	06-01-2004 16:26									#329
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quote: Originally posted by Havak Damn it Finbar will you please stop checking up on the facts - it undermines all my best lines of argument when you do that!

	06-01-2004 20:53									#330
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quote: If he doesn't travel to away matches, he's not a true supporter, therefore he's disqualified from an opinion!

That reminds me I am being dragged to our away game at London Wasps on the last day of the season – and naturally enough they play in Wycombe these days.

quote: Frankly, I think you need to worry about your own (domestic) coaching problems before you worry about others'.

I am worried about it.

Nigel Melville seems a good bet once the money runs out at Gloucester (tomorrow?).

But the reality is that Jonno is likely to be the next coach as the club has a history of promoting from within – or nepotism if you prefer.

quote: I dont owe you 50 Civ Gold anymore!

Fair enough – I should recoup it in June anyway if the proposed fixture comes off.



Cracking smilies btw.