25-05-2005 19:50									#361
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quote: Originally posted by LDiCesare I can see neighbours near Toulouse still love one another as much as neighbours in every other place. Those of Narbonne despise those of Beziers most, Columerins and Toulousains love each other. At least there's a geographic rationale to these hatreds. By the way Tamerlin, which bars do you think are the best in Toulouse? I thought the De Danu beer to be quite poor but didn't visit other bars (too busy being a friend's red wine when I could have been in a pub instead).

Sorry to answer so lately LDiCesare but I don't have much time available these days.

What bars I think are the best in Toulouse ? It depends on what you are looking for.

The "De Danu" bar is belonging to Brennan and is thought to be rather cool though I have never put a foot in this place. The problem is that I am a bit disconnected from Toulouse's night life. When I am going out in town I am generally looking at cool and quiet places and not places where people are drinking heavily and where you have to shout to speak with your neighbors. The Frog & Rosbiff is usually considered a good place, though a bit noisiy for my own taste, and I have spent some good nights here, including some followed by a morning headache. Not far away, rue Gabriel Perry, one can find la maison, less noisy but with a very different feeling. It was once a very cool place but now that it has became a bit tendance it is visited by less pleasant people with a more money to spend but a lesser IQ. The place that can be labelled as the most noisy of all is certainly le café populaire, once again near the Frog & Rosbiff, rue de la colombette, be warned that the beer is so light that you will have to order a lot of demis to experience any effect. The "Dubliner's" is considered to be a good place though I have not visited the bar since a lot of years.

Sorry, I can't help you a lot on this ground, there are a lot of web sites where you can find some informations on Toulouse's bar.

	25-05-2005 19:52									#362
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quote: Originally posted by Havak A thread without Finbar for ten days? Has that happened before? I doubt you could dampen Tamerlin’s mood on your arrival – three finals in three years and won two of them (should have won all three). They are the super power of European rugby now. Even if they are 'Haughty'.

Haughty, NOUS ? :uttercontempt:

	26-05-2005 13:41									#363
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Absolutely right CoT - it's time the boys stood up for what the shirt means. Lacklustre perfomances in NZ will produce disaster - even if their press are a little arrogant (as ever) in suggesting Canterbury over 70s would beat the Lions test side.

Dwyer has ditched all the players beaten by Scotland. Saturday's team looks tasty:

Barbarians: B Russell (South Africa); W Sailor (Australia), T Castaignede (France), T Halstead (South Africa), B Reihana (New Zealand); C Spencer (New Zealand), M Robinson (New Zealand); T Smith (Scotland), M Regan (England), C Visagie (South Africa); S Shaw (England), S Boome (South Africa); C Krige (South Africa), S Chabal (France), J O'Connor (Ireland).

	26-05-2005 19:44									#364
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The All Blacks' sponsor, telecommunications company Telecom, will be dishing out black plastic ponchos at match venues in a bid to counter the swathes of red shirts worn by visiting fans.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry, who led the Lions in 2001, is aware of the lift that thousands of red-clad supporters provided the tourists in Australia.

"Fans can help the players on the field with their colourful presence and with the noise they make," Henry said.

I'm speechless - sponsors having to dress fans in the right colours makes the Kiwis as lame as the Aussies were in 2001. All those Lions fans have bought the team colours - are Kiwis as tight as Aussie fans or something?

	26-05-2005 22:04									#365
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Heh, it's not like there's any shortage of Kiwis who wear black.

I think it's a good idea by the sponsor...it's not like the ponchos will cost them much. And I would hold this up as evidence of Kiwis being "tight". After all, fans who travel halfway around the world for a game are a bit more likely to wear the team colors than fans who live just down the road.

	27-05-2005 12:43									#366
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British fans are more likely to wear team colours period I would suggest. It is the norm here to attend games wearing them. I dare not tell you how many Tigers , England and Lions shirts I have.

From what I see in S12 a lot of fans dress normally and sometimes adorn themselves with a cap or scarf. You see more shirts in the tri-nations but not too many. The majority of Wallaby fans at the Lions test grounds in 2001 certainly dressed normally - but then 90% of them knew nothing about Rugby Union either.

It's a cultural difference and I'm having some fun with it.

And as to the charge it makes the Kiwis as sad as the Aussies? There is something a little disturbing about sponsors having to provide the colours from a British perspective.

Then again watching the rugby club on Sky last night the Kiwi media has already seemingly awarded the All Blacks a 3-0 series win. Thats a bit risky don't you think?

Last edited by Havak on 27-05-2005 at 13:32

	30-05-2005 04:33									#367
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quote: Originally posted by Havak Then again watching the rugby club on Sky last night the Kiwi media has already seemingly awarded the All Blacks a 3-0 series win. Thats a bit risky don't you think?

You still think the Lions will manage to eke a draw out of their last game then?


Well, I would post the results of the last ever S12 final but old finny isn't around to hear it.
Besides which, he's been a Warratahs supporter for quite a while now so it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise ...

	01-06-2005 22:05									#368
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Ciao from Italy, chaps! I'm organising a dial up service on Friday - tomorrow (Thursday) is yet another Italian national holiday - so I'll get back to you then and catch up on the waffle that has been posted in my short absence.

Oh, and BTW, I highly recommend living in a small hilltop town in Tuscany!

	02-06-2005 16:33									#369
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quote: Originally posted by Havak Then again watching the rugby club on Sky last night the Kiwi media has already seemingly awarded the All Blacks a 3-0 series win. Thats a bit risky don't you think?

Typical Kiwi overconfidence.

	02-06-2005 16:35									#370
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quote: Originally posted by finbar Oh, and BTW, I highly recommend living in a small hilltop town in Tuscany!

	04-06-2005 00:21									#371
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Good news here. My team has been invited to play the Buzet 7s tournament this year. I went there once (a long time ago it seems, I still played scrum half from time to time), then broke my nose the following year and couldn't go, and time slid.
For those who don't get the point in going to Buzet, check out the local production (hint: it's mostly red).

	04-06-2005 11:16									#372
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quote: Originally posted by ravagon You still think the Lions will manage to eke a draw out of their last game then? Well, I would post the results of the last ever S12 final but old finny isn't around to hear it. Besides which, he's been a Warratahs supporter for quite a while now so it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise ...

I watched the match in Hong Kong. Stupid tactics cost them. They obviously decided to kick the ball in the middle stages. Trouble was, they kicked it badly, giving those devastating Crusaders' runners open slather. Matt Rogers, one of the most devastating runners around, was kicking it away at every opportunity. When the Waratahs changed tactics and ran with the ball - Rogers especially - they scored tries. Serves them right, basically.

	04-06-2005 11:18									#373
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quote: Originally posted by LDiCesare Good news here. My team has been invited to play the Buzet 7s tournament this year. I went there once (a long time ago it seems, I still played scrum half from time to time), then broke my nose the following year and couldn't go, and time slid. For those who don't get the point in going to Buzet, check out the local production (hint: it's mostly red).

Sometimes I worry about your liver!

	04-06-2005 12:01									#374
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My liver is well. I actually don't drink very often.
Only after rugby.

	04-06-2005 13:45									#375
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Unlike Havak!

	04-06-2005 17:35									#376
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That would be actionable were it not true.

Confession time - haven't been able to read back at all but am back in Monday and will do so.

Bay of plenty gave it a good crack but didn't have enough up front in the final analysis. Plenty of work for the Lions to do though.

Oh and Dayglo has a dislocated ankle - tour almost certainly over for him!

	04-06-2005 23:32									#377
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quote: Originally posted by Havak Oh and Dayglo has a dislocated ankle - tour almost certainly over for him!

	05-06-2005 00:55									#378
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I couldn't see the French half finals because I don't have Canal+, but reading the reports, both games looked great. Toulouse lost to the Stade Francais by one try, and Biarritz beat Bourgoin by one try. The Berjalliens had made a comeback to one point 10 minutes before the end of the match, but Brusque scored a try that doomed them.
So we'll have a final between Biarrits and Paris.

	05-06-2005 10:22									#379
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Just read a write up on the Lions vs BoP.
Dalaglio fell down, dinged his ankle and his tours over?
How did he manage that one?
Sounded as though it would've been pretty good to watch though, all up.

Bad news for Lawrence, good(?) news for the Lions and entertainment for Havak?

I see the Warratahs are reacting to their defeat in the S12 final.
Apparently they're signing that master tactician Wendell Sailor...
Hmmm ... Time for finbar to throw his full support behind Italy?

	06-06-2005 14:32									#380
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Strangely Sailor played about the best game I have seen from him in the Barbarians game with England Juniors. He keeps flattering to deceive that guy.

Paul Hoeniss reffed the bay of Plenty game so it is hard to judge anything from it (although it was very entertaining) as he ruins every game he touches.

Dallaglio steamed in to support a ruck and turned his ankle - it looked nasty. It leaves Corry in pole position for the tests.

Some players failed to shine and some were surprisingly good - lardy Thompson has lost weight and looked quite good when he came on for example.

It's a totally different side for Wednesday - Wilko is on the bench and I am looking with interest at the combination of Greenwood and Smith in the centres. Murphy starts at fullback and has a lot to do after Lewsey had such a solid game there.

	06-06-2005 15:51									#381
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Olivier Magne has signed a two year deal with London Irish. Given they finished 10th from 12 last season and that this guy is one superb player the mind boggles at why he would choose to go there?

	06-06-2005 19:07									#382
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I've managed to miss all the recent rugby matches

Anyway found this article on the beeb sport website and thought they always sound like this for these kind of occasions(ref Laurie Mains dissing the lions). Let the rugby do the talking is my feeling when these type of things start.

From those that watched it was it a dissapointing opener for the lions? As bad as the man is saying?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rug...nal/4610767.stm

	06-06-2005 19:46									#383
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There is a delicious irony to arguably the worst All Blacks coach in living memory calling this Lions squad the worst ever.

The guys a chump - take the views of Marshall and Hansen more seriously.

BoP asked a lot of questions of the Lions first time out but lets not get carried away - whilst they didn't play well they still won comfortably and some players set down huge markers for the tests.

	07-06-2005 04:54									#384
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Ran into something interesting the other day when puttering around with Galciv writer. I designed a party with something like +50%PQ, -50% Growth.
Every one of the majors picked it of course.
[At the time I didn't realise quite how unbalancing it'd be - I've since toned it back to +25%PQ, -50% growth and most of the others avoid it now]


At about the mid-point of the game (I was close to researching Star Democracy at the time) most of my planets decreased in PQ and morale, correspondingly, went down to 1 giving me a rather tough time for a while.
This happened to the Drengin at roughly the time too but both the Torians and Altarians seemed to avoid it.
My party didn't change as I checked it in the senate screen but my PQ was reduced to +25% ...
Does anybody know how or why this happened?
I know I didn't put anything about the PQ being decreased in the instance of the party losing an election and that hadn't happened anyway ...


[Edit: That was, erm, very clever . I blame tabbed browsing for the hiccup. ]

Last edited by ravagon on 07-06-2005 at 05:00

	07-06-2005 04:58									#385
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quote: Originally posted by Havak There is a delicious irony to arguably the worst All Blacks coach in living memory calling this Lions squad the worst ever.

You're supporting the old adage of 'it takes one to know one' then?

Not that I am in any way qualified to really judge the veracity of either mind you ...

	07-06-2005 14:25									#386
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It's an adage in which there is a great deal of truth I suspect.

Judging the Lions on one game is pretty silly for anyone though. But in my healthy tradition of immediately contradicting myself I think the Maori game will be my barometer - the Lions must front up for that one or they can forget the tests.

Tabbed browsing is a pain eh?

	08-06-2005 14:21									#387
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Plenty of players can climb back on the plane after the Taranaki game. No Irishman will figure in the front row after this and O'Gara has dropped behind Hodgson in the fly half stakes (in itself amazing).

Most remarkable thing about the match? Kiwi ref talking to Taranaki all the time about their illegal play.

The Lions leaked a shocking soft try at the death (three missed tackles) - it goes without saying they really need to tighten up for Saturday - but then this won't be the team then by a long chalk either.

	09-06-2005 04:54									#388
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Missed the game against Taranaki but it sounds as though your lot recovered towards the end?
Saturday would be the game against NZ Maori iirc?
They apparently have 9 AB's in the starting lineup plus another 3 on the bench.
Not as many as they've had in the past (I think there was one game a decade or so ago with 14 AB's starting) but it'll make things a little tougher for the Lions.


On another matter - I'm trying to get some data processed in London atm ... :aarrgghh: :head explodes:

And on yet another matter entirely - Ou est Tamerlin?

	09-06-2005 13:49									#389
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Actually Ravagon the Lions front five were pretty dire in the front five until Jenkins came on at about 55 minutes and added some stability to the scrum. I like to see second rows clearing out too and neither O’Callaghan nor Psycho were doing enough of that.

Having said that Taranaki couldn’t unlock a chastity belt – the first try came from a really laughable Lions error at a ruck and the second from pathetic tackling. Outside of that the defence was actually pretty good.

Basically when Taranaki tired from the huge effort they put in the Lions backs started to cut them to pieces. It could have been worse - the ref disallowed two for forward passes that other refs might have let go and Greenwood just missed touhcing down a great charge down too.

All in all it was most entertaining.

Saturday as you suggest is a big test (maybe it should really be a Test in fact?). Clive has kept his promise that by the fourth game every single tour member will have made a start and that makes this side VERY interesting.

British and Irish Lions team to play NZ Maori:

J Lewsey (England); T Shanklin (Wales), B O'Driscoll (Ireland, capt), G D'Arcy (Ireland), S Williams (Wales); S Jones (Wales), M Dawson (England); A Sheridan (England), S Thompson (England), J White (England), S Shaw (England), P O'Connell (Ireland), R Hill (England), M Williams (Wales), S Taylor (Scotland).

Replacements: S Byrne (Ireland), G Jenkins (Wales), B Kay (England), M Owen (Wales), D Peel (Wales), R O'Gara (Ireland), S Horgan (Ireland).

That front five is immense – it’s a powerful pack of beef in actual fact. And two Welsh wingers get their last chance to impress I think – watch out for the whippet that is Shane Williams because this is not the game where I would have thrown him in first up. Jones also makes his first start at Fly half – and Jonny remains protected.

Never trust Londoners btw – anyone with any sense is far north of that hole.

Tamerlin is still ‘busy’ isn’t he?

And where is Finbar? Two weeks after he arrives the Italian government has declared they are officially in a recession – so what has he been doing??

	10-06-2005 02:29									#390
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They're now out of recession. I've just funded their deficit by getting on line with ADSL! Actually, it's a bit cheaper than cable was in Oz, and much much less expensive than the horrendously costly short-term dial-up service I was using. It was sh*tloads of fun battling through the installation instructions completely in Italian. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, transporting Firefox between Mrs finbar's computer and mine, I lost all my Firefox preferences. I shall have to rebuild the entire massive collection of bookmarks all over again!

First up, the BBC rugby website and the Sydney Morning Herald's rugby website. Perish the thought that I should take as gospel anything said about the game in this thread!