23-03-2005 16:38									#121
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I hope he is fit in time - his combination with Chris Jack was the best engine room partnership I have seen in the ABs in a decade. The clash between that pair and any Lions combo containing O'Connell will be sweet (naturally I am hoping for O'Connell-Kay).

	23-03-2005 18:22									#122
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This is interesting as PR do not often publish any feedback that highlights their SH bias.

Boozy selection

I have decided I am not coming in again until after Easter so here is wishing all the rugger buggers in this thread a happy easter.

	24-03-2005 08:34									#123
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For when you get back - who exactly is behind PR?

	27-03-2005 17:55									#124
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Back hopeful of Lions tour place

Former England flanker Neil Back has said he hopes to earn a place on his third British and Irish Lions tour despite his international retirement.

The 36-year-old Leicester player worked with Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward for England and is already doubling up as Leicester's defensive coach.

"Having retired from internationals last year my focus has been entirely on Leicester as a player and coach.

"If the Lions selectors believe I fit into their plans, I'll go," he said.

Great player in his day, but how ordinary would the available flanker stocks be if he were to be selected?

	29-03-2005 08:42									#125
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Hey Havak. In case you overdosed on chocolate eggs over the weekend and passed out and missed this:

Leeds 23 -d- Leicester 22

And why is coach Robinson commiting himself so heavily to the new L***** recruit?

	30-03-2005 06:50									#126
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Today's my birthday. I got a lovely assortment of gifts from the family and the dogs. The best present of all, however, was the news that H. Paul has buggered his knee.

	30-03-2005 12:53									#127
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Happy Birthday Finbar...

Sorry guys, I don't have much time for Rugby these days a lot of things are happening in my life since a few weeks and for the first time I have a lot of projects... and I need a lot of time.

	30-03-2005 13:00									#128
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Well I hope everyone had an Easter as good as mine was.

A quick search finds PR is run by the Teamtalk group Finbar – a brand owned by Rivals Digitial Media Ltd (who are HQ’d in London) and in turn owned by UKbetting.

I suppose one could try to find the nationality of their main hacks – but the flavour of the site indicates few would be Poms.

quote: Great player in his day, but how ordinary would the available flanker stocks be if he were to be selected?

The indirect answer to your question is that Martyn Williams is being touted as a test starter with Johnny O’Connor next in line.

Neil Back today is still a far better openside than either of those gents. There are a few very young lads kicking around who have huge promise as 7’s for England – but right now Back would still play for both England and the Lions for me. Someone with his huge workrate and ‘art’ will be needed to counter McCaw.

quote: And why is coach Robinson committing himself so heavily to the new L***** recruit?

Because his judgement is hugely suspect in everything he does?

Tigers are doing all they can to hand the league to Dayglo. The Leeds result was superb preparation for Dublin next weekend.

Btw … HAPPY BIRTHDAY FINBAR!

	30-03-2005 16:15									#129
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quote: Originally posted by finbar edit... No one here - apart from MOBIUS, and he was p*ssed - thinks Wales is a great team. edit..

well i have to agree with Mobius, even if he was drunk .
I think that looking at the type of rugby that the teams played in the six nations, i'd say they proved they are a great team. Maybe not the greatest in the world right now, but they have regained something that for a welsh team is the biggest issue. Confidence.

Its been sadly missing in welsh rugby since the gareth edwards days, and its nice for northern hemisphere rugby to see it back. It now means that on the day they at least will go on the field feeling that they have a chance against any of the teams in the world.

They will loose some games, but for the near to mid future while the young guys get more experience, wales should atleast gain some respect from the other big teams, and maybe take the odd surprised scalp here and there.

Dont underestimate how important confidence is to the welsh style of playing.

	30-03-2005 18:05									#130
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They are a good side playing with lots of confidence - far, far, far away from being a great side as yet.

Big wins against SH sides in the autumn and a win at twickers next year and I will start to think about using the word 'great' for them.

	30-03-2005 19:14									#131
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quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin Happy Birthday Finbar...

I got a shortwave radio from Mrs finbar for my birthday! So I can listen to the BBC World Service when in Italy!

quote: Sorry guys, I don't have much time for Rugby these days a lot of things are happening in my life since a few weeks and for the first time I have a lot of projects... and I need a lot of time.

You'd better have some spare time in the second half of the year because we're probably going to come visiting!

	30-03-2005 19:26									#132
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quote: Originally posted by Havak Well I hope everyone had an Easter as good as mine was.

One giant easter egg from beginning to end?

quote: I suppose one could try to find the nationality of their main hacks – but the flavour of the site indicates few would be Poms.

I think the flavour of the site indicates their intent - to wind up, to provoke anyone and everyone. It's quite possible they're all Poms. Working in the Lads' Magazine style of, um, journalism.

quote: Neil Back today is still a far better openside than either of those gents. There are a few very young lads kicking around who have huge promise as 7’s for England – but right now Back would still play for both England and the Lions for me. Someone with his huge workrate and ‘art’ will be needed to counter McCaw.

I acknowledge Back's greatness at the height of his powers. The last time I saw him at international level he was starting to struggle and that was a while ago now. If he remains the best available, you're right - England's in trouble for #7s.

quote: Because his judgement is hugely suspect in everything he does?

Yes, but there has to be more to it than that. Is it on behalf of the RU? Why would a national coach go so far out in a limb for someone untried? Eddie is obviously vastly more sage than Robinson, and he never lauded the talents of Rogers or Tuquiri. Regardless of what he thought privately, his only public statement was that they'd be considered if they were good enough.

	30-03-2005 19:34									#133
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quote: Originally posted by child of Thor Dont underestimate how important confidence is to the welsh style of playing.

I couldn't agree more. Their confidence grew and grew through the tournament. The French match, I think, was the turning point for them. They fought back and it did wonders for their confidence. But I can't rank them as a great side yet. Their opposition this year was largely crap, with the exception of the French who were, typically, erratic. I think Wales is a very promising outfit. I think they've got more steps to take. I hope they take them.

	30-03-2005 21:36									#134
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@ Havok + Finbar,

Yes i agree they have much to prove on the world stage - especialy for all the years in the wilderness and all those 'false dawns'.

Still for the first time in around 20 years i can feel the difference in the way they play - they belive in themselves, and especialy that game against France(in Paris).
A welsh team of the last decade or so would have come out and been slaughterd after half time, or played a negative containing style of rugby - which isn't really the welsh way.

They make many more mistakes with this current style, as you could see in the stats after the irish match(on stats Ireland should easily have won), but it seems to suit them.

Still they need a few more high profile scalps to cement the good work they've seen rewarded in this six nations. A good Lions tour would be a boost, especialy for the english players who must be gutted with their six nations.

But its made interesting viewing this time around - i dont think anyone would have predicted the results for this six nations!
Makes the Lions tour even more tasty - all those good english players wanting to salvage something, i dont think they'll be much love lost in those games

	31-03-2005 12:55									#135
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Well as long as all the angst is directed solely against the Kiwis that should be a good thing. I followed the last Lions tour down south and if the players are again as united as the fans managed to be back then only the ABs need to fear any players with ‘points to prove’. I have happy memories of drinking through many nights with the Boyos on tour.

Their will be more English players in the tests than 6N form would suggest – the squad of 44 gets named in 12 days time.

I think what worries me about Wales is that their slender back line has not yet met a big one – such as Australia or NZ – and that Jones has not been properly tested by anyone’s loosies yet (only France got their loosies to disrupt Welsh ball consistently – and only for one half!).

I’m certainly going to be interested to see the Henson-Shanklin combination against the Boks and Aussies as they certainly didn’t come up against physical matches for themselves in the 6N (England playing boys and France wheeling out a totally new mid field too) . We didn’t even get to see them counter D’Arcy-BO’D which would have been tasty? Maggs-BO’D just wasn’t the same challenge.

Wales played some great running rugby in the 6N and were fantastic to watch at times but that niggling doubt remains – were they simply the only good side in a year that no one else was?

quote: One giant easter egg from beginning to end?

Six days off work not having to deal with the IT-phobic unwashed masses.

quote: Working in the Lads' Magazine style of, um, journalism.

Nicely phrased as always.

quote: If he remains the best available, you're right - England's in trouble for #7s.

He is and we are. Witness Moody being played there out of position and Andy Hazell making the bench!! Reaping the ‘benefits’ of the way clubs neglected player development in the late 90s. There’s a couple of youngsters – Lund at Sale and Skinner (though a shoulder injury has plagued him this season) at my own club who look future England sevens but apart from them I would say the Aussie-Pom Lipman, when fit, is the best option England have. Moody is a world class six and a decent seven – but turnip keeps playing him at seven of course.

quote: Why would a national coach go so far out in a limb for someone untried?

Well Clive was a match for Eddie on the IQ front. AR is certainly not. The fact RFU money is under writing Farrell means he will don an England shirt several times even if he totally sucks. I cite Henry Paul as precedent.

It’s not long now is it Finbar? Before that radio moves to Italia I mean?

	31-03-2005 17:17									#136
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quote: Originally posted by Havak Their will be more English players in the tests than 6N form would suggest – the squad of 44 gets named in 12 days time.

A squad of 44? Every d*ckhead and his dog will be picked just to make up 44!

quote: I think what worries me about Wales is that their slender back line has not yet met a big one – such as Australia or NZ – and that Jones has not been properly tested by anyone’s loosies yet (only France got their loosies to disrupt Welsh ball consistently – and only for one half!).

That's my concern about them too. They struggled against some sturdy Scots when the Scots suddenly rediscovered the very basics of rugby in the second half. Still, it gives us something to look forward to.

quote: Six days off work not having to deal with the IT-phobic unwashed masses.

Including me.

quote: It’s not long now is it Finbar? Before that radio moves to Italia I mean?

We have the house from May 30th. I booked Sydney-Hong Kong using frequent flyer points today. We're staying with a friend in Honkers for a couple of days, then on to Rome. The frequent flyer points leg means we can afford business class for the 12 1/2 hours from Honkers to Rome.

EDIT. Just noticed this:

Austin Healey has been dropped from the Leicester team to face Leinster in Saturday's Heineken Cup quarter-final.

	01-04-2005 14:05									#137
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quote: A squad of 44? Every d*ckhead and his dog will be picked just to make up 44!

Ruddock thinks 22 will be Welsh. Realistically I suspect 11 may travel and 3 or 4 push for Test places.

quote: Still, it gives us something to look forward to.

We use the expression ‘Acid test’ quite a lot – but it remains apt. Wales have beaten poorly performing Irish and English sides and a Schizo French outfit thus far – they need to beat either the Boks or Aussies to announce that they have truly ‘arrived’.

quote: Including me.

Not at all – I am sure your personal hygiene is beyond reproach.

As for the other part of it – well you are a Mac user after all, and they really are computers for people who hate computers n’est pas?

I like that staggered travel plan – taking layovers between flights is something I will always do again if I head down under. And Business class is a very good call wherever you can get it.

As for VD – only dropped from the starting line up onto the bench I am afraid. The BBC has been reporting that rattles were thrown out of prams over it – but I have not been able to trace any comment by Austin himself.

He may still make the Lions despite turnip ignoring him for England – Clive gets on very well with him on a personal level. He may go as PR manager?

The preparation for tomorrow has been awful with a huge dip in form since we trounced Newcastle – so Tigers will either whimper and disappear or blow the paddies away. There is never any middle ground with us in Europe.

Of course Tamerlin will have to find time in his busy schedule to see if Toulouse can despatch Saints as easily as I think they will.

I wonder if the fit (yet) again Wilko be risked against the Parisians?

Also it is worth checking out the BBC sport injury survey – lists the most prominent injuries this season for all clubs (note these are not current injuries in most cases). It illustrates nicely that we simply play too much rugger here.

	01-04-2005 17:30									#138
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I am going to miss this kind of straight talking after this season:

quote: "All that matters is winning, It doesn't matter about me or any other milestones for that matter. Winning is our sole aim and our only focus."

Jonno ahead of tomorrows game.

	01-04-2005 19:48									#139
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Yep. You could do with another one or two like him. In fact, I might recite his words all the way from Honkers to Rome in business class!

	03-04-2005 00:01									#140
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Belated happy birthday...
I read that the Stade Francais beat Newcastle and Toulouse Northampton, but I didn't think these English teams were strong to begin with.

	03-04-2005 05:41									#141
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quote: Originally posted by LDiCesare Belated happy birthday...

Thank you!

quote: I read that the Stade Francais beat Newcastle and Toulouse Northampton, but I didn't think these English teams were strong to begin with.

And I just read that Leicester beat Leinster. Proving my long-held theory that any team's performance will lift by 50% as soon as they drop Austin Healy.

So now it's Leicester -v- Toulouse. Hopefully this will bring Tamerlin back to us from his sojourn in the Real World!

	04-04-2005 12:48									#142
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Suffice to say Tigers played superbly on Saturday. And Austin played the last four minutes which will have made him even more angry I suspect.

Smith scored another super try and looks to have a real chance of travelling to NZ ahead of Noon now (and as backup to BO’D). Having said that Noon was one of Falcons few effective players – he made a lovely break in the build up to their consolation score.

Amusement was provided post match by Lynagh’s observation that Back (7)-Corry-Moody (6) made Lewis look far more effective than being shoehorned to seven and “provided a far better balanced back row than England have right now”.

Backy had a towering game – he has been saving up for these games I think.

Toulouse swept Saints away. They made some errors as well but they look a class act. Stade Francais swept away a woeful Falcons side – but failed to register the margin Tigers stuffed them by.

So it has boiled down as expected – three French sides and an English one. Any of the French sides would be favourite I suspect, but you rule out Tigers at your peril. Given our neutral semi-final is due to be played in a ground half a mile away from Welford Road I think we have a great chance of making Edinburgh.

I’m not counting any chickens though – Toulouse will be hard to beat. The big question I suppose is will Tamerlin travel?

	04-04-2005 13:38									#143
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The bigger question is - does he even know the match is on?

	04-04-2005 14:40									#144
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The Monarchs of European Rugby clash yet again - I think he may just be aware of the game this time.

*edit* Have a hunt on the BBC site for the comments of Chris Mallac the Bath Physio - they poached him from Reds and he has quite a lot to say on the differing demands our excess of rugby places on players bodies compared to S12.

	04-04-2005 18:03									#145
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I found it. Apart from S12 differing in style from your league comp, S12 players only play eleven matches with a maximum possible thirteen matches including finals. There's no comparison at all between the two comps. And the ARU's cap on the number of matches a Wallaby can play in a season looks after their welfare pretty well. Under the current international roster, a lot of the Wallabies have to sit out some of their club matches late in the season to stay under the cap. Meaningless by comparison with the English situation. Club rugby here is largely amateur weekend fare and always has been. Over there, it's always been the complete opposite.

I haven't read the article by your Irish full back but the headline gets it pretty right. Rugby is now a money-making machine. Professionalism made it inevitable. And it's a vicious circle. Players can earn a lot of money, the authorities demand more from the players to reap the revenue to pay them. Something has to give. And it's the players' bodies. It also seems to me that English rugby - or its admin - is trying to fit its traditional - pre-professionalism - domestic competition structure into the professional era and the demands of the professional era are too great. Chris Mallac suggests one solution - increase the squads. But where does the money come from to pay the extra players? And wouldn't it only increase the gap between the rich/successful and poor/struggling clubs? I suspect his solution only feeds the problem. The key to it has to be to reduce the number of games. I can't see anyone accepting changes to the traditional league comp, so it could mean re-examining the Heineken Cup, Powergen Cup, and whatever other sundry Cups lurk on dusty shelves in cobwebbed trophy cupboards.

	05-04-2005 12:53									#146
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Keith Barwell (Saints owner) also touts larger squads and suggests regional franchises. Both are poorly thought out. Bigger squads would rely more on RFU money which in turn relies on England bringing home the bacon. The RFU would have to get far more serious abut monitoring it's coaches if this became the case.

With regional fanchises, as we have discussed before, there is far too much club history for fans to ever accept this.

I don't think anyone would miss the Powergen Cup now to be honest. Too many sponsorship changes and messing about with it's schedule for anyone to care too much. The days when it was the John Player and then Pilkington cup it had some meaning.

I also think the idea of a split pool Premiership is gaining ground slowly. Fans are becoming more aware that the current schedule is robbing them of the top players through injury more and more.

I'd personally like to see a Premiership of 14 with either single fixtures or a two pool system.

I noticed that last weekend was a bad one for the Aussies? I caught a bit of Waratahs-Crusaders and to my shame enjoyed what I saw. Not convinced by McCaw as a skipper though - one has to lead by example and his conduct at the tackle was a bit suspect?

	05-04-2005 16:25									#147
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How many teams are in the current top league? And do they play each other twice?

Crusaders and Waratahs are the two best teams in S12 this year, with Crusaders ahead at this stage. The Crusaders were outstanding against them, but the Waratahs played into their hands to an extent. The Waratahs seem finally to have found some maturity and have been winning recently without Rogers in the team, and with Tuquiri surprisingly contributing not much apart from a vintage last-minute try on the weekend. The Brumbies' injury toll has finally caught up with them. Larkham missed the week before and played barely half a game on the weekend. They got Mortlock back on the weekend, rusty after 4 weeks out, only to lose Rathbone early on with a knee injury and he'll miss at least 6 weeks. The Blues staged a monumental form turnaround on the weekend but I'll wait to see if they can keep it up. You're right, McCaw's performance is hardly an example to his charges.

	07-04-2005 13:49									#148
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Suffering from Tamerlin's malaise - work again I am afraid.

12 teams in the Premiership and you play home and away - a 22 game league program with the play offs at the end. Europe doesn't help with six pool games - they could make it a straight knock out cup for me.

The problem is they would expect us to pay the same for way less games on out season tickets.

I thought 'Tahs would go on to close that game out at half time - shows what I know.

	07-04-2005 14:52									#149
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quote: Originally posted by Havak Suffering from Tamerlin's malaise - work again I am afraid.

If it were only work... that would be much more simpler, the illness is fatal doctor.

Finbar, I hope that your wife's daughter has found a husband, you can't count on me anymore on this ground.

Havak, can you tell me why the semi-final will be played at Leicester's home field and not at a neutral ground.

	07-04-2005 17:31									#150
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quote: Originally posted by Havak Suffering from Tamerlin's malaise - work again I am afraid.

Read Tamerlin's very cryptic post. If it means what I think it means, I'd be surprised if you're suffering his malaise!

quote: 12 teams in the Premiership and you play home and away - a 22 game league program with the play offs at the end. Europe doesn't help with six pool games - they could make it a straight knock out cup for me.

Well, there you go. Your league season is more than twice the length of S12. Add on the European thing and the 6 Nations and the internationals and no wonder players are falling over. Still, it sounds like it's all coming to a head.

quote: The problem is they would expect us to pay the same for way less games on out season tickets.

Welcome to the professional era.