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child of Thor
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an interesting article ref the lions tour:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rug...nal/4420989.stm
I'm not sure what to make of it really. I would have thought most professional players would have their own insurence cover? Still the worst bit of this i feel is that surely its bad planning by the lions to take such a risk with injured players. There must be the strength in depth to not pick the guys who might not be up to it?
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finbar
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Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
Jan 1970
time: 06:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Havak
French sides are notorious for their fans not travelling in large numbers… |
Only Toulouse, and only one very particular fan! 
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I see the Perth franchise is making friends everywhere – poached the current Reds skip Mr Sharpe now? |
And Brendan Cannon from the Waratahs. Ben Tune, back from his two years of injury, is leaving Queensland for Perth too, apparently. Played well in some of the Reds' trials but hasn't been able to get a start. I hope he can come back because he was a beautiful player when fit. There are more signings to come. Naturally the established franchises are screaming blue murder. But they've known for twelve months that Perth would be coming looking. I think the established franchises assumed players wouldn't want to relocate that far west.
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Big weekend for the Aussie franchises? One away in RSA and the other two playing the also ran Kiwi franchises? |
Brumbies went down by a point to Highlanders. Vastly better effort than last week, and should have won. Mortlock's second game back from injury was more the Mortlock of old. In fact, on a strictly points basis, Radeke Samo cost his team the game. Highlanders had a penalty kick after the half time hooter. It hit the post and bounced back into play. Samo grabbed it, kicked to put it out of play and end the half, but flubbed the kick, giving it back to the Highlanders. They ended up earning another penalty. Three points they shouldn't have had.
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Tigers host Sale tomorrow – and following the Leeds result we could do with a five pointer. I have a feeling the lads heads may be elsewhere after Dublin though! |
Haven't they already won the premiership? They can take the rest of the season off.
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child of Thor
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they just had a news report on the radio that Sir Clive has chosen not to take Johnny Wilkinson on the lions tour. I'm going to see if i can find a link on the bbc or something to confirm.
Still, i dont think its a problem(apart for Wilko himself) as there are a number great no10's to replace him.
here we go:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rug...nal/4425357.stm
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finbar
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Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
Jan 1970
time: 06:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Havak
On the flip side I’m not all anglo-centric. I think Sidoli the Welsh lock did more than enough to travel. And I’d have Humphries over Hodgson! |
I thought Cockbain was stiff, too. Grewcock's selection is a classic piece of Clive favouritism.
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Hodgson has a nasty tendency to bottle it when things get tense – and not just in his kicking, his defence goes AWOL too. |
Even when not choking, he's only average at best. He lacks initiative, guile and aggression.
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They must select a specialist Ten – the ABs have had a year to convert their Centre-turned stand off |
Team injuries have seen him moving between #10 and centre for the Crusaders this season. But he's a seriously gifted player.
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It can be seen as nothing but a huge gamble – I still feel it will happen if he ‘proves his fitness’. |
I have no doubt it will happen. For PR reasons if nothing else. I still think it will be a mistake.
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Is loss of consciousness still three weeks mandatory lay off? |
They're saying at least three weeks. They hope he'll be back for round 11 of S12. He was concussed against you last season. It had better not become a habit. The Reds' Elton Flatley was seriously concussed early in this S12 season, for about the fourth time, and he's still on the sidelines.
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Sorry to hear that anyway – I like McCaw even though his is maturing into an angsty type of player. |
I don't think his problem is angstiness as much as an increasing tendency to give away silly penalties.
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Disappointed Cockbain was left out – it would have been worth that for wind up value alone. As it stands we have three Irish locks and two English. |
Speaking of angsty, and locks, there's still concern about Keith Robinson. He played some of a club game and his back is still bothering him. The ABs will need him in the mix.
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Check out the ‘Jobs for the boys’ feedback on Planet Rugby Finbar – more priceless provocative stuff from nonces who don’t know rugby from their arses. Some very funny stuff though – mainly from rather upset Celts.  |
Yes, some amusing stuff, but it's hard to disagree with the bottom-line sentiment - Clive has picked a number of English players, including retired players, purely on the basis that he thinks he can rely on them to do a job. He's revisiting 2003. As you predicted he would. And as we've noted, he will live or die by his choice. And, as you noted, if he dies - it won't be his fault! 
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Havak
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Swing Low, Sweet Chariots.
Aug 1999
time: 05:23
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quote:
Grewcock's selection is a classic piece of Clive favouritism. |
Connelly, Robinson and Woodward have all praised Grewcock to the rafters at times. Like yourself I simply do not see it myself.
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Even when not choking, he's only average at best. |
They also didn’t play him when Sale came to us last weekend – and he is not injured as far as I know. The poor dear probably couldn’t handle the cauldron that is Welford Road (he has choked badly there before).
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But he's a seriously gifted player. |
He looks good from what I have seen – but his kicking is way behind the Mehrts, Wilko’s, Goode’s and Yachvilli’s of this world. It’s ahead of Hodgson – but that isn’t saying much.
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I still think it will be a mistake. |
To throw in a man who has not finished 80 minutes since November 2003? It could almost be the dictionary definition of ‘mistake’.
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The Reds' Elton Flatley was seriously concussed early in this S12 season, for about the fourth time, and he's still on the sidelines. |
Tell McCaw not to clash heads with Back then – I was deadly serious about the stone.
The more times you are concussed the greater the risk of suffering post-concussion syndrome. Not a positive thing for a rugby player.
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I don't think his problem is angstiness as much as an increasing tendency to give away silly penalties. |
aka Moody-itis?
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He played some of a club game and his back is still bothering him. The ABs will need him in the mix. |
They really do – Jack is a good player but I would have him behind three of the Lions locks. If the Lions do play O’Connell-Kay they have niggle and good technical skill in the combination – and Jack-Robinson seems the best foil to that. O’Connell really does strike one as a young Jonno – very hard but pretty fair. He won’t take a backward step however so Robinson’s style of getting under peoples skin is exactly right to disrupt him.
I hope to god Williams is not in the mix – I have seen enough of him now to not trust him on a rugby field.
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Clive has picked a number of English players, including retired players, purely on the basis that he thinks he can rely on them to do a job |
Everything you say is correct. I have to say I think he got it largely right bar half a dozen choices. The squad should never have been dominated by the Welsh – as I keep saying they aren’t that good. They came within minutes of losing at home to an England side is total disarray and benefited from capitulations by both the French and Irish – that isn’t a sign of a team that can beat ABs. They haven’t beaten ABS – any of them, home OR away. How the hell can they expect to travel to places like the house of pain and triumph for the first time?
I have to hope that freed from the shackles of turnipheads ‘wonderful’ strategies that the English players who do make the tests will show their true quality. Augmented by the best of the Celts it could be a very good side – everything really depends which AB side shows up I suppose, the one from France last year or the one that blew the tri-nations?
One match up will be tasty – Umaga-BO’D.
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finbar
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Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
Jan 1970
time: 06:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Havak
He looks good from what I have seen – but his kicking is way behind the Mehrts, Wilko’s, Goode’s and Yachvilli’s of this world. It’s ahead of Hodgson – but that isn’t saying much. |
He's not way behind. He's become a little inconsistent lately but his technique is very sound. He'll get there.
If Moody-itis means blatantly infringeing around the ruck, yes.
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I hope to god Williams is not in the mix – I have seen enough of him now to not trust him on a rugby field. |
I think he got six weeks for tap dancing on McCaw's head. I'm not sure when it expires.
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Everything you say is correct. I have to say I think he got it largely right bar half a dozen choices. |
Balshaw tops my list, followed by Grewcock and Back (for reasons already canvassed).
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The squad should never have been dominated by the Welsh – as I keep saying they aren’t that good. They came within minutes of losing at home to an England side is total disarray and benefited from capitulations by both the French and Irish |
True re England. Unfair, I think, re Ireland and, particularly, France. Ireland were crap and the Welsh couldn't have done any more, except perhaps win by more, but the win was all that mattered. They stepped up from the England match, in which England were no better than Ireland. The comeback against France was the real revelation, I think. Anyway, no one except a rabid Taffy would have expected a squad full of Taffys. I think the Taffy core has been selected, which is appropriate. One or other of the locks probably deserved a spot in front of a lump like Grewcock.
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everything really depends which AB side shows up I suppose, the one from France last year or the one that blew the tri-nations? |
As is always the case. I read somewhere that G. Henry would be abandoning the silly ultra-flat backline approach. Good thing too.
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One match up will be tasty – Umaga-BO’D. |
It will be terrific. Umaga has been doing some wonderful things in S12 this year, particularly in defence.
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07-04-2005 17:34
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