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Caligastia
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Half time - Crusaders 18 Brumbies 7
Well done Crusaders, so far they've managed to keep the Brumbies most back in their half, but will the Brumbies get enough of a lift when they bring Owen Finnegan on?
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finbar
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Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
Jan 1970
time: 06:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Havak
 Dermott does sound like the perfect stress relieving pet. Must be quite therapeutic when the old writers block hits?  |
Put it this way, it does wonders for the concentration when, sitting at the computer, one gets thumped in the nuts by a giant hairy paw demanding a pat. 
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I shall not name him then. There are a few up here who can handle drops ? O?Gara, Humphries, Murphy, Jones, Hodgson, Grayson, even *gulp* Healey. Even Neil Back come to that. I suspect it?s a more integral componenet of the UK game than it is the Aussie one? |
Actually, even Kiwis seem to be better at it than Australians. You see quite a few from the Kiwi S12 teams.
There was a brillant quote from ABs Assistant Coach Robbie Deans on the matter today: "I've been trying all year to stop my forwards from drop kicking it. Guess I'm buggered now!"
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I recall his side getting into a commanding position over England and then losing it |
Yes, that happens sometimes when you're way under strength and out of form playing the supposed best team in the world.
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I actually think there are too many looking this way post RWC ? remember the English and French players will be heading home too ? only the cream of the senior Wallabies will find slots up here ? and mainly backs |
One of the NH club bods said something similar - that the big cash river was drying up.
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(have you heard any rumours of forwards thinking of retiring up here ? I haven?t) |
You wouldn't want any of them. Not front rowers anyway. Tom Bowman - lock - might be looking elsewhere at the end of the season. He nearly did last season. Good player. Most of the other forwards of any value are relatively young and wouldn't be going anywhere yet.
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Sadly English rugby continues to shame itself in some ways ? check this out. |
Is it the first step to a total kybosh? Or just a delay in the promotion? And how can it be a tied vote? Isn't there a deciding vote?
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LDiCesare
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La Ferté sous Jouarre France
Jan 2001
time: 05:27
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As noted recently France are the bigger issue for your probable desertions now – no wage cap and slack corporate sponsorship laws (meaning players can be employed by third parties effectively) mean they have cash to burn sometimes. |
For a few players, maybe, but overall, France has a much shorter rugby audience than England, so the budget is not going to be huge. There are a few clubs who might try to find an international, but right now I can't see who or for what position.
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finbar
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Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
Jan 1970
time: 06:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Havak
It would be such a waste for a talent like that to go to Japan. We'd take Finnegan too - if he keeps that aggression channeled he could easily fit into the Tigers mould. |
I don't think the Larkham Japan thing was serious. But the Japanese are offering serious money apparently. Finnegan plans to finish his career in Ireland. He's got a zillion relatives there. I'm not sure which club.
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Good to see Finny back after a career threatening injury. I still have some grudges with him about certain 'tackles' (red mist remains his problem?) but it can;t be denied he adds something to the Wallabies. |
Yes, the red mist has been his problem. It's such a fine line between the sort of aggression that can work for the good and can undo all the good work. By which I mean, the difference is obvious, but from the inside looking out, it's obviously a line too easy to cross.
He's only played two halves since he's been back but he actually seems to have come back a little wiser. There were several opportunities last night - when he was being rucked - for the red mist to emerge. He didn't react. He's an intelligent man, perhaps he's realised he's nearing the end and he wants to maximise his opportunities. Again, watching last night, I'd forgotten what wonderful hands he has for a very big man.
Anyway, if he stays fit, and doesn't succumb to the red mist, he has solved our blindside flanker problem. Which leaves openside as the usual battle between George Smith and Phil Waugh. They're both in good form. George has been pulling off some of his usual miraculous - and legal - pilfers at the breakdown. I suspect that's what will keep him ahead of Waugh.
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I wish Larkham a speedy recovery too - RWC needs him really. The alternates (McCrae, Flatley?) are not in the same league IMO. |
No they're not. Tradesmanlike as against freakishly gifted. Matt Giteau - whom we've mentioned before, and whom I promise is now realising his potential - has been having a terrific season at inside centre. The reports this morning are that Larkham will miss at least the first three Tests, so I wouldn't be surprised if Giteau is given a crack at the job. He has the potential to be much more than tradesmanlike.
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finbar
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Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
Jan 1970
time: 06:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Caligastia
Actually, it looks like the Brumbies are in fourth spot after all. Because of their bonus point for finishing within 7 points they tied with the 'tahs, but came out ahead on points differential.. So it will be Blues v Brumbies and Crusaders v Hurricanes next weekend. |
Waratahs 25 -d- Chiefs 14
Yes, the Brumbies hung onto fourth spot only because the Waratahs, while beating the Chiefs, couldn't score the four tries to earn a bonus point. They scored three tries. A win and a bonus point would have taken them past the Brumbies.
And the Waratahs' effort was a typical piece of self destruction. They had ample opportunities to score the four tries - they probably should have scored six - but blew their chances with haphazard, mindless attacks; bad options; some dreadful passing; and, ultimately, sheer panic.
One example of their stupidity - with two tries on the board and two more to score, they were playing with advantage about 25 metres out with the penalty to be awarded to them if advantage wasn't gained. For some reason known only to him, prop Matt Dunning kicked a drop goal!  Beaut. Three points when tries rather than points were what they needed.
To be fair to the Chiefs, they defended well, tying up countless Waratah attacks, but the Waratahs, as they've done so many times this season, simply self-destructed.
So the Brumbies become our only reps in the final series and they're lucky to be there. They will be without Steve Larkham - he has a fracture in his elbow which will see him miss all the of the mid-season Tests - so I don't fancy their chances against the Blues, in Auckland, particularly if Carlos Spencer is on song.
My only hope is that the Brumbies will do the Wallabies a favour and try Matt Giteau at #10.
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finbar
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Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
Jan 1970
time: 06:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Tamerlin
If we look at the current players of the USAP we can note there are almost no top international players to the exception of Manny Edmonds and that this club has a very stable team since a few seasons. This means the USAP has saved money when other clubs (like the ASM and before Brive) are wasting their assets to "buy" costly players every season only to change another half of the team the next one. |
Fair enough, but they must have stashed away a huge amount of money. Luger, Herbert and Robertson would not be cheap.
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You can't expect any coherent play from a team which is turned upside down season after season (and the executives of the ASM are yet to understand it).  |
Yes, it's common sense, you'd think. It's amazing how often short-term fixes are confused with forward planning.
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The only thing that would prevent a club from being promoted or relegated would be an inadequate financial situation which is judged by an "independant" organization named the DNACG (Direction Nationale d'Aide au Contrôle de Gestion) who is examining the budget of all the clubs. |
Again,
You have a sensible system. The difference with the English system, as Havak pointed out, is that those who sit in judgement are far from independent. Their system reeks of conflict of interest. It's beyond me why someone hasn't challenged that situation in the courts. The reason, presumably, is that the challenger would be ostracised.
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Tamerlin
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Toulouse (South-western France)
Apr 2002
time: 06:27
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quote:
Originally posted by finbar
Fair enough, but they must have stashed away a huge amount of money. Luger, Herbert and Robertson would not be cheap. |
I suppose that the good results of the USAP this year have also helped to attract new sponsors and have thus allowed "to put some butter in the spinach" as we say in France ("mettre du beurre dans les épinards")...
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You have a sensible system. The difference with the English system, as Havak pointed out, is that those who sit in judgement are far from independent. Their system reeks of conflict of interest. It's beyond me why someone hasn't challenged that situation in the courts. The reason, presumably, is that the challenger would be ostracised. |
The french system is not without its own conflicts of interests though they are elsewhere, there is a fierce opposition between the FFR (Fédération Française de Ruby), in charge of the national policy and the French XV, and the LNR (League Nationale de Rugby) in charge of the professional Rugby (Top 16 and Pro D2). Inside the LNR, there is also a deep conflict between the "small clubs" and the big ones (though some of them are supporting the claims of the smaller ones) who would prefer a more restricted elite. 
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finbar
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Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
Jan 1970
time: 06:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Tamerlin
"to put some butter in the spinach" as we say in France ("mettre du beurre dans les épinards")... |
What a wonderful expression. Sounds almost, but not quite, the equivalent of our "to put the icing on the cake". So many culinary metaphors! I'm getting hungry. 
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The french system is not without its own conflicts of interests though they are elsewhere, there is a fierce opposition between the FFR (Fédération Française de Ruby), in charge of the national policy and the French XV, and the LNR (League Nationale de Rugby) in charge of the professional Rugby (Top 16 and Pro D2). Inside the LNR, there is also a deep conflict between the "small clubs" and the big ones (though some of them are supporting the claims of the smaller ones) who would prefer a more restricted elite. |
Yes, human nature being what it is, there are always going to be jealousies and power struggles. And also, when participants are in any way involved in the administration of their comp, conflicts of interest.
It happens here with Australian Rules Football. The game is effectively administered by the clubs themselves, but the admin hierarchy is employed and, um, "independent". Thus when the admin hierarchy, seeking to expand the game nationwide, particularly into rugby strongholds, creates special allowances for these expansion clubs - player draft and salary cap concessions - the existing clubs are dragged to agreement kicking and screaming. Of course they fear that the expansion clubs will succeed at their expense. Which is what is currently happening. The expansion clubs now hold six out of the top eight positions on the premiership ladder. Moral: the good of the game is paramount until your own little patch is threatened.
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finbar
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Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy
Jan 1970
time: 06:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Havak
Just a quick weekend drop in again. |
Haven't your sister and her family got a home of their own?
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yes we were beaten by a better side on the day. I still detest them though. |
You're entitled. But you've probably got some catching up to do - they've no doubt detested the Tigers a lot longer.
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Our forwards must want to kill our backs quite honestly as we dominated possession but don;t seem to know what to do with the ball anymore. McMullen looped a wild pass that got intercepted and flattered the Glaws too much. |
Oh well, the scapegoat has choofed off to Saracens. Problem solved.
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It's not all gloom - the club won the U-21 title destroying Glaws U-21 41-10. Straws Finbar Straws. |
Mmmmm. More straws there than the entire stock of the country's milk bars.
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The club is now trying to charge us for the Wildcard home game - there's a move to boycott as it should clearly be free to season ticket holders. |
I think it's time someone took this admin aside and had a word in their shell-likes. From this distance, I can't decide whether they're arrogant or stupid or so accustomed to success that they've forgotten the harsh realities of life. Or, indeed, all three. With the onfield performances, et al, they're well on the way to a PhD in Alienating The Most Important People In The Equation.
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Merhtens joining us after RWC (this rumour from the Glaws fanzine). |
I've read of rumours of him heading to the NH. No clubs mentioned, though. The move, itself, sounds feasible.
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A little divine help might be good too. I can;t remember the last time we finished sixth - fourth is as low as it's been since I took a season ticket. It's not good enough for such a huge club. |
Look upon it as character building. Yes, I hear you say, there are many more palatable ways of building character - a term at Gordonston, a stint in the SAS - but look on the bright side: at least, this way, you don't have to leave home.
Last edited by finbar on 12-05-2003 at 06:34
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Apolyton Time is 00:27. |
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09-05-2003 15:32
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