03-10-2003 19:11									#271
	Inflate your Upload Space

quote: Originally posted by Havak The issue of NZ naturalising anyone they feel like who shows a talent for rugby has been covered here before. We raised it when Rokocoko (Fijian) was unveiled as a new AB superstar this season. I am totally against it - as far as I can recall none of the kiwis see any problem with it at all. I don't think it troubled Finbar much either - but then the Australians indulge in it too of course.

I think that the policy of 'if you live in NZ, you can play rugby for us' is a good one. I have no problem with it whatsoever. We're a multicultural society, what good is it going to do to exclude a particular race of folk from being in our national team? It goes against all that is NZ.

	03-10-2003 19:18									#272
	Full PM-box? Change here!

quote: they were saying it was easier to plan their strategy against England than France, not actually play against them

An interesting distinction on the context - though perhaps not one that so much fun could be extracted from.

Clive is almost certainly indugling in mind games. He knows he can't recover ground with the Aussie media who still hate him for refusing to say "you guys were game" in June. He also knows that implying any other team is your biggest threat is one viable way of possibly getting an unbalanced reaction from the Kiwis.

Just wait until Eddie Jones get properly warmed up -his games are on an entirely different level again.

A Kiwi-England final might be favourite - but an Aussie-France one is quite possible I guess. What a nightmare though - giving France the chance to repeat the failure of four years ago - Tamerlin will be having nightmares.

	03-10-2003 22:22									#273
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

quote: Tamerlin - it's quite an experience hosting an Irish team isn't it? I bet the club house was still full hours after the game finished?

Right, they are a really a cool bunch of people. I don't know about the club house as the game was played at the Stadium and not the Stade Ernest Wallon but I can tell you the bars and pubs of Toulouse were full of irish supporters well after the game.

	03-10-2003 22:31									#274
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

quote: Originally posted by Havak ... - but an Aussie-France one is quite possible I guess. What a nightmare though - giving France the chance to repeat the failure of four years ago - Tamerlin will be having nightmares.

Strangely enough I remember a semi-final against players dressed in black but I don't remember a game against Australia. Aren't you imagining this story just to make a fool of me?

	04-10-2003 00:23									#275
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

I've heard Irish sing the Wild Rover once near Dublin. Great song. I also remember talking about a half drunk violin player who had played the song in a party one year later in France...
I think Basques have many beautiful traditional songs but am not sure they sing them during the matches.

	04-10-2003 00:28									#276
	Inflate your Upload Space

quote: Originally posted by finbar Minus 14 - with windchill - one New Years Eve in New York was my crowning glory. God I love cold weather!

I'm sure you found it bracing, but you might find yourself getting sick of it after 5 months. New York weather is too extreme for me - it's either freezing cold or boiling hot.

	04-10-2003 03:04									#277
	Get a bigger avatar today!

quote: Originally posted by LDiCesare I think Basques have many beautiful traditional songs but am not sure they sing them during the matches.

I have never heard them sing these songs during a Rugby game.

	04-10-2003 04:20									#278
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

quote: Originally posted by Andydog I think that the policy of 'if you live in NZ, you can play rugby for us' is a good one. I have no problem with it whatsoever. We're a multicultural society, what good is it going to do to exclude a particular race of folk from being in our national team? It goes against all that is NZ.

Yep, you are right on the point.
So, obviously when the SRU goes out of business and no Samoan players come through and NZ can no longer compete with the resources of England, I guess you will be happy that you are a homogenised nation?
I am sorry for this sarcasm, but hopes that it goes just a little way to prove a point that the amount of money that the "have's " have could be better distributed and that if you follow that arguement to it's infinate conclusion that you will end up with a an Eng- N.Z final most times, with France breaking the tradition and Aus. and Ire being the "floater's."
YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT DISCRIMINATION but IMVHO some teams are twisting this arguement and using money as the lever to do it.The professional teams in Eng. are, again in my IMVHO , going down this path and using the "interest's of our team" arguement to do it.
I'm sorry if I am ranting but to me the key isssues of this W.C are this and the homogenisation of the game.
I wish it was just about the play but it is turning into the pay and I wish to see this game of all sizes and creeds reach out rather than be dominated by the richest Commonwealth country.

	04-10-2003 04:35									#279
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by LDiCesare I've heard Irish sing the Wild Rover once near Dublin. Great song. I also remember talking about a half drunk violin player who had played the song in a party one year later in France... I think Basques have many beautiful traditional songs but am not sure they sing them during the matches.

Are some Irish in favour of seperation from a "national" identity?


It IS one of the best song's of all time, however, ESPECIALLY with your best friends.

It is a bonding, tribal thing AND very annoying when used correctly.

	04-10-2003 04:48									#280
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Originally posted by Tamerlin Strangely enough I remember a semi-final against players dressed in black but I don't remember a game against Australia. Aren't you imagining this story just to make a fool of me?

The second half of the semi against the men in black was one the most inspired, heroic, performances of all time.Genuinely. If you have it on tape, watch it again, and again; of that performance, heroes are made. Seriously.
Set up the video, DVD, oh shite I don't care but watch it and then tell me that, for that match alone, Magne does not deserve the highest honour his country can give for inspiring about a million French kids what it means to be French.

	04-10-2003 05:25									#281
	Increase Your PM Length

quote: Originally posted by Havak Must keep an eye out for it – sounds just about pitched right for me.

I can even arrange subtitles just for you.

quote: So no sign of Fat Cow making the trip here then?

I'll find out and let you know.

quote: The Feature Film sounds like a challenge for you.

The challenge is to develop a story that will sustain 90 minutes on the big screen. The series is half hour episodes - well, about 22 minutes of drama after you allow for ad breaks - and thus, obviously, the stories have all been small scale. For the big screen, you have to do more than string 3 or 4 series stories together. You need one big, sustaining story with a couple of sub-plots. So that's the challenge.

quote: On the rugger front Eddie has claimed he will play the first XV every game right? So the only way Whitaker gets a start is if Eddie makes him number one scrummy. That could be interesting.

Well, yes. That's what he's saying. Injuries might change his tune. And even if he sticks to his plan, I can't see everyone playing the full game against the minnows. As someone pointed out in this morning's press, what happens if you suddenly have to call on a back-up who hasn't played a game in anger in 3 months?

	04-10-2003 05:37									#282
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Originally posted by Andydog So what do you make of Nick Farr-Jones' comments, who rates your chances?

He's pretty right, I think, even if he overrates our achievements in the first and third prerequisites. The classic example was the return Tri Nations match against the ABs. How much did ball did we have in the second half? How impotent was our attack? How often was the ball simply turned back inside and straight into a solid black wall? That wasn't a one-off failure. It was the story of our season. The galling thing is that we have plenty of talent out wide - very expensive talent, too, but that's another story - and they rarely see the ball. On the occasions when Wendell has made an impact, he has usually gone and got the ball himelf. I'll say it again - the problem is either Gregan's incompotence, or Eddie Jones' incompotence. Or maybe even a bit of both.

	04-10-2003 05:41									#283
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Andydog I think that the policy of 'if you live in NZ, you can play rugby for us' is a good one. I have no problem with it whatsoever. We're a multicultural society, what good is it going to do to exclude a particular race of folk from being in our national team? It goes against all that is NZ.

Give up, old son, because I have. You're not going to convince him. It's the Old Colonial in him.

	04-10-2003 05:44									#284
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

quote: Originally posted by Caligastia I'm sure you found it bracing, but you might find yourself getting sick of it after 5 months. New York weather is too extreme for me - it's either freezing cold or boiling hot.

Put it this way - I wouldn't go near the place in summer. It's putrid. Winter, though, is an entirely different matter. My dream is to move between the hemispheres, completely avoiding summer in any way, shape or form.

	04-10-2003 06:13									#285
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Originally posted by flipside I am sorry for this sarcasm, but hopes that it goes just a little way to prove a point that the amount of money that the "have's " have could be better distributed and that if you follow that arguement to it's infinate conclusion that you will end up with a an Eng- N.Z final most times, with France breaking the tradition and Aus. and Ire being the "floater's." YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT DISCRIMINATION but IMVHO some teams are twisting this arguement and using money as the lever to do it.The professional teams in Eng. are, again in my IMVHO , going down this path and using the "interest's of our team" arguement to do it. I'm sorry if I am ranting but to me the key isssues of this W.C are this and the homogenisation of the game. I wish it was just about the play but it is turning into the pay and I wish to see this game of all sizes and creeds reach out rather than be dominated by the richest Commonwealth country.

I think you make a lot of fair points. The fundamental problem with the move to professionalism is that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Unless, of course, stoppers are put in place, and the IRB is farting around on this matter.

In this WRC, the smaller, poorer rugby nations are suffering because players are contracted to - for the most part - English clubs. Now, at least one player has declined to represent his country because he says he can't afford to lose his English club salary, and his country can't offer him anything like the same money. Given, of course, that the club would release him for the tournament anyway. So here we have two fixable problems. The smaller, poorer rugby nations have to be funded by the IRB to allow them to field their strongest teams. And clubs have to be required by the IRB to release players for international commitments. In England, of course, this opens the proverbial can of very ugly worms, because - as Havak knows, and as we've batted around before - it's the clubs, not the RFU, that effectively control rugby.

Given the IRB's history of ineptitude - it only rivals the ICB, cricket's world controlling body, for fiddling while the game burns - I suspect it will be a very long time until something is done. Sadly.

	05-10-2003 05:30									#286
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

Sale 22 -d- Leicester 16

RWC weather update. Spring finally seems to have arrived. Here in Sydney anyway. The temp has settled into the low 20s. Brisbane, of course, remains in the high 20s and low 30s. Fingers crossed for 42C and 99% humidity the minute England takes the field, though.

A wonderful quote in the press this morning from the Good Old Days of rugby. I fair shed a tear. Wallaby toughie of the 1970s, Steve Finnane: "If someone hit me, I'd hit the closest bloke to me. If he said: 'Why did you hit me?', I'd reply: 'Pass the message onto the bloke who did'."

	06-10-2003 05:32									#287
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

quote: Originally posted by finbar Put it this way - I wouldn't go near the place in summer. It's putrid.

No argument here. My summers are spent slinking sweatily from one air-conditioned building to another.

quote: Winter, though, is an entirely different matter. My dream is to move between the hemispheres, completely avoiding summer in any way, shape or form.

How long was the longest you've ever experienced a real winter for? I'm telling you, NY winters get old quickly.

	06-10-2003 12:35									#288
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

Thanks for posting the Tigers score Finbar.

The board seems somewhat messed up at the moment so I'll come back later (when I have stopped crying about Tigers).

	06-10-2003 14:53									#289
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: Originally posted by Caligastia How long was the longest you've ever experienced a real winter for? I'm telling you, NY winters get old quickly.

I've had a couple of decent freezing European winters. Lovely!

In fact, I only ever travel to Europe in Winter. No bloody tourists!

	06-10-2003 14:54									#290
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

quote: Originally posted by Havak Thanks for posting the Tigers score Finbar.

Just in case anyone missed it and just in case you were trying to forget it.

Edit. Mmmmm. I just got home from a day trip down to Horse's place in Canberra and I've just checked all the Zurich scores. Gee, it's starting out to be a very upsidedown season. I suppose everyone away at the WRC is having an impact.

	06-10-2003 15:51									#291
	Got spare money?

I think that is fair comment - although I suppose it is possible Connelly is a better coach than I gave him credit for?

I'll not forget Saturday in a hurry - I had to stand through the whole sad episode. We should have put them away tidily - but some players were seemingly not committed to what they were doing - one senior player, who moves clubs in six weeks, was clearly looking after number one...and if thats all he can offer we may as well let him go now.

Is the forum displaying okay for you?

	06-10-2003 16:54									#292
	Remove this text

quote: Originally posted by Havak Is the forum displaying okay for you?

Not really!

	06-10-2003 16:57									#293
	Full PM-box? Change here!

As in gifs not displaying?

	06-10-2003 17:14									#294
	Support Apolyton

I would rather say that the said pictures are not in the folder where they are supposed to be, or that the server can not find this folder. IMO, our browsers can not display the pictures because the targets of the links are not at their right place.

	06-10-2003 17:19									#295
	Remove this text

Thanks Tamerlin - it's useful to know that it's not just me.

	06-10-2003 17:39									#296
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

quote: Originally posted by finbar A wonderful quote in the press this morning from the Good Old Days of rugby. I fair shed a tear. Wallaby toughie of the 1970s, Steve Finnane: "If someone hit me, I'd hit the closest bloke to me. If he said: 'Why did you hit me?', I'd reply: 'Pass the message onto the bloke who did'."

Very good quote, reminds me of a TV report about the Lions in which Woods had a talk with the half-scrum (a beginner with the Lions) in which he told him, with a very soft and kind voice, that it was the job of the forwards to biff the others and to protect him. It was something like this : "If you are facing a dangerous situation, don't involve yourself into it, we are here to take the hits, it's our job, we are here for that..."

	06-10-2003 17:41									#297
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

The gifs aren't loading for me in IE, but everything's working perfectly when I use Mozilla.

Yes, but it's not just Connolly's mob. Most of last year's bottom teams seem to be doing well. Look at Gloucester's pitiful effort!

	06-10-2003 17:45									#298
	Support Apolyton

quote: Originally posted by finbar The gifs aren't loading for me in IE, but everything's working perfectly when I use Mozilla.

Very confusing, I don't know why it is not working for IE and working for other browsers...

	06-10-2003 17:55									#299
	Inflate your Upload Space

Because IE is made by You Know Who and therefore sucks! I rarely use it these days. I stick to Mozilla and Safari.

	06-10-2003 19:10									#300
	Support Apolyton

Glaws seem almost schizo - they destroyed a Sarries side last week but Newcastle, who the week before fell apart against Tigers, detroyed them in turn. Quins were the surpise package in the early games but in turn were felled by that Sarries side.

You are right - it's topsy turvy stuff. Lets see if Bath are there at Xmas. I have to concede that consecutive wins over Sale and Wasps does them great credit however - and it really hurts to say that!

Care to guess where we are next weekend? There may be a few tractors in the car park - and we may be in for a stuffing depending which side runs out.