Official Rugby Thread

[BoyBrumby]

Jonno not touring with Lions...almost definitely...

Poo!

Looks like Jonno's testimonial against Jonah Lomu's XV @ Twickers is gonna be the great man's last game. This from Jonno himself:

"This game against Jonah will be a great way to end the season and end my career"

O'Kelly @ 4 then!

 

[Richard Rash]

You can keep him! He's good, but seriously tho, not in Richard Hill's class. Colin Charvis made him look pretty ordinary last autumn & I don’t reckon Charvis’ll be in The Lions starting XV. I'd take Betsen over McCaw too, cheap-shot merchant tho he may be.

Richie McCaw is widely regarded as the best player in the world. Even the English media rate him which is saying a lot (including Steven Jones). He is in a class of his own. People over here are starting to compare him to Michael Jones and he will almost certainly be the next All Black captain

 

[BoyBrumby]

Richie McCaw is widely regarded as the best player in the world. Even the English media rate him which is saying a lot (including Steven Jones). He is in a class of his own. People over here are starting to compare him to Michael Jones and he will almost certainly be the next All Black captain

Not in any Rugby press I've ever read. I've seen him play over half-a-dozen times & he's good, but a flat-track bully. Where was he in The Semi against The Crims? George Smith had him in his pocket. Jerry Collins totally outplayed him. For my money he’s your top fella, not McCaw. As for him being the next AB captain, fair enough, but that doesn’t mean he’s top drawer. Reuben Thorne? Todd Blackadder?

& I dunno how old you are, but I saw Michael Jones play (I’m 29) & he’s the best forward I ever saw; McCaw’s not even in the same league.

 

[Richard Rash]

Not in any Rugby press I've ever read. I've seen him play over half-a-dozen times & he's good, but a flat-track bully. Where was he in The Semi against The Crims? George Smith had him in his pocket. Jerry Collins totally outplayed him. For my money he’s your top fella, not McCaw. As for him being the next AB captain, fair enough, but that doesn’t mean he’s top drawer. Reuben Thorne? Todd Blackadder?

& I dunno how old you are, but I saw Michael Jones play (I’m 29) & he’s the best forward I ever saw; McCaw’s not even in the same league.

Collins has improved but he is still fairly one dimensional with ball in hand. McCaw had to deal with two openside flankers in that game against Aussie. Remeber Phil Waugh played as well. He is almost certainly our best player and by some margin. He continues to impress and amaze all NZ rugby followers with his consistant outstanding performances.

Yea fair point regarding captiancy..

I only saw Michael Jones from 1995 onwards so missed him in his real peak years although I have seen footage. By the end of McCaw's career, if he remains relatively injury free he will eclipse him as NZ's best ever loose forward

 

[BoyBrumby]

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree there. NZ's strength (for me) is your backs. If you can get anything approaching parity of possession The Lions are in trouble.

Slight change of subject: do you reckon The Argies are worthy of make the tri-nations into the tetra-nations? They looked impressive against The French in the autumn & were v unlucky against The Micks too.

There's precious few nations who can compete at the really top level, so I reckon any that show potential should be nurtured.

 

[Richard Rash]

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree there. NZ's strength (for me) is your backs. If you can get anything approaching parity of possession The Lions are in trouble.

Slight change of subject: do you reckon The Argies are worthy of make the tri-nations into the tetra-nations? They looked impressive against The French in the autumn & were v unlucky against The Micks too.

There's precious few nations who can compete at the really top level, so I reckon any that show potential should be nurtured.

Yea we will agree to disagree however I do agree with you about our backs..we will rip you to pieces if you allow us enough ball out wide.

And yes i agree with you the argies defintely should be in the Tri Nations. I was really disapointed with the decision by Sanzar regarding both the Tri Nations and Super 12. Instead of trying to expand the game to more nations they just increased the matches between the three countries and increased the number of teams in aussie and SA. IMO they should have tried to get Japan and Argentina involved in both competitions. The market in just waiting to be exploited in Japan. Also the Pacific Island team should be an international side like the West Indies in cricket. This way they can compete and rugby won't die out in Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. They also should have been involved in the Tri Nations.

Both Sanzar competitons (super12 and Tri Nations) are becoming rather boring and what do the fish heads go and do..increase the number of matches between the three nations. They needed to spice things up and bring in more teams to try and expand and strengthen world rugby.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Yeah, pretty disappointing all round. I had hopes The Lions may play a test against The Pacific Islands team whilst they were down there too.

I really thought Japan at least might get a Super-12 (or is it 14 now?) team on financial grounds; yer Argies deserve it more Rugby-wise, but money talks at the end of the day!

Argentina really have nowhere else to go, do they? They're head and shoulders above any other non-tri nations or 6 nations team (& far better than Italy & The Sweaties now too, for that matter) but if they can't break onto the top table will they be able to sustain it? When I was a kid (mid-late 80s) there was talk of Romania being allowed into the (then) 5 nations after they'd beaten Wales, but it never happened & now Rugby has died on its ar$e over there. Any Romanians show any promise & they're soon playing in France where the clubs won't release 'em for internationals.

If the "smaller" nations aren't looked after a bit Union is gonna end up being as bad as League is internationally.

 

[Richard Rash]

Yea but then again there is still hope in Japan with them bidding and hopefully gaining the rights to host the 2011 world cup which would do wonders for their rugby..

Out of interest which club do you support?

My teams are Welington in the NPC and naturally the Hurricanes in the Super12 and in Europe I like Munster mainly because my favourite player of all time Christian Cullen now plays for them

 

[BoyBrumby]

Northampton Saints (don't laugh, we'll stay up yet & quarters in the Heineken, so there's hope there too! Although Toulouse away, so not f***ing much). C'mon Jimmies!!

& with my surname I have to root for ACT in the Super 12 really, don't I?!

 

[Smudge]

Not in any Rugby press I've ever read. I've seen him play over half-a-dozen times & he's good, but a flat-track bully. Where was he in The Semi against The Crims? George Smith had him in his pocket. Jerry Collins totally outplayed him. For my money he’s your top fella, not McCaw. As for him being the next AB captain, fair enough, but that doesn’t mean he’s top drawer. Reuben Thorne? Todd Blackadder?

& I dunno how old you are, but I saw Michael Jones play (I’m 29) & he’s the best forward I ever saw; McCaw’s not even in the same league.

McCaw was one of the few forwards who stood up in that semi. Often he would get to the breakdown and the two carthorses who were playing with him in the loose trio were miles behind so he would get isolated in trying to claim the ball. Hence he gave a few penalties away.

We lacked a second loosie with genuine speed - both Collins and Thorne are tight loosies (actually Thorne isn't a loosie's a*****e).

McCaw is very good - not a great yet, but he will be.

 

[BoyBrumby]

6 Nations Odds

Who does anybody fancy to win it then? You won't get very rich betting on us or yer French, but Ireland (who have France & England in Ireland this year) can be backed @ 7/2, or you can take the resurgent (well they only lost by 1 point to NZ) Taffs @ 13/1, maybe the best value bet. Full odds:

France 7/4
England 15/8
Ireland 7/2
Wales 13/1
Scotland 250/1
Italy 2000/1

It's England for me (provided we can scrape up two fit centres), we've got France at Twickers where they haven't won since '98 & a point to prove against The Micks. The first-up game against The Taffs is the key.

 

[Richard Rash]

Norm Hewitt came to my school today.. interesting guy

 

[BoyBrumby]

Norm Hewitt came to my school today.. interesting guy

Ah, dear old Stormin'!

I always remember when him & D1ck ****erill had their little contretemps during the haka in 97. Think we may've been playing at (boo, hiss) The Citadel of Evil , Old Trafford.

I think John Hart may've accused ****erill of being disrespectful, but to me the haka is all about laying down a challenge, ****erill was just accepting it! That woulda been fair old match up, Norm & ****erill.

What's Norm up to nowadays then?

 

[Richard Rash]

Ah, dear old Stormin'!

I always remember when him & D1ck ****erill had their little contretemps during the haka in 97. Think we may've been playing at (boo, hiss) The Citadel of Evil , Old Trafford.

I think John Hart may've accused ****erill of being disrespectful, but to me the haka is all about laying down a challenge, ****erill was just accepting it! That woulda been fair old match up, Norm & ****erill.

What's Norm up to nowadays then?

Motivational speaking and such like.. He also works with young prisoners (16-18)

 

[Smudge]

Ah, dear old Stormin'!

I always remember when him & D1ck ****erill had their little contretemps during the haka in 97. Think we may've been playing at (boo, hiss) The Citadel of Evil , Old Trafford.

I think John Hart may've accused ****erill of being disrespectful, but to me the haka is all about laying down a challenge, ****erill was just accepting it! That woulda been fair old match up, Norm & ****erill.

What's Norm up to nowadays then?

Norm and ****erill also got into a fistfight outside a pub in Dunedin during the 1998 tour. Not long after, Norm threw himself through a ranchslider in Queenstown, and cried at the ensuing press conference as he admitted he had a drinking problem.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Norm and ****erill also got into a fistfight outside a pub in Dunedin during the 1998 tour. Not long after, Norm threw himself through a ranchslider in Queenstown, and cried at the ensuing press conference as he admitted he had a drinking problem.

Who had the best of it?! I'd have to take Norm with the weight advantage, but ****erill was no jibber. Archetypal gobby hooker. It's always hookers or scrum-halves with the mouth, isn't it?

I've no idea what a "ranchslider" is BTW, but I'm guessing throwing yourself down one isn't too clever!

 

[Smudge]

Who had the best of it?! I'd have to take Norm with the weight advantage, but ****erill was no jibber. Archetypal gobby hooker. It's always hookers or scrum-halves with the mouth, isn't it?

I've no idea what a "ranchslider" is BTW, but I'm guessing throwing yourself down one isn't too clever!

I don't think either one of them got on top, so to speak.

A ranchslider is a sliding door that is often the accessway to a deck/patio/outdoor living area - the modern version of french doors I suppose.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I don't think either one of them got on top, so to speak.

A ranchslider is a sliding door that is often the accessway to a deck/patio/outdoor living area - the modern version of french doors I suppose.

Jesus. Lucky the great lump didn't sever an artery.

Who'd you take for the 6 Nations then Volts? If you give a flying one, that is?! Does it attract much interest down there?

It's as open as I can remember it; think you can make a realistic case for 4 teams (definitely 3) winning it.

 

[Smudge]

Jesus. Lucky the great lump didn't sever an artery.

Who'd you take for the 6 Nations then Volts? If you give a flying one, that is?! Does it attract much interest down there?

It's as open as I can remember it; think you can make a realistic case for 4 teams (definitely 3) winning it.

I have some interest as it's obviously a precursor to the Lions team being sent down and it's a good chance to assess the form of the Lions' key players. In saying that, it's only available on the Rugby Channel, which is pay-per-view, and I don't have that.

Before the NH autumn tests, I would gone for France, but as you say, it's pretty open between France, England and Ireland. I think Wales will upset possibly one of those big teams (maybe, just maybe, it might be England in the first round), but they won't win the title.

If I had to wager, I might go with France - their forward pack can't play like they did against the All Blacks too often.

 

[Richard Rash]

If I had to wager, I might go with France - their forward pack can't play like they did against the All Blacks too often.

Yeah i agree