Official Rugby Thread

[Langeveldt]

Wow.. Kamp Staaldraad was absolutely terrible and its sad to see this happen Really bad, RIP

 

[Anna]

Tis not going well for Bath atm....against Bourgoin on Saturday only 21 players are fit and registered to play in the Heineken Cup. All of the 6 replacements are forwards and neither of the wings are really wingers- Mike Baxter is the academy scrum half and Michael Lipman is first choice as open-side flanker!! Oh dear. I just hope all of the injured return before the Internationals start....they'll be really stuffed if Beastie, Grewcock, Borthers, Barkley and Tins all disappear & no-one's fit enough to replace them!

 

[BoyBrumby]

It's all gone a bit Pete Tong for most of the English clubs in the Heineken this year. The Saints should make the quarters as best runners-up, but they may be the only ones.

V surprised to see Leicester get d1cked at home last Sunday, thought they'd turned a corner after the Wasps wins.

 

[Langeveldt]

God.. Saw my grandad today who is completely cenile, out of his head.. Very funny though..

I told him I won the Inter School Badminton competition last year and was hoping to make it a bit higher, and he said

"Well Richard, thank god you are playing that.. Yes, badminton.. a mans sport.. Not like that Rugby, horrible game.. An awful thugs game.. Yes well done Richard"

Ah the irony...

 

[BoyBrumby]

Jonno not touring with Lions...probably...

So Martin Johnson has called a press conference to announce his testimonial will take place at Twickers the same day as The Lions play their first tour match in NZ.

Says Stuart Henry, a member of the testimonial committee: "It can be taken as a fair assumption that Martin's involvement in the Twickenham fixture will mean he will not be going on the British Lions tour."

Experts in double speak will note that:

a) Johnson himself didn't say it; &
b) It's not the most categorical denial ever "It can be taken as a fair assumption that..." isn't "Under no circumstances will Martin be seeking to crown his career by winning a Lions series in New Zealand for only the second time ever"

I remain cautiously optimistic

 

[cric_manic]

cant wait for the lions to come to nz its going to be awsome as i havent seem them play nz before

i feel nz should beat the loins pretty eaisly as there back line is no where as good as ours and the foward pack will be equal,if nz gets good go-foward ball its lights out for the lions as our backline is full of stars but as all games of rugby its going to be won in the fowards

 

[BoyBrumby]

cant wait for the lions to come to nz its going to be awsome as i havent seem them play nz before

i feel nz should beat the loins pretty eaisly as there back line is no where as good as ours and the foward pack will be equal,if nz gets good go-foward ball its lights out for the lions as our backline is full of stars but as all games of rugby its going to be won in the fowards

I think that's true, if NZ get anyhting like parity of possession your backs will tear The Lions to shreds.

I reckon that's easier said than done tho, your tight 5 is pretty lightweight (certainly compared to England's or The Springbok's) & I'd take a back row of Hill, Dallaglio & Corry over Tuiali'i, McCaw & So'oialo every single time.

Just have to hope Hill's fit & Loz tours!!

 

[Smudge]

So Martin Johnson has called a press conference to announce his testimonial will take place at Twickers the same day as The Lions play their first tour match in NZ.

Says Stuart Henry, a member of the testimonial committee: "It can be taken as a fair assumption that Martin's involvement in the Twickenham fixture will mean he will not be going on the British Lions tour."

Experts in double speak will note that:

a) Johnson himself didn't say it; &
b) It's not the most categorical denial ever "It can be taken as a fair assumption that..." isn't "Under no circumstances will Martin be seeking to crown his career by winning a Lions series in New Zealand for only the second time ever"

I remain cautiously optimistic

I remain cautiously optimistic that he won't come.

Realistically, how do you think you will go against us? I'm picking 2-1 to NZ..

 

[cric_manic]

I think that's true, if NZ get anyhting like parity of possession your backs will tear The Lions to shreds.

I reckon that's easier said than done tho, your tight 5 is pretty lightweight (certainly compared to England's or The Springbok's) & I'd take a back row of Hill, Dallaglio & Corry over Tuiali'i, McCaw & So'oialo every single time.

Just have to hope Hill's fit & Loz tours!!

McCaw is better than eny of your players in the back row he is one of nz greatest number 7 and you will see he will tear through the lions fowards

and our foward back is lightweight? thats a myth our pack has improved since the world cup and is not lightweight

the loins dont have a lock as good as C.Jack or robinson
they dont have a number 7 as good as McCaw
and marshall is the better halfback of the 2 sides

 

[BoyBrumby]

I remain cautiously optimistic that he won't come.

Realistically, how do you think you will go against us? I'm picking 2-1 to NZ..

It's gonna be hard, in our favour it's quite a short tour so hopefully we won't have your provincial sides knocking lumps off too many of our top fellas before the tests.

Your backs are scary tho. I don't think too many Lions backs would be picked in a composite team; maybe a fit Wilkinson, maybe O'Driscoll, but that's it.

Our best (only?) chance is a ten-man game. Pains me to agree, but 2-1 NZ a v fair call.

 

[Smudge]

I think that's true, if NZ get anyhting like parity of possession your backs will tear The Lions to shreds.

I reckon that's easier said than done tho, your tight 5 is pretty lightweight (certainly compared to England's or The Springbok's) & I'd take a back row of Hill, Dallaglio & Corry over Tuiali'i, McCaw & So'oialo every single time.

Just have to hope Hill's fit & Loz tours!!

Our tight five gave the French a solid going over - Marconnet, considered possibly the best prop in the world got popped on numerous occasions.

For starters, Hill is about a 10 % chance of touring (I heard that from a very close friend of his - an Englishman no less). Tuiali'i won't start - it will be Collins, McCaw and So'oialo, whose ability to get the ball away in the tackle against France was nothing short of extraordinary.

[QUOTE="cric manic]the loins dont have a lock as good as C.Jack or robinson [/QUOTE]

Yes they do - Irishman Paul O'Connell is a very classy player, and Keith Robinson's career is pretty much over (according to my sources).

As for Marshall, I'm not even sure he will start, although both he and Kelleher are better than what the Lions have to offer IMHO.

 

[BoyBrumby]

and our foward back is lightweight? thats a myth our pack has improved since the world cup and is not lightweight

You must have a different New Zealand pack in mind. The one I'm talking about were shunted all over the park by The Taffs in the autumn!!

& I bet no Welsh forwards make The Lions starting 8.

 

[Smudge]

It's gonna be hard, in our favour it's quite a short tour so hopefully we won't have your provincial sides knocking lumps off too many of our top fellas before the tests.
Your backs are scary tho. I don't think too many Lions backs would be picked in a composite team; maybe a fit Wilkinson, maybe O'Driscoll, but that's it.

Our best (only?) chance is a ten-man game. Pains me to agree, but 2-1 NZ a v fair call.

That shouldn't matter anyway - you are taking 44 players, so you won't have to worry about midweek matches, and there aren't too many weekend matches before the tests.

 

[cric_manic]

did you see us destroy the french pack in about 20 minutes we destroyed them so much they wanted to depower the scrums

 

[Smudge]

You must have a different New Zealand pack in mind. The one I'm talking about were shunted all over the park by The Taffs in the autumn!!

& I bet no Welsh forwards make The Lions starting 8.

Somerville, Mealamu and Woodcock will not be the front row. It will be Hayman, Oliver and either Woodcock or Somerville (or maybe even Taemoepeau) with Mealamu on for the last 20-30 mins.

And as I said before, Tuiali'i will not be at 8.

Maxwell will start before Williams, most likely.

 

[BoyBrumby]

That shouldn't matter anyway - you are taking 44 players, so you won't have to worry about midweek matches, and there aren't too many weekend matches before the tests.

True in theory, but our world class player pool is pretty shallow. A few injuries to key players & we're squarely banged up the pooper!

I'm hopeful D1ck Hill will make it; he's certainly worth taking on the off chance. It was his injury against the crims that was the turning point last Lions tour.

I certainly wouldn't ever pick any other back row forward ahead of him.

 

[Richard Rash]

True in theory, but our world class player pool is pretty shallow. A few injuries to key players & we're squarely banged up the pooper!

I'm hopeful D1ck Hill will make it; he's certainly worth taking on the off chance. It was his injury against the crims that was the turning point last Lions tour.

I certainly wouldn't ever pick any other back row forward ahead of him.

I would pick Richie McCaw ahead of him any day of the week.. At this stage how many players from the countries other than England will make the starting line up.. obviously O'Driscall but he is the only one i can think of. Maybe a couple in the forwards?

Is anyone actually looking forward to the Super 12.. I can't say i am looking forward to the prospect of going to the cake tin and watching the Canes get thrashed every week.. once again they were unable to draft effectively. They really really needed a quality first five. IMO Auckland should have allowed McCallister to come down and play for us. I mean what good is it for NZ rugby to have three quality five eights in both Auckland and Cantubury. (Spencer, McCaillister, Lavea and Mehrtens, Carter, Mauger). I know Mehrts wanted to stay down in Christchurch but surely if the NZRFU want the Super 12 franchises to have an even talent spread then more cooperation is needed from the franchises to ensure that the best players are getting sufficent game time and not wasted on the bench and that all five sides are competitive

 

[Anna]

Bath kick butt! Sale butt that is I looked in The Times yesterday & today & there wasn't a single mention of that match...I'm insensed! It was much more exciting than Gloucester v Bristol, yet that got a whole page....I'm going to complain!!

 

[BoyBrumby]

I would pick Richie McCaw ahead of him any day of the week.. At this stage how many players from the countries other than England will make the starting line up.. obviously O'Driscall but he is the only one i can think of. Maybe a couple in the forwards?

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.

FWIW this is my (assuming everybody's fit & available for selection) Lions XV:

1) Woodman (ENG)
2) Byrne (IRE)
3) Vickery (ENG)
4) Johnson(c) (ENG)*
5) O'Connell (IRE)
6) Corry (ENG)
7) Hill (ENG)
8) Dallaglio (ENG)**
9) Dawson (ENG)
10) Wilkinson (ENG)
11) Lewsey (ENG)
12) D’Arcy (IRE)
13) O’Driscoll (IRE)
14) Cueto (ENG)
15) Robinson (ENG)

* If Jonno finally decides not to tour Malcolm O’Kelly to replace

** If Loz decides against tour I’d move Corry to No. 8 & play Colin Charvis @ Blindside

 

[andyc]

*gasp* richard rash? is this a permanent return?