Official Rugby Thread

[Smudge]

I can see how it gets annoying having it said but when you look at AllBlacks.com at the official squad and about a third of them aren't from NZ, I wonder how much better the Pacifics would be with those players and how NZ might not have this depth.

Christ...

They ARE from New Zealand. Just because they weren't born here...

You do know that New Zealand constantly provides players BORN in New Zealand to island teams - ie. Samoa had 14 NZ-born players in their 2003 RWC squad.

Basically, you want guys who haven't lived in the islands since they were a wee tot to play for island nations even though it's been their dream since they started playing rugby (in New Zealand) to play for the All Blacks.

 

[Perm]

Alot of the current All Blacks of Pacific Island descent have moved to New Zealand before they were teenages and then took up playing rugby, their dream being to play for the All Blacks. There are a few differences like Lome Fa'atau playing for Samoa.

Sivivatu remains a different story and I understand your point of view PY, he was given a scholarship to play rugby at Wesley College so basically we "bought" him, for want of a better term.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Alot of the current All Blacks of Pacific Island descent have moved to New Zealand before they were teenages and then took up playing rugby, their dream being to play for the All Blacks. There are a few differences like Lome Fa'atau playing for Samoa.

Sivivatu remains a different story and I understand your point of view PY, he was given a scholarship to play rugby at Wesley College so basically we "bought" him, for want of a better term.

Bought is such an ugly word.

I prefer "poached".

 

[PY]

Christ...

Thought he was born in Bethlehem not the Pacifics?

OK, I'll stop. It's obviously something you don't like discussing and if I did carry it on, it'd be malicious on my part.

 

[Perm]

The percentage of players that have been given scholarships like Sitiveni Sivivatu are minimal, the amount of players that come to New Zealand from the Pacific Islands before they are teenagers and dream to play for the All Blacks is very high. By the way, I haven't heard any of Stephen Jones' comments on the England vs All Blacks test, has he kept quite since we beat his team by 21 points?

 

[Craig]

Yeah, I think he was still playing grade cricket over here at about 18/19. Healy played some grade cricket or something against him, and remains an advocate.

Left because he was behind Ian Healy, Wade Seccombe (perhaps unlucky himself not to play for Australia), Gavin Fitness in the Queensland wicket keeping pecking order.

 

[Smudge]

The percentage of players that have been given scholarships like Sitiveni Sivivatu are minimal, the amount of players that come to New Zealand from the Pacific Islands before they are teenagers and dream to play for the All Blacks is very high. By the way, I haven't heard any of Stephen Jones' comments on the England vs All Blacks test, has he kept quite since we beat his team by 21 points?

There are many who get scholarships, soak up the rugby culture and return to the Islands, or at least play for the island teams. I can think of a young halfback who currently plays for North Otago, and his goal in the next few years is to make the Tongan side.

 

[steds]

By the way, I haven't heard any of Stephen Jones' comments on the England vs All Blacks test, has he kept quite since we beat his team by 21 points?

Why would Wales captain Stephen Jones care about England - All Blacks?

 

[KennyD]

Why would Wales captain Stephen Jones care about England - All Blacks?

He was shooting his mouth off last year I believe. Hate Stephen Jones.

 

[BoyBrumby]

By the way, I haven't heard any of Stephen Jones' comments on the England vs All Blacks test, has he kept quite since we beat his team by 21 points?

Oh, no. We aren't wearing that one. Jones is Welsh, even if he doesn't always write like it.

 

[Perm]

I'm referring to the journalist of course, not the flyhalf who captains Wales. He is usually pretty vocal after England vs All Blacks games, last year I beleive he said "England claimed the moral victory and were by far the better team".

 

[BoyBrumby]

I'm referring to the journalist of course, not the flyhalf who captains Wales. He is usually pretty vocal after England vs All Blacks games, last year I beleive he said "England claimed the moral victory and were by far the better team".

Like I said, he might not always write like it, but he is a Taff nonetheless.

 

[superkingdave]

He writes for the Sunday Times, so because the game was on Sunday he didn't get to write about it, had a piece on Wales -Australia instead.

 

[Smudge]

BB,

He's a plastic Pom and don't try and claim otherwise.

He's only Welsh when it suits him.

 

[Perm]

I never realised he was Welsh, you certainly can't tell by reading some of his articles.

Another interesting point, I heard on a rugby program today that Augustin Pichot the Argentinian halfback was quoted as saying that "Felipe Contepomi is a better first five eight than Daniel Carter" What do you guys think about this? I think that if Contepomi had been brought up in a country with more rugby infrastructure he would've been about equal with Carter, maybe even better.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Contepomi is very good & his kicking game is up there with Carter's, but ball in hand Carter is far better for me. That's no disgrace to Contepomi tho; Carter's probably the best all-round fly-half I've seen. Some may have had better kicking games (Wilkinson, Lynagh, Stransky) & some may have had better running games (Ella &....er, maybe Spencer when the force was with him) but as the complete package he's on his own. Already.

 

[Craig]

Anyway speaking of some dodgy All Blacks (like Sivaivatu it seems) where does Steve Devine actually count as well since he was born in Australia and played for their 7's team? Surprised in one way that he didn't look to go back to Australia because if he is good enough to make the All Blacks then he would have been good enough to play for Australia (I mean you don't get an AB's jersey unless you are useless right?) then?

 

[marc71178]

Wilkinson makes his first start after 8 weeks out, and gets injured

 

[BoyBrumby]

Wilkinson makes his first start after 8 weeks out, and gets injured

Glad you find it funny....

The boy's body has just given up on him.

 

[marc71178]

It wasn't a laugh of humour, more a laugh as in I can't believe it's happened again.

The only International in any sport to make Shane Bond look 100% fit at all times.