The Rugby Thread [Archive] - Soccer Fans Network Forums

GiorgioII

11-05-2004, 09:10 AM

Here are the teams for Wales Versus South Africa at the Millenium Stadium:

Wales: 15 Gareth Thomas (captain), 14 Hal Luscombe, 13 Sonny Parker, 12 Gavin Henson, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Dwayne Peel, 8 Ryan Jones, 7 Colin Charvis, 6 Dafydd Jones, 5 Michael Owen, 4 Brent Cockbain, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Steve Jones, 1 Duncan Jones.
Replacements: 16 Mefin Davies, 17 Gethin Jenkins, 18 Luke Charteris, 19 Martyn Williams, 20 Gareth Cooper, 21 Ceri Sweeney, 22 Tom Shanklin.

Springboks: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Breyton Paulse, 13 Marius Joubert, 12 De Wet Barry, 11 Ashwin Willemse, 10 Jaco van der Westhuyzen, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Joe van Niekerk, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Eddie Andrews, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements: 16 Hanyani Shimange, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Gerrie Britz, 19 Tim Dlulane, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Jean de Villiers, 22 Brent Russell/Gaffie du Toit.

This should be a great game. The elusivness of the Welsh backs such as Williams, Thomas and Henson will have to be at their very best to oudo the superb South African forwards of Burger, Matfield and Van Niekerk. The southern hemisphere giants aren't short of classy backs themselves with the likes of Joubert, Willemese and Montgomery. I think we can expect a South African victory although it could be close.

GiorgioII

11-05-2004, 09:15 AM

Of course there will be another game this weekend that should be very exciting when the Scots come up against world cup finalists Australia.

Scotland: 15 Stuart Moffat, 14 Sean Lamont, 13 Graeme Morrison, 12 Andrew Henderson, 11 Chris Paterson, 10 Dan Parks, 9 Chris Cusiter, 8 Allister Hogg, 7 Donny MacFadyen, 6 Scott Gray, 5 Scott MacLeod, 4 Nathan Hines, 3 Bruce Douglas, 2 Gordon Bulloch (captain), 1 Allan Jacobsen.
Replacements: 16 Ross Ford, 17 Craig Smith, 18 Alastair Kellock, 19 Jon Petrie, 20 Mike Blair, 21 Andy Craig, 22 Hugo Southwell.

Australia: 15 Chris Latham, 14 Clyde Rathbone, 13 Stirling Mortlock, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Stephen Larkham (vice-captain), 9 George Gregan (captain), 8 John Roe, 7 Phil Waugh (vice-captain), 6 George Smith, 5 Daniel Vickerman, 4 Justin Harrison, 3 Alastair Baxter, 2 Jeremy Paul, 1 Bill Young.
Replacements: 16 Brendan Cannon, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Mark Chisholm, 19 David Lyons, 20 Elton Flatley, 21 Mat Rogers, 22 Wendell Sailor

I think Australia will be too dominant in all areas for the Scots to be honest, but the scottish will keep on fighting right until the end, but expect a big Australian win.

GiorgioII

11-06-2004, 06:44 PM

I have just finished watching two cracking matches. Wales lost narrowly to South Africa 36-38 and Australia beat Scotland 31-14.

It looked like the Welsh were going to be torn apart by the likes of Burger and Van Niekerk in the Springboks back row but they made an incredible fightback with tries through Gavin Henson twice and Dwayne Peel. It was one of the best matches I have seen for ages.

Meanwhile Rathbone and Mortlock were dealy for the Wallabies in the first half before the Scots showed passion and determination to make a great second half fightback, but it wasn't enough.

I was really impressed by the two scrum-halves of the british nations today. Peel of Wales and Cusiter of Scotland were outstanding and surely will have fought their way into the reckoning for a Lions place.

Will317

11-06-2004, 09:55 PM

Caught some of the Wales match earlier, also heard a bit about the Great Britain game in the Rugby League tri-nations that's going on just now. Very satisfied with the 22-12 win over New Zealand. :thumbsup: I didn't watch it though as Palace v. Arsenal was on.

GiorgioII

11-07-2004, 10:32 AM

I prefer Union over League so I only caught the highlights of the Britain vs NZ match, but it looks like we did really well. I think maybe we are still in with a chance of winning the Tri-Nations now, although Australia look like the favourites.

FAJA

11-07-2004, 01:26 PM

Wales Vs SA was a great match, although I was a little disappointed that Wales went for 3 points on so many penalties instead of trying fo a try, especially the one that Stephen Jones missed, if they had they could well have won. One thing is for sure though, if South Africa crack under pressure like they did against Wales, Ireland will tear them apart next week and so will England.

Scotland Vs Australia was quite painful to watch in the first half, it was certainly surprising to see Paterson miss a fairly easy penalty and disappointing that they managed to concede 28 points in one half. The second half was much more impressive from Scotland. I thought that they did extremely well under the circumstances of being without a lot of their best players. If they can make their second half performace consistent then I think we'll see a good 6 nations performance from them next year.

GiorgioII

11-07-2004, 06:40 PM

England's current team is quite poor and I can't see them being much of a threat to South Africa unless all of England's previous greats perform to a standard that we haven't seen of them in a long time. However, Ireland have strengths in the line-out and have a blistering back-line, with or without the injured Gordon D'Arcy and if the Springboks don't perform agains them then Ireland will surely win the game.

FAJA

11-07-2004, 11:01 PM

England's current team is quite poor and I can't see them being much of a threat to South Africa unless all of England's previous greats perform to a standard that we haven't seen of them in a long time.

It's still possible that some of England's injured players may just be fit by the 21st, hopefully Wilkinson will be back soon simply because when fit he's a league above any other current English flyhalf with the possible exception of Grayson who's retired, unfortunately it's looking unlikely for South Africa. The biggest problem with England is a lack of scrum halves with dawson out the team and Gomarsall and Ellis injured. Hopefully Andy Robinson will swallow his pride and recall Dawson. If England are lucky with the fitness of players I still think they could win a close game. A lot of players who played well below their best over the past year such as Greenwood and Cohen are starting to look better again. The only really unsolvable problem is the back row, the loss of Hill will be a major blow and I doubt Moody will be back to his best in time.

GiorgioII

11-08-2004, 05:40 PM

I agree Faja, but Cohen and Greenwood have been dropped, whilst Jason Robinson has been named as temporary skipper until Wilko is back. Here is the team to face Canada:

15 Jason Robinson (Sale Sharks, capt), 14 Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks), 13 Mike Tindall (Bath, vice-captain), 12 Henry Paul (Gloucester), 11 Josh Lewsey (Wasps), 10 Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks), 9 Andy Gomarsall (Gloucester), 8 Martin Corry (Leicester), 7 Lewis Moody (Leicester), 6 Joe Worsley (Wasps), 5 Steve Borthwick (Bath), 4 Danny Grewcock (Bath), 3 Julian White (Leicester), 2 Steve Thompson (Northampton), 1 Graham Rowntree (Leicester).
Replacements: 16 Andy Titterrell (Sale Sharks), 17 Andy Sheridan (Sale Sharks), 18 Ben Kay (Leicester), 19 Andy Hazell (Gloucester), 20 Hall Charlton (Newcastle), 21 Will Greenwood (Harlequins), 22 Ben Cohen (Northampton

After Canada's thumping at the hands of Italy I think we can expect a big win for the world champions and hopefully that will put them in good stead for the clashes with the Springboks and the Wallabies.

valdanito_10

11-08-2004, 06:17 PM

the famousb all blacks, or better knowsn as the australian national rugby team were special guests at the olimpico on sunday to watch the LAzio Siena math.... and thats about all i know!

GiorgioII

11-08-2004, 06:46 PM

the famousb all blacks, or better knowsn as the australian national rugby team were special guests at the olimpico on sunday to watch the LAzio Siena math.... and thats about all i know!

The All Blacks are New Zealand Valdanito :D , but thankyou for trying to contribute to this thread :D . I didn't know that by the way that they watched the Lazio game, interesting.....

valdanito_10

11-08-2004, 06:51 PM

yeash yeah new zealand australia close enough ;)

yes and its interesting how much into the match they were! they wera all jumping and had lazio scarfs

Will317

11-08-2004, 07:59 PM

GiorgioII

11-09-2004, 07:00 PM

Ireland: 15 Girvan Dempsey (Leinster), 14 Geordan Murphy (Leicester), 13 Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), 12 Shane Horgan (Leinster), 11 Denis Hickie (Leinster), 10 Ronan O'Gara (Munster), 9 Peter Stringer (Munster), Anthony Foley (Munster), 7 Jonny O'Connor (Wasps), 6 Simon Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets), 5 Paul O'Connell (Munster), 4 Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster), 3 John Hayes (Munster), 2 Shane Byrne (Leinster), 1 Reggie Corrigan (Leinster)
Replacements: 16 Frankie Sheahan (Munster), 17 Marcus Horan (Munster), 18 Donnacha O'Callaghan (Munster), 19 Eric Miller (Leinster), 20 Guy Easterby (Rotherham), 21 David Humphreys (Ulster), 22 Kevin Maggs (Bath).

This is Ireland's team to face the Springboks on Saturday. Horgan has switched from the wing to the centre to partner captain Brian O'Driscoll in the absence of Gordon D'Arcy. South Africa have named an unchagend side from the one that narrowly beat Wales.

I feel that Ireland are probably the best side of all of the British nations and have a fair chance of beating the southern hemisphere giants.

FAJA

11-09-2004, 07:24 PM

Pity about D'Arcy, but Ireland have a team there which should certainly give South Africa a challenge. To be honest though, I'd prefer Humphreys starting instead of O'Gara.

GiorgioII

11-09-2004, 07:29 PM

Geekyboy

11-09-2004, 07:37 PM

Yeh,D'Arcy is a very talented individual and alongside O'Driscoll Ireland possessed one of the most deadly centre partnerships in the world. I think the thinking behind having O'Gara in ahead of Humphreys is just that O'Gara is younger and will be more useful for the future.

The main reason O'gara is there is because of his strong club (munster) link up with fly half peter stringer. I still think O'gara is better than Humpreys.

This could be Irelands year and if any of the northern hemisphere teams want to be respected on the world stage they have to beat the sothern teams when they come up here to play. The only ones that have proved they can beat the best over the past couple of years are (and it pains me to say it!!) England. But Ireland united and together, standing strong we can do it.

GiorgioII

11-09-2004, 07:56 PM

Hi geekyboy, haven't seen you around before, welcome. So your Irish then? I live in England but Ireland are definately the team that I like the most after England and their team is probably better than England's at the moment. I will be cheering for you at the weekend against the Springboks, let's hope you can pull of a big win. Yes, O'Gara and Stringer do form a formidable partnership for Munster.

FAJA

11-09-2004, 08:47 PM

The main reason O'gara is there is because of his strong club (munster) link up with fly half peter stringer. I still think O'gara is better than Humpreys.

I thought Stringer played scrum half. We'll just have to agree to disagree on O'Gara and Humphreys but since you're Irish you probably know better than me about it.

(a little off the direct topic but) Do you know anything about a 1970s Irish Flanker named Fergus Slattery?

GiorgioII

11-10-2004, 06:39 PM

Stringer is definately Scrum-Half, I think geekyboy got a little confused :smoking: .

Will317

11-10-2004, 07:20 PM

Anyone planning to watch the England v. Canada match at the weekend? I know I am...

http://www.virtuallandmedia.com/flags2-1/europe/england3.gif

GiorgioII

11-10-2004, 07:47 PM

Anyone planning to watch the England v. Canada match at the weekend? I know I am...

http://www.virtuallandmedia.com/flags2-1/europe/england3.gif

To be honest Will, it is a formality that England will slaughter Canada, especially as Italy beat them 51-6 last week. The Ireland - South Africa game overlaps with the England clash and that will definately be a much more evenly contested game so I will probably watch that one instead.

Geekyboy

11-10-2004, 07:58 PM

FAJA

11-10-2004, 08:56 PM

Are they showing the Ireland match live on BBC or on Sky??

BBC, Sky's only got the England games.

Do you know anything about the question I asked?

Geekyboy

11-10-2004, 09:00 PM

BBC, Sky's only got the England games.

Do you know anything about the question I asked?

Cheers FAJA

Listining to the Celtic game, rangers just scored!! ***k, 15mins left of extra time.

Anyway back to Rugby. :worried:

Miles

11-10-2004, 10:03 PM

Hmmmm so the All Blacks were watching the Lazio game?? .. interesting. Over here soccer is seen as a poofs game actually.The rugby guys find it amusing that soccer players kiss each other after scoring a goal.You see Kiwis are of a stiff upper lipped british stock and any outpouring of emotions amongst the males is frowned upon.

The Blacks are not the same formidable side of the mid to late 1990s when we boasted the likes of Christian Cullen , Jeff Wilson and the incomparable Jonah Lomu amongst the ranks.But still the current team is a good side. Watch out for the dreadlocked Tana Umaga in the inside backs and Joe Rokocoko on the wings... and of course King Carlos(spencer) at first five.

FAJA

11-10-2004, 10:07 PM

The Blacks are not the same formidable side of the mid to late 1990s when we boasted the likes of Christian Cullen , Jeff Wilson and the incomparable Jonah Lomu amongst the ranks.But still the current team is a good side. Watch out for the dreadlocked Tana Umaga in the inside backs and Joe Rokocoko on the wings... and of course King Carlos(spencer) at first five.

The All Blacks may be able to boast Lomu once again if he gets his way: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4000111.stm

I wonder if he'll be able to use Mike Catt as a doormat again.

GiorgioII

11-11-2004, 06:17 PM

and of course King Carlos(spencer) at first five.

Carlos Spencer hasn't been selected for the tour. I am still unsure why, whether it is injury or what. Carter will play Fly-Half for you guys'.

FAJA

11-11-2004, 10:01 PM

Carlos Spencer hasn't been selected for the tour. I am still unsure why, whether it is injury or what. Carter will play Fly-Half for you guys'.

Its a knee injury, it shouldn't bother NZ much though, they have plenty of more than capable players to fill the position.

Miles

11-11-2004, 11:02 PM

FAJA

11-12-2004, 05:12 PM

Yes you are right! Neither Carlos nor Mehrts has been selected. Dan carter is a nominal flyhalf .. he usually plays at Second five.AS far as Lomu coming back ; hope springs eternal. but i dont think he would be the same tour de force as he had been in 1995.He certainly left his mark all over Mike Catt didnt he? :p

Many here expect a cakewalk against the Italians.but i dont think so.Since their inclusion in the now Six Nations competition in 2000 Italy has been exposed to a wealth of top-level rugby .. didnt they beat Scotland in Rome??

yes, they did beat Scotland, 20-14. The Italians still have a way to go though, especially attracting young players. It should be a fairly convincing victory for NZ but the Italians will certainly give everything they have.

As for Lomu, he says that he feels that he never played at his very best, scary really. Although I think teams would have a much better measure of him now so he may not have the same effect if he does come back.

GiorgioII

11-12-2004, 07:48 PM

Will317

11-13-2004, 03:24 PM

Listining to the Celtic game, rangers just scored!! ***k, 15mins left of extra time.
Yeah, unlucky with that result. :) I'm more of a Hibs fan myself when it comes to Scottish football.

Will317

11-13-2004, 03:26 PM

To be honest Will, it is a formality that England will slaughter Canada, especially as Italy beat them 51-6 last week. The Ireland - South Africa game overlaps with the England clash and that will definately be a much more evenly contested game so I will probably watch that one instead.
Very true comments, and yeah, England were always going to win but I'd never miss an England match unless I had to, so Ireland-RSA took the back seat for me. 70-0 to us, so yes, it was a slaughtering, but that's the main reason I enjoyed it. :)

FAJA

11-13-2004, 03:50 PM

Ireland wins!!!!! 17-12. O'Gara scores all of Ireland's points and for the second week running, South Africa's Burger is sent to the sin bin.

GiorgioII

11-13-2004, 03:55 PM

I am very happy after watching the Irish match. The tension was sky high, what a great game. O'Gara had a super game and Ireland were just more commited than the Springboks. A good win :) .

England managed to slaughter Canada 70-0. Next week's game at Twickenham between England and SA will now be a different contest. The pressure is on both teams to perform.

NZ slaughtered Italy whilst Wales also put 60 past Romania last night :rolling: .

Will317

11-13-2004, 04:19 PM

Sounds like some good matches all round, and I'm pleased with the home nations' results.

Miles

11-13-2004, 11:34 PM

A great result for the northern hemisphere all round, the Italian game notwithstanding.
Listening to the commentary of the All Blacks game you'd think they've just managed to eke out a win, with comments like "patchy performance" and "letting the italians score a try" ....jeeeeez.I would have preferred to see the more spectacular Carlos Spencer at firstfive though unless he is injured. :( .Looking forward to the Wales game.

FAJA

11-13-2004, 11:39 PM

Some more results here, Scotland put 100 points past Japan to win 100-8 and France defeated Australia 27-14, unfortunately I didn't get to see either game so I can't say how good the matches were.

Miles

11-13-2004, 11:47 PM

Italy beat Scotland in Rome and Wales the year before. They now have a decent team, although I fully expect the All-Blacks to romp to victory.

Lomu won't be the same player that is for sure. He hadn't been at his best for a few seasons before his kidney failure was diagnosed. Anyway, where would he fit into the team? There really isn't any place for him.

There is always a place for Lomu. I see him coming on as an "impact player"..with 20 minutes to go when fatigue sets in and the defences are a little bit loose thats when he comes in and wreaks havoc.!!...

GiorgioII

11-14-2004, 10:34 AM

It was trully a bad day for the Southern Hemisphere. Ireland and France beating Australia and SA.

Good point Miles. Lomu coming on late in the game would be devastating. I was just saying that I think Rocokoco and Howlett are too good for him to be a starter, but certainly, he would be a great impact player.

GiorgioII

11-17-2004, 07:09 PM

FAJA

11-17-2004, 08:12 PM

We have got 3 excellent clashes this weekend including NZ versus Wales and Scotland against Australia. But I know I will be paying most attention to the England vs SA match. If England can match it with the Springboks in the forward and line-out battles then they stand a chance, but it is a big if....

Unfortunately, I can only see two of them due to lack of Sky (Eng vs SA). Wales played well against SA and if they play well I can see them challenging NZ if they sort their defence out a little, but not beating them.

I thought Scotland were let down a little by poor execution in the last test against Aus. This one may be more interesting, Scotland are going to be a little more confident after winning 100-8 even though it was only Japan and Aus are going to be on the rebound after losing to France.

England Vs SA is the one i most want to watch, and the one I can't. SA need to get some more discipline and Burger needs to avoid getting sin-binned again. On the other hand, England are trying a new style with a fair few players missing, although both Moody and Worsley are now back which will bolster the back row a little. I think if either Hodgeson or Paul can sort out their goal kicking and England can avoid little mistakes then they will win.

So, another 3 wins for the Northern hemisphere then? :) I can dream can't I? :rolleyes:

GiorgioII

11-18-2004, 07:44 PM

I think you're probably right Faja. But the great thing about these Autumn Internationals, as proven last week by Ireland, a team can always pull off a shock. But I am expecting three wins for the Southern Hemisphere teams. Although Wales and England will prove good opposition for their oppositon, whilst Scotland will also probably put in a spirited performance after their win against Japan and their improved second half the last time they played the wallabies, 2 weeks ago.

FAJA

11-20-2004, 07:03 PM

But I am expecting three wins for the Southern Hemisphere teams. Although Wales and England will prove good opposition for their oppositon, whilst Scotland will also probably put in a spirited performance after their win against Japan and their improved second half the last time they played the wallabies, 2 weeks ago.

Well, Wales played extremely well, going down 26-25 to the all blacks in an extremely fast paced game. Scotland improved on their performance two weeks ago, but still lost 31-17 and an extremely dodgy try by Australia coming from a passage of play in which there was a blatant knock on from George Smith. Argentina gained a shock win against France in Marseille 24-14. However, the Southern Hemisphere didn't have it all its own way with South Africa being torn apart by England (I told you so :D ). I think Hodgson may be able to challenge Wilkinson for the number 10 shirt.

GiorgioII

11-20-2004, 07:43 PM

Wales 25-26 NZ

A very entertaining game I felt. The All Blacks were dissapointing I felt, but look to have unearthed yet another great Fly-Half in Dan Carter. But the mediocrity of NZ should take nothing away from the Welsh performance. They battled extremely well and deserved to win this game.

England 32-16 SA

The fact that England won this game so convincingly and in fact deserved to win it by more points than they did is a great achievement. I trully believed that they would struggle today but they didn't. I still have doubts about their long-term ability as a few of their players in key positions are quite old, but right now they are playing like the best in the world again. Hodgson was world class. Wilkinson doesn't deserve to get his place back when he returns from injury.

Scotland 17-31 Australia

The Wallabies were bad again, whilst Scotland improved. Faja was right about that blatant knock-on by George Smith. It was a shame that it was allowed as Scotland had been dominating up until that point. I felt Giteu put in another strong performance for Australia.

Will317

11-20-2004, 08:20 PM

Very pleased with England's 32-16 victory today, even more so as many pundits predicted South Africa would walk all over us. Many players, particularly Hodgson, played well and Robinson was again great as captain. In the end, the scoreline was flattering for SA I think, the try Habana scored late on was perhaps the only serious attack they launched all day.

FAJA

11-20-2004, 10:11 PM

Wilkinson doesn't deserve to get his place back when he returns from injury.

A little harsh I feel, its natural that a player should lose form after an injury period although some players manage not to. Wilkinson is very unlucky that he suffered an injury almost straight after his return. If he gets back to form he deserves at least the chance to prove himself again (if nothing else than to beat Neil Jenkins' world record for international points, he's currently on something like 817 with Jenkins at 1049). I can certainly see it developing into a O'Gara/Humphries style challenge for the position.

GiorgioII

11-21-2004, 11:09 AM

Perhaps I was a little bit harsh FAJA. Maybe Robinson could somehow incorporate both of Wilko and Hodgson into his line-ups? Wilko could possibly go to Centre where he began his career.

Will317

11-21-2004, 03:26 PM

Perhaps I was a little bit harsh FAJA. Maybe Robinson could somehow incorporate both of Wilko and Hodgson into his line-ups? Wilko could possibly go to Centre where he began his career.
I'm not so sure both can be accomodated in the same line-up unfortunately.

GiorgioII

11-27-2004, 12:47 PM

There will be 4 massive games this weekend.

England - Australia

England looked so impressive against the Springboks last weekend. I never expected them to come out with such an impressive performance. In Hodgson they have a world class Fly Half once again. The Aussies meanwhile have been lacklustre in their Autumn tests, racking up two far from convincing wins over the Scots and being defeated by the French. If England dominate the Aussies forwards as expected it could be a comfortable win for England, especially as the Aussies are without Mortlock and Rathbone.

Prediction: England to win by 5-10 points

Scotland - South Africa

Scotland have shown massive improvements in these tests and are on their way back to becoming a formidable opponent. Cusiter gets his backs into play very well and I like the look of Hugo Southwell at Full Back. The Scottish forwards are as ferocious as any in the world and they will give the Springboks a real battle. The SA team came to Britain expecting to win all of their game but so far have only won one, by 2 points against Wales. SA have talented players but need to bring them into play and release their potent back line more.

Prediction: SA to win by 10-15 points

Ireland - Argentina

Argentina pulled off surely the best upset of the test series by beating France last weekend. They have exceptional forwards and a back line that is full of real battlers. The Irish are going to have to be at their best to unlock the Argies strong defence and they may need to rely on a moment of genious from BOD or Murphy. This may turn out to be one of the games of the autumn. Their last 2 clashes have been won by only 1 point either way. However, inspired by the Landsdowne road crowd the Irish may just sneak it.

Prediction: Ireland to win by 1-5 points

France - NZ

Both teams will really be up for this game. The French were stunned last week by the Argentinians on the back of their own impressive victory over the Wallabies. Meanwhile NZ were far from at their best against Wales and were only saved from an embarrasing defeat by the magic of Joe Rocokoko. Again, this could be one of the games of the series, if not the year. The two most attacking teams in world rugby come head to head.

Prediction: France to win by 1-5 points.

FAJA

11-27-2004, 10:11 PM

Not particularly good results (for me anyway) here:
England lose 21-19, terrible performance by Henry Paul, Hodgson's goal kicking went off again (ready to take back what you said about Wilkinson yet Giorgio ;) ). Still, its better than the result a few months ago and :shocked: England scored more tries :shocked:

France crushed by New Zealand 45-6. Most of the NZ scoring occurring in the second half. If France don't improve their game by the next 6 nations we could be looking at a very disappointing performance from them with the championship likely decided between England and Ireland.

Absolutely awful performance from Scotland losing 45-10 to a South African team which was also not at its best. They managed to concede 10 points with the entire SA second row sin-binned, only scoring in that time through a penalty try. Slightly odd from Van der Westhuyzen kicking 3 drop goals, 2 of which were in ideal attacking positions for a try and one a huge kick from 45m out.

However, better results:
Ireland beat Argentina 21-19, saved again by O'Gara (ok I was wrong about him) scoring all of their points from 5 penalties and 2 drop goals. Didn't see it and havn't seen any highlights yet so can't really comment more.

and finally, a minor one. Wales destroy Japan 98-0. On the basis of what i've seen in these Autumn tests, they should do fairly well in the 6 nations, maybe competing for 3rd place with France and they may even make it to 2nd. However, I think it unlikely they will win.

So, all that is left now is the Barbarians against New Zealand.

roggie15

11-27-2004, 10:41 PM

Rugby looks really cool but i dont understand anything about it being raised in America and all. Does n e one have a site that has all the rules and scoring and stuff on it? Thanks!

Miles

11-28-2004, 01:42 AM

Miles

11-28-2004, 01:47 AM

Not particularly good results (for me anyway) here:

France crushed by New Zealand 45-6. Most of the NZ scoring occurring in the second half. If France don't improve their game by the next 6 nations we could be looking at a very disappointing performance from them with the championship likely decided between England and Ireland.

.

THe game was won in the forwards for the ABs( as is usual in rugby - if the tight five dont have any go forward the backs are always flat footed.)AS opposed to last week when the Welsh out muscled the Blacks in the forwards...even though we were quicker to the break down.The Blacks havent been feared in the forwards since the mid 90s i believe which made Henry go for power en lieu of brains.Looks like it is paying dividends. WE ARE BACK!! :angel:

GiorgioII

11-28-2004, 09:43 AM

I was also very dissapointed with the way that Scotland played against SA. They would have actually been in with a chance if they hadn't persistently knocked the ball on or had their passes intercepted. Hugo Southwell who played well in the other 3 matches was just dreadful yesterday.

I am not too disheartened with the English defeat as before this Autumn series I was expecting the Aussies to hammer us. I think it is terrible that probably our 4th choice kicker on the pitch ended up getting our only conversions. FAJA....I do take back what I said about Wilko :D .

Ireland did magnificently well to beat perhaps the toughest team in World Rugby with a fantastic victory over Argentina. Yet again O'Gara was amazing with the boot. They came from 19-9 down to win 21-19, I said it would be close didn't I? :D

The last game of the series is NZ versus Barbarians so I was delighted yesterday when NZ absoloutely hammered France as I am going to see this last game live at Twickenham next weekend. I am very excited.

Anyway, who would be in your Lions Test XV for the summer tour to New Zealand?

FAJA

11-28-2004, 02:16 PM

Rugby looks really cool but i dont understand anything about it being raised in America and all. Does n e one have a site that has all the rules and scoring and stuff on it? Thanks!

try http://www.scrum.com/rugby_guide/default.asp if you still have any questions, feel free to ask them.

FAJA

11-28-2004, 03:39 PM

Anyway, who would be in your Lions Test XV for the summer tour to New Zealand?

1-Woodman
2-Bulloch
3-Corrigan
4-O'Connell
5-Grewcock
6-Moody
7-Charvis (extremely impressive in the internationals)
8-Corry
9-Peel
10-O'Gara
11-Hickie
12-D'Arcy
13-O'Driscoll
14-Murphy
15-Robinson

Although there are a few players injured who I would definately put in if they were fit and in form by the time of the tour:
6-Hill (probably put Moody at 7 and Charvis on the bench)
8-Taylor
10-Wilkinson

I just hope there are no Welsh people here, they'd probably kill me for putting so few Welsh players in the starting XV.

GiorgioII

11-28-2004, 06:30 PM

Our teams are very similar FAJA. Regardless of how good a player Hill is I doubt that he will make the tour which is a shame. As for Wilko on current form O'Gara could keep him out. Taylor will make the tour I would have thought, he is a great player and a good line-out option.

1. Woodman ENG
2. Bulloch SCO
3. White ENG
4. O'Kelly IRE
5. O'Connell(c) IRE
6. Corry ENG
7. Moody ENG
8. Taylor

9. Cusiter SCO
10. O'Gara IRE
11. Hickie IRE
12. D'Arcy IRE
13. O'Driscoll IRE
14. Lewsey ENG
15. Robinson ENG

Subs:

16. Thompson ENG
17. Smith SCO
18. Grewcock ENG
19. Easterby IRE/ Charvis WAL
20. Peel WAL
21. Wilko ENG
22. Murphy IRE

FAJA

12-01-2004, 10:25 PM

Well, this is the squad for New Zealand to play the barbarians:
Mils Muliaina; Doug Howlett, Casey Laulala, Ma'a Nonu, Rico Gear; Aaron Mauger, Jimmy Cowan; Saimone Taumoepeau, Corey Flynn, Greg Somerville; Reuben Thorne, Ali Williams; Jerome Kaino, Marty Holah, Steven Bates
Replacements: Keven Mealamu, Carl Hayman, Chris Jack, Mose Tuiali'i, Piri Weepu, Tana Umaga, Daniel Carter

Slightly disappointing, it's mostly a second string starting line-up.

GiorgioII

12-02-2004, 09:01 AM

Yes, very dissapointing for me as I am going to see the game live at Twickenham.

Oh well the Barabrians line-up will certainly include the likes of Latham, Giteau, Marshall, Burger, Vickerman etc so it should still prove to be a good game.

GiorgioII

12-02-2004, 11:51 AM

The Barbarians starting team:

15 Mat Rogers (Australia), 14 Chris Latham (Australia), 13 Lote Tuqiri (Australia), 12 Morgan Turinui (Australia), 11 Sireli Bobo (Fiji), 10 Matt Giteau (Australia), 9 Justin Marshall (captain, New Zealand), 8 Xavier Rush (New Zealand), 7 Phil Waugh (vice-captain, Australia), 6 Schalk Burger (South Africa), 5 Albert Van Den Bergh (South Africa), 4 Daniel Vickerman (Australia), 3 Faan Rautenbach (South Africa), 2 Brendan Cannon (Australia), 1 Bill Young (Australia).

Quite a good strong team if you ask me....

FAJA

12-02-2004, 04:55 PM

Slightly disappointing that there are no NH players there, I heard Catt was offered a place but had to turn it down due to injury.

i_love_henry

12-02-2004, 06:11 PM

who gives a shit about this post rugby is crap crap crap no skill involved just muscle and being dumb innit muginho

GiorgioII

12-02-2004, 06:17 PM

who gives a shit about this post rugby is crap crap crap no skill involved just muscle and being dumb innit muginho

Well if you feel that way please leave those of us who understand the games true greatness such as myself and FAJA in peace to discuss it.

i_love_henry

12-02-2004, 06:21 PM

no cos i got kicked in da eye with a rugby boot while playing rugby and i cannot see innit muga damn im good! :smoking:

GiorgioII

12-03-2004, 11:10 AM

no cos i got kicked in da eye with a rugby boot while playing rugby and i cannot see innit muga damn im good! :smoking:

Ha, that is quite funny actually. It can be a tough game. What position did you play?

And you FAJA, where do/did you play?

FAJA

12-03-2004, 05:46 PM

And you FAJA, where do/did you play?

Flanker usually, preferably blindside although I sometimes go to openside or No.8

How about you?

GiorgioII

12-03-2004, 05:58 PM

Flanker usually, preferably blindside although I sometimes go to openside or No.8

How about you?

Usually Second Row, but I often play Number 8 as well. I very occasionally play blindside flanker if we have an injury crisis as well.

GiorgioII

12-04-2004, 06:26 PM

I just got back from Twickenham where I watched a great game of Rugby between The Barabarians and New Zealand.

The All Blacks took first blood through a Rico Gear try and from then on they completely dominated. Their whole back row was phenomenal, especially Jerome Kaino who also scored a superb individual try. Ma'a Nonu in the Centre was also great. I am surprised that he isn't in the All Blacks 'first xv.' After more performances like that and I am sure that he will be, probably partnered by Umaga.

The final score was 47-19 and in reality the Barbarians just never had enough pace. Tuqiri did a good job in centre, but Mat Rogers and Sireli Bobo were absoloutely terrible. It wasn't until Aisea Tuilevo came on that they looked threatening at all. Marshall controlled the game well, but they made a mistake in taking Giteau off. He hadn't really settled into the Fly Half role particularly well. However he is the most in-form player in the world so I fail to see why he was subbed. Schalk Burger had an absoloute blinder for the Baa'Baas.

I am going to get tickets for the British and Irish Lions against Argentina in Cardiff I think now... :thumbsup:

i_love_henry

12-04-2004, 06:29 PM

oh yeah i saw da end of that new zealnd won by 21 points i tink.
i am a good fan 0f rugby init 1 of my personal favourites is rokochoko from new zealned his try a-gaints wales was great innit :star:

GiorgioII

12-04-2004, 06:32 PM

Yea Rocokoko is a great talent. He was one of the Subs for todays game as Henry wanted to try out a few new players....

theman

12-04-2004, 09:13 PM

Rugby's a girls game ....
No joking,but in the away from soccer forum does that include other sports as well?

FAJA

12-04-2004, 10:05 PM

I just got back from Twickenham where I watched a great game of Rugby between The Barabarians and New Zealand.

To be honest, I felt the first half was a little slow. It certainly opened up in the second half although I don't quite understand how Cowan's blatant high tackle on Matt Rogers was ignored. Still, the wait continues for barbarians performance which can match 1973 (No, i'm not that old, I have seen the video of THE try though)

Rugby's a girls game ....

You base that on what? If you haven't got anything to contribute then don't bother posting.

PrAvI HrVaT

12-04-2004, 10:29 PM

i dont know much about rugby but it sounds very interesting.

FAJA

12-04-2004, 10:52 PM

i dont know much about rugby but it sounds very interesting.

It can be very confusing at first, but it doesn't take too long to understand. If you want to learn about it this site has all the rules and such http://www.scrum.com/rugby_guide/default.asp . Alternatively if you want I can try and explain it and i'm sure Giorgio will be happy to help as well.

PrAvI HrVaT

12-04-2004, 10:59 PM

It can be very confusing at first, but it doesn't take too long to understand. If you want to learn about it this site has all the rules and such http://www.scrum.com/rugby_guide/default.asp . Alternatively if you want I can try and explain it and i'm sure Giorgio will be happy to help as well.
Thanx for the site faja i know that the point is to kick the ball between two bars am i right?

FAJA

12-04-2004, 11:12 PM

Thanx for the site faja i know that the point is to kick the ball between two bars am i right?

Not really, the main method of scoring to to ground the ball in an area behind the opponents goal line (the line on which the posts are) this is called a try and is worth 5 points. You can however score by kicking the ball between the posts and above the crossbar, this is either done by:

1.A conversion (place kick (kick taken from a fixed position on the ground) taken after a try has been scored) worth 2 points.

2.A penalty (kick taken after a major infringement such as a high tackle) worth 3 points.

3. A drop goal which is a kick taken in open play, achieved by dropping the ball and kicking it after it bounces, also worth 3 points

PS There is another sport in which the point is to kick the ball between two bars. Its called Aussie rules football

(Giorgio) How did this thread manage to become sticky

PrAvI HrVaT

12-04-2004, 11:46 PM

Not really, the main method of scoring to to ground the ball in an area behind the opponents goal line (the line on which the posts are) this is called a try and is worth 5 points. You can however score by kicking the ball between the posts and above the crossbar, this is either done by:

1.A conversion (place kick (kick taken from a fixed position on the ground) taken after a try has been scored) worth 2 points.

2.A penalty (kick taken after a major infringement such as a high tackle) worth 3 points.

3. A drop goal which is a kick taken in open play, achieved by dropping the ball and kicking it after it bounces, also worth 3 points

PS There is another sport in which the point is to kick the ball between two bars. Its called Aussie rules football

(Giorgio) How did this thread manage to become sticky
ya i heard about aussie rules and i heard it is a crazy sport

Miles

12-05-2004, 03:44 AM

Slightly disappointing that there are no NH players there, I heard Catt was offered a place but had to turn it down due to injury.

understatement of the century. to be honest no really cared about a game between a SANZA 15 and an ALL Black second string team. As far as the Kiwi media was concerned the season ended with the french game... and my Lord they are still analysing that game ..no shit!

Miles

12-05-2004, 03:48 AM

Rugby's a girls game ....
No joking,but in the away from soccer forum does that include other sports as well?

And this coming from a fan of the sport whose long hair, hair-band wearing players french kiss each other after scoring a goal.ANd not to mention feigning injury and the downright cheating.!

GiorgioII

12-05-2004, 10:17 AM

(Giorgio) How did this thread manage to become sticky

I am a Super Mod now so I can sticky wherever I want!! :silly:

GiorgioII

12-05-2004, 10:19 AM

understatement of the century. to be honest no really cared about a game between a SANZA 15 and an ALL Black second string team. As far as the Kiwi media was concerned the season ended with the french game... and my Lord they are still analysing that game ..no shit!

It was actually a pretty decent game I felt. At times it did fade into dullness but flashes of brilliance from Ma'a Nonu really lit up the game. You're a kiwi yea Miles? What do you think of Nonu? Is he worthy of a place in your strongest xv now?

PrAvI HrVaT

12-05-2004, 12:33 PM

wow :confused: .............. im am really lost :confused:

FAJA

12-05-2004, 05:41 PM

wow :confused: .............. im am really lost :confused:

What part are you confused about?

understatement of the century. to be honest no really cared about a game between a SANZA 15 and an ALL Black second string team

I generally do tend to understate things, but it got 55,000 odd people to Twickenham. I think the lack of NH players is probably due to club commitments.

I am a Super Mod now so I can sticky wherever I want!!

hehe, good :D the irony of a rugby thread being stickied in a soccer forum.

PrAvI HrVaT

12-05-2004, 05:51 PM

What part are you confused about?
every part :confused: :eek: :confused: :eek: ...........................kiwi, ma' nonu, and strongest XV???????????????

FAJA

12-05-2004, 06:05 PM

every part :confused: :eek: :confused: :eek: ...........................kiwi, ma' nonu, and strongest XV???????????????

right, the All Blacks are the New Zealand national rugby team.
A kiwi is a term used to describe someone from New Zealand
Ma'a Nonu is the name of a New Zealand player, I think he plays in the centre (for player positions see the site i linked)
The "Strongest XV(15)" is the best team which a country, club etc can field (a rugby team consists of 15 players on the pitch at any one time)

incidently, where are you from?

PrAvI HrVaT

12-05-2004, 06:53 PM

its hard not to know where im from, im from croatia/hrvatska/croazia/kroatien but i currently live in canada

thx for explaing makes alot more sence now

Miles

12-06-2004, 10:50 PM

It was actually a pretty decent game I felt. At times it did fade into dullness but flashes of brilliance from Ma'a Nonu really lit up the game. You're a kiwi yea Miles? What do you think of Nonu? Is he worthy of a place in your strongest xv now?

Yeap i am a Kiwi. The surprise package of the Super 12,Nonu was one of the Hurricanes'(wellington super12 team) best from the first kick-off and formed a potent midfield combination with skipper Tana Umaga.BUt i think he has play to play out of his skin to unseat the incumbent in Tana Umaga or Mils Muliana.He is a strong ball runner who is deceptively quick for one of his size ( he is about 183cm and 100kg) but blighted by inconsistency.We have a lot more of brilliant ball players in the backs than Nonu.I didnt watch a great deal of the super12 this year due to work commitments ..but he was certainly a surprise to a lot of people.

theman

12-07-2004, 04:14 PM

[QUOTE=FAJA

You base that on what? If you haven't got anything to contribute then don't bother posting.[/QUOTE]
Calm down mate,I was just joking,
rugby's alright it's just football is a lot better.

FAJA

12-07-2004, 04:34 PM

football is a lot better.

Actually, its not but I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

theman

12-07-2004, 04:35 PM

Then go and join a rugby forum then.

FAJA

12-07-2004, 07:14 PM

Then go and join a rugby forum then.

1. I already have
2. Just because I think rugby is better it doesn't mean I necessarily dislike football, it was a simple statement of opinion which you seem to have something against.
3. The title of this particular forum is "Away from soccer"
4. This thread is "The rugby thread" hence why rugby is being discussed.
5. However much the original post of yours was meant to be a joke, I wasn't the only one to misinterpret it, there was no need for it in the first place.

theman

12-08-2004, 03:50 PM

Fine.......
I can't be bothered with all this....

GiorgioII

12-17-2004, 08:30 AM

The Leicester Coach Wells has just hinted that Martin Johnson will retire at the end of the season :eek: . I can't say I wasn't expecting it, but it will be such a shame to lose one of the greatest players of all time :( .

FAJA

12-17-2004, 06:57 PM

but it will be such a shame to lose one of the greatest players of all time :( .

True, but he's done pretty much everything that can be done and been in the winning team of (I think) every major competition within NH rugby. He's said himself that he's not sure, I think that if Leicester win the Heineken Cup this year, he'll retire and if they don't he might go on for another year.

GiorgioII

12-17-2004, 07:45 PM

I think he would also want to retire when he is still in good form and he has been playing superbly recently. I wish him the best in whatever he decides to do in the future, he would be an awesome coach as he has great man motivating skills.

FAJA

12-17-2004, 11:15 PM

Looks like the BBC are going to telivise Leicester Vs Gloucester tomorrow from 2:35pm in their Powergen cup match.
Think it will be a good match?

GiorgioII

12-18-2004, 10:25 AM

It should be a decent game yea. I like Leicester right now and I don't think they are too far away from returning to their glory days. As for Gloucester, they have got some decent players, but surely Leicester will dominate them in the pack.

I predict Leicester to win by 10-15 points.

GiorgioII

12-18-2004, 03:40 PM

FAJA

12-18-2004, 05:22 PM

My prediction was a little off the mark :D . The final score was 20-13 to Gloucester, but I didn't realise that the Tigers would be resting so many of their star players. I thought Ben Kay looked very good, which is good news for England as when he is at his best he is one of the best second rows in the world. Gomarsall and Moody also had great games. The other guy to impress me was Chuter, the Leicester hooker. Do you know how old he is FAJA?

Gloucester didn't really seem to reach their best performance and Leicester looked quite good considering that they left out so many of their best players. I thought the first half was a little scrappy to be honest.

Hopefully, Gomarsall will be able to transfer the kind of game he had today to any matches he plays for England and Moody has done very well considering he still hasn't had a great deal of time to return to form after his injury.

Unfortunately I don't know how old Chuter is, but he certainly put in a very impreesive performance.

GiorgioII

12-29-2004, 08:19 PM

So, who do you think will win the Zurich Premiership?

poutismalakas

12-30-2004, 08:31 PM

I personally don't have a fav rugby team BUT I DO think Rugby kicks ASS!!

FAJA

12-30-2004, 11:04 PM

So, who do you think will win the Zurich Premiership?

Well, I'm hoping Gloucester will, but I honestly think it will be Leicester, they seem to have benefitted from the fact that they now have complete access to their former England players. It shows, they've only lost 1 match in the Zurich premiership at the moment and are 11 points ahead of 2nd place Wasps.

What do you think?

Incidently, Wilkinson is going to make his first start after coming back for Newcastle, lining up against guess who........ Charlie Hodgson, maybe we might now get to see who's the better of the two.

GiorgioII

01-03-2005, 12:14 PM

Well Wilkinson emerged from that showdown with the slightly better performance, but I felt Hodgson did quite well also. Perhaps Wilko could play as Inside Centre because England have an injury crisis there, although I quite like Abbot, I don't want Hodgson to be dropped because I think he gets the backs moving a lot better than Wilko.

I want Sale to win the league, but like you I suspect that Leicester will win it.

GiorgioII

01-09-2005, 03:46 PM

Just as Wilkinson had regained top form in the win over Sale he goes and gets injured again. It looks as if he will at least miss some part of the 6 Nations. Bad luck for him, but Hodgson must be thinking that someone up there likes him!! :silly:

FAJA

01-09-2005, 05:54 PM

GiorgioII

01-09-2005, 06:59 PM

Looks like it's a damaged medial ligament which involves a minimum of 4 weeks out. Fortunately it's not major, but it does look as if he'll miss the matches against Wales and France which is a pity because Hodgson hasn't exactly been a consistant kicker at international level which could turn out to be a problem against France, although hopefully with him England will be able to put together some good back line play and score more tries instead.

Incidently, with England's woes in the centre, what do you think Henry Paul's chances are of getting another opportunity to play? he could probably cover for Hodgson in terms of goalkicking just in case.

I really like the look of Matthew Tait, but at only 18 years of age I doubt that he will make the test team. I have also always really likes Stuart Abbot and I hope he gets a chance. Jamie Noon should also have been picked for England by now. As for the kicking problems I think it is not as big a deal as it is being made out to be. Hodgson has proven for Sale that he is a confident kicker, he just had a few off days. I think he will prove himself for us in the 6N. It doesn't matter anyway, because with Hodgson at Stand-off England will play a more expansive backs game rather than relying on the kicks of Wilko for points. Here is my team:

1. Rowntree
2. Thompson
3. White
4. Grewcock
5. Kay
6. Vyvyan
7. Moody
8. Worsley

9. Gomarssal (Dawson if him and Robinson sort out their differences)
10. Hodgson
11. Lewsey
12. Abbot
13. Noon
14. Cueto
15. Robinson (c)

FAJA

01-09-2005, 09:36 PM

I really like the look of Matthew Tait, but at only 18 years of age I doubt that he will make the test team. I have also always really likes Stuart Abbot and I hope he gets a chance. Jamie Noon should also have been picked for England by now. As for the kicking problems I think it is not as big a deal as it is being made out to be. Hodgson has proven for Sale that he is a confident kicker, he just had a few off days. I think he will prove himself for us in the 6N. It doesn't matter anyway, because with Hodgson at Stand-off England will play a more expansive backs game rather than relying on the kicks of Wilko for points. Here is my team:

From what i've heard of Tait i've been quite impressed, but I feel he's probably a little young for the senior England side right now. The problem with Jamie Noon is that he also went off injured against Perpignan, I haven't heard anything else so i'm not sure how bad it was. As for Hodgson, his kicking went awry in 2 out of the 3 tests so, while he's good for Sale i'm not sure whether he can yet handle the pressure of international matches in terms of his kicking.

As for the kicks not mattering, while England will score more tries with Hodgson at flyhalf, the conversions do still matter. Especially against France and Ireland (although Wilkinson should be back for the Ireland match).

I know just about everyone's written off Henry Paul after his terrible performance against Australia, but I think he should be given another chance to prove himself.

FAJA

01-11-2005, 10:06 PM

9. Gomarssal (Dawson if him and Robinson sort out their differences)

it seems that Dawson and Robinson have sorted out their differences, http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4163823.stm
Also, it looks like Noon wasn't badly injured and is in contention for a 6 nations place.

Anyway:
1. Rowntree
2. Chuter (Thompson if he gets back to his best)
3. White
4. Grewcock
5. Kay
6. Worsely
7. Moody
8. Vyvyan

I've never really seen Vyvyan play at blindside, the only time I've ever seen him play was in the last Churchill cup (admittedly not the best competition for seeing relative strengths of players) for England A at no. 8. So i'm not sure about 6 and 8 maybe have them the other way around.

9. Dawson (now he seems to have got back into Robinson's good books, and a useful emergency kicker as well)
10. Hodgson
11. Lewsey
12. Barkley (either that or maybe, just maybe give Paul one more chance)
13. Noon
14. Cueto
15. Robinson

GiorgioII

01-16-2005, 01:21 PM

I like your forward pack a lot. It is great to hear that Daws and Robbo have sorted their problems out because I am not the biggest fan of either Gommarsall or Ellis. With Abbot's injury England have hardly any Centre options. I am not a fan of Barkley so I really think we should go for Tait alongside Noon, particularly as they play together for Newcastle as well.

So, who do you think will win the 6N?

FAJA

01-22-2005, 12:09 PM

So, who do you think will win the 6N?

I honestly don't know. I would have probably said France but it looks like their going to be missing Magne for the whole tournament and Betsen against Scotland and England. In addition, playing England at Twickenham isn't going to make things any easier. Of course as usual it depends which french team shows up.

I think Ireland have probably got a fairly good chance, they did well in the Autumn internationals (even if they did rely a little too much on O'Gara's kicking) and they have both England and France at home which will give them a boost.

my prediction
1. England (a lot of injuries, but a lot of excellent players to fill the gaps)
2. Ireland
3. France
4. Wales (impressive, may be able to pull off a shock win at some point against one of the top 3)
5. Scotland (slight advantage having Italy at Murrayfield)
6. Italy

I think it's doubtful there's going to be a grand slam for anyone though.

GiorgioII

01-23-2005, 08:42 AM

England's crisis at centre could cost them dear though. I mean D'Arcy and O'Driscoll could capitalise on this at Landsdowne Road and we all know how good Ireland are at their fortress. France have to travel to Ireland and Twickenham so I think their chances are limited slightly. I think Ireland may just sneak it, but England will probably be favourites. BTW I am going to see England - Italy at Twickenham in March :) .

GiorgioII

02-13-2005, 07:47 AM

An unpredictable start to this years 6N.

Scotland looked as if they may have come good after a superb performance against France, until a costly error by Danielli and then Southwell. But then their performance against Ireland was back to where they were in the Autumn. The irish completely overpowered them and that was without O'Drsicoll and D'Arcy.

Ireland struggled against Italy and may have lost if it weren't for two super O'Driscoll breaks to set up tries from Murphy and Stringer, but their game against Scotland was much better. They are still on course for a Grand Slam.
As are Wales who having beaten England 11-9 thanks to an amazing game from Henson then slaughtered Italy.

England and France take on eachother today. England can't win a grand slam, but need a win to stay in with a chance of still claiming the title. Should be a great game.

FAJA

02-13-2005, 07:06 PM

England and France take on eachother today. England can't win a grand slam, but need a win to stay in with a chance of still claiming the title. Should be a great game.

All I can say is, oh dear. How the hell did Hodgson and Barkely manage to miss 21 points with wayward kicking.

GiorgioII

02-14-2005, 07:32 AM

England have now lost their opening two games and are likely to lose their third with a difficult trip to Lansdowne Road. This could be their worse 6N for ages. We need a reliable goalkicker. Hodgson has an attack of nerves in the big games it seems to me.

FAJA

02-26-2005, 05:21 PM

All I can say now is, I hope Ireland can beat Wales at Cardiff on the last weekend because Scotland isn't going to do it and i'll never hear the end of it if Wales win a Grand slam.

GiorgioII

02-27-2005, 06:33 AM

All I can say now is, I hope Ireland can beat Wales at Cardiff on the last weekend because Scotland isn't going to do it and i'll never hear the end of it if Wales win a Grand slam.

France-Wales yesterday was a classic match and to be honest Wales deserve all the credit they get. But I too want Ireland to win the Grand Slam. So much so that I wouldn't really care if they beat England today. I think the Irish squad has been together for longer than the Welsh team and therefore could triumph.

benherbert

03-24-2005, 10:18 PM

if england had a better kicker for the 6 nations we would have won the competion

FAJA

03-25-2005, 12:29 PM

if england had a better kicker for the 6 nations we would have won the competion

True, but that's like saying if they'd scored more tries they would have won, it could have happened, but it didn't. Any team has to make the most of what they've got.

To be honest, Wales did deserve to win, they were the only team to show any significant ambition all the way through and were consistantly the best to watch.

benherbert

03-25-2005, 12:34 PM

no i mean if we had andy farell he has just defected from league

FAJA

03-25-2005, 01:14 PM

no i mean if we had andy farell he has just defected from league

I personally wouldn't put too much faith in Farrell, while League converts can be successful (Jason Robinson), they can also be a bit of a waste of time (Iestyn Harris). To be honest, I think the RFU would be better off spending £1 million on developing new players rather than poaching an injured 29 year old from league.

benherbert

03-25-2005, 01:18 PM

just give him a bit he is good

FAJA

03-25-2005, 05:36 PM

I don't doubt that he is good. It just that league players sometimes tend to have trouble with the rucking rules and, since it's been suggested that he may play in the back row, he'll need to grasp the rules (or more precisely how to break them without getting caught) and the different syle of set piece very quickly.

He may well be a great success, but even if he is, he won't be around for very long considering the money that's being put into recruiting him.

ARBANITAI

03-28-2005, 05:15 PM

GiorgioII

03-28-2005, 06:10 PM

So then guys, after the 6N what is your Lions team?

GiorgioII

04-11-2005, 11:46 AM

Well Sir Clive Woodward has just announced his squad to tour New Zealand and here it is:

Lions squad:
Backs: I Balshaw (England), G Murphy (Ireland), J Robinson (England), G Thomas (Wales), S Williams (Wales), J Lewsey (England), S Horgan (Ireland), D Hickie (Ireland), T Shanklin (Wales), B O'Driscoll (Ireland, capt), G Henson (Wales), O Smith (England), G D'Arcy (Ireland), W Greenwood (England), S Jones (Wales), R O'Gara (Ireland), C Hodgson (England), M Dawson (England), D Peel (Wales), G Cooper (Wales), C Cusiter (Scotland).
Forwards: G Rowntree (England), A Sheridan (England), M Stevens (England), G Jenkins (Wales), J White (England), J Hayes (Ireland), G Bulloch (Scotland), S Thompson (England), A Titterrell (England), S Byrne (Ireland), D Grewcock (England), B Kay (England), M O'Kelly (Ireland), D O'Callaghan (Ireland), P O'Connell (Ireland), M Owen (Wales), R Hill (England), N Back (England), M Williams (Wales), L Moody (England), S Taylor (Scotland), M Corry (England), L Dallaglio (England).

That is a decent squad although I do have a few issues with it. Firstly, Jason White's exclusion. The scotish back-rower can also play as second-row and would have been perfect for this tour. I think he is probably the best tackler in the northern hemisphere. I think the exclusion of the two welsh second-rows was a bit harsh. Cockbain and Sidoli both had stunning seasons, but there probably wasn't enough room for them. Dawson? Personally I would have preferred Ellis or Blair. I am pleased with the inclusion of Ollie Smith as he has shown great potential. But I also would have preferred to see Cueto picked ahead of the useless Shane Horgan.

My test xv:

--Jenkins--Bulloch--White--
------O'Kelly----O'Connell
Hill--------Corry-----Moody

----------Peel
----------------Jones
-----------------------Henson
------------------------------O'Driscoll
D'Arcy---------------------------------Lewsey
------------Thomas----------------------

FAJA

04-11-2005, 03:48 PM

I have quite a few issues with that selection tbh:

inclusion of: Balshaw, Horgan, O'Gara (after his 6 nations performance and as you already know I don't rate him particularly highly anyway, still i'm willing to be proved wrong) and Thompson

exclusion of: Paterson, Jason White, Cueto and Goode (clearly the form flyhalf in the ZP at the moment)

Still it's nice to see a mixture of (mostly) the old and the new and fairly new. Hopefully some of the off key players will find form again. It's also good to see that Sir Clive hasn't decided to select Wilkinson injury and all.

Anyway, test XV (with some explanation), switch the props around if necessary, i'm still not sure which of these plays loosehead and which plays tighthead.
1. Jenkins
2. Byrne
3. White
4. O'Kelly
5. O'Connell
6. Hill
7. Back (still the best openside in the NH in my opinion, especially for scrapping for the ball)
8. Dallaglio (completes the "holy trinity", could also be Corry or even Taylor playing no.8 but I think Dallaglio has a slight edge)
9. Peel (clearly the best and the form scrumhalf)
10. Hodgson (surprise even myself with this choice, he's a better runner than either Jones or O'Gara and seems more comfortable making his own breaks, shouldn't be the goalkicker though)
11. Hickie (need a big winger on one side)
12. Henson (edges out D'Arcy due to being a better second tactical kicking option, also needed as a reliable (first choice) goalkicker. If it comes down to a penalty to win the series, who else would you have (except Wilkinson))
13. O'Driscoll
14. Lewsey (edges out Shane Williams, Lewsey can run just as well and tackle better)
15. Thomas (bit less pace than Robinson or Murphy, but on form and bigger)

Now I just have to sit and hope there are no Welshmen here, otherwise i'm going to get lynched.

GiorgioII

04-16-2005, 07:23 AM

Yeah I agree with a lot of what you said. Horgan is useless and seems to be forever dropping the ball. He is very lucky to make the squad. I agree about O'Gara as well. His form in the 6N was poor. David Humphyreys or Andy Goode would have been better selections for the squad. To be honest I have always disliked Dallaglio as well and it was a shame to see him get into the squad whilst the likes of jason White and Jonny O'Connor missed out. I also think these two players would have offered more than Simon Taylor.

My team:

1. Jenkins
2. Bulloch
3. White
4. O'Kelly
5. O'Connell
6. Hill - He is crucial to this tour. If he is on top form then he is going to be one of the Lions key players. His work rate is phenomenal and I am sure Woodie will pick him.
7. Moody - Williams will give him a close run for his money. Back could also surprise me and make a claim for a test spot, but I think Moody will be more useful as he has a better running game and is amazing from the restart.
8. Corry - His form in the six nations was better than any of the other number 8's and he should oust Dallaglio from the team who by his standards hasn't been at his best for Wasps this year. Corry will make the hard yards and is a great line-out forward.

9. Peel - World class, enough said.
10. Jones - He was great in the 6 Nations and I hope he can carry this form into NZ. Hodgson does have a better running game, but Jones always looks like he has so much time on the ball and seems to always make the right decision.
11. D'Arcy - You can't leave this guy out of the team. He has played on the wing many times for his club Leinster so I am sure he will have no problems playing here for the Lions.
12. Henson - You summed it up well with him. Another kicker will be useful.
13. BOD
14. Lewsey
15. Thomas - Solid in defence and a great touring personality.

Albanessi_$

04-18-2005, 06:02 PM

Engo

Serb2

05-12-2005, 02:14 PM

i dont like rugby :boo:

FAJA

05-12-2005, 06:26 PM

i dont like rugby :boo:

So why did you post in this thread :confused:

Anyway, has anyone got any thoughts on Harlequins' relegation or the Lions?

GiorgioII

05-24-2005, 07:43 PM

The Lions played their first game last night in a 25-25 dissapointing game against an Argentine second XV.

There really were few positives to come out of the game from a Lions fans perspective.

Very few players put in a performance worthy of a test place.

15. Murphy 6.5/10 - A few good breaks and always produces the unpredictable. Didn't get into the game enough though.
14. Hickie 6/10 - Poor and very uninvolved.
13. Smith - 6.5/10 - Did quite well and scored a good try. However didn't do enough.
12. D'Arcy 5.5/10 - I was expecting a lot from him and to be honest he failed to deliver. I hope he can still prove to Sir Clive that he is worthy of a test place as he has so much talent. Gave away too many penalties and dropped lots of passes.
11. S. Williams 6/10 - Gives the ball away when taking it into contact and missed a few tackles and was only saved from having his dissapointing performance in attack highlighted by the Welsh crowd cheering him on.
10. Wikinson - 7.5/10 - Failed to find touch on many of his kicks in the first half and was passing it to flat IMO. However his goal kicking was flawless and he has clearly worked on his foot work. A genuine test contender now.
9. Cooper - 6/10. Needs to stop taking steps before passing it. Just pass it from the ruck man!! Cusiter proved to be a better all-round player when he came on.
8. Owen 6.5/10 - Wasn't the most inspirational of skippers. Good ball carrier though.
7. Moody 6.5/10 - Good work at the restarts but unfortunately had no support. Solid game, with Back's suspension will be Williams' only challenger for the No.7 spot.
6. Corry 6.5/10 - Dropped a few balls in the first half but was a good line-out option and carried the ball well. Also had a coureagous charge down. He would be one of the first names on my text team.
5. Grewcock 6/10 - Wasn't used at the line-out that much and had little effect on the game at the rucks and mauls
4. O'Callaghan 7/10 - Good game. Good at the line-outs and got around the park well. Could be a test contender now.
3. Hayes 6/10 - Annihalated at the scrum. Little impact.
2. Byrne 6.5/10 - Missed a couple of his jumpers but had a solid game.
1. Rowntree 6.5/10 - Solid although had a few problems at the scrum.

Subs:

Horgan - 6.5/10 - Proved his use as a midfield battering ram, but is still to show any flair.
Cusiter 7/10 - Great game and is probably in second spot now behind Peel.
Kay 6.5/10 - Did well at the line-out.
White 6.5/10 - Solidified the scrum.
Thompson 6.5/10 - Kept his line-outs simple but found all of his jumpers.

Current Test XV(Only considering players to feature so far):
15. Murphy
14. Hickie
13. Smith
12. D'Arcy
11. Horgan
10. Wilkinson
9. Cusiter

8. Owen
7. Moody
6. Corry
5. Kay
4. O'Callaghan
3. White
2. Thompson
1. Rowntree

FAJA

05-24-2005, 08:23 PM

GiorgioII

05-25-2005, 05:47 PM

I havn't seen it yet (lack of sky, but someone managed to record most of it for me) athough it bodes well that Thompson managed to hit his jumpers for a change.

Also, Is it possible for you to give me some details about an incident on the 2001 tour that I keep hearing about with Duncan McRae assaulting O'Gara.

Yea, sure. Basically in one of the warm up games, can't remember which one, after some ruck McRae got O'Gara on the floor and punched him in the face about 9 times. O'Gara was bleeding like hell and McRae was sent off. There is a cheap DVD of that tour available. I got it for about £5 and it covers all of the games in some detail. Worth a purchase :) .

Rompip

05-26-2005, 08:04 PM

JustDiscovered this thread great!!! Im a South African and rugby is my favourite sport (after boxing).
Sorry if I'm not following the thread but I'm keen to predict an upset in the super12 final, Waratahs to win.

Any team that can neutralise the Bulls pack like they did is gonna take a lot of stopping. I watched the Bulls forwards obliterate the Crusaders in Pretoria and I thought that the Bulls would win the Super12 based on their pack, but Waratahs matched their forward power and at time exceeded it. That coupled with Turinui Rodgers Tuqiri Hewat in the backline gives a truly amazing team. Waratahs to win by 5.

FAJA

05-27-2005, 02:11 PM

Unfortunately, I can't get the right channels to watch the super 12 so I don't know a huge amount about the teams in it but from what I do know I think the Crusaders will win it, they have their record this being their 7th final, they're playing in NZ and on balance I wouls say they have a lot of the better players as well. Possibly the best openside flanker in the world at the moment, a guy who (i've heard) is almost in the process of pushing Joe Rokococo out of the starting XV for the All Blacks and any team that can leave Mehrtens on the bench has to have something going for it.

GiorgioII

05-27-2005, 05:24 PM

I think the Crusaders will take it. Is McCaw back to full fitness yet? Carter is now the best fly half in the world. Crusaders by 5 points.

GiorgioII

05-27-2005, 05:26 PM

The guys you are talking about are McCaw and Rico Gear I think. Joe is still the best, he has just had a really bad season....

Rompip

05-27-2005, 07:30 PM

Richie McCaw is back to full fitness.
Rico Gear has had an amazing season, and on form should start for the AllBlacks. There is no doubt the Crusaders are a great team, but I think putting some money on the Waratahs at 3to1 is a shrewd pick, their pack is outstanding.

Rompip

05-27-2005, 08:11 PM

My super12 form 15:
FB-----Peter Hewat-------(Waratahs)
W-----Rico Gear----------(Crusader)
IC----Aaron Mauger------(Crusaders)
OC----Morgan Turinui------(Waratahs)
W----Bryan Habana-------(Bulls)
FH----Dan Carter---------(Crusaders)
SH----Justin Marshall-----(Crusaders)
P-----Richard Bands------(Bulls)
H-----Anton Oliver--------(Highlanders)
P-----Kees Lensing-------(Bulls)
L-----Victor Matfield------(Bulls)
L-----Dan Vickerman------(Waratahs)
F-----Phil Waugh---------(Waratahs)
F-----Richie McCaw-------(Crusaders)
8-----David Lyons--------(Waratahs)

Rompip

05-28-2005, 05:59 PM

Crusaders win super 12, beat Waratahs 35-25

It was a nice game crusaders started running away with it then the tahs made a late comeback.

I guess the best team won, they had only lost 2 matches this season (vs Brumbies and Bulls) their pedigree and consistency shone through.

Dan Carter is great. I cant wait to see the Lions take on the All Blacks, its gonna be special. Wilkinson vs Carter?

Rompip

05-28-2005, 06:19 PM

I was wondering were you guys are from (Faja and Giorgio)?
You guys obviously know a lot about NH rugby. Is Peel as good as hes made out to be Ive heard of comparisons with Howley

GiorgioII

05-28-2005, 06:49 PM

Rompip I am so glad we have a third active member now.

The Super 12 final was good. To be honest I have only just got the right channels to watch Super 12 but it was an absorbing match. Gear is certainly a great player but I question whether he would be able to make the step up against the Lions who come the first test should be tighter in defence. I am from England with Italian ancestory links(one quarter italian). I support England obviously but have a soft spot for Ireland.

Later on in the day I watched a match which probably even eclipsed the Super 12 final; England vs. Barbarians. It really was one of the best games I have seen for a while. Paul Sackey looks like a really good talent for England on the wing, in fact he is probably already ahead of all our other options apart from Lewsey. Maybe it is time for Robinson to step down? England struggled apart from him though. The Baa'baas were phenomenal and the final score was 52-35 (I think :evil: ). Spencer was just breathtaking, he did things I didn't even know were possible and Wendell Sailor and Brent Russell were also awesome.

Peel? Hand on heart I think he could be the best in the world within two seasons. This Lions tour could confirm that status even earlier than expected. This guy is really good, watch out for him. I would actually say his allround game is better than Howley's.

Rompip

05-28-2005, 07:49 PM

Thanks Giorgio, I see that you and Faja have been running a 2 horse race here!

Im Half Italian half South African. In soccer I back Italy Inter Celtic and Spurs, in Rugby SA and Bulls and Leicester.

I missed that Baabaas game, was busy studying but saw Russells try. Ive never really liked Spencer, I think hes the type of player that can singlehandedly win a match but he often does the opposite as well, which isnt good at test match level.

Sailor is a league convert, like Rogers and Tuqiri. Im surprised you dont like Robinson. I find the league players have another dimension when they are used in the back 3. But I havent watched Robinson for a while now to be honest.

GiorgioII

05-28-2005, 09:05 PM

Cool, Inter is my soccer team as well and I moderate that forum, please, do pop by :) .

I am not exactly a massive fan of Spencer either, like you said he is prone to moments of losing concentration and he doesn't possess natural kicking ability to match up anywhere near the top 3 fly halves who in my opinon are Larkham, Wilko and Carter.

As for Sailor I haven't usually liked his style but I must say he was awesome today, he broke at least 4 players tackles whenever he got the ball.

Robinson - He has talent but defences have figured him out now. He still produces an occasional moment of magic, but it is clear that Lewsey runs the better lines from full back and with talented wingers such as Sackey and Monye emerging, he should be dropped. Corry is also a much more inspirational skipper.

This back three could be lethal for England:

Cueto-------------Sackey
--------Lewsey----------

Rompip

05-28-2005, 09:17 PM

What about Cohen?

I havent seen/heard of Sackey. I dont know if you've heard of Bryan Habana from the Bulls but he is amazing. He is a truly world class wing/centre keep an eye out for him in the Tri Nations. He scored by far the best try in the super 12 vs Blues. He got the ball on his 22, beat 2 players chip the ball and beat another defender and pulled away from doug Howlett to score! He is Class, its been a long time since the springboks had anything that looks this promising on the wing.

FAJA

05-29-2005, 11:13 AM

Dan Carter is great. I cant wait to see the Lions take on the All Blacks, its gonna be special. Wilkinson vs Carter?

At present, I don't think Wilkinson should be in the test team for the Lions. Stephen Jones at least deserves his chance first, but it would be great if we could see Wilkinson (fully fit and in form) against Carter.

I was wondering were you guys are from (Faja and Giorgio)?
You guys obviously know a lot about NH rugby. Is Peel as good as hes made out to be Ive heard of comparisons with Howley

I'm English/Irish living in England and yes Peel is as good as he's made out to be. At present I would say that he's the best in the British Isles if not the NH, although I would say that Cusiter could push him for the test spot if he plays to his potential.

Im surprised you dont like Robinson.

The problem with Robinson is that he appears to have become slightly predictable, he just doesn't have the impact that he used to. Also in the 6 nations, he tended to kick too much instead of using his ability to counterattack.

I don't hold the same distaste of Spencer as either of you, he seems to have more flair than a lot of other flyhalves. But still, I think that Carter, or even Mehrtens are better options.

What about Cohen?

While I used to think quite highly of Cohen, he seems to have lost the impact he used to have on games (much like Robinson, although in a different manner) so at present I would keep him out. Two players I would like to see in an England shirt are Garvey and JSD (who seems to get injured every time he has the opportunity).

GiorgioII

05-30-2005, 08:44 AM

I agree that currently S.Jones would be my test number 10, but Wilko was good against Argentina and if he continues to make strides like that then he will seriously challenge for the test spot.

Cohen is just appalling nowadays. He stutters when on the ball and seems to have lost his pace. Northampton now play him at 13 most of the time and he seems better suited to that role.

I have only seen little snippets of Habana, but I remember seeing one try in the super 12 against the Bulls, where Habana covered the whole width of a pitch to nearly stop this guy(can't remember who it was) from scoring. He has some serious pace.

SA back line would be this then??

9. Du Preez
10. Hougaard
11. Paulse
12. De Villiers
13. Joubert
14. Habana
15. Montgomery

Or is that out of date? What would your line-up be Rompip?

GiorgioII

05-30-2005, 02:15 PM

Woodward has named quite a strong team for the first game in NZ against Bay of Plenty:

15. Lewsey
14. Cueto
13. BOD
12. Henson
11. Shanklin
10. O'Gara
9. Peel

8. Dallaglio
7. M.Williams
6. Hill
5. O'Connell
4. Kay
3. Stevens
2. Bulloch
1. Jenkins

That is quite a good team. Lewsey is in his best position of full back where he can be put to best use, whilst I am pleased that Shanklin has been picked as he was great in the 6N. I would have no issues with seeing that back division run out in the tests, apart from maybe Jones or Wilko in for O'Gara and D'Arcy(if he hits top form) in for Cueto.

In the forwards we see Hill and Williams on the flanks which is good, but Dallaglio :rolleyes: . I would prefer Corry to Dallaglio for the tests to be honest and I hope Woodward doesn't go for him because Corry gives a lot more to a team. Moody should also be in the test team, but I don't know whether it should be for Williams or Hill. The second row is strong, with maybe O'Kelly in for Kay for the test team. Whereas against Argentina we had 5 jumpers in Grewcock, O'Callaghan, Corry, Moody and Owen we now only have 2 in O'Connell and Kay....the back row forwards are decent jumpers but of all our back row candidates are possibly the least effective in that area(apart from Back of course :) ). Front row is strong also, with White in for Stevens in my test team.

I hope the Lions can perform well in this game and win with ease, otherwise this tour could be an absoloute failure.

FAJA

05-30-2005, 03:31 PM

Wilko was good against Argentina and if he continues to make strides like that then he will seriously challenge for the test spot.

Provided that his tactical kicking gets better, I know on many of the punts he deliberately kicked down the middle but there were a number where he simply missed touch which can't happen against the All Blacks.

apart from maybe Jones or Wilko in for O'Gara

I know O'Gara had a poor 6 nations (and I believe i've said many times my opinion of him anyway) but I recall being quite impressed with the way he's played on several occasions, most notably in the Autumn internationals against South Africa and Argentina and in the Celtic cup final. If he plays with the same style as those matches, I wouldn't have a problem seeing him as the test 10, although as i've said, Jones deserves it more.

D'Arcy(if he hits top form) in for Cueto.

If D'Arcy hits top form I'd actually have him in for Henson instead. I know about Henson's goalkicking range but people seem to forget that against Italy he missed one almost exactly the same as the one he got against England so it's not exactly increadibly reliable.

You've pretty much summed up the forwards for me. However, I would actually prefer to at least try Taylor at 8. As for Moody, if he's in it should be for Williams however, I don't think he should be, his restarts are good, but he's not a specialist openside and in my opinion the Lions are better off with someone like Williams or Back who can scrap for the ball. Apart from anything else, i've read (and I stress that i've only read it, It isn't my opinion) that McCaw tends to give a lot of penalties away if he's put under pressure on the floor. If that's true then it could be a massive opportunity for the Lions.

Rompip

05-30-2005, 09:30 PM

SA back line would be this then??

9. Du Preez
10. Hougaard
11. Paulse
12. De Villiers
13. Joubert
14. Habana
15. Montgomery

Or is that out of date? What would your line-up be Rompip?

Close to last years backline. My and many many other rugby lovers/journalists/commentators in SA would have a completely different backline to what Jake White would field.
White would have:(Mine in brackets)
9 Du Preez (Same)
10 Jaco Van der Westhuysen (Andre Pretorious)
11 Paulse (Habana)
12 Barry (Ettiene Botha)
13 Joubert (JP Nel)
14 Habana (Tonderai Chavanga)
15 Montgomery (Johan Roets)
These are the form players of the super12, and Jake White has been slammed in the media for his selections. We'll have to wait and see, France coming here is going to be hard. Im excited to see Betsen play, hes amazing.

GiorgioII

05-31-2005, 09:47 AM

If I am honest Rompip I have only heard of 3 or 4 of the guys in brackets!! :D

D'Arcy can be quite lethal on the wing and we all know that Woodie has clearly expressed his undying love for Henson :D . Henson will be picked at 12 I am certain of that, so we have to find room for D'Arcy somewhere, providing he is on top form ;) .

Anyway there are a lot of warm up games to go for us to see who is going to be worth a test XV place.

Come on the Lions.

FAJA

05-31-2005, 05:36 PM

Oh crap, it appears that the Welsh have now been thrown out of the Celtic League after arguments over the proposed Welsh/English revamp of the Powergen cup.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/4597161.stm

This certainly is not good for Welsh rugby and I can't see it being particularly beneficial to rugby in any of the home nations. What do you think?

GiorgioII

05-31-2005, 06:06 PM

No great loss, these things are always sorted out. Italian teams are going to be added anyway, it will only increase the competition if anything. Allowing welsh teams to play in the powergen cup is a good thing. They can still play in the celtic league, just scrap the celtic cup.

FAJA

05-31-2005, 07:12 PM

Well, it is really, firstly the Italian teams have initially rejected the idea of their inclusion although if they could be added it would probably strengthen the competition.

I believe that allowing the Welsh teams into the Powergen cup is bad as I like the idea of National league 1 teams being able to compete, which will go if the Welsh join as they say 20 teams is too many.

They can still play in the celtic league

They can't if the Scottish and Irish unions refuse to let them, which is what the situation currently is.

GiorgioII

05-31-2005, 07:13 PM

Oh shit I have read the article again and it does look quite bad......like I said though hopefully and probably it will all blow over.

GiorgioII

06-01-2005, 04:11 PM

Gareth Thomas is looking more and more unlikely to make the test xv as he is going to be with Toulouse for quite some time. I say Lewsey at full back then. Maybe Murphy??

GiorgioII

06-02-2005, 02:42 PM

O'Kelly has pulled out of the squad due to his fitness and Simon Shaw has been called up. That is a bit stupid if you ask me. Shaw is very heavy and not that an effective jumper, he is about 6th choice England lock at the moment, not to mention that he should also be behind the likes of Murray, Grimes, Sidoli and Cockbain from other countries. Thomas and O'Kelly are both out then (Thomas probably)...that is two of my test team players. I fancy Kay or O'Callaghan to take their place alongside O'Connell now. Not Grewcock :( .

GiorgioII

06-03-2005, 10:40 AM

I watched the NZ trial match today - Probables versus Possibles. Surprisingly the Possibles won 37-32. Howlett and Rocokoko are really going to struggle to make the Test team to take on the Lions. Ma'a Nonu was in fantastic form in the centre and Sivivatu looks like a better version of Rocokoko and scored two phenomenal tries...not to mention Rico Gear who has been in fantastic form in the Super 12. The All Blacks look dangerous :sealed: ....

GiorgioII

06-04-2005, 12:04 PM

After just 20mins into the game I could see why Dallaglio should be in the test team for the Lions. He was playing brilliantly and then disaster struck. He is out of the tour :eek: . He provides inspiration and is the best ball carrier in the entire squad, it will be a sad loss.

Anyway we won 34-20. We started brilliantly before losing our way. We made a solid come back though.

15. Lewsey 8.5/10 - Has to be the test No.15. He again showed that full back is his best position. Faultless kicking, defence and two good tries and one assist. Perhaps on current form the most dangerous back in the party.
14. Cueto 6.5/10 - One good try but quiet apart from that. Was solid when called upon but made a fatal error by stepping in on the oppositions first try.
13. O'Driscoll 7/10 - A couple of good breaks but was not quite as sharp as usual. Also missed two or three tackles which by his standards is too many. Of course was still great but not anywhere near his best.
12. Henson 7.5/10 - I think he did quite well. A good secondary playmaker to have. Made a couple of massive tackles and although not doing anything magnificent was one of our better players for much of the game.
11. Shanklin 6.5/10 - Naive in defence and not at his best in attack. I was hoping that he could emerge as a test contender as he has talent and strength...but despite his try he is going to need to up his level if he wants to make the team.
10. O'Gara 7/10 - A good influence behind the pack with some accurate kicks into the corners. Also started the game in tremendous form with some brilliant passes and stood a lot flatter in attack for most of the game. His goalkicking was extremely poor though.
9. Peel 8/10 - A nice taken try and solid thoughout. He got the pack moving quite well and was really solid. He only really has one challenger in Cusiter now and I don't think he will manage to take it off Peel. A special player.

8. Dallaglio 7/10 - Was looking really fired up for it early on before his injury. Would have been the test number 8 and vice-captain. Now he is out of it....
7. M.Williams 7/10 - Got around the park well and was good in the loose. I am still not sure about his work in the tight though....
6. Hill 8.5/10 - Along with Lewsey was the best man on the pitch for me. He made a shuddering amount of tackles and was everywhere. Any doubts I had about his fitness afer a long time out were easily quelled. A definite test player.
5. Kay 6.5/10 - Did quite well in both the tight and loose but was not at his best in the line-out. Maybe the test spot is slipping away from him.
4. O'Connell 7.5/10 - A very good performance. When the Lions threw to him in the line-out we won the ball and whenver it was thrown to his opposite man he turned it over. Great work in the line-out. He will have to emerge as the pack leader now in Dallaglio's absence. A test place guaranteed.
3. Stevens 6.5/10 - The scrum was dominated in the early stages of the game and much went down to this man. Good at rucks but not up to a test place IMO.
2. Bulloch 6.5/10 - A solid game, but nothing spectacular. His throwing was a bit off at times.
1. Jenkins 7/10 - Good game. Took over the crucial tight head role when Stevens went off and played up to standard.

Subs:
16. Thompson 7/10 - Wasn't on for very long but there is no doubt the scrummaging prowess he brings to the team. He also found every single one of his jumpers at the line-out.
17. Sheridan 6/10 - Not on for long but shored up the scrum. Needed to see more of him though.
19. Corry 7/10 - A brave performance from the England skipper. Capitalised on Dallaglio's absence with a strong game.
20. Dawson 6/10 - Not involved for very long.
22. D'Arcy 6/10 - Good support line for Lewsey on his try but wasn't on to do anything else.

Test team certainties:
O'Connell - Second Row
Hill - 6/7/8
O'Driscoll - Centre
Lewsey - 15/14/11....preferebly 15 though.

There are others who are probably there such as Peel, Henson and Thomspon. The rest are all still on a level playing field. The foursome of O'Connell, Hill, BOD and Lewsey are our key players and must be protected for now. They will need some more bruising encounters of course, but don't expose them too much.

Against Taranki on Wednesday I hope to see some of the boys who haven't featured much yet given a run-out: Titterell, White, Taylor if fit, Cusiter, Hodgson, S.Jones......it's looking good.

GiorgioII

06-04-2005, 05:20 PM

Simon Easterby has been called in for Lawrence Dallaglio.

We have only had two warm up games and have lots two test team players as well as Thomas who probably won't make it :mad: .

Rompip

06-04-2005, 09:18 PM

Rompip

06-04-2005, 09:40 PM

I am really upset to see Betsen and Pelous wont be touring S.Africa. I rate both of them highly :(
Just watched the Johnson tribute game, sad to see a true great go. I rate him the greatest British lock forward ever, and he's in my top 5 greatest locks in history. His leadership was extraordinary, and I think Englands recent decline is as a direct result of losing him (an even greater factor than the loss of Woodward or Wilko.)

GiorgioII

06-05-2005, 08:07 AM

Pelous is being saved from long tours like these so he can be as fresh as possible for the WC. Also, Betsen is very tired. To be honest I haven't been too impressed by him this season. I rate Smith and Burger as better blindsides than him.

The Lions team to take on Taranki:

G Murphy (Leicester and Ireland); S Horgan (Leinster and Ireland), W Greenwood (Harlequins and England), O Smith (Leicester and England), D Hickie (Leinster and Ireland); C Hodgson (Sale and England), C Cusiter (Borders and Scotland); G Rowntree (Leicester and England), A Titterrell (Sale and England), J Hayes (Munster and Ireland), D O'Callaghan (Munster and Ireland), D Grewcock (Bath and
England), M Corry (Leicester and England, capt), L Moody (Leicester and England), M Owen (Newport Gwent Dragons and Wales).

I'm pretty sure that this can't be the midweek side because Moody, Corry, Owen, O'Callaghan, Hickie and Murphy must all be challenging for a place in the test team but it must have that feel to it for many of the players....I hope they don't get demoralised. Woodward has already tried that forward pack as a combination and knows that it didn't do too well...surely it would have been better to try new things out in the forwards...like Shaw and a different back-row. Taranki are said to be better than the Bay of Plenty and to be honest I think we might lose this one. Only Hickie, Murphy and Smith have real game breaking ability in the backs....I hope we don't screw this one up :worried: .