Rugby matters

[maxxi]

And in the far flung future when civilizations had risen and fallen and whole generations had forgotten why, still the claims were made... "Hundred!" they cried! God loves staying power doc.

[TheCat]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Good series win for Ireland

> Sexton's season. Grand slam, Heineken Cup, pro 14,

> Series win in Australia

As an aussie, gutted to lose the game. But what a cracking series it has been. Ireland are fully deserving victors, but each game ebbed and flowed, and was always in doubt to the bitter end. Both teams actually scored exactly 55 points across the 3 tests, indicatin how tight it was...

[Alan Medic]

maxxi Wrote:

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> And in the far flung future when civilizations had

> risen and fallen and whole generations had

> forgotten why, still the claims were made...

> "Hundred!" they cried! God loves staying power

> doc.

Thanks maxxi. I am but a mere messenger of the god of hundred whose name in only mentioned in whispers and when talking about money, specifically sterling.

[JohnL]

Ireland could now reach number 1 in the world rankings by beating the All Blacks by more than 7 points in the autumn.

[Mick Mac]

JohnL Wrote:

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> Ireland could now reach number 1 in the world

> rankings by beating the All Blacks by more than 7

> points in the autumn.

OMG - i now have the wobbles. Ireland number one in the world at just about anything, has never happened.

[JohnL]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> JohnL Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Ireland could now reach number 1 in the world

> > rankings by beating the All Blacks by more than

> 7

> > points in the autumn.

>

> OMG - i now have the wobbles. Ireland number one

> in the world at just about anything, has never

> happened.

It is the All Blacks - but if anyone can at the moment it's Ireland.

[Alan Medic]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> JohnL Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Ireland could now reach number 1 in the world

> > rankings by beating the All Blacks by more than

> 7

> > points in the autumn.

>

> OMG - i now have the wobbles. Ireland number one

> in the world at just about anything, has never

> happened.

Ah jeez Mick, there's loads of things........

http://www.dailyedge.ie/ireland-best-in-the-world-1207486-Dec2013/

[rendelharris]

JohnL Wrote:

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> Ireland could now reach number 1 in the world

> rankings by beating the All Blacks by more than 7

> points in the autumn.

Not sure about that - Ireland have three matches before meeting the ABs (albeit against Italy, Argentina and USA) and the ABs have six games to play in the Championship beforehand, all of which can make a massive difference to the rankings.

[JohnL]

rendelharris Wrote:

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> JohnL Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Ireland could now reach number 1 in the world

> > rankings by beating the All Blacks by more than

> 7

> > points in the autumn.

>

> Not sure about that - Ireland have three matches

> before meeting the ABs (albeit against Italy,

> Argentina and USA) and the ABs have six games to

> play in the Championship beforehand, all of which

> can make a massive difference to the rankings.

I was reading SportsJoe LOL :) but it is possible (If both teams win the next games it doesn't make nuch difference apparently as they're so far ahead - if either lose it all changes of course

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/rugby/ireland-rugby-world-rankings-2-165222

[Alan Medic]

Lovely try by Larmour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovysBJzNFjI

[JohnL]

What about that tackle by Wilkinson

Legal or not so legal.

[rendelharris]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> Lovely try by Larmour

>

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovysBJzNFjI

Cracker - woeful defence though!

[rendelharris]

JohnL Wrote:

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> What about that tackle by Wilkinson

>

> Legal or not so legal.

You mean Farrell I assume - shocker, no attempt to wrap and too high (although to be fair Esterhuizen was going down at the time of the hit). Very lucky to get away with it. Farrell's tackle technique has always been suspect, it's shoulder first and wrap after impact - in the current climate he's going to get a wallet-full of yellows if he doesn't change.

[JohnL]

rendelharris Wrote:

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> JohnL Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > What about that tackle by Wilkinson

> >

> > Legal or not so legal.

>

> You mean Farrell I assume - shocker, no attempt to

> wrap and too high (although to be fair Esterhuizen

> was going down at the time of the hit). Very

> lucky to get away with it. Farrell's tackle

> technique has always been suspect, it's shoulder

> first and wrap after impact - in the current

> climate he's going to get a wallet-full of yellows

> if he doesn't change.

Yes, I'm getting my English players past and present mixed up.

General consensus seems he was lucky. I think he'll avoid a citing as yellow only.

[rendelharris]

Was anyone else at Twickenham today? We got there well over an hour before kickoff but such were the inadequate arrangements for ticketing and security checks we just managed to make it to our seats (by sprinting across the concourse) in time for the haka. Standing for nearly an hour packed like sardines with thousands of others queuing in the pissing rain didn't make for the best pre-match buildup, surely when the RFU is charging us ?160 a ticket they could afford a few more staff and have more gates open?

On the plus side once we were in it was brilliant!

[Alan Medic]

?160 a ticket? Where were you? Is there a Royal Box?

Good game though with another controversial moment.

[rendelharris]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> ?160 a ticket? Where were you? Is there a Royal

> Box?

>

> Good game though with another controversial

> moment.

Bog standard seats and face value - and those were by no means the most expensive available! Sinful really but a 50th birthday present to myself.

Great game - having looked at it several times I think Lawes was marginally offside, but only ourselves to blame, we could have won it with a drop goal at the death if they'd organised themselves properly.

[JohnL]

rendelharris Wrote:

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> Great game - having looked at it several times I

> think Lawes was marginally offside, but only

> ourselves to blame, we could have won it with a

> drop goal at the death if they'd organised

> themselves properly.

That decision - the one England player in the ruck was inverted apparently - his feet were near the NZ side. What does "behind the last players feet" mean :)

Sometimes I realise how little I know of the current Laws even though I've watched since the 70s.

Another controversial tackle/attempted charge down in the Wales game also.

[rendelharris]

JohnL Wrote:

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> That decision - the one England player in the ruck

> was inverted apparently - his feet were near the

> NZ side. What does "behind the last players feet"

> mean :)

>

> Sometimes I realise how little I know of the

> current Laws even though I've watched since the

> 70s.

>

> Another controversial tackle/attempted charge down

> in the Wales game also.

Assume (though the laws are not unambiguously clear) the line is drawn on the last body part of any player in the ruck? Otherwise the tackled player could go down feet first and effectively eliminate offside.

It was very marginal and really dependent on the millisecond between the NZ flyhalf having his hands on the ball (still in the ruck) and lifting it from the turf (open play). Apparently Garcez was unable to make the decision himself as due to the conditions he couldn't see the big screen clearly - if we're going to have TV reviews perhaps in such conditions a sheltered screen, such as used for soccer VAR, might be needed - there were actually a bunch of screens near me for the use of those in the disabled section that would have done the trick. One thing I haven't seen much commented on but I thought was disgraceful was that the ABs, after watching one replay on the big screen, decided it was offside and marched up the pitch to the point of the infringement before Garcez had decided - that was clear intimidation.

The charge down/tackle on Halfpenny was very poor I think and Kerevi was lucky not to be sanctioned - the legitimacy of the chargedown attempt was dubious, as he leapt from a point and at a time when it was clear he couldn't possibly get near the ball, then seemed to make no attempt to check or change course before giving LH a smash which sent him out of the game. Citing commisioners should be having a look at that, I think.

[Alan Medic]

Ireland fears getting 'notions'.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/watch-us-lose-the-run-of-ourselves-after-beating-all-blacks-1.3702034

[Alan Medic]

Any thoughts on the 3rd Test? The 2nd half of the 2nd one was a bit of a shock.

[JohnL]

Go Lions - still trust Gatland. Need to quicken up the whole game - Last one had so many stoppages.

Liam Williams has "Professional Bomb Diffuser" in his twitter profile - so if he diffuses the SA bombs then DVDM can do what he's good at.

[Alan Medic]

Two key players missing for the Boks is a big plus. I reckon the stoppages was a SA ploy to slow it down.

[JohnL]

The sizes of these Bok forwards - 6'9" 6'8" and 6'6 I think

Throwing in to the lineout needs to be good.

[TheCat]

The size of the Bok forwards is only dwarfed by the enormity of the disgraceful antics of Rassie last week.....

After being lauded as a great manager post RWC; I hear a comment this week by a well known rugby luminary who asked "Does Rassie mean d!ckhead in Afrikaans?"....

Anyway....hoping for a cracking game tomorrow afternoon...and hoping the AB's dont pump my boys too much at Eden Park tomorrow morning as a lead-in!