Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I had this weird moment of objectivity the other day when I realised that France are my favourite rugby team to watch.

It was quite freaky and I still feel a little unclean.


I shall of course be full-throatedly cheering England on, but with this offputting ambivalence creeping at the edges of my sanity.


Anyone watching the game out on the lane? I shall be there with missus mockers and the mocklet.

England still lack genuine world-class players. In 2004 when we won the world cup 3 or 4 would have made a World XV. Currently I'm not sure any would (though 2 or 3 might make the bench). Until that happens we certainly aren't a world force to be feared as of old.


The good news is that it's a young team with real talent that is improving with every game. France will be a real test but if they overcome it I expect a GS. And then the real test comes this summer. Can we live with a resurgent Australia and a home-advantage All-Blacks?


Interesting article on the Beeb about how Ashton is so effective because he's not playing rugby (union). Wonder whether he'll be figured out by the time of the RWC?

I was in there for the autumn internationals and the atmospehere was great since all the rugby fans know it's the place to go so there are no footie fans moaning the ball is the wrong shape or asking for another Stoke v Bolton match to be shown.


I'd agree with you currently about Oz and NZ. But IF we win the GS or 4 out 5 here, and then have some good warm up matches I think we could get close. Semis should be the goal I think and a win in 4 years time.

"so there are no footie fans moaning the ball is the wrong shape"


In all fairness I've never relly heard that from anyone but rugby fans when the football is on.


I did once amusingly hear once in Ireland some fans watching the Leinster-Munster game, utterly affronted as to why anyone, in the other part of the pub watching a premiership game, would be watching "an English Sport".


I chuckled and in my best mockney accent went, 'you tell 'em mate, enjoy the rugby'.

Twonk.

Forgive me for digging-up old news, but did anyone else hear of or read about the "ma" and "da" of Limerickmen Keith Earls and Brian O'Driscoll being prevented from entering the Twickenham VIP lounge last year?


Twickenham. 6.30 pm. Ireland have just recorded a fortunate but clinical 20-16 victory over England. Many Englishmen and a few cultivated Leinster- and Ulster-men are merrily chewing over the game in a function room. All present are clad in appropriate attire. A noise erupts from the entrance. It is the unmistakable sound of the bogs - loud, affronted, and violent. The stench of poteen wafts across the room.


Twickenham Steward #1: "I'm sorry, sir. You can't enter. We have strict dress requirements".


Red-faced Munster Hoon #1: "Ah come on now, boy. Seriously, Aubrey, like, do ye not know who de feck I am? I'm Keith Earls' feckin' Da, so I am".


T. S. #2: "That may be so, sir. But we have dress requirements. I'm terribly sorry".


Red-faced Munster Hoon #2: "Come on now, lads. Don't be acting the maggot".


T.S.#1: "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do".


R-F MH #1: "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, this is feckin' discrimination, so it is! No blacks, no dogs, no Irish, I know yer game, boy!"


Twickenham Steward #1 looks quizzically at Twickenham Steward #2.


R-F MH #2: "Yeah, we know yer game ye English bastards! I'll tell youse for nuttin' that ye can stick yer feckin' dress requirements up yer stiff English asses ye sons of Tans, ye!"


Twickenham Steward #2 raises an eyebrow but continues politey to usher away the Munstermen. Munster Hoon #1 takes a swig of poteen and jabs his finger at the Steward.


R-F MH #1: "Did ye not watch de match sure? Dat was my lad in de corner, did ye not see? And what's wrong wit me dress anyway, like?"


T. S. #1 "It's not usual to wear trainers, tracksuits trousers and sports jerseys in the function rooms, sir. I'm afraid we're rather strict on that sort of thing".


R-F MH #2: "Jesus, Ger, he's sayin' yer runners are no good! Does he not know they're feckin' Adidas, like? These feckin' English have no idea boy!"


R-F MH #1: "Ah sure, Paddy, they've no idea about runners in England. Sure, I could be wearing Diadora and this fella wouldn't have a clue".


R-F MH#2: "Ah sure, f_ck it, Ger. I'd sooner drink cat's piss than drink with these Tans anyway".

So from that article you come up with that crap. It's not even funny. You have consistantly taken the piss out of the Irish at various points. It would seem you either have a strong dislike of the race or you just want to try and upset a few of us that are on here. Care to answer that accusation?


Firstly, the Irish are not a "race". They are a nationaility. Secondly, no, I don't "dislike" or harbour any ill will against the Irish. They're a decent people; and produce fine rugger specimens. If anything, my little pastiche only really serves to highlight how petty the Twickenham stewards were being towards the parents of messrs O'Driscoll and Earls. Although I concede that I perhaps should've said/written as much at the foot of what seems to have (unintentionally) mauled your feelings. Although I refute the claim that I have "consistantly taken the piss out of the Irish at various points".


In short, it wasn't my intention to hurt your feelings, Narnia.



P.s. Don't be so precious. It was just a bit of fun.

You didn't hurt my feelings scribe. Thanks for pointing out we are not a race. We are probably aliens. I don't buy your story that you were highlighting how petty the stewards were at Twickenham. You could have just posted the article and made a comment. I too think they were only doing their jobs.


So what is it scribe? You poke your nose in and claim it's humour. Is that it? I think there is more to it but doubt I will ever find out.


Are you from Connaught?



Your indignant reply suggested otherwise.




Don't mention it.




I wasn't. I was making light fun of the Irish, and in doing so, drew your attention to the injustices suffered by the parents of Earls and O'Driscoll.




That's just baseless supposition on your part. But you're right, in that if there was "more to it" (which there isn't), then you'd never find-out. The reason being is that I'm a faceless, online entity, and you're a [lesser] faceless, online entity, so the chances of us ever meeting, discovering who each other are on the East Dulwich Forum and thus giving you the chance to pose your baseless question in person are (hopefully) incredibly slim.




No, I most certainly am not. I am of proud Anglo-Saxon stock, and I've even traced my noble lineage all the way back to the House of Wessex.



This matter is now closed.

You might have closed this matter but I haven't.


Some questions:


Can Anglo Saxon stock be used in a soup?

Why does everyone who claims to be Anglo Saxon state they are proud? Of what? Have you achieved something?

Do you feel bad about your lineage ceasing to be noble once it reached you?

House of Wessex me arse.........that's a comment not a question by the way.


This matter is now closed.

Good performance from England today but certainly enough in there to give Scotland and Ireland hope for the last two games.


France, I think we can say, having been restricted to one try in two games against Ireland and then England, have limitations, and seem to be out of form.

Unforced errors I thought was their biggest fault, handling errors etc. They did not give too many penalties away so whether that is lack of discipline I dont know.


What Eddie Butler described "counter rucking" was their greatest strength I thought - on any ruck England ploughed into the French forwards with much more ferocity and won lots of turnover ball. This is what Ireland and Munster have been good at for a few years and France just could not match them. Good performance by the England forwards, backs were not so good today though.

If Ireland beat Scotland today they will rue the fact that they did not beat France even more as they mamanged to completely subdue France, which England were unable to do.



England gave away 9 penalties against Wales and only 7 against France who are supposedly a better team so I'd say thier discipline might be improving a lttle. But their handling was verging on poor but that might have been partly due to the conditions. Their forwards look very strong. The backs did not really fire.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Yes, because of course there were no violent robberies in the olden days. Pretty much no crime happened at all I believe through the entire Victorian era.
    • Hi all, Im a Southwark council leaseholder and live downstairs in a ground floor flat, there is one flat above me, it's a house with individual front doors leading from the street into the shared pathway. My neighbour told me he has had a ring doorbell installed, no discussion as to how I would feel being on camera everytime I go in and out or in my front garden. I was told it's only for deliveries and doesn't record and only activates when pressed, however I don't know this and I feel really uncomfortable everytime I'm out in garden or on doorstep talking to people. Everytime I walk in/out, it lights up and in the eve it has a  infra red  light. Now I've read up that as he said its only for deliveries, he could set it so it only activates when pressed, however it activates with its motion sensor. Had he said to me about getting it installed, I could have had the opportunity to ask about it recording etc but nothing except it's being installed and when I arrived home it was there. I don't like being horrible to people however I feel I have not been considered in his decision and I feel very uncomfortable as, some times I have to stand on doorstep to get signal for my mobile and I really don't like the idea of being watched and listened to. Has anyone got any advice as I'm beginning to get angry as I've asked about it once and was told it only activates when pressed. I believe this is not true. I know southwark council say you need to ask permission to make sure the neighbours are OK with it, I don't really want to go down that road but I don't know how to approach the subject again. They also put a shed approx 3 foot from my back room window, these places are built so my window faces their rear garden and there upstairs window  faces mine. They said it's there temporarily, that was over a year ago and it does affect the light, plus I'm hoping to sell up soon and the view from window is mainly a dark brown shed. When I've mentioned this, I was told they have no where else to put it, whereas originally they said its only temporary, Also the floorboards above are bare and I get woke early morning and at night, the thudding is so bad my light shakes and window rattles, so I mentioned this and asked if they have rugs, I was told when they get the boards re sanded they will get rugs, I should have asked if they could get rugs and just take them up when boards being done, which I would have done had it been me living above someone, their attitude was I can just put up with it until they are ready. so they had the floor boards done, and the workmen was hammering screws, yes screws, in the floorboards, I spoke to workmen to ask how much longer and they said yes, are using screws to make less noise! I could hear the cordless screwdriver, not an issue but for every screw there were at least 8 whacks, the owners had gone out to avoid the noise  so I  spoke to workmen as the noise was unbearable, the sanding, not an issue at all, people need to get things done to their home and I'm fine that on occasions there will be temporary noise. now I have a nice crack on my bedroom ceiling, I mentioned this to owner but no response, he said there were alot of loose floorboards and it will be much better now, not so noisy, as though I don't know the difference between squeaking floor boards and thudding, and nothing was mentioned re the crack or that they now have rugs, which if it were me, I'd be trying to resolve the issue so we can get on with feeling happy in our homes. so I'm feeling it's a total lack of consideration. these places are old and Edwardian and I've lived here over 40 years, had 4 different neighbours and it's only now the noise of thudding is really bad and the people before had floorboards but nothing like this. As you can probably tell I'm really wound up and I don't want to end up exploding at them, I've always got on with neighbours and always said if there's a problem with my dog, pls let me know, always tell me, however I feel it's got to the point where I say something and I'm fobbed off. I know I should tell them but I'm angry, perhaps I should write them a letter. Any suggestions greatly appreciated and thank you for reading my rant. 
    • Sadly, the price we now all pay for becoming a soft apologetic society.
    • Exactly the same thing happened to me a few years back; they were after my Brompton. Luckily there were only 3 of them so I managed to get away and got a woman to call the police, then they backed off, but not after having hit me in the back of the head first. Police said next time just give them what they want, but I sure as hell wasn't just going to hand over my bike to them!
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...