The Hayne Plane is back at Parramatta and already bringing the good scandals. He's been accused of rape while he was living his dream as a 49er in the NFL.

Fwiw, Keohane is still insisting Rassie takes over as Director and Head Coach.

Ultimately you want these tournaments preparing players for the national team eventually so it's probably wise for most SA teams to get experience playing down a man or two.

@act-crusader said in All Blacks Player of the Season:

Geez Havili is under rated

Not entirely true.

I rate him very highly as an average player.

On the bright side he made it to 29, meaning he played (or at least collected on) professional rugby for nearly 10 years. For a while there it didn't look like he'd be able to stretch it out that long. So while unsatisfying from a playing potential point of view, at least financially he must have done ok.

Retallick.

@mokey said in 2018 Super Rugby jerseys:

I like the black Canes jersey, but the yellow one is way too waspy looking.

Chiefs away jersey is fucking grotesque and whoever designed it needs a sharp slap. Green and white? Seriously?

The Chiefs away jersey is surely a tribute to Dave Rennie and symbolises his days at Manawatu.

Even the Central Vikings saw fit to not use Green and White.

The reaction of two Olympians after the news. Very similar to Valerie Adams a few years back.

@majorrage

As I understand they can’t do your first idea for sevens and remain an Olympic sport (can someone confirm?)

Personally, I don’t think rugby should be an Olympic sport. That plus five year eligibility rule, and problem solved.

And fuck you Piutau.

@taniwharugby said in The ten minute gang:

@chimoaus reckon Dmac musta clocked up a shitload of minutes.

Post Super season he was top of the list. Laumape was up there as well but he has had scant playing time since.
If we can find the numbers definitely DMac will be highest minutes played. BB, Cane and Sam W will be up there as well.

@billy-tell

Yep. Jordan Larmour is looking as good as Stockdale on club games so far. Comfortable at 15 or on wing. Don’t know if Schmidt will give him a trial.

@crucial said in Scotland v Australia:

@booboo said in Scotland v Australia:

@tim said in Scotland v Australia:

@booboo said in Scotland v Australia:

But regarding Dunedin: you were actually quite shit in that game and didn't desreve to be within 20 points.

I find this claim baffling. Australia outplayed NZ for much of that game, particularly at rucks and on the fringes.

Ok. It's my opinion and I'm sticking by it.

Basically I think people confused scoreline with performance.

Essentially the last 65mins were 35-12. And those 12 were very rare incursions into our 22.

Add in two of the first three tries were fortuitous and the feeling all the way from 17-nil that the ABs were just grinding them down and pkaying better.

"Shit" may be overstated but this is TSF.

That is my recall of the game as well. We gave them a handicap lead and ran them down in the home straight.

The similarities with "the greatest game ever" are what strike me. A team gets out to a big lead thanks to some opportunistic tries against a team still in the sheds. Then the team behind plays much the better rugby for the remainder of the match.

The only difference was the Wallabies didn't have a Lomu stealing it at the end.

@crucial said in England V Samoa:

@mariner4life said in England V Samoa:

A little against the grain here, but what's wrong with it? Yes he knocks on, but that's not what any of you are talking about. Do his feet even touch TNW? It's not like he went through him Roy Keane-esque (which i have done in not a proud moment during a spiteful game in Huntly i think it was). He went across the front of TNW and made him drop the ball. Good play.

Slater-esque feet-first into a dudes head while he is diving for a try is a mile from that. By all means go after him if he trips him, but dont have a go at "might have"

Barnes is a dick though

It is the inherent danger of the attempt that is the issue.

No, he didn't make contact but it was a dangerous play just as a tackle in the air that doesn't result in injury is a dangerous play.

Put it another way. What if everyone started diving feet first toward kickers to put them off? Do we want that in the game? As a kicker do you hold your ground and risk a kick to the ankle if it goes wrong or pull away?

I just think it isn't, and never has been, part of the game and a penalty for dangerous play would stop a possible trend in its tracks.

Also has the potential for a massive flare up between teams.

That's a false equivalence. He didn't touch him, so it's dangerous like being close to a guy jumping in the air that might end up tipping him over, if you hit him, which you don't, so it doesn't. Should we stamp that out too?

And he didn't go at him, he went across the front of him. You're being a bit shreeky about this.

Upon thinking about it further, it kinda worked this time, but it's not actually a very smart or high percentage play. If TNW is a fraction quicker, he holds that ball, finds contact with the feet (okay takes a dive), and gets him binned for tripping. Or he kicks it a fraction higher, and takes Itoje right out of the game. If i was the coach i would probably tell him to try something else.

But not because it's "dangerous"

So one of his team mates dobbed him in?

Figure this is as good a place as any to post this

Rory Fallon retired to become a Mr Whippy

Football to ice cream - Fallon's new career Football to ice cream - Fallon's new career

BBC Sport meets former New Zealand striker Rory Fallon, who has left the game after retiring in order to start an ice cream business.

@pakman said in First and second AB XVs:

@kiwimurph said in First and second AB XVs:

@stargazer if you are picking players who have worn the black jersey then chuck Ngatai at 12.

Waits for incoming jokes about Ngatai hype

I think MN5 is off with some injury.

Concussion?

That article above also touches on the 'loss' fallout from Samoa hosting the All Blacks in 2015.

But Tew found it difficult to comprehend reports that Samoa's 2015 clash against the All Blacks in Apia had contributed significantly to its debt. "We paid all our own costs to be there, sent a lot of people up to help manage the game, and deliberately went in for a short period," he said. "They only picked up our landed costs, and that should have made it profitable."

Way back in 2015, I was really disappointed at how eager the SRU and Samoan PM were to trumpet how much of a loss they made from hosting the All Blacks. I've got to ask for what reasons? What political advantage was to be gained? Easier to subsequently ask for money from Samoan government?

Tuilaepa suggested government help would be needed to fill the financial shortfall.

Plenty of posters on here were also gleeful at the 'loss', as IMO, it justified the "never been to Samoa" chestnut. Plenty of people willing to swallow the Samoan PM's line on that one, but question his world on other occasions.

I'll admit by bias. I was really disappointed at how eager the SRU and Samoan PM were to trumpet how much of a loss they made from hosting the All Blacks.

At the time, I read into it wondering how the SRU made a loss.
Just going by this stuff article you can see the interesting anomolies; stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/70562432/samoa-loses-1m-hosting-historic-all-blacks-test

Tuilaepa, who doubles as chairman of the Samoan Rugby Union, has claimed the total cost of the test – assembling the largely offshore-based Samoan squad and hosting the All Blacks - was $3.4m (NZ$2.1m), offset by generated revenue of $1.9m (NZ$1.2m). That left the union staring at a loss of $1.5m (NZ$1m). "$3.4 million was spent to host the All Blacks. The money was spent on preparations, the cost of everything and allowances. The bulk of the money went towards the players' allowances," Tuilaepa told a news conference "The Samoan squad **had an extended camp** leading into the All Blacks test and the Pacific Nations Cup which it is now contesting with Tonga, Fiji, the United States, Canada and Japan. Income from the All Blacks fixture hadn't matched outgoings." "It doesn't cover our expenses, especially the extended camp for the players. Food, allowances, transport… it's all money," Tuilaepa

There currently isn't a reputable 'partner' that NZRU can deal with in Samoa. Loss or no loss, I can't see the NZRU being eager to bend over backwards to visit again it if is just going to be used as a bargaining ploy by the SRU to demonstrate that they need more money.

Similarly, I have read that SANZAR, while keen to expand into the PIs with a franchise back when they added the sunwolves. Don';t see a creditble partner anywhere in the PIs that they can deal with and trust to have capable governance that a franchise doesn't become a debacle for SANZAR to prop up.

Sad times, that can only be fixed when governance is accountable. Fiji are on track, SRU are still in denial.

Right now playing NH sides, I feel like they are always close to stealing our ball at the breakdown, where as we never seem to be in an ideal position to do so. Ireland to me seem to be the best at competing at the breakdown right now.
I've also noticed this year the NH sides are much better at exploiting poor body position of the ball carrier, and attempting to hold the player up.

@stargazer said in 2018 All Blacks Test matches:

Ireland set to face All Blacks next year

Ireland are set to face New Zealand in the 2018 November series and may even get two chances to topple the All Blacks. Joe Schmidt's side have only once beaten the back-to-back World Cup winners, famously claiming a victory in Chicago last year. Speaking in the aftermath of Ireland's three-win Guinness Series, Schmidt, quoted in the Irish Independent, said of next year's autumn fixtures: "You never know the Tier 2 (team) until later but I think it is Argentina and New Zealand. "We are very conscious of looking after the provinces as well. Wales playing next week (against South Africa) - the week before Europe - I think it makes it very tough for their regional teams leading into Europe. "It is a little bit of a compromise I suppose." While there is no official word yet, Schmidt said that he was open to an add-on fixture, possibly abroad. He said: "At this stage (it is just three games). Again, we'll always get asked for a fourth game. "We haven't had a formal request from anyone yet but if there is one, as we got for the match in Chicago, then we'd consider it if it comes up and we'd try and stay in touch with the provincial coaches and see if we can make it work."

As long as it doesn’t become another fucking ‘exhibition match’....