@kiwiinmelb said in Richie commentates 2015 rwc final:

Watched 5 mins of it , paused it , maybe get back to it later , might put it back on later when we are babysitting the granddaughter and she wont go to bed 😉

one thing I did find interesting ,

We are inside their quarter early , A Smith grubbers behind their line , they clean up easily and take it away , I can remember thinking WTF did you kick it away for , perfect opportunity to mount some pressure etc

Richies says something like , that was something we planned on doing through the week , they covered it pretty well though ,

how many times does that happen ? we blame someone for something that appears stupid, and they are just carrying out the game plan .

Probably every time I make a post during a game.

Interesting a hit from a batsman struck the roof at etihad, Voges caught it off the roof and the batsman was given out.

Would've thought it'd be ruled dead ball, similar to laws goveening overhead hanging branches.

Technology vs traditions

@crazy-horse great post .
I remember seeing some people online mocking Ross Kemp for getting beaten by his partner. I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do in that situation other than either get out or take a bit of a hiding.
A mate of mine had a mrs that was violent occasionally and he said he just used to lock himself in the toilet till she calmed down if he was unable to get out of the house. The neighbors called the cops one time and took him away in the police car , they were honest enough to tell him they couldn’t figure out who was telling the truth and thought getting one of them out of there for the night was the best option.
Fortunately they’ve split now .

Good to see Hepetema being given an opportunity. Not sure of the count - but it does appear if post/pre season injuries for Super squads is very high. I wonder if it is the culmination of a long season (Super, NPC, additional representative games) - where players haven't had a chance to allow for injuries to heal properly. Or alternatively, just the bashing undertaken in pre season is too much - although I would assume that it is fitness only (i.e. climbing bloody hills) as it is too early for contact.

I am sure that there is a PhD there for someone who looks at it hard enough!

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/100072481/nz-rugbys-37m-world-cup-windfall-as-details-of-french-deal-emerge

NZ Rugby's $37m World Cup windfall as details of French deal emerge

The 10 tier-one countries are expected to share a record £192.5m (NZ$369.2m) payout from World Rugby because of the decision to stage the 2023 World Cup in France.

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

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/42139461