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@KiwiMurph said in Super rugby final.:

From Sumo Stevenson - One can only assume given the semifinal appointments that Angus Gardner will referee the Super Rugby final. If so, massive kudos to him

The cynic would say an Aussie ref is the obvious choice - no chance of an Aussie team in the final...

But he's a damn good ref.

@Rocky-Rockbottom said in Tour de France:

Had a look at some of TDF but excuse me what in the holy hell am I looking at? The Aus commentators were great, making revealing sense of the clusterfuck of chicanery, but wft, if I didnt have them there holding my hand it would just be an amorphous blob of peloton coasting past nice scenery, the end, someone in the middle won the fucken Tour de France. Who’s coming first? Oh. Froome. And it sounds like he was always going to win? What, the other guys on his team don't want to win? They have to kowtow to him?

The “peloton” (technical term, look it up, haven’t got time to explain these things to you newbies) look like, apart from the hill climbs, they’re giving it about 60% for 99% of the time.

The whole winner thing seems like some sort of pre-ordained mafia ritual? Froome was always going to win yet there he is, somewhere among the 600-strong peloton?

Needs a Tour de France For Dummies primer.

After a few years watching I have got to grips with most of the aspects that just 'look wrong' to me as far as a competitive sport goes. There are still a few aspects that annoy me such as everyone slowing down when a leader has an accident/ mechanical/toilet stop. Do you see that in a marathon? A motor race?
Geez, Lewis Hamilton has just had a blowout, let's all slow down and let him fix it and catch back up again.
Yeah, yeah, I get that there is etiquette involved, but it still seems at odds to being a competition.
The other thing that I can't get is that although everyone tells me it is a team sport with glory to an individual (which in itself is fairly unique in sport), Sky seem to be the only team that actually give their top rider a chance by having a strong team. By the end of the race most teams have a handful of weak riders down the back and their contender by himself up the front riding along with a full Sky Train.
Froome gets such a massive advantage by the big $ spent on assembling his support.

@Donsteppa Yes, very good point Donsteppa. Apparently Bay of Plenty had the lowest goalkicking statistics in the entire competition last year and with our average losing margin of only six or seven points there is a huge need for improvement. With the use of reserves these days we wouldn't expect a full 80 minutes from him anyway and his help with any up and coming five eight will be useful. I'm assuming Kaleb Trask will take over the mantle of our "up and coming five eight". As has been mentioned many times, we need someone to become our "General" to guide the backline around the field so hopefully Delany will help there.

@dogmeat said in Should Japan join the Rugby Championship?:

@MiketheSnow said in Should Japan join the Rugby Championship?:

@dogmeat said in Should Japan join the Rugby Championship?:

@MiketheSnow Tblisi - Dublin 3,960 kilometres Tokyo - Buenos Aires 18,358

Less about geographical distance and more about ability distance.

And whilst a trip to Tblisi would be great - I've been, and Georgia is magic - does the 6N need them?

Georgia is ranked above Italy.....

For the same reason Wales went to 9th prior to the last WC cycle, losing to far superior opposition. Regularly.

GEORGIA RESULTS

2015
Beat Tonga, Namibia
Lost to Canada, Japan, NZ, Argentina

2016
Beat Tonga, Fiji, Samoa
Drew with Samoa
Lost to Japan, Scotland

2017
Beat USA, Canada
Lost to Argentina

ITALY RESULTS

2015
Beat Scotland, Canada
Lost to Ireland (2), England, France (2), Wales, Scotland (2)

2016
Beat USA, Canada
Lost to England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Argentina, NZ, Tonga

2017
Lost to Wales, Ireland, England, France, Scotland (2), Fiji, Australia

If Liam Barry was the first-choice for assistant coach that is an underwhelming appointment.

Kents and Kings have been scouring Fiji for talent for ages. Good on KBHS for getting in on the act.

@antipodean said in Big changes for lawbook:

@Crucial said in Big changes for lawbook:

As far as the complexity/ confusion of the current law book goes you only have to read forums like RugbyRefs to see how much debate and variation exists among referees. In many cases the pertinent law itself is undefined and you need to assume that the situation will be dealt with according to the way a different situation is.

Don't be confused by what the name of the website is. Anyone can post there and claim they're a referee.

Of course. I have posted there myself. You do get to know who the real ones are. Some are even assessors.

@Stargazer said in NZ players overseas:

I seriously doubt Fruean can play the RWC 2019 for Samoa. This is why:

The International Olympic Committee's passport rule is part of World Rugby's Regulation 8 (Eligibility to play for national representative teams). That means (I've simplified it) that a player who has represented one country at national senior level (XVs), next senior level (XVs) or in national sevens, can play for another country if he has the nationality of that other country. Several conditions/exceptions apply.

The requirement to have to play at least 4 tournaments of the sevens series was introduced because they feared that this rule would be (ab)used by too many players changing nationality. I assume that requirement is still in place, but I can't find it anywhere.

I'm hoping Fruean and Samoa have, however, spotted this in Regultion 8.7.2:
"The Player may not represent the second Union in any other form of the Game until after he has participated in such Olympic Event."

I think that means that Fruean has to participate in the 2020 Olympics first, before he can be eligible for Samoa XVs' side. I may be wrong but to me it seems he can forget about playing for Samoa at the next RWC. It's a pity, because it has been ages ago since he played for the JABs and the JABs have very little significance as a "next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team".

Regulation 8 : ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS

World rugby body changes rules to prevent shortcut changes in nationality

Edit: just looked at the definition of "Olympic Event". This definition encompasses "Olympic qualification events". So if Fruean would play for the Samoa 7s team in Olympic qualification events before the 2019 RWC, he could be fine. From memory, the Olympic qualification for Rio was during the 12 months preceding the Olympics. With the RWC being in the year before the Olympics, there may be enough time. Just.

Your edit's correct. Otherwise TNW wouldn't be eligible to play for Samoa either.

Almost a year after his diagnosis with leukaemia, Lealiifano will be playing Super Rugby again. Really pleased to see he's doing so well that he can already make his comeback this season!

Lealiifano set to return to action

Couple of incredible comebacks. In semis Canada was up on Black Sox 9-2 after putting up a 7-spot in the (i think) 3rd-or-4th before the Yukon weather gods and a rain delay chased the Canuck starter. When clouds cleared and they returned to play their middle-reliever promptly gave up 8 runs next half-inning to give NZ 10-9 lead! Those are crazy innings at this level.

@Stargazer I haven't seen the scorers. I was going to go along to watch another winger in the Chiefs team but he was injured so couldn't play.

@antipodean said in June Internationals:

I don't understand Los'e's commentary about Tonga going to the RWC; they'd already qualified if Samoa didn't win against Fiji or lose by less than seven. Nothing to do with points differentials once the score was beyond that.

No they didn't. Qualification was based on this year AND last years PNC.

Crusaders U18 (Junior Knights) squad to play the Hurricanes U18 in the curtain raiser to Hurricanes v Crusaders this Saturday, 15 July:

Hunter Stewart – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
Thomas Edwards – Timaru Boys' High Schools, South Canterbury
Shilo Klein – St Andrew's College, Canterbury
Melvin Pauni – Timaru Boys' High School, South Canterbury
Jack Rose – St Andrew's College, CanterburyPatrick Thacker
Cullen Grace – Timaru Boys' High School, South Canterbury
Sam Darry - Christ’s College, Canterbury
Caleb Havili – Nelson College, Ta$man
Finlay Joyce – Timaru Boys' High School
Veitata Kinivuwai – St Andrew’s College, Canterbury
Corban Harding – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
George Prain – Rangiora High School
Glen Beardsley – Shirley Boys' High School, Canterbury
Graham Urquhart - Nelson College, Ta$man
Max Hughes – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
Louie Chapman – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
Fergus Burke
Tahu Kaa-Goodwillie – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
Nigel Satherley – Marlborough Boys' College, Ta$man
Isaiah Punivai – Christ’s College, Canterbury
Leicester Faingaanuku – Nelson College, Ta$man
Patrick Elia – St Thomas of Canterbury College, Canterbury
Ryan Barnes – Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury
Rico Syme

FYI: This info doesn't come from the Crusaders website or social media.

You are over estimating how many would travel for either tournament. The vast majority of people will come from the hosting city. It isn't the Wellington tournament from over a decade ago

@Nepia said in Goalkicker:

@rotated From the match reports Evans only played once at fullback in 2007 RWC and McAlister and him shared the kicking - I assume McAlister kicked until he was replaced. The Portugal match he kicked all the conversions but he was playing at 10 that day.

Right you are - Evans kicked more but McAlister kidked first against Romania

.

@taniwharugby said in Goalkicker:

Around that time, it was him, Halligan and Ridge were leading kickers in the NRL werent they?

Eion Crossan was in that upper echelon for his stint there too, he certainly wasn't there for his speed.

@pakman Loved Pink Panther as a kid.