@nzzp said in All Blacks vs Samoa confirmed:

@gollum said in All Blacks vs Samoa confirmed:

@Crucial

When you throw in the Welsh it'll either be the best atmosphere of any day at Eden park since the 92 World Cup cricket opener. Or it'll be a horror show where you leave at halftime.

Probably the former... Probably

I dunno, that famous League double header where they wound up burning seats was pretty out there. NOt a good day to have kids around, but hey.

That's League though. Far less civilised.

@African-Monkey said in The "other" round 11 Super Rugby games:

Quite an entertaining game I thought. Willie Britz and Uwe Helu have impressed all season for the Sunwolves.

Most enjoyable contest of the weekend

Re Fifita. There is a Ferner that knows his story intimately and from the bits I have picked up this is also more complicated than simply being a 'poach for rugby reasons'.
A lot of people have altruistically put time, money and support into the kid for primarily reasons of wellbeing. The rugby is a side effect of that and a pathway to achieve the outcome they were seeking.
I would guess this is a similar story with many of these guys and it is a rough assumption that they are being given opportunities in life for rugby reasons. The rugby may be a means to an end or a lucky side effect.
The schools do go looking for talent, that can't be denied, but in many cases it falls into their laps as well.

The initial list probably also needs cutting down to those players only eligible for NZ because of residency gained during/after schooling.

@Mokey said in Eric Murray goooone:

Veitch's open letter to Eric Murray in the Herald was one of the cringiest things ever.

He didn't accidentally push his mrs down a flight of stairs did he?

Australia U20s to compete in World Championships

Cody Walker, NSW Gen Blue U20s
Harry Johnson-Holmes, NSW Gen Blue U20s
Shambeckler Vui, Western Force
Gavin Luka, Queensland U20s
Jordan Uelese, Melbourne Rebels
Efi Maafu, Queensland U20s, Wests
Sama Malolo, Western Force U20s
Ryan McCauley, NSW Gen Blue U20s
Harry Hockings, Queensland U20s,
Angus Blyth, Queensland U20s
Angus Scott-Young, Queensland U20s
Liam Wright, Queensland U20s
Reece Hewat, Queensland U20s
Lachlan Anderson, Australian Sevens
Rob Valetini, Brumbies,
Lachlan Swinton, NSW Gen Blue U20s
Harry Nucifora, Queensland U20s
Harrison Goddard, Melbourne Rebels U20s
Hamish Stewart , Queensland Reds
Liam McNamara, Australian Sevens
Sione Tuipulotu, Melbourne Rebels U20s
Nick Jooste, Brumbies U20s
Izaia Perese, Queensland Reds
Jack Maddocks, Melbourne Rebels
Semisi Tupou, Melbourne Rebels U20s
Dylan Riley, Queensland U20s
Henry Hutchison, Australian Sevens
Simon Kennewell, Australian Sevens

Beth Newman  /  May 6, 2017 Reds speedster and sevens stars in Aussie U20s Reds speedster and sevens stars in Aussie U20s

@Megweya said in BIL Lions - Warburton: not the Test captain?:

Gatland hinted at this about 6-8 weeks ago, talking about a "tour captain".

In most recent tours the captain has been as a player unquestionably one of the first names on the teamsheet: Martin Johnson, BOD, Paul O'Connell.
On 2 tours the captaincy has changed due to injury (2005, 2013) so it is possible that the captain will have to change regardless of the elevated-focus on the role.

I think that Warburton is not one of 5 almost-guaranteed first-XV players (Furlong, Billy Vinipola, Murray, Sexton, Farrell).
Is he a much better captain than Rory Best or Alun-Wyn Jones? No.
Is he more of a game-changing player in the back-row than Sean O'Brien or CJ Stander? No.

I think the captain's role is one area that Gatland has (rightly) hedged his bets. Warburton was Lions captain in Australia in 2013, more than that he already has "series-winning Lions captain" on his CV.
So if SOB or CJ are blasting through their opponents ahead of the tests, I would not be surprised if Gatland and Howley tap Sam on the shoulder the week before the first Test and say "We'd like a quiet word ..." ©2013-SA-tour.
BOD on how he found out he was dropped in 2013
“I got the tap on the shoulder on Wednesday morning when I was at the coffee machine. Gats and Rob Howley wanted to have a quiet word.
I realised a 'quiet word' in the meeting room was not a good sign. They were not about to ask me to be captain. That would have been said to me there and then.”

It would go like this - Gatland/Howley: "Sam, it is a shame about your form (or that CJ/SOB on tour are streets ahead of you). We don't want to leave you out, but the other guys are better than you.
It is not as if you won't ever have been a Lions Test captain - you've literally got the series-winner captain t-shirt.
So be the nice guy that you are and for the team take it on your considerable chin that you will not be captain in the First Test."

And Sam will say "Oh, OK Warren, Rob. I accept that you know best. Will I be on the bench?"
"Yes, ... against the Chiefs, the Māoris and the Canes"

As an Irish fan, I can say that it would not be the most controversial Lions Test non-selection that Gatland has ever made.

The only difference to the 2013 line that they would have given to BOD is that this time they won't have to say "We can't pick you because we (Welsh coaches) think two Welsh players are better than you".

They might even have to say to Sam "We can't pick you because we think two Irish players are better than you". (Or 2 Welsh, or 2 English - but not the 1 Scot (=Hogg; Seymour born in USA), nor the 3 Kiwis).

If the tour-captain had been someone who had never played in a Lions test (Best, Hartley) or only ever had a Test as a replacement captain (Wyn-Jones), it might have been more destructive/disruptive to have not given that tour-captain the role of the test-captain.

No love for Scots legends Finlay Calder and Gav Hastings in your opening paragraph? This is a shamefully anti Scottish post.

@Stargazer said in Where do you go to:

"Illegal streams" will probably be the answer. If

If you find one - especially on Youtube, don't post it on here, over the last year I've had 3 I used to watch shut down by Sky literally the day after someone decided to post a full game on here.

Pretty sure someone from Sky would at least lurk on the Fern - if only to get stories, so if its linked on here its dead.

Its like saying to the Japanese "wow how majestic! look a very rare whale!"

@infidel said in RIP Doug Rollerson:

A bit more history here.

Gone are the days when the All Blacks backed up for their provinces after playing in a Test match the previous day. But on 13 September 1981, that is exactly what a group of them did in this memorable Wellington - Manawatu match at Athletic Park, won 28-10 by Wellington.

This was not just the day after any regular Test match, but one of the most noted of all time - the third and deciding Test against the Springboks in their controversial 1981 series. Less than 24 hours earlier, the All Blacks, featuring several Wellington and Manawatu players, had just beaten of a flour bomb attack from the air and defeated the Springboks 25-22 on the park to clinch their volatile series.

No fewer than nine players - Allan Hewson, Stu Wilson, Bernie Fraser and Murray Mexted for Wellington and Lachie Cameron, Doug Rollerson, Mark Donaldson, Geoff Old and Gary Knight for Manawatu - had played against the Springboks. Manawatu tighthead prop Gary Knight had both scored a try and been nailed on the head in a direct hit by a flour bomb dropped from a low circling Cessna plane, while Wellington wing Wilson had also scored a try and fullback Hewson had kicked the match and series winning penalty.

A the BIL fans are talking about a tough schedule? Take a concrete pill the lot of ya!

(Mind you, I think Gary Knight was actually made of concrete so a pill wasn't needed in his case.)

As for Rollerson, I seem to remember him having a decent boot on him. Especially so in the days of the wet leather ball.

I think my suggestion of shifting Kane up to open was a better one - though perhaps cunning Hesson is planning to use Luke at 2 to disguise that Kane is our real opener.

Switched from block to allow cookies 'from current website' and deleted web and cookie history. Seems to be working, thanks.

@Gunner kings don't seem to have issues scoring points, its when they have decent opposition they can't seem to stop other teams scoring more....they have averaged about 30 per game

He's a good lad, this one...

Apr 28, 2017 Williamson finds a place in T20 world Williamson finds a place in T20 world

Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Kane Williamson struck a 26-ball fifty and outpaced his more illustrious T20 shoo-ins

Man of the match award overlooked Kane's innings @200, Wee davey's 51 @ 188, Dawan's 77 @ 166, Kaul's 3 wickets @ 9 an over, Nehra's 3 wickets @ 10.5 and gave it to Rashid Khan for 4 overs, 1 for 16 ?? Wierd

@taniwharugby electric motor bro

@Bovidae Yeah - that doesn't surprise me.

Typically, we're really short at least one really good specialist batsman and a wicketkeeper who can reliably score runs.

Heard an interesting interview on Radiosport with Ronchi over the last few days - maybe on Monday afternoon with Darcy Waldegrave - where he was basically saying his batting woes are largely due to mental weakness (he may actually have used that term). Says that when he's confident and positive he bats well, but he struggles to generate that positivity and constantly doubts himself. He wasn't quite Ben Fouhy-esque, but getting up there!

@ACT-Crusader said in The other round 9 games:

@Toddy said in The other round 9 games:

Didn't realise that the Crusaders only play the Chiefs once this season. That's a pretty lucky draw for them considering their recent struggle to win against them.

Fortunate for the Chiefs.....

He may be referring to the 5 losses in a row........?

@booboo think it was an ankle during the week training and they said 8-10 weeks.

@Crucial

This has occurred to me Crucial.

The story in the media is that he has some kind of side strain so is not goal kicking at the moment.

From his general play, tactical and line kicking it doesn't exactly look like he is carrying any niggles.

My tea leaves are telling me he's nailed his goal kicking gig 💯 and is now being kept in cotton wool until the Lions get here. 🙂