Guinness has retired for the evening.

@sparky said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:

Sparky's All Black RWC squad

Props: Nepo Laulala, Joe Moody, Atu Moli, Angus Ta'avao, Ofa Tu'ungafasi

Hooker: Dane Coles, Liam Coltman, Codie Taylor.

Locks: Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuitupolou, Sam Whitelock

Back Row: Sam Cane, Luke Jacobson, Kieran Read, Ardie Savea, Matt Todd

Half Backs: TJ Perenera, Aaron Smith, Brad Weber

First Fives: Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo'unga

Midfield: Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Anton Leinert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams

Back Three: Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Reiko Ioane, Sevu Reece, Ben Smith

Some very tough decisions ahead for the selectors to get it down to 31..

Proof that a stopped clock is right sometimes.

His name is spelt "Ma'a Nonu" but it can be pronounced as "Living Legend".

This is a guy who made his NPC debut in 2002 and his Super Rugby debut in 2003. In his distinguished international career he donned the famous Black Jersey for 104 Tests, contributing to two World Cup wins with tries in the 2011 Semi Final and the 2015 Final.

Tonight he set up Tom Robinson for the first try with a superb pass, he set up Caleb Clarke for the second with another superb pass and had the instincts honed by nearly two decades playing and training at an elite level to be in the right place to take the offloaded from Reiko Ioane to run in and score a try himself.

A great signing for the Blues. Their young players must be learning so much from playing with perhaps the greatest ever 12 to play the game.

New Zealand have won the Netball World Cup!!!!

Classic Ted:

My happy life has been turned upside down to be honest. Worst thing I've been through apart from the death of immediate family. Missing Rugby and Cricket. Missing the normal routine. Really tough to be working fulltime away from place of work and trying to home school the kids at the same time. Lots of people I know are sick. I'm worried about everyone.

Really proud of the resilience of my kids. The dog seems really happy to have us around more. Listened to a few good podcasts. Able to go for a run around the park as a family each day. Great banter from 2 metre plus from neighbours. Heard from a few friends I've not heard from in ages. Glad not to have the constant background rumble of motorway traffic. Those are the postives.

We'll get through all of this, but it feels like a prison sentence. I go to sleep each night hoping normal will return very soon.

Ngani Laumape re-signs with the Hurricanes and NZRU until 2021:

@Chester-Draws Honestly, mate if you're looking for "top-quality analysis", you should skip my posts.

@Chris-B said in All time Super Rugby XV (all teams):

@shark Pretty sure Dan was overseas in France in 2008. Broke his leg, I think. I think Stephen Brett probably had the tiller in 2008.

Dan Carter was the Crusaders' 10 in the 2008 final:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Super_14_Final

It was the 2009 season he missed because of a ruptured achilles tendon (not a broken leg) with Perpignan.

He won three titles (2005, 2006 and 2008), also played in 2003, 2004, 2011 and 2014 Grand Finals.

Eddie Jones is set to sign a new England contract:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/52129858

@booboo said in NH International Rugby:

Who is David Watkins?

Number 10 for the 1966 B&I Lions.

Best known in NZ as the little guy Pinetree ran around to score his legendary try. On 44 seconds below:

Wimbledon cancelled.
The Edinburgh festival cancelled
The big Climate Change conference scheduled for November postponed.

The All Blacks' November Internationals must be in doubt.

@Rembrandt said in Coronavirus - Overall:

Got two mates in China currently. One I think is in Zhenjiang, she reckons the Chinese government are massively underplaying it..

Thw above was posted on 24th January. Turns out, Rembrant's sauces were on the money with this one from the start.

@Catogrande I'd never heard of David Watkins before so I looked him up. 5 foot 6 and 65 kilos.

@cgrant said in All time Super Rugby XV (all teams):

Folau and not Cullen ? Hmmm.
Zinzan Brooke was heads and shoulders above the rest during the nineties. Best Nr.8 IMO.
Carter was the best 10 ever but not in Super Rugby. The most brilliant was Carlos Spencer. He gets my vote with Stephen Larkham bubbling under.

Bottom line for me is winning trophies.

I'm massive Cullen fan, let me explain my reasonsing for not choosing him at 15. Israel Folau was the Waratahs best player when they won the trophy in 2014. Cullen was never part of a team that won the title. Folau's 60 tries in 96 games is the record in Super Rugby and by far the best of his era.

Carter is the record point scorer in Super Rugby. He had a much better defensive game than Carlos Spencer. Carlos was 2nd choice goal kicker to Adrian Cashmore at the Blues in the 1990s.

Kieran Read won the Super Title four times and played in two other finals. In his 12 Super seasons, the Crusaders made the Semi Finals 10 times, an astonishing record that is unlikely to be ever matched.

Scariest bit, here in Outer London, is number of medics and carers who are sick.

@voodoo Cheers mate. Same for everyone from me.

"COVID-19, we'll knock the bugger off"

My happy life has been turned upside down to be honest. Worst thing I've been through apart from the death of immediate family. Missing Rugby and Cricket. Missing the normal routine. Really tough to be working fulltime away from place of work and trying to home school the kids at the same time. Lots of people I know are sick. I'm worried about everyone.

Really proud of the resilience of my kids. The dog seems really happy to have us around more. Listened to a few good podcasts. Able to go for a run around the park as a family each day. Great banter from 2 metre plus from neighbours. Heard from a few friends I've not heard from in ages. Glad not to have the constant background rumble of motorway traffic. Those are the postives.

We'll get through all of this, but it feels like a prison sentence. I go to sleep each night hoping normal will return very soon.