Forum Rugby Club

Posted by: JWM on 23 May 2007

quote:
Originally posted by Chillkram in The Guinness Premiership Thread:

Looks like we might just start up a forum Rugby Club for next season and travel to one or two games. Winker


Well here it is then, started... Big Grin

A place for discussion of all things Rugby, whether club, national or international...

The next joy we have to look forward to is the Rugby World Cup. (I imagine it is at this point some of the NZ forum members will join in...)

Any comments, chaps? Or still a bit too early?

James
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by Deane F
For all the doom and gloom I read here about the English Rugby Team in the lead-up to the RWC, they seemed to have done bloody well to get to the final.

If the English team are "chokers" then so are every single other team that entered the competition, surely?
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by u5227470736789439
What does choker mean? ATB from George
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by JonR
"chokers" = New Zealand, fred, that's all you need to know Razz
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by Jay
Well done England to get into the final and make a game of it! You beat two very good teams in France and Australia to get there.

As for Joe90. You're just an embarrassment really. Choking is not about going out of the tournament, it's about how you go out.

Please, no offense intended lads but as an independent it would've been a travesty if that try had been given. I know the commentators banged on about it but Cueto's foot touches the touch line before he grounds the ball - end of story. I can't believe how many radio reports and interviews both last night and this morning that say "it was a try, but let's not go on about it like NZ". Makes me laugh, if it's not an issue then why bring it up!

Anyway, I think you're got a lot more positive to take out of this tournament then any AB supporter has.

Jay
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by GFFJ:
Was it possible to back England "each way?" George


Big Grin
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by Jay:
I can't believe how many radio reports and interviews both last night and this morning that say "it was a try, but let's not go on about it like NZ". Makes me laugh, if it's not an issue then why bring it up!


Hi Jay - I agree with you and promise not to go on about the travesty.

BTW here is a picture of Cueto clearly grounding the ball for a try before his foot touches the line.



ATB Rotf
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by Jay
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
Hi Jay - I agree with you and promise not to go on about the travesty.


I like your style ROTF!

The slight problem with the photo is that Cueto was out before it was taken. On the reverse video angle you can clearly see his toe hit the line before rising and then he grounds the ball. The commentators didn't pick up on it at all, maybe they are looking at CRT small monitors whilst we at home have 32"-50" flat screens or projectors.

All I can say is sorry! I know the pain of disappointment - believe me!

Jay
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by Steve S1
Well done SA. They played some great rugby through the whole competition. Worthy winners.

Bad luck England, fantastic effort and last night's game was incredibly tight. More than we could ever have thought possible before the competition.

As for "chokers" - hopelessly biased and devoid of imagination.

The video ref was right. He's not saying that it wasn't a try - he's saying he can't be sure. That's fair enough on what I saw. Even if the move itself really deserved a try. I share the pain but fair's fair and I would have been gutted if the opposition were awarded a try when it was in doubt.

Let's go for three finals in a row - that would be quite something.

Steve
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by Beano
JonR, I agree wholeheartedly, very succinctly put!

Beano
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by Chillkram
Jay

I think you are right. Cueto's foot hit the line and then popped up when it was over. Regardless of that, it matters not, decisions go for and against and balance out over time. The game was not lost on that decision, but on the fact that England simply did not quite have enough to answer the questions at the end. SA were the best team in the competition and the better team on the night. England should be proud of what they achieved and South Africa should rightly be celebrating a well-deserved victory.

New Zealand need to examine why they are the best team in the world in between competitions, but seem unable to develop the ability to close out a tight game when they are under pressure. This is the key to knockout rugby. I hope they do because they are the best rugby nation in the world and their brand of rugby is exciting and wonderful to watch. Rugby needs the ABs to be successful in the World Cup in my opinion.

Mark
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by ryan_d
Well at least we can get back to the domestic game and get our clubs back to full strength. After Friday night all I can say is we're coming for you!!! Big Grin

There's also I pretty good Heinekin Cup fixture on 23rd of Dec.....Sale v's Tigers. Looking forward to that one! James, I don't expect you'd be able to with it being a busy time of year for you, but if you can make it up theres accommodation available. Same goes to anyone else who'd like a trip up north.

Ryan
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by John Channing
quote:
The slight problem with the photo is that Cueto was out before it was taken. On the reverse video angle you can clearly see his toe hit the line before rising and then he grounds the ball. The commentators didn't pick up on it at all, maybe they are looking at CRT small monitors whilst we at home have 32"-50" flat screens or projectors.


His foot slid along the ground, hit the line and then popped up. I watched it many times over (on a big plasma TV) and didn't see anything that conclusively showed his foot hit the line before the ball reached the goal line. It must have been a tough call for the Aussie official Winker

In the end, it was a defeat of a proud, courageous team that gave everything and came up just short. Congratulations to South Africa who showed guts and skill to take the title.
John
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by Deane F
quote:
Originally posted by JonR:
"chokers" = New Zealand, fred, that's all you need to know Razz


Big Grin

(Certainly the biggest chokers, that's for sure...)
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by JWM
quote:
Originally posted by ryan_d:
Well at least we can get back to the domestic game and get our clubs back to full strength. After Friday night all I can say is we're coming for you!!! Big Grin

There's also I pretty good Heinekin Cup fixture on 23rd of Dec.....Sale v's Tigers. Looking forward to that one! James, I don't expect you'd be able to with it being a busy time of year for you, but if you can make it up theres accommodation available. Same goes to anyone else who'd like a trip up north.

Ryan


Offer much appreciated, Ryan! Thanks. I'd have loved to, but you're right about busy (and it's m'birthday ... but hey, sacrifices and all that.)

James
Posted on: 21 October 2007 by joe90
Teehee.

It's amazing what one well-placed word can do. Big Grin
Posted on: 22 October 2007 by Bruce Woodhouse
A great tournament, and deserved winners.

S Africa capitalised on our errors and defended ruthlessly. We did not really look like coming back at the end. Struck me that when we were trying to sling the ball around our backs (and Jonny especially) remained very deep making it easier to defend.

England should be congratulated on their sheer cussedness but we should not be foooled into thinking them a great side. Afer the last RWC we failed to develop, it would be good to see a team in the 6 nations that really plans for the future.

Out of interest, how many England players would make your 'Best of The Tournament' team? I'm not sure any would be in my pick.

Bruce
Posted on: 22 October 2007 by JWM
England aside, three things I hope will happen as a result of the wonderful festival of rugby we have had in this RWC (festival especially in the pool stages) are:

1) The incorporation of Argentina into some proper tournaments.

2) Abandon ideas of excluding minnows from subesquent RWCs. We have been treated to some excellent performances, or at least moments, demonstrating these nations' potential. It was not that long ago that the likes of Fiji, Samoa were minnows themselves and just see how they have come on!

If the RWC really is considered too cumbersome, then at least introduce some qualification stages.

3) Idenitify and implement programmes of development for the game, especially in the developing nations.

And then putting my England hat back on, please let us not make the same mistake as after 2003. Roll Eyes
Posted on: 22 October 2007 by Steve S1
quote:
Out of interest, how many England players would make your 'Best of The Tournament' team? I'm not sure any would be in my pick.


Funnily enough Bruce, I thought that was their strength. No reliance on stars (Wilko has kicked better). But they played well together.

I think Sheridan's performances were worthy of note.

Steve
Posted on: 22 October 2007 by Macker
quote:
Originally posted by joe90:
Teehee.

It's amazing what one well-placed word can do. Big Grin


Or even an apostrophe......ha ha plop... Big Grin

PS: Long time no hear....
Posted on: 22 October 2007 by Bruce Woodhouse
quote:
Originally posted by Steve S1:
quote:
Out of interest, how many England players would make your 'Best of The Tournament' team? I'm not sure any would be in my pick.


Funnily enough Bruce, I thought that was their strength. No reliance on stars (Wilko has kicked better). But they played well together.

I think Sheridan's performances were worthy of note.

Steve


Oh I agree, a team effort greater than the sum of the parts perhaps. Imagine if that team had some real world beating indivisuals as well though!
Posted on: 22 October 2007 by joe90
I notice there was an awful lot of squealing by English supporters about the quality of the reffing, particularly about the so-called try that was denied.

Should I fire the sort of howling I received back at you or should I let sleeping dogs lie?
Posted on: 23 October 2007 by Simon Matthews
There was a mild squeal but nowhere near your levels of self pity.
Posted on: 23 October 2007 by joe90
Well quite, because your ref had a really, really difficult call to get wrong.

Our ref got dozens of even the most basic calls all up the Khyber...
Posted on: 23 October 2007 by Simon Matthews
We can agree that the refs don't always get it right. But at the end of the day South Africa scored three times as many tries as England over the competition and France scored 17 points to the AB's three in that second half.

It seems to me that the South Africans played the best combination of attacking and controlled rugby and fully earned the trophy. The try for England, if awarded would have made it a different game but the SA control of the line out was always going to starve England of ball in attacking field positions.

Re-building should start now
Posted on: 23 October 2007 by fentontfox
quote:
Originally posted by joe90:
quote:
I've always assumed that players are pretty tolerant of the fact that refereeing is imperfect


I know I am tolerant of the odd mistake.

What Barnes did was not the 'odd' mistake however. It was just substandard.

What's interesting is how much whining, moaning and screaming went on over Maradonna's 'Hand of God' incident at the soccer World Cup.

Awwww c'mon guys, it wasn't poor refereeing, it was just that England is a shite football team!

How about a little consistency?
quote:
A great team will overcome adversity and poor referee and win.


What truly underlies your argument is that you're glad to see the ABs shat on, cause you know that England scraped through by a gnat's nut, and the ABs would certainly have lifted their game to trounce the English again, like even their club rugby did to the Lions last time.

Cast your mind back to november 11th 1978 and Wales were robbed by the most unjust penalty i have ever seen at such a vital moment in test rugby,those jokers hadyn and oliver leapt out of the lineout virtually at the same time and Wales were penalised Mckecknie slotted over the penalty 13 to 12 to the blacks , i don't remember much criticism of the ref that day coming from New Zealand .
You win some and you lose some that's the rub of the green,you can moan all you like but the result is the result.