I have no excuse or retort :oQuote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
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I have no excuse or retort :oQuote:
Originally Posted by joeSoap
Who is a bad referee and who is a good one? so I can keep an eye out.
I like Rolland's manner and interaction with the players. None of that loud attention seeking drill sargeant routine, he looks to be quietly effective and in control, you'd hardly notice him on the pitch.
Whats the name of the NZ ref who sent off a Scottish player for kicking a welsh player a few years ago? Steve Walsh? I think he's a good ref. I don't think Rolland sees enough infringements at the breakdown.
Spreadbury is a prize tit but thankfully his star seems to be falling.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Alan Lewis is a smug little so and so and talks far too much.
Wayne Barnes made a few big mistakes and seems to compensate for his age by being very whistle happy.
Joel Jutge would be among the better refs, and to be fair Rolland is there or there abouts.
Jonathan Kaplan has made a few high profile mistakes in his career.
Steve Walsh should have packed it in after his anti-Northern Hemisphere bias came out in the las Lions tour.
Paul Honiss is also fairly good. Marius Joncker and Kelvin Deaker also seem to be up and coming.
There's no such thing as a good referee. ;) You'll always find somebody wronged by the ref during a game.
I like the interaction between ref, linesman and TMO but at times the refs are now scared to go with theiur gut (Alan Lewis on Sunday) and call on the TMO for any try that involves contact over the goal line. It slows things down too much, although I'd say both sets of forwards are glad of the breaks.
I think thats cos secretly you have a soft spot for England, as was evident during the ireland v czech game......;)Quote:
Anyway, it'll be allez anyone but les blancs. I'm a very bitter individual.
Chris White :mad: I'm still angry about how he handled Ireland-France. We'd have lost anyway but he didn't help.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
The kiwi's have taken a shine to Barnes after the game on Saturday evening........ death threats etc.
Donal Courtney is the worst international referee on the planet
waynebarnesucks.com
Re:Ireland THere is a thin line between wholesale change and complete conservatism and all the great coaches know how to balance it.
Ireland must begin a rebuilding process and look beyond the usual 20 or so suspects, they must build depth into their squad and give 'fringe' squad members game time and a belief that they have a genuine shot at a place in a match XV. Get rid of the cliques in the squad too.
O'Sullivan also needs to understand the concept that modern test rugby is about 22 players and not 15...just look at how the english and french used their subs to strengthen and build on good performances on saturday.
I would take a few dodgy 6N campaigns for the sake of team building and tactical/strategic tweaking. If it means the team will be successful in the long run..
Almost, Paul.
http://www.waynebarnessucks.com/
A lot of English fans I've spoken to are very confident about their chances this Saturday. They are even talking about winning the bloody thing......I for one would be truly amazed if they managed to beat France and S Africa (were they to win). France should surely be too strong? Obviously if they get dragged into a dog fight with the English forwards it could be a difficult and tense but I can't see England scoring too many points. Keep the penalty count low against em and you have this English side in all sorts of bother.
Would love to see an Argentina-France final. First and last game of the tournament - what would the odds have been on that?
That was the case for euro2004, grecce and portugal (i think):confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
Correct, and the same winner of both games tooQuote:
Originally Posted by JGKyne
I thought there was a recent football example but couldn't think or remember who it was!
I tell you what if Argentina were to win the cup it would be as big a shock as Greece winning the Euro's IMO.
I can't be the only one who's appaled by the staggering overreaction of the New Zealand fans re Wayne Barnes. It's worse than the Swiss ref Urs Meier got when he (rightly imo) disallowed Campbell's goal, which eventually led to England being knocked out of Euro 2004.
These idiots need to see that it's just a game and that refs do make mistakes. Also, as Brian Moore pointed out in the Independent the other day, Barnes also let Rodney So'oialo's four fouls at the restart go. At least he was consistent.
Anyway to reiterate I am appalled at the insanely harsh treatment of Barnes by the NZ fans. They should just accept they are a nation of chokers and not pass the buck all the time. :D
More importantly if that England side were to win it, it would be as bad for the history of sport as Greece wining Euro 2004.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
Horrible, horrible side.
France were available at 7/1 and Argentina were around 20 I think. Given that when the '06 WC was on Brazil and Argentina were the favourites to meet in the final and were slightly more than 20/1 the odds would have been very high ;), especially after the first game.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
:eek: Argentina are 4th in the world, have players like Hernandez and Contepomi. The two events are incomparable.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
They might have been a top 5 side in the world rankings but many would have agreed before the start of the tournament that New Zealand were clear favourites, so much so that if you suggested Argentina would win the thing before the first game you'd probably be put in a straight jacket :D...... throw in the fact that Argentina were drawn in the group of death alongside the hosts and us (best chance of a northern hemisphere winning the thing the experts claimed :o), do not have any real competitive internationals until world cup time and were also beaten well by a Welsh side back in August leads me to the conclusion that were the Puma's to win the thing it would shock the foundations of the rugby union fraternity and be comparable to the Greece victory 3 years ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
I don't think they will win the thing (if they scrape past the Bok's I think the French will have learned their lessons from the first game) but this world cup has surprised me too many times already so I cannot be that confident in that assertion!
Hopefully after the WC Argentina will be taken seriously by the IRB. Surely the time has come to let them play in Tri or Six nations. I think it would be better for them to play in the Six Nations because all their top players play in Europe so they could be weakened by injuiries and tiredness if they were to play in the tri nations
I'd love to see em enter the 6 nations. Base them in Spain and its an extra away trip but with better weather!Quote:
Originally Posted by JGKyne
They said they'd play all their games away.Quote:
Originally Posted by shakermaker1982
I didn't hear that. That would be a shame but if it allows them to enter and they are willing to do it then fair play to em.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
I'd say they'd prefer to have a base but my reading of it was that they were so desperate to get in they'd even play all games away. Nust try and dig out a link...
The 6 nations is packed as it is
I've always thought they need to join the tri nations. That thing is beyond stale, an extra team might give it some purpose
Argentina joining the Tr-Nations would make sense on the basis of numbers but almost all their players play in the European season so would mean playing Internationals in their summer break every year.
If they joined the 6 Nations it would mean odd numbers again & make for longer tournament in an already congested calendar for English & French clubs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pete
Why not bring an 8th team in. Have a 2nd division with Romania, Georgia, etc. and have one up one down every year? It'll never happen of course 'cos the IRB is too much of an old boys' mutual backscratching club.
This World Cup is the best Ive seen so far. The games are a lot closer, More upsets and far less predictable than usual.
It all makes for riveting rugby.
Quote:
It all makes for riveting rugby.
Oh yes, quite sir. I do say.
Greece winning wasnt bad for football, they deserved to get their playing solid football with a team ethic, and it gives hope that all half decent nations have a chance to win a cup, and euro 2004 wasnt that badQuote:
Originally Posted by dfx-
I would argue that italy winning the World cup was worse for football, cheating b$$tards
fancy France to do it against england, but england are a tough enough team to beat, and it will be a close game
and south africa for the other game, should beat argentina well enough
Just as i feared:(
little details has made all the difference. England weren't brilliant but still they did the job, being more realistic than us. Anyway, i will be cheering for whoever will face them next Sunday.
Who are the etc? Portugal? Spain? It just goes downhill steeply from there.Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveyCakes
The table from 2006 is here:Quote:
Originally Posted by Poor Student
Country Played Won Drew Lost Points
Romania 10 8 0 2 26
Georgia 10 8 0 2 26
Portugal 10 6 1 3 23
Russia 10 4 1 5 19
Czech Rep. 10 3 0 7 16
Ukraine 10 0 0 10 10
so the gap isn't that big but I don't agree with straight promotion because the gap in standards between Italy/Scotland and Romania/Georgia is too big.
September 12: Italy 24 Romania 18Quote:
Originally Posted by Bald Student
September 15: Ireland 14 Georgia 10
Whatever Date: Ireland 2-1 San Marino
It doesn't prove much.
For probably the first time ever, the whole of England will be cheering on Argentina.
Isn't sport great the way it brings people and nations together.;)
ill have to buy an argie jersey if they win this, but i cant see it happening, no look of ries from argentina....
los malvinas son argentinas :)
A bad case of stage fright from the Argies.
Looked a tired side. RSA lethal in taking their chances though. You can't give Habana those openings.Quote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
As long as RSA don't get complacent just because they have beaten England already they should be ok. Montgomery can match Wilkinson in the kicking too.
I thought it was a pretty convincing performance from RSA. Even conceding a try that never ever was. Disciplined in the breakdowns, restricting Contepomi's penalties, impressive lineout, impressive forwards, flankers dominant and back line a strong unit ready to take advantage.
If they keep their heads, they should overcome England comfortably. There is no bigger IF in rugby though