General Rugby Thread

[Poison]

Australia's Rugby World Cup hopes have suffered a major setback after fullback Chris Latham seriously injured his knee in training, leaving him doubtful for the tournament.

Click here for the full Story.. (http://xtramsn.co.nz/rugby/0,,12428-6782549,00.html)

[Blazzo]

Australia's Rugby World Cup hopes have suffered a major setback after fullback Chris Latham seriously injured his knee in training, leaving him doubtful for the tournament.

Click here for the full Story.. (http://xtramsn.co.nz/rugby/0,,12428-6782549,00.html)

Ahhhh Damnit, just what the wallabies need, they are in bad enough shape as it is without losing their best player..

[TiGeR]

I dont see it as a big issue- if Latham doesnt make it, take Gerrard as a fullback, & develop Drew Mitchell, Cameron Shepard & Peter Hewat as potential wing/fullbacks...there are also the new league boys like Schifcofske & Cross who may develop into nice players...

[spuff]

They all have nothing on Latham though - he is a true match winner on attack and a match saver on defence. Not good for Australia in WC year.

[TiGeR]

Granted, Latho is a LEGEND, but at the same time it might be a blessing fr Aussie rugby as they need to develop the next generation of players...

[spuff]

Agreed. It will be a blessing for Australia for the WC in 2011... :)

[biffon]

Moffett believes the World Cup is a fatally flawed competition because only a limited number of teams can win it.
"I can tell you that the winners of the World Cup in 2023 will come from five teams, now that can't be good.
"So lets look to see if something better can be put into place. I don't have the answers to that but at the moment I don't need to have the answers, I'm asking the questions."
He also said rugby was suffering from "fan burnout" and was highly critical of Graham Henry's withdrawal of 22 players from half of next year's Super 14 for their World Cup conditioning programme.
Moffett also called for an overhaul of the International Rugby Board (IRB) and said if he had his way he'd have former Aussie boss John O'Neill as chief executive and New Zealand's own Jock Hobbs as chairman of the board.
"I think there's an unhealthy obsession with the World Cup given that in a good year only one of about five teams can win it ... and perhaps next year only one of about three teams could win it," Moffett told Radio Sport.
He listed the All Blacks, France and Ireland in his chosen trio.
"

Is this guy living on Mars... any half decent rugby follower knows that the world cup is VERY unpredictable, the favorites dont always win .. in fact normally they don't (*cough* kiwi cholkers *cough*) there are potentially now 8 teams that can win it... NZ, SA, AUS, Ireland, France, Wales, England, Argentina.... heck you never know italy could have a blinder.
everyone expects NZ to win based on their performance last year , but they have been beaten a couple of times and if they get "food poisoning" again you never know...

I would call it a four horse race possibly 5 cause i really think Argentina are looking much better this year

Additionally a world cup year is very different to other years cause teams are consolidating and holding their cards close to their chests, resting key players, finding new talent is also still happening... ("bam bam" pocock - is my bolter for the Wallabies this year)


sorry Tiger i like Percy so i believe his selection is justified.... but then again im not at the coal face like you so you are probably better qualified in your opinion, not to mention experience. I agree though that there is talent being ignored due to politics... but there has been for some time and things do seem to be getting better for the time being...

[Shifty]

I must admit that I also think Percy's place in the team is, for the most part, justified.
I don't think that he's the player he once was and sometimes he can have a real shocker.
But he has a lot of experience and when all is said and done, he's still a pretty good and wily player.
He had a pretty good Super 14 season last year with the Sharks but there again, I must plead ignorance to his performance for the latter part of last year.

One things for certain, he's definitely a surviver. I can remember earlier on in his career, when he used to get booed every time he came out to play, I guess mostly because he wasn't Afrikaans. :smiley5:

I don't imagine he'll be playing for too much longer but whatever the case, he's done himself and his country proud. :smiley20:

[TiGeR]

Is this guy living on Mars... any half decent rugby follower knows that the world cup is VERY unpredictable, the favorites dont always win .. in fact normally they don't (*cough* kiwi cholkers *cough*) there are potentially now 8 teams that can win it... NZ, SA, AUS, Ireland, France, Wales, England, Argentina.... heck you never know italy could have a blinder.
everyone expects NZ to win based on their performance last year , but they have been beaten a couple of times and if they get "food poisoning" again you never know...

I would call it a four horse race possibly 5 cause i really think Argentina are looking much better this year

Additionally a world cup year is very different to other years cause teams are consolidating and holding their cards close to their chests, resting key players, finding new talent is also still happening... ("bam bam" pocock - is my bolter for the Wallabies this year)


sorry Tiger i like Percy so i believe his selection is justified.... but then again im not at the coal face like you so you are probably better qualified in your opinion, not to mention experience. I agree though that there is talent being ignored due to politics... but there has been for some time and things do seem to be getting better for the time being...

[TiGeR]

Is this guy living on Mars... any half decent rugby follower knows that the world cup is VERY unpredictable, the favorites dont always win .. in fact normally they don't (*cough* kiwi cholkers *cough*) there are potentially now 8 teams that can win it... NZ, SA, AUS, Ireland, France, Wales, England, Argentina.... heck you never know italy could have a blinder.
everyone expects NZ to win based on their performance last year , but they have been beaten a couple of times and if they get "food poisoning" again you never know...

I would call it a four horse race possibly 5 cause i really think Argentina are looking much better this year

Additionally a world cup year is very different to other years cause teams are consolidating and holding their cards close to their chests, resting key players, finding new talent is also still happening... ("bam bam" pocock - is my bolter for the Wallabies this year)


sorry Tiger i like Percy so i believe his selection is justified.... but then again im not at the coal face like you so you are probably better qualified in your opinion, not to mention experience. I agree though that there is talent being ignored due to politics... but there has been for some time and things do seem to be getting better for the time being...

Have to disagree on your RWC & strength of countries assessment- ABs are no.1 whether they win the RWC or not (hard as it is to admit!) they've lost 2 of their last 26/28 tests! While that can happen in a semi/ final @ RWC, they are going into this world cup yr with THREE & a half teams that can beat the rest of us on 9/10 days!

On the other countries, the ONLY realistic RWC contenders for the forseeable future are the big 5- NZ, SA, Fra, Eng, Aus- Ire & Arg are there & there abouts, Sco/ Wal & Ita can compete because for their player & capital base- the rest of us will continue to suck the hind tit because we dont have the money, player base, structures, stadia, consumer support, national following, scientific support & coaching/ administration expertise & experience to run pro & smi pro leagues & development structures (Academies, camps, schools of excellence, clubs etc)

[biffon]

agree with your second comment Tiger but my references on the 8 top countries are not on their Season or ranking but rather their abilities on the day... any one of those countries can pull off an upset and turn the WRC on its head on the day... there is no disputing NZ are on the top of the pile...

[biffon]

Matt Giteau - Flying High

http://westernforce.com.au/verve/_resources/Giteau_010_page_image.jpg (javascript:PhotoPop('50826')) Matt Giteau faces the media at his first Emirates Western Force training session (javascript:PhotoPop('50826'))

http://westernforce.com.au/verve/_resources/Giteau_page_image.JPG (javascript:PhotoPop('44141'))
http://westernforce.com.au/verve/_resources/giteau_homepage_tile68_copy_page_image.jpg (javascript:PhotoPop('50858')) Matt Giteau (centre) with good mates Matt Henjak (left) and Drew Mitchell (javascript:PhotoPop('50858'))


by Tom Baddeley

When Matt Giteau announced his move west in April, you’d have sworn the sky over the eastern seaboard was about to fall in. Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie howled hypocrisy, in-coming Reds coach Eddie Jones called it dangerous and his old club, the Brumbies, talked of a tragedy. But then, to quote Mandy Rice-Davies (see below), they would say that, wouldn’t they.
Despite their best efforts, all three clubs had just missed out on securing the future services of one of the game’s most exciting players. The media speculated wildly at the value of the deal, and teammate Jeremy Paul quipped that Matt could have stayed in Canberra and become the Brumbies naming rights sponsor!
Whatever the figure, anyone unsure of whether the Emirates Western Force would be getting value for its money only had to wait until his first run-on start for the Wallabies in 2006 a few months later. Sidelined by injury through May into early July, Matt’s influence on the historic 49-0 flogging of the Springboks in Brisbane – his 33rd Test cap - was unquestionable. Indeed, it was a delight to watch; darting through the gap for his first try, pirouetting out of a tackle and off-loading to Clyde Rathbone only to freakishly field the winger’s kick-through for his second or a sublime pin-point punt to Lote Tuqiri for Chris Latham’s five pointer. Take your pick, they were all a touch of class and together helped him secure ‘man of the match’ honours.
Of course, it wasn’t always like that. Matt’s first pass in Test match football was anything but pin-point; but then, he had just come straight from club football. In a quantum leap reminiscent of Phil Kearns’ jump from Randwick reserves to national honours, Matt started the 2002 season in the colts for his Canberra club, Easts, only to bypass Super 12 and make his Test debut against England. He didn’t play Super 12 until the following year. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Talking of history, there’s a little repeating itself in Matt’s move to WA. In the early 1980s, his father Ron left Sydney rugby league club Easts and also headed west, joining the fledgling Canberra Raiders. He moved to the Raiders in their second year after they finished at the foot of the log in their first. Sound familiar? Wait, there’s more. One of Ron’s teammates was Ivan Henjak, the uncle of Emirates Western Force scrumhalf, Matt Henjak. It’s at this juncture we should probably draw the comparisons to a close - the Raiders finished their second season in tenth place! And Ron certainly wasn’t surrounded by the hue and cry that seemed to spiral out of control when Matt opted for a new challenge.
There were no columnists predicting the end of the game as we know it, although Ron did cop some flack. “I ended up here (in Canberra) in their second year with everyone saying to me, ‘Why are you going to Canberra when they’re getting pumped every week?” Ron would later say. “It was like we were going to the other side of the world. But I went for the opportunity.”
The fuss in circa ’06 related to the third party payments secured by Matt’s agent, and much of it dripped with hypocrisy. Wasn’t it third party deals that had locked rugby league converts Tuqiri, Mat Rogers and Wendell Sailor into the Waratahs? Hadn’t big corporate dollars been lined up in the failed attempt to snare another convert, Andrew Johns? Where were the doomsayers then? And what about the Brumbies reported final offer of $1 million – surely, that wasn’t all footy club money. Yet, that seemed to slip under the radar. The Australian Rugby Union said it would investigate player contracts and corporate sponsorships, New South Wales rugby chief Fraser Neill reckoned “three kitchen sinks” had been tossed at Matt and Queensland rugby boss Theo Psaros called for a salary cap. The sky was, indeed, falling in.
Fortunately, Matt kept his head above the din. But just as it had been hard, no doubt, for Ron to leave the comforts and familiarity of his Sydney home more than 20 years earlier, so too would his eldest son struggle with the idea of taking to the wing. “I’m very close to my family – not just Mum and Dad but also my brothers and sister,” Matt told Linebreak. “But they were all very supportive, and I guess I had to leave home at some stage!” Canberra and the Brumbies had also been very good to him but when opportunity knocks - a great opportunity - you’d be crazy not to open the door (and, of course, family will always be there). Waiting on the other side was not only the money, a reported $4.5 million over three years, but the challenge of helping an exciting new team go the next step in its short history. The Emirates Western Force may have won only once in its inaugural year but for the most part it was competitive and respected. Matt could see the potential. “You could see the Force wasn’t far off the pace in their first year. They got hit pretty severely by injuries and that naturally tested their depth but you could see they were building something special, particularly towards the end of the season,” he says. “I spoke to Yak (Matt Henjak) and a few of the boys, and also to John (Mitchell) and I got excited by the challenge, and where they want to go and how they want to get there,” Matt says.

Mandy Rice-Davies played a minor role in the Profumo affair, a political scandal which damaged the British Government of Harold Macmillan in the early 1960s. She is most remembered for her response to Lord Astor’s denial that he’d had an affair with her. “Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he,” she said - and so it is that her famous quip is again employed in response to a claim by Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher that Matt’s game (and, by implication, his on-going national selection) would suffer by moving to Perth. The relocation certainly hasn’t done Tai McIsaac and Cameron Shepherd any harm. Indeed, they’d probably still be warming wood if they’d stayed on the eastern seaboard but now they’re Wallabies. Scott Staniforth might still be in the UK reminiscing about his days in the green and gold. Instead, he’s picked up three more caps.
As for Matt, he’ll be part of one of the most exciting backlines in the Super 14 competition, with the likes of Shepherd, Henjak, Staniforth, Digby Ioane and other top recruits Drew Mitchell and Ryan Cross. “If I’m playing well then Wallabies selection should take care of itself. It’s as simple as that,” he says. “In the end, it’s up to me to play well.” And as for the assertion by Eddie Jones that Matt must lead the Emirates Western Force to a Super 14 title within two years to justify his salary, please refer to Mandy’s quip above. Nevertheless, Matt appreciates he will carry the heavy weight of expectation in 2007 but he’s used to pressure. “I’ll be doing my best,” he says. “In fact, I can’t wait for the first game. The atmosphere at Subiaco Oval when I played there with the Brumbies in February was awesome, and I’m looking forward to having that sea of blue on my side this time!”

That sea of blue fans, wearing their Emirates Western Force jerseys, is not the only sea of blue that awaits Matt. While the surf at Perth’s metropolitan beaches might not be the stuff of legend, living next to the ocean will be a big step up from the swell of Lake Burley Griffin. “I did a little bit of surfing a couple of years ago on the Gold Coast but haven’t done much since. Living by the sea might rekindle my interest,” he says. Matt also likes to spend his spare time shopping. “If I like something, I’ll get it,” he says “Nothing excessive but I am a spontaneous shopper.” And he doesn’t mind taking to the dance floor, a good place to hone his fast on-field footwork. “He could beat you in a phone booth,” Wallabies backs coach Scott Johnson said recently. There aren’t too many telephone boxes at Subi but Emirates Western Force fans will soon see the quick-stepping centre weave his magic under a western sky that is anything but about to fall in. Indeed, when Matt dons the ocean blue for the first time, it’s going to be a beautiful day.

[FerrariSucks]

Wilkinson scored 27 points on his international return.

Jonny Wilkinson admitted finding it hard to take in after his long-awaited return to the international scene.

Wilkinson, who was playing his first game for England since 2003, was man of the match in Saturday's 42-20 win over Scotland in the Six Nations.

"It feels strange - it's been three and a bit years since I've experienced the buzz of an international," he said.

"I guess to be back after some of the feelings I've had over my injury periods feels like a bit of a dream."

[sally]

My husband!!!!

[Shayne]

All Blacks' imposing Test record since 2003 Rugby World Cup

BEST EVER?
New Zealand's Test record since losing the 2003 Rugby World Cup semi-final
against Australia:
Played 41, won 37, lost 4
bt South Africa 26-21, Durban, June 2007
bt Canada 64-13, Hamilton, June 2007
bt France 61-10, Wellington, June 2007
bt France 42-11, Auckland, June 2007
bt Wales 45-10, Cardiff, Nov 2006
bt France 23-11, Paris, Nov 2006
bt France 47-3, Lyon, Nov 2006
bt England 41-20, London, Nov 2006
lost to South Africa 21-20, Rustenburg, Sept 2006
bt South Africa 45-26, Pretoria, Aug 2006
bt Australia 34-27, Auckland, Aug 2006
bt Australia 13-9, Brisbane, July 2006
bt South Africa 35-17, Wellington, July 2006
bt Australia 32-12, Christchurch, July 2006
bt Argentina 25-19, Buenos Aires, June 2006
bt Ireland 27-17, Auckland, June 2006
bt Ireland 34-23, Hamilton, June 2006
bt Scotland 29-10, Edinburgh, Nov 2005
bt England 23-19, London, Nov 2005
bt Ireland 45-7, Dublin, Nov 2005
bt Wales 41-3, Cardiff, Nov 2005
bt Australia 34-24, Auckland, Sept 2005
bt South Africa 31-27, Dunedin, Aug 2005
bt Australia 30-13, Sydney, Aug 2005
lost to South Africa 22-16, Cape Town, Aug 2005
bt British Lions 38-19, Auckland, July 2005
bt British Lions 48-18, Wellington, July 2005
bt British Lions 21-3, Christchurch, June 2005
bt Fiji 91-0, Albany, June 2005
bt France 45-6, Paris, Nov 2004
bt Wales 26-25, Cardiff, Nov 2004
bt Italy 59-10, Rome, Nov 2004
lost to South Africa 40-26, Johannesburg, Aug 2004
lost to Australia 23-18, Sydney, Aug 2004
bt South Africa 23-21, Christchurch, July 2004
bt Australia 16-7, Wellington, July 2004
bt Pacific Islanders 41-26, Albany, July 2004
bt Argentina 41-7, Hamilton, June 2004

bt England 36-12, Auckland, June 2004
bt England 36-3, Dunedin, June 2004
bt France 40-13, Sydney, Nov 2003

[barto11]

that is a very impressive record, and no one can deny...but those results are going to vount for absolutley nothing if they cant get the job done in france...

[biffon]

Anyone watch the Aussie Bok game last night?
It was an interesting game.
I for one will say that no single bok stood out for me, and only a couple of Aussies

Paulsa had great attacking moments too but he is just too poor a defender to be considered.
Hougaard i feel is a better tactician than Butch "no arms" James but his goal kicking let him and his team down.
and Botha was mongrel in attack and at the breakdown, a really hard worker but his silly yellow card may have been the turning point of the game.

the Aussies..
well i doubt Gerrard will make much impression, he like Paulsa is too one dimensional. He is not a very good ball carrier and cannot catch very well either.
Gregan had a good game as did Hoiles. but other than that i didnt see anyone have an exceptional game.
Smith was great when he wasnt being an arse. ill be surprised if he doesnt get Cited for that backhand cheapshot on Van der Linde.
Mortlock was devistating with the boot and his fly kick to keep the ball in, was pure genius!
I still think Huxley shouldnt be wearing 15, I just hope that Latham returns soon as his presence is sorely missed, he wont be there next weekend so PLEASE Connolly, consider Shepperd, or even Mitchell!!!!

Anyway roll on the demolition... and believe me there will be one next weekend in Christchurch! the Boks better step up a level if they have any hope of being within 20 points of the All-blacks.

[Edmonsta]

Howdy Biffon,

You're right - I don't think either team did anything spectacular. The first Aus try was pretty impressive totally caught us unaware and that was almost clinical.

I was disapointed that we couldn't hold it together - there was so much energy in the first 20 mins, and then they just looked like a troop of ants when you wipe out the imaginary line...

The Aussies showed their experience by being able to recover from the initial shock of 17-0 in 17 minutes, and bad for on the boks for not capitalising on the momentum... Aus have come back to win most of their games this year - that says a lot about their composure!

Liefling (Hougaard) managed to play himself out of the world cup sqaud - pity, he did well for the Bulls.

A big boo and hiss for George Smith and Gary Botha. Stupid, stupid thing to do at that level. And too for the alleged Muller punch, if it was as blatant as they said. George was lucky not to get carded or even cited.

Wikus van Heerden had a great game.

Skinstad flies home with Broken Ribs and Ackerman is joining him. We're in deep shit against the All Blacks this weekend...

[Shayne]

Awwww damnit. Did i miss a fight? I actually fell asleep during the game!! I've never fallen asleep before. Either was a shocker or I'm getting old.

[Edmonsta]

Nah, you didn't miss much.

[biffon]

Awwww damnit. Did i miss a fight? I actually fell asleep during the game!! I've never fallen asleep before. Either was a shocker or I'm getting old.


haha shayne probably a combination of both... it was not a memorable game in any sense of the word.. even the punchups were mild with just a couple of backhand gobslaps.... in fact the biggest memory i have of the game was when the mandela trophy was handed to Mortlock and when he tried to give it to some of the other aussie players to hold they all shied away... a few bok supporters have been moaning about that saying they were being disrespectful, and arrogant.

who saw that?
your thoughts... ?

[Edmonsta]

[quote=Shayne;80029]in fact the biggest memory i have of the game was when the mandela trophy was handed to Mortlock and when he tried to give it to some of the other aussie players to hold they all shied away... a few bok supporters have been moaning about that saying they were being disrespectful, and arrogant.

who saw that?
your thoughts... ?

I could imagine that Fat Oom Koos watching the game from his farm in the Free State would find that arrogant and disrespectful. Man, all these accusations of disrespect and arrogance from both sides are starting to wear thin. Why can't people just chill out and enjoy the game?

We saw that - thought it was funny... I actually enjoyed the speeches and presentations as a whole, they were quite light heared considering the hoo-haa leading up to the game.

Maybe I was looking at it through beer coloured lenses? :smiley36:

[biffon]

i totally agree with you, but was wondering if my persective was a little jaded due to my "aussie alleigance"... it mustve been insignificant & interpretable as the media didnt even pick up on it.

i just watched highlights of the game on youtube and have to admit the scoreline did not due the game justice.. the aussies were by far the better team on the night, they looked dangerous whenever they had the ball, as opposed to SA where they maybe had 2 really good passages of play, one they scored on.

I fear for their prospects this weekend as they will be fronting a fired up AB's side ready for some retribution from last weekend.

[TiGeR]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sVQShv_0drw
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw-ld46FIuo&mode=related&search (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw-ld46FIuo&mode=related&search)

Hullo boys... miss me?! :smiley36:

[FerrariSucks]

haha very good

[TiGeR]

:smiley20: About BLOODY time I say!

LAWS & REFEREES

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O`Brien blows the whistle on whingers

Sunday 29th July 2007

http://images.teamtalk.com/07/07/247/o_brien_504994.jpg O'Brien: 'Some coaches believe they can use the media to get the upper hand'



Paddy O'Brien, the International Rugby Board (IRB) refereeing co-ordinator, has declared war on Rugby Union's whingers.

O'Brien said coaches, players and officials will not be allowed to question referees' decisions at the World Cup in France later this year, while coaches will also no longer be allowed to meet with referees before matches.

"This has crept back into the game," O'Brien told the [I]NZ Herald.

"Experienced players are taking on inexperienced referees and cashing in on their lack of experience.

"We're not going to accept this at the World Cup. Those players doing so will be penalised at once."

O'Brien says world rugby chiefs have been dismayed at the growing trend for coaches to use the media to undermine match officials and players.

"Some of the comments I read in the build-up to the two [Tri-Nations] Test matches in New Zealand were absurd," he said.

"The Australians were accused of not scrummaging, and individual players were accused of being cheats. We have had enough of this; it has got to stop.

"I am determined that the World Cup will be won by the best team on the paddock, not in newspaper columns and certainly not by a coach running to a newspaper, bleating.

"We are banning all meetings between coaches and referees [allowed before the Tri-Nations game at Eden Park] before World Cup games.

"No other sport allows coaches to go in and see referees, armed with laptops, statistics and photos, before a game. Rugby should not be the first; it is absurd.

"Referees must referee what they see in front of them on the field during a game, not have pre-conceived ideas through coaches trying to influence them 24 hours before a match even starts.

"We will be putting a huge emphasis on that point before the World Cup begins."

O'Brien said he was disturbed by the number of allegations being made about cheating.

"To take the two recent subjects of this trend, Richie McCaw is an outstanding No.7, probably the best the world has ever seen," he told the newspaper.

"All opensides contest at the breakdown. It doesn't mean McCaw is cheating.

"And as for the Australian front row, I don't accept they won't scrummage. All teams get some scrums wrong, it's part of the game. To suggest they're doing it deliberately is absurd. Such talk has got to stop."

O'Brien blames the trend on growing pressure on coaches, and the willingness of some reporters to pass on as gospel everything a coach says.

"I think some coaches believe they can use the media to get the upper hand, and some reporters have no credibility at all," he said.

"But as I say, this World Cup should be won by the best team. I don't care which side that is but I do know that referees cannot afford to listen to public opinion and they can't afford to let myths grow. They have to deal with facts."

[TiGeR]

SA Rugby statement on Spears liquidation30 July 2007 (Posted: 14:18)

As requested, representatives of SA Rugby met on Monday with the joint liquidators of the Southern Spears (Pty) Ltd, to address certain issues relevant to the administrative aspects of the liquidation of that company. SA Rugby duly supplied all relevant information and explanations requested by the liquidators, who are required to submit a full report to creditors of the company, to be tabled and discussed at a creditors meeting to be held next week, under the chairmanship of the Master of the Supreme Court.

[barto11]

just heard...pretty big blow for the boks dont you think:smiley13:

[Edmonsta]

just heard...pretty big blow for the boks dont you think:smiley13:

Yep, it's a pretty kak thing for both Spies and the Boks. Would have loved to see him carve up a few backlines in France.

Hope it's not too serious.

[biffon]

sounds pretty serious to me... blood clots on the lungs!
crikey thats two major blood issues in rugby players in the last three weeks! David Lyons has Deep vein thrombosis and clotting in his calf.. and now Spies!

hmmmm - too much weight work maybe?

[TiGeR]

sounds pretty serious to me... blood clots on the lungs!
crikey thats two major blood issues in rugby players in the last three weeks! David Lyons has Deep vein thrombosis and clotting in his calf.. and now Spies!

hmmmm - too much weight work maybe?

Ja, its a great pity for Spies- his problem is genetic (his old man died at 54 from it) but it wont affect the Boks too much from a squad point of view- it does mean now that Danie "i'm SO slow if i was slower i'd get buried' Rousseau will be a serious contender for the no. 8 shirt...as will Bob Skinstad!

On the replacement issue, while it was a bit odd for Jake to go for a hooker, we only had 2 in the original squad & in my opinion you need at least 3 players in specialist positions (hooker, scrumhalf & fullback) so i think its a good call, just worries me that we WERE going to RWC without a recognised 3rd hooker bearing in mind John Smit is still not 100% & Gary Botha's form is not exactly burning up the tabloids...

David Lyons should be on course to make the RWC- I hope not from the perspective that it will force the Aussies to play Stephen hoiles who I think is a potential matchwinner for them, in the game breaking mould of Bob Skinstad in the 90s... he can run, pass, kick, tackle, create opportnities & options... Lyons is a plodding ball carrier, which is fine if you have a big tight 5 like the Boks/ a tight 5 that will give you go forward ball like the ABs & France... I dont think the Wallabies can stand up to the French, Bok/ AB tight 5 at the moment & that will make Lyons a passenger... at least Palu (IF he comes right) has got excellent gain line efficiency figures (i.e. he gets over the advantage line on 75% of his runs, so his team get to go forward off him) so the Wallabies tight 5 can play off the front foot as they did against the ABs in Melbourne a few wks ago.

[Shifty]

O'Brien said he was disturbed by the number of allegations being made about cheating.

"To take the two recent subjects of this trend, Richie McCaw is an outstanding No.7, probably the best the world has ever seen," he told the newspaper.

"All opensides contest at the breakdown. It doesn't mean McCaw is cheating."

"And as for the Australian front row, I don't accept they won't scrummage. All teams get some scrums wrong, it's part of the game. To suggest they're doing it deliberately is absurd. Such talk has got to stop."



Two very good points. This constant talk of cheating is mostly unfounded, tedious and predictable.

[biffon]

Richie - no-ones looking... go have a field day!!

IMHO richie DEFINITELY gets away with more than other players at the breakdown. maybe its because he is more discrete & devious or maybe the refs are intimidated by him...not sure, but ive seen George smith , and Burger, get pinged all the time for the same things Richie does and gets away with.

[TiGeR]

Well, IMHO, all the best opensides get pinged- HOWEVER, the STATS are what counts & having looked at the Stats for S14 2006/7 (2006 cos the ABs played the WHOLE tournament!) the three most penalised loosies at the tackle were: Luke Watson; Smith, McCaw/ Burger (tie) in that order...also interesting that when you look at which loosie gave away more penalties in the 'danger zone' (i.e under pressure close to their line) it was Burger (playing for the 'breezers' er I mean Stormers who were usually going backwards anyway! followed by Smith (Brumbies had a poor season last yr) followed by McCaw (partly as he was stood down this S14 but also cos the 'saders caned everyone last yr. Also interesting to note that Watson was the best loosie in S14 06 & 07 in terms of tackles, turnovers & metres carried...

Then... you'd think that EVERYONE had learnt something after "Kamp Staaldraad"... but John "I'm Fing clueless" Connolly has come up with this!? THe Aussies WERE know as a very intelligent rugby nation... THAT IS until this!
Upbeat Wallabies survive day one

Monday 06th August 2007

http://images.teamtalk.com/07/08/247/Aussie_boot_camp_551333.jpg Boot camp Wallaby style



The Wallabies remained upbeat, despite enduring some testing conditions on the first day of a five-day pre-World Cup boot camp, just off the East Coast of Brisbane on Monday.

All but three players from the 30-man World Cup squad are taking part - with only forwards Guy Shepherdson (knee), Wycliff Palu (shoulder) and David Lyons (leg blood clot) excused with injuries.

The players still had smiles on their faces, although they were noticeably thin, after a night of torturous exercises.

"I've had about an hour-and-a-half of sleep, have been swimming through the night and woke up with frost bite on my toes so I'm not feeling real positive about anything at the moment," said Wallaby lock, Nathan Sharpe on Monday.

According to media reports scrum-half, George Gregan struggled in the extreme cold conditions.

In what was said to have been a grueling opening night, the players were instructed, under the guidance of SAS commandos, to swim 400m across a lake. This was after a 4km march, 1.5km bush walk and before a 5km hike.

Most of the Wallabies' support staff are also taking part, but head coach John Connolly and team manager Phil Thomson are observers.

"In Australia's rugby history there has been great spirit in our sides and these four or five days will go a long way to building that," Connolly told reporters.

"It's not the pre-season, but we haven't made it easy either."

The camp is a team-building exercise, to build spirit ahead of the World Cup in France.

The Wallabies were scheduled to abseil down some cliffs later Monday before another long hike.

Australia open their World Cup campaign against Japan in Lyon on September 8.

[biffon]

yeah i dont see the point! what a waste of time and money.. nevermind body conditioning etc!!!

[Edmonsta]

Hmm, I was reading this last night and all I could think about was Staaldraad.

These guys are professionals - boot camps are for amateurs and novices!

Is it just me or does it have a feeling of desperation about it? Almost like Connoly didn't know what to do next, so signed them on to this rubbish.

I've got a bad feeling about Aus in this world cup, I hope I'm wrong because more than ever the game needs a boost in Aus. The Aus championship is about to start this weekend and Australian rugby needs all the good publicity it can get...

Still can't bring myself to support the Melbourne Rebels though, because of that ridiculous name! I might have to go with the Vikikngs - ACT. I can't decide.

[biffon]

ARC starting this weekend... how strong are the Perth Spirit!! theyd better live up to expectations!!

5 Wallabies and 15 Force players in the squad... only 2 New boys

Nick Cummins on the wing is a popular Australia Sevens player with plenty of pace..
Ratu Siganyavi is an 18 year old with the Physique of Jona Lomu and also plenty of pace to burn!!! also playing out wide.

The squad is: 1.Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. AJ Whalley 4. Tom Hockings 5. Sitaleki Timani 6. Scott Fava 7. David Pocock 8. Richard Brown 9. Matt Henjak (c) 10. James Hilgendorf 11. Ratu Siganiyavi 12. Junior Pelesasa 13. Ryan Cross 14. Nick Cummins 15. Cameron Shepherd 16.Luke Holmes 17.Troy Takiari 18. Scott Fardy 19. Will Brock 20. James Stannard 21. Scott Daruda 22. Lachlan MacKay

notable ommisions ;
Rudi Vedelago was unavailable for selection after returning to Brisbane for family reasons. Gareth Hardy, Luke Doherty and Haig Sare were unavailable for selection due to injury.

[barto11]

http://sport.iafrica.com/news/348628.htm
just say this article...it could be good news for all pierre spies and springbok fans

ok....cant get the link to work...if any else tries it and knows how to sort the problem out, much obliged

[biffon]

fixed... and thanks for the good news... id hate to see the boks lose against the Aussies and blame it on the loss of Spies! :D