I do not know about you guys, but I have just not managed to get into the Cricket World Cup at all. I know we have not done too well ,but it is more than that, the format is all wrong, too drawn out and there just did not seem to be any atmosphere at the grounds.
Now call me old fashioned, but of we were watching this, I think we might just have been a little keener!!!!
BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | Jutge to ref England-Boks at RWC: "French referee Joel Jutge will take charge of England's crucial World Cup pool clash against South Africa in Paris on 14 September.
Jutge is the only French official named among a 12-man list of referees to officiate at the tournament. "
So in our crunch game of the World Cup, we get a French ref!!!!
What am I trying to say???!!! I mean surely after all these years the French and ourselves are now good neighbours!!!!
WE need all the help we can get in this match, and I am not convinced we will get it from one of our little war heroes from across the water!!!!!!!!!!
So no players from Leicester, Wasps or Bath for the first Test, and possibly the second! No problem.......... because of course that leaves..............!!!!!!!!!
Who on earth are we going to play in the forwards??? Or the backs for that matter!!!
Titteral?? Lund?? Easter?? Well that will have the Boks filling their shorts!!
I must say with all those players unavailable, it is just the tour you would want to hold your hand up for!! Pick me, pick me!! ( have any of you seen Shrek??!!)
On the face of it, a ****ing disaster!! Ashton must be furious, just what he needs before the World Cup, two tests and probably 100 points conceded!!!
But being the eternal optimist, at least we will find out who has balls and a spine and who doesn't in the young guns that he takes!!!
I know there are some rugby geniuses amongst you!! So come on, let me know your squad........!! Should make for some interesting reading!!!
If you are watching the Semi-Final, hopefully you are seeing the same as me. It is a microcosm of exactly why England struggle at International level. The difference in how the two sides play is staggering. How many times do you see Ellis waiting over the ball at the breakdown, the eventual ball is agonisingly slow. The Scarlets on the other hand are whipping the ball away from the tackle area as quickly as possible, keeping pace in their game and giving themselves a regular chance of breaking a rapidly re-organising defence.
Leicester might well go onto win, partly due to the Scarlets lack of precision, but also the dominance that their pack has. But you can clearly see that the model might well work at club level, but as soon as a side can compete with the forwards as they do at International level , Leicester, and read here England, produce such slow ball that the backs have no chance.
If England are to climb back up on the International ladder, then they need to understand that you have to be able to recycle quick ball to give yourself the chance to attack defences, not just rely on the superiority of your forwards.
I am biased and I hope Leicester win, but it has been fascinating to see a side who contain so many of our International forwards highlighting so obviously why we struggle at the top level.
I have to say that the following paragraph from Peter had me crying with laughter!!
It has to be the paragraph of the month so far, brilliant, so i had to put it up in case anyone had missed it in the comments on 'Ongoing Playground Fight';
Both have argued with so irrationally and in such a childish way that I'm just sick of the sight of Keith Barwell shooting his bloody gob off and gloating about how much money he's gonna make out of this and Francis Baron trying to pretend that he has a clue about this strange "rugby thing" while being as rude and condescending as possible.
Peter, keep it up!! I know you feel strongly on this one, as I think we all do, but I just had to say that I loved those few lines!!!
Predictions??
What a surprise that Leinsterfan goes for the Welsh club!!!! You are so predictable!!
Having said that, I have a horrible feeling that you just might be right, although I am well aware that yours was not a cold hearted business decision, more of a desperate hope that an English side would lose!!!
It might just be too much for Leicester, fighting on three fronts as Chris rightly points out. I also think that the Scarlets have a good balance, and if they can gain some parity with the Leicester pack ( an ageing, tired Leicester pack), then I think they can pose to many attacking questions for the Leicester backs. Being completely biased, I obviously hope that is not the case, but I am just a little concerned!!
Peter,
That must have been a very old photo!! I have always been partial to wearing a Fez hat, especially when I just want to blend in around Earls Court!!!!
I am going to write a piece on Brian Moore and Eddy Butler in the next day or two, because their constant bickering really gets on my tits!!! Anyone else agree???
Disco Stu,
great name by the way!! Do you still wear the white suit, open neck shirt with stick on hairy chest??? ( I do !!!)
Anyway enough of that shite.
Lawrence Dallaglio. I have not seen what he said,but if he has hinted that the players might have to strike, my honest reaction is how sad that the players are having to sort it out. It is rather like children having to organise their parents through a divorce, not quite what anyone would want, and a sad insight into how childish the RFU and the Clubs have become. It must be unbelievably frustrating for the players, who want to create not only great clubs, great success and a great following, but are having to do this against a back drop of continual bickering by the very men who are meant to be guiding the development and growth of the game. It must be very sad for fans to watch, read, listen to this bollocks, and I am sure many can not believe that grown men could behave so pathetically. Sadly I had almost nine years of dealing with the RFU as captain, so I am well versed in the tedium and mind numbing attitude of some of them, and it does leave you stunned!!!
Maybe a players strike would bring the whole thing to a head? Or maybe just a few more gins would be swilled and cigars puffed just a little harder!!
Chris,
Hipkiss. I have not seen him play, but I hear that some people rate him very highly.
I would certainly think he is worth taking on tour, and then we can see how he deals with the step up. That is always the big question. There are so many players who look good at club level, even at Heineken Cup level, but the International arena is just very special and so many just can not deal with the speed, intensity, pressure, emotion etc. And you just never know until the face it.
That said, I agree with you, if he is fronting up, taking on players and showing that he will stick his head above the parapit, then that is exactly what we need. Guys who are willing to put themselves on the line and play, make decisions, try to create, and bloody hit people in defence. That is what we need. Some guys with an edge, some steel, some mongrel. That's what I like, and we need to find some.
So hopefully Ashton will give him a go this summer, and I tell you it will be one hell of a teat against the Boks in Bloomfontein. Such a nice place!!!!
I see the PRA are trying to don the Ref's shirt and adjudicate in the fight between the RFU and the clubs, as an unbiased third party!
Interesting! sadly they can not be anywhere near unbiased, as for a start they are in business with the RFU on the Hospitality side! They are also highly beholdant to the RFU for that Hospitality deal, as without going into too much detail, they did not manage to deliver their part of the deal, and the RFU covered them for it!!!
So you can not call them unbiased!!!
So the saga continues, and what disapoints me the most is that there is no one with the stature, or balls, to stand up and sort this pathetic mess out.
As I said in my piece on Club V Country, it is not a highly complicated deal that needs to be done, and there is no doubt that there are idiots on both sides that do not want to sort it out, but surely, surely, there is someone who has the desire and character to smack some heads together and sort it out!
I was hoping that Rob Andrew might be the man. I am still hoping, although with slightly less conviction as the sordid episode is allowed to run and run.
Mabe on the lighter side, we could have another intelligent outburst from a front row forward to look forward to!!!!
OK, I completed the game in 38.9 seconds! You only have to complete level 7, so come on Mike P, and others!!
v 
On the prompting of Chris, and Syd Millar, here are my views on the Club V Country debate!
Firstly I thought it was incredibly inappropriate for the head of the IRB to make such an outburst, especially considering it's content! How one sided, how ill informed, how amateur!
Maybe a balanced opinion, outlining both sides of the argument and the ensuing offer of a hand in conciliation? maybe that would have been a little more appropriate, respectable and impressive?
I think what Syd Millar did was only emphasise the problem, and accentuate for the viewing public the rift that still lies between the amateur game and the new professional era! In his own foolish way, and contrary to his intent I think it highlighted the issue brilliantly, but from completely the other side of the fence!!
My view is that the RFU have still not come to terms with the professional concept. On or off the pitch.
They resent players making money, they resent the clubs making money and having any power or control in the game, and their belief is still that they should have complete control and ultimately players should still play for honour.
I still believe players can play with and for honour and be paid, just look at Martin Johnson.
The RFU were told to sign their top 40 players when the game went professional. By me !!! They refused, and the rest is history.
The clubs are far from perfect, and a few of their owners make you feel very uneasy, especially if you were in business with them, but nonetheless they have poured huge amounts of money into the development of the English game and players, and it is only right that they should be acknowledged.
I still believe that the dream of every rugby player is to play for his country. I know it was mine, and I know because of my father being in the army that I had no great allegiance to any town, but even so I still believe the ultimate for any boy growing up in Leicester of Bath is still to play for England. It is the ultimate and is still the shop window that primarily drives revenue, fan base, and media coverage.
It has to be nurtured, developed and placed as the primary objective of every Union.
BUT
Since the game has gone professional the clubs have played an increasing role in all those elements, and rightly deserve a corresponding say in how the game on the professional stage is run, managed and developed. They also own the players! Quite a key ingredient!
I might be naive, but i believe the issue can easily be sorted out. The RFU needs to offer the clubs a proper financial package for the loan of their players for chunks of the season. A package that would enable the clubs to recruit an understudy, who the RFU could even insist is English? That would then enable the clubs to carry on during the Six Nations, November period etc, instead of being penalised for having English players in their squad.
I honestly think it is a simple business deal and not a highly complicated one at that, as some would have us believe, which is why I am staggered that it has taken this long. It makes me strongly suspect that certain personnel within the RFU are determined that it will never happen. Why? Who the hell knows, but I am sure ego is a major player!!! As always!!!
I know this is sad, but probably quite appropriate for me then!! But I have got to level 7 !!!! Real pressure that!!!
Anyone care to try??
Let me know if you beat me and I will get practising!!!
I know I have had a bit of a run on Mehrts of late, but this just cracked me up!!!
What a boy!!!
I bet the South Africans must have loved him!!!
Brilliant !!!!!
Welcome to my blog, hopefully a light hearted but at times interesting look at the rugby world! it will also feature my unbelievably interesting life, in connection with the awesome rugby players that I frequently meet!!Please feel free to comment, agree, laugh, throw hard objects at your screen, or probably most commonly just scratch your head ( or any other part of your anatomy) and wonder how the hell did that fat **** ever play for England!! Enjoy!!
