Official Rugby Thread 2006-07
 

Someone sticky this please.

So who do you think are the favourites after this weekend's results?

England looked good but against poor opposition. France looked very impressive, surprisingly.

Ireland won well in a tough game so I think they remain favourites after today's game. O'Gara was poor today. I'm thinking Wallace to start in future?

-edit-

ct2k and BC - your points have been taken into consideration

2006?

Also Rugby sucks, bye.

I'm Glad Wilkinson had such a strong Comeback. He's a class player, and if he can keep fit, england might win a few more games.

Also, we should make this the Official Rugby thread, where we can discuss Super14 as well :p

Good game, and chuffed for Wilko that the try was given. But as previously mentioned, against very poor opposition. When we did conced a try, they cut us open without much effort. A better side than Scotland {ie anyone currently playing Rugby ;) } would really test us.

BC what did you reckon about the weekends results (Super 14)? I was a bit pissed that the Brumbies beat the Cheifs and the bloody Reds went over against the 'Canes. But I was happy about the Blues win, even if it was only because the Crusaders didn't have their All Black players. By the way are you doing Telecom Virtual Rugby again? If so whats you name?

All the papers are talking about Wilko as some sort of savior.

He has not been tested yet, that was never a try.

If England win this Six Nations it will be by kicking their way to glory again.

But they won't win so it's okay.

SUPER 14 TABLE
http://www.rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/su...ble/index.html

The Second round of the Super 14 Went like this.

Round two
Feb 9, 7:35pm Chiefs 32 - Hurricanes 39
Feb 9, 6pm Stormers 3 - Western Force 22
Feb 9, 8:05pm Sharks 22 - Waratahs 9
Feb 10, 7:35pm Crusaders 33 - Reds 22
Feb 10, 7:40pm Brumbies 15 - Blues 17
Feb 10, 5:00pm Bulls 24 - Cheetahs 20
Feb 10, 7:10pm Lions 11 - Highlanders 6

Good Wins by The Blues, Sharks, Hurricanes and Lions in this round. The Force will be happy to get their first win in super rugby (I think?)


Round 3 Draw.
Feb 16, 6:30pm Stormers v Chiefs Cape Town
Feb 16, 8:35pm Bulls v Force Pretoria
Feb 17, 7:35pm Hurricanes v Blues Wellington
Feb 17, 7:05pm Reds v Brumbies Brisbane
Feb 17, 4:00pm Cheetahs v Waratahs Kimberley
Feb 17, 6:30pm Lions v Crusaders Johannesburg
Feb 17, 8:30pm Sharks v Highlanders Durban

Round 3 will have some awesome matchups with The Hurricanes taking on The In form Blues. The Crusaders v the Warratahs in a rematch of Last years semi final. And the Chiefs taking on the Stormers in Capetown in the first game of their south african leg.
The Force will be looking for another win, while the Brumbies and Reds will be looking to avenge their losses in the last round.
The Highlanders will do it tough playing the a resurgant sharks side.

http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc.tzc

I'll try to keep this updated.

Couldn't agree more. With everything. Ireland and France will kill us.

The try was not a try and he hasn't been tested.

Neither have we.

I also agree, but doubt him on you're own head.

Good start for France to the 6 Nations, defeating Italy 39-3.

I'm not doubting him. I just hate how the English press climbs on board the hype train every time a player comes back from injury and inspires a good performance.

I know Wilko is a very good player. Scotland just wasn't a real test for him, more of a warm up match. I'd like to see him back to his best against a better team than that.

Yeah I ain't doubting him either, but he's done fuck all to deserve this sort of praise.

I don't know what kind of praise you guys are talking about, but I can assume, knowing what the British Press is like. I'm surprised they haven't said "The World Cup is Safe" :D

Cuzzybro,
I'm Supporting the Crusaders, but the NZ sides without their All Blacks are suffering, you could easily tell by the way the Hurricanes lacked firepower.
I'm on Telecom Virtual rugby, my name is... Bad Company! ;)

22 All Blacks will miss out of the first eight weeks of Super 14 competition after being included in the All Black conditioning programme.
These All Blacks are as Follows.

Crusaders:
Chris Jack
Richie McCaw
Greg Somerville
Reuben Thorne
Dan Carter
Leon MacDonald
Aaron Mauger

Hurricanes:
Jerry Collins
Jason Eaton
Chris Masoe
Rodney So’oialo
Andrew Hore
Piri Weepu

Blues:
Keven Mealamu
Ali Williams
Tony Woodcock
Josevata Rokocoko

Highlanders:
Carl Hayman
Anton Oliver

Chiefs:
Byron Kelleher
Mils Muliaina
Sitiveni Sivivatu

A lot of Ulster people seem to have a problem with Ronan O'Gara. He made a few mistakes yesterday but he's a class act and pulled it out of the bag when it mattered. Couple of his kicks yesterday were exceptional and he scored a good try.

Brian O'Driscoll's injury isn't as bad as first feared apparently.

I'm surprised they haven't said "The World Cup is Safe"

I've heard something similar said on SSnews actually. He'll get injured next match for a few months though.

I've always thought Humphreys should have been started a lot more before O'Gara than he was.

O'Gara wasn't that good on Sunday. 'Pulling it out of the bag when it matters' isn't really enough for me :-\

So, as far as rugby related events go, There's a world cup this year!
Any picks on who might make the semi's/final/winner?

I'm going with.

Semis
NZ
Australia
Ireland
France

Final
NZ
France

Winners... Well, I hope NZ wins, but you never know!

Well of course I want NZ to win the World Cup. But I wouldn't mind seeing Ireland or Wales doing well this year, maybe one of them getting to the finals. As for the Super 14, it is a shame that all the dominant teams wont have their key players until round 9. You would have to say the Aussie teams have a big advantage this year, its too hard to predict a final after the first round but I would say the Reds have a good chance if they stick to their gameplan.

Wales played pretty impressively, but we just couldn't pound that ball in there. Czekjai should have got a penalty if not a penalty try, but whatever.

I wanna put a buck on Romania to win the World Cup, considering the TAB are paying $1500 if they do.

6 Nations?

is that some sort of Super 14 reserves competition..

also:

TAKE THAT YOU SOUTH AFRICAN WANKERS

22-3 RARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

You won?

Smashed 'em mate - and it's about bloody time. We scored the only try, everything else was off the boot, but it was absoluting pissing down the whole game.

If the Force need the rain to win the'll never win at home.

England were shit today.

Nobody looked good. It's between us and France.

How good was the Auckland v Brumbies game, what a nail biter - Greagan needs to give up, he's useless.

Anyone who knos Rugby knows thats cause of Italy's tactics though. Dunno if you saw the half time analysis but Italy were never in the game cause of their defensive tactics.

FFS Wales disgrace. :rant:

They have been since 1953 :rofl:

But seriously, it's about time they stepped up and played consistantly for more than one season

2004/05 was our glory period.

We lost to New Zealand by 1 point, and we won the Grand Slam.

I want that back :'(

Holy crap what a game.

Ireland 17-20 France.

Top class.

Don't worry you'll get those days back - you'll be losing again to New Zealand in no thime.

If New Zealand don't win the World cup this year then the suicide rate down there will be through the roof.

It's true, and the wife beating.... Unfortunately :|

Also, my S14 Post has been updated for round 3.

England were shit last Saturday. People can go on about Italy's performance being good, and it was, all they like but you've got to do more than one try against them at home. Quite surprised about the lack of ideas behind the scrum considering Ashton's in charge, although Wilkinson kicking the majority of ball didn't help.

Regarding the domestic game, the Leicester Tigers are going pretty well. Immense performance to be the first side to win in Munster in Europe, and hopefully we won't choke this time and end up empty handed cause there's still a decent chance of a treble. G'wan the boys.

Well its tomorrow now, can't say I'm at all happy with England playing in Croke Park and God Save The Queen there. We're going to stuff you though.

That was a slaughtering

Now that i'll admit was shit, the performance against Italy was ok, but that today was shit.

God knows you would hear another nations national anthem...

Any other place in Ireland I've no problem with it just in Croke Park.

Why?

Well a lot of people were a bit uneasy about it because Croke Park is the home of the GAA, which was set up to promote Gaelic sports in response to the deliberate suppression of them by the Brits. The Hill 16 stand is supposedly built on rubble from the 1916 Easter Rising and the Hogan Stand is named after Tipperary captain Michael Hogan, who was shot dead along with 13 spectators during a Gaelic football match on Sunday November 21st 1920 (the first Bloody Sunday) by British soldiers.

It's essentially a monument against British oppression. It's hard to express just what it means to Irish people. I'm not a massive follower of Gaelic football but Croke Park still stands as a fortress for our culture and it should be protected. A lot of people see rugby and football games being played there and the British national anthem being played as a betrayal of the principles on which the GAA (and Gaelic League) were founded. I see it more as the Brits coming now and recognising us as equals, coming to maybe the best stadium in Europe (or the world) and showing what we've become since booting them out of most of the country. If you witness Northern Ireland's best stadium (Windsor Park) and the state it's in (not fit to host international games) it puts things into perspective.

I was uneasy with this whole thing too but the GAA is strong enough now to live alongside football and rugby and Ireland has to move on. It's not so bad rugby being played there either because it still has much of the amateur ethos that the GAA stands for, but over-paid, petulant professional footballers (like Craig Bellamy) taking to such a stage will be somewhat insulting

What a great way to move on too, by beating those fucking English cunts to death.

Super 14 Results week 4.

23 Feb Hurricanes v Brumbies 11-10
24 Feb Highlanders v Stormers 35-24
24 Feb Blues v Reds 38-13
24 Feb W.Force v Lions 24-25
25 Feb Bulls v Chiefs 30-27
25 Feb Cheetahs v Crusaders 28-49
25 Feb Waratahs/Sharks Bye

Good wins for the Hurricanes, Blues, Lions and Crusaders, the Chiefs were unlucky to lose their 4th in a row, and a tough season ahead beckons for them.

Force 18 Hurricanes 17


FUCKING TAKE THAT YOU CUNTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Force haven't played the Crusaders yet ;)

Last time we played them we was robbed by a dodgy ref. Fucking ref did his best to rob us last week as well against the windy pricks.

Tana is a champ tho'.

It's Rugby you fucking tool, there are no goals.

Cricket sticks?

Scrums

.

By the way we are going to win the Six Nations, no chance in the World Cup. It's New Zealand's.

England are retards by the way for taking any positives from that France match.

Yeah, as a journalist said here, if the english think Mike Catt is the savior of English rugby, then we'd better bring back Jonah Lomu. Look how much times have changed since Jonah Stomped him back in 95, and the English have brought him back!
Then again, the Aussies tried to bring back Matt Burke, and have signed Tequiri to a stupid deal, overrated as. No wonder Mark Gerrard is pissed for taking a pay cut for that useless piece of crap.

Dear Eddie Jones,

How did that feel bitch!?!

Regards,

The Western Force.

WE ARE GONNA BEAT THE ENGLISH TODAY!!

Okay, it's been an awful tournament for us, 0-4 so far.

But you know what they say...

"As long as we beat the English, we don't care!!"

I had a little cry on Saturday. Fucking French bastards.

We'll beat them at their World Cup and get to the final. Then we'll have the Kiwis in a battle of the choke-artists.

Even The Waratahs could beat the Welsh

Hey go bash the English. They lost to us so they suck more.

Fucking smashed the Sharks - if that's the best South Africa has, as usual they are done in the Super 14.


Can't wait to crush The Crusaders next week - LETS GET IT ON!!!!!

http://www.rugbywa.com.au/css/images/walogo.gif

wooooooooo! 53-0

http://members.iinet.net.au/~helgar1/images/45-17.jpg


BRING ON THE BLUES!!!!!!!!