Happy Thursday Comrades. Our rugby focus will now move to the Northern Hemisphere this week for the international game and for those of us who enjoy the club game finals start to come to their conclusion
As always this is a fan run site and any contribution is always welcome feel free to reach out to me at happyman@rugbydownunder.com be it with an article an idea or an opinion piece. Always remember this is a broad church so feel free to express your opinion as long as you are not some sweaty cellar based troll your opinion and diversity is welcome.
Owen Farrell – The Chocolate Wheel of Injustice
In a 1964 Supreme Court obscenity case (Jacobellis v. Ohio) Associate Justice Potter Stewart wrote that “hard-core pornography” is hard to define but “I know it when I see it.”
So, using that quote I can say I don’t know how Owen Farrell got off. But I knew it was a red card when I saw it.
To be fair we had even had the framework to go with. Farrell was upright and made no attempt to lower his own body height did not wrap is arm and the impact of the change of direction would not have altered the outcome of the tackle.
Link to article Here
I drive quite a bit for my 2nd job so I listen to a lot of podcasts everyone from Mike Tindall to Andy Goode was saying 4 to 6 weeks. So the decision in mystifying as even the most one eyed English fans believe it to be a justified red card.
I look forward to seeing how a Fijian, Tongan or Samoan back rower is treated if he commits a similar tackle.
My Favourite quote with respect tp the decision is from Owen Farrells Back up George Ford.
Credit Rugbylad.ie
“It’s great for us in terms of having our captain and leader back in and getting away with ahhhhh,” Ford said.
“…. obviously going through the process and cracking on as normal.”
I would also say this if he were Australian we would love him as he is a hard nosed competitor who obviously just hates to lose.
The late meal is that World Rugby are looking at an appeal.
Cooper’s message for Gordon as Rebels flyhalf prepares to take playmaking reigns
Carter Gordon is ready to step up to the biggest stage in World Rugby as the Wallabies’ lone specialist flyhalf.
Gordon’s sudden rise continued after the omission of Quade Cooper, leaving him all but confirmed as the starter for the World Cup with utility Ben Donaldson the only other player with playmaking experience.
Cooper and Gordon’s relationship started well before the 22-year-old emerged as a superstar of the future, with the veteran half quick to throw his support behind the Rebel even after his own axing.
“I’ve learnt a lot from Quade and he’s been massive for my growth the last few months and we’re super close,” Gordon told reporters
“He sent me a really nice message when the squad came out and he said he’s here for me and he’s going to continue to help me any way he can.
“That just shows you the person he is and how good of a bloke he is.”
Just 12 months ago, Gordon found himself in a similar situation at club land, preparing to fill the void left by Matt To’omua.
He spent the middle of the 2022 season coming off the bench before starting the final five games of the year.
“Being the only ten on the sheet doesn’t really mean too much to me. It’s more about getting better and still owning my spot because you can go out there and play some bad rugby and give it up.
“I’m growing as a player every day and doing everything I can to keep that jersey…You’re always striving to get better and be a better player so I would not say there’s ever really an element of being comfortable but defiantly a feeling of belonging just getting there and knowing that we’ve done the work and we’re here to win definitely gives you that sense.”
One of my favourite Pods has nicknamed him The Answer for a couple of years and I think the boys from PAC may actually be right.
RWC23: Gregor Townsend names Scotland’s World Cup squad
A Scotland Team that has a real chance of creating history at this World Cup has been announced. They are certainly in the toughest pool and if they can make it out, they could go deep. Frankly it will be tough as they must beat South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania to progress.
Unfortunately, is spells the probably end to the career of Stuart McInally who has been a stalwart of the team for a decade.
Link Here
Scotland’s World Cup squad –
Loose-head props
- Jamie Bhatti (Glasgow Warriors) 31 caps
- Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby) 22 caps
- Rory Sutherland (Unattached) 24 caps
Hookers
- Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby) 8 caps
- Dave Cherry (Edinburgh Rugby) 9 caps
- George Turner (Glasgow Warriors) 36 caps
Tight-head props
- Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 59 caps
- WP Nel (Edinburgh Rugby) 54 caps
- Javan Sebastian (Edinburgh Rugby) 4 caps
Second-rows
- Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors) 27 caps
- Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby) 63 caps
- Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors) 74 caps
- Sam Skinner (Edinburgh Rugby) 26 caps
Back-rows
- Luke Crosbie (Edinburgh Rugby) 5 caps
- Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors) 9 caps
- Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors) 10 caps
- Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) 35 caps
- Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh Rugby) – CAPTAIN – 41 caps
- Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby) 58 caps
Scrum-halves
- George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) 21 caps
- Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors) 62 caps
- Ben White (RC Toulon) 15 caps
Stand-offs
- Ben Healy (Edinburgh Rugby) 2 caps
- Finn Russell (Bath Rugby) 70 caps
Centres
- Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby) 43 caps
- Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors) 37 caps
- Cameron Redpath (Bath Rugby) 7 caps
- Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors) 17 caps
Back-three
- Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby) 35 caps
- Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh Rugby) 45 caps
- Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors) 4 caps
- Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors) 11 caps
- Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby) 29 caps
Brisbane Club Footy Finals
Bond play Brothers this weekend after Bond for the right to play the Wests Bulldogs in the Grand Final.
Bond will have to recover after losing a hard fought game against a full noise Wests.
Brothers beat Easts at Easts in a high quality game that could have gone either way.
This game will be hard to pick as both teams have lost players to Australia A duties. I am tipping Bond as I think they have a deeper squad and Brothers are losing a fair bit of their backline for this one.
Players to watch
Brother Will still have Harry Wilson playing and why he is not on Australia A duty is a mystery to me.
I will do something more in depth for next weeks piece if you have a dog in the fight feel free to email me your thoughts.
