Australia Vs Argentina, September 13, Gold Coast

[Wilson]

Yeah, a. Bit like you Aucks remember Caleb Ralph or if old enough Shane "being shit in more than one position doesn't make you a utility" Phillpott ;

This is just an aside but I think Caleb Ralph's brief appearance for the 2011 reds means he has won more super rugby titles then anyone else. Not that it means much, pretty sure Jono Lance has more then any active Australianplayer, only beaten by Radike Samo otherwise.

 

[Mr Doug]

Have you got any information on Sam?

• Is he fully fit? (how's his ankle?)
• Is he happy with how he is playing?
• What specific role does link have him playing?
• Does he wear lucky red underpants for his test matches?
• Did you give him any to start wearing?
• Who's his strongest opponent in the NRC?

chasmac, that's an eclectic bunch of questions!

1. When I asked him on Saturday night "how do you feel', he answered "pretty sore". He had a 'minor strain' in his ankle, which was cleared on Monday. Fortunately, it was the other ankle to the one he injured previously.
2. He certainly is happy to be in the squad, but I'm sure, like most players, he strives to play consistently at a higher level.
3. Link recently said of Sam: "In terms of defence, he makes a high volume of tackles, and he's into the physical confrontation of the game". Like his Dad, 'he doesn't take a backward step'. So his role would be "to knock blokes over", would it not?!
4. Re the lucky red jocks, maybe you should ask his girlfriend (name withheld, for privacy reasons!), or his Canberra flat-mate, a Mr Scott Fardy! And no, I didn't give him any red jocks for his birthday last Wednesday!
5. Can't answer the last question, as he's never played in the NRC. If you mean "who is the biggest threat to his Wallaby lock position going around in the NRC", then my answer would be: any bloke wearing #4, or #5!!

 

[Mr Doug]

Just another thought on why the crowd wasn't bigger. Mrs Doug suggested on Sunday morning that some not-so-staunch Rugby fans may have stayed away due to the upgrading of the terrorist threat, and the increase in security at public gatherings. There were certainly more police on the ground at this match, and the Gold Coast based police chopper circled the stadium for about 15 minutes leading up to the kick off!

 

[Sully]

They didn't even look in my bah.

 

[RugbyReg]

hey! That was no bah - that was your wife!

 

[Train Without a Station]

Mr Doug that's not the craziest idea. I grew up in Currumbin and my facebook feed has been full of fear mongering over the proposed mosque and anti-muslim propaganda.

 

[Mr Doug]

They didn't even look in my bah.

My 'Wallabies' back pack was searched more thoroughly than at it has been at any match I've attended over the years at Suncorp Stadium.

 

[Mr Doug]

Mr Doug that's not the craziest idea. I grew up in Currumbin and my facebook feed has been full of fear mongering over the proposed mosque and anti-muslim propaganda.

I'd be fearful of having a new mosque built within 40 metres of my family home too, Train Without a Station!
It has been vetoed by GCCC, but a Muslim spokesman has advised that they will lodge an appeal. Currumbin Waters residents are worried that their property values would decrease, which they would, thus allowing members of the Muslim community to buy into the area at deflated prices. The culture of that community would change forever. As one protester's placard indicated, they fear it could mean a change from "bikinis to burkas"!

 

[Braveheart81]

With the way the Gold Coast's property market has gone in recent years, I can't imagine a mosque in town would make it any worse.

 

[Sully]

That mosque in arundel with all those families hanging around it in there Audi's and BMW's is really dragging down the house market.

 

[Braveheart81]

Maybe having a mosque nearby would raise houseprices. Prospective buyers would be more confident that they won't have a bunch of xenophobic bigots as their neighbours.

 

[Brumbieman]

It seems James Slipper is to 2014 as Scott Fardy was to 2013. All he has to do is go out, scratch himself and make a tackle to be ranked in the top 3 on the ranker thing.

He was good, sure, and I love the way he plays. But he wasn't number 1, or even in the top 3.

Simmons, on the other hand, could score 5 tries, win every lineout and deliver a baby mid-match and still only come 7th.
.

Probably because he'd tackle the baby mid air on its way out.

 

[Tordah]

Maybe having a mosque nearby would raise houseprices. Prospective buyers would be more confident that they won't have a bunch of xenophobic bigots as their neighbours.

your romanticised view doesn't quite work out so well over here in central, western and northern Europe. Nothing to do with bigotry, it's pretty obvious that there's a culture that doesn't usually integrate as well into the host culture, because of huge differences in important parts of everyday lives.

In some places, saying things like this is an unpopular opinion, and people, especially over the internet, are quick to label you as "racist", "bigot" or worst of all "islamophobe".

My girlfriend is Kosovarian and is in hiding from her parents since she's 18 (she's 27 now) for fear of her life. We work at a small organisation that helps young women who are in similar situations to find a way out of it and, unsurprisingly, about 95% of them are from Muslim families. There's no point in denying that there are fundamental differences in a lot of hugely important aspects of living, which makes living in the same country a very challenging thing to do sometimes. And labelling people who point that out as bigots certainly doesn't help. Of course, there's people who hate on anything foreign, anything islamic, whatever, but I'm not talking about those.

I feel it's perceived as racist to say that you don't like the culture in the majority of what would be deemed Islamic countries. It's not, though. I don't see why religion should be held as sacrosanct.

Topic: yeah, good game and all. Wow, less than 15k viewers?

 

[Lindommer]

No argument with your views, T, but this is a retrospective view of a Wallabies/Pumas match. Yes, and some other posters should probably've aired their views elsewhere.

 

[ChargerWA]

^^^Good post Tordah (quote function not working for me).

I guess the key thing I would say though is that the reality in Australia as compared to the situations you see is markedly different and the unfortunate truth is the majority of "islamaphobia" in Australia is pure xenophobia.