Thomond78
Colin Windon (37)
Dobduff, think; Twomintpork.
Twomint. Pork. Limerick accent.
Now, what are the odds of him showing a Munster match...?
Wallabies v Leicester Tigers
- Thread starter RugbyReg
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Dobduff, think; Twomintpork.
Twomint. Pork. Limerick accent.
Now, what are the odds of him showing a Munster match...?
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Dobduff, think; Twomintpork.
Twomint. Pork. Limerick accent.
Now, what are the odds of him showing a Munster match...?
I got it on the 2nd go.
Brumbies Guy
John Solomon (38)
Any word if Fainga'a has recoverd from injury or if TPN will take his place on the bench?
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Tangawizi
Even though Leicester have some tests stars out they still have some good pros in the team. By my count (see an earlier post) they have 10 regular starters in their run on team and one in the reserves.
Their front row won't be that fearsome, as I have mentioned alredy. One 2nd rower is Ed Slater who used to play here for Eastern Suburbs. He's not flash but he got a start this year and kept his spot. The other lock is Skivington who is a hard head and used to play for Wasps. He's been on the fringes of England selection but I think only in the A squad.
The back row will be the first strength of this particular Tigers team. Our guys will probably be out matched by Kiwis 7. Newby and 6. Waldrom plus ex England player Crane - but let's see.
The scrummie Grindal has to play behind the England scrummie, Youngs, but he is OK on his day. I have already spoken about 10. Twelvetrees the youngster (sounds like a name from out of Lord of the Rings). He's kicking goals regularly so watch out boys.
12. Allen and 13. Smith are real pros but not stellar, (though Allen has good feet and has played for England).
The second strength of the Tigers will be in their back three. The youngest of all the pro rugby playing Tuilagi brothers, Manu, is playing on one side and we all know Scott Hamilton on the other. The fullback and skipper is Geordan Murphy, who was recently excluded from the Ireland squad to make way for youth. He is a fine footie player and can still ran through opponents like a packet of salts on his day.
All the bench except Hipkiss are not regular starters and some are from their academy. As mentioned: watch 17 y.o. reserve flyhalf Ford.
They are the Premiers from last year but are only mid table at the moment. They have lost two on the trot including one, incredibly, at home, last Friday. It doesn't happen a lot. They will be playing out of their skins to either keep their place in the team or to get a place.
We have a good chance but our lads will have to shed the rust very quickly.
Even though Leicester have some tests stars out they still have some good pros in the team. By my count (see an earlier post) they have 10 regular starters in their run on team and one in the reserves.
Their front row won't be that fearsome, as I have mentioned alredy. One 2nd rower is Ed Slater who used to play here for Eastern Suburbs. He's not flash but he got a start this year and kept his spot. The other lock is Skivington who is a hard head and used to play for Wasps. He's been on the fringes of England selection but I think only in the A squad.
The back row will be the first strength of this particular Tigers team. Our guys will probably be out matched by Kiwis 7. Newby and 6. Waldrom plus ex England player Crane - but let's see.
The scrummie Grindal has to play behind the England scrummie, Youngs, but he is OK on his day. I have already spoken about 10. Twelvetrees the youngster (sounds like a name from out of Lord of the Rings). He's kicking goals regularly so watch out boys.
12. Allen and 13. Smith are real pros but not stellar, (though Allen has good feet and has played for England).
The second strength of the Tigers will be in their back three. The youngest of all the pro rugby playing Tuilagi brothers, Manu, is playing on one side and we all know Scott Hamilton on the other. The fullback and skipper is Geordan Murphy, who was recently excluded from the Ireland squad to make way for youth. He is a fine footie player and can still ran through opponents like a packet of salts on his day.
All the bench except Hipkiss are not regular starters and some are from their academy. As mentioned: watch 17 y.o. reserve flyhalf Ford.
They are the Premiers from last year but are only mid table at the moment. They have lost two on the trot including one, incredibly, at home, last Friday. It doesn't happen a lot. They will be playing out of their skins to either keep their place in the team or to get a place.
We have a good chance but our lads will have to shed the rust very quickly.
JJJ
Vay Wilson (31)
Well... rain last night, rain this morning, heavy rain expected in the afternoon, temp ~7 degrees. So I doubt the track will be fast and hard.
http://freemeteo.com/default.asp?pid=15&gid=2644668&la=1
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/341
http://freemeteo.com/default.asp?pid=15&gid=2644668&la=1
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/341
DPK
Peter Sullivan (51)
As in Thomas the Tank?
Tangawizi
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Don't regret it yet - If we get up you'll be exceptionally happy for Wednesday morning. If not, most people will just think it's a Wednesday morning.
I think we will win. We aren't putting a bad side out there either. I hope Davies and Turner get a chance to show off their pace.
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
It's a new paradigm for the betting man, isn't it? It's like putting your money on a good horse but then it rains and the course is rated slow; but your bet assumed a fast track.
What Euro teams do in these conditions is what you would expect. It's a bit like a soccer match and 1-0 is a good home win and a draw is a good away result. There is not a lot of fancy passing in one's own half and they make sure that their shots on goal are not squandered. It's what the fans expect and they boo losses of possession especially if the play has been too fancy beforehand.
England rugby fans don't expect a lot more. They know the realities of week after week of wet rugby on moving surfaces from November until the end of January, or even longer. So long as their team uses the percentages and plays in the right real estate they are content. They expect three points on visits to the opponents half and if there's a penalty given up to 40 metres out they expect their goal kicker to do the job he is paid for.
They don't expect their players to play a wide game; a narrow game and treasuring possession and getting 3 points on visit is good enough for them as long as they win. As I have written many a time: our fellows don't have the instinct of playing the right brand of rugby on such surfaces excepting when they play on some grounds where there is a cricket pitch and it's been raining.
I hope our guys don't try to play their natural game too much because they won't get much of a reward. The Wallabies passing is very accurate - and their long passing is as good as I have ever seen it - but the dirt trackers are not proven in that area; so there will be more dropped ball with the wet ball than if the main side was playing.
Kicking will be important if it is pissing down. Hynes worries me a bit at fullback; he can kick the ball a way but I can't recall his being able to kick it to targets very well. Pat McCabe, a fullback for the Rats, would be a better bet, but he is at 13. Turner is not a bad kicker and Burgess can box kick well on his day.
We are lucky to have Barnes playing at 10. He is arguably the Oz flyhalf most suited to playing a game in such conditions. I wouldn't have minded Gerrard playing fullback either if he showed up at the ground.
Bruce Ross
Ken Catchpole (46)
Even by your standards, LG, an excellent post, and whether intended or not, a good justification of the attitudes and feelings of Northern Hemisphere fans.
We forget too often that rugby is a simulation of warfare, a subject about which the Europeans have much more knowledge and direct experience than we do.
Rule 1 for them is "Don't get beaten". How defeat is avoided is of limited concern. We tend to have an aversion to winning ugly, although there is a dichotomy between those who are only thrilled by flashy backline play and a lesser number who enjoy the hand to hand engagements of trench warfare. The latter are more appreciative of the rugby played in the Northern Hemisphere.
We forget too often that rugby is a simulation of warfare, a subject about which the Europeans have much more knowledge and direct experience than we do.
Rule 1 for them is "Don't get beaten". How defeat is avoided is of limited concern. We tend to have an aversion to winning ugly, although there is a dichotomy between those who are only thrilled by flashy backline play and a lesser number who enjoy the hand to hand engagements of trench warfare. The latter are more appreciative of the rugby played in the Northern Hemisphere.
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
Yep, I'm having a bet at those odds. Ridiculous.
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
Toughen up qwerty. This is a middling club side against our national second XV. Most won't have played together and would be 5th or 6th choice for England.
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