A few years ago we started up this series of rugby notes from recent games. The “Crooked Feed” was based on some posts I did in the “Not set-pieces” thread in the Green & Gold forum back in the day.
They are snippets of stray thoughts, non-expert opinion, and a bit of sheer rubbish – and written sometimes when I had a 4 litre case of cheap wine to start with to give me clarity, or should that be clarety?
Nice touches
●Waratahs v Kings – When replacement prop Angus Ta’avao came on from the Waratahs’ bench at the 50th minute for his first game of the season, after a long injury, a Kings’ player shook his hand.
It could have been one of those sarcastic gestures indicating that Gus wouldn’t last long, but it wasn’t.
The South African was THP Ross Geldenhuys who has played for the Highlanders – and Tasman in the NPC – and no doubt had come across Gus on the field a few times.
The Kings are his 4th Super Rugby team. Apart from them and the and the Highlanders he has played for the Lions and Stormers.
And just to keep himself busy over the seasons the 34-year-old has played for ten different clubs in the Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup competitions.
●Lions v Jaguares – Angus Ta’avao wasn’t the only Gus involved in a nice touch last weekend.
When the second Gus, Agustin Creevy, was replaced in the 56th minute he went over to the third Gus, referee Angus Gardner, and congratulated him on his fine performance before he went to the bench.
Agustin Creevy – doesn’t always like referees
The commentators
●Nick Mullins – Munster v Saracens
The noted aerialist, Munster fullback Simon Zebo, kicks a bomb and recovers it in the air 30 metres later, snatching it from opponent fullback Alex Goode who is also up there.
Szebo got there first – few better – he could collect an asteroid
●Joel Stransky – Lions v Jaguares
The Lions were struggling for a lot of the game but came good and Stransky said later.
The sign of a good team is a team that wins ugly when they play poorly.
That’s gold.
Joel Stransky – knows what a good team is
Funny Stuff
●Jungle juggle – Munster v Saracens
At 46 minutes Goode of Sarries fumbles a ball, regathers it after intervention by Zebo of Munster and carries on, but French referee Romain Poite calls for a scrum. Apparently he thought the ball went from Goode to Zebo and back to Goode.
When asked why it wasn’t ‘play on’ or a scrum to Sarries, Poite explained:
He could not get back the ball when he jungled.
●Push ups – Sharks v Rebels
After Curwin Bosch kicked a goal in the 78th minute for the Sharks there were some young blokes in black outfits doing push ups on the sidelines.
It made me think back when some Brisbane lads did that in test matches—after every Aussie score they did one push up for each point the Aussies had accumulated up to that time.
If I remember right it was 1998 when they ran out of puff—when the Wallabies played England. The Poms had sent some roughies over to get some experience and the final score was 78-0 to Australia.
The match featured two rising stars wearing the 10 jersey. The Aussie bloke was Stephen Larkham who scored three tries that day and was playing in his 13th test, but his first as flyhalf. The Pommie was playing in his second test and was virtually unknown, but turned out to be goodish—Jonny Wilkinson.
Come to think of it – the push up guys in the Sharks v Rebels game wouldn’t have had too much work to do if they used the same system.
It was a dog of a game and the final score was 9-9.
Steve Larkham – still remembers those push ups
●Pablo Matera
The reserve Jaguares’ flanker jumps high chasing a restart kick but Lions’ lock, Franco Mostert, gets there first and goes to ground heavily.
Referee Gardner blows the whistle and says to Matera:
You were not in a realistic position to catch the ball – you’re straight through on the player.
Matera is exasperated and runs off of the field, but his flyhalf Nicholas Sanchez had to stop him.
It was just a penalty.
●Lions v Jaguares
In the same match lock Guido Petti (to use the short version of his name), scored a try and his celebration was a kind of a monkey thing – he scratched the top of his head with one hand and his armpit with the other. Just as well it was his armpit – you know what monkeys are like.
That was the funny part.
Petti does well for the Jaguares and Pumas in the second row, despite being just 108 kgs and 194 cms. It raises the question: do all locks have to be giraffes?
Petti is usually balanced out by the injured giant Lavanini in Super Rugby or test matches, but isn’t reach and spring more important for a jumper, and isn’t lifting just as important as jumping?
Guido Petti – he’s big enough
Well done that man
●Angus Gardner
Don’t you hate it when attacking skippers try to sell the idea that a try has been scored when the ref hasn’t awarded it first up.
But Gus had no compunction in refusing a try in Lions v Jaguares, and despite a few pleadings would not go upstairs.
More of that please refs.
●Rob Horne
Waratahs v Kings – In the 23rd minute Rob Horne goes charging for the line but with prey sensitivity feels there is a fast predator not too far behind him. Maybe he is looking at the big screen he is running towards, but whatever, he puts on a blind sidestep. The timing is perfect and Wandiler Mjekevu tackles grass.
Horne giggles as he runs on to score.
Rob Horne – side stepped a guy behind him
