I believe this much of what Butters is saying.

I really don't like the PI or Maori bashed him up story and think it is quite sad on a couple of levels.

I predict he'll end up playing…

I still don't get it. What's the conspiracy theory?

Kudos to Naly D I think

Cover-up by NZ?

I still don't get it. What's the conspiracy theory?

The reports of the Bastareaud incident have vague statements of 2-5 PI or Maori in an unprovoked assult on him.
Now CCTV have 3 French players and 2 mystery girls entering their Hotel around 5am.

And the officer in charge of the investigation was today spouting off a number of…

HG; you obviously missed my point about the European club competitions getting in the way. Remember how the French finalists didn’t get here in…

Imagine Georgia or Namibia or Portugal playing Super 14/NPC teams in Palmerston North, Queenstown, Tauranga, or Whangarei. Or teams like Japan and Italy coming and…

I presume Italy wouldn't go for it either. They'll get a lot more money from playing 3 tests than they will playing one test and two provincial sides.

Australia moves the Baa-baas match (which was really just a vehicle for some Sonny-Bill perving) to after the French game and move…

The schedule could be juggled easily, I'm sure

I presume Italy wouldn't go for it either. They'll get a lot more money from playing 3 tests than they will playing one test and two provincial sides.

There are tight windows, club competitions, niggling injuries, not long until the next season etc.. That’s why the Northern Hemisphere sides send down weakened teams most years. As for as they’re concerned, these tours are an obligation as it is.

They…

It would mean they wouldn’t have had 2 tests against Italy.

The schedule could be juggled easily, I'm sure

Not sure that approach would please the Australians too much.

Because?

I would rather Italy came and played Canterbury in Christchurch then maybe a game against BoP or Hawkes' Bay, then play the All Blacks in Auckland or Wellington

Not sure that approach would please the Australians too much.

Also, good opinion piece on why this weekend's game should have been played during the day (Tony Smith, The Press).

As mentioned there was some discussion on this, however, "test matches must be played at night". Le sigh (or in Italian, La sigh [and lots of hand gesturing])

I would…

Also, can the NZRU update some web pages?

Kyle, if you are after info on the pacific Nations, have a look here. Good to see the Junior AB's have a big win yesterday.

He looked really good in a super 14 match that I saw.

Possibly the selectors, like me,…

Now that's a song I'd proudly stand up and sing.

Hell yes. It's my favourite pre-game "anthem".

Roko has been awful this year. I'm not sure why you're ignoring that, but please watch a replay of Saturday's match.

Good that Masaga is getting a go. I would have been keen for them to try Ranger as a one off for the Italy game in the place of…

The reports of the Bastareaud incident have vague statements of 2-5 PI or Maori in an unprovoked assult on him.
Now CCTV have 3 French players and 2 mystery girls entering their Hotel around 5am.
Anyone else smell le rat?

I don't get it

A bit of a South Park "some Puerto Rican guy"…

Incidentally, is Lauaki injured or just not selected?

Playing for the Junior ABs at the moment. Just played against Japan.

Things would be at a pretty low ebb to have him back though. That very topic was the subject of some heated debate on another thread a week or two…

And don't compare him with Thorn, who is playing better now than ever before.

I agree. I vividly recall standing quite close to the sidelines on the eve of NZ's game against Italy during the 2003 RWC (the game that Umaga injured his knee) and seeing Thorn beneath the posts…

His cover tackle, not to mention the lineout wins, won us the test.

Roko has been awful this year. I'm not sure why you're ignoring that, but please watch a replay of Saturday's match.

He's lost pace and his hands have deserted him. As has his confidence.

And ignoring that is doing neither you nor him any favours.

Well, yes, I am sure someone within the AB's camp is responsible for monitoring what is being said in the media.

No, they pay me and my co-workers to do that, and we…

441 comments now. Disappointingly, most of them aren't "don't have you something important to do rather than write this article?"

Maybe Hinton's a more astute judge of what's important than I realised. Maybe he's unleashed some supressed frustration about our collective timidity that the public can deflect onto the mute…

136 comments!? I worry for this sport sometimes

441 comments now. Disappointingly, most of them aren't "don't have you something important to do rather than write this article?"

Mystery abounds!

The protocols were changed in 2007, but never formally written down and not given out (I asked). The Dave Gallaher Cup is now contested over every test or series of tests between France and New Zealand, rather than a single challenge game.

So when we head over in…

This piece is just silly

136 comments!? I worry for this sport sometimes

This piece is just silly

Nah that's a piece of biting satire on the state of NZ rugby journalism isn't it?

Isn't it?

Great to see Masaga get a start against Italy. I'd've like Weepu to start too...

I think it is bloody tasteless the way the NZRFU has taken the dead of WW1 and turned it into a marketing ploy for rugby.

I believe he was the captain on the originals tour who played the French on the way back home – the first match between NZ…

So, despite knowing about the margin needed, I didn't mind when Piri kicked it out.

I don't know that it doesn't need to exist. I like thefact of the Gallaher Trophy and what it stands for

I think it is bloody tasteless the way the NZRFU has taken the dead of WW1 and turned it into a…

but either way this isn't what we need a few years out from the World Cup. If you saw these brain-dead idiots (and there were a lot of people out on Saturday) please go to the police.

In light of the impending, I was surprised

Prime Minister John Key has…

]]> Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:00:14 +1200 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/field-theory-just-one-point-in-it/?p=117820#post117820 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/field-theory-just-one-point-in-it/?p=117820#post117820

Rokocoko spilt the ball forward 3?? times in the test on Saturday night.

I totally don't remember that, then again I was drinking (in a very shit pub). I remember Jane dropping it multiple times because I remarked on it at the time. Alright, I concede Joe had a bad…

Rokocoko spilt the ball forward 3?? times in…

NZRU site says:
"The Dave Gallaher Cup is contested between New Zealand and France, with the trophy going to the winner of any particular Test series between the two nations."

I just saw that same thing

Mystery abounds!

I have asked the NZRU to clarify they'll get back to me…

Mystery abounds!

Leopold is right, it is in black and white. So it seems 6 points wouldn't have mattered

If that wikipedia article is correct, then the trophy was lost 9 days ago.

Doesn't say where it got the text from though, just the table.

it is in black and white.

Well spank me sideways, that's quite the scoop you have there. All this lamenting is pointless bullshittery then?

The question now is, given that the challenge match is selected by mutual agreement between the two unions, why did nobody at NZRU HQ tell, well,…

*Richie* would have known it was six points.

So true.

Still, if they mentioned the 6 points thing last Wednesday, it turns out the All Blacks…

I thought Shaun Treeby looked pretty handy too. Nice distributor, clever runner, good in contact, no poor options that I can think of.

What is with England teams and man-boobs? It's like they decided they were losing matches because they weren't strong enough so they have hit…

What is important though, is that if an All Black team is playing for a trophy you expect them to know what they need to do to win it. As someone else said (on the other thread I…

Now they hold on to the trophy that, in all honesty, doesn't need to exist in the first place.

I don't know that it doesn't need to exist. I like thefact of the Gallaher Trophy and what it stands for (and I don't much mind that we have to win…

You can see why, as a player, you might want to avoid that, and the coaches may want to avoid putting any extra pressure on some fairly young and inexperienced guys.

I think avoiding any programme hosted by Tony Whatshisname is a sign of having got one's life priorities right,…

They won a game. We won a game. Now they hold on to the trophy that, in all honesty, doesn't need to exist in the first place. At best it gives us something to win back.

You can see why, as a player, you might want to avoid that, and the coaches may want to avoid putting any extra pressure on some fairly young and inexperienced guys.

I can understand why they wouldn't tell the whole team. Might never be an issue and you want them…

"All Blacks lose, apocalypse to follow"

All Blacks lose, because they are the WORST TEAM EVER AND CAN'T PLAY, AND FRANCE AREN'T THAT GOOD ANYWAY AND OH MY GOD MUCH GNASHING OF TEETH, apocalypse to follow.

You can see why, as a player, you might want to avoid that, and…

My point is, that may not filter down to the players who could choose not to listen to the hacks

You mean they don't read my blog?

But I agree, given that the "official" story of the week was "All Blacks lose, apocalypse to follow"

I’d have thought someone would have. It’s not as if Re-Union takes the gloves off much.

Well, yes, I am sure someone within the AB's camp is responsible for monitoring what is being said in the media. My point is, that may not filter down to the players who could…

It doesn't matter what anyone thinks of Stephen Donald, he's all we've got. Personally, I'm hoping that we get better conditions this Saturday night, control the ball at the breakdown much better and that Donald, with a bit of space gets to play a blinder.

I think playing against Italy…

I’d have thought someone would have. It’s not as if Re-Union takes the gloves off much.

That All Black bubble seems to be made of pretty strong stuff.

If you were in the team, would you really want to read the kind of stuff that was being said about you last week?

And…

Was covered in last week's Re-Union programme apparently.

Shows how many people actually watch that programme.

True, but you’d think someone involved with the team might have watched it.

That All Black bubble seems to be made of pretty strong stuff.

Was covered in last week's Re-Union programme apparently.

Shows how many people actually watch that programme.

We were up in Fiji last week where the Pacific Nations Cup was getting underway...

I love the way they are running this tournament. It's how I would run the Tri-nations, all in one country.

Given the smiles on the faces of the IRB folks lounging around the pool, you…

I appear to have convinced you on the Kieran Read front with no evidence though, so will just my loosely formed opinion count?

Yours and the handful of others I heard from. And Tracey's stats show that he was at least doing his job to fairly good extent.

I'm really…

I felt that Cory Jane had a bad game. Feel free to try and convince me otherwise.

I thought he had an OK game, but I can't think of any reason why. I appear to have convinced you on the Kieran Read front with no evidence though, so will just…

I thought Joe had a good game. He's definitely lost the speed, but there were no glaring errors in his game

I'm really confused now. I thought we were talking about Saturday's test.

Anyone watch the Lions? Decent test match, played in the afternoon sunshine. No co-incidence there.

Steve Tew quote: "Test matches have to be played at night"

I felt that Cory Jane…

Anyone watch the Lions? Decent test match, played in the afternoon sunshine. No co-incidence there.

Was covered in last week's Re-Union programme apparently.

In one that's devoted to rugby on a channel only a few people get. Crazy. I assume we can win back the Gallagher trophy later this year though.

We were up in Fiji last week where the Pacific Nations Cup was getting…

Oh and there seems to be an inordinate amount of tip-toeing through the tulips over the plain fact the Steven Donald isn't good enough. What gives? Since when have the selectors and media been so sensitive to the feelings of a good bloke who clearly should be cut?

I don't…

but it did have some interesting titbits

Thank you. The first time for years I have seen anyone use the English version. North American "tidbits" seems to rule the…

The key principles agreed at that time were that the competitions must:

Shouldn't that also include:

• involve the Ranfurly Shield

Of course you would!

The All Blacks are adults, and can cope with…

[sad trombone]

Heh.

We were up in Fiji last week where the Pacific Nations Cup was getting underway – was interesting to see the Junior All Blacks (succesfully) in there rather than Maori. What is the difference between the Juniors and the Under-20s?

Was it because it wasn't reported in the media until yesterday?

Was covered in last week's Re-Union programme apparently.

The whole episode is jaw-dropping really.