Posts by Paul Williams
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
PUKE INDUCING FFS its a game/ and its a business.
Dropkicks such an appropriate nickname.Steady on - I think the point being made by the dropkicks is that love it or hate it, rugby is a big part of the NZ psyche - much like cricket and swimming and xenophobia are in Australia.. Isn't it worth examining why? I think the dropkicks are about right that NZers see themselves as achieving far more than might be expected from a small island nation - instead of rugby it might be Rutherford or Hilliary or Richard Pearse or Fat Freddy's Drop. Why such an OTT reaction? I think you conflate pride with delusion.
-
If my 14 year old posted comments like that I'd certainly be doing a bit of serious talking to him as well. But would I tell the world about it? No way in hell. I'd die in a ditch before I would publicly condemn my 14 child no matter what he/she said. Thats what family means, FFS.
Late to the party, entirely agree with sentiment above.
-
Hey!
I get home and find that I have been defamed by...myself? Wow that is post modern.Which reminds me...
What did the post modernist Mafia Don say?
<brando>__I'm going to make you an offer you won't understand</brando>__
-
I can understand O'Driscoll's disappointment. I can imagine planning for years to be part of a game such as this test and being seriously deflated by playing no more than a minute or two. Reading the extracts confirms that Umaga also understand this. The incident does look ugly however I entirely reject the Lions spin that it was deliberate. Regrettable, unfortunate, disappointing to all concerned in fact - I wanted to see O'Driscoll v Umaga, they were the best in their position - but to suggest it was deliberate was just so ridiculously over the top it became laughable.
-
I said this on the Dropkicks last night (so it'll be a day to two before it hits teh internets): there is no such thing as an All Black A Team.
I know what you're getting at here Hayden, but I'm not sure I agree. With the exception of a few positions - in the midfield particularly - I think is a clear first and second choice player. Hooker and half-back it seems are automatic substitutes and I guess it depends on the type of game the ABs wish to play as to who starts. I also wonder whether the constant experimentation is having an impact on the overall continuity of play? NZ are clearly the best team in the tournament but our nearest competitors are capable of beating us on their day and it'll be missed or dropped passes that lets them in the game - two events make me nervous: Mortlock's intercept try off Spencer's ambitious skip pass and also Campo's no-look pass for Horan in 1991. In the final, will the combinations be there to minimise errors and the instinctive flowing rugby maximised - such as we saw in the Lions test as Richard mentions above?
-
I didn't think it was an all round poor performance though the execution wasn't quite there. The front row had an excellent game and clearly Thorne can scrummage well enough at Lock if not jump. Bryon played well too as did Oliver - great in the tight particularly - and he can't be entirely responsible for the lineouts. Peter's point re Mauger I agree with although I like the pace of McAlister (he again missed an inside tackle however).
I completely agree with Alex's point above. NZ benefits immeasurably from Pacific talent - sure these guys are generally coached from a young age in NZ but there's got to be some way NZ can assist the Pacific Islands and in so doing also consolidate the southern hemisphere's hold on rugby (not least of all because it is an infinitely more attractive game).
-
The ploy of bringing Ric Salizzo on as a replacement prop worked well, and the sought-after try was scored.
Ha! I missed the similarity until you pointed it out...
Very disappointing the Samoan's lost, I relished the prospect of them knocking over England and potentially playing Australia in the quarter finals...
-
Has NZ got the second series? Aust has only had the first - very good it was. So far, 9 hasn't completely fucked around with the scheduling of the Sopranos but it's only been 3 episodes so there's time.
-
England's capitulation this morning will renew Samoan hopes - I can't wait to see how they go on the 22nd.
Jonah's tip appears all the more likely with news that Larkham's out with a knee injury. It doesn't sound so serious that he'd miss a do-or-die match (and you have to wonder whether the Australian's don't see some advantage in coming second in their pool) however it does remind us that the Australian campaign revolves around one of the more injury prone players in the tournament.
-
I'm with Robertson on Samoa - they've played a clever tactic by saving their best for the Poms rather than the Africans. I'd love to see them get through and you know if they do, it'll be because they actually play rugby with tries rather than without.
Gregan's looking sharp - I think it's a mistake to count this bloke out. He's not so good behind a pack that's struggling, which it will against the better sides but he is as good a defender as was Marshall and his refereeing is worth at least 6 points. The weak link in the Wallabies is Mortlock - he's only a threat on the weaker inside and we'll not see a repeat of the mistakes from the "G".