just watched the welsh game – best of the home nations but turnovers is what killed ’em – that an missing chances

that an missing chances

Everyone’s been pretty poor on kicking though, haven’t they? Beyond that I didn’t see any missed chances, some hearty defending mind, from both sides too. 😆

Good point, Don. New ball, perhaps?

Heard some rumblings about the ball used, is it a new design?

I believe so. I was thinking exactly the same but they did go on to say that this ball has been in use for more or less a year. Not the same as the footie WC.

Used by whom though?

http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/mediazone/news/newsid=2034234.html indicates the existence of the new ball for a couple of years, however Jonny W implies that they’re had very little practice time.
”The balls have changed a little bit so we’re working every day just to get used to it,”
Commentry team getting it wrong shocker!

Lawes is banned for 2 matches

I think he worked quite hard to earn that. 😥

Wasn’t there a new flipping ball at the last RWC as well?

Apart from making people buy new balls, what’s the justification?

I blame the wind for the dodgy kicking. Wellington is very windy, the stadium is on the flat bit of reclaimed (or did an EQ throw it up – can’t remember now) land by the waterfront and is round, so the wind so they say swirls about the place and gives the Hurricanes a significant home advantage. Job done.

not that windy for wilkinson though what with being indoors and everything

Lawes was lucky methinks. I don’t think it was deliberate, nor deserving of a citation, but once the wheels are in motion you have to hope the powers that be are lenient.

Apart from making people buy new balls, what’s the justification?

Exactly – it’s all about the money. Same as everyone churning out desirable new strips, such as England’s lovely black one.

I read somewhere that the balls for the Eng/Arg match had not been “kicked in” prior to use. I don’t know if this is common practice with new balls prior to international matches? Certainly from kicking american footballs we always found the training balls preferable to brand new ones.

It seems daft to bring the world’s best players together for the showpiece tournament and then give them balls they haven’t used before. But then the football world cup does it every time and we see most of the shots getting blasted over the bar during the group stages.

In that article, Wilkinson suggested being indoors was a variable in itself and didn’t neccesarily make it easier
.

Lawes did seem intent on hurting someone in the game – but there was also an incident where an Argentinian kicked another Argentinian in the head – is he getting a ban? Might have been deliberate!

Shows how good a player Lawes is; no previous, but at the heart of everything for Northampton.Pity he will be back on the 1st Oct…

Lawes, who pleaded not guilty, will be available for England’s final group game against Scotland on 1 October.

Judicial officer Terry Willis said he applied some leniency because of Lawes’ disciplinary record and “remorse”.

How can pleading “not guilty” and showing remorse be compatible???

“I’m really sorry I did that by accident?”

How can pleading “not guilty” and showing remorse be compatible???

Probably because he said, I did not do it on purpose but I am sorry my knee made contact with his head and I hope he gets well soon?

EDIT – For some reason I did not even see dezb’s post which says the same thing..

Thats exactly how it works, best way to get through a citing is to say the above. They will then use the statements from match officials, in his case 20 tv angles,in my case 20 home supporters,subs etc,to decide if it WAS intentional.I know this from both sides of the fence 🙄

Lawes can be clumsy but I don’t think there was much in it. A case of not separating ’cause’ and ‘effect’ perhaps during the citing process? If the prop jumped up with a smile would it still be a citing?

How many times do you see someone do the same or similar when a try is scored? If you are unlucky enough to have a lump of a second row nearby when you score you can bet they will drop an elbow or knee on you.

Thats exactly how it works, best way to get through a citing is to say the above.

unless your Gavin Henson in which case you show no remorse for smackin an argie prop in the nose because he was trying to take him out off the ball and then you get 20 weeks!

IMO that was a clear knee drop from Lawes He needs to keep his aggression on the right side of the laws which can sometimes de tricky but that was well out of order and should have been at least a yellow on the night – . 2 weeks probably about right but its awaful convenience he is back for the Scotland game.

Still – we will get the gray / lawes match up that I look forward to – they might well be the next lions locks.

they might well be the next lions locks.

Ahead of Bradley Davies and Alun-Wyn Jones? And Simon Shaw*?

*He may be 348 years old, but he’s a superb player and a great guy with it!

FWIW, I would look to develop Lawes as an open side flanker.

Lawes and Grey would be too lightweight I would say, need a big grunty fecker like Davies in there.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WazeyJtY7UQ[/video]

Lawes and Grey would be too lightweight I would say,

😯 Gray is 6’10 and 20 stone – and he has not stopped growing.

CFH – yup – far better players IMO – I think they could be the best in the world. They need to prove it now of course. Faster, more skilful and Gray at least is bigger

yes but as we all know Girafferis is 8 foot 9 and 20 stone but he still lacks power going into contact. Its impossible for him to get low going into the tackle or ruck. You need a balance in the lock pairing Lawes and Grey wouldnt compete with the likes of Bakkies Botha or Brad Thorn, all the best pairings have a rangy tall player and a shorter powerful player.

Grey and Lawes have achieved nowt compared to Shaw or even AW Jones.

Bigger is not better. Gray is just a big lump, that’s about it. As to skilful, Lawes is a donkey at the moment, and has a LOT to learn.

Could Lawes and Gray be as good as Botha and Matfield, my pick of the finest second rows playing today? Not in a year of Sundays! I would still pick Shaw ahead of either of them.

Now then, on to the horror of playing Samoa. Eeeek! Squeaky bum time!

Gray played Shaw off the park in the last Calcutta cup and he is a very skilful player – could they be as good as Botha and Matfield? Could be better but they have yet to show it.
Just a big lump?
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7YFIk7wHNU[/video]
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSpiYWB-5Sk[/video]

they could be better than either Botha or Matfield but as a pairing I dont think so.

Sheridan out, not that he can scrumage 🙂

Lawes was lucky IMO the knee into Ledesma was cynical and done with malice.

Russia America could get spicy.

Wooooo! Go Canada!

The coke head prop is better than Sheridan anyway

Anyone know of a low bandwidth online radio station doing commentary? My talkSPORT feed cuts out then I have to restart with that annoying Landrover advert every 5 mins

Cheers

Dan Parkes is a liability 😆

ITV is doing the same thing here. It makes me want to punch anyone who complains about the license fee. I’d pay triple to make sure the bbc gets all the decent sport and make sure I never have to listen to another effing advert again. As for sky, I mean you pay for the TV and still get advertised to.. Madness.

Scotland’s props not doing too badly…

Samoa looked very impressive this morning. I think they might give Wales and SA a very tough time. But then I suppose a team with Tuilagi, Mapasua, Tagicakibau, et al, is likely to be fairly good..

Pigface – Member
Dan Parkes is a liability

That’s definitely not news! 😀

Squeaky bum time for the Scotchish, I think. 12-6 with about ten minutes to play……

Hardly a gleaming performance!