Stalins Organ

Except he's not "training with the team" - he's training against the team!! He's not taking part in their drills, participating in their briefings, staying with them, OR GOING TO PLAY!! And in other words you do not actually know what he tules are, or whether anyone else has used them, and you're all hissy-fitting because you do not know any better. ...:cool:

Did the other teams have any opposed sessions? Did you check to see if they'd bothered?? If not perhaps then perhaps they just weren't clever enough to realise they have always been allowed - not the AB's fault if not

Since he's not a replacement for anyone the rule doesn't apply - what is it with you aussies making up stories already - why can't you wait until after you're beaten like the rest of us??

so not actually cheating at all - does that make you a liar as well as a cry baby??

not if they win this year...and since recent form is apparently no great indication of who actually wins the cup you'd have to say that on Sunday's form they should be hot favourites!

That's not true - the Aussies lost to Ireland

33-10 - a bit better than it looked at half time, and the Argies never stopped defending hard, but obviously tired in the last 15 or so minutes. I was a bit worried when the ref didn't see hands in the ruck from the Argies with about 15 minutes to go....a bit of deja vue - but he seems to have done an OK job overall. So the Aussies next week - who looked far from convincing, but you can't write off anyone who makes it to the semi's, and we're pretty familiar with how dangerous they can be! Looks like being anointed the preferred AB 1st 5/8 is a poison chalice with Slade heading off with a "groin" problem

Half time & the Argies have the only try so far - but NZ are winning through kicking - I'll take it.... And de Villiers has quit - that's one less whiner in international rugby!!

Apparently so. Wales played a pretty much error-free game to beat Ireland, whereas France were enabled by a fumbling England - next week I think the Welsh "A" game will not give France as much leeway as they were given tonight....assuming hey bring it of course! Wales-New Zealand for the final! As an aside - I think England are probably one of the bigger TV audiences....not sure what the others might be - Sth Africa perhaps?? So I wonder if the prospect of Sth Africa & England out at the quarter-finals (if that happens) will get the TV paymasters thinking just how much the rights to the event are worth??

You've probably read it already, and if you haven't then you have now! Steve Jobs died today aged 56 - whether you loved his products or hated them, he was certainly an innovator, and IMO the world is better of for his efforts. For the record the only Apple prodcut I've ever owned was an Apple IIe in the late 1980's - it was pretty damned good at teh time!

I think 2 quarter final losses in a row might be enough to see the teflon turn to something brown and sticky....

sure I can - and I'm happy to show you how some time too, since you obviously need a lesson

Why would she write somethign like that when it would not be true?? Now that it's the knock out stages I think the only obvious underdogs would be the Argentinians - and I suspect she won't be writing in such glowing terms if they win...even if it is true!!

Perhaps that's a problem with Aussie rugby then - 'cos if you told that story to Brian Lochore, Colin Meads or Ali Williams you'd get laughed at....actually come to think of it John Eales was no slouch...and I'm pretty sure James Horwill is a pretty good ball carrier too. Are you sure you're thinking of the right game?? :confused:

2nd rowers are usually fine - they have to catch in lineouts so are used to it - perhaps you are thinking of props??

1 RWC final has been won against the AB's with kicks.....without a single try scored. And last time the AB's were KO'ed by France by 2 points without even attempting a 3 point drop goal in the last 10 minutes camped in the French 22 trying to score a try - IMO a telling inability to keep purpose of the match in mind - which is to win, not to score more tries! I want the AB's to be able to score points any way they can - there are good defensive teams in the knock-out stages, and if we find ourselves camped in their 22, 2 points behind, with 5 minutes to go, I bloody well want to see a barrage of drop goal attempts!!

Gridiron certainly has better athletes - but IMO that's just down to specialisation and money. When you are fielding 2 completely different teams, with a game that requires many of the players to efectively do jsut one thing, and you pour hundreds of millions of $$'s into it annually you will get that. Rugby does have specialisations - think of the tight 5 in the forwards - but they still have to run, pass, tackle, and occasionally some of them even entertain us with an atempted kick!! Interestingly IIRC the hooker for the US team at RWC used to be a quarterback! IIRC the IRB (international rugby board) will make a few hundred million $$'s (3-400??) from the world cup - which is almost all its income for the next 4 years?? the New Zealand union has an annual budget of about $60 million I think - maybe less - this article puts the 5 year income from SANZAR broadcast rights at $120m US How does that compare with the budget of an average american football franchise??

I certainly hope so - but then atm I hope NZ make the finals - hopefully aus & SA will hammer each other good & hard so the victor comes out as walking wounded for the semi's, and NZ get's an easy run vs Argentina. Of course I also hope Argentina are kind enough to let that happen....or at least incompetent enough not to be able to stop it! :cool:

I dont' remember seeing any slo-mo replays in 200.....loots of talking about what did or didn't happen, but no replays...... And IRL there's no real shortage of tiem to do such replays in "live" broadcasts anyway for any sport. So an imaginary advantage IMO

Head clashes do happen in rugby - Kleeburger (Can) & Woodcock (NZ) managed to KO each other last night towards the end of the game - this picture is a fraction of a second after they had a meeting of minds. both players were out of it for a few seconds - Kleeburger was a bit more dazed afterwards as subsequent photos show - but they both walked off. And heads get hit by knees, elbows & feet fairly regularly - but head injuries are taken seriously, the game will often stop while the player is examined. I've watched 1 gridiron game - cleveland vs Oakland, at Oakland, 2000 - it was great - was with US friends & relations, & sat up the back among some BIG fat Oakland supporters & when they heard my "furrin'" accent they couldn't do enough for me - running comentary, explaination of the rules, beer, hot dogs...thoroughly recommend it - a great afternoon's entertainment. Sure the footy is a bit stop/start - but if you know what's actually happening it all makes sense & it's not too hard to appreciate it.

I don't see it that way - it doesn't matter how you get the points on the board - the only thing that matters is how many each side has when the final whistle is blown. I'll be delighted if the AB's win the final with 10 penalties and 2 drop goals against 5 converted tries!

Ah - right - I knew there was some sort of restriction And you are quite right about understanding vs excusing too - well done! As for Aus being better - well I hear they're paying A$130k pa for skilled labour in Perth these days......and looking for 5% increase on that pa over the next 3 years....a lot of people think that is better!!

Rubbish - it says nothign of the sort and your boorish reaction to it is beginning to look worse. it clearly says that it is unacceptable - it is right ther ein hte bit you quoted - do you not bother to read the bits you dont' like? it is also entirely true that idiot fans are part of every sporting event - if you think otherwise tehn i'd like to have some of whatever you are smoking. so some of you fans got hassled by some idiot kiwis - why do you try to make it more than that? What is your agenda? as for being ONE of the best rugby games ever - sure it was - you dont' HAVE to have tries to have a great rugby game - what you have to have is good rugby - which includes great defence, crunching tackes, a good contest at the scrum, at least someone playing really well, and an upset with a lower ranked side beating a top one adds to it too.

the "big" games are delayed on FTA Maori TV (yeah...seriously....there's a channel called Maori TV!) - only the the "little ones" are live. Sky has them all of course, as does every local pub & chartered club (RSA's, WMC's, Cossie Clubs, etc) I was competing at a ballroom dance competition over the weekend (go on...mock...) & at least a couple of games were on live in the foyer of the CBC centre in Christchurch

Perhaps you should go read it again - that was precisely the point it made - you agree with it...but call it BS?? how does that work??:confused: who?? I'm sure everyone else would have celebrated - aussies among them.... Right - so you think the behaviour of a couple of dickheads was fine and you are going to emulate it.......while whining about it.......I'm getting confused again....do you think this was good behaviour or not?? :confused: If so why are you whining? If not why are you suggesting it is acceptable for you to indulge in it?? It's not like anyone in NZ actually thinks that it was a good idea...except maybe the bankers concerned.... Pretty sad when all yuo can celebrate is a thrashing of the #18 ranked side at the tournament!!