Rugby matters

[Mick Mac]

I'll be hoping England beat France this weekend anyway as it all adds to the expectation for Dublin. Sport is as much about the bulid up to a big event as the event itself.

[mockney piers]

I had this weird moment of objectivity the other day when I realised that France are my favourite rugby team to watch.

It was quite freaky and I still feel a little unclean.

I shall of course be full-throatedly cheering England on, but with this offputting ambivalence creeping at the edges of my sanity.

Anyone watching the game out on the lane? I shall be there with missus mockers and the mocklet.

[david_carnell]

England still lack genuine world-class players. In 2004 when we won the world cup 3 or 4 would have made a World XV. Currently I'm not sure any would (though 2 or 3 might make the bench). Until that happens we certainly aren't a world force to be feared as of old.

The good news is that it's a young team with real talent that is improving with every game. France will be a real test but if they overcome it I expect a GS. And then the real test comes this summer. Can we live with a resurgent Australia and a home-advantage All-Blacks?

Interesting article on the Beeb about how Ashton is so effective because he's not playing rugby (union). Wonder whether he'll be figured out by the time of the RWC?

[david_carnell]

And if I can scrape some coinage together before pay day then I hope to be in Hoopers, Piers. Best rugby pub by far.

[mockney piers]

"Can we live with a resurgent Australia and a home-advantage All-Blacks?"

Errrr, no.

Cool, hope to see you there, though missus mockers thinks it's not a good sports pub after watching the tumbleweeds during a dire west ham defeat to Birmingham City.

[david_carnell]

I was in there for the autumn internationals and the atmospehere was great since all the rugby fans know it's the place to go so there are no footie fans moaning the ball is the wrong shape or asking for another Stoke v Bolton match to be shown.

I'd agree with you currently about Oz and NZ. But IF we win the GS or 4 out 5 here, and then have some good warm up matches I think we could get close. Semis should be the goal I think and a win in 4 years time.

[mockney piers]

"so there are no footie fans moaning the ball is the wrong shape"

In all fairness I've never relly heard that from anyone but rugby fans when the football is on.

I did once amusingly hear once in Ireland some fans watching the Leinster-Munster game, utterly affronted as to why anyone, in the other part of the pub watching a premiership game, would be watching "an English Sport".

I chuckled and in my best mockney accent went, 'you tell 'em mate, enjoy the rugby'.

Twonk.

[Scribe]

Forgive me for digging-up old news, but did anyone else hear of or read about the "ma" and "da" of Limerickmen Keith Earls and Brian O'Driscoll being prevented from entering the Twickenham VIP lounge last year?

Twickenham. 6.30 pm. Ireland have just recorded a fortunate but clinical 20-16 victory over England. Many Englishmen and a few cultivated Leinster- and Ulster-men are merrily chewing over the game in a function room. All present are clad in appropriate attire. A noise erupts from the entrance. It is the unmistakable sound of the bogs - loud, affronted, and violent. The stench of poteen wafts across the room.

Twickenham Steward #1: "I'm sorry, sir. You can't enter. We have strict dress requirements".

Red-faced Munster Hoon #1: "Ah come on now, boy. Seriously, Aubrey, like, do ye not know who de feck I am? I'm Keith Earls' feckin' Da, so I am".

T. S. #2: "That may be so, sir. But we have dress requirements. I'm terribly sorry".

Red-faced Munster Hoon #2: "Come on now, lads. Don't be acting the maggot".

T.S.#1: "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do".

R-F MH #1: "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, this is feckin' discrimination, so it is! No blacks, no dogs, no Irish, I know yer game, boy!"

Twickenham Steward #1 looks quizzically at Twickenham Steward #2.

R-F MH #2: "Yeah, we know yer game ye English bastards! I'll tell youse for nuttin' that ye can stick yer feckin' dress requirements up yer stiff English asses ye sons of Tans, ye!"

Twickenham Steward #2 raises an eyebrow but continues politey to usher away the Munstermen. Munster Hoon #1 takes a swig of poteen and jabs his finger at the Steward.

R-F MH #1: "Did ye not watch de match sure? Dat was my lad in de corner, did ye not see? And what's wrong wit me dress anyway, like?"

T. S. #1 "It's not usual to wear trainers, tracksuits trousers and sports jerseys in the function rooms, sir. I'm afraid we're rather strict on that sort of thing".

R-F MH #2: "Jesus, Ger, he's sayin' yer runners are no good! Does he not know they're feckin' Adidas, like? These feckin' English have no idea boy!"

R-F MH #1: "Ah sure, Paddy, they've no idea about runners in England. Sure, I could be wearing Diadora and this fella wouldn't have a clue".

R-F MH#2: "Ah sure, f_ck it, Ger. I'd sooner drink cat's piss than drink with these Tans anyway".

[Narnia]

So from that article you come up with that crap. It's not even funny. You have consistantly taken the piss out of the Irish at various points. It would seem you either have a strong dislike of the race or you just want to try and upset a few of us that are on here. Care to answer that accusation?

[Scribe]

Firstly, the Irish are not a "race". They are a nationaility. Secondly, no, I don't "dislike" or harbour any ill will against the Irish. They're a decent people; and produce fine rugger specimens. If anything, my little pastiche only really serves to highlight how petty the Twickenham stewards were being towards the parents of messrs O'Driscoll and Earls. Although I concede that I perhaps should've said/written as much at the foot of what seems to have (unintentionally) mauled your feelings. Although I refute the claim that I have "consistantly taken the piss out of the Irish at various points".

In short, it wasn't my intention to hurt your feelings, Narnia.

P.s. Don't be so precious. It was just a bit of fun.

[Narnia]

You didn't hurt my feelings scribe. Thanks for pointing out we are not a race. We are probably aliens. I don't buy your story that you were highlighting how petty the stewards were at Twickenham. You could have just posted the article and made a comment. I too think they were only doing their jobs.

So what is it scribe? You poke your nose in and claim it's humour. Is that it? I think there is more to it but doubt I will ever find out.

Are you from Connaught?

[Mick Mac]

I thought it was quite funny.

But I think the reality is England are bad losers. "Don't let them beat us in our own backyard and have a party into the bargain."

[Scribe]

Your indignant reply suggested otherwise.

Don't mention it.

I wasn't. I was making light fun of the Irish, and in doing so, drew your attention to the injustices suffered by the parents of Earls and O'Driscoll.

That's just baseless supposition on your part. But you're right, in that if there was "more to it" (which there isn't), then you'd never find-out. The reason being is that I'm a faceless, online entity, and you're a [lesser] faceless, online entity, so the chances of us ever meeting, discovering who each other are on the East Dulwich Forum and thus giving you the chance to pose your baseless question in person are (hopefully) incredibly slim.

No, I most certainly am not. I am of proud Anglo-Saxon stock, and I've even traced my noble lineage all the way back to the House of Wessex.

This matter is now closed.

[Mick Mac]

Nope - Declan has a face, I have seen it.

[????]

Declan are you and BBW arguing about the Irish again?

[Narnia]

You might have closed this matter but I haven't.

Some questions:

Can Anglo Saxon stock be used in a soup?

Why does everyone who claims to be Anglo Saxon state they are proud? Of what? Have you achieved something?

Do you feel bad about your lineage ceasing to be noble once it reached you?

House of Wessex me arse.........that's a comment not a question by the way.

This matter is now closed.

[Mick Mac]

Good performance from England today but certainly enough in there to give Scotland and Ireland hope for the last two games.

France, I think we can say, having been restricted to one try in two games against Ireland and then England, have limitations, and seem to be out of form.

[????]

A lack of discipline was England's biggest fault...I think that'll get better. Grand Slam :))

[Mick Mac]

Unforced errors I thought was their biggest fault, handling errors etc. They did not give too many penalties away so whether that is lack of discipline I dont know.

What Eddie Butler described "counter rucking" was their greatest strength I thought - on any ruck England ploughed into the French forwards with much more ferocity and won lots of turnover ball. This is what Ireland and Munster have been good at for a few years and France just could not match them. Good performance by the England forwards, backs were not so good today though.

[????]

They'd given away more penalties than any other team before today and have had a sin binning.....

[Mick Mac]

before today - ok, but i thought we were discussing todays performance, in which case the discipline was ok, errors were not ok.

[????]

Three of the french penalties (including the missed one) were just poor discipline. And the first two let them right back in the game. You can live with unforced errors if your defense is resolute.

[Narnia]

It was good to see that premature try celebrating plonker of a winger being called back for a forward pass. By all means celebrate a try when you have scored it but not before.

[Mick Mac]

If Ireland beat Scotland today they will rue the fact that they did not beat France even more as they mamanged to completely subdue France, which England were unable to do.

England gave away 9 penalties against Wales and only 7 against France who are supposedly a better team so I'd say thier discipline might be improving a lttle. But their handling was verging on poor but that might have been partly due to the conditions. Their forwards look very strong. The backs did not really fire.

[womanofdulwich]

mmmm Chabal, shame he dropped the ball.