THE RED TERROR

Grand Slam Fail

2011-03-24T09:05:00.000-04:00

The Greatest Cup Never Run

2010-12-28T14:39:00.005-05:00

Innerestin' "virtual" promotion commemorating the 150th edition of the world's greatest horse race.

Here's the "race" footage:

Those Aussie experts know a "Go You Good Thing," with a pair of Kiwi immortals scooping the quinella.

Earlier: Profiles of all 24 entrants:

It's a clean sweep

2010-12-02T07:43:00.007-05:00

IRB.com

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw has been named the International Rugby Board Player of the Year 2010 in association with Emirates Airline.

The 29-year-old flanker is the first player to receive the prestigious accolade three times, as well as in consecutive years, cementing his position as one of the greats of the Game.

The accolade completes a hat-trick of IRB Awards for New Zealand announced today, with the All Blacks named IRB Team of the Year 2010 in association with Emirates Airline and Graham Henry unveiled as IRB Coach of the Year for a record fourth time.

Henry has previously been named IRB Coach of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2008 and New Zealand are named IRB Team of the Year for the fourth time in six years. [...]

The IRB Player of the Year Award is selected by the IRB Awards independent panel of judges, comprising former internationals with over 500 Test caps between them. Will Greenwood, Gavin Hastings, Raphaël Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Agustín Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga, Paul Wallace and convenor John Eales watched over 78 hours of action from 59 matches, awarding points to the three players they thought stood out in each match.

“Rugby is fortunate to have a player and person of the calibre of Richie McCaw. He is an outstanding captain, a world class player and a role model for our sport. In winning the Award three times, Richie has truly cemented his place right up there amongst some of the greats,” said Eales. [...]

The accolades cap a phenomenal year for New Zealand Rugby with Julian Savea winning the IRB Junior Player of the Year in June and Carla Hohepa named IRB Women’s Personality of the Year in September after a magnificent Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Source.

Bernard-Henri Lévy with the All Blacks

2010-11-25T13:19:00.002-05:00

French philosopher and writer Bernard-Henri Lévy attends the All Blacks vs. Ireland test match last Saturday, and reports.

An excerpt:

The cohesion of the players and of the game.

The religion of fellowship and fraternity.

Not to selfishly pocket the credit for having scored a last goal when it can be more profitable to harass the adversary together until the very end.

Inventive attacks and returns where everyone sticks together.

Vehement openings and dummy moves that look like a well-rehearsed ballet.
An ace at tripping here, and there a champion of outflanking on the sides, and between the two a complicity that, one easily guesses, was there before the game and will be there afterwards.

Who is the better attacker, the forward, the expert at half-turn contact, or the one from behind that no one (except the forward) saw coming?

Should one force his way or break off and relay to another in a pass so smooth and straightforward one would think it the action of one player--with four legs?

Should one change feet or change bodies outright, letting the next body play?

When Carter passes to Donnelly, you'd swear he has eyes in the back of his head to see him take the ball.

Nonu's last run, flying over the field before making that pass en cloche Carter would recover.

They say it's an obscure sport with no rules. No! The rules are strict and diabolically complex, to the extent that part of the All Blacks' strength comes from the way they play the rules, borderline with an error, but never actually stepping over the line.

They say it's a sport for brutes, all a question of power and attack. No! A combat sport, yes, one should call it a martial art, because it's composed of intelligence and strategy. And so it was that this Saturday, the fighting spirit of the Irish in the last fifteen minutes, when they had lost and they knew it, showed the very best of their gallantry. Thus in this manner, it was up to Carter, again, to size up the adversary and, like a judoka, cannibalize his weaknesses to transform them into power.

It's a violent, savage sport, others insist, because there's naked violence in the scrum, in the plaquage, or in the way the attacked team opposes the attacker with a wall of heads and chests. But does anyone know that the Haka, this Maori warrior hymn the All Blacks chant before the match, is less a victory chant than an anticipated prayer for the vanquished? Does anyone know that Saturday, the field of Dublin Stadium was the only place on the planet where Northern Irish and fans from the Republic could confront the same adversary, share the same prayer? And what a lesson when, as New Zealander Boric concentrated before the kick to mark the goal before converting the try, and the crowd of supporters observed a long silence--downright religious and uncommonly respectful--for those who are familiar with the hysteria of football!

And then, the «third half-time»....

This dinner after the match, when the players of the two nations gathered.

The toast of the captain of the All Blacks, to the Irish and their "beautiful game".

That of the Irish to the mysterious and persistant supremacy of the All Blacks.

And these tables where the winners and the vanquished joyfully replayed the match.

I watched O'Driscoll, the Irish captain, his arm injured, clinking glasses with his New Zealand counterpart.

I listened the New Zealander Woodcock and the Irishman Wallace telling each other of their real lives, the ones they would resume again next week, at home, when it would all be over.

And I thought to myself that Zidane's head-butt, his deep-rooted hatred for Materazzi, their overblown and even more dramatized reconciliation, would be almost impossible here.

Football and rugby are like Corneille and Racine, or the Stones and the Beatles, or a Mac and a PC. They are two different parties. Two religions. And one must choose between the two. For my part, I have made my choice. Today as yesterday, the style, the beauty, the fair-play of rugby.

Read the whole thing, click here.

Train Kept A Rollin'

2010-11-20T15:51:00.004-05:00

The Irish Times reports from Dublin:

New Zealand remain a class apart with a hard-nosed focus that is occasionally camouflaged by the sheer exuberance of the way they play the game.

They scored some cracking tries and didn’t give anything up cheaply. [...]

Ireland were taught a rather painful lesson in the opening 40 minutes, ruthlessly punished for every error, whether unforced or induced by suffocating pressure. [...]

The self belief that permeates this New Zealand side is tangible because at times they were stretched to breaking point but even when they did concede points, they marched straight back up the pitch and redressed the situation on the scoreboard. The facility they possess to recycle ad nauseam and the patience they display in probing for weaknesses, using the full expanse of the pitch illustrates a team that’s very comfortable in their patterns.

They trust one another and the patterns of play. [...]

In a 10-minute spell either side of half-time New Zealand scored three tries, a homily to using the full expanse of the pitch, offloading and being physically dominant in the collisions and running sumptuous trail lines.

Demonstrating New Zealand’s total rugby patterns and the facility of backs and forwards to interchange positions, the three tries were scored by forwards: Anthony Boric, replacement Sam Whitelock and Kieran Read. Carter’s three conversions were a thing of beauty. [...]

The All Blacks deserve credit for the manner in which they defended; the thundered into tackles. [...]

The visitors had a final sting for their hosts, Read’s second try 33 seconds from full-time demonstrating the ruthlessness, precision, handling and lines of running that make them so easy on the eye and such a brilliant team.

>The rest.

Cold eyed and clinical

2010-11-13T14:44:00.004-05:00

Brendan Gallagher watches The Sonny Bill Show at Murrayfield:

"New Zealand played rugby from another planet ... sensational ... extraordinary, unstoppable ... irresistible black wave ... there was more ... the All Blacks went straight for the jugular ... ruthlessly exploited ... carnage ... shell-shocked ...rampant ... hitting the turbo ... It was magnificent to watch and utterly cold eyed and clinical."

You get the idea.

Touching tributes, too:

Mils Muliaina - A special moment for a special player who, along with New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, was equalling the legendary Sean Fitzpatrick’s All Blacks record of 92 Test appearances.

An extraordinary character Muliaina, not just in his skills and pace but the fact that he seems to have earned those 92 caps with a complete absence of fuss and fanfare. No player is more highly rated by his peers in world rugby yet outside of New Zealand the most accomplished fullback of the modern era rarely makes the headlines.

Source.

No Logo

2010-10-23T20:15:00.004-04:00

Pinch me. Thank you to the Board, and thank-you to the taxpayers of Auckland.

You did the right thing.

NZ Herald:

Board passes up name bid

Eden Park's bosses passed up an opportunity to sell naming rights to the home of rugby - a sponsorship deal that could have covered most of the park's $40 million redevelopment shortfall.

They don't want to sell the name, saying people would be aghast if Eden Park was renamed after a corporate - but the decision means ratepayers must plug the gap.

The $256m park redevelopment has been funded by a number of partners, with the majority paid for by the Government. But the $40m shortfall has been picked up by Auckland City ratepayers. [...]

Source.

So You Think

2010-10-23T20:03:00.004-04:00

Magnificent!

Back-to-back Cox Plate championships for the Kiwibred son of High Chaparral. As only a 4yo. In only his 10th race. Freak.

May his owners (Dato Tan Chin Nam & Tunku Ahmad Yahaya) be horse racing fans first-and-foremost. Forget about retirement to the stud farm for a few years yet, please. Let the public see a true champion. We beg you.

I'm seeing rumours about a possible run at the Melbourne Cup - and trainer Bart Cummings would surely love another Cup added to his Scotty Bowmanesque run - but stretching the pony out to two miles may be a couple bridges too far. Nevertheless, We the Horse-Racing Fans want to see him run a mile-and-a-quarter for a few more years, at least. And if you're thinking of taking him to Dubai or the Breeders Cup - by all means Do It! Show him off to the world.

Sandy Barbour: Ignorant wanker, or simply an asshole?

2010-10-17T13:25:00.002-04:00

25 NCAA Championships.

Let's type that again:

TWENTY-FIVE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!! And a program that pays for itself.

That's a program of athletic dominance that any varsity should be celebrating and shouting from their rooftops - and Ivory Towers.

But sadly, California Golden Bears Athletic Director Sandy Barbour wants to cut the program.

Cal rugby refuses to go quietly after termination of their program

One day after Cal cut five sports from its intercollegiate athletics menu, there was no surrender among those affected in rugby or baseball.

... Rugby coach Jack Clark went on the offensive Wednesday.

Clark, who has directed 21 of Cal's 25 national championship teams in the sport, said there is no reason the university needed to cut rugby, saying it's largely financially self-sufficient thanks to private donations.

He said he proposed to athletic director Sandy Barbour and the university administration adding a women's varsity rugby team, which would balance gender equity issues mandated by Title IX federal law.

More here.

And Nina Sasso writes a letter to Barbour.

Cal Rugby is paying the price for your incompetency and inability to comply with Title IX.

With your salary of over $470,000, you honestly can't come up with a more imaginative solution to Title IX compliance? Instead of targeting rugby, why not distribute the cut and implement a department-wide squad size reduction across all men's sports? Your uninspiring decision to eliminate rugby is a discredit to this university that values innovation.

This letter is a call for your accountability regarding the rationale behind cutting rugby. Terminating rugby under the guise of a budget cut is dishonest and deceitful.

Red Terror set to make triumphant return!

2010-09-27T11:46:00.005-04:00

This blog has been dormant for, welll, quite a while. But it never intended to expire, nor has it!

A pile of art exhibits and film documentaries over the past year have been my priorities, and I haven't had time to view much rugby, let alone blog on it. (I did however watch the All Blacks steamroll the Tri-Nations in style, with more amazement watching my main man, the indefatiguable Brad Thorn.) I've also read every issue of NZ's Rugby News, albeit a month late, and not exactly fresh for blogging, so let's just say it's been a case of catch-up for quite some time.

Alas, I'm currently settling in to a new home, and re-organizing my life, and will be back at it momentarily. Expect blogging to be light at first, but will ramp up shortly thereafter.

Oh, and apologies to Mr. Brian Vizard at the USRFF and all the incredible work he is doing growing the sport in the United States. I have received regulat updates from him the past year and not found the time to post them here, but that too shall be rectified shortly. Keep at it, your hard work is not going unnoticed.

Tags: Rush, Anthem, Geddy lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart

Quarantine the rot, before it's too late...

2009-10-02T09:07:00.005-04:00

It's been ages since my last rugby update, but travel and work deadlines have meant rugby viewing has been tight, and mostly too tight to blog. In the past month the Pumas of Argentina received a preliminary green light into the Tri-Nations, and the Springboks kept their claws on all the major prizes by claiming that same tournaments' 2009 championship. Congrats to them. I'd say more, but thankfully, Peter Bills at The Independent (U.K.) said so much of what's on the minds of many rugby fans two weeks ago that his commentary is worth tip-toeing around copyright infringement and re-printing in full. Bold emphasis mine:

Rugby retreats into tedium

By Peter Bills
The Independent
Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Abe Lincoln, that well known sporting coach and occasional US President, knew a thing or two about how to draw a crowd and keep 'em coming back for more.

How else to explain Lincoln's immortal line, "It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time."

How rugby football needs to digest carefully those words at a time when the supporter's currency is in so much demand from a variety of sports. For inexorably, before our weary eyes at the very time when supreme entertainment ought to be of paramount importance the world over especially for television, rugby union is retreating, drawing back to the type of kicking fest that persuaded a whole cluster of international coaches, players and officials to ask the IRB to re-examine the laws back in 2002.

That was seven years ago and, apart from the odd tinkering such as allowing players to take quick throw-ins and using touch judges as assistant referees, nothing much has changed. The ELVs have come and gone, killed off by the votes of the northern hemisphere countries who refused even to trial the most relevant of them. There's democracy at work for you, but already, some who rubbished the ELVs are now complaining at the nonsense being served up. Sorry boys, you should have thought of that before you closed your eyes and minds to a different approach.

But if ever a weekend exemplified rugby's growing problem of boring, penalty ridden matches and mindless kicking dictating and deciding games, it was this last one.

Much of the 2009 Tri-Nations, which concluded this last weekend, has been one long boring boot-in. The South Africans, undeniably the No 1 team in the world, used their formidable power chiefly to bludgeon the opposition into submission. Only in Perth, where they used the ball to attack a makeshift Australian back line, did they deign to expand their play. Otherwise, Morne Steyn, their fly half, kicked the bejaysus out of the ball and used their heavyweight pack to set up victories.

In England this last weekend, they opened a sparkling new stand at Leicester and drew the corporates in by the thousands. Alas, those who are new to rugby tend to lose interest at incessant goal kicking. 15-6 to Leicester over Newcastle, five penalties to two, which meant the English champions have now not scored a single try in over four hours of serious play.

This is not an exact science but in France, it was equally grim. Brive 12 Biarritz 15 (four penalties to four penalties and a drop goal), Castres 9 Racing Metro 6 (three penalties to two). In the modern game, defences reign, kicking decides.

In Marseilles on Sunday, in perfect conditions of warm sunshine and inviting surface, Toulouse chose a back line potentially without peer in contemporary world rugby for its speed and innovation: M Medard; V Clerc, F Fritz, Y Jauzion, C Heymans; F Michalak, J-P Elissalde.

Yet the biggest thrill for an alarming number of the 48,000 present was apparently to participate in the mindless Mexican wave. In one of the hospitality boxes, I noticed people's concentration steadily dissipating as Jonny Wilkinson lined up eight attempts at goal. He succeeded with six, three penalties and three drop goals, to win the game for his team, 18-13.

The match was virtually one long, grim act of trench warfare up front, most of it understood by only the specialists. What is this offering the so-called new audience the game is targetting?

The only decent rugby I saw the whole weekend was New Zealand's 15-man style which overwhelmed Australia in the last Tri-Nations game of the year. Forward power was used not as a means to an end but to expose physically overwhelmed opponents and service a back line freed up to attack hard, run straight and offer genuine entertainment.

Conversely, two examples from soccer are rather more than coincidental. At Marseilles on Saturday night, Olympique Marseille beat Montpellier 4-2 in a pulsating French League match. And in Manchester 24 hours later, United and City played out an English Premiership game that had entertainment dripping like rain from the rooftops.

Rugby union is approaching a crossroads here. It can either retreat into its specialist shell, as it appears to be doing, and say in effect to the floating punter, "If you don’t like our product, go elsewhere". Or it can continue to believe that those who currently fill so many of its grounds will always do so, no matter the fact that in reality, what they are being offered apart from the experience of the actual occasion, is a game of mind-numbing boredom. Either option is madness because a third factor will decide rugby's fate: television.

In France, TV executives are said to be dismayed by most of the rugby offered up. Canal Plus cameras have visited Brive three times thus far this season without seeing the home team score a single try. Expect viewing figures to start reflecting this poor fare sooner rather than later.

And when, not if, the great TV master begins to reduce his financial largesse, then predictably the professional game will hit most unpleasant turbulence.

Right now, with grounds full of people, rugby is in vogue and getting away with it. But the game is living a lie. There are, of course, occasional exceptions but too often, it is offering poor value entertainment. Yet when played at its best, with an attacking creed, pace and dynamism, it remains one of the best sports to watch.

You sense someone, somewhere in authority, had pretty soon better begin to start concerning themselves with this. Because the truth of Lincoln's words still hold good all these years later.

Source.

John Peel in Dallas

2009-09-08T12:57:00.006-04:00

John Peel died five years ago, much too young. He would have been 70 years old on August 30th. I've been away a couple weeks hiking in the wilderness of Nova Scotia, so missed the anniversary. Earlier me and my pal Sean cobbled together a short film tribute, inspired by a JFK conspiracy hobbyist who was tracking down a lead about Peel attending Lee Harvey Oswald's midnight press conference on that fateful day in 1963. I interviewed Peel back in 1996 and got him talking about the experience, and that audio narrative informs the film and the clips we co-opted, borrowed, stole. So in the spirit of guerilla-style pirate radio from Peel's early days, here 'tis, enjoy!

Thanks to S.E., S.S. and J.C.

More here.

State of the Union

2009-08-22T07:08:00.002-04:00

I've been ridiculously busy with assignments & deadlines the past few months, far too many commitments and not enough time to sleep, so the blog has been sadly neglected of late. Things won't get better soon, 'cos I am now going bush for the next couple weeks to get some well-earned R&R. Normal blogging should (hopefully) resume when I return. Luckily for me, the quality of the rugby I've been watching hasn't been worth spending time writing about. It's been mostly rubbish.

Ex-Wallaby Pete Fitzsimmons is a straight-shooter.

. . . What you may not know, however, inside the cocoon that teams go into before big matches, is the rising damp of disillusionment that is eating at our passion for elite rugby.

We have had a gutful of watching marathon kick-fests, of seeing captains toss the ball to goal-kickers when arcane penalties are awarded 53 metres out. Of watching for two excruciating minutes the deadly dull vision of one bloke lining up and kicking the pig-skin while 29 blokes stand around, no doubt as bored as we are. And doing it all game - again and again and again.

In general play we no longer want to see two tactics - the "up" and the "under". We despair when teams take kicking tips from the Swans. This season there has been more wretched kicking than ever. It is getting to the point where even hard-core fans are turning their cauliflower ears and puffy eyes away in disgust.

But, say what? You players are professionals who play as ruthlessly as possible to win - everything else can go to hell?

That would be fine, 'cept we are the paying public who ultimately provide your wages. If the disillusionment continues, that is exactly where the game will go.

Yes, we know the Springboks have made an art form of winning in this way. But that's the point. The Wallabies and All Blacks are better than that! In bursts this year, you've turned on scintillating running rugby that has thrilled us for minutes at a time. You're capable of playing a Match for the Ages, with stories we will tell and retell as the days grow cold and we grow old. Like it used to be …

So here's the plea. In rugby's ancient history, which is to say before it turned professional in 1995, teams could sometimes enter into unofficial compacts, whereby it would be broadly agreed the game was the thing and running rugby was the most joyous way to play and exactly what the crowd wanted. The glory of the whole Barbarians tradition rests upon it.

Can't you, just maybe, revive that compact tonight? For the good of the game?

It can't work if only one team embraces it. But if you both engage to play the game the way it was meant to be played - to run it - you'll be knocked out by the reception. We'll know whether you're up for it the first time a penalty is awarded 50 metres out. I say 80,000 people, and millions at home, will cheer or jeer the decision. So run the ball as if the future of the game depends on it. Because it does.

Source.

Advantage: NZ

2009-07-19T21:10:00.002-04:00

Tri Nations news . . .

All Blacks come from behind to beat the Wallabies 22-16 and keep one hand on the Bledisloe.

IRB unveils new Americas tournament; October final in Toronto

2009-07-15T17:14:00.005-04:00

[Updated below.]

IRB unveils new Americas tournament

15th July 2009

The ARC is a key component of the IRB's Strategic Investment Programme, which includes significant investment in USA, Canada and Argentina.

The new tournament features six teams, including four provincial sides from Canada joined by the Argentina Jaguars and USA 'A'.

The format unites Rugby in North and South America in a high performance sub-international structure for the first time.

"The Americas Rugby Championship is a huge step forward for elite Rugby in North and South America," said Mark Egan, IRB Head of Development and Performance.

"Canada, USA and Argentina are priority Unions for our High Performance investment programme and their domestic based players and coaches require a tournament format that exposes them to high level cross border competition on a more regular basis."

"The tournament is currently structured to primarily focus on our High Performance Unions in the Region, however, it is hoped that it will expand over time to include other countries such as Uruguay, Chile, Mexico and Brazil."

Canadian Regional teams Atlantic, Ontario, Prairies and British Columbia will re-ignite traditional rivalries in a round robin pool taking place in September. The top four will qualify for the semi-finals held on October 10, with the finals taking place on October 17 in Toronto.

"The ARC competition is key to developing the link between our domestic rugby structure and our national team program. The competition will provide our domestic based athletes with high performance structures and competition pathways that will be used to strengthen our domestic player base on a annualized basis," said Graham Brown, Rugby Canada Chief Executive Officer.

Nigel Melville, USA Rugby Chief Executive, said: "The ARC will provide Eagles head coach Eddie O'Sullivan and his coaches with an opportunity to observe and work with domestically based potential Eagles players prior to the important November international window. The introduction of Argentina and possible expansion to include other teams in the future is an exciting expansion of our cross border aspirations for the event."

Source.

I'm not sure how this impacts Argentina's long-rumoured foray into Sanzar competitions, but I've been urging the IRB to get North & South America into some sort of regular competition for the past decade.

Kinda weird how it's four teams from Canada and only one from each of the USA and Argentina, however. I would have believed the Argies were well in advance of Canada, and USA at a similar level to Canada. Will have to wait and see how it transpires.

I'm also puzzled about the calendar. A final in Toronto in the latter half of October is a nail biter. Snow typically doesn't come that way until late-November or December, but it's snowed in late October there before, and regardless will have a chill in the air. That's why Canada usually had it's international test program during the summer months of June to August.

It will be cool to see it expand to additional South American nations, as outlined.

Update:

The above report comes directly from the IRB, and it's piss-poor confusion. I've been seeking clarification, but none forthcoming so far. I am guessing that USA 'A" and Argie Jags get automatic berths into the final 4, and the four Canadian teams do a round-robin to determine their two qualifiers. I'm guessing the Americans and Jags contest one semi, to gurantee a Canadian finalist. If that's the case, then the Canadian finalist will have played four matches to qualify, and the other finalist possibly just a single game (?). I dunno, your guess is as good as mine.

2009 Tri-Nations Championship countdown . . .

2009-07-15T17:00:00.002-04:00

This year's Tri-Nations tournament kicks off Saturday (wee hours of the morning up here) at Eden Park, where the upstart Australia Wallabies meet the defending champion hosts New Zealand All Blacks.

Bartman at The Silver Fern examines the history, and looks for portends:

Tri Nations train spotting

Tri Nations time, and it's been around for a while now, since 1996 in fact, so lets have a look at t a few of the fact and figures since its inception last century.
AS we all know, the All Blacks have been dominant over the 13 series so far. And we'll dwell on this fact for a while, as this season could be an aberration, and the trophy might get carried off to foreign shores... But we won't dwell on that too long, the foreign shores thing. Lets instead look at the 9 series wins from 13 starts for the All Blacks!!

[...]

So what do all these facts and figures tell us leading into the 2009 series? Basically, Didly squat! It does tell us though that during the reign of King Henry the All Blacks have been pretty hard to beat at Tri Nations time, Australia are always the bridesmaids, the the Boers, it's all or nothing!!

Read the whole thing!

Canada into All Blacks pool RWC 2011

2009-07-12T07:44:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday, July 4th Independence Day, Canada fell to USA in World Cup qualifying, played in 100 degree heat in the welter of a humid South Carolina summer, by a score of 12-6.

That test was carried on ESPN until half-time, when the murder of ex-Titans quarterback Steve McNair broke and became their main priority, and the test match got bumped to ESPN2. TSN in Canada, carrying the qualifier for free, televised the whole test, their first rugby broadcast on that network in probably a decade.

The winner of the RWC Americas 1 qualifier would be comprised of a cumulative (or as the soccer folk say, "aggregate") score over a two-test home-and-away series.

The rubber match was yesterday in Edmonton, and Canada not only had to win, they had to win by at least six points to cover their defecit.

(Sadly, the ball got dropped, and neither ESPN or TSN, nor any other networks, picked up the return rubber-match played in Edmonton for broadcast. Some of us tried to view via a live stream of the match, but the audio-video quality was dodgy, to say the least.)

The uptick is that Canada pulled off the comeback, and has now qualified for RWC 2011, and will be slotted into Pool A, along with powerhouse France and the superpower tournament host New Zealand All Blacks.

Canadian coach Kieran Crowley will doubtlessly feel chuffed this morning. The former All Black played a test match for the inaugural RWC in 1987, also hosted in NZ,. and the All Blacks only RWC championship title. Crowley almost certainly wanted to bring his new team back home, and play against the host side. Hopefully it will also provide a Canadian media boost for the tournament.

The United States, meanwhile, need to ice their bruises and get ready for another elimination qualifier to secure the Americas 2 slot, and will face a torrid time from the improving Uruguay.

Canada make the World Cup

July 12, 2009

Canada has become the first nation to qualify for Rugby World Cup 2011 through the qualifying rounds, beating the USA 41-18 on Saturday.

The hosts had gone into the second leg in Edmonton needing to overturn a six-point deficit after losing the first encounter 12-6 in Charleston last weekend.

Canada's emphatic win at Ellerslie Rugby Park gave them an 47-30 aggregate victory and a place in Pool A with New Zealand, France and Tonga as well as the Asia 1 qualifier - likely to be Japan.

The USA are not yet out of thr running; they face Uruguay over two matches to see who will join Australia, Ireland Italy and another European qualifier in Pool C.

The Canadians, who have played at every Rugby World Cup to date, had moved ahead on aggregate by the 25th minute with James Pritchard, who had already kicked a penalty, crossing for the opening try after some good work by the impressive centre DTH van der Merwe.

With Canada leading 10-0 after Pritchard added the conversion, things got worse for USA within a minute when centre Paul Emerick was sent off by referee Alan Lewis. The hosts made the most of their man advantage with Adam Kleeberger and Justin Mensah-Coker crossing for tries to make it 24-0 at half time.

The Eagles needed to score first if they were to have any hopes of salvaging an unlikely victory against a Canadian outfit playing an attacking brand of rugby. Hercus did just that with a 51st minute penalty, but that was cancelled out by a try from the hosts' scrum-half Ed Fairhurst.

Wing Kevin Swiryn crossed for the Eagles' first try just before the hour mark, a score converted by Hercus, and the fly-half then kicked a penalty to cut the deficit to 31-13 on the day - 37-25 on aggregate - but there was to be no comeback with Canada crossing for a fifth try within minutes.

Van der Merwe had been exploiting the space created by Emerick's sending off and creating opportunities for Canada and was finally rewarded for his impressive display when the centre crossed for his side's fifth try of the afternoon in the 69th minute.

Canada increased their advantage when wing Matt Evans touched down, before USA captain Todd Clever scored a consolation try five minutes from time. It was the Canadians and an excitable crowd of around 5,000 who were celebrating come the final whistle.

Source.

The Lone Gunman

2009-07-07T08:40:00.004-04:00

It defies belief, but the FFR is washing their hands and passing the buck on l'Affaire Bastareud with an obvious cover-up to protect conspirators and blame it on a single man.

I am sure Laurent Bénézech will have more to say about this obvious smoke-screen (see previous posts).

Google translation:

The development of Pierre Camou

In an interview published by Midi Olympique, the president of the Federation reaffirms its support for the staff of Blue and announced that the Disciplinary Committee should punish the player.

As the father of Mathieu Bastareaud has proclaimed his anger in the press last week - including denying having cancer while the information was issued by the player himself to the doctor of the team of France - Pierre Camou is also emerged from his silence. Questioned about this at the conference of the Federation in Strasbourg last weekend, the president of the FFR, whose silence became heavy, has finally delivered his opinion on this matter in an interview published by Midi Olympique on Monday .

Annoyed by some questions on this lie became an affair of state after the apologies of the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and french, the successor to Bernard Lapasset strongly reaffirmed the continued Jo Maso at his post. Some spoke of a possible dismissal of manager of the French team, but Pierre Camou said he "was never in danger." If it concedes the lack of relevance of a night out between two tests, it vigorously defended his staff: "I say, I repeat and I repeat: everyone has fulfilled its role, ensures there. I want to reiterate that the players are professionals (...) The players are adults. You can not put a guard in front of each room. It is their responsibility. "

"There will obviously a sanction"

Mathieu Bastareaud should be the only one to pay the mess in this case. "The Disciplinary Committee has received, it will be independent in its investigation and then, proposals for possible sanctions", said the president of the FFR, as that "there is obviously a penalty, if only in relation to the injury of a people, an entire nation, had to endure." There are still no date fixed for the consideration of case of player who, moreover, is always placed in a clinic in the Paris area to rest.

"What worries me most is the health of the player," says Pierre Camou. A health condition which returned Max Guazzini in the Sunday issue Stage 2, providing further reassurance. But the president of the french stage once again threw the trouble on this matter very opaque in stating that "if (Bastareaud, NDLR) not telling the truth, perhaps because it protects people ... "The investigation requested by the President of the FFR is supposed to shed light on this matter." ...

Total farce.

Continuing & complete coverage of L'Affaire Bastareaud, click here.

Bloodhound Bénézech tracks the conspirators

2009-07-03T08:44:00.006-04:00

Ex-France international test prop Laurent Bénézech continues his superlative sleuthing, and advises the young Mathieu Basteaud to come clean, tell the whole truth, stop protecting the guilty and co-conspirators, for the good of French rugby and his own mental health.

Excerpt (Google translation):

Mathieu Bastareaud: Why must now tell the truth!

2 July 2009

Mathieu Bastareaud is not only involved in the case Bastareaud!

If one follows the course of the versions of events given to the press and that we proceed by elimination, one can conclude that the attack on the young French center stage took place within the hotel and can not come from a clash on the night table of his room since the New Zealand Police found no trace of blood on the furniture. It appears therefore more and more obvious that the player was struck that, as a former rugby player and without, of course, an expert with the courts, seems the most plausible. Taking into account the player's body, the size of the cuts and bruises on his face, it seems obvious that he was struck by someone stout and strong enough to reach such a result. In any case, anything that does not resemble the passivity of furniture, even solid oak! Indeed, evidence is emerging: Mathieu Bastareaud, its fanciful versions protects her abuser!

And this is where things do not seem consistent. What interest Mathieu Bastareaud lying? He claimed to have done to protect his international career. But why, then, Mathieu Bastareaud not telling the truth as it is not aggressive aggressor? The only person to have committed a mistake at this point is that (or that, but it is unlikely given the result of impact) that hit the player in the face. Panicked because he claims Max Guazzini, uh ..., Mathieu Bastareaud pardon himself. But panic over what? In fact he was injured? But then the story of the night table was, at that time, perfect to avoid any further criticism than the awkwardness and alcoholic especially since the staff of the French team had given permission to players out, so drink, to be clumsy in returning. This is where nothing I want and where more and more difficult to believe that Mathieu Bastareaud was not alone at the time to build a lie to explain his injury!

Mathieu Bastareaud has no choice now!

If the young French center stage to avoid paying for others, he must now speak. It must give the true version of events. He must explain what happened before between 5:22 and 5:47, and secondly and more importantly, what happened from the time it was recousu by Dr. Hager. What risk there more? It is already condemned by the Federation and the Prime Minister of France. And if a few good friends advice him promise that his silence is the best way to avoid too heavy a sentence, Mathieu Bastareaud should know that this is wrong!

The young French center stage is now designated as guilty only by what he is all alone to take the lie of the alleged assault outside the hotel by New Zealand nationals. But now it is proven to have been assaulted inside the hotel and clear as it was by a natural person and not a piece of furniture, Mathieu Bastareaud can no longer be accused of having been the only one lying. There are at least one other person who knows the truth, his assailant. Plus, maybe, if we are going to be assumed that the first version of the facts, which seems many arrange french camp, has been blown by Mathieu Bastareaud others.

Why do I pretend that the first version arrange many french camp? Simply because if the player was attacked inside the hotel, he could not have been, or by someone outside the French delegation, either by someone who is gone. If we accept the first option, why invent a version where the action took place outside the hotel when it happened in there? As against, if we accept the second option, this was a much more logical Mathieu Bastareaud was assaulted by a member of the French delegation, which gives an explanation for the clear starting to lie about the reasons for the injury to the face of the young Parisian.

The supervision of the French team in the secrecy of lies?

Obligatoirement, Mathieu Bastareaud and the assailant knew from the outset the facts! That is obvious. Them only? This is where I am taken to a huge doubt. I find it hard to believe that the aggressor, having placed his right (or left, once again I am not an expert with the courts) on the cheek of the player, has recouche as if nothing had happened . So I think it quickly sober by the consequences of his action, accompanied her partner to the room of Dr. Hager and thus, de facto, the now famous Dr. Jean-Philippe Hager knows the name of the abuser Mathieu Bastareaud And if Dr. Hager knows the name of the abuser from Mathieu Bastareaud, the same goes for the whole of the guidelines of the French team! So, logically, Mathieu Bastareaud could use the version of the attack outside the hotel with the blessing of the overall supervision of the French team. And when I say a blessing, I am compelled to ask whether it, as it would have us believe, Mathieu Bastareaud who is from the version or if, as is now possible, this version it was strongly suggested by promising that it would bury the case was not yet one.

When I say that I believe that the assailant with the victim, I have no certainty of course other than to think that whatever it is, the assailant had the presence of mind to worry the state of health of his partner to bring to the doctor's room. This is the normal behavior of a rugby player for one of our partners even if he is the cause of the injury. And that's what makes me think that Mathieu Bastareaud is only an instrument which has served a version of facts was to stifle what is supposed to be a case. The problem is that we came today to reverse the effect that the young French center stage must defend himself for not being the ideal sentenced to hide the huge gaps that this story reveals! MATHIEU, YOU MUST SAY THE TRUTH IS YOUR INTEREST ...

Continuing & complete coverage of L'Affaire Bastareaud, click here.

Tragique Bastareaud jumped in a river

2009-07-01T11:23:00.006-04:00

The Times (UK) reports:

A France rugby international who sparked a diplomatic incident when he falsely claimed that he had been assaulted by New Zealand fans has been admitted to psychiatric care after reportedly throwing himself into the Seine.

Mathieu Bastareaud, 20, is said to have attempted suicide after telling friends he could not cope with the scandal that erupted when his lies were uncovered by police in New Zealand. The incident has become an embarrassment to French rugby authorities amid claims that they helped to cover up a hotel room fight between players and left Bastareaud to face the controversy on his own.

Bastareaud is a rare representative of France’s troubled suburban estates in a sport dominated by players from a white provincial background. This, his friends say, has exacerbated his mental fragility. “He sent me a text saying he couldn’t stand this harassment,” said Mathieu Blin, a team-mate at the club Stade Français. “Now he’s completely gone off the rails.”

French media reports said the rugby player told friends that he was suicidal after being sent home from France’s tour to New Zealand and Australia. LÉquipe, the sporting daily, said he jumped into the Seine at the weekend.

Complete coverage of L'Affaire Bastareaud, click here.

French PM writes letter of apology

2009-07-01T11:02:00.006-04:00

Telegraph (UK) reports:

01 Jul 2009

Mathieu Bastareaud lie over assault prompts French Prime Minister to apologise

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has written a letter of apology to his New Zealand equivalent, John Key, after France centre Mathieu Bastareaud admitted to lying about an assault in Wellington last month.

[...]

In his letter, Fillon told Key: "By his false statements, as a result of which you had to intervene publicly, he seriously tainted the image of your country and its people."

Fillon said that he "regretted this incident" and added: "Our two countries share the culture of rugby.

"This sport has always allowed us to meet and to share a mutual respect. I hope that these sentiments will continue after this regrettable affair."

Bastareaud meanwhile has been admitted to hospital with what has been reported as serious psychological problems after the worldwide interest into the incident affected his mental state.

The Stade Francais centre, who had been due to go on a family holiday to the Caribbean this week, is expected to stay in hospital for at least a fortnight under observation.

The 20-year-old, who made his debut for France last year, has been backed by the French players' union, Provale, who issued a statement saying: "We solemnly demand that the media storm which nurtures doubts and fantasies ends immediately. We want above all that his privacy be respected and we hope that he makes a return to the pitch as quickly as possible."

But French Rugby Federation (FRF) president Pierre Camou, was less forgiving and condemned Bastareaud's behaviour.

"To be an international carries with it responsibility as a representative of your country and your federation," a FRF statement read.

"The FRF is shocked that one of the French XV has lied. The New Zealand nation and the world of rugby can legitimately feel wounded by the player's initial statements which have also tarnished the image of French rugby."

Full coverage of L'Affaire Bastareaud, click here.

Green Revolution

2009-06-30T16:48:00.005-04:00

Did you know they play rugby in Iran?

Womens rugby, too!

It's an Iranian Fact.

Suicide watch?

2009-06-29T16:42:00.008-04:00

Did Mathieu Bastareaud try to commit suicide??

I haven't seen any confirmed news reports, and most of the English-language wire reports are not mentioning the words "attempted suicide."

Nevertheless, there is a distressing rumour at a French-language rugby blog at Le Monde. I don't know the accuracy of the post, and it seems unwise to speculate. Nevertheless, the worrisome rumours are coming out of France, and hard to dismiss.

Babelfish translation:

The spirit of the previous article dictated by the succession of true-false information about Mathieu Bastareaud and consequences of his third half-time after the Wellington test requires me to clarify that it was mailed to 12 pm today. At 17 hours, the announcement of the attempted suicide of the young man and casts a cold hospital on the case so far to say the least, bizarre. [...]

Original text:

L’esprit du précédent article dicté par la succession de vraies-fausses informations concernant Mathieu Bastareaud et les conséquences de sa troisième mi-temps après le test de Wellington m’oblige a préciser qu’il a été posté vers 12 heures ce jour. A 17 heures, l’annonce de la tentative de suicide du jeune homme et son hospitalisation jette un froid sur cette affaire jusque-là pour le moins rocambolesque. Il n’est plus question de mensonges, de défendre ou d’accabler un homme qui en arrive cette extrémité ni même d’ironiser sur ceux qui l’entourent en bien ou en mal. [...]

Source.

The saga has gone from criminal travesty, to laughable farce, to pitiable sympathy for the player in a matter of a week. It's not over, we still don't know the whole truth, and we don't know who to believe.

More French-language reports about an attempted suicide.

L'Equipe & Actualité et News.

Let's hope the guy pulls himself together and has a full recovery.

Full updated Bastareaud coverage, click here.

Institutionalized

2009-06-29T11:03:00.004-04:00

Add another sad wrinkle to the on-going saga of Inglourious Bastareaud, Pulp Fiction (see thread & updates below).

French Rugby Club reports:

Bastareaud hospitalized after new allegations he was punched by team-mate

29 June 2009

Shamed France international Mathieu Bastareaud has been admitted to hospital with "severe psychological problems" in the latest twist of a tawdry affair that shows no signs of abating.

His hospitalization follows earlier media reports that the 20-year-old Stade Francais player had sustained his now infamous facial injuries after being punched by a teammate.

Max Guazzini, president of Bastareaud’s club Stade Francais, said the player had returned early from a Caribbean holiday and was now under medical supervision in a "specialized institution" in Paris. Guazzini said he was likely to remain in hospital for a fortnight and refused to give its exact location.

Guazzani blamed what appears to be some sort of mental breakdown on the "relentlessness of the press against a boy of twenty years. Journalists have gone to his home and that of his parents. It is completely destroyed, we must leave him alone," he told AFP.

The latest development is a further blow to both the player and to French rugby generally as a web of lies and half-truths slowly unravels.

Source.

Le Parisien says Mathieu Bastareaud 'punched by teammate'

2009-06-28T18:29:00.008-04:00

L'affair Bastareaud keeps getting better - the gift that keeps on giving.

See earlier background post "Inglourious Bastareaud, Pulp Fiction" click here.

Paper claims Bastareaud 'punched by teammate'

French rugby international Mathieu Bastareaud was reportedly punched by one of his teammates, according to a Paris newspaper. ...

The French press are now airing another scenario.

How he sustained a cut cheek and facial bruising is the big question.

Two fellow players - named as Louis Picamoles and Fulgence Ouedraogo - may have played a part in the bizarre episode, newspapers suggest.

According to an internal investigation by the team, Picamoles and Ouedraogo came back to the Holiday Inn at 5.22am on June 21 in a taxi with two women, while Bastareaud arrived at the same time in a second taxi, news agency Agence France Presse reported.

"Drunk and aggressive, Bastareaud was reportedly calmed down by a fist from one of his teammates," according to an account sketched by the daily Le Parisien. It also quoted Picamoles and Ouedraogo as denying this.

Picamoles, Bastareaud, Yannick Jauzion and Thomas Domingo, on the injury list, flew back from the tour last Monday, while Ouedraogo stayed on to play against the Wallabies. ...

Team bosses face tough questions about their handling of the scandal.

One is why Pierre Camou, president of the French Rugby Federation, and Jo Maso, the Bleus' manager, leapt to defend Bastareaud.

They insist they were duped by the player. Le Parisien said acidly: "Taking a bit of distance in handling this affair would have helped to avoid a diplomatic incident and prevented French rugby from looking ridiculous." Le Monde described the incident as a "torment" for les Bleus.

And sports daily L'Equipe said: "The Bastareaud affair is far from over."

Source.

Stephen Jones, ignorant weasel / timorous chickenshit

2009-06-27T10:21:00.008-04:00

Apologies to the British & Irish Lions namesake playing test match rugby against the Springboks today. That guy is perfectly o-kay.

Rather, I am referring here, of course, to The Times' (UK)'s resident assclown rugby columnist, who could use both of Schalk Burger's thumbs to his eyes to improve his blatant myopia and blind-pig disinformation.

See "Update II" at the Mathieu Bastareaud thread below.

Inglourious Bastareaud, Pulp Fiction

2009-06-25T10:07:00.065-04:00

Oops! I lied.

[Updated below - Update II - Update III - Update IV - Update V - Update VI - Update VII - Update VIII - Update IX - Update X - Update XI.]

Following close on the heels of the revelations yesterday in the Mark Sanford l'affair, we've got our own little rugby potboiler - the fabricated tale of a fractured eye-socket.

On Saturday night, following France's 14-10 loss to the All Blacks in Wellington, a scandal broke in New Zealand when it was alleged that:

A French rugby player was punched and knocked to the ground in an early morning attack by five rugby fans.

Mathieu Bastareaud, dubbed the "French Nonu" by the All Blacks, was attacked at a taxi rank in central Wellington early yesterday.

According to the French team, Bastareaud was knocked to the ground by five men, who recognised the rising rugby star as he returned to his Featherston St hotel.

"He is a bit shocked," French coach Marc Lievremont said last night. "And on top of that, he broke his nose last week in the [first test against the All Blacks]. It is a lot. He is only 20 years old. He is very strong, but at the same time ..."

The centre, who is 1.83 metres tall and weighs 111 kilograms, was returning to the Holiday Inn after his team's 14-10 loss to the All Blacks at Westpac Stadium. French team manager Jo Maso said Bastareaud had to have four stitches in his left cheek. He also suffered bruising in the attack. He was treated by the French team doctor.

Maso said that just before they struck, the attackers yelled "something about `F...ing French'.

"It was five on one," Maso said.

Lievremont said that Bastareaud was with the French squad when they went out for a drink but wanted to return to the hotel early.

"As he came out for a taxi he was attacked by some people ... hit on the face."

The French team did not pursue charges with police, but told the New Zealand Rugby Union.

"We know we won't find them [the attackers]. We just informed the New Zealand federation of an incident. They are not to blame though, it was misfortune," he said.

"[The injury] wasn't too serious. All the same Mathieu was afraid and needed help."

The rugby union said it was deeply disappointed by the attack, which struck at its reputation as a host ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Source.

It gets worse however, because Bastareaud didn't just say he was swarmed by any ole' white-bread Kiwis. Instead:

He told them he thought his attackers were Polynesian and Maori.

Source.

The NZ police were on an all-points-bulletin hunt for the attackers, and there was the curious piece of missing evidence when a video-camera showed Bastareaud arriving back to his hotel in the early morning hours with women on his arm and looking no worse for wear.

Red flags really started flapping when Bastareaud returned home to France while he teammates continued their tour to Australia.

The French rugby player assaulted in Wellington at the weekend says he is amazed at the level of interest surrounding the Sunday morning incident.

Mathieu Bastareaud was attacked by four or five men when he returned to his team’s hotel after having been out drinking in the central city.

"I have just returned from New Zealand and I am really surprised at the amount of media interest surrounding it," the blockbusting centre said in a statement released by his club Stade Francais.

"I was astonished by the amount of journalists at the airport when I touched down.

"All that happened was an everyday occurrence which could happen to anybody. Unhappily for me it was my turn this time."

Source.

As Geraldo Rivera used to say, "Now it can be told!"

Bastareaud comes clean

25th June 2009

France and Stade Français centre Mathieu Bastareaud has admitted to lying about being assaulted in New Zealand in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Bastareaud returned to France earlier this week with stitches in his face after saying he had been assaulted by "four or five" men in the streets of Wellington.

In a statement published on his club's website on Thursday, Bastareaud has confessed to making the entire story up after doubts were cast over his original version of events when it was revealed that CCTV footage from the night showed Bastareaud walking into his hotel uninjured with two other players and two women.

"I have to clear up the incidents that happened in New Zealand. I have to tell the truth," read Bastareaud's statement.

"On Saturday night, I came back to the hotel after having too much to drink. I fell in my room and hit the bedside table and opened up my cheek.

"I was ashamed, I panicked and I thought I was going to be thrown out of the French national team. I told this story thinking it would all blow over, but seeing the magnitude it's taken I prefer to tell the truth.

"I didn't want to shock my family. I panicked and dug myself deeper into a hole."

"I would like to apologise to the New Zealand Rugby Union, the city of Wellington, the players and staff of the French national team, my club, my friends and most of all those who were affected by this incident."

Source.

The Telegraph (UK) reports:

The previously reported incident of assault on Bastareaud had cast a negative light on New Zealand - the hosts of the 2011 Rugby World Cup - but their reputation now appears to be restored. ...

The New Zealand rugby federation received a full apology from Bastareaud, whose 'assault' had prompted New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key to step in to calm matters.

AFP:

France manager Jo Maso on Thursday issued sincere apologies to the New Zealand authorities and admitted centre Mathieu Bastareaud had concocted his story about being beaten up by thugs in Wellington.

"We defended our player but unfortunately he lied to everybody," Maso said, expressing official regrets to New Zealand and others involved in the incident.

"They, like us, were duped... We are shattered by what has happened and we will see what decisions are needed on the part of the (French Rugby) federation and national selectors," he told reporters in Sydney where the France XV is preparing for Saturday's Test against the Wallabies.

"This is a great shame because the prime minister (New Zealand premier John Key) had issued a letter of apology. It is regrettable and I am profoundly hurt."

Funnily enough, from the photo at the top of the post, it appears the only thing Maori or Polynesian in this farce are the motifs tattooed onto Bastareaud's forearm. Bad mana.

Update:

Did Bastareaud come clean after a guilty conscience? Or might he have been squeezed...?

Police had sprung lying Bastareaud

Mathieu Bastareaud admitted lying about being assaulted in Wellington only after police suggested he "reconsider" his position, the head of the police inquiry says. ...

Inspector Pete Cowan told Radio New Zealand there had been no evidence to support Bastareaud's version of events, including CCTV footage from the Holiday Inn which showed him entering the hotel without injuries.

He said Wellington police on Thursday asked the New Zealand Rugby Football Union to contact their French counterparts to discuss the incident further.

"We outlined clearly our findings which showed Mr Bastareaud's allegations were a pure fabrication and suggested that Mr Bastareaud reconsider his position."

It was because of this police action that Bastareaud admitted he had lied, Mr Cowan said.

"Mr Bastareaud hasn't come out overnight and apologised out of the goodness of his heart. This has been a strategy from us and the New Zealand Rugby Football Union have been strong supporters and assisted us in this."

Cowan said Bastareaud had arrived back at the hotel at 5.22am on Sunday but didn't enter his room until 25 minutes later, and "what happened in that 25 minutes is obviously open to a lot of speculation".

Bastareaud had not laid an official complaint, but his fabricated story had wasted "an enormous amount of resources", Mr Cowan said.

Wellington's mayor Kerry Prendergast earlier said she believed the French rugby team and its management had colluded over Bastareaud's story.

"There was clearly collusion, there were other players involved, the team doctor's involved, the coach because Bastareaud got sent back to France so quickly. This is wider than just one player." ...

Bastareaud now faces disciplinary sanctions from the French Rugby Federation (FFR).

In a statement, its president Pierre Camou apologised to the people of New Zealand and the New Zealand Rugby Union, and said he had asked the FFR disciplinary committee to open an inquiry into the incident.

Source.

Update II:

The Times resident rugby "expert" Stephen Jones misses the boat - again! - in his latest column:

Awards for pomposity

...

And the pomposity of the statement by Steve Tew, chief executive of the (NZRU), grates horribly. He droned on about the savage injury to the reputation of "rugby, Wellington and New Zealand", demanded some kind of action by the French Federation, who were absolutely blameless, and generally reacted as if Bastareaud had actually burned down the New Zealand Parliament.

That "absolutely blameless" presumption is also a show of pomposity, right back at the precious 'Tash, whose condescending pretense continues...

The statement also appears to indicate that there has never been any crime in Wellington of an evening, and also that no New Zealand rugby players have ever got themselves into trouble. The truth is, of course, that an incredibly large number of leading New Zealand rugby players have been convicted of a whole variety of offences over the past five or six years, causing one New Zealand professional observer to wonder in print if there was not an alcohol problem in rugby which needed to be addressed.

Bastareaud was way out of order, but his offence was neither particularly better or worse than many of those committed in New Zealand and elsewhere by players who have downed a few. I also have sympathy for Bastareaud and for all players and referees struggling with a drink problem - and none whatsoever for the papal, mock-anguished tones of official reprimands.

"The truth is," Mr. Jones? You're telling us the truth?

All-righty, then. Kindly answer for us - how many of those kiwi pissheads over the past five or six years fabricated LIES making the fictitious claims that they were:

1. Swarmed by a gang?

2. Claimed they were deliberately targetted by nationality?

3. Identified the accused fictitious attackers by race?

4. And then extracted an official public apology from the nations' highest head of state?

Yeah, for sure, happens all the time, "neither particularly better or worse than many of those committed in New Zealand."

How many times, Stevie-boy?

Edify us with your wisdom and knowledge. Don't restrict yourself to just New Zealanders and the "past five or six years."

Try hard to present even so much as ONE single example that supports your fallacy, and you get to choose from ANY PLAYER from ANY NATION in the ENTIRE HISTORY OF RUGBY UNION.

It's stupefying how ignorant, full of shit and illogical this man is.

He's also incredibly thin-skinned.

He loves posting every log-rolling comment that elevates him onto a pedestal and strokes his moustache. But try writing him a polite message of dissent at his blog, and rest assured that 9 times out of 10 this pompous bully-coward will "moderate" your comment with a delete button.

Update III:

The fibs and revelations just keep on a-comin'.

I always reckoned Mathieu Bastareaud's "confession" sounded suspicious.

After giving us the Once Were Warriors version, where Bastareaud claimed he was attacked by a gang of savage Maoris, who targetted him and swore at him, calling him a "filthyfucking Frenchman" before laying their boots in, he then "came clean" with Version No. 2, the "Battered Wife Excuse," blaming drunkeness and a coffee table.

He could have just as easily told us it was a door knob.

Now it appears the Maoris and Polynesians were the real victims, and the actual culprits were more than likely Bastareaud's "filthyfucking French" teammates.

Paper claims Bastareaud 'punched by teammate'

French rugby international Mathieu Bastareaud was reportedly punched by one of his teammates, according to a Paris newspaper. ...

The French press are now airing another scenario.

How he sustained a cut cheek and facial bruising is the big question.

Two fellow players - named as Louis Picamoles and Fulgence Ouedraogo - may have played a part in the bizarre episode, newspapers suggest.

According to an internal investigation by the team, Picamoles and Ouedraogo came back to the Holiday Inn at 5.22am on June 21 in a taxi with two women, while Bastareaud arrived at the same time in a second taxi, news agency Agence France Presse reported.

"Drunk and aggressive, Bastareaud was reportedly calmed down by a fist from one of his teammates," according to an account sketched by the daily Le Parisien. It also quoted Picamoles and Ouedraogo as denying this.

Picamoles, Bastareaud, Yannick Jauzion and Thomas Domingo, on the injury list, flew back from the tour last Monday, while Ouedraogo stayed on to play against the Wallabies. ...

Team bosses face tough questions about their handling of the scandal.

One is why Pierre Camou, president of the French Rugby Federation, and Jo Maso, the Bleus' manager, leapt to defend Bastareaud.

They insist they were duped by the player. Le Parisien said acidly: "Taking a bit of distance in handling this affair would have helped to avoid a diplomatic incident and prevented French rugby from looking ridiculous." Le Monde described the incident as a "torment" for les Bleus.

And sports daily L'Equipe said: "The Bastareaud affair is far from over."

Source.

Update IV:

Somewhere in this sordid saga, there is a human being:

Bastareaud hospitalized after new allegations he was punched by team-mate

29 June 2009

Shamed France international Mathieu Bastareaud has been admitted to hospital with "severe psychological problems" in the latest twist of a tawdry affair that shows no signs of abating.

His hospitalization follows earlier media reports that the 20-year-old Stade Francais player had sustained his now infamous facial injuries after being punched by a teammate.

Max Guazzini, president of Bastareaud’s club Stade Francais, said the player had returned early from a Caribbean holiday and was now under medical supervision in a "specialized institution" in Paris. Guazzini said he was likely to remain in hospital for a fortnight and refused to give its exact location.

Guazzani blamed what appears to be some sort of mental breakdown on the "relentlessness of the press against a boy of twenty years. Journalists have gone to his home and that of his parents. It is completely destroyed, we must leave him alone," he told AFP.

The latest development is a further blow to both the player and to French rugby generally as a web of lies and half-truths slowly unravels.

Bastareaud initially said he had been mugged outside his team hotel in Wellington, New Zealand, but was forced into a public apology after police proved that he had entered the hotel uninjured at 5.22am on June 21.

The Stade Francais player then claimed he had slipped and hit his cheek on a table in his hotel room after a drunken evening out, but now a third version of events is beginning to formulate.

French newspaper Le Parisien now claims the player was hit by one of his own colleagues after returning to the hotel. Team-mates Louis Picamoles and Fulgence Ouedraogo have been named as the two players who returned to the hotel – in company with two females – at the same time as Bastareaud, although both are denying their involvement.

"Drunk and aggressive, Bastareaud was reportedly calmed down by a fist from one of his team-mates," said Le Parisien.

Inspector Peter Cowan, who led the New Zealand police investigation into the alleged mugging, had already confirmed that there was a 25 minute window between Bastareaud entering the hotel and returning to his own room.

"What happened in that 25 minutes is obviously open to a lot of speculation,” he said last week. "Now I’m now in a position to tell you, all I can tell you is Mr Bastareaud was not assaulted outside the hotel by four or five mugs."

Le Parisien says an internal team investigation has concluded that Picamoles and Ouedraogo returned to the hotel in a taxi accompanied by two un-named women. Bastareaud apparently arrived at the same time in a separate taxi.

Picamoles and Bastareaud were subsequently flown home to France due to injuries, with Ouedraogo staying on to play against Australia last weekend.

The newspaper says Bastareaud now faces a French disciplinary commission which could either fine or suspend him from the national team.

It is another sorry turn in a turgid tale of lies and half-truths, with Bastareaud’s reputation already in tatters. Whether other players, or even the management team, get fingered for their roles in the episode remains to be seen as the full story slowly emerges.

Source.

Update V.

Did Mathieu Bastareaud attempt to commit suicide??

I haven't seen any confirmed news reports, but a distressing rumour appears on a French-language rugby blog posted at daily Le Monde. I don't know the accuracy of the post since there's no source link, but wondering all the same whether it might be true.

Babelfish translation:

The spirit of the previous article dictated by the succession of true-false information about Mathieu Bastareaud and consequences of his third half-time after the Wellington test requires me to clarify that it was mailed to 12 pm today. At 17 hours, the announcement of the attempted suicide of the young man and casts a cold hospital on the case so far to say the least, bizarre. [...]

Original text:

L’esprit du précédent article dicté par la succession de vraies-fausses informations concernant Mathieu Bastareaud et les conséquences de sa troisième mi-temps après le test de Wellington m’oblige a préciser qu’il a été posté vers 12 heures ce jour. A 17 heures, l’annonce de la tentative de suicide du jeune homme et son hospitalisation jette un froid sur cette affaire jusque-là pour le moins rocambolesque. Il n’est plus question de mensonges, de défendre ou d’accabler un homme qui en arrive cette extrémité ni même d’ironiser sur ceux qui l’entourent en bien ou en mal. [...]

Source.

Update VI.

More French-language reports about an attempted suicide.

L'Equipe & Actualité et News.

Let's hope the guy pulls himself together and has a full recovery.

The saga has gone from criminal travesty, to laughable farce, to pitiable sympathy for the player in a matter of a week. It's not over, we still don't know the whole truth, and we don't know who to believe.

Update VII.

I'm sorry.

Telegraph (UK) reports:

01 Jul 2009

Mathieu Bastareaud lie over assault prompts French Prime Minister to apologise

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has written a letter of apology to his New Zealand equivalent, John Key, after France centre Mathieu Bastareaud admitted to lying about an assault in Wellington last month.

[...]

In his letter, Fillon told Key: "By his false statements, as a result of which you had to intervene publicly, he seriously tainted the image of your country and its people."

Fillon said that he "regretted this incident" and added: "Our two countries share the culture of rugby.

"This sport has always allowed us to meet and to share a mutual respect. I hope that these sentiments will continue after this regrettable affair."

Bastareaud meanwhile has been admitted to hospital with what has been reported as serious psychological problems after the worldwide interest into the incident affected his mental state.

The Stade Francais centre, who had been due to go on a family holiday to the Caribbean this week, is expected to stay in hospital for at least a fortnight under observation.

The 20-year-old, who made his debut for France last year, has been backed by the French players' union, Provale, who issued a statement saying: "We solemnly demand that the media storm which nurtures doubts and fantasies ends immediately. We want above all that his privacy be respected and we hope that he makes a return to the pitch as quickly as possible."

But French Rugby Federation (FRF) president Pierre Camou, was less forgiving and condemned Bastareaud's behaviour.

"To be an international carries with it responsibility as a representative of your country and your federation," a FRF statement read.

"The FRF is shocked that one of the French XV has lied. The New Zealand nation and the world of rugby can legitimately feel wounded by the player's initial statements which have also tarnished the image of French rugby."

Update VIII.

The Times (UK) reports:

A France rugby international who sparked a diplomatic incident when he falsely claimed that he had been assaulted by New Zealand fans has been admitted to psychiatric care after reportedly throwing himself into the Seine.

Mathieu Bastareaud, 20, is said to have attempted suicide after telling friends he could not cope with the scandal that erupted when his lies were uncovered by police in New Zealand. The incident has become an embarrassment to French rugby authorities amid claims that they helped to cover up a hotel room fight between players and left Bastareaud to face the controversy on his own.

Bastareaud is a rare representative of France’s troubled suburban estates in a sport dominated by players from a white provincial background. This, his friends say, has exacerbated his mental fragility. “He sent me a text saying he couldn’t stand this harassment,” said Mathieu Blin, a team-mate at the club Stade Français. “Now he’s completely gone off the rails.”

French media reports said the rugby player told friends that he was suicidal after being sent home from France’s tour to New Zealand and Australia. LÉquipe, the sporting daily, said he jumped into the Seine at the weekend.

Update IX.

Ex-France international & current media consultant Laurent Bénézech. blogs and raises some suspicious contradictions and straightforward questions.

Google translation:

Case Bastareaud: Maso must resign!.

Chronicle, 30 June 2009

In recent days, I asked whether I had to shed some light on what everyone calls the case Bastareaud that first, is a tempest in a teapot. I say, at first, because the problem is not that Mathieu Bastareaud had detonated the cheekbone by a combination of circumstances that certainly has the name of a partner, but more by the fact that this kid has found in nature released by management of the French team. Back on the facts and attempt to explain.

What has really happened on Sunday morning? .

I am more interested in what happened after the injury of Mathieu Bastareaud as what happened before. But as it should from the outset, let the facts. What do we know with certainty? The youth center arrived at the hotel at the same time with 2 other players with 2 girls, certainly good families and finally came to discuss the tectonic plates and other philosophical topics. 2 girls, 3 boys, a little alcohol to liven it all, it makes a lot of possibilities when these boys have the spirit sharer. What do we know yet? That one of 2 players is Louis Picamoles and we tried to make us believe that the other was Fulgence Ouedraogo except that the police has shown that this was not the case. First question: Why have lied about the identity of the second player? To protect it? Second question then: Why protect him if he has done nothing? I see 2 possible answers: either because the 3rd line Montpellier fiancé has no base or because it allows you to more easily conceal the famous player, even 2 at a time. Third question: How important is it to conceal the identity of a player who would eventually, in a gesture of annoyance, put a right (or left or a whim elsewhere ...) Mathieu Bastareaud? This is not the first time that such an incident occurs and until then, apart from the direct punishment that was the end of the tour to Mathieu Bastareaud, there was no death? Here are several possible answers depending on whether you want to protect the privacy of the offending player or his status in the team and, having no proof, I will certainly not venture to give a name. By against, what interests me is the result which is far more catastrophic than the 3 stitches on the cheek of the young French center stage.

...

There is no need to be in the small papers for the name since the team gave today. Moreover it is easy to imagine that if the geniuses of the FFR has tried to hide a player by another player, simply take the physical characteristics of the player in question, Fulgence Ouedraogo, seeking what is the other major player of the team that looks the most. Now if you do not, it only remains for you to buy the team ...

Update X.
Bloodhound Bénézech tracks the conspirators

Ex-France international test prop Laurent Bénézech continues his superlative sleuthing, and advises the young Mathieu Basteaud to come clean, tell the whole truth, stop protecting the guilty and co-conspirators, for the good of French rugby and his own mental health.

Excerpt (Google translation):

Mathieu Bastareaud: Why must now tell the truth!

2 July 2009

Mathieu Bastareaud is not only involved in the case Bastareaud!

If one follows the course of the versions of events given to the press and that we proceed by elimination, one can conclude that the attack on the young French center stage took place within the hotel and can not come from a clash on the night table of his room since the New Zealand Police found no trace of blood on the furniture. It appears therefore more and more obvious that the player was struck that, as a former rugby player and without, of course, an expert with the courts, seems the most plausible. Taking into account the player's body, the size of the cuts and bruises on his face, it seems obvious that he was struck by someone stout and strong enough to reach such a result. In any case, anything that does not resemble the passivity of furniture, even solid oak! Indeed, evidence is emerging: Mathieu Bastareaud, its fanciful versions protects her abuser!

And this is where things do not seem consistent. What interest Mathieu Bastareaud lying? He claimed to have done to protect his international career. But why, then, Mathieu Bastareaud not telling the truth as it is not aggressive aggressor? The only person to have committed a mistake at this point is that (or that, but it is unlikely given the result of impact) that hit the player in the face. Panicked because he claims Max Guazzini, uh ..., Mathieu Bastareaud pardon himself. But panic over what? In fact he was injured? But then the story of the night table was, at that time, perfect to avoid any further criticism than the awkwardness and alcoholic especially since the staff of the French team had given permission to players out, so drink, to be clumsy in returning. This is where nothing I want and where more and more difficult to believe that Mathieu Bastareaud was not alone at the time to build a lie to explain his injury!

Mathieu Bastareaud has no choice now!

If the young French center stage to avoid paying for others, he must now speak. It must give the true version of events. He must explain what happened before between 5:22 and 5:47, and secondly and more importantly, what happened from the time it was recousu by Dr. Hager. What risk there more? It is already condemned by the Federation and the Prime Minister of France. And if a few good friends advice him promise that his silence is the best way to avoid too heavy a sentence, Mathieu Bastareaud should know that this is wrong!

The young French center stage is now designated as guilty only by what he is all alone to take the lie of the alleged assault outside the hotel by New Zealand nationals. But now it is proven to have been assaulted inside the hotel and clear as it was by a natural person and not a piece of furniture, Mathieu Bastareaud can no longer be accused of having been the only one lying. There are at least one other person who knows the truth, his assailant. Plus, maybe, if we are going to be assumed that the first version of the facts, which seems many arrange french camp, has been blown by Mathieu Bastareaud others.

Why do I pretend that the first version arrange many french camp? Simply because if the player was attacked inside the hotel, he could not have been, or by someone outside the French delegation, either by someone who is gone. If we accept the first option, why invent a version where the action took place outside the hotel when it happened in there? As against, if we accept the second option, this was a much more logical Mathieu Bastareaud was assaulted by a member of the French delegation, which gives an explanation for the clear starting to lie about the reasons for the injury to the face of the young Parisian.

The supervision of the French team in the secrecy of lies?

Obligatoirement, Mathieu Bastareaud and the assailant knew from the outset the facts! That is obvious. Them only? This is where I am taken to a huge doubt. I find it hard to believe that the aggressor, having placed his right (or left, once again I am not an expert with the courts) on the cheek of the player, has recouche as if nothing had happened . So I think it quickly sober by the consequences of his action, accompanied her partner to the room of Dr. Hager and thus, de facto, the now famous Dr. Jean-Philippe Hager knows the name of the abuser Mathieu Bastareaud And if Dr. Hager knows the name of the abuser from Mathieu Bastareaud, the same goes for the whole of the guidelines of the French team! So, logically, Mathieu Bastareaud could use the version of the attack outside the hotel with the blessing of the overall supervision of the French team. And when I say a blessing, I am compelled to ask whether it, as it would have us believe, Mathieu Bastareaud who is from the version or if, as is now possible, this version it was strongly suggested by promising that it would bury the case was not yet one.

When I say that I believe that the assailant with the victim, I have no certainty of course other than to think that whatever it is, the assailant had the presence of mind to worry the state of health of his partner to bring to the doctor's room. This is the normal behavior of a rugby player for one of our partners even if he is the cause of the injury. And that's what makes me think that Mathieu Bastareaud is only an instrument which has served a version of facts was to stifle what is supposed to be a case. The problem is that we came today to reverse the effect that the young French center stage must defend himself for not being the ideal sentenced to hide the huge gaps that this story reveals! MATHIEU, YOU MUST SAY THE TRUTH IS YOUR INTEREST ...

Update XI.
The Lone Gunman

It defies belief, but the FFR is washing their hands and passing the buck on l'Affaire Bastareud with an obvious cover-up to protect conspirators and blame it on a single man.

I am sure Laurent Bénézech will have more to say about this obvious smoke-screen (see previous posts).

Google translation:

The development of Pierre Camou

In an interview published by Midi Olympique, the president of the Federation reaffirms its support for the staff of Blue and announced that the Disciplinary Committee should punish the player.

As the father of Mathieu Bastareaud has proclaimed his anger in the press last week - including denying having cancer while the information was issued by the player himself to the doctor of the team of France - Pierre Camou is also emerged from his silence. Questioned about this at the conference of the Federation in Strasbourg last weekend, the president of the FFR, whose silence became heavy, has finally delivered his opinion on this matter in an interview published by Midi Olympique on Monday .

Annoyed by some questions on this lie became an affair of state after the apologies of the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and french, the successor to Bernard Lapasset strongly reaffirmed the continued Jo Maso at his post. Some spoke of a possible dismissal of manager of the French team, but Pierre Camou said he "was never in danger." If it concedes the lack of relevance of a night out between two tests, it vigorously defended his staff: "I say, I repeat and I repeat: everyone has fulfilled its role, ensures there. I want to reiterate that the players are professionals (...) The players are adults. You can not put a guard in front of each room. It is their responsibility. "

"There will obviously a sanction"

Mathieu Bastareaud should be the only one to pay the mess in this case. "The Disciplinary Committee has received, it will be independent in its investigation and then, proposals for possible sanctions", said the president of the FFR, as that "there is obviously a penalty, if only in relation to the injury of a people, an entire nation, had to endure." There are still no date fixed for the consideration of case of player who, moreover, is always placed in a clinic in the Paris area to rest.

"What worries me most is the health of the player," says Pierre Camou. A health condition which returned Max Guazzini in the Sunday issue Stage 2, providing further reassurance. But the president of the french stage once again threw the trouble on this matter very opaque in stating that "if (Bastareaud, NDLR) not telling the truth, perhaps because it protects people ... "The investigation requested by the President of the FFR is supposed to shed light on this matter." ...

Total farce.

Guilty

2009-05-28T14:11:00.005-04:00

Two years in the making. Manny Castillo archive below. Will update as warrants. Honestly, after going through the ringer on this two years ago, I don't know how much more I can say, aside from the fact that we still really don't know the whole truth.

Teen guilty in rugby death

May 28, 2009
Bob Mitchell
Toronto Star

A Mississauga high school student was found guilty of manslaughter today in the death of a rival player during a rugby game.

The teen, now 18, was visibly upset – as were family members – after Justice Bruce Duncan rendered his decision in a Brampton courtroom.

His mother hugged him as he sat forlorn, his head down, at a table at the front of the packed Brampton courtroom.

Justice Bruce Duncan decided his actions that day caused the death of Manny Castillo.

The accused pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. He will be sentenced at a later date.

In rendering his decision, Justice Duncan rejected the defendant's self-defence claim that he only pushed Castillo to the ground to get out of a choking headlock during the game on May 9, 2007.

"The defendant intentionally applied force that was outside the rules of the game or any standard by which the game is played," Duncan said. "Manny did not explicitly consent to that force.

"I'm satisfied beyond any doubt no consent can be implied.

"There was no justification in self defence. Accordingly, the defendant committed an assault, an unlawful act. That unlawful act caused death. The defendant is therefore guilty of manslaughter."

Defence lawyers Lisa White and Calvin Barry had suggested Castillo knew he was playing in a physical game and that he accepted the dangers of the contact sport when he entered the field to play for his Lorne Park team that tragic day.

But Duncan rejected her assertion.

He described what the defendant did as being a "sucker tackle" and said at its "highest" it was done out of retaliation, not self defence.

Castillo died from a serious head injury a few days after the incident.

Crown prosecutor John Raftery said during the two-week trial that the accused, a major junior player with an Ontario Hockey League team, committed manslaughter when he lifted Castillo into the air, his feet facing upwards, and drove him head first into the ground.

For now, the identity of the accused is protected by Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The Crown has said it intends to seek an adult sentence, opening the door to his name being published.

Raftery insisted in his closing remarks that the deadly move was separate and away from the normal play on the field and the ball was nowhere near them.

Following the critical play, Castillo lay motionless, and was dying from severe head and spinal cord injuries.

During the trial, various witnesses – including players, coaches, the referee, parents and rugby experts – gave conflicting accounts of what they saw.

Some said they saw Castillo put the defendant into a headlock and others didn't. Some said the play had already stopped at the time and others didn't. Some witnesses saw Castillo driven to the ground, others said they say him fall gently over the shoulder of the accused.

As for the convicted teen, he testified that he fell on top of Castillo when he wrestled his way out of a headlock. He said he had panicked because he couldn't breathe and denied intentionally hurting the opposing player. He said he was unaware Castillo was injured when they both fell to the ground.

Source: Toronto Star

RELATED:

Toronto Star, May 11, 2009
Accused denies trying to hurt Manny Castillo

Toronto Star, May 12, 2009
Manny Castillo had accused in headlock, manslaughter trial told

Toronto Sun, May 26, 2009
Tackle - or manslaughter?

EARLIER:

Red Terror blog, Friday, May 11, 2007
Toronto teen near death during rugby game

Red Terror blog, Saturday, May 12, 2007
Update: Toronto rugby teen dies

Red Terror blog, Monday, May 14, 2007
Manny Castillo update

Red Terror blog, Tuesday, May 15, 2007
More Manny fall-out

Red Terror blog, Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Concussion rumour added to Castillo tragedy

Red Terror blog, Saturday, May 19, 2007
Moralizing pinheads

Red Terror blog, Thursday, May 24, 2007
More Manny Castillo exploitation and disinformation

Update:

The difficulty is that even the actual witnesses are in direct conflict about what they saw. All this is compounded by there not being a videotape of the incident, simply conflicting eyewitness testimony.

It probably didn't help that the offender unloaded swearing at the referee, which is sadly not uncommon in North American sporting culture, with rugby being a polite exception.

I don't want to open a can o' worms, but again, my first reaction sizing up the story two years ago was remembering the inflamed emotions and charges stemming from the Tana/Kev/BOD "He could have died" so-called "spear-tackle" controversy.

What if...?

What if there had never been video evidence of that incident? What if the only witnesses we had were reports in UK newspapers?

There was of course videotape of that "off the ball" cleanout, and yet opinions about "intent" and "assault" and "thuggery" were still starkly divided.

Two different people could watch that tape over-and-over and come to two different conclusions. I can look at the tape and believe, unfortunate, yes, but deliberate assault? I don't buy that. It's rugby, a game that involves hard physical contact and risk.

Whereas this Canadian judge Duncan could have sight-unseen listened to BOD's version of events and reached the same judgment that the "defendants intentionally applied force that was outside the rules of the game or any standard by which the game is played," .... "BOD did not explicitly consent to that force (and he could have died!)."

The fact that a kid actually did die only compounds the emotions.

S14 expansion and new playoff format unveiled

2009-05-20T08:26:00.003-04:00

My guess is Melbourne.

(It's gotta be a better choice than plonking an ice-hockey team in Arizona, right?)

Rugby Planet reports:

Super 14 expansion plans revealed

19th May 2009

The Super 14 will be a Super 15 from 2011, with a new-look three conference calendar stretching the Super Rugby season to 24 weeks.

There will be three five-team conferences, one based in each of the SANZAR countries with Australia by far the most likely country to benefit from an extra franchise, something that will delight ARU CEO John O'Neill no end.

The new 24-week Super Rugby competition guarantees each team a minimum of eight home matches and a 16-match regular season. A new six team finals series includes an extra round with two "sudden-death" qualifiers before the semi-finals.

All teams will have a three-week bye while the tournament is suspended during the June International Test window, while the Tri-Nations series has also been given a new time slot in the calendar to run at the conclusion of Super Rugby.

The expanded competition has a 2011 launch date, with the current broadcast agreement to expire at the end of 2010.

"It has been an intense negotiation but we believe the outcome is a very good one for rugby, for the SANZAR alliance, for our players and fans and for broadcasters," said Andy Marinos, the CEO of SANZAR.

"We were all committed to an expanded tournament and have been able to make it work, taking into account the different landscapes of our domestic game. What we have agreed upon is a competition with added domestic interest and a compelling international component that will see Super Rugby retain its status as rugby's toughest provincial competition."

Key features of the proposed new season structure are:

> A 15th team playing in the Australian conference will be added to Super Rugby following a tender process open to all territories, and with SANZAR making the decision on the new side's location. A timetable for tenders will be released shortly to ensure adequate lead-in time is provided to the successful bidder.

> The Tournament will kick off in the last week of February and conclude in the first week of August, except in 2011 when the calendar will be shifted earlier to accommodate Rugby World Cup.

> Teams will be divided into three national Conferences of five teams each. The new team will compete in the Australian Conference.

> Teams play the other four teams in their Conference twice (home and away).

> Teams play four out of the five teams from the other two Conferences (four home, four away).

> All teams will have a three-week bye during the June Test window.

> The three Conference winners and three wildcard teams with the highest number of competition points from any Conference qualify for the play-offs.

> The wildcard teams and the Conference winner with the least competition points will play an elimination round to meet the two Conference winners with the greatest number of competition points in the semi-finals.

> Tri-Nations will always kick-off in South Africa in mid-August and conclude with two of the three trans-Tasman matches in early October to allow for early release of Springboks to Currie Cup. The will allow for Tri Nations tests between particular teams in particular countries to become permanent fixtures on the rugby calendar. [...]

Source.

Wild, unprecedented weekend

2009-05-04T08:21:00.011-04:00

A memorable sporting weekend got off under a very dark cloud with the announcement of the death of Sunline, possibly the greatest and most elegant race horse of my lifetime. The girl died much too early, at the age of 13, succumbing to incurable laminitis, and will be buried at Ellerslie race track, a fitting tribute. More information here.

Sunline was already immortalized as the best Kiwi mare-ever, and in a very exclusive class of the best Kiwi thoroughbreds of all time. Chronologically... Carbine, Gloaming (actually an Aussie-bred), Phar Lap, Kindergarten, Rising Fast, Tulloch and Sunline. Carbine and Phar Lap are on a different stratosphere. For sentimental reasons I'd add Desert Gold, Balmerino and Bonecrusher to the list (Might and Power was pretty special, too), but Sunline is closer to the best than they are.

Three-time Australian Horse of the Year and Four-time New Zealand Horse of the Year, both unprecedented, says it all really. An inaugural inductee into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame, and the only horse to ever be inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame while she was still racing.

I thought Canada's Dance Smartly might've been the best darling of the turf I ever saw ... until I saw Sunline. She has too many great memories to mention, but of particular note mention has to go to her 2000 Cox Plate, the second of her infamous back-to-backs in the Australasian weight-for-age championship. Her race was simply breathtaking (see Pt. 2 of youtube video below). The race wasn't as exciting as Bonecrusher's '86 Plate, but her victory was more awe-inspiring, more devastating.

Her speed and endurance and will-to-win were legendary. The girl didn't muck around, she went to the front, applied heavy pressure and basically said "catch me if you can." Thanks for the memories girl, and Rest In Peace.

WTF? Less than two years after scoring a try against the All Blacks (see video below) and representing Canada at the Rugby World Cup, fullback Mike Pyke "breaks the code" and makes a "miraculous" jump to the AFL:

Canadian Pyke to make his 'crazy game' debut

Richard Hinds May 1, 2009
The Age, Melbourne

WHEN Mike Pyke told his mother that he was moving from France to Australia to further his football career, she was not totally surprised. The Canadian rugby international had played in Edinburgh for two years before joining French club side US Montauban, and so the move to Sydney did not seem unusual.

"I knew there were two types of rugby in Australia, league and union," said Christine Peterson who lives in Victoria, British Columbia. "I just thought he was going there to play one or the other. I really didn't think much about this crazy game you have."

The crazy game is Australian football and, at the SCG on Sunday, Mike Pyke will become one of its most exotic debutants. About 10 months after a friend who was working in Melbourne sent an email to an agent saying he knew someone "who might be pretty good", Pyke will pinch-hit in the ruck for Sydney against Richmond.

While AFL fans have become accustomed to Irishmen making the transition from Gaelic to Australian football, a 24-year-old Canadian rugby player rising to the elite level so quickly is unprecedented. "Miraculous," says Michael Quinlan, the manager who recommended Pyke to the Swans. "It's really amazing that it's happened so fast."

Christine Peterson, who had just returned to Canada last week after spending three weeks with her son in Sydney, will board another long-haul flight and be at the SCG on Sunday. It will be, she says, a head-spinning experience watching her son play a game at the elite level that was a strange novelty when he was a child.

"He had certainly heard of it but we don't even get fully-fledged games (on television) here," she said. "You would just see them jumping and running around some times without really knowing what was going on."

But Peterson is not surprised by how quickly her son has adapted. Having raised Pyke and his older brother and sister alone after being divorced from their father Ian when Mike was four (Ian Pyke died last year), she saw him thrive playing ice hockey, soccer and basketball as a junior before he settled on rugby.

"He's just a really good athlete and he's always done very well," she says of Pyke, who made his debut for Canada at full-back aged 19.

Canadian friend Matt Goodwin set in motion his unusual transition from rugby to AFL. Living in Melbourne, Goodwin was inevitably immersed in the local game and decided the athletic Pyke would be a natural. So he tracked down contact details for Quinlan and sent him an email.

"Basically it said he knew this guy who would be worth taking a look at," says Quinlan. "The thing that caught my eye was that he was 200-plus centimetres and 105 kilos. So I got in contact (with Goodwin) to see if he was legitimate athlete, looked at some footage and then I spoke to Mike."

Quinlan contacted the Swans because of their reputation for developing left-field recruits.

The Swans were impressed both by Pyke's physique and that he was already a mature, elite athlete. A program was put in place to fine-tune his skills.

"It's pretty amazing," says Brett Allison, the Swans assistant who has overseen Pyke's development. "When we first saw him (last August) I though he might have been pushing for a game at the back end of the season … but he's picked up the game really fast."

Source.

In the first Heineken Cup semi-final of the weekend, played in Dublin on Saturday, Leinster stunned rugby fans the world over conquering arch-nemesis and defending HEC-champs Munster in front of a record crowd at Croke Park.

Five years ago it would have been unthinkable sacrilege that they'd ever allow rugby to be played at Croke Park, but now the Irish are going insane for rugby in a way I've never seen in my lifetime:

Record crowd at Croke

Saturday 02nd May 2009

82,208: World record crowd witness Leinster win

The Heineken Cup has reclaimed the world record for a club crowd after 82,208 fans turned up at Croke Park to see Leinster beat Munster 25-6 and reach their first final.

Sources: Here and here.

Controversy:

Rags to riches Hollywood stuff for Mine That Bird.

Bought for $9,500 and comes to the race after a gruelling 2700 km roadtrip in a stall and steals the Kentucky Derby to win going away by seven lengths after uncorking one of the deadliest finishes I have ever seen in a major classic.

Not sure if he's the real deal (he was the Canadian 2yo champion last year) or won simply 'cos he's a superior mudder. Doesn't matter - he's the Derby champion, and the 2nd-longest shot to ever win.

Check out the aerial replay starting at 9:30 where horse and jockey Calvin Borel go from last to first squeezing along the rail in a few incredible hoof beats.

On Saturday night, Filipino national hero Manny Pacquiao obliterated Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas to win IBO and Ring Magazine World Light Welterweight Titles and retain his crown as the world's best "pound-for-pound" boxer.

The look on Hatton's face when he was down-and-out was seriously scary. Just glad he got up and was able to walk out under his own strength. Pretty much the dictionary definition of getting "laid out," Hatton looked like a carpet being unfurled onto that mat.

And yesterday (Sunday) saw for me an epic 2nd semi-final in the Heineken Cup, with Cardiff Blues stealing a pair of tries in tghe last pair of minutes, with spectacular sideline conversions from Ben "Hobbit" Blair to snatch an unlikely draw again Leicester Tigers. Alas, it being a playoff game, two extra-periods were added, without scoring, so the game went to a penalty shootout - the first time I have ever seen a rugby contest decided in such a cruel manner:

Utterly remarkable. Leicester Tigers will face Leinster in the final of the Heineken Cup after resisting one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the game to win on a place-kick penalty shoot-out after grinding out a 26-26 draw in 100 minutes of play at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

A game as brilliant as this one should not have been ended by such ludicrous means, but it did add a fittingly dramatic coda to the legend that this contest is sure to become - it was a jaw-dropper from start to sorry end.

Poor Martyn Williams.

The dramatic penalty shoot-out here:

And lastly, for the time-being, the All Blacks have unveiled a new kit. Presumably the shitty silver thing introduced during the RWC 2007 debacle will be discarded to the dustin of really bad ideas.

A new all-white All Blacks jersey was unveiled to be used as a second kit to complement the traditional, famous black apparel. The white jersey includes a white collar and New Zealand’s national symbol, the silver fern, on the left breast in black. As well, for the first time ever, both the black and white strips will feature a fern pattern across the front of the jersey fabric, enhancing the New Zealand look and feel of the most famous rugby jersey in the world. The All Blacks will wear the white jersey with their traditional black shorts and black socks with white stripes.

The white jersey will only be worn, as required, when the All Blacks are playing outside of New Zealand, in line with the IRB’s revised policy of the away team needing to change jerseys in the event of a clash. It will be worn for the first time against France in Marseille this November during the All Blacks’ end of year tour.

Source.

Bonus... uh-oh!

THE SHADOW HARE:

Double-Bonus: Dan Quinn cuts a promo:

Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World

2009-04-30T12:45:00.011-04:00

They've still got it. I've been waiting ever-so-patiently for somebody to post Sonic Youth's live appearance on BBC TV two nights ago with a new song from their forthcoming album The Eternal. And blessed thanks, somebody has! It's one of Lee's and I am entralled. It has elevated my expectations for this new record to scary heights. I'm watching it over and over. Lee has thrown down a marker. If Kim and Thurston can match this, then this first Matador album will surely be another stunner.

Sonic Youth - What We Know - Later... With Jools Holland 28/04/09

Lions squad to South Africa

2009-04-29T10:04:00.002-04:00

O'Connell to lead Lions in South Africa

Paul O'Connell promised to lead the British and Irish Lions in the same way he skippered Munster to European Cup glory after being unveiled as their captain for this year's tour of South Africa.

"It's not a day I ever aspired to as such,'' O'Connell, 29, told reporters after coach Ian McGeechan announced his 37-man squad here on Tuesday. ...
The 62-times capped lock will find himself in the unusual position of leading a side which includes his Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll, who earlier this season led the country to their first Grand Slam in 61 years.

But McGeechan was adamant in wanting a "real focus in the forwards" against the world champion Springboks. ...

O'Connell played in all three Tests during the Lions' last and ill-fated tour four years ago when they were thrashed 3-0 by New Zealand.

LIONS SQUAD

Full-backs: Lee Byrne (WAL), Robert Kearney (IRL)

Wings: Shane Williams (WAL), Tommy Bowe (IRL), Luke Fitzgerald (IRL), Leigh Halfpenny (WAL), Ugo Monye (ENG)

Centres: Tom Shanklin (WAL), Jamie Roberts (WAL), Brian O'Driscoll (IRL), Keith Earls (IRL), Riki Flutey (ENG)

Outside-halves: Stephen Jones (WAL), Ronan O'Gara (IRL)

Scrum-halves: Michael Phillips (WAL), Harry Ellis (ENG), Tomas O'Leary (IRL)

Back-row: Jamie Heaslip (IRL), Andy Powell (WAL), Martyn Williams (WAL), Joe Worsley (ENG), Stephen Ferris (IRL), David Wallace (IRL), Alan Quinlan (IRL)

Second-row: Alun-Wyn Jones (WAL), Paul O'Connell (IRL, capt), Donncha O'Callaghan (IRL), Simon Shaw (ENG), Nathan Hines (SCO)

Props: Andrew Sheridan (ENG), Phil Vickery (ENG), Euan Murray (SCO), Gethin Jenkins (WAL), Adam Jones (WAL)

Hookers: Jerry Flannery (IRL), Lee Mears (ENG), Matthew Rees (WAL)

RIP Derek Weiler: Author, Editor, Pallie

2009-04-13T16:37:00.024-04:00

Derek at his Hallowe'en party, circa 1991/92, presumably shot by either Frank S. or Kenton A.

Apologies in advance for the hasty sloppiness, but I write this with a heavy heart, trying to process and make some sort of sense from this past Easter weekend.

I just lost a close friend and mentor.

Derek Weiler was the Editor in Chief at Quill & Quire, a publication considered by many to be the "bible" of the Canadian publishing and literary trade. It was a position he'd held for the past five years. Ordinarily I wouldn't want to share stories. I prefer to keep my grieving personal, dignified and quiet, and I'd bend over backwards to avoid mawkishness, which Derek despised.

Yet I've been reading an assortment of news obituaries and blog commentaries, most expressing shock – he passed away much too young – and underlining his brilliance, sensitivity and talent, and thinking that, true, he was all that. But IMO they're missing something.

See, to me, and I suspect most of Derek's closest friends, it was no secret that as smart and curious as he was, he was also bone-achingly funny, he loved exchanging stories about the absurdities of life and slapping his thigh in uncontrollable fits of laughter.

Derek and I became quick friends about 18 years ago, and continued our friendship ever since, getting together annually for Blue Jay games with Frank S. and Karen M. where we'd shoot the shit about ye olde Imprint Waterloo mafia and whatever else was on our minds.

I first met Derek in 1991. I came to the Imprint office, where he was Arts Editor, and handed off a photograph of George Clinton at the Concert Hall. Derek called me a couple hours later, close to deadline, telling me he loved the photo, and that he'd reserved the top half of the arts section front page for the feature - but that he didn't have a story to accompany it.

"Can you write?" he asked me.

Front of the arts section... seriously?

I'd never written an arts article in my life. I just wanna take pictures, I think I told him, but I'll give it a try. I can't recall if it ever did make the front, but I remember that he published it with very few edits and asked me to contribute more.

From that time forward, Derek and I became fast friends. He respected my opinion and we often partnered-up for rock 'n roll gigs, with me providing photos for his articles, reviews and interviews. Sometimes he'd make me look smarter than I actually was by sharing a byline on several features (top o' my head would be those longish interviews we did with Dean Wareham, Martin Phillipps and Jonathan Donahue, etc. - then again, I was exclusively responsible for asking the really dumb questions), plus a crazy piece we threw together with Chris Waters when the three of us hit an indie-rock burnout weekend in Chapel Hill, NC for the Merge 5th anniversary bash in 1994. (Merge Records turns Twenty this summer, and only last week I'd been wonderin' whether Derek might consider a trip down south for the party, where we might catch some Superchunk and Yo La Tengo side-projects again.)

If you can't stand my writing, blame Derek! He was the person forever encouraging me to write and ginning-up my confidence. For that I will always be thankful and shall never forget.

I never fancied myself as a writer, whereas I thought he could write like a song. So his encouragement had a massive influence on my self-belief. He was forever complimenting and nurturing me. At the point he recommended me to the editor of the local daily newspaper where he was working, I think I actually started believing him. Moreover, if there's anybody to blame for the genesis of my Fillerzine, again, blame him, he was the principle antagonist insisting I had to publish the thing "by any means necessary." Better yet his contributions raised the profile of the rag, and I was always happy to publish anything-and-everything he submitted for free when he could have just as easily turned around and sold them for real currency to real publishers.

Derek at the San Francisco Wave Organ, Feb. 1996, shot by me.

I have so many fond memories of Derek. One I can never forget is a trippy February weekend in 1996 when we visited San Francisco. We hit a hip indie record store in Haight-Ashbury, where Barbara Manning (SF Seals) was working. Now, several obits have mentioned that Derek was shy, but that wasn't always the case. Derek asked Ms. Manning about some of her rare 45s that he couldn't buy back home in Canada.

We were perfect strangers, but Barbara gave us her home address and directions for the bus route. A couple hours later I was astonished to find the three of us sitting in her bedroom, with our legs folded - on her bed! - watching music videos. She was busy giving Derek records – he looked like a kid on Christmas morning – and Ms. Manning tossed me a baggie of Humboldt County's finest, telling me to start rolling. I twisted about a dozen fatties – I rolled a couple, and every time I stopped Barbara challenged me to keep twisting. Derek wore the angel wings in our friendship, so he didn't indulge. After a few hours talking about Red Krayola and baseball, we departed Barbara's place ("Did that really happen?" Derek asked me in a daze) and she took the remaining seven joints and placed them into my shirt pocket and told us to check out the Church of John Coltrane, then the harbourfront Wave Organ the next day, which we did.

Afterward, getting dark, with less than an hour to check out of the hotel and fly back to T.O., it dawned on me that I still had four fatties in my shirt pocket, and not being prone to dispose of free weed or walk stupidly through airport security and customs carrying contraband, I felt obliged to consume her gift (from the Gods, so to speak), so we wandered up to the Coit Tower. Derek had no interest whatsoever participating in what I had in mind, but he didn't object either. Derek waited patiently for me, allowing me time to do what I had to do. He inspected the brilliant art deco murals inside the tower, while I ran below into a hiding place in the bushes to single the remaining four fatties by myself, one after the other. I spun and staggered back up the hill to the tower worse for wear but relieved that the lengthy last-minute inconvenience didn't seem to bother him. I did some dumbass things in his presence, but if he was ever judgmental or pissed at me, he certainly never made me feel it.

So while I knew Derek as an Editor, that's not how I'll remember him. To me, he was a close friend and confidante who never failed to make me laugh, who accepted me for who I was, and who saw something in my abilities that I never even saw in myself.

We need more people like him in our lifetimes.

Gone much too soon, good buddy. You were a blast. It was an honour to call you my friend.

Rest In Peace.

Irish Spring

2009-03-25T11:03:00.005-04:00

I've been distracted by multiple projects and deadlines of late, and again, very little time for viewing the rugby, let alone blogging about it. Having said that, I watched an enthralling conclusion to this years' Six Nations championship decider between Wales and Ireland at Cardiff, and give a big round of applause to Ireland claiming their first Triple Crown/Grand Slam/Championship in 61 years. Ireland 17 Wales 15. Well done, and well deserved Ireland!

Not that the potato-eaters didn't breathe a sigh of relief at games' end. The lead changed twice in the last ten minutes, and the final play of the game was a 50 metre penalty shot in front of the sticks that would have given Wales the championship. The attempt was, in my opinion, taken much too hastily by Stephen Jones, and landed short. It would have been preferrable that he took his sweet time, as much as his allowance; and perhaps Gavin Henson, who has superior range from long-distance, might have been a better option. A quibble for debate by the Welsh, I suspect.

Now for the Lions . . .

RWC 2011 sked released

2009-03-12T08:56:00.004-04:00

Via Rugby Planet:

2011 World Cup draw announced

Thursday 12th March 2009

Thirteen venues across New Zealand have been chosen to host pool matches for Rugby World Cup (RWC) 2011 after the Match Schedule was announced in Auckland on Thursday.

Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 CEO Martin Snedden confirmed the Tournament will kick off at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday 9 September 2011 when New Zealand will play Tonga.

Auckland (Eden Park), Wellington and Christchurch have been allocated five pool matches each while North Shore, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Dunedin will each host three matches. Whangarei, Nelson, Palmerston North, Napier and Invercargill will host two matches.

Read the rest, here.

I'm personally disappointed to see the South Island get the short end of the stick. I realize it is much less populated than the urban centers of the North Island, but I would much rather see a minnow pool stage test played in Queenstown than anywhere near the North Shore. I suppose Eden Park is a motorway drive too far a drive for suburbanites from Takapuna and the East Coast Bays, but speaking as an outsider, who the heck would choose the ~~apple orchards~~ sterile new development of Albany over the Southern Alps and Lake District? Just askin'.

Complete RWC 2011 draw (.pdf), click here.

Six Nations crunch time

2009-02-27T08:44:00.004-05:00

After a fortnights' break, the Six Nations championship gears back up for Round Three. (The break applies to me as well - gotta get back on top of this stuff... missed this mornings' early Hurricanes vs Crusaders match and already playing catch-up...!).

In a very unusual scheduling move, the first of the three 6N matches goes today -- FRIDAY -- rather than the usual Sat & Sun fixtures. With France hosting Wales, it's a big one and a tough ask for the visiting title-holders that'll go a long way to determining the fate of this years' competition.

Ireland versus England is another huge game, and this is the annual weekend where Italy stands it's best chance of winning a game, though playing on the road, it could be the Wooden Spoon match.

Details...

FRANCE vs WALES

France: 15. Maxime Medard, 14. Julien Malzieu, 13. Mathieu Bastareaud, 12. Yannick Jauzion, 11. Cedric Heymans, 10. Benoit Baby, 9. Morgan Parra , 8. Imanol Harinordoquy, 7. Fulgence Ouedraogo, 6. Thierry Dusautoir, 5. Sebastien Chabal, 4. Lionel Nallet, 3. Sylvain Marconnet, 2. Dimitri Szarzewski , 1. Fabien Barcella. Reserves: 16. Benjamin Kayser, 17. Thomas Domingo, 18. Romain Millo-Chluski, 19. Louis Picamoles, 20. Sebastien Tillous-Borde, 21. Francois Trinh-Duc, 22. Clement Poitrenaud.

Wales: 15. Lee Byrne, 14. Leigh Halfpenny, 13. Tom Shanklin, 12. Jamie Roberts, 11. Shane Williams, 10. Stephen Jones, 9. Michael Phillips, 8. Andy Powell, 7. Martyn Williams, 6. Ryan Jones (c), 5. Alun-Wyn Jones, 4. Ian Gough, 3. Adam Jones, 2. Matthew Rees, 1. Gethin Jenkins. Reserves: 16. Huw Bennett, 17. John Yapp, 18. Luke Charteris, 19. Dafydd Jones, 20. Dwayne Peel, 21. James Hook, 22. Gavin Henson.

Date: Friday, February 27
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Kick-off: 21.00 local (20.00 GMT) (3:00 pm ET (Toronto, New York))
Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Touch judges: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)

FRA v WAL Rugby Planet preview, click here.

SCOTLAND vs ITALY

Scotland: 15. Hugo Southwell, 14. Simon Danielli, 13. Max Evans, 12. Graeme Morrison, 11. Thom Evans, 10. Phil Godman, 9. Mike Blair, (c), 8. Simon Taylor, 7. John Barclay, 6. Alasdair Strokosch, 5. Alastair Kellock, 4. Jason White, 3. Euan Murray, 2. Ross Ford, 1. Allan Jacobsen. Reserves: 16. Dougie Hall, 17. Alasdair Dickinson, 18. Kelly Brown, 19. Scott Gray, 20. Chris Cusiter, 21. Chris Paterson, 22. Nick De Luca.

Italy: 15. Andrea Marcato, 14. Mirco Bergamasco, 13. Gonzalo Canale, 12. Gonzalo Garcia, 11. Matteo Pratichetti, 10. Luke McLean, 9. Paul Griffen, 8. Sergio Parisse (c), 7. Mauro Bergamasco, 6. Alessandro Zanni, 5. Marco Bortolami, 4. Santiago Dellape, 3. Martin Castrogiovanni, 2. Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1. Salvatore Perugini. Reserves: 16. Franco Sbaraglini, 17. Carlos Nieto, 18. Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 19. Josh Sole, 20. Pablo Canovosio, 21. Andrea Bacchetti, 22. Giulio Rubini.

Date: Saturday, February 28
Venue: Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Kick-off: 15.00 GMT (10:00 am ET (Toronto, New York))
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch-judges: George Clancy (Ireland) and Romain Poite (France)

SCO v ITA Rugby Planet preview, click here.

IRELAND vs ENGLAND

Ireland: 15. Rob Kearney, 14. Tommy Bowe, 13. Brian O'Driscoll (c), 12. Paddy Wallace, 11. Luke Fitzgerald, 10. Ronan O'Gara, 9. Tomas O'Leary, 8. Jamie Heaslip, 7. David Wallace, 6. Stephen Ferris, 5. Paul O'Connell, 4. Donncha O'Callaghan, 3. John Hayes, 2. Jerry Flannery, 1. Marcus Horan. Reserves: 16. Rory Best, 17. Tom Court, 18. Mick O'Driscoll, 19. Denis Leamy, 20. Peter Stringer, 21. Gordon D'Arcy, 22. Geordan Murphy.

England: 15. Delon Armitage, 14. Paul Sackey, 13. Mike Tindall, 12. Riki Flutey, 11. Mark Cueto, 10. Toby Flood, 9. Harry Ellis, 8. Nick Easter, 7. Joe Worsley, 6. James Haskell, 5. Nick Kennedy, 4. Steve Borthwick (c), 3. Phil Vickery, 2 Lee Mears, 1. Andrew Sheridan. Reserves: 16. Dylan Hartley, 17. Julian White, 18. Tom Croft, 19. Luke Narraway, 20. Danny Care, 21. Andy Goode, 22. Mathew Tait.

Date: Saturday, February 28
Venue: Croke Park, Dublin
Kick-off: 17.30 GMT (12:30 pm ET (Toronto, New York))
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Touch judges: Christophe Berdos (France), Peter Allan (Scotland)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)

IRE v ENG Rugby Planet preview, click here.

2009 Super 14 kick-off weekend

2009-02-12T09:35:00.005-05:00

The Super 14 gets underway in the Southern Hemisphere this weekend. I reckon several of these teams could mop up against the Six Nations weaklings, but that's neither here-nor-there, let's get on with it!

Full S14 2009 season schedule and standings table at the Silver Fern, click here.

TEAM PREVIEWS

Bulls (South Africa)
Rugby Planet preview

Lions (S.A.)
Rugby Planet preview

Stormers (S.A.)
Rugby Planet preview

Cheetahs (S.A.)
Rugby Planet preview

Sharks (S.A.)
Rugby Planet preview
*Bonus* Silver Fern preview

Western Force (Australia)
Rugby Planet preview

Queensland Reds (Aus)
Rugby Planet preview
*Bonus* Silver Fern preview

New South Wales Waratahs (Aus)
Rugby Planet preview
*Bonus* Silver Fern preview

ACT Brumbies (Aus)
Rugby Planet preview

Auckland Blues (New Zealand)
Rugby Planet preview
*Bonus* Silver Fern preview

Waikato Chiefs (N.Z.)
Rugby Planet preview

Wellington Hurricanes (N.Z.)
Rugby Planet preview

Canterbury Crusaders (N.Z.)
Rugby Planet preview

Otago Highlanders (N.Z.)
Rugby Planet preview

Six Nations - Out of the gates

2009-02-12T08:48:00.003-05:00

England are dreary, beating an undermanned and overmatched Italy. Hugely impressive victory for Ireland at Croke Park sets them up nicely. And Wales look ready to defend their title.

England 36 Italy 11

Ireland 30 France 21

Scotland 13 Wales 26

Round Two previews coming shortly...

Six Nations 2009 kicks off tomorrow!

2009-02-06T08:30:00.010-05:00

Gavin Henson's winning kick for Wales in 2005, drawn by Rebecca Millwater, aged 10

I am struggling for words

I don’t see philosophy
don’t agree with their choice of captain
or what they say in public

Don’t agree with nine of the starting team
don’t think they have the right coaching group
don’t know why they’ve de-powered their own pack

(chorus)

It’s become torture
I love England and English rugby
They have lost me

It’s been so bad, so depressing
I wish they would go away
play behind closed doors
they are failing

Spending money like water
For nothing

(repeat chorus x 3)

It’s become torture
I love England and English rugby
O woes, the once-mighty rose
They have lost me

----------------------
"The Wilting Rose Has Lost Me," lyrics by Stephen Jones; musical accompaniment ("Wreck On the Highway") by Bruce Springsteen.

Alrighty then. Six Nations rugby kicks off tomorrow. I hear the faint whisp of clairvoyant sorrow in the 'Stache's weepin' heart, so on to this weekends' preview action !!

ENGLAND vs ITALY

England: 1. Andrew Sheridan, 2. Lee Mears, 3. Phil Vickery, 4. Steve Borthwick (c), 5. Nick Kennedy, 6. James Haskell, 7. Steffon Armitage, 8. Nick Easter, 9. Harry Ellis, 10. Andy Goode, 11. Mark Cueto, 12. Riki Flutey, 13. Mike Tindall, 14. Paul Sackey, 15. Delon Armitage. Reserves: 16. Dylan Hartley, 17. Julian White, 18. Tom Croft, 19. Joe Worsley, 20. Ben Foden, 21. Shane Geraghty, 22. Mathew Tait.

Italy: 1. Salvatore Perugini, 2. Fabio Ongaro, 3. Martin Castrogiovani, 4. Santiago Dellapé, 5. Marco Bortolami, 6. Josh Sole, 7. Alessandro Zanni, 8. Sergio Parisse (c), 9. Mauro Beragamasco, 10. Andrea Marcato, 11. Mirco Bergamasco, 12. Gonzalo Garcia, 13. Gonzalo Canale, 14. Kane Robertson, 15. Andrea Masi. Reserves: 16. Carlo Festuccia, 17. Carlos Nieto, 18. Tommaso Reato, 19. Jean-Francois Montauriol, 20. Giulio Toniolatti, 21. Luke McLean, 22. Matteo Pratichetti.

Date: Saturday 7 February, 2009
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT (10 am ET (Toronto, New York))
Venue: Twickenham
Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Touch judges: Joel Jutge (France), Peter Allan (Scotland)
TMO: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)

ENG v ITA Rugby Planet preview
ENG v ITA Rugby Heaven preview

IRELAND vs FRANCE

Ireland: 1. Marcus Horan, 2. Jerry Flannery, 3. John Hayes, 4. Donncha O'Callaghan, 5. Paul O'Connell, 6. Stephen Ferris, 7. David Wallace, 8. Jamie Heaslip, 9. Tomas O'Leary, 10. Ronan O'Gara, 11. Luke Fitzgerald, 12. Paddy Wallace, 13. Brian O'Driscoll (c), 14. Tommy Bowe, 15. Rob Kearney. Reserves: 16. Rory Best, 17. Tom Court, 18. Mal O'Kelly, 19. Denis Leamy, 20. Peter Stringer, 21. Gordon D'Arcy, 22. Geordan Murphy.

France: 1. Lionel Faure, 2. Dimitri Szarzewski, 3. Benoit Lecouls, 4. Sebastien Chabal, 5. Lionel Nallet (c), 6. Thierry Dusautoir, 7. Fulgence Ouedraogo, 8. Imanol Harinordoquy, 9. Sebastien Tillous-Borde, 10. Lionel Beauxis, 11. Maxime Medard, 12. Yannick Jauzion, 13. Florian Fritz, 14. Julien Malzieu, 15. Clement Poitrenaud. Reserves: 16. Benjamin Kayser, 17. Nicolas Mas, 18. Romain Millo-Chluski, 19. Louis Picamoles, 20. Morgan Parra, 21. Benoit Baby , 22. Cedric Heymans.

Date: Saturday 7 February, 2009
Kick-off: 17:00 GMT (12 noon ET (Toronto, New York))
Venue: Croke Park
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges: Dave Pearson (England), David Changleng (Scotland)
TMO: Giulio de Santis (Italy)

IRE v FRA Rugby Planet preview
IRE v FRA Rugby Heaven preview

SCOTLAND vs WALES

Scotland: 1. Allan Jacobsen, 2. Ross Ford, 3. Geoff Cross, 4. Jason White, 5. Jim Hamilton, 6. Ally Hogg, 7. John Barclay, 8. Simon Taylor, 9. Mike Blair (c), 10. Phil Godman, 11. Sean Lamont, 12. Graeme Morrison, 13. Ben Cairns, 14. Simon Webster, 15. Hugo Southwell. Reserves: 16. Dougie Hall, 17. Alastair Dickinson, 18. Kelly Brown, 19. Scott Gray, 20. Chris Cusiter, 21. Chris Paterson, 22. Max Evans.

Wales: 1. Gethin Jenkins, 2. Matthew Rees, 3. Adam Jones, 4. Ian Gough, 5. Alun-Wyn Jones, 6. Ryan Jones (c), 7. Martyn Williams, 8. Andy Powell, 9. Michael Phillips, 10. Stephen Jones, 11. Shane Williams, 12. Gavin Henson, 13. Jamie Roberts, 14. Leigh Halfpenny, 15. Lee Byrne. Reserves: 16. Huw Bennett, 17. John Yapp, 18. Luke Charteris, 19. Dafydd Jones, 20. Dwayne Peel, 21. James Hook, 22. Tom Shanklin.

Date: Sunday 8 February, 2009
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT (10 am ET (Toronto, New York))
Venue: Murrayfield
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges: Chris White (England), Rob Debney (England)
TMO: Geoff Warren (England)

SCO v WAL Rugby Planet preview
SCO v WAL Rugby Heaven preview

Playing catch-up

2009-02-05T08:34:00.003-05:00

Too much rugby news, and too little time to blog about it. I've been watching as much Heineken Cup, Guinness Premiership and Magner's League rugby as Setanta's program schedule will allow, but have either been too busy or too lazy to blog about it.

A few items flying on the radar ...

AB all-world flyhalf Dan Carter tore his Achilles tendon playing for Perpignan and will have surgery momentarily, and be out of action for at least six months. With New Zealand pivots Nick Evans, Glen Jackson, Luke McAlister and (yes!) even Carlos Spencer plying their trade in England, the All Blacks will probably press Stephen Donald into the No. 10 jersey for the Tri-Nations. Donald has yet to impress wearing black.

Another icon of Kiwi rugby (and this blog), the former All Black skipper Tana Umaga has been pushed from his coaching gig at the underperforming Toulon, and come out of retirement to take up a position with the team on the playing field. Will keep an eye on progress on that front.

England front-rower Matt Stevens has been pinged for blowing positive for a "recreational" substance on a blood-test. The drug has been unconfirmed, but the young prop has a history battling cocaine, and the Brit press is saying that's what it was. Stevens would ordinarily face an automatic two-year suspension, but will be a test case under a new RFU draft that will try to differentiate punishments between users of prohibited recreational drugs and cheaters. Here's hoping Stevens is shown some leniency, turns his life around, and receives a judicial punishment that fits the crime.

The Six Nations tournament kicks off this weekend. I'll try to get all the regular previews up tomorrow (Friday).

Sunny days ahead, the Sanzar Super 14 kicks off next week.

Developing...

Australian Rugby Union (ARU) boss John O'Neill says he expects the Super rugby competition to expand to 15 teams in 2011.

O'Neill said talks have recommenced between the SANZAR working party after a breakdown in discussions late last year over a proposed 16-team finals series.

The ARU chief indicated that a Super 15 competition running from the March 1 until early August in 2011 would involve an extra team from either Japan or the Pacific Islands and would incorporate six teams in the finals.

Source.

And lastly . . .

The United States Rugby Football Foundation will be honouring posthumously, Miles "Doc" Hudson and former All Black skipper Pat Vincent at its Annual Dinner --Saturday, February 14, 2009 at the Hotel Solamar in downtown San Diego.

I must concede ignorance about Vincent, when I should really have known better.

The USRFF press release reads:

Pat Vincent was the captain of the New Zealand All Blacks in 1956. He coached the Saint Mary's (California) rugby teams from 1968 until his unfortunate passing in 1983. The foundation that Pat set during his time in charge is credited for the successes that Saint Mary's has enjoyed since then.

Indeed, checking the NZ Rugby Museum database, I see that Vincent (AB #576) only played twice for the All Blacks, but was the captain in two tests, and not just any tests, but the infamous series against the Springboks in 1956.

Hard to believe they handed the captaincy to a test-match debutante against the Boks!!

The two tests were Vincent's first and only matches for New Zealand. In both he captained the side. The All Blacks struggled to a 10-6 victory at Carisbrook in a match with "a fair amount of mutual mayhem". Any victory over the Springboks is considered a good one, but the attrition rate on this occasion was unusually high; at one stage there were only 25 players on the field.

When New Zealand lost 8-3 in Wellington, Vincent was dropped from the team. Vem Wilkinson tells why:

Pat had shown an error of judgment in the second test by persevering with the high kick in a howling gale, which did lead to one score, but after that try the ball always drifted over the dead ball line — wasted possession and a rest for the Springboks. I mentioned this to Pat later and his reply was interesting: a captain was bound to carry out the instructions of the coach; if be disobeyed them it was at his peril. What a decision for a captain to have to make under the extraordinary weather conditions that prevailed, and in the tension of a test against the Springboks!

The captaincy was given to fellow old boy Bob Duff (who had been in the BHS 1st XV with Vincent in 1943), who played for the Christchurch Football Club. Vincent did not complain at his dumping from the team either at the time or later. He wasn't that sort of person. He was so calm and collected that rugby writer Terry McLean believed he would have made a good diplomat.

Source.

I learn something new every day. And sheesh, were selectors ever ruthless in the amateur era!

"The Rugby Foundation looks forward to honoring these gentlemen who put so much of themselves into seeing that rugby took hold in the U.S.," said USRFF Chairman, Bob Watkins. "It's important that true rugby men like Doc and Pat are recognized for their efforts."

For more info about the USRFF Annual Dinner, click here.

Under the Hammer

2009-01-19T10:01:00.003-05:00

Via Viz at USRRF:

All-Star Studded Team-Signed Barbarians Jersey on the Auction Block

The 22 signatures are from some of the greatest players in the game today. Richie McCaw, George Gregan, John Smit, Bryan Habana, and IRB Player of the Year, Shane Williams, are just some of the names that adorn this beautiful, mint-condition Barbarians jersey.

Donated to the US Rugby Football Foundation by Micky Steele-Bodger, President of the Barbarian Football Club, this very unique piece of rugby memorabilia is a must have for the passionate rugby fan.

"We are very honored to have such a piece of rugby treasure donated to the Foundation," said USRFF Executive Director Brian Vizard. "This could possibly be the most star-studded team ever assembled. Combined there are over 1,000 caps between the 22 players on this Barbarians side. The Foundation thanks Micky and the Barbarians in helping us raise funds for our youth programs."

Photos, a more detailed description of the jersey and more information about this Barbarians side and their match against Australia can be found on eBay, item #180320973308. The bidding will conclude at 10:00 a.m. (PST) on Sunday, January 25, 2009.

Signature list:

John Smit
Richie McCaw
George Gregan
Percy Montgomery
Shane Williams
Joe Rokocoko
Rico Gear
Ollie Smith
Francois Steyn
Jean de Villiers
Bryan Habana
Fourie du Preez
Federico Pucciariello
Rodney Blake
Nick Koster
Cencus Johnston
Mark Regan
Bakkies Botha
Johann Muller
Chris Jack
Jerry Collins
Schalk Burger
Jake White (coach)
Eddie Jones (asst. coach)

"Scrums" getting a bad rap

2009-01-09T09:07:00.014-05:00

I love the English language, and not simply because it's the only one I can converse. I find it both remarkable and wonderful how the English language adapts, invents and evolves the way we speak and the words we employ.

Nevertheless, that doesn't prevent me - lifelong rugby fanatic - from getting annoyed whenever the language is bastardized and bowlderized.

A long-standing pet peeve of mine is the North American usage of the word "scrum."

I don't particularly mind when political reporters employ the word on Parliament Hill, referring to informal press scrambles in the parliamentary corridors with reporters and elected politicians, but it's tiresome hearing the usage being mis-applied by athletes and analysts in the sporting arena.

During last nights' fiery NHL game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, Sportsnet announcers Joe Bowen and Greg Millen repeatedly referred to testosterone-fuelled players shoving one another as "scrums." Both used the noun as a verb over a dozen times.

Over the past few years I have heard similar mis-use from former NFL players and current TV announcers Dan Dierdorf, Troy Aikman, Steve Tasker and Phil Simms, whenever a loose ball or "breakdown" occurs.

Since rugby union was a progenitor and advent to both ice hockey and American football, I'd like to call a time-out. I don't enjoy Quebecois-style language police, but as a Quixotian rugby fan it's time to apply a headlock and set the record straight.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a "scrum" is the name of the formation when rugby forwards "form a pack."

The entry for "scrum" in the Online Etymology Dictionary says:

Abbreviation of scrummage, a variant form of scrimmage (q.v.).

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary explains:

Main Entry: scrum
Pronunciation: \ˈskrəm\
Function: noun
Etymology: short for scrummage, alteration of scrimmage
Date: 1857
1 aor scrum·mage \ˈskrə-mij\ : a rugby play in which the forwards of each side come together in a tight formation and struggle to gain possession

wikipedia further clarifies:

A rugby union scrum consists of two team's eight forwards, with each team binding together in three rows.

The two forward packs form a scrum by approaching to within an arms length of each other. The referee gives the command crouch and the opposing front rows then crouch. Then the referee calls touch and props touch the opposites outside shoulder. The referee then issues the pause command to inspect the scrum, and lastly engage and the two front rows come together.

The American football snap and scrimmage (later adopted by Canadian football) were all derivatives of the early scrummage, and responsive in different ways to problems encountered in the way the rules regarding it were written and administered.

The word "scrummage" is a modification of "scrimmage" (the form of the word previously used in rugby and still used in American and Canadian football), which in turn derives from or is a cognate of "skirmish". The term was used in the laws of rugby union for a long time before being permanently contracted to just "scrum".

The keywords here are "formation," "binding" and "command."

Look at top at the Leafs vs. Canadiens photo again ... and ask yourself if anything remotely resembles a game re-start, or looks like a "line of scrimmage" with a "formation" of players "binding" according to the instructions of the referees' "command."

Sorry, you can't.

For rugby players and supporters, the language for anarchic pushing-and-shoving imbroglios like the Leafs 'n Habs dance above are typically referred to as "niggle," "biff," "fracas" or -- best of all -- "swinging handbags." Bowen and Millen would be better served using any of those, or (as above) use the original etymology and go back to "skirmish." Whatever, stop calling it a scrum.

To afficianados of rugby union, the scrum is a re-start of beauty ~ a controlled architectural life-force of organized teamwork that is unique to the sporting universe.

The scrum is passion and power combined with technique and finely tuned coordination.

(Photo - UWO vs. WLU varsity rugby. Credit: Jose Lagman. See more of Lagman's rugby pics at Rugby Canada.)

Listening to NHL and NFL colour commentators repeatedly misusing the word "scrum" sounds as dumbass as calling a hockey "penalty box" an "on-deck circle."

Which is to say, it looks & sounds foolishly ignorant and makes absolutely no historical or logical sense whatsoever.

Time for the professional "communications specialists" to brush-up on their communications skills and speak the language correctly.

Or is that too much to ask?

Ulstermen "devastate" Munster

2009-01-04T10:04:00.003-05:00

Magner's League interjection:

Ulster became the first Irish team to beat Munster at Thomond Park since Leinster did so in December 1995, as they humbled the Heineken Cup champions with a devastating five-try, 37-11 victory.

Terrific game. I was expecting a home-side walkover, but the Ulstermen came to play and truly silenced the new Thomond Park. Loads of biff, and dreadful sights for the locals with Ronan O'Gara and Rua Tipoki going off injured early. Even worse night for out-of-puff referee Alan Lewis, who repeatedly missed forward passes, including a first-half howler that led to Ulster's first try.

RWC 2011 pool groups announced

2008-12-02T08:52:00.002-05:00

The Rugby World Cup 2011 Pool Allocation Draw took place yesterday.

The RWC 2011 pools are:

Pool A: New Zealand, France, Tonga, Americas 1, Asia 1

Pool B: Argentina, England, Scotland, Europe 1, Final Place Playoff

Pool C: Australia, Ireland, Italy, Europe 2, Americas 2

Pool D: South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Oceania 1, Africa 1

If Canada is to be the Americas top-gun, that puts them into a very tough group, with hosts New Zealand, and perennial powerhouse and two-time RWC finalist France.

For full details of the draw, including knock-out stage ramifications, visit the official RWC website for more info.

Player of the Year

2008-12-01T09:10:00.007-05:00

The Red Terror 2008 Player of the Year is Brad Thorn.

NZ Rugby Museum profile here.

The "tough as teak" hardman from Mosgiel who transplanted from New Zealand to Australia as a kid, represented his adopted nation in League, then returned to the land of his birthplace - twice!! - to fulfill his dream to play for the All Blacks, came back to rugby union as a huge surprise this season, and played the code better than ever.

Most thought the 33 year old's Use-By date had expired years ago. But when All Black lock Chris Jack chose the lucre of Europe, the incumbent position was vacant with candidates thin on the ground.

Thorn answered the call of Canterbury Crusaders coach Robbie Deans, came back to the Crusaders, formed a blistering partnership with Ali Williams, and won himself a Super 14 championship.

He was then slotted, virtually by acclamation, into Graham Henry's All Black pack, for the second term of his magnificent career. Thorn was tireless, committed and toiled hard for the whole season, providing the grunt in the engine room, stiffening resolve in defence (the All Blacks didn't concede a single try on the Grand Slam tour, and conceded only three points in their last six 2nd-halves), wearing down defences with his imposing ball-carries, and cleaning out rucks. He also received his fair share of line-out ball. This season, the gripes about the All Blacks lineout and scrummage were rarely heard, and Thorn's presence was a big part of it. Nobody talks about Thorn's lack of height any more.

Brad Thorn is no longer simply the best (and really, only) world-class forward to transplant from League to Union - he may also be the very best code-breaker ever, back-or-forward. Period.

Check the silverware in his trophy cabinet from this season alone: Super 14 title, Tri-Nations title, Bledisloe Cup, Hillary Shield. There's probably a few more I can't even remember, but his sides won the important ones, that's all you need to know, and Thorn was a huge contribution in every one.

Will Thorn retire after this season? I reckon at worst he could become an archetypal "bullpen" player, who rides the bench and comes on at the 60th minute to bring steel and leadership to his team. Whatever his decision, Brad Thorn is a Legend, and Brad Thorn is the Red Terror's 2008 Player of the Year.

2008 international test calendar concludes

2008-12-01T08:14:00.004-05:00

The All Blacks completed their third Glam Slam - and claimed the inaugural Hillary Shield (see post below) by scalping England 32-6 at Twickenham. If New Zealand first-five Dan Carter had brought his kicking boots instead of a hangover, the score could have been terminally worse. England put a spirited fight, but it was brain-dead. It seems the British sides get distracted all week focusing on how they're going toface the Haka rather than collect their heads around a coordinated game plan. Accordingly, they come out like gangbusters, give their all for 50-60 minutes, the fit Kiwis absorb all the pressure, then turn the screw against weary tiring legs.

England certainly didn't help themselves on Saturday, with four yellow cards issued by Irish ref Alain Rolland, of which one, a high Toby Flood tackle on Jimmy Cowan's head, was probably undeserved, but the others all justified on the cumulative effect of the continued illegality and repeated warnings. Rolland told Englsh skpper Steve Borthwick in the first half, when England was already down to 13 men, that he wouldn't be afraid to put 4 more in the sin-bin if they continued infringing. In the 2nd-half, Rolland asked Borthwick in disbelief if his team was trying to kill themselves. The All Black pack played to the ref. England ignored him. I suppose they were drilled to use niggly ball-killing tactics to disrupt the AB rhythm and keep the score close, and except for Carter's wobbly boot, for the first 55 minutes of the test it actually worked.

It was a dour contest. Rolland the whistle-blower was pedantic, true, but England can only blame themselves for being wilfully stupid. BartMan at TSF calls it "Yellow Fever." Rolland drew his line in the sand early, the Kiwis played that line, whereas England repeatedly tried calling Rolland's bluff and kept stepping over it.

Where to go now for England? In three home tests against the three Tri-Nations visitors, they were outscored by a cumulative 102-26.

Terrific season for the All Blacks, the team, coaching staff, selectors and faithy that was put into each - total redemption. When you think of the weight on hed coach Graham Henry's shoulders to start this year, he has done a fantastic job, and his players have really motivated themselves. Great to see their belief in Ma'a Nonu, too. The patience with him was definitely worth the wait, and a pin-prick to arseholes like me who thought he should have been discarded on the scrap heap years ago. I will gladly accept my comeuppance on that one, and full credit to Nonu for dedicating himself. The man is a superstar. As Stuart Barnes said, he's gone from a bit player to a world class center. Richie McCaw has grown in staure as a leader. Fully deserved Team of the Year.

In the days' other test action, Wales salvaged some northern hemisphere pride by beating Australia 21-18 in a pulsating thriller.

Wednesday pulls the curtain down on international rugby for 2008 when the Wallabies face the Barbarians. Their loss to Wales will sting, but it doesn't get any easier against a team stacked with champion Springboks and captained by inexhaustible All-World All Black Richie McCaw.

Grand Salami time

2008-11-28T08:08:00.006-05:00

Before getting to tomorrows' excitement, a quick summary of last weekends' test match action ... England got their arses handed to them in a large way at Twickenham, falling to South Africa with a record loss of 42-6. Yes, they really were that bad. From World Cup champs to Tier-Two chumps in only five years. Danny Cipriani, the England's biggest wunderboy since Jonny Wilkinson underwent a Springbok baptism by fire and came through it by getting dropped for the All Black test. ... Canada was skunked for the second time in three test matches, falling to Scotland 41-0 at Murrayfield. The Canadians did well to hold the Scots to a 15-0 lead, but tired late and fell off the tackles. Hopefully coach Kieran Crowley will have reassessed his talent level and depth against professional rugby players and implement the right programs and strategies to bring development and success in the coming years. Read the Rugby Canada test match report here, plus Doug Crosse's Canadian tour wrap-up. ... Hard to call the kilted beat-down on the beavers 'n lumberjacks a restoration of northern hemisphere pride, but Ireland carried the banner and was the lone big dog from the north to take down a southern side, by handily waving aside Argentina 17-3 at Croke Park. That was about the extent of northern pride. Are the Pumas really ready to step up to the Tri-Nations? ... An extraordinary scene played out at Millenium Stadium where Wales put the changing-room haka debacle behind them, locked arms at centerfield and confronted the All Blacks Kapa O Pango haka and then stood their ground and would not budge an inch. Has Millenium Stadium ever sounded louder? Both teams refused to budge and back away from each other, with referee Jonathan Kaplan intervening, requesting both teams start the game, and All Black skipper Richie McCaw blinking first and withdrawing his men. It seemed to work for the first spell when the spirited Welsh took to the break with a 9-6 lead, and "Pride of Wales" Joe Calzaghe and cohort levitating from their seats believing an historic Welsh victory was on the cards. But New Zealand put the petal to the metal in the 2nd half and killed the fairy tale by running the Six Nations champions off the park scoring the last 26 points of the match. Wallaby flanker George Smith is not easily recognizable without his dreadlocks, but he was back to his cheating best as Australia skated past France 18-13 in the icy conditions in Paris, and Italy got torn a new one by the unpredictable Pacific Islands combo who pasted the Azzurri 45-17 at the, err, Gigolo Stadium.

The international test season concludes this weekend with a much leaner schedule, only two tests, but what good ones they are. The All Blacks travel to Twickenham looking to tame England, collect a "Grand Slam" and claim the prize of the inaugural Hillary Shield.

Same tee-off time, the Wallabies tackle Wales hoping to keep a perfect 20-nil record of SH teams versus NH teams this season:

Welsh carry the hopes of a hemisphere

Greg Growden in Cardiff
November 28, 2008

WALES are the only side left that can redeem northern hemisphere rugby, with the Tri Nations tourists having been all-conquering so far - and the Wallabies are on red alert.

In the 18 matches involving the leading teams of the two hemispheres over the past year, the victory tally stands at 18-0 to the SANZAR sides over the Six Nations outfits. [...]

That does not hide the fact the northern hemisphere teams are a long way behind their southern counterparts - as shown by the International Rugby Board rankings, which have New Zealand, South Africa and Australia holding the top three spots, followed by Argentina. England sit fifth, followed by Wales, France, Ireland and Scotland.

Even more revealing were statistics published in The Guardian this week. Rugby writer Paul Rees reported that since the game turned professional, the Six Nations teams' success rate against Australia, South Africa and New Zealand had declined substantially.

In the amateur era, the success rate was 28.9 per cent. In the professional era, despite England's 12 victories over the southern powers from 2000 to 2003, it has been 19.3 per cent.

England's success rate since the advent of professionalism in 1995 has gone from 31.6 per cent to 36.7, but the Celtic nations have dropped right off. During the amateur era, they boasted a 25.4 per cent success rate. Since 1995, they have only won seven and drawn one, while suffering 84 losses to the SANZAR teams, for a success rate of 8.2 per cent.

Accordingly, when the IRB's Player of the Year list featured just one southern hemisphere nomination among the five candidates, the touring SANZAR countries were incredulous.

Source.

On with the previews...

ENGLAND vs NEW ZEALAND

England: 1. Tim Payne, 2. Lee Mears, 3. Phil Vickery, 4. Steve Borthwick (c), 5. Nick Kennedy, 6. James Haskell, 7. Michael Lipman, 8. Nick Easter, 9. Danny Care, 10. Toby Flood, 11. Ugo Monye, 12. Riki Flutey, 13. Jamie Noon, 14. Paul Sackey, 15. Delon Armitage. Reserves: 16. Dylan Hartley, 17. Matt Stevens, 18. Tom Croft, 19. Tom Rees, 20. Harry Ellis, 21. Danny Cipriani, 22. Dan Hipkiss.

New Zealand: 1. Tony Woodcock, 2. Keven Mealamu, 3. Neemia Tialata, 4. Brad Thorn, 5. Ali Williams, 6. Jerome Kaino, 7. Richie McCaw (c), 8. Rodney So'oialo, 9. Jimmy Cowan, 10. Daniel Carter, 11. Sitiveni Sivivatu, 12. Ma'a Nonu, 13. Conrad Smith, 14. Joe Rokocoko, 15. Mils Muliaina. Reserves: 16. Hikawera Elliot, 17. John Afoa, 18. Anthony Boric, 19. Kieran Read, 20. Piri Weepu, 21. Stephen Donald, 22. Isaia Toeava.

Date: Saturday, November 29, 2008
Venue: Twickenham
Kick-off: 14:30 GMT (9:30 a.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges: Nigel Owens (Wales), George Clancy (Ireland)
Television match official: Tim Hayes (Wales)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

ENG v NZ Rugby Planet preview
ENG v NZ Rugby Heaven preview

WALES vs AUSTRALIA

Wales: 15. Lee Byrne, 14. Mark Jones, 13. Tom Shanklin, 12. Jamie Roberts, 11. Shane Williams, 10. Stephen Jones, 9. Gareth Cooper, 8. Andy Powell, 7. Martyn Williams, 6. Ryan Jones (c), 5. Alun-Wyn Jones, 4. Ian Gough, 3. Adam Jones, 2. Matthew Rees, 1. Gethin Jenkins.
Reserves: 16. Richard Hibbard, 17. John Yapp, 18. Luke Charteris, 19. Dafydd Jones, 20. Martin Roberts, 21. James Hook, 22. Andrew Bishop.

Australia: 1. Benn Robinson, 2. Stephen Moore, 3. Al Baxter, 4. Mark Chisholm, 5. Nathan Sharpe, 6. Hugh McMeniman, 7. Phil Waugh, 8. Richard Brown, 9. Luke Burgess, 10. Matt Giteau, 11. Digby Ioane, 12. Stirling Mortlock (c), 13. Ryan Cross, 14. Peter Hynes, 15. Drew Mitchell. Reserves: 16. Adam Freier, 17. Matt Dunning, 18. Dean Mumm, 19. George Smith, 20. Sam Cordingley, 21. Quade Cooper, 22. Lote Tuqiri/Adam Ashley-Cooper.

Date: Saturday 29 November, 2008
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Kick-off: 14:30 GMT (9:30 a.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Touch judges: Dave Pearson (England), Romain Poite (France)
Television match official: Peter Allan (Scotland)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

WAL v AUS Rugby Planet preview
WAL v AUS Rugby Heaven preview

Em-farcking-barrassing!

2008-11-25T11:14:00.002-05:00

BREAKING: BBC reports that diminutive Welsh winger Shane Williams has been named IRB Player of the Year. Absolute rubbish decision.

Williams wins top rugby accolade

Wales wing Shane Williams has been named the International Rugby Board's world player of the year at their awards ceremony in London.

The Ospreys star beat Scotland skipper Mike Blair, Wales captain Ryan Jones, All Black fly-half Dan Carter and Italy captain Sergio Parisse to the award.

The wing became the first Welshman to win the individual award.

Earlier:

Dan Carter heads the worst short-list in the history of Player of the Year awards

by Paul Ackford

If Carter doesn't become the first player to win the award for a second time, the judges want shooting.

Even if he does, they deserve a few pot shots because this is the worst short-list in the award's distinguished history. [...]

The majority of the voting panel - all distinguished internationals, by the way - live or work in Europe and have displayed appalling bias towards northern hemisphere representatives at a time when the power in the game is down south.

Matilda in the snow?

2008-11-21T08:11:00.008-05:00

Another heavy weekend of international rugby test action approaches, with the finalists of last years' World Cup facing each other at Twickenham, and the current Tri-Nations champions facing the defending Six Nations title-holders in Cardiff. Canada moves to gloomy Edinburgh to face Scotland. Both teams will be looking to rid themselves of dark clouds, both coming into the match after a pair of losses apiece the past fortnight, but coming off vastly improved performances. The Wallabies could be facing their worst nightmare. No, not the Boks on the high veldt, but instead (if weather predictions are reliable) wrestling in the snow in Paris. (And they think it's tough sledding in Dunedin and Invercargill...) All the action should be fairly close (o-kay, possibly excepting the Canadian test), and the Italy vs. Pacific Islands test portends to be a volatile barnburner featuring high-shots against short-fuses. Check Setanta and Mediazone for schedule times & listings. On with the lineups and previews...

SCOTLAND vs CANADA

Scotland: 1. Allan Jacobsen, 2. Ross Ford, 3. Euan Murray, 4. Nathan Hines, 5. Jim Hamilton, 6. Al Strokosch, 7. John Barclay, 8. Simon Taylor, 9. Mike Blair (c), 10. Phil Godman, 11. Nikki Walker, 12. Nick De Luca, 13. Ben Cairns, 14. Simon Webster, 15. Rory Lamont. Reserves: 16. Dougie Hall, 17. Alasdair Dickinson, 18. Matt Mustchin, 19. Scott Gray, 20. Rory Lawson, 21. Dan Parks, 22. Max Evans.

Canada: 1. Kevin Tkachuk, 2. Mike Pletch, 3. Scott Franklin, 4. Tyler Hotson, 5. Josh Jackson, 6. Jebb Sinclair, 7. Adam Kleeberger, 8. Aaron Carpenter, 9. Ed Fairhurst (c), 10. Matt Evans, 11. Justin Mensah-Coker, 12. Ryan Smith, 13. Ciaran Hearn, 14. Sean Duke, 15. James Pritchard. Reserves: 16. tbc, 17. Frank Walsh, 18. Mike Burak, 19. Sean Michael Stephen, 20. Morgan Williams, 21. Nathan Hirayama, 22 Bryn Keys.

Date: Saturday, November 22, 2008
Venue: Pittodrie, Aberdeen
Kick-off: 14:45 GMT (9:45 a.m. ET (Toronto, New York))
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Touch judges: Alan Lewis (Ireland), Steve Terheege (England)
Television match official: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

SCO v CAN Rugby Planet preview
SCO v CAN Rugby Heaven preview

ENGLAND vs SOUTH AFRICA

England: 1. Tim Payne, 2. Lee Mears, 3. Phil Vickery, 4. Steve Borthwick (c), 5. Tom Palmer, 6. James Haskell, 7. Tom Rees, 8. Nick Easter, 9. Danny Care, 10. Danny Cipriani, 11. Ugo Monye, 12. Riki Flutey, 13. Jamie Noon, 14. Paul Sackey, 15. Delon Armitage. Reserves: 16. Dylan Hartley, 17. Matt Stevens, 18. Simon Shaw, 19. Tom Croft, 20. Jordan Crane, 21. Harry Ellis, 22. Toby Flood.

South Africa: 1. Beast Mtawarira, 2. John Smit (c), 3. Jannie du Plessis, 4. Bakkies Botha, 5. Victor Matfield, 6. Schalk Burger, 7. Danie Rossouw, 8. Pierre Spies, 9. Ricky Januarie, 10. Ruan Pienaar, 11. Bryan Habana, 12. Jean de Villiers, 13. Adrian Jacobs, 14. JP Pietersen, 15. Conrad Jantjes. Reserves: 16. Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17. Brian Mujati/CJ van der Linde, 18. Andries Bekker, 19. Ryan Kankowski, 20. Heinrich Brussow, 21. Francois Steyn, 22. Jaque Fourie

Date: Saturday, November 22, 2008
Venue: Twickenham
Kick-off: 14:30 GMT (9:30 a.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges: Alan Rolland (Ireland), Romain Poite (France)
Television match official: Peter Allan (Scotland)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

ENG v SA Rugby Planet preview
ENG v SA Rugby Heaven preview

IRELAND vs ARGENTINA

Ireland: 1. Marcus Horan, 2. Jerry Flannery, 3. John Hayes, 4. Donncha O'Callaghan, 5. Paul O'Connell, 6. Stephen Ferris, 7. David Wallace, 8. Jamie Heaslip, 9. Tomas O'Leary, 10. Ronan O'Gara, 11. Robert Kearney, 12. Luke Fitzgerald, 13. Brian O'Driscoll (c), 14. Tommy Bowe, 15. Geordan Murphy. Reserves: 16. Rory Best, 17. Tony Buckley, 18. Malcolm O'Kelly, 19. A.N. Other, 20. Eoin Reddan, 21. Paddy Wallace, 22. Keith Earls.

Argentina: 1. Rodrigo Roncero, 2. Mario Ledesma, 3. Juan Pablo Orlandi, 4. Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, 5. Patricio Albacete, 6. Martin Durand, 7. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (c), 8. Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 9. Nicolas Vergallo, 10. Juan Martin Hernandez, 11. Rafael Carballo, 12. Miguel Avramovic, 13. Federico Martin Aramburu, 14. Francisco Leonelli, 15. Horacio Agulla. Reserves: 16. Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17. Marcos Ayerza, 18. Esteban Lozada, 19. Alvaro Galindo, 20. Agustin Figuerola, 21. Santiago Fernandez, 22. Bernardo Stortoni.

Date: Saturday 22 November, 2008
Venue: Croke Park, Dublin
Kick-off: 14.45 GMT (9:45 a.m. ET (Toronto, New York))
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Mark Lawrence (South Africa), Rob Debney (England)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch (Ireland)

IRE v ARG Rugby Planet preview
IRE v ARG Rugby Heaven preview

WALES vs NEW ZEALAND

Wales: 1. Gethin Jenkins, 2. Matthew Rees, 3. Adam Jones, 4. Alun-Wyn Jones, 5. Ian Evans, 6. Ryan Jones (c), 7. Martyn Williams, 8. Andy Powell, 9. Gareth Cooper, 10. Stephen Jones, 11. Shane Williams, 12. Jamie Roberts, 13. Tom Shanklin, 14. Leigh Halfpenny, 15. Lee Byrne. Reserves: 16. Richard Hibbard, 17. John Yapp, 18. Luke Charteris, 19. Dafydd Jones, 20. Dwayne Peel, 21. James Hook/Dan Biggar, 22. Andrew Bishop.

New Zealand: 1. Neemia Tialata, 2. Keven Mealamu, 3. Tony Woodcock, 4. Brad Thorn, 5. Ali Williams, 6. Jerome Kaino, 7. Richie McCaw (c), 8. Rodney So'oialo, 9. Jimmy Cowan, 10. Daniel Carter, 11. Sitiveni Sivivatu, 12. Ma'a Nonu, 13. Richard Kahui, 14. Joe Rokocoko, 15. Mils Muliaina. Reserves: 16. Hikawera Elliot, 17. John Afoa, 18. Anthony Boric, 19. Kieran Read, 20. Piri Weepu, 21. Stephen Donald, 22. Isaia Toeava.

Date: Saturday 22 November, 2008
Kick-off: 17:15 GMT (12:15 p.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Venue: Millennium Stadium
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Touch judges: Dave Pearson (England), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Assessor: Paul Bridgman (England)

WAL v NZ Rugby Planet preview
WAL v NZ Rugby Heaven preview

FRANCE vs AUSTRALIA

France: 1. Lionel Faure, 2. Dimitri Szarzewski, 3. Nicolas Mas, 4. Sébastien Chabal, 5. Lionel Nallet (c), 6. Thierry Dusautoir, 7. Fulgence Ouedraogo, 8. Imanol Harinordoquy, 9. Sebastien Tillous-Borde, 10. David Skrela, 11. Cedric Heymans, 12. Benoit Baby, 13. Yannick Jauzion, 14. Julien Malzieu, 15. Maxime Medard. Reserves: 16 Benjamin Kayser, 17. Benoit Lecouls, 18. Romain Millo Chluski, 19. Louis Picamoles, 20. Julien Tomas, 21. Damien Traille, 22. Alexis Palisson.

Australia: 1. Ben Alexander, 2. Stephen Moore, 3. Al Baxter, 4. Hugh McMeniman, 5. Nathan Sharpe, 6. Dean Mumm, 7. George Smith, 8. Wycliff Palu, 9. Luke Burgess, 10. Matt Giteau, 11. Drew Mitchell, 12. Stirling Mortlock (c), 13. Ryan Cross, 14. Peter Hynes, 15. Adam Ashley-Cooper. Reserves: 16. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17. Sekope Kepu, 18. Mark Chisholm, 19. David Pocock, 20. Sam Cordingley, 21. Quade Cooper, 22. Digby Ioane.

Date: Saturday, November 22, 2008
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Kick-off: 21.00 (20.00 GMT) (3:00 p.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Touch judges: Chris White (England) , David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)

FRA v AUS Rugby Planet preview
FRA v AUS Rugby Heaven preview

ITALY vs PACIFIC ISLANDS

Italy: 1. Matias Aguero, 2. Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3. Carlos Nieto, 4. Tommaso Reato, 5. Marco Bortolami, 6. Josh Sole, 7. Mauro Bergamasco, 8. Sergio Parisse (c), 9. Pietro Travagli, 10. Andrea Marcato, 11. Matteo Pratichetti, 12. Gonzalo Garcia, 13. Mirco Bergamasco, 14. Kaine Robertson, 15. Andrea Masi. Reserves: 16. Fabio Ongaro, 17. Andrea Lo Cicero, 18. Salvatore Perugini, 19. Alessandro Zanni, 20. Pablo Canavosio/Giulio Toniolatti, 21. Luke McLean, 22. Riccardo Pavan

Pacific Islands: 1. Justin Va'a, 2. Tanielu Fuga, 3. Kisi Pulu, 4. Filipo Levi, 5. Paino Hehe, 6. Viliami Vaki, 7. Nili Latu (c), 8. Sisa Koyamaibole, 9. Sililo Martens, 10. Seremaia Bai, 11. Vilimoni Delasau, 12. Epi Taione, 13. Seilala Mapusua, 14. Sailosi Tagicakibau, 15. Kameli Ratuvou. Reserves: 16. Sunia Koto, 17. Tonga Lea'aetoa, 18. Semisi Naevo, 19. Hale T-Pole, 20. Mosese Rauluni, 21. Seru Rabeni, 22. Gavin Williams.

Date: Saturday, November 22, 2008
Venue: Stadio Giglio, Reggio Emilio
Kick-off: 15:00 (14:00 GMT) 9:00 a.m. ET (Toronto, New York) )
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Touch judges: Christophe Berdos, Hugh Watkins (Wales)
TMO: Geoff Warren (England)

ITA v PI Rugby Planet preview
ITA v PI Rugby Heaven preview

Game of the Year?

2008-11-18T16:26:00.006-05:00

Nervewracking, nail-biting stuff as the shocking All Blacks second-stringers were saved by A-teamers Brad Thorn, Mils Muliaina and Joe Rokocoko to steal a late 18-16 win over Munster at the new Thomond Park in Limerick, ending just minutes ago. Stephen Donald was useless with the boot and gave a Munster team playing out of their skins every chance for a famous upset. The late New Zealand scrum when Thorn came on for a Munster feed was one of the most awesome scrummages I've ever seen. Sheer breathtaking power. Cool start to the match with Munster's four Kiwi's lining up to challenge their own Ka Mate haka to the Blacks. Amazing crowd atmosphere. If this game doesn't convince Rugby Union to return to traditional amateur-era mid-week provincial tour matches, then nothing will.

All Blacks vs. Munster today

2008-11-18T09:36:00.011-05:00

The clocks get turned back momentarily today, as the old amateur-era mid-week tour match returns to international rugby.

Thirty years after Munster spoiled a perfect New Zealand tour of the UK, the All Blacks will help commemorate that famous 1978 Munster victory at the newly expanded Thomond Park.

Munster's night of glory has become legendary and inspired a theatrical play called "Alone It Stands." Lesser remembered by the potato-eaters is the discomort the All Blacks came into the match. See photo of AB prop Gary Knight, above. Packing down a front-row for 80 minutes with bandages like that can't be any less distracting than getting hit on the skull by flour-bombs dropped from Cesna's flying overhead.

The All Blacks will be led by halfback Piri Weepu, and their team selection looks greener than Ireland, and especially experimental in the forward pack. Another upset looms as a possibility. Having said that, European champions Munster will not be at their strongest either, although ex-All Black winger Dougie Howlett will be lining up to face the haka and start the game against opposing his homeland for the first time in his career. Maori centre Rua Tipoki will also face some old friends.

MUNSTER vs NEW ZEALAND

Munster: 1. Federico Pucciariello, 2. Frankie Sheahan, 3. Timmy Ryan, 4. Mick O'Driscoll (captain), 5. Donnacha Ryan, 6. James Coughlan, 7. Niall Ronan, 8. Denis Leamy, 9. Peter Stringer, 10. Paul Warwick, 11. Ian Dowling, 12. Lifeimi Mafi, 13. Rua Tipoki, 14. Doug Howlett, 15. Barry Murphy. Reserves: 16. Denis Fogarty, 17. Tony Buckley, 18. Mark Melbourne, 19. Billy Holland, 20. John O'Sullivan, 21. Mike Prendergast, 22. Jeremy Manning.

New Zealand: 1. Jamie Mackintosh, 2. Corey Flynn, 3. Ben Franks, 4. Ross Filipo, 5. Jason Eaton, 6. Adam Thomson, 7. Scott Waldrom, 8. Liam Messam, 9. Piri Weepu (captain), 10. Stephen Donald, 11. Joe Rokocoko, 12. Isaia Toeava, 13. Anthony Tuitavake, 14. Hosea Gear, 15. Cory Jane. Reserves: 16. Hikawera Elliott, 17. John Afoa, 18. Brad Thorn, 19. Kieran Read, 20. Alby Mathewson, 21. Richard Kahui, 22. Mils Muliaina.

Date: Tuesday, November 18
Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick
Kick-off: 19.30 GMT (2:30 p.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Referee: Romain Poite
Touch judges: Christophe Berdos, Cédric Marchat
TMO: Eric Gauzins

Rugby Planet preview
New Zealand Herald preview

Setanta Sports had been promoting the All Blacks vs. Munster match on-air as being scheduled Live, and their email newsletters were hyping the same. However, a quick check of their online sked displays a U21 soccer international *friendly* between England and Czech Republic in that same time slot, with the NZ v Munster rugby match re-scheduled (relegated?) to tape for broadcast later in the evening. Viewers don't know what to believe from Setanta's schedules any more, but for what it's worth (e.g. not much) check the Setanta schedule or local listings.

And don't be afraid to wrie Setanta and let them kow you've had a gutsful. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

It's been fairly obvious for the past year that soccer dominates the Setanta agenda and schedule, and that everything else runs a very distant second. Rugby is not merely a low priority to Setanta, it's an after-thought.

Paying subscribers who are rugby fans grudgingly accept that a rare commemorative match featuring the worlds' best international rugby team playing the champion club team of Europe in front of a sold-out stadium -- an Irish team playing at a new Irish stadium, for sake of irony -- should be deemed barely relevant by an Irish sports network with sole proprietary rights, and certainly beneath the dignity of a friendly soccer game contested by teenagers from nations outside Ireland in a half-empty stadium.

Rugby fans understand that Setanta cannot prioritize enough soccer for their subscribers. But what's most frustrating is that Setanta continually LIES and uses shifty BAIT & SWITCH promotions, then when fielding complaints responds with ever-increasingly desperate LAME EXCUSES every time this happens.

Make no mistake -- this scheduling hosebaggery is occuring far too frequently, and I can no longer tsk-tsk rugby fans who are turning their backs on official channels and instead seeking out the freebie bit-torrent files from pirates who actually care.

Groundhog Day

2008-11-18T08:45:00.003-05:00

A quick wrap up of last weekends' rugby internationals. I didn't get to see all the games -- in fact, I saw about half -- and that was thanks only to some pirates broadcasting the game live and bit-torrent files.

Canada improved on their pasting from Ireland a week earlier by bouncing back against Wales on Friday night. The Canadian lads got onto the scoreboard this week and did a better job of protecting their line, falling by what you would have to rate as a somewhat respectable score of 34-13.

England looked stale falling to Australia 28-14 at Twickenham on Saturday. Robbie Deans has either worked some small wonders in the Wallaby scrummage, or else all those Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup matches the past half-year against the worlds' two best packs has paid dividends in technique and experience. Whatever the case, the smartass British print journos should be shutting their pieholes and muttering under their breath after the Wallaby scrummage shoved the supposedly formidable Pom pack around the paddock.

Scotland was up 10-0 at the halftime break against the world champion Springboks and a huge boilover loomed. But South Africa rebounded, scored a try and slotted three penalty goals, to squeak in and rescue a 14-10 victory.

More Southern Hemisphere deja-vu as the Pumas of Argentina outmuscled Italy 22-14 in Turin. The IRB made more noises about Argentina being admitted to the Sanzar Tri-Nations tournament this past week. We'll take a closer look at the proposal, the merits, and the roadblocks to that proposal in the coming weeks & months.

France was the only team to plug their finger in the hole in the dyke and uphold northern hemisphere pride, downing the Pacific Islands touring combo by a score of 42-17. The game will long be remembered more for Napoleoni Nalaga's ridiculously idiotic dangerous red-card hit to the head of Frech scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, who was knocked unconscious and looked in worse shape than Randy Couture after Brock Lesnar's hammer-fists later that same night.

This sort of stupidity gives Pacific Island rugby a terrible reputation, and you'd think the players should already be aware of that sordid rep - it having existed in some form-or-another since before most of these players were born - and that they would do everything in their power to exercise some self-control.

The big test of the afternoon was Ireland hosting New Zealand for the first-ever time at Croke Park. New venue, but same result. I'm pretty sure that was a banshee we heard wailing during the haka. The ABs still have a bit of sharpening to do and, like the week prior, bombed more simple scoring opportunities, but in the end were a class above and the 103-year Irish hoodoo continues. Final score All Blacks 22-3 over the Potato Farmers. The reporter from the Irish Independent underlined the reality:

"The difference is enormous, not so much men against boys as the collision of an advanced rugby civilisation with one at a much inferior stage of development."

The All Blacks stay in Ireland to face old nemesis Munster in Limerick on Tuesday, playing a 30th anniversary match commemorating Munster's famous victory.

Scores to settle

2008-11-15T08:09:00.015-05:00

Getting tardy on the blogging. Setanta has deep-sixed any priority for Rugby Union the past month, always burying it after soccer during late graveyard shifts, or postponing broadcast to tape and re-broadcast days later. Throw in coverage of the Rugby League World Cup - yet more graveyard shifts, but at least that coverage from Australia is broadcast live - makes the Autumn Rugby Union international test matches Low Man on the Setanta Totem Pole. Not a happy camp in Waterloo these days!

Quick round-up of last weekends' international scores: Canada was skunked 55-0 by Ireland in the driving rain at Thomond Park in Limerick. I had predicted at TSF a scoreline of 55-18 in favour of the Irish, expecting the Canadians to manage some offense and points, keeping it close to 60 minutes and then falling away late. In fact, Canada leaked most of their points to start the game, trailing 36-0 at the halftime break, but showed some pride and mettle to restrict the cricket score. The Wallabies were run close by Italy, prevailing 30-20. The Springboks were run even closer by Wales, keeping their nerve to hold off the Dragons 20-15. England were more dour than usual, turning aside the Pacific Islands combination 39-13. And a (mostly) second-string All Blacks outfit didn't need to get out of second-grear to run past Scotland 32-6 at Murrayfield. The Scots had high hopes they could claim their first Kiwi scalp in over a century, but were denied again. It could have been worse. AB debutante Corey Jane butchered what looked to be a thrilling New Zealand try on the goalline, and instead gave spectators a new #1 on the Top Ten List of Ugliest-Ever AB Blown Tries.

On with this weekend's action, starting with Canada looking to rebound against Wales at Millenium Stadium...

WALES vs CANADA

Wales: 1. John Yapp, 2. Richard Hibbard, 3. Rhys Thomas, 4. Ian Gough, 5. Luke Charteris, 6. Dafydd Jones, 7. Robin Sowden-Taylor, 8. Ryan Jones (c), 9. Martin Roberts, 10. James Hook, 11. Mark Jones, 12. Andrew Bishop, 13. Tom Shanklin, 14. Leigh Halfpenny, 15. Morgan Stoddart. Reserves: 16. Matthew Rees, 17. Eifion Roberts, 18. Alun-Wyn Jones, 19. Andy Powell, 20. Dwayne Peel, 21. Dan Biggar, 22. Jamie Roberts.

Canada: 1. Kevin Tkachuk, 2. Pat Riordan (c), 3. Jon Thiel, 4. Tyler Hotson, 5. Josh Jackson, 6. Jebb Sinclair, 7. Adam Kleeberger, 8. Aaron Carpenter, 9. Ed Fairhurst, 10. Ander Monro, 11. Justin Mensah-Coker, 12. Ryan Smith, 13. Bryn Keys, 14. Ciaran Hearn, 15. James Pritchard. Reserves: 16. Mike Pletch, 17. Frank Walsh, 18. Mike Burak, 19. Sean Michael Stephen, 20. Morgan Williams, 21. Matt Evans, 22. Dean Van Camp.

Date: Friday 14 November, 2008
Kick-off: 19.30 GMT (2:30 p.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Venue: Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Matt Goddard (Australia), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official: Geoff Warren (England)
Assessor: Jim Fleming (Scotland)

UPDATE:

WALES WORKS HARD FOR 34 - 13 WIN OVER CANADA

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ENGLAND vs. AUSTRALIA

England: 1. Andrew Sheridan, 2. Lee Mears, 3. Phil Vickery, 4. Steve Borthwick, 5. Tom Palmer, 6. Tom Croft, 7. Tom Rees, 8. Nick Easter, 9. Danny Care, 10. Danny Cipriani, 11. Ugo Monye, 12. Riki Flutey, 13. Jamie Noon, 14. Paul Sackey, 15. Delon Armitage. Reserves: 16. Dylan Hartley, 17. Matt Stevens, 18. Simon Shaw, 19. James Haskell, 20. Michael Lipman, 21. Harry Ellis, 22. Toby Flood.

Australia: 1. Benn Robinson, 2. Stephen Moore, 3. Al Baxter, 4. Mark Chisholm, 5. Nathan Sharpe, 6. Hugh McMeniman, 7. George Smith, 8. Richard Brown, 9. Luke Burgess, 10. Matt Giteau, 11. Drew Mitchell, 12. Stirling Mortlock, 13. Ryan Cross, 14. Peter Hynes, 15. Adam Ashley-Cooper. Reserves: 16. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17. Matt Dunning, 18. Dean Mumm, 19. Wycliff Palu, 20. Sam Cordingley, 21. Quade Cooper, 22. Digby Ioane.

Date: Saturday 15 November, 2008
Kick-off: 14:30 GMT (9:30 a.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Venue: Twickenham
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Touch judges: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television match official: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Assessor: Brian Stirling

ENG v AUS Rugby Planet preview
ENG v AUS Rugby Heaven preview

SCOTLAND vs SOUTH AFRICA

Scotland: 1. Allan Jacobson, 2. Ross Ford, 3. Euan Murray, 4. Nathan Hines, 5. Jim Hamilton, 6. Jason White, 7. John Barclay, 8. Ally Hogg, 9. Mike Blair, 10. Phil Godman, 11. Rory Lamont, 12. Nick De Luca, 13. Ben Cairns, 14. Thom Evans, 15. Chris Paterson. Reserves: 16. Dougie Hall, 17. Alasdair Dickinson, 18. Matt Mustchin, 19. Scott Gray, 20. Rory Lawson, 21. Dan Parks, 22. Hugo Southwell.

South Africa: 1. Tendai Mtawarira, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 3. John Smit, 4. Bakkies Botha, 5. Victor Matfield, 6. Schalk Burger, 7. Juan Smith, 8. Pierre Spies, 9. Fourie du Preez, 10. Ruan Pienaar, 11. Bryan Habana, 12. Jean de Villiers, 13. Adrian Jacobs, 14. JP Pietersen, 15. Conrad Jantjes. Reserves: 16. Brian Mujati, 17. Gurthro Steenkamp, 18. Andries Bekker, 19. Ryan Kankowski, 20. Ricky Januarie, 21. Frans Steyn, 22. Jaque Fourie.

Date: Saturday 15 November, 2008
Kick-off: 14:30 GMT (9:30 a.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Venue: Murrayfield
Referee: Dave Pearson (England)
Touch judges: Alain Rolland (England), Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

SCO v SA Rugby Planet preview
SCO v SA Rugby Heaven preview

ITALY vs ARGENTINA

Italy: 1. Matias Aguero, 2. Fabio Ongaro, 3. Carlos Nieto, 4. Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 5. Marco Bortolami, 6. Josh Sole, 7. Mauro Bergamasco, 8. Sergio Parisse, 9. Pablo Canavosio, 10. Andrea Marcato, 11. Mirco Bergamasco, 12. Gonzalo Garcia, 13. Matteo Pratichetti, 14. Kaine Robertson, 15. Andrea Masi. Reserves: 16. Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Andrea Lo Cicero, 18. Salvatore Perugini, 19. Tommaso Reato, 20. Pietro Travagli, 21. Luciano Orquera, 22. Luke Mclean.

Argentina: 1. Rodrigo Roncero, 2. Mario Ledesma, 3. Juan Pablo Orlandi, 4. Esteban Lozada, 5. Patricio Albacete, 6. Martin Durand, 7. Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, 8. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, 9. Nicolas Vergallo, 10. Juan Martin Hernandez, 11. Rafael Carballo, 12. Felipe Contepomi, 13. Gonzalo Tiesi, 14. Federico Martin Aramburu, 15. Bernardo Stortoni. Reserves: 16. Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17. Marcos Ayerza, 18. Alvaro Galindo, 19. Alejandro Campos, 20. Agustin Figuerola, 21. Santiago Fernandez, 22. Horacio Agulla.

Date: Saturday 15 November, 2008
Kick-off: 15:00 (14:00 GMT) (9:00 a.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Turin
Referee: Chris White (England)
Touch judges: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Christophe Berdos (France)
Television match official: David Changleng
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie

ITA v ARG Rugby Planet preview
ITA v ARG Rugby Heaven preview

FRANCE vs PACIFIC ISLANDS

France: 1. Lionel Faure, 2. Dimitri Szarzewski, 3. Nicolas Mas, 4. Romain Millo-Chluski, 5. Lionel Nallet, 6. Thierry Dusautoir, 7. Fulgence Ouedraogo, 8. Imanol Harnordoquy, 9. Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 10. David Skrela, 11. Cedric Heymans, 12. Benoît Baby, 13. Yannick Jauzion, 14. Julien Malzieu, 15. Maxime Médard. Reserves: 16. Benjamin Kayser, 17. Benoît Lecouls, 18 Sébastien Chabal, 19. Louis Picamoles, 20. Sebastien Tillous-Borde, 21. Damien Traille, 22. Alexis Palisson.

Pacific Islands: 1. Kas Lealamanua (SAM), 2. Tanielu Fuga (SAM), 3. Kisi Pulu (TGA), 4. Paino Hehea (TGA), 5. Kele Leawere (FIJ), 6. Hale T-Pole (TGA), 7. Sisa Koyamaibole (FIJ), 8. Nili Latu (TGA), 9. Mosese Rauluni (FIJ), 10. Seremaia Bai (FIJ), 11. Vilimoni Delasau (FIJ), 12. Epi Taione (TGA), 13. Seru Rabeni (FIJ), 14. Napolioni Nalaga (FIJ), 15. Gavin Williams (SAM). Reserves: 16. Sunia Koto (FIJ), 17. Census Johnston (SAM), 18. Filipo Levi (SAM), 19. Viliami Vaki (TGA), 20. Sililo Martens (TGA), 21. Kameli Ratuvou (FIJ), 22. Seilala Mapusua (SAM).

Date: Saturday, November 15, 2008
Venue: Stade Auguste Bonal, Sochaux
Kick-off: 15:00 (14:00 GMT) (9:00 a.m. ET (New York, Toronto))
Referee: Nigel Owens (Ireland)
Touch judges: Wayne Barnes (England), Carlo Damasco (Italy)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

FRA v PI Rugby Planet preview
FRA v PI Rugby Heaven preview

IRELAND vs NEW ZEALAND

Ireland: 1. Marcus Horan, 2. Rory Best, 3. John Hayes, 4. Donncha O'Callaghan, 5. Paul O'Connell, 6. Alan Quinlan, 7. David Wallace, 8. James Heaslip, 9. Tomas O'Leary, 10. Ronan O'Gara, 11. Rob Kearney, 12. Luke Fitzgerald, 13. Brian O'Driscoll, 14. Tommy Bowe, 15. Girvan Dempsey. Reserves: 16. Jerry Flannery, 17. Tony Buckley, 18. Stephen Ferris, 19. Shane Jennings, 20. Eoin Reddan, 21. Paddy Wallace, 22. Keith Earls.

New Zealand: 1. Tony Woodcock, 2. Keven Mealamu, 3. Neemia Tialata, 4. Brad Thorn, 5. Ali Williams, 6. Jerome Kaino, 7. Richie McCaw, 8. Rodney So'oialo, 9. Jimmy Cowan, 10. Daniel Carter, 11. Sitiveni Sivivatu, 12. Ma'a Nonu, 13. Conrad Smith, 14. Joe Rokocoko, 15. Mils Muliaina. Reserves: 16. Corey Flynn, 17. John Afoa, 18. Anthony Boric, 19. Kieran Read, 20. Piri Weepu, 21. Stephen Donald, 22. Isaia Toeava.

Date: Saturday, November 15, 2008
Venue: Croke Park, Dublin
Kick-off: 17:15 GMT (12:15 pm ET (New York, Toronto))
Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Touch judges: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
Assessor: Steve Hilditch

IRE v NZ Rugby Planet preview
IRE v NZ Rugby Heaven preview

AREN'T YOU GLAD YR STILL READING, DEP'T:

Duncan Johnstone at Rugby Heaven wonders if the world's star player comes into Saturday's test against Ireland undercooked:

Dan Carter's personal rehabilitation programme has restricted him to just 31 minutes in the No 10 role in the past eight weeks and placed pressure on the All Blacks maestro to get things right quickly against Ireland on Sunday.

Read the rest.

And the Irish Times profiles Big Brad Thorn, this blogs' fave player.

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Fall internationals kick-off!

2008-11-07T08:56:00.013-05:00

The Northern Hemisphere Autumn Tours get underway this weekend with a full menu of tantalyzing test match rugby.

Canadian interest will be directed to Thomond Park in Limerick, where the Maple Leafs face Ireland for the first time since their 27-27 sister-kisser in a heatwave at Fletcher's Fields in 2000. The Irish should prevail with some comfort, but the Canadian forward pack has loads of experience, and the backs have some untested speed out wide.

Check Setanta Sports and Mediazone Rugby Channel for broadcast times and viewing options.

Other test matches of note include Scotland hosting the All Blacks at Murrayfield. The two teams have been competing for a century, and Scotland is still looking to claim their first victory over the Kiwis. New Zealand has blooded a few greenhorns - rotation seems to back in style - with Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Brad Thorn all sitting. Keven Mealamu gets his first ever chance captaining his side and the ABs could be ripe for the plucking if Scotland can lift themselves ~ and referee Wayne Barnes tilts the playing field.

And France hosts nemesis Argentina. The Pumas have beaten France six of the last times they have faced France, including the famous upset to kick-off RWC 2007. The last time the French beat Argentina was in 2006, scraping home to win by a single point in Paris.

IRELAND vs CANADA

Ireland: 1. Marcus Horan, 2. Jerry Flannery, 3. Tony Buckley, 4. Donncha O'Callaghan, 5. Paul O'Connell, 6. Stephen Ferris, 7. Shane Jennings, 8. Jamie Heaslip, 9. Eoin Reddan, 10. Ronan O'Gara, 11. Robert Kearney, 12. Luke Fitzgerald, 13. Brian O'Driscoll (c), 14. Tommy Bowe, 15. Keith Earls. Reserves (From): Rory Best, John Hayes, Ryan Caldwell, Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Paddy Wallace, Peter Stringer, Shane Horgan.

Canada: 1. Kevin Tkachuk, 2. Pat Riordan (c), 3. Jon Thiel, 4. Mike Burak, 5. Josh Jackson, 6. Sean Michael Stephen, 7. Adam Kleeberger, 8. Aaron Carpenter, 9. Ed Fairhurst, 10. Ander Monro, 11. Justin Mensah-Coker, 12. Ryan Smith, 13. Bryn Keys, 14. Ciaran Hearn, 15. James Pritchard. Reserves: 16. Mike Pletch, 17. Frank Walsh, 18. Tyler Hotson, 19. Jebb Sinclair, 20. Morgan Williams, 21. Matt Evans, 22. Phil Mackenzie

Date: Saturday, November 8
Venue: Thomond Park
Kick-off: 17:15 GMT (12:15 p.m. ET (Toronto, New York))
Weather: Muggy, showers, and a strong southerly wind 25 km/h
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Touch judges: Nigel Owens (Wales), Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Television match official: Giulio De Santis (Italy)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)

CAN vs IRE : Rugby Heaven preview, click here.
CAN vs IRE : Rugby Planet preview, click here.

ITALY vs AUSTRALIA

Italy: 1. Salvatore Perugini, 2. Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3. Carlos Nieto, 4. Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 5. Marco Bortolami, 6. Josh Sole, 7. Mauro Bergamasco, 8. Sergio Parisse (c), 9. Pablo Canavosio, 10. Andrea Marcato, 11. Mirco Bergamasco, 12. Gonzalo Garcia, 13. Gonzalo Canale, 14. Kaine Robertson, 15. Andrea Masi. Reserves: 16. Fabio Ongaro, 17. Matias Aguero, 18. Tommaso Reato, 19. Alessandro Zanni, 20. Giulio Toniolatti, 21. Luciano Orquera, 22. Matteo Pratichetti.

Australia: 1. Ben Alexander, 2. Stephen Moore, 3. Matt Dunning, 4. Mark Chisholm, 5. Hugh McMeniman, 6. Dean Mumm, 7. Phil Waugh, 8. Richard Brown, 9. Luke Burgess, 10. Berrick Barnes, 11. Digby Ioane, 12. Timana Tahu, 13. Stirling Mortlock (c), 14. Lachie Turner, 15. Adam Ashley-Cooper. Reserves: 16. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17. Sekope Kepu, 18 Wycliff Palu, 19. David Pocock, 20. Matt Giteau, 21. Quade Cooper, 22. James O'Connor.

Date: Saturday, November 8
Venue: Stadio Euganeo, Padova
Kick-off: 15.00 (14.00 GMT) (9:00 a.m. ET (Toronto, New York))
Weather: Overcast, warm, barely any wind, but damp underfoot after a couple of days' rain. Perfect!
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Television match official: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Assessor: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

ITA vs AUS : Rugby Heaven preview, click here.
ITA vs AUS : Rugby Planet preview, click here.

ENGLAND vs PACIFIC ISLANDS

England: 1. Andrew Sheridan, 2. Lee Mears, 3. Matt Stevens, 4. Steve Borthwick (c), 5. Nick Kennedy, 6. Tom Croft, 7. Tom Rees, 8. Nick Easter, 9. Danny Care, 10. Dan Cipriani, 11. Ugo Monye, 12. Riki Flutey, 13. Jamie Noon, 14. Paul Sackey, 15. Delon Armitage. Reserves: 16 Dylan Hartley, 17 Phil Vickery, 18 Tom Palmer, 19 James Haskell, 20 Michael Lipman, 21 Harry Ellis, 22 Toby Flood.

Pacific Islands: 1. Justin Va'a (Samoa), 2. Aleki Lutui (Tonga), 3. Census Johnston (Samoa), 4. Filipo Levi (Samoa), 5. Kele Leawere (Fiji), 6. Semisi Naevo (Fiji), 7. Nili Latu (Tonga), 8. Finau Maka (Tonga), 9. Mosese Rauluni (Fiji), 10. Pierre Hola (Tonga), 11. Vilimoni Delasau (Fiji), 12. Seilala Mapusua (Samoa), 13. Seru Rabeni (Fiji), 14. Sailosi Tagicakibau (Samoa), 15. Kameli Ratuvou (Fiji). Reserves: 16. Sunia Koto (Fiji), 17. Kisi Pulu (Tonga), 18. Hale T Pole (Tonga), 19. George Stowers (Samoa), 20. Sililo Martens (Tonga), 21. Seremaïa Bai (Fiji), 22. Epi Taione (Tonga).

Date: Saturday, November 8
Venue: Twickenham, London
Kick-off: 14.30 GMT (9:30 a.m. ET (Toronto, New York))
Weather: Heavy rain with a strong southerly wind
Referee: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Touch judges: Stuart Dickinson (Australia), Tim Hayes (Wales)
Television match official: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Assessor: Dennis Immelman (South Africa)

ENG vs PI : Rugby Heaven preview, click here.
ENG vs PI : Rugby Planet preview, click here.

WALES vs SOUTH AFRICA

Wales: 1. Gethin Jenkins, 2. Matthew Rees, 3. Adam Jones, 4. Alun-Wyn Jones, 5. Ian Evans, 6. Ryan Jones (c), 7. Martyn Williams, 8. Andy Powell, 9. Gareth Cooper, 10. Stephen Jones, 11. Shane Williams, 12. Gavin Henson, 13. Jamie Roberts, 14. Leigh Halfpenny, 15. Lee Byrne. Reserves: 16. Richard Hibbard, 17. Duncan Jones, 18. Ian Gough, 19. Dafydd Jones, 20. Dwayne Peel, 21. James Hook, 22. Tom Shanklin.

South Africa: 1. Tendai Mtawarira, 2. Bismarck du Plessis, 3. John Smit (c), 4. Bakkies Botha, 5. Victor Matfield, 6. Schalk Burger, 7. Juan Smith, 8. Pierre Spies, 9. Fourie du Preez, 10. Ruan Pienaar, 11. Bryan Habana, 12. Jean de Villiers, 13. Adrian Jacobs, 14. JP Pietersen, 15. Conrad Jantjes. Reserves: 16. Brian Mujati, 17. Gurthro Steenkamp, 18. Andries Bekker, 19. Ryan Kankowski, 20. Ricky Januarie, 21. Frans Steyn, 22. Jaque Fourie.

Date: Saturday, November 8
Venue: Millennium Stadium
Kick-off: 14:30 GMT (9:30 a.m. ET (Toronto, New York))
Referee: Alan Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges: Alan Lewis (Ireland), George Clancy (Ireland)
Television match official: Geoff Warren (England)
Assessor: Paul Bridgman (England)

WAL vs SA : Rugby Heaven preview, click here.
WAL vs SA : Rugby Planet preview, click here.

SCOTLAND vs NEW ZEALAND

Scotland: 1. Allan Jacobson, 2. Ross Ford, 3. Euan Murray, 4. Nathan Hines, 5. Jim Hamilton, 6. Jason White, 7. John Barclay, 8. Simon Taylor, 9. Mike Blair (c), 10. Phil Goodman, 11. Sean Lamont, 12. Nick De Luca, 13. Ben Cairns, 14. Thom Evans, 15. Chris Paterson. Reserves: 16. Dougie Hall, 17. Alasdair Dickinson, 18. Matt Mustchin, 19. Scott Gray, 20. Rory Lawson/Mark McMillan, 21. Dan Parks, 22. Hugo Southwell.

New Zealand: 1. Jamie Mackintosh, 2. Keven Mealamu (c), 3. John Afoa, 4. Anthony Boric, 5. Ali Williams, 6. Kieran Read, 7. Adam Thomson, 8. Liam Messam, 9. Piri Weepu, 10. Stephen Donald, 11. Joe Rokocoko, 12. Ma'a Nonu, 13. Richard Kahui, 14. Anthony Tuitavake, 15. Isaia Toeava. Reserves: 16. Corey Flynn, 17. Neemia Tialata, 18. Ross Filipo, 19. Riche McCaw, 20. Andy Ellis, 21. Daniel Carter, 22. Cory Jane.

Date: Saturday, November 8
Venue: Murrayfield, Scotland
Kick-off: 17:15 GMT (12:15 p.m. ET (Toronto, New York))
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Touch judges: Dave Pearson (England), Paul Dix (England)
Television match official: Graham Hughes (England)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

SCO vs NZ : Rugby Heaven preview, click here.
SCO vs NZ : Rugby Planet preview, click here.

FRANCE vs ARGENTINA

France: 1. Fabien Barcella, 2. Dimitri Szarzewski, 3. Benoit Lecouls, 4. Romain Millo Chluski, 5. Lionel Nallet (c), 6. Thierry Dusautoir, 7. Imanol Harinordoquy, 8. Louis Picamoles, 9. Jean Baptiste Elissalde, 10. David Skrela, 11. Cedric Heymans, 12. Benoit Baby, 13. Yannick Jauzion, 14. Julien Malzieu, 15. Maxime Médard. Reserves: 16. Benjamin Kayser, 17. Nicolas Mas, 18. Sebastien Chabal, 19. Fulgence Ouedraogo, 20. Morgan Parra, 21. Damien Traille, 22. Alexis Palisson.

Argentina: 1. Rodrigo Roncero, 2. Mario Ledesma, 3. Juan-Pablo Orlandi, 4. Rimas Alvarez Kairelis, 5. Patricio Albacete, 6. Martín Alberto Durand, 7. Álvaro Galindo, 8. Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, 9. Nicolás Vergallo, 10. Juan Martin Hernandez, 11. Horacio Agulla, 12. Felipe Contepomi (c), 13. Gonzalo Tiesi, 14. Francisco Leonelli, 15. Bernardo Stortoni. Reserves: 16. Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17. Marcos Ayerza, 18. Esteban Lozada, 19. Alejandro Campos, 20. Agustín Figuerola, 21. Federico Martín Aramburú, 22. Rafael Carballo.

Date: Saturday, November 8
Venue: Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Kick-off: 21.00 (20.00 GMT) (3:00 p.m. ET (Toronto, New York))
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Mark Lawrence (South Africa), Peter Allan (Scotland)
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)

FRA vs ARG : Rugby Heaven preview, click here.
FRA vs ARG : Rugby Planet preview, click here.

----------------------------------

Didn't miss much

2008-11-03T08:40:00.003-05:00

The All Blacks prevailed against the Wallabies in humid Hong Kong on Saturday, concluding the Bledisloe Cup series winning 3 matches to 1, and once again coming from behind to steal a close one 19-14. The pitch at HK didn't look up to international standard, both teams looked below peak-form, the Bledisloe was already in the bag, and yet both teams gave it their all. Canefan at The Silver Fern provides a commentary ("Rusty AB's do enough").

---------

Greg Williamson has a terrific thought-provoking commentary up at Stuff titled, "We Want Our Jersey Back!" I'd recommend reading the whole thing -- in particular by the NZRU and Adidas -- but here're some money grafs:

The latest is the "This is not a jersey" campaign. According to adidas the famous black jumper is not a jersey but actually a "portal through which men pass," and other Hallmark-card like sentiments.

On behalf of the average Kiwi rugby fan it is actually just a rugby jersey, and we want it back. Now.

"At the end of the day, what we have sold to adidas is a whole lot of history and mystique," New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chief executive Steve Tew said in an interview with Unlimited business magazine several years ago.

Wrong. The NZRU have sold adidas the right to associate with that history and mystique. They don't own our team or our jersey. We, the rugby public, are the real owners of the All Blacks "brand". [...]

Don't get me wrong. I love adidas (who are reportedly spending $200 million on a nine-year sponsorship deal with the NZRU), News Corp, and all of those other big companies helping keep our national game afloat. Without them the NZRU would be less viable than a Kiwi finance company.

But they all need to realise it is not their jersey, it is not their team. It is ours, the average New Zealand rugby fan.

The sponsors must get their money's worth out of backing our team, but it has to be balanced against the current and future health of rugby. ... We've lost sight of the need to protect and enhance our game rather than just maximise the sponsors' benefit. [...]

Adidas should stop using a Dutch advertising agency to dream up these weird ideas for promoting the All Blacks. They are nice people but have limited rugby heritage.

Only use advertising campaigns that sound credible communicated by Carl Hayman, Alex Wyllie or Richard Loe. Can you imagine Grizz saying "This not material, it is fabric that binds us together"?

ATT'N: Setanta NA subscribers (re: NZ vs. OZ in HK)

2008-10-30T08:52:00.000-04:00

Listen up North American Setanta subscribers, this blows chunks.

No historic All Blacks vs. Wallabies Bledisloe Cup test match action from Hong Kong for you!

A Setanta rep for USA & Canada just replied to me, quote, "Unfortunately, we aren't showing the NZ vs Aus match this weekend. The Bledisloe Cup was recently separated from the Tri-Nations competition, and we weren't able to budget in the extra match."

Solution: GO TO MEDIAZONE RUGBY CHANNEL. But don't be a slow poke -- if you haven't registered an account with them, that'll take maybe 10 minutes. Mediazone'll broadcast the game live onto your computer monitor, and the match will be available therafter for download. Cost is USD$9.99.

Haka and kick-off starts 3:30 AM Eastern Time (ET - ie. New York, Toronto), November 1st (ie. early Saturday morning ET), 2008.

Canada's NH Autumn Tour Internationals

2008-10-30T08:29:00.004-04:00

Fast approaching November, which can mean only one thing -- northern hemisphere internationals!

Canada kicks off their annual Fall tour this Saturday in Lisbon, facing plucky RWC upstarts Portugal, before heading to Ireland and the United Kingdowm.

Setanta has picked up Canadian b'casting rights to all Canada's test matches, but they seem to be alternating between live on TV and/or PPV-only on broadband. Check their announcement and schedule here.

Canada's Fall SChedule

Saturday November 1, 2008
Canada vs Portugal
From Lisbon

Saturday November 8, 2008
Canada vs Ireland
From Dublin

Friday November 14, 2008
Canada vs Wales
From Cardiff

Saturday November 22, 2008
Canada vs Scotland
From Edinburgh

Meanwhile, Doug Crosse is reporting from Lisbon that recently-retired star Canadian scrumhalf Morgan Williams will be returning to the international stage this weekend:

With all the players now assembled in Lisbon, Portugal, the first meeting held by coach Kieran Crowley revealed to the team that due to the injury of Phil Mack last week, Morgan Williams would be coming out of retirement to fill the gap against Portugal. The move was neccessary as Ed Fairhurst is still with his club side Cornish Pirates and young Sean White - of the James Bay club - is possibly not ready for such a big first outing.

According to Crowley it was an easy decision to make.

"Absolutely," said the affable New Zealander. "He is still very fit and plays every weekend with his club James Bay and when you look at how he played at the World Cup last year it is a very easy decision to come to."

More.

Oy, my aching head!

2008-10-26T13:56:00.003-04:00

The Cantabs pulled out another NPC title, downing the snakebitten Lions 7-6 to claim the Air New Zealand Cup in a dour game played in the drizzle at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

*Sigh* At least the Lions still hold the Shield until next season.

Same day, the Sharks defeated the Blue Bulls by a score of 14-9 to win the Currie Cup and claim provincial supremacy in South Africa for the first time in a dozen years.

This morning the All Blacks named a 35-man touring squad for their November northern hemisphere tour and one-off test against the Wallabies in Hong Kong.

The All Blacks will play five tests in five weeks as well as a midweek match against the European champions Munster. The tour kicks off next Saturday when the All Blacks take on the Wallabies in the first-ever off-shore Bledisloe Cup match in Hong Kong. The team then heads to the United Kingdom and Ireland for matches against Scotland (8 November), Ireland (15 November), Munster (18 November), Wales (22 November) and England (29 November).

There are seven new All Blacks (bolded):

All Blacks tour squad

Backs: Mils Muliaina, Cory Jane, Joe Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Hosea Gear, Anthony Tuitavake, Richard Kahui, Conrad Smith, Isaia Toeava, Ma'a Nonu, Daniel Carter, Stephen Donald, Jimmy Cowan, Piri Weepu, Andy Ellis.

Forwards: Rodney So'oialo, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (captain), Scott Waldrom, Liam Messam, Adam Thomson, Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Anthony Boric, Jason Eaton, Ross Filipo, Tony Woodcock, John Afoa, Neemia Tialata, Jamie Mackintosh, Ben Franks, Andrew Hore, Keven Mealamu, Corey Flynn.

Meanwhile, Richard Loe has had a gutsful of the different set of rules for international rugby:

IRB must sort out rules nonsense

It's time the International Rugby Board sorted out this new rules nonsense once and for all. The All Blacks on Saturday will be playing under one set of rules against the Wallabies in Hong Kong and then will head off to the UK where they will play under another set of rules. [...]

What is the point of the international game shooting itself in the foot like this? It's a joke. [...] The game has been jerked around with two different versions of the new rules for long enough. It's confusing and boring and ultimately damaging to the game.

The length of time it has taken to complete the transaction - and it still isn't completed, incredibly - is annoying people.

You wonder whether the IRB even realise what harm they are doing the game. First, they can't even agree on which set of rules they want to trial. One set down here, another up there. Good grief."

Amen.

The rest.

Cantabs vs. Wellington in Air NZ Cup Final

2008-10-18T13:49:00.003-04:00

Wellington booked a home Final for the Air New Zealand Cup, downing Southland 28-19. They will host the amazing Red 'n Blacks, who felled the Magpies 31-21 in the other semi. Will fortune favour the home side...?

Update:

Woeful history haunts Lions

Wellington will be out to break their finals hoodoo when they take on Canterbury in the capital on Saturday in a repeat of the 2004 national championship final.

For the nearly-men of provincial rugby, Saturday's match will be Wellington's fifth final in six years, with the previous four all ending in defeat.

Complete article here.

Stade Français turns to Warhol

2008-10-09T10:04:00.005-04:00

Le troisième maillot du Stade Français version 2008/2009. Ce maillot reprend le visage de la Blanche de Castille façon Andy Warhol.

Is this rugby's worst ever jersey?

RugbyHeaven Wednesday, 08 October 2008

High art, or high farce? You be the judge as the always colourful Stade Français club in Paris launches its latest rugby jersey on the world.

The trendy Parisian club has come up with a garish new design, launched to coincide with the start of this year's Heineken Cup competition, that is either brilliantly chic, or downright sick, depending on your point of view.

This year's design depicts the face of Parisienne 13th-century heroine Blanche de Castille, the wife of Louis VIII, in a multi-coloured design described by club publicists as "in the fashion of Andy Warhol".

Well, they're certainly getting their 15 minutes of fame, and then some.

The shirts made their debut in the weekend's 34-16 victory over Montauban that took the Ewen McKenzie-coached Stade Français eight points clear of Toulouse at the top of the French Top 14.

As usual, the latest designs under the always colourful ownership of the eccentric Max Guazzini have created plenty of chatter.

Some critics have described it as the worst rugby jersey in the game's history. Others love it.

One thing you have to give the club credit for, though, is consistency. Having started the trend with a fluorescent pink jersey that has become their signature look, they have continued to defy critics and fashionistas alike.

Last season saw a light brown number with turquoise stripes and pink flowers and was described by one critic as "reminiscent of an Hawaiian shirt fashioned from some 1970s caravan curtains".

There was also a pink, green and blue effort with tie-dyed blurred lines that drew unflattering appraisals.

Still, the club gets full marks for originality, and, who knows, maybe their persistence will finally see other rugby clubs join the trend.

Source.

French TV video news report about the new Stade Français jersey, with action from their debut appearance in a 34-16 victory over Montauban, via youtube:

Jamaica withdraws RWC bid

2008-10-02T10:27:00.002-04:00

A record number of bids, yes, but sadly, there will not be a RWC in the Americas until at least 2023.

Record number of World Cup bids

A record number of countries are set to make official bids for hosting the 2015 or 2019 Rugby World Cup tournaments.

Eight nations - England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, South Africa, Australia and Japan - have confirmed they will tender for the 2015 event.

And eight countries have also expressed interest in the 2019 tournament - Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, South Africa, Australia, Japan and Russia.

Each union had six weeks to review in detail the Rugby World Cup tender document before formally expressing their intention to tender.

Only Jamaica has opted not to continue with a bid to host a World Cup tournament.

"This strong response is unprecedented, and truly reflects the global attraction of the Rugby World Cup," International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset said. "It also reflects the significant economic benefits that accompany the hosting of a tournament that has grown in stature and prominence as a global event.

"For the first time, the IRB will award two tournaments at the same time. This provides longer-term certainty for the hosts, Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) and the tournament's commercial partners.

"It also ensures that future development investment initiatives in the game worldwide can continue to be underwritten by the tournament and planned accordingly.

"The IRB Council will announce the RWC 2015 and 2019 host unions in July 2009, six years prior to the first tournament and 10 years prior to the 2019 event.

"This timetable reflects the scale and nature of the preparatory work in delivering this world-class tournament."

Source.

Lions Lift Log

2008-09-22T08:54:00.002-04:00

The Wellington Lions smashed 'n skunked Ranfurly Shield holders Auckland 27-0 at Eden Park on Saturday. The comprehensive drubbing means Wellington lifts ye olde "Log O' Wood" for the first time in 26 years. The city will be holding a ticker-tape parade for the victors. Chastised Auckland supporters are hanging their heads in shame, not merely about the humiliating loss of the Shield, but also about those lousy new-look skinny-hooped jersies that make their players look like a pack of metrosexual meeklings. Get rid of em!

All Blacks win another championship

2008-09-15T14:13:00.004-04:00

The heart-stopping All Blacks defeated the gallant Wallabies 28-24 in a fantastic decider at Brisbane to retain the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup titles. It is the All Blacks fourth title in a row, and their ninth championship in 13 years of the annual series. The victors are deserved champions. They faced an Australian onslaught, bending but not quite breaking, and fought back like champions to win in style and take the outcome down to the final whistle.

The game was a nailbiting thriller. Check the 9:28 youtube clip above, courtesy Rugby Dump.

Forget what the assclown at Rugby Planet said about the tournament being "tedium" and "boring" and "irritating," etc. This was the most wide-open and unpredictable tournament in the series history, and the championship decider was a classic test match to top the whole thing off. Well done to both sides. Hats off to the contingent of kiwi fans in full support, too. The Blacks may have been mistaken there for a bit thinking it was a home test.

Men in Black vs. Convicts 3N Decider

2008-09-12T09:19:00.009-04:00

The Tri-Nations championship decider goes late tonight (early morning ET) in Brisbane. The Wallabies, coming off the shock 53-8 slaughter at the hands of the wooden-spoon-holding Springboks, host the All Blacks at one of New Zealand's happier hunting grounds in Australia. The All Blacks are back to full-strength after their 101-14 mid-week pulverisation of Samoa last week. Should be a cracker, with all sorts of interesting sub-plots, from All Black lock Brad Thorn playing against his adopted nation in front of his home crowd (!), and his ex-Crusader coach Robbie Deans trying to claim the prize away from his home-nation Kiwis (!!).

AUSTRALIA: 1. Benn Robinson, 2. Stephen Moore, 3. Al Baxter, 4. James Horwill, 5. Nathan Sharpe, 6. Rocky Elsom, 7. George Smith, 8. Wycliff Palu, 9. Sam Cordingley, 10. Matt Giteau, 11. Lote Tuqiri, 12. Stirling Mortlock (captain), 13. Ryan Cross, 14. Peter Hynes, 15. Adam Ashley-Cooper. Reserves: 16. Adam Freier, 17. Matt Dunning, 18. Hugh McMeniman, 19. Phil Waugh, 20. Richard Brown, 21. Brett Sheehan, 22. Drew Mitchell.

NEW ZEALAND: 1. Tony Woodcock, 2. Andrew Hore, 3. Greg Somerville, 4. Brad Thorn, 5. Ali Williams, 6. Jerome Kaino, 7. Richie McCaw (captain), 8. Rodney So'oialo, 9. Jimmy Cowan, 10. Dan Carter, 11. Sitiveni Sivivatu, 12. Ma'a Nonu, 13. Conrad Smith, 14. Richard Kahui, 15. Mils Muliaina. Reserves: 16. Keven Mealamu, 17. John Afoa/ Neemia Tialata, 18. Anthony Boric, 19. Adam Thomson, 20. Piri Weepu, 21. Stephen Donald, 22. Isaia Toeava.

Date: Saturday, September 13
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 20:00 (10:00 GMT)
Weather: Warm and clear, 17 C.
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan
Touch judges: Craig Joubert, Mark Lawrence
TMO: Johann Meuwesen

Wallabies: Not dead yet

2008-09-02T10:57:00.005-04:00

No, the Wallabies aren't dead yet. They still have a chance to win the Tri-Nations in a rubber-match against the All Blacks in Brisbane in two Saturdays (September 13).

But last Saturday's massacre at the hands of the Springboks at Ellis Park was an abject humiliation. A scoreline of 53-8 is an ass-kicking by every standard imaginable. Debutante league-convert Timana Tahu must be wondering what hit him.

If you haven't seen the game, spare yourself a viewing unless you're a Bok fan desperately seeking schadenfreude as consolation. Think about that: the Tri-Nations wooden spoon holders just spanked the potential tournament champions by 45 points!

It's been a wild & wide-opened tournament so far, but the All Blacks need to win to restore some integrity to the trophy. Nevertheless, common sense says a wounded Wallaby team playing at home, at sea-level, in the friendly confines of Brisbane, is a wholly different animal than the one playing away on the high-veldt elevation at Johannesburg, where they had (and still haven't!) won in 45 years. All Blacks beware!

New Zealand gets to work off the ring-rust tonight against Samoa in a rare mid-week test in an even-rarer test match venue in New Plymouth. ABs rest all-world skipper Richie McCaw.

Springbok suicide watch

2008-08-26T08:55:00.005-04:00

Been away for a few weeks and catching up on all the latest Tri-Nations developments. The All Blacks skunked the Boks in Cape Town two weeks ago, winning by an historic scoreline of 19-0; and last weekend the Wallabies did a similar job on the mighty Bokke, prevailing 27-15 at Durban for their first win in the Republic since 2000.

The "world champion" Springboks are well & truly out of the running for this years' Tri-Nations title, having won a solitary game out of five played, with one remaining home test against the Wallabies to try to salvage some pride and honour.

This years' title was supposed to belong to the Springboks, following the rebuilding phases of the All Blacks and Wallabies. Instead, those two teams will meet for the silverware and the South Africans, who returned home in the drivers seat, are left holding the wooden spoon.

The knives have been sharpened with the sole blame going to inexperienced Bok coach Peter de Villiers (pictured above) on multiple threads at Keo and a nice one at Rugby Planet ("PDV's nightmare run"). TSF has a running thread about the stupidest comments and excuses from the Springbok coach.

Here're some classic doozies:

"We are too rushed at the moment. We have to be more composed. When we click, somebody’s going to get a hiding."

"We are making progress, but I think some players are a bit flat because they play too much rugby in the Super 14. The public must give us time. Given the speed and power of our players, if we execute our new game play correctly, we will be awesome. We will be the envy of the world."

"We don’t go out there to lose games and we should have won all of those games."

"If you look at New Zealand and us and compare the players as a team, then you will see that we have much more talent than what they have."

"I'm not going to panic because, having watched the video again, I saw how great we played."

Hoo-boy. De Villiers is not exactly painting himself in glory here. If his players are superior to the competition, then surely de Villiers is conceeding responsibility here. He is cluelessly out of his depth at this level.

-------------------

The Olympic Games just wrapped from Beijing. I was intrigued to hear NBC sports anchor Bob Costas interviewing IOC President Jacques Rogge and the Games dropping baseball and softball for the 2012 London Games, and the possibility of those sports being reintroduced for 2016. Rogge was non-commital, but did say the teams sports had to be put into a context that also sought inclusion of other sports, and Rogge cited rugby. I have always believed rugby should stay out of the Olympic Games. I suspect the version Rogge is thinking about is perhaps tournament rounds of Sevens, like the version competed at the Commonwealth Games, but that seems to me a foul way to muddy the waters about what the global audience thinks rugby is (e.g. mistakenly thinking it a 7s game, not a 15-man game).

If I had to see rugby in the Olympics, I would prefer to see a straight 8-team draw, playing knock-out tests on the three consecutive weeks of the Games. Do a QF round on the first Sat/Sun; a SF round the following Sat/Sun; and the Medal Finals on the concluding Sat/Sun. (And once league players saw an Olympic gold medal on the line, we might see the nail in the coffin to that code and rugby become one game -- a World in Union!)

Sonny Bill Williams - union convert

2008-08-08T07:58:00.006-04:00

Updated --

Sensational Canterbury Bulldogs (Australian NRL) forward Sonny Bill Williams has controversially quit his team mid-season to sign a Union contract with Toulon in France. SBW has a laundary list of grievances against his former club, and is being accused by league fans and scribes as a greedy low-life scumbag. The NRL even wants the IRB to intervene, as if they'll find any sympathy there, har-har!

The 22 year old Kiwi was one of the brightest and most exciting stars in the League code, and could develop into a great Union player in the next few years. It is expected he'll play centre. Brad Thorn is one convert who believes Sonny Bill can do great things in his adopted code -- if he applies himself. The kid has an amazing skill set, with a remarkable ability to stay on his feet, commit multiple tacklers, and still get away offloads. But his legendary bit hits (read: shoulder barges) are illegal in Union, and he'll have to re-learn tackling technique if he is to be successful in the game. *

Australia's Channel NINE has the Sonny Bill Williams "Footy Show" interview with Danny Weidler from last night online:

August 7, 2008: Part 1 - Sonny Bill Williams comes clean on why he left the Bulldogs so abruptly and went to France.

August 7, 2008: Part 2 - Sonny Bill drops a few bombshells in the second part of his interview with Danny Weidler.

In the interview(s) Sonny Bill comes across as quite defensive. He claims he's not a coward, not greedy, says his family has been vilified, and several times runs the risk of making himself to be a bit of a martyr.

But SBW makes some valid points without having to resort to notes on a slip of paper -- something that many well-known veteran politicians (yes, John McCain, I'm looking at you!) clearly seem incapable of doing. SBW wisely won't name ex-teammates he may have confided in, for fear of making them vulnerable. He makes reasonable comments about NRL salaries going down in a decade, asking what other comparable sports league in the world has seen such a slide. He asks whether GMs, CEOs and lawyers should have a salary cap. (Nice can o' worms he's opening there.) He talks about the club farking his teammates out of salary bonues. And he believes he has nothing to apologise for.

Whether one agrees with SBW's rationales or not, I reckon he comes across as a fairly reasonable, mature and intelligent young man who has clearly thought long-and-hard about his decision. And as a fan of Union, I wish him all the best!

Choice quotes:

SBW: "In my mindset right now I'm a rugby union player, and there's a lot of achievements and lot of goals I've set for myself. With an icon like Tana Umaga, who I really think I can learn a lot from, I want to play for the All Blacks one day, so that keeps me motivated. It's a whole new game, a whole new challenge. One day I want to be the best centre in the world."

[...]

DW: "Why do you want to play French rugby union?"

SBW: "Two words. Tana Umaga. Simple as that. Everything added up. Ex-rugby league player, union convert. All Black captain. Samoan heritage. Icon of the game. That sums it up really."

DW: "You've mentioned your ambition to be an All Black. Would you consider playing for France?"

SBW: "I'm a through-and-through Kiwi mate, I'm very proud where I come from, and I think playing for the All Blacks would be a great honour."

------------------

* UPDATE:

Sonny Bill Williams sinbinned for shoulder charge on debut

By David Murray in Hyeres
August 09, 2008

SONNY Bill Williams' rugby union career got off to an atrocious start when the former Bulldogs star was sinbinned on debut for French club Toulon.

Williams, who ignored a court order by playing, was sent from the field for 10 minutes after one of his trademark shoulder charges left his opposite number languishing injured for several minutes.

Williams is famous for his bruising shoulder charges on the rugby league field - where the dangerous tackling technique is legal.

However, shoulder charges are outlawed in rugby union.

In front of a packed house of 3,000 fans for the friendly against Carque-iranne-Hyeres, Williams started on the left wing. Although it was an away match for Toulon, a huge roar erupted when Williams took the field – confirming his fast rise to celebrity status in France since he walked out on his contract with the Bulldogs two weeks ago.

Mystery had earlier shrouded the former NRL star’s debut after he failed to show up on the team bus or warm up with his teammates.

The secrecy ensured Williams avoided being personally served with a NSW supreme court injunction banning him from playing for Toulon.

The court slapped the injunction on the 22-year-old yesterday and the Bulldogs were attempting to have it served on Williams before today's match. Manager Khoder Nasser and boxing friend Anthony Mundine supported Williams from front row seats.

Source.

Lucky talented Yankee young-uns

2008-08-08T07:46:00.003-04:00

The Oympic Games are kicking-off, but these young American boys are living their own athletic dreams. Gotta love the work Viz is doing to develop the sport of rugby union in the United States. Great job, and congrats to the selected kids. The education will doubtlessly be an amazing learning experience and something they will never forget for the rest of their lives.

USRFF Names 2008 Developmental Grant Recipients

The United States Rugby Football Foundation is pleased to announce that Hanno Dirksen, Kevin Kimble and Cameron Dolan have been selected as this year's Developmental Grant recipients entitling them to participate in the Advanced Player's Course at the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand.

Hanno Dirksen plays his rugby in Atlanta for the U19 Trojans. The 17 year old back has represented the US at the U17 and U18 levels. Hanno showed his versatility at last week's North America 4 competition with outstanding performances at wing, flyhalf and center. He was so impressive that he was called into the USA National Team assembly in Charleston, SC for the upcoming Clermont-Auvergne match. Read more about Hanno.

Kevin Kimble is an exceptional athlete from New Rochelle, NY who will be attending Penn State in the fall. Kevin played for the US U17s and U18s and was player of the tour for the U18s when they toured England playing Bedford, Northampton, and Doncaster last year. "Kevin is a backrow player with an enormous workrate and unlimited potential," said USA U18s coach Mike Diamantopoulos. Read more about Kevin.

Cam Dolan is from Florida where he excelled playing not only high school rugby but senior men’s rugby this past year. Cam also spent time playing rugby in England in 2007 and was a member of the USA U17 and U18 national squads. "Cameron is big, strong and athletic second rower with a bright future in the sport," said USA Rugby High Performance Director Matt Sherman. Cam has been offered a scholarship to attend Life University in the fall. Read more about Cam.

This is the fourth year that the USRFF has sent promising high school players to New Zealand to participate at the IRANZ's Advanced Student Course. Four of the six who've received Developmental Grants, Scott LaValla, Taylor Mokate, Hamish Roberts and Shawn Pittman, represented the US at this year's U20 World Championships. LaValla and Pittman also played for the Falcons at the recently completed NA4 competition.

"We are pleased to continue sending some of the country's promising young players abroad to help develop their game," said USRFF Executive Director Brian Vizard. "Hanno, Cam and Kevin were all highly recommended and I'm sure they'll do themselves and the U.S. rugby community proud."

The USRFF would like to thank David and Eileen Hovey for their generous contribution in making this year's Developmental Grants possible; TravelCorp for providing the domestic airfare; and USA National Team coach Scott Johnson for allowing Hanno to take time off from the National Team assembly to attend IRANZ. The player's leave today and will return on August 15.

To learn more about the United States Rugby Football Foundation or to make a contribution, go to www.usrugbyfoundation.org or call Executive Director Brian Vizard at 619-233-0765.

The Big Bounceback

2008-08-04T08:39:00.004-04:00

The Red Terror has returned from three weeks in the wilderness. Normal blogging will resume shortly, but only then after I've caught up with the rest of my hectic schedule, y'know -- the stuff we call "life."

And it was a life & death desperation bounceback for the All Blacks this past weekend, as they smashed the Wallabies 39-10 at Fortress Eden on Saturday -- an extraordinary 44-point turnaround after their humiliating 34-17 loss in Sydney a week earlier. The enthralling victory -- and in particular the performance of a All Blacks ruthless forward pack on the front foot, and a coming-of-age performance by blond-mullet-on-the-wagon scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan -- should have warmed the hearts of every fan of New Zealand rugby.

The Tri-Nations resumes in two weeks at Cape Town when the resurgent Blacks will try to take the new "standard they have set for themselves," as skipper Richie McCaw declared it in his post-test wash-up, against the world champ Springboks. The ABs will almost certainly have to win both of their remaining two matches, both away against the Boks and Wallabies, for any possibility to claim the title. The Wallabies were looking good until the Eden Park trip-up, but I don't rate them much a chance to win any of their two tests in South Africa. They simply do not turn up to play with anything close to the same intenstity they do at home, when mommy isn't there to fluff their pillows and tuck them into their beds at night. I hope Robbie Deans fires 'em up to pull a boilover, but just don't see it happening. Which means the Boks sit comfortably in the drivers' seat to hoist the silverware.

Check the multiple links at the right top box for all the details.

And speaking of the Garden of Eden, where I spent many Saturday afternoons of my youth, the All Black vs. Wallaby test on Saturday was the last game before the wrecking ball comes to smash the south-stand and overhaul the bricks 'n mortar for the "New" Eden Park that will host the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Thye New Zealand Herald has a nice computer graphic animation for viewing the new stadium. Click here to view.

Tri-Nations House of Pain

2008-07-10T11:10:00.004-04:00

The Tri-Nations gets ratcheted-up this Saturday for the 2nd test between the All Blacks and Springboks at Dunedin. The past week has been a South African whinge-fest on the heels of the latest "spear-tackle" controversy, and finger-pointing about referees' leniency toward the All Blacks, and New Zealand's imaginary scrum skullduggery.

The larger South African narrative this past week has declared that Springbok skipper John Smit suffered a "groin injury" after he "he was spear tackled by Brad Thorn."

Bollocks!

For one, it wasn't a spear tackle. Thorn didn't lift up Smit vertically and drive or corkscrew Smit's head into the ground. He lifted him up and carelessly dropped Smit onto his back. It deserved a yellow-card.

Secondly, Smit wasn't injured from the knock. Like an overweight waddling Energizer Bunny, Smit kept going for another 30 minutes. It wasn't his groin that was troubling him so much, it was the stress placed on his lungs from carrying so much extra lard into a contest played under the new ELVs. Smit and the Bok pack were monstered in the scrum by a very inexperienced kiwi scrummage. I cannot ever remember seeing a Bok scrummage so ruthlessly obliterated. Given the pride they take in their jersey, and the scrummage in particular, and carrying the title of World Cup Champions, must've been humiliating.

Which leads to the even-more embarrassing cry-baby routine. Being a crybaby brings with it certain shame, but nobody said the squeaky wheel doesn't get the grease.

Smit came into the test match physically unprepared, looking in the sort of shape that makes Pop 'N' Fresh and Private Pyle from "Full Metal Jacket" look like American Gladiators. Fatboy got creamed in the scrums, then blames his injury on Thorn. A very convenient excuse and scapegoat for the Bok skipper, who looked like his match preparation playing in the northen hemisphere was a steady diet of chip-butties, donuts and bacon fat.

Sadly, too many rugby journos -- stenographers that most of 'em are -- have gleefully deep-throated, swallowed and regurgitated this farce whole, as if it were a papal decree.

Get over it already Champs, you are well and truly embarrassing the legacy of the green jumper.

Sadly, Brad Thorn misses the test match, serving out a week suspension for upending Smit.

Quotables

Richard Loe:

My man of the match was Brad Thorn. I thought he typified the spirit the All Blacks took into this match and the ferocity with which they took up the ball, the tackles they made and the crunch they hit the breakdowns with.

Thorn wasn't standing for any nonsense from anyone and I thought he was tops.

Sean Fitzpatrick:

Brad was a real Thorn in Springboks' side

[...] I couldn't argue with selection - that was the All Black team I would have picked had I been the chief selector and that highlights the depth issue we have discussed before. I was worried about whether several individuals would step up in the heightened intensity and pressure of a test against the Boks.

But they did and I have to congratulate players like Brad Thorn, Jerome Kaino, Ma'a Nonu and Adam Thomson on how they handled themselves at this level. In the tough conditions and the enormous intensity and pace of that match, I thought they all did very well.

Thorn would probably be the pick of them. I wondered if he'd struggle in this match but I think the conditions suited him. He brought probably the most physical approach to a very physical game and he rocked the Boks back on their heels a bit.

Grant Fox:

We had many top performers.

Two in particular would have warmed the heart of Pinetree Meads.

Brad Thorn was ruthlessly efficient. He and Adam Thomson are old-style All Black forwards in mentality.

Check all the links top-right for all the explosive previews and match reviews.

Yours truly will be away for two weeks and should return by the first week in August. Stay well.

The Iron Mike Sharpe of international rugby

2008-07-08T20:00:00.004-04:00

Player profile: Victor Matfield, Springbok

Always dangerous, the outstanding Springbok lock Victor Matfield surely rates as the "Iron" Mike Sharpe of world rugby.

Sharpe became a regular of World Wrestling Federation (WWF) programming throughout the mid-1980s and early 1990s. [He] distinguished by his near-constant yelling and grunting throughout a match, as well as a mysterious black band on his right forearm, supposedly protecting an injury but more widely believed to contain a foreign object. Though occasionally defeating jobbers after smashing them with said forearm, Sharpe never held a single title for the promotion and is largely regarded to have himself been a jobber to rising stars of the then-WWF. Despite this, Sharpe was involved in his share of memorable moments...

Source: wikipedia.

Iron Mike Sharpe
REAL NAME: Mike Sharpe
BORN: Hamilton, Ontario
6'4", 275 pounds

Iron Mike Sharpe. The name alone brings up an image of a black forearm band and a lot of yelling.

Under the management of Captain Lou Albano, Sharpe fought his way up, though some may credit his mysterious black armband.

A Wrestling News article on Sharpe described the force of his forearm smashes during a match against Tony Garea.

"Garea was stung by a rain of heavy forearm smashes, delivered by the arm on which Iron Mike wears a strapped contraption of sorts. Many times over it has been alleged that what makes Sharpe's 'hammer' the most lethal in wrestling is that in this band of his he has secreted some kind of foreign object. That's what they say. But, because no one has ever succeeded in removing it from his arm, these allegations remain unproven."

Mike was a middle card tough guy who often was used by McMahon as a stepping stone for future contenders of the WWF championships. He wore a leather band on his arm that extended from wrist to elbow. Although it was made of nothing more than thin black leather, once nailed with an ordinary forearm smash, Sharpe's opponents senselessly collapsed to defeat. Iron Mike also slid weapons under his armband which he used when in trouble, concocting more controversy than his harmless gimmick ever deserved. He squashed lesser opponents on television only to be thrashed by up and comers at live events in Philadelphia and all of the major venues throughout the WWF territory. Once getting past Sharpe, the wrestler who was receiving the push gained credibility en route to presenting himself worthy of a title shot.

When his career had petered out, Sharpe turned his attention to teaching, and opened Iron Mike Sharpe's School of Pro-Wrestling in Asbury Park, NJ.

Crowbar (Chris Ford) was one of his students, and recalled the experience: "Iron Mike Sharpe was a funny guy. He showed me the basics, but I'd be lying if I told you Mike Sharpe showed me how to do a Moonsault. He was a lot of fun. Even though he was never a top guy in the WWF, I always enjoyed watching him, he was always entertaining and, as you know, vocal (laughs), very loud, always screaming and yelling. He had that patented leather forearm thing. Even though he wasn't a top guy I always enjoyed watching him."

Source: Canoe.

Comment --

I recall at a live WWF event held in Kitchener in the late 1980's. A group of us had seats above the entrance that the wrestlers used to enter the ring. When Iron Mike walked down the aisle towards the ring, we rose up out of our seats, wearing black forearm bands, making loud "Iron Mike" noises.

Iron Mike (the man was huge by the way), stopped, looked up at us and grinned. it was priceless. He subsequently lost to Hillbilly Jim that evening.....

Dean Berkers, Mount Forest Ont.

Tri-Nations Hell in a Cell

2008-07-02T09:52:00.010-04:00

International rugby gets a shot of adrenaline this Saturday morning with the start of the Tri-Nations championships.

NZ going for fourth successive title

New Zealand Herald

One team coming off World Cup glory and two with points to prove after freezing on rugby's grandest stage - this a Tri-Nations truly worthy of the name.

Pressure is mounting from all directions on an All Blacks side chasing a record fourth successive title in the annual stoush of the southern hemisphere giants.

The South Africans, who cruised to world champion status last November, are largely intact while Australia have acquired Crusaders icon Robbie Deans as their coach, the man many believe should now be at the New Zealand helm.

But perhaps the greatest challenges for coach Graham Henry comes from within his own All Blacks squad, who have taken on a distinctly inexperienced tinge.

To maintain their winning standards of the past five years will mean handling the heaviest player turnaround of Henry's tenure, his stocks thinned appreciably by the lure of offshore riches.

Read the rest.

A pessimistic "His Bobness" at The Silver Fern thinks "the Boks must be dreaming of All Blacks for breakfast." Give it a read.

Rotation post-mortem redux

2008-06-27T11:58:00.004-04:00

Random items crossing the transom the other day ... all unrelated, but possessing a familiar theme.

Reflecting upon the injuries to star All Blacks Richie McCaw and Ali Williams last weekend, Lindsay Knight at Rugby Heaven concedes, "in the present environment some rotation is inevitable, even desirable." But Knight has reservations:

Rotate, but not to the point of dizziness

Of the many rods the All Blacks coaching staff made for itself with last year’s failed World Cup campaign the one which has returned to provide the biggest pounding has been the rotation selection policy.

...

Unfortunately, where the mistake was made was in continuing to chop and change through the 2007 season, even at the World Cup itself, at an obvious cost to enhancing combinations and a team’s rhythm.

Blogger Dave, at the excellent Dave's Football Blog, looks at the NFL and EURO 2008 for his own impressions:

EURO 2008 Losers Should Have Learned From Tony Dungy

Three of the four Group Stage winners at EURO 2008 — Portugal, Croatia and the Netherlands — went out in the quarterfinals last week. The one thing those three teams had in common? They all clinched their groups after two games, then rested their starters for the third to avoid getting anyone else hurt before the Knockout Stage began. Result? They looked tentative and rusty, and their opponents, who all had to must-win third games in the Group Stage, looked sharper and played better.

This same sort of thing seems to happen to the Indianapolis Colts every year, doesn’t it? Most of the time, they clinch the AFC South with a few games to spare, and what does Tony Dungy do? He rests his players to avoid getting any of them injured. Every time he does that, the Colts get bounced out of the playoffs early.

Remember what happened the year the Colts won Super Bowl XLI? Dungy couldn’t rest his players. The Colts had to scrape and claw for playoff position right up until the end of the season, and they didn’t get a bye week in the playoffs, so they had to play right on through. They didn’t lose their edge, and they pushed through until they won it all.

I get that coaches don’t want their players to get hurt, but you know what? Injuries happen in football, and you can’t be scared of them. What’s worse: the risk losing a player to injury in a meaningless game, or the risk of losing your edge because all your players had a game off and bombing out early? This seems even more crucial in a competition as compressed as EURO 2008, which only lasts for a month. Are you telling me that these guys are so out of shape that they can’t play a full six games in 22 days?

So the next time anyone argues for resting players before a knockout stage, point them to the Indianapolis Colts. They’re as good a sign post as anyone here.

Now, taking all of this under consideration, I decided to compare-and-contrast the consistency of selection for New Zealand's greatest Rugby World Cup triumph (1987) versus their worst RWC flameout (2007).

The centre-position shows the All Blacks dilemma in glaring detail.

Check the All Blacks RWC-winning fixture list for the 1987 tournament versus the 2007 version, and look at who gets pencilled into the #13 jersey:

RWC 1987

05/22/1987
NZ vs Italy
13. JOE STANLEY

05/27/1987
NZ vs Fiji
13. JOE STANLEY

06/01/1987
NZ vs Argentina
13. JOE STANLEY

06/06/1987
NZ vs Scotland
13. JOE STANLEY

06/14/1987
NZ vs Wales
13. JOE STANLEY

06/20/1987
NZ vs France
13. JOE STANLEY

Fast-forward two decades --

RWC 2007

09/08/2007
NZ vs Italy
13. MILS MULIAINA

09/15/2007
NZ vs Portugal
13. CONRAD SMITH

09/23/2007
NZ vs Scotland
13. CONRAD SMITH

09/29/2007
NZ vs Romania
13. ISAIA TOEAVA

10/06/2007
NZ vs France
13. MILS MULIAINA

It's bad enough that John Mitchell inserted Leon McDonald into the center position for the losing 2003 RWC AB side. It was worse that McDonald was handed the goalkicking duties. McDonald, after all, had never handled either responsibility at NPC or S12/14 level, let alone the international level, let alone as the desperate solution for the RWC. (And 'twasn't Leon's fault that Tana Umaga was laid out in a freak accident in the opener.)

But it seems doubly silly that Graham Henry would do the same for Mils Muliaina for the 2007 tournament. Yes, Muliaina had covered #13 at varying levels in the past. But doesn't it seem restrictive and counter-productive to start Muliaina in a knock-out test, when he hadn't started the position in a month?

Rotation certainly has it's value, as any manager of the top football (soccer) sides in the world would attest (Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, etc.).

Nevertheless, the game of musical chairs that seeks to protect a players' welfare by mothballing him, might in the long run risk inflicting even greater damage to the prospects of the whole team.

Sumthin' to think about...

Rugby Planet disinformation and exploitation

2008-06-24T15:03:00.008-04:00

A terrible accidental tragedy befell a young Argentine rugby player this past weekend.

Rugby Planet was quick to pick up the story and then rush to judgment:

Argentine rugby in mourning

Monday 23rd June 2008

Argentine rugby was left to mourn Juan Cruz Migliore on Saturday after he passed away from injuries suffered in a Buenos Aires Rugby Union (URBA) Premier Division game.

The 20-year-old wing, who was playing for C.U.B.A. against San Fernando, suffered a broken neck when a maul collapsed on him early in the second half.

Playing in just his third game since joining the club, Cruz Migliore had opened the scoring in the first minute of the game.

Got that...? As reported by Rugby Planet, Mr. Migliore was killed by a broken neck when a maul collapsed on him.

It might have been well enough to leave the facts, brief though they are, right there -- and correct them later if the facts are in dispute.

But no. Rugby Planet decided the timing was perfect to exploit the young man's death, and sermonize about the ELVs:

(Continuing directly...)

His injury and subsequent loss of life brings into question the new ELVs which are set to allow the collapsing of mauls.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) made a stance earlier in the month when they refused to let those playing age-grade rugby in England collapse mauls for safety reasons.

The sad loss of Cruz Migliore should serve as a warning to those in authority that certain aspects of the game need to be kept the same for players continued safety.

Rugby Planet didn't stop the moralizing there. In his "Voice From the Stands" commentary, columnist Marcus Leach hoses more gasoline onto the fire:

[O]n Saturday, 20-year-old Argentine wing Juan Cruz Migliore also died after suffering a broken neck when trapped under a pile of bodies.

Surely such an injury highlights the dangers involved in collapsing mauls and players freely going off their feet at rucks, and yet the IRB are happy to introduce the ELVs which allow mauls to be collapsed. It just doesn't add up.

Riders in the Tour de France were eventually forced to wear helmets, but not until several riders had died from head injuries - most famously Fabio Casartelli who died in 1995 after a crash in the race. Let us pray that it does not take the same wake-up call in rugby before those in power reassess the laws coming into play next season.

Poor kid dies, and Rugby Planet can't wait to scream, "Told ya so!!"

Except that the "facts" as presented by Rugby Planet may be stretching the truth elastic.

According to a witness named "Julian," who posts on the Rugby Planet forum, the tragedy had nothing to do with a broken neck, and nothing to do with a collapsed maul. He writes:

As always, the story is wrong, is not a collapsed maul, he was hit (not very hard) at the end of a RUCK.

His neck wasn't broken, the autopsy told the investigators death by sophocation.

(Sic: suffocation.)

"Julian" elaborates further in another thread:

Migliore was tackled and he felt down, inmediately five players of the opponent team formed a ruck and the ball came out quickly, it took no more than 10 seconds for the whole situation. He remained down and was given first attentions on the pitch as he didn't wake up, then he was transfered to the emergency room inside the club.

We have an state of the art emergency room, but it wasn´t enough, he suffered two strokes there and died on the ambulance in the way to the hospital. His family was witnessing the match, father, mother, uncle and relatives. He lived one block from the pitch.

The sense of anguish and desperation felt yesterday at every rugby pitch in Buenos Aires will be hard to forget.

O-kay, as heart-wrenching as that testimony certainly seems, it's nevertheless posted by a stranger on an internet forum. Gotta be skeptical of those. The guy could be any b.s. artiste, right...?

Since we can't rely on that single anonymous source, let's then look for an actual Argentine news report like this (w/photos):

22-06-2008

Tragedia en Villa de Mayo

C.U.B.A. derrotaba a San Fernando por 26-11 cuando la noticia del fallecimiento de Juan Cruz Migliore sacudió la tarde. El wing universitario sufrió un golpe a los nueve minutos de juego y fue retirado del campo. Más tarde, el encuentro fue suspendido.

La tarde empezó como cualquier otra tarde de rugby. Incluso arrancó bien para Juan Cruz, de sólo 20 años (cumplía el 28 de diciembre), que marcó el primer try del encuentro a segundos del comienzo del partido ante San Fernando.

Pero luego sucedió el hecho trágico: Iban nueve minutos cuando Migliore, que estaba dentro dentro de un ruck, sacó la pelota y tres jugadores de San Fernando se le cayeron encima. [...]

Can't read Spanish...? Let's go to the Babelfish translation:

Tragedy in Villa of May

C.U.B.A. defeated to San Fernando by 26-11 when the news of the death of Juan Migliore Cross shook afternoon. Wing university underwent a blow to the nine minutes of game and was retired of the field. Later, the encounter was suspended.

Afternoon it began like any other behind schedule of rugby. It even took well for Juan Cross, of only 20 years (it fulfilled the 28 of December), that try of the encounter marked first seconds of the beginning of the party before San Fernando.

But soon the tragic fact happened: Nine minutes went when Migliore, that was inside within ruck, removed the ball and three players of San Fernando fell to him above.

Still with life, but without responding to no of the stimuli, he was removed from the playground and taken to the infirmary of the club, according to counted Rodolfo Bovazzi, doctor of San Fer. Without delay, an ambulance transferred to the Hospital Doctor Federico Father, of the Municipality of the Argentine Falklands, but Juan Cross passed away in the passage and its body, so that the autopsy is realised, was transferred to the Hospital Ramon Cheek, of Citadel.

To the 16 minutes of the second time the referee Diego Pasman received the news and, obvious, he gave by suspended the encounter.

"One was an accidental, fortuitous fact and without similar antecedents in rugby. This it is a sport of risk but of much chivalry. The accident took place in a normal situation of the party, Juan Cross was underneath five players and was laying by a blow in the base of the skull”, explained the Cuban DT, Pedro Lance, that soon added: “The mother was in the field and I greeted when it, she embraced to me and she said to me that for his son he was one of the happiest moments of his life”.

On the other hand, referee Pasman, that directed its second divided in First Division, told “formed ruck, loosen the ball, stopped all, I followed the play and to the rat they made signs me to indicate to me that Migliore was fallen”.

The official doctor of the Union of Rugby of Buenos Aires, Marcelo Saco, discarded that the death of Migliore has been brought about by disloyalty in the game or lack of apt doctor. “One was an accident. Its death did not have anything to do with a situation of disloyal game or lack of apt doctor. Juan Cross was a healthy boy”, assured to him to Télam.

In addition, Coat emphasized that “what happened to Juan Cross to him can happen in any sport practice and until in a traffic accident”.

From this space, all that we do Rugby Fun we wished to send our condolencias and to offer him to our support to the family of Juan Cross to him and C.U.B.A.

Rugby Planet was informed of these facts over a day ago. Rugby Planet has not yet reported and/or clarified these facts, nor offered a mea culpa for their disinformation and pious scaremongering. Juan Cruz Migliore and the IRB deserve better than to have their names dragged through the mud because Rugby Planet got on a high horse.

R.I.P. George Carlin

2008-06-23T16:51:00.001-04:00

The Modern Man

"Advantages in comparative obscurity"

2008-06-23T11:57:00.007-04:00

I've been mostly avoiding the latest tabloid scandal/possible criminality of the England rugby team, which recently got destroyed in a two-test series in New Zealand, purportedly having something to do with prostitutes at an all-night party/group sex-romp at the Auckland Hilton, one of whom may have been gang raped. It's hard to know what to believe, especially in light of last years' Duke Lacrosse Team Scandal. You can read the sordid details about the English rugby mess here, and here, and here, and hell -- just go here.

Simon Barnes, chief sports columnist at The Times of London, makes a curious observation about public reaction to the scandal.

Obscurity an ally on England rugby tour

Have you noticed the calm, relaxed and laid-back way in which we have greeted the news that four England rugby players may have been involved in a rape? The players have retreated into a legal silence, we wait to see if a formal complaint will be made and in the meantime life goes on, England get walloped by New Zealand and prepare to come home.

We don't need to imagine the way the news would be received if we swapped “rugby” for “football”. It would be the greatest crisis for humanity since the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Hell, remember what happened when some bloke we'd never heard of was accused of rape at the Manchester United Christmas party?

If this scandal had attended the England football team, rather than the England rugby team, the four would somehow have been named and shamed and every newspaper in England would have its hardest hacks in Auckland. Indeed, if the England football team had held a party that involved late-night shenanigans of any kind, it would have been the most frightful scandal: unprofessional behaviour, poor match preparation, letting the nation down, etc, etc. But because these are good ol' rugby boys, we let it all wash over us. Yes, poor show and all that, but not such a terribly big deal.

Why should this be? Do we think claims of rape are more serious when footballers do it? The answer to that must be yes.

We love and hate footballers in equal measure. Let them step a foot out of line and we will muster every bit of righteous anger we can. Rugby players deeply envy footballers their fortunes. Those who were involved, no matter how innocently, should understand that there are advantages in comparative obscurity.

Source.

A class apart

2008-06-23T10:30:00.006-04:00

Bad week for Her Majesty! New Zealand won the inaugural World Junior Championship with a ruthless 38-3 smashing and pulverization of a thoroughly undisciplined England in yesterdays' final at Swansea in Wales. Rugby Planet match report, click here. The Kiwi youngsters were clearly head & shoulders above every other team in the tournament.

After hearing Kiwi worrywarts complain for several months about top professional players leaving New Zealand for fatter paycheques in the northern hemisphere, it was amusing to hear the British TV match commentators griping about the state of rugby development in the U.K. They reckon the current influx of Kiwi rugby players to the north is a double-whammy, firstly by harming the development of young English rugby players and future stars, who are wasted languishing on their teams' benches, while Kiwi imports get regular starts in important Heineken Cup and Guinness Premiership matches; and secondly, the Kiwi rugby exports leave vacant positions back home for young Kiwis to slot into, thereby giving them an edge in actual game experience at elite levels of Super 14 and NPC. It's an interesting theory. NZ teams, it appears, don't re-build so much as they re-load.

I thought the entire World Junior Championship tournament was fantastic, and expect to see it grow in popularity in leaps & bounds over the next decade, much like the World Junior Ice Hockey championships. I also like the idea that it's an annual event, and that Japan gets the next tournament. These are the sorts of tournaments that "new" rugby nations need to host before we gift them RWCs.

And how good was it to see the trophy lifted by skipper Chris Smith (pictured above), from my old Takapuna club. Good on yer, mate!

Hollywood discovers rugby

2008-06-23T10:01:00.002-04:00

It's uncommon to see movies about rugby.

This Sporting Life, the 1960 "kitchen-sink" gem directed by Lyndsay Anderson and starring Richard Harris (in the defining role of his career), is one of my fave films of all time. But alas, the "sporting life" played here is rugby league.

And at least four movies have been made about the Stella Maris College "Old Christians" rugby team from Montevideo, Uruguay. Alas, that story was more about a plane crash and cannibalism in the Andes, than anything about rugby.

So imagine my suprise -- and skepticism -- when I saw a trailer at Setanta Sports for a new film -- and it really does seem to be about rugby union -- titled Forever Strong, starring Gary Cole and Sean Astin. A reviewer at IMDB who has had a sneak peak, gushes, "It reminded me a lot of Remember the Titans because it included comedy, sadness, and just awesomeness," and "definitely Oscar worthy," neither of which I value as ringing endorsements.

In Martin Scorcese's (decent-but-way-overrated) Oscar-winner The Departed, we see Matt Damon wearing a flyhalf jersey (when he's supposed to be a flanker!), but now Jason Bourne has taken the rugby role one step further. According to press reports the past couple months, Damon is in line to play Springbok captain Francois Pienaar in a new movie directed by Clint Eastwood about Nelson Mandela and South Africa's nation-building RWC win in 1995:

Matt Damon will star as the captain of South Africa's 1995 World Cup-winning rugby team in a film to be directed by Clint Eastwood about Nelson Mandela and the transformative effect of the sporting win, weekend newspapers reported in South Africa.

Damon will star as Springbok ex-captain Francois Pienaar and Morgan Freeman will play Mandela in the film adaptation of a yet-to-be-released book by British journalist and author John Carlin entitled Playing The Enemy: Nelson Mandela And The Game That Made A Nation.

Freeman, who had the idea for the film and brought Eastwood and Damon on board, has described the Mandela role as the the role of his life.

Pienaar admitted to The Sunday Times his wife was especially "pleased" the star of blockbusters such as The Bourne Identity and The Talented Mr Ripley had been chosen to play him.

The Springboks' World Cup victory at home a year after the country's first democratic elections is seen as a defining moment in the history of post-apartheid South Africa.

The image of then president Mandela clad in a Springboks jersey presenting the Webb Ellis trophy to Pienaar became a symbol of new-found unity in the "rainbow nation", given rugby's association with the white minority.

Filming of the movie, which covers the turbulent period between 1985 to 1995, is set to begin next year, the newspaper reported.

Source.

Whatever works.

Churchill Cup '08 home-and-hosed

2008-06-23T09:45:00.003-04:00

The annual Churchill Cup wrapped up Saturday with Plate, Bowl and Cup Finals played at Toyota Park in Chicago, home of the MLS franchise Chicago Fire. (Wouldn't it be cool to see Canada play future test matches at downtown Toronto's swanky new cosmopolitan BMO Field -- home of Toronto FC -- instead of the dowdy temp stands of Fletcher's Fields next to the cornfields of rural Markham? I digress...)

In the curtain-raiser, Ireland 'A' ran roughshod over Argentina XV, claiming the Plate Final 33-8.

In the tight Cup Final, England Saxons were too good for Scotland 'A' and drew away late to win 36-19, in a match that was closer than the score indicated.

The most exciting game of the afternoon/early evening was the 5th/6th-place Bowl Final, contested between Canada and the United States Eagles, and the only full Test caps awarded for any game of the tournament. The United States led 10-nil at the break, but American coach Scott Johnson conceeded his team was shot at the break, telling SKY TV he'd never seen such a tired group slog back to the changing shed. A fiery halftime sermon must have been delivered by new Canadian coach Kieran Crowley, as the Canadians stormed back in the second half to claim 26 straight unanswered points through a pair of tries each to flanker Nanyak Dala (Man o' the Match) and center Ryan Smith to claim a handsome 26-10 test victory over their biggest rival. Truthfully, Canada's 2nd-half performance, especially in terms of continuity and commitment, was the best Canadian performance that I have seen in years. Congrats to Crowley and the boys -- Onward and Upward!

Rugby Canada has a full report with video. Click here.

Rugby Dump

2008-06-23T08:04:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I've added a new rugby link to the box in the upper-right corner, so let's roll out a warm welcome to Rugby Dump, a blog-resource collecting all sorts of weird 'n wonderful rugby video clips. Check it out, and be sure to bookmark!

Hulk Smash!

2008-06-22T12:48:00.003-04:00

The RWC champion Springboks squashed Italy in an unimpressive 26-0 win at Newlands in a downpour.

Food for discussion:

Do NFL shoulder pads make rugby players appear to be bigger, tougher, stronger & more intimidating American gridiron players?

Or... do NFL shoulder pads on a rugby field make the wearers look like timorous pantywaist pussies?

Still unresolved.

Gluttony

2008-06-22T12:43:00.003-04:00

Too much rugby means too little sleep, too little socializing, and too little time to blog. (Throw in those Euro 2008 matches, and it's problematic!)

This past weekend has seen international test match tours to the southern hemisphere, the Pacific Nations Cup, the finals of the Churchill Cup, plus the finals of the IRB World Junior Championship. I'll try to get reports and/or comments on all, especially the Canada vs. USA test at Chicago. Stay tuned...

Lineout woes downunder

2008-06-22T12:26:00.002-04:00

From a TSF thread:

I got a bit tired of [Sky Sports commentator Stuart] Barnes telling us how [Springbok locks] Matfield and Botha will be licking their lips at the sight of the NZ lineout, but unfortunately he is right. Ali Williams is a class international lock, but for all his grunt, Brad is ineffective as a lineout forward.

Height has always been Brad Thorn's problem at the lineout, but he went fine (4-for-4) against Ireland, and truthfully, the throw-ins to the lineout in both Pom tests were shit. How many times did the ABs lose balls on crooked throw-ins alone? How many were lost because the throws missed their targets? Too many to count.

Take a look at the above pic from yesterdays' test match. Thorn could have been Wilt Chamberlain, and he still would not been able to control that throw-in. Thorn clearly has his opposite Steve Borthwick beat, but the ball is astray, and that wasn't the only shit ball thrown his direction yesterday or the week before. In the photo Thorn can be seen head-and-shoulders above his challenger, so height nor timing isn't the problem. The Blacks need to keep it simple. Either Andrew Hore shouldn't attempt throws beyond his range of accuracy, or the lineout caller should call for something simpler. Thorn demonstrates here that being at a full stretch and obliged to jump backwards will not get the job done. That ball is difficult to control, and lifters have a near impossible task of trying to safely control the off-balance receiver.

Hore and Keven Mealamu need more throw-in practise. Many years ago I sent a frustrated (though polite) letter to Anton Oliver telling him to start shooting basketballs through hoops, or hang a car tire on a rope from a backyard tree branch and do target practise that way, like NFL quarterbacks for accuracy. It's not simply Thorn's height that is the problem with NZs lineout -- it's the crap throw-ins. Grant Batty used to spend hours perfecting his throw-ins back in the days when it was the wingers' responsibility. Hookers -- especially full-time professionals with six-figure salaries -- should start doing more of the same.

The TSF poster continues:

[Jerome]Kaino and Rodders [So'oialo] will have their work cut out for them at the back of the lineout in a month's time, trying to peg back Juan Smith and Pierre Spies. What are NZ going to do at No.2 in the lineout when the Boks come knocking?

Ex-AB coach Laurie Mains answered that a week ago:

The [Blacks] lineout is easily solved. It's a timing and co-ordination issue with the lineouts rather than any problem with individual players.

I would like to see the lineout forwards getting in front of their opposition rather than waiting for the ball.

Perhaps the All Blacks ought to exercise some simple ole fashioned remedies -- and their fans exercise some simple ole fashioned patience -- before they throw the baby out with the bathwater.

All Blacks lay out the Poms

2008-06-22T12:06:00.004-04:00

The new-look All Blacks dismantled an under-siege England for the second straight week, despite losing skipper Richie McCaw and Ali Williams to first-half injuries.

(McCaw will miss most of the Tri-Nations with a bad ankle strain; Williams is expected to return to action shortly.)

The final score of 44-12 was a fair reflection of the gulf in class between the two sides, notwithstanding England's boast of having been a RWC finalist only seven months ago, and Fleet Street's promises that New Zealand are the team on the decline.

In sum: new-look NZ doesn't even get out of second-gear, beats England, a team comprised of professional players who toil in a league that the Stephen Joneses and Eddie Butlers of the world believe are streets ahead of the Antipodes, by a cumulative score of 81-32.

Debutantes for the All Blacks, Rudi Wulf, Richard Kahui, Adam Thomson and Anthony Boric all went well for New Zealand, with center Kahui the most impressive. Besides a brilliant try on his debut and some solid line breaks and defense, the match will long be remembered for Kahui's massive (accidental) head-clash tackle on Matthew Tait.

See sickening youtube viddie, as below:

Overdosed

2008-06-16T09:11:00.010-04:00

An international rugby telethon this past weekend, and am I tired! The All Blacks smashed England. The Haka has a good match report, and His Bobness at TSF has a good round-up of English press commentary.

Choice quote:

"Bits of Test rugby are not optional," said [Rob] Andrew bluntly. "You get found out in Test rugby, that's why it's called Test rugby. It is brutal and, if you make simple mistakes, you will be punished.

New-look Wallabies nudged a gutsy Ireland. South Africa cleaned up against Wales. Scotland shocked Argentina. The Churchill Cup sked (Cup, Bowl & Plate finals) for Chicago next Saturday is settled. Canada got nipped by a point by Argentina XV and will face the host Americans in the consolation Main Event. The curtain-raisers include the actual final, to be contested between England Saxons and Scotland 'A'. Read all about the Pacific Cup, Nations Cup, Churchill Cup, World Junior Championships at Rugby Planet and don't be afraid to poke around the rugby websites linked in the above-right box.

Huge weekend of rugby

2008-06-13T11:23:00.004-04:00

Big test match action this weekend. All Blacks host England. The new Deans-era starts for the Wallabies, hosting Ireland; and Wales face the Springboks in their second test. Line-up details below. Be sure to check all the links (box - upper-right) for more action -- this weekend is heavy with Pacific Cup, Nations Cup, Churchill Cup and IRB World Under 20s Championship. The amount of rugby I'm seeing on Setanta right now is incredible, there's hardly any time to watch it all, let alone blog about it. (Add the NRL, Super League and State of Origin, and it's overkill!) I'll be up in the wee hours watching much of it tonight.

New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Anthony Tuitavake, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Rodney So'oialo, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Neemia Tialata. Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 John Schwalger, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Sione Lauaki, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Leon MacDonald.

England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Topsy Ojo, 13 Mike Tindall, 12 Olly Barkley, 11 David Strettle, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Luke Narraway, 7 Tom Rees, 6 James Haskell, 5 Steve Borthwick (c), 4 Tom Palmer, 3 Matt Stevens, 2 Lee Mears, 1 Andrew Sheridan. Replacements: 16 David Paice, 17 Tim Payne, 18 Ben Kay, 19 Joe Worsley, 20 Danny Care, 21 Jamie Noon, 22 Mathew Tait.

Date: Saturday, June 14
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 19:35 (08:35 BST) 3:30 AM SATURDAY EASTERN TIME (NEW YORK, TORONTO)
Weather: Cloudy but dry, Northerly breeze, 10°C
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges: Stuart Dickinson (Australia), Paul Marks (Australia)
Television match official: George Ayoub (Australia)
Assessor: Stuart Beissel (New Zealand)

Rugby Planet NZ v ENG preview, click here.

Rugby Heaven NZ v ENG preview, click here.

Australia: 15 Cameron Shepherd, 14 Peter Hynes, 13 Stirling Mortlock (c), 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 George Smith, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 James Horwill, 3 Matt Dunning, 2 Stephen Moore,1 Benn Robinson. Replacements: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 Phil Waugh, 20 Sam Cordingley, 21 Ryan Cross, 22 Adam Ashley-Cooper.

Ireland: 15 Robert Kearney, 14 Shane Horgan, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (c), 12 Paddy Wallace, 11 Tommy Bowe, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Peter Stringer, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Shane Jennings, 6 Denis Leamy, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Rory Best, 1 Marcus Horan. Replacements: 16 Jerry Flannery, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Mick O'Driscoll, 19 Stephen Ferris, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 Geordan Murphy, 22 Girvan Dempsey.

Date: Saturday, June 14
Venue: Telstra Dome, Melbourne
Kick-off: 20:05 (11:05 BST, 10:05 GMT)
Weather: Floods, hurricanes and hail the size of golf balls. But hey, it doesn't matter because the roof will be closed!
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
Touch judges: Chris White (England), Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
Assessor: Andrew Cole (Australia)

Rugby Planet AUS v IRE preview, click here.

South Africa: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Tonderai Chavanga, 13 Adrian Jacobs, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Butch James, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Luke Watson, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 BJ Botha, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Gurthrö Steenkamp, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Bolla Conradie, 21 Francois Steyn, 22 Percy Montgomery.

Wales: 15 James Hook, 14 Mark Jones, 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Gareth Cooper, 8 Gareth Delve, 7 Jonathan Thomas, 6 Ryan Jones (c), 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Ian Gough, 3 Rhys Thomas, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Gethin Jenkins. Replacements: 16 T Rhys Thomas, 17 Duncan Jones, 18 Ian Evans, 19 Dafydd Jones, 20 Warren Fury, 21 Andrew Bishop, 22 Tom James.

Date: Saturday 14 June, 2008
Kick-off: 15:00 (13:00 GMT)
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Weather: Clear skies and sunshine all day, highs of 20°C with a slight north-west wind
Referee: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Dave Pearson (England), Stuart Terheege (England)
Television match official: Geoff Warren (England)
Assessor: Patrick Robin (France)

Rugby Planet SA v WAL preview, click here.

Check Mediazone and Setanta links for broadcast times and options in North America.

First hurdle jumped...

2008-06-10T11:16:00.003-04:00

Oh yeah, almost forgot. The All Blacks beat Ireland in atrocious conditions at Wellington last Saturday. No worries (he says, bitten fingernails scattered everywhere). The streak continues. Now bring on the Poms.