Shout out to Home Unions / Northern Hemisphere

[spikhaza]

I don't think we give the NH / Home Unions enough credit guys, so I thought I would thank them.

This is a shout out to the home unions, a big cheers, "lunch is on me", for doing everything in you're power to ensure Rugby in Australia remains a minority sport.

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for rejecting the ELV's without trialing them at the elite level at all. Who needs free flowing rugby anyway. Everything the Southern Hemisphere has invented to 'improve' rugby has been a farce anyway - Going professional - the world cup etc... If you ask me rugby should only be played at the hallowed turf of Rugby school itself

Secondly, I'd like to thank you for having a media that puts enormous pressure on the IRB to get whatever you want.

Of course, I am only just getting started. The big thanks start now.

Thanks for those scrums. We don't want functional scrums anyway. We like to sit down and watch them endlessly collapse. Most of us enter the Lotto all the time and like the idea of the penalty lottery when it goes down. And who can forget the excitement of watching that penalty slowly sail between the uprights.

Thanks for reciting Horwill. Everyone knows that Queens Council lawyers are always wrong. Everyone also knows Horwill has X-Ray vision, and is part of a professional crime syndicate (hence being labelled a thug). It will be justice done.

But most of all, thankyou, thankyou for reporting on rugby performing so badly in Australia and being drowned out by every other sport in the country bar lawn bowls. Perhaps you will realize that indeed, it was you're excellent work that was the causation of so many thousands of televisions being switched off, and you can thank yourselves for that too.

I call a penalty party to celebrate

 

[JSRF10]

Ok I'll bite

The ELV's were trying to turn rugby into league, they were terrible laws!

I think you'll find that you'll need to direct your scrummaging grip to the IRB. Last time I checked there were various Super 15 matches blighted by re set scrums. This is a global problem and the NH have the best referee in this regard. Roman Poite awards penalties instead of guessing.

I agree on the Horwill case, but I'll raise you Umaga/Melamu on BOD in 05 and Schalk Burger getting only 8 weeks for trying to rip Luke Fitzgerald's eyes out. All 3 players should have been looking at a year minimum. The SH judicary aren't squeaky clean either.

You shouldn't expect the NH or SA or BNZ to promote gods game in your own country. You should be questioning the ARU on that one, time to take off the tinfoil hat I think (except on the Horwill case).

 

[spikhaza]

Ok I'll bite

The ELV's were trying to turn rugby into league, they were terrible laws!

I think you'll find that you'll need to direct your scrummaging grip to the IRB. Last time I checked there were various Super 15 matches blighted by re set scrums. This is a global problem and the NH have the best referee in this regard. Roman Poite awards penalties instead of guessing.

I agree on the Horwill case, but I'll raise you Umaga/Melamu on BOD in 05 and Schalk Burger getting only 8 weeks for trying to rip Luke Fitzgerald's eyes out. All 3 players should have been looking at a year minimum. The SH judicary aren't squeaky clean either.

You shouldn't expect the NH or SA or BNZ to promote gods game in your own country. You should be questioning the ARU on that one, time to take off the tinfoil hat I think (except on the Horwill case).

Yes okay well done for a rational response, The ARU must take responsibility and it has been partly bad management on their behalf, partly terrible luck etc, but there is only so much they can do. Last years bledisloe was a farce, dull as dogshit. If something isn't done Rugby is history in Australia so you can understand why I am fired up

 

[Spieber]

Everyone knows that Queens Council lawyers are always wrong.

Not quite right - they are wrong precisely 50% of the time.

 

[Jets]

As someone mentioned on the Game 2 thread it would be easy for the IRB to establish a judiciary for all test match rugby. This way all cases would be heard in the same forum. Making Horwill have to face charges again doesn't make much sense from a justice point of view.

ELV's were never going to work as they were too radical. A couple of changes have been made and the game has improved because of it. We moved out of the terrible give it to them game of 2007.

Scrums are what they are. Referees need to be educated about what should be done at scrum time and what coaches and players try and do to get around the laws. Teams need to be told what referees are looking for. Also removing the hit could be an option, I can see up and downsides of this.

One thing you forgot to add is a big shout out to the Home Unions on showing us how to support your team. There would have been 20,000 Lions Jerseys at Lang Park on Saturday. In contrast maybe 1,000 Wallaby Jerseys. It looked really impressive in the stadium. ARU should do a deal with Kooga where supporters get a discount if they have a test match ticket.

Also think the Wallabies should go on a Grand Slam tour every 8 years and try and have big supporters tours. Was a great night out on Saturday and a 4 week tour of Ireland and the UK would be something I'd love to do.

 

[yourmatesam]

spikhaza From a referees point of view, I liked the ELV's, but on review all that was needed was for the correct interpretations to be applied. Our game is better for not having the ELV's.

With regards to scrums, I think you'll find a much better scrum will be in place from 2014 onwards with the new crouch-bind-set calls presently being trialled.

I was watching John Eales on Total Rugby last night and he made a great point about Australia being the most competitive sporting landscape in the world. I doubt there's much the home unions or IRB can do about that one mate.

 

[spikhaza]

I just think guys, the thing that I am so incensed about is that the IRB is sucking up to the British media in reopening the Horwill case. I am beyond angry. I have been betrayed by the supposed custodians of the game. And it makes me fume. FUck off Lions fans / media

 

[JSRF10]

FUck off Lions fans / media

Don't let the British tabloid media get to you they aren't worth the trouble!

There will always be a couple of bad egg fans following every team, just ignore them. The overall majority of Lions fans on this site and that I've spoke to agree with you on the Horwill thing!

 

[spikhaza]

Yeah look redirect it to the British media, they have really pissed me off. I should just stop reading it

 

[JSRF10]

Yeah look redirect it to the British media, they have really pissed me off. I should just stop reading it

Don't even bother with them, the best analysis is on the equivalents of G&GR and the rugby blogs

 

[Jets]

I actually think the fans have been good. The bar owners on Caxton St loved them. Lots of cash thrown around on Saturday. Few places ran out of beer.

 

[spikhaza]

I met fans at the game who were awesome. It summed up the spirit of rugby. They were very friendly. The follow up this week was not

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

The IRB are appealing the Horwill decision because the media told them to? Or the home nations told them to? I must have missed something.

The fact is the IRB has insurers to face and if what Horwill did is not deemed a red card because we can't tell if he meant it or not, they might not be entirely happy with the arrangement. That makes more sense to me than a conspiracy about the british tabloids anyway.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Not quite right - they are wrong precisely 50% of the time.

What if one side has two QC (Quade Cooper) and the other only has one QC (Quade Cooper)?

If you take the view that it is about the case not the quanta of QC (Quade Cooper) assigned to the case, then the 50% error rate is rather accurate.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

./...snip.//. FUck off Lions fans / media

and Fark on our Media/fans.

It is well documented on these threads how poor some of our supporters can be, and Darkness supporters, and some Saffers, and some Soap Dodger supporters and ....

Every mob has dickhead supporters. Ignore them focus on the good ones. The Welsh, Irish and Single Malts are awesome. Seldom meet a bad one.

British Media are bad. We have Grumbles, Burkie and Marto. I wouldn't get on too high a horse there.

 

[Christy]

The British media are terrible, but in fairness they are terrible in a lot of sports, it isn't just rugby. I feel that a lot of English/British sports stars
would be a lot more liked if the media presenting them wasn't so terrible.

I seriously doubt the media had enough influence to force the review of the Horwill decision. A lot of people over here think it is strange even if a lot didn't agree with the initial decision. I didn't but I feel a case should only be retried if there is new evidence brought up, do we now there isn't? I haven't heard of any but it is possible. I guess we will find out.

I look forward to the new scrums. Also while the scrums are annoying as they are at the moment, a well hit penalty is a thing of beauty in my opinion. Especially when one of the greats are striking the ball. Doing the exact same thing every time, changing only for placing or weather is not easy and any who can manage anything close should be applauded.

 

[Dan54]

I don't think we give the NH / Home Unions enough credit guys, so I thought I would thank them.

This is a shout out to the home unions, a big cheers, "lunch is on me", for doing everything in you're power to ensure Rugby in Australia remains a minority sport.


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But most of all, thankyou, thankyou for reporting on rugby performing so badly in Australia and being drowned out by every other sport in the country bar lawn bowls. Perhaps you will realize that indeed, it was you're excellent work that was the causation of so many thousands of televisions being switched off, and you can thank yourselves for that too.

I call a penalty party to celebrate

Um spik my man, you are going crook at the pommy press for saying exactly what you are shouting about on a public forum??????? As seen above it all in the same post too!!!

 

[the plastic paddy]

I just think guys, the thing that I am so incensed about is that the IRB is sucking up to the British media in reopening the Horwill case. I am beyond angry. I have been betrayed by the supposed custodians of the game. And it makes me fume. FUck off Lions fans / media

How much money does the ARU make out of a Lions tour? And when did tens of thousands of Aussie, SA or NZ rugby fans make it over to support their nations playing in Britain and Ireland? I hope the Lions do FUck off but I doubt if the ARU do.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I dont really get all this Lions hate.
Whenever the English tour here its the same: they bring their strange press who can make a story out of anything, find something we did wrong somewhere and bitch.
We should make sure that they have no hot water after any games just to draw attention away from all our failings.
Ireland, Wales (these days) and Scotland dont complain - at least to my memory.

 

[TOCC]

How much money does the ARU make out of a Lions tour? And when did tens of thousands of Aussie, SA or NZ rugby fans make it over to support their nations playing in Britain and Ireland?

It's not the fans fault, no one wants to travel to England, even English people don't want to live in England..