Wallabies v Springboks
-
My Dad's a pretty strong God botherer, but he hates that praying stuff that goes on at sporting events. I think his words on Saturday were: "It's a game of rugby you dickheads".
I really don't know what we can take away in terms of the Bok's performance. They pretty much always play like little bitches in Brisbane. IIRC they even dropped one here when they were killing it in 2009.
They will be much much harder at home. Reckon they should play Goosens at 10, but maybe quotas prevent that?
*@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Wallabies v Springboks:
My Dad's a pretty strong God botherer, but he hates that praying stuff ...
@Hooroo said in Wallabies v Springboks:
I've seen the Memes regarding them all praying but what were they actually praying for? Lelieafano??
@reprobate said in Wallabies v Springboks:
...pay attention hooroo - chocolate, from the easter bunny. woulda thought the boks already had their quota though.
i'll see myself out.*
Heathens. I'm surrounded by bloody heathens. I'm going to have to go to Mass twice next Sunday to pray for your sorry souls!
Stand by for an organ recital to help youse all reflect on your wanton ways.
-
Edit: working out how to embed a facebook post. This may take some time.
Edit edit: Is that even possible or is that only Twatter?
-
- @NTA said in Wallabies v Springboks:
...
The entire top section of the stand was empty which is a disgrace. International footy in a brilliant stadium.
In a state where stupidity has trashed a franchise, in a country where the national team got walloped twice in the last month, on a day where it pissed rain for two hours leading up.
The last factor would have wiped out about 5000 walk up tickets. The First two account for the other 20000.*
Quite so, 30,000 turned up at Suncorp.
No matter where the debates meander on why the players do as they do and fail as they fail, who is the right coach, what is wrong with this coach or that, the referee is a dunce and so on, this is what is happening continuously, the inevitable erosion and contraction of a once valuable institution which is a central part of community life.
You cannot imagine the deep disappointment and sense of loss one feels after a lifetime involvement, from mid teens, witnessing the decline of Australian rugby.
When my son started playing our Catholic parish school was putting 120 juniors on the field every weekend, supported by the effort of more parents than one could count - Eastwood's future grand final winners brought along by ordinary fathers from subbies and lower grades all the way through to champions such as John Ballesty, John Cootes, Mick Mathers and Dennis Tutty. In the '80s we had up to a dozen junior clubs in the district and now there are six.
I saw the discussion here on Brett Papworth's criticisms of the ARU and stayed out of it. It was clear no-one knew that he, a former local junior, has served as Eastwood president forever, who speaks with the universal support of my peers from those days who did well enough to now be substantial financial sponsors.
Younger men hearing older hands speak of what they have experienced have little patience to listen and swiftly turn to the dismissive pejoratives of "rose coloured glasses" and "pre-professionalism amateur day ignorant old men". That amuses me greatly - the Eastwood district then and now is the domain of high net worth individuals running their own shows, typically Irish Catholic and Lebanese successful businessmen who pour time and money and knowledge and achievement into their community without hesitation. We reached a point back then at which we had to slow down our fund raising program - we had been so successful that we were putting our various sporting club tax and corporate exemptions at risk.
Rugby used be run by amateurs and they managed to steer the thing pretty well through the glory days, certainly with more effectiveness borne of passion and determination to leave it in good shape when they moved on than is evident now. Rugby eventually became a profitable business, the opportunists spotted the income flow, and the professional managers came in and fixed it.
In as brief terms as I can manage - the opportunity lost came after the '03 World Cup, which netted the ARU $42m.When John O'Neill returned in December 2006 there was just $3 million left. Simultaneously Andrew Demetriou was launching the wealthy AFL into western Sydney, jostling for position with a similarly cashed up FFA and NRL. The ARU fiddled around for a bit and did nothing, then acted as a delusional gambler on a losing streak by throwing big money at a half dozen or so individuals - ex League and fast tracked wunderkind - believing their presence alone was enough to counter the other codes. That idea worked a little bit for a little while and now we are left with nothing enduring.
If we had formed a ten year plan when the money was there in 2004 - like Eddie McGuire and Mick Malthouse did with Collingwood, like the All Blacks did under Sir Graham - focusing on the existing network of Club rugby, with a modest form of NRC we would be profiting from it now.
Back to the start and NTA's pen picture of Suncorp on Saturday - from the very beginning of Super Rugby the reliable barometer has been Waratah rugby, where the money and the numbers of people are concentrated. When they win the ordinary supporters and the corporate supporters literally pour through the gates, it's the place to be seen. When they are losing the ground is like a mausoleum. Sports business is too fragile an environment to entrust the future of the game to fools.
@Mick-Gold-Coast-QLD said in Wallabies v Springboks:
No matter where the debates meander on why the players do as they do and fail as they fail, who is the right coach, what is wrong with this coach or that, the referee is a dunce and so on, this is what is happening continuously, the inevitable erosion and contraction of a once valuable institution which is a central part of community life.
You cannot imagine the deep disappointment and sense of loss one feels after a lifetime involvement, from mid teens, witnessing the decline of Australian rugby.
It's something of a mystery to me as to where Australian rugby has gone wrong. But, on the plus side, I think that we've only won one cricket test against you guys in the past 25 years and that hasn't in the slightest killed cricket in New Zealand, so I expect all the grave fears for the death of Australian rugby are both premature and overstated. Unless you guys are much bigger wet blankets than I think.
That's the sop - now here's the boot.
In the period of around 1998-2003, you fucking Aussies were thrashing us at everything. The Commonwealth games would come around and we might as well have put "Advance Australia Fair" on constant cycle, cricket, league, netball and, appallingly, even fucking rugby. People were leaving our country in droves for your balmy shores, you guys seemed to be paid about twice as much as us and, frankly, it was a fucking depressing time to be a New Zealander.
I consoled myself that you guys, your sportsmen at least, were doubtless all on drugs!
A decade or so later and the boot is on the other foot. We may not beat you guys, but in a lot of sports we're going in on an even footing in terms of hope, if not expectation. Our Crown Jewel, rugby, we've jumped away from you and your government has been a source of ridiculous delight to me - lurching from shambles to disaster.
We've got better - but, you guys have definitively also got worse across many spheres.
This isn't really to put the boot in too much, but maybe you should send this frank assessment to your Prime Minister, because Jesus, you guys have made a bollocks of things and need to lift your game!
- @NTA said in Wallabies v Springboks:
-
The Boks approach to this game was bizarre.
Did they not see England beat us mid-year with a combo of kicking and power? It's a style they are ideally suited to playing, but for some reason tried to try and play razzle-dazzle rugby. Elton Jantjes cross-kicked in his own 22. Twice. What planet was he on?
The Wallaby lineout was on life support the last two weeks, but did the Boks try and kick to the corners? Nope. Just mind boggling, really.
-
There is a new thread in Off-Topic for that religious discussion that was taking place...this thread can now die on its own
As an aside, the thread separating and moving tool is pretty easy on the new software!
-
Jantjies was very good for the Lions in Super rugby. Probably isn't suited to test footy where you have less space/time.
@No-Quarter Yeah, rather Quade Cooper like that. I think the more he plays the more he will bed himself in. He's a great player, abeilt not one in the typical SA flyhalf mould.
