off topic the Boxrec official rugby thread.

Coconut · Post by **Coconut** » 08 Nov 2005, 07:01

Well, he's got ball carriers at 1,2,3,4,6 and 8, together with a scrum half who makes a couple of breaks a game. He's also gone for a crash-ball inside centre to bring it back to the pack. Oh, and a crash-ball winger to do the same.

No way Simpson-Daniel or Forrester get in this side, they just play the wrong game.

I want to see Andrew 'Strongest Man in the Universe' Sheridan eat Al Baxter and his Nasty Mouse Face for breakfast.

And I will do so from the comfort of the Holiday Inn, Milton Keynes.

Podmore_Birmingham · Post by **Podmore_Birmingham** » 08 Nov 2005, 07:18

I played for Worcester Warriors academy untill my injury finished my career at that level and Pat Sanderson deserves his place in the England team he will flourish.

Tom Podmore.

Coconut · Post by **Coconut** » 08 Nov 2005, 07:48

Nice guy, isn't he. I played a few games with him at home, he was a year younger than I was but made the county side nonetheless. Still wasn't as good as the guy whose place he took but I guess he's gone on to do a bit more, so all justified.

Coconut · Post by **Coconut** » 09 Nov 2005, 05:23

See the NZ team? 15 (15!!!!!) changes to the starting line-up and they're still going to do a number on the Paddies. Awesome.

And while we're talking about how prescient I am, Wigan coach Ian Millward trolls the boxrec boards:

Monday:

Coconut wrote:
League in Britain is very much hampered by its minority status but we also let ourselves down. Too many Aussies and Kiwis playing - fine, take the experienced ones but we're filling up with non-British players. These guys are often the big players in the club teams so we're not building flair players or team leaders for the Britain side.

And two days later...

Ian Millward wrote: Millward calls for quota system

Great Britain have not lived up to expectations in the Tri-Nations
Wigan coach Ian Millward has called for a drastic reduction in the number of overseas players in Super League.
Great Britain have struggled in this year's Tri-Nations and Millward thinks the number of "imports" has limited coach Brian Noble's selection options.

"GB can't generate half-backs who are good enough to compete at Test level," Millward told BBC Radio Five Live.

"There should be a maximum of three overseas players at each club. That way you can bring youngsters through."

Millward said the over-reliance on foreign imports was stopping young British players' development.

"I know of one team who will have a minimum of 10 overseas players next season and that's not good," said the Australian coach.

"I think last season there were only five clubs with British half-backs.

"At junior level and club level, the British game is very strong but at international level the pool of talent isn't big enough to pick players from."

Former Wigan scrum-half Luke Robinson is one example of a young British player who found his first-team opportunities blocked by overseas players.

Robinson, who played for England against New Zealand on Sunday, left Wigan for Salford following the arrival of Australian Dennis Moran in 2004.

"Every club will have a minimum of eight overseas players next year - some will have more," said Millward.

"If they are all in the starting line-up then only five players in a team are going to be available for Great Britain to pick from.

"I've worked out that there's well over 120 imports in the British game next year. So how do you solve it? There's human rights issues involved, so you can't just say to a bloke, 'You're an import, clear off'.

"What needs to happen is for all the chairman to get in a room and reach a gentlemen's agreement and - over a three-year period - to have just three imports."

Millward also believes British rugby league officials need to look at the impact of the 20/20 rule, which stops clubs having more than 20 players earning over £20,000 a yea.

But he does not have a problem with Super League's salary cap of £1.8m per club on players' wages.

"Ultimately the 20/20 rule inhibits the progress of youngsters in this sport," he said.

"It's a really old ruling that was brought in before the salary cap. They bought in the salary cap but retained the 20/20 rule so you have two restrictions."

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 09 Nov 2005, 07:46

Wales Team for Fugi on Friday (I like the balance of this team more than Saturday's).

1) Yapp
2) Rhys Thomas
3) Horseman
4) Charteris
5) Cockbain
6) Dafydd Jones
7) Martyn Williams
8) Michael Owen (capt).
9) Cooper
10) Nicky Robinson
11) Shane Williams
12) Sonny Parker
13) Matthew J Watkins
14) Kevin Morgan
15) Lee Byrne.

Not - All French and English based players (with the excpetion of Horseman) are not available for selection so that. Mefin Davies, Mark Taylor, Stephen Jones, Gareth Thomas, Colin Charvis,

Coconut · Post by **Coconut** » 09 Nov 2005, 07:55

Yapp balances out the new-born foal that is Luke Charteris.

He's a fekkin monster.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 09 Nov 2005, 08:00

Coconut wrote:Yapp balances out the new-born foal that is Luke Charteris.

He's a fekkin monster.

Shame he's not the greatest player though.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 09 Nov 2005, 08:07

New Zealand are officially taking the piss out of NH Rugby.

They make 15 changes for the Ireland game. I do wonder if some of it is to do with the some of the players breaking the curfew.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 12 Nov 2005, 13:11

Well done to you guys, I expected a close affair but apparently (I watched All black vs Ireland) you guys should have beaten the Aussies' by more.

Aussies' are not the team they once were, but still a force. So thats an excellent win, 7 months ago you wouldn't have done that.

As for Ireland, dissapointing - I see a team in transition that could do with one or two changes in the coaching side of things. I think O Sullivan regime is becoming tired.

As for Wales' great win over Fuji, all I have got to say is least we woke up to 7 months of a false dawn. We were atrocious, worse display for years.

I did say all along we should never forget 1994 when we took the 5 nations championship and almost slammed - the following season we Wooden spooned.

Looks like it will be back to the norm this year - England vs France will be the grand slam decided.

states · Post by **states** » 12 Nov 2005, 16:22

Didn't want to be too hard on Wales, but I have felt that the Grand Slam flattered them. Although it was certainly deserved, it was against some poor teams. I know Wales were understrength against NZ, but some worrying signs were there. And they were awful against Fiji, second team or not.

England actually impressed me, although my expectations were low (They were deservedly beneath Wales and Ireland last year, in terms of ranking the home nations). Today's plus point, however, was Sheridan, who is a fornicating beast, and no mistake. Today was a bit of a 10 point hammering, if that makes sense. It has to be put in context, though: Australia are not that great now: The Welsh Grand Slam team would have won pretty comfortably against them. A good win, but England will still get dicked next weekend, mind. Although our pack could do some damage: That front row is frightening.

6 Nations is going to be great though.

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 12 Nov 2005, 17:38

What a day for the English ! they beat the Wallabies, GB thumps the Kiwis at RL, and how bout that Michael Owen.

TheRiverCityHippy · Post by **TheRiverCityHippy** » 12 Nov 2005, 18:29

Seamus wrote:What a day for the English ! they beat the Wallabies, GB thumps the Kiwis at RL, and how bout that Michael Owen.

are you irish seamus? its unusual for a yank to be interested in proper sports. they only usually like the ones with crazy rules and plenty of innane stats that the rest of the world cant comprehend..

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 12 Nov 2005, 18:36

Anglo-Irish, and I've played footie, RU, Gaelic Football, Hurling as well as all the American sports.

TheRiverCityHippy · Post by **TheRiverCityHippy** » 12 Nov 2005, 18:40

Seamus wrote:Anglo-Irish, and I've played footie, RU, Gaelic Football, Hurling as well as all the American sports.

i thought so, i suppose the name seamus gave me a clue though

Lenny · Post by **Lenny** » 15 Nov 2005, 10:53

Great game on Saturday but very strange atmosphere. Was really strange looking out past the pitch to a building site. Cohen and Cueto impressed me as did the front 5 and England really should have won by more.

I still stick by the fact that i'd like to see Abbott and Smith tried at centre. Tindell make a couple of good runs but very really spread the ball when England had an overlap and missed a few tackles. Noon, whilst being solid at most things is great at nothing, never looked like he came close to breaking the aussie defence.

J · Post by J » 18 Nov 2005, 11:29

predics for the weekend?

Wales 12 ZA 20
England 15 NZ 35

a griom weekend for the northern hem. doesnt mean i wont be shouting for them.

states · Post by **states** » 18 Nov 2005, 11:33

McCaw is out for the All Blacks, btw. A tiny glimmer of hope.

states · Post by **states** » 18 Nov 2005, 11:35

As for predictions:

Wales 12-35 SA
England 18-37 NZ

J · Post by J » 18 Nov 2005, 11:36

bit too wide for me on za, they have 2 set of halfbacks out.

states · Post by **states** » 18 Nov 2005, 11:45

J wrote:bit too wide for me on za, they have 2 set of halfbacks out.

Yes, but I think Wales are crap at the minute.

J · Post by J » 18 Nov 2005, 11:49

hmmm, they are due a good perfromance but they have key areas where they are better half back for one.

if jones can dicate the game they may even pull off a shick, depens how the new scrum / fly half for ZA play, I must admit i know little of them.

states · Post by **states** » 18 Nov 2005, 12:00

Me neither, if I'm being honest. Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh on the Taffs, but they don't inspire confidence at the moment. I'll be cheering for them though.

Sweet P · Post by **Sweet P** » 20 Nov 2005, 05:17

Thank god for the Irish team, They made our usless team look decent.

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 27 Nov 2005, 10:42

24 Kiwis-0 Kangaroos . Positively shocking. Anyone see the match ? This is definitely good news for the International game.

Loftgroov · Post by **Loftgroov** » 27 Nov 2005, 14:31

Yes - First time they have lost a test series since the 1970s apparently...

They'll be for the high-jump back home.