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Post by davemorton on Dec 31, 2023 13:10:27 GMT
Yesterday I suffered Northampton v Sale Sharks. Sale are like the Dementors in Harry Potter, sucking all joy out of rugby and life. Thankfully, they lost, but nobbut just.
Faith was restored by Quins and Gloucester, who put on one hell of a show for 76,000 people at HQ. If Marcus Smith set the stadium ablaze - and he certainly did that - there were plenty of other heroes to make this exciting to the final whistle.
All my life, I have watched enviously the Welsh stand-offs, Watkins and John, Bennett and Jonathan Davies. Even the Irish and Scots have had a few, but not England. Steady Eddie ones, plenty of those but, since Richard Sharp in the 1950s, nothing to excite, until Marcus.
And what do we do? We pick Farrell and Ford! The Dementors are running our game.
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Post by hawke on Dec 31, 2023 15:26:34 GMT
oh that’s why you don’t like Sale Sharks…
I don’t follow top flight rugby union and know nothing about their styles.
Neither do I especially follow international rugby union!!! I will glance at England if they are doing well.
Hence I have no beef against Farrell and Ford, in fact I rather take to their northern accents when being interviewed. I mean you don’t expect that in rugger. The only regret is that they are not in RL. I suppose a bit like Root etc playing for England, our representatives on the international stage.
But I don’t watch RL either… clashes with cricket…though I did see Leeds v Leigh this summer with our son, my first Super Lesgue match.
Used to watch Hull FC a lot when out east, and they are my team I suppose, and a fair bit of Bradford N with a Northern supporting friend.
Going off subject here but I also occasionally watched Bramley as they were the nearest club to my birthplace whilst I look out for Hunslet as a great grandfather watched them.
Oh I do enjoy watching Ilkley RU. Local club rugby up close is a great watch.
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Post by davemorton on Dec 31, 2023 16:59:02 GMT
Rugby League followers would have loved one of Harlequins' tries, a little outside-of-the-right-foot dink through the defence by Danny Care, which number 8 Dombrandt caught on the full, to score. I don't think I've ever seen that done in Union before; common in League, nowadays, but usually done closer to the try line.
Disappointing Leicester v Bath today, as Bath sent a weak team to Welford Road.
I am with you totally about local club rugby, and it gets better at Sedgley's level. Same atmosphere, better players. No problem at the elite level (except keeping the finances sensible), but it's at level 2 where there's a war brewing, a battle about rugby values and integrity and fairness, and (as in cricket) the bad guys are winning, they who hold these values in contempt.
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Post by davemorton on Jan 5, 2024 22:24:42 GMT
Good start to the weekend, with Sale losing at home to Bristol. It took almost an hour for Sale to drag the opposition down to their own level, by which time Sale were 19-7 down. They ought to let the crowd in free, and charge them to leave.
Sedgley tomorrow take on 'Club', aka Blackheath, in the game frosted off in December. Leeds travel to Sedgley's bogey club Tynedale, but it probably won't worry them that this was our only defeat on the route to last year's Two North title. Lightning can strike twice.
Rotherham play Sheffield Tigers, and Sheffield play Ionians. Huddersfield have a chance of a rare win against Billingham.
Ilkley play Sandal, if they turn up, which is not a 'given'.
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Post by newby on Jan 5, 2024 23:29:06 GMT
Let's hope all the weekend games go ahead, I can't see any postponements yet but there may be a few soggy pitches around. Might make it a bit painful on the legs of those who have perhaps taken in too much food or drink or both during the longish lay off.
I didn't realise how far north Tynedale actually is, I like the area up around Hexham, but not so much at this time of year.
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Post by davemorton on Jan 6, 2024 10:41:53 GMT
Last night there was an astonishing interview before the Sale v Bristol match, the two team managers (Directors of Rugby) in conversation, speaking about one another and the upcoming match, only minutes away. Actually, a brilliant advert for the game and its integrity. Pat Lam has always been a wonderful player and coach from the time he burst onto the scene with Western Samoa. Alex Sanderson is the respected hard man who has turned Sale round, following the awful Steve Diamond. The only pity is that his game-plan is from the Saracens play-book. I love to see mutual respect in sport. [The other two in the clip are broadcasters and former England players Dave Flatman and Austin Healey.] www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WKmaWiHCTk
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Post by karma on Jan 6, 2024 11:15:39 GMT
I don't follow Union to the same degree as you Dave but waxing lyrical about the pre-match interview intrigued me to view.
It was honest, humorous and showed respect by all concerned. Often pre-match interviews are tight lipped, this was the exact opposite, open, by people who were enjoying the occasion and reminiscing about personal past encounters. Great stuff!
PS I don't have a classics background but where does the term 'waxing lyrical' eminate?
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Post by davemorton on Jan 6, 2024 11:43:33 GMT
Well, karma, 'waxing' means getting bigger, as in phases of the moon, rather than applying wax! And you as a music buff know what lyrics are. One day, a long, long time ago, someone put the two together to make a fresh, interesting phrase.
Nowadays, it is known as a cliché.
[And don't get cross with me for taking the mick. It's part of mutual respect.]
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Post by davemorton on Jan 6, 2024 12:37:50 GMT
Speaking of wax, my mind goes to the Karate Kid. Wax on, wax off.
Later in that film, the old Japanese guy is teaching Daniel a karate technique. "If do right, no can defence," he tells him.
There's a winger's move in rugby, by which you can beat your man, one on one, with just a little space to work in. It's called the 'in and out' move. You threaten, subtly, to come off your wing and to beat your man on the inside. Then, when he hesitates, for just a second, you turn on the afterburners and leave him for dead on the outside. No can defence.
It's the Holy Grail of wing play, a bit like the left-arm spinner that pitches middle and leg and takes top of off. Play that, mate!
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Post by newby on Jan 6, 2024 21:20:37 GMT
Easy win for the Leeds Tykes at Tynedale after a tight first half. Rotherham also won so it's still very much a two horse race in Nat 2. A welcome win for Huddersfield too.
Sedgely lost I notice, though they are still very handily placed considering it's their first season in Nat 1.
My ears pricked up when I heard that Owen Farrell was probably on his way to join Racing 92, what's that, good riddance can I hear coming over from Manchester way!
Racing 92 are top of the French Top 14 at the moment, pleased for their head coach Stuart Lancaster.
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Post by davemorton on Jan 6, 2024 23:09:25 GMT
Sedgley made too many errors today, and that was costly against a very efficient Blackheath side. We actually created and scored 3 tries, but perhaps 70% of the game was played in our half, and they built a lead through penalties. No complaints whatsoever. 17-24.
Another very good game, fast and open in the first half, then Blackheath rather sat on their lead in the second, which they were able to do because they never dropped the ball; unlike Sedge.
I see Huddersfield got their long overdue win, but they still look doomed. Ilkley lost 16-19 to Sandal. Nearly every game in these leagues is a close one.
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Post by hawke on Jan 7, 2024 7:12:28 GMT
You are right about Ilkley’s league Dave, very competitive. So after beating second placed Harrogate away before Christmas Ilkley lost at home to bottom team Sandal! The visitors were up for it from the off, tackled us out of our stride and deserved it. Lovely afternoon, good game, watched by about 350.
An uncle of Harry Brook was watching and we had a brief chat.
Oh and the win at Harrogate was Ilkley’s first over them since 1961. I forgot to mention that Harrogate spurned kickable penalties as they were confident their relentless pressure would produce tries but it did not. Also Ilkley were down to 14 men for 20 mins of the 2nd half due to yellow cards when defending.l
But yesterday’s result, and others, means we are still looking over our shoulder at teams below us.
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Post by davemorton on Jan 8, 2024 22:12:11 GMT
I spent a happy and sunny Sunday afternoon watching Sedgley Colts (U18) v Winnington Park, the Cheshire club where Dewi Morris played. Proper grass-roots rugby, two good teams, outstanding referee, no stupid people on the touchline, and Sedgley just won, 27-19. Quite a good crowd, too. I think we all like the grass-roots stuff, where the players' dads mark out the pitch before the game, and there are wonky posts, which may be compulsory on the 'out pitches'. The ref said it was his third game of the weekend, and on Saturday he had done a league match on the Isle of Man. Attachments:
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Post by karma on Jan 8, 2024 22:38:13 GMT
JPR WILLIAMS
RIP
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Post by davemorton on Jan 8, 2024 23:07:28 GMT
Lo, some we have loved, the loveliest and best That fate and time of all their vintage pressed, Have drunk their cup a round or two before, And one by one crept silently to rest.
And what a vintage that Welsh team was!
A Welsh friend of mine [back in the day, not seen him for years] responded to the comment that Gareth Edwards was the greatest rugby player of all time. "Greatest rugby player? He was the greatest human being that ever lived."
Which reminds me of another story, from teaching practice, so it must have been 1966. One of the girls had done her TP at a little Welsh village school, where every lesson - even maths! - revolved round the Bible. The kids were given repeated sermons about Jesus Christ, and one lesson ended with the question, "Now children, who was the greatest man who ever lived?"
One scruffy little kid put his hand up insistently, so the teacher asked him: "Yes, Iestyn, who was the greatest man?"
"Karl Marx, miss."
Teacher, almost crying: "Now, Iestyn, why do you say this."
Iestyn: "Because my daddy says so." End of.
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