Be Excellent To Each Other

Ok so this is narrowly specific. If you support Bath or someone move along... If you like Rugby League, why? Nothing ever happens! It's almost as bad as football for nothing ever happening!

The mmmmmmmmighty N-G Dragons win again (and by again I mean "again since last season, when I seem to remember them winning at least once"). Away to Ulster. A basement battle 4 games in I feel.

Ospreys were fucking robbed by the TMO against Leinster by him apparently being
a) blind
b) partially sighted
c) fully sighted but ignorant of the rules
d) partially Irish
e) fully Irish
f) a cunt

PS rumour has it referee Nigel Owens is sleeping with Lee Byrne. A great rumour and one I am more than happy to spread!

Ooh, an away win in the Magners League, there's a novelty.

Hairsprays didn't lose because of the TMO they lost because they can't convert territory into points against disciplined defences. Possibly the result of having shitty 9s and no Henson to remind Hook what he should be doing, several golden opportunities to drop three points to keep the scoreboard ticking not taken.

They'll be tougher when they get a full strength team on the park, although I still hope Leicester and Perpignan manage to keep them from leaving the HC group stage.

Yeah, a major novelty for the Dragons! All we need now is away wins to Connacht and Glasgow and we should be in with a sniff for the last Heineken Cup spot.


Point taken. Although there's no way Horgan touched that ball back, and it should have been a Hook try, which would have changed the whole dynamic of the game. I also felt Leinster infringed at the breakdown in that classicly Irish way when they were defending in their 22 and Ospreys weren't calm or composed enough to take the right options. That is one criticism which can be levelled at Hook, is that he is not a calming, controlling 10 in the Mertons or even Wilkinson mould. He is an exciting game breaker but this is a double edged sword.

I still don't like them and they are the Man Utd. But I'd rather them beat Leinster than lose.

Funny you should mention Wilkinson as I think there's a distinct similarity in how they need to be handled - often needing guidance from IC.

Wilkinson played best in the 2001-3 period (especially at the World Cup) with Greenwood or Catt taking the decisions and him executing them very well - Hook has different strengths but still seems to go best when Henson is there to tell him how to apply them.

Plenty of time to develop for Hook though, he's only 23 isn't he? Wales can keep Jones for when they need control and hope Hook develops the same abilities. Wilkinson is certainly better now at game management (Six Nations this year aside) rather looking forward to seeing him live leading the Falcons to defeat tomorrow.

Otherwise in rugby any views on the ELVs so far? And any idea is anyone on justin.tv will be streaming the Help for Heroes coverage?

I'm not sure about it being advice. I think it's more about if you compare Henson, Greenwood and Catt they were/are quality 12s. Able to take in back rowers and opposite numbers physically but also good runners and all round footballers so very dangerous. This creates more space and time for 10 to make decisions. It also means that on occasions when 10 ships on, a good 12 can make things happen, eg tactical kicking or vision to throw a pass as opposed to head down arse up all the time like some of the lesser 12s.


Yeah, he was 23 in June. Jones is nothing more than a good club player imo but he is effective behind what is a decent Welsh pack at the moment. He is undoubtedly a good game manager and cool under pressure. It's a bit like the old Mertens Spencer debate the All Blacks had, but Mertons was a lot better. To a lesser extent Andrew Barnes for England a few years ago, as Barnes wasn't really any good. Ironically I think Wilkinson is potentially a far better player now, he just doesn't seem to be able to get it all together.


I watched the ELVs last year in the Super14 and Tri-Nations. I really like all of them except the downgraded penalty to free kick offences they used. It caused a lot of cynical play in attack when the defending team had the ball as what fucking use is a free kick 10 yds from your own line?! LOL!