My friend was home from Oz with her Aussie children so they went up to the Trafalgar Square fanzone. I tried to join them but was too late to get in so had a much nicer time in a warm cosy pub watching on the telly.
It was absolutely mobbed up there and they had set up screens outside of the square also for those that couldn't get in. The Red Arrows flew overhead as we were pushing through the crowds to get to the pub. Great atmosphere around the streets. Fantastic final.
Brilliant final, Fantastic spectacle a game played by men not overpaid posers, in a great spirit I love watching this level of Rugby even though I have never played the game myself. New Zealand are at a different level and whilst they have three key players retiring you can bet that they will be there again in 2019. By the way if you wanted to hold a role model up to any kid you wouldn't go far wrong with Dan Carter, brilliant at the game but modest and approachable a genuine nice guy.
Carter and role model in the same sentence? It just doesn't sound right.
Sam Burgess has quit Union to go back to League with immediate effect...
The whole Burgess affair was an embarrassing fuck up by all concerned. I suspect that the RFU, for whatever twisted reason, insisted that he be in the England squad for the Cup and lapdog Lancaster just agreed to it at the expense of Burrell, a very useful centre from Northampton. My wish now is that Farrell senior follows Burgess back to RL and that the useless, weak and incompetent Lancaster, Catt and Rowntree are sacked .. BUT, this now looks unlikely as the old fart blazers at the RFU would rather have a docile yes man team in place than actually win anything. The MCC has had its powers over international cricket affairs watered down, the same MUST happen to the RFU if the England team is ever to win anything .. f f s we can't even win the weak 6 nations
Sam Burgess has quit Union to go back to League with immediate effect...
The whole Burgess affair was an embarrassing fuck up by all concerned. I suspect that the RFU, for whatever twisted reason, insisted that he be in the England squad for the Cup and lapdog Lancaster just agreed to it at the expense of Burrell, a very useful centre from Northampton. My wish now is that Farrell senior follows Burgess back to RL and that the useless, weak and incompetent Lancaster, Catt and Rowntree are sacked .. BUT, this now looks unlikely as the old fart blazers at the RFU would rather have a docile yes man team in place than actually win anything. The MCC has had its powers over international cricket affairs watered down, the same MUST happen to the RFU if the England team is ever to win anything .. f f s we can't even win the weak 6 nations
Agree, Lincs, that the whole Burgess affair was a car crash.
Not sure about your analogy with the MCC is valid though. There are national and international bodies for football, cricket and rugby, and I would not equate the RFU with the MCC (RFU, IRB - ECB, ICC - FA, FIFA) so the RFU should still be the domestic governing body but needs to be dragged into the 21st century.
Sam Burgess has quit Union to go back to League with immediate effect...
The whole Burgess affair was an embarrassing fuck up by all concerned. I suspect that the RFU, for whatever twisted reason, insisted that he be in the England squad for the Cup and lapdog Lancaster just agreed to it at the expense of Burrell, a very useful centre from Northampton. My wish now is that Farrell senior follows Burgess back to RL and that the useless, weak and incompetent Lancaster, Catt and Rowntree are sacked .. BUT, this now looks unlikely as the old fart blazers at the RFU would rather have a docile yes man team in place than actually win anything. The MCC has had its powers over international cricket affairs watered down, the same MUST happen to the RFU if the England team is ever to win anything .. f f s we can't even win the weak 6 nations
Agree, Lincs, that the whole Burgess affair was a car crash.
Not sure about your analogy with the MCC is valid though. There are national and international bodies for football, cricket and rugby, and I would not equate the RFU with the MCC (RFU, IRB - ECB, ICC - FA, FIFA) so the RFU should still be the domestic governing body but needs to be dragged into the 21st century.
my grammar/context was in error .. What I was trying to state is that the MCC's influence just over the ENGLISH international teams has been watered down .. the ECB has taken over the old MCC role, I can't see a similar body in place for Rugby Union. The RFU, run by the clubs with all their vested interests, runs the English game, a change is needed .. BUT .. of course, as the clubs 'own' the players, change will not be easy. Central contracts for the top 50/60 players might be an option with the players 'leased' to clubs when not required by England. The problem there is that if the top English players are unavailable for club/league rugby, more foreigners will come in and we will have the same problems as we have in football and cricket ...
Feel for Burgess as Lancaster and Farrell have got it very wrong, but also feel for Bath as they've put a lot of time and effort into him and he's let them down big time. Thought he would be a bit more man about it and stick it out to prove his doubters wrong, but with the way it's all been handled hard to blame him.
The biggest shame is is that given time and patience I think he genuinely could have been brilliant.
Stuart Lancaster resigns. Maybe jumped before pushed or just can't go on.
best news so far this week .. probably a 'nice man' but a rubbish coach and man manager .. we need an Antipodean coach for a few years, as loath as I am to be typing that
Comments
It was absolutely mobbed up there and they had set up screens outside of the square also for those that couldn't get in. The Red Arrows flew overhead as we were pushing through the crowds to get to the pub. Great atmosphere around the streets. Fantastic final.
Sam Burgess has quit Union to go back to League with immediate effect...
My wish now is that Farrell senior follows Burgess back to RL and that the useless, weak and incompetent Lancaster, Catt and Rowntree are sacked .. BUT, this now looks unlikely as the old fart blazers at the RFU would rather have a docile yes man team in place than actually win anything.
The MCC has had its powers over international cricket affairs watered down, the same MUST happen to the RFU if the England team is ever to win anything .. f f s we can't even win the weak 6 nations
Not sure about your analogy with the MCC is valid though. There are national and international bodies for football, cricket and rugby, and I would not equate the RFU with the MCC (RFU, IRB - ECB, ICC - FA, FIFA) so the RFU should still be the domestic governing body but needs to be dragged into the 21st century.
Feel for Burgess as Lancaster and Farrell have got it very wrong, but also feel for Bath as they've put a lot of time and effort into him and he's let them down big time. Thought he would be a bit more man about it and stick it out to prove his doubters wrong, but with the way it's all been handled hard to blame him.
The biggest shame is is that given time and patience I think he genuinely could have been brilliant.
Shame though, could have been a quality 6 or 8 given time.