Not: London Irish
It's time for our weekly wrap up of who has their name in lights at the moment...and who is making the headlines for the wrong reasons.
They're smokin'....!
Brian O'Driscoll: He's back! Ireland's most capped player made an awesome return to the Test fold in Cardiff. BOD certainly silenced his doubters and gave more evidence to support the claim that he is the game's greatest ever centre.
England Sevens team: After a dismal showing in the three previous legs of the World Sevens Series, Ben Ryan's side turned things around in emphatic style at the Wellington Sevens last weekend.
Luciano Orquera: Italy's pivot remained calm under pressure against France and delivered a superb all-round display. What was most refreshing, however, was his goal-kicking which was on target - unlike last season's Italian kickers.
Stuart Hogg: Played a blinder in a losing cause at full-back for Scotland. His run from deep inside his own half to set up Sean Maitland's try will still be talked about in years to come.
Owen Farrell: Was the official Man of the Match at Twickenham and showed why he's England's first-choice at fly-half. Impressed with his kicking and combined well with debutant Billy Twelvetrees on his outside.
Geoff Parling: The Leicester Tigers lock had a big game for England against the Auld Enemy. Parling was at the heart of his team's forward effort. His performance included a try, and he led the way on defence for England with 11 tackles made - the most by an English player.
Sergio Parisse: The glue that held the Azzurritogether and was rewarded with a try for a fantastic performance. Italy's captain fantastic was in the thick of the action - on defence and attack - and it's no wonder that he is topping our poll for the world's best number eight.
Someone turn up the heater...!
French attitude in the last 20 minutes: Despite being behind on the scoreboard, Les Bleus did not give any indication that they wanted to win their Six Nations opener in Rome. There was no urgency from Phillipe Saint-Andre's side, especially the forwards, who were strolling to line-outs while the clock was running down.
LV= Cup format: Put your hand up if you understand how this competition works because most of us at Planet Rugby are battling to figure it out. What's the point of having a tournament where teams are drawn into pools but don't get to play against each other?
London Irish: Topped their LV= Cup group before last weekend's matches, but choked in Cardiff against the Blues and missed a spot in this season's semi-finals.
South Africa Sevens: The Blitzbokke failed to live up to their fanatical supporters' expectations with a below-par performance in Wellington which saw them exiting the Cup at the quarter-final stage. Paul Treu's charges will have to improve considerably if they want to be a force in Las Vegas this weekend.
By David Skippers
Comments
skipppy says...
Don't you think Israel Folau might be hot?
Posted 10:39 10th February 2013
Fonzarelli says...
Get rid of the LV= Cup and expand the premiership/ have a domestic cup competition.
Posted 21:49 08th February 2013
APV1 says...
@ TheGreatOne - for the sake of everyone on the forum, could you call a truce with your keyboard and stop using it please?
Posted 09:56 08th February 2013
TheGreatOne says...
@NewJ: So you left in '74? Was that before or after your national service? I'm going to call a truce with you for the sake of others on these forums.
@Ed: I've told you before that I'm not a troll
Posted 21:12 07th February 2013
Iyhel says...
@ Miladiou: all this is b...s...t. Parisse for one plays for a French club and has the same crazy season as the French players: did you find him tired or unprepared?
Posted 18:03 07th February 2013
new_j4a says...
@TheReincarnatedOne, I left SA 2 decades before the first democratic election which was the first election I voted in. You figure it out. Now back to rugby. Isn't multiracial SA rugby great? Isn't it a pity we wasted 46 years following the doctrines of a bunch of fascists? We might have had 3 RWCs by now instead of the scorn of the world.
The editor says.... @new_j4a and everyone else: I've told you before, don't feed the troll, it only makes him feel important. Back to rugby please.
Posted 17:59 07th February 2013
lawynd says...
TheGreatOne says...
"@NewJ Interesting that you never denied that you ran off to the UK and promptly applied for British subjectship because you didn't want to live under a democratically elected government."
That's funny, I could have sworn that the UK has had a democratically-elected government for significantly longer than South Africa. Your trolling is a little rusty, if you're making such an elementary error as that. C- for you, must try harder.
As for Bryce Lawrence, I read the article here and whilst it was abridged in comparison to the original interview, it covered all the salient points. Again, no cookie for you. As for that content specifically, if you think that's evidence of a conspiracy then I've got some prime real estate you might be interested in. Key section in Bryce's interview: "There was some pretty nasty political stuff going on about that appointment. I refereed Australia versus Ireland and Ireland had won but behind the scenes guys like John O'Neill were kicking up a massive stink. I knew a bit about that and it was enough to affect me, and it probably made me freeze on the biggest stage."
So nobody actually approached him and asked him to do anything. Whilst O'Neill is a complete scumbag and should absolutely have kept his opinions to himself, ultimately Bryce made his own decisions and screwed up the match all by himself; O'Neill didn't pay him off, didn't have a gun to the head of a member of his family and I doubt a Bryce Lawrence sex tape exists to hold over him.
I don't doubt that cheating, both in terms of match-fixing and corruption, or doping, is occurring in the sport of rugby union. That's effectively twice I've said that now, so don't suggest I don't think it's happening at all. But until someone finds hard evidence what, pray tell, am I and the rest of us supposed to do?
Posted 17:57 07th February 2013
APV1 says...
@ The (not very) GreatOne - you have, once again, managed to misinterpret what other posters have written. Once again you twist their words to suit your purpose.
Once again you're full of drivvel and nonsense.
Posted 17:57 07th February 2013
TheGreatOne says...
@NewJ Interesting that you never denied that you ran off to the UK and promptly applied for British subjectship because you didn't want to live under a democratically elected government. But then we all know that's the reason why there are so many Saffas living in south London anyway?
As for Hansie Cronje. Glad you brought him up because it shows that at least in SA when someone is found to be fixing games they were put in front of a commission of inquiry and banned for life. By contrast Steve Waugh and Shane Warne got off scott free. But that's the Anglo Saxon way. When something happens that you don't like you just pretend it didn't happen. Or even better. Just point fingers at someone else (players from the subcontinent). That's why when Bryce Lawrence came out recently and ADMITTED to being influenced before that game by senior rugby people, PR conveniently edited that part out of the story in their reporting on the issue.
So Lawnyd, my point is that if the referee who ADMITTED to being influenced by senior rugby people before a quarter final that he refereed so one-sidedly that he was later stood down from international reffing, what on earth makes you think results in important rugby games aren't being influenced too?
Posted 16:35 07th February 2013
new_j4a says...
I for one do believe that legal and illegal performance enhancing drugs are being used in rugby union....there have been instances and hints of this even at schoolboy level in both the U.K. and South Africa. But I don't feel the need to discuss this with a person (albeit reincarnated from one clownish persona to another) who claims that Donald's kick didn't go through the posts in spite of substantial video and witness evidence. There may also have been cases of match fixing but I don't believe that it exists in top level rugby. But i am sure a rabid conspiracy theorist like BokVanAvengerandGreatness can invent and construct evidence that All matches not won by the Boks have been fixed. When you grow up with Hansie Cronje as your hero, you tend to be a little warped.
Posted 14:32 07th February 2013
lawynd says...
@TheGreatOne - I'm going to, just this once, entertain your rantings.
For me personally, I'm not 'ignoring' match-fixing. Or doping. But I'm an average, ordinary member of the public with a job, mortgage and responsibilities. Those responsibilities don't extend to investigating match-fixing or doping in any sport, I don't work for WADA or the IRB. If a journalist or official discovers evidence of either event I hope that the person(s) involved are nailed to the wall and I'll applaud the efforts and discuss the topic here, like we do everything rugby-related. Until that happens however, what precisely do you want me, or anyone else, to actually say? Do we need to confirm for your benefit that actually, we don't agree with any sort of cheating? Is your default assumption that we all think it's a-ok, so long as we never hear about it?
In essence, what is your bloody point?
Posted 13:00 07th February 2013
TheGreatOne says...
@newJ: I know exactly what you mean about weeds popping up on a brick path. Just like those Saffa expat types who keep popping up behind the bar counters in South London because they didn't want to live under a black government. Most of them look just like Eugene Terre'blanche too
Posted 12:03 07th February 2013
Top_Kat says...
I would agree with the O'Driscoll 'one of / the best ever' comments for all the usual reasons. I would put him ahead of Horan and others because, let's face it, Ireland have had a mediocre team for the majority of his career yet he still looks so exceptional in every game.
Most other great players have tended to come from rugby nations like NZ and Oz with fantastic teams around them.
Posted 11:59 07th February 2013
new_j4a says...
@7ton, Yes, right, I forgot about BryceCheater...they remind me of the weeds growing on a brick path...nothing you can do to stop them popping up
Posted 08:17 07th February 2013
TheGreatOne says...
@NewJ: You seem to have an even bigger fetish for Eugene Terre'blanche than you do for bizarre familial topics like incest and foetal alcohol syndrome. But then again, judging by your sop story from the other day I guess you didn't have the ideal upbringing. But back to match fixing. Can you geniuses please explain to me how and why you think rugby should be immune to match fixing when we are currently witnessing it being uncovered in soccer on a global scale? We also just saw a report detailing how steroids are rife in Australian sport. Yet you and the clowns on Planet La La Land want to continue believing that rugby is somehow immune to this.
Posted 06:56 07th February 2013
7ton says...
new_j4a
Most likely you could include --->BryceCheater in your list
The Kenyan 7's are definitely hot
Posted 22:08 06th February 2013
APV1 says...
@ bad_robot, Madman & - Hear! Hear! All power to the Kenyans!
@ The (not very) GreatOne - welcome back in your new guise. Shame your leaf wasn't turned over at the same time as your name change.
@ PatrickH - I think that new_j4a has foiled his cunning plan.
@ new_j4a - like most places, some are hotter than others...
Posted 14:54 06th February 2013
kybone says...
rockman- You're a real bright spark arent you! Have you not considered that maybe other players made more tackles than Parling because their team spent longer defending than England. You cant spend more time with te ball in hand attacking and make more tackles at the same time!
Posted 13:42 06th February 2013
new_j4a says...
@APV1 says..."Hot: England's Women:" Agree! (I assume that you mean this as a general statement and not just rugby?)
Posted 12:44 06th February 2013
new_j4a says...
@all, You heard it here first: BokVanDam-->BokAvenger-->TheGreatOne. I'd know that voice anywhere (Sounds just Eugene Terreblanche)
Posted 12:39 06th February 2013