Ode to William Webb Ellis (The Rugby Union Thread)

[Rangi Guy]

[LetMeSleep]

Congrats NZ and RG. Didn't catch the game but not at all surprised with the result.

Didn't watch the game either, but there's been no escaping it - pretty much the entire newspaper today was taken up with Rugby stuff in one way or another

I was in a hotel with the family and it was on At 3am.

[Rangi Guy]

So - apparently Jonah Lomu has passed away

[dimejinky99]

Just read that. That's a loss. He changed the game in our eyes.

[William Bloke]

Yeah, heard about Lomu on the news this morning. I remember when I first saw him play and agree - he changed the game. The guy was astoundingly good - huge, strong and fast.

[Rangi Guy]

Yeah, heard about Lomu on the news this morning. I remember when I first saw him play and agree - he changed the game. The guy was astoundingly good - huge, strong and fast.

He wasn't good enough to get us a win when we played touch with him. Could have been down to our 'If you get the ball - pass it to Jonah' game plan though

[LetMeSleep]

Sad news. What a player.

[Higgs]

I just learned that one of my favourite sportsmen passed away this week.

Joost van der Westhuizen was a great ambassador for South African rugby. He passed away aged 45 from motor neuron disease.

This guy has one of my favourite names in all sport - I just love saying it, the way it rolls off the tongue.

"Joost" - what a great first name, and has the added bonus that you can really rev up the "oo" bit in the middle when he does something good on the field: JOOOOOOST!!

"van der" is a nice little quiet moment, a breath almost after the initial rush of "Joost" and before the big finish. A build up, if you will.

"Westhuizen" is just magic to say. You can give it that big hard "V" sound to start, and then make sure you breath through the rest of the pronunciation, and don't forget to add a little speed bump in the middle ('Vest-a-howwwzzen').

Joost van der Westhuizen - there aren't many names in sport that have given me as much pleasure.

RIP.

[LetMeSleep]

Sad news indeed.

[bada]

I've been watching Rugby lately on NBCSN. There's stuff I don't understand...mostly what is and isn't a penalty. Its fun though.

[Rangi Guy]

I've been watching Rugby lately on NBCSN. There's stuff I don't understand...mostly what is and isn't a penalty. Its fun though.

I think you get a penalty if you stick your thumb in the other guys anus during a tackle, or if you put your head in there during the scrum

[run2death]

Good show, Ireland!

[dimejinky99]

That was a game for the ages. Monumental performances from both sides.

Now it looks like the All blacks want to poach Schmidt back from us.
Don’t know if he’ll go. He got irish citizenship last year.
And can he really go back to take over the all blacks less than a year out from the rugby World Cup? I wouldn’t say so.

He’s shaped and honed our game to perfection. I just wish O Discoll was still playing for us. We’re missing that unpredictable lightning strike playmaker. Nobody comes close to him on that. So far anyways. Although Stockton shows great promise as evidenced by that try for us.


First time the All blacks haven’t scored a try in the northern hemisphere since 1995. That’s really something.

An incredible game from both teams. It’s on YouTube if you’ve missed it. Well worth watching.

[Rangi Guy]

There's been talk of trying to get Schmidt back for a while now.
I like Schmidt - he was always one of my favourite teachers at high school.
Didn't watch the game as I have little to no interest in Rugby - I assume the rates of domestic violence went through the roof yesterday as is always the case when the All Black lose.

[dimejinky99]

There's been talk of trying to get Schmidt back for a while now.
I like Schmidt - he was always one of my favourite teachers at high school.
Didn't watch the game as I have little to no interest in Rugby - I assume the rates of domestic violence went through the roof yesterday as is always the case when the All Black lose.

You’re kidding. Seriously?
Thats crazy. Rugby is seen as the posh guys game here in some ways. Certainly not followed by lads who would do that kinda thing. Thats bananas. Sad to hear it.

As to Schmidt he seems like the most genuinely lovely guy. He’s a hero here today.

He’s only on a €600k a year contract and delivering consistent results. Our national soccer teams manager is on €1.5 million a year and delivers nothing. Ever.

I hope he stays but they better seriously reup his paypacket. The IRFU can easily afford it.

[Rangi Guy]

There's been talk of trying to get Schmidt back for a while now.
I like Schmidt - he was always one of my favourite teachers at high school.
Didn't watch the game as I have little to no interest in Rugby - I assume the rates of domestic violence went through the roof yesterday as is always the case when the All Black lose.

You’re kidding. Seriously?
Thats crazy. Rugby is seen as the posh guys game here in some ways. Certainly not followed by lads who would do that kinda thing. Thats bananas. Sad to hear it.

As to Schmidt he seems like the most genuinely lovely guy. He’s a hero here today.

He’s only on a €600k a year contract and delivering consistent results. Our national soccer teams manager is on €1.5 million a year and delivers nothing. Ever.

I hope he stays but they better seriously reup his paypacket. The IRFU can easily afford it.

Totally serious - I'm guessing the Rugby culture here is somewhat different - something which attributed to my losing any interest. Every time the All Blacks lose a game there's always a spike in the cases of domestic violence. It's totally stupid

[dimejinky99]

I’d imagine it’s the same in England with the whole soccer hooliganism.
Those guys go out and battter each other before and after the game win lose or draw.
Fuckin idiots. The beautiful game? My ass.

[dimejinky99]

Decent performance so far from the US against a totally new Ireland team.

31-14 to Ireland so far

[dimejinky99]

Final score 57-14

The US are coming on but no hope against us today.

[Ello Sailor]

Ireland did brilliantly against us, especially Peter O'Mahony. What a mad lad.

Also, Rangi's talk of domestic violence is hugely exaggerated. I think he'd have a slightly different take if he played the sport growing up.