Aussie Rues...

Not  a happy time for the Rugby Heaven  er  maybe that should be Hell, readers...

Comments

[Len Taylor]

In Australia, rugby union is a side dish.

-----they supported a team that huffs and puffs but can't even blow down a cardboard box.

Those two snips from the article are typical Aussie bad-loser stuff.
First they always say that Rugby Union is a side dish when they lose. Do you know who the highest paid Aussie sportsman is? Matt Giteau
Second they invariably rubbish their team whenever they lose to the Poms. Never congrats to the winners for doing a good job. Remember the Botham Ashes?

[Gordon Olson]

Morning all, Here's a link to the nasty, gobby, Campese's RWC blog.
http://rucku.com/campo/weblog/
There appears to be a disconnect between his 4th and 8th October scribblings - maybe something went wrong for Australia in Marseilles!

[Len Taylor]

Would you believe I used to have some good Aussie friends.

The Aussies aren't the only ones taking their defeat ungraciously. The Kiwis are giving the English ref a terrible panning as well as their own team. Still, since their only interest, apart from sheep-shagging and watching 20 year old editions of Coronation Street, is Rugby Union I guess they can be forgiven.

By the way, Gordon, I thought that David Campese was very reasonable by his standards. Although he is a Pommy-hating big mouth he was, without a doubt, the best winger I have ever seen so I don't like to be too hard on him.

[Geoff]

He was indeed the best winger. I remember Campese handing the Lions a series win in Australia. Well done David

g

[Ron Simpson]

Spot on Len, on both counts. I used to rate Gerald Davies but did not score as many impossible tries as Campo.

And yes, he was pretty reasonable in his splutterings and admitted, as he has in the past, that he was wrong. I reckon he postures on purpose, a bit like the ex Cassius Clay, and guess what, people notice him.

The daftest thing in his second piece was his statement, referring to the forward pass against NZ: "We should also see the best referees but sadly its not the case. It may only be one decision, but one decision can have a huge effect. It has cost a team the world cup and also has cost a man his job."

Ron

[Alastair McGillivray]

Times and the game have changed, but I am surprised that you would put Campo ahead of so many great wingers of past and present.

I don't think he would beat Doug Howlett today, and despite being English, I don't think he would beat Peter Jackson, had they met in the past. Jackson was the best I have ever seen, without appearing to be a flyer, using his strength and balanced running to get through and round the defence, (a bit like Rory Underwood and Gerald Davies.)
Campo would have been an interesting opponent, and probably a bemused on-field spectator, when Jackson scored his amazing try against Oz.

As for an Ozzie complaining about a forward pass; the words "Pot" and "Kettle" spring to mind. All refs today are shit scared of blowing the whistle for anything which doesn't go 45+ degrees forward, for fear of being accused of slowing the game. The worst offenders, of the "delayed" short pass behind the defenders back, used to be the Ozzies, (closely followed by England,) and the Froggies rarely did it deliberately.

[Len Taylor]

There are indeed many great names we could all mention. I personally do not think the oldies like Jackson, Hancock (remember that try against Scotland?) and Woodward could compete with the later wingers. I certainly admired Gerald Davies with that amazing side step. But Campese scored 64 international tries. That says it all

And let us not forget the OG's Flying Scotsman, one Ron Simpson. Think how good he could have been if he didn't get carted off injured after five minutes of every game.

[Colin Dickins]

Warning noted, Len, but nothing confidential revealed so far. I agree with you about Campese being the best winger I've seen (although I do write as a second row!) but he is also one of the worst writers on the topic of rugby. Apart from the bigotry and general inclination to give offence to everyone - especially the English - (perhaps that is what he's paid for), he is a semi-literate, crap writer. And I also agree that by his standards his latest piece verges on the moderate and reasonable (still crap writing, though).

As for other best wingers, Rory Underwood has a special place in my affection for his ability to find a gap where none existed, especially close to the line. He was more than just a flyer; he was a fantastic finisher.

And, re the NZ whingers, while the pass to Michalak was undoubtedly forward, I have seen replays of one of the NZ tries which also included a forward pass. The sheep-shaggers choose not to mention that.

Incidentally, I mention replays because I was travelling Saturday and only saw the end of the first and the second halves of that game. I also - to my eternal regret - missed the England-Australia game, travelling to and hanging around Perpignan "Airport". Fortunately, a couple of amiable security guards were able to give me the result with some pleasure. I wished them well for the evening game and they were pretty dubious of the prospect. Two more surprised and happy men, after all.

One of the most unexpected moments came as I watched the RSA-USA game in a French bar: there was a huge cheer from the Frogs when the USA scored their late try. And I thought they hated the Yanks!

[Martin]

On Sunday evening I had an SMS from a South African friend
England will play France in the 1st semi,
South Africa to meet Argentina in the 2nd semi,
Australia to meet New Zealand at the airport!
Cheers..and he'll remain nameless!

[Ron Simpson]

Colin, Campo's writing may be about the same standard as your rugby, but I don't pay his wages and he certainly seems to sell copy.

I had also meant to mention that the Old Gayt on whom Campese styled his game was probably Len Taylor, who also had the scintilating feet, the jink, the sidestep, the dummy and the effortless acceleration of Campese. Oh and the high , aerodynamic forehead.

[dom-france]

Colin, the French likes the American, it's the English they don't like....oops! You will find out how much Saturday evening...

[Colin Dickins]

...about the same standard as your rugby...
We were selected for the same team often enough for you to form an opinion, Ron. I wonder why.

Oh, and I should have referred to Campese as the "best whinger" - Well. one of them.

[Ron Simpson]

Yes Colin he was a better player than either of us and a much more successful writer.
Separate subject, am I right in recollecting that you broke a leg, possibly in the Extra A's?
Some bugger left us with 14 men.

Ron

[Ron Simpson]

Len has raised the subject of great wingers and I started thinking about the best I saw at the OG's. Alan Yarrow was presumably the best of all time, but in my time playing, 1952-72, I reckon the best (present addressees excepted of course) was Ray Turner, who had the lot.
I can still see in my mind's eye a moment at Sudbury when Ray was covering back and across to a touch kick to our 25. He sprinted towards the line, jumped to flick the ball back infield, landed well outside the line, turned, gathered the ball from the ground and pumped back for a touch about 30 yards upfield. Oh alright, maybe only 25 yards.

And as to the cruel comment about my proneness to injury, this was partially due to the fact that I claimed more than my fair share of high balls, many of them to the accompaniment of a high-pitched shreik of "YOURS!" from Len.

[Len Taylor]

Yeah right, and it got bloody tedious shouting from my wing over to yours that there was a high ball coming your way, while you, you dozy sod, was sobbingly nursing a scratch on your knee.

[Martin]

Adding to the list of "all time grayts", Paul Minihan, who also went on to play for Wasps, was a bit handy too...
As was Rod Stevens. Also Jez Kennedy (oops! I nearly injured him typing his name...)

[Ron Simpson]

Oh Len, you are not only cruel, you are sooooo creative with the facts.

[Phil Chesterman]

If the North Americans took the game seriously instead of exercise for those who don't "make" the Football team what would the result be? Same situation in OZ perhaps.
Who ever thought the Argentinianos could pull off what they have?