I don't intend to watch it anyway!

Good lad. Problem solved.

This could get even messier. CCTV footage was stolen by a security guard who is threatening to release more revealing images.
Good piece in Guardian;

'If Johnson agreed to a night on the town and long before they came out here he said he would treat his players as adults and sensible ones at that, then someone with a memory of the events of 2008 might have had a quiet word. That way the England group combing a pretty sad area for enjoyment might have thought twice about sampling the delights of a bar advertising a "Mad Midget Weekender" and "Leprechaun Bar Wars", let alone getting into a position where some were pictured being tackled by the stars of the show.
Johnson had already been appointed manager in 2008 and picked the tour party for New Zealand but stayed home for the birth of his second child, leaving Rob Andrew in charge of a tour which ended on a sour note – England refusing to help Auckland police after allegations that four players had been involved in serious misconduct.That Twickenham subsequently inquired into the events and decided against further action does not matter; it was more than a strong hint that the "on tour" adage meant nothing when high-profile professional sportsmen were in the public eye and especially in a land which is not averse to taking a poke at the – perceived – arrogant big earners from the mother country.'

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/sep/19/rugby-world-cup-2011-samoa?cat=sport&type=articleThe Samoa and Gloucester centre, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, could face disciplinary action after he said the schedule for second-tier sides at the Rugby World Cup was "like the holocaust, like apartheid".[/url

He should count himself lucky he's not a footballer. That bin Laden quote who have seem him in very, very hot water.

I see that Romania have made 11 changes to the team that lost 43-8 to Argentina for when they face England. This is in order to ensure that they can concentrate on the game against Georgia and come away from the World Cup with at least one win. Is this really a credible international tournament?

I can imagine the wedding night:
"Crouch...touch...pause...engage...oh sorry love, I've collapsed again"
"It's the eye-gouging I'm more worried about".

Aussie's running in tries for fun in another one sided contest. No doubt the powers will be will do a press release at the end of the world cup saying how many tries have been scored in a try fest world cup.

They're focussing on the Georgia game because if they lose that they'll likely have to qualify for the next World Cup IIRC.

The smaller teams do seem to have been stuffed by the scheduling this year. The big sides get a full week off between their games, while the little guys are expected to back up after playing midweek.

Poor Romania, it was like men against dwarves out there.

[url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/5682543/PM-John-Key-opts-for-NRL-grand-final-over-rugbyPM John Key opts for NRL grand final over rugby union[/url

So another non match today and according to MSN. England have arrived!

More trouble at t'mill.
[url=http://m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/sep/27/rugby-world-cup-revenue?cat=sport&type=articleRugby World Cup costs us millions and must change, says New Zealand.[/url
Steve Tew, the NZRU chief executive, has warned that competing at the World Cup has cost his union more than NZ$13m (£7m), a loss it could ill afford at a time when player costs were rising and the world economy was stagnating.

Something's gotta give.
The IRB have a strangle hold over everything and if the rules aren't relaxed, then I reckon after 2019.....they won't be able to command the hosting fees they have achived up to now.
Sponsors should be included in the hosting rights...if need be, add to the hosting costs, but you have to let the host union make a profit.
The RFU have a target of 3,000,000 fans at the 2015 comp.....they have paid 80 million pounds for the rights to host it.......I reckon at 50 quid a ticket, they will be hard pressed to break even..........and believe me, any soccer grounds used will not be referred to by their "sponsors" names.....the Westpac Stadium here in Wellington has had the Westpac removed and it is now referred to as the Wellington regional Stadium....

[url=http://m.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/sep/27/rugby-world-cup-2011-new-zealand?cat=sport&type=articleThere's moor trouble at that theer mill.[/url

Same already for the Olympics- the Ricoh will be renamed the City of Coventry stadium, despite never ever having had that monicker.

He's an idiot.......firstly, I think he knew the rules regarding sponsorship and revenue streams BEFORE NZRU applied to host the comp.....next up, market forces will dictate who can afford what player. Yes, the likes of Carter may go north to play for a wealthy English or French club, but International Level Competition such as this RWC are what most players aspire to.....not the Aviva Premiership.
Most of the players who have been "poached" over the last 12 months would never have made this AB's squad...they were offered decent money and they left...so what?

NZRU needs to sort its own house out before attempting to dictate to the RFU.....firstly, sort out the pricing for S15 tickets.
2006.....The Hurricanes averaged 23,300 a game over 6 home games with 2 local derbies.......6 seasons on and over 8 games with 4 local derbies they averaged 11,280.........that's why they are losing money.....that and the ridiculous $220 they tried to charge for an AB's replica.

I read in the paper this morning that England don't think Scotland will be able to cope with their attacking rugby. I learned 2 things:
1. England must be playing Scotland.
2. England play attacking rugby.
No really.

England put 67 points on a second string Romania side and everybody is now saying England are an attacking side. That result is put into context when you see Georgia then go and beat the Romanian first team and the fact that the last time England played Romania they won by 134 points

This is a terrible England team – their only attacking threats are on the wing but against a decent opposition they haven’t got the skills to get the ball to them in attacking positions

Will Thatcher stand up in parliament & say they should come home?

Awfully quiet on here considering we're in the middle of the pinnacle of the game



[url=http://www.journallive.co.uk/newcastle-sports/north-east-rugby/newcastle-falcons/2011/09/27/newcastle-falcons-revising-policy-on-signings-61634-29492404/?#sitelife-commentsWidget-bottomNewcastle Falcons revising policy on signings.[/url Concentrate on staying up first Taity.

[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/sep/28/rugby-world-cup-australia-cost?Rugby World Cup: Australia back New Zealand over cost of participation.[/url [i'We are unable to continue making these significant losses.'[/i

I heard on the radio the other evening that the RFU is establishing a full-time 12 man sevens team in preparation for the 2016? Olympic games. How much money must be in that sport?

Union in the olympics came up in conversation at the weekend. Presumably England, Scotland and Wales will make way for a GB team but what about Northern Ireland? In international rugby union they play under the flag of Ireland but the Olympic association in the north is tied to GB.
Also, will there be a qualification process similar to that in Olympic soccer? If so, Australasia, which has a good number of the world's best teams, will see a number of it's members fail to make the actual tournament, won't it?

I presume the RFU is England. Probably in their arrogance it has not occurred to them there are other territories in the country of GB.

I prefer the 6 nations/Tri-nations myself.....




Oh dear...it's the old us and them scenario again.......Whilst the AB's might consider themselves the draw card in world Rugby, I think they might find that with or without them, the IRB will do fine......we didn't miss South Africa that much.


The ARU should keep quiet.....unless they want the B&I Lions to go to South Africa in 2013.....