The Rugby Roundtable

So where are we at? A quick slice review of the Rugby World shows us that things are rapidly approaching full speed. The Northern Hemisphere is close to finding itself the right way up as Cymru thunder into pole position of the 6 Nations, only the Green and the Frogs; hang on – Green Frogs?, stand in the way of the sleeping greatness that has always been the Dragon. Congratualtions must go to the Rose for a tenacious effort in Paris yet agian, the youthful French were clueless against the smothering intesity of England and Ashton’s love-children proved to all knockers that they could wind themselves up for a big one.

And a new drop goal record for JW; surely this means another advert with Becks, as he over takes Hugo Porter for as the new ‘monsieur le drop’. Scotland have been awful, actually they’ve been as bad as the English, but they could cover themselves in glory if they can turn the ‘Proud’ around and send them homeward with nothing more than a distant memory of a World Cup Final. Why oh why did Hadden think that leaving Paterson on the bench for the first game made sense, he astutely used a similar ploy against the Blackness to the benefit of the Scots, but this time Italy were never going to let the memory of that last pool game of the RWC repeat. Right from the word go Scotland has not shown enough presence or persistence to worry the scoreboard, if it weren’t for Paterson’s boot it would be an embarrassing season of rejection for them.

I look now to Ireland and what they may have waiting in Dublin for Wales, sure we operate one game at a time and Gatland will push this line with his charges, but the one great thing about Celtic Rugby is that the best made plans can go straight out the window in favor of letting fate decide the winner. And on this occasion why not? Sure Wales will need to out play Ireland at home and prove to themselves that on the road they can win; an ability that can make the winning of this particular tournament all the more easier, but the manner in which they accomplish the task will hint to how the show-down with France will be in Cardiff the following week.

Ireland can no doubt see the perplexing trouble they can cast, the Rugby Universe waits with baited breath to see what performance they can draw from the Croke Park soil, but an improved performance against Scotland makes me think that Wales will do well to beat them and as momentum is the key word in the 6 Nations, England must look at that final weekend with some trepidation.

Meanwhile in Rugby Super 14 burns onto the screen like a celestial comet, trailing all forms of fireworks behind it. One of the recently jettisoned particles is that of rude boy Matt Henjak, whose fiery temperament has made things far too hot for him to handle. Of course there are plenty of people shaking their heads at the halfback/halfforward, but all criminal behavior and the questions that go with it. Many will ask why? No one will ever know for sure, but I’ll offer this tangent in the strange ritual of professional players leaving the realms of reality for an orbit around their own self importance.

He is a fucken idiot.

I watched with loose intent the game between the Sharks and Stormers this weekend, just to see how things were forming over on the throne. I will admit right now that the Cheerleaders in Republic Rugby are incredibly attractive and a fine example of how it really should be done, if you are going to have sex involved with the great code of Rugby, then by all means follow the standard set by the Republic – as for the Rugby?

I left it on, but went to watch the New Zealand Womens Hockey Team play China.

I could not stand anymore, those who say that Freddy Michalak will thrive in Super Rugby better be prepared to eat the humblest pie, for as he nears contact with the first of the Pentatute he will need every bit of awareness he can muster to find a way through the game. For this Frogman the opposition will be coming in steep and fast, defense may win a seven week tournament, but 14 weeks of high speed dodgems is enough to make any man sweat.

Welcome to the Super 14 monsieur Michalak, naturally you are welcome but weekly you must prove your worth.

So lovers the ball begins to spiral, the Rugby Universe and its deep rich melodic hum draws more to the flame on a daily basis, the Rugby World expands at an ever increasing rate, new eyes that see and ears that hear and new hearts to attract.

What a beautiful thing.