Off Topic Sport Other than Football - formerly the Ashes Thread

Another 50 he couldn't convert in the end. Burns has been the only batsmen that has pulled his weight this series and it's been badly exposed on such a good batting wicket.

 

Poor batting again - they should have got 400 on that wicket.
It will need something exceptional from Buttler to reach 300.

 

Well that's the NBA ruined...

 

On the plus side, we won't hear rugger buggers saying their fans respect the TMO...UNLIKE FOOTBALL

 

Playing the ref due to their inconsistencies has been part of rugby for years, you’d regularly hear comments about the suitability of captains because of their ability to manage the ref on the pitch (Sam Warburton considered an expert at this for example) and on preparing for games slightly different based on who was officiating - knowing that some refs were hotter on offsides at the breakdown vs. infringements at the scrum for example.

Even at schools level where I played you were always polite to the ref not only because that was the culture at that level at that time, but also because having him onside was just a good thing to do.

The laws have got more arcane recently though, or maybe that’s just because I haven’t played for years and don’t watch that regularly either now. And I’ve seen attitudes to officials change markedly in the last five years or so as well. I don’t think it’s at the level it is for football refs, knowing people who referee both games at amateur level. But it’s a worrying trend for a sport that has, for those who played it in my view at least, always had that respect as a genuinely core part of the playing culture.

 

Errol Spence is in hospital with serious injuries that resulted from him crashing his Ferrari.
Ejected from the vehicle, as he wasn't wearing a seat-belt. Expected to live, at the moment.

He had a really good fight with Shawn Porter recently, too:

Would be a shame if this was it for his career, but I just hope there's no significant and permanent damage, really.

 

I hope he recovers fully, but for the life of me, I can't understand why people drive without a seat belt. One of my brothers does it, despite me nagging him about it every time we get in a van or car.

Just his week, Mrs B has been requested by Traffic Officers to press for a govt re-education campaign, as they're fed up of attending accidents involving people not wearing belts. The results are often extremely unpleasant.

 

I really don't get the issue. It's not uncomfortable for most people or particularly restrictive. It's a minor annoyance, at worst.

 

Rule changes are killing both games. I struggle to watch rugby any more and football's in a tough place, too.

 

Having experienced a typhoon while in Japan, let me personally say that all rugby players are namby pamby soft boys who are too afraid to play in a little rain

 

Namibia vs Canada is OFF

...not because of the typhoon, but because nobody cared

 

Katarina Johnson-Thompson. World champion heptathlete and a Scouse Red

 

Eliud Kipchoge, record breaking marathon runner - and Spurs fan

...of course, the Levy Out mob prefer a sprint ot a marathon

 

I'm up early for the England v Aus game.
Not that I'm mad keen on rugger.
What's all the Owen Farrell hate about? He was voted into the World Rugby XV last year.
Is it because Wigan is 200 miles from London and the locals love pies?

 

Not sure about hate per se, but Ford has had England playing very well from 10 this tournament and the perception is perhaps that England play better rugby with him at 10 than Farrell. Owen’s usually metronomic kicking hasn’t been all that in an England shirt the last few years either IMO. On the flip side if the plan is to batter Australia up front while keeping it tight in the backs for the opening quarter then have Ford to bring on around 50 mins when the game is breaking up, then this is the right call, if not the one everyone wants to see purely from the perspective of watching the best rugby possible.

 

Jones' selections looking pretty sound so far, 71 minutes in.
Farrell with a great delayed pass for Sinckler's try - and his kicking has been flawless.

 

Yes it’s been a great performance. Jones fully vindicated on the selection. It’ll be interesting to see who he selects the next game on the back of this.

 

Well played the egg chasers

 

That sound you hear is the entire population of Wales Googling to check if the ref has a cottage in southern France

 

That sound you hear is the entire population of Wales tweeting about "justice" for Sam Warburton hitting somebody with an Emerald Flowsion in the 2011 semi final