Good evening :)

Sheesh! What crap tipping I'm having this Round so far!!

I picked the Highlanders (23-0 over the Bulls), but I should have known better than to doubt the Brumbies (23-19 win over the Stormers). How good are those boys? Something special continues down ACT way...

I snagged the call on the Hurricanes (29) vs Sharks (23) game. That win was a very nice pick up for the Canes.

I saw most of the Crusaders vs Reds game. I don't want to talk about it. ... at ALL.... to ANYONE... talk about getting your butts whipped :( The Crusaders were just far too good for the Reds, and a deserved win. I have no intention of publishing the score here....

I was so disheartened after the Reds game that I only caught glimpses of the Blues vs Chiefs game. Looks like the Blues need to have a look at themselves after that 18-9 loss to the Chiefs. ...

Just the Waraths game to come. Go Tahs!!

Good morning!

Well, it's that time of the week again. Time to get tips in for Round 3 of Super 12 2005.

Tonight:

Highlanders vs Bulls: (Live on Foxsports at 5.30pm - 4.30pm Qld time). Well the Highlanders haven't been playing all that well, but they're at home. Added to that is the fact that the Bulls don't play well away, and they copped a flogging injury-wise last week against the Brumbies. I think I'm going to have to go the Highlanders by 6 on this occasion.

Brumbies vs Stormers: (Live on Foxsports at 7.30pm - 6.30pm Qld time). It's no secret that I adore the Brumbies, and they've managed to rise above their injury woes the last couple of weeks to win games, but I think that whole Stomers back line being full of Springboks thing just might work for the Stormers tonight. So, I'm tipping the Stormers by 1. Brave call huh? heh..

Tomorrow:

Sharks vs Hurricanes: (Live on Foxsports at 4.05am - 3.05 Qld time). This is one of those toss a coin calls!! Tana Umaga is on the bench for the Canes after he was injured in the tsunami game last weekend. I think the Hurricanes will be too strong for the Sharks and I'm tipping them to win by 3.

Crusaders vs Reds: (Live on Foxsports at 12.30pm - 11.30am Qld time). Well after last week's debacle for the Reds they'll be keen to get out there and win. I don't think they can beat the Crusaders though  I'm going for the Crusaders by 8. Makes me feel like a traitor…. prove me wrong Reds 

Chiefs vs Blues: (Live on Foxsports at 5.30pm - 4.30pm Qld time). Yeah I know, the Chiefs are at home, but they're really not travelling well at all this season thus far. I think the Blues will win easly so I'm tipping them by 8. I'm getting braver with these margins as I go along this week :)

Sunday:

Cats vs Waratahs: (Live on Foxsports at 1.55am - 12.55am Qld time). The Cats haven't done a thing to impress this writer so far this Super 12 season, and the Tahs have been fab so I'm tipping the NSW boys to wallop the Cats by 12.


Well, as usual, take those tips for what their worth - which is probably very little.. heh! I'll be off at a Level 2 coaching course all weekend. I expect that I'll have to sit by the phone on Monday morning waiting for John Mitchell to phone :) Actually, after looking at the coaching course outline, I think it'll take me longer to recover from the course than it will to do it, so Monday morning might see me lying in BED waiting for John Mitchell to phone.

Have a great rugby weekend :)

Don't forget Six Nations games this week - you can catch the Ireland vs France game (should be a cracker) on Sunday morning - well middle of the night... 12.27am (-1hr for Qlders). And, if you're really keen you can stay up to watch the England vs Italy game at 2.57am (an hour earlier Qld).

Cheers!

The injury plagued Brumbies' backline is set to run against a Stormers' backline comprised of Springboks. Well, if nothing else, that's an intimidating prospect for the youngsters from the A.C.T. Not a bad strategic tactic from Stormers' coach Gert Smal. Even if those boys don't want to think about that little fact, they'll be thinking about not thinking about it :)

Reds' Nathan Sharpe is one of the high profile players on Perth's acquisition list. The Tahs were keen to grab him as well, but in news that will no doubt delight Queenslanders.. heh.. Sharpe has said 'No way' to playing for the Waratahs. He hasn't said 'No' to Perth yet and has said that he would like to keep playing for Queensland, so here's hoping the QRU look after him!

Speaking of the Tahs, the team is being bugged by a stomach bug leading up to their game against the Cats this weekend in Jo'burg. You wouldn't wish that on your worst enemy .... well maybe your absolute worst :) Ewwwwww... poor things! Let's hope they're right by Sunday am.

Justin Harrison's Mum has stuck it to the ARU over their handling of Harrison's contact negotations; handling which has led to Harrison signing with Ulster for three years. As a mother myself.. I feel her pain :( It's a looooong flight from Australia to Ireland.....

A report in UK's Daily Record tells us that Scotland's coach Gordon Bulloch reckons his team can beat the Welsh boys on Sunday. I have to admire that unflinching optimism - personally I can't see it happening, but hey, the power of positive thinking is a very strong thing.

Cheers

That little article about Australian rugby players and their drinking and gambling habits that I found yesterday has ruffled a few feathers it seems. The ARU and RUPA have both denied that there is any such problem, or problems, within Australian rugby.

The thing with surveys is that you can do anything, and I mean anything with the stats that come out of them. Heck, the structure of the questions, who asks them etc etc all have an impact on survey results anyway. Without having 'that' information, you really are just flying blind when you follow survey results - and that's for any survey in my opinion.

Personally I have NO idea whether any of the Super 12 Australian players have drinking or gambling problems. I don't think it's any of my concern either. What I DO know though is that it does seem to be stretching it a bit to think that someone with a serious drinking problem could be performing at the elite level in a chosen sport. Doesn't seem to sit... Drinking and gambling really can be hobbies you know, it's part of Australian culture - whether people agree with it or not :)

I'd say that whoever wrote that article that's caused the stink... but it doesn't any favours towards the furtherment of rugby....

Devastating news for the Waratahs and Australian rugby with the news that Justin Harrison has signed with Ulster on a three year contract from next season. Our loss is most definitely Ireland's gain. Understandably, Tahs coach Ewen McKenzie is disappointed. I'd be crying tears in my beer...

Andy Robinson has copped a spank and been "ordered to avoid making critical comments of match officials during press conferences and interviews" as the result of being investigated for the remarks he made about referee Jonathan Kaplan following England's loss to Ireland the weekend before last. I guess that being gracious is defeat is a learnt skill :)

I found this over at Foxsports....

"A SURVEY of professional rugby players in Australia has revealed
many feel their teammates have serious drinking and gambling problems."

Apparently the data was gleaned from a survey of 84 Super 12 players - including 27 Wallabies. Drinking and gambling... I thought they were hobbies?? :)

Cheers!

Good morning :)

The tipping results for Round 2 are in...... and the winner is..... *insert drumroll*.... with 9 points for the round.... reilly from Cairns!! I have not met reilly but he's got to be a good bloke because he supports the Reds :) Reilly, please drop me an email so I can send out your scratchie ticket. Jack Knott needs to email me as well for last week's ticket.

Waratahs Lachlan MacKay flies home from South Africa today - he sustained rib cartilage damage in the game against the Sharks. That's a blow for the Tahs!!

John Roe, Red's number 8 is also under an injury cloud.

Speaking of the Reds, the SANZAR executive committee are yet to figure out what they're going to do about the kerfuffle during the Reds/Blues game on Friday night. Personally I can't see them overturning the result, it would set a precedent that I'm sure they wouldn't want. What a situation! One of those damned if you do, damned if you don't ones... I don't envy them.

That's it for this Monday morning... I really don't like Mondays.... or mornings.....

The Highlanders vs Stormers clash in Invercargill yesterday ended up in a 16 all draw. If you didn't catch the game on the tube don't stress yourself over trying to catch a replay - you didn't miss much in my humble opinion. What a stop start lacklustre affair....

The action was happening though up at Jade stadium with the Crusaders flogging the Chiefs 50-18. (The Canterbury boys bunged on 26 unanswered points in the second half - ouch!!) Nice to see the Crusaders lifting their game :)

The Waratahs had a convincing 36-13 win over the Sharks at ABSA stadium. Mat Rogers was again the star for the Tahs collecting 21 points individually through a try, two successful conversion kicks and four penalty goals. Lote Tuqiri was also in great form picking up 2 tries. Another try from Berne meant the Waratahs picked up a bonus point for their efforts and now sit on top of the Super 12 2005 table after Round 2.

The absence of Captain Tana Umaga did nothing to help the Cats in their game against the Hurricanes with the Canes running in six tries for a 45-32 victory over the South Africans. Their bonus point for the game puts them second on the ladder with the Brumbies - both sitting on 9 points.

The tsumani game over in Twickenham proved what us Southern hemisphere dwellers have known for years - we're better than that mob up north.. heh :)) 54-19 was the final score! It was really quite wierd at first to watch George Gregan passing to Mehrts.... to see Schalk Burger being warmly congratulated by Phil Waugh and co when he scored a try.. don't get me wrong, it was great!! It was just... weird to see them playing alongside each other. Wonderful scoreline :)

The updated Super 12 2005 ladder is here on the front page of the site. I guess the tipping results should be out soon as well.

Cheers!