Rugby...the game they play in heaven

[Davros]

Ummm, 164 I think it was Memmie (give or take the odd single) - the last 7 wiclets fell for 22 runs off 63 balls. I was on the tennis at the restart, and missed Warnie taking wickets on the first 2 balls of his over - Caddick spoiled things by averting the hatrick ball .

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[Memnoch]

Not a bad weekend overall, eh? Could've been better of course, but...it was ok I guess.

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[Staralfur]

Originally posted by Memnoch: Antonius? Staralfur? Anyone there?

I'm back now, went away for the weekend straight after the match finished.

Shame Rafter got beaten by the the 125th ranked player (as I think Memnoch pointed out) in the world (shows there is still hope for the English cricket team yet). Still '2 out of 3 ain't bad'.

As for the Lions match; I think they must have changed the whole of both teams at half-time. I'm really not sure what went on. Now we're missing several key players... It isn't looking good is it.

Anyway, Steve Redgrave was back in a boat at the weekend, there's hope for us yet.

[Davros]

What's this Staraflur - have you adopted Goran as a Brit now??? Are you so starved of success over the Aussies that you will adopt anybody else who triumphs now. I think Cristophe Moereau (sp) is still leading the Tour de France, and there are a couple of Aussies in the field - is he in line for adoption too????

Have to admit that Rafter going down is the one that hurts - would happily trade a Lions series or an Ashes test to see him get up last night. As far as the Ashes test goes, we could probably afford to spot you the first couple anyway, and still win the series . Congratulations to Goran by the way - I supported him during 3 losses in finals, so it's hard not to be pleased for him (just why did it have to be Pat, aarrrrgghh).

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[Memnoch]

Goran deserved to win I think...he played like a man inspired. That was one of the best matches I've ever seen. Centre Court was just incredible.

Hmm, so Henman has the honor of losing in the longest semifinal in history.

Where's Donut? I miss Donut!

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[Davros]

I see that he did visit the forum to post an Andaman Island quiz, but he seems to be avoiding the Rugby thread . Maybe I better bump that poem back up to the first page, that might draw him in .

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[Donut]

Originally posted by Davros: I see that he did visit the forum to post an Andaman Island quiz, but he seems to be avoiding the Rugby thread . Maybe I better bump that poem back up to the first page, that might draw him in .

What's all the fuss about? I rarely post at the weekend (busy social life you know) so when I got to work on Monday morning I had every intention of putting a few aussies in their place! Blow me if the board wasn't down! I hate it when it goes down at times like this! Now it's too late to talk about last weekend. At least you know I won't be avoiding you Davros - not like some other people avoided me last week.



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Save Chip - Don't let Sarah win!
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[Memnoch]

Originally posted by Donut: At least you know I won't be avoiding you Davros - not like some other people avoided me last week.

G'day Donut! I was a bit worried that your internet connection may have been out on the weekend as we didn't see you! So I've been diligently watching the news on the web for interesting sports articles. Now I know you're a big tennis fan! So when I found this article about Tim Henman I jumped at the chance to do my good deed for the day and post it for you. It was in the Sydney Morning Herald!


Henman defeat exacerbates history of underachievement

By Richard Hinds in London

Twelve years of Thatcherism. The weather. The Spice Girls. Mad cows. Foot and mouth disease. The food they cook with what meat is still vaguely edible. Romping royalty. For Churchill's sake, hasn't this country suffered enough?

According to Tim Henman, apparently not. If the man had a scrap of concern for the welfare of his fellow Englishmen, he would leave for Majorca or Rhodes or wherever else his countrymen flock at this time each year in search of water in which you can actually swim and end the anguish and agony that is Timbledon.

Yet, year after year, the plucky Tim keeps merrily skipping across centre court, clenching his fist in that unconvincing sort of way and, with callous disregard for the harm he is doing to national self-esteem, convincing his success-starved fans that this really is the year.

But never, in the course of Henman conquest, has the now ritual departure of the great British hope caused such national anguish as his defeat in a gruelling, rain-delayed, three-day, five-set semi-final marathon.

Coming, as it did, a day after the Wallabies had avenged the previous week's defeat to the British Lions, and about 20 minutes before England had lost the first cricket Test of the Ashes, Henman had not only failed to win Wimbledon, he had not even given his country a chance to crawl out from beneath the heel of their sporting oppressors by beating Pat Rafter in the final.

And, as loath as they would be to admit it, that is how Australia is viewed after a decade or so of domination. If you weren't convinced, you needed only to reveal your Australian accent as you walked past any of the local pubs where the Lions' victory in the first international was celebrated with royal-wedding type fervour.

I am not saying this premature celebration had lifted local confidence, but the general feeling was that the Australian cricket team had no more chance of retaining the Ashes than David Boon does of winning a swimsuit competition. As for Rafter, he would be just more road kill for Henman on his way to that glorious first English men's championship since 1936.

Oh England. Oh dear.

If it is not bad enough to have your expectations raised, it is another thing altogether to have them championed by someone so decent, so eminently jolly, criminally plucky and, when it comes down to it, such a natural born loser as Our Tim.

In the six years Henman has made it to the fourth round or better - including three semi-finals - the headline writers have done their best to give their hero a slightly more macho image. First there was "The Henmanator", and this year "Tiger Tim". But, as one gallant loss follows another, he still looks like a Timmy. A stamp collector with a tennis racquet.

Which is not to say he is not a very nice player and, according to those who know him, an eminently likeable guy. If he seems about as interesting as beans on toast, that is partly because he deliberately conceals himself from the local press.

Each year, he carries a nation on his shoulders and does not want to increase the burden by revealing anything so controversial as a personality.

Never have the expectations been greater than this year. Not only was there the usual pursuit of history but Henman's friend and nemesis Pete Sampras had been slayed.

The greatest indication of how much a Henman victory meant to England was not the war-painted, Union Jack-waving patriots who watched the semi-final on a big screen outside centre court on Henman's Hill. It was that, quite shockingly, some patrons inside began to clap Ivanisevic's double faults during the final set.

At this tea party of a tournament, that represented a breach of spectator protocol roughly in line with strangling the Duchess of York. But their hair was let down so far that some even yelled encouragement during the games - though their efforts betrayed how little used they are to having champion tennis players because they mostly screamed when Henman was trying to serve.

There was an irony to Henman's defeat. Ivanisevic was only playing because he had been given a wildcard by the All England Club. It was as if John F Kennedy had invited Lee Harvey Oswald to the White House for a beer.

But then, strange irony, plucky defeat and downright disaster have become the things of British sporting legend. It is as if inventing sports was enough to satisfy the soul. Being good at them would be showing off.

Now, for an Australian in London, it is indeed hard to be humble. For the English, it is just too damn easy.





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[Davros]

Nice article Memmie, but be careful now, we have only just flushed him out of the woods. We wouldn't want him to fade quietly back into the background now, would we . I bet the guy who wrote that, also had to eat some humble pie when Goran took down our Pat .

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[Donut]

Originally posted by Davros: Nice article Memmie, but be careful now, we have only just flushed him out of the woods. We wouldn't want him to fade quietly back into the background now, would we . I bet the guy who wrote that, also had to eat some humble pie when Goran took down our Pat .

Don't worry Davros - I didn't read it

Can anyone tell me who won the last State of Origin game - I think I missed it

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Save Chip - Don't let Sarah win!
Official Titterer of the Laughing Hyenas