On fire: Ruan Pienaar - Embarrassed: Will Genia
It's time for our weekly wrap up of who has their name in lights at the moment... and who is making the headlines for the wrong reasons.
They're smooooookin!
Tim Visser, Ruan Pienaar and Stephen Ferris: Last weekend's Heineken Cup semi-final in Dublin offered up a bunch of great performances. Visser was a threat whenever he had the ball. Surely the 'Flying Dutchman' will get a heap of Test caps as soon as he qualifies for Scotland. Pienaar put on another masterclass of goal-kicking and game management while Ferris was a real soldier, fighting through the pain barrier and throwing himself into rucks even when it was clear his body was calling for an end to the punishment.
Nathan Hines, Rob Kearney, Johnny Sexton: We were promised a battle in Bordeaux and we weren't disappointed. The Clermont injury list in the wake of their European semi-final loss is a testament to just how hard Leinster were made to fight for a spot in the final. Hines was a tower of strength against his old club while Kearney and Sexton were at the origin of all their side's points via the kicking tee, a drop-goal, a decisive line-break and a half-time pep talk.
Edinburgh's positive approach: Scotland's first European semi-finalists were on the wrong end of a tight result but it certainly wasn't due to a lack of fighting spirit or positive intentions. We like the way Edinburgh play the game - unfortunately for them it's not an approach that allows much margin for error.
Robbie Freuan: Two tries for the Crusaders, including the winner against the 'Tahs on Sunday. How much longer before we see Freuan in black?
Mike Catt: Congrats to the latest addition to the England backroom staff. Will Catt have the magic touch needed to guide England to victory in the land of his birth?
5 x Bulls coaches: Well done to Johann van Graan, Ricardo Loubscher, John McFarland and Basil Carzis, who have all joined Heyneke Meyer in swapping blue for green and gold. No prizes for guessing the style of rugby we'll be seeing from the Springboks over the next four years.
Someone turn on the heater...!
James Haskell, Justin Downey and Marius Jonker: The England flank got banned for three weeks for landing a couple of proper haymakers. No arguments there - punching is not hot. But we couldn't help wonder why the Highlanders flank lashed out the way he did. Taking a closer look at the video clip it seems that Downey comes suspiciously close to grabbing a handful of the Haskell's man bits...if that was the intention, it's WAY not hot. Of course, the ref can only act on the information given to him. His touchies said 'red'. A few furious Cheetahs fans would like to know why Jonker pulled out a yellow.
Butch James: Some things never change. 'No arms' Butch strikes again. And why the high-fives afterwards?
Biarritz v Brive: French club rugby has always been prone to a bit of biffo, but this was ridiculous. There were more punches landed that points scored. There seems to be trend emerging in Biarritz games of late and it's not pleasant.
Will Genia: I'm off to Perth. No, I'm staying. Actually, I'm going. Waaaaiit...no, I'm staying.What's that? You've already sent out a press release? Doh! The Wallaby scrum-half was left rather red-faced on Monday morning. At least it'll match the colour of his jersey.
Sias Ebersohn: How did he miss? Unconfirmed reports have suggested that a truckload of fruit baskets sent from Dunedin were recently delivered to the Ebersohn residence. They were left on the porch...
Comments
lisson17 says...
@Sasquatch
Yes Haskell is eligible. The Overseas Rule was somethine Johnson bought in, and Lancaster has openly said whilst it is easier for England players to play in England, he will not rule them out for playing overseas. Add in that Haskell is coming back to Wasps next season anyway, and it makes him definitely viable.
Plus England are without pretty much every decent back row player playing in the Prem for the tour due to injury, so he's definitely eligible just because of that!!
Posted 22:41 05th May 2012
pog_mahone says...
LOL davodiablo!! My dad had one of those.
What's up leinster_goy? Still not enough adulation for Sexto, Cullers, Drico and Dorce, roysh?
Posted 17:20 04th May 2012
APV1 says...
@ Headhunter99, TVaddict, new_j4a, melkdave, Ripzy007, davodiablo & aweblax - there's now an unwritten rule about interaction with BokAvenger, instigated by sandal. Simply put, don't.
Sensibly sandal suggested that we "send him to Coventry", as it's just not worth the effort and we all know he's a berk. So we're going to leave him to his deluded rants and conspiricy theories and let's get on with the rugby.
@ new_j4a - what's salt got to do with it..? ;-)
@ olepete - I'm not justifying his action either, but if someone attempted to grab me by my gentlemens' vegetables (unless invited to do so..!), I'd clock them too. And I'd expect a red card for it, if playing rugby at the time.
@ sandal - I agree. Correct decision or not, at least he had the balls to make it. Too many refs are relying on others to make the tough calls - TJs, TMOs, White Cards, etc. There's a time and a place for all of the above, but a good ref should take all of the information available and then make the decision. A recommendation from a TJ is just that - a recommendation - not an instruction. Too often, especially up here where the real rugby's played, the ref will not call an obvious try. There's far too much reliance on the TMo and TJs for my liking. Grow a pair and make a decision.
Posted 10:13 04th May 2012
BokAvenger says...
@sandal - What a joke. South African officials are hands down the most neutral in the game. Kiwis and Aussies hands down the most crooked with Allain Rolland propping up third place
Posted 09:24 04th May 2012
jonesy2 says...
aaron cruden has been hot for about 8 weeks now. never a mention. i would say there should be a weeky slot for the chiefs anyway.
Posted 06:09 04th May 2012
sandal says...
PR says: ""... the ref can only act on the information given to him. His touchies said 'red'. A few furious Cheetahs fans would like to know why Jonker pulled out a yellow [against Haskell]."".
I'm sorry, PR, but from what I have seen both recently and over the years, a South African touch judge, especially one who never gets the whistle himself at that grade of rugby, is the last person I would take advice from. But that is true of many, many touch judges around the world.
Marius Jonker gets my applause for having the balls to defy a touch judge. More refs should do so.
Posted 05:54 04th May 2012
aweblax says...
WOW Theirs alot of testosterone on this site, no matter what team you support we've all had our guys in the firing line, BokAvenger the best retaliation is always to beat the team, not beat them up and I'm well aware the Springboks know that, your over reaction puts you in the NOT HOT column, stop rubbishing your fantastic rugby nation, I'm embarrassed for South Africa and we Kiwis have always been in awe of Springbok rugby..............As for Robbie Fruean yup he's great but he has his defensive lapses and it annoys me that he carries the ball in the wrong hand when on attack, AllBlack material, juries still out.........
Posted 00:50 04th May 2012
Sasquatch says...
@Melkdave:
Is Haskell eligible to play for England in SA?
Posted 23:28 03rd May 2012
davodiablo says...
Bok Avenger ...more like Hillman Avenger....a nice little runabout from the 70's. Broke down a lot though .
Posted 22:49 03rd May 2012
Headhunter99 says...
To all,
Apologies for pushing the buttons on old BokAvenger but hard to resist.
@BokAvenger - only a little tease and wind up, Keep Calm and Carry On as the saying goes.
Posted 21:38 03rd May 2012
Ripzy007 says...
@BA ...Haskell pleaded guilty to punching...provocation is not a defence...IMHO he reacted poorly to the cheetahs holding him back...
Posted 21:04 03rd May 2012
olepete says...
So it's ok for Haskell to hit out in spite of the clearly stated rule? Shame on you PR!
The editor says.... @olepete: We are NOT justifying Haskell's actions in any way. The article reads: "The England flank got banned for three weeks... No arguments there - punching is not hot."
Posted 20:33 03rd May 2012
melkdave says...
@BokAvenger
Well now ive seen everything a poster urging violence on the rugby pitch.Thank god i know most saffas will be as disgusted by your suggestion as i am .Also as it seems to have escaped your notice Haskal wont be touring SA with England as he is playing in the S15 .Its also not as if SA players are saints either they too do their fair share of outragous things Techimann on Wilkinson ,Burger eye gouging ect ect .GROW UP for gods sake and stop being the small minded little thug you seem to be .As the more you post the more you personify the saffa sterotype of thug and idiot racist .Which i know most SA fans arnt .for trhe majority of saffas i appoligise for the sterotype ,but @BOKAVENGER is a total idiot and really typifies the worst in people and SA espically
Posted 20:28 03rd May 2012
ruckingkiwi says...
So the South Africans like grabbing man parts, is anyone seriously surprised, they had naked boot camp piggy back rides and 3 legged races a few years ago but each to their own.. we shouldn't criticise too loudly we might hurt someones feelings.
I hope Robbie gets a shot soon, still think it'll be SBW, Smith, Kahui and Nono though.
Posted 20:22 03rd May 2012
new_j4a says...
@BokAvenger, Please boet. Enough of the bravado now. You are making other Saffas embarrassed to be associated with you. Haskell didn't do anything that doesn't happen a dozen times every weekend in the OFS. Is your anger due to fact that he is a Soutpiel? Your tirade is making the rest of the world wish that your people (as opposed to all Saffas) were still excluded from world rugby.
Posted 19:49 03rd May 2012
TVaddict says...
@BokAvenger
Wow, calm down man, it's only rugby. Never been in a fight before or something?
Posted 19:48 03rd May 2012
BokAvenger says...
@Headhunter: yes I openly stated that Haskell will be a marked man if he tours here and I guarantee you that in the midweek games the guys who know they won't be up for Bok honours will try to take his head off. But when they do it - an no doubt get banned for life by the IRB - I won't write ridiculous justifications about how Haskell must have been fondling their privates. I'll be writing in to congratulate our boys for giving Haskell a good klap for daring to take his fists to a fellow saffa.
Posted 18:21 03rd May 2012
Bones7 says...
As if Jimmy Cowan coming on and scoring 2 tries in a match as close as that has warranted neither a mention in the team of the week or the who's hot or who's not, without that Ebersohn missing the kick wouldn't have mattered at all as they would have been nowhere near a win!
Posted 18:15 03rd May 2012
Headhunter99 says...
Poor old Haskell, constantly criticised for his lack of effort and imagination when playing in the England team at least he was positive in what he did this time.
@BokAvenger - Nothing wrong with punching the odd colonial from my part ( only kidding) but was it not you who alluded to certain England players being targeted in the forthcoming tour ??
Apart from that not a bad list this week Ed.
Posted 17:52 03rd May 2012
BokAvenger says...
You guys don't even attempt to hide your bias. A few weeks ago when the Bulls complained of eye gouging this column publicly questioned why they hadn't made an official complaint to the citing commissioner. So if you claim that Haskell's man bits were grabbed by Downey, why then don't you question why he pleaded guilty to punching and why he didn't complain that he was being provoked by having his privates tugged? Seriously, I thought you guys were supposed to be objective.
Posted 17:36 03rd May 2012