The Silver Fern

This is the 7th Lions v ABs series I've watched ('66, '71, '77, '83, '93, '05, '17) and I think this is probably the tightest my sphincter has been since the 4th test match in 1971. My ticker might not be able to handle this one. I get anxiety attacks even opening this bloody thread. If I don't have a paramedic on standby I might have to go into an isolation tank until the game is over and then look for the result. I thought this was supposed to be fun?!

An all-time great as a player and skipper, obviously, by my memory after the Cavalier debacle in ‘86 was that Lochore was the guy who held the fern closest to his chest and helped rescue the ABs, much like Jock did a decade later. People forget how divisive the early-to-mid 80s were, when politics got in the way and supporters were turning their backs on rugby. Lochore was a great servant to the game and the union. And of course, I always loved how he remembered everybody in the Wairarapa, I remember being with family in Masterton in the late 80s and he knew everybody, a national hero who was at heart a smalltown heartland lad. RIP.

@Chris-B. said in All Blacks vs. B&I Lions test #1:

@dogmeat As they used to shout on the Basil Brush Show...."Who's that?"

Love that guy.

Boom-boom!

@ACT-Crusader said in FIFA Womens World Cup:

There’s some pretty brutal footage from international women’s football games. The hair pulling, kicking, biting, elbows.

“I went to a NHL game and a womens soccer match broke out.”

AMAZING STATS:

Both the Springboks and the Wallabies have played 101 Rugby Championship matches.

Of those, each side has won 42 matches, lost 57 and drawn 2.

Even more bizarre is that, in all of that time, the Wallabies have conceded 2,472 Rugby Championship points to South Africa's 2,473.

In the 'points for' column, the Boks have a slight advantage having amassed 2,197 points to Australia's 2,147.

That's an average 24-22 defeat for both sides - thanks in main to the All Blacks' dominance over the years.

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/RugbyChampionship/you-have-to-see-these-springbok-wallaby-stats-20170906

@act-crusader said in Springboks v Wallabies - Bloemfontein:

Nothing separating these two (mediocre) teams....

Wobblies have conceeded one point less. Still keeping their edge.

@salacious-crumb said in Wallabies v Boks - Perthfontein:

@Salacious-Crumb said in Wallabies v Boks - Perthfontein:

AMAZING STATS:

Both the Springboks and the Wallabies have played 101 102 Rugby Championship matches.

Of those, each side has won 42 matches, lost 57 and drawn 2 3.

Even more bizarre is that, in all of that time, the Wallabies have conceded 2,472 2,495 Rugby Championship points to South Africa's 2,473 2,496.

Updated.

AMAZING STATS:

Both the Springboks and the Wallabies have played 101 102 103 Rugby Championship matches.

Of those, each side has won 42 matches, lost 57 and drawn 2 3 4.

Even more bizarre is that, in all of that time, the Wallabies have conceded 2,472 2,495 2522 Rugby Championship points to South Africa's 2,473 2,496 2523.

Fixed again.

In the selection process?

“...principles such as honesty and sportspersonship...”

Oh ffs. Same ol’ lame ol’ politically-correct claptrap New Puritanism that has infected all levels of contemporary academia and media. These researchers and news orgs can’t help themselves, they want mind & behavioral control.

@Crucial said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #2:

Murray Kinsella's pre-game analysis

Analysis: The key areas for the Lions if they are to win in Wellington

We’ve looked at the areas where Warren Gatland’s side need to be better against the All Blacks.

Scoreboard.

@Salacious-Crumb said in Wallabies v Boks - Perthfontein:

AMAZING STATS:

Both the Springboks and the Wallabies have played 101 102 Rugby Championship matches.

Of those, each side has won 42 matches, lost 57 and drawn 2 3.

Even more bizarre is that, in all of that time, the Wallabies have conceded 2,472 2,495 Rugby Championship points to South Africa's 2,473 2,496.

Updated.

@nzzp said in England vs All Blacks:

Great tussle, but this was England's chance. We're going to face a game like this in knockouts next year and need to play this well. With the weather and the Twickenham factor, it's a good win. Played poorly and won,

Spotted them 15 points, on their turf, played mostly like shit, got the W. I’ll take it.

@act-crusader said in All time Blues XV:

Spencer full stop. No other 10 in Blues history comes close. Mertz was better though....

Oh, really?

#TwistsTheKnife

Folau targetted eight groups, including atheists and adulterers, as going to Hell. I haven’t repented yet. I guess that means I should be twice as outraged and incensed and offended as LGBTQers. Strangely I’m not feeling it. Fwiw there are plenty of Christians and Muslims who believe the same, but society only preaches tolerance and diversity, they don’t actually follow the practice.

I guess some people have the sick putrid taste of three-day old vomit out of their mouths already, but not me.

Wayne Barnes move aside a little and make room for your good new buddy. Romain Poite, you just made "The List."

This sounds terrific. Maybe next year they'll trial helmets and a forward pass.
#KeepingTheGameFresh

@billy-tell said in Richie commentates 2015 rwc final:

McCaw’s a legend and all but if I had to choose between watching paint dry or listening to McCaw the paint might just win. Sort of an actions speaks louder than words type of fella.

I would have thought the same thing. Until I watched it. Sure, he doesn’t get especially hyperactive and exciteable. But there’re funny moments when he supports his own teammates.

DC misses a penalty kick to touch.

“It would have been good if that went out, to be fair.”

(And let’s face it — the fingernails he clips into the rubbish-bin know more about playing test match rugby than any of us ever will, so, I pay attention to the great man.)

Ric Flair was still taking hard bumps into his 60s.

@mariner4life said in Wayne Smith documentary - tonight:

so we're doing documentaries on assistant coaches now?

He was an All Black player, an All Black coach, and one of the greatest coaching technicians in the history of the sport whose attention to detail helped win back-to-back World Cups. But if you wanna reduce him to merely an “assistant coach,” hey, by all means knock yourself out.

I feel super-shitty depressed the ABs lost to a very good Ireland side, but not yet ready to jump off the bridge or hide the razor blades. It’s a loss. Learn from it; move ahead.

Wasn’t that long ago that an undefeated AB side that included BBBR, Whitelock, Read and even McCaw required a MIRACLE to beat Ireland in Dublin in November, 2013. That miracle might have papered over some deficiencies then, too, but we were mostly elated and didn’t talk too much about what a has-been Hansen was, and we even bounced back and won another World Cup title. I really don’t see any reason we can’t do it again. Sure, we’re not as dominant as we’d like to be, and maybe that loss if going to feel like a sharp rock under the towel at the beach all summer. But we’re at least as good as anybody else, and more likely better than them all. If other teams want to believe the ABs are shot, let them.

Fox or Frano?
Mehrts or Carlos?
We get these every generation.