Woodlea

Ha ha - surprised you don't play then - sounds as if you'd love it if you thought you might get some of that action!

Charismatic

It sounds like you are both really into this. Have you two thought about getting a room to see where this tussle goes?

barnsleymat

Knowing what these public school rugger boys are like it'd probably involve forcing me to play Soggy Biscuit and then drinking each other's urine out of a shoe. Hip hip hooray.

TommyLuck

One hell of a back and forth lads.

Mat - you certainly seem to know a lot about the stereotypical extra curricular activities of a public shoolboy; Thumbs up bums (although you should look up John Hopoate on this - not a Union player), Soggy Biscuit, Drinking Urine from footwear ... are you in some sort of closet, you'd secretly love a part in all this.

The man doth protest too much.

I do hope a reference to Shakespeare isn't seen as too toffy.

Charismatic

Well you've clearly been hurt in the past but he's here now isn't he?

barnsleymat

You need to watch the comedy 'Fresh Meat'.

Pom_Chch

All this banter is making a great bit of bedtime reading! Please, carry on!

scrubbedexpat094

This one will entertain you even more http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...1#post11290521

It's had me in stitches.

jimenato

Great match and well done to all 16 all blacks.

Pom_Chch

Thanks for that Stix! You just know it's gonna be a cracker of a thread with this wee beaut mentioned early on!

"I somehow seem to detect some difference between those nations that consume pigs meat and the others that don’t in that those pork consuming nations seem to have a relaxed attitude towards human sexual behaviours."

scrubbedexpat094

The mention of Cadbury's peeked my initial interest but it was certainly that quote that had me hooked.

Charismatic

To be fair for a bacon sandwich I'm anybodies .

bearskin

lol, usually a good ref, but he a had a real homer. Dunno how NZ manage to get away with it.

Blade Down Under

Twice he's done it now, didn't he award or let off the All Blacks with some strange decisions against the Irish last year

I find it funny a lot of the locals are calling us whinging idiots about the ref, yet this is the same nation that to this day still moans about Wayne Barnes. If we're still moaning in 7 years time, then perhaps they can come back at us

They were there for the taking and had we not gone down to 14 men, we'd definitely have got a draw, if not probably gone onto win.

TommyLuck

Amen to that.

AND HELLO JIMENATO!! WELCOME.

Though I'm not whinging about Owens. In top level sport the home team tends to get a generous slice of the benefit of the doubt, certainly if they are one of the top teams.

The same is true of the Premier League and it'll happen with Brazil at the world cup. Referees are human and though they can not admit it, they will be swayed even if it's subconsciously in the moment with the atmosphere, etc.

That, and I didn't have a problem with Owens watching the game from the stands at the time. Although one might feel that Nonu's shirt tug in the opening exchanges deserved yellow and I dare say had it happened a bit later in the game it would have been.

Yarde's was definitely a yellow too.

Also, Owens allowed England to trudge about the field from set play to set play, slowing the game down which wouldn't have made for a great spectacle from the neutral.

I'm not knocking the ploy by England as it very nearly worked, needs must!! but I felt Owens might have been within his rights to tell Robshaw and his men to have a bit more urgency.

The key was that New Zealand never let this frustrate them, which from a mental battle point of view was interesting to watch play out.

I was in the corner where Smith scored, it felt inevitable when they packed down for a 5 metre scrum that a score was coming. England seemed spent, which is why Cruden took that unexpected tap penalty - too many Englishmen committed the cardinal of turning their backs assuming there'd be a kick at the sticks.

For me, this momentary lapse in concentration (which happens when you're knackered) was the moment when NZ realised that they just needed to turn the screw a little more and they'd break through. It was the opportunity they'd patiently and wisely waited for.

Whilst the skills shown on the field of play weren't very good from either team, the mentality showed by both teams was immense - but NZ played for 80 minutes, England just ran out of fuel after the Yarde yellow card. NZ's cumulative experience in the pressure cookers of Test Rugby got them over the line.

Onwards to Dunedin!!