Jonah Lomu signs for Cardiff Blues

[Jaime]

I know that struggling to stay afloat amongst the sea of football fans there are a handful of rugby fans in HH, so for your delectation I had to share this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 299266.stm

[Guess]

Reminds me of an old story.

The Kiwis were playing against the Welsh one day and at half time the score was 65-0.

The Kiwis, in the dressing room, said to Jona "We have had enough of this game we want to go and get on the piss and sink some beers. We need to keep one man on the pitch and that is you. When you have finished get down to the pub and join us."

45 minutes later Jona arrives at the pub. His team mates ask him the score. He hangs his head in disgrace and says "120-3". The Kiwi captain says "what the fuck happened, how did you let them score a try??"

Jona says "I am sorry boss but I got sent off after two minutes"

[Hails]

Haha thats funny Guess... although a try is worth 5.

Yes Jonah is leaving us, he's not in good enough condition to get much play time here but I guess his reputation lives on. I do see him playing for us in the WC (major ruggers fan here).

[troopie]

The BBC also reported that the Cardiff Blues chief executive Bob Norster tried to avoid any confusion by telling fans:
"Just so you know, we are signing Jonah Lomu and not, as suggested, Joanna Lumley."
Can't help thinking the lovely Joanna might be more worthwhile!

(Oh, & you are not alone in loving the game with the correct shaped (oval, not round) ball -- there's a few of us discerning folk around, even in HH!)

[ianjames]

To be honest,it's just good to see him heallthy after the surgery he's been through.
He'll still be hard to put down once he get's going!!!

[Hails]

Yes, us NZ'ers don't really watch/play footy, it's rugby all the way.


Jonah should be right, his new kidney is protected up behind his ribcage. He just needs to practise and build himself up.

[Jaime]

I think his most recent injury problem has been his shoulder, rather than the kidney transplant - he has played since the transplant but got injured shortly afterwards, requiring the shoulder op.

Hails - another of your compatriots has had a couple of good games for us this season - Xavier Rush - but couldn't stop us going down 40-19 at London Wasps last night

[Hails]

Ah yes - Jonah's comeback game and his shoulder, he's had a lot of bad luck.

Is Xavier Rush over there? I can't keep up with who's where... Justin Marshall, Christian Cullen, Carlos Spencer... our great players keep leaving for the $$, not that I blame them one bit. A couple of years overseas and they're set up for life. As long as our new golden boy Dan Carter stays right where he is!

[Guess]

Ah yes - Jonah's comeback game and his shoulder, he's had a lot of bad luck.

And the best of luck to him for the future. One of the greatest ever entertaining sportsman.

our great players keep leaving for the $$, not that I blame them one bit. A couple of years overseas and they're set up for life.

Same thing with the footy Hails, which is why England have the greatest premier league in the world and the national team only just scrape into the last 32 of the World Cup Finals by the skin of it's teeth.

[Norseman]

Guess wrote:

Same thing with the footy Hails, which is why England have the greatest premier league in the world and the national team only just scrape into the last 32 of the World Cup Finals by the skin of it's teeth.


They even have a Swede in the drivers seat!!!

[Randy Cornhole]

Can I just say that I loath football and its overpaid wa*ky players with every bone in my body. They are all cheating bastards, diving and rolling around in agony at the slightest ankle touch (or as is more the case - near ankle touch)
Give me Rugby Union anyday. Supporters spend a good day out drinking and sitting next to each other. Cheering on the opposing team when they play well and having a good time.
Not like football where they would quite happily tear out each others eyes given half the chance. where is the sport in that.
The only thing I am greatful to football for is that it keeps all the brainless sports fans away from the game I love.
Sadly cricket had attracted them now in the guise of - wait for it.... 'The Barmy Army' give me strength!

[Guess]

They even have a Swede in the drivers seat!!!

Yes and gefore they had a Turnip. I wonder what next.

[lomuamart]

Hey,
Less of the negative comments about our root vegetable friends!!
A potato's got to come into the equation soon, surely?
Maybe after The World cup now.
Totally agree with the rugby supporting world though. I used to go to the Calcutta Cup game each year - my father had a cap playing for Scotland years ago - and even at Murrayfield the atmosphere pre, during and post match was brilliant, despite the fact that my brother and I always suported England.

[Wanderlust]

Although I am an ardent football fan I do enjoy many other sports too, and it does sadden me to see the play acting that goes on. Without wishing to appear racist, it has always seemed to me that the diving and falling over at the slightest touch has always been the province of non-British players, although I think it has started to creep in with them too now. The worst ever example of play acting I have seen was by Rivaldo when playing for Brazil in the last World Cup - the ball was kicked at him by an opposition player when he was waiting to take a corner. It struck his knee and Rivaldo went down clutching his face; the other player got sent off. And this was in the competition before which FIFA had specifically mentioned 'simulation' as being targeted by the referees!Another aspect that has been around for some time from all players is the 'arguing with the ref' scenario, which has reached ridiculous proportions - it should just not be tolerated and should be an instant yellow card. Players should be able to ask what a free kick has been given for, and the captain should be able to talk to the ref for more clarification, but thats it. Maybe a sin bin needs to be introduced to deal with certain behaviour?

I think part of the problem when comparing rugby and football is that the latter is normally a much quicker game without the same number of organised set plays like line outs and scrums which allow for more communication between players and referee. Also the speed with which the play transfers from one area to another in football leads to more refereeing mistakes, and with the amount of money involved tends to mean the players are more wound up consequently, and will try any means to win. The referees should be given much more assistance than at present as this will strengthen their authority, although a good strong referee such as Colina always improves the actual game, and I am sure this is true in rugby too.

As far as the football crowds go i think some of the comments are unfair - as always it is a minority that cause problems, while the vast majority are not going to shell out 30 or 40 pounds or more to take part in a fight. Friendly banter maybe, and a few rude chants but football fans are not the same as they used to be in the 70's and 80's, it's just that any slight trouble gets jumped on by the media. I find it hard to believe that the rugby crowd are as whiter than white as we are always told - in any crowd of thousands you will always get a few fights between drunken idiots, whether in the ground or outside before and after. As well as on the pitch

And (I have to say this) rugby would not exist if it were not for football

[Guess]

Although The worst ever example of play acting I have seen was by Rivaldo when playing for Brazil in the last World Cup - the ball was kicked at him by an opposition player when he was waiting to take a corner. It struck his knee and Rivaldo went down clutching his face; the other player got sent off.

Yes, one of the most stupid acts ever in the game of soccer. He was obviously too thick to realize that his act of sheer stupidity was recored on all of Rupert Murdoch's cameras.

It reminds me very much of another sheer act of stupidity by the very talented David Beckham, when he, in front of the worlds's cameras kicked an Argentine footballer (David Beckham did) when lying on the floor.


Another recent case of absolute stupidity is England's latest striker, Mickey Rooney, clapping at the referee for making a decision, which was probably correct.


The referees should be given much more assistance than at present as this will strengthen their authority.

Yes, the technology is available to FIFA as it is to the governing body of tennis. It is just that the powers that control those bodies have different levels of understanding of technolgy.


As far as the football crowds go i think some of the comments are unfair - as always it is a minority that cause problems, while the vast majority are not going to shell out 30 or 40 pounds or more to take part in a fight. Friendly banter maybe, and a few rude chants but football fans are not the same as they used to be in the 70's and 80's, it's just that any slight trouble gets jumped on by the media. I find it hard to believe that the rugby crowd are as whiter than white as we are always told - in any crowd of thousands you will always get a few fights between drunken idiots, whether in the ground or outside before and after. As well as on the pitch

And (I have to say this) rugby would not exist if it were not for football

Anyway just to set the record staight, as I am not and have never have been, a journalist, (I don't drink enough and I can can read and write English)

The modern game of soccer began in the 19th century in England, when a variety of football games developed, all of which involved both handling and kicking the ball. The first laws of the modern game were supposedly drafted in 1862 by J. C. Thring of the Uppingham School.

It was said to have originated when a boy at Rugby School in Rugby, England, picked up and carried the ball during a game of football in 1823. Previously, the rules had only allowed the ball to be kicked. The modern game of rugby dates from the 1860s, when it was adopted and modified by other English schools and universities.


BTW, in case anybody did not know Rooney and Beckham are both English. and yes football hooliganism is almost not seen among Rugby supporters or American Football supporters.

So stick that up yer pipe and smoke it.

Goodnight All, and BTW this dialogue was in no way a second Yellow Card.