Heineken Cup proves it's grim down south - Justin Marshall

[Prestwick]

<div class='quotemain'>
I find it more amusing that the bulk of you Northerner's can never see past what any of us Southern folk have to say. Instead, you call ripper's post "*****ing". Play a different tune maybe? [/b]

Lol. That's how a bunch of us NH folk feel about you guys.
[/b][/quote]

Indeed, essentially the main lesson from most of these "NH club vs SH provincial" threads is:

NOBODY HAS A f***ING CLUE ABOUT WHAT ITS LIKE IN THE OTHER f***ING HEMISPHERE!

Which goes for both NH and SH posters.

Essentially, if someone wins the lottery on this board, they need to fund an interesting social experiment, namely:

• Teh Mite
• RC
• An Tarbh

For the Northern Hemisphere and:

• Ripper
• Steve-o
• SANZAR

For the Southern Hemisphere should, for a season, swap hemispheres. They will pick a top club of their choice, so for RC's example he might pick the Blue Bulls (or get a kicking from QKXV when he gets back) and Ripper may want to throw his lot in with Toulouse in France. Then, with season ticket in hand, they visit each of their league, domestic cup and super-national knockout competitions and write their thoughts in an IMPARTIAL AND OPEN MINDED WAY rather than using it as an opportunity to get drunk/be an ignorant sod/sneak into *insert nation here* as an illeigal immigrant on a tourist visa. As a finale, the respective trios would first go see their grand finals (HEC/Super 14 finals) and then meet at a neutral venue (I'd pick Tokyo) to bicker and completely disagree on everything.

Maybe, as an added extra, tickets to Six Nations/Tri-Nations games would be tacked on.

So, if anyone wins the lottery, put this plan into action!

 

[An Tarbh]

<div class='quotemain'> <div class='quotemain'>
I find it more amusing that the bulk of you Northerner's can never see past what any of us Southern folk have to say. Instead, you call ripper's post "*****ing". Play a different tune maybe? [/b]

Lol. That's how a bunch of us NH folk feel about you guys.
[/b][/quote]

Indeed, essentially the main lesson from most of these "NH club vs SH provincial" threads is:

NOBODY HAS A f***ING CLUE ABOUT WHAT ITS LIKE IN THE OTHER f***ING HEMISPHERE!

Which goes for both NH and SH posters.

Essentially, if someone wins the lottery on this board, they need to fund an interesting social experiment, namely:

• Teh Mite
• RC
• An Tarbh

For the Northern Hemisphere and:

• Ripper
• Steve-o
• SANZAR

For the Southern Hemisphere should, for a season, swap hemispheres. They will pick a top club of their choice, so for RC's example he might pick the Blue Bulls (or get a kicking from QKXV when he gets back) and Ripper may want to throw his lot in with Toulouse in France. Then, with season ticket in hand, they visit each of their league, domestic cup and super-national knockout competitions and write their thoughts in an IMPARTIAL AND OPEN MINDED WAY rather than using it as an opportunity to get drunk/be an ignorant sod/sneak into *insert nation here* as an illeigal immigrant on a tourist visa. As a finale, the respective trios would first go see their grand finals (HEC/Super 14 finals) and then meet at a neutral venue (I'd pick Tokyo) to bicker and completely disagree on everything.

Maybe, as an added extra, tickets to Six Nations/Tri-Nations games would be tacked on.

So, if anyone wins the lottery, put this plan into action!
[/b][/quote]

I would be more than willing to take on such a task in the interest of impartiality, goes off to get a Euromillions ticket!

 

[Prestwick]

You can't be impartial An...

 

[Jer1cho]

I agree. no one knows the opposite hemisphere well enough. Might as well stick to the international scene then. So......in that case, SH WHOOPS YOUR ARSES!!!!!!!

 

[BLR]

Prestwick, I'm coming to the UK end of the year to work etc., so I think we have a new series 'A Southerners view of the North' or whatever.

 

[Captain Morgan]

<div class='quotemain'>
People can say one or the other is boring but it really comes don to style, style which is determined by conditions, perhaps that is also why certain NZ players do better in the NH than the SH.

[/b]

You're right, conditions play a huge role in determining the quality of the rugby.

Like surfing conditions in southern Wales are crap, therefore their pro's surfing performances will be crap.
On the other hand, surfing conditions in Jeffery's Bay and Western Australia are ideal, therefore the quality of the performance will be higher. Therefore bettering the surfers skill set and general surfing quality.
Thanks Captain, makes alot of sense.

Imagine all the surfers in southern Wales claiming they're better than all the surfers in California. HA HA, madness!
[/b][/quote]

Are you taking the ****?
I never said quality of rugby, I said style.
Surfing was not a good analogy, not that we need an analogy when the comparison is plain to see.. anyway, surfers do travel a lot and can base themselves out in areas for as long as they want, whole rugby structures cab not move of and set up abroad somewhere for a few years.
The arrogance of the SH can be backed up, but not as much as it used to be or will be in the future.
SH is an acronym for Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hubris more like.

 

[Prestwick]

Prestwick, I'm coming to the UK end of the year to work etc., so I think we have a new series 'A Southerners view of the North' or whatever. [/b]

I'll be sure to inform the Home Office so they can DENY your work visa :bana:

Either that or make sure that UK Immigration "lose" you in Heathrow T5's luggage system.

 

[BLR]

Either that or make sure that UK Immigration "lose" you in Heathrow T5's luggage system.
[/b]

Good thing I'm coming into the UK through noble Scottish land then

 

[nam97]

<div class='quotemain'>
I find it more amusing that the bulk of you Northerner's can never see past what any of us Southern folk have to say. Instead, you call ripper's post "*****ing". Play a different tune maybe? [/b]

Lol. That's how a bunch of us NH folk feel about you guys.
[/b][/quote]

LOL. It's kind of pathetic how this whole "which hemisphere is better" started really. I honestly couldn't care and I never bring it up in discussion unless, it's being discussed. As it is in this case.

Most people who follow NH rugby only would say none of our S14 teams will do well in the knockout stages of a Heinekin Cup. But, how will your NH teams fair in a league such as the S14? Us from the SH would say.

That's what the pathetic thing is, they are different teams playing in COMPLETELY different tournaments. It's stupid to say which teams will and will not succeed in which competition.

 

[Prestwick]

<div class='quotemain'>
Either that or make sure that UK Immigration "lose" you in Heathrow T5's luggage system.
[/b]

Good thing I'm coming into the UK through noble Scottish land then [/b][/quote]

So you'll get run over by Glaswegian suicide bombers then...

 

[KZNSharksFan]

Firstly;

Justin Marshall=Prat

Secondly:

I think people are getting confused with this debate. Some are arguing that their teams are better, some are arguing that their competition is better.

Thirdly:

I think we can all agree that the Heineken Cup is a better tournament and most of us can agree that the super 14 franchises are better teams

 

[sambãd5]

LOL. It's kind of pathetic how this whole "which hemisphere is better" started really. I honestly couldn't care and I never bring it up in discussion unless, it's being discussed. As it is in this case.
[/b]

with you on that one. to be quite honest - the whole hemisphere debate is among the 15yr olds among us. its a dead horse. leave it alone. but when its already got a reasonable, respectable topic going about it, then im happy to add my views - as i have. unbiasly as a southerner could. maybie we could merge this with the ps3 vs xbox 360 debate haha.



however - as sharksfan said - a teams vs competiton debate is very relevant and interesting. it could be talked about until the cows came home - because a good competition with bad teams is unequal to a bad competition with good teams, but a bad competition is also unequal to a good competition with bad teams, if that makes ANY sence after too many beers, too many jagers, and too many tequllias,

 

[Sir Speedy]

<div class='quotemain'>
LOL. It's kind of pathetic how this whole "which hemisphere is better" started really. I honestly couldn't care and I never bring it up in discussion unless, it's being discussed. As it is in this case.
[/b]

the whole hemisphere debate is among the 15yr olds among us.
[/b][/quote]
That better not mean me. :rahh:

 

[gingergenius]

I can see Justin Marshall's point.


BUT.

You have to question the opinion of someone who thinks Wales will win the next world cup.

 

[dullonien]

You have to question the opinion of someone who thinks Wales will win the next world cup. [/b]

Nah, he's just seen sense

 

[Ripper]

I can see Justin Marshall's point.


BUT.

You have to question the opinion of someone who thinks Wales will win the next world cup. [/b]

You need a reason to question anything that come's out of Justin Marshall's mouth?

 

[danny]

I really do think that this is becoming a discussion for 15year olds(my dads bigger than yours sort of thing) but I feel that It must be obvious to anyone to see that The SH has far superior international teams yet the NH has a more interesting and exciting premiere competition in the Heineken cup. Without being rude the super 14 is pretty dull especially with the new experimental laws and the way most of the sides play the same style of basketball(sorry rugby). But no-one can deny the strength, organisation and professionalism of the tri-nations. No NH team can go down south and be genuinely confident of winning a test series or even a game and that speaks volumes.

 

[shtove]

Marshall is one of the smartest players I've seen. So I have to think again about the new seeding system for the HEC - it's all good for Munster (for now), but unpredictable cup competitions are the soul of rugby.

I can see Justin Marshall's point.


BUT.

You have to question the opinion of someone who thinks Wales will win the next world cup. [/b]

It's at least a good bet.

 

[Steve-o]

Without being rude the super 14 is pretty dull especially with the new experimental laws and the way most of the sides play the same style of basketball(sorry rugby).
[/b]

That proves Prestwick's point

 

[shazbooger]

I dont know. As apposed to contributing to the SH vs NH debate, which is totally feckin pointless, I'd prefer to stick to the actual debating point. Unfortunaltely the main debating point being the HEC v's the S14 is also fecking pointless as they are two totally different competition types! One is a league, one is a cup. Its like comparing the Premier League to the Champions League.

The nature of a cup competition, especially the HEC, is that there is so much riding on each game. Even in the group stages its such a tight competition that every round offer's up a few must win matches. The S14, by its very nature cannot compare with the drama offered by the HEC, in the same way that the Magners League or the GP cant either compare with the HEC either.

On the other side, Marshall does have a point though. With the limited teams available in the S14, you simply dont have the market for a cup competition like the HEC, so NH rugby can offer something different. This aint because we are playing better rugby, are nicer people (we are), or have more money (screw you peasants!), its simply because we have three mature (ish) leagues to combine for the HEC, where you only have the one.

You cant dismiss Marshalls point, but at the same time, it doesnt mean NH rugby is better. It is just acknowleging that NH rugby can offer something that little bit different, and after playing the same league for 10 years, its good to change. Dont really see where the contraversy is coming from. All makes sense to me.