Wales should be careful, History not on their side... Pool D(eath)

[TRF_heineken]

a) I don't hate South Africa, they're just playing poorly at the moment and Samoa will give them a shock
b) I don't really care about last WC, I'll be the first to say our team was appalling, it's shocking we made it to the final. Absolutely shocking.
c) Harlequins, not England

d)
Schalck will forever be tarred by this:

oh and only Schalk does that right?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/9448900.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/my_club/leicester/7852554.stm

Come off it. some players play dirty yes, and they should be punished as Schalk was. every nation has them. Rugby is played by hardened tough men, and if you can't roll with the punches then don't play. as easy as that!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Where did I say that - they're both d**kheads for doing that, but Burger's was the most intentional I've seen in a long time

Rugby is played by hardened tough men, and if you can't roll with the punches then don't play. as easy as that!

Wow.
Just....wow.

 

[Jer1cho]

I do indeed - The match on Wednesday against Namibia will show where Samoa are at, but if they can keep the form they showed vs Australia then I think they have a very good chance of topping the group

If Wales play like they did against us, there is no way Samoa would beat them. Starving a team like Samoa of possession would kill them. If we play like we did against Samoa, we might well lose, but I don't think that team ever wants another 80 minutes like that to happen ever again.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

True true, we'll see in the coming weeks though - that's what makes WCs so special, because you never know what will happen

 

[Sker]

OP is just trying to stir or... I don't know.

Olyy I doubt it hey, Samoa did play well but that was a rather bleh Aus side. Then again our SA side played shite, Samoa could very well stand a chance, but if our coach sees the light and starts a certain few key players... But you're 100% right, it's WC, you never know.

 

[TRF_heineken]

It comes down to the age-old argument about SA players being dirty and having no respect for the laws, blah blah blah...

But how can eye-gouging not be intentional and then get banned for it?

or was Schalk's eye-gouging more intentional than other less intentional eye-gouging attempts by others who had the same frame of mind as Schalk when they did it??

Look, Schalk and Bakkies are Dirty Players, and that's part of South African Rugby, and the way we play by being in your face and confrontational most of the time.


I'm not disagreeing with you Olyy, It's just that it seems that no matter what the topic, The Saffas gets the bottom end of the stick.

We can't score tries... well we scored one more than the Welsh and the Poms.
we can't play rugby... Hey, we won the game didn't we? we had to play to win...
we can't run with the ball... well our forwards didn't score any tries did they??

 

[Sker]

You're confusing South African rugby with Blue Bull rugby.

 

[Seaton]

You're confusing South African rugby with Blue Bull rugby.

Aye, a lot of tough blokes who are a bit over zealous in their application of their physicality, but most won't resort to eye gouging/ other 'manly' acts.

Whilst most don't perform said actions, I'm a little disappointed that when it happens, at the supporter level there isn't a lot of condenmnation of these actions, indeed friends of the perputrator will laugh and joke about cowardly actions, "Wow, how awesome was X's tackle on that guy?" "The one where he closelined (don't have a clue how to spell that, but you understand) the fullback?"
"Yeah, that was great! Did you see how blue he was in the face and all his team mates were screaming at the ref for high tackle"
"Lol, they are pansies"

Been to a broad spectrum of schools, club and provincial games in SA, and to me it seems as though this a countrywide phenomena, one thing that really irks me about SA is the whole hard-man attitude, people criticise PDV for his ballerina skit, but really to me it seems he only said what a sh*tload of South Africans were thinking...

 

[SavageLez]

I'm not disagreeing with you Olyy, It's just that it seems that no matter what the topic, The Saffas gets the bottom end of the stick.

We can't score tries... well we scored one more than the Welsh and the Poms.
we can't play rugby... Hey, we won the game didn't we? we had to play to win...
we can't run with the ball... well our forwards didn't score any tries did they??

I can't agree with you more!

 

[Teh Mite]

The anti-English comments begin... There must be some international sports competition on.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Well, despite England playing the worst of all Home Nations in the first match at the RWC, I still see them getting further than the other teams. Wales was impressive against South Africa and if they continue playing the way they did, they will definitely make the quarters. England, in a group with Scotland, Georgia and Romania will win the group and play France. I am not sure if I can really give a prediction for that match, but England can win it. 4 years ago they also managed to beat Australia and France after a difficult group stage.

Never write off the English

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Come off it. some players play dirty yes, and they should be punished as Schalk was. every nation has them. Rugby is played by hardened tough men, and if you can't roll with the punches then don't play. as easy as that!

Sometime I wonder if Peter de Villers has signed up on this very forum.

 

[JW.]

It comes down to the age-old argument about SA players being dirty and having no respect for the laws, blah blah blah...

But how can eye-gouging not be intentional and then get banned for it?

or was Schalk's eye-gouging more intentional than other less intentional eye-gouging attempts by others who had the same frame of mind as Schalk when they did it??

Look, Schalk and Bakkies are Dirty Players, and that's part of South African Rugby, and the way we play by being in your face and confrontational most of the time.


I'm not disagreeing with you Olyy, It's just that it seems that no matter what the topic, The Saffas gets the bottom end of the stick.

We can't score tries... well we scored one more than the Welsh and the Poms.
we can't play rugby... Hey, we won the game didn't we? we had to play to win...
we can't run with the ball... well our forwards didn't score any tries did they??

How can you call eye-gouging dirty I call playing dirty punching someone on the floor, hitting people late and getting away with it. Maybe even stamping/scraping. BUT eyegouging for me is in a completely different league it's disgusting it is the act of a coward. I'd go as far that if they're 100% sure it's a gouge just ban them from Rugby and be done with them. Disgusting act. *mutters* 8weeks, 8 ******* weeks for an eye gouge and then not even apoligise after it*mutters*

Now you know how it is to be English .

 

[Bossco]

Rugby is played by hardened tough men, and if you can't roll with the punches then don't play. as easy as that!

I think you'll find the gouging of eyes and scratching of faces is more the preserve of woman as opposed to 'hardened tough men'...

 

[TRF_heineken]

Look guys, I'm also against eye-gouging, punching, stamping, late tackles, clotheslines, kick in the nuts etc etc etc.

I also want a fair game without any illegal acts of violence towards other players. all I'm trying to say was that, immediately when someone on this forum talks about these acts, then immediately a South African player's name is attached to that act. as if we're the only nation doing it.

if you look at this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye-gouging_(rugby_union)

then there's only 3 South Africans on the list of 41. Surely we're not the only culprits. so why only criminalise the South Africans??

 

[Sam Owen]

Ahhh EVERY team should be careful.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

then there's only 3 South Africans on the list of 41. Surely we're not the only culprits. so why only criminalise the South Africans??

You're the one making South Africans look bad, no else is saying anything about SA.
I said Schalk Burger was scum - he is.
You started saying "Oh it's just that us South Africans like playing hard and if you can't handle it then you shouldn't play rugby"

 

[TRF_heineken]

You're the one making South Africans look bad, no else is saying anything about SA.
I said Schalk Burger was scum - he is.
You started saying "Oh it's just that us South Africans like playing hard and if you can't handle it then you shouldn't play rugby"

Maybe I shouldn't have said that last sentence in the same paragraph with the rest of my reply. I was merely trying to imply that we don't ***** and moan when these things happen. we take it as it comes, let the disciplinary procedure take it's course and take it on the chin. we only rant when we're unfairly judged.

Sure that eye-gouge by Schalk was intentional and illegal and wrong. but he paid for it. he got a yellow card and was suspended. done. But I like the guy still, he's tough as nails, always plays his heart out. lives for the big hits and is a constant performer.

 

[Seaton]

if you look at this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye-gouging_(rugby_union)

Not a single Scottish player on that list B)

 

[andy8]

Most South Africans were very surprised and dissapointed that Schalk would have done such a thing but we have forgiven him. He's learnt his lesson, paid his dues. He's a valuable player and we love to see him in the team "playing his heart out".
Other players have gouged and although its a bad thing I dont even remember their names or care to. Not sure why the SB incident is remembered by some with such great clarity and condemned with such vehemence. Lets let it go and enjoy the game!!

The Springboks played a very bad game against Wales. They will get better. I dont think Samoa pose much of a threat.