Whinging Australians…. Neverrrrrrrrrrrr!
Well, well, well, it did’nt take long for the Waratahs to show the whinge-factor…. for this mere fact I hope the Canes clout them to kingdom come on the weekend!
This is taken fro Rugbyhaven:
THE Waratahs have warned the Bulls against fielding a second-string team this weekend against the Stormers that could have up to 13 top-tier players missing, claiming such a move would be against ”the spirit of rugby”.
Should the second-placed Stormers record a bonus-point win against a depleted Bulls side, the Waratahs would be denied any chance of hosting a lucrative home semi-final – even if they were to defeat the Hurricanes at the Sydney Football Stadium on Friday night.
A home semi would yield a much-needed windfall for the NSWRU, which has reported a loss of $459,248 for 2009. The Waratahs would stand to make up to $600,000 should they host a Super 14 semi-final.
”It’s a very worthwhile and valuable game in terms of money we put back into the game,” NSWRU chief executive director Jim L’Estrange said of a possible home semi-final last night.
L’Estrange added that the Waratahs would monitor the situation in Pretoria and act if the Bulls named a severely depleted team for their final-round clash with the Stormers.
”If we think there is a cause to raise concern we will certainly be raising it with SANZAR,” L’Estrange said. ”It’s not about sitting back and just letting this happen. You just want to make sure things are done correctly and also that the best is done by the competition.
”I certainly understand there will be a few players after a long and torrid season who have a few niggles. But one would think 13 [players] is a little overdone. Right now we are sitting, watching and waiting to see exactly what team comes out. And we hope it is the best team the Bulls can put forward.
”I would be incredibly surprised if the Bulls took the risk of resting so many players for what’s an important game. I am sure it is not in the spirit of the rugby. I am not quite sure it is actually in the spirit of SANZAR. The spirit of SANZAR is to make sure you put the best team on you possibly can.”
The table-topping Bulls are eight points clear of the second-placed Stormers, and are reportedly keen to rest their players ahead of the finals series given they have already clinched a home semi. Only one point separates the Stormers and the Waratahs, and the odds of the Cape Town outfit hosting a semi-final would heighten greatly if they were to be pitted against a second XV Bulls side.
The Bulls’ first training session this week reportedly involved the reserves amid rumours Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez, Morne Steyn, Zane Kirchner and Pierre Spies could be rested from the final home-and-away match.
Any move to field a weakened side would pose a substantial risk to the Bulls in a competition in which momentum and cohesion are vital. The Waratahs learned that lesson in 2002 when, after being assured a home semi-final, they benched several top players for the final round against the Crusaders and were belted 96-19. They lost their home semi-final to the Brumbies 51-10.
L’Estrange hopes talk of the Bulls benching the majority of their squad was only a rumour, but the NSWRU will monitor the situation and assess their team when it is named on Thursday.
There is no SANZAR law preventing a team from resting players, or limiting the number of those who are spelled in any week.
”We look forward [to] a competition that has the best final week of any in Super 14, or any competition has seen for a long time,” L’Estrange said. ”I would hate to think anything would affect that.”
What a bunch of toss-pots
You should have won more during the season, Waratahs… simple!
Oh, and thank you Onerb, for the heads up on the Article!
Dry you eyes.. You clowns would do the exact same thing if the shoe was on the other foot.
buy them boxes of tissues
cry me a vaal dam 😆
what a buncha cry babies
gd rudi old bean ^5
7@ Tjarkie – Hello, old man…. Where’s that CCTV PC?
As I understand it the Bulls only select sides to win. What is the complaint?
9@ dWeePer – Horses for courses… hehehe
All in all, the run-on team of the Bulls will feature 14 players who’s had regular Super 14 experience and one wing who does not have any Super 14 experience… but that one can argue is due to Van den Heevers suspension… hehehe
The Run-on Team will still have 5 former Springbok players in their midst, almost the same as the Stormers A Team.
Sorry, there will be a former Bok on the bench as well… hahaha
Seems some people cannot count
Bakkies
Pedrie
Danie (he is playing in the team I saw)
De Wet
Jaco vd W
14@ dWeePer – Even better, 5 former Boks starting and 1 on the bench….
The Bulls run-on side will contain only 4 players who have not Played Super 14 rugby for the Bulls in 2010 yet, one of them a former Bok, one other a Super 14 player who has played Super 14 Rugby for 2 Franchises in SA.
rudi you there??
Media beat-up. L’Estrange was likely asked a simple question: how would you feel if the Bulls stack their team with second stringers this weekend, just to increase the chances for the Stormers? He likely replied as any CEO would. [I just read the original article on the Sydney Morning Herald website and that’s what I thought of it.]
Apart from home semi finals, competition points are on offer for this game, so I doubt the Bulls would throw away the chance to beat the Stormers.
As for a webmaster who takes the opportunity to rub salt into his old war wounds obviously inflicted somewhere back in time by the Tahs – hey, it’s his right to vent his spleen with big bold headlines. Although how someone with rugby pedigree lets emotion taint his logic is a matter for that individual, in my humble opinion – more power to him, I say!!!
Go the Tahs, and best of luck on the weekend to both the Bulls and Stormers, two sides I hope bash the daylights out of each other in what I would expect to be a bruising encounter.
@18 Old Griquas.
So here I am in Korea, the same place I have been the last 2 and a little it years. On my “travels” here I have met people from all over the world.
And there are three groups that by the mere mentioning of their back ground inspires true disgust in me. They are, American soldiers, American Guys and American woman. Yet NONE of them seems to be as cocky as an Aussie. And what s more, and Aussie rugby supporter.
C’mon my man. If this pseudo-Frenchmen really believes that “SANZAR pushes for the best team on the field” why do they push for more teams like the Highlanders, Rebels, Force and Lions to be INCLUDED in the comp? The Bulls have given us the best on the field for close to the last decade (from when they first started making the semi’s).
Then, BullSh*t with the “spirit of rugby and SANZAR”!!! The only Spirit that ARFU and the Tahs care about is the spirits of money-green-paper.
Thats what rugby is about. Doos.
Its about hard work, just like the “B” team will be doing this week.
Its about taking responsibility for your losses, like the Tahs should be for their own losses this season.
Its about respecting opposition, like giving the Bulls the freedom to choose who they want.
THATS what it is about. not about semi-final income, not about bitching and moaning, not about underestimating the opposition, despite the names on the team sheet.
*Thats NOT what rugby is about. Doos.
GG @ 19 and 20
You had a valid argument going until you called the other blogger a doos. Then suddenly you lost the argument. If you had any class you would say sorry.
Sies man!
Greenpoint-Gunner @ 19 I fail to see the argument you attempt to make in relation to my earlier post. Where in that post do you read of a cocky Aussie attitude? Nonetheless, you are entitled to your opinion, so good luck to you!!
Fully agree with you GG in 19.
But let’s not get personal here. Thats what KEO is fore (personal insults that is).
“Bulls B” team would beat Lions, Cheetahs and Force at Loftus, and maybe Highlanders as well… beware Stormers!
19 – Green. G. No need for insults mate. That is where I also stopped reading. Why insulting one of our true gents here in Old Griquas?
Listen Bulls are playing a B team cause they don’t want to risk injury for the semi. Fair enough they deserve to rest players and be rewarded for ending top of the log. Most teams in the world would do that. We all know it will allow Stormers to win by playing a 2nd string Bull side and with the bonus too. No brainer really.
21 – Snoek, Well said my Shark mate.
Hello Old Qua!
Gunner, take it easy on my mate OldQua here, would you please, the man has made a valid point.
Hokaai@23
Netso!
GBS, howzit?
gaan gou my superbru picks doen, en dan bietjie hier in die ‘gemeente’ ronddwaal, pragtige sonnige dag hier teen die see na al die storms, wereld is mooi groen hier teen die berghang.
Hoop die weer hou so dat Nuweland kan afdroog vir die Bulle….
27@ Pieta – Hello ouboet, ja man ek hoop ook Nuweland gee ons mooi droeë weer vir Saterdag.
Stormers sal seker wen, maar hulle moet vir geen oomblik dink die Bulls stuur ‘n swak span nie. Bulle rus 13 uit hul 22-tal maar die 22-tal vir Saterdag bevat steeds 6 Springbokke en Heini Adams wat reeds saam met die Bokke getoer het.
Die vaste 5 is moer solid, die slotte beflok goed, die loosies gemiddeld in Super 14 terme, die skakelpaar is netso goed as die Stormers s’n, ons senters is dalk ook maar net gemideld in Super 14 terme, en die agterste 3 is ook gemiddeld in Super 14 terme maar gladnie swak nie.
Die hele Bulls span het rede om hulleself simpel te speel om hulle merk in die Super 14 te maak en so vir die Bulls te wys dat hulle hard aan die deur klop!
Which other rugby team in the world can rest 13 frontline stars and still field a team with 6 Internationals and one International tourer?
Damn, the Bulls have depth…
29 – Gbs, Not many but your 2nd string side will never ever beat a fired up full strength Stormer side. Stormers will get the 5 points.
Now everyteam in the world would play their 2nd string side if they were sitting well on the log like Bulls. You can take your reward for getting to the top of the log by resting players now. Though it does devalue this game. It is a nothing game now. I will have Stormers by 15 or more on my bru.
I know we would be furious and really angry had Saders topped the log and their otherside was sitting 2nd needing to get win to host a semi and they played their 2nd string side. So understand how other teams feel about this.
The way to for this never to have happened was always like I said in the past. For home teams to play all their games against each other before playing the overseas sides. Just makes the comp a bit more fair.
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