However, an ANZACs side was mentioned a couple of years ago to replicate the lions tours and practically, I think this will be possible given Aus and NZs geography, demographics and cultural history.

We’re just greatly misunderstood Northerners.

Leaving aside your dicky mince pies, next time I’m in London over the next two weeks, if you’re up for a pint whilst watching a match in Patrick’s or somewhere and hurling abuse at the SH blokes, let me know.

Horan’s injury sounds like more than just run of the mill injury – it’s a head one, and noises I’m hearing is that it’s not good. Am sorry for the guy.

Healy and Court are likely to feature in matchday 22. Flannery may also be out for first game and Kearney is another possible injury against Australia which would be a shame. O’Leary and a couple of others are carrying knocks but that’s it.

Don’t forget the comedy logo in the foam: “No logo in the foam, mate.”

It was my birthday yesterday. Thank you for your wishes on another thread.

I had a ticket for the Australia ticket but had to sell it as I am off to Germania vere all ze Germans live so I can vatch David Haye beat ze granny out of Valuev. I might go to the NZ test but I’m not actually a huge fan of live rugby. My eyesight isn’t fantastic but I refuse to wear contact lenses or my glasses. Too much tends to happen in rugby whereas with sports like football or boxing what you see is all you need to see.

Hermin’s probably right – I am a jam roll, but then so are most people. It’s where you figure in the overall table of jam rolls that counts, IMO.

I see Horan’s injured. Good news for Ireland. Kidney has to play Healy now, which I suspect he was going to do anyway.

Now if you could just get rid of that English sterotype you carry around with you, you might turn out to be a decent bloke, despite Hermin’s plaintive bleats.

BTW, you going to either of the other two matches at Twickenham?

Crockett and James will never be considered greats and both have question marks over them. I recall that whilst Crockett has always been on the edges of the NZ squad Hansen publicly questioned his core strength, which always struck me as a bit of a public dressing down. Crockett probably stands on the wrong side of tall for a loosehead but I doubt James will be able to gain much purchase off him. James is a journeyman club player at loosehead who has never managed to usurp Duncan Jones from the 1 jersey at the Ospreys and yet now he is being given the Wales 3 jersey, all on the basis of less than three hours of tighthead scrummaging at franchise level. Less than three hours in which James got taken to the cleaners so badly that he was even given a special receipt to remind him not to try it again.

It is a truly bizarre selection from Gatland. Whilst Jenkins is no Euan Murray he has good experience of playing tighthead, and could have formed a 1-3 combination with Duncan Jones (54 caps), thus giving the Welsh front row a real dash of experience: Jones (54), Rees (30), Jenkins (68). I sincerely believe that E.L. Roberts was the best option to attack/offer a bulwark against the NZ scrum and the taller, slim Crockett, but Gatland seems to have opted out of that selection in favour of making public utterances about the quality of the GP, and thereby implying that all Welsh players should be playing in Wales. This politicking could come back to haunt him with the much maligned Craig Mitchell as backup for the 3 jersey.

An interesting side note is that Crockett will have Eaton scrummaging behind him, and James will have A.W. Jones scrummaging behind him. Both are 5s but Jones seems to be making that common mistake of trying make people believe that he is a 4 lock. It was made abundantly clear on the Lions tour that whilst a very gifted young and enthusiastic middle jumper he is by no means the enforcer to solidify a scrum. His combination with Charteris will not only affect the scrummage, but also the lineout (moreso in the absence of J. Thomas). Jones will have to jump at 4. Potentially, therefore, it could be a long night at the set piece for Wales. Perhaps Gatland is seeking a fast and loose brand, but we all know that the piano has to be constructed before the ivores are given a good finger jabbing. This intriguing selection has allowed Henry the luxury of resting Donnelly (who provides a good option from the bench) and giving Eaton a run out. Eaton also has the luxury of playing with Brad Thorn – a true enforcer. Their pairing has a better balance to it than Jones and Charteris.

The hooking battle should be interesting. During the Lions tour Matthew Rees developed from a player who struggled at the lineout, and often overplayed his hand as a carrier into a responsible (except for his attempted punch on B. du Plessis in the first test) and reliable middle man. Hore has always been reliable (except for the occasional lineout yip), and is a real workhorse. Both players exert a lot of influence on the breakdown and are your typical, nuggety, stocky hookers. It should be a good battle. Hopefully for Wales Rees can kick on and progress more and Hore can offer his usual committed, strong presence.

Last but not least we have the tussle between Jenkins and Tialata. Tialata is a monster but not a particularly intimidating monster. Regardless, he is a bulky option and should be able to suck up what Jenkins has to offer. At least if the NZ front five struggle – which I think is unlikely – Henry can call on Donnelly to shore things up. Ultimately the NZ front five has a better balance to it. The changes made to the Welsh front five appear purely cosmetic and I would expect a lot of wheeling and collapses to occur during the match, with NZ to have a lineout dominance.

Gee whizz.. I haven’t even looked at the back rows or the bench..

Guinness is poured badly all over the world, the New Yorkers and parts of London are the worst offenders – throw it into the glass and hand it out. Yeuch.

Am not sure about Williams and whether he’s lost his sparkle – he got it together in the final Lions match, but Ospreys have not been singing from the same hymn sheet so far this season.

Now, serious question, Kilkeny or Guiness, I can only get the cans over here & you seriously don’t want to know how cold the Ockers serve their Guiness & how badly they pour it……

This is the sad state of the game today, as I see it.

In the late 80′s, early 90′s when Rugby League was in a similar state of decline, they worked out the changes needed to reverse the trend, and produced an actractive again game, which now packs ‘em in. (Mind you, I would not blame anyone saying that ‘six play the balls and one kick’ is skilful and attractive.) But the punters have voted with their feet, big time. And they have undoubtedly attracted hordes of ‘swinging voters’ away from our game (which used to be played in heaven)

So I call upon those with influence, such as our very own Spiro, to launch a campaign to get John O’Sleepy O’Niel and his merry band of rugby luminaries to do ‘something’. They could start at home with the Wallabies, and then move ‘uptown’ to our colleagues in NZ and SA, and maybe later the IRB might even sit up and take notice.

I have intentionally not offered any ideas, in the hope of attractiing some feedback from those who may be closer to the game.

What does it matter if the scrum collapses after the ball has been fed? (Except near the line of course).

It’ll be another penalty shooting contest on the weekend, or as fellow roarer Doug calls it “Whistle Ball”.

How true it is.

For all this talk about them being the next rugby Super power the average Japanese couldn’t differentiate Rugby from American football.

I was also interested to notice the difference in the reffing btwn the NZ SA game & the NZ Oz game at scrum time. In the last SA game if the scrum went down but the ball was at the back the ref let it go, whereas the Ockers seem to get reff’d a lot tighter at scrum time. I’ll be interested to see if this remains the case for the NH tour.

Now back to the rugby questions – KO/Pothale, how do you see the Welsh team going against NZ ? Have they got the forward power to use that excellent backline of theirs ?

Also, anyone taking bets on the Wallaby/England forward battle..specifically the scrum ?

I am probably your typical antipodean convict descendant who does not take things too seriously unless they become personal …. I just ahppen to love rugby, the Wallabies and the Tahs in that order and I’m willing to read, discuss and opine on any rugby subject. By the way, I have English, Welsh, Irish and German ancestors but am out and out Aussie and have visited NZ and SA but have yet to get to Argentina and I still play Golden Oldies.

I love the banter waged on this site by all us SH types, whether Wallas, Kiwis or Saffers and NH types whether Pom, Welsh or Irish …. nobility or peasant (included for Viscount Crouchback).

I wonder what Hemjay does for a living – care to share Hemjay, or should I say Hermin?