No worries pal.

Who said Carter had a huge ego based on his walk? This is enlightening stuff….

All threads die a natural death.

More muddy than clear – soz about that – don’t put words into mouths – right?

I’d kindly suggest you re-think remarking on the knowledge of others regarding T.V. production which I refer to as studio production. To the point – in professional studios it’s clearly not difficult using the strobe to gauge very clearly what happened beyond doubt. In this case, there was no accident or an accidental arm in the air as read in various posts. It was a planned tackle – I will not say a planned high tackle, nonetheless, reviewing the speed etc., it is very difficult to term the high tackle itself as accidental. Question: Is it a high tackle or not? If so, can grey areas be contemplated – where is the line drawn and this line in the grey area so as to speak would then have to apply to all rules – what a circus that would be…

Sheek, Knives and various others have a valid point which may sound paradoxical, in pointing out the harsher rulings from the northern hemisphere – yet it is not paradoxical when certain outcomes, rules and citings come into play impacting the outcome of the test. That’s by far not difficult to see – it’s a glaring fact.

Yes – for clarity the replays were necessary – it’s overtly irritating and unfair when the equipment is available and this is not carried out consistently. The onus is resident on all players and stakeholders to abide by the rules and accept what is accurately determined via the visual resources.

It’s an understatement to say that bringing Carter back would not result in targeting, rightly or wrongly. Big men demanding megabucks don’t cry. Visuals and play-backs are essential in validating decisions.

You do contribute in general with a lot of wisdom and insight and hopefully you don’t see the entire content as being targeted at you as I replied firstly to what you said and then went general and it’s every person’s right to agree / disagree.

And as you calim Tall Poppy syndrome is alive and well there, however it is also always trotted out when someone critises someone in the public eye, as in there is no way that can be true, it is just a case of tall poppy syndrome.

First off, let’s stop with the suspensions. As good as the All Blacks’ defence has been this year and as much as people claim they get away with murder, there’s been a high penalty count all season and now there’s a bit of reckless tackling going on. My good buddy Frank is wrong as usual. Modern rugby is soft as buggery and nothing is left on the field anymore. The All Blacks will have to sort this out because come World Cup time a yellow card in a tight elimination match is not what the doctor ordered.

2) There’s 2 games on this weekend that will distract 90% of the readers of this site so this thread will die a natural death.

Clear as mud ??

Cheers – Mark

You’re all over the show mate

What the hell is that drivel?

O’Driscoll likened it to “picking over the bones of the Lions corpse”.

“Then, and I still can’t believe this, the nurse asked me if she could have my Lions shirt,” he wrote. “Mother of God, what was she thinking? I’ve been speared off the bloody pitch after just 40 seconds of a Test series and she wants the shirt off my back as well.

“‘Get this woman out of here,’ I was thinking, still unable to talk properly. ‘What is wrong with this bloody country? Just start treating me like a human being, will you?’”

But the claim has puzzled the St John Ambulance service, who say they did not have a nurse in the medical room and that O’Driscoll’s treatment was controlled by the Lions medical team.

“We only supplied his transport from the pitch to the medical room and later on to the hospital, and again under supervision of the Lions medical team,” spokeswoman Amy McDermott was quoted saying in the Christchurch Press Thursday.

Source: AAP

Again, just as other journalists should not be cited out or judged simply because of the varying techniques they use to gain maximum participation, Spiro only posted his article – he is not one of the big boys in control.

In fact, a great job has been done evoking varied responses mostly towards the inconsistency.

All rugby players go out to play for foreign bucks, but Carter leaving the New Zealand team before and during a crucial time. Where is his true loyalty? Other heroes also contract out – but are back in time for their home countries.

He’s been molly-coddled as an Icon – and at that, when it was not too long ago that he only tipped the scales against South Africa’s Percy Montgomery ~ just too interesting for words… How does Carter get those caps right playing for another country? Has that been investigated?

You’re right and so is Ian Noble.

To add to the debacle having perused all articles, where certain persons attempt to justify the high tackle – is there a grey area? If so, and if so much subjectivity is considered, then where are the lines drawn for all rules?

It doesn’t help to blame the English for their “unforgettable memories of the past” etc. Just as the ludicrous comment attempting to justify the citing against South Africa’s Bakkies Botha where his height and weight is mentioned and… and.. and.. He’s been around for years – don’t play rugby if you can’t take the heat as is one famous expression.

We have to ask ourselves: What is really happening at governing levels? And maybe we wouldn’t want to know that either…

“He will miss the match against Italy which we would probably be rested for anyway, and be back for the “real” match against France. No punishment at all…”

“And thats possibly fair !

It was at most (Imho) a yellow card, though it should probably have been at least a penalty.”

“cynicism alert

at least it got as far as Blackett – i would humbly suggest that (whether you think the tackle merited disciplinary action or not) it would not have even been looked at were Wales touring NZ rather than the other way around”

“If he had got a yellow that would probably have been the end of the matter, so does this mean that he should not have been cited and was only cited because Gatland moaned on TV?

But then if that was the case should Blackett’s decision to ban or not ban him be based on whether Carter was carded during the match or not?

Methinks that this was a token punishment to appease Gatland and Shaun Edwards but on me which they knew would not actually affect anything.

This then brings the question “Who runs the game?”…”

Wow. You’ve gone all ‘Spiro’ on us.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-1226484/Brian-ODriscoll-Why-I-end-feud-Tana-Umaga-THAT-tackle.html

Why wrap words with bundles of flowers with veiled self-sympathy when a straight statement can be made?

Like you do South Africa in the tri-nations? Spiro, the hypocrisy is sometimes just staggering dude. No wonder the game is in such poor health in australia.