“‘Football is a game for gentlemen played by thugs; rugby is a game for thugs played by gentlemen.’

The next time anyone makes that sort of pat, condescending and arrogant remark, ED is going to go Schalk Burger on their ass and rip both their eyes off their stalks.

Footballers are frequently criticised for their behaviour on the pitch, and often with justification.

A common refrain is ‘why can’t they be more like rugby players?’ Basically because they call the referee ‘Sir’ and clap each other on and off the pitch.

But Burger’s premeditated and blatant gouge on Luke Fitzgerald during Saturday’s South Africa-Lions game showed just how much mutual respect really exists behind the cosmetic niceties.

Even the supposedly exemplary way players deal with the ref is exaggerated. Eurosport-Yahoo!’s very own Neil Back served a six-month ban in 1996 after pushing over referee Steve Lander following Leicester’s defeat to Bath in the Pilkington Cup final.

Players might address him like he is a schoolmaster, but only usually to deny things of which they are clearly guilty.

Forwards in particular spend much of their time pushing the boundaries of legality and trying to deceive the ref. But because they aren’t diving or feigning injury, nobody seems to mind that particular brand of cheating.

Throw in Matt Stevens’s positive cocaine test and worrying tales of more widespread recreational drug use, and you have a sport that does not exactly live up to the Corinthian image some people would like to give it.

Footballers are vilified, often because they are young, poorly-educated, rich and frequently obnoxious. They are easy targets for envy.

Of course conduct in the game could be improved, but if football is looking for an example to follow, it should steer clear of rugby.”

At least we are not in the same :db: then as the 57 olde farts then- aCCording to MastahCarling.

Oh Yeah

Tyrolers cant even drink Pink Drinks!

The Italian Gitls team have biGGer moustaches than them!

Ok _ that is an insult to the eyeties- not the Austrians.

anyway- yip its boring if we aLL agrEE that CoachDiv does know alot about the game – but rather should kEEp his mouth shut- coz the gift of the gab – wasnt one of the talents.

While there has been plenty of talk about dirty tactics, former England captain and British & Irish Lion Will Carling has come out in defence of the Springboks.

“When all is said and done though, South Africa won the test and with that the series and have proved that they are one, if not ‘the’, strongest team in the World at the moment,” Carling wrote on his website.

“Did the Boks cheat, were they just thugs?” Carling continued, ” No, not in my mind. If Burger gouged that is inexcusable and the referee should have sent him off there and then. But apart from that, what else did they do that was thuggery? It was hard for sure, bloody hard, but isn’t that Test rugby? Botha’s illegal challenge on Jones? well what about BOD’s illegal tackle? It is swings and roundabouts and the Boks have always been a very very physical side. It is nothing new,” he said.

“The Lions can and should be proud of what they have achieved in throwing four ‘teams’ together in a matter of weeks and secondly the Boks are a bloody good, tough side, with many great players and great characters, and they should not be branded thugs, or cheats. They have won the test series, and congratulations to them.”

I LIKE I LIKE!!

Vickery moet hom nou al bekak en ek HOOP iemand MOER vir Sheridan OOK sommer op die koop toe!!

15-Rob Kearney, 14-Ugo Monye, 13-Tommy Bowe, 12-Riki Flutey, 11-Shane Williams, 10-Stephen Jones, 9-Mike Phillips, 8-Jamie Heaslip, 7-Martyn Williams, 6-Joe Worsley, 5-Paul O’Connell (captain), 4-Simon Shaw, 3-Phil Vickery, 2-Matthew Rees, 1-Andrew Sheridan.

Replacements: 16-Ross Ford, 17-John Hayes, 18-Alun-Wyn Jones, 19-David Wallace, 20-Tom Croft, 21-Harry Ellis, 22-James Hook.

JJ HARMSE

I will re-post something here (similar) I posted elsewhere tomorrow.