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I have to say it's been a stimulating afternoon on the forum.
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The sort that would have you itching to be banned and done with the place!
I get that you rarely encounter the sharp minds on the day shift, but today takes the biscuit. |
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Well I suppose talking too yourself most of the day makes it hard for the sharp minds to come out to play.If you allowed others a chance to express themselves without your ego going berserk,maybe, just maybe mind, they might.
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Sorry to hear I am limiting your powers of expression, Wonks.
Talking to oneself would be more agreeable than the standard of response garnered today. |
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See what I mean,its all about YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUuu innit....
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I rest my case
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Players condition themselves according to the demands of their game obviously. The likes of Murray and Sexton would be around 14.5-15 stone stone as they need to be this weight to give and absorb tackles. They would do a fair amount of weight training and eat for that bulk too.
Were they playing soccer, they'd probably clock in around 12.5 to 13 stone, would focus more on cardio than weights (not that Rugby players don't do cardio) and eat a bit less. Ringrose is the current prime example of a lean rangy athlete that could've thrived at any team sport putting on a few kilos (slowly, over time, monitored in the right way) to absorb the hits in professional rugby. It is easily done and is no big deal. Best with his footwork, athleticism and pace would've been a top rugby player you'd think. For a good example of an athlete bulking up and carrying weight well, look at Kell Brook moving up from 147-160lb to fight Golovkin. he was killing himself to make 147 anyway so it isn't as extreme as it sounds. In soccer, the young lad Davies at Everton is another example. |
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I have been watching rugby for a long time , game is completely different from what it was initially envisaged to be . Some may like current version , others might prefer how it was .
Huge difference now is the pitches ( not the size , dont think that has changed ) , but the surfaces . First really great player I saw was Kyle , probably about 11 stone , great football brain and he had the advantage of playing behind a better than average pack . Plus I suspect he had a minder or two among the forwards . Davy Hewitt and Tony O'Reilly then appeared , Hewitt is still the fastest person I ever saw in an Ireland shirt , 10 seconds for the 100 yards , on grass . Won the Ulster schools under 18's by about 10 yards in Cherryvale , next door to Ravenhill . That was probably 1956 . Tony O'Reilly also was a good sprinter , won the Leinster schools en route to his rugby career , which was alongside Hewitt for Ireland and Lions . Average pack in front of them though for Ireland . Mike Gibson has been referenced , also won the Ulster schools sprints , All Blacks said he was the best rugby player they had ever seen , partly because his rugby brain enabled him to anticipate and stop their attacks more or less before they began . Tough as old boots Mike , phenomenal trainer and extremely fit , started at out half but moved to centre later in career . Worst deliberate late tackle I ever saw was on him by a Lions team mate , initials JPR , in Lansdowne ,disgusting , particularly for someone who had taken the hippocratic oath . No action by referee . Gareth Edwards has also been mentioned in passing , up to the eighties there was a running debate as to which was the better player between him and Gibson . Had it as a draw myself , Edwards could have played equally well in nearly every position behind the scrum . Edwards had Barry John alongside though , quite a help . Most of you probably did not see these guys playing , but they were all gifted and put many a smile on rugby fans faces . I do not mention forwards , too hard to isolate perormance in the pack , you never know who is pushing hard and those saving themselves for the next sortie . Martin Johnson would be my first pick though on a team to beat the world . I also saw Best throughout his career , mainly on TV but also in person . Even with an extra stone gained he would have looked like Rory beside Trump , a waif compared with any rugby set of forwards currently out there . Best was tough and brave apart from sublime skill , but you dont need to control the ball in rugby as in soccer and that was George's forte . Would have been wasted on a rugby pitch . Sublime on the soccer field though . |
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Jackanory. Rolling back the years. At 3 AM. For no particular purpose other than to talk about who he knew and what he knew " back in the day". With no obvious relevance to the topic at hand. Exasperating.
For me, I have this guy ranked at #2 in the Fruitcake countdown, second only to the Spaceman. |
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It's nice to be nice
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Usual Ozy comment . Ignore .
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