France V England - Spirit of the game?

Not quite so arrogant now then.......LOVE IT!! ;)

you never lose that English arrogance surely we are all born with it, together with our stiff upper lip, our inability to speak aforeign language and our love of tea.

I'd have taken a bit of cheating and controversy rather than a 16 point deficit at half time

I do think at rugby, football & cricket as we invented the game we should be crowned world champion before a ball is passed, kicked or bowled ;)
 
What's with all the negativity about England, Homer?

You're almost as bad as my French colleagues from work, except they are even harsher about France!

Is self belief not permitted anymore, because people will just come along and spout a load of crap about entitlement and arrogance?

The case for the prosecution rests m'lud
 
Nope, golf is not like that, but rugby is. What goes on in the scrum, or at the breakdown is always a fine line, that differs with each referee. There are clear rules, but different interpretations. Each team needs to find what the ref will allow.

In theory golf is more clear cut.

Now where is my book of decisions on the rules of golf?
 
The case for the prosecution rests m'lud

Bit of an after dinner speaker there Homer, would have preferred to hear your justification before the game!

In my opinion although England played pretty poorly for the first hour, they had 4 opportunities, that but for intercepted passes, or a stolen line out were pretty likely scoring opportunities. If anyone of these had worked out, it would have been a different result. Unfortunately for about the first hour, the guys couldn't even finish a kids happy meal.

It's not like they got completely steam-rollered in a one sided affair.
 
Thank god golf is not like that....what you can get away with..........

...but nearly every other sport with 2 competitors (individual or team) is like that. It's golf that is unique with its honesty, not rugby with dishonesty.

Do you think football players from the scoring team would admit they were offside or the ball didn't completely cross the line, if the ref blew up for a goal?

Do you think if a tennis player won a point with a ball that was out and the umpire didn't call it out, that the player would correct the mistake?

Then again, remember the Charl Schwartzel incident earlier this year?
 
BUT the fact that they were, as a team, prepared to CHEAT to get there leaves a taste and for this reason, as a TV spectator... "I'm out"

Everyone cheats at rugby, that's the whole point of the game. Get away with what you can, play the ref, slow the ball down whenever possible, push the boat out over the cliff edge and grasp the carrot at the end of the tunnel.

But... having said that the quality of rugby in this year's tournament has been very good; the scrums have held up well, no-one has questioned a ref's decision without getting ignored or put 10 yards back or both.

So, as a TV viewer I am in until the end and have recently discovered that my great-grandfather was from Wales so I know where my loyalties now lie.

Regards
Ivor T. Engine.
 
I've found it strange that the England players haven't been put to the sword for their off field antics. If the round ball lot had behaved in the same way there would have been a national outcry. Martin Johnsons should resign with immediate effect. England were a disgrace against France. That Flood fella hung onto the ball far too long when we were passing it along the line, whereas the French, as usual whizzed it around. They always turn it on when it matters and fully deserved their win. Good luck to Wales too !!!!!
 
Top