Row may spoil Twickers party
22 May 2006
Twickenham will celebrate the unveiling of its new South Stand with an international match between world champions England and world number one team New Zealand on November 5.
However, England could be shorn of its best talent if the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) fails to come to agreement with Premier Rugby, the governing body of the Premiership whose teams
boast most of the top English players.
The RFU wants to stage four international matches in November, traditionally known as the autumn internationals in the northern hemisphere, but are currently embroiled in a club versus country dispute.
The RFU has three more dates for internationals with Argentina to visit on November 11 and then South Africa on November 18 and 25, but the November 5 date is not an international one and
England’s top players could be playing for their club sides that weekend.
The New Zealand game is due to be screened live on national terrestrial television channel BBC1 in England, making severe embarrassment possible for the RFU if it fails to put out a competitive team aginst the world’s best.
England head coach Andy Robinson told AFP: “As a player and a coach you want to take on the best and, at the moment, that’s New Zealand.”
However, if the RFU and Premier Rugby do not come to agreement, Robinson could be left disappointed. “I am looking forward to having the sufficient preparation time before playing a team of New Zealnd’s calibre,” he added.
Twickenham’s capacity has been expanded from 74,000 to 82,000 with the ground improvements and work is continuing on associated facilities including VIP hotel suites overlooking the pitch.
31 Comments
22 May 2006, 20:52 pm
This way England can always say “We would have won if we had our best players available.” ‘Cos you know their chances against NZ at the moment are zero.
22 May 2006, 22:04 pm
Slummies, guess you need to read the posting again. The England management are trying to free up these players to play against the best, NZ. They aren’t looking for excuses.
The way the SA super 14 teams have played against Kiwi opposition seems the Bok chances could be pretty low as well.
Im assuming you are from SA. If so you will be aware that in recent times England haven’t had to make excuses when they have played the Boks.
Yes I know the answer will be “Why don’t you come and try and take us on at Ellis Park”. I think England would be more than ready to oblige Slummies. England is pretty miserable come November time. Best have a holiday out here in SA.
22 May 2006, 22:14 pm
To top it off, England will be battle hardened by the time we play them. Bokke better be ready for that, we need to break the Twickers hoodoo!
22 May 2006, 22:45 pm
As the BOK are rated 2nd in the world at the moment, I don`t feel that a POMMIE team would phase them at home or away, the Welsh are rebuilding as are the Scots, the only game over there on that lump of coal in the northern sea, is against the Irish (2nd cousins to the ozzies) and they are coming down here for a hiding, before the 6N games.
23 May 2006, 08:03 am
Other than to generate interest in a dying game in SA I have no idea why we are playing 2 tests vs the Boks. They have yet to give us a decent game this millenium (I concur with Tackler’s definition of the start of the Millenium albeit it made me miss one hell of a party).
3 internationals is right for the Autumn. Do not make it 4.
23 May 2006, 08:06 am
Last time the Boks came to HQ I gave up my 2 debentures for the match. Even as a bok fan it was obvious that the Boks would not be able to give England a close game. I gave my seats to 2 saffas who’d flow over. I was proved right. And my friends left the game dispirited as ever.
Now I am being offered not 1 but 2 easy home matches this Autumn. Unacceptable. I will write to HQ and seek a partial refund of my GBP10k stipend.
23 May 2006, 08:25 am
You do that Stmichel! However I don’t anyone really gives a **** how much you spent…
23 May 2006, 09:05 am
England always get the luxury of playing at home against SA,
and last time against 14 men.
The games will be a little different this year. But then maybe england will surprise us and kick for the corners all day long…yawn.
23 May 2006, 09:18 am
Who did England vote for in the RWC 2011? Is this perhaps the first of the spin offs for voting for NZ to host it?
23 May 2006, 09:21 am
I see Ig has allowed you to post again stmich. When was the last time England played in SA at the end of their season? Certainly not in this millenium!!
Jester, England is pretty miserable come November time??? WTF, England is pretty miserable come any time!!!!
23 May 2006, 09:47 am
CApe Shark – was Stmichel banned?
23 May 2006, 09:47 am
Tony, good post.
Lol at Cape Shark. To true bro.
23 May 2006, 09:57 am
Bigg – Nope he wasn’t CS is on the crack pipe again
23 May 2006, 10:04 am
What would be really be funny is the Poms putting out their number 2 team and the AB’s countering it with their number 3 team to make the encounter a “contest”
23 May 2006, 10:18 am
Ig – Oh I see..
23 May 2006, 10:21 am
But that pipe is good man ig, want some?
23 May 2006, 10:28 am
Nah – gave up crack for natural high….
23 May 2006, 10:29 am
WHEN ARE WE EVER GOING TO PLAY ENGLAND IN SOUTH AFRICA? It seems whenever we play England at Twicks we LOSE. TWICKENHAM IS INDEED A HOODOO GROUND FOR THE SPRINGBOKS!
23 May 2006, 11:03 am
have you been to England or the UK Cape shark?
23 May 2006, 11:33 am
DurbanShark thats the reason the Limeys have a good succes rate they never ever play outside of Twickenham, when they do well we all know it ends up in 50 point hidings.
Jester LMFAO you arnt serisouly going to now say England is not miserable in November or let alone any other time of the year, God i lived ther efor 8 years it has to be the single KAKEST place to live on Earth. (it still boggles my mind as to how i managed to stay there that long and why i stayed there that long)
23 May 2006, 11:46 am
I remember being at Nelwands when England arrived with possibly its least competitive Test side ever.
On the back of a 70 point thrashing at the hands of the Aussies and 2 equivalent thumpings by the NZers we arrived fearful of what the Boks and reinging World Champs would do to us. I had lunch the day before the test with a couple of the English players and they shared my concerns.
I saw Andre Venter walk down Long Street (with I assume his rather plain g/f or wife) and he looked fearsome.
Well the Boks fielded their best and did their worst. The couldnt even register 20 points on the scoreboard.
Whereas everytime England play the boks this millenia the winning margin is just about 20 or more.
Its not a recent thing. The advent of professionalism seemed to mark the death of Bok rugby. Its been long dead.
23 May 2006, 11:52 am
Love you Poms. Watched a highlights reel of the 99 World Cup semi where De Beer kicked the **** out of you. Before the game the Poms talked themselves up but observe the looks of despair on Woody and co’s faces as the match wears on!
23 May 2006, 12:22 pm
StMichel – what you fail to state in your little anecdote is that the test was played in absolutely retched conditions and that your pansies (sorry – roses) scored 0 – and in Naas Botha’s words, they were lucky to get 0….
23 May 2006, 12:25 pm
“have you been to England or the UK Cape shark?” I can tell that I have, and for about 9 months of the year, it’s a farking misery. I only go there when I absolutely have to….
23 May 2006, 12:27 pm
Yes Jester I’ve been to your little mud island plenty of time for business, but you would never ever find me living there!! In and out as quickly as possible
23 May 2006, 12:39 pm
Tony,
England voted for those Oriental Gentlemen who nearly committed Hari-Kari when the result was read out.
Not NZ.
23 May 2006, 13:00 pm
Just saw on Sky news that the RFU is insisting that there are absolutely no issues surrounding players being released for the Twikkers match against the ABs.
23 May 2006, 15:11 pm
england should have their name removed from the web ellis trophy, it is not right that they are referred to as world champions. Playing a side like NZ is demeaning, especially in NZ and SA’s offseason, when are the poms actually going to come play in SA during our season?
It is unfair that the poms have their name on the trophy and more so that they are not forced to tour. We’d put 50 past them at present.
23 May 2006, 15:12 pm
Jester,
Just having a little fun – dude, you need to relax a bit! I am talking about England v. NZ, NOT England v. SA. For some reason when the boks play England they turn into a bunch of girls. But it seems to me the last few times England (and the Lions) have played NZ, they have been ‘rebuilding’ or ‘resting key players,’ which, you have to admit, sounds rather like an excuse…
23 May 2006, 15:39 pm
slummies, england only lost by 4 points last year.
Anywy i hope this year the boks break their mental block against england, the boks are by far the second best team in the world.
23 May 2006, 15:47 pm
Mic post 21,
I guess you are right it must have started with the advent of professionalism.
Since SA were world champs we played Eng:
In 95 at Twicky (translated into SA – Twakie) & were victorious 24-14
In 96 Eng chickened out and refused to play us
In 97 again at Twakie & won 29-11
In 98 at Newlands (won 18-0), the week after we beat Wales 96-13 and at Twakie but lost 13-9
In 99 in Paris we thrashed Eng 44-21(all penalties)
Since 2000 we lost 5 times (twice comprehensively 53-3/32-16 and only once with 20 or more), all at Twakie though.
Whether in SA or abroad Eng were no match for SA while we were WC.
They are to afraid to play the Boks in SA, let’s just face it.
Although, ticket sales will not be that great either, so will it be worth the effort for SARU to arrange it.
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