Hymns Ancient and Modern

I know that some here think I am anachronism and my Thoughts and Comments archaic.I speak my mind which sometimes upsets people and sometimes make statements that are in accurate because I did`nt bother to check them.Once I was passionate about all sport especially Cricket and Rugby,but my interest in Cricket waned with the limited overs games like 7`s fun but not the real thing.Earlier today I made a statement about Grandslams especially stateing Boks have 5,i was going by an earlier thread here .Wikipedia confirms 4 including 1960-1
in which the France draw was included.I was lambasted by people saying you can`t compare the Amateur and Professional eras,because of genetics,fitness levels etc.That the stars of yester year would`nt cut it today.That to great extent is over simplification at best,the laws were
more black and white.Fitness levels may not reach that of today BUT every player played 8o minutes,no energy drinks every 10 minutes.Skill levels were according to David Campese higher in that era than now.To take just one area the balls were 4 panelled in NH and NZ,8 panelled in
SA.Goalkickers wore ordinary boots not todays specials,balls were uncovered and got heavy in wet weather,Stadia were open.Games played in the afternoon a scrape in the ground or a pile of sand no kicking tees.etc.Yet players like Don Clarke kicked with incredible accuracy from inside his own half of either foot.What has the number of points scoring to do with how the game was played.Incedentally I know of no Bok fan who was`nt proud his team had a win/loss versus EVERY team untill 1996 when the AllBlacks overtook them.Or Wales fans who are proud the Wales has 3 wins versus the AllBlacks and 5 Club sides have there scalps too,or Munster,Or France area teams,England County teams.The SA and NZand AUS Provincial sides are proud of there heritage too.Incidentally I may be in correct as to what WIKIPEDIA calls a Grand Slam. BUT the CLASSIC Grand Slam was hotly debated in the late 1950`s until 1980-1 by both NZ and SA Writers of the time.Often an early loss was a precursor for the Tour in early defeats.Certainly the Waikato defeat in 1956,and the Auckland defeat in 1965 set the tone for those two tours.
Rugby Union in Amateur days was 15 aside if you could stand or had one good arm you played on till the end of the game.Don Clarke pulled a ham string in the first few minutes of the Wales test 1963,not only did he continue playing he kept on Goal kicking too.One other thing I discovered today from Wikipedia Apartheid was`nt established officially in SA till 1948.George Nepia and Jimmy Mill were discarded because NZ did`nt want to embarras SA.It seems that PDV is trying to invoke Apartheid in reverse with his recent statements,i`m not going to comment further.Politics and Sport should`nt mix but sadly they do.

As far as pdv is concerned I think he's right about the number of coloured players but not for the reasons hes stating.
There aren't enough of them coming through and Id have thought he'd use his position to improve this. The ethnic majority is still largely an untapped resource.

The transformation issue doesn't seem to get respite.

In my view Pieter de Villiers is now using politics for whatever intentions.

Basson injured, JP Pietersen injured, Beast and Habana is still there, Chiliboy Ralapelle injured. juan de Jongh is part of the squad.

Does PDV want us to weaken our team just to keep the policians happy?

Transformation cannot be forced when there isn't enough participation by all ethnic groups.

There are no Indians playing professional rugby in SA, does that mean we must manufacture one just to keep the side representative?

It would be best if Pieter de Villiers keep his mind and opinion on his current exploits whatever that may be.

We are all aware that quotas exist, but right now those worthy are there because they deserve it, what does Pieter de Villiers want to achieve with sticking his nose in, he above all should know the humiliation of being publically emabaressed by "non rugby appointment"

Bloody idiot.

Interesting line there Biltong and got me thinking, are there any Indians, or Asians for that matter, playing pro rugby at a good level at all??

None that I know of Ozt.

And that is my point, there are two ethnic gropus in SA totalling about 10 million people who really embraces rugby. That is where the players will come from primarily, you can't force it.

Crikey Biltong
If we had 10 million to choose from we'd be the best in the world!

Not if you had our adminstration mate.

Biltong wrote:None that I know of Ozt.

Maybe they're not built physically for it, but then again, you've got Greagan, all 10 stone of him, and that Welsh winger.. Size may not mean that much it it. Inb SA on the east coast you must have heapsa Asians who could have been introduced into the game??

You can introduce anybody to the game, it doesn't mean they will love it.

OzT wrote:Interesting line there Biltong and got me thinking, are there any Indians, or Asians for that matter, playing pro rugby at a good level at all??

I thought there were a lot of Asians in the Japanese team at the World Cup.