Jerome Thion [France]: Thion is in the prime of his life as a second row: 33 years old, 115kgs, 45 starts for France and two World Cups. The Biarritz man has locked the French scrum with Lionel Nallet in a lot of big games but has been surplus to requirements since the defeat to Italy. Continue reading
Happier times in Cardiff
Mole’s greatest concern about hosting the RWC in NZ is: what happens if the All Blacks lose? A fanatical rugby public expects nothing less than victory. Anton Oliver compared last tournament’s exit to Passchendaele*. “It feels desolate, decay, the putrid smell of, I don’t know, death.” Steady on, old boy. What a cocktail for a good time! Continue reading
Wales really should have taken their chance when they had it. The Boks were missing some key figures through selection or injury and are pissed off and on the rebound for the match against Fiji on Saturday. Continue reading
The Best Players Not Selected For The World Cup: Part One, The Front Row
What’s the point of doing one of these things now? Aren’t they normally a space-filler in the lead up to the world cup, tacked together once the squads are announced but before a tackle is missed in anger? Continue reading
Canada turned in a cracker of a performance to upset the odds and break the hearts of a Tongan team who failed to take advantage of a strong second-half wind. Continue reading
Mate ... I love you, mate. There. I've said it.
Adam Ashley Cooper was ladling it on pretty thick when it came to his opinion of his next opponent, Brian O’Driscoll: Continue reading
Stoosh ahoy!
The Scots rolled the Georgians in an arm-wrestle of a game, taking it five kicks to two. Continue reading
Tortured genius overlooked for versatile nipper
Confidence-drained David Skrela will not feature any further in France’s World Cup shambles campaign. The Clermont Auvergne-bound outhalf re-injured his shoulder against Japan, an injury that first flared up during the August match between France and Ireland in Dublin. Continue reading
Injury-plagued monster once again plagued by injury monster
Ted has had to go home. Scans of his dickie shoulder were sent to specialists back in England and it was decided that his World Cup dream was over. ESPN scrum.com has more: Continue reading
Lawes was cited for a knee-strike on Puma hooker Mario Ledesma in the England vs Argentina group match on Saturday. He pleaded not guilty, but Australian beak Terry Willis disagreed, and sent the big lad down for two weeks of hard labour. Continue reading
Digging Like a Demented Mole 