Tips for Tikay

[AlunB]

Going to lump on omnishambles at 50/1 instead

[hector62]

I was glad Wales won and backed them to do so. However the referee, Steve Walsh, is the only referee I have ever seen who I am convinced is biased against England. This comes from watching him over the years and not from last week.

Refereeing scrums is now so arbitrary as the standard of props, at the scrummage, is awful compared to 10 years ago. I will concede that the players are bigger and fitter but they are not, on the whole, technically good scrumagers. I would love to see competitive scrums being refereed properly, but if the reality is that we get these nonsense scrums then go the whole hog and have rugby league type scrums where penalties are not conceded.

[tikay]

A younger Master Kendall?

Go away!

That gentleman was famously associated with Budget Day. Proper snob he was, too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Nabarro

Click to see full-size image.

[AlunB]

I was glad Wales won and backed them to do so. However the referee, Steve Walsh, is the only referee I have ever seen who I am convinced is biased against England. This comes from watching him over the years and not from last week.

Refereeing scrums is now so arbitrary as the standard of props, at the scrummage, is awful compared to 10 years ago. I will concede that the players are bigger and fitter but they are not, on the whole, technically good scrumagers. I would love to see competitive scrums being refereed properly, but if the reality is that we get these nonsense scrums then go the whole hog and have rugby league type scrums where penalties are not conceded.

Even if that were true Hector, do you not think it was unwise of Rowntree to speak out so publicly with what was clearly a hot head bearing in mind his role as Lions forwards coach?

[TightEnd]

I was glad Wales won and backed them to do so. However the referee, Steve Walsh, is the only referee I have ever seen who I am convinced is biased against England. This comes from watching him over the years and not from last week.

Refereeing scrums is now so arbitrary as the standard of props, at the scrummage, is awful compared to 10 years ago. I will concede that the players are bigger and fitter but they are not, on the whole, technically good scrumagers. I would love to see competitive scrums being refereed properly, but if the reality is that we get these nonsense scrums then go the whole hog and have rugby league type scrums where penalties are not conceded.

Even if that were true Hector, do you not think it was unwise of Rowntree to speak out so publicly with what was clearly a hot head bearing in mind his role as Lions forwards coach?

England may have a case, but unhelpful to conduct it publically. Let the IRB do it privately.

On the one hand doing it publically appears sour grapes. On the other, its now a professional game and it does make sense to seek the clarification to enable the team to improve, so no problem with asking, as far as I am concerned

It didn't affect the result, at all, Wales were far superior and great to watch, but would be very surprised to see Walsh get an England game in the forseeable future

[hector62]

Rowntree is an ex-prop and  has no idea of political corectness. Of course he shouldn't have said anything. Frankly this whole Lions tour looks like it is heading towards being one giant cluster****.

[TightEnd]

Pietersen out of the final test, and for two months with a knee

He was unlikely to affect the Trott bet, but it does remove the "where on earth did that double century come from?" Pietersen risk to Hector's top batsman bet copping.

[AlunB]

I was glad Wales won and backed them to do so. However the referee, Steve Walsh, is the only referee I have ever seen who I am convinced is biased against England. This comes from watching him over the years and not from last week.

Refereeing scrums is now so arbitrary as the standard of props, at the scrummage, is awful compared to 10 years ago. I will concede that the players are bigger and fitter but they are not, on the whole, technically good scrumagers. I would love to see competitive scrums being refereed properly, but if the reality is that we get these nonsense scrums then go the whole hog and have rugby league type scrums where penalties are not conceded.

Even if that were true Hector, do you not think it was unwise of Rowntree to speak out so publicly with what was clearly a hot head bearing in mind his role as Lions forwards coach?

England may have a case, but unhelpful to conduct it publically. Let the IRB do it privately.

On the one hand doing it publically appears sour grapes. On the other, its now a professional game and it does make sense to seek the clarification to enable the team to improve, so no problem with asking, as far as I am concerned

It didn't affect the result, at all, Wales were far superior and great to watch, but would be very surprised to see Walsh get an England game in the forseeable future

I just think it was misguided and moronic from Rowntree, who I've always viewed as a decent bloke.

He thinks he's attacking Steve Walsh, probably for similar reasons to Hector, but that's not how this will play in the press. And he should have realised that. It will play out as sour grapes and England v Wales.

It's already being linked to 'reports' of the Welsh admitting to collapsing the scrum. Reports by the PA I note nobody picked up on, so are likely rubbish.

[AlunB]

Rowntree is an ex-prop and  has no idea of political corectness. Of course he shouldn't have said anything. Frankly this whole Lions tour looks like it is heading towards being one giant cluster****.

Weirdly that often seems to be the case when England aren't the dominant team. Or perhaps that's just my welsh tin hat.

[TightEnd]

I was glad Wales won and backed them to do so. However the referee, Steve Walsh, is the only referee I have ever seen who I am convinced is biased against England. This comes from watching him over the years and not from last week.

Refereeing scrums is now so arbitrary as the standard of props, at the scrummage, is awful compared to 10 years ago. I will concede that the players are bigger and fitter but they are not, on the whole, technically good scrumagers. I would love to see competitive scrums being refereed properly, but if the reality is that we get these nonsense scrums then go the whole hog and have rugby league type scrums where penalties are not conceded.

Even if that were true Hector, do you not think it was unwise of Rowntree to speak out so publicly with what was clearly a hot head bearing in mind his role as Lions forwards coach?

England may have a case, but unhelpful to conduct it publically. Let the IRB do it privately.

On the one hand doing it publically appears sour grapes. On the other, its now a professional game and it does make sense to seek the clarification to enable the team to improve, so no problem with asking, as far as I am concerned

It didn't affect the result, at all, Wales were far superior and great to watch, but would be very surprised to see Walsh get an England game in the forseeable future

I just think it was misguided and moronic from Rowntree, who I've always viewed as a decent bloke.

He thinks he's attacking Steve Walsh, probably for similar reasons to Hector, but that's not how this will play in the press. And he should have realised that. It will play out as sour grapes and England v Wales.

It's already being linked to 'reports' of the Welsh admitting to collapsing the scrum. Reports by the PA I note nobody picked up on, so are likely rubbish.

I suppose its not a lot different from the Welsh laying into Rolland after WC 2011.

Rolland and Walsh both more interested in themselves than the game, on many occasions

[AlunB]

I was glad Wales won and backed them to do so. However the referee, Steve Walsh, is the only referee I have ever seen who I am convinced is biased against England. This comes from watching him over the years and not from last week.

Refereeing scrums is now so arbitrary as the standard of props, at the scrummage, is awful compared to 10 years ago. I will concede that the players are bigger and fitter but they are not, on the whole, technically good scrumagers. I would love to see competitive scrums being refereed properly, but if the reality is that we get these nonsense scrums then go the whole hog and have rugby league type scrums where penalties are not conceded.

Even if that were true Hector, do you not think it was unwise of Rowntree to speak out so publicly with what was clearly a hot head bearing in mind his role as Lions forwards coach?

England may have a case, but unhelpful to conduct it publically. Let the IRB do it privately.

On the one hand doing it publically appears sour grapes. On the other, its now a professional game and it does make sense to seek the clarification to enable the team to improve, so no problem with asking, as far as I am concerned

It didn't affect the result, at all, Wales were far superior and great to watch, but would be very surprised to see Walsh get an England game in the forseeable future

I just think it was misguided and moronic from Rowntree, who I've always viewed as a decent bloke.

He thinks he's attacking Steve Walsh, probably for similar reasons to Hector, but that's not how this will play in the press. And he should have realised that. It will play out as sour grapes and England v Wales.

It's already being linked to 'reports' of the Welsh admitting to collapsing the scrum. Reports by the PA I note nobody picked up on, so are likely rubbish.

I suppose its not a lot different from the Welsh laying into Rolland after WC 2011.

Rolland and Walsh both more interested in themselves than the game, on many occasions

It's different because he is the Lions forwards coach and he's indirectly attacking the players he needs to coach. That's just dumb, and gives the press two months of winding things up before they go.

[AlunB]

I was glad Wales won and backed them to do so. However the referee, Steve Walsh, is the only referee I have ever seen who I am convinced is biased against England. This comes from watching him over the years and not from last week.

Refereeing scrums is now so arbitrary as the standard of props, at the scrummage, is awful compared to 10 years ago. I will concede that the players are bigger and fitter but they are not, on the whole, technically good scrumagers. I would love to see competitive scrums being refereed properly, but if the reality is that we get these nonsense scrums then go the whole hog and have rugby league type scrums where penalties are not conceded.

Even if that were true Hector, do you not think it was unwise of Rowntree to speak out so publicly with what was clearly a hot head bearing in mind his role as Lions forwards coach?

England may have a case, but unhelpful to conduct it publically. Let the IRB do it privately.

On the one hand doing it publically appears sour grapes. On the other, its now a professional game and it does make sense to seek the clarification to enable the team to improve, so no problem with asking, as far as I am concerned

It didn't affect the result, at all, Wales were far superior and great to watch, but would be very surprised to see Walsh get an England game in the forseeable future

I just think it was misguided and moronic from Rowntree, who I've always viewed as a decent bloke.

He thinks he's attacking Steve Walsh, probably for similar reasons to Hector, but that's not how this will play in the press. And he should have realised that. It will play out as sour grapes and England v Wales.

It's already being linked to 'reports' of the Welsh admitting to collapsing the scrum. Reports by the PA I note nobody picked up on, so are likely rubbish.

I suppose its not a lot different from the Welsh laying into Rolland after WC 2011.

Rolland and Walsh both more interested in themselves than the game, on many occasions

I agree with you on both of those points btw

[Tal]

Mr Osborne has tweeted this morning, so our bet stands every chance. I expect the last line today will be:

"With those words, I commend this budget to the House and please follow me on Twitter!"

We are not expecting a game-changing budget; it will be a case of 'boring is best'. The familiar sound of TINA and the continued policy of scrimping.

All bodes well for Fred...and, naturally, Her Majesty's Empire.

[TightEnd]

I was glad Wales won and backed them to do so. However the referee, Steve Walsh, is the only referee I have ever seen who I am convinced is biased against England. This comes from watching him over the years and not from last week.

Refereeing scrums is now so arbitrary as the standard of props, at the scrummage, is awful compared to 10 years ago. I will concede that the players are bigger and fitter but they are not, on the whole, technically good scrumagers. I would love to see competitive scrums being refereed properly, but if the reality is that we get these nonsense scrums then go the whole hog and have rugby league type scrums where penalties are not conceded.

Even if that were true Hector, do you not think it was unwise of Rowntree to speak out so publicly with what was clearly a hot head bearing in mind his role as Lions forwards coach?

England may have a case, but unhelpful to conduct it publically. Let the IRB do it privately.

On the one hand doing it publically appears sour grapes. On the other, its now a professional game and it does make sense to seek the clarification to enable the team to improve, so no problem with asking, as far as I am concerned

It didn't affect the result, at all, Wales were far superior and great to watch, but would be very surprised to see Walsh get an England game in the forseeable future

I just think it was misguided and moronic from Rowntree, who I've always viewed as a decent bloke.

He thinks he's attacking Steve Walsh, probably for similar reasons to Hector, but that's not how this will play in the press. And he should have realised that. It will play out as sour grapes and England v Wales.

It's already being linked to 'reports' of the Welsh admitting to collapsing the scrum. Reports by the PA I note nobody picked up on, so are likely rubbish.

I suppose its not a lot different from the Welsh laying into Rolland after WC 2011.

Rolland and Walsh both more interested in themselves than the game, on many occasions

It's different because he is the Lions forwards coach and he's indirectly attacking the players he needs to coach. That's just dumb, and gives the press two months of winding things up before they go.

This is probably true, but he's a Professional rugby coach employed by the RFU.

A) Potentially his job is at risk if his charges get blown away at scrum time, not as a one off but if it happens again and if he beleives its down to interpretation not technique

B) Proud, and professional pride.


Personally I think Adam Jones and Gethin tore Cole and Marler a new one, irrespective of Walsh. Walsh exacerbated it though

[TightEnd]

Mr Osborne has tweeted this morning, so our bet stands every chance. I expect the last line today will be:

"With those words, I commend this budget to the House and please follow me on Twitter!"

We are not expecting a game-changing budget; it will be a case of 'boring is best'. The familiar sound of TINA and the continued policy of scrimping.

All bodes well for Fred...and, naturally, Her Majesty's Empire.

Can you use your powers to ensure he has particularly pleasant spring water in a nice glass and a dry throat in need of muchos sipping please?

My foray back into Spread betting has started in unorthodox markets.