Cul's Sports Bar

[Majimaune]

Good game of T20 tonight. All Stars team vs Australia. Nice to see Australia won this one, last time they played the All Stars won...

[GOLLUM]

Warnie, pidgeon, hados and gilly still all showed glimpses of their greatness too. A good match that was not too one-sided.

[The Ace]

Sneaks in, looking for snipers, and puts a rugby ball on the bar. Writes note;

"To help you practice."

[GOLLUM]

Readies silencer For The Ace....

Actually I don't follow that form of Rugby much. I find it a bit boring. In fact I don't follow rugby all that much being an AFL man but I much prefer watching Melbourne Storm in their given context than the Wallabies.

[Culhwch]

I agree, Gollum, rugby union is one of the most tedious of sports. I tried to like it, and watched many Wallabies games a few years back (around the time of the WC in England) but it just never took...

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Yes, they beat New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji in a four-team group after the latter three had qualified for said group through a 'Pacific Cup' tournament (NZ had a bye, and entered in the 'Round 2' group stage -- six games, home and away). They won five games and lost only their final game in Fiji.

This made them the top team in Oceania, and qualified them for a playoff against the team finishing fifth overall in the Asian qualifying, which turned out to be Bahrain.

They drew 0-0 in Bahrain, and won 1-0 in Wellington, to seal their place in the WC finals.

Good luck to them. (I think they'll need it, but it'll be great to see them there.)

Right, so when it was us we'd draw bloody Uruguay, but the Kiwis get Bahrain!

I'd be surprised if they aren't 0-3 in the group stage (so maybe I do want them in our group, thinking about it...) but I love that they made it. I'm getting excited already, can't wait for kickoff!

[Sephiroth]

Yeah, bit of a difference between Uruguay and Bahrain. When you guys were still in the Oceania qualifying, the playoff was between the Oceanian winners and the fifth-placed South American nation. Now that the Aussies are competing at a higher level in the Asian qualifying, it's been changed so that it's the fifth-placed Asian team who plays the Oceanic champs. The South Americans now play off against the fourth-placed team from the CONCACAF region (North & Central America & the Caribbean).

I think it makes more sense that way, since it keeps all of the Americas together. I suppose it was considered as an antipodean playoff, before. (We once played you in a playoff, though, in 1986...)

It certainly works out well for the Kiwis, since I wouldn't fancy their chances against Uruguay!

I tend to agree, though, that they'll go 0-3 in South Africa. But football is a funny game, and the World Cup Finals always throw up a few surprises. If they snatched a 'plucky' draw or two, it wouldn't be without precedent.

As for you guys, I think it's great for Aussie football that you're competing regularly in competitive matches with nations who aren't just there to make up the numbers, now. Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia & Iran have all fielded pretty strong teams in the recent past (the first two more so, but the strength of certain other nations, like Uzbekistan, is on the rise), and the ease with which Australia qualified shows that you're playing at a decent standard.

You acquitted yourselves very well in the last World Cup. The Italians robbed you in the second round last time out. Still, reaching the last 16 trumped what we have achieved in far more attempts. I hope you get a decent draw, and go on to do well.

Looking forward to the draw. Once we know who plays who, the build-up begins in earnest.



And I'll just be a passionate neutral, given the problems in the Scottish game at the moment.

[Culhwch]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

The Italians robbed you in the second round last time out.

Still hurts...

[Sephiroth]

Tell me about it, man. They denied us qualification for Euro 2008 with a last minute goal in the final qualifying game.

After we had beaten France home and away...

That's Italy for you. Seldom pretty. Often effective. Always lucky.

[Majimaune]

Originally Posted by Culhwch

Still hurts...

Indeed it does... Actors, they don't belong on a sporting field.

[GOLLUM]

Still beaming after Aussie win over Pakistan in the cricket. I still can't work out how Pakistan lost that match...unbelievable!

That's 2 5-fors in a row from spinner Hauritz. He may finally be getting his mojo.

[Majimaune]

Yeah and that was a very green pitch too. I swear, when I was there on the first day, you couldn't tell the ends of the wicket apart from the rest of the ground. It was crazy.

And yes, how did Australia win that game? Come on, all out for just over 100.

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Majimaune

Yeah and that was a very green pitch too. I swear, when I was there on the first day, you couldn't tell the ends of the wicket apart from the rest of the ground. It was crazy.

Hey! I didn't know you were going to be there. I attend at least one day of the Melbourne test match each year, so we could have hooked up. Still there's always WorldCon, hopefully you can spare some time then.

Do you live in Melbourne?

EDIT: AH I see you are from NSW.

[Majimaune]

Yes I'm a New South Welshman but my sister has moved down to Melbourne now. And I have family who are from Melbourne too.

Third test starts tomorrow... Have you heard anything about Katich? If he is fit?

[Culhwch]

NRL kicked off tonight with a great game between my Broncs and the Cowbs. Pity the Broncs didn't go for the throat when they had the 'Boys down, had to make it dramatic and let Thurston get them back in it. Great try at the end by Kemp, though - glad he's back in Brisbane colours. Speed kills.

I hear the Dragons won the other match. Tipped the Eels. Can't really stand either.