tommyvoll

This Aussie who's planning a barbie with two English backpackers - isn't that called murder? His first name's not Hannibal is it?

I left when Westwood kicked the goal to make it 20, but that's cos I didn't want to end up with a parking ticket from the robbing gits who run the car park in Northwood. That was about the 62nd min, and an ever-increasing stream of Leeds fans was with me. As to attendance, excepting the Club Wembley area, which looked fuller than usual to me, empty seats were negligible. You've got to account for last minute illnesses, and other unexpected happenings which might prevent ticket holders from attending.

I will watch a lot of Union, as well as League, and I don't hate it, but this myth that from the terraces/stands you can see what's going on in scrum is nonsense. I suspect that this claim that somehow it makes you intellectually superior because you are a purist with an appreciation of the finer points is simply petty snobbery. In particular, I love watching the All Blacks and the French with their superb handling skills and invention, but get frustrated not by a scrum competition but by the endless resetting of the scrums because cheating is endemic. Mind you, it was Austin Healey who said, in the Daily Telegraph, "Rugby Union is about who cheats best."

Just a few comments over the range of issues in these posts. As a former Union referee with the Liverpool and Buckinghamshire societies I would suggest from many years of close observation that if a Union scrum is set and played to the Laws then nuances and delicacies do not exist. They only come into play as techniques for cheating, e.g. boring in, shoulders below hips, incorrect binding etc. Can we get past the hoary old chestnut of five drives and a kick which can occur early in games as forwards test each other out, but is by no means the norm for 80 mins. We might have to start considering the scenario: messy ruck - pick and drive half a metre; messy ruck - pick and drive half a metre and so on. Yes, I know, you're sucking in players to make space for the backs. Unfortunately, so many teams put as few players into the ruck as possible which is why this 'technique' seems to occupy such a lot of game time. Back to the original post. What is disappointing in RL is that with the space created by the scrum there is so little invention in the back play when the ball emerges. More often than not the first outside back to receive the ball gets tackled and we are back to square one. Other than the occasional inventive kick little creative happens. I think this is largely down to the coaches, but a contributory factor is that the loose forwards are not being penalised for breaking early and they are in the stand-offs face long before they should be.

Hi, Checked out late this morning at Amersham station. Categorically told that for this coming weekend the Chiltern line out of Aylesbury will only go as far as Gt Missenden ( which is only a few stops). Posters in the entrance also say clearly no Chiltern service between Marylebone and Gt Missenden. However, this is a different Chiltern Railways route from the one that goes through High Wycombe to Marylebone, and that one looks ok - you could also get on that one further down at Beaconsfield. Someone mentioned going into Watford Junction. There is a Watford underground station which is a branch of the Met Line, but that is also out of commission this weekend. Unless you are going into London and out again (pick up Jubilee line anywhere in London and it will take you to Wembley -as long as you're going in the right direction!), you will need to get down to Northwood to make use of the Met line. Safe journeying to you all.

Sorry, think I just cocked up a reply. Will check in the morning and let you know, but I think the Aylesbury to Marylebone connection is out as well. High Wycombe connection is a possible, but I'd advise you to check it out in advance.

HI, Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings for those of you thinking of using the Met line this Sat, but there is no service between Amersham and Northwood. So, don't park out at Amersham, Chalfont and Latimer, Chorleywood, Rickmansworth or Moor Park unless you are prepared to use the bus replacement service to Northwood and then get the tube on to Wembley. Second year running this has happened. Of course it's only ordinary people in Britain who are dumb, not the highly-educated managers who make these decisions: "Oh, 85000 people at Wembley, that will make us a lot of money in fares. I know, let's have closures for the weekend and cause mass inconvenience." In the immortal words of Richard Littlejohn: "You couldn't make it up!" P.S. recommendations please for my annual bet on the Lance Todd Trophy winner