THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi I

[Dejan-Stankovic]

[maro]

Shield, I think the forum's doing just fine, my friend. Of course it has it has its weaker days when Fonzarelli comes around and throws his 'weight' around, but other than that it's just smashing, old fella.

I've just been away for a few days. The moglie was at a conference in Venice last week and I went over on Friday for her birthday and all. A spoilt life it is, and all. We stayed in Padova and I finally got to see the Scrovegni Chapel on the third attempt. Simply sensational. They open it in the evenings now and so for 20 minutes there was only one other guy there. Brilliant. And to think that Giotto painted it all singlefekkinghandedly.

Frenchesco, honestly I disagree strongly that any of the All Blacks looked down on the Grenouilles. I think there's probably no side in the world which the true NZ rugby followers respect more than the French (in the past the South Africans, but perhaps not any more). Honestly, I wasn't all that surprised the French won. They're clearly the one side in the world who at their best can match the All Blacks; it's just that they play at their best too rarely. The French played magnificently; they also got the rub of the green, of course, but it was so refreshing to see all of the All Blacks come out after the game and congratulate the French, saying that the better team on the day had won and not one mentioning one or two of the ref's decisions which they'd clearly have been entitled to. The French were superb and I hope they hold their nerve to go on and win it now, but I bet none of the ABs or the educated rugby public at home were all that surprised.

An excellent result on Sunday. We couldn't find a bar showing it - Fiorentina-Rube was the game of choice, not all that surprisingly - so we had to settle for a glass of prosecco in the sun and then the reports yesterday. It sounds pretty convincing and a reminder of the quality we've already seen plenty of this season. How did Pizza play, incidentally? I gather Juan was impeccable and it sounds as though the fullbacks got to show the side of their game they evidently prefer.

Lomba, I guess you think the quote in your sig is witty or slick or something. If Mancini really did say that then clearly it shows what an immature, pathetic little turd he really is. I'd frame it and pin it on your wall as an illustration of just why he's such an embarrassment to your club.

[Lombardiamia]

[RomaShield27]

[maro]

[arthurfonzarelli]

[Lombardiamia]

[RomaShield27]

According to article, the Danish media are claiming that Roma are very interested in Ragnar Sigurdsson from IFK Göteborg. He is a highly-rated 187cm Icelandic central-defender who has attracted a lot of interest from england (obviously) and France. It says we have had a scout at Göteborg's last two games to watch him.

If anyone's looking for tickets for any Roma games, I found what looks like a very good site for ordering tickets online – . It seems like a small english company based in Rome who, once you place an order, will purchase the tickets for you and then have them delivered to your choosen destination like your hotel. It covers nearly every game and lets you pick your own preferred seating area. Looks like it could be worth checking out.

[maro]

Lomba, I take it that on that logic Big Ron Atkinson should be excused for calling Marcel Desailly a "fucking lazy nigger" because he thought he was off-line and no-one could hear him? It's not saying that that's the real problem. It's being capable of thinking it.

All I'm saying is that were Spags ever to say something equivalent to DDR I should feel profoundly embarrassed as a Romanista and would certainly not be trumpeting it in my sig as some kind of clever remark. The remark is utterly classless; its presence in your sig, the same.

[p_maldini_3]

[arthurfonzarelli]

[Italiamia]

Lomba I suppose you got that information in your sig from Interfans.org? If it is true, we have to remember that this is Roberto Mancini we are talking about. He has a need to say these things because of his own mediocrity which most of the world clearly recognizes. I know the italian press, for all of its failings, recognize that Mancini is as common as dirt, and that Moratti, while a gentlemen in many respects, is dumber than a box of rocks.

I must say that this bull shit that continues with Inter and Mancini is starting to make rubentus look good pretty good about now.


Shield please insert this for my avatar. Thank you.

http://www.vecchiaroma.altervista.org/i ... oconti.jpg

[arthurfonzarelli]

[Italiamia]

[Jamoldo]

[Frenchesco]

[Frenchesco]

[g.smiley]

[Zoff82]

[maro]

Frenchesco, I just think you end up doing both sides a disservice if you think the ABs looked down on the French or were at all complacent. I just think the French played outstandingly (and got a bit of help from the Englishman on the pitch) and on their day this French team is as good as anyone in the world. The ABs didn't play especially well, but then the French didn't let them. I, for one, was terribly disappointed but not particularly surprised and I know that a number of the most respected rugby pundits at home felt the same way. Honestly, I think the myth of the All Blacks is probably greater in France than in NZ and so perhaps the French public were more pessimistic about their chances than the NZ public.

And while the ABs had almost everything on paper to win the game, they didn't have everything - they didn't have that little bit of luck which is really the difference between the best teams at this level. They didn't screw up; the French stepped up. If the ref had seen the forward pass, if he hadn't given the soft yellow card, if Carter hadn't limped off at the start of the second half, if Evans hadn't limped off 10 minutes later, if any of the ref's pedantic rulings had gone against the French rather than against the ABs, etc. etc. If, if if - these are the intangibles which make the difference at this level when both teams play well. The French did brilliantly to be able to take advantage of the luck which fell their way; the ABs did pretty darn well to mean that that little bit of luck was the only difference when playing against such an inspired French side. Anyone who thought the ABs were unbeatable doesn't understand sport and talking about choking or a lack of respect is, really, just to diminish the outstanding qualities of both teams involved in an epic game of rugby.