Raj

You going to Gloucester again this season? Fingers crossed for a Challenge Cup Final place and a good finish in the league.

Nice to see Wycombe Wasps losing to Sale yesterday - at least this season they won't become champions via the back door.

A pity London Irish failed to turn up although the stamp on Harry Ellis was spectacular. Play-offs are a nonsense. Sale are the champs in my mind.

The play-offs are absurd - the past three years the league winners have lost out to Wycombe Wasps in the "Final". Hopefully Sale will win this year - and Gloucester will beat Irish next weekend!

Anybody else a boxing fan on this board?

Some class British bouts over the past few weeks and a fair few more to come this summer.

ITV's Louise Goodman talking to Renault Team Principal Flavio Briatore after the Italian Grand Prix:

Louise: So, Michael Schumacher has announced his retirement from F1. Your thoughts?.

Flavio: Ha, good for him, he's been a lucky man.

Louise: Will you miss him?

Flavio: Huh, I no miss him at all! <storms off>.

The Bears giving the Packers the Smackdown today!


So Sweeeeeeeet

Federer wins again there is no stopping him.
Schumacher retiring might make F1 slightly competitive, I won't be holding my breath though.

well done ferrari despite renault moaning like cry babies!
but hey look up the motor bikes, a lot more enthralling than f1
rossi and capirossi are just amazing

would you believe it some of these bikers race around with broken bones. These guys make the formula one drivers look like pansies!

Off to Cheltenham this Saturday - any tips from the hardened gamblers out there?

Six Nations

My hopes for this years tournament:

That England finally start rebuilding following 2003 and win more than they lose

That Italy finally play for 80 minutes and win the odd game or two

That Ireland fulfil the promise they have shown for the past four years

That my tickets for England v Italy come through from my "source"

Da Bears for the Super Bowl!!!

Curva - I know nothing about the egg chasing game, but made a foolish drunken bet of a tenner with a mate that Ireland win. Don't know what made me do it (maye the Guinness?) - have I got much of a chance?

Well, the Bears didn;t win the Super Bowl, but at least the team that won is from my state.

quote:

Originally posted by il ferret:
Curva - I know nothing about the egg chasing game, but made a foolish drunken bet of a tenner with a mate that Ireland win. Don't know what made me do it (maye the Guinness?) - have I got much of a chance?

Ireland are certainly favourites and, having beaten Wales in Cardiff, have won their hardest away game. Both France and England have to travel to Dublin and, with the Irish playing at Croke Park this year, they will certainly be favourites to win both those games.

This weekend will be the big test - if they beat the French then that tenner should be as good as yours.

Surprised there's been no one chatting about the cricket .

View from the West Stand, Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica : I went to the opening game, West Indies v Pakistan and considering I am not a cricket fan I had an incredible time. Stand out points: the reception the Windies got when they came out; the 'band in the stand' with the cheerleading girls; the final Windies over, ending in a massive six; and the reception Inzamam Ul-Haq got when he came out to the crease. The Jamaican crowd absolutely love him. Sabina Park is in such a great setting, looking out over the Blue Mountains. It must be 'only' about 100 miles from where we stayed but took us well over 3 hours to get there. The upside was going through the country that most tourists fail to see.

I also went to the warm up match against India which was not a good result with the Windies looking especially sloppy. Crowd was very good natured, though annoyed at the way they played. Security was tighter than anything a Jamaican was used to: 'Wha' ya mean me can't tek me own wata?' Interesting messages on the pa system: 'No fireworks, no explosives, no guns '!

And I went to the open ceremony. Now I'm not a fan of these generally (too many kids and men on stilts) but this one was special. Probably down to the majority of the crowd knowing who the musical guests were and being able to sing along to virtually every song. Some great costumes and set pieces. Even the men on stilts made me laugh down to one of them 'breaking' a leg, trying to hop away and then when this didn't work ending up crawling away . My missus crying at the Jamaican National Anthem. The Irish crowd behind us really getting into the spirit. The rasta dancing in a world of his own. And an incredible sunset to top it off.

Doubt there will be another Cricket World Cup like it.

Had a good jerk yet?

I normally get someone to do that for me .

However....if you do happen to be in Jamaica in the future try Scotchies on the coast road between Rose Hall and Montego Bay. Very nice.

Just finished watching the Malaysian GP.

It's the first race I've watched this season, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to cope with the 'Lewis Hamilton Appreciation Society' (formerly known as 'commentary by James Allan and Martin Brundle') I had to endure for almost two hours.

Almost every sentence had a reference to Hamilton and how 'plucky' the young lad is. Fair play, the boy's obviously got talent, but he's been put straight in to a World Championship calibre vehicle with the reigning world champion as a team-mate to learn from.

It'll hardly be a stretch for him to look good, will it?