Sport Today

And the answer is... Brisbane vs Queensland

        For all those moaning that the Wigan/Bath clash was a farce
due to Bath's lowly comparitive standing in the Union world will have
little ground to stand on with this one. Here's a piece from the
Sunday Mail's (Brisbane paper) sunday spy column written by Peter Cameron.

        * SECRET plans are well advanced for the Brisbane Broncos to play
the rugby Reds in a charity game. Both teams are riding red-hot box
office waves of success this season.
        Shocked Broncos chairman Paul Morgan fired a quick "no comment"
when asked for details by Sunday Spy. But Spy learned that Morganhad held
discussions with rugby heavyweights, including George Pippos, to bringthe
historic project to reality in Brisbane - probably at ANZ Stadium.
        Despite the Wigan *** of the appropriately named Bath in the
first intercode match in Manchester last week, the Queensland Rugby Union
do not hold the same fears for the Reds. Unlike the Pommy rugger chaps
who could not tackle a decent steak, the rugby Reds rev on maroon-***ed
defence.
        Naturally with busy commitments for both sides the Broncos and
the Reds, there is little chance of the clash being settled until later
in the season.
        Martin Offiah led with six tries when Wigan downed Bath 82-6
under rugby league rules. It is expected to be a different scoreline
under rugby rules at Twickenham on May 25 if Bath can starve Wigan of the
pill.
        Leaks to Sunday Spy indictaed the Broncos and the Reds might slug
it out for a half of each code, rather one match rugby union and another
rugby league.

Catchya round, Leigh

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Leigh T. Gillespie                  *    "It takes leather balls *
* Phone - Australia (077) 791219      *     to play Rugby!"                *

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Think! It might be a new experience...

|> do not hold the same fears for the Reds. Unlike the Pommy rugger chaps
|> who could not tackle a decent steak, the rugby Reds rev on maroon-***ed

        Are these the same "Pommy rugger chaps" who beat Oz in
        the last WC?  Oh no, sorry, that doesn't count does it?

David

P.S.  No wonder Murdoch went roaming the World if this is the
standard of journalism in Oz - cultured bloke like him must have
been aching for some half-decent sports prose ;-)

However Wigan earned nothing as a club from the sevens but picked up
20,000 pounds for donoation to schools RL development in Wigan.

Dave

Wigan RLFC - Simply the Best

Shaun Edwards for Prime Minister

Dave

 Bath in particular didn't take the League game

*          All those moaning that the Wigan/Bath clash was a farce
* due to Bath's lowly comparitive standing in the Union world will have
* little ground to stand on with this one. Here's a piece from the
* Sunday Mail's (Brisbane paper) sunday spy column written by Peter
* Cameron.
*
*>        * SECRET plans are well advanced for the Brisbane Broncos to
*> play the rugby Reds in a charity game. Both teams are riding red-hot
*> box office waves of success this season.
*>        Shocked Broncos chairman Paul Morgan fired a quick "no comment"
*> when asked for details by Sunday Spy. But Spy learned that Morganhad
*> held discussions with rugby heavyweights, including George Pippos, to
*> bring the historic project to reality in Brisbane - probably at ANZ
*> Stadium.
*>        Despite the Wigan *** of the appropriately named Bath in
*> the first intercode match in Manchester last week, the Queensland Rugby
*> Union do not hold the same fears for the Reds. Unlike the Pommy rugger
*> chaps who could not tackle a decent steak, the rugby Reds rev on
*> maroon-***ed defence.
*>        Naturally with busy commitments for both sides the Broncos and
*> the Reds, there is little chance of the clash being settled until later
*> in the season.
*>        Martin Offiah led with six tries when Wigan downed Bath 82-6
*> under rugby league rules. It is expected to be a different scoreline
*> under rugby rules at Twickenham on May 25 if Bath can starve Wigan of
*> the pill.
*>        Leaks to Sunday Spy indictaed the Broncos and the Reds might
*> slug it out for a half of each code, rather one match rugby union and
*> another rugby league.

Catchya round, Leigh (just the messenger)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Leigh T. Gillespie                  *    "It takes leather balls *
* Phone - Australia (077) 791219      *     to play Rugby!"                *

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 Bath in particular didn't take the League game

It seems to be accepted by everyone that the only way Bath may win, or
get a respectable result, under Union rules, is if instead of making
any attempt to play rugby, they try to play 10 man keepball and let
the ref give them the advantage of the ludicrous penalties system that
has turned RU internationals into place kicking and hoofing contests.
They know, and so do you, that once the rugby team gets the rugby ball
in their hands, Bath are powerless to do owt but admire.

Sure they did it for the money.  Makes no difference to the facts.
Robbie Paul for King !   Long Live the Bradford Bulls !

The return match will be most interesting for what league can teach union
about union.
- -
alan
 L
\-/

Bradford Bulls RLFC      | Rugby League Home Page:
Wembley Finalists 1996   | http://SportToday.org/~cgrussel/
                         | Full club-by-club guide to the 1996
Mooland Uber Alles!!     | European Super League season

: The most interesting thing about BvW at league was what union could teach
: league about league.  There were 2 things-
: 1 Bath's 5th tackle kick & chase was superb due to Catt's
: stratospheric kicking - unrivalled in league, anywhere.

 Err? How many times did Bath and Catt actually do this and why was it
any better than the way Wigan did it? On the occasion
Bath had a slim chance to get a try the kick was too strong.
There was little need for Wigan to kick because by the time of the fifth
tackle they had usually scored a try. I also think the best kick of the
match came from Wigan to put Offiah in for the final try.

Finally, if you think Catt's kicking is unrivaled in league then you
clearly haven't seen some of Goulding's perfect strategic kicks.

: 2 Bath attacked best when they started off-loading securely in 2-man maul
: style - Redman prominent.

 Their attacks were so rare that it is difficult to draw any conclusions
about their best startegy.

: The return match will be most interesting for what league can teach union
: about union.

 Superior levels of fitness and ball handling skills. What Wigan
demonstrated at Maine road.

 Although Bath should win it will be much closer than the league
encounter. Most of Bath's points will come from penalties and pushover
tries. Look for the free flowing rugby and the occasional spectacular
try to come from Wigan.

: - -
: alan
:  L
: \-/

 Paulr.
--

We saw a bit of this game on TV in NZ. IMHO what we saw was one very
proffessional group of players dish out a good hold hiding to a bunch
of comparative part timers. What else could you expect??
I would not be surprised to see the UNION result to go in Wigans favour
either. They have 7-8 ex Union guys.
The question of which is the best code has not been answered-and most
probably never will be. All we have found out is which code has got the most
from its players. If the SH Super 12 competition is anything to
go by Union has just started out towards getting the best from players.
A match between Wigan and say Auckland would be a fair test of how far
this improvement has progressed.

Cheers, Rob.