Transcript
Jarrod Dyke: Hey everybody, welcome back. It is the Fancy Rugby Yanks. My name is Jared Dyke.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm Ben Glauser.
Jarrod Dyke: Let's go. We got lots of...
Grumpy Old Prop: Two weeks in a row. We're bordering on a streak.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. It's called a winning streak. Lou Brown. ah ah um Yeah. we're gonna We'll do our best here.
Jarrod Dyke: um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. So, hopefully won't be too disheveled after tomorrow.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Just your nerves frazzled.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah. Right now they're shot. like I fully expect to come out of tomorrow night drained.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, jart Jared has himself a pretty... What, the state semis?
Jarrod Dyke: State semis, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: So no big no deal. And
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Semifinals are...
Grumpy Old Prop: they're playing it at my home field, so it's kind of fun. Although, I can't be there because I need to be home with a baby because the wife is playing now. um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, you said that.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm glad that... So she always wanted to be the the player who you know had a baby and then comes back to play just a little bit, at least. And so she's doing that.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: So I got to got to support the team.
Jarrod Dyke: Everyone's got to pitch in on that team, you know?
Grumpy Old Prop: Hounds down to 13. Mm
Jarrod Dyke: Good. like my going um Make sure that you buy our good friend George the fancy rubber geek get a coffee or beer. Especially if you didn't give up a forfeit in your league, you're you're not going to
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, as we stated before, that's funny. The dog house though, that is funny.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that is hilarious.
Jarrod Dyke: I'll give them that. I'll give them that. That's pretty funny.
Grumpy Old Prop: womp.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, but yeah, buy, buy Georgia beer. You'll, you, you likely owe them at least one way or another.
Jarrod Dyke: There is no discrimination here in this podcast, no, should there be in sports or in life. Uh, Ben and I were talking about the other day and it's just like, I don't know when it ends.
Grumpy Old Prop: And this is like, so, okay, if you're in ah in a good mood and want to remain in a good mood, fast forward through this.
Jarrod Dyke: Fast forward to this. Yeah. Please.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Please.
Grumpy Old Prop: This is a microcosm of everything that's wrong with our, it's certainly our country. um And it just keeps getting worse. The more I've learned about this, the more it gets worse because there's more than just this one incident.
Grumpy Old Prop: So um my favorite ah comedy television comedy of all time is Parks and Rec. And um in it, there is a fantastic character,
Grumpy Old Prop: um ah Chief Ken Hotate, who's who's the the local. And it so it's about a ah you know small town in Indianapolis, Indiana town, um which represents basically any small town in the U.S. s and And in it this ah place that this chief Ken Hotate who loves to use both the, they're the, the, the townspeople's racism and their just overall fear of native Americans, like curses and things like that against them.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, quite accurately at that.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's hilarious. He's fucking hilarious. And he also, this, this guy, ah the the actor also um played John Redcorn and King of the Hill. um Another, you know, similar vein, but um animated and in Texas.
Grumpy Old Prop: So he and his husband had been receiving for a long time, like threats from neighbors, from one particular neighbor.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And um
Grumpy Old Prop: in the end, the neighbor ended up, well, they at least their house caught on fire. I can't really say that this was the neighbor who did it, but I mean, come on. So they got no help from police as you know, when that happened,
Grumpy Old Prop: was all going down. um it seems like there had been no help from police after that. ah They went back to their house over the weekend. This is, you know, either um last day of May, first, it could be a first day of June, could have been in the beginning of Pride Month.
Grumpy Old Prop: And um they go to the attack to get their mail because their mail is still being delivered to to that address, even though the house is burned down. um
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: They find the remains of their dog. with its harness, like set up so that, you know presented basically they would see, they set up in a way that they would see it as they're like totally upset about that.
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: That's pretty fucked up. Of
Grumpy Old Prop: The neighbor, um, starts shouting homophobic slurs at them and then pulls a gun and opens fire.
Jarrod Dyke: course.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Jonathan Joss shoves his husband out of the way, takes the bullets himself and and dies on the scene. um
Grumpy Old Prop: Not only that, but now, so this happened over the weekend and yesterday on on Tuesday, um,
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: he was released on $200,000 bond. So this guy makes home, ah you know, makes threats, carries out the threats as in the in the form of burning down the house and then shoots and kills one of them. And, and the police are still like, yeah, the there are legal systems yeah, whatever, no big deal.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Meanwhile, look at the treatment that like say Luigi Mangione got, um, um
Jarrod Dyke: who
Grumpy Old Prop: You know, the the huge perp walk with the fucking mayor of New York leading the charge and and, you know, being charged. We're talking about being charged with terrorism. Meanwhile, this is actual, you know. Homophobic terrorism, these they were killed just for being gay because there was no other reason.
Jarrod Dyke: It's a heat crime.
Grumpy Old Prop: This these guy's a great guy. Everyone who knows him loves him.
Grumpy Old Prop: And he's also a celebrity.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: And yet this is what happens, you know? So we got bigotry. We got police being fuck all doing nothing. And we got guns.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yay. This is what happens. We're like, what the fuck?
Jarrod Dyke: It's American in a nutshell right there.
Grumpy Old Prop: There's no need for any of this. Just let people live their lives.
Grumpy Old Prop: Unbelievable. It's just unbelievable.
Jarrod Dyke: I can't imagine what someone like him is doing to someone else ah really actually about that really actually impacts them.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like,
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And I'm just, I, it, it, it really upsets me like that. That was his last moments was going to his home with his husband that was burned down, seeing their dog dead, like their dead dogs remains like the the ultimate grief and horror.
Grumpy Old Prop: And then being like, then that, you know, you get shot and your husband comforts you as you take your last breath. Like what a terrible end for someone who absolutely did not deserve that.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, so we just like, we need, we need some more love in this world.
Jarrod Dyke: No.
Grumpy Old Prop: Not, not that, not that at all.
Jarrod Dyke: Definitely not that. Definitely not that. No, no. Yeah. Just. um i'm out of I'm out of words at this point, sadly.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. I, I, I, but this, you know, obviously I, I, I hate saying all of this, but that's what happens. And we need to confront the country in which we live in the world in which we live and, and try to make it better and not worse.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, you know, any like looking the other way is encouragement for these people.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: So don't encourage them. Don't look the other way. And the funny, the fucked up thing is like, this was, there was, there's any number of things from the ice are arrests and and protests that are going on here.
Grumpy Old Prop: to Moana being turned into like could complete colonialist propaganda. Um, we had, we had, we had a fucking thick, you know any number of choices here.
Grumpy Old Prop: and Obviously this one is, is the far worst of, of the lot, but, um, yeah, somebody help us please.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: Please.
Grumpy Old Prop: Cause I don't know that the answers kind of come from within the country, certainly not with our, within the, the, Appropriate means.
Jarrod Dyke: No, definitely not from our government.
Grumpy Old Prop: Ideally.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: All right.
Jarrod Dyke: Sadly, we need we do need you more.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, and the fucking doctor regenerated. It was awful. Awful week.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: that just but Sorry. Not to make light of it, but...
Jarrod Dyke: There you go. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Gotta bring some sort of levity back as we transition into...
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: As we regenerate into the... The rugby pod.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Get back into it. um If you want to buy our Patreon, we love you. If not, it's okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, we still love you.
Jarrod Dyke: We'll move on from that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: we We love you as well, but still.
Grumpy Old Prop: Just a little less. Mm
Jarrod Dyke: ah Let's see. So, let's do... Let's just do the prim-final round. and I don't see a reason to run game by game necessarily.
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah The three biggest ones were obviously the ones that made the difference and did not shake up the league at all.
Grumpy Old Prop: No, everything kind of ended the way we, and it but we kind of went the way we expected. um Although, I got to say, Exeter and Sale was a lot more of a fight than it should have been.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, certainly they need to be.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Although, I mean, it not so much, but at the same time, there was still a chance. So, at the end, you know, with with about two minutes left, it still could have been a thing, um but it wasn't.
Jarrod Dyke: not No, they, I mean, yeah, they would have had to score two in the last five, think.
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, they scored one on the last five.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that sounds right. Right, but they needed two.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: When your typical mode of attack is not conducive to that, it's going to be hard.
Grumpy Old Prop: And, and yeah, well, yeah, it's Exeter. So yeah, right.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Even with Warren in the, um in the bin, it still was going to be a tough ask.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Cause I mean, it's Gus war. It's not like he's helping out all that much in defense.
Jarrod Dyke: No, and I would say not. um Yeah, I mean, just in overall,
Jarrod Dyke: I look at it and, know, things in terms of how the table finished, not the league finished, just the table, um certainly shocking in some ways.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Newcastle's not.
Jarrod Dyke: Like Saints and Quinns tumbling as much as they did. That was kind of a, ooh.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: was a bit of an eye opener.
Jarrod Dyke: And then, yeah, I mean, the Michael Cheka effect getting Lester up to the top two there. So that's fun to see in terms of that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Which it's Cheka and, you know, in combination with Adam Radwein too. Like the the two of them, you know, were provided, Radwein provided a massive spark to that team too.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that helped.
Grumpy Old Prop: Otherwise they were kind of middling um even with Cheka. And then he brought brings that to mention. I mean, look, if you listen to the show for a while, you know, we love Josh Bassett, but we also recognize him for what he is.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm. Just a guy at this point.
Grumpy Old Prop: And yeah, right.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, almost just a guy. Let's put that way.
Grumpy Old Prop: um And then who will who else did they have out there? Who's the the the scrum half who they keep putting it get kept putting out there at wing who is just.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah. i can't remember his name off the top my head.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. um
Jarrod Dyke: Simmons? Is that him?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Just not not not that not what they needed from there. But hey, Adam Radwin. Yes. And then that, you know, him and and Ali Hassel Collins just. made each other. That's ah just a great partnership of two guys who are obviously better than Jags, much better than Jags.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: But when you put them together, they become greater than the sum of their parts. And they certainly did that at Leicester. So they're going to be a tough out.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I agree. I agree. I think it ah it really comes down to, for them, ah couple guys. um Pollard.
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: And just the number eight shirt in general. I assume that's going cracked going forward. Like...
Grumpy Old Prop: I think so.
Jarrod Dyke: Can he get above average, or is he going to be average? Average Kraken will not do it for them. They're going to need him a above average for sure. I think the for the large majority, their pack one through seven is really, really good.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, Liebenberg too.
Jarrod Dyke: And then...
Grumpy Old Prop: I don't want to discount his his impact, which has been massive. this he's been He's taken a ah massive step forward, and i think it's because there's been more space. Suddenly, his style isn't great when when he's you know completely enclosed, but but he's been seeing a lot more space because they've been getting a lot of front football, and he's been massive.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yep. So I think those two and then ken and then really the third person, i know I said two, but the third, can they keep Kata out of the bin and away from get, yeah, that's, well, that's no, I, I, that's what I mean, but you know, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: looking kind of keep himself out of the bin there's not that much they can do other than tell them dude fucking stop yeah
Jarrod Dyke: yeah Yeah. He'll do his team a lot of favors if he can just stay on the field and not get, sat down for 10 to, you know, 40 minutes at a time.
Grumpy Old Prop: right not helpful right
Jarrod Dyke: So that'll, that'll depend. Um, so yeah, that, that's how sale finished. Um,
Jarrod Dyke: yeah, gloss, ah guilt you know, as we alluded to about five times at this point, and if you haven't listened to any of our recent episodes, Gloucester surprised me. I, you know, I totally thought Skibs was going to be in deep shit and here they are pushing for a top four. They didn't get there.
Jarrod Dyke: but yeah, that, that was a, that was big. That was big for them.
Grumpy Old Prop: It was, it was, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: So I'm
Grumpy Old Prop: that And they played really well down the stretch. They've got a lot of, there's a lot of good things happening there.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah, totally.
Grumpy Old Prop: And this is without, could you imagine if, um, Zach Mercer, like, don't know, showed up a little bit.
Jarrod Dyke: Tried. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: just a, just even just a little bit, what, like where they would be.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Mm
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Grumpy Old Prop: Because they've got so much like that lock stable is, you know, that's the stable of giraffes is, is um is amazing.
Jarrod Dyke: hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um They're just missing one more like serious threat in that pack, like serious threat. And and if he would have been that um they're probably top four.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I think.
Grumpy Old Prop: If not hosting a ah ah semi.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, i yeah, I think they're think their front row needs a little bit more dynamism as well. There's not as much as I appreciate the work that that that that group does.
Jarrod Dyke: We love a JFR around here.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, we do.
Jarrod Dyke: um But the like asking for them to do anything dynamic is really a lot. And it's a big ask for that group bar.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: and Blake in singles, mostly singles. Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, but their value has mostly been like the Tom Dunn maul over tries more than the the play in the loose that they've they've been doing in previous years.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um But I'm going to go again to that. um for the c To me, it's the same reason with Liebenberg is like they're just not getting the space. So, okay, that's all they can do is is really be effective in the maul.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. maybe if they had that Mercer character running wild in the loose on top of the wings that they've got, um, or at least the back three. Um, yeah, maybe that could have been more of a thing, but, or maybe it's because they've got Christian Wade who's scoring from fucking everywhere on the field.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, that that's just eaten away at those like, you know, secondary tries. Cause it used to be, you know, when, when they had, um, Thorley and, um, Fuck, i'm I'm losing the other guy.
Jarrod Dyke: Reese Samet.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sorry?
Jarrod Dyke: Reese Samet.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sharples.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, also him.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, and Zamet was scoring from anywhere, but like guys who who, like, you know, that the other wing who maybe wouldn't wouldn't be as dynamic um in terms of, like, finishing from from distance, but, like, would get you a little ways, and then you have the singles or the, and you know, the Seblakes and the other um lot of the other hookers that they've had just finishing it because it's like, oh, good, we got the front foot, and I'm going to attack defense that's offside.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay, yeah. Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: and um run through them for a score from like 20 meters out.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: That looks really cool. But now when you have Christian Wade be like, yeah, I'm just not going to get tackled there.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: um And the Holloway, same thing. And obviously the Carreras, like if if they make it that far, they're, you know, they have a little bit more more speed than Sharples and Thorley really ever did. So it's that extra dynamic dynamic um action that they have from the wing. I think that's that's holding the the hookers back.
Jarrod Dyke: um Yeah, Pat Lamb setting up a big one for for he and Bath.
Grumpy Old Prop: And he's already talking shit.
Jarrod Dyke: Just, yeah, that's all right.
Grumpy Old Prop: he's already He's already annoyed about the that the ticket prices.
Jarrod Dyke: The games have begun.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's like, they're pricing us out.
Jarrod Dyke: The games have begun.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, let the games begin.
Jarrod Dyke: ah So, I mean, listen, people are, were i will say, you and I were both on that. on that train of thinking that Bristol weren't going to find a way to get it over the line for this top four spot.
Jarrod Dyke: And they did. So give them credit where it it, where it's due.
Grumpy Old Prop: Absolutely. And it's hard. It's they're a dangerous team. Does anybody really want to play Bristol in the in in the um in the postseason? And really, the the only the shit of it is the the one team that's like, yeah, we'll take them is the one team that they're playing.
Jarrod Dyke: Right, right. But, you know, this is definitely a team anything can happen when you play them.
Grumpy Old Prop: Kind of sucks that it came out that way.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: So, you know, that you may you may get 50 and they may get 50. They may get 50, you may get 20, you know, and vice versa.
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, right.
Jarrod Dyke: So all all all are on the table, I would say.
Jarrod Dyke: So it'll be very interesting to see how that goes.
Grumpy Old Prop: They are. Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, and then, you know, I think we can... tip of the cap to a few guys that are going to be on their, on their way to the promised land of retirement. Um, know, we talked about, we we talked about Lester and Ben Young's, um, care care had surgery, so he didn't even play last week.
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: He, so he called he that, that one, that that's one song that the stoop was his last one. So, um, that's potential.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Which, oh, I think that was like a plan. I think they were like, okay, well, I mean, obviously, you know, having Porter start and in Jersey 21.
Jarrod Dyke: I done. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, I think that's kind of said it all. This is, this is cares last game. Like why would, why play in a meaningless away match at that point? Um, like, yeah, have your surgery be done.
Jarrod Dyke: o
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, Yeah, and also make sure that you're you're having that surgery while you're still technically an active player. You haven't you haven't actually retired yet. You just informed the club you're retiring. So you know get that get you know get that that extra coverage just to make sure.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, just a little bit. i sure and Make sure nobody needs to go penniless here.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. um Not that that would happen because they've got great, you know at least a much better healthcare care system than we do, but still it's getting that extra care that the team will provide, I think, as as you're still an employee and whatnot. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: still technically a professional athlete and then the onions so many onions with with Goody um
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Alex Good. Oh, man. Yeah. ah you know like I was talking about the other week.
Grumpy Old Prop: seven 17 years
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. I mean, for almost as long as I've been involved with rugby, he's been with Saracens.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that's...
Jarrod Dyke: That is wild to think about.
Grumpy Old Prop: It really is.
Jarrod Dyke: The guy is... The guy is just...
Grumpy Old Prop: And he's been classed the whole time.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, and he's just...
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, maybe he's not, like...
Jarrod Dyke: He's a good person. And, like, you know... I mean, who's going to forget Newcastle? Like, who is going to forget Newcastle?
Jarrod Dyke: The legendary bum bag walk around?
Grumpy Old Prop: Bum bagging it. is
Jarrod Dyke: Like, come on, man.
Grumpy Old Prop: Just, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, that is just epicness of another proportion.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Like... Yeah, that is... Absolutely wildness. And I, yeah, I don't know what the club looks like without him in terms of putting on that, you know, one of those shirts, but yeah, I mean, the club was better with him and it's going to be a hard, he's goingnna be a hard act to follow.
Grumpy Old Prop: who
Jarrod Dyke: So, um, yeah, often to the sunset he goes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep. and And he's so versatile. like he He could do so much for the class. And not just versatile. I mean, he was he really was a fifty pure 15. He could play a little 10, but...
Grumpy Old Prop: um, 15 through, but he could just do everything.
Jarrod Dyke: 15 through and through.
Grumpy Old Prop: He could line up in the centers at 15. Like he, he could work within wherever he needed to fill in, not just doing the 15 work. Um, you know, it could be a great second receiver and just like tear through a defense and then set up others like, you know, school where they were scoring where there is, who's, uh, um, setting it up, like, look like effortless gliding out there.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, just so much fun to watch.
Jarrod Dyke: hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, you know, all the way through the end. And it's, it's like one of those, like, he could probably play next year if he really wanted to, um, and still be really effective, but it's like, dude's earned his rest.
Jarrod Dyke: Best sir, best serve to not sometimes, you know.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, right. Like, don't play till you suck. um You know, some of the other guys we've been talking about. ah um
Jarrod Dyke: ah
Grumpy Old Prop: But like, it's yeah, going out while you're still at your peak. And then Saris, you know, they we thought they would finish sixth around there just out there, you know, just outside the top four.
Jarrod Dyke: Just outside top four somewhere, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: They finished two points outside top four.
Jarrod Dyke: Wanted better, but, you know.
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, you know, don't shit the bed at Newcastle next year.
Jarrod Dyke: And that's what i we were talking about before. Like, yeah, don't lose at Newcastle. Don't lose twice to Quinn's you're in business. That's just how that's that's where that's really one of those two matches.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. But yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Really, you can look at and say that's where the season was lost. And, yeah know, while it's annoying to look at the Saints game, you can just look way before that and just say, yeah, OK.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's just an like you said, that's just an annoyance. Like it it is what it is. Like you can, you lose those games sometimes, especially when you're away.
Grumpy Old Prop: It happens. Um,
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, but don't lose to the bottom team and don't lose your your big game to your your derby rivals.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Your rival.
Jarrod Dyke: It just doesn't work well.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: So here we are, top four. I'm in Bathroom Lane Friday.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes, they are.
Jarrod Dyke: Oddly enough.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. All right. Whatever. We'll see. I may have something to do Friday. I may not. Depends on how tomorrow goes.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: Depends entirely on Tyler and how tomorrow goes. um Anywho. Let's go Super Rugby. And yeah. Kind of what we thought would happen.
Jarrod Dyke: For the most part.
Grumpy Old Prop: Same thing, right? Like not, not many surprises and you know, not, there's really only one close game
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: this week. And, and it was kind of the one you'd expect. Um,
Jarrod Dyke: Two of the top four teams, or top three teams.
Grumpy Old Prop: right.
Jarrod Dyke: And, yeah. And then, yeah, Blues at home against the Taz, boof.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, that...
Jarrod Dyke: Yikes. Yikes, dude, yikes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Not a good way. Although, you know, they that they kind of quit, obviously.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, well, and there's...
Grumpy Old Prop: Really, there's the shocker... The the shocker is Mona Pacifica giving up, like, what, 130 points? Over 140 points almost between two matches.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: And scoring 19 to end their season when they had... You know, they they ended five points out of the playoffs.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like. yeah
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: ah
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, for them to just... They just fumbled it, really. It's just like...
Jarrod Dyke: It's really disappointing. And, i you know, I had a lot of hope for them after the way they started and the way they played against the Blues.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: And, yeah, to go to the Chiefs and the Canes and just to spit it completely is...
Grumpy Old Prop: But. Yeah, that's just a brutal, brutal way to end the season.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: who Yeah, I mean, tough tough in terms of schedule, but really, like, you know it's coming.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: So you gotta rock up. there' There's nothing else you can do.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's not not happening. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, then all of a sudden you say, oh, no never mind, we don't want this to be your schedule.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. We're change the schedule just to, you know, but you guys are you guys are looking like you're going to win some games.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, it doesn't work that way.
Grumpy Old Prop: All right. We'll change that schedule for you. No.
Jarrod Dyke: It's not how she works, guys.
Grumpy Old Prop: and Doesn't work that way.
Jarrod Dyke: No.
Jarrod Dyke: So yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: And also, so now we got we we have to mention it going into this because this is such a weird competition.
Grumpy Old Prop: And like, so Jared and I are texting today, like, okay, so what happens now with these the top six teams, like in a quarterfinal?
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, how does that work? So yeah, so one team is going to lose and and continue to the to the semis. and And the Chiefs are already guaranteed they that this game doesn't matter. If they win or if they lose, they're still going through.
Grumpy Old Prop: because they're the top seed. Like, that's wild.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that seems...
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, why not give them a bye then and let another team in? um You know, if you're going to do it that way.
Grumpy Old Prop: You know, kind of, it would be like the NFL does it, which is weird.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, could have been better in that in that kid and that case.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. No, I'm with you on that one.
Grumpy Old Prop: Because like, you know, if I'm, if I'm coaching the Chiefs, I might just say, you know what? we'll put our second side out there for this match, give ourselves a break, mid, you know, late season. Send our second side out there, have them, you know, whatever happens, happens. And if, you know, that... Blues aren't, like, they're beat, they're gettable with a second side.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, whatever. Even if we lose, we're going on.
Jarrod Dyke: Right.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it's just...
Grumpy Old Prop: ah Yeah, i don't quite...
Jarrod Dyke: I'm... Yeah, um I'm all for something different, but sometimes... If it sounds silly on paper, you probably need to reconsider it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: I think this one probably should have been in whatever meeting this was decided on On paper, it should have been like, it sounds kind of dumb, guys. Like, maybe we go back and reorganize this one.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I don't know. i' ah um um'm I'm at a loss for this one.
Grumpy Old Prop: But um ultimately, Chiefs, as as the top of the table, I think that's entirely due to Damian McKenzie. and And again, if you've been listening to the pod, you've heard me say over and over again, he's not a 10.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: He's been playing like a 10 this year. I got to say. It started out didn't start out that way, but he's moved into that role and really settled in to the point where it's like, okay, I don't mind it. like I mean, especially with the rest of the backs. like I think it's it's ah it's been more of a, okay, I can trust my...
Grumpy Old Prop: Sanders in back three and I don't have to be the guy to do everything. um And that's really what settled him in.
Grumpy Old Prop: So
Grumpy Old Prop: um yeah, that's, you know, if that happened, obviously that, you know, they're going to be one of the best teams in the comp. So they ended up being the best team. um Crusaders I thought was just shocked though at two did not see that coming.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. I mean, and really, if you think about it, ah i would you look at their 10 shirt, and if we're honest, their best 10 has been coming off the bench most the game, most of the season, rather, excuse me.
Grumpy Old Prop: yep
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah I mean and then they're they' know they're not even being hurt for a good portion of the year um they've overcome oh he's been good too where is it huh
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, Hotham. Although, what was the kid's name the other kid's name that came in and played pretty well for a little while? Another young guy. then there's Mitchell Drummond.
Jarrod Dyke: He's a guy. He happened.
Grumpy Old Prop: and i'm here too it's like the i'm doing my part i'm doing my part i didn't do fucking shit
Jarrod Dyke: He played somewhere in there.
Grumpy Old Prop: like
Jarrod Dyke: yeah that one's him.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah preston preston's the guy youre talking about coming off the bench um yeah yeah hot him and and yeah
Jarrod Dyke: That one's him.
Jarrod Dyke: That's the winner. Thank you.
Jarrod Dyke: and we win. Ooh. um About an hour ago, I think. Am I seeing this right? Amu has been ruled out for the Hurricanes.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Originally named, but ruled out. So I'm guessing Tuputupu starts. Or maybe they liked every lot. So maybe... Maybe they move him into the starting role and and let Tupu Tupu go from where he was going to.
Grumpy Old Prop: I do like that. I would prefer that lineup myself. Were i a Hurricanes fan?
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. um I mean, and then good news is they have the two outside backs that they've been missing last couple rounds.
Jarrod Dyke: Harkin and Punivai are both, it looks like they're both healthy again, so that's good.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sweet.
Jarrod Dyke: So, sign me up.
Jarrod Dyke: Good old times. Yeah, so buckling buckle up. and but yeah I feel like Hurricanes and Brumbies last, isn't it?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes.
Jarrod Dyke: I feel like you should do that first if you're going to do it this way. I'm just saying. I feel like that should be the first game of the weekend.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, it it kind of kind of lends itself to buttfuckery. Because like if the Crusaders and Chiefs both win, the game literally doesn't matter.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, like it'll be really it's going to be the two of them playing to see you who gets to play the Crusaders and who gets to play the Chiefs. And in terms of like if I have someone on the field, well, you don't necessarily want either, but yeah obviously there's one over the other.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Do you really want either?
Jarrod Dyke: um And really, like if I have someone on the field and we were talking about with the Saints game the other week when they're playing Saracen, it's the same idea. You have someone on the field. right, let them play. If they can get through unscathed, great. If they pick up something small, you're in that case, you're probably almost automatically going, he's off.
Jarrod Dyke: i don't want I don't want him out there. we don't need him to finish this game. So we're going to say no. Bryce Campbell's having words.
Grumpy Old Prop: Bryce Campbell is giving it to a referee.
Jarrod Dyke: i can't I don't have my sound on, so I don't know what he's saying, but he is not happy.
Grumpy Old Prop: he's He's... I don't know what he's saying. you i don't have it. I don't have it on either, but he's upset because Ali Devoto just got yellow carded because Ali Devoto had a massively high tackle.
Jarrod Dyke: played for extra that's why
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And Bryce is not happy about that. But shut up, Bryce. That's your third yellow card. and You've earned all of them. Your team is not that...
Jarrod Dyke: yeah he's damn what they're damn lucky they're still in front if we're honest yeah i've seen some of them i'm like what are you doing
Grumpy Old Prop: is not be playing this one They really are. It's honestly because because Houston has made some really fucking boneheaded decisions and and executions. like They kicked two or three back through the back of the in area.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Right. Anyway.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, saw the first two of those.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Right.
Jarrod Dyke: I was like, ah that's not a good decision. Or execution, for that matter.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: um Anyway.
Grumpy Old Prop: right anyway
Jarrod Dyke: So, yeah, it's it I feel like they screwed the Super Rugby scheduler screwed this up with Grumbies Hurricanes being last.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: Like, play that one first, and then you can play the you know play that Friday, then can play the other two Saturday, and at least the first one's going to be competitive.
Grumpy Old Prop: right
Grumpy Old Prop: Mm
Jarrod Dyke: Like, guaranteed. Like, these two teams are going to go at it because they don't know
Grumpy Old Prop: hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: what's on the cards for them otherwise.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: So, yeah. No, and no, no. Pass. Yeah, that's high. That's bad from Devoto. He's probably...
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: I think it was nasty, but i think it was bad, just the same.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. That's why I was a yellow because I could if it was like nasty, it would have been a red.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, if he had gone full bore into that tackle, that's definitely a red. But he didn't he didn't.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And the refs already pissed off.
Jarrod Dyke: He kind of pulled up on it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, and they're taking, oh, oh, they took it down. Okay. And not over yet, but fixing to be, there it is in the corner.
Jarrod Dyke: Wait for it. Big money, big money, no whammies, no whammies, and stop.
Grumpy Old Prop: Tie game. Sorry. So we are, we are, you know, live potting the, uh, hounds, the midweek hounds versus Houston Sabercats match.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, if Chicago does end up losing this, then the free Jacks are automatically through, uh, the number one seed. So, right.
Jarrod Dyke: as As a number one. Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: But if the hounds win, then the free Jacks have to win.
Jarrod Dyke: They're already guaranteed a home playoff game, but yeah. Yep, yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Speaking which I gotta to buy my free Jacks ticket, the playoffs.
Jarrod Dyke: that
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, you got to wonder ryan martin if Ryan Martin's watching this and going and wondering about his lineup should this get shaken up a little bit here.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Like, oh suddenly some of my guys are injured. ah
Jarrod Dyke: but yeah Right?
Grumpy Old Prop: but
Jarrod Dyke: And, yeah, because he hasn't named him a team yet, so he's got time.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay, that's true.
Jarrod Dyke: They don't play until Saturday.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay. Yeah, speak of the Free Jacks. Got back to winning ways at... um
Jarrod Dyke: And Quincy on Saturday, which was nice.
Grumpy Old Prop: looking good doing it. looking real Looking sharp.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yeah, had a struggle of a start, to say the least.
Grumpy Old Prop: You know, not... Yeah. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: But found their stride eventually, and, and you know, Seattle had hard time keeping up after that.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, once they started, was Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: I...
Grumpy Old Prop: um it was it was on
Jarrod Dyke: ah I still don't see... what folks see about jp smith like i was overly unimpressed with him playing nine for seattle and i thought both cam and oscar were better than him i thought even at points um his sub had better moments than he did so i i don't get the whole i number one i don't get why we capped him for the united states that doesn't make any sense to me but also like what were we doing like
Grumpy Old Prop: hey
Grumpy Old Prop: e
Jarrod Dyke: what what What movie are we watching where this is all of a sudden like the supposed to be the standard? I missed that one, I guess.
Jarrod Dyke: But no. Pass. Pass, pass. I'd much rather have, you know, basically any of the Knights.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oscar Lennon, who is U.S. qualified now, or a has been.
Jarrod Dyke: He's played for them, so that's the good news.
Grumpy Old Prop: um Okay. Well, yeah, but
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, 98% sure he's played for them. But yeah, no, I'd rather have him than J.B. Smith.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, thank you. Pass. The word is pass.
Grumpy Old Prop: and see like that you know We were talking about before we hit the record button, but weak year from the from the West this year. so I really think it's it's going to be the the you know ah again, not to ah to minimize DC.
Jarrod Dyke: Hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um They have a puncher's chance. as they say, but I think it's, yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: And they got us twice, so...
Grumpy Old Prop: um Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: There's extenuating circumstances around those, but still.
Jarrod Dyke: we did We did not play well in either one of those games. I will i think we can all fully admit that as well.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. And I think the, I thought the away trip, I thought that was like a, I thought it was like a second lineup in a way. Like they didn't really send their best, their A team down, the free Jacks and they didn't play their best.
Jarrod Dyke: We definitely didn't play their best.
Grumpy Old Prop: And then at home it was, think was that the unsell me match the last unsell me match um so
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. um No, it was the it was last week. It was the not last week, two weeks ago. was The Georgian guy.
Grumpy Old Prop: oh yeah yeah he was kind of butt um but yeah they didn't they also didn't play well yeah
Jarrod Dyke: I hadn't seen him before.
Jarrod Dyke: Lex Weiner doesn't know what the fuck he's doing either.
Jarrod Dyke: your Your name's Weiner. And they say mine's stupid.
Grumpy Old Prop: but
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: I can say that. Thank you very much.
Grumpy Old Prop: Although it would be funny if you got, you know, gay married and then you became the dyke wieners. And I'm still 12.
Jarrod Dyke: ah
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yes, it would be. I can't not admit that.
Grumpy Old Prop: ah ah
Jarrod Dyke: Yes, it absolutely would be.
Grumpy Old Prop: and i'm still twelve
Jarrod Dyke: yeah ah Please, I'm fucking still five at five at heart. Let's be honest about this. so ah That's funny. Oh, shit. um Anyway.
Jarrod Dyke: ah
Grumpy Old Prop: What?
Jarrod Dyke: We, so ended up not being able to make the match and Kathleen and I went with Lachlan and our BFF that sits next to you was telling me that Banshees, for some reason, were not kicking for goal after tries on Saturday.
Grumpy Old Prop: but
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, i don't I don't remember. I didn't quite catch it all, but that's the gist I got from it and I have questions. Like many of them.
Grumpy Old Prop: I, I, I, yeah, whatever. It's a new league. They aren't, I don't think like they've got the right coach yet.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, yeah, let's put it that way.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, they, you know, they, and yeah, that's just a big stumble for them too right there.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'll be done with that.
Jarrod Dyke: Like, you once,
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Because they kicked pretty well the the the match I went against um against the Exiles. like They hit most of their conversions from from tough angles. So maybe and maybe their kicker was injured. I don't i don't know.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: But at the same time, have someone else...
Jarrod Dyke: Well, I saw, I also, go ahead.
Grumpy Old Prop: Have someone else go. Have a go.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Right. Right. Yeah. No, totally. I and agree. Like if you're, if your fifth place fifth choice kicker is when you got, that's what you do. Like, yeah, I don't know.
Grumpy Old Prop: Here's here's the thing.
Jarrod Dyke: I have a hard time believing that.
Grumpy Old Prop: for, for any team out there. and And maybe it's not true for this. I don't know. But if you have, if you really are are out of options and your backs just don't feel like they're up to it, fucking send the prop out there.
Grumpy Old Prop: They will surprise you.
Jarrod Dyke: Someone's going to want to Someone's going to want to kick. someone's gonna want to check
Grumpy Old Prop: I, my, uh, one time I was, um, what was it? It was a B side, but like we had a, um, kind of an egotistical 10 who, uh,
Grumpy Old Prop: didn't want his perfect kicking record on the season being, being blemished on a, on a try in the corner. And so i was like, all right, Ben, you know, like you've always said it here, you, you take this one. And I fucking nailed it.
Grumpy Old Prop: So um yeah, give it, give it to a prop and and challenge him like that or her and ill let it rip.
Grumpy Old Prop: Give it someone with a fucking donkey leg.
Jarrod Dyke: They'll oblige.
Grumpy Old Prop: Cause props have donkey legs.
Jarrod Dyke: wait It won't be the prettiest one.
Grumpy Old Prop: We might not be accurate all the time, but when it's accurate, it's going through. yeah
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Anyway, so yeah, and with the top two being the team the two that get through, i'd say it's going to be Onyx and Breakers that are going to see the final here for them.
Grumpy Old Prop: Likely. again Onyx are an unfair roster, but the league did not...
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, they... yeah they they They stacked that one team. I know the league doesn't have much influence over it, but... um
Jarrod Dyke: No, more players choice than anything, I think.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Still... Yeah. Don't like
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Superlatives.
Jarrod Dyke: um
Jarrod Dyke: Those that outdid themselves.
Grumpy Old Prop: it. I'd say Orlando Bailey. did himself very proud.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, did well. Agreed. Agreed, agreed. i had I had him on my on my list.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, yep.
Jarrod Dyke: um shout Shout to Cam, Dudley Calametti.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, ah yes.
Jarrod Dyke: shout to Shout to Cam, big time. Scored a wonderful try and just, yeah, looked good.
Grumpy Old Prop: Did.
Jarrod Dyke: And your boy, Brock Webster.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, honestly, he's like, i so you were talking about our friend, um, next to us. Um, his lady friend asked me, you know, where where did, where did, where did the Webster come from? And I was like, wherever he came from, he should go back there.
Grumpy Old Prop: And they thought that was hilarious. And, and but I got to say, after I said that, which was like towards having halftime of the, was it the DC match?
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Last week or two weeks ago, whatever it was.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, it was the DC match.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yeah,
Grumpy Old Prop: And he he has been fucking on fire. Like, his second half was excellent. His whole game, um i thought, um against ah against Seattle was was was quality.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, fucking shut my mouth. um Like, i'll i'll i'll I'll cop to it when someone changes my mind. and And, yeah, he's he had a game that that he I saw stuff from him that I hadn't seen before.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. because If he brings that version of himself, I feel very good about things going on.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yes. Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. um
Jarrod Dyke: Shad it.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'd say a lot, a lot of the bath team for, it shouldn't have been that close.
Jarrod Dyke: I mean, I think a lot of the youngsters stood up well. I think some of the...
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm sorry. Not the bath team. I'm sorry. Not the bathroom. I'm at sale. Sorry. Sale.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, sale. Okay, fair.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sale. um I, want I, I, yeah, misspoke.
Jarrod Dyke: That's fair.
Grumpy Old Prop: My bad. I was like wait, what are you talking about? I'm like, that would they started there. Oh no, no, no. I was like, oh, I said the wrong thing.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah You were probably looking at Bath and thinking sale.
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah
Jarrod Dyke: I've done that before, too.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, probably.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um,
Jarrod Dyke: yeah i Yeah, I agree on that. Taz. Taz. Oof. <unk>s bo
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Lester, I see what you were talking about now. Just, I'm going to say it right now. I see what you were talking about now, okay?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: but It's fair fair call.
Grumpy Old Prop: yep You made the right choice.
Jarrod Dyke: Fair call. ah Yeah, no, they did. They did. They did. um Some of the Moana players, honestly, not all of them, but some of them.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Just, yeah. Not quite the spirit that we had seen of them.
Grumpy Old Prop: Not not you, Artie. not Not you.
Jarrod Dyke: Pole was the one that
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: picked up a ah card i was like that's gonna be bad news for him i think they end up ah deeming it being a red even though um i think it was near full time so um but they end up deeming it being a red because i think he's getting banned for three weeks so whatever whatever competition he's playing in next no he's not so nope you are not sir you are not uh
Grumpy Old Prop: <unk>
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah Wherever you thought you were playing, no you're not.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, I'm sorry. I want to go back to one um outdid themselves, which he does it all the time. But have a Tevin ally, I want to give him ah a shout and ah in a losing effort.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Just the guy just fucking brings it all the time.
Jarrod Dyke: Should play for the All Blacks this summer.
Jarrod Dyke: So we'll see.
Grumpy Old Prop: I can't disagree with that unless.
Jarrod Dyke: But I would, if I was a betting man, if I was a betting man.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: All right. um
Jarrod Dyke: Ref, young player, coaches, any but any of them?
Grumpy Old Prop: So I'm going to go with a ref. I do have a ref this week.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: And I'm going to see Anthony Woodthorpe.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Alright.
Grumpy Old Prop: in in a a match that, i you know, there was there was there was something on the line for it. I thought he handled the game well. I thought he kept the flow going. And um really, these are two teams that are just one of just want to play rugby.
Grumpy Old Prop: And I felt felt like he'd let them play really, really well. Didn't ah didn't make it about himself.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah, that's fair.
Grumpy Old Prop: didn't i i didn't really have anything. I enjoyed watching the game to the point where I didn't even notice him. So that's really where I'm going with it. Like...
Jarrod Dyke: That says a lot sometimes, you know?
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And for ah for a big game, and that was the one that I had on the big screen because I like salaries I figured we're were going to win.
Jarrod Dyke: What does say a lot?
Grumpy Old Prop: So I had that on the on the little screen. um You know, maybe I had, the you know, the volume kind of medium on it because I was like, yeah I kind of expected what what happened there. But I really, you know really needed to know Gloucester because that was the if if Gloucester lost, then obviously that would open the door, assuming, you know, say Bristol shattered or something would have opened the door.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm. So that be say that was the first domino of two of two that needed to follow or, know, whatever order you wanted to put it in.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, right.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: um And I, and yeah, I thought it was an enjoyable match. um and I kept that one on most of the most of the time I did switch over to to Bristol for a little bit until that was clear as to which way that was going.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: But yeah, I thought I thought he did a good job. No, no question. No, no. Major concerns there.
Jarrod Dyke: Very nice. Very nice. um Yeah, I mean, yeah. And I mean, in terms of young players, um I think we can just give most of the Beth team their due on that one.
Jarrod Dyke: They they really, you know, they they they knew how they won they were supposed to play because of
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Van Graan and you know he had he showed them not just similar to how the Saracens like to do things a lot or most teams but certainly Saracens comes to mind because a lot of them know exactly what's expected of them um yeah like they they fell into their system yeah they fell into their system and despite who the bodies were that were filling the jerseys a lot of them still did their jobs and did their jobs well so yeah loads of credit to that young bath team so that's where that's at
Grumpy Old Prop: yeah You know, Van Grand was my coach of the week too. so Because they did.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And that's, that's hugely impressive because you, you know, generally if you, if you switch out one or two guys, it's okay. Young guy, just do your job. We'll get through it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, in this case it was okay. All you young guys, uh, just do your jobs and we'll get through it. And they all did. That's, that's, that's good coaching.
Jarrod Dyke: right yeah exactly yep
Grumpy Old Prop: Um, and, and good, good on the players for, for, um, rocking up. My young player was Jack Cotgrieve though, uh, with a hat trick. um In a big game.
Jarrod Dyke: yep yeah yeah absolutely yeah but big place to step up for sure for sure um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Try the week.
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, I have i have ah ah three tries of the week. One from from from different different different standards of rugby.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Okay.
Grumpy Old Prop: one One from Brookline High School. ah Where... Um, your, your young promising 10, well, a senior, but the still, um, you know, 18 year old tent just laid up a beautiful chip, um, that your winger ran onto.
Grumpy Old Prop: And I, I, you know, um, I'm not going to mention names cause they're, they're minors. So, so I don't want to, um, you know, but put their names on blast out to the, to the, the, you know, dozen people who are listening.
Jarrod Dyke: ah Yeah, give him a few months at least.
Grumpy Old Prop: um But that that that try was just fucking beautiful to open up the the game and then really set the tone for the game too. of oh Oh, hey, can you guys do this? like you do you have this in your in your book, in your playbook?
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, oh, definitely.
Grumpy Old Prop: And really they didn't. So um ah in chicago Chicago ends up winning.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, definitely.
Grumpy Old Prop: so
Jarrod Dyke: Chicago has one, but they've only gotten two tries out of it, so...
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: I think if we get two bonus points, then we might be in business. Maybe, maybe not.
Grumpy Old Prop: Fair enough. Either way, um second the the second...
Jarrod Dyke: um In any case. Yeah, i you can see. So it's funny because i was watch I've been obviously watching the game tape last week. And you can see a couple of the kids from the other team like have their hands in the air like, what the fuck are you guys doing back there?
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: It's like, well, they probably didn't understand what was happening until it was way too late, unfortunately.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep, and that's the that's oh that's the best feeling in rugby.
Jarrod Dyke: too.
Jarrod Dyke: to the kid do it to the kid's credit that know from our boys you know to our boys credit now know they they knew exactly what was happening way before the other team did so it worked out well
Grumpy Old Prop: Well, the worst when you're them, but...
Grumpy Old Prop: yep because it was off of continued and it wasn't just like out of nowhere it was off of you know continued possession and like if your 10 really wanted to and there was another one where if your 10 really wanted he could have scored um himself and then passed it off but like that's the thing it's like you know what this is if if if I just get the weight right on this nobody's between my winger and the try zone so I'll just give it a little nudge and and yeah
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. No, he's got a pretty good foot on him, thankfully.
Grumpy Old Prop: And speaking of giving a little nudge and having it work out great, um my my so my second try of the week was ah was Cam, Nordly Calametti.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Yep. Yeah. Brock got lit up on that, too.
Grumpy Old Prop: For like... Yeah. and And I think, what, second week in a row where... Well, not second week in a row, but second and three matches where the Free Jacks chip it and the the defense, the the back three defense just fucking bottles it.
Grumpy Old Prop: And the Free Jacks end up with a ball and...
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, yeah. The Miami game. Yeah, yeah,
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, my God.
Grumpy Old Prop: And this one, it wasn't a prop, but it was, yeah know it was, ah it was the nine, oh which makes a lot more sense. You
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that that does make more sense. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: um you know, nine finishing it. And then the other was another nine was, was Thomas Williams. um The backbreaker try that he had to, well, that he finished, um which
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: He's been immense.
Grumpy Old Prop: went through all the hands.
Jarrod Dyke: He's been a immense for that team, for sure.
Grumpy Old Prop: I think, so I think it was Seb Atkinson who said, who, who had the last before him and, and just put him away. So yeah, that's a, that's a fun team to watch. I like, you know they, they have been and not, not of late, but um they're getting back to that.
Jarrod Dyke: Back to that is good. jim Yeah, I agree.
Jarrod Dyke: um Yeah, my mine would have been Cam's, so there we go.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Player of the week.
Grumpy Old Prop: I play the weakest is, uh,
Grumpy Old Prop: it's a kind of a split between Thomas Williams and, um, and Christian Wade for me. And again, that was the game I spent on this, but like, you know, I watched most of, but at the same time, like they were just downright impressive.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay, good.
Grumpy Old Prop: And, You know, of all the other matches that we saw, know, the Super Rugby was just a fucking wash. It doesn't like there was no one individual player that I saw that was like a standout like, wow, this guy was really amazing.
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, sorry. One exception for that. And that is Lockie Anderson, ah home who had what, four tries for.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. How many score? Four. Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: um So good for him. So I guess I will throw him out there.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah. No, good choice. Yeah. I mean, there were...
Jarrod Dyke: There was a point where I thought going into the Hurricanes and Moana game, like, oh, man, Moana's going to bring the Thunder. This is tough game. Not dissimilar to someone of the way they played us um when we went to North Harbor, but...
Jarrod Dyke: um Yeah, disappointed with the way they play, but I thought, I mean, who's going to take All Blacks 9 shirt off Cam Rehgard?
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: He keeps doing what he's doing. Nobody.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like maybe Rattama, but that's like, that's a big maybe.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, that's probably the biggest maybe of all. I'd say it's Rehgard's lose.
Grumpy Old Prop: Like in that maybe, maybe he doesn't, maybe doesn't take the nine off of him, but maybe he takes his place as a 21. Um, um
Jarrod Dyke: Maybe.
Grumpy Old Prop: but that's, ah that's really the closest one at the moment.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay. ah Yeah. Oh, Dick of the
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, my dick of the week is, is from outside of our normal comp structure. Um, but it's, it's Jaden Hendricks, uh, um
Jarrod Dyke: Oh, man. This whole thing. Jesus.
Grumpy Old Prop: like
Jarrod Dyke: Munster and penalty goals. Not good.
Grumpy Old Prop: but yeah well that yeah um i i just don't like i like fun shithousery and i feel like we're getting a little bit too much negative shithousery um i like the cheek of a wink but i also don't like the implication of yeah i'm i'm fake of course i'm faking this like
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. There was a...
Grumpy Old Prop: It's not a good look.
Jarrod Dyke: No, it isn't. And I think he probably could have held off with it, not real it but not not realizing the situation he had put himself in. um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: or that he was currently in. I did see a pretty good a photo of his leg, and it appeared to be having a very good cramp. So I'll give him that.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, you know, so some of some of us, some of us when when we're properly trained, our calves just look like that because they're just that awesome. But... I'm going to go ahead and probably agree with you on that, on his, in this instance.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, it depends. Yeah. Yeah. Cause there, and because I do what I do, like I can see when things look different than that. And to me, that looked like one that had just decided to contract and stop and stop releasing.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: So that's what that looked like to me.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Um, but yeah, maybe just button down that wig a little bit there, buddy. Just a little bit.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right. Like, especially when you're being accused of faking it for gamesmanship, like that's,
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: not it's not a good look right
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, you know you know it's going to come. That's the thing. You know it's going to... It's probably coming. So just maybe... Turn it down a little bit.
Grumpy Old Prop: and so yeah and that's why it's not like you know it's not more than just hey you're that's a dick move so but in in a way like a little almost like a respectful dick of the week like uh because again i do like the positive shithouser i just thought that was a little little much i don't like the the look of that the way it went down
Jarrod Dyke: Turn it down a little bit.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: No, yeah, you're right. The optics of it aren't aren't great. Yep. I'll agree. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: It's not as bad as the the um the dickery with. ah um
Grumpy Old Prop: Oh, what's his name? um I lost it. The those Northampton flanker and the the pulse. um
Jarrod Dyke: oh yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: Like, guys, like you want to like push your like the start. Like you don't want to make fun of the stars. Like give them their props. Like, good. We beat you.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: Not don't rub it in their face. Just be like, look at how good we are because we like you fucking.
Grumpy Old Prop: You know, could have kicked our ass, but we overcame like show love. Not not not that. But um yeah, this is a different kind of dick of the week this week for me.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah
Grumpy Old Prop: Did you do you have one?
Jarrod Dyke: Different kind. No, I'm going just abstain.
Grumpy Old Prop: Dickless this week.
Jarrod Dyke: Abstain this week. um Yeah, ah so let's go pick them.
Jarrod Dyke: Premiership, semifinal, Bath-Bristol.
Jarrod Dyke: Friday night.
Grumpy Old Prop: This is a bit of... It's not... but and If it was neutral ground, a bit of a coin flip you know what in a way.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: But I just don't i don't see Bath. I'm impressed that Bristol made the final the top four.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm still not seeing it what i everything I would like to see from them. um I'm not sure if they're going to get up against Bath's top side. i don't think I just don't think they have the firepower at all.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I think this is this is going to be a hard year to deny Beth.
Grumpy Old Prop: So, Bath.
Jarrod Dyke: So, yeah, I'm going with the guys playing at home.
Jarrod Dyke: Leicester Sale.
Grumpy Old Prop: This This one's kind of this like Sale have the defense But at the same time Lester have that attack that They have a dimension that Sale don't have Still So Lester Yeah um And You know it depends you know if Kata gets an early red Or something like that things could change
Jarrod Dyke: Saturday.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: They have back rowers that know how to attack.
Jarrod Dyke: Things could totally change. i agree. Yeah, we talked about that before.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: But like, i you know i look one through 15 and even one through 23 for these two teams. And to me, it's not all, it's not all Lester, but you know there's, there's a couple ties. There's a couple of, yeah, they're about evens. And then there's a couple of the, this is no, no question.
Grumpy Old Prop: And there's not many, you know, there's not many on sales side. Let's put it that way. So, and then it's at, the you know, it's at Welford road.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: I feel like sailor a little bit of a home home or team um just for their style of play.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Grumpy Old Prop: So I don't think that's going to travel as well to to the tiger enclosure.
Jarrod Dyke: They like those comforts.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. and this And this is a rematch of two years ago as well.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: in this picture.
Grumpy Old Prop: Also true.
Jarrod Dyke: and So, and it's, ah it was the inverse, but yeah. Semi-final.
Grumpy Old Prop: Right.
Jarrod Dyke: Sale up. Lester and Sale. It was the inverse before, but yeah. Yeah, I don't see, that i don't see how the Tiger, the only way I see the Tigers losing is, as we mentioned before, Kata does something really boneheaded and gets a red, which is possible. Totally not ruling it out.
Jarrod Dyke: um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: But yeah, I think, I think, I think Lester will, will come out on top.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Super. I'm super.
Grumpy Old Prop: Thanks for asking.
Jarrod Dyke: ah
Jarrod Dyke: I mean, there may be irrelevant, but actually, that's not the relevant one. But yeah, so. Chiefs Blues.
Grumpy Old Prop: um I'm going with the Chiefs.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I think, though, I don't. I think the Blues still had to do a lot in the last three, four weeks to get here. I don't know if they got the the energy to keep going in that fashion. So
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah, I'm going to, I will go with the chiefs.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Jarrod Dyke: Reds Crusaders.
Grumpy Old Prop: I don't like... Australia traveling to New Zealand. I can't back it.
Jarrod Dyke: Right. I think that's the hard part for me.
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Jarrod Dyke: I think if this was the inverse, I'd give the reds some credit here, you know?
Grumpy Old Prop: Absolutely. Absolutely. And I still give them, again, puncher's chance. I still give them actually better than a puncher's chance. I'm leaning 55-45 in this instance. Maybe 60-40. But... fifty five forty five in this and this instance maybe sixty forty
Jarrod Dyke: right
Grumpy Old Prop: um
Grumpy Old Prop: but Yeah, I just i think the Crusaders, as you know, I'm impressed with the way they've been playing, and it's going to be hard. Like, they're they' they've got a good squad that plays well together, and, you know, I don't...
Grumpy Old Prop: Lockie Anderson's not putting four tries down on this Crusaders team.
Jarrod Dyke: No, probably not.
Grumpy Old Prop: Sorry, dude.
Jarrod Dyke: Probably not.
Grumpy Old Prop: If they just had a little bit of a better roster, um but we'd see. But actually, I haven't even seen the starters for them.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: haven't seen the stars yet? Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: haven't, I have, yeah, I didn't actually check out the, hold
Jarrod Dyke: Lamps out.
Grumpy Old Prop: um on, don't want to check them out.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah. Well, i didn't have a team to go to go draft or anything, so I wasn't ready to rush to it.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Right. Yeah. I mean, you know, that's interesting. Okay. So yeah, flukes back. I'm going to go to 11, but it's still Anderson and Campbell. And I don't understand why is Tim Ryan, if Tim Ryan was out there, maybe we're, we're talking something different, but.
Grumpy Old Prop: Him on the bench, i don't agree with that. Like, put your best players out there. just you know Although, if your hockey is started...
Jarrod Dyke: yeah he's a question mark for me but overall I see the Crusaders getting this done so in the grand scheme of things that's where i see this going yep agreed
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. Yep. I think they'll just find a way. And I don't know that the Reds will.
Jarrod Dyke: no I think it'll be really hard really hard to ask for them um Okay, and then Crusaders Brumbies.
Grumpy Old Prop: I mean, you mean hurricanes, Brumbies? Do you see Crusaders or is that just me?
Jarrod Dyke: yeah Sorry, Hurricane Brumbies. I did say Crusaders.
Grumpy Old Prop: Okay. Okay.
Jarrod Dyke: Sorry, I Crusaders on my brain. um
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah, and I've had a little of to drink.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, yes, sorry.
Grumpy Old Prop: So I'm like, did he just say what I think he's...
Jarrod Dyke: I did.
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm going to go with the Canes, um even though they're away. there's an i just... I'm not sold on this Brombees team.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, I mean, they've they've done this dance before.
Grumpy Old Prop: Yeah. And I really like a lot of what I see of this the Canes team. um There's just a lot to like. And then you look at who's coming off the bench too, and it's a lot better than what the Brumbies are bringing off the bench at every level.
Jarrod Dyke: Mm-hmm.
Jarrod Dyke: Yep.
Jarrod Dyke: Yeah, fingers crossed, man. I'll take that, and I assume i assume if it ends up being ah cur hurricanes when they're going to play the crusaders and then the brummies will go to um walk it out to play to play the chiefs that's what i assume at least
Grumpy Old Prop: The chefs.
Grumpy Old Prop: Which I'd be fine with. I like that. i Yeah. That's a good plan.
Jarrod Dyke: yeah yeah hopefully that's how it happens
Grumpy Old Prop: I'm all in favor of it.
Jarrod Dyke: Okay, um that'll do it for us for this. We will do a brief fancy corner minute, and if you're going join us over there, we'll see you over there. If not, go ahead and enjoy yourselves some postseason rugby, and we'll catch you guys next week. Thanks a lot for listening to us, and we'll catch you guys next week, hopefully. Have a good one, everyone.
Grumpy Old Prop: Later.
Jarrod Dyke: just
