Your 2011 Rugby Union Highs and Lows

First topic message reminder :

I know there's still four days to go until we say ta-ta to 2011 for good, but I thought it'd be great to do a little thread about your personal rugby highlights and some low ones. It can be absolutely anything rugby related - a favourite moment during a game, a particular try, something you heard in an interview or in the crowd...anything you like as long as it's rugby. So come on, let's have 'em...

The

- Meeting Tommy Bowe in January. No further elaboration needed... awesome!
- The Heineken Cup Final in Cardiff in May. Absolutely superb weekend, and the match didn't disappoint either. Epic. Brilliant atmosphere everywhere.
- The "wrong ball" try during the Wales v Ireland Six Nations match. Just cause it looked good from where I was sitting! Good day out that was too.
- Ireland v England match in the Six Nations. The best game of the competition this year I reckon.
- Wales v South Africa in the World Cup. I did cry at the end though, but a much needed performance from the Welsh boys to set the tone for the rest of their tournament.
- Shirts - some tidy ones about including the ladies Wales home shirt (much better than the previous ones) and Ireland's red training top which looks Welsh
- Tommy Bowe's run against Australia in the World Cup pool game. I think I had an organism.
- Watching the world cup semi final in the Millennium Stadium with all the other fans. It was just like a match day without the the squad on the pitch.
- The Ospreys winning start to the newly named Rabo season...shame it didn't last, but it was fun whilst it did.

The

- The closure of old 606 - just a bummer. Although I won't moan too much cause it did bring us this!
- Injuries - there's been a lot of them, most notably for me was poor David Wallace getting a serious knee injury in a warm up match just before what would have been his last RWC.
- Warbs red card - not disagreeing with the decision, I just think it was a fly in the ointment for our RWC. Over there and on here.
- My next door neighbour being a noisy git and spoiling some RWC viewing for me cause I couldn't get to sleep early enough to get up/stay up in time for one or two games.
- James Hook going to France - I know it's better for him in the long run, but I miss him at the O's
- Ospreys missing out on (what was then) the Magners League as well as the Heino.

I'll probably think of more as time goes on, but if I don't post this now, I never will...

Just a couple of quickies (ooh err Missus ) as the Boss is right behind me but....

Low: Watching the Wales vs France semi in an Irish theme pub in Frankfurt and not with friends and family as no matter the result or which side you were shouting for it was an epic, nail biting match.

Highs: The little guy who was sat behind me in the pub and put up with my rather vociferous encouragement of the Welshies and the equally loud shouting in a tongue-in-cheek manner at the French to lose who came out after the match while I was smoking a commiseratory (it's a word!! ) ciggie and said: *Puts on Allo Allo-esque rubbish French accent* "Allo, aye am Fronch an yoo shood ave won zat!" and then shook my hand before toddling off.

The phone call I got from my mid-septuagenarian mother who'd gone down to watch the match at the Millenium with her old school chums from back in the day in Pontypool and she came out with the immortal line "It was a great day but we're not taking Elsie out with us again. She got so drunk she fell over in front of the cameras, broke the heel of her shoes and peed her knickers in front of everyone!"

big boobies, a French man on a........... well, maybe his technique is all wrong (less teeth more lips should do it)............... and someone piddling.

Ahhh, the memories.....! Are you sure you stopped off at the right thread?

Highlights-
Wales' WC performance.
Shane Williams' last try, it was unbelievable.
Winning the league for the first time in 30 years with my college.
First game for Uni.
First game for my club's men's side.
Stepping a winger during training (Silly one I know, but it was a rare occasion for a prop to do that).

Low points.
Warburton's sending off.
Losing to France.
Losing to SA.
Losing to Australia.
Losing to England.
Shane retiring.

Making a break from inside my 22 handing off the opposition center (breaking his nose in the process ), then out paceing the wing and fullback to score under the post not bad for a 37yr old second/back row forward. the only problem ws what happened after i scored

England in the world cup (need an icon for steaming pile of doggydoo)

Here you go Knackered:

Highs - the year is over

Lows - most of the Scotland International performances

Knackeredknees wrote:Making a break from inside my 22 handing off the opposition center (breaking his nose in the process ), then out paceing the wing and fullback to score under the post not bad for a 37yr old second/back row forward. the only problem ws what happened after i scored

England in the world cup (need an icon for steaming pile of doggydoo)

wtf...why would anyone regard breaking someone's nose as a high? You're playing the wrong sport if you relish causing injury to a player, jesus who is playing rugby these days.

Gatts - I think KK was referring to the try he scored rather than breaking someone's nose...that was just bad luck by the sounds.

Gatts wrote:

Knackeredknees wrote:Making a break from inside my 22 handing off the opposition center (breaking his nose in the process ), then out paceing the wing and fullback to score under the post not bad for a 37yr old second/back row forward. the only problem ws what happened after i scored

England in the world cup (need an icon for steaming pile of doggydoo)

wtf...why would anyone regard breaking someone's nose as a high? You're playing the wrong sport if you relish causing injury to a player, jesus who is playing rugby these days.

Gatts i've been playing "these days" for 21 years in a senior side and thats only the second time i've broke someone's bones while playing, As Cari said i was unaware that it had happened, he came in high and i handed him off, just unlucky it hit the sweetspot. As soon as i realised what had happened i apoligised and he was fine as he knew it was not intentional.
Can you honestly say that in your playing career you have never unintentionaly hurt anyone while being tackled or tackling?

High - Was at Thomond park for the London Irish game in Jan. (Last game i went to before moving to Canada). Was in the North terrace just in front of the big screen. The LI subs were warming up on the dead ball line but stopped and faced the crowd to watch a replay on the screen. There was silence except for one lad with a real limerick accent shouts 'What the f*** you looking at?'

Was in tears laughing.