Damian has never shown an ability to read play. He is at best rather mediocre when running scripted sequences. In his early days it was the case that he was set free on the outside, he used to target the outer shoulder and move outwards. He has since become blinkered and looks inside and looks for contact first. He isn't particularly effective in either capacity, but there was more potential for that strong leg drive when in space. Damian does nothing particularly well. It's as simpl e as that. Poor skills, poor field awareness, can't sum up situations and is rather passive. You'll bamboozle him with a move, and he'll keep falling for the same ploy all game long. He seems like a great person off the field, but on it, he doesn't tick any boxes. He was never a real centre at heart. His potential was at 13, but his defence and reading of play was too poor, so he got lumped in the basher category.
AO
Should I believe Pollard or you - our local village idiot - in this case, To believe anything you write on site is highly dangerous. since your knowledge of real rugby is basically zero.
If you must believe any, believe the video evidence. What do you suppose Pollard is going to say? That Damian is stupid and makes too many mistakes, that he has poor skills? Really? Pollard has taken some flack because of Damian, you yourself have taken Pollard to task for things that Damian did wrong. You are not a true Bok fan, just one of the plastics. Nothing more.
Listen dimness - it was not only Pollard who praised De Allende - the English commentators all praised him. Greenwood said of you stop De Allende you neutralize the whole Springbok backline. And the rugby genius Erasmus have an extremely high regard for him as well. It must be borne in mind that you are the biggest idiot who ever posted on this site - so nothing new expected from you.
What flak did Pollard got for things De Allende did wrong poofter?
Not like these MSM endorsed and promoted neo-liberal ideas. Silly Pablo.
I am very angry with my beloved Pumas and with Matera.
Anger that I extend to the social group that practices rugby in Argentina and to which I belong.
We are the social group that gave sustenance in my country to the military dictatorships and that supported all the coups d'état against popular governments.
We are the social group that always stood on the side of North American interference against national interests.
However, I always embraced the hope that the love of the shirt could inoculate my social group with some love for the country and its people.
What happened last Saturday made me despair.
How is it possible that in the antipodes of our country the All Blacks have felt what we have not? they made a tribute to Maradona and our players do not. Pumas showed disconnection with the feelings of common people.
To make matters worse, this happens a few months after a scandal where a group of rugby players of privileged class boys ruthlessly murder a disadvantaged class boy in a disco.
Do you want to tell me how we do now in Argentina for rugby to become a popular sport?
My apologies for Matera’s unacceptable remarks about South Africa.
In relation to the latter I wanted to give a bit of context on this subject to avoid any confusion.
I believe that the UAR should have handled the crisis differently and not made Matera the scapegoat for a moral crisis affecting the social group that plays rugby in Argentina. Pablo Matera should have apologized and excluded himself for a few games.
I'm sure he's someone who's shifted his mind over the past few years. And as he himself asserts, he is not proud of having supported the ideas that are now known to all.
I want to point out that even if his words are aberrant and condemnable, they are much less racist than classist. It may be difficult to understand outside of Latin America, but with us there is a phobia of the poor or of the plebs. When Matera attacks Bolivians or blacks it is much less a racial issue than a social issue. With us the poor are people of color. But as soon as a person of color get money and gives up their plebeian culture they have their place in the social group of the rugby world. It's still aberrant, but it's not racism. Just the phobia of the poor. Despite everything, I remain hopeful that Maradona’s death will allow this social group to revisit its values and the Pumas have an important role to play in reconciling the country.
Kruisig hom, kruisig hom...much might be lost in translation...If you expect the worst racial connotation every time, you'll get it. Much spinning going on...
I was at the 86 final in Mexico City. A great day for Argentina, they played superbly. What a pity that Argentina’s great success in the RC has ended so unhappily.
Twitter strikes again. One minute he is heralded as a hero and the man to bring to Argentina only for Maradona to have the last say.
Can't believe people can be so petty. Strange the AB pretty destroyed Arg with a gesture, inadvertently.
My only question is, who are we all so thin skinned about peoples comments or expressions. What happened to free speech.
Did he insight violence , just that a dislike of people and that is his opinion.
Rather than fire the guy, just call him an A hole and strip him of the captaincy but not as a player or his livelyhood.
It is the same nonsens as to Falua. We all of a sudden are saint and never said anything racist?
Intolerant responses to intolerance are now the norm..... 25 year old sportsmen are now supposed to talk like diplomats.
The team threatened to strike, Rooinek, so they backed down.
At least the players have some balls if the ARU doesn't then.
This guy leads your team to their first victory over the All Blacks, then some idiot digs up tweets from 10 years ago when he was still a young lad of 18 and you just throw the guy to the wolves to appease the PC brigade. Which of us didn't say or do some stupid shit at 18? Thank goodness we didn't have twitter with which to cement our idiocy for posterity then.
Good on the team.
Thanks becs , good for the team in that case.
Whether you agree with them or not, that is exactly the kind of reaction that creates gees (hywl or mana for the non-Afrikaans speakers among us) in a rugby team and I wouldn't be surprised if the Pumas play with more passion and intensity in their next few games.
Posted mine before reading Pakie's comments but couldn' t agree more with him.
I’m just wondering how the Australians will take it though, given how woke they have become...
Yes I agree with Pakie too...of all the posters here he is the most balanced and level headed.
At Felipe...Halo, you are right about the class issue and yes there's nothing to apologise for.
As pointed out by some we understand that everybody says foolish things when they are very young...it's a learning curve in life but we change later.
I visited your country when I was in my early 20 ties...but only for 2 weeks. We had a package of 15-16 fly-fishing fanatics'...we flew to BA by Boeing and then flew deeper in small planes to the Andes.foothills and Patagonia..Bariloche and another place, cannot remember the name near the Chilean border. These places now are exorbitant especially for South Africans but in the seventies before hyper inflation struck Argentina very affordable. I think was where the famous film actor Liam Neeson fishes. I loved Argentina, very beautiful, heaven really in those places and the trout fishing was unbelievable. We had guides...several Gaucho (lovely people, friendly and helpful).
I always wanted to go back but could never quite afford it now.
I was a great fan of Hugo Porta and Hernandez and today Sanchez.
If I was Argentinian I would be very proud of my nation.
Please stay, you are very welcome and a refreshing breeze here.
