Looking back on last weeks build up to the Stade match I remember reading a gushing little article entitled "A touch of class" telling the reader how brilliant everything Stade is, "A club the Parisian rugby public call their own of which it is proud, a club with style and panache"
Well pass me the sick bag now … Guazzini proves one thing, money alone cannot buy you success if it were true Stade would have won the European Cup many times. The Parisian public have not bought into "Mad Max’s" dream. One only have to look at Stade’s attendances at Stade Jean Bouin. When Ulster last played there… 8,450 and over 500 of them where from Ulster!
It is one thing getting 76,000 fans at £1 a ticket to go to the Stade de France for a one off match but quite another to fill their own Stadium on a regular basis. In fact Ulster’s strength is Stade’s weakness, a mostly local based team with a few outside stars.
Guazzini would be better served if he concentrated on French players ideally from Paris instead of a collection of mercenaries from Italy, Argentina, England, Scotland and wherever else his cheque book fancies. Then he might have a chance of winning a European Cup. How many Paris fans did you see on Saturday? I could have counted them on two hands with out the need to remove my shoes. I rest my case.
The one thing I do hope that McLaughlin does get across to his troops this week is the total disrespect shown to Ulster Rugby by moving the match to Belgium next week. They looked at their fixtures and decided that Ulster were the weakest team in the group so lets play them in a football stadium in the rugby hot bed of Brussels. I for one will be interested in the number of Parisians who actually make the trip.
And talking of making the trip to Brussels, one player who will not be making the trip is French scrum half, Dupuy, having viewed the highlights programme this morning on Sky what a despicable little gouger he is.
I am tempted to bring as many pink dummy tits, pacifiers I think you call them now, to the match on Saturday for Roncerro and company who acted like spoilt brats at every decision. What a pity Mr Pearson was so weak and didn’t punish them with further yellow cards and ten metres on the back of Ulster penalties.
Professional Sport can be a cruel mistress but if there is any justice in this world this time next week I will still be in Brussels toasting a famous Ulster win.
Ding ding … seconds out … round two.
8 Responses to “Raging Raven Rants!”
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Now quit your squawking Raven. Anyone would know that my delightfully positive article was on Stade’s PR and Marketing ‘cos that’s what they paid me to write about!
now now chaps lets keep the pink dummies for the Stade players. I agree with your comments on Dupuy – when watching the game on Sunday with the cub and we saw the gouging incident, which Sky covered very well and should therefore be an easy decision for the citing oficer, the ‘cub’ said ” what a dirty bas*$%d ” and I don’t think he was referring to the big centre #13. A good job his mother was away Xmas shopping !!
Bring on the return game cos I hope to see our faithfull fellow travellers toast the victory with copious amounts of good beer !
I know I can still taste the champagne Mad Max sent down last year!
But you cant fool all of the people all of the time unless he get success on the pitch he might as well have Ulster’s marketing team on his books!
Sausage on a stick anyone? …………….. that will be £20 please!
Return to to form by the Ragin’ Raven, I was getting kinda worried about him on Saturday so sunny was his disposition. Mind a few French championships does prove money buys a few things.
But not the Holy Grail of Rugby, the European Cup!
Looks like Max has read your rant and has issued an apology
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.stade.fr/&ei=WLEmS7S3LM-NjAfhuOXTBw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dstade%2Bfrancais%2Bweb%2Bsite%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7ADBR_en
Actions speak louder than words, they are only trying to get the offences tried at the lower end of the disciplinary scale. Dupuy and Attoub have stated, if the translation is correct, that their actions were neither premeditated nor intentional. What a load of French horseshit. Apology my arse.
I look forward to see what action Monsieur Guazzini takes on Friday.
Justice has been served !!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/irish/8421489.stm