Stephen Jones drives me mad

[LeRouxIsPHat]

His match report really was scandalous. His anti-irish feelings are so blatant that it's just ridiculous e.g lamenting that poor Hook had to struggle on while nothing was happening outside him and that nobody could/would set Bynre up.....grrrrrrrrrr

[downsouthdukin]

He now has had a fantastic obseration on the relative lineout strengths of both teams


Here is a tale of two lifting units, the South African and the Irish. When Ireland lift Paul O'Connell in the lineout, it is a fairly statuesque affair. It is a deep, long and rather slow hoist, which usually puts O'Connell up successfully for the lineout catch, sometimes after a little bit of interchanging in the Irish line.

The South African operation is completely different. There is no subterfuge, no trickery. The ball is thrown high and rapidly above Victor Matfield and the lifting unit has him up there with breathtaking speed, almost as if a rocket is taking off. Matfield himself firmly believes that this pace of lift, if everyone does their job properly, is all you ever need for a successful lineout.


The Lions can harp all they want about trying different combinations, but if they are to thrive on their own throw, and especially if they are to menace the dominating South African lineout, they have to find someone they can lift rapidly and high against Matfield. On this tour so far, Alun-Wyn is the only contender and, if the Lions are going to play O'Connell in the middle, they will sacrifice challenging the South African lineout and, instead, will have to pile into the first breakdown to stop the Springbok flow

[gfo]

he's not worth wasting time on, its an obvious attention grab

[downsouthdukin]

he's not worth wasting time on, its an obvious attention grab

i have to say hes the first guy i read when i go to the times website... he so off the mark in his analysis its actually very humourous(david brent style) however he unaware of this and thinks his analysis is spot on(david brent style)..
i would agree with an oft controverial statement he makes, i also think gavin henson has the ability to become the best 12 in the game

[ronk]

he's not worth wasting time on, its an obvious attention grab

i have to say hes the first guy i read when i go to the times website... he so off the mark in his analysis its actually very humourous(david brent style) however he unaware of this and thinks his analysis is spot on(david brent style)..
i would agree with an oft controverial statement he makes, i also think gavin henson has the ability to become the best 12 in the game

He knows he's spoofing. He writes happily about the number of views his wind-ups get. He's been around a long time and has great contacts, but his analysis is based on other people's opinions because he knows he can't read the game directly.

[findra]

Stephen Jones is a racist Englander (i'm aware of his welsh origins). "Jolly good old boy. The paddys and the kiwis are winning rugby matches. Whats the world coming to?" This has infected his rugby column but it is a personal opinion column and a column is only as successful as its readers. Many of his English readers enjoy being bigged up and have a residual rascism from being our fascist ubermensch overlords for hundreds of years. Thus is he read and accepted. He was not heartbroken by an irish woman. He was not bullied at school by an Irish boy. HE IS A FASCIST RASCIST AND WILL NEVER CHANGE. Any of you who get upset by him are merely insecure in your nationality and still have some residual colonial brainwashing that your battling with. Brian O Driscoll is on a different planet from the excellent Shanklin and all true objective rugby fans know that. Even Munster fans like me!

[combatlogo]

Stephen Jones is a racist Englander (i'm aware of his welsh origins). "Jolly good old boy. The paddys and the kiwis are winning rugby matches. Whats the world coming to?" This has infected his rugby column but it is a personal opinion column and a column is only as successful as its readers. Many of his English readers enjoy being bigged up and have a residual rascism from being our fascist ubermensch overlords for hundreds of years. Thus is he read and accepted. He was not heartbroken by an irish woman. He was not bullied at school by an Irish boy. HE IS A FASCIST RASCIST AND WILL NEVER CHANGE. Any of you who get upset by him are merely insecure in your nationality and still have some residual colonial brainwashing that your battling with. Brian O Driscoll is on a different planet from the excellent Shanklin and all true objective rugby fans know that. Even Munster fans like me!

Fascist?

[Benji]

Was watching him on sky and the other Journalists totally dismissed everything he had too say

His a wum

[Oscar]

he's not worth wasting time on, its an obvious attention grab

i have to say hes the first guy i read when i go to the times website... he so off the mark in his analysis its actually very humourous(david brent style) however he unaware of this and thinks his analysis is spot on(david brent style)..
i would agree with an oft controverial statement he makes, i also think gavin henson has the ability to become the best 12 in the game

People like you are why he has a job. He has made a name for himself as someone who will always say something to wind up the Kiwis/Irish. His columns probably draw as many website hits/letters to the editor as any other sports writer at the Times. As long as that's the case, his editors are going to tell him to keep pissing off the Kiwis and the Irish.

The best thing for people who don't like Jones' articles to do, is to not read them. And tell other people not to bother reading them. And if everybody stops reading him, he might get replaced or, at the very least, be asked by his editors to be serious for a bit and write some proper match reports.

[findra]

Stephen Jones is a racist Englander (i'm aware of his welsh origins). "Jolly good old boy. The paddys and the kiwis are winning rugby matches. Whats the world coming to?" This has infected his rugby column but it is a personal opinion column and a column is only as successful as its readers. Many of his English readers enjoy being bigged up and have a residual rascism from being our fascist ubermensch overlords for hundreds of years. Thus is he read and accepted. He was not heartbroken by an irish woman. He was not bullied at school by an Irish boy. HE IS A FASCIST RASCIST AND WILL NEVER CHANGE. Any of you who get upset by him are merely insecure in your nationality and still have some residual colonial brainwashing that your battling with. Brian O Driscoll is on a different planet from the excellent Shanklin and all true objective rugby fans know that. Even Munster fans like me!

Fascist?

To call Stephen Jones fascist was inaccurate, insulting and unfair. But he is DEFINITELY racist!!

[Sarphil]

Stephen Jones is a racist Englander (i'm aware of his welsh origins). "Jolly good old boy. The paddys and the kiwis are winning rugby matches. Whats the world coming to?" This has infected his rugby column but it is a personal opinion column and a column is only as successful as its readers. Many of his English readers enjoy being bigged up and have a residual rascism from being our fascist ubermensch overlords for hundreds of years. Thus is he read and accepted. He was not heartbroken by an irish woman. He was not bullied at school by an Irish boy. HE IS A FASCIST RASCIST AND WILL NEVER CHANGE. Any of you who get upset by him are merely insecure in your nationality and still have some residual colonial brainwashing that your battling with. Brian O Driscoll is on a different planet from the excellent Shanklin and all true objective rugby fans know that. Even Munster fans like me!

Fascist?

To call Stephen Jones fascist was inaccurate, insulting and unfair. But he is DEFINITELY racist!!

Xenophobic is the word you are looking for.

[berniemac67]

Xenophobic f$%k is the proper term.

Probably best to ignore him.

[berniemac67]

... but easier said than done.

[downsouthdukin]

he's not worth wasting time on, its an obvious attention grab

i have to say hes the first guy i read when i go to the times website... he so off the mark in his analysis its actually very humourous(david brent style) however he unaware of this and thinks his analysis is spot on(david brent style)..
i would agree with an oft controverial statement he makes, i also think gavin henson has the ability to become the best 12 in the game

People like you are why he has a job. He has made a name for himself as someone who will always say something to wind up the Kiwis/Irish. His columns probably draw as many website hits/letters to the editor as any other sports writer at the Times. As long as that's the case, his editors are going to tell him to keep pissing off the Kiwis and the Irish.

The best thing for people who don't like Jones' articles to do, is to not read them. And tell other people not to bother reading them. And if everybody stops reading him, he might get replaced or, at the very least, be asked by his editors to be serious for a bit and write some proper match reports.

sorry but its people like you who keeps him his job, not people like me. people like me read his articles and have a good laugh, we dont send letters to the editor or tell other people what they should read! like one person calling him a fasist. ffs hes a rugby writer

[RoboProp]

Plus you've lost your argument once you refer to him as a fascist. Godwin's law, innit?

[nc6000]

Now his starting team for the first test doesn't include Paul O'Connell !! I'm surprised he included BOD.

Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Ugo Monye (Eng); Stephen Jones (Wales), Mike Phillips (Wales); Andrew Sheridan (Eng), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng, capt), Simon Shaw (Eng), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Joe Worsley (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), Martyn Williams (Wales).

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 493003.ece

[Donny B.]

Now his starting team for the first test doesn't include Paul O'Connell !! I'm surprised he included BOD.

Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Ugo Monye (Eng); Stephen Jones (Wales), Mike Phillips (Wales); Andrew Sheridan (Eng), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng, capt), Simon Shaw (Eng), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Joe Worsley (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), Martyn Williams (Wales).

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 493003.ece

His old buddies Shaw, Worsley and Sheridan all included too. In fairness, at least he's consistently delusional!

[olaf the fat]

Now his starting team for the first test doesn't include Paul O'Connell !! I'm surprised he included BOD.

Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Ugo Monye (Eng); Stephen Jones (Wales), Mike Phillips (Wales); Andrew Sheridan (Eng), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng, capt), Simon Shaw (Eng), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Joe Worsley (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), Martyn Williams (Wales).

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 493003.ece

He has figured out that The Times will get more emails crying foul from munster fans on the leaving out of POC than from us on the leaving out of BOD.

These hacks must judge success on the number of compliants received, just like that tool the IT had before the HCup SF

[Leinsterman]

Now his starting team for the first test doesn't include Paul O'Connell !! I'm surprised he included BOD.

Lee Byrne (Wales); Tommy Bowe (Ire), Brian O’Driscoll (Ire), Jamie Roberts (Wales), Ugo Monye (Eng); Stephen Jones (Wales), Mike Phillips (Wales); Andrew Sheridan (Eng), Lee Mears (Eng), Phil Vickery (Eng, capt), Simon Shaw (Eng), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Joe Worsley (Eng), Jamie Heaslip (Ire), Martyn Williams (Wales).

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 493003.ece

Sheridan and Shaw would be a disaster. Ruck inspectors and terribly slow around the park. Vickery will only last 60mins against the Boks
I'd almost be tempted to pick Worsley if Williams is in the team though.

[CiaranIrl]

Nothin to make you very angry, but I'm amused at him calling our Irish fullback "Ronan Kearney".


----------------------------------------------------------------

THE ROLLING MAUL

Stephen Jones delivers his daily e-mail from the Lions tour of South Africa

----------------------------------------------------------------
Thurssday, June 18, 2009. 1530 BST
----------------------------------------------------------------

Goodness, it has all been so quiet. I fully realise that the Lions tour will be bursting out into near hysteria on Saturday at Kings Park but it has been the gentlest, least controversial Lions tour by far of all the 75 I have followed.

Would you believe it, even today's announcement of the Lions team for the Test, made by a grave-sounding Gerald Davies at the team hotel on the beachfront in Durban, was almost completely lacking in shocks and controversy.

Until the Southern morons tried to remove a few heads from Lions' shoulders at Port Elizabeth on Tuesday, it has been a clean, even spic-and-span, experience and this is something that authorities on both sides should examine. Lions tours should never, ever be low-octane.

Admittedly, the lack of controversy surrounding the Test team could well be simply because the selectors have got it right, that they have husbanded their resources through this tour and come up with the correct combination.

Looking at the team, and with the potentially brilliant Shane Williams so out of form, there is surely no argument surrounding anyone behind the scrum, especially once the selectors resisted the temptation to be conservative and to play a fine footballer such as Ronan Kearney on the wing. There are no other contentious selections in the backs.

Up front, considering the number of tackles that the front row will have to make there can be little argument that Gethin Jenkins and Phil Vickery can do a splendid job. If there is one selection that has caused head-scratching, it is probably that of David Wallace on the openside flank.

It is not that Wallace is unsuited to the task, but, on this tour, he has been remarkably quiet, lacking the intensity he has shown of late for Munster and Ireland.

Hopefully, our David will be restored to his best on Saturday. Certainly, he is up against it in the chase for the loose ball against Heinrich Brussow, the prodigy from the Cheetahs. The Lions will need Wallace to be at his very best and they will need the New Zealand referee to apply the laws at the breakdown, something that did not afflict Brussow when he played so effectively for the Cheetahs against the Lions earlier in the tour.

There is one selection on the bench that has completely dumbfounded me - that of Donncha O'Callaghan as reserve lock. For my money, in a Test of this magnitude and on the evidence of the tour so far, both Simon Shaw and Nathan Hines would have been far better bets and O'Callaghan's failure to assert himself as captain in Port Elizabeth was remarked upon by many around the Lions squad.

And the most staggering thing of all? No one really knows how the Lions will go. We have watched them through six warm-up games, often defending really well, often playing good rugby - but never having the power or the armoury to blow away even rather limited provincial teams.

I suppose that, whatever you felt about the Lions' chances six games ago, you know feel roughly the same today.