July 30 - Mundine vs TBA From Sydney Entertainment Centre

silvy_chris · Jun 16, 2008

Francis75 said:

C'mon now. We all know that Choc will be fighting nothing more than a tune-up against a journey man or a washed up type like a Shannon Taylor for his first fight at 160. He will then possibly step up (finally) later in the year, but it certainly won't be anyone elite like Winky or Pavlik.
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can only hope...

rabbitoh14 · Jun 16, 2008

ajay11 said:

****, where do I start....Maybe you should do more than just look up results before coming to a conclusion, but that's what you get from a Souths supporter.

My response was based on a post that questioned wheather France were ever THE powerhouse of rugby league, possibly during the 70's, not "was Australia ALWAYS better than France in rugby league."

And the simple answer to "were France ever the No.1 ranked team is NO, FRANCE WERE NEVER CONSIDERED THE BEST NATION WHEN IT CAME TO RUGBY LEAGUE!

Sure they won test matches against us now and then and even captured a couple of series but that was no different to Australia losing the Ashes in England a few years ago....Australia were still considered the better league nation due to their consistancy against the other powerhouse ENGLAND, who France rarely beat.

Think about it... if Souths came out and beat Gold Coast this weekend they'd still be considered the sewage of the competition.

The French team that came out in 1951 did have some classy players but that's not why they won the first test so convincingly. Tests played in that era were particularly violent but due to the friendships built during WWII, the sympathy felt by Australians towards the French after what they had suffered at the hands of Nazi Germany AND the belief that Australia would cause embarrassment to their friends and wipe the floor with them, it was decided that the Australians would leave the brutality in the dressing room and play the game as a sort of exhibition match.

It doesn't matter what sport you're playing, if you go out with anything less than 100% commitment you're in trouble. Add the fact that many of Australia's best players were living in England at the time due to better pay from club sides and it's easy to understand why they lost.

Australia did win the next test before the French won the third and the series. The French lost their next match against New Zealand.

18 months later the Australians set off for their long Kangaroo tour where they would play a total of 40 matches.

They started with 9 games against English club teams (7-1-1) before losing the first test 19-6.

Next was an eight game block against English clubs (won all 8) before losing the 2nd test against the English 21-5

After winning all seven of the last block against the English clubs they won the dead rubber 27-7

After so many games the 28 players could be excused for feeling a little homesick after being away from their family for so long but they still had 13 games against the French remaining including 3 tests.

The first test Australia won 16-12 although the French would even up the series 5-0 in the second test with at least 3 Australian tries disallowed.

The 3rd test was won by the French 13-5 although to say the referee was a disgrace is an understatement. We're not talking about a bad call here or there but blatant cheating to the point where he wanted to send off Magpie legend Keith Holman for swearing...even though the ref didn't understand English!!!

So, after weighing up the facts it would be an exageration to suggest the French were the premier R.L nation at the time.

As for 1978, this was a perfect example of the Australians playing their 2nd squad at the end of a long campaign. The tour is not long after the grand final and having won the deciding 3rd English test not long beforehand you can be sure they were partying. In fact it's well known that the French part of the tour was more a holiday than a serious part of the tour which is why it was shortend so significantly.

To suggest that France's 11-10 and 13-10 victories made them the best league nation in the world is ignorant at best.

Oh yeah, as for some of the greatest league players ever to play the game came out of France in the 50's ......give yourself an uppercut.
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Yeah we were always class...:roll:

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From the Sydney truth

maco_187 · Jun 16, 2008

Kegsy said:

Bargero aint fighting anymore as far as im aware.
Even if he did it would be at Super Middleweight or most likely Light Heavyweight.
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arrr shame, because i was certain choc would pick him if he was available.... its a disgrace really...

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