One Percenters: Fitzy's Cauliflower debut

Sun, Jul 2, 2017, 8:00 AM
AAP
by AAP
The famous red bandana got an airing at the Cooma Red Devils old boys day. Photo: Facebook
The famous red bandana got an airing at the Cooma Red Devils old boys day. Photo: Facebook

What's been happening in the world of rugby that's slightly left of centre.

Here's a few things that have caught our eye.

'Fitzy' dons boots for a good cause

Peter FitzSimons has fingers in numerous pies around town so what do you do with a spare weekend - put the feet up and flick your way through the numerous best sellers you have knocked out since retiring from the game?

No, you head to Cooma to be part of the Cauliflower Club's match against Cooma Red Devils Old Boys as part of their old boys day.'Fitzy' was part of a Cauliflower Club XV that included former Wallabies skipper Nick Farr-Jones and 1991 Rugby World Cup winner Tony Daly.

The day before Farr-Jones and FitzSimons spoke at a function at The Alpine Hotel in Cooma that was the hottest ticket in town that week and as these images show, it was tough to back up - even if you have a sugar-free diet.

Will's still got the skills


England Rugby World Cup winner Will Greenwood showed that he still has the skills in the lead up to Saturday night's All Blacks v British and Irish Lions Test in Wellington.

While doing sound checks on the ground in the hours leading up to the big encounter, Greenwood couldn't help himself when a ball was left on the superbly manicured turf near the Sky Sports TV crew.

And yes, the skills he showed at the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2003 and several Lions tour are still there.

Christian's kick about for mates and family

Christian Lealiifano's return to the playing fields of chilly Canberra on Saturday morning wasn't about showing Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham that he was ready for a return to Super Rugby.

It was about family and the mates that have gathered around him as gets back on his feet after going into remission from a bout of leukaemia first diagnosed almost a year ago.

Lealiifano played fourth grade for the Tuggeranong Vikings along with his brother Lix and several good friends including premiership winning teammate Beau Mokoptupu, who came out of retirement especially for the game.

To play one more game of rugby with family and mates was one of his goals when he was first diagnosed. Tick.

For the record, the Vikings beat Royals 80-0.

George's time in the spotlight

What is it about big moments on the world rugby stage and Aussie TMOs?

First there was Stu Dickinson and now there's George Ayoub.

Ayoub alerted French referee Jerome Garces to the Sonny Bill Williams shoulder charge on Anthony Watson that saw him red carded in the second Test of the British and Irish Lions series in New Zealand - a decision that obviously changed the course of the Test in Wellington. 

Not many are arguing about the validity of the decision this morning, it was high and the first contact was with the head so really there was little choice in the matter for Garces.

Hark back to 2007 and the Rugby World Cup final in Paris between South Africa and England and Dickinson disallowed an England try to Mark Cueto that may have changed the course of that final in the 42nd minute - a match which was eventually won 15-6 by Jake White and Eddie Jones' Springboks.

Ayoub's interventions throughout the Lions series have been sensible without being over bearing.

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