Dein erstes Forum » Wallabies down under in June.Jo

PITTSBURGH -- It was the tweet read round the hockey world.After Team USA was eliminated from the World Cup of Hockey in September after going a dreadful 0-3, Phil Kessel, who was left off the American roster for the tournament, took a jab on Twitter:?Members of Team USA did not like his comment and thought the timing was poor and in bad taste. Zach Parise was ticked. Derek Stepan said the tweet, if directed at Team USA, was disrespectful. David Backes said those types of comments will be remembered when whatever happens going forward happens going forward.Kessel and the Pittsburgh Penguins host Backes and the Boston Bruins?on Wednesday night at PPG Paints Arena for the first time since the tweet. Even though months have passed, and Kessel later told ESPN.com that his comments werent directed at the players, theres been zero communication between Kessel and Backes.None at all, Backes said. Its been a few months that have passed, and its one of those things where, in the moment, I dont know if I was referencing that I was not going to forget that. Its more of people dont forget your comments when, no matter what the situation is, handling things the right way is something that as a professional athlete, it starts to define you and how you handle yourself.For me, it was done in the wrong way. You ask a question and Im going to give you a candid response on what I think, and I dont think that was the time or the place. Yeah, it wasnt the performance we wanted as a team, to not have much success outside the exhibition games. But were playing an NHL hockey game [Wednesday] and we need two points out of it and thats what really matters.Dec. 14 has been circled on the calendar for many reasons, and Backes wants his response to be on the scoreboard at the final buzzer. Kessel and the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in June, so beating the reigning champions is the goal for Backes and the Bruins. The Penguins had an off day on Tuesday, and Kessel was not made available to the media.To be able to beat a Stanley Cup champion in their building sends a big shot in the arm for a lot of guys, Backes said. It doesnt matter who were playing ... and we have another opportunity to boost our confidence against a really good team [Wednesday].Players in the Team USA locker room agreed back in September with Backes response to Kessel. Even now, three months later, it still hits a chord.As a fellow countryman, and I dont want to parallel it to the military because what we do is not even close to their sacrifice, but those guys that arent selected for a mission still support their fellow comrades and wish them the best, and arent going to sling mud if things arent going well, Backes said.We made a lot of parallels to the military during the World Cup, and just in my mind it was something that if Im not selected for the next Olympics, or the next international event, Ill still be wearing red, white and blue at home and cheering those guys on and wishing them the best. Thats my nature. If theres a little comedy that comes out of it on [Kessels] side, when in reality we had a mission and we failed.Some will wonder why this is being brought up again months later, but theres a certain passion and motivation that comes with representing your country, and any type of criticism is never forgotten.The Bruins game against the Penguins will mean more than just two points for Backes.Representing Team USA is one of the most prideful things Ive ever been able to do, and to do it in three World Championships, two Olympics and a World Cup, those colors mean a lot to me, Backes said. My best friend growing up served three tours in the Marines and served overseas and now Ive got the freedoms that I have, and Im able to do what I do, because selfless people like him serve our country and lay their lives on the line to fight for us. 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Australia boss Michael Cheika may snub Eddie Jones invitation to Englands meeting with referee Jaco Peyper ahead of Saturdays highly-charged Twickenham clash.Wallabies head coach Cheika has suggested he could boycott Fridays meeting with official Peyper - to let England see if they can influence the referee that way.Friends and former Randwick team-mates Cheika and Jones have traded verbal barbs all week, with both coaches accusing their opponents of illegal scrummaging.Cheika has insisted he will not seek to sway referee Peypers officiating, but in the process cannily suggested England may not keep similar counsel.Asked if he would attend Fridays meeting with referee Peyper, Cheika said: I dont know, well wait to see if the referee tells us what time its on. I think they may have but Im not sure as yet what the story is.And then well decide whether were going to go. But I think were probably just better off letting them have their own meeting, and see if they can influence the referee that way through having the meeting.I dont think theres anything I can do to influence the referee, so were better off just maybe staying quiet and letting them have the meeting themselves. I dont know, Ill see how I go tomorrow.England boss Jones lit the blue touch paper on a tie always likely to combust when claiming on Saturday that he had concerns over Australias illegal scrum tactics.Wallabies boss Cheika quickly hit back against his compatriot and former club mate however, insisting Englaand prop Dan Cole has been infringing the law since his career started.ddddddddddddheika also claimed that former Australia coach Jones had tarnished his legacy in his homeland during Englands 3-0 series victory over the Wallabies down under in June.Jones shrugged off Cheikas comments, but the Australia boss was in no mood to relent on Thursday after naming his squad for Saturdays keenly-anticipated Test clash.Claiming he would not seek to influence the refereeing of the scrummage, Cheika said: No I dont want (Jaco) Peyper to be on top of it; hell see the game how he wants to see it. Im not telling him what to do. Hell interpret it how he wants.My responsibility is to get my blokes scrummaging right, and square, and doing their best to keep the thing up on its feet. So thats where my concentration is, on our guys.Cheika then reiterated his claim that Jones only took aim at Australias scrum to mask what the Wallabies consider deficiencies in Englands own set-piece game.I think hes done that to take the heat off his own scrum: its pretty logical, its the oldest trick in the book, said Cheika, when quizzed on Jones criticism of Australias scrummage.You know what I mean: Oh I dont want them looking at ours so Ill point to someone elses, you know? At the end of the day what goes on on the field is whats going to count. But thats why Id say hes done it. ' ' '