Too early? Pre-season matches are only a week away
Lions hangover cleared, season ticket bought, hopes of a decent year for your club returning, possibly the last Heineken Cup. The new rugby season is nearly upon us.
Predictions for Rabo, Premiership, Heineken Cup, 6N and your own team?
Rabo: Ulster
Premiership: Quins
Heineken: Leinster (BOD to retire in style)
6Nations: Scotland
Edinburgh: A new South African coach, a bunch of Aussies signed plus Nikki Walker…not what I had hoped to see in the closed season but just want them to play good rugby finish top5 in the Rabo, not embarrass themselves in the Heine and Visser to get 20 tries.
lastly a reminder of last years rules children, play nice!
"Our annual opportunity to indulge in baiting one another along regional/national AND international lines.
Rules;
1)I have tickets for Munster v Embra;you don't 😀 (Duckman to confirm if this is true again?)
2)PLEASE no individual arguments lasting more than a page;it gets tedious.
3)Ashton is,and always will be a Merchant Banker.
4) A-A is,for the sake of this thread,allowed to pick fault with his home nations players and coaches even after they have won the slam without losing a try.
5)It is ok to be a patriotic Irishman or Englishman even if you live in Bristol or OZ... 😉
6) See 1 above.
7) No arguments carried over from last season"
😆6Nations: Scotland
Good luck with that one.....
We need to discuss the rules 😆 and your mental health after saying Scotland for 6 nations 😉
Scotland for 6 nations
😯
It pains me to say this, but after being on the right side of 1/2p and North et al. for the Lions, I can't see England beating Wales in the 6N.
In fact, for the record, I'd like to say how much I enjoyed having those two on my side for a change!
Sadly I don't actually believe Scotland will win the 6N, more likely a battling top 5 finish is on the cards.
Don't you mean top 6? It is the 6 nations these days, you know 😉
But one of those 6 is France
😆
A top 5 finish is quite achievable considering the French display this summer. They couldn't find the try line even if they painted a big white line at the end of the field.
France would improve a great deal by simply dropping Michilak and playing my gran at outside half and my gran has been dead 15 years.
Would fancy England for six nations and they play wales at twickenham, France away though isnt it? OP picks Scotchland so must be TJ and I claim my fifty pence finders fee.
Premiership to be won by Bath with Henson setting the prem alight.... Or maybe not.
Johnny Wilkinsons Toulon for the cheap lager cup.
All welsh regions to sell everything in sight including the corner flags and to have to ask away teams to bring a ball.
All welsh regions to sell everything in sight including the corner flags and to have to ask away teams to bring a ball.
Seems like they kept Toby and will keep Warbs, but I reckon Adam is francebound. Are rugby players Wales' biggest export? 😀
Are rugby players Wales' biggest export?
Adam's lost a lot of weight, you know.
Didnt Adam say he would stay in Wales until the next world cup?
Toby is just a big shy kid so stayed at the Dregs, Warbs will be paid by wru I imagine.
Didnt Adam say he would stay in Wales until the next world cup?
Possibly, I just caught a headline on the BBC I think.
*Top 10 earners in the Top 14*:*Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon) - €56,000 (£48,155) per month
Jonathan Sexton (Racing Metro) - €52,000 (£44,711)
Bryan Habana (Toulon) - €50,000 (£42,991)
Morgan Parra (Clermont Auvergne) - €46,000 (£39,555)
Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse) - €43,000 (£36,975)
Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing Metro) - €41,000 (£35,254)
Carl Hayman (Toulon) - €41,000 (£35,254)
Bakkies Botha (Toulon) - €41,000 (£35,254)
Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro) - €40,000 (£34,394)
Matt Giteau (Toulon) - €40,000 (£34,394)"*According to Le Journal du Dimanche"
cannot believe how much Habana and Szarzewaki in particular are paid. One hasnt been much cop for years and another just has a nice haircut.
Glaws already have a trophy this season 8)
another just has a nice haircut.
He's real purdy though...the frenchish loves a purdy boy!
Throws like a drunk Rory Best though!
I'm not sure you understand; [i]he's purdy[/i] 😀
Not sure I want to know what's going on here though;
[img] 
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😯
6N's...Hmmm England or Wales....maybe Ireland if they have better luck with injuries and a new coach.
Rabo-Leinster
Prem-Saffas to top the league and go on to get beaten by Tigers in the final.
Heine-Toulon
Hopefully Newcastle will be shit which might just be enough to save Sale-actually in an ideal world London Irish will get relegated, can't quite see it though.
I quite fancy Szarzewaki 😳
Scamper that is not a bad shout at all, things are looking good at Kingsholm.
Ospreys to beat the scablets home and away and as I am a small minded parachial Ospreylian that is all I care about.
Adam will never leave.
I'm not sure you understand; he's purdy
he's no Henson
I note Bath have a friendly v ospreys in a few weeks. Could be fun.
Ospreys have a pretty tidy pack still if they stay injury free. Who at 9, 13 and 15 though?
Bevington
Blondie
Adam
Aw Jones
Evans
R Jones
Bearman
Tips
I have nothing constructive to add other than I have only just stopped laughing at 'Scotland to win the 6 nations'. I live in Scotland, my daughter is Scottish but god they really are poor. Cheered me right up that has!
6N = England
Prem = Tigers
HC = Racing
Rabo = who cares!!!
England play Wales at Twickenham, completely different. It will be interesting to see how much the tour took out of the Welsh who made it such a heroic Lions series.
I'm likely to still be in Paris for the start of the season so looking forward to seeing a few matches including a few on the road 🙂 It's a pity the French were so bad in NZ as I was planning on a trip down South to see one of Autumn internationals, not really worth it after that tour sadly.
By the way I saw Dan Carter is out of the 4 nations. Richie McCaw will be back though.
anagallis_arvensis - Member
Didnt Adam say he would stay in Wales until the next world cup?
Ah but the WC for which sport?
chamberlain30 - Member
Rabo = who cares!!!
Just typical of the bloody English to arrive on the thread with that sort of attitude. It's just thinly disguised racism, I tell you.
And I'll infer from that that you think Wilkinson is a saint, Henson is dogpoo, the Scots are a bunch of pigstrangers and the Irish are good for nothing but carrying a hod. Racism. MODS, wuick get rid of him..... 😆 😉 
(I may need more smileys?)
England play Wales at Twickenham, completely different. It will be interesting to see how much the tour took out of the Welsh who made it such a heroic Lions series.
the bigger worry is how they will cope with the likes of Roberts and Lydiate being flogged in France
Posted this the other day, what a player, anyone care to post other vids to keep us amused.
6 nations - England
Aviva prem - Tigers
HC - Tigers*
Rabo - Leinster
*That's what my heart says, but my head says Toulon or Racing.
AA, that vid always raises a smile! He was like some rabid, angry Jack Russell raging around the pitch biting at ankles all day!
1/2 February
Wales v Italy Sat 2.30 wales
France v England Sat 5.00 ??
Ireland v Scotland Sun 3.00 Ireland8/9 February
Ireland v Wales Sat 2.30 ??
Scotland v England Sat 5.00 England
France v Italy Sun 3.00 FranceWales v France Fri 8.00 Wales
Italy v Scotland Sat 1.30 ??
England v Ireland Sat 4.00 England8/9 March
Ireland v Italy Sat 2.30 Ireland
Scotland v France Sat 5.00 France
England v Wales Sun 3.00 England15 March
Italy v England Sat 12.30 England
Wales v Scotland Sat 2.45 Wales
France v Ireland Sat 5.00 France
If England beat France first up they will be very much favs.
This always raises a smile.
6-Nations - No GS, but Ireland to top the table
Prem - Saracens
HC - Top 14 side...Perpignan, perhaps
Rabo - Ospreys
And most importantly..
Championship - Bristol ([url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/23683164 ]cause apparently we are a Premiership side![/url])
I'm over the moon with the Robinson signing. I've seen him play a few times, perfect player for a champ side with prem ambitions. The new shirt is revolting though!
Yep, he's solid if unspectacular. What Bris need is another Jason Strange, not another David Hill (remember him?!)
Are you talking about nicky robinson. He's a lot of things but solid aint one, blows.very hot and cold.
Well, compared to what we've had at 10 lately, I think he can do a good job for us.
Are you talking about nicky robinson. He's a lot of things but solid aint one, blows.very hot and cold.
Yep that's my impression of him. But when on form, he's very good indeed. Glad red stayed, heard Newcastle wanted him back. I'd like to see chev back too.
Are you talking about nicky robinson. He's a lot of things but solid aint one, blows.very hot and cold.
OK, I'll settle for lukewarm instead. Or tepid. 😀
He may have become more consistent since he left wales I suppose. Better signing for Bristol than Henson is for Bath thats for sure!
Noticed that gav isn't on the team sheet for the Newcastle friendly. Neither is fearns.......
I expect Gav will play some part in the Dregs and Ospreys game to drum up some interest. Either that or he's injured again!
@aa Lydiate was on French TV last night featured as ome of Racing Metros big signings.
