Oh and a future best termed as fluid is a massive step up from a future best termed as ****ed.
Quinnel and Madden?
Thats them. Utter animals, they never, ever failed to get over the gain line (normally a LONG way over!)
Madden was so frustrating really talented player but a lazy sod apparently, his center of gravity was so low you couldn't knock him over 😆 he just kept rumbling along.
AA;based on this season with less experienced players,the only thing you would have to look forward to would more meaningful derby matches. Honestly,do you think you can sustain 3 teams in the prem. What happens to the teams that go down,more than one season in the championship equals a financial disaster and would cost what would be expected to be a source of international players experience. In fact dont you think relegation would put them into a worse hole than they are now? Can you really claim that patchwork teams dropped into the prem would beat anybody,oh and the squad that the ospreys have is 5 the in the rabo,how will they improve this?
I dont believe the current situation is sustainable. I have said it for a long time now. Domestic pro rugby in wales will be dead within a few years if nothing changes. Playing glasgow, munster and zebre is not box office, we see very little home support and almost no away support, maybe we should follow the scots example and cut to two pro teams as thats really working isnt it? The cause of the problems start and end with the rabo being shit. Joining the english may not be the answer but staying as is isnt either.
Nothing will change anyway and the game will.whither and die
So what is the solution? Rugby is finished in Scotland anyway,no matter what happens to the RABO.Is it a case that there will be a top tier comprising of England,France,Saffers NZ and Oz and a second tier of the rest of the home nations? With club contests to match. Can't believe the EPL wouldn't love to flip off the RFU and clear off to Summer rugby with the super how-ever-many.
Look at it from the existing regions point of view; they were set up by the WRU. The WRU has failed (whichever way you look at it) to fund them adequately making them the poorest (in financial terms) teams in the RABO. The deal currently on the table is worse than their last deal.
What are they to do? The WRU wants them to die; should they just accept it and go away? The owners of the regions (Peter Thomas et al) must have invested money, is it right that the WRU expect them to just wave bye bye to that?
Staying in the RABO is simply not an option for them; they'd be bankrupt in short order, so they go looking for other opportunities. Not to try would be bad business. This is about survival.
If "they" are formed by the WRU, how much say have the regions got? They loose all contracted players and I can't see how they would be better off,speculation about crowd increases is all very well as is backers,but it takes 10 years to fund and build a team,and the Welsh clubs need more than a business plan. How long does it take to grow a competitive squad without money, a decade imo; Glasgow are an example of that,they were hamstrung by the SRU being unwilling to spend,now the SRU is spending they are at the right end.Is it not the case that the WRU have reduced their budget as they are unwilling to sustain losses?
There is a piece in the Times about the Irish guys who have bought the Reading wannabies, they are London based and are cautioning that they will not be spending big.I think that might be the end of speculation about them being an Irish trojan horse.
The WRU formed them, but Blues aside they are privately owned clubs (much like those in the AP). Their players are theirs. Wales don't have any central contracts at present.
All of your concerns apply to the proposed "new" welsh clubs more than they do to the existing ones whether thay join the AP or not.
Not really because the Welsh clubs that join the Prem will be the "new" clubs. They still have the issues of being competitive,or being relegated. Even if the Welsh Nigel Wray stepped forward,Sale were a good example of how you cannot buy a place in the League. And any of the new clubs that goes down will make the rabo seem exotic; Cardiff v Ding Crusaders anybody? Still, another two weeks and it will all be clearer as do they not have untill the new year to sign?
As much as I think the Welsh would be screwed in England,I know the Rabo is screwed as well. If money wasn't a factor and it was purely about growing the game and improving crowds and entertainment,we could have a two tier British league of 14 and 16 teams,any team promoted to the second has a years grace from relegation to allow them the chance to adjust. TBH that would probably save the rugby in my country as well because despite Glasgow's crowds being up,the rabo is rubbish and isn't a draw.
Not really because the Welsh clubs that join the Prem will be the "new" clubs.
They will still have their contracts in place with the players though.
Oh and it's Dings Crusaders, and I've played them many times. Nearly drowned on their pitch once! They reside in a less than affluent area of Bristol and do very well on the pitch considering they have a fraction of the money than the toffy nosed pricks at Clifton.
Point remains that the Welsh clubs/regions etc are not joining the English to play in the less desireable areas of Bristol.And also,how well are those contracted players doing in the Rabo? Contracts work both ways,if they wanted to compete or survive they would need to improve their squads, you have to pay up the players you want rid off,a huge cost. And who do you replace them with?
They don't have a choice. The WRU has taken them to the vets and the needle is out. They try and escape or it's going in.
Which would make the Prem the dogs trust... 😆
Which would make the Prem the dogs trust...
I happen to like the dogs trust. Hang on. What just happened?
If the welsh regions jumped ship and I am confident they wont they would survive. Christ London Welsh had a few worried until they were docked points. They make the Ospreys look like the Galacticos they once were.
anagallis_arvensis - Member
If the welsh regions jumped ship and I am confident [b]they wont they would[/b] survive.
Have you been on the sauce already ?
Just throw in a few commas and go about trying to find your life
Sale 3 tries to nowt against oyonnax so far..
Sorry, 4 tries. 34-0 at half time
Gaskell scores the first try, Cipriani the second,Braid the third and Cueto the 4th. Cipriani hits all his goals.
Can the 2nd half be better?
Can our resident referee tell me why Harley was done for obstruction when he removed Patchell from ruck area preceding the score? Not sure of this...
Bugger me backwards.
Sale 53-14 Oyonnax. 7 tries to sale, 2 to Oyonnax. Cipriani misses one kick all night.
Why oh why did i decide to skip this game?
Not seen it,it's all BT in my house now,wife is Welsh and we are trying to do our bit for the Blues finances next season.
I could only afford one game before Xmas so plumped for the LI game next week - bloody regretting it now! Apparently Cipriani scored a potential try of the season .
Who were Sale playing? Wouldn't get to excited about a big score against a team no one has heard of or pronounce 😆
Ospreys a good win, too little to late.
Oyonnax, no id not heard much about them before either but a 9 try game is still a good one to watch.
great start from Scarlets 😥
Cheers for the Scarlets heads up a_a. They were really outgunned the other week by Clermont... but a great try for the Scarlets!
That Rhys Patchell kick was bloomin' impressive, in to the wind too 😯
Jordan Williams got one over from about 55-60m against Clermont with tons of distance to spare too. I hadn't seen him kick before but it was quite a feat from someone not normally associated with kicking
Anyone see the Leinster northampton game and able to report on how North went at 13? He could be a real threat there for wales in the future.
Big results today, don't know what is going wrong at Glaws.
Talented backs are no use if they get cold hands Pigface,they are also no use if you make them play up front( that is what Glaws have done this season isn't it?)Don't know what they are doing up front,Hamilton said in an interview they didn't offer him a contract,which is daft looking at where they are getting beaten this year.
Anyone see the Leinster northampton game and able to report on how North went at 13? He could be a real threat there for wales in the future.
Well the Irish press reckon he outplayed BOD so he must have done well
'Even Brian O'Driscoll, majestic in Franklin's Gardens, was rendered a humdrum figure on his home turf, outplayed by George North, the giant Welshman shifting to midfield after the away side were also forced into a late reshuffle.'
full article here:
From all accounts Glaws had dominance in the forwards but were wasteful, my mate who was there said it was awful.
Hibbard is on his way there next season.
Wales centre better than BOD! Burn Gatland!
Afoa and Hibbard should bulk up the front row!
I was at the weedgie game and it was the same, 4 knock-ons from Glasgow in first 5 mins. Cardiff were short of most of a team for some reason,yet we couldn't beat them. The assault case is really getting inside the Glasgow teams mentality.
@muddy - don't mean to be a grump but 53-17 is a boring match.
I watched Toulon/Exeter and Perpignan/Munster, latter was quite dull till last 10 mins but what a finish. Of those teams none of them looked likely HC winners on current form.
Toulon's president stated they wouldn't sign Warburton as he wanted too much money but they are after Halfpenny, makes sense with JW to retire and Giteau is playing very well. [url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/10517573/Leigh-Halfpenny-wanted-by-Toulon-but-move-for-Sam-Warburton-is-ruled-out.html ]Toulon/Warburton/Halfpenny[/url]
Saint Wilks has been offered another year. What on earth was Warburton asking for if Toulon couldn't afford him? Reading over his demands "Sacre Bleau! It says here that he wants his wages in exotic spices,delivered by Golden Unicorn twice daily!"
What on earth was Warburton asking for if Toulon couldn't afford him?
Toulon have invested a lot in their squad already, the president doesn't have an endless supply of money, typically the French clubs spend money on play makers, big money for a forward ? Warburton's a fabulous player but I can see why Toulon would prefer Halfpenny. I think they are chasing Rory Kockott too, the Castres scrum half you had a big part in beating them in the Top 14 final.
the president doesn't have an endless supply of money
He has said the club are self sufficent...he is also worth 50million,so he DOES have an endless supply of money 😀
Take your point about playmakers mind, Halfpenny is a better player anyway.
As noted above, with Burns probably off, Hibbard to Glaws - a great signing. After our cup final against Worcester on Sunday, hopefully a win means they can then start planning for next season. Its not lost on me that Dean Ryan's last home game in charge at Glaws was a loss to Worcester.
Gatland confirmed Wales coach until 2019. Interesting to extend to 2 more World cups at this stage, if they cannot beat Australia the 2015 one might end at the pool stage.
http://balls.ie/rugby/holy-crap-sebastien-chabal-get-away-just-yellow-card/
wonder if this guy got concussion 😯
