Not qsure it will foce anything. Premership and bt have offerred equal funding and that has the posdibility of growing the game rather than letting it whither and die playing glasgow and connaught on a wet friday.
Or equally boring,Cardiff and Zebre anytime.Actually that might not be as bad,bottom of the table dogfight/chance for revenge for Cardiff after being the only side to lose to them and all that.
Steffon A has played well in the games I've seen but he looks a fair bit too chunky for an international lIMO. I'm not sure he has the speed about the field either required for that level.
WRU / Regions indeed looks a right mess. Not so Happy New Year !
The Irish do as well,even though the provinces have been embraced by the supporters.
The key difference duckie being that provincial rugby in Ireland has quite a bit of history before Rabo/Pro/BeerCup. With the arrival of European rugby though, the interest certainly went up and the fans went to the grounds in numbers to watch. Even Connaught are improving somewhat. Provincial rugby has been fantastic for the green machine, instead of depending on a lucky crop of players to come together every few decades to have something to shout about.
I suppose Wales winning a few grand slams without the regions being successful means the fans have to be convinced in other ways to embrace the regions. Generally rugby fans in Ireland will nail their colours to two masts - their province and their national side, with some die-hards also supporting their individual club sides.
What's the story with Welsh fans? Can the national side keep delivering GS and 6N trophies without the regions being successful? How have they managed to be so successful in recent years with the regions being in the doldrums? (Qs for the welsh contingent)
IMO I don't think the regions have been bad for the game in Wales quite the opposite. Graham Henry was the driving force behind the regions and he knew something about rugby 😆
I am happy for our stars to go overseas as it means the young players get blooded in Rabo games.
The public like the regions in general Parc y Scarlets is heaving when big games come along, it is just that the Rabo doesn't give you that many big games. I think ticket prices are to high.
Ospreys have done ok won the league a few times. The glaring problem is with European success, Wales has had very little. How many English clubs have won it? Ireland have done very well in Europe why is that? Lots of foreign players? Tax breaks so wages are higher? You tell me DD?
Happy New Year and once again come on the warriors 😀
Pigface, I [i]think[/i] English clubs have won the HC as many times as the Irish and French.
Honours even though apart from the Wasps victory a few years back, Ireland and France have lorded it for the last decade. English clubs were successful in the early years of the competition when the likes of Leicester cheated their way to victory a few times. 😆
Interestingly, the French normally provide the losing finalist.
Welsh regions have done a good job of bringing on welsh talent (and english and tongan ;-). ) missed out on the Vunipolas though. Its just the rabo does not provide any attraction for sponsors or fans and the welsh regions get less cash than either the scottish or irish teams. The lack of wru funding and lack of decent games has meant any investors have drifted away. The rabo is stuck in a positive feedback loop of decline as welsh stars leave so do the fans then the irish teams send over Leinster b who still beat the blues and more fans drift off.
And Wasps had to rely on a Welshie 😆
Sorry I just can't remember an English team winning recently.
One advantage of the rabo is that it rests international players. Sexton played 10 games last season,so far he has played 13 this year. Take somebody like Warburton who is a bit easily broken,will French rugby not,while improving intensity,reduce the number of players available. We have had a similar situation with Beattie/Strokosch.
You're right its an advantage to the national team but not for the regions as they.want to grow the game and have top players playing.
Great start for Ulster hey DD?
Someone's singing when they're winning is it? Pfft...typical Ulster fan.
There's a Heineken Cup game next week we have to worry about BM. It's a competition in which we have real pedigree. You might know the feeling one day.
With all the shite going on I'd forgotten about the rugby. Good game here:
http://www.s4c.co.uk/clic/e_live.shtml
DD,wrong tense.."had" is the correct one to use in your mob's case 😈
Woohoo doing the double over the scabs 😆 very happy with that.
Suppose you need to worry...make sure you qualify for the next round.
DD,wrong tense.."had" is the correct one to use in your mob's case
No tense at all for you duckie. 😛
BlindMelon - Member
Suppose you need to worry...make sure you qualify for the next round.
20 point clear lead to finish a relieved 29-19. That's a great result for the orangemen over their more successful provincial cousins. I think we'll be alright for the next round (famous last words)...Ulster look like they will too...just normally expect an early capitulation from them shorty after. 🙂
Now how does the song go again?
"Sing when yer winnin', ye only sing when..."
Hardly relieved. Would have been a lot more had the ref not been AA's best pal.
£20 to your nominated charity if we don't go further than you lot in the beer cup?
Rolland or The Clancy Clown?
£20 to your nominated charity if we don't go further than you lot in the beer cup?
I'm not a gambling man, sorry. Find someone else.
You big girl DD. Its not gambling its a bit of fun with a charitable donation. Wrecker and I will have the ysual tenner on england wales, although I am not confident this season
Whether I was confident or not, I wouldn't choose to have any of my money riding on a game a_a, much less the prospect of donating to a charity not of my own choosing. I have my own reasons for this, but I don't feel any less masculine for them. Let's just leave it there ok?
Ok princess
Edit.
Rolland AA. Woeful for the game. Pens all over the place. I think Ulster had 14 in the end which is crazy considering they were the dominant home team.
No worries DD. Banter only it is!!
Blindmelon are you Yoda?
Well I've played too long in the front row so probably more Jabba than Yoda!
AA got to have the last word/dig? Why?
Why not, he's happy to start a bit of banter and then gets all precious. Calling someone a big girl is hardly the crime of the centuary.
You should try running round the fat lads george
http://sport.bt.com/video-01363814401986?videoid=3007070188001
Can't see the video, is it the marler tackle? Thing of beauty.
Did you see George flatten the little quins wing?
Oooh Glos got thumped today, even when Sarries were down to 13 men they still outscored Glos! I think the Cherries pack needs one of those reversing klaxons..
It is the marler tackle indeed, I suppose he has to be good at something his tackling is awful. Same site has the game highlights with the try. Paper was raving about it but it wasnt that great, simple missed tackle and then a run in.
Talking about Flood dropped and Cips not promoted
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/10550950/England-head-coach-Stuart-Lancaster-set-to-snub-Danny-Cipriani-and-Toby-Flood-for-Elite-Player-Squad.html
Did you see the latest twist in the welsh/English/hiney cup AA? It would appear that we are going to sack the Italians and the EPL teams are joining the rabo...
Lots of rumour and counter rumour. A british league would be a good idea, if the Italians can join the french all would be good...I very much doubt anything much is going to change though.
I have only had BT rugby for last two weeks,when did Salaries start with this running game caper? And Waldrom is really letting himself go the year.
Well that link above seems like confirmation that the Cipriani ship has sailed for good then re England. So Farrell Ford Burns Myler are the four 10's that we'll be picking from. Sweet jebus.
Steenson has been better than alm of them this season-shame he's too old.
Same age as myler tom. The cupboard really is bare at FH for England.
Is slade in the Saxons squad?
Cirpiani deselected himself years ago, his time in Australia wasn't so successful and he's only just back and beginning to play well so in my mind he's not a candidate.
Lancaster is making a mistake if not selecting Flood but they persisted with Farrell when he was playing poorly so perhaps it's really Flood who's making the call.
Why was Flood at 12 yesterday, hope it isnt becaise Williams is better!
Leicester have no fit inside centres, so flood who's played a fair bit in that position (at Falcons with Wilkinson at FH) and even for England, so he moved there. He wasn't kicking as he's carrying an injury that hurts like hell every time he swings, but is carrying on playing as the cupboard is really bare at Tigers with Alan not being quite fit and Bowden with a fractured cheek / eye socket and Heptima (SP) also out.
I suppose they could have played lamb, but even Leicester aren't that desperate!
I think Flood has had a long talk with Lancaster, asked if he's in the running to be fly half and was told yes, behind Farrell and alongside Burns. With that he's gone, right'o, bye bye, I'm off to France for some money while I can, as I want to play international rugby, but if I'm that far behind, I may as well get some money in. So now he's out of England reckoning for good.
