Has anyone seen that a Crosskeys RFC player has been jailed for 12 months for a on pitch fight. Seems strange that this happened but when young Quinnell lost an eye playing against Crosskeys nothing was done.
Players name is Rhys Peebles
Bearing in mind you would be looking at 3 years for costing somebody their sight,l am quite glad police didn't make an arrest without clear proof. I played my last season at 39 when my school club was reformed,there were a couple of us older lads l had played beside for 30 odd years. Any of them did that on a pitch,teammate or not I would sing like a canary. There is something not quite right about people who gouge eyes or twist limbs to break them.
Scotland were desperate. When clean ball was there the backs were clueless. I despair watching this lot. Not holding much hope but a vast improvement is required next week
WALES (v Ireland) Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), George North (Northampton Saints), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Racing Metro), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Richard Hibbard (Ospreys), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Andrew Coombs (Newport Gwent Dragons), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Racing Metro), Sam Warburton (capt - Cardiff Blues), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).
Replacements: Ken Owens (Scarlets), Paul James (Bath Rugby), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), James Hook (Perpignan), Liam Williams (Scarlets)
Wales by 10.
Is Biggar broken? Priestland is a liability 🙁
DD, I wish I could share that optimistic prediction.
I fear another drubbing for Wales, sadly.
Ireland will win but not by much.
Interesting article looking at the domestic/international fortunes in Ire/wales
The loss of Girafferis is a blow, makes the pack look a bit lightweight.
Andy Hazell Gloucester Legend, forced to retire today. 17 odd seasons at one club and on record saying he'd swap his England caps for a Gloucester Premiership title. At one time arguably the best 7 in the country - should have really played more for England. Vickery got a good send off on match day a season or two ago when Wasps visited, but this will be massive.
it's not your lightweight forwards we are worried about, it is your giant backs. I'm still pretty hopeful Ireland can win but it should be close.The loss of Girafferis is a blow, makes the pack look a bit lightweight.
Ireland should be able to strangle Wales upfront.
Ireland should be able to strangle Wales upfront.
We live in hope..
More classic Owen's 😀
So Tomas O'Leary is trying to sue the IRFU over an eye injury sustained when a bungee cord snapped and hit him in the eye
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/ireland/article1370954.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2014_02_01
The IRFU should counter claim for him impersonating a scrum half.
Ire team for sat:
R Kearney; A Trimble, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, D Kearney; J Sexton, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross; D Toner, P O'Connell; P O'Mahony, C Henry, J Heaslip.
Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, M Moore, D Tuohy, T O'Donnell, I Boss, P Jackson, F McFadden.
Can't wait, should be a great game.
Scott Williams turns down a central contract and commits to scarlets for two more years. Makes you wonder if thw wru's plan is to try and keep talent in wales why are they bidding against scarlets. In other news the erc are witholding payments to clubs for the european cup... are they getting ready for going bust?
Oh and rugby yes. Er think that team will be too strong up front and in what is likely to be a mud fest should win.
Kelly Brown dropped from match day squad...seems very harsh as he didn't seem to have too bad a game? He's not a 7 though...
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Brown situation is bizarre was only going to be picked at 7 and only if he was best 7, which he is not, so why make him captain.
Glad fusaro and Scott are in would have liked Cusiter and Beattie in for Laidlaw and Denton as well. Few others I am sure would have been chopped if we had any depth in the Scottish game.
Why is Cusiter warming the bench? Laidlaw brings nothing to the game.
My prediction is it'll be an appalling game played on an awful pitch in terrible weather.......
On a different note - Sam Burgess, any good? I've not watched much League over the last few years.
I read on the Daily Mail Website (yeah, I know 😳 ) that he's signed for Bath, partially funded by the RFU.
I realise he's a star in RL but then so were Andy Farrell and Henry Paul. It seems that great League players who aren't quick enough to play wing/fullback and can't learn the technical aspects of playing in the pack get stuck at inside centre when "fast tracked" into the England side. Barrie Jon Mather anyone?
Is the Burgess move confirmed? Big surprise to hear - he's an elite NRL player in Sydney and I thought his whole family had emigrated there. Seems a desperate move by England - are they that limited in these positions? It's doubtful if Burgess has ever played a game of union in his life. He is 25, though, so right at the peak of his game.
If you were building a cyborg rugby league forward it would pretty much look like Sam Burgess - phenomenal player. How this translates to playing centre in RU I have no idea - suspect badly as I would have thought you need to be more agile to defend SH centres running around you. Obv no one is running over Sam Burgess.
Could he not play flanker?
Never mind. England will thrash the Scots, that is all. Its a forgone conclusion so I'm not too excited about it.
However, Wales/Ireland - I'll be cheering Ireland who in my mind should win. I have a feeling Ireland/England and Wales/France are the deciders this year.
Flanker would require the learning of far too many new skills.
Yeah the only guy I can think of who went from League to Union and made it as a forward (without any union background) was Brad Thorn.
I can't see the point of the Burgess move except for, presumably, his bank balance.
(If it IS a move. I did say it was on the Daily Mail site. As an aside, I was amazed by how many pictures there are and how little writing there is when you click open an article.)
Yeah the only guy I can think of who went from League to Union and made it as a forward (without any union background) was Brad Thorn.
I can't see the point of the Burgess move except for, presumably, his bank balance.
(If it IS a move. I did say it was on the Daily Mail site. As an aside, I was amazed by how many pictures there are and how little writing there is when you click open an article.)
so predictions, cant see much past three home wins this week
Ireland 24 Wales 18
England a lot Scotland almost nothing
France 28 Italy 6
I'm going to Murrayfield tomorrow so it'll be a triumphant victory for scotland for sure.
Oh its at murryfield... England by a lot still!
anagallis_arvensis - Member
so predictions, cant see much past three home wins this weekIreland 24 Wales 18
England a lot Scotland almost nothing
France 28 Italy 6
I find myself agreeing with AA on well, everything... 😯
Ireland by ten
England by an embarrassingly large amount
France by ten
France to be convincing against Italy.
Ireland to edge it against Wales.
Scotland and England to try and bore the other team to death with Scotland winning due to being better at withstanding dull rugby 😛
Got to say that Burgess wont cut it in union, he's a complete mutant, hyper aggressive, supreme athlete etc, however he's a league forward, and has played league his entire life. Its almost that the union game wont be enough for him (that's not knocking union, more the position he'll find himself in). In league he's working all the time, in union he'll be rarely on the ball. Its almost like trying to turn an ice hockey player into a grass hockey player - The sports have the same principles but they are chalk and cheese when it comes to the collision (league)and the scrimmaging (both forwards and backs responsibilities in union)
Just about to leave the house with Stoner Jr Sr to go and watch Warriors get reamed again by Leicester. Jr Sr's enthusiasm for the club seems completely independent of their performance. Which is nice 😉
At least the beer's alright.
Say a little prayer for us please chaps...
Worcester always amaze me, used to play them all the time as a kid, they were just a little club like Bromsgrove... how did they get where they are now?
Ireland to win with a BOD try 😀
France by less than 10
Scotland to do better than expected and lose by about 5 (although prob not score a try)
Ireland to win with a BOD try
keith wood will explode
I reckon there are 2 easy calls and one toss of a coin this weekend.
Sadly England will outclass a limited, unimaginative Scotland side - [b]Scotland 6 England 38[/b]
France, even given the unpredictable nature of their game will still be too much for a decent Italian side - [b]France 32 Italy 15[/b]
The tough call is in Dublin - a fiesty game between 2 good teams - home advantage might just swing it - [b]Ireland 24 Wales 21[/b]
Lets hope I have one of these wrong!
Bad forecast for Edinburgh tomorrow, pitch isn't good, so maybe...just maybe?
Just setting off to watch Sale V Gloucester, with Sale's Academy lads playing Leeds Carnegie first. Would be nice to do a double on Glos, Sale have improved a lot this yr but still an awful long way to go.
Having just got round to watching the ireland scotland game I cannot believe how bad scotland were and ireland were very poor for large parts too. If wales had some in form players I'd be quite hopefully, sadly they dont really.
Irish nation wondering if they ever mentioned the time Gatland dropped O’DriscollThe Irish rugby media and public are currently seeking an answer to the question of whether they have ever, at any point in the past, spoken about the fact that Brian O’Driscoll was dropped last summer during the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia in 2013.
BOD“Not sure if I ever mentioned this fact before, but O’Driscoll was dropped last summer,” said Michael Earls of the Leinster Supporter’s Club. “Warren Gatland, who is coaching Wales now, was the man who dropped him. Did I ever say that?”
Similarly, Elaine Connors of Munster has also publically appealed for an answer to the vexing question. “Did I, or any of my fellow patriots, ever voice our opinion on the non-selection of a certain Irish player last year?” pondered Elaine to anyone who would listen.
Ireland’s top journalists and pundits are also debating whether to mention the non-selection of Brian O’Driscoll in any of their media output this week ahead of the Six Nations clash with Wales or whether to ignore the issue for fear of realising too late it was a topic they had addressed previously.
“That would be awfully embarrassing,” said one Irish Times journalist (off the record).
As reported previously on The East Terrace, the Irish rugby community is furious that players like Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell were finally part of a successful Lions tour after a succession of miserable failures dating back to 2001.
Many in Irish rugby are also annoyed that after coming fifth in last year’s Six Nations (and bottom from all the unions which make up the British and Irish Lions) they only supplied almost a third of the starting lineups for the opening two tests.
“Gatland clearly hates the Irish,” said Earls. “If the likes of Bowe and Healy hadn’t been injured before the first test against OZ we would have only had about six players in the starting lineup. We came fifth in the Six Nations. We should have had more. I tell you, as a grown man who can vote and have children, Gatland is holding a grudge against us after his time in Ireland and paid us back by dropping one Irish player for the third test test and at the same time bringing in Sean O’Brien. Is it not clear he hates us? Woe is us and a plague upon all things Kiwi.”
Despite the time that has lapsed since the Lions series victory, actual real human beings like Rob Henderson (on the BBC’s Scrum V (aka as Mob V) on 2nd Feb) are still suggesting that Gatland should have selected a specialist centre on the bench for the third test and then brought that specialist centre on for a farewell, sentimental ten minutes of rugby.
The Irish rugby community has asked the world’s media and fans to help them find a voice and air their righteous grievance with the world. The East Terrace is proud to support that cause.
“Please use #didweevermentionBODwasdropped on social media to help spread the word,” added Earls. “Never forgive, never forget and never, whatever you do, apply logic and reason.”
http://theeastterrace.typepad.com/my_weblog/2014/02/irish-nation-wondering-if-they-ever-mentioned-the-time-gatland-dropped-odriscoll.html
Aye AA - we were poor and Ireland were not as good as some reported. I reckon Ireland and Scotland will improve but not enough in Scotland's case to get a result.
Ireland will lose if they don't improve!
Looking forward to the midfield battle - 10,12 and 13 look evenly matched.
A wet miserable Murrayfield is always a potential trap for England. Scrappy first 30. Hopefully more open and quality (weather permitting) last 50.
Really looking forward to Ireland v Wales. Should be the highlight of the weekend.
10,12 and 13 look evenly matched.
sexton v Priestland very much sexton
Darcy v Roberts very much Roberts
BOD 2014 v Williams I'd take Williams
11-14 are much stronger for Wales IMO but Ireland stronger at half back which could be crucial.
Ireland front 5 much stronger and should win the game in combination with a a backrow in form. Wales would need Warbs and Lydiate at their best to compete and one is way off form and the other has played about 15 mins since Nov. The shame is of the irish I'd only take Healy, POC and Sexton over their welsh counterparts if they were all playing at their best. But its a team game and Ireland are currently a better team.
