[Closed] 2015-16 rugby, world cup year

It'll be good to see Mike Brown back on the field.

aa
fair play on naming a squad
- it takes a bit more effort than just picking holes in others like i'm about to
will try to put one up when more time for you to comment.

think they look short on prop cover in that squad - specially if one's carrying an injury that means he can't start the early games. Early injury to one of them 5 and there's trouble. Not sure on back row either - there's the obvious 4 who are in every 23 then a youngster (can he cover 6,7,8 ?) who makes The Hask look disciplined.

Lot's of decent cover 9-15 but may need more forward cover IMO.

On that England side - lots of first teamers but a few there who are being given a chance to make their case.
I'd put T Hask, Nowell, Burrell in the latter.
Nowell, and May fighting for 1 spot (watson nailed on) but all three will travel as they're the only wings - and likely all 3 could be matchday 23 with may in pole at the moment but nowell offering good versatillity to cover all outside back spots from the bench.
hask will go 'cos he's versatile, think Woods a bit ahead at 6 but not much in it and both will be there.
haskell was playing great around christmas to easter- NotHeineken Cup v Leinster and early 6 nations but not so hot towards end of season.

and IMO, Barritt and JJ still most likely centres if fit.
Burgess and Burrell fighting over one spot (more as inside bosher) and Slade probably ahead 'cos he offers something different in covering JJ's 13 spot better (who could have to move to wing if others are injured with only 3 included) and also backs up 10, 15 in case.

Healy, Mcgrath,
best, cronin , Strauss,
Ross, moore, bent
POC,Toner, henderson, Ryan
POM, SOB, heaslip, Murphy, Henry

Murray, reddan, marmion
Sexton, jackson,
Henshaw, madigan
Payne, earls,
Bowe, Trimble, RKearney, Zebo, (Jones/Gilroy/Fitzgerald/DKearney)

If the backs are all fit and not carrying injuries then I'd love to see Gilroy make the squad as he's the most dangerous tryscorer of the 4, but he is an out and out winger - and at the moment looks the least likely as he's not being given the chance to claim it. jones probablly in pole position as he's the FB, but Zebo put his hand up to cover 15 well.
If Trimble or Bowe ( who could both move inside if needed) are carrying knocks then it may be that Fitz or Kearney's versatillity may put them back ahead covering 13 as needed.
Admit there's a distinct lack of decent specialist 12 cover but that does seem to be a hard problem to solve at the mo'.
if only Slammin Sam had an Irish Granny .

Might not even be a fifth outside back spot availableanyway, if it turns out they need to take 6 props 'cos of injury - healy and Moore still not proven fitness.
And there's an outside chance they may not even take the 5th Back row forward, that's the other option to find space for another prop. Murphy's likely to be in the 23 bench, but Henry was great last year and would make a cracking "Midweek Team" captain.

think they look short on prop cover in that squad - specially if one's carrying an injury that means he can't start the early games. Early injury to one of them 5 and there's trouble. Not sure on back row either - there's the obvious 4 who are in every 23 then a youngster (can he cover 6,7,8 ?) who makes The Hask look disciplined.

Got 3 tightheads 2 loose, if Gethin or James break then someone gets called up to replace. Its not like they will have to travel far! Moriarty can cover 6 and 8. Tips 7 and Faletau can play 6 or 7. Warbs would be first to replace Lydiate or Faletau at 6 or 8 with Tips going to 7. The other option is to drop a lock eg Ball or Bradley and take King who covers 6 and 5. None are ideal options but thats who we have. We could also consider not taking Priestland or Anscombe but with Liam Williams struggling too we need one of them at least to double up at 10 and 15 unless Amos is seen as back up 15.

Eli Walker hasn't progressed as far as I thought he would.

Walker's being going backwards lately.

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That try was 100% Hooks fault. If the nhs did passes......
Eli was pretty good in that game but he hasnt progressed due to being almost always broken. I think Cuthbert will go instead with Amos also as he covers 15.

I think we are both trying to make the same point about England Kryton but maybe coming at it from different angles. I can't help feeling England have an abundance of top quality players but the combinations still aren't where one would hope they should be still. A team like Wlaes on the other hand don't have the same problem- it is more about trying to keep your only decent 15 players fit and fill the bench somehow 😆 Ok, not completely fair but not far off.

Ryan Jones bows out, great player.

Ryan Jones bows out, great player

Feels like only a year or two since he first appeared on the scene. I still remember how enthusiastic he always seemed in the early days, how he grinned every time he was interviewed on that first Lions tour. Great player.

Good ambassador for the game as well. That smiling manner and intelligent comments when interviewed was always a good thing.

150 Ospreys appearances and 20 tries (2004-2014)
Ospreys captain 2007-2010
4 Celtic League titles and one EDF Energy Cup
9th on the all-time Ospreys try scorers list - five more tries than any other forward.
75 Wales caps (33 as captain), 2 tries.
4 Six Nations titles, 3 Grand Slams
3 B&I Lions caps (05 tour).

More grand slams than Ireland, same number as Scotland!Shame he never got to beat NZ

I think that this has been rumoured around bristol for a while. He had struggled to keep up in training since he arrived, and only made 9 appearances. By all accounts he was awesome to have around and made the whole teams approach more professional, so his contribution went further than "just" being a player.

I hope he goes int coaching rather than being another tv rent a gob.

Le XV de départ: Spedding ; Huget, Bastareaud, Fofana, Nakaitaci ; (o) Michalak, (m) Tillous-Borde ; Le Roux, Picamoles, Chouly ; Maestri, Papé (cap) ; Slimani, Guirado, Ben Arous.

Les remplaçants: Kayser, Debaty, Atonio, Flanquart, Nyanga, Kockott, Tales, Fickou.

Michila k? wtf

I hope he goes int coaching rather than being another tv rent a gob.

I'd heard rumblings too. Great player and top bloke.

Shame he never got to beat NZ

Or South Africa. Think he might have managed one or two against Australia?

I always get a bit frustrated when the I see that Welsh face-off against NZ. (Or any other Haka confrontation - who was it who walked up to the Kiwis until they were nose to nose?) Simply because the team then goes on to lose the game, the important bit. Great, we've beaten the Haka. Boo, we lost the game. 🙁

Great, we've beaten the Haka. Boo, we lost the game

Correct. But there's the principle of the thing, the psychology of announcing that you're not prepared to roll aside because one team has the "right" to lay down a challenge before the game begins.

I mean, after the Irish and French face-downs the Kiwis now have an enforced exclusion zone! So, before the whistle even goes the ABs have been gifted a psychological advantage. Fair play to any team that chooses not to be defeated before the ref even blows for kick off.

And that game is also remembered for the fact that the Welsh came out all guns blazing during the first half. So it must have done them some good.

Or any other Haka confrontation - who was it who walked up to the Kiwis until they were nose to nose

Doesn't matter what the green machine does before the Haka, they still go on to lose, even with a 49 point first half lead. 😀

deadlydarcy, they SOOOO won that game. (Unless you looked at the scoreboard!) I was devastated and most of the time I don't even like the Irish rugby team. 😉

I think teams should just ignore the Haka but if you do the Kiwis get all precious about it and call it disrespectful. It is my only criticism of them really.

Fair play to any team that chooses not to be defeated before the ref even blows for kick off.

I'd suggest that giving a dance more importance than it really merits is self defeating. Stand there and watch it and ignore it. Think about what you will be doing for the next 80-90 minutes. Maybe even work out how many calories the All Blacks are wasting throwing their shapes. If the ABs want to tell the world how great it is, fine, but really it's decoration.

Back when we rarely saw NZ over here it was great to see the haka. It was so different it was worth watching. These days, I see it so often that I normally fast forward through it (and the anthems, one of my pet hates.) That must be the same for the players as well?

Although, part of me thinks that the amount of time the NZ players spend rehearsing must surely interfere with the rugby at some point, so let them worry more and more about exclusion zones, varying dances, etc.

It's not even the original Haka the Kia Mata or some such pronounciation, which Brian Moore described as "no more than a Morris dance".

Because of the exclusion they now change up the Haka to look / sound as threatening as possible for those same psychological reasons.

Just because I mentioned it earlier and it's on my mind now.... 😀

What are peoples' views on anthems?

Surely they should only be played if an actual royal member is present, otherwise they are completely unnecessary. Especially at a bleeding friendly!

the english dont even have an anthem, they pinch the UK anthem 😆

runs away

The Oirish Haka = Boring the opposition with two anthems at home. (Before boring the neutrals with a kicking game.)

Responses to the haka
wales - hide behind a load of sandbags singing men of harlech
england - 2 options... hokey kokey or a morris dance (dress and sticks optional)
ireland - riverdance (michael flatley if hes available although preferably willie anderson)
scotland - run at them shouting loudly with blue and white painted faces
france - throw onions at them (garlic if no onions available)
Apologies if any stereotypes have been left out
😉

Italy? Oh that's too obvious... 😀

Stand there and watch it and ignore it.

I suspect thats easier said than done!
The best haka response for Wales was the fat bloke leading the crowd singing Bread of Heaven. The All Blacks got so upset at not being followed by kick off they did the Haka "in the shed" the year after. **** em I say our stadium you can do it our way or not at all.....stjll I would rather we beat them just once in my life!

Surely they should only be played if an actual royal member is present,

You do realise not every country has or wants a royal family dont you? Or indeed that not all national anthems are about British royalty?

france - throw onions at them (garlic if no onions available)

I suspect thats easier said than done!

You do realise not every country has or wants a royal family dont you? Or indeed that not all national anthems are about British royalty?

😉

I'd love to see a team walking up to the Kiwis while they're doing their dance, walk straight past them, and line up behind them. It'd be fun watching the them trying to figure out whether to turn round or keep facing an empty field.

Just read Steve James piece (and comments) and he says that based on what he's seen and heard that the England centres going for sure are Barrit, Joseph and Burgess. The other spot is up for grabs.

31-Man Wallabies Squad for Rugby World Cup 2015

Wallabies Forwards:

Hookers
Stephen Moore - C (96 Tests)
Tatafu Polota-Nau (53 Tests)

Props
Greg Holmes (17 Tests)
Sekope Kepu (56 Tests)
Scott Sio (9 Tests)*
James Slipper (66 Tests)
Toby Smith (uncapped)*

Locks
Kane Douglas (15 Tests)*
Dean Mumm (36 Tests)
Rob Simmons (52 Tests)
Will Skelton (11 Tests)*

Backrow forwards
Scott Fardy (24 Tests)*
Michael Hooper - VC (45 Tests)*
Ben McCalman (40 Tests)
Sean McMahon (3 Tests)*
Wycliff Palu (55 Tests)
David Pocock (50 Tests)

Wallabies Backs:

Scrumhalves
Will Genia (59 Tests)
Nick Phipps (31 Tests)

Flyhalves
Quade Cooper (55 Tests)
Bernard Foley (17 Tests)*

Inside backs
Kurtley Beale (52 Tests)
Matt Giteau (95 Tests)
Matt Toomua (25 Tests)*

Outside backs
Adam Ashley-Cooper - VC (108 Tests)
Israel Folau (33 Tests)*
Rob Horne (26 Tests)
Drew Mitchell (65 Tests)
Henry Speight (3 Tests)*
Joe Tomane (15 Tests)*
Tevita Kuridrani (24 Tests)*

*Uncapped at a Rugby World Cup

No Nick Cummins for the aussies 🙁

When you compare the amount of caps in that Aussie squad (and of others such as NZ, etc) England look pretty fresh! I still think that we're a very good, potentially WC challenging squad, but this world cup has come 2 years too early for us. Shame, but given that we're contemplating taking a bloke that's only just started playing the game (and no one seems sure what position to play him) and banging him in the centres.....it hardly suggests a sorted team.

Can't wait for it to start now though 🙂

but this world cup has come 2 years too early for us.

Or the preparation started too late?

Or the preparation started too late?

Good point Ewers has been fantastic whenever I have seen him, in fact he reminds me a wee bit of SoB.

re: Haka - best responses:

- David Campese not even watching and kicking ball around behind dead ball line
- Fench forming arrow formation and advancing behind Dusatoir in last wc final

Great result today, just received an email telling me that I've been accredited to work at the World Cup so I'll definitely be getting to see one or two matches 8)

Happy days!

Fiji 31-man squad:

Backs: Nemia Kenatale (Farul Constanta), Nikola Matawalu (Bath), Henry Seniloli (Treviso), Levani Botia (La Rochelle), Gabiriele Lovobalavu (Bayonne), Joshua Matavesi (Ospreys), Ben Volavola (Waratahs), Vereniki Goneva (Leicester), Kini Murimurivalu (La Rochelle), Nemani Nadolo (Crusaders), Waisea Nayacalevu (Stade Francais), Metuisela Talebula (Bordeaux), Asaeli Tikoirotuma (Harlequins).

Forwards: Lee Roy Atalifo (Suva), Isei Colati (Nevers), Campese Ma'afu (Pays D'Aix), Peni Ravai (Nadroga), Manasa Saulo (Timisoara), Sunia Koto (Narbonne), Tuapati Talemaitoga (Pays D'Aix), Viliame Veikoso (Doncaster), Tevita Cavubati (Ospreys), Leone Nakarawa (Glasgow Warriors), Api Ratuniyarawa (Agen), Nemia Soqeta (Biarritz), Sakiusa Masi Matadigo (Lyon), Akapusi Qera (capt, Montpellier), Malakai Ravulo (Farul Constanta), Netani Talei (Harlequins), Dom Waqaniburotu (Brive), Peceli Yato (Clermont).