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He's not hugely talented as there is no such thing. He has lots of ability which he fails to fulfil mostly.
Agreed. By no means the stand-out centre you make him out to be.
Honestly - is this thread a troll? If it is it's magnificent and I've been well and truly suckered throughout! 😀
But if its not, I find your infatuation and devotion both unsettling and a little bit weird actually... 😯
He prob gets a lot of attention due the lack of stand out talent/form at centre currently playing for wales or scotland and england for that matter. As his inclusion in the wales squad illustrates - not having to show any hunger.
He is a very talented player who has done very little at International level for quite some time now.
Like Jonny Wilkinson.
He's not hugely talented as there is no such thing.
Not sure I understand this, whats the difference between talent and ability?
He has lots of ability which he fails to fulfil mostly
Not strictly true (see what I did there?) he just fails to use it.
He prob gets a lot of attention due the lack of stand out talent/form at centre currently playing for wales or scotland and england for that matter. As his inclusion in the wales squad illustrates - not having to show any hunger.
This is true and an aging BOD aside Ireland have very little too. I may have to question the hunger bit in one sense, because to have got himself to the physical level needed to survive full games in the Top 14 on the back of almost no gametime in 2 years shows a serious commitment to training.
Ireland have a lot of good young centres coming through.
How come they kept playing Darcy in the 6 nations then as he was truely awful
Wales have Hook, Roberts and Davies which aint too shabby but with Hook being considered at 10 and Shanklin retired its a bit shakey if any injuries arise.
Kidney is a notoriously conservative coach. Paddy Wallace and D'Arcy were basically picked for the World Cup squad at the start of the season, all the selections follow from that. To be fair to D'Arcy he has come back into good form for Leinster.
Luke Marshall is coming through at 12 for Ulster and is a very similar player to Henson. Nevin Spence has just had a brilliant debut season at 13. Fergus McFadden has been playing very well at 12 for Leinster. Earls and Bowe have both got experience at 13. We're alright for centres for the forseeable future.
Has Bowe played 13 for Ireland? Paired up with the right type of 12 he could be very good, but then he is already one of the worlds top 14's. Never been conviced by Earls at the top level.
He might have stepped in but I don't think he has started. Earls has been getting better and better, 09 Lions was to much too soon but he has improved steadily since. He is a ridiculously talented footballer with a lot of pace. We have a few wings coming through at Leinster and Ulster so the likes of Bowe or Fitzgerald might step inside.
imagine if this was Gavin!!
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-13423707 ]luckily its just some Scotch man[/url]
No contract next year for the orange one. Where next then?
Dragons or Australia, depends on whether he gets a WC berth.
Cant believe Richard Cockerill didnt get anything more than a slap on the wrist for slagging the officials.
And while we're on the theme, congratulations to Leinster for confirming continuing dominance of Irish rugby over English by handing Northampton a 16 point start and still beating them in the second half. Stirring comeback 😀
And congrats to leinster and northampton for confirming continuing dominance of Irish and english rugby over Welsh 😀
Was a great come back, fair play never rated Sexton but he had a blinder. Congratulations Leinster.
Now now backhander there is no need for that 🙂
Great game, although being on a stag do my memory is a little hazy watching on TV.
Been at some entertaining premiership games this season - its going to be a long summer. 🙁
I cant help it pigface, his open hatred of the english and one eyedness of welsh rugby needs to be checked sometimes. I wish he'd have a word with himself.
its going to be a long summer
Until the world cup!
Regardless of any teams performance (england included), I love the spectacle of the RWC.
I was only teasing. 😛
Not directed at you darcy.
I wish Ireland the best of luck in the RWC (who I shall be supporting after england)
It would be nice to for BOD to top off his career with a good performance at the world cup (with a [b]silver[/b] medal) 😛
As ever, the QFs will be our latest exit point 🙁
I hope they at least put in a performance rather than the last cock-up.
If you lot promise not to crow too much, I'll support England against any SH side in the later stages. 🙂
I don't think I'll have much to crow about this year, I think it's probably a year or two too soon for us.
If there is an Ireland vs England game, I'll probably be heading into town to watch it if you're about. Loser gets the round in?
I'll set the cash aside now 🙂 And choose somewhere cheap 😛
What happened to the Northampton scrum in the second half?
its going to be a long summer
The last few games of S15, then what should be an interesting Tri-Nations, a few pointless summer games and then the main course of RWC!
I'll probably be heading into town to watch it if you're about. Loser gets the round in?
Don't us Welsh boys get an invite then? We're only the other side of the river! 😆
IdleJon - MemberWhat happened to the Northampton scrum in the second half?
The leinster coach sussed out how to counteract it. I guess the props might have tired as well
Intresting choice of words and very dfferent from what was said about sackey....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/13517490.stm
team manager Tom Whitford said financial constraints and Henson's possible 2011 World Cup involvement with Wales were the primary factors in their decision.Whitford told BBC Sport Wales: "The problem is we haven't qualified for Europe this season, which means that our budget is going to be restricted which means then we're slightly limited in our salary budget - that's one reason.
"The second reason is we hope from his point of view he's going to be picked for the World Cup to play for Wales, which means we're going to lose a player for a three-four month period.
"So we'd rather not take that risk. Obviously there was an incident - and he wasn't the only one at fault - let's be honest about this - it wasn't just his fault.
"Having taken everything into account we've come to a decision whereby we're going to release Gavin and we're going to wish him very well in the future."
wonder who the next lucky club will be!!
Inother news, how good is Sean O'brian? utting him back to 6 where he is brilliant from 7 where he isnt seemed a big factor last weekend.
Quite hard to have tickets for all pool and QF games at a venue within walking distance of my house for RWC! Anyone coming over and needs b and b in wgtn I am offering. oh and Scotland v Argentina now given ChCh not having a level playing field any more...
A_A we are hoping to have Ferris, Heaslip and O'Brien fit for the World Cup, that will be a pretty abrasive back row. I don't know if switching sides made a massive difference to O'Brien. Leinster had no ball in the first half, as soon as they get momentum he will always turn up, breaking tackles. He is unbelieveably quick for a big lad as well, he outpaced Ruan Pienaar over 50 yards in the Ulster-Leinster game.
I'd love to take you up on that NZCol. A bit far / wet to cycle tho
Ah the cake tin, Col I figured you would live on the Seatoun side of Wellington. Weird how you make assumptions about things.
That's a bit freaky as we do but have a place in town as well !
Some moan that Saints scrum seem to not always bind or drive straight but due to brute force going foreward they get penalties. I think Ross said in second half he just adjusted the timing of his push to negate the more powerfull Tongauiha. Through my hazy drunken memory i distinctly remember Hartley popping up from the scrum once ot twice in the second half, and finally ref's are catching on.
One of the best passages of play i've seen this season is at Kingsholm where Saints were on the Gloucester line with several reset scrums, penalties to Saints, pushing for a try for a loosing bonus point. Saints bring on their much vaulted front row, and get pushed back. Penalty to Glos - Kingsholm erupts. Who gives a stuff about S15 over the summer 😀
Ferris, Heaslip and O'Brien fit for the World Cup
You need Wallace in as 7 IMO, O'Brien is no 7 you need a fetcher. If it were me I'd drop Heaslip and put O'Brien at 8. Only worry would be the lack of height at the tail of the lineout.
He is unbelieveably quick for a big lad as well, he outpaced Ruan Pienaar over 50 yards in the Ulster-Leinster game.
Strangely on the TV he looks a lot smaller than he really is.
Scamper - Member
Some moan that Saints scrum seem to not always bind .........
I noticed that the top down TV shots showed NH were binding very loosely.
And yes, you are right about Hartley popping - I seem to remember the ref allowed a couple of scrums to continue after he'd stood and was being driven backwards. Fair enough for the serial popper!
Who gives a stuff about S15 over the summer
After a winter of watching dour, miserable Magners rugby, or pick and drive English rugby, the S15 is a breath of fresh air. And the final is normally pretty good.
After the Crusaders S15 game in London the common theme in this country was "Why don't our teams play like that?"
Houns - Member
Pfffh not really a crunching tackletry this
Thank you Houns I always thought Youtube was a bag of shite but the Rugby parts are just brilliant to watch. Thanks again a 54 year old shite hooker who has the build of a back!!
To be fair to Matt Rogers it was a shocking pass he got, he did get nailed though. Should have punched Lewsey a bit harder to start with.
Wales: Morgan Stoddard (Scarlets); George North (Scarlets), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Gavin Henson (Unattached), Aled Brew (Newport Gwent Dragons); Stephen Jones (Scarlets), Michael Phillips (Ospreys); Ryan Bevington (Ospreys), Huw Bennett (Ospreys), Paul James (Ospreys), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Luke Charteris (Newport Gwent Dragons), Danny Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), Toby Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).
😆
Starting on Saturday will he make it to the World Cup.
100th cap for Jones as well which is a hell of an achievment
If he gets through the game without embarassing himself and stays fit he's going to the World Cup. Gatland and Edwards love him.
Good looking backrow and midfield front, 5 is a worry though and the back three cannot defend but should look good with ball in hand.
15 Isa Nacewa (Leinster & Fiji)
14 Paul Sackey (Toulon & England)
13 Seru Rabeni (La Rochelle & Fiji)
12 Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Francais & France)
11 Doug Howlett (Munster & New Zealand)
10 Brock James (Clermont Auvergne)
9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Castres Olympique & France)1 Iestyn Thomas (Scarlets & Wales)
2 Sebastien Bruno (Toulon & France)
3 Carl Hayman (Toulon & New Zealand)
4 Iosefa Tekori (Castres Olympique & Samoa)
5 Paul Tito (Cardiff Blues)
7 Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues & Wales)
8 Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais & Italy), captain
6 Joe van Niekerk (Toulon & South Africa)
gulp!
Didn't look like the "king of rugby" to me!
Sackey played well though!
Sackey played well though!
For a given value of "well" 😉
Parisse, on the other hand, is astonishing. What a player.
Be fair CFH, he did play well.
I completely agree about Parisse though he is a very, very talented player and probably my favorite no 8 on the planet.
Aye, was only stirring really! Nice to see him and y Gav having a chat on the sidelines after they both came off. Nice illustration of the Baas spirit* there.
Parisse is, to my mind, the first name on any world team sheet at the moment. Awesome.
* I gather that the arrival of the Barbarians in Cardiff was very popular with local business. Their "training sessions" were especially popular with the local publicans! That's what it's all about!