I wouldnt bother with the Wales game, Scotland game was good though.
Igm, no, not I.
Yarde was poor
Eddie Jones seems to see something there that no-one else does.
It seems as though his fingers have been surgically replaced with ten small dildos. Whilst this may be pleasing for his significant other it unfortunately bestows upon him Julian Savea-esque handling skills.
Right then, switch of codes (and allegiances for me): time for England to put on a showing against Australia.
Very tight so far. Australia making yards every time they have possession. Can England maintain this level of defence (which has been superb - Aussie try notwithstanding).
Hicks needs to get his whistle out for both sides for interference at the ruck....
60 minutes and game over. England forwards have played well but Australia stretching too much now.
Well deserved result for Australia. Won and lost at hooker and in the half backs. Bennett is probably the man for the job, but I'm not certain about some of his starting choices.
A lot to do before the World Cup next year.
Really? When did England last beat Australia? I can't actually remember. It was the usual huffing and puffing by a limited England side prior to being dispatched by a clinical and vastly superior Australia.
We should go back to playing as a GB side. At least the Jocks got a draw against NZ.
Bennett just took the job coz he was snubbed by Australia - he has no idea what his best side is, as evidenced by his selections over the 3 games.
Interesting if sad interview with Hughes in the Times in which he talks of knocking back his homeland for money. £22k for Sat! Which contrasts with the Fijians on £60 a day expenses. What would a world Pacific Island teams look like? Bearing in mind the way in which NZ schools hover up junior talent, it isn't ever changing.
Its shite isnt it. Saw this on another bored. Says its from the Daily Flail. Havent been to check.
Fiji's players are set to earn just £400 each for Saturday's sold-out Test against England after the RFU turned down their request for £150,000 of the bumper revenue.The Twickenham showpiece is expected to generate up to £10million, but England chiefs have only agreed to give £75,000 as a gesture of goodwill to the cash-strapped Pacific Islanders.
Eddie Jones' stars will earn £22,000 each and Sportsmail understands the Fiji camp are deeply disappointed with the settlement offered to them by the world's richest union.
Host nations are not obliged to share any revenue with their opponents, but Fiji feel they deserve more of a cut because England have not played in Suva since 1991.
A source told Sportsmail: 'It's fine for the big nations like South Africa because they get their pay day when England go back to play in Durban and Johannesburg.
'These guys rarely come to play in Fiji so there's very little revenue there. It's not reciprocated. The Fiji players are only getting pocket money. They're disappointed.
'A £150,000 allowance would have gone a long way because Fiji Rugby are working on a shoestring. They have a limited amount of kit because of things like excess-baggage costs.'
Due to funding shortages, the squad are believed to have used a free training pitch while in camp in Toulouse, where they stayed in Ibis hotel rooms costing less than £50 a night. RFU CEO Ian Ritchie signed off the deal with his Fijian counterpart, having recently earned a £100,000 bonus after helping generate a £407.1m turnover in 2015-16.
World Rugby pay for Fiji's economy airfare, while the tier-one host union are obliged to pay for the cost of hotels, food and coach travel during their time in England.
Furthermore, the Fijian union are fighting to keep hold of emerging players because of the talent drain sparked by the three-year residency rule.
Nathan Hughes is the latest Fijian to qualify through residency, with the Lautoka-born No 8 due to make his full England debut on Saturday against his country of birth.
The RFU recently announced record profits of £102.3m. The RFU declined to comment on Monday.
****ers
The Fijians should just decline the fixture @aa without a proper deal. It is a disgrace.
Decline to play and then England will certainly never visit..at least Wales do and have the good manners to lose too!! 😉
Aye, we have done them that favour as well! Something stinky about that; 150k out of 10 million? Is it the case that tier one are scared of the potential of the Islanders if it was a (more) even playing field? I am a loss to think about who else England would play; if there was no game there would be no ten million.
This is the sickening part -"RFU CEO Ian Ritchie signed off the deal with his Fijian counterpart, having recently earned a £100,000 bonus"
Agree with A_A's four stars.
There's a huge disparity between the wages but aren't the Pacific Island unions hugely corrupt as well?
At least Hughes is honest about it and it's all within the rules. Does stink a bit though. The guys like Manu who have been over here for ages I understand and don't have an issue with.
Glad to see Yarde dropped this week, although this squad is very 'import' heavy (Hughes, Roko, Harrison, Vunipolas, Hartley).
The Fijians should just decline the fixture @aa without a proper deal. It is a disgrace.
The RFU's £75,000 is precisely £75,000 more than any other team has paid Fiji for a fixture. If they were going to refuse all away fixtures which don't pay them, they'd not be playing much rugby considering the amount of teams who visit Fiji for a game.
The RFU's £75,000 is precisely £75,000 more than any other team has paid Fiji for a fixture. If they were going to refuse all away fixtures which don't pay them, they'd not be playing much rugby considering the amount of teams who visit Fiji for a game.
Oh well thats fine then.
this squad is very 'import' heavy (Hughes, Roko, Harrison, Vunipolas, Hartley).
The Vunipolas are welsh...more plundering of the little countries!!
Oh well thats fine then.
I didn't say that it was fine. I said that the RFU are giving them more than anyone else has. If fingers need to be pointed, it should be at others who have not been so generous.
Wrecker I hear you but £75k is a disgrace. The RFU p.ss £500k up the wall on Rob Andrew.
It's the fact they negotiated it down Wrecker, from a whole 1% of the gross income from the fixture. Ben Ryan has a good idea about something that would help; he has suggested a Super Rugby franchise based in Fiji.
At least there was a negotiation! They need to fix a tariff, say visiting team gets 20% of profits. It would stop ridiculous demands a la all blacks too.
The Vunipolas are welsh...more plundering of the little countries!!
Wasn't Billy pretty much educated in England - Thornbury and Harrow? He did play junior rugby for English schools.
By we did give you North and Warburton 😆
North, Warburton and the Vunipolas all spent the majority of their childhood in Wales!! Mako speaks with a welsh accent his younger brother is more Sith though.
That's actually a cracking idea for a % for the visiting team.
Billy went to English schools though... 😆 (well for at least part of his time).
Did either play any rugby at a descent level for Wales or Welsh schools? Not being a dick, just interested because in the case of Billy it seems that he was first recognised playing by for Thornbury and Harrow before heading to Wasps academy.
They've had a pretty nomadic life; Mako born in NZ, Billy born in Aus, living in Wales and then England.
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Giles in line to make debut for Wales from bench this w/e
Love that pic...it's like a six former sitting with the year 5 kids.
1/2p cardy 🙂
Agreed Wrecker there should be an agreed formula applicable to all irb internationals to splt a portion of revenue for the away side
Regarding the Fiji purse, bloke in work is adamant that Fiji get have the ticket sales. From reading this I guess he is wrong.
Few changes made by Jones - Brown out and replaced with Goode. Will Goode hang onto to the FB position next week? Pleased that Roko has been given another shot as he's arguably one of the form, if not the form winger in the AP at the mo.
Daly on the wing, pleased to see Slade back in even though his form isn't quite what it was before getting injured.
Ooh I have a headache....
Still a LBP against the tarquins at the shithole isn't to be sniffed at really. How many ibuprofens can I take without dying?
Go straight to codeine!!
Watched a bit of the game but it wasnt one for a neutral. How did Faletau go, he'll start v SA either way I expect. Faletau,Warburton and Moriarty backrow actually looks good.
Not toby did OK, solid in defence but more importantly lasted 55 minutes and didn't limp off. Oh, and I like tips for 7.
I think I may have some codiene.....
Not Toby did what he always does play pretty well. He is one of the most consistent performers and a very solid player indeed. I am pleased I saw him play live alas he will go down as one of the finest backrow players of his generation. The other Welsh players are decent but not as consistent as Faletau.
Bristol seem to be close but make an error at the wrong moment that seems to cost them. Number of visits to the 22 resulted in no points which fit the possession they had is disappointing for them I imagine.
Oh, and I like tips for 7.
Tipuric isnt physical enough for a backrow playing off a weak front 5 like the welsh have. He'd be double plus shitballs amazing for England though.
Number of visits to the 22 resulted in no points which fit the possession they had is disappointing for them I imagine.
I sent a text to a friend last night which read "one line break is all I ask. Just one"
Small solace, but I was pleased to see a few britolians playing last night. Ryan Edwards (the wing) is such a good player, completely at ease at this level.
He'd be double plus shitballs amazing for England though.
I agree.
Lovely start by Japan.
Useless clueless shite from Wales!
I'm trying to focus on the positive.
Anscombe redefining shit. Bring on Davies.
Honestly gutted for Japan.
Can we sack our coaches now please?
Hogg is a complete **** isn't he? Makes Ashton look like a sound bloke.
anagallis_arvensis - Member
Honestly gutted for Japan.
Can we sack our coaches now please?
We were saying it would have done Wales good to have lost that so they have a real look at what's going wrong. Do feel a change of coaches would be beneficial.
