[Closed] Rugby thread 2016/2017

I see Dan Cater had a few many before driving home.

Wonder if he tried the Cipriani defence? 🙂

He's been outstanding in the first couple of games in the way that he's competed (at the break-down) and brought physicality," said Gatland.

Warburton has been playing at blind-side flanker alongside Justin Tipuric.

Gatland says Warburton, the Lions captain in 2013 in Australia, has shown the sort of attributes that will be needed on the 2017 tour to New Zealand.

"New Zealand have got three or four open-sides that are very strong at the break-down and you've got to be able to have someone who can do that," said Gatland.

You knows it!

It has been at least six weeks since Warburton has been broken,the tour isn't till next Summer.

Wee Jock McStrauss out for rest of six nations and Moriarty starting for Gloucester v Saffacens so no doubt he'll get broken too!!

and ain't that the truth of the lions team!

I used to be an appalling flanker, but I reckon if I have my bots in NZ, mid tour, there's a chance I'll get a game....

Lets see who's actually fit enough to go - that'll be the team!

Well it looks like Wales will be playing Tonga in NZ during the tour then off to Samoa so back up players could be easily bought in. Assuming the welsh player avaialable is any good. Thought of Rhodri Jones as a late replacement for the test bench spot fills me with dread!!

I think the injuries will exposed Scotland's lack of depth for the last three games - it'll be a real shame if their tournament stumbles now because they were very good in that first 40 against Ireland.

As for the Lions; there's a shed load of rugby to be played yet and no doubt a few more will get broken. The tour schedule is nuts too so I guess a few more will get broken out there too. Unintentionally or intentionally...

Mako back for Sarries tonight. As an England fan it'll be interesting to see how he goes after a few weeks off. I'm guessing that he'll be back for England soon enough - although not the best scrummager we've really missed his carrying.

Strauss broken....Please not Denton called back up...

although not the best scrummager we've really missed his carrying.

Is it thm and not zokes that you pick on now then? 🙂

Yeah it's a shame for Scotland with the injuries, hopefully they remain on an upwards curve.

Woops!

If by pick on you mean they talk shite until periodically I swear at them and get banned for a week, then yes!! 🙂

Great Faletau is starting for Bath too so no doubt both will be crocked and we'll have King at 8 v scotland 🙁

If by pick on you mean they talk shite

Shucks, it was only "dull" yesterday and now its "shite". What did I say today?

Still cant counter what the first choice front 5 would be AA. 😉

Strauss is a blow for Scotland - played well in recent club and 6N games and "did the job on Murray"

(but be careful on your use of nicknames AA, that was v naughty of you, I hope it wasnt reported!)

Still cant counter what the first choice front 5 would be AA

You still havent explained how the set piece was weakened by swappibg Robshaw with Itoje, Kruis with Lawes and Vunipola with Marler... but then you got educated a bit and realised a pack is about more than just set piece and tried to switch your point around. Keep wriggling,keep wriggling.

but be careful on your use of nicknames AA, that was v naughty of you, I hope it wasnt reported!)

😀

With the greatest of respect, put them away lads eh?

FOR ANYBODY NEW TO THM
He is referring to when I dared to object to him calling Scots sweaties. His reply was to do his best to get the word Sweaty into every thread he could that I was on...apparently it's just a term he and his colleagues use in the office. A number of people called him on it,including a number of people on this thread. Eventually the mods got bored of him and he had an enforced rest from STW. He seems to think I reported him, I didn't; but if I had known he would still be bringing it up two years later,I would have done.

We have learned our lessons ducks haven't we - except for some on the previous page. Dont want to upset the sensitive, fragile souls (even on a rugby thread)

(I think you are flattering yourself on the idea of trying to get into every thread, but that was a long time ago!! 😉 )

[u]Excuse me wrecker and others,[/u] should have ignored AA's reply to Tom !! Back to the rugby....

We've all done Ok this year until recently though eh?
No "taffs", "sweaties" and no (not sure but don't think so) sais even!
I did refer to the scots presence in the Lions as "token" though but I was joking and I'll have to bear the shame of that one 😉

Can we squash the back biting and go back to talking uneducated, ill informed shite about the game we love now please?
Pretty please?

not sure but don't think so) sais even!

Pretty sure I will have referred to T Francis as The Fat Sais a few times!!

Anyway **** that shit.... Gav is BACK on the bench for Bristol this weekend V Leicester...ALL HAIL THE RETURN OF THE KING!!!

Ignore THM and threads become much more pleasant. He is a troll. don't feed him

😀

Anyway **** that shit.... Gav is BACK on the bench for Bristol this weekend V Leicester...ALL HAIL THE RETURN OF THE KING!!!

Jeez sarries. Losses to wuss and glaws on the bounce.

Superb refereeing from Barnes today*. Spotted a possible concussion, stopped the game immediately.

* I know. I can hardly believe it myself! 🙂

I think Barnes is a very good ref in general. Sarries had zero penetration at all. Kingsholm sounds like a soccer game, hardly surprising.

Big win for Gloucester that by my god it must be hard being a supporter; they were bloody awful last week but played well tonight. Massively inconsistent.

Mako did alright; played 70mins. He was good in the loose but the scrum was a tad wobbly. Barnes had a really good game I thought as the red.

edinburgh get another humping. *sulks*

Maitland went off injured as well, Scotland's body count is racking up.

*sobs*

Barnes also did a surprisingly good job at explaining how the new rules were going to be interpreted at the start of the 6N too

Lions. Farrell can't get a start at International level at 10. The one game he's started there recently was a disaster (RWC loss to Australia). Since he's been moved away look at the results 17-0

Yet Sarries are/were the best team in europe with him at 10.
Blaming OF for the shit performance of the england team is really stupid.

what works at club level doesn't always work at international level. Many examples of great club players who look very average at international.

Farrell got schooled by Saint Johnny while England's number 10, he looks much better at inside centre.

But then why not play a proper inside centre? sorry I have never got the love for Farrell - a good club player but not quite there at international level. He lies too deep and is too slow meaning everyone outside him gets shit ball. Like wilkinson - great at what he does but you have to look at what he doesn't do as well.

He also does that stupid hand gesture crap when he scores. Very soccer.

Given his poor international performances, Gatts is sure to pick Finn in preference

Amazing that Daley scored after his slow ponderous pass last week too...On the scale of shit ball where does that lie?

LOL. Some people took my comment too seriously.

talking uneducated, ill informed shite about the game we love now please?

😀

https://www.balls.ie/rugby/why-does-owen-farrell-celebrate-penalties-310291
Farrell's hand gesture is one of his saving graces.

Owen Farrel was a bit of a nob on the pitch but he seems to have pulled it in and his interview after the wales game was pretty good.

Ducky, I know about the work for charidee, and it is a good thing. The hand gesture is still nobbish, though! 🙂

I used to be a real Farrell detractor, but I think he's maturing into a pretty good player. He seems to have sorted his attitude out a bit and gets less involved in the hardman stuff..although he's clearly pretty hard because he took that late hit from Moriarty like a champ.

Unless Ford learns to kick and Slade regains some form / settles on a position, I can't see him being dropped any time soon.

As late as a Courtney Lawes hit that would have received great praise!

😉

I still appreciated it CFH! What folk don't realise is that a good back rower can bend time;it just looked late to mortals. See also Strauss on annoying Irish and EVERY MacCaw tackle.

they're not late tackles they're 'well timed' ones. Keep up there 😉

late hit from Moriarty like a champ.

Ref said it was well timed..sole arbiter of fact 😆

1.35 here him and AWJ hit Stout Yeomen Hughes and the gum shield flies!!

2.20 for the well timed hit!!

a good back rower can bend time

Trudat. Innit.

Standby to be happy!
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/christian-lealiifano-in-remission-six-months-after-leukemia-diagnosis-20170218-gufy9b.html
Fantastic news, hopefully he'll be pulling his boots on again soon!

Thats brilliant!!

Ref ...sole arbiter of fact

True - please remember that.

After tennis we had a discussion on the most important selection of the 6N - forget Lions places, the key decision is (K)Nob of the Nations with a mounted dildo as the prize.

Nominations unsurprisingly included Brown, Hogg, Williams and Webb....

....And the runaway winner - Ashton (in abstentia) 😉

True - please remember that.

I always do. Just sometimes I choose to ignore it. Its not my fault pretty much just you and zokes fail to understand I am mostly taking the piss!!

Talking of Brown and Webb and blind refs. I cant believe that Webb got away with this and that Brown didnt have a tantrum!!!

[img] [/img]

White 12 in from the side pen Wales!!!

Isnt the correct spelling - "talking" 😉

One of the joys of watching the 6N is the anticipation of your [s]whinging[/s] concerns about biased refs!

So Gav played 15mins for Bristol today, that means he can start for Wales v Scotland next week and solve the 12 issue for The Lions this summer!

[img] [/img]

that means he can start for Wales v Scotland next week

Yes, those Scottish injuries have driven them to desperation...

So Gav played 15mins for Bristol today

He touched the ball twice and knocked both of them on

I bet he looked lovely whilst doing it though!

He looked pissed off is what he looked!

He looked pissed off is what he looked!

but oh so ORANGE! 🙂

did you catch Sarries having a torrid time in the shires again last night? Laff? I nearly supported Glos!

How did Osprey manage to lose that??!??

Another tight finish - Ospreys v Munster.

Fun for a neutral and quite a turnaround.

Davies, Beck and Fonotia looked like they were going to destroy them. Then I went to cook dinner and they lost?

anagallis_arvensis - Member
How did Osprey manage to lose that??!??

<sour grapes>

Maybe because the ref couldn't identify a no-armed tackle on Beck in the process of scoring. Should have been a penalty.

Maybe because the ref couldn't identify a high tackle in injury time. Clue - if a tackler's fingers hit the chin, it's high!

</sour grapes>

Or really, because the Os allowed Munster to control the second half. A good game, shame about the result.

Now, I like Webb, and think he's been great recently, but he was a lucky boy there.

I thought Garces had a good game - you can't see everything. Touch judge should've spotted that.

How did the Ospreys manage to lose that?

Just guessing from the other 73 pages, but I reckon there might be some mention of the ref...

The home crowd surrounded the ref at the end and sprayed him in fake tan. Poor guy, it will last three weeks according to BBC Wales...

(this might be fake news tbc)

A good game, shame about the result.

eamhurtmore - Member
The home crowd surrounded the ref at the end and sprayed him in fake tan. Poor guy, it will last three weeks according to BBC Wales...

Why would there be a retailer in Swansea stocking fake tan after Big Gav moved east?

Maybe because the ref couldn't identify a no-armed tackle on Beck in the process of scoring. Should have been a penalty.

Should have been a penalty try.

F*** that, I want to hear about a_a's dinner.

Roast chicken (cooked with lemon and thyme), new potato, broccoli and peas. Decided to have sunday roast today as rugby and biking planned for tomorrow.

Ooh sounds nice. You're quite well now then? Riding coming on OK?

Should have been a penalty try.

Hmmm, would it have been a definite try if he'd tackled properly? And there was another tackler there as well iirc? Penalty, maybe a yellow for cynical play (and being a cheat. 😆 )

Hmmm, would it have been a definite try if he'd tackled properly?

Thats not the criteria. If the tackle was illegal the tackler is ignored for judgements on what happens next. Like Williams shoulder barge the lost us that game in SA. The question would have been would the cover have got to him without the late hit.

Sad news about Vickerman, no age at all 🙁

Vickerman only 37 awful 🙁

You're quite well now then? Riding coming on OK?

My hips stop me from riding more than 2 hours at a time but the rest of me is relatvely ok!!

Well my fears about injuries and scotlands lack of depth are really coming true. 🙁 The remaining games are going to be hard without our first choice front row, our captain and kicker, one of or first choice wings and goodness knows how many back row players. Thank goodness for this weekend off

My hips stop me from riding more than 2 hours at a time but the rest of me is relatvely ok!!