[Closed] Rugby thread 2016/2017

"I'd like to thank the Lord Almighty for today and I would also like to apologise because I'm going to be drunk tonight"

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Any chance eh captain?
Could be worse though.
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Genuinely good teams from all nations

Italy? Wales?

Ok not Italy, but I thought the Scarlets played well, and Glasgow/Munster/Leinster all much stronger than previous years.

Scarlets did well with what they have but were hoplessly out gunned as were The Ospreys.

Congratulations to Saracens, back to back wins are special. Looking forward to catching the highlights later

Talking Wales, I thought N Owens was poor too. Needs to concentrate on ref'ing rather than being part of the performance.

Was at both games, great weekend with some mates. Best teams won both nights, the quality of the Sarries/Clermont game was great for a final. They just squeezed them out of the game. Bloke next to me was giving it up as a bad job at 20 minutes but thankfully Clermont showed some of their flair.

Home now and off to look for highlights of that end to end try!

Bilbao 2018? Sarries versus ?

Very good performance by Sarries even though they left a few points out there - Owens was poor I thought. Clermont fought hard at the breakdown and some of their handling was superb.

It is hard to look past Sarries for the AP too, but they've got some tough games to go yet - Exeter have been really good despite a shakey start to start to the season.

I'm going to watch Wasps / Tigers this weekend live this weekend. Hoping for a good game.

I'm becoming confused and frustrated with the maul now. Ref shouts maul and suddenly it falls to the ground. Law 17 says,

Keeping players on their feet. Players in a maul must endeavour to stay on their feet. The ball carrier in a maul may go to ground providing the ball is available immediately and play continues. A player must not intentionally collapse a maul.

Mauls are fun to referee - they're always different, so you just go with gut instinct - has the ball carrier gone to ground and made the ball available? Yep, play on.
Has a defender pulled it down? Pen
Ball unplayable scrum.
I've discussed it with other refs and one of them said, if you refereed the same game 10 times, you'd make 10 different decisions 😆

Great first 35 mins from Scarlets in Dublin followed by a red card 🙁

Sexton playing like shit.

Leinster are fluffing a lot here. Handling, etc. Crowd are getting restless!

Shingler looks good, mind.

Sexton not taking conversion? Nacewa missing?

WTF

Also, I think I missed something. Did I see Furlong limping off?

Ah. Sexton limping as well.

Furlong and Mcgrath went off injured.
Loopy Liam kicked 2 pens for Scarlets!!!

Amazing gutsy win.
Think stef evans will miss out on his first wales cap due to copping a ban

Cubby was immense. Good coverage on the wing, too.

Very good win for the scarlets. Can they go all the way? would be good for welsh rugby / pro 12 if they do.

Mitrea had a good game as well. Developing into an excellent ref.

Sarries / Exeter turning into a good game and a real contest.

Bloody hell exeter! Very well played and that last kick by slade, that took some doing!

Yup

Glad to see Exeter win - my fave English side. Deserved the win too if for nothing else for that last kick to the corner

Stunning game - I was at Twickers last year when Sarries beat us, looking foward to next week 😆
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Are munster from new Zealand? cheap shot ****ers.

Lucky not to get a yellow for that.

Tense game, though. No one really impressing so far.

However, different now! Munster very good in attack now. Some lovely play. Game beyond the Os, sadly.

Really enjoyed that. 🙂

Rather less so here! 🙂

As elsewhere, a deserved win!

Munster are a difficult team to like. 18-3 up 10 to go and they are still trying to kick to the corner from just outside the opposition 22..did it twice.

Think they will be too strong for Scarlets.
Osprey really missed webb, leonard is shit

Enjoying Welsh Rugby Twitter this evening.

Munster are a difficult team to like

Percy Montgomery is difficult to like.

Munster were just better tonight. Agree that Webb was sorely missed, though.

I'm disappointed that Tigers lost today, but now at least the top two teams are left. With any luck, Wasps will win the premiership because they have already won the premiership. I'm not a massive fan of a season-long league ending with a mini knockout tournament. It makes good viewing and is now accepted, but it doesn't make sense to me.

I understand the play offs. Sarries lost a shed load of players to the 6N, wasps one or two? Chiefs one I think?

I'm not a massive fan of a season-long league ending with a mini knockout tournament. It makes good viewing and is now accepted, but it doesn't make sense to me.

Yep. A league is a league, a cup is a cup. Two different things.

Anyone been following the 7s? something very odd has happened. Scotland beat NZ in the semi from a 21 pt deficit and then beat England in the final! 😯

This was a Scotland team with Jack Cuthbet in it? The slowest winger in the world

I seem to have woken in an alternative universe where the laws of physics have been repealed

Billy V has withdrawn from the Lions. Thankfully just replaced with the Hask.

That's about as big a blow as could happen to the Lions.

I'm broken hearted for them. 🙂

Why you no like darce?

Got to feel for the guy must be gutted.

Fabulous win for Exeter: I was wrong not liking past then to win the AP. That kick by Slade was immense- even McCall said the same thing. Exeter from a driving maul are pretty damn effective (as Wasps have found out in the past).

Went to the Wasps game; it did feel like it may be Tigers day with Tom Youngs 100th appearance and everything happening with his wife. Wasps made hard work of it - Cipriani did sweet FA and Simpson was incapable of kicking to space etc. They forced a number of passes that led to knock one and their set piece was often second best. Tigers were much more abrasive at the breakdown too.

I think Exeter may well take the AP now because they've been a bogey team for Wasps. They mix a good powerful pack with some handy backs and have scored a lot of tries this season.

Billy V is surely a huge loss for the Lions.

Hope it isn't his drinking arm.

(Just for Wrecker!)

Agree with all of that mindmap3 (I was there too-cracking day out!!) Quite how Cipriani managed to be so anonymous is scary tbh, don't think I actually saw him with the ball once in the first half.....Gopperth looked pretty tidy though!

I seem to have woken in an alternative universe where the laws of physics have been repealed

Your mind could be blown in the next RWC given the pools drawn 🙂

Hope it isn't his drinking arm.

DanW - Member

I seem to have woken in an alternative universe where the laws of physics have been repealed

Your mind could be blown in the next RWC given the pools drawn

beating NZ and then England at the cabbage patch is t5h estuff of alternate reality you must admit.

Kiwi goal posts will be trembling in fear!!
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I'm pleased for Haskell to get a place. He's deserved it over the last couple of years. Faletau to start, but Haskell will be handy on the bench.

Sadly I missed all the semis this weekend, but I wasn't at all surprised Exeter won. The ECC must have taken a lot out of Sarries.

Faletau, Stander, Warburton is not too shabby.

Gopperth looked pretty tidy though!

He's been bloody good for them this year.

Big week for Wasps in training - they need to work on a few things that's for sure. It would be a hell of a story though if Exeter do win the AP.

I'd love Exeter to win. For a few reasons my favourite English side. A few years ago I saw them play Glasgow in the european cup and their travelling fans were really nice and sporting, I like the way they play the game and IIRC they are not just built on buying the best players regardless of cost but on building a team.

deadlydarcy - Member
Billy V has withdrawn from the Lions. Thankfully just replaced with the Hask.

Is Lydiate injured too?

What about Max Boyce?

I saw Exeter in about 2008/2009 playing Northampton at Twickenham in what was then the rugby championship trophy or something (Spreys beat Leicester in the Anglo Welsh that day)

A year later Ex got promoted, and just look at them now!

beating NZ and then England at the cabbage patch is t5h estuff of alternate reality you must admit.

Hats off to the Jocks for an incredible display - winning three knockout matches from unpromising or improbable positions.

On that note, the Telegraph reporting that the Eng/Sco/Welsh 7s teams might be rolled into one GB squad from next year. Makes sense with it being an Olympic sport IMO. Apparently all three programmes make a loss. When you factor in how Wales have improved massively, Scotland have made the last 2 finals and England have mastered the BlitzBokke this year - a GB squad could be the business.

Documentary on BBC iplayer about Ruan Pienaar, very interesting show

On that note, the Telegraph reporting that the Eng/Sco/Welsh 7s teams might be rolled into one GB squad from next year. Makes sense with it being an Olympic sport IMO. Apparently all three programmes make a loss. When you factor in how Wales have improved massively, Scotland have made the last 2 finals and England have mastered the BlitzBokke this year - a GB squad could be the business.

Well, that came as a shock 🙄

The footballers had the right idea all along. I think if you're a Scottish 7s player you should probably resign yourself to never playing in a big match again.

I think if you're a Scottish 7s player you should probably resign yourself to never playing in a big match again.

Because if you squeeze three squads into one then most players are going to find themselves out of a job. How many Scots were involved in the Olympics?

You only have to look at the Lions to see the kind of representation Scotland can expect. It will be England by another name with a few honourary (ie Scottish and Welsh) English players allowed in if required.

The English will be able to support the GB team whilst looking down their noses at the Scots who are supporting ABGB.

GB olympic squad was pretty much just England with a few tokens. It would also add another level of confusion as who would the Northern Irish play for?

In other news I see the joke12 havent managed to book in impartial ref for the final..****ing shambles

How come the pro 12 final is always in Ireland? mind you I only remember when the ospreys won and this one being in Ireland,the others may have been out my back garden for all I know:),but that's besides the point,i'm outraged!!!

How come the pro 12 final is always in Ireland?

Was Edinburgh in Ireland during 2016?

It would also add another level of confusion as who would the Northern Irish play for?

No confusion. All Irish players are under the control of the IRFU and their Olympic body is the Irish Olympic committee. Therefore any Ulster players would play for Ireland - as they do now. That would have been the case at Rio 2016 had Ireland qualified.

I think 7s is now so specialized that's it no longer the stepping stone to XVs that it once was. This brings into question why Unions would continue funding it.

England have been very consistent this year and have been the only team to regularly beat SA. Although they would supply the largest quota, Scotland and Wales have both shown enough to be represented in more than just name alone.

As 7s shifts away from its rugby roots and morphs into an Olympic sport it's a no brainer to start running it like an Olympic sport right now.

So the 7's would be same as oylimpics? Makes sense. But who do northern irish athletes run for?

Was Edinburgh in Ireland during 2016?

Yeah brexshit or some shit

I suspect it's going to be one of those things where the English fans are fine with it while Scottish and Welsh fans are pissed off.

And the English fans simply can't understand what all the fuss is about.

But who do northern irish athletes run for?

We can choose Ireland or GB. In the case of Bethany Firth the swimmer she has represented both

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethany_Firth

I suspect it's going to be one of those things where the English fans are fine with it while Scottish and Welsh fans are pissed off.

Like any other sport where there's a GB team involved then? 😉

Except tennis obviously. Somebody pointed out that Dunblane could probably win the Davis Cup on its own.

Are you supporting the Lions Bruce? Not having (much of) a dig but I know a few Scottish fans who weren't supporting the Lions seeing as only 2 Scots were initially picked. I'm not sure if their allegiance has changed now there are 3 or if, in fact, there is a minimum cut-off point required in terms of Scottish squad members for all Scots to be supporting the Lions.

This more or less sums up how I feel about the Lions:

http://www.scottishrugbyblog.co.uk/2017/04/scotlands-lost-lions-generation/

I do think he lets Gatland off too lightly. Gatland despises the Scots. You can tell from every interview he's ever given that he's insulted that his players are being forced to share the pitch with such a bunch of ****ing losers. With Gatland in charge there was never a chance of any 50/50 calls going our way.

So no, I won't be supporting the Lions.

Loving this tweet from the barbars

The squad train for first time tomorrow
Time to dust off those play books we don't have

The Baas twitter feed is one of the best out there!

namastebuzz - Member

England have been very consistent this year and have been the only team to regularly beat SA. Although they would supply the largest quota, Scotland and Wales have both shown enough to be represented in more than just name alone.

Errrmmm - who has won the last two London titles? Who were their opponents this year?

Get it right up ye 🙂

Having said that scotland have struggled with 7s over the years. A drain on funds for scant reward over the years and we don't have that many good players to split our resources.

I never want to see another GB rugby team other than the lions - and for reasons above its hard for me to get interested and behind the lions. It doesn't feel like my team

Get it right up ye

Indeed. You did just that at Twickers this year and in the quarter finals last year as well as being our bogey team in other tournaments this year.

That doesn't change the fact that England have developed an extremely good 7s side who've been better than everybody else except the Blitzbokke. If we want to succeed at the Olympics then a permamnent GB team is the most likely way.

On the Scots not supporting the Lions issue TJ - how many of your boys would need to be in the squad/test team for you to consider it "your" team?

I'm not sure if it's necessarily a question of numbers, it's more that they are coached by a scumbag who detests our country and only knows the name of one of our players.

So yeah, get a new coach and then we can think about it.

A very youthful looking England team to face the Baa Baas this weekend. And Robshaw is back, but with Ford at 10 and only Brown with caps in the backs, i'd be worried about that backline.

So yeah, get a new coach and then we can think about it.

OK so if Gatland had picked 15 Scots in the tour party you STILL wouldn't be supporting the Lions?

Whereas if Schmidt or Jones was coaching and they didn't pick ANY Scots you'd still be supporting them?

🙄

In fairness with lions, Exeter, Saracens and the injuries there aren't many players left to represent England.
Meaningless game anyway, although it it rains I'll watch it!

OK so if Gatland had picked 15 Scots in the tour party you STILL wouldn't be supporting the Lions?

Whereas if Schmidt or Jones was coaching and they didn't pick ANY Scots you'd still be supporting them?

Your hypotheticals are getting a bit weird and nonsensical. You seem to have a problem with Scots not being happy with the Lions and not wanting to support them. Why is that?

You seem to have a problem with Scots not being happy with the Lions and not wanting to support them. Why is that?

Seems clear to me its your irrational hatred of Gatland he has the problem with.

You seem to have a problem with Scots not being happy with the Lions and not wanting to support them.

I don't have a problem with it. I'm just curious as to the reasoning behind it. Living amongst the Scots, as I do, I enjoy delving into their national psyche.

I must admit, I read that article you linked to and what you've said about Gatland but I can't say I've ever noticed any anti-Scottish sentiment on his part.

I've noticed a touch of paranoia from other quarters however...... 😉

Good to see Micky SB still doling out the Barbarians ties at 90 odd.