MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Was at murrayfield great atmosphere. I don't understand standing watching the haka. Why allow the opposition the chance to try to psych you out. Do a campese and wander off. The crowd where I was were singing flower of Scotland against the haka.
TomB TJ Perenara is a dick but when warming up had a chuck about with a ball boy, gave him a first bump and a man hug. That kid will definitely remember that game.
Wales looked dire
Indeed and the worrying thing is without a fit 13 in the squad it looks like S Williams playing again and he was utter dog shit. He has lost all his pace and has no confidence. Only other option I can see would be Roberts at 13 outside O Williams but he would be exposed with his slug like pace.
Wales game discipline looked poor especially Mr Francis for his binning....too much endomorphines after the scrum?
Is lack of depth of the game in the wales?
[i]TJ Perenara is a dick[/i]
Brilliant player. Impressed people on STW actually know a NZ rugby player personally.
Forgot my quotation marks around "TJ Perenara is a dick" My post was about exactly the opposite of dickishness shown by him.
Presuming DezB was having a pop at me not you.....I'll be crying myself to sleep later as a result. Edit, maybe it was you! 😆
Anyone else notice that large fijian back with that kicking technique?
He took a few difficult passes which I though he was going to knock on, and he kind of did except he knocked straight down onto his boot. And he did it loads of times! Lovely to watch.
Cracking game at Murrayfield and a hark back to the atmosphere of yesteryear.
This can't be the high point though - Scotland need to play the same way again. Starting with Australia next week then carrying it into the 6N. Last year, Ireland thought they'd cracked it after beating the ABs but defeats to Wales and Scotland soon scuppered that notion. It's all very well being up for it against the best side in the world with a fervent crowd behind you but Scotland need to play without fear away from home too.
Best backs in NH? Err...not quite there yet. Seymour was awful - he made Johnny May's performance for England seem almost competent bt comparison. Price looks good because Laidlaw was so ****. Russell had a great game but he's flakey. Huw Jones looks the real deal but Dunbar is a journeyman. Lee Jones has been around a while but never stood out so far. It seems like Hogg is doing it all on his own, not enough of the others are on the same wavelength.
Scotland always seem to have good club centres who can't quite keep it together in an international side. Huw Jones looks good though.
Favourite comment from a non Scot/kiwi after the final whistle "of course, it shouldn't be a full cap match as that's not a real all blacks team"
too much endomorphines after the scrum?
Too much morphine in general I think!!
Is lack of depth of the game in the wales?
No depth is the issue and we have no relacements for the likes of AWJ, Charteris, Roberts etc.
We can put out a decent 23 if all are fit but beyond that its dire. We also have far fewer stand out top notch internationals than in the recent past.. tough times.
No depth at 1, 3, 4,5,8, 13 or 14.
Warburton is our best 7 and 6 and would be our 3rd best 8 too but our second best 8 is our best 6 if Warburton plays 7. Our best 15 is also a first choice 14 and our first chpice 11 is our se ond choice 15 and they are all ****ing injured anyway...well Loopy Liam isnt I dont think he always looks like that!! Chuck in lots of injuries and the need to rest lots of players due to a suicidal nov fixture list and we end up with a team and a game like yesterdays...happens every year, the only suprising thing is that every year people on here seem suprised by it!
Finn Russell leaving Glasgow at the end of the season. Possibly for Racing92 according to a comment on Warriors FB page.
Finn Russell leaving Glasgow
Good news for Glasgow then!!!
gordimhor - MemberFinn Russell leaving Glasgow at the end of the season. Possibly for Racing92 according to a comment on Warriors FB page.
It s been rumoured for a while but nowt confirmed yet. I think he would be daft to go now but he has played his entire pro career there. I think Glasgow have unfinished business and he should stay to help them finish it. NO player is irreplaceable but he is as close as they come
TJ my post was a bit unclear. Russell is definitely leaving, the club have made a statement to that effect on FB.
The suggestion that he is going to Racing 92 is in a comment on that statement.
it been being talked about for a year. I think its a mistake for him. another couple of years would have been the right balance for him IMO
Its the same problem all bar a few French and English clubs face. Those few clubs with huge deficits push up the prices of players. How much is a top ranked pro getting from them? The rumour is Carter is on a million a year. Now Glasgow have somewhere in the 6 million bracket for its players - maybe a bit less. £300 000 seems to be the minimum a top pro will settle for - thats what the rumour is Hogg is on. 20 of them and thats your budget gone but you need 40+ players. Pay too much for a few top guys the rest of your squad will be weak
for me the answer is to outlaw deficit funding. NO team can spend more on players than it makes.
Its distorting rugby hugely and its a very few clubs that do it.
I think it's a mistake for him
Well it won't be a mistake for his bank balance. That's for sure.
In the same vein. Brad Shields is joining Wasps from the Hurricanes. Think Chris Robshaw with more pace, a bigger rugby brain and a better beard.
Why is this news? Because he's English qualified. Apparently Steve Hansen had drafted him into the ABs squad for the game with France and he turned them down and told them about the Wasps deal. Hansen was supposedly furious.
He has been a great servant for Glasgow. Why I say its a mistake for him is that the will not get the same treatment anywhere else. But equally at some point he has to move onto better himself as a player. Townsend himself was a better player for his years in France. I just think it a year or two too soon
Rumour has it that ickle Jonny is heading to Bristol too....
I thought he had signed a new contract recently. Bristol? could they afford him?
TBH, it might actually be good for Glasgow. When your team makes up more than 50% of the Scotland squad it's always going to wreak havoc during the 6N. Throw even a handful of injuries into the mix and you can forget winning the league or even making the play-offs.
This is, of course, a massive case of wishful thinking.
Bristol are massively cashed up!
. I thought he had signed a new contract recently. Bristol? could they afford him?
Oh yes 😀
He'll be in some good company too with two piutau brothers, lieua, pisi, madigan, luatua, Monaghan.
Glasgow have more youngsters coming thru. Interesting the rugby forum I am on has no angst about this. Its just an inevitable fact of life that Players like Finn will move on from teams Like Glasgow. The tru market value of the Glasgow team will be many times what its budget is. Some will stay or acept less money because of the other things Glasgow can offer, some will go for the money and to broaden their experience /improve as a player. Some like Matowalo will return
I didn't know Bristol were loaded. Its the major club nearest to where I was born.
I didn't know Bristol were loaded. Its the major club nearest to where I was born.
Welcome, new fan!
Yep, Bristol have mega money backing. They could easily pay the highest wages in the AP.
Mind you, not every one will want to go there. Happily winning stuff is still important to some - we haven't gone full football yet!
Very valid points tinybits. It feels (finally) that the club are starting to get the on field stuff right. We have some tremendous players here and on their way and with pat lam in the hot seat, we have high hopes. We won't be challenging for an AP title for a few years but we should make a better fist of it than we did last time, and we weren't a million miles from wuss even then.
tinybits - not just winning stuff. One of the ways glasgow have been able to recruit and retain players for less money than they could get elsewhere is that they do a lot of other stuff in regards looking after players.
There is also talk of Damian Mckenzie moving to Leicester Tigers after 2018. I think he is a great player and like Faf de Klerk great to watch, but only if the team he plays on can keep up and utilise him by off loading well.
Cheika getting a slap for abusing people and implying the ref - or England - were cheating.
Tit.
Cheika acted like e a bit of a tit, and seems particularly ungracious in defeat.
Cheika acted like e a bit of a tit, and seems particularly ungracious in defeat.
He's Australian
I love watching McKenzie. So a fluid and effortless runner and very well rounded player. Would be interesting to see him in the AP
I think those rumors on McKenzie were pre him getting selected for the All blacks this autumn, Sadly we won't see him in Tigers colours.
The front page of the Times on Saturday was about Hurricanes skipper Shields - a Flanker - turning down the ABs, coming to Wasps for potential Eng selection. Not seen much more comment on it.
Think someone mentioned it on here a few pages back? Hansen was not best pleased apparently!
Not seen him play but heard that he's a good player.
So Scotland / Aus
More injuries for Scotland mean a weakened side - perhaps to the point we will be well below ourt potential.
Can Scotland raise themselves up again after last week? Will we see a backlash from Aus? Will aus want revenge for this summers defeat? Or will scotland have the confidence knowing aus can be beaten? Will Scotland have a point to prove and Aus be deflated after a long season / tour?
Personally I am back to "we're doomed I tell you - doomed!"
No doubt at all that the way Scotland play gives them an advatsage over Aus - things stand pretty even in recent games
Not sure what injuries you've got, but I reckon Aus bench will mean they start favourites (although it didn't show very well against England!)
Australia are a very good team and Saturday was such a close game, hopefully you can beat them....I think that it's really good for NH rugby in general for us to be regularly beating the NH now.
England Samoa.... obviously it'll be an England win...if we click a bit more in attack then it could be quite a margin at the end, especially if we've got a strong bench!
WE have lost Fagerson, Watson, Dunbar. Hamilton at least from an already depleted side perhaps Marfo as well.
We simply do not have the depth for this - its around 7 front rowers missing plus most of our centres and a couple of wingers and second rows
SRU seem to be confident most of the injured from last week will be able to play. seems doubtful to me tho
Frazer Brown and Maitland back as well so maybe not a bad as I thought
Bit confused; could somebody explain how the Shields thing is different to what the RFU were complaining about? Namely the other home nations tapping up potential international players.
Bit confused; could somebody explain how the Shields thing is different to what the RFU were complaining about? Namely the other home nations tapping up potential international players.
Because it is Wasps paying not RFU?
Injuries are just crazy, something needs to change. Loopy Liam and Calamity Cuthbert out for Wales on top of (off the top of my head)
North
Davies
Sammy Davies Junior
Tipuric? Might be fit again
Capt Sam
Ellis Jenkins
Moriarty
James Davies
Lee
Injuries are becoming too much of an issue. I have no idea what the answer is but its spoiling the game especially for the teams with smaller playing pools.
Scotland look after their players well nowadays and its still a huge issue
Maybe Russell could be moving to Wasps? I've heard that Cips is off to France, and Andy Goode was saying recently on his podcast that Wasps had made a big signing at 10?
Russell will be going to France I expect. Could be wrong but thats what the rumours say and have been for a while.
Russell will be going to France I expect.
Racing 92 apparently...
Bit confused; could somebody explain how the Shields thing is different to what the RFU were complaining about? Namely the other home nations tapping up potential international players.
Because it is Wasps paying not RFU?
As I understand, Shields has signed for Wasps prior to being 'selected' by the AB's. When Hansen picked Shields, Shields had to tell him that he was off to Wasps so had ruled himself out. As far as i'm aware, he's not declared for England although he is legible. Of course, whether he's good enough to break into our back row is a completely different question....
What i do love is that a Kiwi is coming over to compete against the Tongan and the Fijian for No8 shirt. If that's not a bit mad, I really don't know what it!
Yeah heard Racing 92 myself for Russell, just speculating as to others possibilities.
What i do love is that a Kiwi is coming over to compete against the Tongan and the Fijian for No8 shirt. If that's not a bit mad, I really don't know what it!
The power of money!!
Russell may follow Cotter, where did he go?
Is Cotter at Claremont?
Looks like no Watson or JJ this weekend as they've both been released back to their club along with a few others. Nathan Hughes is out for a month apparently, not sure whom we'll be going with at 8? Robshaw with Itoje at 6?
Edit, just seen that Sam Simmonds is retained in the squad so presumably he's in at 8.
*Warning, Philips slagging coming*
Bloke was an unbelievable player in his prime.....only time I saw him in real life he was well past his prime-last season at Sale! I know he was never popular with English fans, but he really was average at best whenever I saw him play. Guessing he'll get very limited/no game time against the Cheetahs and then more time against the King's....given they basically look like a pub team then I'm sure he'll cope against them.
Vern Cotter is at Montpellier now apparently.
Not surprised Watson has been sent back; he probably needs a rest and it'll be nice to see Slade at 13 where he's looked pretty comfortable this season. Downside is that it means Brown will be back at FB. Hopefully our attack will click a bit better this week.
Will be interesting to see if Shields gets an England call up. It's not a million miles away for what the RFU where whining about but It seems that he was lured here by Wasps rather than the promise of international caps.
If Russell is off to France, I wonder how he'll fair over there given the emphasis on set piece play and the fact that most players seem to get flogged to death with a long season.
only time I saw him in real life he was well past his prime-last season at Sale! I know he was never popular with English fans, but he really was average at best whenever I saw him play
I'm sure the multi capped lions scrum half will cope with your criticsm!! You should look to whoever signed him for a moan.
I'm sure he'd be devasted!
Whomever did sign him has now massively redeemed themselves with the Far de Klerk signing!!!
I've just rewatched the BBC highlights of the England match. Hooper really is a gobby whinger - Beale too. I guess Cheika is rubbing off on them.
Also - it seems a regular Aus tactic at a ruck to smash England players defending behind the ruck, creating gaps. Surely if you are purely defending you can't be taken out off the ball?
Breakdown is a total mess imo
If we go back in time to the 'Jono era' when he was in charge and England often played 30 mins plus down to 14 men.....we conceded an absolute bucket load of penalties for players 'sealing off' ie attacking team going straight off feet at a ruck..... seems to be pretty much the accepted norm for the first man into the ruck in attack to superman straight into the action now. Sale got popped once this weekend for it actually.
Breakdown is a mess. If it's not players attacking a defender and swinging round, it's players taking defenders out way beyond the ball, or sealing off. All of which seems legal. One solution is good old fashioned rucking.
One solution is good old fashioned rucking.
Or perhaps the ref should penalise the first offence, not whichever random offence he takes exception to. Which may change during the game depending on the position on the pitch and the importance of that breakdown to the score line.
But, as discussed with TJ above, this never happens and the refs are excellent.
I guess Cheika is rubbing off on them.
Unusual coaching method, but whatever works, I suppose!
Russell on a rumoured £700k per year contract with Racing. Given it's a short career, that sort of cash is going to be hard to turn down.
George North is heading back to Wales next year.
George North is heading back to Wales next year.
Good news hopefully he can fwt good again!
England players will not give part of their match fee to ‘bankrupt’ Samoa
• Twickenham hosts will receive £23,000 each while Samoans will get £600
• ‘As players we feel it isn’t our place to get involved in a complex issue’
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I wonder how much the Welsh get per game, how much the Georgians do and what was gifted last weekend....
Edit, ah, ok wales getting something like £6.5k / game - not the same. Still interested in the other questions though...
Without getting into a debate about player ethics, didn't it emerge over the last week that Samoa haven't actually gone bankrupt?
I wonder how much the Welsh get per game, how much the Georgians do and what was gifted last weekend....
Whataboutary?
In answer to your question I dont know but I doubt the welsh players got 23k
Whataboutary?
It's relevant though, how much did the Irish players give the Fijians etc etc? How much do the kiwi players give them?
Why should the English be the only team under the spotlight?
Maybe because Mako Vunipola suggested it?
Please see edit above.
No, not whataboutry, it’s about fair and equatable across the board. Players don’t make the rules, the unions do. The players need to give up third pay while the unions don’t? Seems like utter bollocks to me. Can you imagine a school where the teachers give up some salary to help pay for something the school wont? It’d be bloody mental!
Unions need to sort it out, at least pay a % to any visitor team maybe, possibly even only play games where you’re going to go back and play a game at home (not sure how this would work) but you know what I’m getting at.
However, there no way England players are to blame any more than Welsh or Irish ones playing poorer nations last weekend.
Can you imagine a school where the teachers give up some salary to help pay for something the school wont? It’d be bloody mental!
All the ones I've taught in?
Not a very good example that!
Heres the full article. Its come up about England due to players saying they would discuss it. Clearly they did and said no. I expect the Welsh and Irish players havent talked to the press about doing it and then not done it.
Wasnt it "newsworthy" last year too with England v Fiji and how much more Hughes got for playing for England?
Whilst Samoa might be short of /squander money, the players are far from hurting. Four of the starting 15 play for Bristol and each earn a very handsome living, as the vast majority/all of them do.
Addressing the gap IS a very complicated thing which is not best addressed through individual acts of charity. The solution to this is very firmly in the court of World Rugby.
Notice how there's no links to the comments from an ex PI player saying that the donations mooted by the English players was pointless and just a band aid on a big problem....
It's not the players fault that the RFU can afford to pay them well.
It's not the players fault that the RFU can afford to pay them well.
Of course not. But how much money do Samoa get for the game from the RFU? Thats an issue the players could take a stand on.
And for the sake of clarity I very much doubt its an issue confined to the English Union. Rugby needs to look after the smaller nations better
No ‘home’ team gives any money to the visitors, same happpens in every country. It’s supposed to be fair because you get nothing when playing away. Unfortunately Wales have played no test in Georgia, England none in Samoa / Tonga Fiji etc it’s the same for the southern tier 1 nations as well. It’s not at all fair but it’s clearly not the players responsibility to sort out via their pay packet.