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Ulster academy brings through plenty.
They, Munster and Connaught do well, but for whatever reason (probably because they have a budget of €1.7bn whereas, say, the Welsh regions have 57p to split between them over a decade), it's Leinster who are turning out the most talent at the moment.
Je suis confused..
Who is trolling?
I think TJ is talking about a different forum. This one doesn't suffer too much from trolls, apart from the odd intervention by some posters when they're bored of the EU thread. 😉
it's Leinster who are turning out the most talent at the moment.
And they are doing it very, very well. I wonder if it's all down to money or whether they've just got the systems right. (I know nothing about Irish academy systems...) Or whether it's just coincidence that they have a batch of good players arriving at once.
Irish schools rugby is of a high standard, when we used to get 18 year olds coming to the club while at Uni, they were way ahead of a lot of our guys
SRU a few years ago was happy to ignore and not support the few good 10s we had at schoolboy level in favour of those from farther afield.
Alex Blair carried a few injuries but Fraser gillies was just ignored after u18 level.
Irish schools rugby is organised along Provincial lines - i.e. Munster teams play only in Munster etc. The Leinster Senior schools cup, is a very high standard, some teams go to Southern Europe for warm weather training camps over Christmas for example. Leinster Academy has the pick of players emerging from these 16 schools with no competition. Occasionally a player like Sean O Brian emerges from the club system but these are rare enough. Good article for anyone who wants to know more by Robert Kitson in the guardian at the weekend. [url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jan/12/jordan-larmour-ireland-new-generation-leinster-rugby ]Leinster[/url]
I wonder if it's all down to money or whether they've just got the systems right. (I know nothing about Irish academy systems...)
IJ, reasonable article [url= https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/leinster-rugby/the-leinster-academy-is-producing-high-achievers-both-on-and-off-the-pitch-36473967.html ]here[/url] from the (Irish) Indo.
Just look at the list of players they're turning out but also all these guys will (hopefully) have something to fall back on if pro-rugby doesn't quite work out for them. I guess they go for high achievers who are both focused academically and sports-wise. Teach them a structure and time-management from when they're young and at school, and it produces committed guys down the line who can dedicate themselves to the pro game but are no eejits either. Part of Joe's legacy I think.
Eddie Jones has signed a contract extension until August 2021 with succession planning a key aim.
Not sure how I feel about this - he's done a good job but surely we need to see where we are after the 6N / WC?
mindmap3 - there is a performance break clause in it so assuming we have a torrid time at the WC they can still replace him.
IJ, reasonable article here from the (Irish) Indo.
Thanks DD, interesting stuff.
3 weeks rest for Fatbastardau
Piuts him out of the opener* against Ireland in Paris doesn’t it?
Not [i]the[/i] opener, just Ireland and France’s opener.
EDIT: Although, the 50% reduction for pleadibg guilty to the charge made me laugh a bit. He could hardly have denied it could he? 😆
Four weeks for the Hask.
So what is the English back row going to look like, with Haskell and Vunipola out? (Only for the first couple of games for Hask of course.)
I think TJ is talking about a different forum.
I was . I use a rugby forum that is multinational but unfortunately is dying because of troll activity. I was hoping someone off here also used one they could recommend
So what is the English back row going to look like, with Haskell and Vunipola out? (Only for the first couple of games for Hask of course.)
My guess is that Robshaw will end up back at seven, Lawes or Itoje to six and eight? Simmonds or Mercer I would guess. They need to get the balance right; Haskell, Robshaw and Billy worked really well in Australia and we've struggled to field anything similar since due to injuries etc.
What about the Hobbit at 7 with Robshaw 6 and an 8 at 8?
Gents ... slight thread hi-jack... but thought here was he best place for it.I'm going to my first EVER rugby training session tomorrow night.
Will I die ?
Im fit and fast but old, mid 40s... could run a sub 4 hour marathon tomorrow and come a close 2nd behind the Pro footballer in the dads race on sports day ... but would struggle to punch my way out of a paper bag. Having said that I used to play American football 20 years ago and I loved the contact (lets not get into that argument )
I've got lucky in a way ... the local club is vsmall and are going to have a 2nd team for the first time next season. They'll be starting in the lowest "merit" ??league possible... partly so the old boys at the club can still get a game.
So anyone has anyone else started playing late or still having a go mid 40s
Any tips ?
Firstly - you're brave! I'm 40 this year and played in a charity game last year. I keep getting asked to run out for my club's Vet team but it's inevitable i would get injured which would be a real pain in the bum and stop me training, riding and coaching.
Training - Stay away from the psycho backrower, every team has one. Learn to tackle and ruck properly.
Game - sounds like you'll be on the wing, stay there.
I think TJ is talking about a different forum. This one doesn't suffer too much from trolls, apart from the odd intervention by some posters when they're bored of the EU thread.
Another extraordinary coincidence even down to the wink. Your growing obsession is becoming creepy now deadly. Oh and just for you 😉
England back row is intriguing indeed. Perhaps we need to talk of back 5 now?!?
Interesting one on Haskell's and Basteraud's suspensions; 5live rugby correspondent made the point last night that Haskell's 4 weeks for contact to the head was longer than Basteraud's 3 weeks for use of abusive language, albeit it was pretty clear that it was homophobic language. Both bans started at 6 weeks, of course. So it seems contact with the head (whether accidental or not before the "intent" merchants weigh in - and to be fair to Haskell, while it was a red card offence, I don't think it looked as bad as some of the more blatant stuff we've seen) is "worse" than use of homophobic language. I can't see in the disciplinary report why Haskell was given a 33% reduction whereas Basteraud was given the maximum 50% reduction. Not making any judgement myself here for now, but maybe a bit of food for thought.
I dont really agree sparking someone that tall with a high tackle is not accidental in the sense that if a player is 6foot 5 theres plenty to hit below the chin and well sticks and stones and all that.
Wasn't Basteraud responding to being insulted himself? Can anyone safely report what was said by both parties? (I understood he was called a faggot?)
Can anyone safely report what was said by both parties? (I understood he was called a faggot?)
I'm not sure what was said to Basteraud, but whatever he said back it finished with "****ing faggot". (IIRC)
So it seems contact with the head (whether accidental or not before the "intent" merchants weigh in - and to be fair to Haskell, while it was a red card offence, I don't think it looked as bad as some of the more blatant stuff we've seen) is "worse" than use of homophobic language.
Why is that a surprise? Albeit both are unacceptable, one can cause a serious injury the other is an insult. I guess the latter in certain circumstance could be elevated to emotional injury, but the former is surely worse?
One thing I noticed about Haskell’s tackle is how he jumped up off the ground into the tackle. What did he expect?
Also while I'm thinking about it. Marlers gypsy boy comment seemed worse as it was done to try a goad Lee. Fatbastardau had lost the plot a bit and just shouted something
Yeah I can well imagine that you found Marler's offence worse than Basteraud's a_a 🙄
Jesus, here I am kinda defending Marler, and I can’t find any footage of it whereas there’s plenty of Basteraud’s, but Marler’s seemed a lot more heat-of-the-moment - weren’t they at full on handbags pulling at collars when it was said?
(Although to be honest, I don’t think the pages of debate that followed the Marler - Lee incident were our finest hours (days even) 😀 , I think we could deal with the Basteraud incident without fighting over the Marler - Les debacle.)
I do think that Homophobic language should probably be filed elsewhere rather than under “sticks and stones”. How would we have felt if Showtime had been reffing the game?
Can I just add also that I’m not outraged. 🙂
but Marler’s seemed a lot more heat-of-the-moment - weren’t they at full on handbags pulling at collars when it was said?
I recalled it as more a getting up from a scrum collapse kind of a thing. Maybe I'm wrong. In both cases though I'm sure the person insulted was over it in seconds but the bans are for a wider audience. Although Lee actually being a Gypsy makes it worse, was the insulted player gay? I dont know, I just think both cases a bit of window dressing
Also Marler got fined £20k, I don't see a fine for MB? I know the fine came from World Rugby rather than the six nations committee, but I kind of agree that a fine for verbal abuse is a good thing. Hard hits will always happen and as a result some will go high. Before you tackle like that you know the possibility of a ban if it goes a bit wrong. The verbals are a bit unecessary and so a ban and a fine would help cut it out IMO
I do think that Homophobic language should probably be filed elsewhere rather than under “sticks and stones”. How would we have felt if Showtime had been reffing the game?
Fair point but how many times do we hear swearing over the ref mic even the fing c word and the commentators apologise and we get on with it?
A large fine with the cash going to an appropriate charity applied consistently would cut it out. How much doesnt make it onto tv and is ignored by the ref?
Do or do not, are we saying the ref should have handed out a red card? The results of the ban suggest so, is that what we want to see
It sounds like Basteraud was called something of the same sort slightly off mic and responded in the same way but happened to be caught on mic. Should being recorded be the determinant of punishment or the referee?
The RC Toulon player, Mathieu Bastareaud, has been suspended for three weeks following an independent Disciplinary Hearing in London on Wednesday, 17 January arising from his club's Champions Cup, Round 5 match against Benetton Rugby at Stade Félix Mayol. Bastareaud was cited by the match Citing Commissioner, Dennis Jones (Wales), for verbally abusing the Benetton Rugby flanker, Sebastian Negri Da Oleggio, in the 80th minute of the match in contravention of Law 9.12.Law 9.12 Verbal abuse of a player
Under World Rugby's Sanctions for Foul Play, Law 9.12 carries the following sanction entry points - Low End: 6 weeks; Mid-range: 12 weeks; Top end: 18 to 52 weeks.An independent Disciplinary Committee consisting of Rod McKenzie (Scotland), Chairman, Jennifer Donovan (Ireland) and Becky Essex (England) heard evidence and submissions from Bastareaud, who pleaded guilty to the charge, from the player's legal representative, Philip Fitzgerald, and from the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, Liam McTiernan.
Following an adjournment, the Committee upheld the citing complaint as it determined that the nature of the verbal abuse warranted a red card. It found that the offence was at the low end of World Rugby's sanctions and six weeks was selected as the appropriate entry point.
As there were no aggravating factors and taking into account the player's guilty plea, the Committee then reduced the sanction by the maximum permitted of 50 per cent before imposing a suspension of three weeks.
Bastareaud is free to play on Sunday, 4 February 2018, and both he and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.
England have a fair few injury concerns at the moment with the following guys not able to train at the mo:
Robshaw
Brown
Obano
Hepburn
Nowell
Te'o hasn't played for ages and Underhill once or twice. Looks like a rookie prop with two Quins starts to back Mako up.
I got the feeling The Hask has toned things down lately but the poor boy is back feeling sorry for himself. Some viewers may find the cringe worthy scenes upsetting 😆
I think he talks a lot of sense there tbh. He’s not a dirty player, he cocked it up, and has taken it on the chin (
rumours that Haskill is going to Glasgow. don't believe it myself.
onehundredthidiot - MemberSRU a few years ago was happy to ignore and not support the few good 10s we had at schoolboy level in favour of those from farther afield.
Alex Blair carried a few injuries but Fraser gillies was just ignored after u18 level.
Blair was kept on Edinburghs books for years when he was too injured to play. Played for semi pro teams to try to get back to fitness. Given Edinburgh played for 2 or more seasons without a recognised 10 then there was space for a ten any ten to come in. This is the same sort of timespan that Fraser gillies was playing for Cambridge. Edinburgh had space for him. I suspect ( but am not sure) he decided against a pro rugby career a he seems to have carved out a good career in robotics / acedemia
In 2014 / 2015 Edinburgh would have taken any competent 10
Heard Bristol for Haskell myself.
Glasgow / Exter a cracking game again. A bit of everything including a slightly controversial penalty try which turned the game. Well worth a watch on replay for any neutral
Not neutral ??
Bloody hell, Bristol have been busy with the contracts lawyers. 😯
deadlydarcy - MemberBloody hell, Bristol have been busy with the contracts lawyers.
Tell us more?
Hamishthecat - surely a Glasgow fan with that name? Its tough on Exeter tho to find Glasgow on a good day and that Glasgow played pretty much a full strength side in a dead game for them.
Just realised - thats another hooker broken. FFS. Thats now our top 3 tightheads, our top 3 looseheads and our top four hookers out.
Chiefs had 11 handling errors in thirteen minutes at one point 🙁
That pitch didn't half hold the iced water - bet they were soaked every time they hit the deck.
Patchel preferred over 1/2p for Scarlets...wonder what Gatland is thinking