MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Ref seems to have lost his yellow card now
Men against boys! Unfortunately I’ll probably say the same for the Scarlets next game but in the wrong way. 😁
Ah well Scarlets deserved to win. Poor tackling poor discipline and poor ball handling at crucial times cost Glasgow. Scarlets did all those things well
Ref seems to have lost his yellow card now
For what?
Ref did his best for Glasgow second half. Nice to see McNicoll back. Hope 1/2p and Barclay can make next week.
2 fouls in quick succession by Scarlets when Glasgow were within 5 metres of Scarlets line and threatening to score
Good game I thought AA. Scarlets were very good. I don't mind getting beaten by a team playing well
2 fouls in quick succession by Scarlets when Glasgow were within 5 metres of Scarlets line and threatening to score
Ah, nothing as blatant and cynical as deliberately ‘accidentally’ kicking the ball out of an attacking ruck then? Should there have been more Glasgow players sent off?
Arse! It’s either bloody Leinster or a French side in a semi. 😀
Ah well, well done to them and I hope they go on to win it.
Ospreys being Ospreys..
As an aside...yellow or red?
yellow. Accidental but reckless from that angle.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Red, yellow, penalty, not seen, not given....depends on the teams and the ref and where it’s being played, nothing to do with the laws. For those who didn’t watch the game, the TMO couldn’t/didn’t want to see the head on head contact, despite my wife, not a rugby watcher, seeing it at first viewing.</span>
Ulster fans chanting ‘what a load of rubbish’ at the end of the game. Nice.
Looks like a stone cold red to me..if only people were pinged for going off their feet these days would remove a lot of this shit.
I agree, a_a (with both of your points.) The replays showed him diving head first at the prone player and making contact on the head, despite what the blind TMO couldn’t see.
Paul Gustard leaving England to coach Quins. (Beat Sean Edwards to the job apparently)
Doesn't speak too highly of the backroom environment that EJ is managing......
Sure, it's a great job for Gustard but you'd think that he could go to the RWC and then get a decent job with his reputation boosted by a good England showing - unless he doesn't anticipate that happening.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Paul Gustard leaving England to coach Quins. (Beat Sean Edwards to the job apparently)</span>
Doesn’t speak too highly of the backroom environment that EJ is managing……
Sure, it’s a great job for Gustard but you’d think that he could go to the RWC and then get a decent job with his reputation boosted by a good England showing – unless he doesn’t anticipate that happening.
Not sure I see it like that; it’s a chance for him to be in charge and if it goes well he could make a major claim to take over from Jones. The press are all over it though, after him giving them a hard time, I think they’re enjoying getting their own back now the knives are out.
What it does highlight though is that the club vs. country debtate in English rugby is still an issue; it a free country and Gustardis welcome to work for whomever he sees fit it does seem a bit off that Quinn’s approached him.
Season has now ended in Scotland 🙁
Edinburgh - an astonishingly good season from a team tht was fighting not to be at the bottom the last few seasons. Into europe, won a load of tight games, showed a bit of backbone things very sadly missing the last few years B+ Cockers for manager of the year.
Glasgow - somewhat of a curates egg - good in parts only. Very poor showing in Europe for no obvious reason, lost games they should have won, seemed to lose their way. Rennie - the jury is out. He didn't rotate enough in the early season so his players were goosed by the end. B- ( cos they flattered to deceive)
National side? Still inconsistent. Hammered Aus, pushed NZ close then hammered by wales then hammered England. Best ranking / 6N finish for a long while. We have now beaten every team in the top 10 bar NZ in the last couple of years. ~Almost a good team.
Overall - very positive times for scottish rugby. Finances are good, no club v country issues, a really good flow of new young players coming thru and this team will not only be together for this WC but the next one as well given how young most of them are. The best is yet to come
Scotland beat England at every level this year, Full international, under 20, under 18, under 16 and sevens. That felt good 🙂
Scarlets being brave but Leinster with too much power.
Leinster 40 Scarlets 32 cracking game, well played Leinster just too powerful and controlled well by Sexton
Best team in Europe by a country mile. And they’re producing so much talent they’re having to ship international class players out to Ulster & Munster to get them game time. It’ll be interesting to see if anyone can touch them next season.
Exeter comprehensively dismantled by Sarries. They had no clue how to cope with the line speed and breakdown aggression. That young Exeter 10 Simmons is going to be some player. He's better than Marcus Smith I reckon. Sarries had an up and down season, started very poorly and lost to many teams they shouldn't have but peaked right at the end.
England looking like they’re going to loose to the Ba Ba’s today. Ashton has scored a hat trick so no doubt the press will be insisting that he’s back in the England squad.
England clearly has a shortage of wingers, seeing as there was only 1 in the starting line-up.
Worked well that.
Yup. Mike Brown on the wing...WTF? And Daly who has played on the wing at FB.
Tee Hee
Bet Finn enjoyed his game as well.
I love the baa baas. With a couple of soon to be or soon to leave Bristol players and two of our coaches, I was actually quite happy to see them win. That said, England had 5 or 6 normal starters in that XV, and two were out of position. I do think that Eddie should immediately dispatch with Brown and give Daly the 15 shirt, he was devastating.
I wonder if Pat can bring Radrada (sp?) to Bristol? That bloke is f***ing lethal.
What a great game of rugby. Some of the passing and offloads were outstanding. Great stuff all round.
I was left wondering why a TMO was employed for a Barbarians game. Part of the fun is that it’s not always a normal game of rugby.
I didn't get to see it - did Cips get to play? Eddie said they'll be at least 5 players who did not step and up and will be going back to their clubs.
Without watching the game, I'd conclude from the various comments I've seen that Daley may well be more effective from 15, then with Watson & May/Nowell on the wings for the RWC 15. However, I'm not entirely sure if EJ seems to have reached a crossroads with the team, and is in a bit of spin with who to select.
And Splashton? Good grief, could he get back in?
Aahton wont be considered whilst in France.
Tipurics offliad looked good. How was Williams at 9.
Heres some good highlights. Scarlets last consolation score!!!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/44273910
OK so England didn't exactly have their strongest side out but they still had a few weeks to prepare.
The Baabaas had no time to prepare so didn't overburden themselves with training, running or endless video analysis but just went out on the p1ss instead.
Then they trounced England.
Surely this tells us something about modern rugby?
It’s gone soft.
It tells us that the barbarian team selected comprised excetional individuals, and a second/third string England did not.
Olding to Brive
Any news on Jackson yet? Has the Sale deal deffo fallen through?
Sale deal is off - sponser won't allow it by my understanding
It tells us that the barbarian team selected comprised excetional individuals, and a second/third string England did not.
I’d suggest that it was a team of talented players, but not exceptional. Tipuric can’t hold onto a place in Wales, Vito and Fekitoa aren’t regular ABs, Finn Russell is Finn Russell, Chris Ashton made more mistakes than scores, etc, etc. I’d never heard of Radrava before - he got MOTM. It’s the sort of side that I would have been pleased to see playing against Swansea on a May Bank Holiday but disappointed that it was a little weak against a national team.
The scrum half must be exceptional, he's just signed for The Dregs!
More England players broken in training; Obano is likely to be out for a year after mashing various tendons, ligaments etc. Bet Barf are well chuffed. Te’o out too and requires minor surgery on a quad injury. Looks like Ford and Farrell will resume their partnership...yay.
Its looking increasingly like we’re going to get dicked in SA; injuries, players being flogged at the end of a very long season, people playing badly still getting picked. It’s like the last few coaches all over again...
I’m not convinced Jones has a plan B tbh. I think he’s thrashed as much as he knows how out of the prior team, and the legacy we have is a team in tatters. I can’t see the alluded international depth left by Lancaster rising to the top (with a few exceptions) and just a few regulars have any kind of form.
Are we following the U20 world cup here?
England 39 - 18 Argentina
Scotland 26 -27 Italy
South Africa 33 - 27 Georgia
Are we following the U20 world cup here?
If you were depending on the BBC Sport website, you wouldn’t even know it's on. Which is poor.
Sadly true, DaiDarcy.
Wales games are on S4C, others on World Rugby.
Australia 21 - 26 Wales
Australia 21 – 26 Wales
Couple of cracking tries from the youth as well. Although some sloppy wallabies passing errors
scotland managed to lose from a winning position. 1 step forward 2 steps backward down ina babylon!
(obscure reggae reference)
We seem to have found another annoying little get of a 9 tho
Watched the barbarians game tonight. Ok so a bit of a scratch england side but it showed again speed on the ground and between the ears troubles England and no plan B or ability to gain or regain control of a game
France 26 - 24 Ireland
New Zealand 67 - 0 Japan
another annoying little get of a 9
Is there any other type?
Oh, sorry, forgot Spikey Mikey. An annoying big get (sic) of a 9.
🙂
Why can scotland produce so many good 9s and so few good 10s?
lets hear your end of season thoughts and awards! Here are mine with a huge scottish bias!
Pass / try of the year of course is the wonderful Finn Russell / Jones / Maitland combo. NO other 10 on the planet would even have attempted that.
Of course Finn being Finn he is also in there as candidate for twerp of the year for missing touch of penalties at crucial moments more than once - no other international 10 would do that either!
Coach of the year is Cockerill for turning a bunch of workshy lightweights into a tough rugby team on a budget of 2p. Even if he does look like a bald klingon. Honourable mention to Baxter for continuing to make Exeter a good team on a budget of two and six and for talking a lot of sense. I'd have Baxter as lions coach.
Disappointment of the year. Glasgow in Europe. Just rubbish compared to last year for no obvious reason. followed closely by "that game" in wales where scotlands hopes were brought thumping back down to earth and Toonie was shown to be actually a beginner at international coaching. Honourable mention to Edinburgh for loosing at home to Treviso in a game Cockers called his worst moment in Rugby
Find of the year - George Horne. The latest in a long line of nippy wee annoying barstewards of scrum halves from Scotland
fighter of the year. Zander "the choirboy" Fagerson for being the first to have "discussions" with the opposition in every game he played in. He really was a choirboy as well.Its not even as if he is a decent fighter. He is all mouth and trousers. If you want to be a fighter you shuld be decking the opposition then walking off the pitch before the cards come out
Player of the year? I really don't know who to go for. Finn remains too inconsistent. Sexton is too irritating. Maybe Tadhg Beirne or Stockdale?
Good guy - Isa Nacewa? The epitome of a guy prepared to live and die for his club and a great sportsman.
right chaps - rip that lot to pieces and put up your own please
SA team to play Wales on saturday is full of players I've never heard off. One is called Ox though!! There's also a Kwagga, I thoughtvthey were extinct!
<b>South Africa team to face Wales:</b> Curwin Bosch (Cell C Sharks); Travis Ismaiel (Vodacom Bulls, uncapped), Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls), Andre Esterhuizen (Cell C Sharks, uncapped), Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks, uncapped); Elton Jantjies (Emirates Lions), Ivan van Zyl (Vodacom Bulls, uncapped); Ox Nche (prop, Toyota Cheetahs, uncapped), Chiliboy Ralepelle (Cell C Sharks), Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers), Jason Jenkins (Vodacom Bulls, uncapped), Pieter-Steph du Toit (capt, DHL Stormers), Kwagga Smith (Emirates Lions, uncapped), Oupa Mohoje (Toyota Cheetahs), Dan du Preez (Cell C Sharks).
<i>Replacements:</i> Akker van der Merwe (Cell C Sharks, uncapped), Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks, uncapped), Marvin Orie (Emirates Lions, uncapped), Sikhumbuzo Notshe (DHL Stormers, uncapped), Embrose Papier (Vodacom Bulls, uncapped), Robert du Preez (Cell C Sharks, uncapped), Warrick Gelant (Vodacom Bulls).
There’s also a Kwagga, I thought they were extinct!
You should watch more rugby a_a! 🤣 😝
Kwagga Smith is a very good back-rower. The Super Rugby commentators were effusive about him last year, iirc. I could have sworn he played against one of the home nations recently but can’t remember when or where. Maybe in a barbars match last year?
Du Preez in the back row is a big abrasive lump with a good turn of speed. He looks like the stereotypical Boer (and brother of the one on the bench (outside-half). )
Some good players in that team but, as you say, quite a few I don’t recognise.
Kwagga Smith has played in the SA 7s squad for years.
NO other 10 on the planet would even have attempted that.
TJ obviously never watched ANY Super Rugby. Props pass like that 😆
When Wales team announced? Expect something like:
Amos
North
Williams/Watkin
Parkes
Evans
Patch/Anscombe
GDavies
Moriarty
JDavies
Jenkins
B Davies
Cory BIL Hill
Lee
Dee
Smith
A few Scarlets players like Patch, Evans Wiiliams etc may get a rest
Edinburgh rugby have made a stunning announcement! they are now going to be simply called Edinburgh and have a new strip of blue and white and a new badge. Fantastic news!
More boringly they are going to build a "little murrayfield" on the back pitches with an 8000 capacity so no longer will we be playing infront of 3000 people in a 67000 capacity stadium.
No sign of a decent 10 yet tho. Still who cares about quality players when you are the best looking team in the league
they are now going to be simply called Edinburgh
I wish more teams would go back to being named after the place they play. Although my kids spend a little while guessing the names of the teams on whichever match I’m watching, and where they are from. Gwe v Gle can confuse them, but at least they are learning some Welsh. 😀
since professionalism we have been:
Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh gunners, Edinburgh rugby and now just Edinburgh. we also have the worlds most stupid mascot - a deer with wraparound sunglasses called Flinty McStagg
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Ireland going fully loaded with Lions to Aus. Beirne included he's going to be a huge loss to Scarlets next season.
Bit late for a math this!
Kwagga down from friendly fire.
15mins of utter shite so far!
40 mins now!
80 mins of mince
I don't think I have ever seen an international with so many errors
I thought Jantjies was shit until he wss replaced by an even shittier 10. Owen Watkin did nothing rightall game and Anscombe was rubbish too and spare a thought for Rhodri Jones, five years ago he was a promising international loosehead but we had lots of those and no tightheads so they tried to convert him and it failed he couldnt get a game as 4th choice tighthead for his region. Then this season he started playing 1 again. Did ok. Back in Wales squad asked to play tighthead got pummelled in the scrums...poor bloke.
80 mins of mince
I don’t think I have ever seen an international with so many errors
Wales now above Scotchland in World Rankings!!!
I always said they were a great barometer of a teams excellence!!
Wales team to play Pumas on saturday. Surprised with starting props as the two on the bench are better. Obviously a big test for Wyn Jones and Lewis. Would also be stronger with Bradley Davies at lock and Ellis Jenkins at 7.
<b>Wales:</b> Hallam Amos; Josh Adams, Scott Williams, Hadleigh Parkes, George North; Rhys Patchell, Gareth Davies; Wyn Jones, Elliot Dee, Dillon Lewis, Adam Beard, Cory Hill (capt), Seb Davies, James Davies, Ross Moriarty.
<i>Replacements:</i> Ryan Elias, Rob Evans, Tomas Francis, Josh Turnbull, Aaron Wainwright, Aled Davies, Gareth Anscombe, Owen Watkin
Phil Mitchell on wing for Englandshire again!! 😠
Phil Mitchell on wing for Englandshire again!!
So he and May are the two best wings England have available? At least he won't be called upon to pass the ball being the last man in the line.
Apart from being pish, Brown was badly exposed for pace against the BaaBaas. May is a headless chicken who couldn't tackle a fish supper - albeit a fast one.
The ABs LEFT OUT Waisake Naholo, Ben Lam and Julian Savea but England have these two clowns.
Why bother taking Cipriani but leaving him out altogether?
Phil Mitchell would be quicker !!
Watched the 1st episode of All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks. Available on Amazon Prime and all good torrent sites.
Pretty good. Quite watchable. Nothing groundbreaking but about a million times better than that awful Lions Uncovered which was a fine example of technical film making and editing but was also incredibly boring and contrived at times. Not to mention showing none of the action either.
Strange England team for Saturday. Rather than having too many second rows, now have too few, why Piers Francis and why Brown - please tell me!!! Robshaw will go - probably by Shields. At least Daley is playing in the right position and the pack is generally ok. Shame for Launchbury
Strange England team for Saturday. Rather than having too many second rows, now have too few, why Piers Francis and why Brown – please tell me!!! Robshaw will go – probably by Shields. At least Daley is playing in the right position and the pack is generally ok. Shame for Launchbury
Weird isn't is. Not much bulk in the centres, Mike Brown on the Wing, 2.5 Locks against a very physical SA side. I'm willing to bet Ford will get smashed, and I reckon we'll see a Farrell/Cips partnership in the second game. Looks like creativity over bulk, although thats not really our strong point.
Wales now above Scotchland in World Rankings!!!
I always said they were a great barometer of a teams excellence!!
Aye right you ruddy windup merchant of a pot noodle miner! 😉
Aye right you ruddy windup merchant of a pot noodle miner
😁
God knows why Brown is on the wing; it’s been done before and didn’t work and he’s lost some of the little pace he had too. Eddie seems to very much be slipping into the same trap as previous coaches of picking players no matter how bad their form is (Ford, Robshaw and Brown spring to mind) or how shagged they are (Mako and Itoje).
Struggling to see the point in taking Cipriani if you’re not going to at least give him a spin off the bench.
Paddy Jackson to Perpignan.
Interesting screline in NZ
Normal service resumed 😂
SPOILER ALERT......
Getting less interesting now it's turned into a thrashing. Shame, Les Bleus were looking promising into half time. Dodgy try to finish off too.