[Closed] STW 2014/15 Rugby Thread

Have we mentioned [url= http://www.theguardian.com/media/mediamonkeyblog/2014/nov/10/bbc-says-sorry-for-calling-welsh-rugby-player-jake-ballsack ]THIS[/url]

BBC Sport has apologised after an embarrassing teamsheet gaffe involving the Welsh rugby union player Jake Ball.

On their online team list, Scarlets lock Ball was listed as ‘Jake Ballsack’, causing scarlet faces at the BBC Sport website.

Will Lawes and the Kiwi make it through the concussion test, I guess we will see how seriously they are going to take the head injury rules.

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OK so how come this crops up every few years and is sometimes pinged and sometimes not? Duckman? Anyone?

I think its because no Irish players were bound - so it's not a maul. Open play so he's allowed to tackle the man with the ball.

Yeah I get that but it seems like some refs allow it and others dont. If its that simple why doesnt every team do it?

If its that simple why doesnt every team do it?

I typed a long post about Captain Flasheart's amateur eugenics but kind of decided life is too short and scrubbed it. I don't think anybody in NZ has referred to anybody else in those terms since Queen Victoria was on the throne. All 100% kiwis !

I think they still do the ka mate haka for home games.

BINGO! Oh, and 😉

Cause most teams aren't as smart as Ireland 😉

By the way Jack Mc Grath the prop making one of those tackles was our top tackler with 17, some going that.

clarification:

The following clarification has been issued by the IRB for immediate application.

Line out

IRB clarification for teams choosing not to engage at the lineout

. if the defenders in the line out choose to not engage the line out drive by "leaving the line out as a group", 
PK to attacking team; 
if the defenders in the line out choose to not engage the line out drive by simply opening up a gap & "creating space" & not leaving the line out, the following process would be followed:

attackers would need to keep the ball with the front player, if they were to drive down-field (therefore play on, general play - defenders could either engage to form a maul, or tackle the ball carrier only);
if they had immediately passed it back to the player at the rear of the "group", the referee would tell them to "use it" which they must do immediately...

Clear as mud from the irrational rugby board.

Mauls are a mess at the moment how its legal to have someone at the back of a maul trundling forward with defenders having no chance to stop it is not rugby imo. Ball is shipped to the back almost before the lineout catcher has landed.

@aa you can stop the maul by pushing against it, just like you always used to.

But the sifting of the ball to the back before moving forward makes it a farce that can only end in a pen.

you can stop the maul by pushing against it

Or by not pushing against it. It makes for a very, very dull game when a team has a superior driving maul and decides to push everywhere. I'm glad that there are options to level the field by playing smart.

I can't see what's changed? surely that's what the forward orientated teams have been doing for years? - Neil back for Leicester and England being a prime example

@aa, if I where going to change anything I'd make most maul infringement's a free kick. Only deliberate dangerous play/fulling it down would be a pen. TBH I don't see the maul having a massive impact on the game, I thought England used it quite badly and in irrelevant areas of the field. Seems a bit of anon issue to me,

The change has been the way they are formed the ball is shipped to the back before any chance of the defence engaging and it makes it almost impossible to defend against. Week in week out we see teams taking it in turns to march the maul 20 yards forward and gain a pen. Like scrums they just seemed to have become a too to extract pens rather than a platform to launch attacking plays.

@aa well that didn't happen on Saturday. As an aside I was offering my comments from the stands along the lines of "stop f 'king around, you'll give away a penalty" each time England tried it in their own half

It did in Cardiff.

FIJI TEAM TO FACE WALES

Metuisela Talebula, Waisea Nayacalevu, Vereniki Goneva, Nemani Nadolo, Asaeli Tikoirotuma; Joshua Matavesi, Nikola Matawalu; Campese Ma'afu, Sunia Koto, Manasa Saulo, Leone Nakarawa, Api Ratuniyarawa, Dominiko Waqaniburotu, Masi Matadigo, Akapusi Qera (capt).

Replacements: Tuapati Talemaitoga, Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Isei Colati, Tevita Cavubati, Malakai Ravulo, Henry Seniloli, Jonetani Ralulu, Timoci Nagusa.

Nemai Nadolo, cousin of Kuridrani and Nephew of the great Noa Nadruku. Big lad 6ft5 and best part of 20 stone apparently.

Arg 20 Italy 18

Guess you englishers are all busy thinking up racist and homophobic abuse for tomorrow 😉

Shut it you gay welsh ****!!! 😀

So it was you at twickers, I thought it was Jambo. Now hold still so I can give you a kiss xxx

So, either the 'Spreys really don't care a damn about the Anglo-Welsh Cup, or the Dregs have suddenly become teh orsumz.

My stalker book is filling up with England propaganda.

I guess the players have to "believe" but I think some humility is in ordered. Not sure if they are being scripted but Garrell and May in particular seem to act like they are they greatest world class players on earth. Calm down dear...

Or maybe I'm grumpy because I have a hangover.

I'm going with a with a win this afternoon, I think this is last chance saloon for certain players before changes happen, so I'm expecting a winning test match.

New zealand v austrailia rugby league on bbc2 now if anyone is interested,good game so far.

Or maybe I'm grumpy because I have a hangover.

Seems more likely. The other nations play this easy arrogant card against the English. Works well despite being false, so not a bad bit of gamesmanship. Seems to be deployed in inverse relationship with the depth of the chip.

Anyway why are the Scots up in arms about playing the AB 2XV? Isn't that bad enough for them? The score will tell.

Bloody parents evening clashing with tickets to Twickers which is annoying. Should be a peaky!!

I expect that the Dregs were almist at full strength whereas the ospreys were decimated by international call ups.

I was wondering last night who has the most annoying kicking build up. Twitchy Biggar or laser eyed Farrel with his pouty face.

It's become all a bit contrived hasn't it AA. Not JWs finest legacy for the sport!!!

Off to watch Sale V Irish - 12pm kick off so we can watch the England/South Africa game in the stadium afterwards, think I'm going to have a hangover tomorrow...

Has kicking ever been to the standard that it is now?
I may be wrong but I thought the top guys can accurately hit distances that were not considered possible 20 years ago. To be honest if they did the chicken song dance before slotting a touch line kick from their own 10m line, it wouldn't detract from the sheer skill that guys like 1/2p, Farrell, sexton, carter etc possess.

This post is begging for the genius of Jamie to put a chicken song dance penalty together!

Patchel will be able to kick a long way when he grows up

Quite funny watching the wales back line get bullied!

Englands backs just aren't good enough....Brown and Care are the only two that are world class, and whilst they're both having better games this week, neither is in great form. Barritt....**** me, has the bloke ever thrown a pass in his career! We should be easily in front against this Saffa team but there've been soo many errors 🙁

Mad start to the second half! I'll say it now, Eben Etzbeth will be regarded as one of the all time great by the time he retires.

Good grief Priesthood is shit. If he doesn't want to be booed he should learn to play.

And that nice new pitch is looking even worse today than last week.

Can't complain at that. Bad discipline again.

So, today's matches feature the combined talents of Farell Priestland and Pat Lambie at 10.....blimey.

How was that a completed tackle on Williams?

Well thats 40 mins of my life wasted.

Disappointing. Ford should start, not sure even Lawes is imposing himself over Kruz. Eastmond better. Watson started to show attacking for, but needs to be in the game.

Farrell should be off next week

Agreed re Ford...he gets all of the back line working much better than Farrell does.

So disappointing as we gifted them so many points. Then again our try when Habana was adjudged to have taken the ball out should have never stood so maybe it was a fair reflection.

I thought that Steve Walsh had a good game (by god that pains me saying that!) Not convinced that Hartley deserved a yellow though.

Not convinced that Hartley deserved a yellow though

The man is a thug. Just plain stupid play.

And +1 to Walsh handling the game well for a change.

The commentators didn't think that it was a card either. If you want to lie at the bottom of an opposition maul that is going forwards and make no attempt to move, then expect a bit of getting trampled... there was a hint of stamping but nothing major....it's a tough game, which for many is part of the appeal.

Wales win ugly horrid shambolic cackhanded and dear god that has to remove Priestland from the squad.