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The question I would ask Cockermouth would be how did leicester fail to beat 14 men?
That one's easy. Because they're crap.
Well Sam Burgess made his first start at blindside in the Bath United vs London Irish A tonight.
Set up one try with a burst followed by an offload and scored another himself in a 44-5 win.
In the DT we got BOD's take on the England centre conundrum:
“I think a really good foil for George Ford would be Eastmond and Manu. I think they could complement each other really well. I also really like Jonathan Joseph, but Eastmond has a nice subtlety. [Luther] Burrell is skilful for a big man, people look at him and think he can’t play because he’s sizey, but he can play plenty. I’d probably have to go with Eastmond.”
He should know.
I think the whole world except one man believes the England first choice centres should be Eastmond, Burrel and Manu with Barrit on the fringes.
Having three centres might help create the odd overlap.
I've said it before, I wouldn't pick Eastmond at IC with ford at FH.
Having three centres might help create the odd overlap.
True, but then we'd have 16 men on the field - although I think we tried that against Samoa in the 2003 RWC IIRC..........
Looks like if SL won't have Cipriani then Toulon will.
(Along with nearly every other decent player available.)
@namaste - source ? That would be interesting and give me dilema, how could I follow a club with Chippy in the side ? 🙁
Here is something contentious we have been discussing in the office, Ireland did so well in the Autumn internationals because BOD wasn't there anymore and he and Kidney held the team back 😯
I cant argue against it 😆
@namaste - source ? That would be interesting and give me dilema, how could I follow a club with Chippy in the side ?
Reported in the telegraph. With the coaches comments, it seems legit.
The question that I'd have like to have heard asked of Richard Cockerill was -"Whilst accepting that Hartley is a complete tw*t, would you like to comment on the actions of your own player who held his face and fell to the ground in the manner of an association footballer?"
Yeah, Yeah, it's all Mat Smiths fault.
Hartley can't control himself when it comes to playing Leicester, it's seems deep rooted in Northampton and comes from the coaches. Luckily for them Leicester are not playing well at the moment so it didn't cost them this time, but it has done in the past and it will again if the coaches and Hartley don't calm down a bit. They are a bloody good team at the moment but keep banging on about surpassing Leicesters past achievements, if they want to be good for a long time they need to forget about all that and just get on with winning titles.
Imagine if, highly unlikely I know but, Leicester manage to get into this years final against Saints and Hartley does something stupid, again, would that be someone elses fault? Will the management stop defending him? Dorian West won't as he's as big a tit as Hartley, and should have more respect for Leicester!
anagallis_arvensis - Member
Having three centres might help create the odd overlap.
As I've said before, Manu would be on the bench for latter impact, starting with Eastmond & Burrel,
Thanks [url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/dannycipriani/11307783/Toulon-want-to-sign-Danny-Cipriani.html ]Telegrapgh - Cipriani[/url]
If (as I expect) Chippy doesn't get selected for RWC squad it would make sense to go an play in France and ideally in a warm weather venue, seems to have helped prolong careers as well and being financially rewarding. Chippy could play another 5 years if he keeps himself fit.
I think Carter will struggle at Racing, he won't have the support around him. At euro 1.5m I doubt that would fit the budget at Toulon.
Toulon don't have a faultless transfer record, they signed the Orange one after all 🙂
Shame he hasnt got a brain as the orange one is the most naturally gifted player these islands have ever produced
As I've said before, Manu would be on the bench for latter impact, starting with Eastmond & Burrel,
A fine idea, keep him on the bench.
You can scoff AA, Burrell is a fine player with a habit of scoring, and more skilled than Manu. Id hate to be facing a fresh Manu after 60 minutes on a rugby field tbh.
I suppose the argument does go the other way also. If Manu is on first, he's really softened the defence for a more skilled by arguably just as large player in Burrell, who can pass either way to keep the tired defense guessing.
Or sub Eastmond. Burrell 12 and Manu 13 is a pretty formidable thought. And if those two started, Eastmond a pretty good runner to come on late. You see? It seems good all round. I wouldn't be as nervous of Manu as you seem to be he late form seems to show he's dropped a turn of speed, and is a 60 minute player these days.
But there it dictates no room for Farrell which starts the problem and prevents Lancaster making the right choice.
Burgess and slade will be coming through soon, I can't see eastmond being a long termer in an England shirt.
Slade does look good, where does he actually play though? i heard the commentator say the other night he's naturally a 10, but was playing 13, I'd have thought he would be a 12 if he has 10 skills. Although i would like to see Burrel and Tuilagi start for England in the six nations. If Manu can get a few games in before then, he's mean't to be close to a come back.
The problem with Manu seems to be that he's never fit for very long. You can't base your plans around one player who may, or may not be there when you need him.
If Cipriani had a couple of good seasons at Toulon - 2017 Lions tour anyone?
I think that's a Leicester problem rather than a Manu problem. They had what 9 or 10 injuries at one point this season?
That's not bad luck, it's bad player management. He should definitely come to bristol 🙂
Cipriani had a couple of good seasons at Toulon - 2017 Lions tour anyone?
He's not good enough for England why would he be good enough for the Lions? Talking of which I hope Sexton is ok, bit worrying all these bangs to the head.
He should definitely come to bristol
Every other bugger has. How is Evans going? He's the only welsh qualified middle lineout jumper in existence.
3 weeks for Hartley #****ing joke
3 weeks for Hartley #**** joke
Agreed in full! When Armitage got a massive ban, and Castro took the service revolver option.
Pathetic ban for Hartley, even more so when you consider his record as a punchy, sweary, stampy little shit of a red card magnet.
The Hensonwitch got how long for his elbow? 10 weeks and 2 days reduced to 8 in the end wasnt it..obviously he never did enough gouging and biting previously.
Evans has been going well, jones been injured a lot. Now, Matthew Morgan now he's a blinding player!
We have some corking flankers; Ross rennie steals so much ball, jack lam hurts people and olly Robinson (andys son) is one to watch for the future. We also have a very young homegrown FB; auguy slowik; another to watch.
Indeed. Y Gav got a much bigger ban, and without the history of Hartley. Very, very disappointing, this.
[url= http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-news/dirty-kiwi-dylan-hartley-could-rubbed-world-stray-elbow-video-6210941 ]Even the dirty cheating punchy cowardly shit New Zealanders agree about this dirty cheating cowardly shit New Zealander. [/url]
Morgan is just bonkers, he should be a winger though or a 9. He'll never make it to the top as a 10.
Morgan is just bonkers
As Jiffy said some time ago,
He could sidestep you in a phone box.
Morgan would be wasted on the wing. He needs to bulk up, but with modern "techniques" it shouldn't be too hard.
He's an exceptional talent, I hope we do right by him.
He'd still just be a bulky midget. He was pretty solidly built when at the O's. He is just too small. I've never really seen him run a game from 10 either. He's torn a few games to shreds but he doesnt control a game.
Same height as George ford and Kyle eastmond more or less. How big is Aaron cruden?
3 weeks for Hartley #**** joke
We all know the oppo milked it also. Plus we need him for the 6N which I'm sure didn't influence the decision.
He'll cost Englamd big time one day with his ****tishness.
Don't worry. I'm sure that early in the competition he will respond to some perceived slight by stamping, spitting, punching, swearing or elbowing.Plus we need him for the 6N
Plus we need him for the 6N
Stupid thing is, we don't. Webber is plenty good enough.
3 weeks is a fair ban for that incident. The disciplinary panel got it right.
Chippy isn't going to get selected for England or Lions.
How is it fair? With his previous???
Unprovoked elbow to the mush? At least St Gav had the excuse of the bloke trying to take him out off the ball. Not his fault his aim is better. After gouging two people in one game I dont think he should be allowed to earn a living as a pro rugby player. Mind you he does play with Clark.
Three weeks would be fair for most other players but his record must be amongst the worst of current players.
I wouldn't call that unprovoked personally.
Wun tharrrrsand!
^ I too would say that it wasn't unprovoked, and whilst Hartley is obviously a knob, let's be honest, he's hardly put the bloke out cold, and there was no real force behind it.....petulant yes, but Smith is going to get hit harder accidentally by his own players clearing out rucks on a weekly basis.
His reaction was over the top, he even had another Scum player in his way as well. The man is a cockwomble and isnt that great a hooker.
How did he provoke him? Goes off his feet in the side and is rucked out legally after that its hard to tell who is holding who. Its about as unprovoked as you can get on a rugby pitch.
The reaction of the elbowed player does nothing to mitigate or excuse the actions of the asshat doing the elbowing.
His reaction was over the top
Absolutely. The tiggers player was clearly having a go IMO, but elbowing him was, well, just what you'd expect Hartley to do. He must have lost his anger monkey.
Ospreys win ugly over the scabs 😆
When I say ugly I mean really dog rough, gruesome, hideous turn you to stone hit every branch falling out of the ugly tree ugly
Next up scabs at Parc y scab.
OvS was quite fun for a neutral. Annoying that the pretty boys are favoured with MoM. AW-J was far better.
AW-J was far better.
About six years ago, I told my father that AWJ (Note the lack of hyphen) would be the Lions captain. CFH Senior scoffed at my suggestion.
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So pleased I was right. Few have been more deserving, IMHO.
Not the best lock in the world , but someone you would want on your side as a solid, trustworthy team member (I was thinking about the - !) he was everywhere yesterday although lacked his slightly mad (Geoff Wheel) look yesterday!!!
Think some of Hartleys earlier offences are not relevant because of the time has elapsed
Sale v Tiggers was a cracking game yesterday, real shame that Sale couldn't quite hold on at the end. Record crowd in too.
So it appears that St Johnny will be Sir St. Johnny soon. Well deserved. Much as I hate royalty and all the shite that goes with it he has been a model professional and seems like a thoroughly decent bloke.
Cipriani had a couple of good seasons at Toulon - 2017 Lions tour anyone?He's not good enough for England why would he be good enough for the Lions? Talking of which I hope Sexton is ok, bit worrying all these bangs to the head.
Well thats a matter of opinion and the only one that counts is Lancaster. As a ST holder at Sale his play this season and most of last has been outstanding. Even his tackling is now very good (he was criticised by some last year) Lancaster will never give him the opportunity now and there are a host of 10's in front of him in Lancasters mind. Given this and although he appears to be genuinely enjoying himself at Sale I suspect he may go abroad given he has nothing to lose.
Surfer junior will miss him if he leaves!
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Cipriani is a great pkayer to watch but he's a bit like Hook, international coaches just dont trust him. International tens these days just play up in the defences face running straight lines and trying to put others into gaps. Very few look for breaks much anymore.
@aa yes it seems the rumours of Sir Johnny where a bit premature. My 2 cents is that he may well have said he doesn't want the award yet, he's retired from playing but clearly has ambitions in coaching.
Cipriani is a fine player, very talented. However, he had his chance and he blew it with a combination of poor technique (found out by the Boks in particular) and a diabolically unprofessional attitude off the pitch. He seems to have rescued his club career and he's to be congratulated for that but I have no desire to see him in an England shirt.
Dragons v Blues truly awful 1st half.
^ I probably wont bother to find a stream of the second half then!
On Cipriani........I'd love to see him back playing for England. Personally I see Ford as the best 10 in the country now that he's sorted his place kicking out. I'd put Farrell marginally ahead of Cipriani as a place kicker but equal or worse in every other aspect. Personally I'd put Steenson ahead of Farrell!
Second half was shit too.
Have we seen this? Fantastic play 😆
I thought Montpelier were going to score.
Then I thought Toulon were going to score.
Then I thought Montpelier were going to score.
Then Toulon scored.
You gotta love the French (Aussies, Kiwis, Saffers, Fijians, English and whoever else was playing).
Then Toulon scored.
And Bruce Willis is a ghost...
@Pigface, thanks for posting. I had a link for the full match but didn't watch it as I didn't have time
Have you seen the rumours about your BF, a_a? 😀
Yeah I was going to post yesterday to see if you thought it funny!!
Priestland move is an odd one.
Confused about RP too. Seems a waste if he's just cover for internationals.
Do you want me to get an autograph? (I'm not sneaking into the showers with a gopro - sorry)
Priestland, more money at Bath and no central contract ? Would think a move to France would be more interesting, chance to play in the same league as Carter, perhaps he wanted to be near home for personal reasons.
Glasgae v Scabs on freeview 601. Tis windy, very windy!
Scabs are playing in [s]pus[/s] yellow as well.
Dan Braid signs 1 yr extension at Sale then commits to moving into a coaching role at the club after.
Fantastic news as a Sale fan. He has been incredibly influential over the last couple of seasons and is one of the best flankers in the prem. If it wasnt for McCaw who knows how many NZ caps he would have had (he had 6)
😀
On my way there now Surfer, hope to see RJ Loane get a run out
Not particularly hopeful about the result though..
Sorry, TJ Loane! Blummin' phone.
Looking good so far! 20-0 up after an hour.
.....not a good day for fans of Callum Clark (so basically no one!) He's been smashed into next week and is now in the sin bin 🙂
Well I didn't expect that! Sale made Saints look ordinary 1 through 15. Now celebrating with a(nother) pint 😀
Car v Lei is good entertainment at the moment too. Could finish either way.
It was like Leicester all over again but this time without the bizarre refereeing decisions in the last 15 mins! 😀
Colder than a Penguins chuff though 😕
So Sale won the, that's a great result 😆
20-7 so not even a losing bonus point. Cipriani Man of the Match in front of Stuart Lancaster whilst the South Stand faithful chanted "are you watching Lancaster?" to the great amusement of Mr Cipriani - he was laughing his head off 😀
Great afternoon out at the AJB- superb performance!!!
Gutted that I didn't go, my dad was busy and Mrs B didn't fancy it. 🙁