2013/14 Rugby Thread

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2013/14 Rugby Thread
DanW
Free Member

On another topic… where are all the decent centres in the Northern Hemisphere? Granted most of the Welsh are broken, Manu is fairly reasonable and BOD ages exponentially but there seem as many world class 12’s and 13’s as there are 10’s in the NH. Is it fair to say the best centres in the NH are French at the moment?

Talk also lately that Ian Evans may be off to Toulon joining the Welsh exiles. Good to see Coombes back in the Welsh starting line up as he had a great 6N

Posted 11 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

I wonder who is in contention to usurp Tom Youngs as our replacement hooker, unless he improves his accuracy I don’t want to see him the 6N..

Me neither. The next in line is Rob Webber of B***. He put in some great performances in Argentina over the summer. Good player.
I see Ireland are bidding for to host the RWC. Bloody good luck to them, I really hope they get it (I doubt the aussie management want it to happen though 😀 )

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

Ok will watch Webber.

DanW indeed, so despite England’s positive outlook we actually have problems at:
Wing, Centre, fly half and Hooker.
Hmmm.

Incidentally I saw Ceri Sweeney out in Exeter a few weeks ago. I have no more to say about that..

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

On another topic… where are all the decent centres in the Northern Hemisphere?

Tuilagi
Davies
Roberts
Williams
Fofana
Memoz
Ficku
Luke Marshall

George North may shift to 13 in the not to distant future too

Also dont forget Gavin he’s lush

Incidentally I saw Ceri Sweeney out in Exeter a few weeks ago. I have no more to say about that..

does he wear that forearm protector out on the piss too?

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

Ha ha AA I can see why you have to watch the french clubs so closely…

George North..centre

I won’t say I told you so..

Cant say I noticed the arm protector, most of the club were out.

Posted 11 years ago

BlindMelon
Free Member

Not many good centres around at all.

Even BOD is getting a hard time in the Irish press.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/george-hook-odriscolls-sad-decline-turning-into-a-tragedy-29762148.html

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

speak for yourself Wales have quite a few good centres and a number of young prospects, its just that most of them are broken. Ireland would be better off with Marshall at 12 and Bowe at 13 IMO

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

What is the arm protector for anyway? Didn’t another welsh player have a leather arm thingy?

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); George North (Northampton Saints), Owen Williams (Cardiff Blues), Ashley Beck (Ospreys), Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons); James Hook (Perpignan), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues); Paul James (Bath), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Ian Evans (Ospreys), Andrew Coombs (Dragons), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Ryan Jones (Ospreys – CAPT).
Replacements: Emyr Phillips (Scarlets), Ryan Bevington (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Dan Lydiate (Racing Metro), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues), Rhodri Williams (Scarlets), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Jordan Williams (Scarlets).

Be nice to see J Williams get a cap. Cant see the sense in playing 1/2p in this game. I would have thought a run out for Liam Williams at 15 would be on the cards. Same goes for North, if he is released for the aus game why play him this week. Surprised Lydiate isnt starting, is he released for the Aus game? Centre pairing looks a nice blend but is it too soon for O Williams?

In summary too many Williams and not enough Jones

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

What is the arm protector for anyway? Didn’t another welsh player have a leather arm thingy?

Alfie always had one as did the Quinnel bros IIRC. Seemed the fashion then.

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

Ah yes Alfie, why tho?

Posted 11 years ago

BlindMelon
Free Member

Bowe isn’t good enough defensively to play 13 and he’s badly off form at the minute. The long term replacement appears to be Payne once he’s Irish qualified next summer. Our best prospect for 13 however was young Nevin Spence sadly

Posted 11 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

despite England’s positive outlook we actually have problems at:
Wing, Centre, fly half and Hooker.

There’s plenty of talent available in most of those positions (not FH though admittedly). They just aren’t being picked for England presently.

Posted 11 years ago

DanW
Free Member

So the world class NH centres are Welsh and broken, Manu and broken or French 😀 Sounds about right. Just seems that a lack of flow in the midfield has been a bit of a theme for the home nations in this November series.

Even BOD is getting a hard time in the Irish press

I don’t think many players were spared in that piece 😀 Wasn’t the Aus game BOD’s fourth game of the season or something similar? He seemed somewhat anonymous at the weekend and I guess it’s no surprise really.

Cant see the sense in playing 1/2p in this game. I would have thought a run out for Liam Williams at 15 would be on the cards. Same goes for North

Completely agree! When I saw 1/2p starting my first thought was why bother risk such a potential blow against such a physical side with so little reward for a win

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

wrecker, see that’s the kind of positive outlook I like. Lets hope Lancaster solves them by feb 1st.

Posted 11 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

Lets hope Lancaster solves them by feb 1st.

I hope he has the balls to make the changes which are so obviously required. Game time for the incomers should be given during the 6N so that they’re tested and ready for the RWC.

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

It is actually getting pretty close to the world cup. You would want the likes of Wade to play at least five proper internationals to see if he’s up to it before then.

Posted 11 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

Yep. And a few more than Wade too. Yardie needs game time and players like Burns, Watson and Burrell too.
This is why (regardless of the scores) I think that Wales overall will benefit from the next two AIs; the larger squad getting a good run out. A successful RWC needs more than a good match day 23.

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

Indeed, there isn’t much game time between now and then.
We have 2 x 6n, 1 x summer internationals/tours, 1 x autumn internationals and I assume in 2015 instead of summer ints we will have world cup warm up games?

edit to add to my fixture list for 2015:

August 15 – England v France QBE International
August 22 – France v England
September 5 – England v Ireland QBE International

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

PS it has been a good discussion lads. Sorry for pissing you off AA.

Posted 11 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

Sorry for pissing you off AA.

I don’t think you did. I think a_a lives in a state of perpetual pissed-offness. He probably appreciated the opportunity to vent 😉

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

Group hug?

Posted 11 years ago

deadlydarcy
Free Member

Group hug?

Not if you’re Tongan. I heard a rumour coming out of the Welsh training camp saying that Tonga is the team Wales most like to beat.

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

Professor Lorne Crerar, the International Rugby Board-appointed judicial officer, ruled that Kuridrani’s offence warranted an eight-week ban.

He added a ninth week as a deterrent for this type of tackle – but then took four weeks off to reflect Kuridrani’s previously good disciplinary record and other mitigating factors.

The resulting suspension of five weeks can only be served during Kuridrani’s playing schedule, meaning it will not expire until mid-February.

We added a week to annoy him and then took a few off because he had shined his shoes properly and said sorry FFS

Do Scotland have a chance as:

Adam Ashley-Cooper, Nick Cummins, Liam Gill, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson and Paddy Ryan will not face Scotland.

as they are piss heads

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

Anyay earlier in the thread I was bemoaning the English butchering chances by not drawing defenders have a look at this… even captain Sam can see where Hook should have gone

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

bah I must be going blind, thats a bit small for me to recognise hook or warbs. Is hook the 22? From what I can see the 22 should have run inside the no 5 and passed to the bloke in space on his right? Looks like 1/2p with the scrumcap on his inside? I need this in HD..

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

Warbs is the one who runs the support line expecting Hook to go between the prop and lock where the masdive gap is.

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

yer I think I managed to unpick it. I watch all this shit on my big tv with lots of rewind.
Anyway I can see it now, warbs has a ruddy great 7 on his back.

I can see your frustration anyway, from the angle shown it looks like hook was just ruddy blind, he could of stepped inside, caught up with Warbs, offload and bosh Leekeaters Glory!
Anyway, try not to be too dissapointed, it appears no20 looked like he saw the gap and would probs have easily outpaced Warbs 😥 (edit actually I dunno as at first I thought it was Habana, but I dunno who that 20 is)

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

it appears no20 looked like he saw the gap and would probs have easily outpaced Warbs (edit actually I dunno as at first I thought it was Habana, but I dunno who that 20 is)

looks like JP Peiterson but I thought he started?
Hook would have had choices outside as well as Warbs inside though. Warbs had 1/2p steaming up on the outside too and no one would catch him.
Compare and contrast this with what SA did with Habana going outside Hibbard and scoring a try. This is where the Northern Hemisphere teams lose out. Even though SA play a structured bosh game, when its on they go for it and flood the area with support runners. Warbs and 1/2p saw the gap but the guy with the ball didn’t, he didn’t even fix the 5 before passing.

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

Yeah I saw 1/2p, you are right Hook did have options, and yes woeful offload he could have drawn 5. Looks like he was a bit fearful??
This is basic stuff even my schoolboy rugby would have this covered..
Anyway take heart in the fact that only one of your players was a der brain, a good few others were doing the right thing. Looks like an easy fix to me.

If that were England on the other hand, we would have crashed into the tackle and got pinged for holding on. Offloads are a mystery to us.

looks like JP Peiterson but I thought he started?

Would he have been quicker than warbs? That would have been good to see though, the 20 tackling Warbs, and he offloads to 1/2p. Bingo! Pints of Brains and Welsh Rarebit on the lawn for all concerned!

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

According to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_end-of-year_rugby_union_tests

no 20 against wales was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siya_Kolisi

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

New winger for Wales
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/nov/20/hallam-amos-wales-debut-tonga

edit dunno why I posted this when AA posted the team list yesterday, but I only read the guardian as I am frothing handwringer…

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

Amos made his debut for the Dregs at 16 I think, neat and tidy player, more of a 15

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

Owen Williams first proper game too

and Jordan Williams on the bench

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

This Star Watch vid -is there an equivalent source for the Aviva Prem?

Posted 11 years ago

anagallis_arvensis
Full Member

not sure but lots of video here:
http://www.premiershiprugby.tv/?WT.mc_id=mpType:Display*Asset:Display_Ad*CmpID:PRTV*Other:Video

Posted 11 years ago

toys19
Free Member

Ok will hunt. Cheers.
According to my reliable source (that guardian article) Amos is a bit of a utility player. Could be a handy bloke to have on the bench.

Posted 11 years ago

ijs445ra
Free Member

Backs not confirmed would like to see Bennett get a game at centre. Pack looks strong must be going after the OZ scrum

Scotland team to face OZ: (Backs from) S Maitland, M Evans, T Seymour, M Bennett, N De Luca, D Taylor, S Lamont, R Jackson, D Weir, G Laidlaw, C Cusiter.

Forwards: R Grant, R Ford, M Low, T Swinson, J Hamilton, Beattie, Denton, Brown (captain).

Replacements: P MacArthur, A Dickinson, E Murray, G Gilchrist, K Low, TBC, TBC, TBC.

Posted 11 years ago

wrecker
Free Member

Is Strokosch injured? If not, they’re completely batshit loonhooping mental not to have him on the field. Scotlands stand out player for me.

Posted 11 years ago

ijs445ra
Free Member

Not injured, Johnson said before the start of the tests he wants to give as many players as possible game time, try combinations etc with a view to increasing the player pool with international experience prior to the RWC, it is why Brown was not playing last match.

Unfortuantely injuries have got in the way to an extent i think Dunbar/Scott or Bennnett/Scott in the centre would have been good but both Scott and Dunbar are injured now, Ross Rennie is only just back for Edinburgh, Hogg and Visser injured among others.

Trying new combinations is arguably what England should have done with the backline especially when the pack were going so well it would have given any new backs a good platform as a start point.

Posted 11 years ago