Wrecker – been very impressed by Wallace from what I’ve seen of him. seem to remember England taking an age to pick Back because they got wrapped up in the whole size issue and forgot to look at what he brought to the team in other areas.
Not suggesting that Wallace is the answer just think they are wrapped up in the whole big is best mentality still.

That was never going to end well,still won’t no matter where the Welsh end up. Surely threatening to create new regional sides is going to force the clubs hands,why can’t the WRU fund the pro teams and accept that they are the figurehead of the game and have a positive impact on the national side,profit or not? We do,it will be a cold day in hell before either of the Scottish sides break even,but the SRU swallow it. The Irish do as well,even though the provinces have been embraced by the supporters.

Not qsure it will foce anything. Premership and bt have offerred equal funding and that has the posdibility of growing the game rather than letting it whither and die playing glasgow and connaught on a wet friday.

Steffon A has played well in the games I’ve seen but he looks a fair bit too chunky for an international lIMO. I’m not sure he has the speed about the field either required for that level.

WRU / Regions indeed looks a right mess. Not so Happy New Year !

IMO I don’t think the regions have been bad for the game in Wales quite the opposite. Graham Henry was the driving force behind the regions and he knew something about rugby 😆

I am happy for our stars to go overseas as it means the young players get blooded in Rabo games.

The public like the regions in general Parc y Scarlets is heaving when big games come along, it is just that the Rabo doesn’t give you that many big games. I think ticket prices are to high.

Ospreys have done ok won the league a few times. The glaring problem is with European success, Wales has had very little. How many English clubs have won it? Ireland have done very well in Europe why is that? Lots of foreign players? Tax breaks so wages are higher? You tell me DD?

Pigface, I think English clubs have won the HC as many times as the Irish and French.

Welsh regions have done a good job of bringing on welsh talent (and english and tongan ;-). ) missed out on the Vunipolas though. Its just the rabo does not provide any attraction for sponsors or fans and the welsh regions get less cash than either the scottish or irish teams. The lack of wru funding and lack of decent games has meant any investors have drifted away. The rabo is stuck in a positive feedback loop of decline as welsh stars leave so do the fans then the irish teams send over Leinster b who still beat the blues and more fans drift off.

One advantage of the rabo is that it rests international players. Sexton played 10 games last season,so far he has played 13 this year. Take somebody like Warburton who is a bit easily broken,will French rugby not,while improving intensity,reduce the number of players available. We have had a similar situation with Beattie/Strokosch.

Great start for Ulster hey DD?

With all the shite going on I’d forgotten about the rugby. Good game here:

http://www.s4c.co.uk/clic/e_live.shtml

Woohoo doing the double over the scabs 😆 very happy with that.

No tense at all for you duckie. 😛

Hardly relieved. Would have been a lot more had the ref not been AA’s best pal.

£20 to your nominated charity if we don’t go further than you lot in the beer cup?

I’m not a gambling man, sorry. Find someone else.

Whether I was confident or not, I wouldn’t choose to have any of my money riding on a game a_a, much less the prospect of donating to a charity not of my own choosing. I have my own reasons for this, but I don’t feel any less masculine for them. Let’s just leave it there ok?

Edit.

Blindmelon are you Yoda?

AA got to have the last word/dig? Why?

You should try running round the fat lads george
http://sport.bt.com/video-01363814401986?videoid=3007070188001

Oooh Glos got thumped today, even when Sarries were down to 13 men they still outscored Glos! I think the Cherries pack needs one of those reversing klaxons..