@mefty – you are correct (of course), I checked 1931, 1987, 1992

really? 15 yards back at about the same trajectory. Wilkinson under no pressure despite the aussie offside. looked ok to me for a bloke who’d played 100mins of a World Cup final, and had just made a 25yard break as well!

I remember martin Johnson talking about the and he said the reason he went for a pick and go after Dawsons break was because he knew JW was in the pocket and didn’t want anyone but Dawson passing it him. Hence giving Dawson time to get back on his feet and play the ball next phase. Pretty incredible moment one of those sports moments that you couldn’t have written. Like Man City’s title win in 2012.

Yep the calmness of all involved was amazing, to be able to think so clearly when so tired and under such pressure makes it look so easy but many teams have shown that it is anything but.

Forwards: Alex Allan (Glasgow Warriors), Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Kevin Bryce (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Cowan, Geoff Cross (both London Irish), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Richie Gray (Castres), Jim Hamilton (Montpellier), Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), Kieran Low (London Irish), Moray Low (Exeter Chiefs), Pat MacArthur (Glasgow Warriors), Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors), Alasdair Strokosch (Perpignan), Kyle Traynor (Bristol).

Backs: Chris Cusiter (Sale Sharks), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Max Evans (Castres), Tom Heathcote (Bath), Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester), Sean Lamont, Sean Maitland, Finn Russell (all Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Tim Visser (Edinburgh).

Scotland squad v Argentina and South Africa

Forwards: Kevin Bryce (Glasgow Warriors), Geoff Cross (London Irish), David Denton, Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford (all Edinburgh), Chris Fusaro (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Jonny Gray, Rob Harley (both Glasgow Warriors), Moray Low (Exeter Chiefs), Pat MacArthur, Gordon Reid (both Glasgow Warriors), Tim Swinson, Jon Welsh (both Glasgow Warriors).

Backs: Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Dougie Fife, Grayson Hart (both Edinburgh); Stuart Hogg, Peter Horne (both Glasgow Warriors), Ruaridh Jackson (London Wasps), Sean Maitland, Peter Murchie, Henry Pyrgos, Tommy Seymour, Duncan Weir (all Glasgow Warriors).

Anyone explain this. Looks like the best players are split. I’d be worried if I were a Scot.

and I’m worried about wales being dry humped by SA. Tbat Scottish squad will be destroyed if SA take it seriously.

Glad Wilkinson won. Other than him Toulon v Saracens is like choosing between genital warts and herpes.

Well that was all I hoped it would be. What a send off JW got, he was magnificent he just does so many things well.

Saracens must have been deflated to have had so much territory, to lead just 3-0 and then see Toulon add a little magic to make it 10-3. Thereafter the crowd seemed to have given up on Saracens, they where really quiet and it was like a Toulon home game. Someone needs to tell Stefon he’s a number 8, I was hoping for a Mauri sidestep not a slip, I’m surprised Toulon didn’t run up a bigger score as Sarries where as demoralised as Clermont where a couple of weeks ago. The two forwards combining for their second try should be in a coaching manual for the kids.

No send him to New Zealand and I hope he gets a battering, Cippriani waiting in the wings 😆

Hook to Gloucester is a big rumour 😯 replacement for Burns?

So Cipriani or Burns at ten for the first test v nz. I fear a real drubbing coming Englands way.

England squad: Joe Marler (Harlequins), Matt Mullan (London Wasps), Kieran Brookes (Newcastle Falcons), Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), David Wilson (Bath Rugby), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), Joe Gray (Harlequins), Dave Ward (Harlequins), Rob Webber (Bath Rugby), Dave Attwood (Bath Rugby), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers), James Haskell (London Wasps), Tom Johnson (Exeter Chiefs), Matt Kvesic (Gloucester Rugby), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Freddie Burns (Leicester Tigers), Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks), Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby), Manusamoa Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers), Henry Trinder (Gloucester Rugby), Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Marland Yarde (London Irish), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Chris Pennell (Worcester Warriors)

In other news
http://www.irblaws.com/index.php?domain=9

Mike Phillips will be pleased!

Probables (coach Rob Howley):

Liam Williams (Scarlets); Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), Jordan Williams (Scarlets); Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Racing Metro); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Alun Wyn Jones (Capt) (Ospreys), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Josh Turnbull (Scarlets), Aaron Shingler (Scarlets), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Lewis Evans (Newport Gwent Dragons), Josh Navidi (Cardiff Blues), Rhodri Williams (Scarlets), Sam Davies (Ospreys), Dafydd Hewitt (Cardiff Blues).

Possibles (coach Robin McBryde):

Dan Fish (Cardiff Blues); Kristian Phillips (Scarlets), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), Steven Shingler (Scarlets), Harry Robinson (Cardiff Blues); James Hook (Perpignan), Gareth Davies (Scarlets); Rob Evans (Scarlets), Matthew Rees (Capt) (Cardiff Blues), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Ian Evans (Ospreys), Andrew Coombs (Newport Gwent Dragons), Ellis Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Dan Baker (Ospreys).

Replacements: Kristian Dacey (Cardiff Blues), Owen Evans (Newport Gwent Dragons), Scott Andrews (Cardiff Blues), Macauley Cook (Cardiff Blues), James Davies (Scarlets), Lloyd Williams (Cardiff Blues), Matthew Morgan (Ospreys), Jonathan Spratt (Ospreys).

Gulp, cant see any combination of that lot keeping the scores down v SA.
Shame we wont get to see what Gav can do unless Gatland takes him on tour which would be a shock. Squad will be light on 10, 12, 15 cover. Hook will go as a 15 I would think. Straight choice between McShingler and Henson I would think.

I’ve got tickets for the second leg in Brizzle. Was hoping for less of a deficit. 😐

Ryan jones to the rescue again? 😀

Apparently Ryan needs surgery on ankle ligaments. Much as I think he’s a great player and a great man on top of it I do think theres something karmic about him not playing in the play off game. It seems wrong to parachute such a player in just for the playoffs.

Jim Hamilton to Saracens? That’s a pack that didn’t need a hard man of that calibre!

Brizzle have spent a lot of money over the last couple of months. Not too sure what they are going to do if they fail to qualify!

Thats been coming hasnt it. Great player and a big loss. Hope he finds something to be successful at again.

There is an article in the NZ Herald about Shontayne Hape and why he had to quit rugby, sobering and scary stuff. I can’t link it but some one may be able to. Well worth reading.

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11264856

Shocking stuff, people need to wake up and make changes

That’s bad news about The Fez. I’d rather see him hang up the boots when it suits him.

There is an article in the NZ Herald about Shontayne Hape and why he had to quit rugby, sobering and scary stuff. I can’t link it but some one may be able to. Well worth reading.
I was only wondering what had happened to him the other day. Shame, such a good player.

Am I the only one watching the final? Rather tense, eh?!

Blimey.