Thanks.

Gorumaru by a mile, not just for the score but for the context. Some truly ropey NZ submissions.

The Debaty one was a cracker, as all prop tries are! 🙂
Tipuric’s a delight of rugby.

But, yes – Goromaru for me. Also,

Well he is only joining half way through the full term and the squad training starts some considerable time before the beginning of term, so he is effectively coming in pretty late. I just prefer the way Anton Oliver and Joe Roff did it, as a post retirement swansong and taking part for the whole pre season.

It is also worth saying that you only get your blue if play in the Varsity match.

Burgess rumoured to be in negotiations to go back to NRL. So, he managed to get paid his way into the RWC squad, played, failed and now bails out.

If thats true I’ve no respect for him whatsoever, or the management that caved to the demands his contract placed upon them – if that was indeed the case.

We’ll see in the leaked review details I guess.

Re the weekend; Yes the Chieka story deserves a fairytale end, my money is on the AB’s though.

Anyone seen the state of Pocock’s face in the news? Jesus…

Neil Fissler now tweeting that Burgess has 10 days off and is in talks with the Rabbitohs. Spine of cheese.

To all the anti-Burgess above – why the hatred? He’s just 1 man.
Was it his fault Wales won?
Was it his fault he was selected?
Are you just Union snobs?
If he does go back maybe it’s because of people like you?

@ElShamo fast tracking in a RL player with no Union experience to a RWC when we’ve legions of talented players. It also reinforces the selection errors we made at 10 with daddy’s boy getting picked ahead of the first choice player coming into the tournament

I like the bloke.

Nope. We’ll never know what a bit of dazzle from someone like Slade could have done though.

Nope. But he shouldn’t have been.

Put the chip down. Some RL fans are getting seriously butthurt that Sam didn’t set the world on fire.

Or maybe because he’s not quite as good as he (and RL fans) hoped he’d be (yet)? Or maybe because he’s adored in RL because he’s very good at it? Or maybe because he could go back to aus and earn a boatload of money?
If a few negative comments have upset him, than he’s not the bloke I thought he was.

Burgess is staying allegedly
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/34665009

Posted 54 minutes ago #

Hazzah!

You can get a gibert wc ball for under a fiver if anyone needs any balls..

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras-and-camcorders/photography-accessories/lenses/canon-gilbert-rugby-world-cup-ball-promotional-gift-10137386-pdt.html

Moves are well advanced for a return to the Rabbitohs. The only obstacle standing in the way now is Mike Ford, who wants him to remain in rugby union and is reluctant to release him but the expectation is that will be resolved within days.
South Sydney and NRL have paved the way for the Rabbitohs to pay a transfer fee to Bath that would not go into their salary cap.
He is a hero at the Rabbitohs. Winning the title in 2014 was a fairytale story. His brothers George and Thomas have re-signed with the club until the end of 2018, his fiancée is Australian, his entire family live in Sydney.

Seems quite compelling…

Indeed, so you don’t need the reviews etc.

Team were not good enough to get beyond QF. They underachieved against that benchmark. The reason, they got put under pressure at the breakdown and folded. Even then, they could/should have achieved their objective. They didn’t because (1) the players/capt made the wrong call or (2) the Welsh had prepared exactly for that call and executed the defence brilliantly.

Err, that’s it…invoice to RFU on it sway

Going forward – better players, simpler structure, mean (bloody nasty) front 5, find 2 Pococks (foreign fields?), stop farting about at half-back, ditto centres and your back three are not too bad.

Avoid too much introspection. That should have died with the Cory era of self flagellation.

My personal opinion is that english rugby is in for a very rocky ride. The salary cap squabble, talk of a european superleage, club power, national team selection etc. There was talk of open warfare following the RWC between the RFU and the PRL. It seems to me that the PRL want a league like the french, and the RFU don’t (for very obvious reasons). It’s a honking mess which shows no sign of improving and I worry for the future.

Thm that breakdown area is inded a scary place with exposed necks etc
If reffed to the rules about self supporting and not bridging/sealing the ball etc then it’d be a different. Including the placing of the ball backwards and the tackler and follow up players. The over reach and drag back along with the flop need sorting.

Richard Hill of fairly recent Salaries and England/Lions fame has had a knee replacement,I doubt he is even 50.

I can’t see how this necessarily helps, some of the worst head injures I’ve seen are from last ditch tackles where the tackler comes across the runner and gets his head on the wrong side (Halfpenny for instance).

If England need a review, what the heck do the French need?