Viewing 40 posts - 1,721 through 1,760 (of 1,902 total)
  • Rugby 2021-2022 Season
  • 5plusn8
    Free Member

    I think you are being harsh on Townsend. If we believe the gossip and make a few leaps, then it looks like Finn and Hogg think they are better than him and love to undermine him, which means he is doing an even better job under the circumstances..

    loum
    Free Member

    He should be the next lions head coach.
    Great input on the last tour.
    Pivac , Eddie, and aa’s nan as his attack, forwards and defense coaches.

    ElVino
    Full Member

    Maybe he’s been over promoted but his Scarlets side were pretty decent, great to watch and one of the few sides to break the Irish Hegemony in PRO rugby. Looking from the outside at how Welsh regions and WRU are organized, Gatland was a magician to achieve what he did.

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

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    BruceWee
    Full Member

    With Townsend, it’s worth remembering how he came into the Scotland job (if the rumours are to be believed).

    The typical trajectory of a Scotland coach is that they take over after after the previous coach has seen the performance of the side drop significantly. There is normally a period of a year or two where the results improve before a dip in form turns into a terminal decline and the coach quits/is sacked before a new coach is brought in heralding an upturn in results for a year or two until a dip in form turns into a terminal decline and…

    The exception to this was Vern Cotter (and Matt Williams who managed to turn what we thought was a low point into an even lower point) who was removed while the win percentage was definitely still on the way up. The story was that Townsend said, ‘Give us the Scotland job or I’m off to France’ to which the SRU said, ‘Oh my God, of course, of course. Vern! Come and get your P45.’

    Scottish rugby was in a very good state at that point. Townsend was the best Glasgow coach providing a steady stream of exceptional players to Cotter who was shaping up to be the best Scotland coach of all time.

    The way Townsend got the Scottish job was not the act of a team player or someone who was prepared to put their own interests on the backburner for the sake of the greater good. Are we really surprised that the players in this squad are exhibiting some of the same behaviour?

    I don’t know what the solution is. I can’t imagine there is a glut of world class coaches standing in the dole queue at the moment.

    Maybe we just have to accept we had the chance to have an exceptional team but instead we have to settle for mid-table finishes until the end of time.

    duckman
    Full Member

    RIP Tom Smith, a guy I loved playing beside at Dundee because training with him during the week was horrific. A 60 cap international and a Lion at 5″8″ and 16 stone at the most. He as freakishly quick as well; in fact rapid enough to play sevens at Melrose. Despite being the best in the UK at one point he was humble enough to credit a guy called Danny Herrington who “had shoved his head up his backside every Tuesday and Thursday.” as a major part of his development( along with a boarding school on Rannoch Moor.) Leaves two young boys and his wife. And memories of watching him tying knots in 20 stone Os Du Randt and feeling so proud of him. 50 years old and by the way; screw cancer.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Well that’s shit isn’t it. He was a great player

    joelowden
    Full Member

    Really sad to read, classy guy all round.

    duckman
    Full Member

    World animal xv

    15 Kangaroo
    14 Cheetah
    13 Racehorse
    12 Grizzly Bear
    11 Greyhound
    10 Lioness
    9 Jack Russell
    8 Polar Bear
    7 Tasmanian Devil
    6 Silverback
    5 Giraffe
    4 Elephant
    3 Rhino
    2 Warthog
    1 Hippo

    Pigface
    Free Member

    Great game for the Ospreys, always nice to do the Turks.

    What on earth has happened to Bath? Gloucester absolutely humped them.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Watched Cardiff v Munster last night. Hallam Amos is retiring to focus on medicine at the end of the season was completely unplayable for 25 mins then did his hamstrings, looks like that’s his career over. Always a player I rated very highly but never quite made it at international level. Shame to see him go so early.

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Grand Slam for England ladies, nice!

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Fantastic to see the ladies game getting more and more coverage with the possibility of breaking free of the mens’ fixture calendar in the near future. The competition has a way to go to become a more level playing field though. The fully professional England side haven’t lost since, when, 1975 or something?

    Pigface
    Free Member

    Feel a bit sorry for england ladies, can’t be that great being fully pro and having to beat amateurs. Not their fault but it is a bit pointless. Wales have some pro players but it will take a while to catch up. But kryton has something to get frothed about.

    5plusn8
    Free Member

    Finn and Hoggy out of Scotland squad? what is going on here? Are they just injured and this is all gossip?

    “Mystery” – Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg left out of Scotland squad

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Townsend said they needed a break didn’t he? They do have the easiest assignment this summer……Wales are going to be destroyed by SA 🤕🥴😱

    tjagain
    Full Member

    Finn himself has said he is burned out not having had an off season for 2 years. Amongst the fans this will be no suprise at all. these guys need time off to recharge. We all expected many of our big names not to tour

    onehundredthidiot
    Full Member

    Russell has had a huge number of games. Just about all players in the modern era end the season with injury. I’ll

    tjagain
    Full Member

    interview with Toonie explaining the selections

    10 takeaways from Scotland’s summer tour squad announcement

    5plusn8
    Free Member

    OK, thanks for the sense. Irritating how that website have hyped this as some kind of shock/snub when in fact there are sensible reasons.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    South Africa: Damian Willemse; Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi; Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk; Ox Nché, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Siya Kolisi (capt), Franco Mostert, Jasper Wiese.

    Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Salmaan Moerat, Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith, Herschel Jantjies, Willie le Roux

    Looks weak Wales by 250 000 😂😂😂😱😱😱😳😳😳😳

    bigblackshed
    Full Member

    If Wales lose by less than 30 then I’d call it a victory. I’ll be avoiding it thanks to night shift.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Luckily I’m on a bike packing trip so can easily avoid it!!

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Damn, bike packing off due to me having COVID, how am I going to avoid the rugby now!!!

    In other news Ireland spanked in Hamilton ( always makes me a bit sad seeing a game in Hamilton without looking out for my brother in the crowed any more 😟)

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Damn, bike packing off due to me having COVID, how am I going to avoid the rugby now!!!

    No racing for me for the same reason so it’s a weekend of Rugby and F1 for me.

    Jones has put out a strong looking side for England, if they lose which I feel they might it’s going to be all downhill from here. Already the calls for EJ to resign from a bad tour are coming, but I guess it’s too close to the RWC to change things. Oh well.

    And, Farrells openly moaning about not being Captain, so perhaps we don’t have a cohesive squad behind the scenes either. Ffs.

    desperatebicycle
    Free Member

    From what I saw of the SuperRugby, the Ossies are coming on strong this year. More victories over the NZ teams than previous years… I don’t give England much of a chance really. Hope I’m wrong.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Wales team to face South Africa: L Williams; Rees-Zammit, North, Tompkins, Adams; Biggar (capt), Hardy; G Thomas, Elias, D Lewis, Rowlands, Beard, Lydiate, Reffell, Faletau.

    Replacements: Lake, Carre, Francis, Alun Wyn Jones, Navidi, T Williams, Anscombe, Watkin

    😱😱😱😱😱🤞

    England team to face Australia: Steward; Nowell, Marchant, Farrell, Cokanasiga; Smith, Care; Genge, George, Stuart, Itoje, Hill, Lawes (capt), Curry, B Vunipola.

    Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, M Vunipola, Heyes, Chessum, Ludlam, Van Poortlviet, Porter, Arundell.

    I thought the Vunipokas were surplus now and who is Vn Poortliviet.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Wales u20 game here, they smashed Scotland last week:

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    I thought the Vunipokas were surplus now

    Desperate times etc…

    I don’t give England much of a chance really

    I’m with you on that, I think Eddie Jones methods have worn thin, a lot of people don’t believe in the Team playing as they do and it’s rubbing off. Under him they’ve always played like a team with a plan, until that plan goes awry then nothing.

    Against Barbarians there was no apparent plan. Of course, it could be that it’s a double bluff and they are hiding the plan from Australia, only to reveal a masterclass in dominant highly skilled rugby*

    *Well, we can all dream…

    Caher
    Full Member

    Ugh, getting a bit of a tonking here.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Good game. If Ireland can improve their lineouts they will be in with. chance next time. Not seem their lineout struggle for years

    5plusn8
    Free Member

    There was a deliberate knock on by barret before the 2nd all blacks try that was ignored. Why was he not carded. Dickson was rubbish.

    desperatebicycle
    Free Member

    England looking up for it so far. Getting a fair bit more ball than Wallabies. Curry is really pumped, so hope he can keep it clean!
    Ooh, Curry just made a great break!

    desperatebicycle
    Free Member

    Dickson was rubbish.

    Didn’t see the game, but I’ve thought that for a while. Loves to be seen and heard, but yeah, just not very good!

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Eurgh, Tom Banks arm folding the wrong way 🤢

    5plusn8
    Free Member

    I think the TV were not sure and showed it 7 times. Made me feel sick too, and why wasn’t he given morphine pronto.

    5plusn8
    Free Member

    Quick law question. Cooper was injured in warm up before KO, does that use up a sub or can they add a player?

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    Should have nutted the dirty **** properly really!!!

    5plusn8
    Free Member

    Agreed, sympathy for Swain here.

    olddog
    Full Member

    Pretty shitty move by Hill there. I know it’s all letter of the law stuff a yellow – but given the circumstances I would have red carded both of them

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Commentary is a bit one sided. Lots of talk about how dominant England are, but they arnt turning it into points. For any SH side that Curry break would have been a certain score, but for us there’s very little support for the break as usual.

    The second half is their chance to correct that. At least it’s not the bit of a mess of the Baa Baa’s game. But lose against 14 Aussies with all those replacements and the next two games seem tough.

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