STW 2014/15 Rugby Thread

Seems “wrong” for me to be the one starting this but here we go.

Top 14 starts this weekend, always creeps up on me. Guardian piece on Jamie Roberts here. I think Toulon will be the team to beat again in Top 14 and the ERC, Giteau will shine at 10 (the King is dead, long live the King) and a certain Mr Halfpenny will kick the goals and light up the backs. Racing need a better start than last year if they are to fulfill their promise/spend. Sadly both Paris teams away as I’m there this weekend, a glass or two of something and the game on TV will do. Hopefully we will see Biarritz promoted, odd to have the Top 14 without them.

Don’t have a feel for the English Premiership at all, haven’t really paid attention for a few seasons aside from wanting to see any team with Ashton in it do badly! Just over three weeks to the London double header and will get myself down there for that so hopefully find some inspiration link Fancy a combined rugby and biking weekend to the West Country so must do some fixture research.

It will be silly season in the press for the Autumn Internationals as world Cup build up hype kicks in. Too early for 6N predictions but England did look good on the tour given the squad make up.

So there we go, a whole post without mentioning a certain 10 who has testimonial events in London and HK 🙂 JW

Adam training with Neath and has no club and now Captain Sam will not be picked by the Blues!! All turning to shit.

http://m.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/28758412

Balls is it too early for 6N’s predictions!

So then my predictions:

Prem: Saffas
Rabo: Ulster
Top 14: Toulon
ERC: Northampton
6N’s: England

Hopefully I’ll be getting to a few more Sale games this season as they’ve moved to Saturday afternoon games.

Sad situation for Welsh rugby….what exactly is the issue for Adam a_a? I wasn’t aware that he’d signed a central contract, why doesn’t he just sign for the O’s? I’m guessing it’s not a simple as that but I’m unsure why.

I presume the Ospreys cant afford him unless they sign the wru’s participation agreement as they signed others whilst the wru were busy trying to outbid the ospreys.

Adam Jones signs for The Blues… if thats a dual/central contract expect the shit to hit the fan big time.

My Sale season ticket arrived last week, first game on Saturday – a warm up against last seasons relegation victims Worcester.
Heres hoping for a decent season.

Oops

Heres a pic to make up for the double post!

You missed the first game against Fylde last week MD!

The replacements were moving that quick it was difficult trying to keep up! Lund looked good for the few minutes he was on. Sale looked flaky in the first 10 minutes then very good in the last!

AP – Leicester
Rabo – Munster
Top 14 – Toulon
ERC – Leicester (but probably more likely Toulon)
6 Nations – England, not sure about the grand slam though.

England won’t win the grand slam. 19 years and counting……..

Sat 13th Sept Glaws v Stockport. Unfortunately on holiday but the carrot crunchers are up from Exeter the following weekend 8)

Leicester fan by any chance?

Got tickets for Wales v Aussies, 1st match at Millennium Stadium for me. Very excited even if we are going to lose, and we are going to lose because it’s the Aussies and we always lose and added to that it’s an Autumn International and we’d lose to the WI’s over 70s. It’ll be fun to see whether we lose in the dying seconds by throwing away a small lead or squander a scoring chance while chasing a small deficit.

Most often with the previous 240 000 losses to the aussies in the last five years its throwing away a lead in the last 2 mins or being hammered out of sight by half time. The last game v SA was a good example of the art of throwing away a lead so they have very current form.

Perfection

Leicester fan by any chance?

Guilty. 😀

Brad Thorne to Leicester – a bit of steel and an OLD head will be good for the team. Haven’t followed the full recruitment for the AP, but the Leicester team looks as good as any in a while so looking forward to a good season.

Wales to go to utter ratshit at club level, but pull together as a squad.

No idea whatsoever who will win the 6N, but Cleremont for the EC.

Rabo – Munster

Got tickets for Wales v Aussies, 1st match at Millennium Stadium for me.

@mrhoppy, fabulous stadium and atmosphere. You have to beat them sometime, fingers crossed.

Hopefully I’ll be getting to a few more Sale games this season as they’ve moved to Saturday afternoon games.

And yet EP was often busy and sometimes sold out on a Fri night. Have they sorted the actually-getting-to-and-from-the-game problems at Barton yet?

No I don’t think they have….I parked down a side street the last time I went (sensibly, not obstructing anything etc) and got my car keyed.

I think that there’s a coach from Stoke to the stadium that me and my dad will be using this year. I guess there’ll still be an hour queue to get on and off the carpark though.

Train?
We get a train from Rochdale into Man. Victoria then hop on the Liverpool train & jump off a couple of stops down the line & walk the rest, stopping for a pint at the Unicorn.
Saturday rugby means easier public transport for many.
looking forward to watching the games in daylight, the switch to Saturdays was a major factor in getting season tickets this year.

there’ll still be an hour queue to get on and off the carpark though.

Park in the aerodrome for £5. few minutes walk away.

Saturday rugby means easier public transport for many.

Not moving from EP would have meant even easier public transport for many. Not that I’m bitter or anything.

It’ll be fun to see whether we lose in the dying seconds by throwing away a small lead or squander a scoring chance while chasing a small deficit.

I thought the standard game plan was to allow opponents to get a huge lead in the first half, play like madmen in the second half to get to within 3 points of a win then give away a penalty inches away from the try line in the dying seconds of the game?

Last time I went to the Millenium was to watch Wales lose to Samoa 🙁

Rusty thats the standard game plan against most teams but to give Cementhead his due he changes it for playing Aus,SA or NZ. Its either get a thorough pasting from the start and then look better when they take the foot off the throat or throw it away in the last few mins. More often the former.

PSA: European Rugby Cup final tickets (Twickenham) are on sale

Simpson Daniel retires after failing to recover from ankle injury. Great shame that.

Hello again all!

A great shame about Simpson-Daniel,one of the last of the clever small guys l fear.

Anyone know how the WorldCup Ticket allocation is going to work?

I’m on holiday on the 12 when they are released 🙁

they say it’s going into a ballet after the closeing date if it’s over subscribed …. that a given!!

So should i just max out the CreditCard and buy 4 for all games i’m interest in and assume i’ll only win only a few?!?!

@tod – you put in for what you want, if you win tickets in the ballot your card gets charged. Based on my Olympic experience you put in for 38 tickets over 19 events and get nothing 🙁 yes if I where you I would put in for all 4 games.

jambalaya, i did the same for the olympics and got Zero too !!

hopefully karma is with me this time

So tonight, Glaws v Saints,I think Saints will pick them apart later on as 26 new players will take a heck of a long time to blend.

Sexton back to Leinster next year,wonder how much of a pay cut he will have taken.

So, Glos are starting this season as they started last season!
Saints looking very, very strong.

Ouch, that was a smashing.

Nice to find another Sharky on here, Muddy. Looking forward to tomorrow? I’m a bit nervous because I think we need a good start to the season and I don’t feel we looked great against Worcester

No, very lacklustre against Wuss. Bit nervous actually, Bath will want revenge for last season and will come out strong.
Think it will be very close.

Any watch Aus v SA this morning?
George Clancy had a shocker.
Didn’t see NZ v ARG but apparently the ref was pretty poor as well.

Starting to look like it could be a long season for Sale, and a rather disappointing crowd for our new look Saturday rugby too……

Bath are a pretty good side I wouldnt panic just yet.
Scarlets let Ulster off the hook yesterday. Very poor. Liam Braindead Williams with another red. Is that 3 in his last 5 games.. dumb ****.

Just back from the brizzle/wuss game. Jeez that was a corker!
Just seen the LW score. I know its spiteful and pathetic, but it has further improved my mood considerably!
I hate Justin Burnell with a passion.

I’d say that Oxford Welsh’s season will feel a lot longer than Sales 😆

Sale weren’t exactly thrashed and as a_a say’s, Bath are a good side. Have we heard from scamper yet? 😀

I hate Justin Burnell with a passion.

Something you have in common with Mr Henson. Burnell is also a shite coach.