STW 2014/15 Rugby Thread

I am just enjoying Leicester struggling

They are doing something seriously wrong. You don’t get that many injuries by accident.

Cockerels response was pretty much just a copy of the irish one in the late 80’s.
I love the Haka and the perennial discussion of how the welsh should respond to it is great. How about winning a match though eh lads?

@aa – if you decide to sing over it you need a decent length song as the new Haka goes on and on … it’s 3 if not 4 versus of Swing Low

The original

@jambalaya that’s why we have two anthems and a president’s salute or whatever it’s called 😀

I think most people would love to see a less rude response to the All Black haka than droning over it – I personally would welcome a nice Morris Dance in reply, it would be a lot more respectful, not to mention entertaining.

But I think most of the world would be content with the hosts remembering what their own national anthem is.

(with the qualification that I may have to climb down on that one, I only have council tele so just saw the highlights – did they play the British or the English national anthem ?)

@hels, there is no such thing as the British vs English National Anthem, there is only one National Anthem – God Save the Queen. The Scots play Flower of Scotland which is just a song , the Irish have a recently penned song due to the complexities of playing as a mix of North Ireland and Ireland. The Welsh sing their hymn.

The only problem is one Wales got a fat bloke to sing bread of heaven after the haka and before kick off and they All Blacks got so offended by this they refused to do the Haka next time when Wales wanted to do it again they did the Haka in the changing room. They dont like it up em captain Mannering!

Jambalaya you are spectacularly ignorant. 😯

I thiought French “riposte” in WC final was great – forming the arrow formation and walking forward

Have we mentioned THIS

BBC Sport has apologised after an embarrassing teamsheet gaffe involving the Welsh rugby union player Jake Ball.

On their online team list, Scarlets lock Ball was listed as ‘Jake Ballsack’, causing scarlet faces at the BBC Sport website.

Will Lawes and the Kiwi make it through the concussion test, I guess we will see how seriously they are going to take the head injury rules.

OK so how come this crops up every few years and is sometimes pinged and sometimes not? Duckman? Anyone?

I think its because no Irish players were bound – so it’s not a maul. Open play so he’s allowed to tackle the man with the ball.

Yeah I get that but it seems like some refs allow it and others dont. If its that simple why doesnt every team do it?

If its that simple why doesnt every team do it?

It’s not that uncommon. I’ve seen it a few times this season.

I typed a long post about Captain Flasheart’s amateur eugenics but kind of decided life is too short and scrubbed it. I don’t think anybody in NZ has referred to anybody else in those terms since Queen Victoria was on the throne. All 100% kiwis !

I think they still do the ka mate haka for home games.

Don’t worry Hels, CFH is just going off on his bi-annual tanty after a couple of sherries. You can play CFH Bingo at home:
1) Labels NZ cheats/thugs/dirty
2) Wraps above comment up in back handed compliment about how great NZ are at rugby (despite being cheating dirty thugs)
3) Calls Haka silly/irrelevant/should be banned
4) Proceeds to tell us what the Haka is about
5) Brings up the BOD spear tackle
6) Mentions Launceston club
7) Questions ethnic composition of NZ team

BINGO! Oh, and 😉

Cause most teams aren’t as smart as Ireland 😉

By the way Jack Mc Grath the prop making one of those tackles was our top tackler with 17, some going that.

clarification:

The following clarification has been issued by the IRB for immediate application.

Line out

IRB clarification for teams choosing not to engage at the lineout

. if the defenders in the line out choose to not engage the line out drive by “leaving the line out as a group”, 
PK to attacking team; 
if the defenders in the line out choose to not engage the line out drive by simply opening up a gap & “creating space” & not leaving the line out, the following process would be followed:

attackers would need to keep the ball with the front player, if they were to drive down-field (therefore play on, general play – defenders could either engage to form a maul, or tackle the ball carrier only);
if they had immediately passed it back to the player at the rear of the “group”, the referee would tell them to “use it” which they must do immediately…

Clear as mud from the irrational rugby board.

Mauls are a mess at the moment how its legal to have someone at the back of a maul trundling forward with defenders having no chance to stop it is not rugby imo. Ball is shipped to the back almost before the lineout catcher has landed.

@aa you can stop the maul by pushing against it, just like you always used to.

But the sifting of the ball to the back before moving forward makes it a farce that can only end in a pen.

you can stop the maul by pushing against it

Or by not pushing against it. It makes for a very, very dull game when a team has a superior driving maul and decides to push everywhere. I’m glad that there are options to level the field by playing smart.

I can’t see what’s changed? surely that’s what the forward orientated teams have been doing for years? – Neil back for Leicester and England being a prime example

@aa, if I where going to change anything I’d make most maul infringement’s a free kick. Only deliberate dangerous play/fulling it down would be a pen. TBH I don’t see the maul having a massive impact on the game, I thought England used it quite badly and in irrelevant areas of the field. Seems a bit of anon issue to me,

The change has been the way they are formed the ball is shipped to the back before any chance of the defence engaging and it makes it almost impossible to defend against. Week in week out we see teams taking it in turns to march the maul 20 yards forward and gain a pen. Like scrums they just seemed to have become a too to extract pens rather than a platform to launch attacking plays.

@aa well that didn’t happen on Saturday. As an aside I was offering my comments from the stands along the lines of “stop f ‘king around, you’ll give away a penalty” each time England tried it in their own half

It did in Cardiff.

FIJI TEAM TO FACE WALES

Metuisela Talebula, Waisea Nayacalevu, Vereniki Goneva, Nemani Nadolo, Asaeli Tikoirotuma; Joshua Matavesi, Nikola Matawalu; Campese Ma’afu, Sunia Koto, Manasa Saulo, Leone Nakarawa, Api Ratuniyarawa, Dominiko Waqaniburotu, Masi Matadigo, Akapusi Qera (capt).

Replacements: Tuapati Talemaitoga, Jerry Yanuyanutawa, Isei Colati, Tevita Cavubati, Malakai Ravulo, Henry Seniloli, Jonetani Ralulu, Timoci Nagusa.

Nemai Nadolo, cousin of Kuridrani and Nephew of the great Noa Nadruku. Big lad 6ft5 and best part of 20 stone apparently.

Arg 20 Italy 18

Guess you englishers are all busy thinking up racist and homophobic abuse for tomorrow 😉

Shut it you gay welsh ****!!! 😀

So it was you at twickers, I thought it was Jambo. Now hold still so I can give you a kiss xxx

So, either the ‘Spreys really don’t care a damn about the Anglo-Welsh Cup, or the Dregs have suddenly become teh orsumz.

My stalker book is filling up with England propaganda.

I guess the players have to “believe” but I think some humility is in ordered. Not sure if they are being scripted but Garrell and May in particular seem to act like they are they greatest world class players on earth. Calm down dear…

Or maybe I’m grumpy because I have a hangover.

I’m going with a with a win this afternoon, I think this is last chance saloon for certain players before changes happen, so I’m expecting a winning test match.

New zealand v austrailia rugby league on bbc2 now if anyone is interested,good game so far.

Or maybe I’m grumpy because I have a hangover.

Seems more likely. The other nations play this easy arrogant card against the English. Works well despite being false, so not a bad bit of gamesmanship. Seems to be deployed in inverse relationship with the depth of the chip.

Anyway why are the Scots up in arms about playing the AB 2XV? Isn’t that bad enough for them? The score will tell.

Bloody parents evening clashing with tickets to Twickers which is annoying. Should be a peaky!!

I expect that the Dregs were almist at full strength whereas the ospreys were decimated by international call ups.

I was wondering last night who has the most annoying kicking build up. Twitchy Biggar or laser eyed Farrel with his pouty face.

It’s become all a bit contrived hasn’t it AA. Not JWs finest legacy for the sport!!!

Off to watch Sale V Irish – 12pm kick off so we can watch the England/South Africa game in the stadium afterwards, think I’m going to have a hangover tomorrow…

Has kicking ever been to the standard that it is now?
I may be wrong but I thought the top guys can accurately hit distances that were not considered possible 20 years ago. To be honest if they did the chicken song dance before slotting a touch line kick from their own 10m line, it wouldn’t detract from the sheer skill that guys like 1/2p, Farrell, sexton, carter etc possess.

This post is begging for the genius of Jamie to put a chicken song dance penalty together!