Winters coming;all inclusive rugby thread.

Clearer from this angle, the Montpellier 9 is way offside pen to the Blues 😉

🙂

From another pov, the blues were lucky that Montpellier brought a weak XV. It wont be the same next Saturday.

“Allergic to tackling.”

Like it A-A.

I thought SoB was good at 7 instead of Armitage.

Oh and if we have to play a (kinda)Scottish second row, can we take Hines please? Grey is taking the pee out of Sale ticket holders.

What is it with these kiwi hookers?

That looks like a wrestling match for people with limited motor skills!

FFS – that dirty scummer is at it again. With hos previous, I’d like to see him banned for the rest of the season. The blokes a joke, and as a possible England Captain – he shouldn’t be near the shirt – even the purple one!

He has been cited:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/20672939

Best played him off the park on Friday, he probably won’t make it back to Belfast on sat! Yes he is a joke

Priestland out for six nations.

Wales 10’s

Biggar/Hook/er/er/Henson?/Patchel?

wonder what the Kiwi Hooker would have done if countryman Afoa hadnt helped him out?

I’m sure Rory could’ve handled him!

PSA SA V Lions 2009 second test on ESPN classic. BOD squaring up to Matfield, classic. Bet he was relieved to see Simon Shaw appear

Good news for Wales that Priestland is out 🙂 Hook would be my choice-is he out of favor though?

No Tom, he is just mince. Priestland has a snapped Achillies poor sod.

Some interesting stats on JGs BBC Q&A about the home nation number 7s. Can’t quite compare like for like as different number of matches.

Table did not copy well

Robshaw (Eng)
Rennie (Sco)
W’burton (Wal)
O’Brien (Ire)

2012 Tests
11
9
10
7

Carries
103
61
40
75

Metres
161
194
69
121

Tackles (missed)
141 (7)
115 (14)
84 (6)
90 (6)

Turnovers won (conceded)
6 (5)
8 (5)
4 (0)
5 (3)

Pens conceded
7
13
7
10

Clean breaks
1
6
1
0

Defenders beaten
3
8
2
5

Offloads
4
14
0
5

Passes
72
57
17
27

Lions coaching team: Farrell, Rowntree, Howley

No Edwards

Special mention to James Robson for 6th tour as doctor!

Total speculation – Edwards to Scotland job?

Interesting thought.

There was chat that Edwards would lead Wales in Japan but McBryde has been named as leading that tour.

Would not mind Edwards for Scotland would probably give them the kick up the backside some of them need.

Gusset is an idiot if he’s trying to make out Warburton not as good as the others. He was outstanding last six nations.

Edwards is a good coach, and it’s hard to tell whether he’s not going ‘cos there’s something else on. But I reckon if given a straight choice, he’d love to be on the tour.
But not sure why Howley is in the coaching team.
Was he not “attack coach” for Wales?

In my eyes, they (Wales) could be a lot more formidable in attack with the players they’ve got. I don’t reckon he get’s anything like the best out of them, and their performances since Gatland’s has had his Lions distraction back that up. It would be a shame if the Lions went the same way.

Tom B – Member

Good news for Wales that Priestland is out Hook would be my choice-is he out of favor though?

As I ranted a few pages ago, Hook just isn’t a good number 10. He makes a few nice moves and then spends the rest of the game kicking poorly and giving possession back to the other team. He still plays the way he did when he first appeared – he doesn’t seem to have learned any lessons about game management at all. When he comes off the bench for Wales the game suddenly get looser and his side have to chase poor kicks and start wondering where the hell the structure has gone. It can occasionally win games – against knackered opponents – but normally compounds a loss. All his skills and lack of were displayed for his team last weekend on Sky.

Playing Hook at 10 would show the world just how derelict the Welsh outside half factory has become, and incidentally would show that regionalism was a seriously bad move.

Judging by the team Cardiff had to put out on Sunday, they will soon be washing their own kit!
And Edwards would be just what Scotland need imo.

Hook is very far from a bad outside half but he doesnt fit the Gatlandball plan. Howley is a shit coach and we can only hope is going with the Lions to make the tea.

Oh and by way of a bump. I’m pretty sure the aimless pumpingof the ball down the pitch is part of the plan. It looks worse when Hook does it because he comes on later and the chase isnt as good.

I say, teh modz, could you perhaps fix this blasted glitch? Thanks.

anagallis_arvensis – Member

Oh and by way of a bump. I’m pretty sure the aimless pumpingof the ball down the pitch is part of the plan. It looks worse when Hook does it because he comes on later and the chase isnt as good.

I disagree because he does it for his club as well and his deep kicks almost always go straight to an opposition 15 or winger. He doesn’t see the gaps between them like, say ROG.
And you are right, he’s not a bad 10, but imo he’s not international class. A grasstrack bully.

Jiffy is right.

Jiffy has never been right in his entire life. Utter cock.

Jiffy’s coaching record suggests that his opinion should be listened to…Oh wait,maybe not.Hook isn’t an international 10….Is Parks dual qualified yet?

Utter cock.

wrong IMO but each to their own 🙂

I disagree because he does it for his club as well and his deep kicks almost always go straight to an opposition 15 or winger. He doesn’t see the gaps between them like, say ROG.

ROG doesnt play for Wales Priestland does and he does the same aimless long kicking. Biggar doesnt and diesnt get picked much. Its the plan. Jones used to do the same but couldnt kick it as far.Hooks weakness is taking away the space for his centres, not his kicking. Its like the people who moan about Phillips taking steps before passing…… Thats part of the plan too.

It is cold, wet and windy a fine evening to be heading to Murrayfield!

Not the strongest Edinburgh side but fingers crossed i get to see a rare home victory.

Edinburgh :

Greig Tonks, Lee Jones, Ben Cairns, Ben Atiga, Dougie Fife, Piers Francis, Chris Leck, John Yapp, Ross Ford, Geoff Cross, Robert McAlpine, Grant Gilchrist, Stuart McInally, Roddy Grant, Netani Talei.

Replacements :

Andy Titterrell, Allan Jacobsen, Willem Nel, Perry Parker, Dimitri Basilaia, Richie Rees, Gregor Hunter, Sep Visser.

Racing Metro :

Gaetan Germain, Sireli Bobo, Juan Imhoff, Guillaume Bousses, Alexandre Dumoulin, Oliver Barkley, Sebastien Descons, Eddy Ben Arous, Dimitri Szarzewski, Luc Ducalcon, Karim Ghezal, Francois van der Merwe, Antoine Battut, Jacques Cronje (capt), Bernard Le Roux.

Replacements :

Thomas Bianchin, Julien Brugnaut, Juan-Pablo Orlandi, Jone Qovu, Mathieu Belie, Juan-Martain Hernandez, Fabrice Estbanez, Alvaro Galindo.

Ps: Good to see Ben Carins back after 15months out with a knee injury

This made me chuckle

“@brianmoore666: Those asking for reasons/consistency re Lloyd Williams, Groves and Hartley decisions – the explanation is that ERC are f****** useless.”
Brian Moore ?@brianmoore666
Some of you advocate adding allegedly to my comment on ERC – no, they really are f****** useless.__________________

By way of background:

Disciplinary Officer, Roger O’Connor.
The Judicial Officer upheld the citing and employing the IRB recommended sanctions for Law 10.4(a), determined that the offence was at the low-end entry point of two weeks. When considering relevant aggravating factors the Judicial Officer added one week for the player’s disciplinary record and then subsequently reduced the suspension by one

The independent Judicial Officer, Jeremy Summers
Disciplinary Officer, Roger O’Connor. Employing the IRB recommended sanctions for Law 10.4(j), determined that the offence was at the mid-range entry point of eight weeks. In line with the IRB memorandum on ‘tip’ tackles, the Judicial Officer added a further one week as a deterrent.
When considering the mitigating factors the Judicial Officer applied the maximum of four weeks for the player’s guilty plea, record and clear remorse, and accordingly suspended the player for five weeks. week for the player’s conduct during the hearing and guilty plea.

And
The independent Judicial Officer, Jeremy Summers (England), amended the charge to an offence under Law 10.4(e) as he determined that the offence was a dangerous tackle and not a ‘tip’ tackle as defined by Law 10.4(j).
Having heard submissions from Groves, from Newport Gwent Dragons’ Director of Rugby, Robert Beale, and from ERC Disciplinary Officer, Roger O’Connor, and employing the IRB recommended sanctions for Law 10.4(e), the Judicial Officer determined that the offence was at the low-end entry point of two weeks.
After considering any mitigating and aggravating factors, he imposed a suspension of two weeks.

I hope the Edinburgh match is the worst one I see this weekend. Conditions were rotten but even still the standard was poor. New 10 managed to miss 5 out of 6 pens. Least next match is v Glasgow so may see a Scottish team win….although on current form will prob be 0-0.

looking forward to Leinster v Clermont this afternoon.

Good win for the O’s-Eli Walker Man of the Match….. he’s a bit rapid isn’t he! Toulouse were awful though.

Brilliant Ospreys, that is one for that twunt Ian Robertson to think about.

SOB is going to have a nice month or so out of rugby-nasty cheap shot on that Clermont player.

just seen the ospreys score! Not what I expected.

AA great clip that made me laugh 😆 I can imagine him saying in pure Tumpy “with my reputation”

Wow Saints beat Ulster 10-9! Reverse in terms of the scrums this week, Northants took their forwards apart. Bowe was stretchered off with a couple of minutes left which is a shame.

Most unlucky non try ever?