General Rugby Discussion 3

Not a huge amount of test experience in that squad. Only 6 players with more than 50 caps. Very much focused on building for the future I’d say.

Agreed to an extent but there's plenty of guys less than 50 caps there you'd call experienced. Cowan Dickie, Sinckler, Curry and Slade are all very much proven at test level now. I'd say Jones will have that team humming come the next World Cup anyway. The centres look like the only potentially weak area when Tuilagi is out.

He only drives Japanese

"For medical reasons Mark McCall will be taking a short break from being Director of Rugby at Saracens.

People will always come first at our club and Mark will be given all of the support and time he needs.

Meanwhile we would ask that everyone respects Mark’s privacy. Mark is obviously more than confident in the coaching team he has worked with for many years to temporarily take the reins."

Hopefully it's nothing too serious for him.

In the latest chapter of the Welsh living in the past, the Scarlets are organising a game against the all blacks this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their win. Can't say I'm a fan of the idea I love the idea of going back to old school tour games like that but plenty of teams more deserving of a craic then the Scarlets.

Leicester, Leinster, Toulouse for one, Scarlets aren't competitive enough currently to be given a craic at least when Munster played in 2008 they were a team in top form. These matches are fantastic for fans but we need to make sure there somewhat competitive i think.

Do these sides want to play? Were they available?

Leinster have much less history of playing touring sides. they generally havent played them as internationals were in Dublin and the touring sides went to Munster, elsewhere to go around the country

Since when has competitiveness come into this? Munster got the game because of it 30 years since the 12-0 win, the tie to Adidas etc.

Good to see so many rugby clubs getting funding from Sports Capital Grants which were announced today

Yeah No input. The TDs, senators, councillors can send in letters of support with an application but it doesnt make any difference to the process of deciding who gets what or how much. The grants have a scoring system and its all based around that

Not really though now compared to the past. The system used to give grants was overhauled and is far more transparent than ever before.

This is not a good look for Rugby. Have a read of this thread.

https://twitter.com/SamLStandsUp/status/1492261463033004032?s=20&t=6dS-SBe-wVaZXC4pWBVh3A

Just read through the thread on the England U20 HIA.The English doctor needs a dressing down immediately.

He constantly tried to override the referees authority and the neutral doctors opinion. The entire point of the neutral doctor is to avoid situations where players are cleared by team doctors when really they have no right to actually be back on the pitch. Nobody wants another Florian Fritz situation where Toulouse's doctors cleared him to return to the pitch when he was clearly concussed.

He needs to be removed from his position IMO. Dressing down isn't good enough.

Also Chris Farrell was very lucky last night. Rufus McLean failed his HIA

Lots of things happened in the past but, thankfully, things are a lot tighter nowadays. Or I thought there were.

Mind you I've never seen a doctor arguing with a referee. Completely wrong.