General Rugby Discussion

CatFromHue · 05-09-2014 10:08am

They've been proved right on a lot of the things in the past but some of the stories of fan favourites moving to another provinces don't sit well with some fans, even though the players have mentioned how close they were to moving.

irishbucsfan · 05-09-2014 10:48am

CatFromHue wrote: »

They've been proved right on a lot of the things in the past but some of the stories of fan favourites moving to another provinces don't sit well with some fans, even though the players have mentioned how close they were to moving.

Yeah, I haven't really had too much of an issue with the truthfulness of what they're writing.

What annoys me is the quality of the analysis really, which is generally really poor in my opinion.

former legend · 05-09-2014 12:10pm

Update on Owen Williams:
http://www.pro12rugby.com/news/15469.php

They talk about 'upper limb rehab' so I guess his legs are gone.

.ak · 05-09-2014 3:02pm

former legend wrote: »

Update on Owen Williams:
http://www.pro12rugby.com/news/15469.php

They talk about 'upper limb rehab' so I guess his legs are gone.

Might be a case of that's where they start. Hopefully he'll regain full health, although I have no idea of how likely that is.

matthew8 · 05-09-2014 9:35pm

Northampton looked absolutely imperious at home to Gloucester tonight, winning 53-6. Great going wide and in the tight against a Gloucester team who have added Laidlaw, Afoa, Hibbard and Hook and have playoff hopes. Must be one of the favourites for Europe.

errlloyd · 05-09-2014 9:49pm

North scores a hattrick which is a good start.

CatFromHue · 06-09-2014 1:15am

matthew8 wrote: »

Northampton looked absolutely imperious at home to Gloucester tonight, winning 53-6. Great going wide and in the tight against a Gloucester team who have added Laidlaw, Afoa, Hibbard and Hook and have playoff hopes. Must be one of the favourites for Europe.

They've Treviso in their group, as well as Racing and Ospreys, so already they'd be in a good position to get out of their group anyway and a good chance at a home QF.

A home QF and you've a 3 in 4 chance of making the Semi's.

irishbucsfan · 06-09-2014 1:23am

Northampton were excellent at the start of last season. I was really excited to see them and Leinster play at their best, but injuries caused massive disruption for Northampton. They're very good at the moment, would love a big game between them and one of the provinces.

Dave_The_Sheep · 07-09-2014 11:01am

This amused me.

Mainly this part:

Saracens chief executive Edward Griffiths wrote:

"It's only there for money reasons and we don't think if anything is done purely for money it's the right thing."

On a less easy-pickings note, I was the same at the start of the playoffs for the Celtic league, but now (even though Leinster haven't always been served well) I really like the idea. It adds a bit of meaning to the later games in the season.

Teferi · 07-09-2014 12:40pm

This was over on reddit titled "When backs and forwards argue".

Hagz · 07-09-2014 12:52pm

That is the funniest thing I've seen on a rugby field. Ever.

bilston · 07-09-2014 12:55pm

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

This amused me.

Mainly this part:

On a less easy-pickings note, I was the same at the start of the playoffs for the Celtic league, but now (even though Leinster haven't always been served well) I really like the idea. It adds a bit of meaning to the later games in the season.

Ha not sure what to make of it. For me the play offs add a lot. I used to be of the opposite view but after a couple of years of them being used in England I was crying out for them to be introduced in the Pro 12. Actually there are more suitable to the Pro 12 than the AP because of the number of games where teams aren't at full strength in the "regular" season.

Anyway it is nice to hear that Saracens aren't solely about the money, I wonder how they would feel if they had won the last two Play Off finals?

irishbucsfan · 07-09-2014 1:26pm

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

This amused me.

Mainly this part:

On a less easy-pickings note, I was the same at the start of the playoffs for the Celtic league, but now (even though Leinster haven't always been served well) I really like the idea. It adds a bit of meaning to the later games in the season.

The problem is it's not only done purely for money reasons, as he tries to argue.

It's about ensuring as much of the depth of the league are playing for something for as long as possible throughout the season. The playoffs increase the quality of the premiership in the exact same way that European qualification this season (and to a lesser extent last season) increases the quality of the Pro 12. If anything an expansion to the playoffs (like the barrage) would be the next step for Premiership rugby.

thomond2006 · 07-09-2014 4:10pm

London Welsh 0-52 Exeter, ouch!

Morf · 08-09-2014 2:07am

*insert Piri Weepu weight/fitness joke here*

sydneybound · 08-09-2014 9:31am

thomond2006 wrote: »

London Welsh 0-52 Exeter, ouch!

Such a shame London Welsh got promoted over Bristol. For their first home game back in the Prem that got a gate of 2,500 and lost 52-0. That brings nothing good to the Aviva Prem.

Bristol got 8,500 at their new ground Ashton Gate and have a much better squad. They would get over 10,000 if they were playing in the Prem.

08-09-2014 9:46am

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

This amused me.

Mainly this part:

On a less easy-pickings note, I was the same at the start of the playoffs for the Celtic league, but now (even though Leinster haven't always been served well) I really like the idea. It adds a bit of meaning to the later games in the season.

I like the playoffs, but I think that they should be somehow separated from the League.

League winners should get a trophy. That is, the team at the top of the league table at the end of a season.

We could still have a playoff with a Shield/Cup/Trophy on offer though. In effect, winning a League/Shield trophy would be akin to a double.

The pro12 that Munster won against Leinster in the final was a clear case of this. Munster were head and shoulders league winners that year. It felt quite 'just' that they won the final, because it would have rang a bit hollow with me otherwise.
http://www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/table.php?includeref=11189&season=2010-2011

08-09-2014 9:46am

thomond2006 wrote: »

London Welsh 0-52 Exeter, ouch!

No easy games in the Premiership

irishbucsfan · 08-09-2014 9:57am

PRL have a real problem with london welsh. They're clearly not good enough, they're in a financial mess they have a squad of journeymen and they're miles away from any fans they had. The RFU made the completely right decision in denying them a license but now it's out of their hands because of the legal system. Hindsight showed that the blazers knew what they were doing in taking the decision they did, but that licensing system needs an overhaul. I could see it leading to the implosion of Welsh unless they turn things around.

Winters · 08-09-2014 10:48am

With the introduction of the playoffs I would see the league more of a race to the playoffs rather than a competition in itself eventhough it used to be that way.

I wouldn't like to see a separate trophy for league winners and playoff winners as I think it would devalue the competition overall. Each supporter, player, coach and administrator knows the story before the season starts. Saracens are just sore losers as usual. That BBC article really is bizarre, there seems to be a strange culture in that club of going against the norm and publically slating anything that doesn't suit them.

London Welsh pride themselves on maintaining an amateur ethos. Well with no home, no developed catchment area, such low gates and no developed players it's hard to see how being a professional club is sustainable for them. And if it does become sustainable what they would bring to English rugby?

Awkward Badger · 08-09-2014 1:06pm

Maybe its been discussed already but I just seen this.

’Tongan Thor’ Taniela Tupou set to snub New Zealand and defect to Australia

What do people make of it ? Wise to keep his options open without committing ? Gotten too big for his boots at 18 to think he can play hard ball with the All Blacks ?

former legend · 08-09-2014 1:36pm

Awkward Badger wrote: »

Maybe its been discussed already but I just seen this.

’Tongan Thor’ Taniela Tupou set to snub New Zealand and defect to Australia

What do people make of it ? Wise to keep his options open without committing ? Gotten too big for his boots at 18 to think he can play hard ball with the All Blacks ?

I'd like to know what that 'NZRU loyalty agreement' entails, maybe not the sort of thing an 18-year old wants to be getting himself into.

CatFromHue · 08-09-2014 1:55pm

Winters wrote: »

With the introduction of the playoffs I would see the league more of a race to the playoffs rather than a competition in itself eventhough it used to be that way.

I wouldn't like to see a separate trophy for league winners and playoff winners as I think it would devalue the competition overall. Each supporter, player, coach and administrator knows the story before the season starts. Saracens are just sore losers as usual.

That's why I like that the highest placed team in the Pro12 playoffs gets the home game/final. There is a real incentive to finish first and not just in the top 2 or 4.

ssaye2 · 08-09-2014 3:55pm

Missed this

http://zippy.gfycat.com/FaintHelpfulArgusfish.webm

http://balls.ie/rugby/hell-try-allowed/

errlloyd · 08-09-2014 3:56pm

I feel the league needs to balance the two aspects of a good club, the first is having a good squad who can get you into the top 4, and the second is having a good first 15 who can win knockout matches.

If the league was just a league it would be weighted in Leinster's favour too much (for example). Because Leinster have a massive squad.

sydthebeat · 08-09-2014 3:56pm

ssaye2 wrote: »

Missed this

http://zippy.gfycat.com/FaintHelpfulArgusfish.webm

http://balls.ie/rugby/hell-try-allowed/

that ref should get a slap across the face with a raw haddock !!!

English Lurker · 08-09-2014 6:50pm

Got to love the way Mele nips in to nick the try off of him though.

And yes, London Welsh are an embarassment, and yes, the world would be a better place if Saracens simply didn't exist.

CatFromHue · 08-09-2014 6:59pm

I dunno if Welsh are an embarrassment as they've done everything correct to get in to the Aviva.

What happens from now on might be tho.

Swan Curry · 08-09-2014 7:12pm

You can call London Welsh an embarrassment,but even after Bristol tried to buy a team to get them promoted they still lost both legs of the playoff final.How much better would they have done?

English Lurker · 08-09-2014 8:15pm

To get there, only to crumble like that, is embarrassing imo. We'll see how they go from here - there is quality there if they gel - but right now I think the guys at London Welsh must be feeling embarrassed. Nobody wants to start their season like that.

And yes, I believe Bristol would have done better; ignore their habit of crumbling in play-offs, they were simply a better team than London Welsh last season and wouldn't have had to pull apart and put together a squad over a summer to compete at the next level up.

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