The Rugby Thread

[Paddingtonwolf]

Marler - Prat
Discipline committee - spineless
Wales - really should have let it go after the initial decision of the six nations committee. If someone else wanted to pursue it fair enough but for Wales to complain is really opening themselves up to accusations of sour grapes
Whole affair - now grossly overblown and taking away from England's achievement

 

[Dinowolf]

Marler - Prat
Discipline committee - spineless
Wales - really should have let it go after the initial decision of the six nations committee. If someone else wanted to pursue it fair enough but for Wales to complain is really opening themselves up to accusations of sour grapes
Whole affair - now grossly overblown and taking away from England's achievement

Exactly

 

[Dinowolf]

Half-time at the Rec. and Bath are 3-18 down to Sarries.

Watson playing at FB for Bath and made some terrific breaks. Farrell playing 10 for Sarries and giving some great flat passes which are creating space and breaks.

Ashton first game back after his 10 weeks suspension, has got involved but nothing created yet. Attwood first full game since his injury is really getting stuck in.

Mako Vunipola has given away 3 penalties already for collapsing and has been warned by the ref that next time is a yellow card. IMO his scrummaging is average at best and I feel England need to find a replacement.

Itoje replaced at half-time for "tactical reasons".

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Crap season for Bath. Good job the teams below suck balls to biblical levels.

 

[Dinowolf]

Watson got a red card for tackling in the air.

Sarries won 30-10. Ashton got two tries.

The officials got booed off at the end.

 

[Dinowolf]

What a game at Welford Rd today. Fantastic rugby. Real drama with Gloucs. leading most of the match and the game finishing with 14 phases of Gloucs attacking the Leics try line at the end.

FT Leics 35-30 Gloucs

Tuilagi playing really well. Kvesic had a good first half. Thacker getting better.
Young Will Evans 19 yr old England U-18 flanker, played No.7 for Leics. and showed some brilliant touches and a lot of promise.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Watson got a red card for tackling in the air.

Sarries won 30-10. Ashton got two tries.

The officials got booed off at the end.

He got off lightly then compared to Roman Poite

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rug...as-furious-player-is-restrained-34594304.html

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Heard the news the other night of a death of a player who I always had a soft spot for "Big Norm" Hadley who played second row for Wasps and was the talisman figure for a more then decent Canadian side who reached the quarter final of the 1991 World Cup (lost 29-13 to NZ), "Big Norm" even by rugby standards was huge for the time, 6ft 8 and over 21 stone (so fuck knows what size he would be nowadays with the advancements in strength and conditioning).

His death at 51 from a heart attack follows a worrying trend, read an article last year about the number of international front 5 forwards from the 80's & 90's who die from heart attacks in their 40's & 50's is miles above the general male population.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I have read a report suggesting that the six nations championship should be expanded, and have promotion and relegation. Apart from Romania, which other countries would be strong enough to enter the competition?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Georgia are decent these days.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Russia are okay as well. Spain and Portugal are both progressing well, but from a lower base.

 

[Johnny75]

I have read a report suggesting that the six nations championship should be expanded, and have promotion and relegation. Apart from Romania, which other countries would be strong enough to enter the competition?

I hear Scotland would like a go.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

As DW said Georgia are decent there squad are nearly all professional players (mainly in Frnace) and at under age level are making better progress then Italy, they are also above Italy (FWIW) in the world rankings.

Georgia V Romania which was the decider in this year tier 2 championship had an attendance of 55,000, they played Russia last year and had a crowd of 88,000, so the interest is there, plus a billionaire backer of the union who can pay for any upgrading of facilities.

 

[Dinowolf]

I have read a report suggesting that the six nations championship should be expanded, and have promotion and relegation. Apart from Romania, which other countries would be strong enough to enter the competition?

I'm all for helping weaker nations become stronger, but not at the expense of watering down the 6N.

Georgia are probably the strongest of the ENC at the moment, and I understand they want to play Tier A teams to improve, as would Romania, but I don't think they are ready for the intensity of a competition like the 6N, but more likely an occasional match each year.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Georgia are a better side than Italy are at the moment.

 

[Dinowolf]

Saracens George Kruis has been cited for an alleged biting incident on Saturday against Bath prop David Wilson who has also been cited for allegedly making contact with the eye area of Kruis.

They'll both appear before a RFU Disciplinary Committee tonight.

The charges carry strong sanctions if found guilty, with the lower end suspension standing at 12 weeks, which would end Kruis' season and his hopes of an England place on the June tour to Australia, although bans can be reduced if there are mitigating circumstances.

 

[Dinowolf]

Joe Marler banned for 2 matches and fined £20k by World Rugby.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35967459

 

[Dinowolf]

George Kruis and David Wilson have been found not guilty by the citing committee and are free to continue playing.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-un...kruis-cleared-to-play-after-biting-charges-d/

 

[Dinowolf]

Today and tomorrow ( 9th & 10th ) sees the playing of the quarter-finals in the European Champions Cup.

Wasps v Exeter today at 3:15 KO today
Saracens v Northampton at 5:45 KO today

Leicester v Stade Francais at 1:45 KO tomorrow
Racing v Toulon at 4:15 KO tomorrow

Also today sees the playing of 3 of the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup, after the fourth quarter-final was played yesterday with Sale losing to Montpellier 19-25

Gloucs. v Dragons at 12:45 KO
Grenoble v Connacht at 8:05 KO
Harlequins v London Irish at 8:05 KO

 

[Dinowolf]

FT Gloucs. 21-23 Dragons