Official Rugby Thread

[Somerset]

I think Heaslip's loss was significant. Ireland needed to have their best players.

Maybe the ABs knew that Ireland needed a good start - and they just came out in the 1st 20 minutes and played their very best.

We were missing players too though. Dan Carter, as good as our 10s went, is a marked step up from Cruden.

SBW finally played well.

Woah I thought Cruden was genius in his 25 minutes...can't fault him for a second. For his first test match, Barrett was also very solid with ball and hand and besides a couple of conversion attempts and a missed touch finder hardly put a foot wrong.

SBW was amazing and the Chiefs combination with Cruden and his developing one with Conrad Smith was excellent. Lovely kick through for Dagg's try.

 

[Hurricane]

Bit unusual for Joubert who usually lets it flow nicely. I'll catch the replay in the next couple of days and put myself through what sounds like a pretty average match.

Romain Poite controlled the match nicely tonight. I thought the yellow card to Kearney might've been a bit harsh but it was a clearly penalisable offence and it prevented a near certain try so I don't think it was that unjustified. Allowed a good breakdown contest too.

Good comments - good to talk with you.

 

[Hurricane]

Woah I thought Cruden was genius in his 25 minutes...can't fault him for a second. For his first test match, Barrett was also very solid with ball and hand and besides a couple of conversion attempts and a missed touch finder hardly put a foot wrong.

SBW was amazing and the Chiefs combination with Cruden and his developing one with Conrad Smith was excellent. Lovely kick through for Dagg's try.

Nothing wrong with our young 10s. I think they showed they are as good as anyone in the world at 10 except for DC. I just rate DC very highly. His reading of the game and versatility and maturity and experience is like nothing I have seen on a rugby field.

I remember that game in Hong Kong ( I think it was Hong Kong) where he had won the game for us so they put Donald on the field who lost it for us in the space of 10 minutes.

In my life I havn't seen a better 10 than DC. That said I was not around for Merhtens.

But DC rocks all over Fox, Botica, Lynagh, Giteau

 

[BoyBrumby]

Nice bit of thinking for Danny "Driving Without Due" Care for the try.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Probably have to take that if offered beforehand, so credit to the chaps for hanging in there.

Wish the England captain sounded slightly more Rushden that Rotorua tho.

 

[BoyBrumby]

The Tri Nations (or whatever its calling itself now the Argies have been enfranchised) starts again this weekend. Hope Los Pumas put on a good show and maybe sneak the odd win.

Find them altogether less disagreeable as a rugby nation than a football one.

 

[Hurricane]

Yeah good luck to them. It makes me pleased to see when people behave in a generous fashion and include another country in their competition for the growth of the sport. The 5 nations did it. And now the Tri Nations have done it.

I sometimes wonder if Argentina may have been better off joining the 6 nations because then they could have beaten up on Italy and had good games with which ever home nation was having a poor year. But geography advised that we were the better fit.

Other changes I would like to see include a Pacific Islands team being admitted into the tournament (and the world cup)

SA is playing Argentina Sunday morning. And we play them Aussies on Sat night.

I think the Argentines will be poor for the 1st two or three games and will get better in the 2nd half of the four nations.

 

[BackFootPunch]

A combined Pacific Nations team in the Rugby Championship would be alright imo but they should play as separate nations at the World Cup. Tonga, Samoa and Fiji have all had decent results on their own.

 

[James]

Very much looking forward to the weekend as well. Alongside the rugby, we have the return of the English Premier League as well.

Wouldn't a combined Pacific team be frowned upon similar to the way the Great Britain football team was?

 

[Hurricane]

Pacific Islanders rugby union team - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[BackFootPunch]

I'd see a Pacific Islands team as similar to the way the Windies work in cricket. Obviously they don't have the history of doing it but it could certainly work.

The main problem though is that the likes of Tonga and Samoa etc only get their best players at World Cup time. And they've proved they can compete on that stage. They're just nowhere near as good in the years in between which isn't good for anyone except the European clubs they play for.

 

[Hurricane]

They can compete but not topple one of the top teams.

If they competed as Pacific Islands they would be a legit chance to win the whole thing.

 

[BackFootPunch]

Tonga toppled France last year no? And France nearly got up against us

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

They can compete but not topple one of the top teams.

If they competed as Pacific Islands they would be a legit chance to win the whole thing.

This reminds me of Richard's argument that Ireland and Scotland should be forced to play as part of England in cricket.

 

[Hurricane]

Tonga toppled France last year no? And France nearly got up against us

Touche' - not sure that France really came to play until the knock out phases mind. But good point.

See my Personal Message on your wall.

 

[Hurricane]

This reminds me of Richard's argument that Ireland and Scotland should be forced to play as part of England in cricket.

Disagree with that proposal England are good enough without them. I also believe USA and Canada should combine in rugby and cricket it would be the making of both games in that neck of the woods.

 

[BackFootPunch]

Sevens will be the making of Rugby in USA and Canada I reckon.

It raises an interesting point though, is it better to have 10 teams who can all beat each other on any given day or a few dominant ones and the rest playing catch up?

I can't think of any decent comps that are genuinely open in terms of potential winners.

 

[ripper868]

I believe that Europe should make one football team and that be it for everyone.

Not a fan of combining any country with others tbh. Samoa/Tonga/Fiji are perfectly good enough in their own right. Maybe a PI team for a charity game/special tour (ala British and Irish Lions/Barbarians) but that's where it should stop.

A country is a country. Play as one.

 

[Hurricane]

I believe that Europe should make one football team and that be it for everyone.

Not a fan of combining any country with others tbh. Samoa/Tonga/Fiji are perfectly good enough in their own right. Maybe a PI team for a charity game/special tour (ala British and Irish Lions/Barbarians) but that's where it should stop.

A country is a country. Play as one.

Do you think the West Indies should disband then?

 

[Somerset]

I'd see a Pacific Islands team as similar to the way the Windies work in cricket. Obviously they don't have the history of doing it but it could certainly work.

The main problem though is that the likes of Tonga and Samoa etc only get their best players at World Cup time. And they've proved they can compete on that stage. They're just nowhere near as good in the years in between which isn't good for anyone except the European clubs they play for.

This, plus the lack of opportunities to play against the major nations. I think the idea of a Pacific Islands team, whilst perhaps good in theory to give the best of the Pacific Island players more exposure to facing the bigger nations, won't improve the individual islands' fortunes come World Cup time. Rather, they need to have a window to play international matches against the New Zealands and the Australias. If they're given their best players, I can't see the big teams fielding second string teams. Australia even lost to Samoa in a pre-Tri Nations encounter last year.