Official Rugby Thread

[wpdavid]

Surely if the oppostion aren't forming a ruck after a tackle you can just smash your way up the middle?

That was my take on it, but I figured that England's finest knew more about the game than I do.

 

[Howe_zat]

Vunipola back in for England.

England's 30-man training squad:

Forwards: Jack Clifford (Harlequins), Dan Cole (Leicester), Jamie George (Saracens), Teimana Harrison (Northampton), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), James Haskell (Wasps), Nathan Hughes (Wasps), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Courtney Lawes (Northampton), Joe Marler (Harlequins), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Mike Williams (Leicester), Tom Wood (Northampton).

Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Danny Care (Harlequins), Elliot Daly (Wasps), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Bath), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Alex Lozowksi (Saracens), Jonny May (Gloucester), Jack Nowell (Exeter), Henry Slade (Exeter), Ben Te'o (Worcester), Anthony Watson (Bath), Marland Yarde (Harlequins), Ben Youngs (Leicester).

 

[vogue]

Should the Six Nations introduce promotion and relegation? - Rugby World

Bit of an old article, but does this idea have any merit?

 

[Furball]

No.

 

[vogue]

No.

Evil Scotsman don't waste their words.....

 

[Howe_zat]

Saying that Georgia should get the chance to play the Six nations ahead of Italy because they're better* fails to grasp what the six nations actually is, which involves Italy, Rome, the Stadio Olympico, Sergio Parisse and all the other good stuff they've brought to the tournament. We didn't start saying that England shouldn't play the Ashes back when they lost it every time, and we should start calling Australia v SA the Ashes instead. It's a distinct tournament with a distinct group of teams that play.

*this isn't even true, Georgia have never beaten a tier 1 side and Italy beat the springboks three months ago. Italy lose a lot because they happen to exist in this odd between space. They're much better than Georgia and the only good thing to come out of some play-off based system would be them having the chance to prove it.

 

[StephenZA]

*this isn't even true, Georgia have never beaten a tier 1 side and Italy beat the springboks three months ago. Italy lose a lot because they happen to exist in this odd between space. They're much better than Georgia and the only good thing to come out of some play-off based system would be them having the chance to prove it.

....to be honest Georgia would probably have beaten us as well. And later this year everybody else will also be able to beat us......

 

[Furball]

Saying that Georgia should get the chance to play the Six nations ahead of Italy because they're better* fails to grasp what the six nations actually is, which involves Italy, Rome, the Stadio Olympico, Sergio Parisse and all the other good stuff they've brought to the tournament. We didn't start saying that England shouldn't play the Ashes back when they lost it every time, and we should start calling Australia v SA the Ashes instead. It's a distinct tournament with a distinct group of teams that play.

*this isn't even true, Georgia have never beaten a tier 1 side and Italy beat the springboks three months ago. Italy lose a lot because they happen to exist in this odd between space. They're much better than Georgia and the only good thing to come out of some play-off based system would be them having the chance to prove it.

Exactly.

Scotland finished last in 2015, a Six Nations without a Calcutta Cup or Irish and Welsh fans spending the weekend in Tbilisi instead of Edinburgh is preposterous.

 

[BoyBrumby]

To be fair it's not without precedent to expand the tournament or Italy would never have been admitted in the first place.

I don't think anyone would claim the Italians have made the hoped - for progress in the 18 years since they've been in. Yes, they beat a (frankly dire) Springbok team but they promptly lost to Tonga the next week and I can't remember reading any clamour for Tonga's elevation to the Rugby Championship.

From a rugby point of view there's a case to be made (my preference would be a two legged play off between the wooden spoonists and the winners of the second tier) but financially Italy have far more clout, so it won't happen. And there's no way the organisers would take the risk of England or France finishing bottom.

What would be interesting is if Spain or better yet Germany ever get competitive. Both potentially huge markets.

 

[StephenZA]

...is anybody here interested in the super rugby at all? Chiefs Hurricanes is looking a great game. Not unexpectedly from 2 NZ sides.

 

[vogue]

Caught out by the Wales/Ireland game on tv on a Friday night...totally forgot.. - bit of an important weekend of matches though.

 

[Howe_zat]

Hoping Wales win is a new experience for me. Not sure it's acceptable.

 

[vogue]

Good first half. Worth staying in for. Wouldn't like to call it at this stage.

 

[Howe_zat]

Breathless game. Wales have brought so much intensity to both their matches in Cardiff.

 

[Furball]

...is anybody here interested in the super rugby at all? Chiefs Hurricanes is looking a great game. Not unexpectedly from 2 NZ sides.

Yeah I used to quite enjoy watching on a Saturday morning, I don't have Sky any more though.

Telegraph is predicting Scotland by 3 for this afternoon. This feels weird.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Given that almost any 'lift tackle' gets a yellow, I'm baffled why that one was only a yellow. He all but landed on his head.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I could never stand rugby and now it's even worse. I decided it was worth a look as we are hammering the kilts and they spent the entire three minutes deciding if a high and late tackle needed a yellow card ................... zzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxx

 

[Scaly piscine]

It was ludicrous that the referee thought it was worth a yellow card in the first place. Wasn't a high tackle, and there's no way he could pull out of that tackle unless he has superhuman reaction speeds.

 

[Howe_zat]

I could never stand rugby and now it's even worse. I decided it was worth a look as we are hammering the kilts and they spent the entire three minutes deciding if a high and late tackle needed a yellow card ................... zzzzzzzzzzzzzxxxxx

****, you're so cool, i wish i could be cool like you.

imagine not liking a sport. wow.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

So much for all the talk by the Sweaties before the game about pressure and all that.