The Rugby Union Thread

[CWC1983]

5 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

 

I think the 'current plan' needs needs stowing in the 2003 holdall. We don't have a pack like SA so we might as well stop trying to ape them. The Kiwis were the better side in the final and they have shown a blueprint for beating the 'power' sides, by simply moving them around, but to do that, you must put the ball through hands. Players like Arundell and Cadan Murphy need to be in our side, otherwise we have no attacking threat and rely on kicking a few pens and defending like maniacs. That's not a sensible plot.

For once I agreed with Flatman on Friday night.

He compared Arundell to Telea in the semi final as a winger who went looking for work and made a difference to NZ attacking options. 

Arundell needs to play as much 6 nations games as possible next year, he could be the game breaker you've been looking for.

[Comrade 86]

Wouldn't put anyone off the Red Roses' WXV1 final game versus NZ. Cracking game between two very decent sides and not one for the fainthearted! These girls can put in hits!!! 

[Comrade 86]

36 minutes ago, Comrade 86 said:

Wouldn't put anyone off the Red Roses' WXV1 final game versus NZ. Cracking game between two very decent sides and not one for the fainthearted! These girls can put in hits!!! 

Should have said the full match is on ITVx for anyone who fancies a watch.

Edited November 7, 2023 by Comrade 86

[Comrade 86]

Needs addressing. Outside of SM, threats to kill or maim can attract a sentence of up to 7 years. Online hate will only increase until folk are made accountable. It really is as simple as that 🙊

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67349016

[Van der MoodHoover]

I watched the roses. I find their rugby better than our blokes with more variety and all round threats.

The ladies seem to get better as each legend retires!

[Van der MoodHoover]

On 08/11/2023 at 22:41, Comrade 86 said:

Needs addressing. Outside of SM, threats to kill or maim can attract a sentence of up to 7 years. Online hate will only increase until folk are made accountable. It really is as simple as that 🙊

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67349016

Did you watch his BBC interview? As you might expect, he was extremely articulate.

I am generally a bit bothered by the slow erosion of respect for the officials. The sanctity of the referee and the strict protocols around interacting with him defined rugby for me. I very much hope this can be recovered.

[Comrade 86]

Just now, Van der MoodHoover said:

Did you watch his BBC interview? As you might expect, he was extremely articulate.

I am generally a bit bothered by the slow erosion of respect for the officials. The sanctity of the referee and the strict protocols around interacting with him defined rugby for me. I very much hope this can be recovered.

Sadly, me too. The rugby pages on SM were deluged in stuff and it's not a good look, but I think many of those would have been the knobs who turn up on tournaments then vanish when they're over. I don't think real fans would indulge in too much of that as their rugby mates would give them a slap round the head!

[Van der MoodHoover]

@Comrade 86...I know we had our differences over Steve Borthwicks style etc, but putting all that aside....

...I was impressed with the improvements shown during the WC - so what are our hopes for the rebuild and the 6N?

 

For me, is like to see arundell integrated. I'd like to see us invest and develop a scrum half. If that's Alex Mitchell then fine. I'd like to see us develop a more mobile pack.

[Comrade 86]

5 minutes ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

@Comrade 86...I know we had our differences over Steve Borthwicks style etc, but putting all that aside....

...I was impressed with the improvements shown during the WC - so what are our hopes for the rebuild and the 6N?

 

For me, is like to see arundell integrated. I'd like to see us invest and develop a scrum half. If that's Alex Mitchell then fine. I'd like to see us develop a more mobile pack.

Yep, the jury's still out for me. In fairness, he only steadied the ship with Leicester fir4s t season there, before they stormed to the Prem title in his second season, playing some lovely stuff in the process. If he repeats that trick (stage one complete as you say) I'll be well chuffed! 

Arundell off to France so the stupid RFU won't allow the lad to play!

[Comrade 86]

Harry made a decent start I see 😭

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67401692

[Comrade 86]

7 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

Harry made a decent start I see 😭

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67401692

@Van der MoodHoover just found this online. Some debut this was, blimey!

 

[Van der MoodHoover]

2 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

@Van der MoodHoover just found this online. Some debut this was, blimey!

 

Makes me so angry that our Union, uniquely it appears, will deny us having him in the national team for what seem increasingly to be irrelevant reasons.

With the near collapse of premiership rugby, the idea of restricted access to the national squad increasingly looks parochial and self-defeating.

We managed to swallow hard and appoint Eddie. surely time to review the rule about eligibility for the national team.

[Comrade 86]

Really depressing news around Owen Farrell who has literally been hounded out of international rugby. It's unbelievable the kind of two-bob ****s the big tournaments attract, but sadly, with the exposure to a wider audience comes exposure to braindead morons looking for someone to hate on.

I think his career is drawing to a close anyway and he isn't the player he once was, but to see England's leading point scorer treated this way by so-called fans makes my blood boil. Having given all he has to England and the game in general, how must he feel now to have to leave because folk are threatening his f****** family? It's almost incredible.

Much of the blame lies with the MSM whom I feel created the pile on in the first place and some alleged rugby correspondents really do deserve a good slapping. I'd love to know how many of these press 'experts' have even played the game to a standard. W*****s.

Between them and the clowns at the RFU, it's small wonder players are heading to France in their droves 🤬

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67568885

Edited December 1, 2023 by Comrade 86
typos

[Anag Ram]

1 hour ago, Comrade 86 said:

Really depressing news around Owen Farrell who has literally been hounded out of international rugby. It's unbelievable the kind of two-bob ****s the big tournaments attract, but sadly, with the exposure to a wider audience comes exposure to braindead morons looking for someone to hate on.

I think his career is drawing to a close anyway and he isn't the player he once was, but to see England's leading point scorer treated this way by so-called fans makes my blood boil. Having given all he has to England and the game in general, how must he feel now to have to leave because folk are threatening his f****** family? It's almost incredible.

Much of the blame lies with the MSM whom I feel created the pile on in the first place and some alleged rugby correspondents really do deserve a good slapping. I'd love to know how many of these press 'experts' have even played the game to a standard. W*****s.

Between them and the clowns at the RFU, it's small wonder players are heading to France in their droves 🤬

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67568885

Almost certainly it won’t be rugby fans. It’ll be the morons who see Ingerland on the tellybox, half listen to criticism of Pharell or whatever his name is, then use technology to threaten a pretty tough guy.

Really gets my goat

 

[Comrade 86]

17 minutes ago, Anag Ram said:

Almost certainly it won’t be rugby fans. It’ll be the morons who see Ingerland on the tellybox, half listen to criticism of Pharell or whatever his name is, then use technology to threaten a pretty tough guy.

Really gets my goat

I think that's quite obviously the case given it does not occur within the club rugby scene, or at least very rarely. I'd dearly love to see one or two of these clowns who have threatened to harm his family left in a room with him for minute or two to see how brave they are then. It's just something you don't ever do IMO and it's high time that our legal framework afforded folk some recourse. Threats to kill in a pub, for instance, can land you in jail. Why should this be any different?

Anyway, apologies for the ranting, it just make me angry.

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by Comrade 86
missing word

[RadioactiveWaste]

It's not just rugby, it's creeping into lots of sports that used to have traditions quite different.

in F1, which used to have a level of respect afforded on the grounds everyone knew they were playing a very dangerous game, Nicolas Latifi, who's crash insitgated the safety car the ultimatly led to Verstappen winning his first championship was the recipiant of death threats, abuse and a substancial amout of slander (i don't think he went legally after people but I saw plenty I thought he would win if he did).

How long until we see this sort thing in snooker? Or darts? Or any kind of sporting endevour?

 

[Van der MoodHoover]

On 01/12/2023 at 05:54, Comrade 86 said:

Really depressing news around Owen Farrell who has literally been hounded out of international rugby. It's unbelievable the kind of two-bob ****s the big tournaments attract, but sadly, with the exposure to a wider audience comes exposure to braindead morons looking for someone to hate on.

I think his career is drawing to a close anyway and he isn't the player he once was, but to see England's leading point scorer treated this way by so-called fans makes my blood boil. Having given all he has to England and the game in general, how must he feel now to have to leave because folk are threatening his f****** family? It's almost incredible.

Much of the blame lies with the MSM whom I feel created the pile on in the first place and some alleged rugby correspondents really do deserve a good slapping. I'd love to know how many of these press 'experts' have even played the game to a standard. W*****s.

Between them and the clowns at the RFU, it's small wonder players are heading to France in their droves 🤬

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67568885

I completely missed this but very much agree with you on this Comrade.

Regardless of our opinions on OF and the style of play, nobody can be in any doubt that he always gave everything for the team.

He deserves respect and more importantly, peace for his family.

Deeply depressing behavior from the public (I agree with the earlier poster that actual fans will be suitably more appreciative).

[Comrade 86]

And so it begins... You'd think the RFU might look at the utter shambles the WRU made of their domestic game and the effect of certain selection policies on the national side and think something other than, they did a cracking job, let's copy them 😂

Anyway, between the stuffed shirts and a small and mindless minority of fair-weather fans, I think some England lads have had enough and I predict something of an exodus to France and a severely weakened England team as a consequence. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67611667

[DarkFruitsRam7]

On 13/11/2023 at 17:13, Van der MoodHoover said:

Makes me so angry that our Union, uniquely it appears, will deny us having him in the national team for what seem increasingly to be irrelevant reasons.

With the near collapse of premiership rugby, the idea of restricted access to the national squad increasingly looks parochial and self-defeating.

We managed to swallow hard and appoint Eddie. surely time to review the rule about eligibility for the national team.

As someone with virtually no interest in rugby (aside from if England go far in the world cup), I'm surprised to learn about the eligbility rules for England selection. What a load of crap that seems to be!

[Van der MoodHoover]

1 hour ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

As someone with virtually no interest in rugby (aside from if England go far in the world cup), I'm surprised to learn about the eligbility rules for England selection. What a load of crap that seems to be!

Well you don't even speak the language.....😉