Topic: General Rugby Union Thread

[Crosby Nick]

A lot of new faces (although Youngs, Farrell, Tuilagi could be a very experienced 9-12). I take it Marcus Smith will get a run of games now?

[Crosby Nick]

Watson and Cowan-Dickie are out of the Autumn Tests. Watson has a serious knee injury and is likely to miss most of the season. He doesn’t seem to have much luck on the injury front.

[Trump's tiny tiny hands]

Random Q but what website is being used by people looking to offload tickets these days? Used to be able to go onto Gumtree and pick up Twickers tickets.

[sinnermichael]

Good job I subscribed to Amazon Prime as all the autumn internationals are on there.

Wales vs New Zealand should be decent. Much better watch than Spurs vs Man United that's on at the same time anyway.

[Trump's tiny tiny hands]

I’m afraid the ABs are turning up to this Northern tour with the worst set of haircuts to ever disgrace a sporting arena. You have been warned.

Looking forward to the rugger though

[Crosby Nick]

I’m afraid the ABs are turning up to this Northern tour with the worst set of haircuts to ever disgrace a sporting arena. You have been warned.

Looking forward to the rugger though

It must be approaching the Millennium in New Zealand now. What’s the fashion? Frosted tips and spiky hair?

[Trump's tiny tiny hands]

It must be approaching the Millennium in New Zealand now. What’s the fashion? Frosted tips and spiky hair?

They want to tell me these are “mullets”

[Ray K]

They want to tell me these are “mullets”

Christ. Even Jack Goodhue thinks these are bad.

[Elmo!]

Hamish Watson had a proper mullet. I'm not sure what they are but not mullets.

[sinnermichael]

AWJ set to overtake Richie McCaw's international caps record.

[Crosby Nick]

Basham is a pretty good name for a flanker.

Is Blackadder the son of Todd?

[Original]

Basham is a pretty good name for a flanker.

Is Blackadder the son of Todd?

He is, number 8 at the crusaders just like his pops too

[Trump's tiny tiny hands]

He is, number 8 at the crusaders just like his pops too

Nah Todd was more 6 come lock. His son can play all three loose forward positions and usually does it well. Way more dynamic than his dad.

Ethan Blackadder and Dalton Papalii are the form loosies this year and bring something we have lacked since Kaino retired: size + physicality

[Original]

Nah Todd was more 6 come lock. His son can play all three loose forward positions and usually does it well. Way more dynamic than his dad.

Ethan Blackadder and Dalton Papalii are the form loosies this year and bring something we have lacked since Kaino retired: size + physicality

I stand corrected

[sinnermichael]

England should be building the team around Marcus Smith for the next ten years.

Unbelievable talent.

[MBL?]

Anybody going to watch the final? starts in 45 mins.

[sinnermichael]

Anybody going to watch the final? starts in 45 mins.

Ireland will win.

[MBL?]

Ireland will win.

Was listening to a podcast during the week and they mentioned that the Brit media was sure we would win. I’m not so sure to be honest.

[MBL?]

Not exactly scintillating but we are playing well. Was sure they were going to take points near the end of the half but great defence from us.

[MBL?]

Gutted. Hopefully the next one goes better.

[Ray K]

Well that was a day filled with shiteness all round.

[whtwht]

Well that was a day filled with shiteness all round.

Yep! Better give social media a wide berth for a little while.

[Crosby Nick]

Surely only the football really hurts though?

[whtwht]

Surely only the football really hurts though?

Haha Leinster is my Irish Rugby team due to mates playing for them

[Ray K]

Surely only the football really hurts though?

Oh sure. But I expected at least the rugby to put me in a good mood at least in the run-up to Paris. Now I'm going to be pissed off all week.

[MBL?]

Kildare hammered by the dirty dubs as well. What a shite day that was.

[sinnermichael]

Premiership semi finals today.

Saracens vs Harlequins.
Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints.

[Crosby Nick]

Premiership semi finals today.

Saracens vs Harlequins.
Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints.

Any chance of some Quins madness or is this likely to be a Saracens v Leicester final? Can’t see Leicester not winning, think they’ve won every home game.

[sinnermichael]

Any chance of some Quins madness or is this likely to be a Saracens v Leicester final? Can’t see Leicester not winning, think they’ve won every home game.

I'm a Tigers fan and yeah, we won every home game and have been top every week of the season. We also put 50 points on Saints at their place this season. We should be ok today.

Quins are capable of a madness. They're defending champions afterall. I hope they win because I can't fucking stand Saracens.

[Ray K]

RIP Phil Bennett.

Owner of the greatest sidestep in rugby history.

https://twitter.com/JNPhillips4/status/1536070599285657601?t=qvnoa-FXTaMIN_zLrdzXfA&s=19

[Red Ol]

RIP Phil Bennett.

Owner of the greatest sidestep in rugby history.

https://twitter.com/JNPhillips4/status/1536070599285657601?t=qvnoa-FXTaMIN_zLrdzXfA&s=19

RIP one of the greatest ever and a standout even in the Legendary welsh team of the 70’s of which there are, sadly, fewer now left.

[Wabaloolah]

RIP Phil Bennett.

Owner of the greatest sidestep in rugby history.

https://twitter.com/JNPhillips4/status/1536070599285657601?t=qvnoa-FXTaMIN_zLrdzXfA&s=19

very sad, great player, for me the best fly half that Wales has produced, better than even Barry John.  Did a lot of TV and radio in Wales after he retired and met him a couple of times when he did a couple of after dinner speeches and he was a very down to earth man.

One of the good ones gone RIP Benny

[King Kenny 7]

RIP Phil Bennett.


A legend in the Halcyon days of British(Welsh)/Irish Rugby in the 70's.






These guys are something we can only look back on and admire.

[Timbo's Goals]

RIP Phil Bennett. Sad news.

As Ray K rightly said the greatest side step in rugby -  arguably in sport too.

My missus is a Valley girl and I fell in love with Welsh rugby on my first hitchhike trek down there back in 1970 when her family and neighbours used to regale me with their tales of their national game. First I discovered the wizardry of Barry John who departed far too soon only to be magically replaced from the mythical Welsh fly half factory by this mercurial little sidestepping genius on roller skates whose archetypal Valley facial features resembled half the fellas in Mag’s home village.

What a player he was and by all accounts a fine man too.

Link to BBC tribute with fitting video footage


https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/59951325

[lamonti]

Genuinely the most ridiculous sidestep and acceleration ever seen on a flyhalf.

[Crosby Nick]

Sound like an old man but it really was a different game back then looking at that footage. RIP to one of the legendary names.

Name checked in a Manic Street Preachers song too (Prologue to History). Probably not many rugby players mentioned in songs.

[thaddeus]

I'm a Tigers fan and yeah, we won every home game and have been top every week of the season. We also put 50 points on Saints at their place this season. We should be ok today.

Quins are capable of a madness. They're defending champions afterall. I hope they win because I can't fucking stand Saracens.

As a casual rugby observer, does the salary cap make any meaningful difference?  Saracens took the pee with it for years and eventually were relegated as punishment but within two years are back competing for the top domestic honour.  Tigers repeatedly breach the cap (albeit on a smaller scale) and pay a fine that allows them to continue doing so.  Both finalists have breached the salary cap this season as far as I understand.

I guess like FFP it at least makes financial breaches a bit more difficult but still seems that those with the deepest pockets will find a way.  In defence of the RFU (?) though their relegating of Saracens is in stark contrast to the how the Premier League kid-gloved Everton!

[Crosby Nick]

Hardly a surprise given the two sides involved but the Premiership final is not one full of free flowing rugby. Shame Harlequins lost last week. Doesn’t help that one of the few creative players out there had to go off early either.

[Crosby Nick]

Freddie Burns!

What a finish. Leicester with a man in the bin score a drop goal in the last 10 seconds to win it 15-12. Two tries to nil, deserved it.

[El Lobo]

Boom

Wilkinson-esque