Thought seeing there's a lot of rugby on these days, I'd start the thread. I know it's two codes and totally different games, but they are similar, so I'd thought one thread would do it.

Rinky's obviously happy with his team, but will Bluenose be happy tonight, after the Rugby League final up in Sydney? His team, Melbourne Storm are playing Manly in case anyone's interested...

I'm actually going to watch it, it's a bit better than watching Gala against Jed, the level of professionalism is way better, it's faster plus the have cheerleaders...

Watched an International Rules Football game at Croke Park a few years ago, was a blood bath in all honesty, with both teams/players just giving each other hell for leather. As a sporting occasion it was dire and I wouldn't spend money watching it again.
The two codes of Gaelic & Australian Football are often thought to be very similar and many would argue that any player from each code could play in the others, yet when they combine, it becomes nothing more than a physical battle.
I have doubts about any amalgamation of sports, each sport has its own styles and players skills and abilities are different. Rugby league players are by majority much fitter than rugby union players, mainly due to the training regime and the fact that most sports coaches in rugby union believe you can't be very fast and also have stamina & be heavy in weight and have stamina, it's a short burst of massive energy every 30 seconds or so. Rugby league is a non stop eighty minutes, where both teams are physical and fast.
Some players have managed a good standard of ability in both codes, Alan Tait springs to mind, but many falter and I would doubt there would be enough interest in any amalgamation of rugby sports to make a professional club switch.
Wondered if anyone had a video of the game at Croke Park and checked with you tube, and guess what someone did...enjoy!:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6HhYYp9y1OA

Dont get me started
The NRL along with the whole of NSW & QLD will be happy with the result. I could rant all day about the NRL and their judiciary system and the way they run things but I wont. Anyway we had a good season and to go to 3 grand finals straight is a fair effort and I think we will be back determined to make it 4 straight finals next season
Well done to Manly by the way.

Cant wait for the Rugby League WC, will be getting tickets for the Australia vs England game C'mon Aussies!


A few ex-Gaelic players have come to play in the Australian Rules Football over here in the past few seasons. I agree with what you say about the physical battle when its combined, not too much skill.

Gutted i missed the super league grand final.

Roll on Heineken cup.

And a chance to see Stade Francais' latest kit

Jeesus christ when will they stop?

I have a bright pink Stade top from 2 years ago which was bad enough. Then last year came the poo coloured strip with pink flowers and now this?

Just thinking about it Scotland's best backrow forward is playing with this lot...

Although I watch it occasionally on telly, I only went to see my first rugby game a couple of weeks ago - Glasgow Warriors vs Llanelli Scarlets. Wasn't that bad actually, though the reasoning behind penalty awards are a bit hard to keep track of without commentary.

Have caught a bit of the Grand Final during the interminable repeats on Setanta and it looked like your lads got a bit of a doing, record defeat was it?

I do enjoy the NRL stuff on Setanta, but with all the repeats and the time difference it's a bit much to properly follow. I think my girlfriend would also leave me if I started inflicting rugby league as well as football on her

Scotland have a league team in the World Cup this year, starts later this month.

I'm probably going to go to the Glasgow vs Toulouse game a week on Friday as PTFC season ticket holders get in free. It'll be weird sitting in (presumably) my normal seat at Firhill and having a beer.

I understand Scotland have managed to persuade some decent Aussie to play for them at Rugby League World Cup.
Michael Robinson appeared to be about to be selected for the Aussie squad, but to everyone surprise he wasn't selected and he has now chosen to play for Scotland.


Cracking top from Scotland, mind you at £45 just for the top it should be...

Yes its the worst we have played in like 3 years but were missing our influential captain Cameron Smith through suspension when he shouldnt have been suspended in the first place Anyway we gave them a doing in the final the previous season and during the season aswell so they got to beat us sometime.
If Scotland were playing any of their matches in Melbourne I would have went to it but thankfully our only game here is probably one of the best matches so I will be going to the Australia vs England game.


Its the fact that we have Israel Folau who is a better winger than him in our squad that he's not in there so not big surprise plus also 'The Wolfman' David Williams aswell in our squad too.
Nice Scotland jersey by the way.

I'm the same. If there's nothing else on the telly i'll happily watch a bit of the Aussie rugby. I also watch The Footy Show when it's on Setanta and it's a bit mental. My knowledge of Aussie Rugby League is a bit shit but it's still an enjoyable programme to watch.

On to the World Cup. As far as I know the only decent teams in it are the Aussies, England and New Zealand. Can either England or New Zealand realistically expect to challenge Australia or will they horse everybody in sight?

Sonny Bill Williams to play against the Wallabies?

Would be very interesting...

was at the Glasgow match at Firhill last night- thought they fought hard but were outclassed. Like the look of Thom Evans though.

Scotland gear up for RL World Cup

Realistically? It's between England and West Island, and there's no way Oz will lose. NZ will be there or there about, but simply are not at the races with this one.

Sonny Bill shouldnt worry us , never worried our League team so shouldnt worry the Wallabies.


Yeah its basically ours to lose. I think the kiwis could beat England though.

Had never watched a League until I moved out to Sydney a few months back, and only went cause I got a couple of freebies off a member of my family who is part of the Dragons set up. But since then I have been hooked, and been to quite a few games, with my last being the Storm v Cronulla semi final where i paid a measly $10 for a ticket!

have to say I started following the Dragons as the WIN stadium is best I have been to for atmosphere, and Wendel Salior is a legend! Shame about Gasnier leaving, was a fantastic player! Probably between him, Benji Marshall or Toadd Carney for the best player I have seen live.

Looking forward to the World Cup, wont be hitting any off the Scotland game though due to distance and work. Probably going to the Ireland game up at the Eels stadium and might try take in a few others.

Always quite enjoyed watching this when I've caught it on tv. A complete novice to the game but the 6 tackle rule certainly makes it exciting, I might go bone up on the rules for this World Cup.

Is a tv network covering this live?

How good are Ireland, Scotland and France? Are we looking at getting humped in these 2 games against Fiji and France? e.g San Marino v Croatia or is it more San Marino v Andorra in football terms?

BBC Highlights

and every game on SKY

Is a shame you weren't over here when Andrew Johns was playing because he was arguably the greatest ever rugby league player. In all honesty there isnt too much atmosphere at sports games here compared to Europe.
Big Wendell, Gasnier and Benji are all good players but Slater, C.Smith, Ingles and Cronk are all better

Just watched Wellington lose their 473rd (approx) sporting final in the last 5 years, 7-6 loss in pissing rain vs their nemesis Canterbury in the air NZ cup final- the sporting teams from the area really do choke pretty badly, especially when they come up against a team playing in the Cantabrian red and black. Weepu missed a (fairly tough) penalty with 15 minutes to go and with 5 to go when they were trying to set up a drop goal one of the forwards knocked it on after dropping an easy catch

On the plus side, Glasgow beat reigning Magners league champs Leinster 15-12.

The league world cup starts today, unfortunately it's so lopsided and is in effect a play-off between England and NZ to see who gets beat by Oz in the final.I suppose the other teams are only going to get better by playing the best though.

England were given a good game in the opener by Papa New Guinea, with the Northern Hemisphere champs running out 32-22 winners. PNG were winning at half time though.

Scotland play France tomorrow morning.

Good BBC blog on the RLWC

Scotland lose 36-18 to France.
Australia beat New Zealand 30-6.

Some classic French names on display for les bleus today- Wilson, Murphy, Taylor...

Ireland v Tonga (7.55am Monday)

Yeah went to a game at the ANZ and there was only about 11,000 people there, not great!

Can see your Melbourne colours coming out there!!! They aren't portrayed in the media too well in Sydney, the CEO and coach especially. But from what I had seen they had been the best team all year, didn't think they would fall apart as much as they did from missing Smith from the Grand Final.

After the game they interviewed the Scotland captain Brough and he had a broad English accent and then they interviewed the French captain who had a real French name was Jerome something or other and he started talking and had a broad aussie accent Then the man of the match from France Wynne with the aussie accent


You will find nothing to do with Melbourne is portrayed well in the media in Sydney and by people in Sydney.
They hate us up there because they dont like to see a Melbourne team dominate 'their' sport.

Where is the plastic kiwi what happened to your lot last night? 30-6 stroll in the park

Fecking disgrace. Not one player should be allowed back into their respective countries.

aye, very good, the plastic Kiwi's still here. As I said, it's west island's to chuck away, in this one, they really are the world's number 1 by a country mile. Just look at the England score, for a moment, I thought they were playing cricket...

Scotland against the AB's in the winter test is the one I have my eye on, I hope we put in a good performance, it would take a few Kiwi's down a few pegs.

52-4 thumping of England Easy easy easy easy! And even Englands try was iffy, didnt ground it properly.
Was good to see the Melbourne Storm contingent pulling thru with Inglis and Slater both getting 3 tries each.

Will be good to see Scotland beat the AB's in the winter test but just cant see it happening.

from what I was reading, Scotland are going to field a 'second' side as Haddon thinks the SA game is more winnable. The NZ RFU are seriously thinking of pulling out of these tests, as they are also fed up of northern hemisphere nations sending second field sides down here - France and England being the chief culprits...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7706292.stm

Scotland: Paterson (Edinburgh); Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Cairns (Edinburgh), De Luca (Edinburgh), S Lamont (Northampton); Godman (Edinburgh), Blair (Edinburgh, capt); Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Ford (Edinburgh), E Murray (Northampton), Hines (Perpignan), Hamilton (Edinburgh), White (Sale), Taylor (Stade Francais), Barclay (Glasgow Warriors)

I would say that is close to a full strength Scotland apart from the obvious candidate - Godman. I would say NZ are fielding a 2XV with the likes of MacKintosh, Messam and Read. Rokocoko just had to get back from injury for this game

scotland v fiji is a bit tasty lol

NZ's using the tests to blood the next lot coming through.

Bloody hell, they won! And Ireland shocked Samoa!

Can't see us upsetting the ABs. Although our back row is pretty good and very experienced,even without McCaw and So'oialo theirs is probably still better. The back division's pretty good as well unfortunately, possibly a better pair of wingers than started vs Oz last week.

I can see us scoring one try, but I can see them scoring 3 or 4...

Scotland 13-31 NZ.

C'mon Ireland

I think you are forgetting quite how brutal Scotland are. I'd say Scotland will be luck to keep the deficit to less than thirty points. Hope I'm wrong though.

Unfortunately for Scotland it wasnt enough to get them through but a quality punch-up between Henderson and the Fijian, Bring Back The Biff!

As for the test match between Scotland and the AB's I cant help but think it is going to be a cricket score in the kiwis favour, hope im wrong.

I would bite your hand off for that score right now.

Anyone going tomorrow?

Gubbed

Hadden is a bad 'un and has to go. Actually I think the SRU might go out of business soon enough, our national team is awful and I can't see anyone turning up for the 6 Nations.

ouch. Not looking forward to work later today

Saying that, what the hell happened to England last night? 24-12 at ht, the beeb's message board was full of gloating posters, then the second half happened...

They were killing themselves at that at work when I said that it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch

In all fairness here.

1. I don't think Hadden has anything to do with the Scottish Rugby League side.
2. The same probably goes for the SRU

I bet they were
As for the Scotland vs Tonga match, Scotland seriously dont have a defence. I lost count how many times a Tongan just waltzed through as if nobody was there, disappointed.

I shall be watching Ireland v. Fiji tomorrow morning at work. There shall be cider waiting in my desk if we win. I'd love it if we get to the semis but, who cares, we have the craic anyway. And we're not bad either !

There is no point in having a back line of runners such as De luca, Cairns, Lamont, Evans and Paterson if your not going to play a fly half who will pass the ball to them. IMO Godman is the best option we have at 10 at the moment if you want to see Scotland playing running rugby and creating chances to score tries. That was proven on Saturday ( Granted our finishing still needs improving) when Godman decided to open the game from the very start. Parks is the man you put in there if Scotland want to hold a lead. You'd be aswell playing that Mac Henderson ( Oldest living Scotland cap, 101) on the wing when Parks is at 10.

As for the game, going forward Scotland looked OK. Didn't take our chances and we never got the bounce of the ball. Defending was poor though. That try 2 minutes into the second half was a joke and actually quite demoralising. Apart from NZ's first try, the other 3 could have been avoided. At the breakdown Scotland did alright too, but we need to put all this together with a better defence to really test the top teams.

SA next, don't come much better than that! Hopfully Rory Lamont and Simon Taylor will be fit, and we can take a chance or two!

Hold it right there sonny jim! That useless c**t Dan Parks should never, ever be in the Scotland team. If you want someone who can get the ball and kick it aimlessly to the opposition, stopping any attempt at fluent play, then Parks is the man. He is absolutely dreadful.

I was at the NZ game on Saturday, and like you said, we didn't look bad at all. We had the majority of the attacking play, and all the territory, but just couldn't get the ball over the line. Unfortunately, this attacking play came at the cost of a defence, so when NZ got the ball, they basically cut through us and scored every time.

Murrayfield was great though, cool build up with the darkness, the floodlights, the purple lights etc. and the minutes silence ended by the helicopter was awesome! Despite the result, it was a nice enough evening out. We played decent rugby, it was a nice atmosphere, and I went home relatively happy.

Quite looking forward to some punishment in just under a fortnight for the Canada match. It'll be my first rugby match of any kind, and with a smidgen of luck, I'll see a home win. How often does that happen at Pittodrie?

The Canadians were raped at the weekend, and despite Scotland being a bit rubbish, I think I'll be happy enough at the end of it. Have we lost to someone as bad as Canada before?