Rugby Union

[Mark Connolly]

Just now, Detournement said:

On the other hand they have been completely overpowered and again showed zero ability to play for territory. 

A point I've also made a few times already.

As I said, I'd love to see the Leinster nutrition and S&C plans to see just how they can develop so much power

[Detournement]

Definitely. I think it's telling both Ireland and Leinster crashed in 2019 after looking unbeatable in 2018.

Tagh Furlong is the prime example. They seem to hit a physical peak which is barely believable. 

[Snobot]

I would happily see Saracens beat them in the HC to be honest, and they (Sarries)  are despicable cheating c*nts.

[John Lambies Doos]

Well that was embarrassing

[peasy23]

Spain in another player eligibility blunder.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/its-happened-again-spain-mired-in-another-ineligible-player-controversy

[honestly united]

Glasgow were really poor last night, first 10 minutes had some hopeless kicking and general messing about in our own 22 that gifted leinster 2 tries. Pete Horne aside I thought the rest of our backs looked really poor, and our forwards were ok. Apart from the first scrum, we seemed to hold our own and its hard to defend when it looks like Leinster are running on to forward passes around the breakdown. I think I would be starting Jackson at 10 rather than Horne but we definetly need another 10 for next season

[Detournement]

3 hours ago, honestly united said:

Glasgow were really poor last night, first 10 minutes had some hopeless kicking and general messing about in our own 22 that gifted leinster 2 tries. Pete Horne aside I thought the rest of our backs looked really poor, and our forwards were ok. Apart from the first scrum, we seemed to hold our own and its hard to defend when it looks like Leinster are running on to forward passes around the breakdown. I think I would be starting Jackson at 10 rather than Horne but we definetly need another 10 for next season

I thought the forwards got creamed. We got nothing from the locks in the first half and the contrast between Baird and Fardy with Swinson and Harley was stark. Neither of the two of them are ever going to play for Scotland again or start a big match if everyone is fit so Glasgow really need to be focussed on using the available minutes to bring on second rows. 

The lack of a kicking game is the biggest issue. Rennie mentioned it after the Zebre game but it was the same shit again last night. 

[John Lambies Doos]

Munster munstering that again

[Snobot]

Cheetahs just lost to Dragons with an 85th minute penalty, which is good for Glasgow’s play off chances.

[Mark Connolly]

Various reports going round that Sky are going to get the 6N.

ITV and BBC were apparently told they weren't allowed to jointly bid this time round

[peasy23]

Exeter seem to be struggling for motivation in the league without having Saracens to push them along. They lost at Northampton last night, with the Saints getting a late penalty try to put them ahead. That means Exeter have lost 4 out of 12 in the Premiership this season, compared to 5 in the whole season last year. They are still top of the table tbf.

[Savage Henry]

Exeter seem to be struggling for motivation in the league without having Saracens to push them along. They lost at Northampton last night, with the Saints getting a late penalty try to put them ahead. That means Exeter have lost 4 out of 12 in the Premiership this season, compared to 5 in the whole season last year. They are still top of the table tbf.

Astonishing that a team with Stuart Hogg is going through the motions.

[Northsea80]

Various reports going round that Sky are going to get the 6N.
ITV and BBC were apparently told they weren't allowed to jointly bid this time round

Report about it tomorrow in the rugby paper. I wonder what the reasoning for not allowing a joint bid from itv & bbc was?

[Allan Jacobsen]

8 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

 

Astonishing that a team with Stuart Hogg is going through the motions.

Hogg wasn't in the 23 last night. Also, it was Quins who beat them. Northampton lost at home to already relegated Saracens.

[GordonS]

On 28/02/2020 at 21:05, Mark Connolly said:

Lowe comes in from the side and takes out a guy who isn't in the ruck - "Nothing there, stick with your onfield decision".

It's hard enough against a bunch of roided up monsters, but a few decisions wouldn't go amiss

I was in Dublin about 8 years ago and I saw an advert by Leinster in the paper looking for any large children. I spoke to a couple of guys that follow Leinster closely and they said this is something they're very good at, going into schools, encouraging the biggest and tallest boys to come and play, and then training them with the skills. They especially went to the middle-class schools were you'd find bigger kids anyway. Their strategy seemed to be that you can train any reasonably big and athletic boy to be a forward.

Maybe it's the 'roids, maybe it's that.

In Scottish rugby we're still not remotely reaching kids that aren't already at rugby-playing schools, our pool of potential players is really small. Most clubs run good mini and midi set-ups but form what I've seen they're very patchy at recruiting kids to come - it seems to be down to whether their parents here about it and take them along.

[peasy23]

Hogg wasn't in the 23 last night. Also, it was Quins who beat them. Northampton lost at home to already relegated Saracens.

I'm still half asleep. [emoji85]

I know Chiefs have players missing due to the internationals, but they have lost a few games already that you wouldn't have seen them losing in the last few years.

Did Sky not have part of the 6 nation's before ITV? Or was that only highlights? Or am I imagining it?

[Allan Jacobsen]

1 minute ago, peasy23 said:

I'm still half asleep.

I know Chiefs have players missing due to the internationals, but they have lost a few games already that you wouldn't have seen them losing in the last few years.

Did Sky not have part of the 6 nation's before ITV? Or was that only highlights? Or am I imagining it?

I'll be honest. I just wanted to use the phrase 'already relegated Saracens'.

[Mark Connolly]

2 minutes ago, peasy23 said:

I'm still half asleep.

I know Chiefs have players missing due to the internationals, but they have lost a few games already that you wouldn't have seen them losing in the last few years.

Did Sky not have part of the 6 nation's before ITV? Or was that only highlights? Or am I imagining it?

IIRC they had the England home games at one point

[Salvo Montalbano]

IIRC they had the England home games at one point

Yes, seem to remember that being quite controversial at the time for 2 reasons - having the England games separate from the other championship games and having the tournament on a pay TV channel. They then continued to have the Autumn internationals (and still do to this day I think) when the 6 Nations went back to the BBC and then BBC/ITV. I take it this is the new owners trying to raise more money.

[GordonS]

1 hour ago, Salvo Montalbano said:

2 hours ago, Mark Connolly said:

IIRC they had the England home games at one point

Yes, seem to remember that being quite controversial at the time for 2 reasons - having the England games separate from the other championship games and having the tournament on a pay TV channel. They then continued to have the Autumn internationals (and still do to this day I think) when the 6 Nations went back to the BBC and then BBC/ITV. I take it this is the new owners trying to raise more money.

England were very nearly ejected from the 6 Nations for unilaterally selling their home TV rights to Sky. They had to agree to share all of them additional money equally with the other nations and to sign an agreement that they couldn't do it in future.

With the 6 Nations being the only time most people see any rugby it's a bloody stupid idea to take it off free TV. It's been bad for golf and cricket in the UK and it will inevitably harm rugby too - but not before CVC have made a packet and then buggered off to their private islands.