[Closed] 2013/14 Rugby Thread

Ospreys v Ulster on telly box tonight should be a good game.

or maybe it'll be a croc of shit.

Sale 16-10 Bath at half time.

Cipriani getting lauded by the pundits. Baths Fijian winger is having a stormer, both scrum half's playing well.

Well played ulster. Irish players better than refs 😉

Bath lose, burn the witch.

Sale win, Cipriani gets man of the match. Henson tips up the ball with his first touch 🙂
In all fairness Bath were muscled off the ball.

What do you mean by that? If you mean in the sale 22 it wasnt his first touch. I could see that on my dodgy internet feed. Obviously Cippers brilliance had blinded you.

Anywhere to see a replay of Sale Bath online ? I need a good shout at the tv about wasted talent and this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity ...

Cirpiani can do what he likes but he's blown his chances for England - Farrell has made the spot his own.

Cipriani wont play for England again, his time has gone. Youngsters like Ford are ahead of him.
Henson didn't get much time to play to be fair but it looked to me like his first touch, ball came to him and he was smothered and stripped. I thought he would be on earlier but Bath left it til it was too late.
Happy with that result, thought we'd get stuffed to be honest.

Henson looked like Billy no mates during the warmup! One touch of the ball and as MD says he he had no chance.
I thought we would struggle at the scrum certainly in the first half with Ostrikov and Kulemin on the bench but they did well.
As well as Cipriani's brilliant all round game his tackling was excellent tonight, there where lots of good performances. Solid and dogged defending and a good rolling maul.
Patterson played well and took 10 minutes for the team! Great to see him prowling for the full 10 minutes pestering the official to get back on, dont think he sat down!!! It was good to see Tuitupu back to fitness a few trademark tackles from him!

Henson touched the ball at least twice, makes you look very one eyed. For a player who was only on for what six mins its funny how he gets so much comment!
Bath backrow are a bit lightweight and lineout doesnt seem to work well. Ford is good but lacks control at times, also Eastmond doesnt seem to track him. Joeseph and Eastmond are also too similar and a but lighweight. Having Banahanahanahan one the other wing to the excellent Rokoduguni and launching them down the middle would help rather than rely on a miricle break from Ford or having him take it to the line with no one on his shoulder.

Dwarf when have you ever been fair concerning Henson?

It's going to be a tough game at Welford road today, want Leicester to win but Northampton will be looking for revenge after final in May

Speaking of tough games, Springboks v All Blacks @ 16:00
Got sweaty palms already . Championship decider, Boks need 4 tries and 7 point lead which I can't see happening.
However, I do think they will win the game,home advantage at Ellis Park and Welsh referee and the wanting to get even after the last game that was ruined by the poxy French excuse of a referee.

Henson touched the ball at least twice, makes you look very one eyed. For a player who was only on for what six mins its funny how he gets so much comment!

Hang on a minute AA I think its you who is being "one eyed" I made comment about Henson because he is such an influential character. I wasnt making a criticism of him. Unlike many I am a big fan and would really love to see him do well. I was in the South stand and whilst he came out with the rest of the subs to warm up he was clearly not "with" them. They were passing the ball amongst each other and he looked a bit like the kid who nobody would pass to. OK so he touched the ball "twice" 🙄 you are right 6 minutes is not enough for him to make much impact but it was telling that when he got the ball he was swamped such is the danger. It was squeaky bum time and we all knew one touch may have been enough 😯

Sputnik I think karma has been restored for the Boks after the daft card Australia got for the Bok jumping into/over a tackle.

Will be a huge game, go Blacks.

Henson is, was and always will be a loner but dont confuse that with not being a team player when the whistle blows.
It was very predictable that Henson would get singled out which was why I posted "Bath lose, burn the witch". Sure enough two people pop up and talk about his one touch when he had two as always criticsed for what people percieve than what is true.

He may not be the player he was but in that "two tackles, one kick" game he was the only welsh player who had the self belief and arrogance to expect a win and the skill to change the game. Alfie may had been a "team player" and true "rugby man" but it was Henson who gave the team belief. Without that win where would wales be now?

dont confuse that with not being a team player when the whistle blows.

I dont 🙄 it did stand out to me that he seemed seperate from the others when they were warming up that was all. I didnt infer anything else from it with regard to his teamwork. Step back a bit AA as I said I am a Henson fan and stop going on about the 1 touch 2 touch thing thats not really important as I said above. I am certainly not singling him out (other than him being one of the most talented players around)
as a Sale fan I have to be grateful that they didnt play him earlier!

stop going on about the 1 touch 2 touch thing thats not really important

well it is, if you say something about his one touch when he had two, its at best lazy analysis.

Well I was in the stand and not in my armchair so sometimes you actually miss stuff. You are clearly looking for a opportunity to argue with a Henson critic and you cant find one so you are focusing on trivia. I will wear my hair shirt for the rest of the day AA for making a flippant and poorly observed comment whilst you keep a sharp lookout. 🙄

Haha pwnage!

Roko was 66/1 for top tryscorer at the start of the season. I really wish I'd chucked a £20 at it. He's a hell of a find (picked up due to his performance in the army v navy game). Brizzle have also just signed a squaddie called Sam speight. He looks good too.

Amazing game so far, both teams playing great rugby but I'm thinking All Blacks will edge ahead in the final quarter.

Anywhere to see a replay of Sale Bath online ? I need a good shout at the tv about wasted talent and this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity ...

aviva premiership site should have it up in a few days.

Is there a replay of SA v AB anywhere?

Schools out 😀

Nice win for Munster this evening.

@teamhurtmore - you can usually find them on YouTube, I watched a couple of Lions pre-test tour matches that way, good excuse to link computer / phone to tv !

This fellow seems to be putting them up but there are others [url= http://m.youtube.com/channel/UCse_laJwNsyeI-Q1kUUhKPg ]linky[/url]

@aa thanks

Cheers jambalaya 😉

Schools out 

did you reach the number two yet? 😉

@teamhurtmore here you go (I'm watching Toulon Clermont but will queue this up later !)

That game ^^^ MUST be watched.

It is the most intense match that I have ever seen.

Seconded!!!!!

Rugby at its most exciting and dramatic.

Watched the S.A.- KIWI game yesterday,what a match but I couldn't help wondering how could we(i'm welsh,so I mean Wales) ever compete with these two teams when they are capable of such intense rugby.But atleast we have the best ref in the world :-).

Sorry Jambalaya - missed that earlier, but caught the match this morning. Agree with ^^ - will any of the N Hemisphere teams ever play like that!???

Ref-ed very well indeed.

@mikey - it's all about pressure, NZ barely squeezed past France in the last RWC. Personally I think Wales would have won that final.

I dont believe wales will beat NZ in my lifetime, even via dreamt up what if scenarios

Glaws beaten up by Exeter which has caused a lot of gnashing of teeth with a mate of mine 😆

Watched the All Black game and 😯 is that the best game of rugby ever played? The only issue I had was the Boks defence seemed to go missing for two of the All Black tries. Lots of people also saying how good Nigel Owens was as the ref. Echos whats written above.

I know rugby is the predominant sport in New Zealand and is a religion to them, but how do they keep finding players who are so good. Historically they have been labelled chokers but that side on the weekend were just amazing.

Sale beat Biarritz 33-10, two penalty tries and one proper one.

Either Biarritz are really bad up front or Sale have suddenly found a pack from somewhere!

I think Biaritz dont give a shit! Bit like Bath who have Henson at 15 he's far too slow for 15 when run at.

Biarritz are struggling it seems, only one win from nine games so far and rooted to the bottom of the domestic table. In their shoes I'd not be fielding a full strength team for a second rate comp either.

if you're not watching Ulster v Leicester, well, you should be!

Why are they both losing?

Yep, both losing 13-13. Damn good match,

SUFTUM!!

Well played Ulster. That tigers bonus point could be useful

TJ will be a happy man.

Scarlett's winning 😆

Scablets beat hairyqueens. Didnt see it due to child guarding duties. How did Priestland go? Big call for wales between him and Biggar. Was it a Williams scoring three or three williams scoring one?

Left it late but mr may does scorch across the turf.

Some nice try's by Scarlett's.

Watching the Bath game and wondering whats the point of the video ref if the ref asks a question watches the big screen and doesnt wait for the video ref to say anything?

Sad day in Ospreylia

Not that sad when you consider that the star signing for this season was Trebaldi!!!

😆 very true, they have been punching above their weight so far.

Nalaga cited, not sure what to make of it really.
[img] [/img]

some great stuff here... is Jordan the new Shane?

and to finish off Scarlets scrumming with a man down 😯

[img] [/img]

The citing complaint against the ASM Clermont Auvergne wing, Naipolioni Nalaga (No 11), arising from the Heineken Cup Round 1 match against Racing Metro 92 on Sunday, 13 October 2013, was upheld at an independent Disciplinary Hearing in Dublin, Thursday, 17 October.
However, it was also decided that the offence did not warrant any further sanction and therefore, Nalaga is free to play in Sunday's Heineken Cup Pool 4 game against Harlequins at Stade-Marcel Michelin.

naughty but not naughty enough!

Looks pretty naughty to me.

I reckon he knew what he was doing, you don't break stride like that naturally. Got away with it though.
Got any clips of the Sampson incident a_a? I've read that he's being cited for stamping Danny Care.

but its not his fault the guy throws his head at his legs

but its not his fault the guy throws his head at his legs

Whether the guy was throwing his head at his legs or not, he still breaks stride and raises his knee. It [i]looks[/i] deliberate but who knows whether it was and what his intention was when he looks at the tackler, break stride and raises his knee. I'm only saying how it [i]looks[/i].

The tackler did have his head on the wrong side, but I cannot imagine what else the runner would be trying to acheive by raising his leg if not to knee the tackler in the head. Nevermind, he's free to play and that's all that matters I suppose.

Got any clips of the Sampson incident a_a? I've read that he's being cited for stamping Danny Care.

not been able to find any, according to my welsh compatriots it look accidental and the yellow was harsh.... so it was pretty bad I reckon!!

Devoto has been cited too, for a head butt as well as a Begles player for punching Louw

[img] [/img]

he still breaks stride and raises his knee

Campese wouldnt of had a career if that is a citing offence.

Samson apparently got the ball, I was listening to Brian Moore huffing and puffing about it then saying something along the lines of another angle shows him getting the ball before stamping on Dannys head 😉 he then went quiet on the subject.

Sneaky bastard not sneaky enough.

so it was pretty bad I reckon!!

Campese wouldnt of had a career if that is a citing offence.

Was citing even around when Campese was?

Devoto's headbut was a very sneaky one too, it reminded me of that big dual code Kiwi lock when he nutted someone in the tackle a few years ago.

actually it wasn't the kiwi it was that big Saffa who's now at Toulon, he nutted the kiwi 9

No I dont think it was you hunk of burning Irish love 😆

Winger looks a bit like Nigel Walkers attempts to tackle that usually led to a brief spell of unconsciousness and a head ache.

The concussion discussion thing is interesting, a classic example is George Smith in the last Lions test, how was he ever allowed to go back on?

these two

2 weeks for Samson Lee so it couldnt have been that bad.

Piece in the Grauniad today on Welsh Regions, I hope they can get it sorted out you'd think with the quality they had they would have two sides challenging for the European Cup. Sounds even more political than English Rugby and that's saying something. For the avoidance of doubt I'd love to see a the Welsh challenging for European Cup.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/oct/17/the-breakdown-wales-regions-limbo

NZ have form.

Assault with intent, part one

And then, a moment to shame a nation. A moment to shame a sport. Disgusting.

What annoys me most here is that incidents like this sour what is a superb rugby team, a nation that loves the sport. See also Andy Haden and more. They're such a good team, they don't need to be dirty cheating sons of bachelors, but yet they are.

Oh dear...I clicked on the second video. I'd forgotten quite how bad it was. 😡

Umaga - a cheat and a coward.

Sorry, DD! I hadn't seen it for a while either, and felt the same. Vile incident.

He even went on to say that it was it was [url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/ireland/2322111/Tana-Umaga-reopens-Brian-ODriscoll-feud.html ]one of those unfortunate things that happen in rugby.[/url]

No, Tana, it was common assault. Nasty, violent assault. Definitely NOT just one of those things.

welsh regions have no money end of story, Ospreys have a good pack but are coached by the work experience kid, same with Scarlets but they have good backs, Cardiff are shit and have a shit coach and the dregs are the Dregs

Flip side of Umaga when he checked that Colin Charvis hadn't swallowed his tongue and put him in recovery position after getting sparked by Jerry Collins.

Very tru, Piggy, very true. Not sure it's enough, though.

I liked that Umaga was man enough to show up for the test match in Dublin later that year. When he knew his cards were marked. Oh wait. He didn't. Pussied out. 🙂

Remember how we'll backed he was by the NZ public?

If following the Lions it would be Australia, SA any day.