[Closed] STW 2014/15 Rugby Thread

Adam training with Neath and has no club and now Captain Sam will not be picked by the Blues!! All turning to shit.

http://m.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/28758412

Balls is it too early for 6N's predictions!

So then my predictions:

Prem: Saffas
Rabo: Ulster
Top 14: Toulon
ERC: Northampton
6N's: England

Hopefully I'll be getting to a few more Sale games this season as they've moved to Saturday afternoon games.

Sad situation for Welsh rugby....what exactly is the issue for Adam a_a? I wasn't aware that he'd signed a central contract, why doesn't he just sign for the O's? I'm guessing it's not a simple as that but I'm unsure why.

I presume the Ospreys cant afford him unless they sign the wru's participation agreement as they signed others whilst the wru were busy trying to outbid the ospreys.

Adam Jones signs for The Blues... if thats a dual/central contract expect the shit to hit the fan big time.

My Sale season ticket arrived last week, first game on Saturday - a warm up against last seasons relegation victims Worcester.
Heres hoping for a decent season.

Oops

Heres a pic to make up for the double post![img] [/img]

You missed the first game against Fylde last week MD!

The replacements were moving that quick it was difficult trying to keep up! Lund looked good for the few minutes he was on. Sale looked flaky in the first 10 minutes then very good in the last!

AP - Leicester
Rabo - Munster
Top 14 - Toulon
ERC - Leicester (but probably more likely Toulon)
6 Nations - England, not sure about the grand slam though.

England won't win the grand slam. 19 years and counting........

Sat 13th Sept Glaws v Stockport. Unfortunately on holiday but the carrot crunchers are up from Exeter the following weekend 8)

Leicester fan by any chance?

Got tickets for Wales v Aussies, 1st match at Millennium Stadium for me. Very excited even if we are going to lose, and we are going to lose because it's the Aussies and we always lose and added to that it's an Autumn International and we'd lose to the WI's over 70s. It'll be fun to see whether we lose in the dying seconds by throwing away a small lead or squander a scoring chance while chasing a small deficit.

Most often with the previous 240 000 losses to the aussies in the last five years its throwing away a lead in the last 2 mins or being hammered out of sight by half time. The last game v SA was a good example of the art of throwing away a lead so they have very current form.

Perfection

Leicester fan by any chance?

Guilty. 😀

Brad Thorne to Leicester - a bit of steel and an OLD head will be good for the team. Haven't followed the full recruitment for the AP, but the Leicester team looks as good as any in a while so looking forward to a good season.

Wales to go to utter ratshit at club level, but pull together as a squad.

No idea whatsoever who will win the 6N, but Cleremont for the EC.

Rabo - Munster

Got tickets for Wales v Aussies, 1st match at Millennium Stadium for me.

Hopefully I'll be getting to a few more Sale games this season as they've moved to Saturday afternoon games.

And yet EP was often busy and sometimes sold out on a Fri night. Have they sorted the actually-getting-to-and-from-the-game problems at Barton yet?

No I don't think they have....I parked down a side street the last time I went (sensibly, not obstructing anything etc) and got my car keyed.

I think that there's a coach from Stoke to the stadium that me and my dad will be using this year. I guess there'll still be an hour queue to get on and off the carpark though.

Train?
We get a train from Rochdale into Man. Victoria then hop on the Liverpool train & jump off a couple of stops down the line & walk the rest, stopping for a pint at the Unicorn.
Saturday rugby means easier public transport for many.
looking forward to watching the games in daylight, the switch to Saturdays was a major factor in getting season tickets this year.

there'll still be an hour queue to get on and off the carpark though.

Park in the aerodrome for £5. few minutes walk away.

Saturday rugby means easier public transport for many.

Not moving from EP would have meant even easier public transport for many. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

It'll be fun to see whether we lose in the dying seconds by throwing away a small lead or squander a scoring chance while chasing a small deficit.

Last time I went to the Millenium was to watch Wales lose to Samoa 🙁

Rusty thats the standard game plan against most teams but to give Cementhead his due he changes it for playing Aus,SA or NZ. Its either get a thorough pasting from the start and then look better when they take the foot off the throat or throw it away in the last few mins. More often the former.

PSA: European Rugby Cup final tickets (Twickenham) are on sale

Simpson Daniel retires after failing to recover from ankle injury. Great shame that.

Hello again all!

A great shame about Simpson-Daniel,one of the last of the clever small guys l fear.

Anyone know how the WorldCup Ticket allocation is going to work?

I'm on holiday on the 12 when they are released 🙁

they say it's going into a ballet after the closeing date if it's over subscribed .... that a given!!

So should i just max out the CreditCard and buy 4 for all games i'm interest in and assume i'll only win only a few?!?!

@tod - you put in for what you want, if you win tickets in the ballot your card gets charged. Based on my Olympic experience you put in for 38 tickets over 19 events and get nothing 🙁 yes if I where you I would put in for all 4 games.

jambalaya, i did the same for the olympics and got Zero too !!

hopefully karma is with me this time

So tonight, Glaws v Saints,I think Saints will pick them apart later on as 26 new players will take a heck of a long time to blend.

Sexton back to Leinster next year,wonder how much of a pay cut he will have taken.

So, Glos are starting this season as they started last season!
Saints looking very, very strong.

Ouch, that was a smashing.

Nice to find another Sharky on here, Muddy. Looking forward to tomorrow? I'm a bit nervous because I think we need a good start to the season and I don't feel we looked great against Worcester

No, very lacklustre against Wuss. Bit nervous actually, Bath will want revenge for last season and will come out strong.
Think it will be very close.

Any watch Aus v SA this morning?
George Clancy had a shocker.
Didn't see NZ v ARG but apparently the ref was pretty poor as well.

Starting to look like it could be a long season for Sale, and a rather disappointing crowd for our new look Saturday rugby too......

Bath are a pretty good side I wouldnt panic just yet.
Scarlets let Ulster off the hook yesterday. Very poor. Liam Braindead Williams with another red. Is that 3 in his last 5 games.. dumb ****.

Just back from the brizzle/wuss game. Jeez that was a corker!
Just seen the LW score. I know its spiteful and pathetic, but it has further improved my mood considerably!
I hate Justin Burnell with a passion.

I'd say that Oxford Welsh's season will feel a lot longer than Sales 😆

Sale weren't exactly thrashed and as a_a say's, Bath are a good side. Have we heard from scamper yet? 😀

I hate Justin Burnell with a passion.

Something you have in common with Mr Henson. Burnell is also a shite coach.

Bath deserved that win, but Sale made it easy for them. Stupid penalties gifted Ford the points - he rarely misses.
Sale's pack looks promising though, do wish they would stop kicking the bloody ball away and back themselves..

Some of us are actually riding our bikes Tom (in France) and the season does not start until I bomb up the M5 from the plymouth ferry to hopefully catch next weekend's game 8)

Bath deserved that win, but Sale made it easy for them. Stupid penalties gifted Ford the points - he rarely misses.
Sale's pack looks promising though, do wish they would stop kicking the bloody ball away and back themselves..

Fair summary I think. I am just frustrated because I think we gave at least a losing BP away. Still, it wouldn't be Sale if it wasn't a roller-coaster

Some of us are actually riding our bikes Tom (in France) and the season does not start until I bomb up the M5 from the plymouth ferry to hopefully catch next weekend's game

I'm not sure that I'd be rushing back 8)

Rain or shine, Tom. Rain or shine.

[img] 1?view=976[/img]

Nice new Tigers shirt 😯

Do the tiggers instruct Canterbury to make a more gopping kit than the previous one every single year? What is their flipping problem?

That's the 'alternative' strip, the new home strip is pretty normal. Although some fans are still not happy with that either!

I like it and will be sporting a new orange tigers shirt at some point though.

Looks more "salmon" than orange. Good job Gav doesn't play for you, you wouldn't be able to tell where the shirt ended and he began!

😀

Danny Cipriani gets both barrels from Kelly Brook (fembot images spring to mind 8) )

[i]Miss Brooks’ legal issues apparently stem from the book’s portrayal of her love-rat ex-paramour, rugby union star Danny Cipriani. This is indeed one of the more striking depictions of infidelity that Lost in Showbiz has come across, hinging as it does on one, telling detail. Not only does Brook claim that the rugby union star is a serial cheat and “man-child” determined to accumulate as many female conquests as possible, but that his obsession with philandering so consumed him that he became incapable of operating a lavatory correctly, or, as she puts it, he was so busy chasing women he couldn’t “flush [his] own turd down the loo”. “Danny Cipriani is blowing up my phone saying: ‘I’m going to sue you’,” she said, shortly before announcing her willingness to go to prison over the issue.[/i]

[url= http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/lostinshowbiz/2014/sep/11/kelly-brook-tells-all-about-danny-cipriani ]Guardian Link[/url]

he was so busy chasing women he couldn’t “flush [his] own turd down the loo”.

Tigers currently losing to a very good looking Exeter side.

Johnny was asked to come out of retirement - he said no 😐 . Toulon lost narrowly at home to Stade at the weekend after a poor place kicking display with Michelak and Giteau out and Halfpenny yet to play [s](anyone know why ?)[/s]

[url= http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0,25883,9818_9472517,00.html ]Planet Rugby[/url]

EDIT: Halfpenny hasn't played for 6 months, shoulder and then groin injury. Hopefully he'll be back soon.

[url= http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/wales-star-leigh-halfpenny-forced-7753824 ]Wales Online[/url]

Toulon have signed [s]Hernandese[/s] some argentinian fella but I suppose he will be over post the [s]tri-nations[/s] quad nations?

Talking of kicking anyone see Patchels effort v glasgow. That boy has some boot on him.

about 2 mins in
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/29194845

Some discussion that Halfpenny's contract may be cancelled. Mr B (Toulon owner) is not happy it seems, odd to air this so publicly.

[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/29222001 ]BBC[/url]

I'm sure 1/2p will be really motivated by this!

Suspect he's on the way back to taffyland with a central contract pending...

muddydwarf - Member

Tigers currently losing to a very good looking Exeter side.

Well played Tigers, great to get an away win at Sandy Park

And that was definitely not a yellow for Goneva

Exeter look good this year. Thought Manu looked uninterested. (I still have man love for him though!) Goneva not a yellow agreed. Burns playing very well, suspect even Daddy's boy will be pressed hard this year for the 10 spot (he's still not his own clubs #1 English fly half!) will be pleased when Leicesters first choice props return, struggled a bit against Exeter.

Gets worse

First Leigh Halfpenny... next Toulon President Mourad Boudjellal has Bryan Habana, Bakkies Botha and Juan Fernandez Lobbe in his sights.

The outspoken President of the money-laden French aristocrats, is demanding the immediate return from Test duty of Halfpenny’s Toulon team-mates or is threatening court action which could change the face of world rugby.

The star-studded trio are playing for their countries in the Rugby Championship, but Boudjellal is warning that unless they return to France by the end of the week he will stop paying their lucrative wages.

Lethal finisher Habana and lock enforcer Botha are away with South Africa and back-row star Lobbe is in camp with Argentina. The crack four-team southern hemisphere tournament does not finish until next month.

However, Boudjellal has reacted to the European and French champions’ 28-24 home defeat against Stade Francais and a club injury crisis by saying he pays the wages of Habana, Botha and Lobbe and he wants them playing for Toulon.

Juan Fernandez Lobbe - Tireless, enthusiastic, bright, and fiercely competitive, Lobbe is a relentless force for ArgentinaJuan Fernandez Lobbe 
The Rugby Championship is sanctioned by the IRB, which means clubs have to release players who are selected by their countries.

But Boudjellal will challenge that policy and demand clubs only be forced to release players if the IRB or individual unions foot the bill for those away on international duty.

He challenged the IRB to a court fight in what would effectively be a test case and could yet have major repercussions for the WRU.

If Boudjellal gets his way in court, it could mean the WRU having to foot the bill for compensation for the release of overseas stars such as Jonathan Davies, Jamie Roberts, MIke Phillips, Dan Lydiate and Luke Charteris.

That could potentially result in a significant amount of the £2m the WRU are paying for the new dual contract system having to be diverted to fund compensation payments to clubs in France and probably England if Warren Gatland wanted to continue picking his exiles.

Boudjellal defended his hard-line stance by stating of Habana, Botha and Lobbe: “There is something that is quite simple – they defend the colours of their country and are paid rather comfortably by Toulon.

“The IRB decided the rules. That’s fine but I’m not here to fund South African and Argentine rugby and I will not.

“These players will return as we need them. If they do not and we receive no fee, they will not be paid by us because they will not be present in Toulon.”

VIEW GALLERY

Arguing French law usurped IRB regulations, he continued: “We’ll see if the rules of the IRB prevail or if it is the rules of the Labour Code for French private enterprise. In any case, it is an aberration.

“We have reached a stage where we have to ask the opinion of the French law. Therefore, we will ask the French judges whether a foreign federation has the right to take my employees and force me to pay them.

“It’s just unthinkable we have players who are paid very well by us but cannot not play them. Moreover, I have to pay the players replacing them. This is a double sanction.”

The IRB doesn’t work a formal compensation system – it leaves it up to individual unions to take a stance on the thorny matter.

Aviva Premiership clubs, or example, are paid handsomely by the RFU for England squad members but do not receive anything for other nationalities.

That means they won’t release the likes of Wales and Lions hooker Richard Hibbard, who has joined Gloucester, for international matches played outside official IRB windows.

Only giant winger George North has a specific release clause for every Wales fixture in his contract. But it has come at a price for his club Northampton, who were clobbered with a hefty £60,000 fine by Premier Rugby for being in contravention of the league’s regulations by letting him to play for Wales against Australia last November in a match that took place outside the IRB’s the designated international window.

If Boudjellal carries out his threat to go to court and wins, it could have crippling ramifications for unions around the world and decimate countries like Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, who couldn’t afford to pay for the release of their overseas-based best players.

I find the French Club attitude to oversea's players strange. They know the IRB rules and they know the player is probably going to play for an international team (in fact that is one of the reasons they signed them). So complaining about later is at best, just petty. If they are complaining about the money, then make it part of the contact that they don't get paid when on international duty. Given the size of the contracts, I suspect most players could afford to take the hit. Or talk to the SA, Aus, Arg Rugby Boards about compensation

@aa, he's really had a bad day hasn't he ! It was my understanding that the leagues had to release players during the agreed windows and the North/Wales/Northampton dispute was very specific. Toulon have typically signed international players who have decided to stand down from International duty, this is one of the factors in their success as they don't come back injured and they are at max strength during the international windows. In some respects Mr B has made his own problems here by signing more current internationals especially those from the Southern Hemisphere (although view was Botha and Habana might be standing down from Boks)

More injury woes for Sale 🙁

[url= http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/hines-injury-blow-rocks-sale-7782225 ]Nathan Hines out for 12 weeks[/url]

The AP is going to be tough this year - Sarries will top it again. They looked ruthless and efficent again this weekend.

Saints still not as consistent as they should be although Wasps will be no mugs this season. I'd be worried if I was a Quins fan - something isn't working there. Appointing Marler as captain? Hmmm. He's got better bit is still a hot head who gets carded (see first game). Not really what you want as a captain.

6N will be interesting - England still have a lot of question mars. The pack looks pretty sorted but the backs are an issue - 12 and wings being the worst. 12T has had a poor start to the season - on paper he should be what is needed but he falls apart in games. I don't want to see Ashton anywhere near the squad - he can't defend (still).

Wales will go well - the regional teams never seem to go well but the national squad does well. The risk for them is key players likes A Jones and Jenkins coming to the end of outstanding careers.

A Jones will struggle to get picked ahead of Samson Lee new younger players are coming through but lack of depth is a chronic problem.

He will also struggle to get picked if he's as poor as he has been so far tonight

He's really really unfit. Cardiff resting players for home games shifting Patchel to 15, long season.

Another balls up by Gloucs...oops.

A very satisfying afternoon for me, as my wife's team finally took a thorough drubbing at the hands of my team, Bath, after too many years of failing to get a good result. Bath looked very sharp today, and I really hope they can keep that going through the season.

Blimey what a result for Bath. Looks like it could be a cracking Prem season. I think London Welsh are really going to struggle mind!

Ospreys 62 Edinburgh 13 was not expecting that!

Yeah I watched some of that just. Embra don't really look very good at all 😯

Just watching the prem highlights.....it's bad enough for London Welsh looking hugely out of their depth, but it's made even worse by the fact that every time they get smashed away from home (it's going to happen a lot!) they're dressed in barbie pink!!! Blimey!

Great try from Rhys Webb at the start. I've slated him before but have to say he's playing really well this season, him and Gareth Davies at scarlets can hopefully put from pressure on Mike Phillips this season. Mike only seems to put in a big performance once or twice every ten games for Wales at the moment.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/29288526

In other news Cruden missed his flight to Argentina with the All Blacks after going out on the piss. Hansen has told him to not bother with that or the SA game......I blame Henson.

Watched the Tigers game on Saturday. Bloody hell what was that. Just about the worst possible performance I've ever seen from a tigers side.

I know tigers have something like 15 players injured. The ones on the pitch (OK, maybe not the props) should have been up to the task of at least containing Bath, but what is happening at Leicester that every season start, the entire first team seems to be broken. Every team has injuries, but not to that level. Something is wrong and it's frankly, bloody depressing.

I think London Welsh are really going to struggle mind!

Whatever gave you that idea, is it because their points difference is -117 after THREE games? 😆

Worst Edinburgh performance ever. Not sure where they go from this pre-season was ok, start the league season with a win in Munster but then appear to have lost all direction and structure. WTF are the coaches doing.

Edinburgh play London Welsh in the Amlin thing...has the potential to be the lowest quality game of professional rugby ever!