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Just back from the Sale - Munster game.
Fantastic afternoon, really thought we had a famous victory but fair play to a good Munster side to take it at the death.
Still the best game of the season from Sale, 1 to 15 put in a bloody good shift.
If the referee had paused another second before blowing up and continued with the advantage then we would have won. It was disappointing not to be awarded the try from the Munster yellow card.
Scotland squad for autumn games, not bad, building nicely I reckon. Could do with a centre and a ten otherwise the backs look good which has always been there problem. Strong back 3 options. John Barclay still not picked.
Scotland squad:Forwards: Adam Ashe (Glasgow Warriors), Johnnie Beattie (Castres), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Cowan, Geoff Cross (both London Irish), Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford (both Edinburgh), Chris Fusaro (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh, capt), Robert Harley, Jonny Gray (both Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Castres), Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), Kieran Low (London Irish), Euan Murray, Gordon Reid (both Glasgow Warriors) Alasdair Strokosch (USA Perpignan), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors).
Backs: Mark Bennett (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Cusiter (Sale Sharks), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Dougie Fife, Tom Heathcote (both Edinburgh), Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Gloucester), Sean Lamont, Sean Maitland, Finn Russell, Henry Pyrgos, Tommy Seymour (all Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Tim Visser (Edinburgh), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors).
TJ would have them down as world beaters!
Pretty happy with the Scotland squad alot of good young players with potential and there are still a few missing through injury just now that will hopefully be back for 6N. A fair bit of pace in the backs for the first thime in a while.
Matt Scott is a big miss in the centre but Bennett and Dunbar are both playing well.
Finn Russell and Tom Heathcote look like they could become quality 10s if they get the game time I would like to see them start.
Hooker is a bit of a worry Ford is doing ok in the loose just now but his throwing and hooking have not been great. Think Pat MacArther is unlucky not to be in the squad.
Not world beaters but alot to be hopefully about.
Wales squad some how Gav not included nor is Adam Jones or Hook
Forwards:
Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Paul James (Bath Rugby), Nicky Smith (Ospreys), Richard Hibbard (Gloucester Rugby), Emyr Phillips (Scarlets), Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Bradley Davies (Wasps), Luke Charteris (Racing Metro), Dan Lydiate (Racing Metro), James King (Ospreys), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Dan Baker (Ospreys), Taulupe Faletau (Dragons).
Backs:
Mike Phillips (Racing Metro), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Rhodri Williams (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues), James Roberts (Racing Metro), Jonathan Davies (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Scott Williams (Scarlets), Hallam Amos (Dragons), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), George North (Northampton Saints), Tom Prydie (Dragons), Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon), Liam Williams (Scarlets).
Halfpenny is selected, has had two good games I hear but Toulon must be a bit miffed. I am sure they would rather he sat out the internationals given he's only played two games all season.
I'm sure they would. Its quite telling that most of the players who have been a success in France over the last few years dont play international rugby. Wilkinson, Macalister, Fatty and Thinny Armitage, Gateux lots of ex all blacks etc.
Surprised by inclusion of Prydie. Nice to see big bad Brad back.
James
Hibbard
Lee
AW Jones
Ball
?
Warbs
Faletau
Phillips/Webb
Biggar
North
Roberts
Davies
Cuthbert
Williams
@aa, agreed on the non-international players (love the Gateux btw), hsz to be a big factor with the rest and the lack of the games at the highest intensity, no summer tour etc
So there is a God ! No Chippy or Ashton in the England squad.
Forwards: J Marler (Harlequins), M Mullan (Wasps), K Brookes (Newcastle), D Wilson (Bath), D Hartley (Northampton), R Webber (Bath), D Attwood (Bath), G Kruis (Saracens), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton), C Clark (Northampton), J Haskell (Wasps), B Morgan (Gloucester), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B Vunipola (Saracens), T Wood (Northampton).
Backs: D Care (Harlequins), L Dickson (Northampton), B Youngs (Leicester), O Farrell (Saracens), G Ford (Bath), S Myler (Northampton), B Barritt (Saracens), L Burrell (Northampton), K Eastmond (Bath), J Joseph (Bath), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester), M Brown (Harlequins), A Goode (Saracens), J May (Gloucester), J Nowell (Exeter), S Rokoduguni (Bath), M Yarde (Harlequins).
Thats a very strong squad almost everyone of them would add to the wales squad.
RWC ticket ballot results should be known on Saturday. 5 million applications and 950,000 tickets sold in Sep (650,000 applications for England Australia group match more than the 500,000 for the final 😯 ) plus 350,000 already sold through clubs.
Frankly not optimistic of getting much/any.
[url= http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/news/newsid=2073303.html#record+demand+rwc+2015+tickets ]RWC Press Release[/url]
Oh lovely, Callum Clark is in the squad, hopefully The Hask will keep him out of the starting lineup...looks certain to get on though 🙁
Tidy looking squad given the players that are missing. Finally some backs that aren't shit which is nice. Not sure why the bloke with the haircut from Exeter has done to warrant being picked mind.
The news about Clarke makes me loathe english rugby even more, unforgiveable allowing that moron anywhere near the squad. Really disappointing 🙁
thing about Clarke is he's not that good so why bother?
I struggle to see why Clark is picked on form,and that's before any of his baggage.Wonder if anybody in the NZ youth side he got sent off against will be there.
Wood,Robshaw, Vunipola for england surely with either Morgan or The Hask to bench. Clark to hold tackle bags.
Clarke? I'd have gone for Dave ewers personally as he's more versatile (plays 8 and 6 and very well too). He's better than Clarke, kvesic and Johnson.
Oh, didn't see that Wood was in the squad....thought he was injured. Perhaps Clarke won't make the bench then.
Just seen the Ulster and Toulon teams. Not a bad bench for the mercenaries. I fear a hiding.
Ulster: Louis Ludik; Tommy Bowe, Jared Payne, Stuart Olding, Craig Gilroy; Paddy Jackson, Paul Marshall; Andy Warwick, Rory Best (capt), Wiehan Herbst; Lewis Stevenson, Franco van der Merwe; Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Roger Wilson.
Replacements: Rob Herring, Callum Black, Declan Fitzpatrick, Clive Ross, Nick Williams, Michael Heaney, Ian Humphreys, Darren Cave.
Toulon: Leigh Halfpenny; Delon Armitage, Mathieu Bastareaud, Maxime Mermoz, Bryan Habana; Matt Giteau, Michael Claasens; Alexandre Menini, Guilhem Guiardo, Carl Hayman (capt); Jocelino Suta, Romain Taofifenua; Juan Fernandez Lobbe, Steffon Armitage, Chris Masoe.
Replacements: Craig Burden, Fabien Barcella, Levan Chilachava, Bakkies Botha, James O'Connor, Ali Williams, Sebastien Tillous-Borde, Juan Smith.
Munster doing a number on Saffercens at the moment
I see Newcastle beat the Dragons.
I bet that was a high quality encounter!
RWC. I got France v Ireland in Cardiff (nice) and one QF England/Australia/Wales v Scotland/Samoa/South Africa so 2 matches out of 18 applied for. Better than nowt I suppose
One match applied for. Australia v Uruguay and got them .....woot woot. No chance of the main games so I set my standards low
I got England Wales & its an 8pm ko so not just pricey tickets but a days drinking to pay for...
Well I'll put a tenner on Ulster for the Pro12GuinessCelticandItaly league thingy.
Nice one @poolman I think there where over 500,000 applications for that match !
Bath Toulouse is a decent wrestle so for.
How Watson didn't make the England squad I don't know.
Watson hasnt played much this season due to injury hence Henson as a stop gap 15.
They've moved him to wing (I think at englands request). Aguilla has been playing 15 more, and I think Henson was covering for him whilst he was away with the Pumas.
Toulouse got the win, and deserved it too. Henson got a little bit of time and aside from a single dodgy pass played very well, as he has done every time I've seen him (missed the Glasgow game!).
Applied for nearly 2k of tickets on the basis that I wouldn't get much. And so it came to pass only got 2 ticket in the ballot.
Still they are for semi final 2! Cant really complain! Up in the gods.
Fair enough I've not watched them it was my impression that Agulla and Watson were injured and Arscott was shite so Henson was put in at 15 made a couple of nice touches so was kept at 15 for a few games until the opposition realised he had no pace and he was found out. He's never been a 15.
Apparently Arscott is a very naughty boy, and had to leave exeter due to some indiscretions!
He was good at briz, but then thats the champs. My bath supporting colleague was moaning about gavs tackling in the Glasgow game.
Gavs defence in open spaces has never been good. He's ok if people run at him in straight lines (although not that ok anymore tbh) but he hasnt the pace or agility when in open spaces. I remember watching him at 15 v SA once wales lost about 150 nil and he didnt tackle anyone all game!
Ospreys getting rinsed by Northampton. Some bloke called North keeps scoring.
£4.5k of applications for England games and final only. Got nothing. Still avoids me grimacing through very expensive tickets for matches mostly in the sarf as always (grrr).
@deadslow nice 🙂 don't worry about being high up at Twickenham as there are no bad seats there, views great from everywhere.
Two of us applied for £3k each (pairs for each match), she got the French game and I got the QF. Bit grumpy as for 1999 as a denture holder we had priority and I saw all group games and both semis (inc epic NZ France match). This time got shafted as mine expire Oct 15 so no special access, my old head of sports at Uni is now President of the RFU so I had a good moan which made me feel better but made no difference.
Wow. George North just scored a beauty.
North is a special player. Scarlets making a game of it but losing players at an alarming rate. Hope Scott Williams is ok.
Nice to see Tiggers throw the toys out the pram at the end!!
North fails to deliver again
What are his tries/games stats for the Saints? Seriously bloody good player!
He's basically the Welsh Chris Ashton when it comes to finishing prowess.
He's basically the Welsh Chris Ashton when it comes to finishing prowess.
Please tell me thats trolling!!!
It has to be no body could make such a dumb statement 😆
Its such rancid bait its actually funny. I'll give it a go Ashton is basically an English Kristian Phillips.
😆 Not quite the sense of humour fail I was hoping for from the Welshies but a reasonable effort nonetheless.
Did you see Phillips packing down at 8 last night. It was like watching an ant try and push an elephant!!
One of the Bath backs did it against Wasps the other week! Funny stuff, I'd have though Spike was about as good a bet as any back to do it....he's built like a back row! In a reverse scenario I can remember seeing Andy Powell spend a decent portion of a game at outside centre a few years ago 🙂 How's he getting on at Dragons?
He's doing alright, second choice 8 behind Faletau but still running around like an oversized big dumb puppy you've got to love him! Wont be getting back in the Wales squad anytime soon though.
but still running around like an oversized big dumb puppy you've got to love him!
🙂 Yep, he's ace! Shame when he left Sale, he'd really started to establish himself as a key player along with Ritchie Vernon (who went the whole hog in converting from back row to centre full time!)
Christ the ref in the Quinns Wasps match has been awful!
Not watching. Hows Bradley Davies going?
Alright, came off reasonably early (before the hour mark maybe?) and looked a bit miffed about it. Quinns pack were reasonably dominant in the scrum and there number 4 was man of the match though.
I'm far from an expert, but Brad Davis and Launchbury don't seem like the most settled of pairings, I guess that it's early days though. Quinns won 23-16 in the end, some entertaining passages but plenty of errors. Marland Yarde had 3 or 4 handling error by the end.
Bradley has been injured a lot I think. Hasnt been the same since that dirty kiwi sparked him with the sly punch. Had injury after injury. Would add much needed bulk to wales though if playing well.
Wales have a few injury concerns, Jake Ball pulled out before kick off yesterday, Scott Williams did a hammy and Jon Davies went off injured for Clermont too. North might be shifted to 13 again with Liam Williams on wing.
Yeah I'm a big fan of Brad, I always remember the game very early on in his career when his mum had died a few days before and there was a minutes silence for her pre game-I thought he handled himself remarkably well and played well too as I remember. Was it Hore that pumched him or was he the stampy one?
Hore
Just dont mention the irish fella he dropped headfirst!
I see that Ewers and Slade from Exeter have been called up for England. Both good players. I think Slade could be very good indeed.
After Talebula's try against London Welsh last weekend I checked him out on YouTube.
What a player! Seems like he can pretty much do it all. He's at 14, 15, 13 and 10 in the clips.
Wonder where he'll go. Quality player good luck to him.
Anyone just seen the NFL quarterback style lineout throw from the Barbarians?!
Go BA BAs , love the novel ideas. A competitive BB side for a change. Great fun so far.....
It's a great atmosphere here, and always an extra treat to see the shackle draggers getting knocked about. First trip to Twickenham for my daughter!
Poor girl 😆
🙂 it's alright, she's loving it. And she's going shopping later with Grandma so I can go on the piss.
Sat in the pub after Sale V Wasps in the LV Cup. Good game actually, 8 tries, 4 apiece and few penalty kicks. Really enjoyed that!
Lucky lucky Australia
Some breath taking skills here
Wales team to lose for the 240 000 time to australia
Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), George North (Northampton Saints), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), Liam Williams (Scarlets), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Rhys Webb (Ospreys), Paul James (Bath), Richard Hibbard (Gloucester), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Unattached), Sam Warburton (Capt), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).
Replacements: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Bradley Davies (London Wasps), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Racing Metro), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Cory Allen (Cardiff Blues).
about as good as expected, North will have to improve his defence at 13. Could be a big scrummaging team, and with Gethin, bradley, phillips and Tips to come off the bench we might just hold on to a lead this time...who am I kidding, it will be either a 20 point loss or a final min shocker to lose as usual. Most likely the former as Aus are match sharp and wales are not.
Can't believe this hasn't been done yet!
OK, so he missed, but it wasn't a bad shot!
Not bad that team above. Still going to lose, mind you, but not too bad.
Just WTF does Hook have to do to get a game, though?
Just WTF does Hook have to do to get a game, though?
Play 12 or 13 on a regular basis. But even then he's not as good a 10 as Biggar, and not as good a 15 as 1/2p, he's also not as good a 12 as Roberts or 13 as Davies. I'd have him over flakey Priestland though.
@CFH, excellent hadn't seen that, not a bad effort. He probably thought it was a better option that an attempted run and side-step
Laugh out loud at Jones! Reminds me of the prop Matt Dunning knocking one over a few years ago and then apologising to his team mates straight after
Anyone feel that England are in for a pasting this weekend? I can't help thinking it'll be an enthusiastic start from the home team, only to be unlocked by Savea and co before HT, with the AB's going on to win by 15 points.
With this being the first game and an altered team, I can't see it being sharp enough against them TBH.
No no no no no Wales will win, my eternal blind optimism will not be dimmed.
england to cop a real beating, AB's look so sharp. They hate the english as much as we do 😆
@Kryton - hard to call I think, we put up a pretty decent show with half a team on the tour. Wasn't expecting much back in 2012 and we gave them a good hiding. It will be a fierce match ahead of the RWC, NZ will be looking to make a mark at Twickenham. You are right we could have done with a match to warm up but I think we'll be ready.
EDIT: probably be the last time I see McCraw live so he'll get a decent round of applause from me.
There's something deliciously infectious about the smile on Adam's face sometimes. Bit like when Thomas Castagneide used to play, he seemed to really enjoy his rugby at times.
It will be a fierce match ahead of the RWC, NZ will be looking to make a mark at Twickenham. You are right we could have done with a match to warm up but I think we'll be ready.
Indeed. I'm keen to see the centre pairing and am worried that Barrat and Twelvetrees may get in on a "defensive" basis. SA and we and most recently Aus have show the AB's get rattled if you come at them hard and they go down by 10 or so, do I'd say the best kind of defense is attack. But I still think their back three outclasses us massively and that's where going to get hit for six
The weather has it pissing down during game time, which could help nullify that a little, or more likely we'll get drawn in.
Oddly, I reckon Morgan and Yarde could feature heavily, not sure why, just an instinct.
The ABs are even more awesome in bad conditions, no matter the weather at Twickenham it won't be like Duneadon. Our kicking game needs to be good (the ABs are consistently excellent in this department) in order to control field position , we cannot give the ball away to their backs as you say. Never possible to be confident against the ABs but we have a decent chance. Game on !
Some good optimism there, and much as I'd like to think we are in with a good chance I think our tight five is going to struggle. So many frontline players injured. Without wanting to sound like a stuck-in-the-groove rugby pundit I think without that foundation its going to be an uphill slog - struggling to get clean ball, feeding off scraps etc. I hope I'm wrong 🙂
SA and we and most recently Aus have show the AB's get rattled if you come at them hard and they go down by 10 or so, do I'd say the best kind of defense is attack.
This. Ireland were 22-7 up at half time last year by having a go at them. 2nd half we tried to defend the lead and NZ scored 17 unanswered points.
We have a lot of injuries and not much of a front row which isn't a great start to facing the boks. Unfortunately I think we will get hammered.