The Rugby Thread

[Pidge]

Just back in from the aftermath, that was fun.  Fantastic and no-one deserved to take the honour of scoring the deciding points more than Steenson, great player for the club. Ireland should really give him a go at some point.

 

Speaking of which, hope Dollman's okay, 32 years old, been a great full back for Chiefs, really smart player who knows when to hurt teams, first Welsh call-up and he picks up a knock less than a week later.

[sir roger]

Well in Pidge,  dramatic rise for your boys over the past decade.

[Pidge]

It's amazing really, crazy to think of the number of these players who were either in the promotion side or have come through the academy since.

 

Reckon that Simmonds (scored in the maul against Saracens and was unlucky to not get the winning try today) will be a major player for us going forwards, he was on the fringes at the start of the season but has really had his breakthrough

 

Greatest plaudits go to Rob Baxter, Devon man through and through, eight years as coach and he's shown that he's one of the best around.

[bigthrusts]

This Argentina-England game has been fantastic.

[Hand Shandy]

Belting game wasn't it. Great win given the number of youngsters in the side.

[mattyq]

Cracking game

[sir roger]

Wow, how many times did the lead change hands there in Argentina. Whether it's the main guys or the kids, one thing Jones has instilled is a never give up attitude.

[George Costanza]

Bit of catching up to do.

 

Great game on Saturday night and a superb win against tough opposition and a World Cup group opponent.

 

Lions - superb win v the Crusaders but should have scored at least 2 tries. When it comes to the test matches chances will be few and we will have to take them. Its like watching Scotland a few years ago. Good play up until 5m from the try line, then they somehow mess it up when its actually easier to score.  Hopefully that will come but these players at this level should be finishing it regardless of who they are playing with.  I also think it has to be Farrell or Sexton. Don't think the team is balanced when both are in the side. They are similar players unlike the differences in Ford & Farrell for England. Still plenty of 'warm up' games to play but very few players at present are automatic picks for me for the tests

[KopOut]

Bit of catching up to do.

 

Great game on Saturday night and a superb win against tough opposition and a World Cup group opponent.

 

Lions - superb win v the Crusaders but should have scored at least 2 tries. When it comes to the test matches chances will be few and we will have to take them. Its like watching Scotland a few years ago. Good play up until 5m from the try line, then they somehow mess it up when its actually easier to score. Hopefully that will come but these players at this level should be finishing it regardless of who they are playing with. I also think it has to be Farrell or Sexton. Don't think the team is balanced when both are in the side. They are similar players unlike the differences in Ford & Farrell for England. Still plenty of 'warm up' games to play but very few players at present are automatic picks for me for the tests

The Highlanders have just rolled the Lions. 23-22.

Fitness is essential, if you want to beat NZ teams. The Lions ran out of steam at 65 minutes. You don't do that and win.

 

The All Blacks are perfectly capable of scoring 20 points in the last 15 minutes of a test match.

 

This Lions side has been found wanting more than once already.

[sir roger]

Had the whiff of a midweek dirt tracker team to be fair.

 

One of the things that drives me to distraction is that turnovers are treated like gold dust but teams are quite happy kicking the ball straight to opposition players 40 yards away & setting up attacks for them. Sometimes you just have to get it off the paddock.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Another cracking match between Argentina (25) England (35).

 

Far too many handling errors by both teams, but both teams giving it a real go. England just have that winning habit and scoring at important times in games. 

[lifetime fan]

I fucking hate Gatland.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

He's a disrespectful twat. 

[sir roger]

I've a mate who is on holiday in Australia at the moment. He is 26 stone and can can't even run for a bus, but he is Welsh so I'll see if I can get Gatland's mobile number for him.

[sir roger]

Another cracking match between Argentina (25) England (35).

 

Far too many handling errors by both teams, but both teams giving it a real go. England just have that winning habit and scoring at important times in games. 

 

It was entertaining again PB but thought that the old hands emphasised their credentials rather than too many newcomers making claims for a shirt.

 

ps How did that Argentina lad not get a yellow card for that assault on Hughes near the end.

[lifetime fan]

It was entertaining again PB but thought that the old hands emphasised their credentials rather than too many newcomers making claims for a shirt.

 

ps How did that Argentina lad not get a yellow card for that assault on Hughes near the end.

 

 

 

That was a fucking assault. Dirty cunt.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

It was entertaining again PB but thought that the old hands emphasised their credentials rather than too many newcomers making claims for a shirt.

 

ps How did that Argentina lad not get a yellow card for that assault on Hughes near the end.

 

It was weird, the ref even had a word with the England player. Fully agree on the older hands adding more. Maybe it's a nice balancing act as the newer players have us playing better in a forward sense. We usually kicked our way to victories/tight losses, now we are outscoring opponents in the try column. Ford is playing well, that drop goal came at a timely moment and he was pretty solid the whole game with his boot. 

[George Costanza]

Itoje only on the bench for the 1st test. Utterly bizarre decision but then again Gatland needed to pick some more Welsh players. Nothing against AWJ - he's been a colossus for years now but his form of late hasn't been to his usual high standards.

 

Apart from that an interesting selection. Glad he didn't so for the conservative picks of both Sexton & Farrell plus Halfpenny at Full Back. The Lions will need the forwards to dominate and create a platform then use the dangerous runners that have been selected. If they don't they'll be ripped to shreds

[lifetime fan]

I fucking hate Gatland but bar Itoje, he picked the team far closer to the side I wanted than I ever imagined.

[lifetime fan]

My uncle and cousin landed a day or two, the jammy cunts.

[Hand Shandy]

Don't really know how Itoje hasn't made that side.

 

Well I do, but that doesn't make it right.

[George Costanza]

I fucking hate Gatland but bar Itoje, he picked the team far closer to the side I wanted than I ever imagined.

 

Strange that Daly gets picked in a position that isn't his natural 1st choice.  Possible thinking is that he'll come in off his wing a bit more than a usual winger while Williams can/will overlap out wide

[Hand Shandy]

Setting an alarm to go to the pub - haven't done that for a while...

[KopOut]

What an explosive start to this game.

Lions denied an early one

[Hand Shandy]

Been a very good start by both sides.