Rugby Union 2017-18

[bendeus]

Well, NZ next. That sorts it.

Beat 'em last time round, mind. Good to see you back on the boardz, Infidel Castro

 

[Infidel Castro]

Cheers bendeus. Appreciated.

Do you mean that mad game in the rain? That was marvellous. I can still remember the 90 pointer they did as well mind. We rested everyone, got stuffed, then Matthew Morgan came on and dazzled. Far too late by then but it was a refreshing sight. That was ages ago.

 

[stavros]

South Africa-Wales from Washington DC (?) later on C4.

 

[Infidel Castro]

Looks sopping wet out there.

 

[Infidel Castro]

Painful watching. Awful game. It's a lottery. Both teams look shit.

 

[Infidel Castro]

The conditions contributing no doubt.

 

[Infidel Castro]

Sparked into life.

 

[bendeus]

Painful watching. Awful game. It's a lottery. Both teams look shit.

Why oh why does Gatland persist in believing that Rhodri Jones is a tighthead when he so abundantly isn't? Almost cost us the game when he came on.

Clarke has shifted him back to LH (where he is very handy indeed) at the Os, why does our coach seem hellbent on destroying a promising career by consistently playing him out of position?

 

[Infidel Castro]

You'd have to take that up with the authorities .

I was becoming massively concerned with our inability at defending the counter-ruck. To lose the ball with 20s left on the clock and put ourselves under pressure like that was poor. Aled only needed to get the ball out to the next forward for perhaps one more round of phase play. And Tomos, brilliant game aside, went walkies for one counter, being about 10m away from the base when it was turned over. Great confidence in his forwards, but misplaced. I'm just glad - injury to Stef aside - that Hadleigh came on. He is alert to danger and invariably puts himself in the right place, playing SH twice at the end. No one else seemed to have the nous. And Watkin...duw mun.

 

[bendeus]

You'd have to take that up with the authorities .

I was becoming massively concerned with our inability at defending the counter-ruck. To lose the ball with 20s left on the clock and put ourselves under pressure like that was poor. Aled only needed to get the ball out to the next forward for perhaps one more round of phase play. And Tomos, brilliant game aside, went walkies for one counter, being about 10m away from the base when it was turned over. Great confidence in his forwards, but misplaced. I'm just glad - injury to Stef aside - that Hadleigh came on. He is alert to danger and invariably puts himself in the right place, playing SH twice at the end. No one else seemed to have the nous. And Watkin...duw mun.

In rugby terms Parkes is, along with Halfpenny, by far the most intelligent of the backs available in Wales right now. The fact that his rugby education was in New Zealand is no coincidence. Wales tend to incubate really fucking dim players and this was shown to be the case again yesterday.

 

[Infidel Castro]

We seem to value instinct over intelligence. Tips is another brain box in rugby terms. Henson was the same. Hook not so. AWJ has the nous though. Geth too. We should get together a list of non-thicko Welsh players and ex-players, in the rugby-sense. Michael Owen. Martyn Williams. Colin Charvis. Allan Bateman. Ryan Jones.

 

[bendeus]

We seem to value instinct over intelligence. Tips is another brain box in rugby terms. Henson was the same. Hook not so. AWJ has the nous though. Geth too. We should get together a list of non-thicko Welsh players and ex-players, in the rugby-sense. Michael Owen. Martyn Williams. Colin Charvis. Allan Bateman. Ryan Jones.

Wellies, Shane, erm...

 

[bendeus]

Wellies, Shane, erm...

Roberts also has a good rugby brain. Massively underutilised as an out and out bosh merchant, though

 

[Infidel Castro]

Yeah, S Jones was very sharp. If he had extra pace he'd have been not far off the cream of the crop in his era. I think he was pretty faultless for Wales. A strong man as well. Murder to bring down. Re Shane, the game v Ireland in 2008 when he took over SH duties was a great example of intelligence and versatility. And Roberts...to play at FB, wing and centres over his career says a lot.

 

[Reiabuzz]

The worst game I’ve seen in years aside,was that the most comically shit rugby coverage since possibly the early 80s?

Everything, for start to finish, the graphics, the camera work, the sound and led by Eddie fucking butler who should never even be a half time pundit let alone the lead commentator. Disastrous. It’s almost like they were trying to put the yanks off the sport completely.

 

[stavros]

I suppose it was a semi-exciting ending.

C4 have the two Wales-Argentina games over the next fortnight. Hopefully they'll bring in some first-choice players for those.

I presume BT have the England-SA games? If only there was a way of watching them without subscribing...

 

[Infidel Castro]

Do C4 also have a Scotland game?

I tell you, when my stepson said the rugby was on C4, I did a belly laugh and asked him in an 'I know better than you voice' if he didn't mean S4C. When he said no, I laughed again again. I didn't believe him. He soon shut me up though. I nearly fell over when I saw the proof.

 

[OzT]

Who's got the Irish-Wallabies games does anyone know please?

 

[flypanam]

Who's got the Irish-Wallabies games does anyone know please?

Sky

 

[OzT]

Drat, thanks flypanam

 

[flypanam]

Can usually find the whole game on you tube, the next day.

 

[gawkrodger]

or streaming sites live

 

[stavros]

Do C4 also have a Scotland game?

They might have. They went through what they have, and all I remember is the three Welsh games against SA and the Pumas, and the fact that didn't have any England games (they probably cost more).

 

[Reiabuzz]

Wonderful story

Siya Kolisi: ‘We represent something much bigger than we can imagine’

 

[OzT]

Wonderful story

Siya Kolisi: ‘We represent something much bigger than we can imagine’

If is a wonderful story, and wish him the best of luck. I hope the Boks supporters will give him and the team time to gel. They have been under performing now for a few years, and that did not sit well with the supporters. They're a bit like the kiwis as in rugby is very important to them, and to have slid down the rankings hurt them a fair bit.

 

[flypanam]

Pretty useful Irish team named for Saturday
Rob Kearney, Keith Earls, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale, Joey Carbery, Conor Murray, Jack McGrath, Rob Herring, John Ryan, Iain Henderson, James Ryan, Peter O’Mahony (captain), Jordi Murphy, CJ Stander



16. Sean Cronin
17. Cian Healy
18. Tadhg Furlong
19. Quinn Roux
20. Jack Conan
21. Kieran Marmion
22. Johnny Sexton
23. Jordan Larmour

Could be our best second row pairing. Front row could be weak. McGrath looks fatigued, Herring over rated and Ryan is at best third choice TH.

 

[OzT]

Playing the powder puff Wallabies front row your grandma could push us back!! lol!!

No seriously I am looking forward to the series, I really really wish us well, our rugby has been down so much, specially we need to raise the profile of it back home to competer with NRL/AFL/soccer to bring kids into the game.

Be a great few weeks of rugby for all concerned on the international stage

 

[flypanam]

Playing the powder puff Wallabies front row your grandma could push us back!! lol!!

No seriously I am looking forward to the series, I really really wish us well, our rugby has been down so much, specially we need to raise the profile of it back home to competer with NRL/AFL/soccer to bring kids into the game.

Be a great few weeks of rugby for all concerned on the international stage

Yeah should be. Not buying the power puff Aussies though, you beat the AB's last time you played in Brisbane.

Have you seen that Pocock is playing blindside?

 

[OzT]

Winning the odd game against the ABs and more commonly the Boks doesn't paper the wide chasm in our side. For some strange reason we have been winning more against the Boks lately then the Northern Hemisphere sides. If Folau click we should give the Irish a good game, and win it.

Well we had to accomadate Hooper, not a bad player himself. More interested in our new No 8, since Kefu we had been lacking there.

 

[flypanam]

The ref in the NZ v France game having a shocker. Two kiwi high tackles result in one penalty. It’s time refs got some courage and reffed the abs properly.

That said this is not a good kiwi team.