Rugby matters

[TheCat]

As a London based Aussie, I am gutted I wont be a Twickenham tomorrow....I have previoulsy been to this fixture every year i've lived in this sunny country (11 years).....

In anycase...I predict the wallabies will get demolished at the breakdown, and pinned in their half by farrel's boot..England by 12...

I hope I'm wrong. But the backrow that Cheicka has picked is all wrong....you guys havent seen Cheika's new number 6, Ned Hannigan over here....lets hope after tomorrow you never have to see him again...my old nanna had more imposing physical presence than this chap...

[rendelharris]

Saw in the Aussie press a while back: "Hannigan looks like Goldilocks...and he plays like her too."

[TheCat]

rendelharris Wrote:

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> Saw in the Aussie press a while back: "Hannigan

> looks like Goldilocks...and he plays like her

> too."

Yep....he will get rag-dolled by launchberry, Lawes, Itoje and co.....he offers a decent 3rd jumping option in the linepout, and tries very hard....thats all i can say good about him. Couple that with sean mcmahon at number 8...who has all the heart in teh workld, but is 6 inches too short and 30lbs too light to be a world class 8....and our backrow is looking very under powered...

[JohnL]

Wales seem to have put out close on a second team against Georgia. Not sure why, a bit disrespectful.

The Aussies beat NZ .... and Wales :)

[rendelharris]

JohnL Wrote:

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> Wales seem to have put out close on a second team

> against Georgia. Not sure why, a bit

> disrespectful.

With the attrition rate in the modern game - Johnathan Davies lost for six months last time out - it's not so much disrespectful as realpolitik I think. Also one could argue that giving a second or third tier nation the chance to make a game of it, rather than get slaughtered, can be seen as rather sporting.

[JohnL]

rendelharris Wrote:

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> JohnL Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Wales seem to have put out close on a second

> team

> > against Georgia. Not sure why, a bit

> > disrespectful.

>

> With the attrition rate in the modern game -

> Johnathan Davies lost for six months last time out

> - it's not so much disrespectful as realpolitik I

> think. Also one could argue that giving a second

> or third tier nation the chance to make a game of

> it, rather than get slaughtered, can be seen as

> rather sporting.

Maybe so. I think Wales will find the Georgian pack quite a handful.

Pity about Jonathan Davies - last play of the match too and now out for the 6 nations.

[rendelharris]

Well it certainly nearly blew up in their faces - what if that had been a contested scrum at the end? Only caught the highlights of Eng-Aus, didn't look great, saw Nz-Sco live, wonderful game I thought.

[JohnL]

If that had been Nigel Owens he'd have been over asking the Prop whether he was fit enough to play. Because IMHO I suspect he was - Ref was a bit out of his depth at that point and language barrier didn't help.

The second half was turgid :)

[rendelharris]

Wales were pretty naughty - Gatland saying both props had cramp. They went off twenty minutes earlier, cramp doesn't last that long, they should both have been able to come back. Gamesmanship at best, cheating at worst, but I don't know what can be done; if a player says he's not fit to return you can't force him on.

[rendelharris]

Wales-New Zealand. Skybet currently offering NZ 1/33 (!!!) and Wales 10/1. I think I'll spend my tenner on beer to watch the game with, but 10/1 in a two-horse race is pretty mad odds, and the Scots nearly managed it last week...

[JohnL]

Now if Wales could finish ... and defend against strike runners.

But all the home nations improving especially Scotland.

[rendelharris]

JohnL Wrote:

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> Now if Wales could finish ... and defend against

> strike runners.

>

> But all the home nations improving especially

> Scotland.

On the BBC Jerry Guscott tipped the Scots for the 6N and on the evidence of these few weeks not a bad shout. Currently available at 14-1 for the win and 25-1 for the Grand Slam, tempting...

[Alan Medic]

Scotland seemed to panic after about 10 minutes yesterday. Didn't think it would be so one sided.

Ireland nearly blew it but kept their best play till the end. French defence was good but Ireland just didn't look like scoring a try.

[Mick Mac]

rendelharris Wrote:

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> JohnL Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Now if Wales could finish ... and defend

> against

> > strike runners.

> >

> > But all the home nations improving especially

> > Scotland.

>

> On the BBC Jerry Guscott tipped the Scots for the

> 6N and on the evidence of these few weeks not a

> bad shout. Currently available at 14-1 for the

> win and 25-1 for the Grand Slam, tempting...

Seems the scots optimism was short lived. think they will still make an impression though.

Any Irish win in Paris is to be celebrated as a rare treat, but that was a very exciting finish. I couldn't believe he was going to try to kick it from there and then I couldn't believe he got it!

[JohnL]

I thought the tactic of kicking the ball downfield but in play to the Scottish back 3 was suicidal.

But that's why I'm not coaching Wales and Gatland is :)

[Alan Medic]

*clears the cobwebs*

Enjoyed last weeks matches and I have to say England losing did tickle me, given the lead they had. Today Ireland v Australia was great, but really Ireland should have won this easily. Great Aussie defence but should not have been so close in the end.

[rendelharris]

Thought England were dreadful today, utterly lacking in creativity (apart from the splendid back three). Mako Vuinipola should be told he can't play for England again until he can stop his utterly petty cheap penalty-costing shots, he's pathetic (not that I'd say it to his face, mind). I was a fan of Eddie Jones but I feel he's lost control of the squad now and run out of ideas, can't see him taking us deep into next year's World Cup.

[Alan Medic]

Eddie did defend himself by saying he had to leave 25 players at home. WC is a bit soon to be changing coach now isn't it.

Stuart Lancaster anyone? According to the summary of a programme coming up on BT Sport yesterday, his Leinster won the Champions Cup. Perhaps Leo Cullen is available!

[JohnL]

Wales up to 3rd in the world rankings after beating Argentina who were by all accounts dreadful.

Crazy choke hold by Ross Moriarty at the end. I liked this comment in the Guardian "It's surprising really, his father and uncle were very well disciplined players who would be appalled by that kind of thing"

[rendelharris]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> Eddie did defend himself by saying he had to leave

> 25 players at home. WC is a bit soon to be

> changing coach now isn't it.

>

> Stuart Lancaster anyone? According to the summary

> of a programme coming up on BT Sport yesterday,

> his Leinster won the Champions Cup. Perhaps Leo

> Cullen is available!

A NZ friend who's quite close to the machinations of the international rugby market has suggested that Gatland would love to coach England, but he'd want around ?1M. Would it be worth it?

[Alan Medic]

You think he would go after so many years with Wales? I know he's a Kiwi and it's the pro era, but still......

[rendelharris]

Alan Medic Wrote:

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> You think he would go after so many years with

> Wales? I know he's a Kiwi and it's the pro era,

> but still......

What I've heard (and this is subject to severe BS but the people I know are quite involved) is that for the right money he'd take over England with a view to ultimately taking NZ into 2023...

[Mick Mac]

rendelharris Wrote:

>

> What I've heard (and this is subject to severe BS

> but the people I know are quite involved) is that

> for the right money he'd take over England with a

> view to ultimately taking NZ into 2023...

Dream on Warren. He wont get the England job or the NZ job eirher, would be my guess, neither country likes him.

Anyway, Joe Schmidt must surely be ahead of him in terms of the NZ job in the forseeable future.

[Mick Mac]

Good series win for Ireland

Sexton's season. Grand slam, Heineken Cup, pro 14, Series win in Australia

[Alan Medic]

900