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The All Purpose Rugby Union Thread (P2) |
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#2551 |
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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Evening, I normally don't bother with rugger, my family were always football( which I've given up on as it's too greedy and boring nowadays), but this 6 Nations season has sparked a bit of interest. I live in a rugbly league area, which I find too stop and start, but there is a moderate interest in rugby union locally. How do I get more interested as my knowledge is very slim?
Its always worth popping into a local rugby club to watch a six nations game or even watch a few of their games. Great places to make friends and get into the sport. |
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#2552 |
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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So what a weird weekend of rugby.
Wales v France was just the most bizarre game ever. France were bafflingly awful in everything they did. I think my womens team could have beaten them. They were just crazy. However, uniquely for France they were consistent as they were as awful in the second half as they were in the first. I don't want to take to much away from Wales as you can only beat what is in front of you but it honestly looked like France didn't want to be there, didn't have any desire to win anything. When your tighthead prop makes the most meters in a game then you know something is wrong. Glad Scotland got the win but think it papers over some big cracks and Scot Johnson is not the man for Scotland. His treatment of some players has been a disgrace. England v Ireland was a great game was lucky enough to be there and loved it. Irelands try was perfect execution of running lines and decoys. Beautiful. I thought England looked really strong and had some great moments but they failed to score and take advantage of overlaps countless times and that's is why they are a risky team to back. I would worry about England in tight games as they cant seem to build a score. I love how open this competition is this year. I would obviously have loved an England grand slam but now it is all to play for. I really want some revenge on Wales I want England to smash them to pieces. Can they do it? not sure. So its all gonna be an exciting end to the tournament |
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#2553 |
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 9,688
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England have dodged a bullet with Steve Walsh only running the line this time.
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#2554 |
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Join Date: Apr 2012
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England have dodged a bullet with Steve Walsh only running the line this time.
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#2555 |
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Nailsworth, Gloucestershire
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You're right, but I wasn't saying Andy was Brattish... just that he never took a backwards step and if people took a cheap shot he came back twice as hard... much the same way Edwards did. I see Owen the same but maybe I'm looking through tinted glasses. At the end of the day it appears human (or at least very British) nature to not like successful players who know they are good.
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Don't get me wrong about the wingers, I think Wade is terrible, May isn't International class and neither is 36 for that matter but Manu is one of the best when fit and he can play there... as I said with Nowell, I like how fearless he is at such a young age.
When Twelvetrees plays England look far more balanced and he is always near the top of the tackles made stats, as for May, he has only played a couple of full games for England and has seen nothing of the ball in space but, unlike say Chris Ashton he goes looking for the ball and against both Ireland and Scotland he made ground every time he got hold of the ball. Yes, I am biased as a Gloucester season ticket holder for the last 30 years but your comments make little sense to me. |
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#2556 |
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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You don't have to look too hard to find examples of his petulance, ask any club rugby supporter.
Everyone seems to hail Manu Tuilagi as the saviour in English rugby but he has rarely, if ever, replicated his club form for England. There has been many occasions when he's had the ball with the wing in space and he's gone looking for contact and the momentum is lost. When Twelvetrees plays England look far more balanced and he is always near the top of the tackles made stats, as for May, he has only played a couple of full games for England and has seen nothing of the ball in space but, unlike say Chris Ashton he goes looking for the ball and against both Ireland and Scotland he made ground every time he got hold of the ball. Yes, I am biased as a Gloucester season ticket holder for the last 30 years but your comments make little sense to me. |
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#2557 |
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Join Date: Apr 2012
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You don't have to look too hard to find examples of his petulance, ask any club rugby supporter.
Everyone seems to hail Manu Tuilagi as the saviour in English rugby but he has rarely, if ever, replicated his club form for England. There has been many occasions when he's had the ball with the wing in space and he's gone looking for contact and the momentum is lost. When Twelvetrees plays England look far more balanced and he is always near the top of the tackles made stats, as for May, he has only played a couple of full games for England and has seen nothing of the ball in space but, unlike say Chris Ashton he goes looking for the ball and against both Ireland and Scotland he made ground every time he got hold of the ball. Yes, I am biased as a Gloucester season ticket holder for the last 30 years but your comments make little sense to me. I watched 36 develop and I think the same thing about him now that I did 4 years ago... he's a great balanced rugby player and reminds me of a lower level Conrad Smith... not particularly fast, not amazing hands but a smart brain... I just don't think he's on an international level. If you didn't see Manu against the 6Ns teams the last 3 years or against Australia, NZ or SA then I can't help you... if people like BOD are saying he's pure class then perhaps us fans should take note of what one of the best centres of all time says. |
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#2558 |
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Nailsworth, Gloucestershire
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If you didn't see Manu against the 6Ns teams the last 3 years or against Australia, NZ or SA then I can't help you... if people like BOD are saying he's pure class then perhaps us fans should take note of what one of the best centres of all time says.
Whereas with Leicester he is looking to make space, commit defenders to off-load to the wings, more often than not in an England shirt he goes staight in to contact and by the time the ball is re-cycled momentum and, more importantly, space is lost. People are already picking Burgess for England's RWC squad but there is no guarantee at all he will make it in Union, he hasn't even played a game yet. People forget that for every Jason Robinson there is a Karl Pryce, Henry Paul, Iestyn Harris, etc. It does not follow that being a great League player means he will automatically become a great Union player. |
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#2559 |
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,430
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People are already picking Burgess for England's RWC squad but there is no guarantee at all he will make it in Union, he hasn't even played a game yet. People forget that for every Jason Robinson there is a Karl Pryce, Henry Paul, Iestyn Harris, etc. It does not follow that being a great League player means he will automatically become a great Union player. |
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#2560 |
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Northampton, UK
Posts: 3,247
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In that we agree... but I think Sam Burgess is just that next level above where Pryce, Paul and Harris was... in fact Robinson was good but never "unreal" for Wigan and GB... Burgess really is world class and is a huge loss to the international game of Rugby League not just England/Australia.
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#2561 |
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: colchester
Posts: 15,350
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Good to see PIcamoles dropped for his showing disrespect to a referee. Perhaps it may encourage a certain young England player to show a bit more respect to the rules and opponents.
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#2562 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 6,338
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Quote:
You don't have to look too hard to find examples of his petulance, ask any club rugby supporter.
Everyone seems to hail Manu Tuilagi as the saviour in English rugby but he has rarely, if ever, replicated his club form for England. There has been many occasions when he's had the ball with the wing in space and he's gone looking for contact and the momentum is lost. When Twelvetrees plays England look far more balanced and he is always near the top of the tackles made stats, as for May, he has only played a couple of full games for England and has seen nothing of the ball in space but, unlike say Chris Ashton he goes looking for the ball and against both Ireland and Scotland he made ground every time he got hold of the ball. Yes, I am biased as a Gloucester season ticket holder for the last 30 years but your comments make little sense to me. |
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#2563 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 4,571
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Good to see PIcamoles dropped for his showing disrespect to a referee. Perhaps it may encourage a certain young England player to show a bit more respect to the rules and opponents.
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#2564 |
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 7,470
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I bet he wouldn't have been dropped had France been playing Ireland this weekend.........
![]() Great game between ourselves and England it must be said. When you bear in mind England are missing a number of big names (Tuilagi, Croft, Foden, Corbs, Dan Cole, Vunipola for rest of tournament) it really shows what a great position they're in with a World Cup only a year and a half away All things going well as it stands they're my second favourites to win the thing As for their strongest team, it really will be interesting to see when everyone comes back and if Burgess adapts to Union. Talk of the wingers above, I think Nowell looks a great prospect, can't understand why Watson isn't at least on the bench- covers full back and Goode is a defensive liability at international level I'd have Foden in the team on the wing any day of the week though when he's back. He might not be a natural winger but is too good to leave out IMO |
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#2565 |
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Northampton, UK
Posts: 3,247
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I bet he wouldn't have been dropped had France been playing Ireland this weekend.........
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#2566 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 6,338
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Quote:
I watched 36 develop and I think the same thing about him now that I did 4 years ago... he's a great balanced rugby player and reminds me of a lower level Conrad Smith... not particularly fast, not amazing hands but a smart brain... I just don't think he's on an international level. |
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#2567 |
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 7,470
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Wouldn't surprise me if twelvetrees wasn't involved much longer with the squad really as things stand.
Burrell and (likely) Burgess will be huge contenders for the 12 shirt you'd imagine when Tuilagi gets back, while it wouldn't surprise me if Farrell came into the reckoning for 12 either- if Ford keeps going like he is he'll be out half The only thing is Burrell and Tuilagi are very similar but Farrell will be a huge contender for it IMO Obviously a long way off but when England do get everyone fit and firing I can't see Twelvetrees starting at all Tait could well become a dark horse for the 13 shirt too if he could ever stay fit for more than 5 minutes ( ) with Tuilagi maybe playing 12
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#2568 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Nailsworth, Gloucestershire
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Quote:
Wouldn't surprise me if twelvetrees wasn't involved much longer with the squad really as things stand.
Burrell and (likely) Burgess will be huge contenders for the 12 shirt you'd imagine when Tuilagi gets back, while it wouldn't surprise me if Farrell came into the reckoning for 12 either- if Ford keeps going like he is he'll be out half The only thing is Burrell and Tuilagi are very similar but Farrell will be a huge contender for it IMO Obviously a long way off but when England do get everyone fit and firing I can't see Twelvetrees starting at all Tait could well become a dark horse for the 13 shirt too if he could ever stay fit for more than 5 minutes ( ) with Tuilagi maybe playing 12![]() If I were a wing I wouldn't want to be in an England team selected by you, I'd never see the ball. Billy Twlevetrees isn't going anywhere at the moment as he is one of the few true 12s we have, or are you one of these who think players are inter-changable and positions mean nothing? A 12 doesn't do the same job as a 13 in exactly the same way a 6 doesn't do the same job as a 7. |
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#2569 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Ireland
Posts: 7,470
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You certainly don't want to see England scoring any tries, do you?
![]() If I were a wing I wouldn't want to be in an England team selected by you, I'd never see the ball. Billy Twlevetrees isn't going anywhere at the moment as he is one of the few true 12s we have, or are you one of these who think players are inter-changable and positions mean nothing? A 12 doesn't do the same job as a 13 in exactly the same way a 6 doesn't do the same job as a 7. I'm not English anyway so I couldn't care less what team is picked just giving an objective opinion. You slate Tuilagi in a previous post and go on about twelvetrees as if he's something incredible, he really isn't. Clearly, club bias swaying your opinion tbh There's light years between both, granted they have different styles and different positions but I'd much rather face Twelvetrees in a team than Tuilagi as an Irish fan Tuilagi is fairly one-dimensional in fairness but he's damn effective |
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#2570 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: durty sarf london
Posts: 16,238
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Weekend team news
France team: B Dulin (Castres); Y Huget (Toulouse), M Bastareaud (Toulon), M Mermoz (Toulon), M Medard (Toulouse); J Plisson (Stade Francais), M Machenaud (Racing Metro); T Domingo (Clermont Auvergne), B Mach (Castres), N Mas (Montpellier), Y Maestri (Toulouse), P Pape (Stade Francais, capt), S Vahaamahina (Perpignan), A Lapandry (Clermont Auvergne), D Chouly (Clermont Auvergne). Replacements: G Guirado (Perpignan), V Debaty (Clermont Auvergne), R Slimani (Stade Francais), A Flanquart (Stade Francais), A Claassen (Castres), J-M Doussain (Toulouse), R Tales (Castres), G Fickou (Toulouse). Ireland: R Kearney; A Trimble, B O'Driscoll, G D'Arcy, D Kearney; J Sexton, C Murray; C Healy, R Best, M Ross; D Toner, P O'Connell; I Henderson, C Henry, J Heaslip. Replacements: S Cronin, J McGrath, M Moore, R Ruddock, J Murphy, E Reddan, P Jackson, F McFadden. |
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#2571 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: durty sarf london
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Parisse rested in hope that he'll be fit for England game
Italy: L McLean; A Esposito, M Campagnaro, G Garcia, L Sarto; L Orquera, T Tebaldi; A De Marchi, L Ghiraldini, M Castrogiovanni, Q Geldenhuys, M Bortolami, J Furno, P Derbyshire, R Barbieri. Replacements: D Giazzon, M Rizzo, L Cittadini, A Pavanello, M Vosawai, E Gori, T Allan, A Masi. |
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#2572 |
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: durty sarf london
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Scotland: 15-Stuart Hogg, 14-Tommy Seymour, 13-Alex Dunbar, 12-Matt Scott, 11-Sean Lamont, 10-Duncan Weir, 9-Greig Laidlaw; 1-Ryan Grant, 2-Scott Lawson, 3-Geoff Cross, 4-Richie Gray, 5-Jim Hamilton, 6-Johnnie Beattie, 7-Kelly Brown (captain), 8-David Denton
Replacements: 16-Ross Ford, 17-Alasdair Dickinson, 18-Euan Murray, 19-Tim Swinson, 20-Ryan Wilson, 21-Chris Cusiter, 22-Duncan Taylor, 23-Max Evans |
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#2573 |
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 19,625
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Who will the kicker be for France ? Pilsson i presume
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#2574 |
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: durty sarf london
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Who will the kicker be for France ? Pilsson i presume
![]() ----- England: M Brown (Harlequins); J Nowell (Exeter), L Burrell (Northampton), B Twelvetrees (Gloucester), J May (Gloucester); O Farrell (Saracens), D Care (Harlequins); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Wilson (Bath), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton), T Wood (Northampton), C Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), B Morgan (Gloucester). Replacements: T Youngs (Leicester), M Vunipola (Saracens), H Thomas (Sale), D Attwood (Bath), T Johnson (Exeter), L Dickson (Northampton), G Ford (Bath), A Goode (Saracens). |
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#2575 |
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Join Date: May 2009
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All times are GMT. The time now is 08:53.






) with Tuilagi maybe playing 12

