The All Purpose Rugby Union Thread (P2)

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Mike Teevee

19-02-2014

some weekend team news

Quote:
“ Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), George North (Northampton Saints), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), Liam Williams (Scarlets); Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Rhys Webb (Ospreys); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Richard Hibbard (Ospreys), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Racin Metro), Sam Warburton (Capt, Cardiff Blues), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements: Ken Owens (Scarlets); Paul James (Bath), Rhodri Jones (Scarlets), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Racing Metro), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), James Hook (Perpignan).

FRANCE: Brice Dulin; Yoann Huget, Mathieu Bastereaud, Wesley Fofana, Hugo Bonneval; Jules Plisson, Jean-Marc Doussain; Thomas Domingo, Dimitri Szarzewski, Nicolas Mas, Pascal Pape (capt), Yoann Maestri, Yannick Nyanga, Wenceslas Lauret, Louis Picamoles.

Replacements: Brice Mach, Yannick Forestier, Vincent Debaty, Sebastien Vahaamahina, Damien Chouly, Maxime Machenaud, Remi Tales, Gael Fickou

Scotland team: Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Alex Dunbar (Glasgow Warriors), Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby); Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Lawson (Newcastle Falcons), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Richie Gray (Castres), Jim Hamilton (Montpellier), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors), Chris Fusaro (Glasgow Warriors), Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier).

Replacements: Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby), Alasdair Dickinson (Edinburgh Rugby), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh Rugby), Tim Swinson (Glasgow Warriors), David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby), Chris Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens), Max Evans (Castres).
”

misslibertine

19-02-2014

Originally Posted by tealady:
“Dunno about that, North at outside centre? Well, saves himself cutting off the wing I guess. Sensibly dropped Phillips.”

I haven't got a good feeling about North's move to centre, I'll readily admit.

Very pleased with Phillips' benching, he's a liability. Webb deserves the chance on his own merit though, following his performance for the Ospreys last week.

Finny Skeleta

19-02-2014

Originally Posted by tealady:
“Dunno about that, North at outside centre? Well, saves himself cutting off the wing I guess. Sensibly dropped Phillips.”

Sensibly dropped Mike Phillips? Have you seen who they've picked in his place?

I have a feeling I'll be watching Friday's game from behind the sofa.

misslibertine

19-02-2014

Originally Posted by Finny Skeleta:
“Sensibly dropped Mike Phillips? Have you seen who they've picked in his place?

I have a feeling I'll be watching Friday's game from behind the sofa.”

What's wrong with Webb getting an opportunity? He's been playing a better game than Phillips has lately, and he can keep a lid on his temper.

tealady

19-02-2014

Originally Posted by Finny Skeleta:
“Sensibly dropped Mike Phillips?”

I thought he was subbed last match by Gatland to avoid being carded, but have just found he was yellow-carded. No wonder Gatland said "It's probably an opportunity [for Phillips] to reflect on his performance against Ireland".

misslibertine

19-02-2014

Originally Posted by tealady:
“I thought he was subbed last match by Gatland to avoid being carded, but have just found he was yellow-carded. No wonder Gatland said "It's probably an opportunity [for Phillips] to reflect on his performance against Ireland".”

A few people I've spoken to turned out not to notice that he had actually been sin-binned, in the chaos of the end of the match.

Mike Teevee

20-02-2014

more team news

Quote:
“ England: 15 Mike Brown (Harlequins); 14 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), 13 Luther Burrell (Northampton Saints), 12 Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester), 11 Jonny May (Gloucester); 10 Owen Farrell (Saracens), 9 Danny Care (Harlequins); 1 Joe Marler (Harlequins), 2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), 3 David Wilson (Bath), 4 Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), 5 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), 6 Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), 7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins, capt), 8 Billy Vunipola (Saracens).

Replacements: 16 Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), 17 Mako Vunipola (Saracens), 18 Henry Thomas (Sale Sharks), 19 Dave Attwood (Bath), 20 Ben Morgan (Gloucester), 21 Lee Dickson (Northampton Saints), 22 George Ford (Bath), 23 Alex Goode (Saracens).”

Mike Teevee

20-02-2014

final lot of team news

Quote:
“Ireland: 15 Rob Kearney, 14 Andrew Trimble, 13 Brian O'Driscoll, 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Dave Kearney, 10 Johnny Sexton, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Chris Henry, 6 Peter O'Mahony, 5 Paul O'Connell (c), 4 Devin Toner, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best, 1 Cian Healy.

Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Jack McGrath, 18 Martin Moore, 19 Iain Henderson, 20 Jordi Murphy, 21 Isaac Boss, 22 Paddy Jackson, 23 Fergus McFadden.

Italy: 15 Luke McLean, 14 Angelo Esposito, 13 Michele Campagnaro, 12 Gonzalo Garcia, 11 Leonardo Sarto, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Edoardo Gori, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Robert Barbieri, 6 Alessandro Zanni, 5 Joshua Furno, 4 Quintin Geldenhuys, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Alberto De Marchi.

Replacements: 16 Davide Giazzon, 17 Matias Aguero, 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 Marco Bortolami, 20 Paul Derbyshire, 21 Tobias Botes, 22 Luciano Orquera, 23 Tommaso Iannone. ”

Marmite Baby

21-02-2014

Predictions with teams to win in bold:

Wales v France
England v Ireland
Italy v Scotland

I think all 3 matches will be very tight.

Nathers7

21-02-2014

Great start if you're an Ireland fan

Eurostar

21-02-2014

Originally Posted by Nathers7:
“Great start if you're an Ireland fan ”

And great for Wales themselves....there's only one team in it so far.

misslibertine

21-02-2014

Well, we've already scored more in 10 minutes than we did for the entire game against Ireland so I can't complain so far!

Eurostar

21-02-2014

Originally Posted by misslibertine:
“Well, we've already scored more in 10 minutes than we did for the entire game against Ireland so I can't complain so far!”

That's a good lead too.....won't be easy for France to claw their way back into the game seeing as they are the away side.

I don't think France are playing at all well. Some flashes of good play but it's all very messy and disjointed.

Marmite Baby

21-02-2014

Guess I erred in my prediction. France are very poor. One day, France will actually appoint a coach who picks & gets their team playing to their strengths but probably won't be in my lifetime.

misslibertine

21-02-2014

Originally Posted by Eurostar:
“That's a good lead too.....won't be easy for France to claw their way back into the game seeing as they are the away side.

I don't think France are playing at all well. Some flashes of good play but it's all very messy and disjointed.”

I'll be the first to admit I wasn't holding out much hope pre-match, but it would appear they've pulled their socks up. Gethin Jenkins is, as always, an absolute powerhouse.

Bahtat

21-02-2014

Come on France! ABW.

tealady

21-02-2014

Do France have a game plan?
Seems like they want to make up as they go but without the ball!

Wales score reflects possession and intent, though their try was a bit of a fluke (a bit like France 2 v England).
Scrums a shambles, but yet again a substandard pitch ensures the scrum will be insecure at times.

tealady

21-02-2014

Change kicker after 2 kicks?? What is that about?

apaul

21-02-2014

I doubt France will be any better in the second half. They have the same problem as England in football - the clubs call the tune.

apaul

21-02-2014

Rotten decision by Rolland on the third yellow card. Good job he's retiring.

misslibertine

21-02-2014

Originally Posted by apaul:
“Rotten decision by Rolland on the third yellow card. Good job he's retiring.”

Is he? Wales will rejoice

Pendragon579

21-02-2014

Thought [or was that hoped] that France wouldn't win the Grand Slam

tealady

21-02-2014

Am I watching the same match as the Welsh commentators? They have forgotten that France are one man down, so the scrums lineouts etc aren't equal.

Pendragon579

21-02-2014

Originally Posted by misslibertine:
“Is he? Wales will rejoice ”

And England

misslibertine

21-02-2014

Originally Posted by tealady:
“Scrums a shambles, but yet again a substandard pitch ensures the scrum will be insecure at times.”

Can't say I wasn't impressed with Wales' last scrum, France moved back at quite a pace.

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